Unscripted (Jack & Crutchie)

Chapter 45 - The Final Two Days.

Criticism spot! :)

** There will be one more chapter after this one that takes place in the future, as I want to give you guys a glimpse as to what their lives end up like in Santa Fe.

Crutchie's POV

When I woke up I was surprised to see Jack already up, smiling at me as I looked at him. I smiled back, taking a deep breath as I continued to stare at him. 

"Has the bell rung?" I asked, my voice scratchy as it usually was in the morning.

"Not yet," he said, his voice also mildly rough.

"Good," I moved closer to him and he began to run his fingers through my hair as usual. "Only one more day," I said, making him smile bigger.

"I have to stop by the theatre tonight to say bye to Medda," he spoke quietly, his smile fading as he spoke.

"You know she's happy for you," I reassured, and he nodded.

"I know. She's just the closest thing I had to a Mom since mine died, so it's hard." He kept his eyes off of me, sighing.

"You gonna write to her?" I asked, and he nodded again, finally looking back at me.

"Of course," he smiled a little, still playing with my hair. The bell rang after a few seconds, causing Jack to get up.

The day continued to same as any other, but as we stood around and talked after getting our papes, I could tell Jack was deep in thought, as he was more quiet than usual. I tapped his arm gently, making him look at me.

"You okay?" I asked quietly, and he weakly smiled, not hiding the fact that he was upset very well.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, turning back to the conversation. Normally I'd let it go, but something in my head told me to keep pushing. I tapped him again, grabbing his attention.

"Send everyone out and we can talk," I said with a kind smile, and he sighed.  He then stood up on the wagon, making everyone look at him.

"Newsies, head out! These papes don't sell themselves!" He yelled, and everyone took off. He then hopped down and we started to walk to our spot, and I could tell he was hoping I'd forget about wanting to talk. Of course, I didn't, so I pulled him aside into a nearby alley.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and he kept looking away from me.

"I'm just getting nervous is all," he mumbled, trying to smile at me again.

"What're you nervous about?" I pushed, making him sigh.

"I've just known this city my entire life. Everything I have ever known is here. I mean, I really, really want to go to Santa Fe. But, I'm still nervous." He looked down as he talked, seeming torn.

"Maybe it's a good thing to feel nervous. It shows that you're moving on with your life. Distancing yourself from your past." I said, still keeping a smile on my face.

"You're good at this," he said with a smirk, making me laugh.

"I learned from the best," I nudged him, and he laughed as well. 

"Let's get selling," he said as we left the alley, already seeming like he was in a better mood.

Selling went great for both of us as we both finished earlier than usual, taking the time to sit in the penthouse and enjoy one another's company. Jack was still in a good mood at first, but as the sun set, I could feel him getting upset again. At around ten he sat up and stopped drawing, sighing and pushing his hair from his face. He looked at me, a weak smile on his face.