Chapter: Eight

Merea' and Mush walked up to the counter together. They both felt a little awkward. One arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist. With her on his left side it compensated for the limp some. It was hot and sticky, the sun beating down on them relentlessly, and it was early still. They were up at the counter and waited in line for Jack Race and a few of the others to get there papers first. Merea' looked behind the counter and saw Oscar

"Sos I heard of Morris leavin', why don't you follow Oscar?" Jack said antagonizing him. Oscar went up to the bars and grabbed them as he snarled.

"Hey! Ok Cowboy, you've got your papes now move along now." Weisel demanded. As he gave Mush his usual stack he noticed Merea' himself.

"Uh, you look different. What's your name kid?"

Mush noticed Oscar staring at Merea' and nudged her to say something.

"Oh, I'se go by....Songbiod." She stuttered out after forgetting her name for a moment.

"How many?"

"Fifdy." She answered ready to get out of there. She could feel Oscar's eyes peering into her, as if he could see right through her. She took her papers, and with Mush walked off the plank. They met up with Kid Blink, and headed to there usual selling spot, the harbor.

"Ok now dere are some things you'se gotta learn bout sellin' papes...." Blink and Mush both gave her Jacks speech that every new newsy will hear eventually. She watched the sell for a while then when she thought she had the hang of it, she sold right along with them. But her approach was to go up and personally ask them instead of hawking it out. She never seemed to be loud enough. Her way though was successful enough, she sold as many as them. The people seemed to take to her more easily than the aggressiveness of the guys. She was pleasant and sweet to them all. About noon when they all sold enough to eat off of, they headed to Tibby's.

"Merea' and Mush sat in a booth together, with Kid Blink on the opposite of them. They all got there food as Jack came in with David and Les. Jack and David sat next to Blink, while Les sat with Boots and Mud at a table. Race who had been there before turned around in the booth behind them to face them.

"Sos how yer fiost day?" Jack asked as he yelled his order to the cook.

"Ok I guess, sold almost all my papers. She smiled as she took a long satisfying drink from her glass, trying to quench the thirst. She even started fanning herself with one of her papers. Jack smiled at the amateur. Then he remembered something.

"You'se guys bedda be on the look out for Oscar. I ran into him taday an he was askin' lots of questions 'bout you'se. He seemed awful antsy." As Jack was finishing someone walked in causing everyone to say hey.

"Hey Denton." Race said as the tall reported from the New York Sun went to the counter. Bryan Denton is his name. He is who covered the boys in the Newsboys Union strike against Hearst and Pulitzer the year before, in 1899. He gave them much need support and paid there bills when they would all eat. All the Newsies are still grateful to him.

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