"And a glass of water for you," Jacobi said as he handed out some waters to the newsies. "And one for you, and you, and um...who's the big spender who ordered the seltzer?" he asked while holding up the glass.
"Over here," Albert said as he waved his hand in the air. Jacobi nodded before he walked over to where the redhead was and said, "That'll be two cents."
"Two cents for a glass of seltzer?" Albert asked. "Just give me a wada," he said gesturing to the extra water glass on the trey.
"How did I ever see that comin'?" Jacobi asked deadpanned as he headed Albert the glass of water before leaving. After a failed attempt made by Jack, Davey, and Les to go take their demands to Pulitzer, the newsies, Davey and Les all headed to the deli for the next plan of action.
"I'd say we launched our strike in the most auspicious manner," Davey said while raising his glass with a proud smile. The newsies' faces went from excited, to the most confused look ever. An awkward silence filled the air as they all tried to figure out what Davey had just said.
"I dunno bout that," Mush said seriously, breaking the awkward silence. "But we sure scared the bejeebers outta Weasel!" he exclaimed as he punched Feister's upper arm, while the other newsies shouted out their agreements.
"An' did ya see the Delanceys?" Feister asked with a big smile. "They's didn't know which was up!" She punched him back. It was a lot harder than Mush expected it to be, and he almost swore a bruise was forming, but he didn't mind that much because it was Feister.
"Ok, so, what's next?" Jack asked changing the subject while standing up on the table.
"Now we spread the word, let the rest of the cities newsies know about the strike," Davey replied.
"You heard the man, split up an' spread the word."
"We's got Harlem," Mush said, putting an arm around Feister, she saluted Jack to let him know she was ok with going.
"I got Midtown," Race piped up.
"I got the Bronx," JoJo added.
"And I got the Bowery," Buttons finished.
"Alright, Specs, you take Queens. Tommy boy, take the East side, Sniper you go with 'im. An' who wants Brooklyn?" All the newsies looked away from Jack, not making eye contact or any sudden movements. "Aw come on, Brooklyn. Spot Conlon's turf." still no answer. "Finch," Jack said, making said boy look up. "You'se tellin' me yer scared of Brooklyn?"
"I ain't scared of no turf," Finch exclaimed as he quickly stood up. The other newsies looked at Finch as if he lost his mind. "But the Spot Conlon gets me a little jittery." Finch then sat back down before looking away from Jack again.
"Fine," Jack groaned. "Me an' Davey will take Brooklyn."
"Me?" Davey asked in shock. "No I have to get back-"
"Why are you all so scared of Brooklyn?" a female voice interrupted, getting the attention of all the newsies. The female in question was the one from the other morning, which of course grabbed the boys attention, they all started at her with wide eyes while Feister rolled hers.
"What're you doing here?" Jack asked in shock with wide eyes.
"Asking a question, do you have an answer?" she asked.
"Brooklyn is the sixth largest city in the woild, you got Brooklyn you hit the maudda load," He explained. "Say, for someone who works for The Sun, yer sure are spendin' a lot of time hangin' around The Woild." Jack gestured around the room full of newsies who were still staring.
"Boys will be boys," Feister thought to herself. She huffed quietly, as she rested her elbows on her knees.
"Someone a little jealous that 'er boyfriend is makin' eyes at anudda goil?" Buttons whispered in Feister's ear. Feister shoved Buttons away, but when she looked over at Mush he kinda was making eyes at...whoever this girl was. She sighed quietly as she looked down at her feet.
"Hey, you don't gotta be insulting." was the next thing Feister heard. She looked over and saw Crutchie talking to girl. "I've got a nickle."
"So I guess you'd say you're a couple of Davids taking on Goliath."
"We's never said that sweetheart," Feister snapped while clenching her fist so tight that her knuckles turned white. The redhead reporter turned around to face the boy who said that. Feister was ready to give this girl a black and blue. but she then felt a hand go over her fist and hold it tightly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw it was Mush stopping her. Feister looked at Mush, who smiled awkwardly, and she could have swore she saw a flash of pink spread across his cheek when he avoided her gaze. She looked away and caught Finch and Buttons smirking.
While that had been going on Jack had taken a seat on the table next to Mush as he said, "Ya know, I've seen a lotta papes in my day, but I never seen a goil reporter writing hard news."
Mush leaned up and whispered to Jack, "But ya can find a goil hawkin' hard news." Jack had to muffle his laugher. Mostly because Feister had elbowed Mush in the gut with her usual glare. Sometimes Jack would never understand those two.
Jack had gotten a little side tracked because he almost didn't hear the redhead reporter say, "Well wake up to the new century, the game is changing." she had walked up to the three newsies, looked at the one who called her out, ignored the middle one, who was mostly entertained by all this, and of course, Jack Kelly. "Now, how about an exclusive interview?"
"Ain't you beat entertainment," Jack asked as he got off the table and walked over to this reporter.
"This is entertaining," she replied. "So far."
"What's the last news story you'se wrote," Jack asked as he took a step closer and looked her dead in the eyes.
"What's the last strike you organized?" she also looked Jack dead in the eyes.
"Yer outta ya league Kelly," Romeo piped up. He got up from where he was sitting and walked over to the redhead reporter as he said,. "Methinks the lady needs ta be handled by a -" Romeo paused and pounded his chest with his hand as he said, " real man."
