Jack - It was almost two o'clock and Y/n was rushing to get to work. If she was late one more time her boss was going to be furious. She made it there just in time to get started before her boss stormed in, grumpy as ever. He was not in a good mood today which meant that they would be working an extra hour for their shift if they didn't watch what they did.
Sadly, one of the girls in Y/n's department hadn't noticed the foul mood he was in and had slacked off during the first hour of their two-hour shift, and now they were all going to have to stay for another hour. They were lucky enough to be given a short time from the beginning and they weren't keen on staying longer than necessary.
By the time they were finished, the women working in the factory were ready to leave, they all packed up what they had and quickly left the mill. Y/n was one of the first to leave, knowing she would need to hurry if she wanted to avoid trouble.
She bustled through the busy streets of New York City and tried to avoid walking in areas where she would be slowed down. She had just passed through Newsies square when a young man stepped in front of her. She tried to side-step around him, but he stepped in front of her again. She looked up at him, agitated and put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot. He gave her a small grin and a devious look.
"H'llo Miss! Can I interest you in an evenin' paper?" He cheekily smiled and Y/n sighed. Maybe her Father would be happy to get a newspaper.
"Sure, I guess." She pulled a penny out of her coin bag and handed it to the boy. He tipped his imaginary cap to her and handed her the paper with a mock bow. A piece of his dark hair fell in front of his face. She shook her head slightly and stepped around him.
"Have a good night, Miss!" The boy shouted to her as she walked away.
That was interesting.
David - Y/n walked through the back door of Jacobi's and shrugged off her coat, pulling on her apron. After a long day of helping her mother at home and tutoring her siblings, it was a nice break to slip into her simple routine at the diner. She stepped into the main room and heard the ear-splitting noise that followed a certain group of teen boys. She rolled her eyes. This is a headache just waiting to happen. She put on a fake smile and walked to the first table of boys, ignoring their flirtatious advances and putting their order in for Mr. Jacobi to get it ready. She moved on to the next two tables, successfully avoiding their unwanted attention.
When she got to the last table, Y/n got out her notepad.
"What can I get for you, gentlemen?" She asked without looking up.
"Hello, doll. You'se lookin' very pretty today." She rolled her eyes and looked at the boy who had a cigar hanging from his mouth. The Newsies were known for being a rambunctious group and a pack of heart-breakers at that.
"Is there somethin' I can get for ya?" She gave him an incredulous look. He sighed and ordered, the rest of them following suit. The last boy to order was the most polite by far. He smiled sweetly at her and ran a hand through his curly brown hair. Y/n smiled back and took their order to Jacobi, going through the rest of her shift. The newsies had been there for almost three hours when Jacobi pulled Y/n aside.
"Alright, go ahead and take off. I can handle the rest of the night. 'Sides, I think you've got someone waiting for you." Jacobi winked and patted Y/n on the shoulder. Y/n looked over at them confused and saw that they were glancing over at her every couple of seconds.
"Oh, no! Mr. Jacobi, it's alright. I'm not meeting anyone after this. They're probably just hanging around because its nice in here." Y/n stuttered, grasping at straws. The cold weather outside led a lot of stragglers to the comfort of Jacobi's Diner. There's no way this was her fault.
"Now don't get all in a huff. I'm not blamin' you." Jacobi chuckled and turned her to the coat hangers.
"You just get goin'. You're not gettin' paid less or nothin'. Just think of it as... an early holiday bonus." He pushed her and turned around laughing happily. Y/n shook her head in exasperation before grabbing her coat and scarf, bundling herself up to face the snow.
She trudged into the streets and started walking when she heard shouts of delight and saw a few of the young Newsies running ahead of her. They were playing around in the snow despite their lack of warm clothing and it brought a smile to her face seeing their happy faces. She was only a block away from the Diner when she heard someone calling to her.
She turned to see the curly haired boy from inside jogging to catch up with her. He apologized for his friends' behavior inside and for waiting in the deli for so long. They talked until they got to Y/n's house and she smiled at him, wishing him goodnight.
"Oh! Before I forget, What's your name?" The boy asked shyly.
"I'm Y/n. What's yours?"
"David." He smiled at her before jogging away to his friends.
Les - "Y/n!!" Les yelled running around the small park near his house. Y/n waved excitedly at him.
"Hi, Les!!" She yelled back. She looked to her mother for approval and ran over to him when she was given a nod in response.
