girls like me

Seize the Day

I push myself out of Davey's soft-touch after hearing Jack's voice telling us to get down. What would Jack think? Not much, I would hope, but still, I was happy with Davey. I don't want to 

admit it just yet.

"Cmon!"

Jack's voice boomed again from the staircase, eyeing Davey, who was behind me. I swiftly pass Jackie but felt a quick puff of air on my back, slightly turning Jack got a hold of Davey.

"You touch her, I swear-"

"Jack! Stop!"

I get a grip on his wrist, digging my short nails onto his skin to make him know that I'm deadly serious. Davey kept Jack's stare down while I tried to interrupt the eye contact.

"We have to go and fight together. Both of you can go back to whatever this is after the strike. Now, let go," I say calmly, trying to get Jack's attention.

Without hesitation, Jack released his grip on Davey. My hand relaxed off of my brother and watch Davey's shoulders go down as he breathed out. The conversation to "The World" was limited. Nobody spoke but Les since he was all excited about striking. I didn't like the tension between Jack and Davey, but it was all because of me. Davey's interest in me just fueled Jack's anger, and for what? Eventually, or someday, maybe if I was lucky, I would like to be married and maybe have children running around. What the hell am I thinking? No, stop it.

"Is anybody else coming?" Davey asks, breaking the ice as we make it to "The World."

"Don't got a clue," Jack replied.

More of the newsie boys cam piling up behind us on the closed gates, ready for someone to open them up for us.

"Youse seen Spot Conlon, right? What'd he say?" Race asked.

"Sure, we seen him," Jack mumbled.

"Him and about twenty of his gang...but Liza talked to him."

"So they're with us?" Race nudged me, giving me a tiny smirk.

"That all depends on how you look at it. If you look and see Brooklyn, then they're with us. And no, everything was strictly business professional." I state.

"They wanted proof we're not gonna fold at the first sign of trouble." Jack summarized in smaller words for the boys to understand.

"Are we?" Finch asked.

"We are not! There us and Harlem—"

"Not so fast, boss. Harlem wants to know what Brooklyn's gonna do." A newsie says, cutting off Jack.

"How about Queens?" I ask.

"Queens will be right here backing us up—"

"Oh, good..."

"... as soon as they get the nod from Brooklyn."

"I got the same fish-eye in midtown."

"Damn it," I say quietly, looking over at Jack's small nod of defeat.

As soon as more of the newsies came waiting at the door, it was time for work. There was going to be no strike, especially with a small handful of us. I lick back a few bits of my baby hair into my cap quickly before the Delancy brothers walk over to unlock the gates.

"Say, Oscar, looks like we got bum information about a strike happenin' here today. Not that I'm complainin'. My skull bustin' arm could use a day of rest." Morris says as he punches his own flat hand, looking straight at me.

"Didn't your mother tell you it's no polite to threaten a woman?" I say, looking at Morris.

"Look princess, if you were my wife, you'd basically be a maid-"