Today's when I get liberated from Oscar Delancey! Thank god. But there's one problem, Oscar noticed I was acting too happy and stayed home to make sure I haven't been up to anything. I've already told Mrs. Fleming to tip off Spot when he comes.
My face stays stained in my regular depressed demeanor as I carry out my usual chores. But as I'm scrubbing the wooden floor, a knock echoes from the door through the silent flat. Spot. Oscar snaps up and storms over open to the door flings it open. Spot turns whiter than a ghost as Oscar glares at him.
"Conlon, I thought I told ya. If you come near her, I'd kill ya," Oscar spits.
Oscar shoves him down on the floor and starts pounding on him. Come on, Spot. After a couple minutes of Spot getting beat on and me watching helplessly, I push Oscar off of Spot. Oscar's attention turns to me. He slaps, then shoves me on the ground.
"You ungrateful bitch," he spits kicking me in the stomach.
Spot pushes Oscar into the China cabinet and the plates shatter on them. He stomps over to the almost unconscious Oscar. He pulls Oscar up to his feet by his collar.
"Now, if you'se evah even look at 'er again," Spot spits in his face," I'll soak ya, till you'se can't walk."
Spot lands a few more blows his face knocking him out cold. He throws Oscar against the China cabinet again. Spot picks me up and carries me bridal down the fire escape. I lean my head against his chest and wrap my arms around his neck," Where are we going to?"
"Where dere's a place for us."
I furrow my eyebrows.
"We'se goin' ta da Brooklyn Lodge."
*****
Well, for the past week Spot has been on watch dog mode over me. I always have to have one of his newsies with me at all times if he wasn't there. Ace or Dash are my personal favorites because they know how to have some fun. But Kit is the worst, he's so dull and serious. Blah.
But today, Spot is making me sell papers with him. And I wouldn't have to be here if I didn't open my mouth. I had to say I wanted to go to church tomorrow and wanted him to come.
The Brooklyn boys have made their own version of the Manhattan Newsies' song Carrying the Banner. It's pretty funny, but not at six in the morning.
"That's my cigar!" Kit yells at someone underneath me and Spot.
"You'll steal another!" Dash snaps back.
Spot kisses me before walking down the stairs with me close behind.
"Hey, look, it's bath time at the zoo!" Spike laughs loudly at Ace who has shaving cream all over his face.
"I thought that I'd suprise my mother," Ace smiles proudly.
"If you could find her," Spot scoffs.
"Who asked you?" A couple of the older newsies yell at him.
They all just want to keep hope alive for the little ones, even if there isn't any.
"From Bottle Alley to the docks. There's easy pickings guaranteed," Spot sings pulling his cane through his belt loops.
"Try any banker, bum, or barber. They almost all know how to read!" I sing fixing Spot's shirt.
"It's a crooked game we're playin'. One we'll never lose. Long as suckers don't mind payin' just to get bad news," Spot adds.
The boys all start to rush down the steps and outside. Mr. Malone tries to count all the boys, but it's like a stampede.
"Ain't it a fine life? Carryin' the banner through it all. A mighty fine life. Carryin' the banner tough and tall. When the bell rings, we goes where we wishes. We's as free as fishes, sure beats washing dishes. What a fine life! Carryin' the banner home-free all!" They sing as Spot, Ace and Freckles lead the group.
Somehow, I end up in the rear with Kit. He always just walks behind. Spot and Ace jump, spin and flip so many times in the street with other boys it hard to keep count.
"It takes a smile that spreads like butter. The kind that turns a lady's head," Chatterbox laughs hanging on to Spot.
Chatterbox's name is pretty true, never have I heard him stop talking.
"It takes an orphan with a stutter," Freckles sings.
"Who's also blind!" Spike adds.
"And mute!" Ace laughs.
"And dead!" Spot shouts as he lights a cigarette. Ew.
