"That a**h*le!" Davey cursed kicking at the rock bellow his feet.
Why did Jack have to make his life so complicated?
"David?" Romeo grabbed Davey's larger hand in his. "You can stay with us, if you want." A small smile grew on the young boy's face. "...like- like a sleepover!"
"Oh can we?" Les questioned. "Oh can we? Can we!?"
"I don't-" Davey backed into the red-haired newsie.
"Yeah, Dave." Albert put a hand on the taller teen's shoulder. "Stay for one night."
"You guys are really good at peer pressure." Davey sighed, to which the newsies smirked proudly.
"We learnt it from-" Blink stopped himself.
"...Jack." Mush whispered.
The name used to echo through the halls of this lodge through day and night, as if a blessing. A Hail Mary.
Now it was as if the name was taboo. A curse never meant to be spoken and never meant to be there in the first place.
"Why don't we play a board game or something?" Buttons suggested, smiling apologetically.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"Where's Race?" Les looked around the room.
"Probably just sleeping bud." Albert suggested to the young boy before turning back to Davey. "He's really stressed, you know."
"We're worried for him." JoJo admitted sheepishly.
"He has a big habit of ridiculously high expectations upon himself." Blink frowned.
"I'll check on him." Davey nodded, getting up before Mush waved him down.
"We love Race..." Mush trailed off. "...and we know him. He probably needs time. When Anastasia left, he would just randomly burst into tears."
"Maybe we should just- just wait till later." Specs suggested.
Davey nodded slowly.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
Once Davey had put away the boardgames and helped tuck Romeo and Les to bed, he finally asked the big question that had been spinning around his head for hours. ("aM I gAy?") [LOL]
"How are you guys so- so okay with Jack's betrayal?" Davey flopped himself down on the couch.
"We're not." Albert shrugged. "Hey Finch, where'd ya put the whiskey."
"Top shelf on the left." Finch replied before taking a swing of alcohol from the wine bottle, then handing it to Mush, who handed it to Blink, who handed it to Specs, and so on.
"You don't have to have anything if you don't want." Buttons told Davey sweetly, noticing the concerned look on the older boy's face.
"We thought you might need it though." Skittery added after taking a long swig from the bottle.
"I think I'll go check on Race." Davey stood up.
Mush laid his head on Blink's shoulder. "Make sure he know's we're here for him."
Davey nodded.
"I will."
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
It was a lot less hard to find the hyper-active blonde than Davey thought it was.
After wandering the lodge for two minutes, Davey heard a faint sniffling coming from the bathroom.
"Race? Is that you?" Davey knocked on the door softly.
"Yeah." A quiet, hoarse voice responded.
"May I come in?" Davey questioned.
"I don't think you'd like to see me like this." Race chuckled brokenly.
"I think I'll manage." Davey joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He wasn't prepared, however, for the teen that was revealed when the door opened.
His once glowing pale face was flushed, his normally dimpled cheeks trailed with tear stains, and his typically stable hand was shaking violently while clutching onto a photo.
Then, the scariest change of all.
The beautiful vibrant blue eyes that lit up a room was bloodshot, showing he had been sobbing as if the tear stains weren't enough.
"I told you it wasn't pretty." Race laughed at the expression of Davey's face.
"Beauty is a very abstract concept." Davey put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder.
"Alright Davey." Race shrugged the hand off. "What are you really here for?"
"I- I know you're taking Jack's betrayal hard."
Davey felt instantly bad for the tears that welled up in the blonde teen's eyes. He could tell that Race was desperately trying to hold it in and shove the salty drops of water back down.
"I don't need Jack." Race backed away.
"I didn't-"
"I don't even want Jack!" Race threw his hands up. A cover smile appeared on his face, contradicting the tears that were now blurring his vision.
"It's okay to cry Race." Davey took a step forward to with the blonde took a step back again.
"No. Nope." Race muttered to himself incoherently. "Nope, I don't need the b*stard. Nope. No. Nada."
"Race-"
"We don't need him!" Race laughed hysterically before a small cry escaped his mouth. Race immediately cupped his hand over his mouth, hunching over and releasing a heart-wrenching sob.
