"What?What's the matter with me?You're just like him,jeez.Wake up!"The brunette peeled her eyes open to see Kloppmen,waking the newsies up.She groaned once more before sitting up.
"Cant a girl get some beauty sleep around ere'?"
At the end of the bunk bed stood Mush,grinning from ear to ear.She looked towards him and chuckled,jumping down to the floor and walking in line with the smiling boy to the sinks.
"What's up Mush,did ya sleep with a hanger in your mouth?"
Mush let out a loud laugh,softly punching Zoey's shoulder,"You hear that guys?Zoey asked if ise slept with a hanger in my mouth!"
Zoey punched him back and grinned while walking towards an empty sink.After rinsing her face and brushing her teeth she grabbed a comb out of Specs hands and winked at him,starting to brush her own hair.He let out a groan from beside her,"I was using that Ace!"
With a shrug of her shoulders she continued brushing her hair.Suddenly she was moved from the mirrors view,by Racetrack who had grabbed her waist and stole her sink.Ace elbowed him and his hands fell off her waist.
"Good morning sunshine!"Race smirked,kissing Zoey's cheek.The boy received an eye roll and lazy grin in return.
"Hey!Don't be kissin' my sister Race!"Jack,Zoey's older brother,called from across the room.Some of the newsies let out some 'ooos' while the two blushed and parted from each other.
"Cmon everyone,time to carry the banner!"Every newsie in the joint ran down the stairs,leaving to go buy there papes.Zoey kissed Kloppmen's cheek as she passed him,hearing kid blink mutter to Mush 'i wish that was me.'
Once every newsie was outside the lodging house they started their walk to the square.Zoey looked to her left to see one of her closest friends,"Hey crutchie,we sellin' together today?"
"Course we are ace!"The sweet boy smiled down at his friend.She smiled back and fell into step with him.Racetrack quickly caught up with the pair,walking on Zoeys right side."Twenty cents says Morris'll ask you out again Ace."Race mused,wrapping an arm around her.The smaller girl let out a vomit sound and looked up to him.
"I am not betting on something that sickening Race."She giggled with the two boys.Race chuckled and squeezed the girl under his arm.
Zoey ended up being lucky she didn't place that bet,as she walked to the window waiting for it to open."Just the person i was hoping to see"
Ugh.Morris Delancey.
"Just the person I was hoping not to see."She replied quickly.
"Your sense of humour never fails to make me laugh,Kelly"He smirked,holding onto the bars of the window,leaning in.
Racetrack watched Zoey lean in towards the boy and frowned slightly.He didn't know then,but race felt jealous that she was teasing Morris and not him."Yeah?"she asked,nearly touching the bars.
"Yeah."He continued smirking,sneaking his hand under the bars.Before Morris could touch her,Zoey slammed her fist on his hand.All the boys roared with laughter as Morris groaned in pain,holding his hand.
Jack placed a hand on Zoey's shoulder with a proud smile,"Come on now Ace,don't be mean."He told his sister,who only shrugged.
Before the newsies could tease his newphews any longer,Mr.Wisel came to the barred window with his book.The man sighed when he saw the Kelly siblings smiling in front of him.
"200 papes,Weasel."Zoey poked his nose.Weasel let out a quiet growl and turned to Morris,"200 papes for the Kelly broad."
As the brunette picked up the papes she smiled,"Great doing business with you Weasel."
"It's Wiesel! Mr.Wiesel to you!"
The man was blatantly ignored,causing him to roll his eyes and shake his head."Hey Mr.Weasel!"Jack mused,standing up straighter to collect his papes.
Zoey sat on the stairs,looking at the picture on the front page.Unfortunately,she couldn't read properly,just a few small words.Race sat on the right of her,Jack on the left,both holding a pape up.She turned to the former boy,who was reading his paper."Anything good,Racie?"
Racetrack shook his head,turning towards her.His eyes widened slightly with how close they were to one another.Zoey chuckled and moved back a small bit.
"Trolley strike,bla bla bla,ah!the races."
"Hm..guess i'll have to think of something tragic to sell today."Zoey stood up,kissing Jack on the cheek before grabbing Crutchie's hand to help him up."See ya guys!"
There was a course of 'goodbye' and 'stay safe' from the rest of the newsies as the close pair left the group,ready to work for the day.
Crutchie yawned as he watched his best friend sell her last pape,tipping her hat to the business man that had bought it.She had always been good at what she done,that's why the boys called her Ace.Girl or not,she was one of the best newsies New York has ever seen.Along with her brother of course.
Crutchie had sold 60 papes in the time Zoey sold 200 and the sun hadn't even set yet."Ya ready to go Crutch?"Zoey asked with a smile.
"I'm ready to go to sleep,Ace"He smiled.Zoey loved all the newsies but Crutchie was definitely one of her favourites.His smile could light up a whole town,plus he was a great selling partner.Any woman with a rich husband will fall at a poor crips feet.
