Saved by Crutchie

\/\/\/\/\/5\/\/\/\/\/

You woke up early this morning and walked around the logging house hoping mg someone else was awake. You it to one room and it was empty. Knowing Jack wasn't inside the building, you made your way out the window and up the escape to Jack's "penthouse."
"Figured you'd be up here." You say as you stand up on the escape, seeing Jack drawing on a parchment in his lap.
"You actually listened to my stories at the refuge?"
"Of course I did. But I also wanted to talk to you." You say moving closer, catching a glimpse of his drawing. "She's pretty. Is that the girl you met last night?"
"You heard me?" Jack says, rolling up the drawing and placing it in the container.
"Yea. Light sleeper. Curse and blessing from being in the refuge." You laugh trying to hide your nervousness
"So you also heard my thing about Crutchie?"
"Yea. I sat up right after you left." You sigh. "I wanna tell him Jack but I can't. I can't bring myself to tell him."
"Y/n I get it. It can be scary." Jack says. "You never planned on someone like him."
"I didn't and now that he's here. Jack I wanna tell him. Trust me. But I can't."
"You can't what?"
"Jesus Crutchie. Are you trying to bust your other leg?" Jack says coming over and pulling the boy up.
"No." Crutchie says sitting on the edge. "Me and the boys is heading down to newsie square."
"We'll meet you down there okay Crutch."
"Alright. See you later."
"You coming Jack?" You say moving towards the ladder.
"Yea. I'll be there in a minute."
"Alright. Be safe Jack."
"You too."
You climb down and make your way to the street. As you were walking you heard someone calling your name. "Hey y/n!"
You turn around to see Davey running towards you.
"Hey Davey."
"Hey uhm you wanna hang out after work today?"
"I don't know Dave..."
"Look it could mean nothing. I just want to get to know. I... I don't have a lot of friends."
"Sure Davey. Say 5 o'clock at Medda's theater?"
"Yea. Yea that works. Uhm we should probably run before we're late."
"Yea let's go." You and Davey run to the gate. His little brother already outside.
"Hey y/n."
"Hey Les."
"What's going on?" y/n says seeing a few boys pacing. Others on the verge of a panic attack.
"They just put up the headline and... It isn't good." Les says, walking in.
You walk in and freeze when you see the headline.

New Newsie price $.60 per hundred

"Oh God!"
"Hey what's y'alls standing around for?" Jack says walking into the yard.
"Get a load of this."
"Relax it's gotta be some kind of joke." but it wasn't. Pulitzer raised the price. And he wasn't going to lower it. So what do you do when someone changes the price without consulting you? You strike.