I start to fall asleep.
"No, stay awake. You's have to see Race." Jack tells me.
As if on cue Race runs through the door.
"Where is she? What happened? Is she ok?" Race says frantically. He sees me. "Shit, Fox, who did dis to you's?"
I start to cry again.
"No, don't cry. It's ok. I's 'ere."
"I was hurt Race."
"What did 'e do to ya? I'll soak 'im!" he says
"Race." I started crying again. "He hurt me."
Race and Jack start looking over me looking for any injuries. I lift my head to show Race the blood stained pillow. He looks at that then looks me up and down taking in my bruised throat from the man choking me, my busted lip, and my cut wrists.
"Y/n, I's so's sorry."
Only then do I pull down my shirt to show them the bite marks.
"He knew who I was."
"What do you's mean, He knew?"
"He called my name when I gave him the pape."
-----------------------------------------------------
After getting cleaned up I head to bed. Stumbling as I walked. I was up there before anyone else got back. I climbed in bed and fell asleep. I had a nightmare. It was him again. Only this time he raped me. I sat up in bed crying. I lied back down and went back to sleep. The next time I woke up was Race and Jack waking me up at midnight because there was blood on the floor.
"Y/n your's head 's bleedin' agains." Jack said
"Ok." I roll back over
"y/n me an you's 're stayin' 'ere tomorra." Race said.
"No, I's goin' to's work."
---------------------------------------------------------
The next day we get to the circulation gate and read the headline. No. They jacked up the price. We go up and when Jack goes to buy his papers he refuses to buy the new price. We huddle up.
"What's 're we's gonna do?" Mush asks
Everyone crowds around Jack only to be pushed back by Les. "Hey! Let the man, work it out!"
"Jack, ya still thinkin'?" I punch him lightly
"One thing for sure. If we don't sell papes, then nobody sells papes.Nobody comes through those gates 'til they put the price back where it was." Jack says
"What you mean like a strike?" Davey asks
"Yeah!" I say excitedly
"No- I didn't mean- We's can't go on strike. We's not a union." Davey says
"We go on strike we's a union, right?" Jack asks
"There's not enough of us. Maybe if we got every newsie in New York but-." Davey says
"Then we'll organize. We get all of the New York newsies to join us."
"Jack you saw what happened to those trolley workers." Davey fusses
"Then that's what we'll do. Anyone who doesn't join we soak 'em." Jack said
"No! Stop and think, will ya? You can't just rush everybody into this!" Davey says
"Dave's right again! We gotta think this through! Old man Pulitzer and Hearst and all them other rich geezers, they run this city. Do wereally think a buncha street rats like us would have a chance against people like them? The choice has gotta be yours --are we gonna just take what they give us? Or do we strike?" Jack asks
Strike!" Les yells
"Keep talkin' Jack. Tell us what ta do." Boots says
Jack looks at Davey.
"Uh... uh... Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights --" Davey says
"Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect the workin' boys of New York! Keep it comin' -- what else." Jack says
"Uh... they can't treat us like we don't exist..." Davey says
Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we're nothin'
Are we nothin'?
No!
Pulitzer and Hearst, they think they got us
Do they got us?
No!
Even though we ain't got hats or badges
We're a union just by sayin' so
And the world will know!
What's it gonna take to stop the wagons?
Are we ready?
Yeah!
What's it gonna take to stop the scabbers?
Can we do it?
Yeah!
We'll do what we gotta do until we break the will of mighty Bill and Joe
And the world will know!
And the Journal, too!
Mr. Hearst and Pulitzer, have we got news for you!
Now the world will hear
What we got to say
We been hawkin' headlines but we're makin' 'em today
And our ranks will grow
And we'll kick their rear!
And the world will know that we've been here!
When the circulation bell starts ringin'
Will we hear it?
No!
What if the Delancys come out swingin'
Will we hear it?!
No!
When you got a hundred voices singin'
Who can hear a lousy whistle blow?
And the world will know!
That this ain't no game
That we got a ton of rotten fruit and perfect aim
So they gave their word?
Well it ain't worth beans!
Now they're gonna see what "Stop the presses" really means
And the day has come
And the time is now
And the fear is gone
And our name is mud
And the strike is on
And I can't stand blood
And the world willPulitzer may own the world, but he don't own us
Pulitzer may own the world, but he don't own us!
Pulitzer may crack the whip, but he won't whip us
Pulitzer may crack the whip, but he won't whip us!
And the world will know
And the world will learn
And the world will wonder how we made the tables turn
And the world will see
That we had to choose
That the things we do today will be tomorrow's news
And the old will fall
And the young stand tall
And the time is now
And the winds will blow
And our ranks will grow and grow and grow and so
The world will feel the fire and finally know!
(Again here are the lyrics I'm not writing who says what)
"We gotta get word out to all the Newsies in New York! I gotta have some... whatta ya call 'em?" Jack asks
"Ambassadors." Davey informs him
"Right, you's gotta be embastards."
After telling everyone where they are going he speaks again.
"Alright who wants Brooklyn? Spot Conlon's territory? C'mon don't tells me you's scared of Brooklyn."
"I'll go." I speak up.
"No, you's stayin' 'ere an' restin'." Jack says
"No, I's goin' ta Brooklyn."
"Fine but me, boots, and Davey are goin' too."
"Fine."
YOU ARE READING
There I'll be, Ain't I pretty? (Spot Conlon x Reader)
FanfictionY/n Higgins, the only and best female newsie. She is woken up one morning and goes to get her papers to find that the prices have been raised. When given a job she asked to tell the Brooklyn newsies only to be told no. She goes anyways and meets S...