While for Zoey,people that buy her papes are younger men.She didn't particularly care,money was money to her,no matter who owned it.
Although a lot of young men buy her papes,older women also love to gossip about buying a newspaper from a girl who was shouting about dead bodies and nudists in Germany.Of course,she made the last one up,but that's how she makes money.
The two started to walk back to the lodging house when they were stopped by a boy running up to them,halting in front of them.The boy was taller than them both and looked around 18-20 years old.He glanced between both of them,his eyes stopping on Zoey.
"Miss,have you got any papes left?"He asked,holding his hat in his hands.He looked pretty wealthy,and by his manners you could tell he had been educated.
"I just sold me last one,sorry."Zoey spoke as she looked up at the handsome boy.
"Oh...well that's alright.How about a date instead?Then you can tell me what the headline was today."
Zoey and Cutchie looked at each other and attempted to hold back their laughter,the latter failing miserably.
"Sorry,no can do.I gotta to get home."She replied,holding her friends hand in hers.The elder boy eyes their hands.
"Alright then,i'll just come back earlier tomorrow and buy a newspaper."He smiled proudly.
"Sure,see ya tomorrow."Zoey mused,walking past the boy while still holding crutchies hand.
"And the day after and the day after that and the-"He continued.
"We get it! She will be seeing ya!"Crutchie cut across the boy,with a goofy look on his face.The girl beside him only giggled.
Zoey flopped onto Racetracks bed with a sigh,"I'm tired from making all this money Racie."Race smiled at the girl and placed a cigar in his mouth,laying on the bed beside her.
She rested her head on his shoulder and took his cigar,putting it between her lips."Don't I look pretty Race?"she teased.The boy chuckled and snatched the cigar back.He placed his cigar on his locker and wrapped an arm around her shoulder,resting his head on hers.
The two teens had started to drift off to sleep when they heard everyone yelling and running down the stairs for supper.Zoey yawned and sit up,"You coming?"
"Right behind ya,pretty girl.Just gotta go to the bathroom first."
Zoey nodded,a blush covering her cheeks.She quickly turned and left the room,following everyone else downstairs.Race waited til he heard her at the end of the stairs to walk over to the mirrors.
He took off his hat and combed his hair,trying to make it look perfect for her.With a huff,he placed the hat back on his head.'what is this girl doing to me?"
After shamelessly looking at his reflection once more,he ran down the stairs and sat beside his girl on the edge of a bench.She looked at him and smiled.
"Hey,you hungry?"
"Starving."
She handed him his own piece of bread and hers,as she claimed she wasn't hungry.Racetrack tried to give it back but the girl wouldn't let him.
Zoey simply drank water,which she definitely needed.She'd gotten a real bad headache while selling that day and thought maybe she hadn't been drinking enough water.
"Hey Zo,you miss your boyfriend yet?"Crutchie asked,laughing at the other side of the table.
Jack snapped his toward his sister,"Your what?"He asked quickly.Zoey let out a giggle as the boy looked between the best friends.
"Don't worry Crutch,i'll be seeing him very often"She giggled.By now,a few newsies had stopped taking after becoming interested in their conversation.
"Boyfriend?"Kid Blink asked with wide eyes.Racetrack furrowed his eyebrows while waiting for either Crutchie or Zoey to explain.
"Me and Crutchie finished sellin' today and this rich guy came runnin' up to us asking me for a pape.I told him I didn't have any left and he said I can go on a date wit' him to tell him about the headlines."
Most of the the boys rolled their eyes as they heard the boys lame attempt at flirting.
"Yeah,but then you said no and he said he will be in our sellin' spot everyday!"Crutchie exclaimed,laughing.
The rest of the boys laughed along,and even Jack chuckled.
"You two let me know if ya see him around and i'll soak him for talking to me sister."Jack told the pair,a smirk on his lips.
His sister laughed and rolled her eyes,"Sure thing,Jackie boy."
Racetrack slid an arm around her waist and smirked,"Yeah,im with Jack.I don't want no boys talkin' to me girl."He teased.
The newsies could practically see the steam coming out of Jack's ears which made everyone laugh.
Zoey turned a shade of pink and elbowed Race,but he didn't let his hand fall off her.Instead,they sat like this for the rest of supper and he hugged her goodnight.
"Sleep well,Ace"The boy smiled.
Mush and Jack pretend to hug and kiss,"Sleep well Beautiful!"Jack teased,kissing Mush on the cheek.
Mush let out a high pitched giggle and covered his mouth,"Jack stop! Someone might see us!"
The whole room was filled with laughter,even Race and Ace couldn't keep their laughs in.
After a few minutes of joking,the room became silent,the only sound being the snores coming from the boys.Zoey fell asleep with a small smile on her face.
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