The two played and ran around for hours until Mrs. Jacobs walked over and told Les that he had to go home. They waved sadly at each other and walked away.
"Les!" Y/n laughed as she chased after him. Even after ten years, nothing had changed. They still ran about, causing a ruckus. They still went to the parks after school. They were still the best of friends.
(A/n - Sorry his is short, I didn't have much since they've been friends for so long and all that. There'll be more for him later.)
Spot - Medda holds a show for the Newsies every year in honor of what they did during the strike. Y/n heard about it when she got her schedule when she first got her job. She knew it was coming and, still, was grossly unprepared for the sheer magnitude of the event.
Hundreds of Newsboys were gathered in the theater, talking and shouting excitedly while waiting for the show to begin. They cheered boisterously when Medda went on stage and talked to them for a few minutes before singing a song she had written for this occasion. Y/n felt the familiar excitement and nerves rolling over her in waves when Medda finished her song. She, Harmony, and Melody(ironic right?) were up next. She would be dancing while they performed an original song they hadn't sung in front of anyone before.
The curtain lifted again and she heard the familiar notes of the song begin. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting the music seep into her muscles. She put on her show face and did a front walkover and went straight into the routine. Every move she made drew her deeper into the dance and she felt the adrenaline rushing through her. She danced her heart out and when the last notes of the song played she bowed with the other two girls and went offstage. Medda told them that once they finished their song they could mingle and get something to drink so Y/n changed into a less flashy dress and walked out through the backstage door.
When she got to the counter where Mr. Carp was selling the drinks, Y/n sat down and asked for a pop. He smiled at her and gave her a cup of coke. Y/n turned around so she could watch the other performers.
She wasn't expecting to see a newsboy standing right behind her(now in front of her) and nearly dropped her glass. The boy, who she recognized as Spot Conlon, chuckled at her.
"You'se alright there doll?" He asked, a smirk evident on his face.
"Jesus, Conlon, someone oughta put a bell on you or somethin'." She said, standing up and walking to one of the tables. He followed her over, chuckling as he went.
"So you've hoid of me? I'm touched." He put a hand over his heart and winked at her. Y/n rolled her eyes at him, a smile playing on her face.
"What did ya want, Conlon?" She faced him head on and quirked an eyebrow.
"Well, You see, I saw you dancin' up there-"
"Oh! You have eyes!" She interrupted him. He rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I'se do. And they are quite amazing if I say so maself." She laughed at his attempt to flip his hair.
"Anyways, I'se saw you dancin' and thought it was nice. You're a very good dancer." He smirks at her.
"Thanks, Conlon. That's kind of you to say." Y/n said. He nodded.
"Yes, I'se a very generous poison." He said. Y/n rolled her eyes at him and stood up, taking her glass back over to Mr. Carp. Spot watched her from the table, and Y/n missed the twinkle in his eyes that sat with a small smile on his face.
Racetrack - "Y/n! This one's not lookin' too hot. Spruce 'im up a bit before the next race." Y/n nearly fell off the stool she was perched on when she heard Danny scream at her from the front of the stables. She nodded and walked over to him, grabbing the reins of the brown stallion that had just gotten back from a training run around the Sheepshead track. She sighed as she went through the routine of brushing, feeding, and generally caring for the horse, wishing that the day would end sooner so she could go home. She had had a difficult day, due to the only other hired caretaker, her only friend around Sheepshead, deciding to quit. She was left alone in the stables for the better part of the day.
By the time they were closing up, Y/n was nearly falling asleep where she stood. Without the extra help, it took her nearly four hours to get all the horses cleaned up and in their stalls. She trudged out of the stables, her bag slung across her shoulder. She was so focused on trying to stay standing up that she ran right into a newsboy.
Y/n tumbled to the ground, sitting there for at least five seconds before she shook her head and looked up. The boy she had run into was crouched in front of her, looking at her with concern.
"You alright?" He asked. Y/n nodded, studying his face. She was confused to see him since she didn't recognize him as one of the Brooklyn newsies.
"Who are you?" She asked, not thinking about what she was saying. The boy laughed and pulled an unlit cigar from his pocket. He put the cigar in his mouth and offered her his hand. She grabbed it and he pulled her up.
"I'm sorry, that was pretty rude...and sorry about runnin' into you..." She grimaced a little. He laughed again. He held the cigar in his hand and fixed his cap.
