Author's POV
Jess and Katherine arrive at the office. Katherine sits down at her desk and begins to write her article.
"Write it good." Jess says patting Katherine's shoulder.
"You heard the man, "Write it good." Write it good, or it's back to wheezing your way through the flower show. No pressure. Let's go." Katherine talks to herself. She then types. "Newsies Stop the World." A little hyperbole never hurt anyone. "With all eyes fixed on the trolley strike, there's another battle brewing in the city..."Katherine huffs and rips the paper out of the typewriter. "...and if I could just write about it..." Jess puts a fresh piece of paper in the typewriter.
"Come on, Katherine, the boys are counting on you. Oh, you poor boys...." Jess mumbles the last part. Katherine stares at the paper, making Jess frustrated.
Watch What Happens
Jess Singing:
"WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW"
SO THEY SAY,"
Katherine Singing:
"ALL I KNOW IS I DON'T KNOW
WHAT TO WRITE
OR THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE IT."
Jess Singing:
"THIS IS BIG, LADY, DON'T SCREW IT UP
THIS IS NOT SOME LITTLE VAUDEVILLE I'M REVIEWING."
Katherine Singing:
"POOR LITTLE KIDS VERSUS RICH GREEDY SOUR PUSSES
HA! IT'S A CINCH!
IT COULD PRACTICALLY WRITE ITSELF"
Jess Singing
"AND LET'S PRAY IT DOES, CAUSE AS I MAY HAVE MENTIONED
I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I'M DOING."
Katherine Singing:
"AM I INSANE?
THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR
WELL THAT, PLUS THE SCREAMING OF TEN ANGRY EDITORS
"A GIRL?"
"THAT'S A GIRL! HOW THE HELL?"
"IS THAT EVEN LEGAL?"
"LOOK, JUST GO AND GET HER!"
NOT ONLY THAT, THERE'S A STORY BEHIND THE STORY
THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN,
EXPLOITED, INVISIBLE
SPEAK UP, TAKE A STAND, AND THERE'S SOMEONE TO WRITE ABOUT IT
THAT'S HOW THINGS GET BETTER"
Katherine grabs Jess' shoulders.
Katherine Singing:
"GIVE LIFE'S LITTLE GUYS SOME INK, AND WHEN IT DRIES JUST WATCH WHAT HAPPENS THOSE KIDS WILL LIVE AND BREATHE RIGHT ON THE PAGE
AND ONCE THEY'RE CENTER STAGE, YOU WATCH WHAT HAPPENS
AND WHO'S THERE WITH HER CAMERA AND HER PEN
AS BOYS TURN INTO MEN
THEY'LL STORM THE GATES AND THEN JUST WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY DO!"
Katherine squeals and runs back to her desk. She reads aloud what she's written. "A modern day David is poised to take on the rich and powerful Goliath. With the swagger of one twice his age, armed with nothing more than a few nuggets of truth, Jack Kelly stands ready to face the behemoth Pulitzer." Now that's how you turn a boy into a legend!"
Jess Singing:
"PICTURE A HANDSOME,
HEROICALLY CHARISMATIC
PLAIN SPOKEN, KNOW NOTHING, SKIRT-CHASING, COCKY LITTLE SON OF A-
LIE DOWN WITH DOGS AND YOU WAKE UP WITH A RAISE AND A PROMOTION
SO, HE'S A FLIRT, A COMPLETE EGO MANIAC,"
Katherine Singing:
"THE FACT IS HE'S ALSO
THE FACE OF THE STRIKE."
Jess Singing:
"WHAT A FACE, FACE THE FACTS, THAT'S A FACE THAT COULD SAVE US ALL FROM SINKING IN THE OCEAN"
Katherine Singing:
"LIKE SOMEONE SAID,
"POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT"
AND ABSOLUTE POWER,
WAIT! WAIT, CORRUPTS!?
ABSOLUTELY, THAT IS GENIUS!
BUT GIVE ME SOME TIME, I'LL BE TWICE AS GOOD AS THAT SIX MONTHS FROM."
Jess Singing:
"NEVER..
JUST LOOK AROUND AT THE WORLD WE'RE INHERITING
AND THINK OF THE ONE WE'LL CREATE
THEIR MISTAKE IS THEY GOT OLD, THAT IS NOT A MISTAKE WE'LL BE MAKING
NO SIR, WE'LL STAY YOUNG FOREVER!"
Jess Singing:
"GIVE THOSE KIDS AND ME THE BRAND NEW CENTURY AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS
IT'S DAVID AND GOLIATH, DO OR DIE
THE FIGHT IS ON AND I CAN'T WATCH WHAT HAPPENS."
Katherine Singing:
"BUT ALL I KNOW IS NOTHING HAPPENS IF YOU JUST GIVE IN,"
Jess Singing:
"IT CAN'T BE ANY WORSE THAN HOW IT'S BEEN,"
Jess and Katherine Singing:
"AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT WE JUST MIGHT WIN
SO WHATEVER HAPPENS!
LET'S BEGIN!"
A little while later Jess walks home. She snuck into the bunk house. She crept into her room and got in her bed. She jumps when someone enters her room and flicks the light on.
"Aye, what's the big idea, huh?" She groans. She looks up to see Jack with his arms crossed.
"Where have you been? I was worried sick." Jack says sitting on her bed. Jess sits up.
"Sorry, I was helping Katherine out. She was having some trouble." Jack bites his cheek and nods. "This has been a crazy day." Jess huffs.
"Yeah, I hate to be greedy but I don't like not being able to make money." Jack laughs. Jess does the same.
"Yeah but I mean you do have art school to pay for." Jess says. Jack quirks a brow at her.
"Art school? Are you kiddin' me?"Jess leans over to grab something. She holds up the drawing that Jack did of her.
"But you're an artist. You've got real talent. You should be inside the paper illustrating, not outside hawking it." Jack scoffs and grabs the drawing out of her hands.
"Well...Maybe that ain't what I want." Jack says.
"So tell me what you want." Jess says throwing her arms around.
"Can't you see it in my eyes?" Jack says, flirting. Jess turns away as she blushes.
"Well what about tomorrow? What are you hoping for?" Jess says turning back to him.
"I'd rather tell you what I'm hoping for tonight." Jack says, smirking.
"Mr. Kelly...." Jess says narrowing her eyes at Jack. Jack rolls his eyes.
"Today we stopped our Newsies from carrying out papes, but the wagons still delivered to the rest of the city. Tomorrow, we stop the wagons." Jack says leaning back in Jess' bed. Jess leans back beside him and stares at the sky.
"Are you scared?" Jess says turning to Jack. She turns her head to see him already staring at her.
"Do I look scared?" Jack whispers. Jess can see him staring at her lips. Jack leans up and kisses her forehead. "Ask me again in the morning." Jack giggles. Jess shakes her head.
"Gnight, Kelly." Jess says. Jack stops at her door and turns back to her.
"Goodnight, Jess." Jack smiles at her before walking away.
YOU ARE READING
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 • 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐘
Fanfiction"You snuck up on me, Jack Kelly. I never even saw it coming." Jack Kelly x OC Jess Conlon. Spot Conlon's little sister, who ran away from home when she was fifteen years old. The now seventeen year old is living with the Manhattan Newsies, life is g...
