Chapter 19

"Dis sucks!" Jack yelled, slamming his fists against the wall of the cell that he and Heather were in. It was the morning after the rally, and the two were about to be brought into court.

"You don't think I know that?" Heather replied. She was sitting in one of the chairs that were in the cell, and her leg was bouncing uncontrollably. "This is my biggest nightmare. Everything's gonna come out, and David's gonna hate me."

"You're not de only one wid stuff ta hide, Lace."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm just..."

"I get it."

"But we have to keep a positive face. For the others. We can't let them see we're scared."

"Your right." They stayed silent until the guards came to get them. They grabbed them both roughly and handcuffed them. They led the "convicts" into the court room and they were met with the rest of the newsies that had gotten arrested (including Daisy and Delilah), along with Denton and David.

"'Ey ya bums!" Jack called out with a grin on his face, keeping it positive. Everyone turned to face them.

"Heather!" David exclaimed, bolting to her. But the guard holding her stopped him from getting to her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Davey," she assured him. "I'm happy you got out though."

"'Ey Cowboy! Nice shinah!" Race called to Jack.

Denton had made his way over to the clerk to pay the newsies' fines.

"'Ey Denton, I guess we made all da papes dis time. So 'ow's my pictuah look?"
"None of the papers covered the rally. Not even the Sun," Denton told him. Murmurs among the newsies started up.

"Not even the Sun?" Daisy spoke up. "But you were-"

"Cases of Jack Kelly and Heather Montgomery," the bailiff started speaking. "Inciting a riot. Assault. Resisting arrest."

"Judge Monahan, I'll speak for these children," a voice came from the back of the room. Everyone turned and saw it was Snyder.

"Oh, just perfect," Heather mumbled.

"You two know each oudda. Ain't dat nice?" Jack said sarcastically.

"Just move it along Warden Snyder," the judge spoke.

Snyder went on. "This boy's real name is Francis Sullivan. His mother's deceased. His father's a convict in the state penitentiary. He's an escapee for the House of Refuge where is original sentence for three months was extended to six months for disruptive behavior."

"Like demandin' we eat da food you steal from us," Jack fought.

Snyder ignored him. "Followed by an additional six months for attempted escape."

"Attempted?" Jack continued to argue. "Last time it wasn't an attempted escape. Remembah Snydah? Remembah me and Teddy Roosevelt? Remember Roosevelt and da carriage?" His voice was starting to rise, so Heather tried to quiet him.

"And in the case of the girl," Snyder went on. "Heather Montgomery's family history is unknown. There are no papers on her past. In fact, according to the state she does not exist. A number of months ago, she was arrested and sent to the Refuge for a sentence of six months for physical assault on a police officer."

"But what about the physical assault he tried to do on me?" Heather spoke up, now raising her own voice. "Cornering me into an alley, trying to touch me and trying to-"

"Therefore, I ask that both be returned to the House of Refuge."

"What? For our own good, right? Move it along? For our own good and what he kicks back ta ya!" Jack exclaimed.

"I ask that the court order their incarceration until the age of twenty-one, in the hope that we may yet guide them to a useful and productive life."

"Cause that's what you really want, right? Us having productive lives, not getting more money from the state. Of course not," Heather added.

"So ordered," the judge ruled, banging his gavel.

"No!" Les cried.

Glaring at Snyder, the two were dragged away. Heather dared herself to look at David and saw he just had a really worried and confused look on his face, and had his eyes locked on her.

After the two were gone, Denton told the newsies that he would meet up with them at Tibby's later. The group made their way over to the restaurant. David was lagging behind the group, and Daisy and Delilah noticed. They went to him and started talking to him.

"You okay?" Daisy asked.

"I just...why didn't she tell me?" David answered with a question. "I mean, she lied to me. She never told me anything about how she was actually in the Refuge."

"She was scared to tell you because she thought you would see her differently," Delilah told him. "Like a street rat instead of your girlfriend."

"That's ridiculous. She knows I never would think of her badly. And also, how can there be no papers on her existence? How is that possible?"

The girls looked to each other, unsure of what to say. They had told the other newsies about them being from another time and they moved on quickly. But they never talked to Heather about if it was okay to tell him. However, they felt like they had no other choice now since it was pretty much out in the open.

"Well," Daisy started, "that's because the three of us, we're not from here."

"This time, we mean," Delilah added.

David furrowed his eyebrows, and looked to both of them. "What do you mean?"

"We're from the year 2015." The girls looked to David and could see that he was thinking hard about what they had just said.

"Dave, you wanna say anything?" Daisy tried to get him to talk.

"H-how?" was all he could say.

"We don't know. We literally just opened a door and here we were." It was silent again. "Do you believe us?"

"Um, yeah I do. I don't see how you could make something up like that." They didn't want to push their luck on David's acceptance, so they didn't talk the rest of the way to Tibby's.

Once they were all inside, the girls joined at one of the tables, and David separated himself from the crowd. Daisy and Delilah could see he still had a lot to think about. Denton walked in about 20 minutes later. All the newsies greeted him happily, but David bolted right to him asking, "Why didn't the Sun print the paper?"

Denton answered very plainly, "Because it never happened."

"Whadda ya mean it nevah 'appened? You was dere!" Race argued.

"It's not in the papers, it never happened," Denton continued. "The owners decreed it not be in the papers, therefore...I came to tell you kids good bye." The already down mood of the newsies dropped even lower.

"What do you mean goodbye? You're leaving us? Just like that?" Delilah exclaimed.

"What happened? Did you get fired or something?" David questioned.

"No, I got reassigned back to my old job as the Sun's ace war correspondent. They want me to leave right away. The owner thinks I should only cover the really important stories," Denton explained.

"So, what? We have one failed rally and suddenly we're not important anymore? Says who?" Daisy said.

"Wish me luck kids. At least half of what I wish for you." Denton looked back over to David and saw he went back to the wall. He walked over to him and added, "They don't always fire you David. I would be black-balled from every paper in the country. I'm a newspaper man. I have to have a paper to write for." He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and tried to give it to him. "This is the story I wrote about the rally. I want you to read it at least."

David didn't turn around, so Daisy went and took the piece of paper. With a sad smile, Denton left. Daisy put her hand on David's shoulder and stayed on him as he went to the end of the long table the newsies were at.

"We get Jack and Heather out of the Refuge tonight. From now on, we trust no one but the newsies."

Reviews are love and sunshine and happiness Also, I'm just really excited so I'm posting this everywhere: but tonight I found out that I got cast as Louisa in The Sound of Music!