"You'se thinks wrong, Romeo," the reporter replied while looking the small boy over, who had a shocked look on his face. Romeo then walked over to Jack and "quietly" asked, "How'd she know my name?" The boys groaned, Feister rolled her at Romeo's dumb question, while Jack just shoved the thirteen year old romantic away.
"You'se want a story?" Jack asked changing the subject back to the matter at hand. When the reporter nodded and he said, "Be at the circulation gate tomorrow, an' bring ya camera yer gonna want ta snap a picture of this!"
The restaurant was filled with cheers of newsies, in fact, you could probably hear it all the way from the Brooklyn Bridge and back. "Can you boys go play outside?" Jacobi asked as he walked back to the newsies' tables. "I have paying customers and I need the tables."
"C'mon we's got newsies ta visit," Finch yelled as he stood up on the table.
"Yeah!" Race exclaimed. "You'se won't be shooin' us off when we's get our mugs in the papes!"
───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────
"You'se just had ta pick Harlem, didn't ya," Feister grumbled. With Harlem being at the top of Manhattan, and them being on the Lower Side it was going to be a long day. Plus it didn't help that the sun was beating down hotter than ever, but at least she didn't have to be selling that day.
"Lighten up, Feisty," Mush said while putting an arm around the small girl. "We's can always take a trolley. It's better than walkin'."
"Let's walk," Feister replied. "We's can't risk our money with the strike."
"By the time we's finish with Harlem it'll be dark," Mush reminded.
"It's better than gettin' jumped, I guess," Feister replied with a shrug. After one of their usual long arguments it was settled that they would walk all the way to Harlem, and then take a trolley on the way back. The sun was beating down hot, making the New York City feel like a oven, and the long walk didn't help the fact.
"So, what'd ya think bout Katherine?" Mush asked.
"Who?" Feister asked as she looked at him.
"The reporter. I's over heard Jack tawkin' ta 'er, an' it turns out 'er name is Katherine Plumber," Mush explained as if it was nothing.
"She's ok....I guess," Feister replied with a small shrug. "Do ya like 'er....?" she asked quietly, while telling her it was better to get it out of the way so she can get over the broken heart sooner.
"As in would I's date 'er?" Mush asked. When Feister nodded he said, "Nah, she seems nice, but I's pretty sure Jack's got dibs. Sides, there's someone else I's has my eye on." Mush then turned red when he realized what he just said Hopefully he didn't give away the fact that the someone he has his eye on is the girl right next to him. He just needed to figure out how to tell her before it was too late. Now, Mush has gone out with dozens of girls that he asked out without giving a second thought. But Feister? That was a whole other story. He didn't want to lose her as a friend, but he also didn't want to lose her to another boy.
"Good ta know," Feister replied quickly before walking up a head of Mush so she wouldn't have to face him. She felt her heart drop and the burning feeling she hated. "Maybe I's should just give up this hopeless crush," she thought. "It ain't goin' nowhere, an' it's probably for the best." While it hurt to think that, it was true. It's been two years since her little crush came about, and recently the boys have been telling her that Mush without a doubt likes her back.
Yet, he hasn't really done anything to show it. Reason 1, Valentine's Day. Feister thought he was going to ask her out, but he already had another date. Reason 2, it's like a game of hot and cold, one minute it seems like he likes her, than turns cold, and acts so casual about it. And, reason 3...actually the first two were enough.
"Hey you ok?" Feister heard Mush ask. She nodded before looking at the ground. But when she felt his hands go on her shoulders she looked up as he said, "No, yer not. C'mon Feisty, just tawk ta me."
"It's nothin'," Feister replied while shoving Mush's hands off her shoulders and continued to walk.
"I's know that "nothin'" means "somethin'"," Mush said as he caught up to Feister and started walking backwards in front of her. Usually, he could figure out what was going on with her. but this time just seemed different. Feister seemed, a little sad? Mush wished he could read Feister's mind so he could help her, it would definitely makes things a lot easier "Just tell me. I's won't laugh. You'se can tell me anythin' Feisty. We's best friends, rememba?"
"It's silly," Feister mumbled while looking at the ground. She couldn't believe she was going to tell him this. But Mush would just keep asking so much she'd end up blurring out her biggest secret and it would ruin everything. "Long story short, I's kinda like this boy."
Mush stopped walking, and he could've swore he felt his heart being ripped at the sound of her words. "Y-you'se like a boy?" he asked quietly. "As in you'se has a crush?" he couldn't believe the day had finally come, the day he found out that Feister actually liked someone, but who? Oh, who was Mush kidding, if he had to guess it was probably that Scott kid. Just thinking about it made Mush sick to his stomach.
"Yeah..." Feister admitted quietly. "But, he don't like me like that." Mush then pulled Feister into a hug. Whether it was to comfort her, or to just hold her close while she was still his, Mush didn't know. All he knew was that the time some bum would take his best friend away was coming a lot sooner than he thought it would be.
"Then he's an idiot," Mush said which made Feister look up. "Look Feisty, yer an amazing goil, an' if this bum don't see that then it's his lost. If he can't see ya the way I's do, then...whoever this guy is, he's the biggest idiot in the whole woild."
Feister only laughed because little did Mush know that "the idiot" he was talking about was him. It was sweet that he was trying to make her feel better, but it also hurt because she knew all they ever were, was friends, nothing more, nothing less. "Let's go ta Harlem," she said changing the subject back to the matter at hand. Mush only smiled before kissing the top of Feister's head. When they started walking again he kept an arm slung around her shoulders.