The Jacobs brothers, Katherine, and me have gone to find Jack. We all decided that he couldn't have gotten far. They don't know about Santa Fe like I do. That is where Jack has always wanted to be. But no way he has the funds to go all the way to New Mexico. And I know him, he would never just leave without a proper goodbye.
We have searched the city. There is no stones that we left un-turn. Me and Davey are leading the way. Katherine is holding onto Les' hand so he doesn't runaway or anything of that nature. Cause lets face it. The kid wants to see Jack. He really does. Well, we all do; but him mostly. See from what I can tell Les sees Jack like he is a fictional character, because Jack is what Les what's to be when he grows up. Not that Davey isn't a great guy. Davey is just a lot safer than Jack. You know what I mean.
"Denise..." Davey mumbles. I forgot I have him permission to call me by my real name. And I wasn't scared when he said it either. Well it doesn't sound as horrible coming from his mouth then it does out of my father's.
"Yeah...David." I say with a light chuckle and grin on my face. He lets out a little smile too. None of the guys call him David. Even little Les has started to call him Davey.
"You seemed jumpy when the guys mention the Delancey brothers?" Davey asks and his voice has genuine sympathy.
"Dave.... Please..." I mutter pulling my paperboy hat off my head and clutching it with streets balled up in my hands. "What?" He puts his hand on my shoulder stopping me. So that make Katherine and Les catch up to us and stop wonder why. Katherine confusedly asked. "What's going on?"
Davey looks me in the eyes. "What did the Delanceys do?"
All of a sudden I got a faint burst of confident. I slam my hat on the ground and snap at Davey. "Why do care? Huh?" I can tell my his face that he wasn't excepting that. Katherine steps a few inches closer to me. "Stray you are obviously up set. We are just here to help you. We are your friends."
I look around at them. Davey is raising his eyebrows excepting an answer to come flying out of my mouth. Katherine looks more sad. She is worried for me, I can tell.
"For crying out loud." I mumble as I pull Les towards me, so he is now in front of me. I cover his ear with my hands. I didn't want the little innocent kid hearing this.
"Oscar Delancey kissed me." Damn I feel disgusting even just saying that. And I actually went through it.
I let out of Les as soon as I stop talking. All that was for nothing though, because Davey blurts out, "Oscar Delancey kisses you!"
Les' eyes grow wide and be pops around and faces me. "Oscar Delancey kissed you!" Les says mimicking his older brother.
I sigh and roll my eyes. "I covered his ears for a reason Davey!" Pick up my hat from the ground from when I threw it there out of spite. He mumbles out a "sorry." He didn't mean it though.
Katherine puts her hand on my shoulder and gives me puppy dog eyes. "What exactly happened?"
I take a deep breath in and out. I obviously look in distress. Katherine pats my shoulder and I look over towards her. "Take your time," she says softly.
"I was heading towards the Deli with the pape in my head. I see the Delanceys and freeze in my spot out of fear. Could ya blame me? They are scary. They said that my Crutchie was trash and that I should thank them for getting rid of him." I had to stop right there, because it's all recalling in my brain. I can see it happening in front of my very eyes.
I hear a sympathetic, "Oh Stray." come from Katherine. I guess that is my cue to keep telling the story.
"I had his old crutch in one hand and a copy of today's paper in the other. Morris took the paper and ripped it up. They said the story was a bucket of lies. I tried to stomp off, but Oscar had a hard grip on my arm. They kept on talking, such cruel things. I kept spitting back insults trying to protect myself. It didn't work. Morris pushes me into Oscar. He leaned forward and I could not move back. I was stuck. He pushed his lips onto mine. Oscar finally let go. I was in shock. Morris laughed at me. That I was the supposed Newsie tough girl. Oscar was about to do it again. I slammed Crutchie old crutch into his face. And ran off."
Everyone was silent. Not a peep came from anyone's mouth. But the busy street sounds didn't make it completely quiet. Les runs up and wrapped his arm my legs. He was trying to hug me. I bend down and get in my knees. Les then wraps his arms around me and squeezes me. I hug him back. Les doesn't have to talk to make you feel loved.
Les lets go and I stand up, but little Les holds onto my hand. Davey looks mad. He starts to talk, but I hate the words that come out of his mouth. "That's it! I will get the guys and we will go after them Delancey and show them--"
I interrupt him. "NO!....Listen. This strike is not going to get easier. It is going to be hard. So don't make it harder on yourself.... " I look at him. Davey looks ashamed. Les is still holding onto my hand. He is nodding at me. I sigh and keep talking. "First things first. We need to find Jack. He is our president after all. Now Medda's theater is just a block away I suggest we look there next."
We all walk to Irving Hall which is a shorter walk from where we were that I thought.
I burst open the backstage door and walks up to the catwalk above the stage so I can see everything that is going on in the theater. And there my eyes see him. I should be surprised but I'm not. He has just been here hiding from everything, from...us.
I shout from the catwalk at him, "Well how about letting a pal know you're alive!"
He hears the noise and looks up to find us. Just Davey and me. We told Katherine and Les to wait outside just in case Jack wasn't here.
"What does a fella have ta do ta get away from you people!"
"Where did you go? We couldn't find ya." Davey yells as all of us ascend down from the catwalk and on to the stage where Jack was painting something. A horizon of someplace beautiful.
I see Medda standing in a light green floral robe. I tip my hat at her and she winks. "I'll leave you with your friends." She says and walks off. Jack groans knowing what is about to happen.
