*Disclaimer Thingy* All of the newsies aside from Bit belong to whoever
Disney has decided owns them. Little Bit/Emily and Mama are mine. ALL
OTHERS ARE PROPERTY OF DISNEY.
Author's note: This is my first stab at a fanfic, so I want to get better.
Be merciless in your reviews if you want; it'll help me.
In With the New
CHAPTER 1:
I was on my way home from the church when it happened. These two boys saw me, in my pretty
Easter sundress. It was my holiday best, but they thought more of it. Figured I had more
money than I was worth. My mother had given me a penny for a paper and a little more for
some bread and milk from the store; she went home and I went through a darkened ally. The
ally was in a less populated part of Manhattan, and the store was just on the other side.
I never saw them coming. They told me to give them my money, the voices so familiar, but I
couldn't. It was for our food. The food had to last a week. We couldn't afford-
It was so quick. They lunged at me from behind, knife in hand. I tried to fight them off.
It was hard, but I managed to get away with just a slash across my arm.
*~~*
I walked into the factory Monday, knowing it was my last day. My bandaged right arm, hanging
from a sling, was shaking from fear as I walked into the overseer's office. It was over. I
was no use to them with only one upper limb. The man said once it was healed, perhaps there
would be a job left, but there were no promises.
I went home with my head hung as limp as my arm. I was ashamed. What was I going to tell my
mother? I was all she had. Father died a month before I was born from a fever. My mother
worked as an attendant to a beautiful performer named Medda Larkson. I stopped by Medda's
on my way home to see my mother and tell her the bad news we both dreaded.
"Well Emily, I suppose there's nothing we can do but wait. We'll have to be careful about
spending, but we can manage." My mother was always optimistic.
"No mama. I know what I have to do. It won't be that bad. I promise." I was going to sell
papes. I'd seen Jack do it plenty of times. I'd spent many of my Sundays off helping him-when
I wasn't being attacked.
Jack Kelly was one of my best friends. I met him one day when he came in to see Medda. We
were about the same age. We had nothing in common, and we always bickered, but we had fun
nonetheless.
"Honey, you know it'll be tough. Jack may help you, but the others, they might not be so
friendly."
"Mama, we're like family. All of us. No worries, okay?" My mother made that face that said
"you're gonna get hurt, but go ahead," and I just smiled and walked out into the streets of
Manhattan.
*~~*
I saw Racetrack walking towards me and I tried to stride in the other direction. I didn't
want him to know my new working arrangements (or at least my plans) until I had Jack to back
me up.
"Bit! Hey, Bitty, wait up!" He hollered calling me by the nickname Jack had given me. I was
Little Bit. Being a girl, all the newsies thought I was there little sister (except the
younger boys, of course), so Jack started calling me Little Bit, and then Bit for short.
"Oh, hey Race. Didn't see ya there."
"Didn't see me theah? What awe you blind? I was runnin' aftah ya. What happened to ya awm?"
"Oh, I was-these guys, they...um..."
"Does it hoit?"
"No. It's fine now."
"Who did this to ya? Was it dem Delanceys?"
"I didn't see."
"Oh. So why ain't you at woik?"
"Are you blind?"
"Oh. Right. What awe you gonna do now?"
"I don't know. Have you seen Jack?"
"He's ovah by Central Pawk."
"Thanks Race." I said, and I made my way to the greens.
*~~*
"Hey cowboy." I said to a tall young man with brown hair, about ear length.
"Bit, hey! What happen' ta you? Who done this to ya? Huh?" He asked, getting all protective.
"I don't know really. I didn't see them that well. But I'm okay now so don't worry about it.
Look, I need some help."
"Help. Like what kinda help?"
"Like help me get started sellin' papes."
"What? Awe you outta you'we mind? You'ra goil. You know dat, right?"
"Listen, it's the only thing I can do to keep money coming into my house. I have to. I'm
doing it no matter what, but I'd sure like it if you helped me." I smiled at him, and he
was mine.
"Awrigh', but it's gonna be hawd. The guys ain't gonna like it."
"Well, that's too bad."
"Hey sweet face." I heard a slimey voice say from behind me. That voice. I froze.
"Oscah, get outta heah." Jack said.
"Oh, or what? Come on. What are you gonna do?" The voice scoffed. Jack made a fist
and BAM. Oscar Delancey fell forward, and I saw him. The same figure in the ally, but I kept
my mouth shut. Jack had enough hatred for the Delancey Brothers. "Just who do you think you
are!?" Oscar yelled.
