𝚁𝚄𝙽𝙰𝚆𝙰𝚈 ° racetrack higgins

Watch What Happens

Davey had to go home with Les so his parents didn't get worried about him. But me on the other hand, I went looking for my brother. There was only one place I knew he would go; the theater.

I walked over to the balcony railing and sighed in relief when I saw him on the stage, talking to Medda. "Well, hows about letting a sista know you're alive! Where did ya go? No one could find ya."

Medda mumbles something I couldn't hear to Jack as I walked down onto the main stage, going up to my brother.

"Did you ever think I didn't wanna be found?" He asked bitterly.

I glanced at a section of wall behind him; he had been painting another backdrop for Medda. "Santa Fe." I said softly. When he didn't answer, I pulled out the paper Denton gave us from my bag. "Hey, did you see the papes? We're front page news, above da fold! Oh yes." I smiled, unfolding the paper. "Above. The fold."

"Good for you." My brother mumbled.

"Everyone wants the meet the famous Jack Kelly. Even Spot Conlon sent over a kid just to say next event, we can count on Brooklyn. How bout that?"

"We got stomped into the ground."

I sighed, my smile falling. "They got us this time, I'll grant you that, but we took round one. But with press like this, our fight is far from over."

"Every newsies who could walk was out this mornin, sellin papes like the strike never happened."

I sighed. He did have a point; most of the boys went out this morning to sell. Even Davey was out there. I understood why too; if they don't work, they don't eat.

"And I was right there with 'em, J. Listen, if we don't sell papes, we don't eat, but-"

"Save your breath." Jack interrupted, looking and me with a look of disappointment. "I get it; it's hopeless."

"But then I saw this look on Weasel's face. He was actually nervous! And I realized...this isn't over." I said confidently. "We got 'em worried. Really worried! And I walked away. And lots of other kids did too, and that is what you call a beginning!"

I could tell my brother was getting annoyed. I knew when he was in this mindset, he would just want to be left alone. I'm the same way. "For cryin out loud! What does a fella gotta do to get away from yous?"

"There's no escaping me, J." I said with a playful smirk. "I'm inevitable."

Jack was silent for a few moments before he spoke up, his voice a little softer. "So, Denton wrote a good story?"

I nodded. "He did. But Pulitzer has him blacklisted from every news desk in town." When Jack didn't answer, I continued. "Listen, Jack. We want to hold a rally. A city-wide meeting where every newsie gets a day and a vote; and we do it after workin' hours so no one loses a day's pay. Smart? It better be, it was Davey's idea."

"Yeah. Smart enough to get him committed to a padded room."

I scoffed slightly. "Says the guys who paints places he's never seen."

"You wanna see a place I've seen, Tatum?" He asked, anger and irritation clear on his face; he's never been this mad at me before. At anything, really. Jack marched over and turned around the backdrop of Santa Fe. On the other side was a drawing of a giant boot, with newsboys beneath it, struggling to hold it off the ground. I could tell immediately that the boot was supposed to be Pulitzer and the newsboys were supposed to be, well, the newsies. "Newsies Square. Thanks to my big mouth, filled to overflowing with failure; kids hurt, others arrested."