The Only Girl Newsie

Chapter 6: Prices?

"Madie, get up. We have to sell," Jack says to me, waking me up by shaking my shoulder.

"When don't we?" I ask, looking up at him.

A few boys chuckle, and I get up. Jack makes me re-wrap my hand as a reminder not to do it again, and so I don't hurt it more while we're out on the town.

This is why I don't hurt myself. Jack treats me like a kid when I do. I get ready, and so do the boys. I finish by putting my hat on my head. We run out into the streets, and I stay by Jack like always. As we get closer, I hear a lot of commotion.

"Hey, boys, what's wrong?" I ask, joining the group.

"Pulitzer raised the price," Crutchie says, pointing up to where the daily headline usually is. Instead, today it says: 'New Prices for the Newsboys' with a higher price for less papers.

"Eh, it's probably just a joke, youse know? Just something to get us mad," Jack says, trying to calm everyone down.

The gates open, and we go inside. I see Davey and Les come up to the group, and I avoid Davey as much as I can. Les runs up to me and hugs me, though, ultimately ruining that plan.

Davey follows him and sees my hand wrapped up and my injured face. "What happened to you?" He asks me.

"Nothing that concerns you, youse got it?" I say in a threatening tone, still upset about what he said yesterday.

"I told you, you shouldn't have gone alone," he says under his breath, but I still hear it. I walk away from him and over to Jack before I get mad again.

"Hey, youse okay?" Jack asks me quietly, so the other boys don't hear.

"Yeah, just needed to get away," I say, looking up at him for a second, then back ahead of us as Jack talks to Weasel.

"Nice scare, Weasel. I'll take my usual." He places down a nickel and doesn't get his papes.

"Not enough, your short," Weasel says, sliding the money back toward Jack.

"The prices really changed. Wow, Weasel, you are low," I say as Jack grabs his money back.

"Well, then we'll just take our business elsewhere," Jack says, grabbing my good hand, ready to leave.

"Don't bother. It's changed everywhere. Everyone's prices have gone up," Weasel tells us, a wicked grin on his face.

"Why?" I ask him, not understanding what is happening.

"I don't make up the rules; I just enforce them, Little Girl," he says. I look at him angrily, and Jack pulls me away before I make any more stupid decisions.

Crutchie speaks up as we walk towards him. "Well, what now, Jack? What are wese supposed ta do?"