For the night, I forgot about what Jack did to me. Being with Spot made me forget all my worries. I woke up to the sound of Spot walking on the wood floor. I half opened my eyes and saw him getting dressed. I took a deep breath and sighed. Spot heard me.
"Good mornin' sunshine." He said.
I closed my eyes again and smiled. This made me happy. Being with Spot was the best thing in the world. Everything from last night was then coming back to me. My face became neutral and I sat up. I rubbed my hands on my face to wake me up a little bit more. The sun blared through the window. The warmth felt nice against my pale skin.
Spot sat next to me on the bed. "You's look so beautiful."
He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss. He then grabbed my hand and held it in his.
"You ready?" Spot asked.
I nodded. I had to come to realization at some point. I dreaded it though. I just wanted to stay here, under the covers with Spot next to me. I pushed the sheets off, slipped on my shoes, and pulled my hair into my cap. We walked out and Spot told the Brooklyn newsies that we were heading to Manhattan for the strike. The boys got themselves ready.
Spot was in the lead. It was like a general leading his troops onto the battlefield. I stood back a bit and talked to Zip for a bit. Spot was having a conversation with Nick, who was one of his really good friends, and another very good newsie.
"So Zip, how did you get the job as Spot's runner?" I asked. Runner was the messenger. That's what us newsies called them because they just ran everywhere, delivering messages from news boy, to news boy. Manhattan had one, Red was his name. Nice kid.
"Dunno, just sorta had the job handed to me one day, and I obviously couldn't refuse it." Zip smiled. "Not a terrible job though, workin' for the best."
The runners were mostly younger kids. Zip seemed about 10 or 11 years old. He had blonde hair and green eyes. His head came up to about my chest. He was a cute kid, and seemed to be liked by the other boys.
"Finn, come up here." I heard Spot say.
"Talk to ya lata Zip." I said. He nodded at me.
I jogged a little to catch up with Spot and Nick. "What's up?"
"This is Nick," Spot said pointing to him. "He's a good friend of mine I thought you'd meet. Nick, this is Finn, Jack Kelly's little sista."
"Heya Finn. Jackie boys sista, eh?" He nodded at me. "Nice to meet ya."
"You too." I told him. We would spit shake, but we were moving at a pretty quick pace and Spot was in between us, so it was a bit of a reach.
"He's one we can trust wit your secret." Spot said.
"If you trust him, then I trust him." I said to him, punching him lightly in the shoulder.
Spot smiled. I guess he liked that I was getting to like the Brooklyn newsies. The three of us talked for the rest of the time on our way to Manhattan. Nick was pretty impressed I kept my secret as a girl for so long. He also asked some questions like, "how was it being a sibling of the great Jack Kelly" and "did all the Manhattan newsies know my secret".
We finally reached Manhattan and the newsies were standing in front of the gates opening to get the papes. It looked like mostly Manhattan newsies, but news boys from other places were here as well. I'm sure more will show up as the day goes on, it was still early.
I saw Race and went up to him and gave him a hug. "Brought ya some friends." I said, pointing to the Brooklyn newsies and Spot.
"Heya Spot." Race said.
"What's up Racetrack." Spot said. They spit shook.
We all then saw a carriage carrying newpapers. We all started shouting. We screamed, "Don't scab!" and then followed by "Stop the world!" over and over again.
Spot and I made our way to the front of the crowd. Some boys were picking fights.
"Hey, hey, hey, break it up." Spot told them. They boys obeyed.
Spot then looked up and stopped in his tracks. "Hey, hey, Race, Finn, come 'ere."
We pulled us in the direction he was looking at. "Jus' tell me I'm seein' thing, jus tell me I'm seeing things!" Spot said.
Everyone looked in his directions and we all saw the same thing. It was Jack, but dressed nice. He carried a piles of papes in his hand and was led out my Mr. Weisel.
"No you ain't seein' things, that's Jack! What's he doin'?" Race exclaimed.
He's dressed like a scabber!" Kid said.
