Okay, so this wasn't going to be posted today. Actually, I didn't even have anything written or even thought out until a couple of hours ago. But I had to explode to someone who might actually understand, somebody who gets it.
Guys.
I'm going to Newsies again before it closes. I actually convinced my dad to take me back to New York (mostly to look at colleges, but to go to the show too . . .) I have a ticket in my possession right now.
Guys. I just . . .
I AM SO HAPPY!
Anyway, here's the actual story. Excuse my rant. :) Standard disclaimers apply. I own my computer, my ticket, and any mistakes I may have made in my elated daze. Not the show, not the characters, definitely not Corey Cott. That's it.
:D
"Snyder?" Jack asks, his voice equal parts outraged and nervous. "Whaddya mean, Snyder?" He jerks free of the grip tethering him to the square and backs away slowly.
Morris looks at his brother with frustration clear on his face. "Now you've done it," he mutters. "Blown our cover."
Oscar scowls, looking annoyed but not apologetic. His shock at accidentally revealing the information is clearly gone. "Oops," he mutters sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Guess we betrayed some old guy in a prison cell."
"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you," Morris says. "Snyder may not be able to hurt us, but he has other guys who certainly can. If Kelly talks, it's only a matter of time before they get you – and me, too." He shoots his brother a dark look. "You've really done it this time."
Oscar shrugs nonchalantly, but he's fingering something in his pocket – from what Katherine's heard, he never goes anywhere without his brass knuckles. She's just lucky he didn't bring them out earlier. "Guess we just have to stop him from talking." The brothers lock eyes, and then turn their glares to Jack.
"You gonna talk, Kelly?"
Katherine looks at Jack, praying he'll agree to be silent and walk out without a fight, but he's staring at the brothers contemplatively. "I dunno, boys. What's in it for me?" She groans internally, stretching for his hand. She wants to drag him away before any more harm can come to his thin, worn body and mind. But she knows he would resent that thought.
"Jack," she hisses. "Let's go." He waves her away.
"Seriously, guys," he says, shoving his hands deep in his pockets and tilting his head slightly. "The way I see it, the tables have been flipped. If I don't run straight to Snyder, you agree to stop going after me and Katherine here."
The Delancies snort, eyeing each other in disbelief. Jack has to realize how unimpressed they are by his demands. She glances at him, and notes that his hands are now out of his pockets and clenched in fists at his sides. So he realizes he's making them mad.
She wonders if he's trying to.
"We won't say anything," she says, linking her arm through his and practically dragging him away. "We promise." But Morris darts around her and slams the gate closed in her face, effectively trapping them in Newsie Square.
"Wait a second. Ain't you a reporter, Miss Pulitzer?" he asks, his tone anything but friendly.
She nods slowly. "Yes."
"Then what's to stop you from printing something about this in one of your papes?" Oscar comes around to stand beside his brother, clearly following the same train of thought.
"Oh, I wouldn't," Katherine says reassuringly, trying to sound more innocent by adding a non-threatening laugh. But it ends up coming out more wild and nervous, and she can tell neither of them believe her.
"You could get us in a lot of trouble, Miss Pulitzer." Morris snakes out a hand, tugging at a lock of her hair. She tries not to recoil, staring at him straight in the eyes.
"Stop hurting Jack, and you have nothing to worry about," she says confidently, trying to ignore the way Jack tensed up at the Delancies' proximity. His fingers are shaking in hers, and she can't tell if it's from fear or anger. Probably both. She wants nothing more than to get away, for both of them. Until the strike, she'd never been in a situation like this before. Now it's becoming more and more common, and that's beginning to scare her.
Morris laughs unpleasantly. "Who's really hurting him, Miss Pulitzer. Us? Or you? There's no way the two of you could ever–" His condescending monologue is cut off when Jack's fist, the one that Katherine isn't clutching, flies at his face.
"Jack," Katherine says as Morris stops to spit blood onto the ground, but she doesn't get anything else out because Jack grabs her around the waist and flings her back away from the fight. She wants nothing more than to charge in and help Jack, but she knows he's more likely to get hurt if he's worrying about her as well.
