So this story still isn't particularly happy, but it will be, hold on to the end and you will be rewarded! For the time being embrace the cute brotherly moments in between the chaos. Hope you enjoy and please review, praise and critique is both helpful and uplifting! Again, I do not own Newsies as I am a poor college student.
"Quiet down boys!" Crutchie tried his best to be heard over the newsboys incredibly loud morning routine.
"Who. Took. My. Cigar."
"Race, we'se never cared who took ya cigar and we'se never will."
"Romeo get outta bed! You'se gonna be late again."
"But Specs, I'se havin' the most wonderful dream about this tall blonde I met and…"
"…and ya won't meet another unless ya get up!"
"Guys, I'se serious, be quiet! Jackie has an announcement!"
"Oh fine gentlemen, da king is speakin', let us all fall on our knees in tribute!"
Jack shot Race a look that could freeze a lake in the middle of July.
"I'se just…Jack I didn't…I…uh…what was that big announcement you'se had fer us?"
"Well I guess if you'se all want to listen now," Jack couldn't pretend to be upset for long, he was too excited to get mad at the boys. "I'se just gonna tell ya that pretty soon you alls are gonna need to dress up in your finest clothes and go down to the church."
Crutchie snickered.
The boys looked at one another, making sure they all heard the same thing. Buttons spoke up, "Jack…uh…no disrespect or anythin' but…what if we'se don't want to?" The boys all mermaid in agreement.
"That's a shame, Katherine will be disappointed…but oh well, guess it's just gonna be you and me at my weddin' Crutch…"
"Wait." Buttons looked up.
"You ain't sayin'," Specs couldn't believe it.
"Jackie's gettin' married!" Race cried, leading the charge of newsies rushing to mob their newly engaged leader.
Davey and Les walked in to see a pile of newsboys and Crutchie laughing on the side.
"What is going on in here! We're gonna be late if we don't leave right now!" Davey moaned as Les ran to jump on the pile.
Crutchie grinned sympathetically, "Davey I thinks you can spare a little grace for our husband to be."
"Wait, what, you mean Jack and Katherine are? No way!"
Now Davey was on top of the pile as well and Crutchie couldn't help but be overwhelmed with joy at the sight of all his brothers' happiness. Davey did have a point though, the boys really couldn't afford to go a day without pay. "Boys," he tried to make himself heard over the laughter, "Boys we'se got to get outta here to get our papes! Come on guys…"
"Boys! Boys!" Jack's cries finally were able to quiet the newsies down slightly. "Crutchie's right, we'se gonna have plenty of time to celebrate tonight, but we still got's papes to sell."
A collective grumbling of approval arose from the lodging house as the boys threw on their shoes and headed out for another days work.
"I'se tellin' ya Crutch, we'se gonna have us a huge house, with more rooms than we could ever know what's to do with!"
"Jack, when's the last time ya saw a big house in New York, tiny apartments is kinda all we'se got."
"Yea well any tiny apartment'll feel like a home as long as it's got Katherine in it. I'se can't believe it's really happenin' Crutch, I got's me a girl and she's smart and beautiful and wonderful and caring and…everythin' Crutchie, she's everythin' and she want's to spend her whole life with me!"
Crutchie watched as joy danced in Jack's eyes while he took another bite out of his bagel. Jack loved bagels but was always to cheap to buy one so Crutchie decided he would treat them both to lunch to celebrate Jack's engagement.
"Also, this bagel's amazing and you'se the best friend a guy could ever want," Jack mumbled, crumbs spilling out of his mouth which was still quite full of bagel.
"You'se didn't think I'd take you to no dump did ya? Only the best for my brother!"
"You treat me too well Crutch! Oh boy, would ya look at those gents across the street, they'se look like they'se itchin' to buy some papes!"
"Shove the rest of that bagel in ya mouth then slowpoke we'se got papes burnin' holes in our pockets!"
They Stopped the World, but what Changed?
The newsies strike of a year ago was one that captured the hearts of the people of New York City, but where has it gotten them? Quite a ways in fact. The terms negotiated between publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer and strike leader Jack Kelly have not only resulted in better living conditions for the newsboys but have in fact increased profits for papers across the city. The ability for the newsboys to sell back unsold papers to the publishers has given them the ability the buy and sell more papers knowing they will not be forced to absorb the lost profits if they cannot be sold. Said Kelly, "It was really a win for everyone involved, and my boys are taken care of and that's what matters to me."
Katherine sat back from the typewriter. She couldn't believe how much had changed in the year since she first typed an article about the newsies at this same chair. Her job, her family, her friends, all of it had been turned upside down. And most of all there was Jack. The boy she had hated, now she was getting ready to become his wife.
"You won't be able to marry anyone if you don't focus on your work," she thought to herself. As she leaned forward to resume typing she heard the back window slide open and the color drained from her face.
"Why do you look so surprised to see me? I'se wouldn't want to miss a night with my favorite little lady…"
"Oscar please when will you just…"
"Shh, shh, shh, you don't need to talk, just come over here and give me a nice kiss."
Jack was nearly skipping on his way to Katherine's. He hadn't told her he was coming and he didn't have anything planned, he just wanted to sit and talk to Katherine for part of the evening, maybe even all of the evening, he didn't care as long as he was with her. It still hadn't sunk in that he was actually getting married, she was too good for him. It felt like a dream, and he prayed that no one would ever wake him up from it.
He walked up the steps to knock on her door but as he was about to knock he heard something coming from the inside.
It sounded like…
It couldn't be…
Jack opened the door and his dream ended.
Laying on the couch were who he thought was the love of his life and one of his worst enemies wrapped around each other.
"Katherine what the hell is this!?"
Katherine lept up from the couch and ran to Jack but he pushed away her embrace. "Jack, please I can explain…"
"Explain what Katherine? There ain't anything to explain, 'cept that we been seein' each other for the past year," Oscar replied innocently.
"The past year?! So you'se just been playin' me this entire time! Makin' me think I was worth somethin', that someone like you could actually love somebody as shitty as me, it was all a joke to you! I see I'se the fool here but I ain't gonna be the fool no more." Jack grabbed Katherine's hand and ripped the ring off her finger, angry tears staining his face. "Goodbye Katherine."
"Please Jack wait! You don't understand!"
"What don't I'se understand?" Tears flowed freely down Jack's face now. "That I'se stupid enough to think I actually mattered to somebody, that somebody thought I'se special enough to spend the rest of their life with me? Or that I'se stupid enough to think you was somethin' special? Goodbye Katherine."
"No Jack, please! No!"
But Jack was gone. He threw the ring to the ground and took off. Tears staining the pavement behind as he ran.