Stray on Strike

The little one is a plum.

All of our heads turn to see who would even question Weasel and the Delanceys. I knew because I have been watching the new guy the whole time.

Weasel says crap about how he is taking me as crook blah blah blah. Jack takes the papers from the new guy and counts them by flipping through. "He's right Weasel. There's nineteen." He turns to the new guy. "I wouldn't take it personality, see Oscar can't count to twenty with his shoes on." Jack teases. Oscar hits the railing making a loud bang, while us Newsies get a big laugh out of it all. I even let out at little chuckle.

The kid gets his last perilous paper and Jack leads him over to Crutchie and Me. We are just parsing the pape together like a cute little newsies couple.

I can make out their conversation better when they get closer to Crutchie and I. "I don't want your pape." New guy says. It's odd because we doesn't want more.

Jack scoffs at him and askes, "What kind of newsie doesn't want more papes?"

"I'm no charity case!" He starts off saying. You can't let pride get in the way when you live this lifestyle. New guy continues what he was saying. "I don't even know you.."

The little one appears out of no where. Shocked me a little. "His name is Jack!" He says with a such esthetic style.

I stand up and put my elbow on Jack's shoulder, "Yeah, this here is the famous Jack Kelly. He once escaped jail on the back of Teddy Roosevelt's carriage." I say this butter up Jack and impress the new guy. Crutchie helps me out too by saying, "It made all the papes."

Jack pays nothing to us trying get the New Guy on our side, but he goes straight to the kid. "Hey, how old are you kid?"

With a huge grin that could have Cructhie beat. "I'm TEN.......almost." He said that last part a little beaten.

Jack put his hand on the little one's shoulder. "Well if anyone asks, say you're seven. Younger sales more papes. See if we gonna be partners-" Jack was cut off before he could finish talking.

"Who said we want a partner?" The new guy said pulling his little brother back.

Crutchie pleas with the new guy, "Selling with Jack is the chance of a lifetime. If you learn from him, you learn from the best...." I know this is true from the my first day I was newsie and Jack helped me sell.

New guy had an attitude and snapped back but not at Crutchie. He directed his hate towards Jack. "Well if he's the best then why does he need me?"

Jack lost his smile and put his arm around the little one. Little one then stands on the Wagon right beside from where me and Crutchie were sitting. Other newsies have started to gather around the commotion that has started.

Jack says with a little bit of theart in his voice but making sure not to scare the kid. "Cause you got a little brother and I don't. With that plus, we can easily sell a thousand papes a week. "He looks over at the little one. "Look sad, kid."

Little one then make the cutest little sad face ever. Jack laughed and then yelled. "We're going to make millions."

I speak up to the mass. "Jack this little one is a plum."

Little one speaks us and asks me, "I'm not a fruit. Am I?"

I stifle a laugh then tell the kid what I really meant by plum. "Nah kid. Plum means a sweetie. Someone that's just so cute they're better than a plum." Cructhie is smiling in the corner of my eye. He knows that I was kidding with the kid.

Little one's face beamed and blushed a little bit. I am great with kids. "This is my brother David. I'm Les." Ahh they now have names. Les. Ha that's ironic. He's shorter than David so he's Les than him.

Jack directs his attention to David. "It's nice to meet you, Davey. My two bits come off the top, and we split everything else 70-30." Sounds fair to me.

Les speaks up but is sounds really squeaky when he gets mad. "50-50! You wouldn't try and pull a fast one on a little kid."

Jack squints and tries not to laugh, "60-40 and that's my final offer."

Les thinks for a minute. And then Says it "Deal."

They spit shake as anyone would making a final deal. David reacts to this by cringing. "What?" I say whining at the new guy who wouldn't stop complaining.

"That's disgusting." He says with genuine worry and wonder. I walk up to him and give him an explanation. "That's just business." He looks at me crazy. Maybe because I have made myself comfortable with him too quickly. I'm just that nice.

Jack yells to all the newsies. "Newsies! Get to the streets! The sun is up, the headline stinks, and this kid ain't gettin' any younger!"

I run over to Crutchie and holds his papers for him. He takes them back. And grabs my hand. "Carrying da Bannea"