His Thing

Chapter 18

Davey walked into the theater, a determined look on his face. Jack hadn't spoken to him all day, leaving him and everyone confused.

They always said 'Hello' to each other, especially in the morning. However, Jack left without waking him up, and much less a note. He woke up at Irving Hall and ended up walking to school with the other newsies. That's when he heard the news from his sister.

And he was going to talk about it with his boyfriend.

Walking past everyone, he opened the door to Jack's bedroom and slammed it closed. "Why did you beat up Oscar Delancey?"

Jack continued throwing clothes into his bag, walking past his boyfriend to grab different items. "What did he do?"

Another silence took over the room, leaving Davey with more questions than answers. "What happened?"

Jack sighed, shaking his head as he zipped the suitcase. "You wouldn't get it."

"Well, you're not exactly giving me much to go on." Jack zoomed past him, grabbing another pair of shoes. Davey watched him, fear settling in his chest. "What...what are you doing?"

"You should go, David", Jack sighs, stuffing the shoes into another bag. "This don't concern you."

"Like hell", Davey says defiantly, crossing his arms. Jack sighed again.

"I don't want to do this right now."

"Where are you going?"

"Listen, it's not your fault-"

"Where?"

"I just gotta get away for a while and-"

"Where?"

"I don't want to do this-"

"Where the hell are you going?!"

"I don't want to do this right now, okay?!" Jack panted heavily, staring the love of his life in the eyes, noting the fear in his eyes. He didn't want to see the heartbreak in his eyes, the utter betrayal, when he said, "We're done."

Somehow, he could still hear Davey's broken heart despite not looking at him, and that seemed to be worse. "W-what?"

Jack swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Davey watched him walk away, suitcase and backpack in hand, leaving him frozen.

——————

Davey stormed down the stairs, his tears streaming down his face as he ran past everyone. Race stood up.

"Davey?" He jumped when the older boy slammed the door behind him, just a few minutes after Jack left. "Che diavolo? What's wrong with him?"

The boys muttered, trying to come up with their own answers. "You think somethin' happened?"

"Probablemente fue personal, I don't know", Ike shrugged, playing cards with his brother. "You think we should leave it alone?"

Race shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "You think they fought? I mean, Jack just left, too."

"And he was carryin' some bags", Blink added, standing in the corner, whittling a piece of wood. "Was he goin' somewhere?"

"He would tell me if he was leavin' somewhere", Race shakes his head, silently denying the idea. "At least would've left a note, or somethin'."

"Unless he didn't wanna be found", JoJo added quietly, placing a card down from Mike's stack. "It makes sense."

"He didn't even tell us he was leaving", Mike added, looking up at Race. "Think about it."

"What are you tryin' to say, he's runnin' away?"

The room went quiet, everyone staring at Race as the waited for him to catch up. "Uh uh, no way."

"We's just sayin', Race", Romeo crossed his arms, sighing. "It makes sense-"

"But it ain't happen", Race interrupted, shocked at what was coming out of his friends mouths. "Get it out of your heads."

The boys grumbled, going back to what they were doing. Race scoffed at them, shaking his head in disappointment. The very idea was ridiculous. Jack wouldn't run away, especially not after all the pressure they have coming into them. He's not the type.

Right?

——————

Jack didn't want to do that to his friends anymore.

Without him, they could still move on with their lives, maybe even get their friends back. The only difference would be that Jack wouldn't be there to ruin it for them.

Romeo and Specs could continue playing backseat bingo in Romeo's car.

Katherine and Sarah would move on and forget he ever existed like they always wanted.

And Davey—

Jack stopped walking at the thought of his former boyfriend, clenching his suitcase tighter as he dragged it behind him down the street, ignoring the questioning looks. He shook his head and continued walking, walking into his third favorite place to be.

"Kelly, I've already told you", Mr. Jacobi sighed, shaking his head. "You can't-"

He stopped upon seeing Jack's face, his bloodshot eyes and runny nose, the evidence of tears on his cheeks. Mr. Jacobi placed his notepad down, fear filling his chest upon the sight of seeing the younger boy cry. "What-"

"Could I stay here?" Jack sniffled wiping his nose and keeping his head down. "Just until I get on my feet and find enough for- never mind. Just...I'll work!"

Mr. Jacobi sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was glad he usually closed around this time for he knew Jack wouldn't really appreciate a bunch of strangers seeing him cry.

"Set up in the back."

Jack sniffled and ran to the back, finding a door. He ran in, hoping Mr. Jacobi didn't feel a necessity to talk about this.

——————

Davey sat in the park, his eyes down cast just as much as they were dry, absolutely no tears left in his eyes. He sat unmoving, numbness throughout his body.

Jack just broke up with him. He just broke it off, took back everything he'd ever said to him, every loving look, every "I love you." Yet, he never provided an explanation to why.

Did Davey do something wrong?

Did he hurt him?

Was he not enough?

Davey wanted to cry at the thought, at the very thought. He sighed, looking at the sky.

"Davey?" He furrowed his brows at the sound of Miss Medda's voice, it causing him to look down and face her. "What are you doin' out here? I thought you were with Jack."

Davey stared at her, the lump in his throat growing bigger. He didn't think he had the heart to cry anymore. He sobbed once before Medda sat next to him on the bench, pulling him into a hug. Davey sobbed into her shirt, hoping she didn't mind.

"What's wrong, kid?" Medda rubbed his back comfortingly, saddened to hear the boy crying. She hadn't known Davey for long, but she knew him long enough to know he wasn't the overly emotional type. More so than Jack, but he didn't have Romeo beat.

"Jack-" Medda's brows furrowed at the mention of the boy who was like a son to her, hoping he wasn't in serious danger. "He-"

"What happened, honey?" She wiped the tears from under Davey's clear blue eyes, hoping he would calm down. "Is he in trouble?"

"He- he ran away", Davey sobbed, speaking as clearing as he could through his tears. He leaned back into Medda's shirt, his tears flowing into the cotton of her shirt.

Medda held him close, rubbing his back comfortingly. She felt for him, she knew what heartbreak was like, and how much it hurts and comes with no explanation. It comes fast, it comes quick, and it doesn't go away for a long time.

She was ready to tear Jack Kelly a new one.

As soon as she finds him.