girls like me

Act 1

All the newsies ran out, shouting the headlines and beginning to sell their papes in their selling spot. I stuck by Jack, Davey, and Les to train them on how to quickly sell the headline without being awkward. I took Les to a group of older women how seemed they had money and presented him as my sick little brother.

"Excuse me, miss," Les fakes a cough, "Buy a pape for a poor orphan boy?"

"He's my little brother, and we're homeless. We're saving up to go see a doctor," I plead as I place my hands on the back of Les shoulders.

"Oh, poor little children. Ladies, buy a pape from these fine newsies."

The ladies scavaged for dimes or quarters and swam us by taking a few papes from us. We thanked them for their kindness, and with that, Les and I sold about more than half of our papes. After our duo, we reported to Jack, and the four of us separated into working alone. I gave my farewells to the boys and wished them good luck as I made my way to the edge of lower manhattan crossing over to Brooklyn. Technically, I'm still in Manhattan, one foot onto Brooklyn, and ill be swarmed by Spot's army. If they could catch me.

As I was selling my last couple of papes, from afar, I could see Davey trying to convince a couple to buy from him. He was handsome, but I mean, all the newsies were handsome. Yet, Davey was a little different from the other boys. Maybe because he looked clean and had more to lose, then we did.

He smiled at his success and caught me in his sight that he waved over to me. I woke up from cloud 9 and ran over to him.

"Well, look at you! You're officially becoming a newsie!" I lay my hands on my hips.

"Yeah! I think I'm getting the hang of it?" He shoves the coin in his pocket. I take a glance at his rag bag and see there about more than half still left unsold.

"Alright new kid, get back to work. Those papes don't sell themselves!" I start to go off, but he stopped me.

"Hey! Wait! Let's make a deal?" I turn slowly, rubbing my tongue through my teeth to console myself.

"You mean besides the deal you've made with Jack?" I laugh as he shook his head.

"You're a girl."

"Yes, you've mentioned that. Go on?"

"You have this...energy...and I-"

"I'm sorry, are we not gonna cut chase to the deal?"

"I want to ask you questions-"

"Why?" I cut him off, crossing my arms.

"You intrigue me."

He caught me off guard to the point I was speechless and didn't have a comeback. He said it so confidently that right after he said that, it felt like he risked his last breath to me. I swear I caught myself not trying to smile, but I shook my head.

"It's because I'm a girl, I know."

"Well, no...-"

"Oh, so I'm a boy now?"

"Would you just..." his words trailed off as he stared at me. I shrugged for him to continue, but he caught himself, taking a handful of papes into his hand.

"If I three papes within an hour, I'm asking-"

"Hmm, how about you sell all of them by sundown. Then we can talk." I smirk as I start walking away, "Oh, and I suggest ya start right away. Suns setting in about...a couple of hours? I think ya have enough time." I spit into my hand, waiting for him to shake on it.

"Deal...Eliza," He spits into his own hand, finally embracing the grossness.

I skipped back to my post and turned around that he had watched me, but not in a creepy way. It was the same look Jack would do every time I would go back to the dressing room after singing with Medda. It was protectiveness that no harm would get to me until I had reached my destination. It's not I wanted to be watched over, but at least I'm cared for.