Newsies everlasting

Chapter 15

After an hour of being in the barbershop, the boys were finally finished, comparing their new looks in the murky, slightly cracked mirror. Despite the run down state of his shop, and character for that matter, Mr Jackson's work was excellent. They paid for his time, and finally left, reluctant to put on their hats as they felt the need to show the world their new hair.

"Okay, now all we need to do is wash and we is done. When was the last time ya bathed, Jack?" Jesse asked, thinking through the to-do list Katherine had instructed them to complete.

"Erm, four days," Jack admitted, realising how bad that sounded.

"Well that ain't good enough! Wese seeing Pulitzer, we gotta smell fresh!" Jesse laughed, even though he was just as guilty.

"Okay okay, I get it, I stink! Let's go back to the lodging house then, I'll race ya!" Jack laughed, before sprinting around the corner.

"Hey, that ain't fair!" Jesse yelled, still laughing "that's like picking a fight with a butterfly! Youse gonna win! I ain't got two legs!"

As he limped around the corner, carrying the bag of clothes Jack had abandoned him with, Jesse screamed, almost falling over in shock as Jack jumped out at him from behind the corner, killing himself with laughter.

"I hate you!" Jesse laughed, catching his breath, as Jack collapsed in hysterics.

"Nah ya don't, come on , I'll take the bag for ya," Jack offered, throwing his arm around his best friend's shoulder as the pair made their way to the lodging house, chatting carelessly the entire journey.

***
Hours later, Jesse and Jack's previous comfort had dissolved as the pair of them stood, finally clean and in their new clothes, terrified at the door of Pulitzer mansion. Both too fearful to knock themselves, the two boys practically collapsed with relief as they recognised a jovial voice behind them.

"How long have you guys been stood here for?" Winnie asked, amused at how pitiful they were acting. As they turned around, Jesse was taken back at how beautiful she looked. She wore a deep, burgundy gown, complimented by soft, pearl jewellery, glowing with elegance. He hair tumbled freely down her back, though some parts had carefully been pinned back, styled perfectly. A slight wash of makeup flushed her cheeks delicately, deepened the colour of her lips, and glistened gently upon her eyelids, all carefully applied by her aunt.

"Wow, you look gorgeous," Jesse said quietly, amazed by her beauty.

"Thankyou" she grinned, "You guys don't scrub up to badly yourselves. So, how long have you been stood here?"

"Thirty minutes" Jack sighed, ashamed at how pathetic he was being.

"Oh come on, I'm sure Pulitzer isn't that bad!"

"Winnie, you don't understand what that man is capable of," Jesse began, his mind flashing back momentarily to the emotional trauma he had been subjected to within the refuge, pain that would haunt him forever.

"Oh, don't be silly!" Winnie laughed, pushing through them and knocking herself.

Moments later, the door opened to the family's butler, with a fixed expression of misery and boredom engraved onto his face.

"Good evening," he began, sounding as if he had hoped to open the door to some sort of maniac who would put him out of his misery,
"your hosts are in the reception, I will guide you to them if you were to be so kind as to follow me. Dinner shall commence shortly."