Newsies' Little Sister

Chapter 26 - Strike! (Part 6)

A/N Me, writing instead of doing the essays I should be doing? More likely than you think! Also, I'm gonna be skipping over some stuff to keep the story going, and to keep the chapters 'short'. Also, life has been kicking my ass pretty hard so...F yknow

TW: A bit of swearing, Ooc characters...I'm sorry

Ginger's POV

When I woke up that morning, everything was normal. And like normal, I was awake at least half an hour before everyone else.

I stayed like that for a while. Just lying there, listening to everyone's breathing. Drinking in the peaceful atmosphere in the dorm. 

I could hear the morning birds singing their little hearts out at the sight of the sun. Robins and wrens and finches and thrushes all serenading the city.

Then, just like every other morning, everyone started waking up and the dorm got noisier and noisier.

The boys started shouting to each other across the room and I sat up and started to get dressed.

15 minutes later, most of us were in the square, waiting for the headline to be put up. The others had gone to other papes to check out their headlines, Elmer included.

"Ughh, those fire sirens kept me awake all night." Race groaned, fiddling with his cigar.

"Sirens is like lullabies to me." Nick replied from where he sat on top of a box next to the wagon I was sat on the end of. "The louder they wail, the better the headline. The better the headline, the better I eat! And the better I eat--"

"The further away from you I sleep." A couple of us chuckled and Nick rolled his eyes.

We all had a kinda bad feeling about today, but none of us knew why...Then Davey and Les ran into the square, out of breath.

"Mornin' everybody. Sorry we're late. We had to help our mum with something." Davey explained.

"Oh, they've got a motha?" Race scoffed. "I was gonna get me one." 

"Whatcha do with the one ya had?" Romeo asked.

"He traded her for a box of cigars." Buttons said, folding his arms.

"Ey! They was coronas!" Race retorted indignantly, coking his head to one side and jabbing his finger into Buttons' chest.

"How's it going?" Les asked. He was bright-eyed and had no idea about what our lives were like. I mean it wasn't all bad...just we never know how a day's gonna turn out until we know what we've got to work with or lie about...

"Ask us after they put up the headline." I said.

Just as I spoke, the bell rang and Les pointed up to the board. "Here it comes now!"

"New newsies price: 60 cents per hundred?!" Albert read out loud.

"What?!" I stood up and - along with the others - went and stood next to Al, all staring at the headline in shock.

"Is that news?" Davey asked. Of course...he's not used to this kinda stuff...

"It is to me!" Nick exclaimed.

"They jacked up the price of papes! Ten cents more a' hundred!"

"I could eat two days on a dime!" Finch shouted, pointing his slingshot up at the board in anger.

"I'll be sleeping on the street..." Crutchie said.

"You already sleep on the street." Jojo replied.