Straying - S.C

Part 1- New Kid

SHIFTY'S POV

"Get up boys!" I hollered at the sleeping newsies.

Almost every morning I have to do this, newsies aren't morning people if you haven't figured that out. By now you'd think they'd be better at getting up like this everyday. I grabbed a nearby wooden sword one of the younger boys had been playing with and started banging it against the bunks. Multiple groans came from around the room.

"Come on you'se idiots we got papes to sell!" I went up to one bunk specifically and began to shake it.

"Whoa!" I heard a groggy voice say and a loud thump which made me snicker.

"I hate you'se Shifty.."

"I'se don't think you'se hates me Catch," I responded to my friend who was now on the ground.

All that was responded with was a groan coming from Catch.

I offered my hand out that he grabbed and hoisted himself up from the ground, he was probably the only person I would help and for reasons. Catch was the only person that I could go to when I was at my lowest. Especially a couple months ago before I became the leader of the Bronx Newsies.

Before the luxury of a lodging house if you could call it that, I called home a refuge for girls, where I remained almost my whole life. Anytime unsupervised I got into some kind of trouble, mostly fights. Sooner or later I would start losing my mind from being locked up after fights that I didn't start.

Flinching was a big factor that came out of it and I was teased mostly when first meeting the newsies. Now I can appreciate the lessons that came out of the scuffles. Although what didn't change was a few black eyes everyday either in the refuge or in the lodging house.

What wasn't expected was a sudden knock at my window which then revealed Catch. But he surprised when he told me how he knew about my past, and how he was going to break me out. I still don't know how he found out about me, and that confuses me till this day. But Catch did break me out, and after that I was on the run with him.

People were always looking for the 'troublesome kid' and that's sorta how I earned my name. Shifty. Some would explain it as how I could be there one second gone the next, that had always made me laugh. Since I'm a girl I hid my dirty blonde hair in my cap which resulted in helping hide my identity a little. Though you could always be grateful that your face wasn't in the paper.

Mostly I don't wear a cap around any of the boys anymore. Just mostly when I'm selling papes on the outskirts of Bronx.

Soon enough me and Catch were running out of ideas to find food, without being able to earn money we weren't able to buy anything. Afraid someone would recognize a face and throw us both in 'home sweet home'. That's when we ran into Rush one of the Bronx Newsies. He took us to the Bronx lodging house and that's where we stayed. Me and Catch started selling papes and began earning money.

"Aye Shifty lets go!" I heard a voice yell.

Snapping out of my daze I looked around the lodging house that was almost cleared.

"I'se coming! I'se coming!" I called back while walking outside.

Making my way to the distribution center I pushed past most of the guys to the front of the line before patting Catch's shoulder. Mostly everyone was still yawning with hands shoved into pockets.

I rested against the window while playing with a quarter, "Good morning Willis!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that its Mr. Williams!" He shot back, anger lasing his voice that only edged me on.