50 PAPES , jack kelly

- 003

↳ [ strike ] ੈ‧₊˚ ┊͙

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"THEY JACKED UP THE PRICE" kid-blink shook his head as everyone stared up at the chalk board.

"Did you hear that jack, ten cents a hundred!" He complained, "you know what, it's bad enough that we gotta eat what we don't sell. Now they jacked up the price! Can you believe that?"

Eleanor walked through the circulation gates, lifting the hat off of Jack's back and placing it on her head, sitting on the steps with the boys.

"Mornin'" mush gave her a tight lipped smile.

"This will bust me. I'm barely makin' a livin' right now." Skittery threw his cigarette on the group. "I'll be back sleepin' on the streets." Boots sighed and sat down next to Eleanor.

"It don't make no sense" mush looked at crutchy before turning to the group, "all the money Pulitzer is makin'. Why would he gouge us?"

"Cause he's a basta-" Eleanor began, getting cut off by race, "a tightwad, that's why."

The boys had to make sure ellie was acting as lady-like as she could in public considering if a woman was out of order it would be said wrong.

She didn't care though, ellie didn't have a care in the world. Other than her mother, the fellas and wanting to be a journalist.

Jack walked up to the counter and slammed his hands down. "Why the jack-up weasel?"

"Why not" the old man stuck his finger in his mouth, pulling it out and acting like he was checking the weather "it's a nice day"

"Why don't you ask Mr Pulitzer?" He suggested sarcastically.

"Why don't you keep your goddamn mouth-" Eleanor stood up, once again getting cut off. "Hey, hey, heyyy calm down, calm down."

Jack put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down onto the step.

"It ain't fair, we gots no right at all." Boots hung his head.

"Say that to the men who disrespect women and try make a difference" ellie rolled her eyes, getting a few looks

Race took the cigar out of his mouth, "come on, it's a rigged deck. They got all the marbles, okay?"

"Jack we got no choice. Let's get our lousy papes while they still got some" mush gave in, trying to walk up the steps when Eleanor stood up so he couldn't go up.

He walked back to his spot, Eleanor sitting down again on the step above her.

"Clear out, give him some room, give him some room. Let him think" Les pushed through the crowd and sat next to Ellie.

"Hiya Les" she smiled, fixing his hat and collar.

The yard went silent, everyone waiting for jack to give them an answer. Impatiently, Race asked if he was done thinking before weasel interrupted.

"Well listen ... one things for sure. If we don't sell papes, then nobody sells papes. Nobody comes through those gates till they put the price back where it was."

"Like a strike?" Davey and Ellie both questioned him at the same time. "Yeah, like a strike" jack nodded. The newsies all began pitying him, thinking it was a bad idea.

"What, are you out of your mind?" Race gave him a puzzled look. "It's a good idea" he defended.

"We can't strike, we don't have a union" Davey bent down to the level jack, ellie and Les were on. "If we go on strike, then we are a Union right?" He looked between Dave and Eleanor.

"No, we're just a bunch of angry kids with no money." Ellie sat back, jack glancing at her.

"Maybe if we got every newsies in New York .." she suddenly sat straight again. "Yeah, Well we organise! We'll get all the newsies in New York together!" Jack jumped up, holding his hand out for Eleanor.

The blonde took his hand, standing up and walking over to the horse to stroke it. "Jack this isn't a joke ... you saw what happened to those trolley workers." David stopped the group from moving.

"Yeah, we'll that's another good idea. Any newsies don't join with us, then we bust their heads like the trolley workers!"

Dave tried to talk jack out of it, not wanting roots to start.

"Listen, Dave's right. Pulitzer and Hearst and all them other rich fellas. I mean, they own this city. So do we really think a bunch of street rats like us can make any difference?"

Jack stood statue of the statue, ellie pushing herself up onto it and sitting on the ledge.

"The choice has gotta be yours, are you just gonna take what they give ya or are you gonna strike?!" Ellie butt in, immediately getting a response.

"Strike!" Les held his wooden sword up. "Keep talkin'. Tell us what to do" boots stepped forward.

"C'mon, tell us what to do davey" ellie poked his shoulder from above. "Come on dave" jack walked over, resting his arm on the ledge next to Eleanor.

"Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights" dave told him, Jack repeating it louder.

"Tell 'em that they can't treat us like we don't exist" dave spoke again, jack climbing onto the ledge ellie was sat on.

"Pulitzer and Hearst they think we're nothin'! Are we nothin'?" Jack yelled. "No!" Everyone replied.

"If we stick together like the trolley workers, then they can't break us up!" Davey told him.

"Pulitzer and Hearst they think they got us. Do they got us?" Jack yelled again, ripping up a newspaper. Everyone replied the same, shouting 'no' back at him.

THE NEWSIES , J.KELLY
SEPTEMBER 28TH 2021