A Little Bit of Magic

Hello, I just discovered Newsies and I really like it. This will be a Spot/ OC story, but it will take some time to get going. Only the Manhattan newsies and scabs know about Jaimy being a girl. The warden doesn’t know either. On with the show!

“Aye, boys, get up! Everybody‘s sleepin‘! They sleep their life away, these kids! Skittery, Skittery!” A muffled slap echoed through the Lodging house, followed by a muffled “I didn’t do it.”

I sleepily turned over to my side and mumbled. I was about to drift back to the world of sleep-involving dreams of Santa Fe- when a bony finger poked me in the ribs.

“Waassamattawifyousk? Ise goin offtossleeps…” I growled into my pillow. Opening one sleepy eye, I saw Kloppman with a grin on his wrinkled face as he shoved me again.

“Wake up, wake up, you lazy bums! Sell the papes, sell the papes!” With one last smack on the top of my head, he moved to the bunk above me and started smacking my brother. I heard laughter and cries of “Wassamattahwif yousk?” again. Kloppman answered “Nothin’, What’s the mattah with you? You dreamin’?” More laughter.

“All right, all right, wake up! Carry the Banner, sell the papes!” I grumbled and rolled out of bed onto the floor. I hit the old wood and grudgingly woke up. My eyes met the dusty, crowded bunk room of the Newsboy’s Lodging House, like they did every morning. It was home. Home for my brother, home for my friends, and home for any other kid tryin’ to make their way in this big old world.

“Jacky boy, youse gotta get up.” I groaned as I got up and stretched, cracking my back and grabbing my black pants.

“Jaimy kid, put some clothes on before youse do that,” my brother said as I stretched. “I ain’t likin’ the view.”

“Tricks, you can do dat anytime in fronta me,” laughed Mush as he pulled on his pants. I laughed and ran a hand through my long brown hair.

“Mush! Dat’s me sistah youse talkin‘ about! I’ll soak ya if youse even think-”

“Calm down, Jack, Mush is just getting’ Mush-y with me again, ain’t cha? ‘e knows dat I could do much bettah den ‘im if I wanted to!” I laughed. Jack smacked the back of my head and jumped down from his bunk, playfully shoving Mush as he was puttin’ his suspenders on. I threw on my large gray shirt, tucked it into my pants, and pulled my suspenders. They had been shortened again.

“Blink! Kid Blink, I’m gonna saok ya till youse blacker then the papes!” I threatened. It was almost every morning Kid Blink messed with me suspenders. It seemed to give him and Race a huge thrill to see me irritated. Fixing the dirty, black, now-normal suspenders, I pulled the up on my shoulders, threw on my black vest, and grabbed my gray newsies hat.

“That’s my cigar,” said Racetrack to Crumbs.

“You’ll steal anoddah.” he replied.

“He bummahs, we got woik to do.”

“Since when did you become me muddah?” Skittery asked jokingly.

“Ah, stop your bawlin’.” Crutchy shoved his way between the goodhearted fight.

“Who ast chou?” I punched him lightly in the arms as I past the group.

I past my brother who was coming out of the bathroom. “How’d you sleep, Jack?” asked Mush as he saw Jack.

“On me back, Mush.” he answered. I snorted. Mush thought it was hilarious. I ruffled Jacks hair.

“And you ask why Weasel calls you a wise guy?” I mocked him. We laughed.