(a/n: OH MY GOD I AM SOOOOO SORRY I HAVE BEEN SUPER INACTIVE! i was super busy with school lately and i wanted to get everything done first. also, yes i think i'm starting a newsies obsession lol. anyways, this one shot is based off of a real life experience of mine and i wanted to share it BUT in a one shot! also yes i am organizing my one shots differently so y'all can put more comments on certain things. enjoy! ~k)
TW: none, but if i should put one lmk!
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race x spot
AU where newsies takes place modern day.
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race's pov
thursday, september 2nd
ahhh yes! today is my 15th birthday! today at school was already super fun, getting lots of hugs and gifts from amazing people.
tonight, i'm going to north shore high because my friend, cady heron, invited me to see the improv show since the date for it turned out to be my birthday.
when i arrive at the school, i get out of the car and throw away my finished starbucks cup. i'm pretty early since it's only 6:35 and the show doesn't start until 7:00. no one else is here, except for a guy who looks like he's around my age, sitting on the stairs in front of the school.
"hey," i told the guy. "are you here for the improv show?" i asked him.
"yeah, i'm not in it though, i'm just waiting for my friends." he says "also, i don't know if you go here or not, but if you don't, you know where the theatre is, right?"
"no, i don't go here, i go to westerburg. but i do know where the theatre is since i've visited this place multiple times. are you a sophomore here?"
"yeah."
i nod my head. "me too. i'm race by the way."
"i'm spot."
"nice to meet you. also, today is my birthday!" i say enthusiastically.
"oh, happy birthday!" he says.
"i invited my whole friend group to come see the show with me, but apparently they're all busy with other stuff to do. but i do have some nice friends who go to this amazing school."
"cool!" spot says. "i don't really know anyone at westerburg, so i guess you're my only friend there."
oh my gosh, yay we're friends now! i thought to myself.
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"it was nice seeing you tonight!" i say to cady after the show, giving her a hug.
"you too! happy birthday!"
her boyfriend aaron also gave me a hug. "we should definitely hang out sometime!" he said.
"of course!"
and then i see spot again at the other side of the theatre with a few other guys. i walk over to him and tap on his shoulder. "it was nice meeting you tonight." i say.
"oh yeah, definitely! hey guys this is race!" spot introduces me to his friends, two of them are in the improv team.
those guys and i walk out of the theatre together and wait for our rides.
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friday, september 3rd
i am scrolling through instagram while having my birthday dinner with my friends. i see a post from the north shore theatre club page, and it's an announcement that spot conlon is the the club's librarian.
i go to the page and search up spot's name in the followers. i then find his account and send a follow request since his account is private.
after my request is accepted, i get a follow back from him. so i go and message him. "hey! i'm the guy you met last night!" i text.
he texts back and says, "hi! how have you been?"
"i've been great! i'm having the best birthday ever!"
"that's good! happy birthday!"
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friday, september 24th
a few weeks later, i visit north shore again to see my friends perform in their theatre production of west side story. i give spot a huge hug when he comes out of the theatre room.
"you were amazing!" i tell him with a hug smile on my face.
"thank you so much! and it's nice seeing you again!"
a grab out my phone and take a selfie of the two of us.
later that night, i sent the selfie to my group of friends. "this is my crush:)" i text my friends.
"RACE STOP IT YOU TWO WOULD BE A CUTE POWER COUPLE!" elmer texts.
ever since i first met spot, i accidentally caught feelings for him. he was literally the first love at first sight i have ever experienced.
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tuesday, september 28
i decided to ask spot if he wants to hang out over fall break.
as i'm in the car and going to school, i go onto instagram to text spot while i listen to my love songs playlist on spotify. i type, "hey i know we kinda just met, but i'm wondering if you're doing anything over break cuz i just wanna ask if you wanna maybe hang out and see dear evan hansen at the movies?" dear evan hansen is one of my favorite musicals ever, and since spot is a theatre kid too, i figured he might like it too.
i sent it. oh my god. I JUST SENT IT.
i turn off spotify and take out my airpods. is this really happening?!
my mom drops me off at the front of the school and i run over to my friend group at our usual hang out bench. "GUYS! I'M SO NERVOUS! HELP!"
"woah woah woah, what's all the fuss about?" specs asks me.
"i just asked my crush if he wants to hang out over break!"
"oooh, a pretty boy?" albert asks.
"yeah, i told you who my crush is, didn't i?"
"isn't it that one dude you met at the improv show on your birthday?" davey asked
"yeah." i nod my head.
"aye, it's good luck that you met him on your birthday!" elmer says. "what did he say?"
"he didn't even see the message yet, that's the problem!" i say wistfully and dramatically at the same time.
"oh, have fun with that." finch says.
