- G'morning Y/N – Jack greets me, getting in line behind me.
- Good morning Jack, hi Crutchie!
- Good morning, Y/N! – He also gets in line, Elmer and Finch right behind him.
- You have a very interesting face, Wiesel, have you though bout getting in the movies? – I hear Albert, that's in front of me, talking to the distributor.
- Do you really think I can, boy? – the fat man stops smoking his cigar to ponder the suggestion.
- Just buy a ticket, they let anyone in! – Albert laughs, leaving his coins for a puff of smoke to the face and a pile of papes.
- Humpft! And for you, girl? How many?
-Hum... – I look at the coins in my hand. Today I got a quarter, but i don't know how many papes I can get with it.
- I don't have all day – He insists, so I put the coin on the table.
He stares me down, side-eyeing Oscar Delancey, as if signaling. – 40 papes for mutey
I take a step forward, looking down. Since the price of the papes went up from 50 to 60 cents per hundred, I have trouble counting. I was never good at maths, and I had to leave school to work as a Newsie, so...
Morris Delancey gives me the papes, I take them and stick'em in the cloth bag. As I am leaving, Elmer asks:
- How much did you give him, Y/N?
- A quarter... – I whisper. I know Elmer is great at maths, but I'm embarressed to ask for help... Not only he's intelligent, but also really cute.
- Hey, Wiesel, there's one less pape here
- Too late, Elmer, get lost – This time, Morris speaks.
- It was a quarter, Jack – Elmer tells his friend, who looked at us with questioning eyes.
- Wiesel, your watch dog speaks for ya? A quarter gets 41 papes
- To hell with it – Oscar laughs – If she can't talk nor count, she's not gonna sell anything
Jack almost soaked the cheater, but Wiesel held them both by their collars, biting on his cigar.
- Alright, alright, take the pape and get outta here, girl! – Handing it to Jack.
JAck came to me, still staring down the Delanceys angrily – There ya go, Y/N, it's fine
- Th-thank you... – I whisper. What shame! Now all the newsies know I can't count!
I run out the iron gates of the Distribution Center, I don't even know where I'm gonna sell today... I hope I don't find anyone on my way...
- Hey, Y/N, hold on! – It's Elmer's voice!
I face him, but look down, I don't know what to say.
- Are ya okay? I... Didn't wanna barge in... It's just that 40 papes exactly would cost 24 cents and... Ya know, I though it was weird...
- I'm okay, Elmer... Tha-thanks...
He rubs his nape, not satisfied with my anwser.
- Ya know... I'm gonna help Crutchie with this weeks balance... If ya want, ya can come with us
- Hum... I... Why Crutchie? – I try to dodge the issue.
- Cause he's having trouble organizing since the price of the papes changed... So is Romeo, but he said he's going on a date tonight
- A date? – I couldn't help grinning... Romeo thinks himself a womanizer, but girls are always turning him down and he don't realize it.
- Right? – Elmer's smile comes out after seeing me relaxing, even his eyes seem to sparkle – So? Are ya coming?
- Well... I... am also having trouble with the new price...
- It's alright, I can help! Ya know, I need to be good at maths, cause I've got 8 siblings
- 8? – I'm surprised
- Right? I had to learn my numbers early on, they're all older than me... And I had to learn divisions, or I would always get the smallest portion of cereal! – He says, making me laugh.
Elmer seems satisfied now that I'm actually looking at him. And what a cutie! Look at this dark hair, just like the round sparkly eyes... And this friendly and mischievous smile... I though he'd think me dumb if he knew I'm bad at counting, but he seems quite happy to invite me for his "classes".
- See ya tonight? – He asks, and I nod happily.
***
I sold almost all my papes. I'm left with a single one. And now I gotta take it back to Wiesel and get my money back. But I don't know hom much... If 41 papes cost me a quarter... One pape is worth... 25 cents divided by 41 papes? No wait, its the other way around...
I stop before going through the gates, there's not a single Newsie inside, and the stupid Delanceys are sure gonna bully me if I get there without knowing how much I have to take back. I start trying to count on my fingers, but it really doesn't work.
- Y/N! – I look back and see Elmer, smiling – Tell me you've got a pape
- I do... a single one... – I breath deeply before asking – How... how much is a pape worth?
- Less than a cent, but look! I lost 2 of mine, and got one lost from Jack, and another one I found on the street, can ya believe it? We put them all together and get back 3 cents, whatcha think?
I didn't really follow this human calculator, but nodded my head, handing him my last pape. He gets into the Distribution Center, and I follow.
- 5 losses, Morris – he hands over the papes to Morris, who looks at his brother.
Oscar takes some coins from his pocket, smacking 3 pennies on the table, looking scornly at Elmer, then facing me – You?
I shake my head no, they're frightening... I feel like they're still laughing at me while I look down.
Then I see Elmer stretch his hand and hold mine gently, guiding me out of the Distribution Center. We walk quickly to Newsboys Lodging House, holding hands. We stop by the door, and Elmer stares at me with a shy smile.
He lifts up my hands, releases it, and puts the 3 pennies on my palm.
- Elmer, that's yours
- No, i'm giving it to you
- But I only had a single pape... You said it's worth less than a cent, here – I tried giving it back to him, but Elmer held my hand closed.
- No, Y/N, It's yours, it's a gift
- I-I...
- Come on now, Crutchie must be waiting
We get in the house and walk over to one of the rooms, where Jack and Crutchie wait sitting by the bed, Specs and Race resting against the furniture. We greet them and when they wave goodbye, I don't feel like they're judging me for what happened earlier today. What a relief!
There's me, Elmer and Crutchie left. Elmer is like a little teacher, he takes an old notebook from a drawer and takes notes while Crutchie tells him about how much money he made this week, and his strategy: how many papes he gets and how many he sells when the headline is great and when it stinks. At first I only observe, but then Elmer teaches us bout proportions so we can calculate how many papes we can get with a penny, a nickel, a dime and a quarter. Crutchie and I do our "homework", and it wasn't that hard.
Soon Jack comes back to call Crutchie to go to bed, and I'm left alone with Elmer.
- Did you get it, Y/N? Sometimes I get nervous and talk too fast, so...
- I did! It wasn't thaaaaat hard... It's just... I also get nervous and can't think straight... Specially when the Delanceys are staring at me...
- Ha! They're stupid jerks, didn't you notice Morris also didn't know what are 5 papes worth?
- He didn't?
- No, he didn't! Oscar is the brains... – He laughs, and so do I.
- Thanks for teaching me, Elmer...
- No problem! If ya want to call me before getting in line, to make sure, or I can wait for you when its time to get back the losses...
I nod my head as he talks, thinking that I shouldn't have waited so long to talk to him! Elmer's a cutie, why did I think he'd joke about me?
- Ya know, we can do this again, if... if it helps
I take a deep breath before anwsering – I'd love to
- Great! – He smiles truthfully – well, now I gotta get home... My 8 siblings are waiting for me... – He makes a sad face.
- 8 siblings... – I think out loud – Don't you get tired?
- Course I do! 9 is too much! 11 counting my parents...
- You must want to be alone sometimes...
He smiles - Well, I like being just me... But I rather... rather be the two of us