Hello! So I know I should be working on IGM right now, but I came up with this idea a few days ago, and just couldn't help myself. So here's another multi chapter to add to my list of things that I need to work on. Really, it's the modern AU that everyone is going to be very mad at me for writing, and I will sob whenever I update. Enjoy!


"No, Dad, I'm in the lobby. I was with Bill and Darcy, it's fine… Yeah, I'll be up in a few minutes… Kay, Dad… Bye..."

Katherine sighed, putting her phone back in her pocket. She didn't understand why her father was freaking out so much. It was four o'clock on a Friday afternoon, and she had told her mother that she was helping her friends with the school paper. One more year, Plumber, she thought, then you're off to Stanford.

Her acceptance letter had come a week ago, and although she had told her parents she had wanted to go there because of stellar academics and what-not, it was really because that was the farthest she could get away from New York and the closed minded people there. As much as she loved Bill and Darcy, if she had to listen to them talk about how the lower class in New York just aren't trying hard enough to get out from the bottom, she was going to smack somebody.

She walked briskly through the lobby, hearing her flats click against the tile floor. She could tell people were looking at her. How could they not look at her? Not only was she standing with a certain air that made people naturally drawn to her. Not only was she looking so proud with herself, but not quite so much that she was arrogant. The others in the apartment building knew exactly who she was, as much as she wanted to change it.

Katherine Pulitzer, daughter of Joseph Pulitzer, New York City's top attorney and Katherine Davis Pulitzer, New York City's top house wife. She tried to get her high school to put her byline, 'Plumber' on the roll call sheet, so teachers and other students wouldn't treat her differently, but to no avail. Everyone else at Union High School simply knew her as "Rich Miss Katherine."

One more year, Plumber, then you're off to Stanford. One more year, and you're outta here. You can make it that long can't you?

No, you probably can't.

As Katherine went to press the elevator button, she heard the sound of something ripping behind her, followed by a fast and constant thumping noise.

"Shit," someone muttered. Katherine turned around. A boy her about her age was frantically picking up a pile of notebooks and loose leaf sheets of paper, his canvas bag ripped at the seams and discarded on the floor.

"Here," Katherine said, kneeling down to help the boy pick up his belongings. "lemme help."

The boy looked at her with wide brown eyes, as if confused by the fact that anyone would want to help him. Katherine met his eyes. She tried to hold back a gasp of shock, but just couldn't.

A large bruise was forming on the boy's left eye, another one on the side of his neck. The boy had tried to cover it up with the ragged scarf he had been wearing, but Katherine could see it clear as day.

"They don't hurt," said the boy quickly. "It was an accident."

Katherine didn't know if she should believe him or not, but she decided not to press him. Seeing the boy relax his tensed shoulders slightly proved to her that she had made the right choice.

She picked up one of the small notebooks that had flown open. Her eyes darted down to the open page, but she quickly looked back up to the boy.

"Ya' can look if ya' want," the boy whispered, picking up the rest of his things.

Katherine looked at the page closer. She realized the notebook paper wasn't lined. It wasn't a notebook. It was a sketch book.

The picture depicted a girl with flowing pencil drawn hair and dark gray shaded eyes. She was wearing a pearl necklace and a dress that seemed to belong in the early 1900s. The drawn girl certainly looked beautiful, but there was this look on her face that almost ruined the picture. Her eyes had none of the childlike sparkle Katherine knew most young girls had. The girl had no dimpled cheeks, no sweet smile. She looked so sad, so forlorn, down right depressed.

"She's beautiful," Katherine breathed, "but why is she so sad?"

The boy shrugged, "Maybe because she's got nothin' to smile about."

When Katherine looked back to the boy in front of her, she noticed that he had the same sorrow in his dark eyes.

She stood up, still holding some of the boy's books, and pressed the elevator. When it dinged a few seconds later, she and the boy slipped into the elevator.

"That's no way to go about life," Katherine watched the boy press the button for floor 19.

"It's the only way I've grown up," the boy replied simply. "What floor?"

"Oh, I'm on the same one," Katherine cut in. She wasn't about to tell the boy that she lived in the penthouse of the building. She could tell the boy didn't believe her, but he stayed silent. The elevator ride was filled with an uncomfortable silence that Katherine wouldn't have. "I'm Katherine, by the way."

"Jack," for the first time, Katherine saw a small smile creep up on the boy's face. "Jack Kelly. You?"

"Katherine… Plumber." She finished lamely, biting her lip, hoping he wouldn't notice her hesitation.

"What's the matter, ain't ya' sure?" Katherine felt a blush rising in her cheeks.

"It's my byline, the name I publish under," The boy raised an eyebrow. "I write for my school paper."

"Cool," The elevator opened. Jack stepped out, Katherine following him to the room 26A. Jack pulled out a key, but before he could put it in the keyhole, the door opened.

"Where have you been?" A man said, glaring at Jack. Katherine watched as whatever feeling of relaxation she had seen in him disappear in a flash.

"Sorry sir," Jack mumbled, taking his books from Katherine. "My bag ripped."

"Well, get inside." Jack nodded to Katherine, sliding into the apartment. The man scowled after before noticing Katherine. "And who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Katherine," she said quickly, "I live a few rooms down."

