The King of Brooklyn // Spot Conlon

Carrying The Banner

  3rd Person POV

  Sun was just a kid when her Mama and Pa left her all alone in the streets of New York, nothing but the clothes on her back and a couple of dimes to keep her going.

  Lucky for her she ran into Jack about two months into living on the street. She had been pickpocketing people to keep from starving, always had a knack for taking things without anyone noticing. She had been trying to take a watch from a man's pocket when he caught her, god knows what he would have done to her if Jack hadn't been walking by and saw him drag her down an alley.

  So from then on she was a newsie, and she moved into the lodging house. See not many people know that there two floors, and on the second one is where the girls sleep. There are less of them then the boys so the room is a lot smaller, but they make it work.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

  Sun's POV

It always feels way too early when Kloppman wakes us up, always shouting about sellin papes and carrying the banner. 

  I roll out of bed and try to shake the sleep from my head while I get dressed. We only got so many clothes since we ain't got much money, so me and the other girls share most of our clothes. I toss on a button up shirt and a long skirt I took from Speed. (Think kinda like what Sarah wears in the movie).

Speak of the devil, Speed comes right up behind me and snatches the brush out of my hand before I can even use it.

  "Someone slept on the wrong side of da bed" I mumble rolling my eyes at her. She just sticks her tongue out at me. "What are ya, three years old?" Jess says as she comes up behind us, givin us both whacks on the head.

  By the time I head down to the boys floor Kloppman is just barley gettin them out of bed, they always take forever to get ready for the day. I take to opportunity to take Race's cigar while he's still trying to wake up. I hold it in my mouth trying to decide whether to smoke it now of save it for later, but before I can do either Race sits up. He searches through his things for a minute before his eyes land on me.

That's my cigar  He says, annoyed that I'm messing with him this early
You'll steal another  I reply, which he doesn't like since he snatches the cigar from me. He goes to smack me but Blink stops him.

Hey bummers we got work to do  He reminds us
Since when did you become me mother?  Specs teases him
Ah, stop your bawling  Crutchy interjects
Who asked you? 

  The boys all spread out to start getting ready, I stay with Race while he get's ready and we talk about different racehorses. With how much he gambles I'd be surprised if he thought of anything else. We catch the end of Jack and Crutchy's conversation as they walk over.

"I gotta find a new sellin spot where they ain't used to seeing me" He says.

Try Bottle Alley or the harbor  Mush suggests
Try Central Park it's guaranteed  Race says while he combs his hair
Try any banker, bum, or barber  I say on my way out
They almost all knows how to read  Skittery says grabbing a towel to wipe his face

I smell money  Blink says as he leaves the stall
You smell foul  I say, plugging my nose
Met this girl last night  Mush interjects, keepin Blink from going after me

Ah, move your elbow 
Pass the towel
For a buck I might

Ain't it a fine life carrying the banner through it all?
A mighty fine life carrying the banner tough and tall
Every morning we goes where we wishes
We's as free as fishes
Sure beats washing dishes
What a fine life carrying the banner home free all