AN: Sorry about the update gap. I've been grounded. But who needs good grades in Economics anyways?
Alright. On with the story.
Blink
We dragged David out of the school, but we didn't get far. Because waiting right there at the entrance were my two best friends in the whole world, machine guns and all.
They lifted the guns, and we scattered, David following me and Spike and Jack sprinting the other way. And then they opened fire.
Right in front of a school building.
What, were they desperate to have me dead or something?!
"Don't let 'em shoot me! I promise, I won't sleep with anyone's daughter or girlfriend for the next month! Just don't let 'em shoot me, man!" David shrieked, and then he began screaming like a girl as bullets hit the cars around us. I dragged him through the parking lot, staying behind the cars and keeping as much distance as possible between us and those crazy bitches.
A car pulled up next to us, and Spike and Jack yelled for us to get in, and we practically dived in the backseat. By this time, David was swearing to become a nun if we'd just take him home.
I breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled out onto the busy highway, knowing that we could probably lose them here. I turned to David, adjusting my eye patch.
"Would you stop whining and listen ta me?" I demanded, and he finally shut up. I took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say and how to say it. "Look, David…"
"My name's not David!"
"It was! You just don't remember!" I snapped, realizing just how high strung I was. David looked at me wide-eyed, and I could tell he thought I was absolutely insane. I could understand why, too.
"You were a newsie." I said, a little calmer than before.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, looking from me, to Jack, to Spike, and back to me.
"You were a newsie in 1899. You were gonna help us strike, but Pulitzer sent you into da future to stop da strike." Jack suddenly blurted. "You were David Jacobs. You had a little brother named Les and an older sister named Sarah."
No response. David looked absolutely lost. Then, he started giggling.
"You know what? This is a really good joke. I mean, a really good joke. But it's not funny anymore. Who put you up to doing this? Was it Staycie, maybe Alicia?"
"No one put us up ta dis. We're telling da truth." I insisted, but this just made him laugh even harder.
"I don't know how you got those machine guns to look so realistic, but it was great. Really great. Can I go now?"
"You aren't leaving until you remember." Spike added from the driver's seat.
"This really isn't funny."
"No, it's not funny." I said. "Not for any of us. We're not enjoying dis any more than you, believe me."
David looked at each one of us in turn, and then his eyes widened even more, if that's even possible. "You guys are insane. I'm locked in a car with a bunch of nuts who probably think aliens have invaded Earth."
"Actually-"
That start-off by Jack was enough to send David into hysterical screaming and cursing, and I had to curl up against the car door to avoid being smacked or punched. David started to open the car door, but I grabbed him and pulled him back and then reached over him and closed the door.
I was getting very sick of David, very fast. I mean, he hadn't been my favorite as it was, but this was getting ridiculous.
"Calm down!" I yelled, and he slowly stopped struggling and just sat and pouted for a moment. I took this opportunity to lean up against the front seat and talk to Jack.
"What can we do ta make him remember?" I asked.
"I don't know. I remembered from hearing about David."
I leaned back and got David's attention, and then I gestured to Jack. "This is Jack Kelly. Leader of da Manhattan newsies. Don't you remember him?"
David shook his head and just went back to pouting, and I groaned in frustration. This David was as bad as Skittery.
But he had to have a trigger. There had to be something that, if we mentioned it to him, would bring back all those memories. We just had to figure out what that was.
"Hey David." Spike started.
"Darren."
"Yeah. Darren. You're on the school newspaper staff, aren't you?"
David nodded.
"Why is that?"
David looked up and shrugged. "Just for credit."
"But what do you always get in trouble for?"
"I don't get in trouble in that class."
"Yeah, right. What did you get in trouble for last week?"
David looked around at our expectant faces, probably wondering if there was a catch. But eventually, he gave in and answered.
"I exaggerated the headline. So more of the kids would buy it."
"And who taught you how to do that?"
"What does this have to do with anything?"
I smiled. "It's the newsie in you comin' through, Davey. Us newsies, we always exaggerate da headlines ta sell more papes. So dat just proves you're David Jacobs. Not Darren."
"That doesn't prove a thing."
Well, at least we were one step closer- we had him thinking about it, at least. And as Spike pulled into the hotel David was oddly silent, obviously toying with the new revelations in his head.
But it didn't last long. Soon David was back at whining, all the way back to the room.
"When can I go home?"
"You can't."
"But you can't keep me here forever!"
"I most certainly can."
I sat down by the window in the room, looking out at a beautiful view of a brick wall. I was so sick and tired of this that I already wanted to throw in the towel- but I couldn't do that.
San Francisco. Just keep thinkin' of San Francisco, Blink.
"You's gonna make it."
I jumped as Jack sat down next to me, and David looked up with abated interest from his spot on the floor.
"I don't know. It feels like it's takin' forever." I said. Jack smiled.
"Look, Blink…I know you. Maybe not as well as Mush, but I know you pretty damn well. And I know dat dere's no way you're gonna let yourself lose him."
"But he won't remember me, even if I make it!"
"I don't think dere's any way he could've forgotten you. Just take it one day at a time. Seize the Day."
All of a sudden David rocked backward, yelping in surprise and shaking his head as if to clear it. We all looked down at him, confused, until he looked up and spoke.
"You stole my line, Jack!"
Seize the day! That had been it, his trigger! And we had hit it purely by accident!
David and Jack hugged each other tightly, and I joined in on the group hug as Spike looked on with amusement. Then, David's face turned grim and determined.
"Let's go back and kick his ass."
Jack smiled. "Sounds good ta me."
I turned to Spike, choosing my words carefully. "Thanks, man. We couldn't have done it without you."
He grinned. "I know. Glad ta help."
A few seconds later, Jack and David each had a hand on my watch, and with one final choked goodbye, I pressed the button.
I expected them to disappear into thin air.
But I blacked out before I saw a thing.
AN: Yay! Two down, eleven to go. And if you want to put in a suggestion for the next newsie, go ahead. I'll consider it.