𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 !!!
━ v. a decision to make
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐘 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘, bringing the same hustle and bustle as the young cowboy prepared himself for the day. Though it would consist of the same activities as always. Sell papers until his hands were empty but pockets full of money. For the rest of the evening, he would waste his precious time pickpocketing or mess around with the law along with his pals.
His boots roughly pressed against the dusty floor once he entered the circulation room. Receiving an unwelcome crowd with loud yells. He stood in the corner, observing the scene, the tension air palpable.
Eventually, his purpose of coming here with the hope of finding solace in his friends turned into the complete opposite. He sighed agitatedly, finding himself surrounded by their bickering.
"They jacked up the price! You hear that Jack? Ten cents a hundred," Jack stifled another sigh, shaking his head in resignation. He had enough of their arguments against the scabbers, knowing it would come to terms of disagreeing with each other, as usual. "You know, it's bad enough that we gotta eat what we don't sell, now they jack up the price. Can you believe that?"
"This'll bust me. I'm barely making a living right now." One of them, Snipeshooter argued, releasing the thick cloud of smoke he'd been holding in his lungs.
"Well, I'll be back sleeping on the streets," beside him, Boots defeatedly allowed his body to slump down onto the stairs. A wave of fatigue washed over him, accepting the defeat.
"Whatever, they can do what they want. It's their stinkin' paper," some of the newsies frowned in disapproval of hearing the boy with the accent. It would've been expected from him to lose his mind and agree with what had been said, but his dissent came as a shock to them.
Kid blink breathed deeply, composing himself before his anger and frustration would get the better of him. "They can't do this to me."
Despite all the disagreements and negative opinions, Jack remained silent and held his own. He had grown weary of engaging in debates, it was exhausting. He had strong opinions on certain issues, but he preferred to not get into any more arguments.
He simply desired a peace resolution.
Before anyone could continue the current, the door of the room flew open and a frantic figure dashed inside. Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to their familiar pal, who was breathing heavily and eyes wandered around frantically.
"Specs, what's the matter?" Jack stood up, the newsies encircling the boy with curious faces and narrowed eyes.
It took Specs moments of deep breaths, slowly managing to steady himself. Throughout his unstable presence, he couldn't contain the delightful smile on his face.
He passed down the piece of paper he carried toward Jack. "Thought you'd wanna see this, cowboy."
Jack carefully unfolded the paper, scanning the words written on it. The boys gazed confused from behind him, wondering the reason for their companions deep thought.
From outside, they could only see a concentrated Jack Kelly, but on the inside, the cowboy was overwhelmed. The words on the paper had stumbled him upon an opportunity that could take him to the next level. And not just him but also his friends had the chance.
It was a great opportunity for them, but realization hit him and doubts brimmed his mind of what everyone else would think. It was like standing on a crossroad, having no idea which way to take.
With animation, Jack spoke up, "Guys, this is it! Maybe we could go here."
The boys gazed at the piece of paper strangely. They were perplexed by the sudden suggestion, finding it unnecessary, out of the ordinary. A minute didn't pass when Jack felt all their questionable faces, unable to comprehend his advice.
"You do realize what it says here?" David inquired, followed by agreements from around the room. "This is a show we're talking about. What good would it be for us anyway?"
"Think about it. If we join, we might have a chance to win more than what we do already," to his dismay, nobody seemed satisfied, leaving him baffled.
"Come on, don't be like that. Don't you guys grow exhausted from doing the same thing everyday. And not only that, but get mistreated? Well, I'm done. For once, I actually want this for a better change. Wouldn't anyone want to be seen as a star instead of just a street rat? Feel like you actually succeeded in your life?"
An uncomfortable silence overflowed throughout the entire room, all of them shared shocking glances. Their minds whirring with thoughts, processing what had just been spoken.
"Be grateful I'm on your side with this one, cowboy." Race coldly replied, though Jack could notice the corner of his lips lift up a bit.
Race spun around to face the large crowd that gathered in anticipation. "Well folks, cowboys right. We've all been disrespected since children. I think it's about time we show everyone what we're worth."
