"Aw man, 'em fire sirens kept me awake all night," Race complained. It was another morning and all the newsies were dead beat tired. If the Summer heat wasn't already bad enough, the headline from the day before was so bad that they barely had anything to work with, and on top of everything else, the sirens were waling through the air all, night, long. Leaving a bunch of teenage boys, and girl, very cranky the following morning.
"Sirens are like lullabies ta me," Mush said in a matter of fact tone. "The louder they wale the better the headline, the better the headline the I eat, and then I eat-"
"The further away from you I sleep," Feister snapped while knocking Mush's cap off. For some odd reason she decided to sleep in her old bunk last night. But, then again, she was pretty out of it, and when she's tired she never makes the best choices.
Mush then knocked her cap off as well, making both her braids fall down. She rolled her eyes and went to pick up her cap that had landed on top of his. Mush went to grab his as well, leading them to touch hands, they both froze and started to blush. Pretending that nothing was even happening they both quickly picked up their caps, only to realize that they had the others. Blushing even more they handed each others cap back before turning their backs to each other.
Crutchie, Race, and Henry, all smirked at Feister (who was tucking her braids in her cap) with a knowing look in their eyes. Feister gave them her best glare, but the three boys kept the wide grins on their faces. On the other side Albert, Jojo, and Romeo were also smirking. Mush rolled his eyes since he knew what they were thinking.
"Morning everybody," Davey said as he walked in with Les in hand. "Sorry we're late, we had to help our mom with something," he quickly apologized.
"Oh they got a mudda?" Race asked. "I was gonna get me one." he then stuck his cigar in his mouth and smirked.
"What'd ya do with the one you had?" Romeo asked with a confused look.
"He traded her for a box of cigars," Buttons explained while pointing to Race with his thumb.
"Hey! They's was coronas," Race replied while pointing a finger at Buttons' chest.
"We have a father too," Les added happily, with a smile on his face. The almost ten year old was then met with a few moments of silence. If it wasn't already obvious, a lot of them had been fending for themselves since they were little kids. Some of the newsies' parents died, others weren't so nice to them, and the rest probably had nice folks, but they ran away because money was tight, or for other reasons. It wasn't uncommon to have two or more newsies to have a similar backstory.
"A madda an' a fudda?" Feister asked in shock while resting her elbows on her knees as she looked at the two newbies.
"Ain't we the hoi ploy today," Race added with a little smirk.
"So how's it going today?" Les asked changing the subject.
"Ask me after they put up the headline kid," Romeo replied in an obvious tone. If there was one thing that could brighten up any newsies day, it would be a good headline they could actually hawk.
"Here comes the headline!" Les yelled while pointing to the chalkboard. Albert was the first to look up at the headline, and when he saw it he couldn't believe his eyes. "New newsies price? sixty cents per hundred!"
"What'd ya say?" Mush asked while quickly standing up before walking up next to Albert, along with the rest of the boys, and Feister.
"Is that news?" Davey asked. In all truths he didn't really know what was considered news to the newsies, but if it was making them this riled up then it had to be news....right?
"It is ta me!" Feister replied. This was news to all if them alright, if the prices went up then she'd probably have to sell a few extra papers, just to earn her usual day's pay. But then there was the leftover papers to buy. Then the Lodging fee and lunch at Jacobi's and....this wasn't good.
"They jacked up the price of papes, ten cents more a hundred," Albert explained to Davey, who clearly didn't understand the pricing of papes. Specs and a few of the other boys ran out of The World to go check if The Journal upped their price too. Hopefully they didn't, because if they did then...they'll all be in hot water.
"I could eat two days in a dime!" Finch yelled as he pointed his sling shot at the chalkboard.
"I'll be sleeping on the streets," Crutchie said worriedly. Jojo looked at Crutchie as he crossed his arms and said, "You already sleep on the streets."
"In a worser neighborhood," Crutchie replied in a serious tone.
"Yeah right," Jojo said before walking off.
"Hey what're you all standin' around for?" Jack asked as he walked in.
"They jacked up the price!" Kid Blink yelled. "Ya hear that? ten cents a hundred! Ya know it's bad enough we's gotta eat what we's don't sell, now they jacked up the price, can you believe that?"
"This is a bust," Elmer complained. "I's barely makin' a livin' right now!"
"Hey relax," Jack said trying to calm down the boys. "It's gotta be a gag." He then went in line to get his papers. "I'll take a hundred and be on my way." Weasel smiled creepily and chuckled a little as he said, "A hundred will cost ya sixty."
"I ain't payin' no sixty," Jack replied. The other newsies started talking to each other very loudly. First off none of them could pay sixty. Heck, they can barely pay for lunch, and Lodging on the same day. Feister grumbled under her breath before going over to the paper bundles in front of the wagon before whistling to get the boys attention.
The boys all stopped talking and looked to where Feister was. "Will ya bums shut yer pie holes an' get yer butts ta The Journal!" she yelled. The boys all looked at one another, then at Jack, who said, "Ya heard Feisty." with that being said they all started heading out of the Distribution Center, just as Specs and the others ran in. "I'll save ya the walk. They up their price too," Specs replied.
"Let's just take our business ta The Sun!" Jack yelled.
"Same all around town," Weasel said making all the newsies stop and turn around. "New day, new price. So you buying, or moving on?" he asked. Jack walked up to Weasel and looked the old man dead in the eyes. Everyone waited to see what Jack was going to do, and, after a few moments Jack banged the black box before saying, "C'mere fellas!" Jack gestured for everyone to gather around the wagon and newspaper bundles.