"It's a'right. The newsies call me Racetrack, but most of the time I go by Race. What's yours?" He smiled at Y/n and she tried to process his question, the shock of falling having worn off and her tired fog seeped back into her mind.
"I'm uhh... I'm... Oh, I'm Y/n." She held out her hand to shake his. He shook her hand and smiled at her, a goofy smile that made her smile back.
"D'you forget or somethin'?" He asked with a laugh.
"Sorry, no. I'm just real sleepy righ' now and having a hard time concentrating." She said, her word censor failing more with each minute that passed.
"Ah, well, don't let me keep you from gettin' home. Will I see you around?" He asked her.
"I mean, I work here so... I dunno." Race laughed again, shaking his head.
" 'Kay, well it was nice to meet you Y/n." He said, waving to her. Y/n waved her hand as she walked away, yawning and not comprehending the last few minutes of the conversation she had just had.
Mush - Ten minutes! All it took was ten minutes for Y/n to wake up and realize that she was late for rehearsal at Medda's. Despite throwing her clothes on in an undignified manner and ignoring the fact that she hadn't brushed her hair, she still wasn't able to beat the clock.
"Y/n!" Medda called to her from the front row of the theater. Annie was stretching on the stage and Melody was doing vocal warm-ups backstage when Y/n finally got inside. She dropped her bag onto the closest chair, ignoring the obvious clatter of her belongings scattering.
"I am so sorry Medda! I meant to be on time, I really did! I stayed up too late last night and overslept. It won't happen again though, I promise!" She hunched over, trying to catch her breath from running nearly the whole way to the theater and trying to explain herself.
"Sweetheart, it is alright. You don't have to be perfect all the time." Medda chuckled
"Why don't you gather up your things and get something to drink before we start?" Medda nodded her head to the aisle where Y/n's bag exploded.
"Okay." Y/n nodded and took a deep breath. She grabbed her chapstick and gloves, but her hairbrush had found its way under one of the chairs about a foot away from her. She huffed and started to reach for it but she was intercepted by what looked like an arm covered in dirt, or is that just a tan? Not important Y/n!
Y/n stood up and came face to face with a boy she recognized from some of the Newsie events that Medda would host. They made eye contact and he grinned at her. What was his name? I know I've heard it before.
"This is yours right?" the Newsie asked, not looking away from her. She blinked and looked down to his hand which was still holding her hairbrush.
"Oh, yeah. Thank you." She took it from him, only then remembering that she hadn't brushed her hair and that every item of clothing she was wearing was likely to be extremely wrinkled.
"Anytime miss."
Y/n didn't miss the cheeky grin on his face but decided to ignore it in favor of getting the rehearsal started, considering that was why she came to Medda's in the first place.
She joined Melody backstage and started her own vocal warm-ups. Her mind, and eyes, wandered to the boy and where he sat in the middle of the theater.
"They call him Mush," Melody interrupted her briefly, "just in case you were wondering."
"Oh, good to know." Y/n smiled at him when he looked at her then refocused on what she was doing.
Crutchie - "Y/n be careful!" B/f/n warned Y/n. The warning fell on deaf ears and Y/n tripped over the raised cement, stumbling and catching herself before she fell to the ground completely. She looked up from her book and looked at B/f/n in surprise. The last thing she needed was to ruin another uniform with holes in the knees or elbows. The last time she did the head nurse nearly had a fit about "respectability" and "taking pride in your profession".
"Yeah, the cement is raised there. Which is why I said "Y/n be careful", but do you listen?" B/f/n shook her head while laughing at Y/n.
"You know, the outside world can be just as interesting as a book." B/f/n watched one of the Newsies as he ran past. Y/n just rolled her eyes and put her bookmark in. Knowing B/f/n, she wouldn't be getting back to her book anytime soon.
"Just because you find men fascinating doesn't mean I do. I find them rather... insensitive." She eyed two boys brawling in one of the alleys and wrinkled her nose in distaste. Why are they so desensitized to violence?
They were only a few streets down the road from the school when a young boy ran up to them. He was dressed like a Newsie, but seemed somewhat cleaner than most of the Newsies they saw on the streets.
"You nurses?" the boy asked them without introduction. B/f/n and Y/n looked at each other, confused until they realized they were still in their uniforms.
"Sort of." Y/n responded.
"Can you do stitches?"
"Yes, why?"
"Follow me," the boy turned and started to run. He stopped and turned back to them.
"Please?"
