Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Newsies, not LOVE. NOTHING!

Title: Violence Recovery

Author: Buttons14

Genre: Drama

Rating: M (subject to change)

Happy Birthday Revolution
I'm standing here
Watching the world
Fall apart—The Levellers; Happy Birthday Revolution

Chapter 17—Happy Birthday

In the morning there were streamers hanging in the staircase. Aurora was running around the house, tossing confetti with one hand, the other lingering behind, as if she was dragging Jules along with her.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Aurora stopped and faced me, looking straight into my eyes. Something played through her eyes, a flicker of something mischievous; as if she was in on a secret that no one knew but her. "It's Sapphy's birthday. She's eighteen." Aurora held up eight fingers. Then she threw confetti in the air so that it got stuck in my hair.

Aurora ran away and down to the basement where Medda and Denton were busy making Sapphy's favourite breakfast. Sapphy was sitting at the table and someone had tied a bunch of balloons to her chair. They kept knocking her in the head, but Sapphy just laughed and pushed them back.

"Happy eighteenth Sapphy," I said, sitting down at the table.

She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Thanks Spot."

0o0o0o0

At dinner that night we had little 'party' for Sapphy. She was smiling. Her vibrant eyes were moist and there was confetti hanging in her hair. Her glasses were resting on her head, holding her hair off of her face. The lenses were glinting in the light. She was wearing a cotton dress. It was long and blue, like her eyes. Racetrack was sitting next to her at the table. The kept sneaking looks at each other. No one noticed except for me.

And Denton. Once I saw him looking. He smiled sadly.

We had cake and sang Sapphy Happy Birthday. Everyone, that is, except for Autumn, who had come out of her room but was sitting moodily at the table. However, Aurora sang for two, her voice echoed by a second line. Both from her mouth, but the second one higher.

With a long kitchen knife Sapphy cut smoothly through the surface of the cake, turning the '18' into a '1' and an '8'. With Denton's help, she scooped a large piece of vanilla cake onto each of our plates. While we ate Sapphy opened the small presents that we have managed to scrounge up. Mine was a large piece of paper, filled with pictures of everyone (which I put together earlier that day). In the middle was her flashing a peace sign. Denton an Medda gave her a stack of CDs from Broadway shows, including Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods and Wicked. Sapphy smiled a lot.

"Thanks everyone," she said, looking around the table.

Crutchy was wearing his party hat to the side so that when he turned around he hit people in the head. Again we all wished her a happy birthday.

"I think Sapphy would like to tell you all something," said Denton. He looked to Sapphy who appeared worried. She cleared her throat.

"This whole birthday thing, it's really great. I'm so, so happy that you all care enough to get me stuff. And you sang for me. And everyone's having a great time. I love VRCT. For the last few years it has been my home and I've loved it. Everything has always felt safe here."

We were all beginning to look confused. Denton smiled comfortingly.

"But sometimes you have to do what you don't want think is safe because you have to live. After a while you have to leave your sanctuary and venture into the unknown, otherwise…" she sniffed and I realized that she was crying "…otherwise you'll never grow up."

No one was smiling anymore. We all looked confused or worried. Ele spoke first. "Do you mean…you mean you're leaving us?"

Racetrack looked angry. Sapphy didn't answer.

Racetrack stood up roughly, knocking over his chair in the process, and stormed out of the room. Sapphy made a motion as if to call to him, but closed her mouth and looked at her lap. Boots got up and chased after Racetrack while Charley and Andra began to clean the table.

The confetti in Sapphy's hair didn't look carefree and festive anymore.

Tears ran from her blue, blue eyes, over her chin, and down her neck. She hadn't eaten her cake.

0o0o0o0

Racetrack was sitting outside in the backyard. Even after much coaxing from Boots and Denton he refused to come inside. It was cold outside and I watched him for awhile from the bathroom window. He was pacing at first and drinking sneaking sips out of a bottle. I put on my shoes and got my jacket from the front hall closet. It was cold outside when I opened the door and joined him.

"Absence," said Racetrack drunkenly upon seeing me, "makes the heart grow fonder."

He laughed crookedly, in a tone that chilled my bones.

"Race?" I asked. "Are you OK?"

He didn't answer. The light of a car passing behind the house hit him. It illuminated the tears that fell down his face, making his cheekbones a silvery-white.

"Race," I tried calmly, "let's get you inside, OK?"

Again he didn't answer me.

The yard was cold and Christmas lights glitter from rooftops. There was a thin frosting of snow on the walls and the ground shimmered with moisture.

I tried to grab Racetrack's arm. He shook me off and turned away.

"Don't you ever feel alone?" he asked, clear and precise, without a quaver, without slurring. This time I didn't answer. He took no heed. "At Christmas, do you miss your family? What about your brother?"

The cold ripped at my cheeks and my eyes filled with tears. With more force this time: "Race, let's get inside."

"Who did you used to spend the holidays with? Friends? Did you have a lot of friends Spot?"

No.

"No."

Racetrack looked up. "Really? Mr. High-and-Mighty. Prancing in here like we should be fixed. Like it's our fault we're not over it. Autumn told me she saw you talking to Charley, even though Charley won't talk to anyone."

I swallowed. "Race, let's get—"

"It's not that easy Simon," he hissed mockingly. "It's not as easy as you think. I can still feel the belt hitting my back, and you expect me to be just over it?"

"Racetrack, I—" the world spun, "I never said that."

He was smiling now; a lopsided, misshapen smile, filled with malice and malevolence. "No, but you thought it, admit it."

"No, Race, let's get in—"

I reached for his arm. He shook me off roughly.

"Don't tell me what to do," he spat. "My old man never had a drinking problem, y'know? I just think he liked hearing me scream."

My stomach churned. "Race, I'm really sorry, but really, we should—"

His fist collided with my nose. My eyes watered and something warm and thick ran over my lip. I licked it off. Salty. My own blood.

Racetrack squirmed like a child in a schoolyard fight. He punched blindly and kicked roughly, the whole time determined and hot-headed. I tried to push him off but his beating fists and flailing limbs were pressing me against the wall. His hand flew back, covered in my blood. His elbow collided with my neck, making me choke and sputter.

The door to the backyard opened, presenting a hazy silhouette. My eyes rolled back and my knees hit the pavement.

End Chapter

((OK, OK, I think I deserve some credit. This is my second update in two days. (pauses for cheers…none come) Fine, I see that everyone is mad at me. Please forgive me. Or, if you really are mad, tell me so in a review. It's that button down there, at the bottom of your screen. C'mon now, gimme a piece of your mind! Chew the heck out of me!))

((Oh yeah, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I will definitely try to respond to the next set of reviews properly.))