A/N: Modern AU
"Who thinks we should prank Jack?
The Newsies (as the group was known as in their school) looked at their fellow brother/friend Racetrack Higgins like he'd grown two heads.
"Prank Jack? Have you lost it?" Mush asked, pushing Race's head down as he walked passed.
Race sat back up and said, "C'mon! It's the middle of July, we're all bored out of our minds, and Jack won't be back until later tonight."
It was true. The group was so bored they started a game of who could annoy each other the most. Plus, Jack was out on a date with Katherine at the moment he wouldn't be back until later that day.
"It's better than annoying the daylights out of each other! We'll all go nuts if we stay inside any longer!" Race encouraged, standing from his spot on the couch that had cotton coming out of it.
They all lived in the old warehouse-turned-lodging-house and the heat of the July afternoon was starting to go to their heads.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm in!" Les said, jumping up. "No, you're not!" Davey said, pulling his kid brother back down by the shirt collar.
"Come on Davey! Let the kid live a little!" Race said and Les jumped back up and ran over to Race before Davey could grab him again.
"I'm in too!" Romeo shouted, jumping up and running over. He basically did anything Race did so that was a bit expected by the group.
"You all have a death wish," Davey muttered. "I'm with Davey on this one guys, I'm out," Crutchie said.
He limped over to Davey, who was heading to the kitchen.
"What about the rest of you?" Race asked, eyeing his band of brothers.
"I'm in!" Specs shouted, jumping up.
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
All of the boys joined into the group and soon, they were plotting their prank.
The boys very well could have had a death wish, or they may have just been highly bored with the 99 degree heat heading to their heads. We may never know.
"So what prank are we going to do?" Henry asked as the group huddled into a semi-lopsided-sort-of-circle.
After two hours of arguing, disagreeing, planning, and ideas thrown all over the place, they finally had it all planned out.
Jack walked into the Lodging House, holding Katherine's hand. He was planning on introducing her to the boys tonight.
Even though she knew a little less than half from school, he wanted her to know his whole family. He was hoping this would go perfectly, but with his band of brothers, you could never tell.
"Boys?" he called, closing the door behind Katherine as the two walked in.
He was greeted with a crash from upstairs. In his room.
It took Jack a second to realize the crash had come from his room, but when he did, he said, "Stay here, I'll be right back." Katherine nodded with a small, amused smile and he ran upstairs shouting, "You imbeciles better not be breaking anything!
He opened the door to his room and before he could comment on the mess, a whip cream can came flying out of nowhere and Jack just barely dodged it.
The boys all stared at Jack in shock, because they hadn't heard him coming running upstairs.
"What are you-?!" he started, walking in. "No, don't!" Les shouted but it was too late.
Jack set off the trip wire, which made something start clicking and before anyone had a chance to do or say anything, a giant whip cream ball came flying out of nowhere and smacked Jack right in the face.
Jack stayed still, from either shock or anger Race wasn't sure. Maybe it was both. . . .
Jack tried to walk forward again, but this time slipped in whatever liquid stuff had been planted on the floor.
The boys winced when Jack hit the floor and rushed over to see if he was ok.
"What. Did. You. Think. You. Were. Doing," Jack asked with eerily calmness.
"It was Race's idea!" the boys shouted, pointing to said prankster. He shot them a look before helping Jack up.
Thinking he was mad, he started to apologize, but to his complete surprise, Jack actually smiled through the whip cream and said, "It's on, Racetrack Higgins."