Esther suggested we meet up at Jacobi's Deli so that's exactly where we are. I'm sitting next to her on her left and Race is on her right. He's just sitting there, staring at Esther like she's an angel. When she gets up to help Mr. Jacobi pass out drinks, I take her spot and tap Race on the shoulder.
"Have a crush?" I whisper. Race looks around, then nods his head. I smile at him.
"I'm not sure she likes me back, though." He slumped and his smile fades.
"I bet she's secretly liking you too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Mr. Jacobi and Esther proceeded to pass out the drinks.
"And here we go...A glass of water for you. And one for you. And one for you. And you. And, ah, who's the big spender that ordered a seltzer?"
"Albert is." Esther giggled. She looks in his direction. Albert jumps up, ready to protest.
"No, I ain't! Esther is! She said she'd order me a shelter!" Esther walks over to him.
"That proves it. I said I'd order it for you...not pay. Now, that'll be two cents." Albert is fuming. She holds out her free hand.
"Two cents? For a glass of shelter? Just give me a water." Esther switches the glass and smiles. Albert looks like he wants to punch her. I turn to Race. And I thought his smile was big before. He had a big, goofy grin plastered on his face and can't stop looking at Esther. She notices him staring and he sits up straight.
"I'd say we launched our strike in a most auspicious manner." I raise my glass and drink. All the other newsies look confused. Esther doesn't.
"He means we did something right." She raises her glass and other newsies follow suit and cheer. Soon, the deli is filled with our voices. She smiles and glances at me. I smile back. I see why Race is so fond of her.
"We sure scared the bejeebers out of Weasel!" I hear Mush yell and he pumps his fist in the air.
"Did you see the Delanceys? They didn't know which way was up!" Crutchie laughed and clinks glasses with Esther.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around to see Jack.
"So what now?" Jack asked. All the newsies shut up so they could hear.
"Now you have to spread the word. Let the rest of the city's newsies know about the strike." Jack nods in approval.
"You heard the man. Let's split up and spread the word."
"I'll take Harlem." Mush offers.
"I got midtown." Race says.
"I got the Bronx." Jojo says.
"And I got the Bowery." Buttons says.
"Specs, you take Queens. Tommy Boy, you take the east side. And who wants Brooklyn?" Everyone cringed and turns away.
"C'mon, Brooklyn. Spot Conlon' s turf. Finch, you telling me you're scared of Brooklyn?" Finch turns.
"I ain't scared a no turf. But that Spot Conlon gets me a little jittery."
"Me and Davey will take Brooklyn."
"What about me?" Esther says.
"You can come with me!" Race says a little too excitedly and puts an arm around her shoulder. She wiggled out of his grip.
"And me?" I say.
"I just said you're coming with me to Brooklyn."
"Me?" I say again.
"Why is everyone so scared of Brooklyn?" A girl enters the deli. She has curly brown hair and wears a purple dress. Jack smiles.
"What are you doing here?" He asks.
"Asking a question. Have you got an answer?" She smiles.
"Brooklyn is the sixth largest city in the world. You got Brooklyn, you hit the motherlode. For someone who works for t he New York Sun, you spend an awful lot of time at the World. You following me?"
"The only thing that I'm following is a story. A ragtag gang of ragamuffins wants to take on the kingmakers of New York. Think you have a chance?" The girl pulls out a paper and pencil.
"Shouldn't you be at the ballet?" He asked.
"Question too difficult? I'll rephrase: will the richest and most powerful men in New York give the time of day to a gang of kids who haven't got a nickel to their name?"
"You don't gotta be insulting. I got a nickel." Crutchie says.
"So I guess you'd say you were a couple of Davids looking to take on Goliath?" She says.
"We never said that." I chime in.
"You didn't have to. I did." She tells me.
"I seen a lot of paper in my day and I ain't never noted no girl writing hard news." Jack says.
"Wake up to the new century. The game's changing." The girl says.
"Damn right it is." Esther says. She walks over to the girl. She looks her up and down then holds out her hand.
"The name's Esther but you can also call me Kicks." The girl smiles and shakes it.
"Well, Kicks, do you mind if I give you and him an exclusive interview?" She says, pointing at Jack.
"Ain't your beat entertainment?" Jack asks.
"This is entertaining....so far." The girl says.
"What's the last news story you wrote?" He asks, stepping a little closer. The girl doesn't seem at all intimidated by this.
"What's the last strike you organized?" She says stepping even closer. Jack towered over her but she didn't care. Romeo pushed his way in.
"You're out of your league, Kelly. Methinks the lady needs to be handled by a real man." Romeo says, attempting to shove Jack out of the way.
"You thinks wrong, Romeo." The girl says. Romeo turns back around, dumbfounded.
"How'd she know my name?"
I turn to Jack. "I say we save any exclusive for a real reporter."
The girl is desperate now. "You see someone else giving you the time of day? All right, so I'm just busting out of the social pages. But you two give me an exclusive and let me run with the story, and I promise I'll get you the space."
"You really think we could be in the papes?" Crutchie asked hopefully.
"Shut down a paper like the World and you're going to make the front page." She said. Crutchie beams.
"You want a story? Be in front of the circulation gate tomorrow morning and you'll get one." Jack tells her.
"And bring your camera. You're gonna wanna snap a picture of this." Esther says.
Mr. Jacobi comes and shoos us away. "Let's go boys. Play outside. I gotta set up for dinner. I got paying customers who need the tables." The newsies turn to leave.
"C'mon, we got newsies to visit." Finch says and exits the deli.
"You won't be shooing us off when we get our mugs in the papes! Esther, you coming?" Race stands in the doorway.
"Go to midtown without me." Race nods and leaves.
"Come on, Les. Our folks are waiting." He nods and we start home.