"Racetrack-" Davey tried again. He had never scene anyone break down to this extent before. If Davey had been holding all this in, he would've gone insane.
"I need him." Race whispered, his voice shaking. "I want my big brother back."
"I know Race." Davey held the blonde boy close, wrapping an arm around his frail shoulders. "We all want Jack back but... but the boy we knew is gone Race. And I need you to snap out of this? Okay bud? We're all here for you, but we need you to snap out."
David almost wanted to punch himself for the tough love he thrust upon the broken boy.
"I'm scared." Race let out shuddery breaths. "I'm so scared."
"It's alright." Davey rubbed circles on the teen's back. "We're here. Jack might not be, but the rest of are and that's what counts."
Davey's began to panic when the pale boy went completely still.
"R-"
Davey jumped back when Race ripped the photo that had been in his hands.
"HE LEFT US NOTHING!" Race screamed.
The sound of tearing meeting the silence of the bathroom.
Then, reality hit him.
"Oh no." Race whispered, looking down at the shreds of paper at his feet. "Oh no." He dropped to his knees, fumbling with the shards of paper.
In an instant Davey was right on his knees too, next to the blonde.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no." Race picked up the shreds, a loud sob releasing from his mouth. "Please, no. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Davey finally got a good look at the photo.
There was a young Race, a huge grin on his face as he hugged Jack tightly, resting his chin on the older boy's shoulder. Jack held him tight too, as if he would never let any harm come upon to the boy he now called brother.
"I'm sorry." Race kept muttering to no one in particular, begging for someone to tell him he was forgiven for ruining one of his most important possessions.
"Hey- hey." Davey steadied the blonde teen. "Breathe. Breathe, Race."
"No." Race wailed, hunching forward, his elbows on the ground as repeated drops of tears dripped onto the piece of paper. "This is all I have Davey. This is all I have left of him."
"Shhh. Shhh it's alright." Davey quieted the blonde. "It's alright, you're going to be fine."
"But it's not alright." Race leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "Jack was my first friend here."
Davey stayed quiet.
"Just like most'a the kids here, Jack found me. I guess- I guess I just didn't have the same instant click with other newsies." Race shook his head. "But I'll never forget how he was the only one to try and talk to me. I ain't from here, y'know? Didn't speak a lick of English when he met me. First I thought he just helped me outa pity but I knew- I believed he was my true friend when we crossed over to Brooklyn for the first time."
Race laughed to himself quietly.
"I was terrified of everything. The newsies had been crossing the bridge and some rich kids with bikes came along and I felt everything under me vibrate. Jack was there to grab my hand and he held me the whole way to Brooklyn."
Then it hit Davey.
He had been feeling awful after Jack's betrayal, now he knew that he had no right to feel as bad as he did if the newsies had known Jack longer.
If Jack had spent years building their trust, building their love, then Davey had no right.
"I used to have really bad nightmares." Race admitted. "I'd wake up screaming. Fox described them as bloodcurdling." Race's crying hadn't ceased. "But- but Jack was always one of the first newsies to be right next to me, and- and he'd hold me in this really warm hug, and- and I'd stop screaming. I'd go back to sleep and eventually it stopped altogether."
Race took in a shuddery breath. "You don't understand Davey." Race looked up at the brunette, his actions scarily calm and his eyes still clouded with tears. "Jack's not just my brother. I owe him. I owe him everything."
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
He wasn't sure what he was feeling, or why he was feeling it. He just knew the feeling- no, emotion was strong.
It wasn't frustration- he felt that when his sister Sarah left for college. He was so frustrated that she was so easily able to leave their family for pursing her dreams.
He didn't blame her though.
He loved his older sister too much for that.
Then what was this feeling then?
Was it hurt-
No. After all he couldn't be hurt if he hadn't made an attachment to Jack.
That's right, he never cared about Jack!
Or- or so he thought.
If he didn't care about Jack, then why was he hurting so much?
Jack had no right to leave the newsies like that.
He had no right to bring these boy's spirits up only to crush them.
For what?
For Santa Fe!?
Davey didn't need someone like that.
Davey.
The name that was given to him by Jack of all people.
