A Newsies Story

Chapter 2

Marlena's POV

"I don't want your papes, I don't take charity from nobody. I don't even know you" he said as he followed Jack down the stairs "I don't care to, here are your papes" he said trying to give Jack back his papes.

I walked up to them. "Hey look, he is just tryin to do youse a favor so just accept it!" I said placing my hand on his shoulder. "I'm Hyena, nice to meet ya" I said holding out my hand.

"I'm David, and who's this?" He said gesturing to Jack.

"Cowboy, they call him Cowboy" a little Newsie said that looked like David.

"Yeah that's right" I said. Jack walked up to us placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah that, and a lot of other things including Jack Kelly, this here is my younger sister, Hyena also known as Marlena Kelly. I smiled at the little Newsie.

"A girl newsie?"

"Yeah I'm a girl newsie. Got a problem with that?" I said walking up to him.

"Easy there sis." Said Jack calming me down. I then looked at the small kid.

"And what do they call youse kid?" I asked.

"Les" he smiled

"Les" Jack repeated. "So how old are you Les?" He asked.

"I'm near 10" he said.

"Near 10 well thats not no good. If anyone asks you say youse 7" Jack said.

"See younger sell more papes Les" I said placing my hand on his shoulder.

"If wes is gonna be partners, we wanna be the best" Jack said to Les.

"Wait, what? Who said anything about parthers?" David interrupted Jack.

Jack stood up "well, you owe me 2 bits, right?" Jack said pointing to David. "So I'll consider that an investment. We sell together, we split 70-30 plus you get the benift of observing me no charge" Jack said.

"Uh huh" David laughed.

"Uh huh" Jack mimicked back with a straight face.

"You'll be learning from the best" I said to Davey.

"If he's the best then why does he need me?" Jack looked at Davey a little ticked off.

"Listen, I don't need you pal. But I ain't a cute little brudder, like Les here to front for me." He said grabbing Les.

I walked over to Race "Hyena here is the closet person to sell as many papes as Cowboy" Race says.

"Then why don't you parther with ya sister?" Davey asked.

"Ise ain't selling with Cowboy, Ise can sell on my own. Sibling rivalry goes along way. After all a little competion. Never hurt nobody. Cept for the Delancey brudders!" I said earning some laughs from Race, Blink and a few other Newsies.

"So what do you say Les do you want to sell papes for me" Jack says kneeling in front of him.

"Yeah!" he said looking eager.

"Wait, its gotta be atleast 50-50" Davey said as a few Newsies chuckled.I glanced at Jack.

"60-40 or I forget about the whole thing" Jack said thinking about it first.

"That's fair" I said.

Davey held out his hand. Jack spit on his hand and was about to shake hands, but Davey moved his hand. "What's the matta?" He asked.

"That's disgusting" he said. Which caused a few Newsies to laugh.

We all grabbed our papes and started walking towards the gate.

"Name of the game is volume Dave, you only took 20 papes why?" Jack asked Davey as they started to walk.

"Bad headline" Dave replied, as if it was obvious.

"That's the first thing youse gotta learn" Jack says as I walk up to Davey.

"Headlines don't sell papes" Jack said but then I cut him off.

"Newsies sell papes" I finished and the Newsies cheered a few repeating what I said.

"We're what holds this town together. Without Newsies, nobody would knows nuttin'" Jack said.

Then a lady walks past us, the guys take their hats as she passes by. They stare at her and like fall head over heals, checking her out.

I sigh, these guys will neva' have goils, "Baby born with 4 heads!" I yelled walking out selling 3 papes.

**********

Today has been a good day I've sold 59 of my papes already.

"Hey Hyena! Whoa! Youse sold more than half youse papes already!" Race says walking up to me.

"Thanks Race!" I said, we talked a while but I then remembered I still had papes to sell. "It was nice talkin to ya Race, but I got papes to sell" I said. Race understood and we went on our separate ways.

Then later in the day, after I sold the rest of my papes and ran into Blink. "Hey Blink" I said.

"Hey Hyena" he said and his arm over my shoulder. We talked for a while and then I saw Snyder, he was the warden of the the refuge, also known as the jail for kids. I grabbed Blink's hand and ran. I looked behind me and saw him run after us.

Running the nearest alley and pushed my back to the wall. I saw Snyder and a few police pass. "I'll get you back Dashner!" He stopped and yelled.

"That was close" I breathed out heavily.

Blink looked at me, and we laughed. "Carry me back to the lodging house?" I asked. Blink smiled and lifted me into his arms.We made it back to the lodging house and remembered I had to sing at Medda's tonight.

I shighed and walked to Medda's theater. "Hey Medda" I said and she smiled.

"Hi Marlena, here's your dress your going to sing in" she said and handed me a gold dress. I hated dresses a lot but I still sang in them for Medda.

I started to sing and I saw Jack, David, and Les, watching me from the side. I took my large feather and ran it over there faces.

I could see David was like head over heels for me.

"Dude that's me sista" I heard Jack say and hit him lightly.

After I finished singing, Jack, David came up to me and said I did good. I thanked them and went our separate ways.

I walked back to the lodging house and waited for Jack to get back. The door opened and Jack had finally come back.

"Hey what took you so long?" I asked.

"I was at Davey's" he said and I nodded. "So how was your day?"

"Snyder came after me" I said and played with my fingers.

"Hey sis, don't worry he ain't eva gonna get ya" he said and gave me a hug.

Before I went to sleep some of the guys kissed me on the forehead. The guys treated me like their sista, but me and Jack were a closer brudder and sista.

But I felt like I was missing something in my life.... But I don't know what...