Y/n nodded and they followed the quick-moving boy for about two blocks until they reached the Newsies' Lodge. The boy darted inside and Y/n went to follow but was stopped.
"You go inside and see what they have. I doubt that we can do stitches with what they'll have available. I'll grab supplies from home now that I know where they are." B/f/n explained and kept going down the road toward the women's home for nurses in training.
Y/n walked inside and was immediately met with what could have been a hundred voices based on volume alone. There were only about a dozen boys in the front room, but they could have fooled her. One of the boys who was sitting at the table playing cards saw her and stood up.
"Hi there Miss, can we help you?" he asked her.
"Um," before she could explain why she was there, the young boy came down the stairs and called out to her.
"They're up here miss!"
Y/n smiled at the Newsie who had stood up and followed the younger boy up the stairs and into a large room full of bunk beds. One bed had a boy lying on his back with blood coming from his forehead. Another boy was leaning against the frame of the next bed over where two more were sitting, one holding a ripped shirt around his arm. From what she could tell, there seemed to be a lot of blood coming from his arm as well. She quickly scanned the other three boys that were there, the young boy only had a few scratches, and the other two boys looked a little worse for wear, but not nearly as bad as the two who were bleeding profusely.
"What happened to all of you?" She asked them. None of them said anything looking between each other and avoiding her eyes. She sighed and crossed her arms.
"I can't help you properly if you don't tell me what happened. Not to mention that I could lose my spot in the nursing program for helping you so at least tell my why." I scan them and see that the young boy that brought me was shuffling his feet.
"You can tell me and I promise I won't tell anyone. I just want to help them the best I can." I turn my attention to him. He glances at one of the older boys but turns back to me.
"Well we were goin' down to get some papes, but on our way the Delancey brothers decided that they wanted to pick on Crutchie and so Jack pushed Morris and Oscar jumped on Jack and then Davey tried to help him but Morris punched him in the face so he fell and sliced his arm open on something. Then Oscar pulled out these brass knuckles and Jack's forehead started bleeding all over the place. Mush and Crutchie pulled him off but he kicked Jack first and so Jack needed help to walk back and now we're here." The boy rambled, his words tumbling out in a rushed way. The other boys groaned and Y/n looked at them sternly. They looked down and tried to ignore the stare she was sending them.
"So you all got into a fight and now you're bloodied and cut? While you had good intentions, it doesn't change the fact that you obviously didn't make a very smart decision."
"Yeah, well we ain't all that smart in the first place." the boy lying on the bed grumbled and tried to sit up.
"You stay lying down." Y/n ordered. She turned to the other boys and asked, "Did any of you see if he hit his head?"
The silence was back and she huffed. The boy who she now realized was sitting next to a crutch cleared his throat.
"He mighta, but its more likely that Oscar kicked 'im in the head than if 'e hit his head falling." he told Y/n, not looking up at her.
"Okay, thank you for telling me, both of you." Y/n said to the two boys who answered her questions.
"It seems like your friend--"
"Jack." the younger boy interrupted. Y/n nodded
"It seems like Jack might have a concussion. There's nothing much we can do for that other than make sure he rests and stays hydrated." She turned to Jack, addressing him specifically.
"So you are on bed rest until further notice. As for you," she turned to the boy whose arm was bleeding, "I'll start cleaning your arm first. My friend is getting supplies so that we can give you stitches if you need them. Then I'll take a closer look at the rest of you."
The young boy, who she learned was Les, ran to grab her a stool so she could get started. She had just started to inspect the older boy, David's arm when B/f/n came up to them. She had brought clean towels and soap, along with tweezers, a needle, medical thread, and bandages. B/f/n started to clean off Jack's head, which was a much smaller wound than they expected. It was only a cut that would likely have a bruise around it, but they were more worried about his concussion. Y/n started by flushing out the gash on David's arm.
"It looks like there are some small pieces of gravel still in your arm. I need to get them out or your arm might get infected, but it's going to hurt." Y/n warned him. He took a deep breath and nodded. The boy next to him, who she assumed was Crutchie watched intently as she gently worked on his friend.
"Have you done lots of stitches?" he asked.
"Not many. This is the first time I've done them on a person." Y/n said. She paused for a moment and looked up.
"I promise I've been trained to do them, I just haven't actually needed to until now." She explains. The boy smiles at her and she smiles back.
