I'm the Queen of New York!

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The older boy of the two newbies was after Crutchy in line. When Weasel shouted his tedious, "Next!" the older boy walked up to him and ordered twenty papes.

"Twenty papes, please," he said with a smile.

"Twenty papes! Next!"

"Hey, thanks!" he told Morris as he handed him his papes. This kid was strange. He smiled at Weasel and Morris, and to top it off, he counted his papes. When we do that, Weasel gets really peeved.

"Hey, you got your papes. Now beat it, kid," Weasel said.

"I paid for twenty. I only got nineteen,"

"Are you accusin' me of lyin', kid?" Weasel asked. I could tell he was peeved. Really peeved.

"No, I just want my paper," the boy defended. I looked over to Jack, we both stood up, and walked toward Weasel and the boy. I re-counted the papes. There were only nineteen. The boy was uptight, but he was correct. Morris had miscounted. I couldn't wait to throw that back in his face.

"No, it's nineteen Weasel. It's nineteen, but you know, it's an honest mistake. Morris, he can't count to twenty with his shoes on!" Everyone laughed as Morris tried to put his face through the bars. I love my job.

"Archer, will you spot me two bits?" Jack chimed in. I flipped a coin his way. "How 'bout anudder fifty for my friend here,"

"I don't want another fifty," the boy told Weasel.

"Sure ya' do. Every newsie wants more papes," Jack said.

"I don't,"

"What are ya'? Stupid?" I asked.

"Look, I don't take charity from anybody. I don't even know you, don't care to. So here are your papes," the boy said as his little brother ran up.

"Cowboy! They call him Cowboy!"

"That's right. Along with other things, includin' Jack Kelly, which is what me mudder called me." Jack said.

"What do they call you, kid? I'm Archer," I informed.

"Les, and this is my brother David. He's older," Les replied.

"Aw, no kiddin'," Jack and I said in unison.

 "So how old are you, Les?" I asked.

"Near ten," Les answered.

"Near ten, that's no good. If anyone asks, you should say you're seven."

His face showed bewilderment.

"See, younger sells more papes, Les. If we're gonna be partners, we wanna be the best." Jack said.

"Wait a minute. Who said anything about partners?" David asked.

"Well, you owe me two bits, right?"

"Wrong. If he gives you two bits, you're gonna have to intercept it and give it to me, since I gave you the money to provide the extra fifty." I explained. Jack looked completely dazed.

"Whatever. I'll consider that an investment. We sell together, we split 70/30, plus you get the benefit of obsoivin' me. No charge." Jack continued.

"Haha!" David exclaimed in a really high voice like that amused him.

"Haha!" Jack mocked.

Crutchy came up from behind David, "Hey! You're gettin' the chance of a lifetime here, Davey! You learn from Jack, you learn from the best."

"The best." Everyone repeated to persuade the newbie.

"Well, if he's the best, how come he needs me?" David asked.

"Listen, he don't need you, pal. But none of us got a cute lil' brudder like Les to front for us." I said.

"Yeah, with this kid's puss (face), and my God-given talent we could move a thousand papes a week." Jack agreed. David remained silent.

"So what do ya' say, Les? You wanna sell papes with us?" I asked.

"Yeah!" he replied.

"So it's a deal?" Jack  asked, holding out his hand to shake on it. Les started to reach his out as well.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold it!" David interrupted yet again. "It's gotta be at least 50/50."

"60/40 or I forget the whole thing," Jack said.

"That's fair," Crutchy said.

"Golden opportunity," Itey said.

"Definitely fair," Mush said.

Les looked up at his brother and nodded his head so eagerly. He looked like a bobblehead.

"What do you say?" I asked.

David reluctantly stuck out his hand for a hand shake. Jack spit in his for a spit-shake and stuck it out as David drew his hand back.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked.

"That's disgusting!" David exclaimed. Everyone laughed.

We walked outside the gate and was explaining the job to the newbies.

"The name of the game is volume, Dave. You only took twenty papes. Why?" Jack asked.

"Bad headline," David responded.

"That's the first thing you gotta  learn. headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes!" I explained.

"Newsies!' Everyone repeated,

"We're what holds this town together. Without newsies, nobody knows nothin'!" Jack said.

"That's right!" Everyone said as they took their hats off as my friend Allison walked past.

"What a heaven!" Mush exclaimed.

"Baby born with three heads!" Specs shouted to start off the work day. Everyone separated to peddle our papes.