Chapter 21

It was a slow, quiet walk to the square. Daisy and Delilah explained to the others what had happened; David was silent. The boys couldn't believe it either. Why hadn't they taken this chance to escape?

When they got to his apartment, David, again, left them without a word. The rest hoped he would be ready to talk tomorrow. The newsies would really need a pep talk.

The next morning, all the newsies arrived at The World gates ready to continue the strike. They were all picketing and yelling, "Stop The World! No more papes!" as a newspaper wagon came through the gates. Fights were also breaking out among the newsies. David and the girls were doing their best to break them up. Not much was working. David couldn't handle it anymore.

He turned to Race and shouted above the noise, "Race! Help me! I need some help!"

"Alright!" Race shouted back. "I ain't deaf!"

"Race, ease off," Daisy told him. "David's just as worried about Heather as you are."

"I know, I know. I'll 'elp." Race went into the crowd to keep the rowdiness down.

Delilah came over to where Daisy and David were. "The stress is getting to everyone," she stated. "Spot's helped me break up multiple fights, even between the 'Hattans."

The two looked to David and they could see him getting more and more stressed and frustrated at what was going on. They knew he was going to explode at some point. Bu he was doing a good job at holding it all in.

Suddenly, he looked over to the side and said, "What's going on over there?" They looked and saw all the newsies gathered in front of the gates. They made their way over and kept hearing the words and names "Jack," "Heather," and "scab." They pushed their way to the front in time to see many newsies restraining Spot as he yelled, "Come 'ere ya doity rotten scabbehs! Ya traitahs!"

There stood Jack and Heather, standing tall, in fancy new clothes and holding newspapers. The girls just stood there in utter shock. They never believed that two of their best friends would sell out ones that were practically family just for money.

"Heather, what's going on? What are you doing?" Delilah called out.

"This is a joke, right? It's gotta be a joke. This can't be real," Daisy added.

David, again, was silent. He made his way down the edge of the crowd, staring at them. Weasel, who was there, noticed him and said, "Aww, you wanna talk to them? Come on, come on, sure. Go right ahead."

David made his way to the two, trying to not pay attention to Heather and going right up to Jack. "So, this is why you didn't escape last night. You're a liar! You lied about everything! You lied about your father being out west because he's not out west! You didn't even tell me your real name!"

Very plainly, Jack replied, "So? Whadda ya wanna do about it Dave?"

"I don't understand you."

"He didn't have a choice about lying to you David!" Heather put in. "It was to protect himself!"

"It's not like you didn't lie too Heather!" David came back. "You kept everything from me! I had 100% of my trust in you, and you couldn't trust me even after we...after we..." He stopped himself before he went on.

"Aftah you two what?" Jack asked suspiciously. There was an awkward pause. Jack looked to Heather who just was looking down, and to David who was looking right at Heather. Jack put it together and took a couple "protective big brother" steps towards David, but Heather stopped him.

David ignored him and focused on Heather, "Even after that you felt like you couldn't tell me anything?! Like where you're from?! Daisy and Delilah had to fill me in on that! And how you were actually in the Refuge, when you said Snyder was after you to get you in for the first time! And even before any of that, we weren't good enough friends to tell me about how you starve yourself and make yourself throw up?!" It went silent. Heather's head snapped up, and she could feel every eye on her.

"You what?" Daisy questioned.

"Lace?" Jack said, not believing what he had just heard.

Heather was tensing her jaw, trying not to cry at her secret being revealed like that, and staring straight at David. She could tell from his facial expression that he was sorry for saying it, but he wasn't going to express it vocally.

"Dis just proves why we did what we did," Jack started talking again. "Lace and me, we got nobody tuckin' us in at night, like you. It's just us, and we gotta watch out for ourselves and each oudda. Which I guess I ain't as good at as I thought."

"You had the newsies," David said, now looking at Jack.

"What'd bein; a newsie evah give me but a dime a day and few black eyes? We can't afford ta be kids no more, Dave. For da foist time since Lace and I can remembah we gots money in our pockets, real money. Money, you understand. Dere're more on da way and as soon as I collect, I'm gone, I'm away."

"Well that's good! That's good because we don't need you! We don't need you! All those words you said, those were mine."

"Yeah, but you nevah 'ad da guts ta put 'em across yaself, didja?"

"I do now." He gave Heather another look, then walked back to the newsies, joining Daisy and Delilah.

"You're just gonna leave your girl like that?" Delilah asked him.

David looked over his shoulder to Heather, who was looking at him as well. Not moving his gaze, he stated plainly, "She's not my girl anymore." He then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

That hit Heather like a punch in the stomach. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore and they slid down her face.

Weasel and some of the guards kept the rioting newsies away from the two "scabs" as they left the gates. Jack and Heather could hear the newsies yelling things at them as they walked away.

I know! I know! I've been bad in updating! But I promise that I will finish the story!