Soak 'em (Newsies X Reader) | #WATTYS2019

What Of It?

The boys had agreed that jack should be the one to take our demands to Pulitzer. We all waited for him to exit the building. Behind me David was talking to some older man. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously and walked over.

"Davey, who's this?" I asked him. He looked at me, seeming surprised I was even talking to him. "A reporter, asking about the strike."

Behind us, jack gets thrown out of the building with les. Our heads snap in that direction.
"So's your old lady! You tell pulitzer he needs an appointment with me!"
"Yeah!" Les charges at the door, banging his small fist on it. We run up to jack, asking him what happened. He says nothing of the meeting and tells me and David to meet him at Tibby's restaurant the usual hang out spot for the newsies of manhattan.

•••

Jack and Les are sitting next to each other in the booth, leaving David and I on the opposite side together, and this reporter, Denton, pulls up a chair to talk to us about what happened.
"Are we really that important of a story?" I asked, placing my hands on the table. "We could really get in the papes?"

"Yes, I do think so, but it's up to you guys to make it important enough to get on the front page."
"Wow." David marveled. "Front page!"

Denton smiled at our excitement. "Any objections?"

"Just get our names right," I spoke out. "Kelly, Jack Kelly and Slick Kelly." Denton nodded with a smile. He got up from the chair and began to walk out.
"Oh hey Denton?" Jack called after him.
"No pictures,"

Denton simply nodded before walking out of the Tibby's front door.

•••

We started our journey to Brooklyn. Everything that race told me about if I ever went to Brooklyn went through my head.
Wear your hat.
Spit shake.
Call myself Slick.
I repeated these things to myself in my head. I wasn't worried though, I look remarkably different with my hair tucked under my hat that it being down. I was going to pretend I had no idea where we were going. I couldn't let jack know that I know he way to Brooklyn, so I walked behind him with David.
"Eva been to Brooklyn, Davey?" I asked him. He shook his head.

This kid wasn't very talkative was he. I thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to get this kid to talk. "Ya like bein' a newsie?" Then, he asked me a question that caught me completely off guard. "Why do you pretend to be a boy?"

I raised my eyebrows in shock at the boys' bluntness. I clear my throat before continuing. "Well, i's don't wanna be separated from jack. And the second higher authority knows I'm a girl I'll go do somethin' orphaned girls do."
He nodded. "Plus," I continue. "People don't take me seriously if I's a girl." I shrugged. He nodded, signaling he was listening.

Soon we came upon the Brooklyn Bridge. I smiled at it in Awe, excited to finally be able to explore inside of Brooklyn. I ran for the bridge and took a few steps onto it only to be caught by the collar of my shirt by Jack. I yelp in surprise and look back at him, my eyes glared, but his eyes were the same expression as mine. "Yous stayin' behind me at all times." He instructs.

"Jack, I can take care of me-self." I protest, walking ahead of him. He grabs my shoulder and turns me to face him. "Y/n I'm serious." I gave him a look of determination.
"So am I."

As much as I wanted to not listen to Jack, I had no idea where I was going. So I walked beside him. We approach a dock that is full of half naked boys jumping off the docks. One of them pulls themselves out of the water and steps in our path. "Goin' somewhere, Kelly?" Jack steps past the boy, dragging me along with him. He leans over to my ear and whispers; "You best hold ya tongue 'round here." I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Well if it ain't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick."
Without even thinking, I responded; "You got a candlestick somewhere?"
My eyes looked up to meet the cold blue ones of none other than Spot Conlon. I had already gotten up close and personal with him before, but the nerves were starting to get to me.

"I see yous moved up in the world Spot, got a river view and everythin'," Jack spoke out to the boy. Spot jumped down, he was shorter than I remember but still taller than me. He had his cane attached to a loop in his belt, and a slingshot in another belt loop.
Jack and Spot both spit in their hands and shook them. "Who's these kids?" he asked, referring to David and me. I spit in my own hand and held it out. "Names Slick," I replied, slightly deepening my voice. I could not let my cover get blown, not right now. Spot eyed me suspiciously before spitting in his hand and shaking mine. A small wave of relief flooded over me. Jack introduced Spot to David.

Spot leans against the crate stack that seemed to be "His throne". "So Jacky-boy, I been hearin' things from little birds. Harlem, Queens, all ova. They been chirpin' in my ear, sayin' Jacky-boy's Newsies is playing like theys goin' on strike."

Jack started to talk but I cut him off. "We ain't playin' Spot. We are."
Spot walks up to me and gets inches from my face. I keep a steady glare into his blue eyes. "Whats this Jack, some kind of walkin' mouth?" Jack stepped between us and pushed me behind him. A smirk spread on Spots lips as if he was thinking something. Jack pointed over to David. "That boy there is the brains behind the mouth, and if yous got half 'a one you'll listen."

Spot had a smug look on his face as he sat down on a crate. He looked David in the face and waited for him to start talking.
"Well, we started the strike, but we can't do it alone. So, we're talking to newsies all around the city." David explained.
"Yeah, so they told me. But what'd they tell you?" Spot responded. Someone needed to bring this boy off of his high horse. I rolled my eyes at is arrogance. Jack must've seen it because he elbowed me in the ribs pretty hard. I bit my tongue to keep from spitting words at Jack.
"They're waiting to see what Spot Conlon is doing, you're the key. That Spot Conlon is the most respected and famous newsie in all of New York, and probably everywhere else. And if Spot Conlon joins the strike, then they join and we'll be unstoppable. So you gotta join, I mean... well, you gotta!"

I roll my eyes once again, nice going David, fuel his ego and swell his head even more.
"What's in the back of ya head that's so interestin' boy?" I realized that Spot was talking to me. I start to speak but Jacks hand covers my mouth. "You'll have to 'scues this boy, he don't know how to hold his tongue." Jack snarled at me. I elbowed him in the gut and brushed off my hands. Spot looked at me long and hard. His gaze made me restless and fidgety, but I kept eye contact. I was starting to think that he was figuring out who I was, that I was that girl from the dock. Finally, after a long moment of silecne, his rustic voice spoke. "You eva been ta Brooklyn?" I shook my head no. "What do you think of it?" He asked. Impulsively, I answered without thinking. "What of it?"

There it was. That smirk again. He cracked it, and I fell right into his trap. I mentally slap myself for making that mistake. I'm in deep shit.

"How do I know yous not gonna run when the first goon comes at ya with a club? How do I know You gots what it takes?" Spot asked jack.
"'Cause I'm tellin' ya Spot." Spot shook his head softly. "That ain't good enough Jacky-boy, yous gotta show me."

Jack got angry at that, I could tell. He didn't let it show of course. He just simply walked away. I turned to follow them but I was stopped. Someone grabbed my arm. I turn to glare into Spots eyes. "Meet me at that dock again, tonight. Right after the sun sets." I said nothing. All I did was yank my arm away and return to walk with my brother, who throws a protective arm around me and pulls my head closer to him. "What'd he say to ya?" he demands.

"Just to watch my tongue in Brooklyn, or it'll get me in trouble."