For a moment she watches from the sidelines, biting her lip as the three boys take turns ducking and swinging punches. Then Jack takes a hit to the nose, and several more to his already-damaged ribs, and she decides she doesn't care that he wants her safe. She runs forward, using all of her body weight to plow over Morris, who is standing over where Jack is now lying on the ground.
Oscar swings around, the brass knuckles nestled comfortably between his fingers. Katherine jumps to her feet and backs away, almost tripping over Jack. His eyes are closed, and she can feel her heart seize with panic.
And then the other newsboys arrive.
They flood into the square, Race and Romeo literally scaling the gate before Specs, Mush, and Henry manage to force it open. Elmer steps on Morris on his way in, and Finch and Albert have backed Oscar away within seconds. Katherine thinks it's the shock that allows them to overpower the bigger boys – she's never heard a group of the newsies this big remain so silent. Even she didn't notice their arrival.
They aren't quiet now, hollering at each other and bumping fists as they point and laugh at the Delancey brothers, who are several feet back and looking far less inclined to fight now that the reinforcements have arrived.
Romeo makes his way over to Katherine, offering her a hand. For what she isn't sure, though, because she's still on her feet. "You okay, Katherine?" he asks in his high, charismatic voice.
"I think so," she says. She tries to step around him to get to Jack, who is now covering his face with his hands as though the daylight filtering into the square is giving him a headache. Romeo blocks her, his arms crossed since she refused his hand.
"Lucky we came to rescue ya, huh?" He gives her a hopeful smile, standing on tiptoe and raising his face to her. She ruffles his hair and pushes him teasingly away, smiling at the comical way his face falls.
"Lucky we came to scrape this idiot off the pavement," Race mutters, nudging Jack with his toe fondly. He grimaces, pushing himself slowly into a sitting position.
"They was asking for it," he says defensively, wiping blood from his nose with his sleeve. This makes the other newsboys laugh.
"Yup," Specs says sarcastically. "You really showed them."
"The looks on their faces when we came in was worth it," Henry chuckles.
Mush sticks out a hand and Jack takes it, pulling himself upward. He looks around for Katherine, but she makes no move to get closer. In her opinion, the fight certainly wasn't worth it, and she doesn't think he should look so proud of himself despite the way his eyes are beginning to blacken already.
"Whatsa matter, boys?" Romeo calls to the Delancies. He's moved on already, his face split into a wide grin. Katherine can clearly see how overjoyed he is to have a chance to come to the rescue of his hero. "Not so brave now, huh?"
"You'll be lucky if we sell you lot any papes now," Oscar mutters, ducking in the door after his brother and pulling it tightly shut behind him. The newsboys just scoff. The gates are already open, and it's nearly time to begin the day, so they start lining up to get their papers despite the threat. Their relationship with the Delancies certainly is a strange one that defies definition.
Katherine notices Jack looking around, clearly searching for someone among the boys. She glances through the faces as well, but it seems one newsboy is still missing. And she'd been so convinced he'd show up eventually, unharmed and with a perfectly logical explanation as to wear he'd been.
She's just turning back to Jack, about to try to stop the flow of blood coming from his face, when the boys all look up.
"Uh, guys? What's going on?" A high, startled voice echoes through the square from somewhere behind them. Katherine whirls around and smiles.
It's Crutchie.
Crutchie's back! I'm in such a good mood, I decided to play nice and end the suspense. You can thank me by reviewing . . . ? ;) That might also encourage me to post a chapter explaining where he's been quickly.
On a totally different note, is it Oscar or Morris who has the brass knuckles? Or do both of them? I honestly have no idea, so if I switched it, just bear with me. And what do you think of their characterization? I don't really like writing them yet, just because I think they should have totally unique personalities and elaborate tragic backstories or something, and that's not the focus of this so I haven't taken the time to develop it. Maybe I'll write something else later . . .
Anyway, reviews are confidence boosters. :)
Much love
KnightNight7203