To Jack's surprise, Race's speech was met with unanimous approval from the crowd. Cheers began to erupt once he finished speaking. Their enthusiasm was palpable. It made Jack beamed with light and become eager to get started on the plan.
"So what's it gonna be?" Jack yelled, the huge crowd roaring in excitement.
"We're with you, Jack," Mush elevated his fist in the air, an encouraging expression plastered over his face.
"Great! Now, we only need to inform the others. Try to bring them together," the newsies exchanged glances at the recommendation.
"Why would we let them know? We're enough," Mush commented, followed by everyone's agreements in unison.
Jack racked his brain, searching for the most accurate words to encapsulate it. They all had a unique opportunity as well as they did. He couldn't stand here and ignore the potential of adding others.
He shrugged unbothered, "what if there's someone out there who would join us? The more we get, the better."
No one had the chance to speak up when Jack interfered, "now, this is the plan. Me, David, and Boots will proceed all over New York. We can take the first route to Harlem. Next, we'll go to Midtown, Queens, Bowery, Bronx, Eastside, and last..." he stopped mid-sentence, exhaling a deep breath, his fingers combed through his hair stressfully. "We take Brooklyn."
The room fell into a painful silence just by the mention of Brooklyn. They looked at each other with fear, developing a sudden hatred toward the most dangerous place in New York. Especially when the devil himself ruled the properties.
The newsies were highly aware of Spot Conlon, who gained infamy for his ruthlessness and cruelty as the leader of the Brooklyn newsboys.
He was a tyrant, the newsies knew to fear him and his boys. Spot Conlon had a reputation for being uncompromising and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
"The rest of you will stay here. We'll be back later," David and Boots shared a look, both apprehensive as they were escorted away by Jack.
They didn't have the opportunity to protest against Jack, knowing they were about to confront the powerful and feared king of Brooklyn.
Out of everyone, why did they have to get picked?
David believed he would've gone back home. Imagining the cozy feeling of sitting on his special spot in his bedroom, sipping a warm cup of tea while opening the pages of a book.
On the other hand, Boots had planned to spend the day wandering around the streets of Manhattan, going store by store and seeing what he could purchase with the money he had saved throughout the past weeks.
Lamentably, it appeared the world had become hostile to them, disrupting their plans drastically.
Harlem stop — "Uh no thanks," Jack awkwardly retrieved the paper. The Harlem leader along with his newsies giving judgment stares that burned into his back.
Midtown stop — "No," the leader sighed deeply, shaking his head. His loyal newsies standing behind him and nodding in agreement.
Bowery stop — "I'm already carrying enough problems in my bloody hands. I don't need more," the leader replied, lighting up a cigarette with his boys.
Bronx stop — "Sorry Kelly, things around here have been getting sketchy. I need to take care of it as soon as possible. But I wish luck for you guys," Jack smiled at the kind words, respectfully shaking his hand in return.
Queens stop — "Piece of trash," he rudely answered, tossing the paper back and not bothering to even look up at the three Manhattan boys.
Eastside stop — the leader simply shook his head and waved a hand away, clearly indicating his disapproval. He turned away from the offer without another word and pursued his walk with his newsboys.
After the long and difficult journey, the three were drained. While Jack was the only one with a glimmer of hope in his eye; David and Boots had previously relinquished any hope that they would find any purpose for what they searched for.
Despite their tiredness, Jack didn't observe the disappointed expressions of his companions, trudging onward and determined to arrive in Brooklyn.
"'Oh, I'm sure there will be someone out there. Jack Kelly, the dumbest cowboy in New York, never fails. The more, the better.'" Jack's face contorted with annoyance. Slightly glaring bat Boots, who mocked him.
"Come on, Jack, open your eyes. Clearly no one wants to accept the offer, especially Brooklyn now. So why don't we leave it as it is and head back?" David advised, trying to reason with him.
Contrarily, Jack refused, insisting to move forward and continue their plan.
Well, his plan, to sort it out.
"Fine, if you two give up, be my guest. I'm not stopping you. But I gotta check Brooklyn and if they don't join, at least I know I tried," David scoffed at his stubbornness. Watching as he carried on his winding trail, departing from them.
Having in mind they couldn't abandon him, David and Boots trailed behind him. Attempting to help him out even though they had zero energy.
