𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 • 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐘

1

"Nice view huh?" I jump at the voice, causing me to almost fall off the edge of the building. I feel an arm grab mine.

"Woah there miss!" He pulls me back, readjusting my seat on the ledge. "I don't think the clean up crew gets paid enough to handle something that messy." I hear the boy laugh. I look up to meet his face. Woah, that's a nice face. The boy laughs again. "Why thank you, you have a nice one too."

I feel my face heat up."I said that out loud didn't I?" I say as I cover my mouth.

The boy nods. "That's a thick accent you got there. Where you from?" He asks. I glance down before looking back up at him. He's a stranger. I don't know this man!

"Uh, around." I say awkwardly.

"Not much of a talker huh?" He asks, chewing on a piece of bubblegum."I guess your family taught you well." He says.

I furrow my brows. "What do you mean?"

He shakes his head and sits beside me. "Well I'm a stranger, and strangers can't always be trusted ya know?"

I nod. "Well you did just save my life. So I guess you're pretty trust worthy." I smile before asking. "What's your name?" He smiles back.

"The name is Jack Kelly, and yours?" He holds his hand out to shake mine. I grab it and shake it. His name sounds familiar...

"Jess."

"Just Jess?" Jack asks with his face scrunched up.

"Just Jess." I confirm with a smile. He smiles back before looking down at my bag.

"So are you camping up here or uh?" I laugh and shake my head.

"I guess you could call it that. I sorta ran away from home." I glance at my feet. Wow we are really high up.

"Why would you do that?" Jack asks softly.

"Family issues." I mumble.

"Oh.." Jack says.

"Let's put it this way. They weren't really family. They just made me feel like a background character, you know?" Jack nods.

"I feel ya. I don't have any family either. Never really knew my mom, and my dad..." He goes silently.

"Mine too." I say quietly giving him a sympathetic look. We don't say anything for a while.

"Well, Where are you gonna go after tonight? You can't stay up here forever. I doubt Medda would allow it."

"I don't know. I kinda like it up here." I sigh as I look at the view.

"Yeah but you don't want ole Snider coming after you." I furrow my brows and look back at Jack.

"Snider?"

"Let's just say he's bad news. He's always messing with me and the Newsies." My eyes widen when I hear him say Newsies.

"You're a Newsie too?" I cut Jack off. Shoot. He might know Spot.

"Uh yeah. Wait are you a Newsie?" He asks.

I might as well lie. I mean he doesn't know me, I don't know him.

So I hesitantly nod. His eyes light up. "No way! Jess, that's nuts! Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"You didn't ask and I just met you like ten minutes ago." I snicker. Jack looks down and laughs. "So are you a Brooklyn Newsie?" I need to make sure he's not friends with Spot, he may tell him where I am. But then again most of the newsies don't know I exist. He shakes his head.

"Oh heck no. Them Brooklyn Boys is mean ones I tell ya. I'm from Manhattan." Jack says. I nod. "So what are you?" I scratch my neck.

"Uh..." Well guess I have to lie some more. Let's see what is a random town no one really knows..
"I'm a...Greenport Newsie?" I say but it sounds more like I'm asking him.

"Greenport has Newsies?" Jack asks with a confused look on his face.

I nod. "Yeah but we disbanded. They all joined the Brooklyn Newsies. But I decided to take another route." I'm a decent liar.

Jack nods. Then his face lights up again."Since you're in the area, You could be a Manhattan Newsie!"

I smile real big when I hear him say that. He's the only guy that's even mentioned that to me. "Really?!" Jack smiles and nods. "Oh my gosh! Thank you!" I yell before pulling him into a hug. I feel him hug back and my cheeks start to feel hot again.

"Well come on, you gotta meet the boys!" Jack yells. I smile and grab my bag. Then we are on our way.