Newsies everlasting

Chapter 12

"How did Crutchie take the news?" She asked, hoping to see if her suspicions were right.

"Quite weirdly, apparently. Jack said he was happy at first, but then started getting a bit angry when Jack mentioned growing up or something. Not like him at all" Katherine shrugged, before a waiter came over to take their orders.

"Hmm, strange" Winnie mumbled, grateful for the distraction of the waiter.

"So, anyway, I just wanted to ask you," Katherine began as the waiter left, "I understand if you say no, as we've only became friends recently, but it feels like we've known each other for years. Sooo, if you wanted to that is, could you be there when the baby is born - I know Jack will probably have like 20 newsies stood outside, and I don't think I'll be able to cope at all without another girl to keep them at bay. Please?"

"Absolutely, I would be honoured! The only problem is I would probably be back in Treegap. However, after coming here, I've realised that I don't really need my mother anymore, and, well, I'm thinking of moving here permanently, not just over summer. I belong more in new York. Am I crazy?"

"That's a great idea!" Katherine exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're staying! Oh, and one more question, will you be my bridesmaid? Obviously we have to get married before the baby, due to this stupid society we live in."

"Again, I would be honoured!" Winnie exclaimed, finally feeling like she had a real friend, other than the Tucks, of course.

"Thankyou! Oh, Winnie, I'm so excited! We can go dress shopping together, baby clothes shopping together! Oh, could you help me plan the wedding? The fun bits of course, like the flowers and cake and stuff - if Jack had his way we'd get married in the lodging house and I'd have a bouquet of newspaper cuttings" she sighed, rolling her eyes as the pair of them began laughing again.

***
Hours had past, and Jesse was limited to simply pacing around the room, swallowed by his thoughts.
"I'll be back in a minute, I'm just gonna get my costume for the next act" he heard Medda call, as well as her footsteps coming dangerously close to the door. Jesse, panicked, had no idea what to do, and, as the door began to creak open, had no other choice but to scramble under the bed. From his hiding place, his could see Medda waltz into the room, before rifling through her vast collection of garments. In the end, she must have found what she was looking for, and was about to leave when she did a quick observation of the room.
"Oh, Winnie child," she laughed "ya gotta learn to make ya bed in the morning" she sighed before casually going over to make the bed, Jesse laying beneath it praying that he wouldn't get caught.

Medda pulled over all the bedsheets, neatening them up for Winnie's return, and made her way over to the door. Just as it was about to close, Jesse cringed as he heard something fall to the floor, easily giving him away- his crutch. He had forgotten to hide it with him. Medda heard it to, and scanned the room before quickly finding the crutch lying across the floor. However, instead of being annoyed, she just laughed.

"Hmm, I'm pretty damn sure Winnie's legs work perfectly fine, so who's could this be?" She asked the room, and Jesse, though he knew his cover was blown, felt to embarrassed to reveal himself.

"Crutchie, honey, am I gonna have to find ya myself? Cos I have time. Okay, ready or not, here I come!"

Jesse still didn't want to roll out from under the bed, but he soon had no choice after Medda had checked every other hiding place, and he could see her feet at the end of the bed.

"Kid, I know ya under there. Just show ya self already."

Reluctantly, Jesse pulled himself out from under the bed, face red with embarrassment as Medda stood over him, eyebrows raised, holding his crutch. She offered it to him and helped him stand up, chuckling to herself.

"Charles Morris! What the hell are ya doing in here?" She laughed, sitting down on the bed.

"It's not what it looks like" he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Ain't it now?"

"No really, I was.... getting some spare clothes, I knew ya had some from when I busted my leg up". Was that convincing enough?

"Okay, why didn't ya knock then?" Medda asked, enjoying this too much.

"I thought ya were rehearsing, didn't want to disturb ya" Jesse knew she could see right through him.

"Then why are ya hiding under the bed, if ya were just getting clothes?" Jesse had no response. Medda just laughed again.

"Oh, child, don't think I don't know you and Winnie are pretty 'close'. I understand" she smiled.

"No, really, we didn't do anything like that though!" He rushed, determined to dissolve Medda's obvious conclusion.

"Okay, sure" she smiled, eyebrows raised, "well, ya free to hide out here if ya want to, I can imagine ya hiding from the fellas."
With that, she made her way to the door, grinning.

"Oh, and Crutchie, treat her good."

He nodded, before she left, pretending nothing had happened.