A Newsies Story 4: Oliver

" Oh alright ..." Nickel let Emmy go and put back his hands in his pockets. " It’s good to hear ya laugh ... now Cmon, we have some papes to sell..." Nickel started to walk. Secretly thinking { She didn’t ask any questions about what I was speakin’ with me brother ... maybe she’s startin’ to trust me ... }

"I'm just curious. Can I know what you and your brother were talking about? I promise it's just curiosity not because I got trust issues. "

" I was thinkin’ ‘bout the same thing’... did ya read my mind? Ya witch !" He snickered and said, " Welp ... I kinda...

got into a fight with his friend one week ... ago. For money of course, not for fun. There was so much money on this fight I couldn’t ... just stay there and say no ... Twas for my reputation as well, Ya know? And I wanted to huh... apologize... yeah ... nothin’ very interestin’..."

"Oh..... Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the party and the show yesterday."

He mumbled in a dreamy tone, " ... I don’t know what I did this ... I’m a jerk and an asshole but I’ve never been violent ... it’s probably because I wanted to keep that superior look for me baby brother and me "friends" and for money ... but Eddie aka Shoeshine aka me baby brother already hates me so that won’t change anythin’..." He got lost in his reflection. He eventually answered Emmy’s affirmation, leaving this intense thinking, " Yeah I actually did … I never got the chance to see or participate in one of those …Thank ya.... "

"Stop bringing yourself down. I can hear you mumbling. "

" Sorry heh... I got a little’ lost there heh ... "

"Dont tell me sorry. You didn't do anything to me."

He started to walk up to the paper manufacture with Emmy. "Alright, alright … I wanted to ask ....why are ya named Emmy anyway? It’s not very common here … Ya don’t want a nickname? "

"Well, I don't get a nickname. You can give me one if you'd like. "

" Ehhhhh... nothin’ comes up in my mind right now...Even if Spoon would be my first choice ... but it has to define somethin’ of your personality hehhh.... " He took the time to reflect. " We use these nicknames because, in the Newsies, ya don’t want people to know yar real name ... it’s like a common secret ... or a shame ... or somethin’ to joke about... heh lemme think ..."

Emmy nods. She smiles a bit.

He smirked. " I will tell ya me brother’s secret ... his name is Eddie, Eddie Walter haha ... if ya want to annoy him ya know how ..." He chuckled. " I guess the inspiration will come eventually ... we’ll have to be patient. "

Emmy smiles a bit. "Alright then. You're nicknamed is Nickel. What's your real name?"

He rose his pale eyebrows and his smile grew wider. " We’re really at this point in our relationship? Woah ... twas really fast, don’t ask this to a random newsie, he will get surely mad. Should I tell ya? Or make ya suffer from the suspense .... heh "

"Oh come on. You know my name, shouldn't I be allowed to know yours?"

" You're right ... and we’re good friends after all ... ah You're the first person I put so much trust in .... alright alright I’m Oliver, Oliver Charles … McGee the brother of Eddie Walter McGee ... satisfied? “

"I just wanted your first name, but alright. " Emmy smirks.

" Pfffffttt... ya should have told me ... now ya know all me darkest secret ... “ He giggled.

"Yup. Oliver, hm? That name suits you. "

" Ya think so? Pffft ... Nickel’s ten times better. Oliver sounds like the name of a toddler ... " They were almost there, just a few streets away from the manufacture.

Emmy smiles. "Not to me. "

They finally arrived at the paper building and got in line. " Pffft... but it’s our little’ secret alright? "

"Whatever you say. "

He showed off his money again by putting it all on the surface in front of the "clerk ". He smirked and asked, " Good mornin’ monsieur... may I have huh... 50 papes ? " The man nodded and gave him the price for all of these newspapers. Nickel frowned. "Huh... I’ve asked the same amount of papes yesterday and the price wasn’t that high, monsieur... "

Emmy looked at the man. "What happened to the price?"

The man kept that provocative look and said in his deep voice, " It’s the boss ... the competition is rough, he had to raise the prices ... "

"Raise prices? At this point he just wants our money, " Emmy responded.

The man shrugged. " I’m not Mr.Pulitzer. You can say whatever you want little lady ... " Nickel looked angry yet furious. He couldn’t accept people to steal his money, his own babies. He didn’t say anything yet, boiling inside.

"It's not right to raise the prices on people who need money, " Emmy replied.