𝚁𝚄𝙽𝙰𝚆𝙰𝚈 ° racetrack higgins

Once and For All

While the others went to Pulitzer's, I ran as quick as I could to the lodging house. I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I rushed up the stair and into the loft. "Get you lazy bones! We got work to do!" I yelled as loud as I could.

All the boys started to slowly wake up, groaning in tiredness. Murmurs of confusion echoed throughout the room.

"What the hell is going on, Pockets?" Mush asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

I smirked at him. "We're going to end this. Once and for all."

•~•

Myself and a group of newsboys, from all of the burrows, were gathered around the small window's leading into Pulitzer's basement. When we got here, Jack was waiting and he, Race, Davey, and a few other people went down into the basement to start the press.

"You doin ok, Pockets?" Spot asked from his place crouched down beside me.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "As I'll ever be."

Before he could reply, the window opened and I was met with the face of a smiling Racetrack Higgins. I gave him a smile in return as he walked away before climbing into the window.

"Let's go boys!" Someone shouted. "Come on!"

"Here they come!" The boy shouted to the people of the ground floor.

"Come on boys, bring em in." Another said.

"Let's go boys." Another said.

Race turned to face us, patting our backs as we jumped through the window. "Come on, boys. Let's go."

"This is the story we needed to write as we kept out of sight, but no more." All the newsies, including myself, started singing. Quite aggressively might I add. "In a few hours, by dawns early light, we'll be ready to fight us a war. This time we're in it to stay. Talk about seizing the day."

All eyes turned to Jack as he started climbing the stairs onto the metal platform. "Write it in ink or in blood; it's the same either way. They're gonna damn well pay!"

"See old man Pulitzer snug in his bed. He don't care if we're dead or alive. Three satin pillows are under his head, while wes beggin for bread to survive. Joe, you can stop counting sheep; we're gonna sing ya to sleep. You've got your thugs with their sticks and their slugs, YEAH, but we got a promise to keep."

"Once and for all, if they don't mine their manners, we'll BLEED EM!" I sang loudly.

"Bleed em!" Everyone echoed.

"Once and for all, we won't carry no banners that don't spell FREEDOM!" Race sang, everyone joining him when he said freedom.

"Finally we's raising the stakes. This time whatever it takes. This time the union awakes, once and for all!"

The first paper came off the press and Sarah rushed over, snatching it immediately. She smiled as she read the article written in black and white. "In the words of union leaders Jack and Tatum Kelly, 'We will work with you, we will work for you, but we will be paid and treated as valuable members of your organization.' Riveting stuff, huh?"

Jack nodded. "Hey, you better get going. Nothing more to really be done here."

The Jacobs girl nodded and patted Jack's chest lightly. "Keep your fingers crossed."

She turned to leave but Jack put his hand over hers, causing her to turn and look. "For us too." He said softly.

Sarah smiled and held up her crossed fingers before climbing the stairs and leaving the basement.

Looking across the room, I locked eyes with Race. I gave him a slight smirk and he returned the gesture with a quickly wink.

The newsies formed a newspaper assembly line; Mush tossed it up to Elmer, who tossed it to Ike, who tossed it to me, who tossed it to Albert, who handed it to the newsies waiting outside the windows. A similar system was set on the other side of the basement, but with Spot, Race, Specs, Mike, and Boots.

"This is for kids shining shoes on the street with no shoes on their feet everyday." We sang as we worked. "This is for kids sweatin' blood in the shops while the bosses and cops look away. I'm seein kids standing tall, glarin and rarin a brawl. Armies of guys who are sick of the lies getting ready to rise to the call! Once and for all, there'll be blood on the wall if they doubt us. They think they're running this town, but this town will shut down without us."

"Ten thousand kids in the square!" One group sang.

"Ten thousand kids in the square!" Another group echoed.

"Ten thousand fists in the air." The newsies three their fists up.

"Ten thousand fists!"

"Joe, you is gonna play fair!" We all sang together again. "Once and for all!"

"Once and for all (once and for all)."

"Once and for all (once and for all)."

"Once and for all (once and for all)."

We all slammed our hands down on the railing. "There's change coming, once and for all! You're getting too old; too weak to keep holding on! A new world is comin for you! And, Joe, we is too. Till once and for all you're gone!"

"Come on boys." Race said, starting to lead the boys up the stairs after all the stacks were out the windows.

"Once and for all." I sang, looking over at my brother.

"Once and for all." Jack sang back.

"Once and for all." The newsies echoed.

"Once and for all!" We all sang together.

With that, we all climbed back out the windows, rushing off into the streets of New York, paper stacks under our arms and hope stabbing us in the heart like a knife.

Word Count: 966