This Ain't Just Newsies No More ~ Sprace & Javid

28 | Still Seeking | Spot

Moreover, no one who is Racetrack Higgins.

Spot's shoulders sag.

It's hopeless. Completely hopeless.

"Hey Spot," Mush says. Spot turns to look at him. Mush puts a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find 'em. Don't worry. Kid and I are gonna ask around, see if anyone saw 'em. 'Kay?" And with that he disappears into the crowd, Kid Blink never being more than two inches away from him.

That's not a bad idea.

So, Spot looks around, seeing if he recognizes any regulars he normally sees walking into Sheepshead each day, who may have by chance struck a bet with Race at one point--or daily, for all he knows.

He finds a person he knows he's seen before, walks up to him, and starts asking his questions.

---------------

Jack

"How was the mornin' search?" Jack asks Spot at lunch.

"No good," Spot replies glumly. "We'se gonna go to Queens next. How was you?"

"No good."

They both sigh in defeat.

The thing is, the last time Jack went this long without seeing David was...before he met him. Wow. Now that's a thought. Throughout the strike week, he saw him every day. Then, they continued to sell papers daily. Then, two days passed, and another. He misses him. He really does.

Racetrack too. Jack is used to seeing Race often; he does live with him--accompanied by many, many others. True, some times Race would forget to come back for the night, but he's never been away for too long. Not seeing him is...unsettling.

And Jack didn't even get to apologize to Race.

What if I never...

He shakes his head to clear it.

No. Don't think it. They aren't gone forever.

But will they find them though?

Jack sends Boots, Skittery, and Tumbler to Midtown, see if anyone there has seen David and/or Race.

"Come on," he tells Crutchie and Les. "We searched Manhattan best we could. Let's move on to the Bronx."

Everywhere they go, there are Bronx selling papes. It's good to see that they're doing fine after the prices went up and everything.

Except, no one has seen them. The three ask around everywhere. All the newsies know who they're looking for, they just haven't seen them.

"It's okay." Jack tries to act fine, even though disappointment wells up in him every time. "They'se couldn't be far."

"Ya know Racetrack, yeah?" Crutchie asks a young Bronx newsie. "Ya seen him recently? Oh, what about Davey? Ya remember Davey from Irving Hall? Ya seen him, too?" Just like all the other responses, the kid didn't answer with a nod. "Thanks anyway. Well tell us if you see either of them, ya?"

-------------------

"I miss David," Les tells Jack later, after no success, and they're back in Manhattan.

"Yeah." Jack puts his arm around the small boy. "I miss him too."

Les leans against Jack. "Do you think we'll find 'em?"

"Oh, Les." Jack pulls him into an embrace. "Of course we will. We have to." Then, more to himself than anyone else, he repeats, "We have to."

--------------------

Spot

Spot kicks a rock down into an alley, and doesn't even flinch when it hits hard against metal and creates a huge vibrating racket, echoing aimlessly.

Oh well.

People may be concerned hearing that in the early night without any warning, but Spot doesn't care.

This has gone on too long.

"We can't give up," Jack says.

"Wasn't gonna," Spot snaps.

"Wasn't tryin' to be offensive, Spot. I miss 'em is all."

Spot sighs and sits next to Jack. "Yeah, I know. I miss 'em too."

"We'se gotta be missin' somethin'," Jack tells him. "I just don't know what."

"I just want Race back, Jack," Spot fails to keep the emotion out of his voice. "He means a lot to me."

"He means a lot to me, too."

"Can we agree that we'se fully past our fight a few days ago?"

"Hm?"

"I ain't repeatin' myself."

"Yeah, I heard ya. And yeah, I agree." Spot hears Jack spitting into his hand with that, and does the same, finding the hand in the semidarkness. And so it's done. The disagreement that had drove them apart has now been resolved.

"Race..." Jack trails off. "Race and Davey...they don't deserve this."

Spot shakes his head. "No. They truly don't."

And, all grudges aside, all alone with no one else to see, with only the sorrow of the other, they try to do the best to comfort each other, even as they both break down and let flow the emotions that they hide all day; emotions of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness, and despair.

I'm sorry if that was depressing.

I didn't realize how much angst--or at least attempted angst--would be in this.

Trust me, it gets better. I promise.

Sorry if this isn't even either of those and it's just slow. Like said, it's gonna get better real soon.

I really have nothing else to say except this is getting more updates soon.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! :) <3

Please, no homophobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (who is debating about going to an outdoor movie night thingy their school is offering the night of June 5th but doesn't have that much more time to contemplate the concept of to go or not to go)