Watching Jack take charge and start a strike definitely made Katherine's top ten of 'Extremely Attractive Men Striking For What's Right' list. After finishing her article she got up to find the boys rallying around The World and immediately got a cameramen to come with her, after all what had Jack said? "Your gonna wanna snap a picture a this!" She was gonna get a picture of those boys as they turned into men!
Newsies young and old had gathered in the square a certain tenseness had gathered over the boys as each of them were huddled around a newspaper stand. Katherine was quite a ways away as she watched them and had to stand on her tippy toes to see who they were all listening to. She could just make out the blue hat that perched on top of a head of black hair and knew that was Jack, she assumed David was next to him because she could see Les between some of the boys legs. Many of the boys looked down and out of character like someone had just canceled Christmas. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she knew by the looks on the boys face and their ridged backs, they weren't very confident in what they were about to do. That wasn't a good sign. One tended to need to be confident when striking against a million dollar company.
"Plumber?" A voice called behind her. She spun around and came face with a younger Newsie.
"Romeo, oh Romeo." She said dreamily. Romeo swelled a bit as he relished she remembered his name. He was a cute kid with dark skin and hair that gleamed with sweat in the already-to-hot July air.
"Whatcha been up to? Youse bring that ole' camera ta snap at picture a me?" He asked wiggling his eye brows. Katherine laughed and nodded.
"Yes, well all of the boys, but yes." She told him.
"How about that article you was talkin' about? Wes really gonna make the front page?" He asked looking out to the group of depressed boys.
"You can count on it." She said following his gaze. What had made them so gloomy? She had expected them to be storming the gates by now, what was holding them up?
"Da other Newsies ain't comin'" Romeo said as if reading her mind. "We's all alone. Even da Bronx was to scared to join, they's think we're just playing but we ain't. Least that's what Jack says."
"And you believe him?" She asks reaching into her pocket to pull out her note pad. Romeo shrugged and looked at her his brown eyes shining in the sun.
"I don't know. Do you?"
She was surprised by his answer and a little confused. She hesitated for a moment choosing her next words carefully.
"Yes. I do believe him." She said sincerely.
"Well, i'se do too. Most of the time, Jack can be... difficult some times." Romeo said shoving his hands into his pockets. Tell me about it, Katherine thought.
"How so?" She asked not able to help her reporting instincts.
"Santa Fe." He said simply. Katherine blinked a little confused.
"Santa what?" She asked surprised by this piece of information.
"Santa Fe, it's dis place Jack wants ta go to. He's always tellin' us boys about it, especially the younger ones. At first I thought the stories were just ta give the little ones something to think about other than how hungry they were but as we've gotten older i'se could see the way his eyes light up at the thought of leaving dis place forever. Leaving ta that place he's never even been to." Romeo said, she couldn't tell if he was wistful or had a grudging respect for this Santa Fe. 'His eyes light up at the thought of leaving this place forever' Did that mean Jack was planing on going?
"You don't think... well, you don't think he'd actually go do you?" She asked trying hard not to make her curiosity obvious.
"If he could, he would." Romeo said with out missing a beat. Katherine tried to ignore the way her heart had just sank into her stomach.
"Right, okay." She said pretending to right something down on her note pad. Suddenly there was a yell of anger from the boys and Katherine looked up surprised to see the boys glaring again. She had been so busy talking with Romeo she hadn't relished they had opened the gates and a few Newsies were trying to fight their way thro the crowd of rallied boys.
"Better go Plumber! See ya on the front page!" Romeo said giving her a wink and jogging back to the crowd of boys. Katherine came closer telling the cameraman to get ready for a picture. She could hear a voice yelling to the boys and speaking like a leader. She knew instantly it was Jack. The boys parted and she could see Jack standing in between the boys, his hands were raised and there was a determined aura that seemed to radiate from him. Katherine strained her ears so she could hear.
"I know someone musta put you up to this, probably paid you some money." He said talking to the boys with newspapers who looked a little scared. She listened intently not wanting to miss a single word, his words were pure gold! His jaw was tight as he talked about the kids working day and night to save their family's. His words were short but very, very powerful. It was them that she relished how much he really cared for these boys.
"...I beg you, join the strike." Jack finished making silence ring thro the square. A few tence moments passed before the other Newsies took off their paper bags and slammed them to the ground. The boys cheered and Katherine felt the atsmophere grow with excitement.
"Let's get em'!" Jack shouted and the boys charge the gates as the wagons prepared to leave for the city. Katherine watched with glee as her fathers papers were torn to shreds, it was quite chaotic but Katherine watched intently not wanting to miss anything.
"Boys!" She shouted to them.
"Hey Plumber needs a picture!" A voice called, they rushed over making paper rain down every where little pieces getting stuck in her hair. It was very chaotic but it worked, the cameraman snapped the picture that would make the front page. More newspaper stands were being knocked over and even more newspapers falling from the sky as they ripped them to shreds. She even joined in helping Race and Specs shred a stack, she looked up from her paper her eyes catching Jacks. He was grinning at her and she couldn't help but grin back as butterfly's twirled around inside her. A loud screeching whistle broke through the noise and the square suddenly went quite. Jacks expression changed in an instant, his proud triumph was replaced with fear and maybe a little anger.
"It's the Bulls!" A voice called and the boys broke out into panic. Katherine had enough sense to get out of their while she could, he cameraman hurried her along away from the sight, she hated to leave. She wanted to help! But she new she wouldn't be much help. She could hear shouts from behind her and she worried for the boys.
"Get out while you still can." She muttered.
~Authors note, Well that was a little ruff, I know. Just give it some time it will be twice as good as that six months form never... (Hahaha) JK. Don't worry I got some action in store for you all!! I own nothing! Thanks~