He has his own family, and once his dad got back to work he'd never had to see or think about the newsies ever again.
He wouldn't have to pick up Jack's broken pieces he left in his wake.
Yes, David quite liked that plan.
[I WROTE THE SONG 👍👍👍] (BDBDBD) (yEs yOu diD)
"Ain't you glad you got a family," David muttered. "ain't you glad it's not with him." David scoffed, glancing in the general direction of the papes stand. "Betrayal doesn't have a place in here."
"Come on Davey." Jack spun the taller boy around. "Live a little!"
"And even though I'm gonna miss ya." David choked, holding in a sob. "You threw the strike away. Guess I'll have to find someone else to hold dear."
"I'm sorry I was a jerk." Davey hugged Jack tightly.
"Me too." Jack hugged back. ".....but it is my job, y'know."
"Shut up and let us have this moment."
"Now you'll go." David held his hands to his chest, tears streaming down his face. "Far away... someplace where I can forget you."
"You know, when I became a newsboy, I wasn't expecting to be striking on my second day of the job." Davey grinned.
"Don't you worry." Jack beamed excitedly, like a little kid in a candy store. "We are going down in history Dave! No one will forget this strike. Not even us."
"Even though I think about you every day..."
"Bye Ma!" Davey pulled his satchel off the hook, opening the door to his house.
"Where are you going this early?" Mrs. Jacobs scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion.
"I'm gonna go eat breakfast with the newsies." Davey explained in a 'duh' manner. "I'll be back for Les later."
"You can't wait to see your new friends?" Mrs. Jacobs raised an eyebrow jokingly.
"Nope, love you Ma." Davey grinned, blowing an air kiss one last time before closing the door.
"Now all your friends are sleeping..."
The kitchen light finally clicked off in the lodge.
"You get on that train and say," David grit his teeth. "'Goodbye now, I'm leaving for Santa Fe'."
"Why do you love Santa Fe so much?" Davey frowned.
"I'll be free there." Jack smiled. "And that's all I've ever wanted."
"Now it's gone." David huffed. "Now it's done." He screamed to the sky. "No more friends and no more family. Just weary stares as we watch you go and betray."
An image of Jack happily hugging a chicken on the farm popped into David's head.
"Now you'll run off with your 'family'. Not like I care anyway!"
A tear slipped down his face.
"Love ain't true. Thanks to you... and Santa Fe..."
Anger flared in David's heart.
"Where does it say that bonds have to be broken? Where does it say they always have to break?" David scoffed. "Why should you only take what you're given? Why should you spend your whole life living..."
David began to pace.
"...trapped where they say, 'no mercy'. Every single day. Doesn't matter who you are in here." His heart pounded. "The life didn't seem to suit ya. But I got used to the scene. Now you're far away from your true family and from me."
David took a deep breath in.
"Santa Fe! You can bet! I won't let that coward beat us. 'Cause he knows running's all he knows how to do."
David told himself this was it.
"No one's getting any younger. But I need to start brand new."
He'd be done with the newsies, Jack, everyone once the strike was over.
"You can leave. I don't care! You seem to have extra family to spare! Left us behind..."
David wiped his eyes.
"...goodbye." He whispered. "I loved you, don't you know that. I guess I can take the pain...because love isn't always all that fair."
He frowned.
"I'm now nothing! 'Cause you've got... Santa Fe!"
He dropped to his knees.
"I hate you... I- I hate that I love you." [you really like this line] (I dO)
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"Good day of selling Jackie?" Wiesel smirked.
"Shut up." Jack glared.
"Uh uh." Oscar put up his pointer figure. "Watch your mouth or we'll send you straight back to the refuge."
Jack grit his teeth in annoyance.
"And you don't want any harm to come to your newsies, do ya Jackie?" Morris snickered.
"Are you giving in boy?" Pulitzer crossed his arms. "Ready to give up this strike?"
"Never!" Jack snarled. "You won't get anything out of me!"
"How about now?" Pulitzer held his hand out to Snyder behind him, snatching up two pieces of paper. One a news article and another a photo. "Your headline page has a clear view of all your troublemaking friends." He smirked evilly. "And this is a photo of the four newsies about to knock on your window right now."
