I blew it.
I let her go.
It's my fault Esther's not here.
"Aren't you going to drink anything, Race?" Davey asks.
"No. I literally handed Esther to the Spider. She was my best friend, Davey. And now, I'm not sure if we'll see her again." I push my glass away. Water doesn't sound good.
Nothing sounds good.
Having my best friend here sounds good.
But that isn't going to happen.
"Listen. I know you like her and would do anything to get her back. If you want, I can get Jack to check on her for you. He's going to see Crutchie. I'm sure he'll see her."
"That would be great, Davey."
No one seems the same. Esther and Crutchie are at the Refuge, Jack's disappeared, and it isn't the same without them. It's only been a day but it hurts like hell.
"I have to break them out." I blurt.
"Race, listen. It's too dangerous...to go alone. I'm coming."
"Me too!" Les says. He pumped his free arm into the air. Les had fallen while they ran home and he'd broken his arm from the impact.
"No. You are to stay with the boys when this occasion comes." Davey adjusted his brother's sling. Les pouts and attempts to cross his arms.
Jacobi walks in. "Drink up boys. And don't never say I don't give you nothing."
Albert is about to protest but he is cut off.
"And before you say water is nothing, just ask a fish in the desert." He exits into his kitchen.
"Why do old people talk?" Finch asks.
"To prove they's still alive." I answer. The door opens and the girl who interviewed Jack and Esther walks in with a newspaper.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Would you get a look at these glum mugs? Can these really be the boys who made the front page of the New York Sun?"
"Front page of what?" Romeo runs forward. I do too. I get there a little faster and take the paper.
We made the front page.
I take a moment to look at our picture and I see myself....standing next to Esther. Crutchie and Jack are in the front.
But this paper was a good thing. I'd be sure to show Esther next time I see her. Maybe Jack can take it with him to show her.
"Lookit! Would you lookit? Dat's me!" I say pointing at my picture.
"Front page and you ain't even dead." Jojo says.
"Where's me? Where's me?" Romeo says.
"Would you stop thinking about yourself?" Elmer says.
"Hey look! Jack actually looks like a gentleman!" Albert says.
"Get your fingers off his face." Tommy Boy retorts.
"Wait til my old man gets a load of dis. I won't be last in line for the tub tonight." Buttons chimes in.
Davey turns to the girl. "You got us in the pape?"
"You got yourselves in the pape."
"Newsies Stop the World. Now there's a headline even Elmer could sell." Mush points out. Elmer smacks him and we all laugh.
"What else do you got?" Specs asks.
"Mine's the only story that ran. Pulitzer declared a blackout on strike news so even I'm shut down now. I heard they arrested Crutchie. Did they get Jack too?" She asks.
"We don't know. But we do know they got Esther." I say and the girl's face falls.
"Kicks?" I nod. She shares a sad smile. "At least they aren't alone. Each one has a shoulder to cry on now."
"I guess so." We all pause.
"Well, The Delanceys are spreading a story that he took it on the lam, first sight of the cops." Albert says, trying to break the tension.
Les seems angered from this and he charges towards Albert. Davey tried to grab him but ended up falling off the table.
"Jack don't run from no fight!"
"Take it down, shortstop."
You're welcome. ❤
"Alright, Alright!" Someone yells, calming everyone down. Sometimes I can barely understand their accents so I'm not sure why they got so angry.
"Why don't we play a game? If you were famous, what would you want? What would you have?"
"A porcelain tub with boiling water." Buttons offers.
"A Saturday night with the mayor's daughter." Elmer says, making us all laugh.
"A corduroy suit with fitted knickers." Smalls says.
"A night alone with Kelly's sister!" We all laugh. Davey provides the kissing noises that were missing for Elmer, making us all crack up even harder.
We all turn to Henry.
"How much does being famous pay?" He asks.
(Play the song up top.)
At BOTH THE DELANCEYS, someone walks into the shop but no one hears it because of the singing.
At the end of the song, we hear a slow clapping behind us. We turn to see the last person we'd expect to see.
Oscar Delancey.
"Great job, boys."
"What do you want?" I say.
"To talk. How close are you with Esther Kelly?"
I froze. Why is he bringing this up? Is he doing it to hurt me?
"Very close. Why do you want to know?" I challenge.
"Has she ever said anything about me?"
I raise my eyebrow.
"Yeah, she's said loads. She-" Elmer starts but a glare from Oscar shuts him up.
"And how close are you with her?" I ask.
"Closer than you." He says.
"No way." There is no way in hell these two have said more than ten words to each other.
"Well. Let me ask you this. Have you saved her from a soaking that was done by your brother? Has she kissed you? Met you on the roof of the building two streets down from the Lodge House? Has she told you her deepest secrets? Have you let her cry into your shoulder because she had no one else to turn to?" I pause. I'd never seen anyone so emotional.
"Well, I-"
"I didn't think so."
This caught me off guard. Kissed her?
No.
He has to be lying.
"The building two streets down is The Distribution Center." Tommy Boy says.
"Do you guys think that's where she snuck off to? The day when Davey joined us?" Elmer suggests.
"I do. Why else would she have taken a dress?" Jojo says.
"And why else would she not tell us where she was going?" Finch says.
"He's right, Race." Davey said and put a hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off.
I turn to Oscar. "Are you saying that you...that you..." I couldn't finish the sentence.
"Yes. I was her first kiss. Got a problem?"
"No." I whisper. Oscar leaves in a huff. I bow my head.
I can't have them see me cry.
She used to be mine.
I thought she was mine.
Why can't she be mine?
Catch the Waitress reference? Also did a few Newsies movie references. I wanted to have Race say A Saturday Night with Kelly's Sister instead of mayor's daughter but then it didn't work well. So I had to make Race play a game with the others. I hope you like the story so far!