In Between 'Hattan and Brooklyn || A Sprace Story

Chapter 31 - Forget Crutchie Talks, We Have Davey Talks Now.

- Chapter 31 - "You Are Smart, Race, and even Spot Conlon Would Tell You That." -
Warnings: Slight hate on self, nothing too bad? I think
Third Person POV

Race sat at a table, just staring at the soda in his cup.

He had been celebrating and dancing a bit ago, but he was slightly drained, so he was taking a short break.

Being fun was hard.

Race chuckles to himself as he swirls the water around in his cup.

He felt someone sit down across from him at the table.

Race looks up to find Davey. He raises an eyebrow at him. "Hi?"

"Hi." Davey smiles, setting his cup of water down next to him.

Race looks at it, before rolling his eyes. "You're so boring." He states. "Let yourself drink soda, David Jacobs." He tells him, sliding his cup across the table to Davey.

Davey looks at the cup, biting his lip. "I've never..." he starts, looking back up at Race.

"Not surprised." Race mutters, rolling his eyes. He looks back at Davey. "Drink." He points to his cup.

Davey sighs softly, picking up the cup and taking a sip.

Race saw a look of surprise when he tasted it.

Davey lifts up the cup to look at it. "This is..." he starts slowly, looking skeptical. "Really good..."

Amused, Race chuckles as he leans back in his chair. "We think so too." He comments.

Davey sets the cup back down on the table, looking back at Race. "You sure there's no alcohol in it?" He asks.

Race shoots him a look. "I wouldn't lie to you, Davey." He tells him. "My father was an alcoholic, that's all you need to know. I hate alcohol." He informs him.

Davey frowns. "Sorry." He mutters.

Race shrugs.

"So," Davey starts, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "You like Spot, huh?" He asks.

Race rolls his eyes. "Jack's already starting to affect you." He comments.

"No." Davey shakes his head. "I'd never let that happen." He tells Race. "I love your leader, but he can be an idiot a lot." He comments.

Race chuckles. "Fair point."

"That's my Cupid-reincarnation sister in the back of my head speaking." Davey informs Race.

Race chuckles. "You know, I haven't met Sarah." He states.

Davey looks at him, slightly confused. "You haven't?" He asks.

Race shakes his head. "I've heard wonderful things about her from you, Les... Katherine." He adds with a soft chuckle.

Davey chuckles.

"But no, I haven't met her yet." Race informs Davey, sitting up straight again.

Davey frowns a bit to himself. "That's weird..." he mutters, his eyebrows furrowed. He looks back at Race. "We'll have to change that." He states. "You'd like her." Davey tells him.

Race nods.

"Anyway," Davey starts. "Spot."

"Mhm." Race looks at him. "What about him?" He asks.

"You have a crush on him." Davey states.

Race purses his lips. "Theoretically." He responds slowly.

Davey sighs deeply. "Race, are you trying to sound smart?" He asks him.

"Yes- okay- fine- I have a crush on Spot." Race admits, groaning softly as he bangs his head down on the table in front of him.

Davey was up in a second, standing next to him and checking to see if he was hurt.

Race rolls his eyes. "I'm fine, Mom." He exaggerates the word 'mom'. "I do this a lot."

Davey looked even more concerned. "Race, that's not good for you." He tells him.

"Nothing I do is good for myself, your point?" Race asks, looking up at him and raising an eyebrow.

Davey sighs deeply, sitting down next to him. "Spot wouldn't want you to get hurt." He tells him.

Race's cheeks turned slightly red as he stared at his cup. "Playing the Crush-Guilt Card." He states. "Annoying."

"Is it working?"

"Sadly."

Davey grins to himself. "Seriously though," he starts again. "Spot wouldn't want you to get hurt. No one here does." He tells him.

Race sighs deeply. "Alright, alright." He grumbles. "I got it."

Davey looks at him. "Do you though?" He asks.

Race looks back at him, meeting his eyes. "You're gonna have to hope because I'm done talking about this." He shoots him a sarcastic smile.

Davey sighs deeply. "Wow," he mutters as he stands up. "I can see what Jack means when he rants about your sarcasm." He comments, starting to walk off.

"It's my only personality trait." Race comments, lifting his cup to his mouth so he could take a sip.

Davey blinks, looking back at Race. "That's..." he starts slowly, processing this sentence in a way that would at least make a little sense in his brain. "That's not how that works."

Race shrugs. "I don't usually say stuff that makes logical sense." He comments.

Davey just looks at him. "But you do..." he tells him softly. "You're probably one of the smartest Newsies that I know." He says.

Race looks up at him, seeming to be confused by this statement. "What... what do you mean?" He asks quietly, setting his drink down on the table.

Davey sits down next to him at the table, taking his hands and staring into his blue eyes. "Race..." he starts slowly. "You don't realize that everything you do for these boys- I see how much thought you put into that. I've seen you lead and the choices you make doing that." He tells him. "You have a Math brain and not many people can put it together- and have it actually make sense to them- like you can." Davey says.

Race didn't know if he was hearing this right. "I'm just like any other average Newsie, Dave." He responds. "I can't do stuff like Specs can and I'm stupid- like really stupid." He tells him.

Davey shakes his head. "I disagree and I think anyone else here would tell you differently with that, Racer." He tells him. "You are smart," he stands up. "And even Spot Conlon would tell you that."

Davey walks off, leaving Race to ponder over his words.

Race's mind was confused by what Davey said, but he knew that wasn't true.

I'm not smart, anyone can see that.

1030 Words