Jack's eyes widened, him backing away into the far wall of the room.
"I can put them in the refuge right now boy." Pulitzer grinned.
"Wha- what do you want me to do." Jack blurted out. "I'll do anything. Just don't- don't- please don't do anything to them."
"I need you to work for me." Pulitzer handed back the papers to Snyder who dutifully stepped aside.
"What?" Jack mumbled.
"Work for me until the strike is over." Pulitzer nodded.
"Okay. Fine." Jack sighed. "Just don't do anything to them."
"I swear it." Pulitzer rolled his eyes.
"Fine!" Jack threw his hands up.
"Now, this is a comfy bed." Wiesel cackled, pounding his fist on the printing press.
"Sleep well cowboy." Oscar saluted before leaving, followed by Morris and Wiesel.
Jack frowned, pulling out the newspaper article from his messenger bag.
"I'm doing this for you guys." Jack stared down at the photo of his newsies. "Only for you guys. I hope you guys understand." Jack laid down on the floor, propping the paper up next to his head in front of his eyes.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
Jack sighed, handing out overpriced papes. "Extray extray!"
A broad shoulder bumped into Jack, making the brown-haired-boy scowl.
"Hey!" Jack snapped. "Watch...it."
David turned back, a glare on his face.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Davey-"
"David." David corrected. "Sorry, I don't think I know you."
Jack's eyes welled up with tears, his face matching one of a wounded doe.
"I'm sorry."
"A sorry doesn't fix anything!" David abruptly shouted. "You're a traitor!"
"...oh...no, I meant I'm sorry for messing up your name David."
"...oh."
"...yeah."
"Look!" David threw his arms up, "You don't want to see me again. I don't want to see you again." He made wild hand gestures. "I don't know you anymore Jack."
Jack nodded, his face hurt that Davey would give up on him so easily.
"Y-yeah. Okay."
"Good." David began to storm away when he heard Jack muttering to himself.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I gave up on the strike. I'm sorry Pulitzer got in my head."
"You're sorry?" David turned around. "You have the nerve to be sorry!? You don't have any right to just say you're sorry!"
"I-" Jack's eyes widened.
"Do you even know how hard your newsies took your betrayal!?" David shouted. "Albert opened a bottle of whiskey, the rest were drinking wine, heck- Race was sobbing in the bathroom nonstop! But you don't care!"
"I- I-"
"F*** you Jack Kelly! F*** you!" David slapped the brown-haired boy.
"Ow..." Jack held his cheek.
"Yeah." David smiled fake-ly. "Ow."
David let in a deep sigh.
"I hope you rot in h*ll Jack Kelly."
And with that, the brunette stormed away.
"Having boyfriend issues Jackie?" Oscar slung an arm over the younger teen's shoulder.
"Don't worry." Morris beamed mockingly, slinging his arm around Jack's other side. "You'll figure it out.....or not."
"Back off!" Jack shoved them away. "This is all your fault!"
"You're just finding someone else to blame." Oscar rolled his eyes.
"Someone to push away the guilt." Morris agreed.
It hurt. A lot.
And Jack knew why.
He knew it was because it was true. It was because they were right.
That's why his next move was punching them both in the face.
"A**holes." Jack muttered angrily before he picked up his papers and started to walk away.
"This'll be the end of you Jack Kelly!" Morris screamed.
"The end!" Oscar repeated.
"Yeah?" Jack turned his head around. "Well I don't give a f***!" Jack stuck up his middle finger, making sure to leave with a bang.
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"You're the biggest a**hole to walk the face of the Earth." Anastasia crossed her arms. "And you have a lot of nerve to show your-" Anastasia searched for an insult. "-your- YOUR STRANGELY UNBLEMISHED FACE HERE!"
"...thank you?" Jack spoke, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion.
"What do you want?!" Anastasia snapped. "Before I slam the door on your finger!"
Instinctively Jack jumped back, removing his fingers from the door frame.
"Before I punch you in the face!" Anastasia glared.
"I messed up." Jack whispered.
"No sh*t." Anastasia scoffed.
