Chapter Seventeen: The Newsies Banner

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Jack, Davey, Les, Spot, Sarah and I head to Denton's penthouse, which is in this super fancy building. The people sitting around in the lobby—along with the doormen in front of the building—gave us all wary looks, like they didn't want us trackin' dirt in the building. (We ain't even that dirty. Especially Davey and Les—since they have a home, they're clean as a whistle. Or two whistles? I don't know.) Speaking of whistles, one of the men in the lobby whistled at me. Spot shot that guy a pretty harsh look.

We head up to the front desk, where there's a lady with spectacles and a top bun, typing away at the computer. Her name tag reads HANNAH. "Do you know which penthouse Bryan Denton lives in?" I ask politley.

"Uh..." She frowns. "Number three forty-two."

"Perfect! Thanks!" I give her a big smile, and Jack, Davey, Les, Spot, Sarah and I rush off. We ride up the elevator to penthouse number three forty-two, and when we find it, we all knock on the door at once. It's pretty loud, with all our knuckles combined.

Denton opens the door right away. "What—" he starts to say, then he notices us. "Oh. Hey, kiddos. I'm just packing up. Come on in." He holds the door open, and we file into his penthouse, which is now mostly empty furniture-wise and covered in cardboard boxes with Denton's possessions. 

"That article you wrote," Davey says. "About us, changing the minds of so many kids in New York with our strike. Did you mean it?"

Denton grins. "I never write anything I don't mean."

"Well," Jack ventures, "we had an idea. And we need you to stay for it."

Denton stares at him for a second, then says, "I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon, but I can help you with whatever you need tonight. I'm done packing anyway."

"Perfect." I clap my hands. "So, we were all thinking"—I beckon towards our little group—"what if we made our own newspaper?"

"The Newsies Banner," Davey adds.

"We could sell it to every workin' kid in New York. And if they all stayed home from their jobs and read it—and maybe even joined our strike—then we'd win for sure," Jack explains.

"I would go back to Brooklyn," Spot explains, "to give it to my newsies that didn't come with me to Manhattan."

"And I would cover Queens," I add.

"I'd get Lower Manhattan," Jack says.

Sarah quickly adds, "I'd go with Jack." I'm pretty sure Sarah's in love with Jack. And I think Jack's in love with Sarah, too.

"I'd take Harlem," Davey says. "And Les would come with me."

We all stare Denton down, waiting for his answer. This answer could change everything about the strike, everything. It could help us win. It could give us a chance.

Denton gives us a smile. "Let's get writing."

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Okay, for my Newsies: Broadway fans, I made the 'Hannah' reference on purpose! 

Also, sorry for the short chapter. The next one will be much better, though!

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