Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies.

"Alright," Katherine said, the kids gathering around her, "the paper just needs a name."

"Okay, how about this," Race said, raising his arms up and spreading them out dramatically, "The Central Banner."

The room stayed silent for a moment. Albert shrugged. "Well…nobody else has a better idea."

Murmurs of agreement filtered through Davey's room.

"Okay, then it's settled!" Katherine announced happily, picking up the papers on which the article was handwritten—detailing not only the cut to the school paper but also the circumstances of Crutchie's detention and the Delanceys' "good fortune" in getting off.

"We are going to get in so much trouble," Jack smiled at her.

"Pssh," Katherine smiled, "None of our names are gonna be on it."

"Really, Katherine? Who else could it be?"

"Alright," she admitted, "So they'll know it was us. But only one of us has to take the fall, and I'm the one who's going to be typing everything up."

"Katherine, we can't let you do that," Davey said. "It was all of us. It's all our ideas, we're all printing the papers out, and we're going to be circulating them."

"No," she responded firmly. "And you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine."

"You're too stubborn," Jack sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Look who's talking," she grinned.

Race started making retching noises, calling out, "Oh, get a room!"

Everyone laughed. "Well, I guess that's my cue to leave," Katherine said, looking down at her phone. "It's getting late, anyway. My mom will want me home for dinner."

"Let me walk you home?" Jack asked, and Katherine smiled.

"Oh, why not?"

"Ooooo!" the boys hollered, laughing as they headed out the door. Just as they headed out, Jack turned around, glared at each of them, and then slammed the door behind him.

"But we're all thinking it, right?" Romeo piped up once the pair had left. "When are they gonna get together?"

They all arrived early to school the next day, each with at least twenty copies of the paper in their bags. They didn't look nearly as official as usual, but it was the article that really mattered. Katherine had emailed them all a copy, and those who could printed them up at home. For the rest, Jack suggested putting the article on a flashdrive and taking advantage of the school's printer ("Using Pulitzer's own computers against him!" he had so smugly exclaimed).

"Okay, everybody knows the plan, right?" Davey addressed them. "Take the papers to the classrooms, put one on the teacher's desk, and put ten throughout the room. Got it?"

"Got it!"

"Okay, Race, you take A Wing, Specs, you have B Wing, Sniper, take C wing…"

A kid came into Mr. Seitz's third hour later that day, handing him a little white slip of paper and quickly exiting the room. Mr. Seitz frowned at the pass, then called out, "Mr. Jack Kelly?"

Jack groaned. He knew what this was about. Still, he grinned as he made his way to the front of the room. "Got a present for me, Seitz?"

"I wouldn't be making a joke out of this if I were you," Seitz reprimanded. Then, he added with a whisper, "This is a pass to the principal's office."

Jack sighed. "I guess I'll be on my way, then?" he said, taking the pass as Seitz nodded.

Jack turned around, saluting the staring class, who all knew exactly where Jack was going.

"Good luck," Crutchie mouthed.

"Ah, Mr. Kelly," Pulitzer's secretary, Hannah, said as he entered the office. "Haven't seen you in a while. I thought you were keeping yourself out of trouble?"

"I tried for a while," Jack shrugged. "Turns out it just wasn't my style."

She laughed in spite of herself. "Alright then, I think he's pretty eager to see you," she gestured behind herself to Pulitzer's door.

"Wish me luck!" he grinned, opening the door. "Afternoon, Joe!" he exclaimed.

"I wouldn't advise using that tone with me, Mr. Kelly," Mr. Pulitzer admonished.

"Oh, and why not? I thought we were friends!"

"You are as shameless and disrespectful a creature as I remember."

"Oh thank you, sir, no one's ever complimented me like that before."

"Take a seat, Mr. Kelly," Pulitzer sighed.

Jack grinned. That's when he saw that one of the seats was already occupied. "Hey, what do you have her in here for?" he demanded.

"Jack, no—"

"Don't waste your breath on him, darling." Pulitzer told her. Then he turned to Jack. "It looks like you've met my daughter, Katherine?"

To Pulitzer's amusement, Jack turned completely white. He stared on in shock.

"Ah, yes," he smiled. "She's a great writer, isn't she? Despite this—" he picked up his own copy of their article—"little lapse in judgement. But we're done with that now, aren't we, sweetheart?"

"Jack, I wanted to tell you—"

"Oh, don't trouble the boy with your problems, dearest. Mr. Kelly has a plateful of his own. Now get on to class."

"But, Dad—"

"To class, Katherine."

She picked up her book bag reluctantly, shot Jack one last I'm sorry look, then left the room.

They both watched her leave. Jack was still in shock. How could she…

Pulitzer smiled smugly. "Now. To address the situation at hand."

A/N: Hi guys! A new chapter up and it's only been a week! Crazy! I've been waiting to write the plot twist. We all knew it was coming, but I've been eager to write it anyway. And maybe I also wrote it to take my mind off of finals this coming week...but anyway. I hope you enjoyed it! I have big plans for how I'm going to be translating Brooklyn and the other boroughs to this AU. But don't get too excited just in case it's not as good as I think it's gonna be. Okay bye. Also if anyone has any upcoming finals-break a leg!

xoxo Bella