STRIKE! ; davey jacobs

SEVEN

vii. A RALLY PERFORMANCE

JOSEPHINE HAD WOKEN UP EARLY
that morning. she had told david that she wanted to see him before the rally that night. he agreed, also waking up early so he could hightail it to her apartment house. there was a soft knock at her window. her apartment was bigger than the his family's. her father only wanted the best and he had the power and money to do so. "go up to the roof, davey. i'll be right up. i don't want my father seeing you... he's kind of upset with me about the paper."

josephine rushed up to the roof, she carried a small tray and cup of milk. "i brought you breakfast. i know i asked you to come early."

david smiled, "it's okay. so... what did you want to talk about?" he stared at the girl as she placed the tray on the ledge of the room. josephine smiled as she looked up at the older boy, (he was a few months older than her). "yesterday, at tibby's. everyone said what they wanted from their fame. you never did." "neither did jack." david pointed out, turning to look at the view of the sky. josephine sighed as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "yeah, but jack's dream is as clear as day, davey. santa fe is his dream."

davey pulled away from josephine, "i don't think i want anything." "so that's what we're doing now?" josephine asked, leaning against the ledge. "we're lying to each other?" "i'm not lying. i don't think i want anything. just for us to win the strike." david said. josephine shook her head, "that's a lie and you know it, david."

david leaned against the ledge, sighing. he was lying and he knew it. the boy shrugged, "i don't know if what i want is worth it. i don't even know if she'd even want me back." josephine stared down at the street, her eyes watering, "she?" david was quiet. josephine nodded, "yeah, well. i better get going for work. medda needs me to do a rehearsal before the rally tonight. i'll see you then, david." josephine took the tray and milk and started to head back down.

"wait, jo. can you just tell me?" david asked. josephine had stopped, "tell you what?" maybe she was being mean, but she thought he was talking about some girl. "well, if i told you i liked you. would you feel, you know, would you feel the same?" "that's not fair to ask me, david." josephine left, rushing so that david would see her crying. david didn't understand what happened, but he knew he screw it up.

~~*~~

josephine sat in the dressing room, applying her makeup and doing her hair. she was wearing a matching outfit with medda, her outfit also being pink. it was her signature color whenever she performed for medda. there was a knock, "it's almost time."

josephine was standing with medda on the stage, behind the curtain waiting for jack, david, and spot to stop talking. "you okay, jo? you look a bit sad." "yeah, just there's some davey stuff and with the strike. it's all just a bit much." josephine explained. when the curtains began to open, both medda and josephine smiled widely as they stepped out. the boys were cheering, they were going wild.

"jo!" josephine looked up to see skittery and kid blink both shouting her name over at over again, waving and smiling at the girl. her face flushed as she waved back at them, smiling shyly. she wasn't used to this much attention from men, especially since they were mostly her age and younger. she could see les standing on his chair, waving to the girl. she smiled widely and waved back at him.

the newsies sang along with medda and josephine. she had never felt more alive than she did now. she loved seeing her boys and all the other newsies so happy. she hadn't realized how crazy the boys were until kid blink and skittery were on the stage, holding their hands out to the girl. she laughed loudly as she took their hands, dancing with them. race and mush danced with medda. soon all the boys were joining. jack was on stage and so was david. lucky for josephine, skittery and kid blink were (unknowingly) blocking him from her. after the song was over both boys got down on one knee, "jo, marry me!" "no, marry me!" "josephine, i love you!" skittery was laughing as he jumped up. josephine shoved both kid blink and skittery, "you two are not funny!"

that's when she heard the whistles blowing. skittery and kid blink shoved josephine behind them as the policemen broke through the crowds. kids were being beat and pushed around. josephine's eyes watered as she looked around the room. her heart dropped at the idea that les and sarah were stuck in the crowd of newsies. "no!" she cried as one of the men tried to grab onto skittery. "don't touch him!" she tried to push the man back, but he was stronger. he was about to hit josephine, but someone pulled her back, "jo!"

she could hear medda yelling for racetrack. her heart was breaking seeing the horribleness of this all. she could see david, skittery, and a few of the other boys making a run for it down to the lobby. "where's jack? did sarah and les make it out?" she was crying, almost falling to her knees as she shouted out different questions. medda hugged her, she also was crying. she cared so much for these boys, just as much as josephine did. "where's davey? is davey okay?" josephine sobbed out, holding onto medda.

~~*~~

"i was so worried," josephine had said, pulling david into the biggest hug she'd given anyone in awhile. david didn't know how, but josephine was talking to him. they had all showed up to the courthouse. "i'm sorry about skittery." david whispered, hugging her back. "it's not just him. spot, racetrack, bumlets, snoddy, boots, mush, kid blink, it's a lot of them! i'm just glad you're okay, davey. i was so worried about sarah and les too. and jack..."

denton met with the two, bringing them with him. "i'm coming too!" les exclaimed. josephine pulled him into her side, "but you're standing right by me."

"i'll pay the fine, all of them." denton annouced, entering the courtroom. les, david, and josephine followed. "hey, you fellas alright? where's jack?" david asked. josephine reached over to smack the back of skittery's head, "that's for last night, ya bum." skittery pushed her hand away, "what the hell, josephine! i'm already beat!"

"look, we've got to meet at the restaurant. everybody. we need to talk." denton stated. "pay the clerk! move it along!" the judge said. josephine instinctly reached for david's arm as they brought jack in. her other hand still tightly hanging onto les' hand. everyone listened as synder talked to the judge. that's when he dropped jack's real name. all the newsies looked around at each other before looking at josephine. "did you know that, jo?" she heard skittery ask. josephine couldn't even answer. her grip on david tightened.

"i ask that the court order his incarceration until the age of twenty-one, in the hope that we may yet guide him to a useful and productive life." synder had said. the judge nodded, "so ordered." "no!" les had shouted. josephine hid her face into david's arm. she remembered how horrible it was when jack was in the refuge, not just for him, but for her too. she remembered when he had escaped and told her all about how horrible the refuge was. he always told her that if he ever had to go back than he'd die in the place. and that's what worried her the most, she didn't want to see him like that again.

~~*~~

"why didn't the sun print the story?" david asked, looking at denton. josephine was sat with between les and david. kid blink and skittery sat across from her. their bruises were starting to show. "because it never happened." denton stated. josephine whipped her head towards denton, "yes it did! you were there denton! i watched my boys get beat and pushed around, don't tell me it didn't happen!" les looked up at the girl, scooting his chair closer to her. "it's not in the papers, it never happened. the owners decreed it not be in the papers, therefore... i came to tell you fellas and josephine good bye." denton had said. josephine narrowed her eyes at denton, "goodbye?" "what happened? did you get fired or something?" david asked, standing up.

"no, I got reassigned back to my old job as the sun's ace war correspondent. they want me to leave right away. the owner thinks I should only cover the really important stories. wish me luck fellas. at least half of what I wish for you. they don't always fire you. i would be black balled from every paper in the country. i'm a newspaper man. i have to have a paper to write for. this is the story i wrote about the rally. i want you to read it at least. this should cover it." denton handed money to the owner, paying for everyone's food and drinks. david cumpled the paper up and threw it onto the table.

"we get jack out of the refuge tonight. from now on, we trust no one but the newsies." david stated as he stood up. "and jo!" les shouted. the boys nodded as they all got up. les grabbed onto denton's paper, wrapping his hotdog with it. josephine had grabbed onto david, "i'm sorry, but i won't be coming with to the refuge. i can't. i'm sorry, i can't see jack like that again."