Stray on Strike

Crazy Old Man

Victor and Clyde told me it was a horrible idea, and they tried to convince me not to go. They said I should stay at the theater and things will work out on their own. Whatever Joseph Pulitzer did, I'm going to make him pay for it. He first jacked up the price. Then he sent all those goons to beat us to a pulp. Finally he set Jack Kelly up to fail and made a fool out of him. And no one makes my friends look like fools. No one.

It's probably a good thing that I didn't stay at the theater because Davey was trying to smooth things over with Spot. Medda, Vic and Clyde were trying to comfort me. Me, I was in a total state of shock. Everything happened so fast. But what Jack said got to me. Those aren't his words. Sure he wanted to stop the strike at one point, but for the sake of lives, not money.

This won't be anything like when I visited the Sun I can tell you that. The only upside to this is that I am wearing some nice threads so he won't think I'm a total street rat. And it'll look like I have something to live off of, ya know?

It's after working hours but I'm almost positive he will be here. Sitting, laughing at our pain.

The doors are huge. They have a big sign above them; it says The World in big huge letters. Just by the doors I'm intimidated. I push them open.

I see a girl in a black and white stripped outfit sitting at a desk. She looks up at me funny. "Sorry. Are you lost?" She says kindly. She won't be sounding that way after what I'm going to say to her.

"I'm here to see Pulitzer." I blankly say. She stands up quick out of her desk. She runs out in front of me, blocking me from anything. "No one sees Mister Pulizter. I'm sorry, but I am going to have to leave."

I don't move. "See I believe that he wants to speak to me. Because I am one of the leaders of the Newsies Strike. And I know he talked to Jack Kelly earlier today, so I will like to show him my points of view."

Her face is pure shock. "I had no id-"

I cut her off before she says again else. "That one of the leaders is a girl. Yeah. I am. So I will say it again. I'm here to see Pulitzer."

She steps out of my way and I walk down at long and lavish hallway. Did he really waste all this money on something that he only sees when he's passing by? Makes me wonder how he even has any money left.

The doors to his office are just as you would expect, over the top. I don't even bother knocking. I push open the door. Now is the time to face the beast.

This office is... Just.. Wow.

"It's rude to linger in doorways." I hear a deep voice call to me. Should I say something. A big extravagant red velvet chair turns around behind the massive desk. To revel the man I have been fighting against the whole time.

"What would you know about manners Joe." I say stepping into the huge office. Big windows let in huge amounts of light into the place. Everything in here gives off the impression of power.

"According to your friends I don't...But what I do know is that you have some guts coming here. Now I have heard some news about you. The only girl Newsie, so called. They must protect you like gold. So why is their little girl here facing me." He says standing up and walking around the room looking out of the windows.

"That's where you're wrong. They don't protect me. We protect each other. That's Family. Not that you would know anything about family, Joe." I say standing completely still in the spot where I stood.