Chapter 22

"Sit," Jack ordered Heather.

"Jack-"

"Sit." He used a firmer voice, and she sat on their mattress. Jack hadn't spoken to her all day, not wanting to discuss anything in public. But now, Heather was expecting him to let her have it. He looked like he was collecting his thoughts, then started. "I just...you never...how could you..."

"If I could just-"

"You don't get to talk right now. I'm talking. Just, let me...think...of what ta say." He ran his hand over his face and rubbed his head. "How could you be doin' dat widout tellin' me?"
"Which 'that' are you talking about? David told two secrets."

"I mean de food thing. But don't think you're off de hook for de other thing, we will be gettin' ta dat. But starvin' yourself and throwin' up? Why would'ja ever even think about gettin' inta somethin' like dat?! It's so unhealthy! You could die!"

"I was told my whole life that I wasn't good enough, so you can probably imagine I would start to believe it!"

"That doesn't mean-"

"Do you think I want to do those things? I hated lying to everyone! I hated what I was doing! But it was the only way I felt any better about myself! Don't you understand that I look at myself and all I feel is disgust? I felt, doing "the food thing", like I was finally in control of something I hated!" She could see Jack's eyes get watery at what she was saying. The girl he thought of as his sister was having all these feelings about herself that he had known nothing about. "I want to get better, I do. I just don't know how."

Jack got down in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I will help you. I will help you get betteh. I'm 'ere for whateveh ya need." Heather leaned forward and hugged him around his neck, Jack hugging her back. When they separated, he then said, "Now, about you having sex wid David."

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(The next day)

"David, I think you're being unreasonable," Delilah said to David. He, Delilah and Daisy were all sitting on David's fire escape.

"How am I being unreasonable? She lied to me," he replied.

"She didn't want to lie to you. We've told you this before," Daisy came in. "She didn't want you to think of her badly."
"I would never think badly of her."

"You're doing that now! You never gave her a chance to explain herself!"

"Daisy-"

"No! No, you are in the wrong right now David! You broke up with her because of something she was scared to tell you! And what's worse, you broke up with her and you knew what she was going through. You knew about her eating and you just left her." She stood up. "I just- I gotta go. I'll see you both later." David and Delilah called after her for her to come back, but she walked down the fire escape and walked away.

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She's not my girl anymore, was all that went through Heather's head. It was starting to get light. She hadn't slept at all. All she could think of was David looking her in the eyes and saying, She's not my girl anymore. She felt Jack start to move next to her and knew it was time for work. But she stayed lying down.

"Ya get any sleep?" Jack asked her. She looked over and saw him sitting up.

"Nope. You?"

"I forced myself to get a little. Come on, we gotta get up dere." Reluctantly, Heather dragged herself out of bed, brushed her hair, and got cleaned up. "'Ere." She looked to Jack and he was handing her some bread. She was very hesitant about taking it. "Please Lace. Ya needs ta." She took the bread and broke off a small piece of it. She chewed slowly and swallowed. She put the rest in her pocket.

"I'll eat it. I promise." Jack seemed to believe her, and the two made their way up to the Distribution Center.

At the desk waiting for them was, as ever, Weasel. "So, how did the Prince and Princess sleep?"
"Please just give us our papers," Heather stated.

"'Please give us our papers' who?" He smirked manipulatively.

"Mr. Weisel," she said looking away.

"Good girl." He patted her hand and she ripped it away.

As the two went to walk away, Oscar and Morris came over to them. "Come with us Cowboy. We're gonna go fix your pal Davey. Fix him so he can't walk," Oscar told them. Jack moved towards them, but Heather stopped him. "Your little boyfriend's not the only one you should be worried about, sweetheart," he said to Heather. "Maybe we'll have some fun with your girls. Make them see what they're messing." All Heather could do was glare. She wanted nothing more than to punch Oscar in the face. She probably would've snapped if Morris hadn't dragged him away. The newsies started forward, Heather still gripping Jack's arm.

"You mind loosening your hold on me? I'm starting to lose feeling," Jack told her.

