My Santa Fe

Chapter 1-Carrying the Banner

It's was July 1899, it's just a normal day for me waking up in the newsboys lodging house. I know you are asking why is there a girl in the newsboys lodging house? is that legal? Well then the answer to that second question is no.But the reason why i stay with my brother is because i'm an escaped orphan since I couldn't stand being trapped inside cleaning. I rather be slave outside in the sun then scrub floors with super winey girls. you see here I'm not like those other girls in New York City and heck I don't even wear dresses because I mostly wear is a light blue and white undershirt, a navy blue button down shirt, a part of khakis, brown boots, a black vest, and my grey newsboy hat. Around this timeline is that poor girls is only allow to wear wore a short skirt. Because they "couldn't afford a whole dress" like come on why I would wear a dress since I only make pennies. But it's fun to live with all boys...sometimes. As I woke up to the sun shining in my face and I realized that I was the first one up. I looked around the room and I noticed that Race was sleeping and I noticed that Race was asleep with that damn cigar. Out of the years that I know him I never seen him lift that cigar once. I sighed and lay back down onto my pillow. it's been like over five years and I still can't find Mr. right for me because of Jack, he still treat me like a child that he lived with before our parents passed away. Once I snapped out of my through when I heard my older brother's voice shouting from the rooftop because he and Crutchie did slept up there. I thought about sleeping out there with them but I decided to sleep inside instead. "Hey! Specs, Racer, Henry, Albert, Jordyn get a move on! Them papes don't sell themselves!" Jack says as he buttons up his shirt.I get up, buttoning up my navy blue shirt and slipped on my black vest, and putting on my brown boots. "Albert, Jordyn , Specs! You heard Jack, get a move on." Race says as he adjust his suspenders and fixes his hair. Me and Albert walk over to him."I was having the most beautiful dream. My lips are still tingling." Albert swoons. Albert is one of my, and Race's best friends. He was one of the first newsies i became friends with. "ooo, a pretty girl?" I ask Albert. "A leg of lamb." Albert says. Me and race look at each other and shrug our shoulders. Once everyone was ready we all head out and make our way to the paper stand. As we were walking there, Romeo stops a random girl who was walking with another man. Romeo is a huge flirt. We all find it funny how bad he is at flirting. That's why we call him Romeo. "Why hello, hello beautiful y-" Romeo gets cut off. "Whoa, step aside Romeo, nothin concerns you here." Jack says as he pushes Romeo away. "Mornin' Miss!" Jack flashes a smile to the lady. "May I interest you in the latest news?" "Um the paper isn't out yet." The lady says with her arm around another man. I can't believe these boys flirt with girls right in front of their boyfriends, no wonder they get hurt all the time. No brains, i'm tellin you. Although this guy did seem innocent with those glasses and that hat. "Well, I would be delighted to deliver it to you, personally." Jack says getting closer to her. The man on her arm pushes him away. Here comes the storm. "Well, I would be delighted to deliver it to you, personally." Jack says getting closer to her. The man on her arm pushes him away. Here comes the storm. "I've got a headline for you" she says as she stops the man from saying anything. "Cheeky boy gets nothing for his troubles" She says. Damn she good. All the other boys "ooooooo" at her comment as i laugh. I love it when my brother gets put in his place by a girl. It happens a lot. "Back to the bench slugga, you struck out!" Romeo says to jack. "I'm crushed" Jack yells with his hand on his heart. "Hey Crutchie? What's ya leg say? Gonna rain?" Finch ask Crutchie. "Uhhhhh, no rain" Crutchie says shaking his broken leg. "Oh-ho! Partly cloudy, clear by evenin" Crutchie says with wide eyes. Everyone starts laughing. "They gotta bottle this guy!" Finch says with a smile. "Yea and the limp sells 50 papes a week all by itself." I say to Race, Albert, and Finch. "Ay, I don't need the limp to sell papes. I got poisonality" Crutchie says with a smirk. We all agree sarcastically with him. After words we run to the front of the World gate to see them put up the headline. "Hey look! They're puttin up the headline!" Finch says as he points to the giant chalkboard."I hope it's reeaaal bloody wit a nice, clear picture." Specs says gripping the bar "Yea!" We all agree. As the man writes the headline, i knew it was gonna be about that stupid trolley strike. It's been that way for weeeeeks. There is this strike goin on right now and after the war ended there has been nothing for the newspaper to write about. There was no point in even looking at the chalkboard anymore. Why the hell am i sellin papers with the same news everyday. These writers need to start thinking about the people who sell these papes once in a while. By the time he was finished, they were all disappointed.  "The Trolley Strike? Not again." Elmer says. Hunty we all saw it coming why you complaining? "Aw three weeks of the same story" Race complains.  "There killin us with that snooza." Finch says. Finch is another newsie i'm not very close with, but he carries a slingshot around everywhere he goes with him. He likes causing trouble. "Hey, make way! Step aside!" Oscar says unlocking the gate with his asshole brother Morris. Oscar and Morris Delancy, The Delancy Brotha's, work at the newspaper stand. They give us our paper everyday with Weasel. We hate the Delancy brothers. Like a lot. "Oh dear me! What is that unpleasant aroma?" Race ask as he waves his hand in front of his nose. "I fear the sewers may have backed up during the night." I say raising my eyebrows to Morris. Teasing the Delancy's is my favorite hobby. "Or could it be..." Crutchie starts. "The Delancy bruddas" we all say. Morris bangs on the bar next to me. "What?" i say like an old lady from New Jersey. They know i like to mess with them too, they hate me. But i hate them too so it's ok. "Hey Oscar. Word on the street says you and ya brudda took money to beat up strikin trolly worka's." Finch says as he steps in the gate confronting Oscar. "So? It's honest work." Oscar responds "Your crackin the heads of defenseless workas" Albert says looking Oscar up and down. "Ain't ya fatha one of the strika's?" I ask getting face to face with Oscar. "At least i can afford a whole skirt." Oscar says. All of the newsies look at me to see what i would say. They know ima fuck him up. "What did you say?" I ask raising my eyebrows. "You heard me." Oscar says stepping forward. "Oh i know!" I say with a smile. "I was just givin you a chance to change what you said!" I say as i lunge toward Oscar. Right before i could kick Oscars ass Race swooped me up from the ground holding me back. He set me down still holding my arm making sure i couldn't move."You want some of that too?" Morris says to Crutchie. "Ya lousy crip!" He says as he takes Crutchie's crutch and throws him to the ground. Holy shit i'm about to kill them. Albert helps Crutchie up and helps him balance without his crutch. I rip myself out of Race's grip (r.i.p) and rush to Morris. "That's not nice Morris" I say as i take the crutch out of his crusty hands. Jack takes the crutch out of my hand and steps in front of me. "Ay, five to one Jack skunks him." Race says. Oscar grabs his arm and pulls him back so he could stand by Jack. "Get off of me." Race says as he pulls his arm out of Oscars grip. "One unfortunate day ya might find ya got a bum gam of ya own, how would you like us pickin on you, huh?" Jack ask them. "Hey! Maybe we should find out." After that sentence, he hits both the Delancy's in the leg with the crutch making them fall to the ground. Good. "Wait till i get my hands on you" Oscar says as he lunges his arm towards Jack. Jack holds him back with the crutch. "You're gonna have to catch me first." Jack says as he pushes him on the ground and runs away causing the Delancy's to chase him. "Go Jack!" Elmer yells. Jack ran away causing the Delancy's to chase him. They eventually gave up once the bell rang and they had to start sellin us our papers