"i just want a relationship with him like the one jack has with katherine!" i say.
"speaking of jack..." davey starts. "where is he? he's usually the first one here."
"that's a good question, let me text him!" i go to my messages and text jack. "JACK COWBOY KELLY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
jack responds in half a second like usual. "lol i woke up hella late, like 5 minutes ago."
"I DON'T CARE! I AM NERVOUS AS HELL RIGHT NOW! I'LL EXPLAIN WHEN YOU GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"
"jack woke up so damn late." i groaned.
about ten minutes later, jack shows up, crossing the street with a breakfast sandwich in hand.
"JACK!" i ran over to him and roughly put my hands on his shoulders, almost knocking him over.
"woah, race! calm down! i'm having my breakfast!" jack says after almost accidentally choking on his sandwich.
"oh, sorry. but ITS AN EMERGENCY!"
"woah! why? what happened?"
"I ASKED MY CRUSH OUT ON A DATE AND I'M SCARED BECAUSE HE HASN'T SEEN THE MESSAGE YET!"
"jeez! calm the hell down!" jack says, taking another bite of his sandwich. "take some time!"
"yeah, race! take a chill pill!" romeo says. "i mean think about it, spot could literally be the tony to your maria..."
suddenly, i see an instagram notification pop up with spot's name on it. oh shit. my heart just stopped. "OH MY GOD!" i yelled and jumped up.
"bro what happened?" elmer asks.
i point to my phone with my mouth wide open, and all of a sudden i faint to the ground.
"woah, race! are you okay?" "get up!" "come on!" they say as they help me up.
"did he reply?" crutchie asks.
"YES! HE ACTUALLY REPLIED! I NEED TO SEE IT!" i was screaming on top of my lungs until i feel a tap on the back of my shoulder. i turn around and i see a staff.
"hey can you keep down the screaming?" the staff asked. "it's early in the morning."
"oh." i look around and see everyone staring at me. "sorry! nothing happened!"
the staff walks away and i turn back to my friends. "guys he freakin replied!"
"what did he say?" henry asked.
"i'm gonna check right now so give me some space." i turn my way and open up the instagram app.
"can i see?" albert asks, peering over my shoulder.
"not yet! let me see myself first!"
"yeah, albert! give him some space!" specs says, pulling him away.
i open up the text. his message reads, "sure! i heard the movie was bad, but it would be fun to see it with someone!" time stops.
"y'all!" i whispered, showing them my phone screen.
"what did he say?" crutchie asks.
"he said yes."
we all cheer, acting like we just won the super bowl.
"I DID IT!" i yelled. "I FREAKIN DID IT OH MY GOD!"
"attaboy, race!" elmer says, patting my back.
"congratulations, you now identify as taken." tommy boy says, putting a thumbs up.
"not yet! i don't even know what his sexuality is! i wish though."
then, katherine and mr pulitzer show up to school. "katherine!" i yelled.
"hey!" she says walking over to us, as her father walks into the school.
"i've got a date!"
"oh my goodness! with who?"
"that guy i met on my birthday!" my face right now is literally the ":)" emoticon but in real life. "we're gonna go to the movies together!"
"oooh! what movie?"
"dear evan hansen!"
"oh yeah! kath and i might see that movie over break too!" jack says, as katherine takes his arm.
i gasp and say, "we can go on a double date!"
we all laugh as the bell rings for our first class. i have a huge smile on my face as i squeeze my phone in both of my hands and held it to my chest.
i'm in love and I don't care who knows it!
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saturday, october 2nd
spot and i agreed to go to the movies on saturday at 4:25pm.
once my mom drops me off in front of the movie theater, i take out my phone and text spot, "hey i'm in front of the movies now."
i then get a text back from him saying, "alright, i'll be there in a bit. i just entered the parking lot."
M
i look around. i see the dear evan hansen poster displayed with the other movie posters at the front. the same thoughts have been going through my head for days. what if he has a girlfriend? what if he's straight? what if he likes someone else? WHAT IF ITS US?
i then see spot conlon at the other side of the crosswalk. "spot!" i yell, and wave to him.
he waves back and runs across the crosswalk. "hey."
"hey."
"how much do you bet that this movie is just as bad as the reviews said?" he asked me as we walked to the ticket booth.
"i don't know. but i already got really mad about how the cut out good for you." i said.
"oh yeah, same. and that's one of my favorite songs."
when we get to the line, we were both quiet and got on our phones. i guess this is what electricity is for.
"GUYS ITS HAPPENING!" i texted my group chat. "IM SO NERVOUS!"
"race, you'll be fine!" specs texts back.
we both get to the booth at the same time. "hey, can i have a ticket for the 4:35 showing of dear evan hansen?" spot asks the cashier.