"I'm a cowboy, and you're a pansy! Now get out of heah!"
*~~*
It was about ten o'clock when we got to the Lodging House.
"Hey Mistah Kloppman." Jack said. Mr. Kloppman was the old man that ran the bording
house. He was kind and always watched out for the boys. He was like the grandfather they
always wanted.
"Hey Jack. What's this? A girl? No girls Jack."
"Oh, this ain't a goil. It's jest Bit. Anyway, she's leavin' in a couple a minutes.
We jest gotta tawk to the boys."
"Alright, but I'm counting the seconds."
"You do dat." And we walked upstairs.
"Hey boys, get decent!" I yelled at the door as Jack walked in. I stood outside
waiting for the all clear. I could hear the sounds of voices, most agitated at the thought
of a "goil" in their room.
"Jack, you brought a goil?" "Jack, we ain't ready fah no goils in heah." "Cowboy,
how could ya?"
"It's not a girl. It's just me." I yelled from the other side.
"It's jest Bit, you guys. C'mon."
"Awrigh' cowboy, but jest dis once." I heard Race say. I walked in to see many
faces of multiple ages stare back at me.
"Uh...hey?" I say, wavering.
"Awrigh', let's get down to business heah. You all see Bit's awm. She ain't woikin'
at the factry no mowah, so she's gonna stawt sellin' papes wit us. Anyone gotta problem wit dat?"
Jack was basically the leader, so most of the time the boys followed him, but I could see there
would be more to it this time.
"Awe, c'mon Jack." I heard Snipeshooter say. "Dat ain't fayah." Blink yelled. "Boy
I saw dis comin'." Said Race.
"Look, look," Jack was trying to calm everybody down. "Little Bit heah is ouwa friend,
right?" A lot of yes'. "An' we don' want her stawvin' on da street right?" A lot of no's.
"Okay, look. It's only gonna be temporary, so why not let her give it a try till her awm gets
bettah?" There was silence.
"Look, it'll only be a little while, I promise, but there's nothing else I can do."
I pleaded.
"Look, I say, if Jack says it's good, it's prolly good right? So let's let her, and
shut up about it befoah the two-a-dem soak us." Race was always a good friend, I thought to
myself, and the next day I started my newsie era.
Disney has decided owns them. Little Bit/Emily and Mama are mine. ALL
OTHERS ARE PROPERTY OF DISNEY.
Author's note: This is my first stab at a fanfic, so I want to get better.
Be merciless in your reviews if you want; it'll help me.
In With the New
CHAPTER 1:
I was on my way home from the church when it happened. These two boys saw me, in my pretty
Easter sundress. It was my holiday best, but they thought more of it. Figured I had more
money than I was worth. My mother had given me a penny for a paper and a little more for
some bread and milk from the store; she went home and I went through a darkened ally. The
ally was in a less populated part of Manhattan, and the store was just on the other side.
I never saw them coming. They told me to give them my money, the voices so familiar, but I
couldn't. It was for our food. The food had to last a week. We couldn't afford-
It was so quick. They lunged at me from behind, knife in hand. I tried to fight them off.
It was hard, but I managed to get away with just a slash across my arm.
*~~*
I walked into the factory Monday, knowing it was my last day. My bandaged right arm, hanging
from a sling, was shaking from fear as I walked into the overseer's office. It was over. I
was no use to them with only one upper limb. The man said once it was healed, perhaps there
would be a job left, but there were no promises.
I went home with my head hung as limp as my arm. I was ashamed. What was I going to tell my
mother? I was all she had. Father died a month before I was born from a fever. My mother
worked as an attendant to a beautiful performer named Medda Larkson. I stopped by Medda's
on my way home to see my mother and tell her the bad news we both dreaded.
"Well Emily, I suppose there's nothing we can do but wait. We'll have to be careful about
spending, but we can manage." My mother was always optimistic.
"No mama. I know what I have to do. It won't be that bad. I promise." I was going to sell
papes. I'd seen Jack do it plenty of times. I'd spent many of my Sundays off helping him-when
I wasn't being attacked.
Jack Kelly was one of my best friends. I met him one day when he came in to see Medda. We
were about the same age. We had nothing in common, and we always bickered, but we had fun
nonetheless.
"Honey, you know it'll be tough. Jack may help you, but the others, they might not be so
friendly."
"Mama, we're like family. All of us. No worries, okay?" My mother made that face that said
"you're gonna get hurt, but go ahead," and I just smiled and walked out into the streets of
Manhattan.
