The Boy Who Loved Cigars

7

"Is anyone else coming?" I asked my brother nervously. He just shrugged, scanning the crowd of newsies.

"Well, youse seen Spot Conlon, right?" Race asked impatiently. Davey shrugged.

"Yeah we seen him. Him and about twenty of his gang." He told us, looking at me anxiously.

"And them Brooklyn boys is big!" Les exclaimed, and I laughed a little, ruffling his hair under his hat.

"Somethin' in the water, Les."

"Well, I gotta say, Spot was very impressed, wasn't he?" Jack asked Davey, who nodded eagerly. I looked at Race with hope and excitement in my eyes, which he returned.

"So they's with us?" He asked in excitement, and I grabbed his arm happily.

" They wanted proof we're not gonna fold at the first sign of trouble." Jack told us sullenly.

"And we ain't!" I yelled to everyone, making sure they knew this was serious. "Besides, we don't need Brooklyn! We got us, Harlem-"

"Not so fast, boss." Finch stopped me, approaching the front of the crowd. "Harlem wants to know what Brooklyn's gonna do."

"So does Queens..." Specs sighed, and I looked out at the crowd.

"And we got the same fish-eye from midtown." Race groaned. That's when the Delanceys approached.

"Say, Oscar, looks like we got bum information about a strike happenin' here today. Not that I'm complainin'. My skull bustin' arm could use a day of rest." Morris smirked, and my whole body tensed up. They finally moved on, and Race whispered to me, Jack, and Davey.

"Maybe we should just... put this off a couple days?"

"We can't back down now. No matter who does or doesn't show. Like it or not, now is when we take a stand." Jack told everyone. "C'mon, Davey. Tell 'em."

Everyone stared at Davey, who was unsure of what to do, until... "Now is the time to sieze the day. Stare down the odds and seize the day. Minute by minute, that's how you win it. We will find a way... but let us seize the day."

Crutchie raced in, a rag painted with the word STRIKE  hanging from his crutch. "Hey guys, look at this! Pretty great, huh?"

"That's great!" Race exclaimed, slapping Crutchie on the back. He turned back to me and whispered in my ear. "That's pitiful."

"Courage cannot erase our fear. Courage is when we face our fear! Tell those with power, safe in their tower, we will not obey..." He put one arm around me, and the other over Jack's shoulder, and we joined him.

"Behold the brave battalion, that stands side by side! Too few in number, and too proud to hide, and say to the others, who did not follow through..... you're still our brothers, and we will fight for you..." The circulation bell rang loudly. We looked at all the boys, silently pleading them to stay, when Crutchie hobbled over, joining us next to Jack, and Race came beside me, hugging me into his side.

"Now is the time to seize the day, stare down the odds and seize the day. Once we've begun, if we stand as one, some day becomes somehow."

"And a prayer become a vow," The other newsies chorused with us. Jack looked at me, stepping forward in the line with a grin.

"And the strike starts right damn... now!"

We all whooped and hollered, when Weisel pushed the window open. "The sun is up and the birds is singin'. A beautiful day to crack some heads, ain't it? Step right up and get your papes."

Morris Delancey stepped out, rolling up his sleeves. He walked right up to me, but I didn't budge. I had been nose to nose with a Delancey before, and he wasn't gonna scare me now. "Workin' or tresspassin', what's ya pleasure?" His hot breath wafted into my face, and I tried not to show it as my entire body tensed up. I spit in his face, then ducked as he came at me swingin'. The other newsies cheered and clapped as I toyed with him, snappin' his suspenders from behind, tossin' his hat in the mud.

"Morris!" Weisel yelled, gesturing for him to go back.

"Daddy's callin'!" Race sneered, before he ran and wrapped me in a hug. "Youse really somethin', y'know that Quick?" And the boys all gathered excitedly, when we spotted three scabbers buyin' our papes.

"Who are they?" Davey asked me, and I scowled at the boys.

"Scabs. Whaddaya think?" And the boys started to get riled up.

"We can take 'em!" Crutchie exclaimed, and Romeo slapped his back.

"Yeah! Let's soak 'em!" He yelled. Davey threw his arms out and raced to the front of the group.

"No! We all stand together or we don't have a chance! Jack! Y-Quick!" He called me and Jack to help him, and Jack stepped up.

"All right. I know. I hear ya." He looked at the crowd, then turned to the scabs. "Listen, fellas... I know somebody put youse up to this. Probably paid ya some extra money too. Yeah? Well, it ain't right. Pulitzer thinks we're gutter rats with no respect for nothin', includin' each other. Is that who we are? Well, we stab each other in the back and, yeah, that's who we are. But if we stand together, we change the whole game." He reasoned, and I joined his side.

"And it ain't just about us. All across this city there are boys and girls who ought to be out playin' or going to school. Instead they're slavin' to support themselves and their folks. Ain't no crime to bein' poor, and not a one of us complains if the work we do is hard. All we ask is a square deal. Fellas... for the sake of all the kids in every sweatshop, factory and slaughterhouse in this town, I beg you... throw down your papers and join the strike." I tried the more emotional plea, when Les hugged my waist, looking at the scabbers.

"Please?" He begged.

"Aw, what the hell! I'm with ya!" Cried one, throwing down his papes. He joined us as we surrounded the other two scabs.

"Now is the time to seize the day!" Davey cried, and everyone echoed him. "Answer the call and don't delay! Wrongs will be righted, if we're united, let us seize the day!" The second scab threw down his papes and joined us.

"You're kidding, right?" Asked the third, and the second scab just shrugged.

"Who are you gonna trust? Them..." gesturing to the Delanceys, "or them?"

"Now let 'em hear it loud and clear!" I yelled, my calls being echoed again by the boys. "Like it or not, we're drawin' near! Proud and defiant, we'll slay the giant, judgement day is here!"

"Oh... why not? My father's gonna kill me anyway!" The third scab exclaimed, stomping on his papes. We all jumped around, cheering and screaming.

"Houston to Harlem.... look what's begun! One for all and all for one! Strike!" We chanted, "Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Oh.... Strike!" Jack broke away from the group as the Delanceys approached us again, raring to go.

Oscar grabbed Les and as I ran to help him, Morris grabbed me. He tried dragging me off, but Race and Specs helped free me as Jack and Davey got Les back from Oscar. We sure showed them, because the Delanceys ran off from the fight pretty quick.

"Now is the time to seize the day! They're gonna see there's hell to pay! Nothing can break us, no one can make us quit before we're done! One for all and all for- one for all and all for- one for all and all..... for one!"