Gasps erupted all around the Newsies.
"Who's Snyder?" I asked Elmer quietly.
"He- He ran the Refuge, and was horrible ta da Newsies." He whispered, voice trembling with fear. I glanced around the boys, and saw that Crutchie and Jack were both ghostly pale.
"Interestin' news, huh?"Oscar said smugly as he was opening the gate.
"Whadya mean?" Jack shouted. "That there is a dangerous man!"
"We neva said dat he ain't." Morris grinned sickly. Then he made eye contact with Elmer for a moment too long. He tensed up. Morris had a dark purple bruise on his face, right where Elmer had hit him. Whereas Elmer's was a lighter shade of purple. I steadied the cap, still not sure if I could call it my own. The gate rattled open, and his time I kept up with Elmer's pace. We were among the first in line.
"Papes to da Newsies, line it up!" Weasel shouted. When it was my turn, the old man eyed me. "A goil Newsie. Bailey, is it?"
I shook my head no. "Olive." Then I placed down a few coins. "Fifty."
Oscar handed over a stack of papers, which I tucked away into my bag. We'd left Honeybelle n our room with a full bowl of cream. Elmer was waiting for me a few feet ahead. When I walked up to him, I remembered.
"I's gotta tell Jack somethin'." I told the black haired boy. He nodded, and I went to up to Jack. "Hey, Jack?"
"Hey, Olive." Jack greeted me warmly.
"Elmer and I is gonna be with Miss Medda afta sellin'." I informed him.
"I will keep dat in mind." He agreed, readjusting his cap.
"Good." I smiled happily as I made my way back to Elmer. "Now we can go sell."
Together we walked, until we stopped by Central Park to sell. We didn't need to make up any headlines.
"Mista Snyder escapes from prison!" I yelled, earning six buyers.
"Forma Refuge owna becomes escaped convict!" Elmer advertised. That got him seven buyers. We continued selling until we both ran out.
"Dollar twenty." He gasped.
"Dollar twenty-one!" I grinned triumphantly.
"Aw, c'mon!" He beamed, nudging me. It looked like it was about 4-ish.
"I's guessin' it's time ta go ta da theatre." I took off the cap and smoothed out my shorter hair.
"That's correct." Elmer nodded, tucking his earnings away in his shirt and we walked down to the theatre, keeping an eye out for any danger. Eventually we made it to the theatre. I hesitated to open the door, remembering how he reacted yesterday.
"There's three things a lady should neva touch." Elmer opened the door.
"Yeah, and what might dat be?" I grinned, walking past him.
"Door," the boy held out 1 finger. "Check," a second finger. "And chair." A third.
"Who taught ya that?" I asked once we were both inside.
"My, uh, my fadda." Elmer responded, sadness tinging his voice. I linked my arm through his, trying to comfort him as we walked.
"Bailey! Elmer!" Miss Medda greeted us loudly.
"It's Olive now." I told her.
"I take it that you're a Newsie now." She guessed, stopping in front of us.
"I is." I nodded. "Thanks."
"No problem." Medda waved her hand. "Costume room is backstage, You'll know it when you see it. Start talking about what you want to preform!"
Elmer and I both walked backstage and quickly spotted a big room full of ridiculous costumes. There was also a few doors labeled Changing Rooms. We went into the costume room and began talking about what we're gonna do.
"How's 'bout a murder?" I suggested, flipping through the dresses.
"Perfect." Elmer looked at me from a different rack, grinning. "We's need characters."
"Okay, uh, I's can be Olivia Robins." I smiled.
"Oh, nice." The boy laughed. "I's will be Oliver Robins."
"Now we's need a story line." I said, a long purplish dress catching my eye.
"Okay, well," Elmer pondered. "Maybe Olivia killed someone and Oliver was tryna figure out who did it?"
"Maybe da victims name should be Evan Parzak." I pulled out the dress, studying it.
"Perfect." He said.
"Should we's make up some line?" I asked.
"Nah," Elmer said. "Miss Medda said dat it's improv night."
"That's fair." I agreed. "You found anythin' yet?"
"Not yet." The boy shook his head. "You?"
"Yeah, actually." I told him, turning around with the dress in my hand.
"Ya should give that a go." He nodded, grinning. I went into a dressing room and went into the dress, keeping my boots on. It fit right, so that's what I went with. When I walked back into the costume room, Elmer made a little whistle.
"Found anythin' yet?" I asked. He nodded excitedly and showed me a red suit.
"Ya should give it a go." I repeated what he had said. The boy grinned and left.
"Finding everything alright?" Miss Medda asked. I nodded. "Oh, honey, that looks great on you!"
"Thanks. My character is Olivia Robins, and I'm da murderer." I grinned. "Elmer's Oliver Robins."
"Ah, so you're playing twins!" She guessed, smiling. I nodded.
"How's dis?" Elmer came back in with the red suit on.
"That looks amazing!" Medda complemented.
"Thank you!" He seemed really excited, then held out his hand. "Oliver Robins, twin sis- uh brudda of Olivia Robins."
"Before you both go on, we're going to work on how to speak correctly." Miss Medda said, Elmer's face falling. She pulled out a few stage boxes for us to sit on. "Bailey, introduce yourself as your character."
"Actually, Miss Medda, I's Olive now." I told her.
"My mistake." Medda smiled.
"I's Olivia Robins." I said.
"Wrong." She told me. "I am Olivia Robins."
"I am Olivia Robins." I repeated. Miss Medda nodded with approval. "Now Elmer."
"I am Oliver Robins." He smirked. I crinkled my nose at him.
"Very good!" Miss Medda exclaimed. "Olive tell me the overall plot of your skit."
"Olivia and Oliver are twins." I began focusing on talking the way Miss Medda does. "Olivia committed a murder, and Oliver wants ta -uh, to- find out who did it."
"Well done!" She clapped. "Elmer, how long have you been a Newsie?"
"I's been a Newsie," Elmer stopped. "I have been a Newsie for, I think eight years."
"That's good for today." Miss Medda stood up, and we did the same. "Now, why don't you both put your costumes aside and I'll make sure nobody uses them."
We both nodded and went to our dressing rooms, changed, and left.