*~~*
I saw Racetrack walking towards me and I tried to stride in the other direction. I didn't
want him to know my new working arrangements (or at least my plans) until I had Jack to back
me up.
"Bit! Hey, Bitty, wait up!" He hollered calling me by the nickname Jack had given me. I was
Little Bit. Being a girl, all the newsies thought I was there little sister (except the
younger boys, of course), so Jack started calling me Little Bit, and then Bit for short.
"Oh, hey Race. Didn't see ya there."
"Didn't see me theah? What awe you blind? I was runnin' aftah ya. What happened to ya awm?"
"Oh, I was-these guys, they...um..."
"Does it hoit?"
"No. It's fine now."
"Who did this to ya? Was it dem Delanceys?"
"I didn't see."
"Oh. So why ain't you at woik?"
"Are you blind?"
"Oh. Right. What awe you gonna do now?"
"I don't know. Have you seen Jack?"
"He's ovah by Central Pawk."
"Thanks Race." I said, and I made my way to the greens.
*~~*
"Hey cowboy." I said to a tall young man with brown hair, about ear length.
"Bit, hey! What happen' ta you? Who done this to ya? Huh?" He asked, getting all protective.
"I don't know really. I didn't see them that well. But I'm okay now so don't worry about it.
Look, I need some help."
"Help. Like what kinda help?"
"Like help me get started sellin' papes."
"What? Awe you outta you'we mind? You'ra goil. You know dat, right?"
"Listen, it's the only thing I can do to keep money coming into my house. I have to. I'm
doing it no matter what, but I'd sure like it if you helped me." I smiled at him, and he
was mine.
"Awrigh', but it's gonna be hawd. The guys ain't gonna like it."
"Well, that's too bad."
"Hey sweet face." I heard a slimey voice say from behind me. That voice. I froze.
"Oscah, get outta heah." Jack said.
"Oh, or what? Come on. What are you gonna do?" The voice scoffed. Jack made a fist
and BAM. Oscar Delancey fell forward, and I saw him. The same figure in the ally, but I kept
my mouth shut. Jack had enough hatred for the Delancey Brothers. "Just who do you think you
are!?" Oscar yelled.
"I'm a cowboy, and you're a pansy! Now get out of heah!"
*~~*
It was about ten o'clock when we got to the Lodging House.
"Hey Mistah Kloppman." Jack said. Mr. Kloppman was the old man that ran the bording
house. He was kind and always watched out for the boys. He was like the grandfather they
always wanted.
"Hey Jack. What's this? A girl? No girls Jack."
"Oh, this ain't a goil. It's jest Bit. Anyway, she's leavin' in a couple a minutes.
We jest gotta tawk to the boys."
"Alright, but I'm counting the seconds."
"You do dat." And we walked upstairs.
"Hey boys, get decent!" I yelled at the door as Jack walked in. I stood outside
waiting for the all clear. I could hear the sounds of voices, most agitated at the thought
of a "goil" in their room.
"Jack, you brought a goil?" "Jack, we ain't ready fah no goils in heah." "Cowboy,
how could ya?"
"It's not a girl. It's just me." I yelled from the other side.
"It's jest Bit, you guys. C'mon."
"Awrigh' cowboy, but jest dis once." I heard Race say. I walked in to see many
faces of multiple ages stare back at me.
"Uh...hey?" I say, wavering.
"Awrigh', let's get down to business heah. You all see Bit's awm. She ain't woikin'
at the factry no mowah, so she's gonna stawt sellin' papes wit us. Anyone gotta problem wit dat?"
Jack was basically the leader, so most of the time the boys followed him, but I could see there
would be more to it this time.
"Awe, c'mon Jack." I heard Snipeshooter say. "Dat ain't fayah." Blink yelled. "Boy
I saw dis comin'." Said Race.
"Look, look," Jack was trying to calm everybody down. "Little Bit heah is ouwa friend,
right?" A lot of yes'. "An' we don' want her stawvin' on da street right?" A lot of no's.
"Okay, look. It's only gonna be temporary, so why not let her give it a try till her awm gets
bettah?" There was silence.
"Look, it'll only be a little while, I promise, but there's nothing else I can do."
I pleaded.
"Look, I say, if Jack says it's good, it's prolly good right? So let's let her, and
shut up about it befoah the two-a-dem soak us." Race was always a good friend, I thought to
myself, and the next day I started my newsie era.