"How about we go down to the theatre, I spoke to Miss Medda and she asked if I could paint for her." I said and he thought about it but eventually agreed. We headed out and no one questioned us. When we got there, Miss Medda led us back to the canvas she had for me.
"Darlin' change of plans...I want you to paint something for your rally tonight. Something that will get those boys inspired." She said and I agreed with her. She handed me the paints and went on her way.
"Whatcha gonna paint Books?" Albert asked. I tapped the dry paint brush against my chin and thought for a moment. I thought about all of the kids and how it wasn't just the newsies that were being exploited. I first sketched a giant foot crushing kids who carried papes, had coal dust on there faces, sewing needles in hand, etc. and then I had some under the direct bottom of the shoe pushing it back up. In bold letters encompassing the drawing I wrote SO THE WORLD SAYS NO...WELL THE KIDS DO TOO and it sent chills up and down my spine.
"That's amazing." Albert said looking at it with me.
"I didn't know you could paint." He added.
"She's one of the most talented I've ever seen...she and your buddy Jack have natural aptitude." Medda said matter-of-factly.
"Jack?" I asked.
"Yes, why, he is the only other painter I have allowed back in this theatre." She began, "besides the one backdrop you've already painted for me, he's done the rest." She said pointing to about three other canvases alongside of my own. I walked up to them and looked at them closely.
"So, this is how he sees Santa Fe." I said smiling at it.
"How could you get that?" Albert asked looking at it with me.
"Well, it looks like a dream, everything is just what you would expect a dreamland to look like; the sunset is perfect, there are mountains in the background, the sky is different shades of colors. It's what he's expecting after he leaves New York. That and Crutchie described what he thinks it looks like." I explained and Albert nodded.
"We should probably be headin' back now before the rally starts." He said leaving for the door.
"Orrrrrr...we can stay and watch because we are newsies and it's our duty to stand together because unioned we stand." I said in one breath making him turn to look at me in disbelief.
"Did ya seriously bring me here hoping to convince me to let you come tonight?" He asked.
"Ummmmmm maybe." I said with a guilty smile.
"Books-"
"Oh. Come. On. Albert. I know you want to stay, it's not like there is going to be any fighting this time, we're all just talking." I argued.
"Yous SO lucky I don't want to miss this." He said walking back to the stage and I was beaming by that point. We moved the painting to the center of the stage and took a couple of seats behind the curtains. Slowly newsies started filing in and gathering on stage. After about thirty minutes everyone was here except Brooklyn but when they entered it was something. Every boy cheered for them and wouldn't stop until Spot Conlon threw his fists in the air to silence them.
"So Manhattan, you's invited us twice for help but I only see the scrawny boy ya sent the first time. Where's that pretty lady ya sent me afta?" He asked looking around.
"Watch ya mouth Spot." Race warned and Albert nudged me with his elbow making me roll my eyes.
"Don't get all twisted Racer, I just want to show her I kept my word." He said blowing off Race's comment.
"It's been noted." I said getting up and leaving backstage as Albert gave me an angry glare.
"Was it also you who painted this lovely picture?" He asked flirtatiously and I nodded my head.
"Everyone give it up for Books!" He said clapping and the other newsboys applauded.
"Thanks, but this is not why we are here, Davey has some very interesting points to make." I said and Davey took the floor. He had a pretty good speech, very convincing. It would've been perfect if Jack hadn't shown up to argue everything Davey had said. I couldn't understand why he had turned on us until I saw one of Pulitzers goons hand him a stack of cash. At the sight of Pulitzer's associate the newsboys ran but myself not caring I walked straight up to him.
"Are you kidding me?" I yelled, "All of this fighting, planning and risk only to back out for cash of all things? I never pinned you as one of those people Kelly." I said.
"You know nothin' Books!" He growled back.
"Well then enlighten me because all I'm seeing is a boy backing down from a fight because he caught wind of trouble! Jack these kids are relying on you, all of this work everyone did to get Brooklyn here and you want to disband the union?" I asked.