Y/n and B/f/n finished cleaning up and fixing the boys to the best of their abilities, with only minor complaints when reminded that Jack was on bed rest. Les and Crutchie offered to walk them out. Les was talking to B/f/n and Y/n and Crutchie laughed softly behind them.
Right as Y/n and B/f/n were about to walk away, Crutchie grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him and smiled. He blushed and dropped her hand, smiling back.
"Thanks for helping us out."
"Of course! Any time you need help you can find us. We live right down the street." Y/n pointed to the building where they stayed.
"Oh, I'm Crutchie, by the way." He held his out to her. She shook his hand and hoped he couldn't see the blush that she felt.
"I'm Y/n."
Kid Blink - All I wanted was to go for a walk. Y/n grumbles to herself. She was just about to leave when one of the other Newsies caught her. Spot's looking for her, and ignoring Spot never ends well. She would know, she's one of the few to test that theory.
"Y/n!" Spot calls her when she reaches his 'throne'.
"Watcha want Spotty?" She smiles at the annoyed face he makes. He doesn't say anything, choosing to ignore the nickname.
"You're takin' Em to see Race in Manhattan today. You're gonna keep an eye on them, make sure he doesn't try anything." He smirks. Y/n groans and rolls her eyes.
"Emma's old enough to go out without being supervised. 'Sides, I thought you liked Race." She argues.
"Not when he's on the make with my sista." Spot states matter-of-factly.
"They's just goin' on a date ya goop. And if its got ya concerned, why not just send on of ya boys?"
"You's more inconspicuous." He shrugs.
I'm not my sister's keeper.
"Whatever, when do we go?" Y/n gives in. She could tell that he wasn't about to relent anytime soon, and Emma obviously wanted to go out with Race.
"She's leaving in just a few minutes." He says with a triumphant smirk.
"You owe me." She says. He waves her off and she goes to find Em. Their walk to Manhattan is comfortable and they chat about what Race has planned. Emma tells her that they both knew Spot wouldn't let her out with Y/n, so Race said he'd bring one of the newsies to keep her company. Y/n held back her complaints of being dragged into a double date. Just this once, she would let it slide.
When they finally get to the park where Race and his friend were waiting, Y/n is already over the whole situation. She lets Emma walk ahead a few feet before following behind. The newsie Race brought falls into step with her easily. They sit in silence for a few minutes until he speaks.
"I'm Blink." He looks at her and smiles.
"I'm Y/n." She smiles back. He nods and looks back at Race and Emma, smirking a little.
"So, you wanted a date for the afternoon too?" he asks cheekily.
"My brother told me to keep an eye on her." Y/n rolls her eyes
"Hm, I'm surprised you did. Race said you're not easy to convince. Seems he was wrong." Blink laughs at her annoyed expression.
"Usually I am, but Em wanted to see Race. Besides, now they both owe me. And Race too, for making me deal with you." She smirks a little. A glint of mischief in her eyes makes Blink curious.
"If you don't wanna be here, why not just tell meet up with her after?"
"He's likely got Scout or Mole trailin' us anyway," She rolls her eyes, "I wouldn'ta come if I didn't know him like I do. No chance he'd let us go without."
Blink hums in response. Their conversation runs the whole walk, him teasing her and her coming back at him with clever responses. When Race says goodbye to Emma, Y/n is relieved to be heading back to Brooklyn. Blink makes a big gesture and bows to her, making her roll her eyes.
"Bye Blink." she says while already walking away.
"See ya soon Y/n!"
Bumlets - The hustle and bustle of Jacobi's at dinner time filled Y/n's senses the moment she walked in. She smiles at the familiar sound of children yelling and couples laughing, dodging Jane as she carries a tray of food to a family in the back. The smell of the deli is comforting and tempting, especially since she hadn't eaten lunch and it was nearly 8 in the evening. She makes her way to the kitchen where her father is up to his ears in order tickets and dishes.
"Hi Papa! Would you like some help?" She asks as she puts on an apron. He nods and she goes to the sink first, clearing out the dishes so there would be more room for cooking. It only takes her a few minutes to get the mess under control.
"Do you want me to help cook or help serve?"
"I'd appreciate the help in here for the time being." He tells her, gesturing to the line of tickets. They work around each other, fixing sandwiches, making soups and salads, and frying absurd amounts of potatoes. His jovial singing filled the kitchen the more at ease he became. After a long day at work, being in the kitchen with her dad was the best way to unwind. The deli started to quiet down as time went on, and in less than an hour it was back to friendly chats between friends. But the calm atmosphere didn't last long.