"yeah, me too?" i ask afterward.
the cashier then asks, "are you two paying together?"
"oh no, we're paying separately." i say.
"alright, that will be ten dollars each." spot and i each pay for our ticket, and the cashier turns the computer around to show us a seating chart. "where would you guys like to sit?"
we both look at each other. "uhhh?" i ask, glancing at the computer and back at spot.
"how about here." spot says, pressing to seats in one of the middle rows.
"alright, you guys are in theater for on the left!"
we enter the building. "do you want anything to eat or drink?" i ask. "i'm gonna get myself some lunch."
"oh, no thank you. i'll wait for you in the theater."
spot walks away while i get in line. i pull my phone back of my pocket, but i can't hold it properly. i swear i'm having a whole evan hansen moment right now. my hands are sweating, i'm shaking and it's like 85 degrees outside, and my heart is beating so fast, i could hear it through my shirt.
after i order my flatbread pizza, i walk over to the theater. once i'm there, i see spot in one of the seats.
okay but the whole theater is empty, and it's just us two here. oh my god.
"wow! we get the whole theatre to ourselves!" i say, smiling.
"yes! we get to yell and put our feet up!"
i place the pizza box on my lap and take out my phone with the brightness down. i text the group chat.
me: LOL WE HAVE THE WHOLE THEATER TO OURSELVES
jack: YAY!
crutchie: ahhh i'm so happy for you!
i turn off my phone and put it in my pocket. i open the pizza box and take off a slice. "want one?" i ask spot.
he takes the slice. "sure."
he takes a bite out of it. "oh wow, it's hot."
"yeah," i say, taking a bite out of any other slice as the trailers start playing.
"it's west side story!" i say as the trailer for the new movie starts playing.
"yeah, i'm super excited!"
i told spot about how when my mom took me to see their school production of west side story, apparently they "butchered" her favorite song.
"what?! which one?"
"i don't know, and i don't care because you guys did great!"
the dear evan hansen movie starts off with waving through a window as the opening song.
at one scene, spot pointed out about how the band is playing good for you.
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the only us scene.
"i like you." zoe tells evan on the screen. as she starts singing, i look at spot with the corner of my eye. one day, one of us will tell the other this. i thought to myself. i want this. i want us to have the relationship that evan and zoe has (except i won't lie, i promise!)
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as we walk out of the theater, the sky was purple and pink colors. "woah, look at the sky! isn't it pretty?" i ask.
"yeah."
"it represents me!"
"why?"
"i'm bisexual."
"oh, cool! i'm queer!" note taken.
we sit at one of the tables outside.
"do you do any fun electives besides theatre?" i ask him, literally out of no where.
"yeah, i'm in choir."
"oh yeah, me too. the choir teacher at westerburg is really nice."
"same for the one at north shore!" he said with a smile. "anyways, my mom is waiting for me over there." he points to the other side of the street. "is your ride coming?"
"hold on let me text my mom."
me: are you coming to pick me up?
mom: can you wait 30 minutes? i'm still at the vet.
me: yeah
i sighed and said, "my mom isn't coming until 30 minutes because my dog is getting a checkup."
"oh, okay. i'll wait with you then."
"or maybe i could... meet your mom." why was that so hard to get out?
"oh yeah, of course!"
we get up and walk across the street. "hi mom!" spot waves to a lady sitting with a little girl. "this is race!"
"hi race! it's nice to meet you!" his mom says.
"hi! it's nice to meet you too!"
i get out my phone to text my group chat. "GUYS I'M MEETING HIS MOM!"
"so how was the movie?" she asked.
"it was alright!" spot says.
"yeah, it was okay. except it didn't have the jokes from the broadway, connor's ghost, and some of the lines so it felt pretty plain. but it was still good!" i said. "i'm excited for the west side story movie though!"
"ooh, yes! for sure!" spot says. "also the girl who played anybodys, god she is so popular."
"regina?"
"yeah, ohhhhh my god her and her friends, also known as the plastics, are literally famous. whenever they would walk in the room, people would applaud them for literally no reason. they have a special table for themselves in the cafeteria. some guy is selling shirts that say 'the plastics fan club'. and there's a fan page for them on instagram! here, let me look for it." spot says as he takes out his phone and goes on instagram.
"pft. there's this group of girls at my school called the heathers, and i thought they were popular."
"here it is." he shows me, his mom, and his sister the account. "theplasticsfanofficial."
"wow." i say, trying to hold back a laugh.
as we killed time, we talked about our interests, the movies and shows we watch, our favorite musicals, and what we do at school.
my mom drives up to pick me up a few minutes later. we all wave goodbye and hop into the car.
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merry christmas everyone!!