Arriving at the docks, the two boys behind Jack were hesitant at first. They hadn't even been called out by someone and they were already feeling uncomfortable just by the deadly glares.
Boots followed closely behind David, making sure to stay glued with him. Not wanting to make it obvious he was afraid.
"Well if it ain't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick." There it was.
The stern, powerful figure that commanded respect. His words were like thunder, shaking the ground and instilling dread in all who heard it.
Jack fixed his posture, clearing his throat. "See you've moved up in the world, Spot. Got a river view and everything." He complimented, making sure his voice sounded confident.
Spot kept his lips shut, his eyes piercing as he scanned the group of boys with an intensity that caused them to feel uneasy.
As both leaders met, they exchanged pleasantries. Spot spat on his hand before holding it out, and soon Jack copied the same movements. Shaking their hands, Jack could feel himself calm down by the gesture.
David watched disgustingly at the sight of their hands shaking, their saliva mixing with the sweat on their palms. He shuddered, a wave of revulsion washing over him.
He couldn't believe this was actually a real thing.
"Heya Boots, how's it rollin'?" Spot called out, a welcome smile tugged on the corner of his lips.
Boots made his way to him, holding out a few marbles. "Here I got a couple of real good shooters here," his eyes lit up once he saw the change in Spot's expression.
"Yeah," Spot's fingers traced the smooth surface of the marble, inspecting the swirls of blue and green that danced within. While he positioned the marble on the tip of the slingshot, he turned to Jack and said, "So Jacky boy, I've been hearing things from little birds. Things from Harlem, Queens," he carefully aimed and launched it at a piece of glass, causing the boys to flinch slightly. "All over."
Jack kept his lips sealed, "They've been chirpin' in my ear. Looks like Jacky boy and his boy are going on a show, huh?"
Upon hearing the outrageous claim, Spot became skeptical of the Manhattan news. After years of selling papers, they decided to leave their past job and join a show. It was out of the ordinary. It didn't make sense to him.
Taking in Jack's confident look, he continued, "Why so sudden?" The more he wondered, the more his curiosity expanded.
"We agreed it would be a new start in our lives. This time for good," Jack explained, but it kept Spot in silence with his thoughts. Was selling papers not enough? But that question became personal the more he thought.
"We just wanted to assure everyone about this before we head there," Taking in the extreme silence, Jack received the message and settled this chance to leave.
"We'll take our leave now. See you around, Spot," they all shared a small smile before walking out.
Spot was left alone with his thoughts. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, replaying the same questions and trying to make sense of it all. If he joined, would it be worth it? Leaving his newsboys, his best pals, his home for something changeable.
Would his life go for the better or would it become some sort of wastable time? He was the king of Brooklyn after all. He had everything a newsie would desire for. But with all that, he wanted a difference, a change.
Throughout his storm of thoughts, he hadn't realized a presence move beside him. "You're overthinking."
He jumped at the instant familiar voice, his thoughts fading away. He exhaled in relief seeing one of his best companions.
"Ace, I believe this is the tenth time I've clarified to you to stop scaring me with that voice of yours," Ace chuckled softly, pushing away Spot's statement.
"You're overthinking," he repeated, smirking at his leader's confusion. "I've known you for a long time, and that face is very recognizable to me." Spot looked at him as if he was the weirdest kid in the whole city. Upon seeing his expression, Ace rolled his eyes. "When some subject bothers you, you never stop thinking of it."
Spot hummed. Was he that noticeable?
"Go," Spot snapped his head back in his direction. Ace chuckled again, patting his shoulder. "Go, maybe it will be worth it."
A smile started to form on Spot's lips, and Ace pushed him away playfully. "I'll take care of the boys. Don't worry about them, they'll understand. Just make sure to visit us frequently or we will go on a search for you."
The next movement caught Ace off guard. When he felt Spot's arms wrap around him, he couldn't even believe if this was real or if it was a dream. It took him a couple of seconds for realization to hit him, and he returned the hug.
"Thanks Ace." Spot pulled away, giving him one last pat.
"No problem, amigo. Good luck."
With that, Spot ran toward the trail where Jack headed, ignoring the calls and questionable faces from his newsboys.