"Stop cursing!" Jack whined. ".....it makes me uncomfortable."
"Oh?" Anastasia stepped back, putting a hand over her heart. "Oh? Would you like me to bake you a pie sweet pea?" Anastasia lowered her voice, talking sweetly.
"You're not my grandma." Jack rolled his eyes.
"What do you want!" Anastasia screamed, talking slowly.
"I told you I messed up!" Jack yelled back.
"That's not what you want!" Anastasia shouted. "That's what you did!"
"I want to say I'm sorry!" Jack leant on the pillar of the door frame, tapping his fingers on the wood anxiously.
"I'm sorry doesn't fix anything!" Anastasia narrowed her eyes.
"I need... I need a way to get out of this." Jack murmured. "...but I don't know how."
And with that, Anastasia slammed the door.
"AH! OUCH!" Jack held his bloody fingers close, gripping them hard.
"A**hole!" Anastasia slammed the window shut.
"What did I do this time!" Jack looked through the window.
"You expect everyone to fix everything. You figure it out Jacka**!"
~~~~~~📰~~~~~~
"What happen to your finger Jackie?" Oscar rested his head on the shorter boy's shoulder.
"Get off!" Jack shrugged him off.
"It looks bloody." Morris sat on the curb next to the two teens.
"Leave. Me. Alone!" Jack jumped up.
"What's up Jackie?" Oscar blinked innocently.
"What's wrong?" Morris pouted.
"You know what I think could fix this?" Oscar looked to his brother.
"What?" Morris blinked.
"Peace and quiet." Jack snapped.
"A nice beating." Morris and Oscar spoke simultaneously, a big smirk on their faces.
"What-" Jack tried pushing through but neither brothers would budge.
Oscar threw a punch, hitting Jack dead in the jaw.
"That was rude." Jack remarked, throwing a punch back when Morris caught it, throwing it back. "Ow."
Morris smirked down at the teen, kicking Jack in the gut.
"Hey!" A voice shouted. "Leave him alone!"
Jack looked up to see someone he never thought he'd see again.
"You're just a weak schoolboy!" Oscar shouted.
"Really?" David picked up a crate. "Try me?" He threw it, trapping the older boy under.
"Oscar!" Morris yelled, running to his brothers aid.
David helped Jack up, not making eye contact.
"Thank-"
"I don't forgive you." David huffed. "But I still owe you."
"Why?" Jack questioned, dusting off his expensive pants.
"...at the end of the day you still helped me and Les out." David had his hands shoved in his pockets. "I uh, it doesn't matter that you're an a**. You helped me put food on the table- even if we started striking the next day."
Jack cracked a grin.
"That's gonna be real nice on your college résumé."
"Oh yeah," David laughed.
The silence that followed was something unbearable for Jack.
"Look, it doesn't seem like it, but I had my reasons." Jack handed the taller boy their front page news. "We got the support of the public with that article. We also gave Snyder the image of every single strinkin' newsie."
"We never thought of that..." David lowered his voice.
"Well Pulitzer did." Jack scoffed. "If I didn't betray you guys, then you'd all be locked up. Including you and Les."
"I-"
"I'd rather watch you all hate me than watch you all die."
"Then I'm sorry." David shook his head, guild overwhelming his mind. "We didn't even let you explain."
"Prob'ly couldn't if you'd let me." Jack sighed. "I just wish-" His voice choked, something that made David realize something. "...I just wish I could take it all back."
David realized that at the end of the day, Jack was human too. It was hard to realize that when the newsies looked to him like he hung the moon. But this guy- this kid was hurting too, and he couldn't do everything by himself.
"I hurt the fellas." Jack whispered. "Those were the boys that I vowed to protect with my life- they're not just the newsies, they're my family and they deserved better than that."
Hey hey! So sorry for the late posting! You guys are awesome for sticking with me through this book.
Thanks for reading- let's bring back the old outro i guess?
DONT FORGET TOOOOO
VOTE!
FIGHT MONSTERS!
COMMENT!
SAVE THE WOILD!
SELL YA PAPES!
AND TRY NOT TO DIE
This is Izzy,
Over and out!