The man snickered, slamming the door in Katherine's face.

"It was nice to meet you too," She muttered, going back to the elevator and hitting the button to the 30th floor.


A handful of teenagers are thought of as popular. They're known to crave attention, and are careless and don't think about consequences. To truly understand the effect of this seemingly simple social practice, one needs to get opinions from someone at the end of the spectrum of popularity.

Stretching her back, Katherine smiled appreciatively at her work. Twenty minutes, and three drafts later, she had pulled out a decent lead for her article. Just wait until Darcy reads this one! It's sure to make it into the paper this week.

"Katherine?" She looked up from her laptop to hear her mother calling her. "Why is there a sketchbook on the counter with the rest of your homework?"

Sketchbook? It dawned on Katherine what that meant. Whoops.

"I'm coming," She called, going into the living room and picking up Jack's sketchbook.

"May I ask why you have a sketchbook?" Mrs. Pulitzer asked. Katherine was already opening the door when she replied.

"It's a friend's who lives downstairs," Katherine said, making sure her cell phone was in her pocket.

"Which friend?" Mrs. Pulitzer went after her, but Katherine didn't reply.

She pressed the elevator button to level 19, going back to Jack's apartment. Taking a deep breath, she knocked twice, making sure not to be too loud.

"Katherine," Jack opened the door. Katherine stared at him, so scared she lost her voice. "Whaddaya' doin' here?"

If she thought Jack looked bad back in the lobby, he looked downright terrible now. His lip was split open. Another bruise was forming, and a large red mark from what Katherine guess was a smack was screaming on Jack's cheek.

"Oh my god," Katherine whispered. Jack looked away from her. "Jack, did your father-"

"He's not my father," Jack snapped. "And I'm fine."

"No you're not," Katherine bit her lip. "Jack, are you okay?"

"What did ya' want, Katherine?" Jack asked, ignoring everything Katherine had just said.

"I… uh… was coming to return this," She held out the sketchbook for him to take. When Jack reached for the book, Katherine saw red rims around his wrist like the skin was rubbed raw. Choking back another gasp of surprise, she let go of the sketchbook.

"Thanks," Jack murmured. "I'll see you tomorrow in the lobby?"

"It's a date!" Katherine exclaimed, then covered her mouth, "I didn't mean-"

Smirking slightly, Jack began to close the door, "-I know whatcha meant."

"Jack!" The man inside barked from behind the door, making Jack jump. "Come inside!"

Making an apologetic glance in Katherine's direction, Jack slid inside.

"Good bye," She whispered.

When he closed the door, an angry yell came from inside. "What did she want?"

Katherine stopped. She knew she should go back to the elevator, but she pressed her ear against the door.

"It was just Katherine from down the hall," Jack said, his voice so soft Katherine almost couldn't hear it. "She was returning my sketchbook."

"Did you say anything to her?"

"No sir."

"You're lying," Katherine heard a sharp sound and Jack cry out. She stifled back a scream.

"I'm not," Jack's voice was sort of hoarse. "I promise, sir, I didn't say anything to her!"

"You're lying!" Another sharp sound. Another cry in pain.

"Don't, please!" Jack begged, "I didn't do anything, stop it!"

"You little bastard," The man yelled, I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

Katherine heard a scream from inside the room, one that didn't sound like any of the others. She ran to the staircase, dialing her cell phone.

"911, what is your emergency?" Came the static voice on her phone.

"My name is Katherine Pulitzer," Katherine said quickly, running down the staircase. "I'm calling to report a child abuse case."

"Alright, Miss Pulitzer. Can you tell me where you are?"

"There's a man in apartment 26A in Starveling Towers, a seventeen year old boy lives there with him, and I think he is going to be killed."

"Someone will be there soon, Miss."

"Hurry!" Katherine practically screamed into the phone.

The police were already in the lobby when Katherine got down all the flights of stairs. She ran to one of the officers, a woman in a crisp suit jacket.

"I'm the one who called," She said to the woman. "I think he might be dead!"

"You need to calm down, Miss," The woman held Katherine's shoulder. "My team is already up there."

In few minutes later, a group of young people ran past Katherine and the woman, pushing a stretcher with the same boy Katherine had met that day, his chest bleeding.

"Whoever did this is gone," Someone said, but Katherine couldn't register who. She ran after the stretcher, but was held back by the woman in the jacket.

"Jack!" Katherine screamed, sobbing.

The woman took Katherine's hand, "You can ride in the car with me, or stay here. Thank you for the help."

Katherine wiped her eyes, leaving with the woman. She watched in horror as the paramedics lifted Jack in the ambulance, and shut him off.

She climbed into the car next to the woman, who rubbed her shoulder. "You're boyfriend will be okay, Miss, I promise."

Katherine was too terrified to correct her.


*Laughs nervously* Heh heh... Oops... Sorry...?

It may seem weird that Pulitzer is a lawyer right now, but it will make sense soon, don't worry. And Mrs. Pulitzer was actually named Katherine Davis, so that's cool. Anyway, review please and thank you. If you want to see anything come out of my hidey hole of Fanfiction, please let me know!

Newsies forever, second to none!