The Queen of New York

Chapter 14: The King/Queen of New York

Katherine and I walk into Jacobi's with huge smiles on our faces, "Good morning, gentlemen." Katherine beams.

"Ey! Would ya get a loud of these glum mugs? Why, can these really be the same boys who made the front page of the New York Sun?" I ask my boys, tossing a paper at Davey.

"What! Front page!" Davey exclaims, looking at the paper and I smile at him.

"Lemme see!," Race raises his voice, snatching the paper away from Davey, "Well, would ya look at that! That's me!"

"And ya ain't even dead." Mush slaps Race's shoulder in a friendly way.

"Where's me name? Huh, where's me name?" Blink asks, looking over Race's shoulder to see the paper.

"Just wait till me old man gets a load of this. I won't be last in line for the tub tonight!" Romeo laughs, messing with his hair.

"I can't believe you got us in the papes!" David beams at Katherine.

"It wasn't just me, Dixie helped me. But you got yourselves in the papes. We just wrote about it." Katherine blushes slightly and I bump her shoulder with mine.

"'Newsies stop The World'. Now that's a headline even Elmer could sell." Snipeshooter cackles and we all start laughing.

"What else ya got?" Boots asks Katherine.

"Well....mines the only story that ran. Pulitzer declared a blackout on strike news, so even I'm shut down now," Katherine sighs, "Hey, I heard they arrested Crutchie....did they get Jack too?"

I start fiddling with my hands and Race puts his arm around my shoulder, "The Delancey's are spreadin' the story that he took it on the land at the first sight of the cops." Romeo replies.

"Jack don't run from no fight!" Les exclaims, standing on his chair and I laugh sarcastically.

Romeo pulls Les down from the chair, "Hey! Get down, short stuff. I'm just reporting the news." 

"For jumpin' Jacks sake, can you stow his curiosity for long enough to drink in the moment. I'm famous!" Race hugs the paper.

"Yeah, what of it?" Skittery complains.

"Aww, stop it. You've been glum all day." Mush groans at Skittery's attitude.

"Hey! Glum and dumb," Race shoves Skittery, "When ya famous, the world's yer erster!"

"Ya what?" I ask him.

"Ya erster," He repeats, as if I'm the one that's dumb, "Ya fancy clam with the pearl inside."

"Oyster?" I correct him.

"That's what I said!" Race groans and I laugh at him.

"Well, what's bein' famous pay?" Skittery asks.

Race: Ya don't need money when ya famous. They give ya whateva ya want! Gratis!

Skittery: Such as?

Mush: A pair of new shoes with matching laces!

Race: A permanent box at the Sheepshead races!

Romeo: Pastrami on rye with a sour pickle!

Finch: My personal puss on a wooden nickel!

Race: Look at me! I'm the king of New York! Suddenly, I'm respectable, starin' right at ya. Lousy with sta'cha.

I snatch the paper from Race and I lie down on the table,

Dixie: Nothin' with all this muckity-mucks. I'm blowing my dough and goin' deluxe.

Race laughs and I hold out my arms, he takes my hands and lifts me up so that we're standing next to each other,

Race: And there I be!

Dixie: Ain't I pretty?!

Race/Dixie: I'm the king/queen of New York!

Boots: A solid gold watch with a chain ta twirl it.

Les: My very own bed and an indoor terlet.

Davey: A barber shop haircut that costs a quarter.

Dixie: A regular desk for this star reporter!

I grab Katherine's hand and pull her up on the table with us.

Dixie: Amscray punk! She's the king of New York!

Katherine: Whod'a thunk? I'm the king of New York!

Newsies: We was sunk! Pale and pitiful!

Katherine: Bunch a wet noodles!

Newsies: Pulitzers poodles!

Les: Almost about to drown in the drink,

Dixie: When she fished us out,

Davey: And drowned us in ink!

Katherine: So let's get drunk!

Newsies: Yeah!

Katherine: Not with liquor! Fame works quicker, when you're king of New York!

Newsies: I gotta be either dead or dreamin', cause look at that pape with my face beamin'. Tomorrow they may wrap fishes in it, but I was a star for one whole minute!

We all stand on top of tables and start dancing like we don't have any cares at all. Davey and I smile at each other and I laugh along with my friends as we all jump down from the tables.

Newsies: Look at me, I'm the king of New York! Wait an' see, this is gonna make both the Delancey's pee in their pantsies. Flash spots are shootin' bright as the sun! I'm one highfalutin son of a gun! I guarantee though I crapped out, I ain't tapped out. I'm the king of New--Friends may flee, let 'em ditch ya, snap one pitcha, you're the king of--History! Front page story, guts and glory, I'm the king....of New York!

I put one arm around Davey and Les jumps onto my shoulders, I see Katherine smile at me and despite what's happened, I'm happy.