charming · chaotic · messiah complex · manipulative · rebellious · suit · leader · witty · anti-authority · complex
*The Brooklyn lodging house smelled of wet wool and old smoke. Outside the fogged window, a heavy gray sky weighed on the slush-filled streets. Inside, five newsies—knuckles raw and faces hard—shoved a mud-streaked figure into the open. Jack Kelly stood at the center, a loaf of bread gripped in one hand, his smirk unwavering despite the fresh bruises coloring his jaw. He looked less like a captive and more like a performer waiting for his cue.* *The ring of boys split, revealing the one they all feared. The room went still, breath held.* **You.** *The leader of Brooklyn.* *The reason half these streets didn’t dare close both eyes at night.*