"Summer stinks and winter's freezing. When you works outdoors, start out sweating, end up sneezing. In between it pours! Still, it's a fine life. Carryin' the banner with me chums. A bunch of big shots, tossin' out a freebie to the bums," They sing as older boys shove each other out of the way to dance. So hard that the other person falls, but the little ones are so cute when they try to do what Spot and Ace do with each other.
"Hey! What's the hold up! Waitin' makes me antsy! I likes living chancey!" Spot yells waiting for boys to stop dancing.
"Harlem to Delancey. What a fine life! Carryin' the banner through the-" The boys get cut off as a couple of nuns drive up in a wagon to them with bread and coffee.
The boys line up with Spot and Ace at the front then, biggest to smallest behind them.
"Blessed children, though you wander lost and depraved. Jesus loves you. You shall be saved!" The nuns sing as they pass bread and coffee out to the boys.
"Curdled," Spot sings handing me half of his bread.
"Just give me half a cup," Ace says to a nun.
"Coffee," Spot adds to before.
"Something to wake me up," Spike sings taking a cup of coffee.
"Concrete donuts sprinkled with mold," Spot sings while Kit and Dash sing," I gotta find an angle. It's gettin' bad out here."
"Homemade," Spot sings closing his eyes.
"Papers is all I got," Ace sighs handing his cup back to a nun.
"Biscuits," Spot adds.
"It's 88 degrees," Chatterbox huffs.
"Spot says to change my spot," Fetch squeaks out.
"Wish I could catch a breeze," Spike
"Just two," Spot sighs.
"Maybe it's worth a shot," Spoons smiles.
"All I can catch is fleas," Freckles sneers.
"Years old," Spot sings angrily," If I hate the headlines. I'll make up a headline and I'll say anything I hafta."
'"Cause at two for a penny. If I take too many, that Rat just makes me eat 'em afta," The boys sing walking away from the nuns.
"Got a feelin' bout the headline. I smells me a headline. Papes is gonna sell like we was givin' em' away. Betcha dinner it's a doozy 'bout a pistol-packing floozey. Who knows how to make a newsie's day?" Spot and the older boys sing.
"I do too! So it must be true! What a switch! Soon we'll all be rich. Don't know a better way to make a newsie's day!" The younger boys squeak out at the same time as the other boys.
The boys run all the way to their Circulation center right in front of the gates," You wanna move the next edition! Give us an earthquake or a war!"
Well, they're in luck.
"How 'bout a crooked politician?" Fetch asks.
The boys throw their caps at him," Ya nitwit, that ain't news no more! Uptown to Grand Central Station, down to City Hall. We improves our circulation, walking till we fall!"
"But we'll be out there, carrying the banner man to man! We're always out there, soakin' every sucker that we can! See the headline: Newsies on a mission!" The older boys sing as Spot and Spoons spin in the middle of them.
"Got a feelin' bout the headline. I smells me a headline. Papes is gonna sell like we was givin' em' away. Betcha dinner it's a doozy 'bout a pistol-packing floozey. Don't know any better way to make a newsie's day!" Ace and Dash sing counterpoint with the little ones.
"Here's the headline! Newsies on a mission! Kill the competition!Sell the next edition! We'll be out there, carryin' the banner. See us out there, carryin' the banner. Always out there, carryin' the banner!" Spot sings with Spike and the older boys.
"I was stakin' out the circus and then someone said that coney's really hot. But when I got there, there was Spot with all his cronies. Heck, I'm gonna take what little dough I got and play with the ponies. We at least deserve a headline for the hours that they work us. Jeez, I bet if I just stayed a little longer at the circus," The younger boys sing with Ace and Dash.
The gates to the center swing open and the boys rush in like a stampede singing," We'll all be out there, carryin' the banner man to man! We're always out there, soakin' every sucker that we can! Here's the headline: Newsies on a mission! Kill the competition! Sell the next edition! We'll be out there, carryin' the banner! See us out there, carryin' the banner! Always out there, carryin' the banner! Ah, ah, ah, go!"