The Queen of New York

8

Madi's POV

Today was the day. The day of the rally. I put on my normal outfit and headed over to the theater with the other newsies.

Pretty soon, Woodside, Richmond, Flushing, and the Bronx showed up. Right as it seemed like Brooklyn wasn't coming, they showed up, Spot leading them. Me, Davey, Spot, Smalls (The Bronx), Jackson (Woodside), Anthony (Richmond), and Ben (Flushing) met up in the middle.

"Hey Madi, where's Jack?" Buttons asked.

"Yeah where's Jack?" The other newsies asked.

In no time at all, they started cheering his name.

"Sorry, Madi, Davey, no sign of him yet," Miss Medda sighed.

I went to the middle of the stage and called out, "Newsies of New York!"

They silenced.

I continued, "Look at what we've done! We've got newsies from every pape and every neighborhood here tonight. Tonight, you're making history. Tonight, we declare that we are just as much a part of the newspaper as any reporter or editor. We are done being treated like kids. From now on, they will treat us as equals!"

"You wanna be talked to like an adult?" Jack asked, appearing from the shadows. "Start acting like one. Don't just run your mouth, make some sense."

I was so confused. Why was he acting like this?

"And here's Jack!" Davey exclaimed.

The newsies once more began chanting Jack's name.

He silenced them so he could speak. "Pulitzer raised the price of papes without so much as a word to us. And that was a lousy thing to do. So we got mad and let 'em know we ain't gonna be pushed around. So we go on strike. And then what happens? Pulitzer lowers the price of papes, says we'll go back to work. And a few weeks later, he hikes up the price again, and don't think he won't. So what do we do then? And what do we do when he decides to raise his price again after that? Fellas, we gotta be realistic! We don't work, we don't get paid. How many days can you go without making money? However long, believe me, Pulitzer can go longer. But I have spoken to Mr. Pulitzer and he-he has given me his word: If we disband the union, he will not raise prices again for two years and he will even put that in writing. Now I say we take the deal, and go back to work knowing that our price is secure. All we gotta do is vote 'no'. Vote 'no'!"

By this point, the newsies are booing and the noise overwhelms Jack. He begins to walk off when he gets stopped by a man in a suit who hands him a wad of cash.

"He's a sellout!" One of the Bronx newsies yelled.

Spot shoved him back.

He tried to protest and say something to me and Davey but we just shook our heads and walked off in the other direction. When I got out of the theater, I ran to find Spot. While I was running, calling his name, I felt a hand on my wrist. Whoever it was pulled me into the nearby alleyway.

"Some speech your brother made," Spot said.

I scoffed. "Yeah. I don't know what the heck got into him. He just hasn't been himself since the brawl."

"Okay, okay, enough about your brother, are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Spot, I'm fine," I sighed.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Does this answer your question?" I asked.

I pinned him up against the wall and kissed him deeply. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck, planting one of my hands in his gorgeous brown hair. A bit later, we break apart, both gasping for air.

"Did that answer your question?" I asked breathlessly.

"I don't know," He said. "Why don't you answer it again?"

I smiled and kissed him again.