"Books we got no jobs, half of us got beaten so badly- YOU got beaten so badly and over what half a penny a pape? It's not worth it! No matter how long we hold out for, Pulitzer will hold out longer." He said.
"Ok now who said that to you in a specific deli one day because that's sounding oddly familiar," I said he began to open his mouth but I wasn't letting him talk, "Jack we all knew the risks of doing this, you convinced me to join you, hell, you had Spot Conlon here with his boys. All you need to do is convince yourself, until then we are just as screwed as you think we are." I said walking away from him. When I got back to the lodging house I was greeted by disappointed boys who couldn't show any emotion. Of course, there was Race who wouldn't even look at me and I was ok with that. No matter what he tried to keep me out of that meeting I was going. I decided to go see Albert.
"You mad?" I asked plopping next to him on his bed.
"I ain't fumin' but you coulda given me a warning you was goin' out there like that." He said with his arms crossed.
"To be honest I didn't think I was going out there either." I said earning half of a smile from him.
"Thanks for letting me stay. I promise if the weasel over there comes after you he'll have to go through me first." I said.
"That a promise?" He asked spitting into his hand and extending it out to me.
"That's disgusting." I responded.
"It's just business." He said still holding his hand out. I closed my eyes and spat in my hand and nearly threw up when I shook his.
"Ok then I guess we're good." He said and we both started laughing.
"I can't believe you made me do that." I said wiping my hand of my pants.
"I can't believe you listened." He laughed harder.
"Could you two please stuff it, some of us is tryin' to think about how we's gonna fix the union." Race yelled from across the room. Albert rolled his eyes and silently mocked Race causing me to laugh louder than I would've liked.
"Is you both deaf or what?" Race yelled and went outside. I was tired of his bi-polar behavior with me; it was either affectionate and cute or over-protective and nagging. I decided to follow him outside to just talk to him.
"Are you ok? You seem a little...tense." I said as he rolled his eyes continuing to smoke his cigar. After a few minutes of him aggressively smoking in silence, I stood in front of him, took the cigar out of his mouth and dropped it on the ground.
"Hey that's my cigar!" He yelled.
"You'll steal another," I dismissed, "now tell me what your problem is." I said.
"Oh I don't know maybe it's 'cause we just lost the union 'cause Jack can't take a little pressure? Or maybe it's 'cause the you and Albert can't shuddup or listen?" He yelled.
"The whole disbanding union is understandable but listen to what Race? You telling us to be quiet or stay out of tonight's rally because I'm pretty convinced it's the latter of the two. Did you seriously think I was going to sit out this meeting after you tried keeping me from the past two? And yes, I specifically mean you because I heard that you were the only one truly keeping me out of this. Look, I get that Jack disbanding the union is rough and it makes what we are trying to do a million times harder but don't take it out on me and certainly not on Albert or any of the other boys for that matter." I yelled back. I could see his blue eyes slowly turning grey and every muscle in his body tensed up.
"What we's tryin' to do? Books you ain't been a newsie longer than a month! You's unbelievable can you think maybe this isn't about you for one second?" He yelled his words feeling like knives. I pressed my tongue to my cheek and laughed to myself.
"You know what Race you've got a point, I'm not a newsie. I'm just some scab the Delancy brothers brought in to do your job so you know what? Scabs don't help strikers and in fact, they soak 'em." I said clenching a fist.
"Go ahead, hit me! Right in the eye like ya said earlier!" He yelled back grabbing my fist. Every ounce of my being wanted to beat him to a pulp but I couldn't, before I could realize what was happening I pulled my hand out of his and marched back into the lodge. I thought I was going to put my foot through the old wood steps from how hard I was stomping. When I pushed open the door every boy was standing near the window where they could have the perfect view of the fight. I looked at them all apologetically and went over to my bed. I grabbed my dress and went into the bathroom where I changed. When I tried leaving Albert pushed me back in and locked the door behind us.