The Next Edition

Jack

Bonsoir! Goedenavond! Gokväll! Good evening! Whatever you want to say! It's TNE time again! And Ronnie, this time it is Jack.

Okay, now let's get to chapter 4!

Friday, September 23rd 2005, 8:20 PM

Friday night meant Jacobi's. That was something every newsie knew. If they had enough money saved from the week, Jacobi's was the place to go and have a good time. It did drive all other customers out, and Jacobi didn't earn much from the poor newspaper-selling boys, but he'd accepted his deli as the official Friday night hang-out for the group. Not all restaurant and deli owners were as relaxed as him.

Jack Kelly always showed up. He always had money saved, as he sold twice as many newspapers as the others every day. This was mostly to save up to his train ticket goal, but it also worked as extra dough to blow on cheap drinks and an occasional sandwich.

On this Friday, eight newsies were already there when Jack waltzed in. They had grabbed their usual booth in the back, and were no challenge at all to spot with all the ruckus they were causing. It was only made easier by the only other guests being an elderly couple mumbling about something. That something was presumably the newsie assembly, judging from the occasional glances and head shakes at the group. While walking past them, Jack could hear what one of them said.

"Teenagers these days... Don't have any manners."

"Have youse seen yerselves?" Jack teased with a grin that ought to have been annoyingly sweet. "At least we ain't talkin' shit 'bout strangers."

"Here's Jackie-Boy!" he heard a voice shout from the newsie table.

"Have a wonderful evenin', folks," he told the appalled couple before turning around and walking to his friends, shouting "An' there's Mushy!"

He plopped himself down next to JoJo. "Any a' youse know if someone else is comin'?"

"Tommy Boy ain't," Finch revealed. "Ran inta him 'round da school; said he was goin' to some girl."

Finch was another one of the guys who showed up every Friday. He was the least fit to spend his leftover money, but common sense and logical thinking were far back on Finch's list of priorities. That, Jack had figured out all the way back in Finch's first week as a newsie, when the boy was still knows as Nuts. Back when Jack still had a father...

"Sniper ain't makin' it?" Jack queried. "Ain't it his birthday or somethin'?"

"Yeah, but he said he'd hafta be home."

"How 'bout Henry and Elmer?" Jack now turned to JoJo and Buttons.

"Donno," Buttons answered.

"S'only us tanight," Smalls stated. "Ain't we good enough, Jackie? Ya need yer new best friend around?"

Teasing Jack was Smalls' favorite past time. Under her influence, several others had also picked up on the hobby, especially the part of referring to Crutchie as Jack's new best friend. But Jack had seen the way they all acted around him. He was everyone's best friend. Saying "new" wasn't quite right either. He'd already been there for three months, how long did "new" last?

"Youse are good enough - youse are great, I was just 'spectin' more people ta show."

"Race is still out sellin', I think," Buttons said. "Albert challenged him ta take more papes than usual."

"A' course he did," Jack rolled his eyes. "So's I sappose Albert's out watchin' 'im fail."

"I'd say so," Buttons shrugged before grabbing a glass of some drink and taking a sip.