Okay so this little piece of writing came to me when I was waving to my sister as my parents drove her off to college. I have to admit it was a very sad moment for me even though I am going to be studying in the same town as she is. Well despite the fact that I will see her regularly, and we live close enough to help if the other one needs it, I still cried my eyes out. Anyway. The usual order applies: I own the plot and that's it and review pls.
All Grown up.
Davey Jacobs sat down at the small table in his apartment, his and Crutchie's apartment actually. Who would have thought he would end up sharing a small two bedroom apartment and a work space with the crippled boy. It had been a welcome surprise when he had started at the Sun and Crutchie had been there to greet him. The younger boy made a good Journalist. Not long after that the two of them had decided to share the expenses of living in New York and renting one apartment.
That was just it. Everyone was all grown up. Even Romeo had moved on, he was now married to a sweet girl and he was working in the same factory as Race. Elmer, Finch and JoJo had joined the police force. Specs, Sniper and Mush now worked at Medda's place. Albert and Buttons were sailors. Jack had gone on to Santa Fe and Katherine had gone with him. They had lost touch with some of the boys after they left but that was part of being a newsie so it was really no surprise but the real big surprise had been when Spot announced he had married a former newsgirl at the last reunion on the anniversary of the strike and it had turned out to be Smalls, the two of them had done real good for themselves by using their savings, and maybe borrowing a bit, to buy Jacobi's when the old man had decided that he was too old to keep working there.
He was happy for all of them. They had all moved past their harsh lives on the streets and they were really doing well for themselves. The hardest one to get his head around though was Les. His little brother had grown up to be a good man. The only thing that bothered him about Les growing up was that he wanted to go and work for the Tribune. Les had always wanted to be a newspaper man like Denton since the strike. The only bad thing was that he didn't want to work for the same paper as his older brother. Dave understood it, it was just hard. He had gotten so used to seeing Les everyday on his way to work since Les sold about a block down from the Sun's office but now his little brother wouldn't be there any more.
"What's eatin' ya Davey?" Crutchie asked breaking into his brooding mood.
"Les got a job at the Tribune." He replied with a slight grimace.
"It ain't so bad. He's gonna do real good for hisself there." The crippled man replied sitting down next to him.
"I know. It's just that I won't see him everyday like I used to. Even after we moved in here I always saw him in my way to work. Now I won't get to see how he's doing at all." The Walking Mouth complained.
"Do you regret takin' him with ya to the distribution office the day you became a Newsie?" Crutchy asked looking at him with a small smile.
"No, I was uncomfortable about it at first but then I realized that I was being silly." He replied slightly offended.
"What about when he got hurt when Snyder showed up with the bulls the day I got locked up?" Crutchie asked still looking directly at him.
"A little, I was furious that he had gotten hurt but he talked me into finding Jack and keeping up with the strike." He replied beginning to feel a little uncomfortable under Crutchie's gaze.
"What about when we won the strike?" His crippled friend pressed again.
"I was proud of him for making me stay. He never lost faith in Jack and he always said we were going to win and you were going to get out." He replied
"How about when you got a job at the Sun and he went on selling and even started selling more papes than Jack?" Crutchie had his usual optimistic grin on his face.
"I was proud and I couldn't wait to see him in the mornings." He admitted smiling at the memories.
"And when he became leader of the Newsies?" Crutchie asked leaning back in his seat a little.
"I couldn't believe it. He was only thirteen but he was a really good leader. Not Even Jack could do that good of a job." He replied with pride evident in his eyes.
"How about when Les told you he got a job as a writer for the Tribune?" Crutchie asked and he grimaced slightly.
"I was still proud of him but I am going to miss seeing him every day." He admitted.
After a moment he could feel his eyes widen just as much as Crutchie's grin. He was proud of Les for getting a job at the Tribune. Sure he wouldn't see him everyday but they both still lived in New York. They would see each other often enough. He knew he had been stupid to be upset about Les turning down the job offer from the Sun. Les was the brave one, the one who never flinched when it came to being a newsie. Les was his little brother and more than capable of looking after himself, thanks to the Newsies.
"Thanks Crutchie. I'm glad you were here to make me see that I was being silly." He said looking up at his friend only to find an empty seat.
"Come one, we're meeting Les at Jacobi's!" Crutchie shouted from the doorway and Dave got up to follow with a grin of his own.