She immediately let go. "Sorry. It's just those two, threatening David and our friends...I mean, I shouldn't think about David. He doesn't care about me anymore.'

"Ya know dat's not true," Jack said back. "He loves ya. He's just in shock about what came out. He'll come to 'is senses."

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Delilah and David kept sitting on David's fire escape in silence for a little while after Daisy had left. Suddenly, Delilah stood up.

"Where are you going?" David asked.

"I'm gonna catch up with Daisy. I don't want her walking the streets alone."

"I'll come with you."

David followed her down the fire escape and they walked in the same direction Daisy left in. As they walked, they talked.
"Daisy is right you know," Delilah told him. "You're really not being fair to Heather. She needs you right now with what she's going through."

"Why are you defending her? She sold us out! She and Jack abandoned us for money!"

"There's no way that's true. Something must be wrong. They would never just leave us in the middle of something so important." David just kept looking forward. Delilah sighed and didn't say anything else.

They heard a crash and ran around the corner. They ran even faster when they saw it had been Les, who had been playing with some of the younger newsies, who was pushed into a pile of baskets and cans. David got to him first.
"What's the matter? Are you alright?" he asked his little brother, concerned.

"I'm alright, I'm alright. Help Daisy!"
"Daisy?" Delilah repeated.

"Get out of here!" they heard Daisy cry out. The two turned their heads and saw Daisy being held against the wall by the Delancey brothers.

"Hey Spunk," Morris called to Delilah. "Why don't you come join us?"

Delilah's eyes narrowed and she ran to Morris and punched him. David was right behind her, and tackled Oscar, and indirectly, sending Daisy to the ground. But she got right up and helped Delilah on Morris. Morris elbowed Delilah in the stomach and twisted Daisy's arm behind her back, making her scream. David, who had been getting beaten by Oscar, tried to get up to help the girls, but as soon as he stood up, Oscar grabbed him and kept his arms behind him.

"Morris! Help me!" Oscar called to his brother. Morris let go of Daisy, pushing her forward so that she fell on to Delilah and they both fell to the ground. Morris took out his brass knuckles and slipped them on, getting ready to really hurt David. But before he could, Jack and Heather came running into the alley. Jack turned Morris around and punched him. Oscar threw David down and went to Heather.

"So, you couldn't get enough of me beautiful?" He smirked at her. Heather took all the anger she was feeling and put it into a punch. She went crazy on him.

"How dare you touch them?! How dare you hurt him?! You cruel, disgusting bastard!" She kept hitting and shoving him, surprising herself with how well she was doing.

Oscar tried to run, but Jack caught him and said, "Remember Crutchy?" He hit him in the head with his own head, and the two brothers quickly ran out of the alley.

But Morris still called out, "You better run you two. We're gonna tell Uncle Weas. You both'll be back in the Refuge before suppertime!"
"Run you lousy cowards! Run!" Oscar called as well. Jack and Heather started after them, but Daisy and Delilah stopped them.

"David!" Heather exclaimed when she saw him still on the ground. She rushed to him and sat next to him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He was looking down, but then looked up at her. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but she knew they didn't have the time. She helped him up and went to stand with the others.

David looked to the two of them and said, "What? You couldn't stay away?"
"Well, I guess we couldn't be something we ain't," Jack answered.

"Scabs?"
"No, smart."

"Was I right?" Delilah asked them. "Was there another reason you went back, or was it really all for the money?"
"Did you guys really think we would sell you out for money? Pulitzer blackmailed us. He threatened you," she looked right at David, then at her friends, "all three of you. He said you would all go to jail if we didn't step away."

"You should've told us!" Daisy said.

"If we 'ad done dat, ya would'a gotten in a lot'a trouble, bad trouble."

"So, you're still with us?" David questioned.

"We never left," Heather told him.

I AM SO SO SO SORRY THAT I HAVENT UPDATED IN FOREVER! I AM DETERMINED TO FINISH THIS STORY AND IT WILL HAPPEN! PLEASE REVIEW!