"Mr. Jacobi, the newsies are here." Jane came into the kitchen with a smile on her face.
"Ah yes! I knew I was forgetting something and it was getting far too quiet in here." He laughed. He immediately started preparing potatoes and slicing bread and bagels. The newsies were frequent visitors, and they always got the same thing.
"Would you mind helping Jane in the Lion's den? I can handle the kitchen from here."
"Of course Papa," she said. She grabs a notepad and pen and follows Jane out to the tables where the Newsies are gathered. She recognizes a few of them from the last time she came in, but many of them are unfamiliar to her. She makes her way around the table greeting the ones she knows and introducing herself to the ones she doesn't.
When she sees that David is sitting with Jack and Les, separate from the others, she goes up to them. After writing down what they wanted she chatted with them for a few moments. She went to the back to get water cups for all the Newsies. While making her way through, one particular newsie catches her eye. She had never spoken to him before, but she saw him fairly often while walking through Central Park. She found herself staring at him for longer than was polite on a number of occasions but the few times he caught her she slipped away before he could ask her about it.
She tried not to let her embarrassment show, hoping he wouldn't recognize her if she moved quickly enough. Unfortunately for her, he had a look of recognition when he looked up and they made eye contact. Avoiding him was out of the question this time, so she gave him a small smile.
She went back to the kitchen to start bringing food out. About halfway through the process of feeding the newsies, Jane offered to finish the rest so Y/n could start cleaning up and they could close a little early. Grabbing the cleaning supplies from the back, Y/n started to make her way around the diner, wiping off the tables. She let her mind wander as she did the mindless task.
A hand on her shoulder scared her back to reality. She jumped and threw the rag at the person, not caring that it wouldn't do anything to protect her.
"Sorry 'bout that." The newsie apologized, picking up the rag and holding it out to her. She flushed and thanked him.
"I was just wondering if we've ever met. You look really familiar."
"I don't think we've officially met, but I have seen you a few times in Central Park on my way to and from work." She explained.
"Well I ought to introduce myself then. I'm Bumlets."
"I'm Y/n."
Morris - The chime of a bell alerts Y/n that someone has entered the shop where she works.
"I'll be with you in a moment." She calls from the back room. Wiping her hand on her apron, she makes her way to the desk where she sees a familiar face.
"Annie! How's it goin'?" She greets her friend. Annie lives in the lodge house that Y/n's Grandfather runs. The bell chimes again and Y/n smiles at the woman who had just walked in with her son. Y/n's coworker offered to help the woman and went off with her. Y/n turned her attention back to Annie.
"Not too shabby. Al's still got a stick up his a-" Annie cuts herself off when she sees that the little boy is staring at her. She clears her throat, "his back end." She makes a face and Y/n laughs.
She lifts up the counter that doubles as a door and follows Annie back to the workshop. Annie starts digging through the scraps to see if she can find any flowers that are still salvageable. Y/n gets back to work on the arrangement she had been assembling when Annie arrived.
"He just loves to get all up in my business, especially where Oscar's involved. It's like he thinks I can't handle myself or something. Just before I came in, Oscar invited me to get lunch with 'im. Before I could even respond I was pulled away by my dimwit of a brother. Can you believe it?"
Y/n listened intently to Annie's rant and nodded where appropriate. She understood where Albert was coming from, the Delancey brothers aren't the be all and end all of suitors. On the other hand, Annie is old enough to make her own decisions.
"I get what your saying Rags. He's overstepping for sure. But he's just lookin' out for you. That doesn't mean I think he's in the right by any means. Its just an attempt at making sure I won't be doin' the arrangements for his funeral anytime soon. You're plenty old enough to make your on choices. Just try to find time to spend with Oscar when Albert's not around." She advises. She walks out front, knowing that Annie will follow her out.
"I was hopin' you'd say that." Annie says with a hint of mischief in her voice. Y/n closes her eyes for a moment, not sure if she really wants to know what Annie means by that. She goes back to surveying the small blossoms in the bucket in front of her and picks out three before she responds.
"I'm sure I'll be finding out why you were hoping that. Or am I meant to be surprised by whatever you have planned?" She asks on their way back to the workshop. She finishes the last touches on the arrangement and leaves it on a shelf in the back of the workshop where it would stay cool and misted.