Once Spot arrived at the bridge, he scanned around the area for Jack. When he looked ahead, his face brightened seeing Boots leaning against the rail with Jack and David beside him. He began to run again, yelling out their names.
"Jack." Hearing the voice, the three boys became confused. Coming to terms he had made his decision back there, or so they thought.
"Let's do it," Jack smiled widely, bringing exciteful cheers from the boys behind him. Jack wrapped his arm around Spot, making their way back to Manhattan.
It has been a few hours for the Manhattan newsies. They were all starting to get bored. Some of them were playing around or others decided to sleep.
Mush and Crutchie were talking to each other. Kid Blink and Race were chasing Les around. The little boy giggled, running away from his friends. But he stopped when he spotted his brother from ahead.
"They're back, they're back!" He yelled, running towards his brother. The newsies all stood up and ran behind the young child.
"Hey Jack," the newsie greeted him.
"So, did you find anyone?" Crutchie asked. Jack wrapped one of his arms on his shoulder.
Not having a clue about the presence behind the cowboy, Spot came out from behind him. The newsies cheering loudly.
"Spot!" They yelled, a few of them giving him hand shakes or hugging him.
"Hey guys," Spot greeted them, hugging Mush from beside him.
"So what made ya join us?" Race asked, placing his cigar on his mouth.
"Well... like Jackie boy said, start something new in our lives," Spot answered, the newsies cheering at him.
"Alright, enough chit-chattin'. We need to get moving," Jack announced. Taking the paper out of his pocket. "Barnum's Museum..." he mumbled.
His friends looked at him from behind, waiting for his instructions.
"Ok... let's go," Jack concluded, leading them in another direction.
The Manhattan newsies walked together. Jack walked a bit ahead of them along with David who was already getting tired of walking fast. Spot talked with Kid Blink and Crutchie. While Boots, Mush, Race, and Les played around with each other.
After walking for minutes, the group stopped when they reached in front of a building.
"Is this it?" David asked, looking at Jack.
"Yeah..." Jack replied, holding the paper in front of him.
"Alright let's do this," Jack told his friends, opening the doors of the entrance.
"That is the tallest man I've ever seen in my entire life," Race whispered, gazing in amazement at the tall man ahead of them. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes and jaws dropped.
They all watched as the tall man talked with the boss. It confused them when they saw the boss smiling at the tall man. Usually people would make fun of those types of people or look at them in disgust. But this man was different. He was kind to them.
They all waited for a few minutes, looking around or listening to the conversation. They soon watched as the boss took the tall man to the back rooms before coming back to his desk. Once he took his position back to the chair, his eyes met the group and a joyful expression brimmed in features.
"Hello. You boys must be the newsies, right? I've seen you all dancing and singing around in the streets, and let me tell y'all. I'm impressed by your skills," he ranted, bringing delightful smiles from around the room.
"P.T Barnum, at your service," P.T introduced himself, offering his hand out for Jack to shake.
"Jack Kelly and these are my pals," Jack responded.
"Yeah. I've seen you all before. You all have great talent," P.T said, looking at them. But his eyes stopped when he saw Spot.
"I swear I've never seen you before. Are you new?" P.T asked him, sending Spot a smile.
"This sir, is the one and only, King of Brookl—" Jack was cut off by Spot.
"I can speak for myself," Spot interrupted him before centering his attention back to P.T, "Spot Conlon."
"Pleasure to meet you Spot," P.T shook his hand, sending him a polite smile. "So are you here to join the show?" He asked them.
"Yes sir, we thought it would be a good idea to start something new in our lives. So we decided to join," Jack responded.
"Well you've come to the right place. Welcome to the show boys," P.T smiled as the boys cheered. All of them were happy and hugging each other.
"Alright, O'Malley," P.T called, clapping his hands. His employee rolled his eyes. All he wanted was a small break.
"Take these boys to the back rooms so they can get ready," P.T told him. O'Malley rolled his eyes, motioning the newsies to follow him.
P.T sat down on his desk, feeling proud of himself for once. "We have a show!" He excitedly exclaimed, clapping his hands.
Showtime, baby!
𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓
( greatest showman/newsies, 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 book )
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