We all stood together, arms linked. We were in front of the distribution center, waiting for them to open the gates. It was our first strike without Crutchy. Today, everything I did, was for him. The gates opened, the carriage came out and we all scattered. The traitors all came out with their papes.
"All right, everyone remain calm," Davey said.
Everyone was quiet for a second. I sure as heck ain't remaining calm!
"Let's soak 'em for Crutchy!" Jack shouted.
"Soak 'em for Crutchy!" I echoed.
We all ran in. The other doors opened once some of the traitors beat on it, and men walked through, weapons in hand.
Me and Race started running. "Jack!" I yelled.
"Jack, it's a trick!" Race yelled.
We became trapped. They closed the gates to where we couldn't get out. I was right behind Jack when the Delanceys came out.
"Hey, Jackie boy,"
I ran to help Davey get Les clear from the fighting but he already had it handled. We were all crowded into a circle, the men threatening to injure us. Jack and the Delanceys were throwing punches and I was standing beside Davey.
"You alright, Jo?" Davey asked.
"Yeah," I answered, my voice starting to quiver. But if I was going to go down, I was going to go down fighting. I started throwing punches at any of the men I saw. Davey had to pull me back.
Then, something I had been watching and waiting for happened. I looked up, and fellas our ages started popping up above us.
"It can't be," I breathed. He kept his word!
"Nevah fear! Brooklyn is he-ah!" A voice shouted. One I unmistakably knew. I looked on the fire escape and there stood Spot and some of his fellas. That's when the real fighting erupted.
"It's Brooklyn!" Mush yelled.
"Oi, Spot!" I shouted, waving.
"Ay, beauty!" he yelled back.
I rolled my eyes but was grateful he was here. "Hey, Jack! It's Spot! He's here!" I yelled, trying to get his attention.
I was punching left and right, thankfully catching the men by surprise. I had my fellas teach me how to throw a punch. It came in handy.
I didn't see a man coming at me, but I found out when I felt his foot in my stomach. The force of him kicking me down knocked all the air outta me.
I was on the ground. I couldn't get up. Right when he raised his foot again, I covered my face. This was going to hurt. Before I felt his foot stomp me, he yelled out, grabbing his face. One of the marbles from the slingshots must'a hit him.
While he was distracted, I got up as quick as I possibly could. I threw my fist into his stomach then his throat. Just for good measure, I kicked him where it would hurt. He fell to the ground, groaning.
"Oi, beauty! Hold on!" Spot came swinging on a chain from the fire escape. He got low enough to where I could grab on. I jumped on and he grabbed me to make sure I wouldn't fall. We both put our feet out to knock down a couple of guys who were crowded around one of the fellas. They all went down like dead flies.
We jumped off the chain and landed. We both fell into each other as soon as our feet hit the ground. He grabbed my waist when he saw I lost my balance and my hand landed on the part of his chest that was exposed due to his shirt. I immediately moved my hand, embarrassed.
"Sorry," I said, hoping I wasn't blushing. "And uh, thanks."
"Youse look cute when ya blush, ya knows that?" he said, smirking.
I looked down and pushed away, that way Jack could get to him. He and Jack spit-shook and went to punching. Everyone was throwing punches left and right, they were. My arm was getting worn out!
Spot opened the gates and his newsies came in for backup. He had pulled his cane out and his newsies were holding wooden bats. I was so happy. We's may be able to beat 'em!
Soon enough, we beat them. We were all jumping up and down, cheering. We were ripping papes left and right. I found Spot, who was near Jack.
"Ya came. What possessed youse to keep ya word?" I asked.
"See, it wasn't a what, beauty. It was a who," he said.
I looked at him and slightly smiled. Half of me was pleased and the other half of me was scoffing. He returned the smile.
I ran and hugged Davey and Jack, Race, Blink and Mush. I couldn't believe we did it.
"Jack! Jo! Boys! Freeze!" I heard a voice yell. It was Denton with a camera. I stood in front of Jack and smiled. Jack tried to get everyone's attention, but, it wasn't exactly what Denton was thinking. Everyone froze in their place in their exact stance. Then the camera flashed.
We all met up at Tibby's the next day. We all had our waters in hand celebrating and waiting on Denton to come with the pape that had our story.
I sat with Jack and Davey as we anxiously waited. I couldn't even eat I's was so nervous. I hardly drank my water either. The doorbell rang and Denton walked in, the pape in his hands. I shot up from my seat.
"Hey, boys! This is it." Denton said.
He tapped Spot on the shoulder saying he was in the pape, too. Denton placed the pape down on our table. Jack picked it up and everyone crowded around our table, trying to get a look at it.
"Where's me pict'ah? Where's me pict'ah?" Spot said, trying to get to the pape.
"Calm down, would ya?" I said. "Of course youse gotta have ya pict'ah in the papes,"
Boots came up pointing at the pape. "Hey, all them words there, they all about us?"
"Look, Jack. Ya look like a general." Mush shoved his fingers all over the pape.
"Get ya fingers off my face," Jack shoved Mush's hand away.
"Where does it say my name?" Spot asked.
"Would ya quit thinkin' about yaself?" I rebuked. "Jack, can I see?"