"They can't just do that, can they?!" Henry asked loudly.
"Why not?" Finch replied. "It's their stinken paper!"
"It's their woild," Crutchie added.
"It don't make sense," Mush said in a calmer voice. "With all the money Pulitzer's makin', why would he gouge us?"
"Cause he's a tightwad that's what!" Feister replied very loudly.
"Ain't we got no rights?" Henry asked angrily.
"We got the right ta starve! So let's just get our papes and hit the streets while we still can," Crutchie said trying to be the voice of reason, which only made the other newsies louder than before.
"Hey, hey!" Jack yelled making everyone stop talking. "Nobody's paying no sixty."
"You got an idea?" Tommy boy asked.
"Would ya keep ya shirt on, let me think this through," Jack replied with annoyance. He then tried to think of something because if they don't sell papers it's back to the streets, if they do sell papers they work would be twice as much. The nights would be later, the mornings would be earlier, and the crankiness would be endless.
"What's ya angle?"
"Stop crowding him!" Les yelled before pushing some of the boys and Feister to one side. "Let the man work it out!" he pushed the rest to other side. That's when it went quiet, all eyes were on the Manhattan leader, waiting for an answer. "Hey Jack?" Les asked shyly. "You still thinking?"
"Sure he is," Race said. "Can't ya smell smoke." Race earned himself a few cap slaps, and 'shut ups".
"Alright all you c'mere," Jack said gesturing for everyone to come back. Once the newsies all gathered around Jack again he said, "If we's don't sell papes, nobody sells papes. Nobody gets through that window till the put the price back where it belongs."
"You mean like a strike?" Davey asked.
"You heard Davey, were on strike!" Jack exclaimed. "We shut down this place like them workers shut down the trolleys."
"Then the cops will bust our heads," Finch piped up. "Half 'em strikers is laid up with broke bones."
"The cops ain't gonna care bout a bunch of kids," Jack said brushing it off as if it was nothing. Which was true, as long as they didn't steal anything the bulls probably wouldn't bat an eyelash at them. "Right Davey?"
"Leave me out of this," Davey said before grabbing Les' hand. There was no way he (and Les) were going to get mixed into some strike with a bunch of newsies on his second day. "I'm just here trying to support my family." Davey tried to walk out of the Distribution Center. But Les pried his hand off and ran back to the newsies. Of course Les would want to take part in this. "And the rest of us is here on play time?" Jack asked as he walked to t Davey "Just cause we's make pennies don't mean they's get ta rub our noses in it."
"You can't strike," Davey replied in a matter of fact tone. "You're not a union."
"What if I says we's is?" Jack asked with a small shrug.
"There's a lot of stuff you have to have to be a union, like, membership," Davey replied. Jack opened his mouth to say something to Davey. But turned around just enough to see the newsies as he slowly asked, "Whaddya call these guys." while pointing his thumb to the newsies, who waved, while saying 'hi', hello' or whistled.
"And officers," Davey added.
"I nominate Jack president!: Crutchie yelled excitedly while pointing at Jack. The other newsies made shouts of agreements. "Awww, woulda ya look at that boys!" Feister yelled over the noise. "Little Jackie is touched. I's knew he had a heart somewhere in there." the boys snickered and Jack rolled his eyes. But a small smile did appear on his face because it's Feister, aka girl who can get away with almost anything.
"What about a statement of purpose?" Davey asked. He hoped that he had Jack there. Right?
"Yeah, must've left that in my other pants," Jack replied.
"What's a statement of porpoise?" Race asked while raising his hand as he stepped up onto the bundle of newspapers.
"Purpose, Smoky," Feister corrected. "A porpoise is somethin' that lives in the wada."
"Oh," was all Race said.
"Anyways, a statement of purpose is a reason for forming the union," Davey replied after...whatever the heck just happened.
"Who needs that?" Jack exclaimed. "I bet if your fadda had a union you'se wouldn't have ta be out here sellin' papes right now." Davey only nodded his head slightly "So our union is formed, ta watch each others backs!" Jack said as he walked back to the other newsies. "Union we stand," he said in a fancy voice. "Hey that's not bad, somebody write that down."
The boys and Feister then started to check their pockets for a piece of paper and or something to write with. "I've got a pencil," Les piped up proudly as he stood on the bundle next to Jack.
"Well,meet our secretary of state!" Jack exclaimed as he clapped Les' shoulder.
"If you want a union then the members ships gotta vote," Davey said, while he hadn't said anything about striking in the first place.
"Ok so we'll vote." even though Jack knew what the boys, and Feister, would say he did it just so he could get Davey to join in. "Do we roll over and let Pulitzer pick our pockets? Or do we strike!"
"Strike!" Everyone yelled.
"You heard the voice of the membership," Jack said as he looked at Davey. "The Newsies of Lower Manhattan are officially on strike!" he announced. More cheers rang through the air so loudly that you could probably hear it from Brooklyn and back. "So what's next?" Jack asked.
"Wouldn't a strike be more affected if someone in charge knew about it?" Crutchie asked.
"Well, it would be a pleasure to tell Weasel myself," Race exclaimed while punching his hand.
"An' who tells Pulitzer?" Jack asked.
"I don't know," Davey replied shyly as he looked back at all the newsies, and his brother before saying, "I guess you do Mister Present."