"Jack..." I say and drift off in my voice. His head snaps towards us. He's broken. I can tell. Completely shattered.
"Did you ever think I didn't wanna be found?" He said going back to his painting. He's trying to ignore get us to leave. Well, let me tell you you ain't
get rid off me that easy!
Davey looks at me. He decide to be happy and try to make Jack happy too. Poor Davey. "Is that a real place, that Santa Fe? Hey, did you see the papes? We're front page, above the fold! Oh yes. Above. The fold." He shows Jack the newspaper, but Jack completely blows it off. "Good for you."
Davey not caring gets going on with his ramble that he has started. "Everyone wants to meet the famous Jack Kelly. Even Spot Conlon sent over a kid just to say next event, you can count on Brooklyn! How bout that?"
Okay hold up! When was he planning on telling me this information. I'm kinda of a big deal too. I think I have a right to know about Spot and what he is planning.
Jack throws his paint brushes on the ground. "We got stomped into the ground."
Davey was about to say something, but I put my hand on his chest and push him back. It is my turn to talk to Jack. "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 newsie who could walk was out this mornin', sellin' papes like the strike never happened!"
Davey pops back into the conversation. "And I was right there with 'em. If I don't sell papes, my folks don't eat, but-"
Jack cuts him off "Save your breath, I get it, it's hopeless." And he tries to walk away, but I stop him and glare into his eyes. He turns are looks at Davey who starts talking. "But then I saw this look on Weasel's face. He was actually nervous! And I realized, this isn't over. 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!"
Les is pulling Katherine in and his face lights up and he sees Jack. "There he is, just like I said!" He is way too excited to see a broken Jack Kelly Cowboy.
"Where are all of yous coming from?!?!" He says as he sees them coming.
"Ah, there's no escaping us, pal. We're inevitable" I say putting my hand on his shoulder. I got scared and take it off real quick.
"What's the hold up? I need to let my girl know we got a date." Les says. Every single head in that room turned and looked at him. Davey raises his eyebrows and says, "Your girl?"
Les walks around like he own everything and then plops himself on top of a crate. "You heard me. Been swattin' skirts away all mornin'. Fame is one intoxicating potion. And this here girl, Sally... she's a plum." Hey I taught him that word! This is a weird feeling of proud.
Jack walks up to Katherine his face turns sad suddenly. "Word is you wrote a great story"
She looks him up and down and then looks him in the eye. Katherine seriously says, "You look like hell."
Before they could at anything else Les from his seat shouts, "Hey, Jack. Where's that supposed to be?" I of course I a pretty good guess. If he pictured that with heart you know it had it be "Santa Fe." I say looking over to Jack. He nods at me confirming my guess.
Katherine walks away from Jack and to the picture. She groans. "I gotta tell you, Jack. This "go west, young man" routine is getting tired. Even Horace Greeley moved back to New York."
"Yes he did....And then he died." Les says so cheery it is funny.
Jack turns are and faces all of us. He looks at Katherine. "Aren't reporters supposed to be non-partisan?"
This made her mad. Why isn't he getting anything through his extremely stubborn head. "Ask a reporter. Pulitzer's had me blacklisted from every news desk in town." She says popping out her hip.
Les is doing his job and getting us back on track, "Can't we table the palabber and get back to business? Will Medda let us have the theater?"
I walk over to him and pat his shoulder. I supply him with an answer. "Of course she'll do it. Medda's family."
Davey walks over to Jack waving his hands in the air like a freak. "It's what I've been trying to tell ya. We want to hold a rally! A city-wide meeting, where every newsie gets a say and a vote; and we do it after workin' hours, so no one loses a day's pay. Smart?"
Jack looks at him with a plain look on his face. "Yeah. Yeah smart enough to get you committed to a padded room."
Katherine laughs, but not a real laugh. A annoyed laugh. "Well the guy who paints places he's never seen is calling us crazy?"
Jack loses it. "You wanna see a place I seen? How about this." He takes the painting of Sante Fe and turns it around to reveal a cartoon of Pulitzer's foot on top of us newsies backs. "Newsies Square. Thanks to my big mouth, filled to overflowing with failure. Kids hurt, other arrested." Crutchie.
Davey jumps up and flings his arms in the air like its nothing. "Lighten up! No one died."
I did. A little on the inside.
Jack stands up to Davey. "Oh is that what you're aiming for!? Go on, go on, call me a coward, call me a quitter. Ain't no way I am putting them kids back in danger."
Davey looks at me and I run up to the both of them. I put my hands on my hips and stand up. "We're doing something that's never been done before! How can that not be dangerous?"
Jack looks at the floor and then looks at me. "I thought you would understand Stray." He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me. I don't dare open it. I just leave the paper in my hand. "Specs brought me this note from Crutchie at the refuge. I tried to see him. Went around back and climbed the fire escape. They busted him up so bad, he couldn't even come to the window. Now what if he don't make it? Are you willin' to shoulder that for half a penny a pape?" He walks back to his painting.
I look at the paper that he just handed me and I look at Jack. "You know I love him....and that's why we have to win."
"What?" He mutters. Jack turns head around to me. I can tell he's confused.
"I love Crutchie...So tell me how quitting does him any good?" I say. Standing my ground. Davey comes up beside me and helps me out. "Exactly!" He shouts.
Davey takes it away. "Listen Pulizter sent all those goons because he's scared that we'll win. And we are going to win. The poor guy's head is spinning. So whatever happened lets begin."