"Well, I've invited Oscar to meet me here after our shifts are done so we can go for a walk." Annie explains.
"That sounds like fun." Y/n says. She sits on one of the stools and is able to give her full attention to Annie.
"Oh it will be! But you see, the thing is, Oscar sorta told his parents that he and Morris had to stay late so they wouldn't get mad about him being late."
"You want me to keep his brother entertained while you're with him, don't you?" Y/n muses.
"If you would be so kind." Annie bats her eyes in an attempt to make her friend smile. Y/n shakes her head with a scoff. She looks at her friend again and sighs.
"Alright fine! I'll do it. But! Next time we go to Jacobi's I'm sharing your fries." She concedes with a smile. Annie jumps up and gives her a hug and thanks her.
The next four hours go by uneventfully as Y/n chats aimlessly with Annie, only stopping when a few school boys push their blushing friend into the shop to get a couple flowers for the girl he's courting. Before she knew it, she was cleaning the workshop and the front desk with Annie's help. The bell chimes again and Y/n walks out to let the intruder know they are no longer welcome in this establishment. Or that they were closed. Whichever suits her fancy in the moment. She is met by two men, one somewhat bored looking and slightly taller than the other.
"I'm Y/n. You're here for Annie?" Although she poses it as a question, she already knows the answer. The shorter one that she recognizes as Oscar offers his hand to her. She expects a simple hand shake and isn't sure whether she should be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised when he gently presses his lips to her knuckles. The gesture seems much too familiar for her liking, but she chooses not to comment on it.
"Yes. My name is Oscar and this is my brother, Morris." He introduces his brother. When Morris offers his hand to her she is relieved to find that he is less forward than his brother. His general disinterest, on the other hand, is just as off-putting.
"It's good to meet you both. I'll go get Annie then." She smiles at them both and walks back to the workshop, planning to re-bargain a soda into the equation.
Oscar - "Wakey wakey Rags!"
The warm blanket Y/n had been wrapped up in was replaced by a layer of cool morning air. She groaned and swung her arms in every direction. The satisfying thud of backhanding whoever dared to wake her brought a smile to her face despite her lack of enthusiasm toward starting the day. She rolled off her bed and onto the ground, landing in a pile on the infiltrator's feet. She opened her eyes to see her brother who looked unimpressed with her theatrics.
"Alright you drama queen,"he rolled her off "its time to go. The pape comes out soon and I ain't losin' my prime real estate waiting for your lazy bones to get a move on."
"Fine, fine!" Y/n made a face at his retreating form. She debated staying on the floor a few more minutes but the morning chaos of the newsboy lodge house wouldn't let her sleep even if she tried. She got dressed and tried in vain to smooth her hair, eventually letting it sit how it wanted. Her roommate, Kloppman's granddaughter Carissa walked in already dressed and ready for the day.
"Good mornin' sunshine. Did Al mention whether or not he was gonna let you go in today?" She asked. Y/n shook her head.
"He didn't, but I'm still gonna go. He can't keep me from buying my own papes. He said he'd start letting me when I turned 16, and that was months ago. I need to stop asking and just do it. If I had been able to see the headlines for myself I coulda told 'im that yesterday's papes weren't gonna sell." Y/n was a lot more aware of what people wanted to hear and what they would buy where as her brother, Albert, was more interested in confusing or scamming his way into peoples' pockets.
On their way to the distribution center Y/n overheard some of the boys' complaints about the Delancey brothers. Race was placing bets on whether they would get a chance to see Jack rough them up a bit before they got to work. She had been told what felt like hundreds of times that the Delanceys were rotten, but she had never met them to know for sure. And as much as she loved her unbiological brothers, she didn't completely trust their judgement of character.
Following the other newsies in the gates, she ignored her brother's harping and got in line behind a few of the boys.
"Ya lost sweetheart?" the older man, she assumed to be Mr. Wiesel, asked her. Her eyebrows furrowed.
"Nope, just gettin my papers." She responded. One of the boys who was counting the papers turned around to look at her. She smiled at him and he brought a stack of papers over.
Mr. Wiesel looked like he wanted to argue but shook his head and asked how many she wanted instead. She told him and waited for the boy to count them out.
"What's your name?" the boy asked her, handing her the papers she had bought.
"Shove off Oscar." Albert told him, dragging her away.
"Y/n, I'm Y/n!" She called over her shoulder, shrugging her brother's hand off and walking into the streets of Manhattan.