"Yeah, hol' on," He handed me the pape and I saw where I was. I looked... decent? I didn't know how to explain it. I handed him the pape back, satisfied.
"Hey, Jo, ya look great! Don't she, fellas?" Mush said. All the guys cheered, making me blush.
"Oh, can it," I laughed, actually grateful for their encouragement.
"Well, you got us on the front page," Davey said to Denton.
"You got yourselves on the front page. I just gotta make sure you stay there." Denton replied.
"So what, ya get your pict'ah in the papes? So, what's that get ya, huh?" Skittery said.
"Hey, what're ya talkin' about?" Mush slapped his arm.
I wish you could slap sense into people.
"Hey, shut up. You've been in a bad mood all day." Jack said.
"I'm not in a bad mood," Skittery replied.
"Oh, that's a lie and ya know it," I said.
"You've been glum and dumb," Race slapped him in the face. I stifled a laugh. "What's the matta' with ya? You're in the papes, you're famous. You're famous, ya get anythin' ya want," he slapped the table. "And that's what's so great about New York!"
The boys shouted in agreement.
"A pair of new shoes with matching laces,"
"A permanent box at the Sheepshead Races,"
"A porcelain tub with boiling wata',"
I was shocked, to say the least, that he said that. Why would someone like him, want that? And... Spot could sing? And... he actually sounded good.
"A fancy dress with lace and buttons," I wished.
I was starting to get tired of wearing guys' clothes. The guys looked at me funny, while Spot looked... happy? He was smiling at least. I don't know what the look was.
"A Saturday night with the mayor's daughter!"
Big eye roll and a scoff from me. He got pats on the back from some of the fellas. I felt someone's hand brush mine and I looked up seeing Spot walking in front of me.
Ugh, fellas.
"Look at me! I'm the king of New York!" Race jumped on a table, dancing, the pape in his hands. "Suddenly, I'm respectable. Staring right at ya, lousy with stature,"
I smiled as Jack sang. He didn't sing much. It was nice to hear him.
"...I'm blowing my dough and going deluxe!"
I snatched the pape from Jack's hands. "And there I be! Ain't I pretty?" I laughed.
"It's my city, I'm the king of New York!"
Everyone started reaching for the pape and trying not to rip it at the same time.
"A corduroy suit with fitted knickers,"
"A mezzanine seat to see the flickers,"
"Havana cigars that cost a quarter,"
"An editor's desk for the star reporter," Davey pushed a chair toward Denton.
"Tip your hat, he's the king of New York!"
"How about that? I'm the king of New York!"
"In nothing flat, he'll be covering Brooklyn to Trenton, our man Denton."
"Makin' the headline out of a hunch."
"Protectin' the weak,"
"And payin' for lunch,"
"When I'm at bat, strong men crumble,"
"Proud yet humble,"
"I'm the king of New York,"
"He's the king of New York,"
"Gotta be either dead or dreamin', just look at that pape with my face beamin'. Tomorrow they may wrap fishes in it, but I was a star for one whole minute!"
I jumped up on the tables with some of the other fellas and danced.
"Starting now, I'm the king of New York!"
"Ain't ya heard? I'm the king of New York!"
"Holy cow, it's a miracle. Pulitzer, crying, Weasel, he's dying."
"Flashpots are shootin' bright as the sun. I'm one highfalutin son of a gun. Don't ask me how fortune found me, fate just crowned me, now I'm king of New York. Look and see, once a piker, now a striker, I'm the king of New York. Victory, front-page story, guts and glory. I'm the king of New York!"
I laughed as I stood on top of the table. Spot had just happened to be standing in front of me. He held his hands out to help me down and I took it, but reluctantly.
I didn't want the guys to think that I was a wimp. He held onto my waist and I held onto his shoulders. He helped me down and made sure I had my wits about me.
He still had his hands on my waist a few minutes later and I still had mine on his shoulders. We stood there looking each otha' in the eyes. It was a gaze I... didn't want to break.
No. I did want to. I did.
It got quiet in the restaurant all the sudden.
"Oooh, Jo and Spot are gettin' friendly," I heard Mush taunt. The guys laughed. I'm sure Jack wasn't amused, though.
I pushed away from Spot, scoffing. "Shut it, Mush." I looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze. I looked up at Jack and he was glaring at Spot.
"So let's have some ideas," Jack said.
"Well, we gotta show people where we stand," said Davey.
"Yeah, so we gotta stay in the papes. Anyone knows that." I said.
"My paper's the only one printing any strike news so far," Denton said.
I sighed. Wasn't good enough.
"So, we should do something that's so big, the otha' papers are gonna feel stupid if they try to ignore us," Jack said.
Everyone voiced their agreement.
"Like a rally," Jack said. "A newsie rally with all the kids from all over New York. We'll make it the biggest, loudest, noisiest blowout this town's eva' seen."
"We'll send a message to the big boys," Davey said.
"I'll send them a message," Race laughed.
"There's a whole load of us, and we sure ain't goin' away," Jack said.
"We'll fight till daggum doomsday if it means we get a fair shake," I said, grabbing my water.
Everyone voiced their agreements and raised their glasses.
"Hey, you guys, to our man Denton." Davey proposed.
"To our man Denton!"
This had been a good day.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote or comment if you've liked it!