Cogliere L'attimo: Seize The Day (Newsies One-Shot)

Walls

Crutchie's POV

Man, I just stared.

It was like I had four walls around me.

I couldn't hear nothing.

Couldn't see nothing.

Nothing but that headline.

Man, it was just me and that headline.

"Well, well. The limp's gone mute, too, huh?" Race's voice rang in my ear.

I ignored him. It didn't work none, though. My four walls were broken down. I would've seen them fall if my eyes weren't still glued to that board.

A little boy ran around and tried to push his way past my good leg. Jack said I was sure to break that one, too, someday, but I doubted it. Anyway, this boy. He started yelling. Les, I think his name was. Davy's kid brother. He had a voice that could be heard from Newsie Square to New Mexico. I mean, in the middle of all these yells and hollers, I could still hear him over everyone else.

"I can't see it!" He screamed. "What's all the talk? What does it say? What does it say?!" Davy walked over and grabbed his hand.
"C'mon, Les, don't play dumb."
"I'm not! I just can't see it!"

"They've raised the pape prices, squirt." Specs told him.

"But it's already fifty cents for the papes we're paying for!"

"Why don't you go ask Pulitzer why he raised it up, eh?" Someone called from across the square.

Jack clapped a hand on my shoulder. Hard.

"'Ey, Crutchie. Don't tell me you're blind. Can't ya see the headline?" He asked, slight anger not being erased from his voice. I just nodded.

"I can't believe it!"

That's what people were saying all around me. I could believe it. I knew this was coming some time soon enough. How could they not?

I mean, Les and Davy I get, with Les being so young and both of them so new. But everyone else had surely learned the game, Pulitzer's game, by now.

In a way, I felt bad for 'em. They had a whole family to feed, I just had me. But they'd make it. They had the spirit; they were fitting in ok.

"This... This isn't right!" Davy stuttered.

"Yeahs!" erupted from the crowd outside the gate. I hobbled over to Jack.

"You're right, okay? You're all right. But what the hell are we supposed to do about it?" I asked, standing in the center of the commotion. I gotta admit, it felt good to cause a silence in the midst of all this.

"Well, we oughta prove ta Pulitzer that we're not takin' this." Race said, pulling his cigar out of his mouth and walking up next to me.

"Yeah, alright, how's that wise guy?" Romeo shot back.

"A strike." Jack muttered, only so I could hear. I figured he'd have a say. An idea. "Hey, everyone, listen up!" He stood on top a crate. "I... I've got an idea."

"Well, what is it?!"

"A strike." Silence. He repeated himself.

"I said, the Newies of New York are strikin'! We're not working! Not like this! How can we? It's unjust. It's crazy. C'mon, who's in?" He held out an arm. I put a shaky hand on his.

"I am."

Then Race. Then Elmer. Then Specs. Then Romeo. It was a chain reaction, until every single hand was touching in the middle of Newsie Square.