𝚂𝙴𝙸𝚉𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚈 - 𝙽𝚎𝚠𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚜

𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 (𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚃𝚠𝚘)

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It had been three months since Sadie's first encounter with the newsie, and she'd been talking to him every day since, paying way too much for newspapers and giving him her daily allowance of snacks from the bakery. She decided Crutchie was the most adorable human on the planet. His brown eyes appeared dark and light at the same time, sparkling with joy while reflecting something deeper. The sandy-golden tuffets of hair that always stuck up from underneath his cap shone in the sun and his smile looked like he was laughing at you and with you at the same time.

In other words, Sadie thought he was adorable, cute, handsome, whatever you want to call it.

Because Sadie didn't have much to do around the house (her school had closed due to lack of funding) she helped Crutchie sell his papers. He'd buy 150 newspapers (much to all the other newsie's surprise) and split them with Sadie. They'd sit side by side and sell their papers, making it a competition on who could sell more quickly.

All the profit went to Crutchie, of course, Sadie didn't need any of it. That was how Crutchie made 75 cents every day, almost three times the normal pay for a newsie.

Now, jealousy is common among the newsies, so obviously most of them had a lot of problems with Sadie helping Crutchie out. They'd shun the both of them, never helping Crutchie out with stairs or ladders or opening the door for Sadie when she came to visit the lodging house.

This didn't bother either of them that much, because they enjoyed each other's company.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Sadie had been forced to leave her best friend's side for the day; her parents were going to an opera with a family friend, and she had to be dragged along.

"Just put on the dress, Sadie." Her mother sighed, holding up a long dark green dress with puffed sleeves and lace trim down the front.

"No. I will not come into contact with that abomination." Sadie refused, turning away from her mother and crossing her arms.

"If you don't I'll donate all the 'newsie clothes' you wear when you go see your friend." Her mother threatened.

"Okay, I'll put on the lump of fabric," Sadie yelped. "You don't have to threaten the only comfortable clothes I own! And I'm bringing a bag of my comfy clothes to change into right after the opera because a friend of my friend sells nearby. I want to say hi and I'll make a fool of myself if I wear that." she eyes the green silk with a disdainful expression.

"Oh, alright." Her mother said, sighing and setting the dress down on Sadie's bed.

"Be dressed in ten minutes, we're leaving."

Sadie reluctantly unbuttoned the dress and stepped into it, pulling the silky fabric over her head. As she soon realized, only the outside was silky, and the inside seemed to be made of sandpaper.

She walked out of her room, struggling to button the last button and tie the sash behind her. She stepped outside and into the carriage of her parents' friends. "Hey, mom," Sadie whispered to her mom, "Can I sit up in front with the driver? It's stuffy in here and I won't be able to understand your grown-up talk."

"I don't know, maybe-"

"Oh, Bev, it's fine. Let the little one sit up in front, our driver won't mind." The old lady going to the opera with them said with a sweet smile only elderly women seem to be able to accomplish.

"Alright, Sadie dear." Her mother gave a shooing motion and Sadie quickly opened the door and slipped out. She climbed up next to the driver who shrugged and said. "Just be careful, the roads aren't always smooth."