𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 - A Davey Jacobs Story

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲

"You're the one I ran into, right?" Laces asked.

Davey nodded. "That was me. Why were you running?"

"Delanceys were on my tail," she replied, jerking a thumb back at the two boys who were still handing out papers to the newsies.

"Why?"

"Made 'em mad."

Before Davey could ask anything else, Jack piped up. "Youse ready to sell?"

"Why don't I take Davey here and you take Les?" Laces suggested. She loved helping new kids since she remembered all too well what it was like to be in their position. Besides, if it meant she got to spend more time with the handsome boy, she wasn't complaining. "It'll be too hard with four a' us trying to sell in one area."

Jack nodded at her suggestion. "Good idea. C'mon, Les."

Davey was about to protest but Laces put a hand on his shoulder. "Jack takes care a' the littles all the time. He won't let Les get hurt."

With a sigh, Davey relented and let his brother go with Jack. "I'm with you then?"

"Yup. Let's get a move on." Laces smiled and started towards her usual spot, Davey following close behind her. "Now, name of the game's volume, Davey. You only took twenty papes. Why?" 

"Bad headline," he replied as if it was obvious.

Laces sighed. Davey was going to need more help than she thought. "Well, that's the first thing you gotta learn. Headlines don't sell papes; newsies sell papes. The second thing you gotta learn is your best selling tactic."

"Selling tactic?" Davey questioned.

"Yeah. How's ya gonna get people to buy a pape from ya? Youse is too tall to pretend to be younger, like Les. Have you ever tried flirting?"

Davey's eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. "W- what?"

"That's a no then. There goes using Romeo's method. Why don't ya try being pushy? Get in their face." Laces smiled and shoved Davey towards a man who was approaching them.

"Pape! Pape here! Mornin' pape, sir?" Davey asked, holding the paper in front of the man who ultimately brushed past the newsie.

"Sing 'im to sleep, why don't ya? You need a catchy headline if you wanna sell papes," Laces teased with a laugh. She took one of her own papers and began to hawk it. "Extry! Extry! Terrified flight from inferno! Ya heard it right here!"

A man in a suit came up to her and eagerly snatched the paper from her before dropping two pennies in her hand. "Thanks, mister," she smiled.

She turned to Davey and held up the coins. "That is how ya do it, Davey baby."

Davey tried to ignore what she had just called him and busied himself in trying to find the headline she had just shouted. As he looked through the paper, he found no story even closely related to what Laces has just said. "You just made that story up."

"I did no such thing. I said he heard it right here and he did."

"My father taught me not to lie."

With a scoff, Laces crossed her arms and looked down at her shoes. "Mine taught me not to starve. Guess we both got an education." She hated lying but it was either that or go to bed hungry. "Lying's a small price to pay for not starving to death."

Davey frowned and turned back to the paper he held in his hand. After taking a deep breath, he turned to the crowded street and shouted, "Ellis Island up in flames! Thousands flee in panic!"