I Never Planned on You // Davey Jacobs

Eight

After agreeing with the plan, David and Jack climb up to where the headline board it. I watch as Jack argues with the guy up, it looked like a heated discussion. David pulls Jack back when he draws his arm back to strike the guy. David tries to argue more peaceful but the guy won't back down. Jack, pushing the guy onto his seat, steals his chalk and writes "STRIKE" across the board. Everyone jumps and cheers see the word.

"The things we do today will be tomorrow's news fellas." Crutchie grins up at the board. Not one ounce of worry crosses his face. His faith in Jack and the rest of us makes me believe we can do this.

"They sure will Crutch." I wink at him, watching Jack and David climb down to join us.

I feel someone tugging on my head. Frowning until I realize it was Les. I lean down, smiling at him, so I could hear him over the boys. "What is it Les?"

"What we gonna do now?"

"Let's as your brudda. This is da first strike I've been apart of." Giving him a wink and he giggles in return. Straighten up, I scan through the crowd searching for David. Smiling as I spot him pushing his way through the crowd. Les jumps up and down, waving, to get his brother's attention. Yet, he's too short to do anything. "Come here" I lift him up and prop him on my side. His wild wave catches his brother's attention but his elbow catches the side of my face. "Ow!"

Laughing the pain off, Les plants a quick kiss on my cheek before I set him down. "Sowry!"

My laughter trails off when David approaches us. "What do we do now?" I ask. Slightly ashamed that I don't know the answer.

"I guess now we go tell Pulitzer."

"Oh this is gonna be fun." I mumble to myself as Jack ushers us out of the building and leads us to The World building.

"Alright boys! This is it!" Jack grabs David and Les preparing to head in. "Books, yous comin with us?"

Scoffing, "Nah, I'll leave this one to you three. I don't wanna be tha one to tell Pulitzer that we're strikin." I shoo the boys away. I can already tell that this isn't going to go well and I'm not going to be the one caught up in it. The boys gather, looping their arms around each other, before heading inside the big doors. The doors let out a big thud closing, the sound echoes in my ear.

And so we wait. And wait. And wait. The long wait is making me antsy. Most of the boys have sat down against the building to wait it out but I'm tired of sitting. I start to pace around to give my feet something to do. What's taking so long? Has something gone wrong? I knew I should've gone with them. At least then I would know what's going on.

"Books, wouldja sit down? All ya walkin 'round is makin me nervous!" Albert calls out to me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I stop in front of the door, crossing me arms, staring at the words "The World" printed over the doors. "Well what's talkin them so long?" I got my answer. Shouts from inside begin to grow louder and I back away from the door as it flies open. Three bodies- Jack, David, and Les- are thrown out of the building.

"AND stay out!" A bull bellowed out. Les hops up, unbothered, and starts advancing at the bull

"You can tell Pulitzer that if you don't end this strike, he's gonna be beggin for an appointment to see me! You got THAT!" The door slammed in his face and Les turns on his heel, "He got it!" he ends the sentence with a decisive nod.

Grabbing Jack's arm, I help him up off the ground. "I knew I shoulda come with ya."

Jack brushes the dirt off his vest. "Yea, that coulda gone better."

"Ya talk to Pulitzer?"

"Nah, they wouldn't let us get near him." David adds.

"Bet they would've if a pretty goil had asked." I joke.