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-Chapter 8: Something to Believe in-
-Jack's Penthouse-
-26 March, 1899-
Katherine Point of View
After I receive direction to Jack's hangout spot, I sit there and wait for him. That's when I notice the papers sticking out of the wall. They're Jack's drawings. They are some of the scariest and - I guess I could say - emotional drawings I've ever seen. They're of the places he's been. Including the Newsie House (there's one under a bed, and let me just say, it's terrifying) and the Refuge. That's when Jack shows up. He looks mad, which is understandable. He was just betrayed by his best friend.
"What are you doing?" He exclaims, ripping the pages out of my hands.
"I say them sticking out and was curious. Is that really what the Refuge is like?"
He glares at me for a second.
"Is it different from where you grew up?"
"Jack, I'm trying to help you!"
"Then stop," the look I give him is probably straight out murderous, because he says "go on. Give me your best shot."
I should deck him. Part of me wants to. Instead, I'm pull him to me and kiss him. After a couple of seconds, I push him away.
"Now listen up. I have an idea." I hand him a few papers.
"The Children's Crusade?" He asks. "No way."
"Is it because I'm a girl? Really, Jack. Just because you're the leader doesn't mean you're right about everything."
"But I don't-" he starts to protest
"Now would be a good time to shut up." I warn. He obediently shuts his mouth. "Here's my idea. We get all the kids in the city who are being mistreated by the society and band them together to protest. We have all of New York's Newsies to help us! All we need is a printing press-"
"Either Bill or your father control every printing press in New York. We can't do it without one." Jack interrupts.
"There has to be at least one that isn't controlled by Pulitzer or Herst. Maybe Finnick knows. He's been a newsie longer." I argue. Jack gives me a hard look.
"I ain't talking to Odair. He's a sell out."
"No he isn't. He was given the same deal as you, but he isn't as good as bluffing." Jack looks like he wants to argue some more about how he wasn't bluffing. "Honestly, Jack. I'm not stupid. I know that you didn't speak to Teddy Roosevelt when you stowed away on his carriage. There is no way you're still in touch with him. Now if you aren't going to talk to Finnick, I will." I start to climb down. "Wait!" I look up. "What's going on with this?" Jack motions between the two of us.
"You snuck up on me, Jack Kelly. I never even saw it coming. And now, I have something to believe in. Now that I know you believed in me."
Jack gives me a crooked smile. "We was never meant to meet, and then we meet. Who knows why? You're an angel who came to save, not knowing she gave me something to believe in." He leans forward and kisses me. I'm shocked. Before I can even register what's happening, he pushes away from me.
"If things were different!" He yells, clearly frustrated.
"If you weren't going to Santa Fe!" I yell, just as frustrated. Jack gives me a confused look. "My father is sending you to Santa Fe instead of killing you, because of your bluff."
"Oh. I was thinking more along the lines of if you weren't an heiress. And if your father wasn't after my head." We both laugh
"You aren't really scared of my father,"
"No. But I am pretty scared of you."
I laugh again. "Don't be!"
"If I'm gone tomorrow, what was ours still will be-" Jack states.
"I have something to believe in, now that I know you believed in me." I finish. Jack laughs at the rhyme and scoops me up into a hug.
…..
-Location Unknown-
I finally managed to get Jack to tell me where Finnick likes to hang out. The even bigger challenge, though, was getting him to come with me.
After basically dragging him down the street with him yelling directions at me, we arrive. The apartment building is falling apart. The paint is chipping. The windows are dirty and some are broken. The metal is rusty. I'm about to walk in the door when Jack pulls me back.
"No. Go in through the window." He points upwards and I see one window broken, all the glass has been punched out so now it's just the frame. Jack swings in first and then helps me in.
"Johanna!" He yells once we're in.
"Go away, Jack!" She yells back.
"Come on," Jack walks downstairs. "This is Johanna's house."
"I thought newsies lived in the Newsie House?"
"No. She was stolen off the street. Her parents are still alive and she comes here to visit them."
Stolen from her home! How awful would that be?
"I told you to go away, Jack." Johanna says when she notices us. Johanna is sitting at the table, drinking a glass of water. Finnick is sitting across from her, holding some ice to his forehead. I guess it's from the Refuge. He has a few bandages wrapped around various body parts. He isn't wearing a shirt, which makes me cringe and look away. His torso has it the worst. It's all sorts of beautiful shade of black, blue, purple, and yellow, which your skin should not be. There are several ugly gashes. Some of them covered, some not.
"Finnick-" I breathe. He looks up and smiles at me.
"I'm fine." He says, which he obviously is not.
"Finnick, we need your help," Jack says, "Katherine told me that you aren't actually a sell out and you were just saving your own skin along with all the other newsies, so I guess I should thank you, but I'm not going to. You risked the entire strike for absolutely nothing. He's just bluffing."
Finnick stands up.
"I can't take that chance. I can't stand to lose anyone else. Not after-" he hesitates.
"After what?" Jack asks, his voice suddenly gentler.
"After the Hunger Games."
"The what?"
"I don't come from New York. I come from another country, I don't know where it is. Every ten years, they took the strongest of the kids, twenty four of us, and put us in an arena for three days. If we could survive three days, then you get to go home. But they didn't provide any food. Not even animals. A lot of times, the - tributes, they called us - we would eat each other."
"So you're a reluctant cannibal?" Jack asks.
"No. I didn't eat anyone. I starved for three days. Johanna and Katniss were in those games with me. Katniss would only kill if someone attacked her, but she didn't eat them. She cut off the tip of her left pinky finger and survived off that for three days."
"And I went all out, killing, eating, the works." Johanna grumbles. I'm not disgusted, I'm just scared. Three of my friends were almost killed by cannibals.
"You did what you had to do." I say gently. Finnick nods.
"What do you need my help with?"
"Do you know of a printing press that Pulitzer can't control?"
"There are none," Johanna says.
"Ha ha. You aren't seriously going to make me say this, are you?" Finnick asks, fake laughing
"Yes," I say.
"There is one that Pulitzer wouldn't even think to use. Katherine, can you get us into Pulitzer's basement? You're a reporter, right? You guys are all best friends."
I give him the what is wrong with you look. "Actually, the World hates the Sun, which is what I work for. If I was a normal reporter, the answer would be no. Lucky for you, I'm Pulitzer's daughter, so yes, I can." Johanna and Finnick stare at me. I smile at them and move on. "Tonight, get all of the newsies to stay awake. As soon as I know my father is asleep, I'll come and get a select few, who will be hiding outside the office. I'm thinking you three, Katniss, Davey, Les, and Race. I'll bring some friends to help us print. Race will run and get the other newsies. The rest of us will help print. When they come, we'll pass out the papes. Capeesh?"
Once I'm certain they understand, I give Finnick a hug, avoiding his injuries.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this. And we've all been pretty hard on you." I say.
"It's fine. You couldn't've known. (AN: not sure if couldn't've is a word, but it's definitely something a Newsie would say)
"No, it's not fine," Jack says firmly. I'll talk to Spot Conlon about this and see if we can cut you some slack." Jack walks off. Johanna and I follow, leaving Finnick alone in the apartment.