Mush walked up to the police line. They were blocking us from entering the gates. "Hey, Jack it's me, Mush, lookit me, look, willya?"
The police pushed Mush back. Us newsies started shouting. I stood there in disbelief. What was he doing? Kid, Boots, Snipeshooter, Race, Spot, you name it, they were all yelling things at Jack. It then turned into anger. The boys tried to push their way through the bulls, but they just stopped us. I made my way in front of everyone to get a better look. This could not be happening. My face hardened. How could Jack do this to us! He was the one that started the strike, all of this, and now he's a scabber?
Mr Weisel then spoke up. "Mr. Pulitzer picked 'em out hisself. A special gift to a special new employee. Only not so new, huh, cowboy?"
"He sold us out!" Spot yelled.
"You bum! I'll soak ya!" Race screamed out at Jack.
"Lemme get my hands dirty, come 'ere you bloody scabber!" Spot leaped at the bulls, who just shoved him back into the crowd.
Jack kept his eyes off us. He never said anything. The crowd erupted even louder than before. The bulls kept pushing people back. I tried to get through but was stopped, just like everyone else. I was mad, extremely mad. I stood by the line of police and looked at Jack. I stared him down.
"Oh, you wanna come and talk to him? Come on, come on, sure." Mr. Weisel pointed at me. The bulls let me through their barrier. I walked slowly up to Jack.
I grabbed at his newly fitted suit. "So this is why you's didn't escape wit me last night?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah."
"Your a liar." I said. "You's like about everythin'!"
"So, what you's wanna do about it Finn?" Jack said,
I sighed. "Jack, I'm your sista. We's have to look out for each otha and that's what I was doin' last night! I was gettin' you outta that hell hole! But whatta ya do, you trade me in for a pair of new shoes and a freshly pressed suit."
"Yeah, well Finn I'm doin' this for us," Jack told me. "To get some money in our pockets..."
"That's not the point!" I was yelling. "You's started this entire thing! Look!"
I pointed at all the newsies behind us on strike. "They's are all 'ere because of you. If you's gonna get money, I don't want it being that you betray the only family you have right now."
Jack just looked at me. "Well, I thought you would be happy for me. Tryin' to get money, tryin' to get a decent job! But no, you's choose sides wit them."
I just shook my head. "You's don't understand Jack! You's stabbed us all in the back! Us newsies are your family. You's don't do that to your family! " I was shouting at him, and he didn't like that.
"Oh what did a newsie ever gimme? About a dime a day and a few black eyes. You know I can't afford to be a kid no more, Finn. For the first time in my life I got money in my pockets, real money, money you understand! As soon as I get enough, I'm gone, I'm away!"
"And leave your sista behind? Well that's just great, because, you know what, I's don't need ya! We's don't need ya!" I yelled.
I was done with him. We stared at each other for a few seconds until I turned away from him. I started to walk towards the newsies. I saw all their faces. They were angry, upset, and betrayed. They all looked like they were going to burst. I stopped in my tracks, and turned back around.
"What's a matta?" Jack shrugged at me.
That was the fine line he just broke. I lunged for him. Mr. Weisel grabbed me before I got close, and a bull did too. The newsies started shouting and the bull pushed me back into the crowd.
The bulls and Mr. Weisel led Jack out of the crowd and sent him on his way to sell papes.
"Seize the day, huh Jack?" Race yelled at him. We all just stood there. Watching our leader walk in another direction.
"He's foolin' 'em!" Les tried to lift our spirits. "He's spyin' on him!"
"Yeah, he's spyin' on." Race said, jokingly.
My heart pounded. My breaths were short and my fists were clenched. The rest of the newsies turned around, and did not know what to do. Some just walked away, others waited around. Spot came up to me and put his arm around my shoulder. My gaze was kept on Jack in the way distance now.
"I'm sorry." He said. I relaxed a bit, but there was still tension.
"I jus, don't..." I managed to get out.
"I know, I know." Spot said. He hugged me now. "None of us understand."
__________________
Woah