It starts out with the court the same day as the last chapter, and then goes on to the next day. This is ... the chapter before it gets really angsty. Enjoy! :)
"All rise. Court is now in session!"
Race thinks that, if asked, every single person in the room would agree with him if he said that there is not a single person in this room who wants to be here. No one, absolutely no one, wants to be here right now.
He and Spot (who is once again without his cap), the newsies in charge since Jack and David are nowhere to be seen, stand in the front. One of Race's hands is in a fist. The other is enclosed in Spot's soft tender reassuring hand.
"Are any of you represented by council?" the judge (whose name Race already forgot--it really wasn't important enough for his brain to classify as something to remember) asks them all, looking down at them.
Race has no clue what kind of answer he's expecting. Isn't that kind of rhetorical?
Of course, when looking amongst themselves, the newsies are all thinking the same thing.
"Good, this should move things along quite easily," the judge remarks.
"Your honor, I object," Spot speaks out.
The judge raises an eyebrow. "On what grounds?"
"On the grounds of Brooklyn, your honor," Spot answers.
Everyone starts laughing.
Race doubles over laughing. That might have been one of the funniest things he ever heard.
Seeing Race laugh so much makes Spot happy too. Maybe they can get through this, after all.
But the judge is not amused. "I fine you all five dollars, or two weeks confinement in the house of Refuge."
Now that's not fair.
"Five dollars?" Race repeats. "Your honor, we ain't got five bucks. We barely even have five cents." He pauses. Then he looks up and smirks. "How 'bout I roll for it, double or nothing?"
That gets everyone laughing again.
Whoever thought that newsies would take something seriously wasn't thinking right.
Before anyone can say or do anything else, Jack is led in. They all crowd on their side of the half-wall.
"Jack!" "It's Jack!" they all shout.
"Hiya fellas," Jack pulls together a grin.
"Hey Cowboy! Nice shiner!" Race shouts, getting more people to chuckle, and sticks his tongue out.
Spot smiles at him. Even in a place this full of stress he hasn't lost his sense of humor.
Jack is glad to see that Race can handle this as well.
Then, Denton and David and Les come in. Everyone's glad to see them.
"I'll pay the fines," Denton announces, surprising them all. "All of them."
And for that all of them will be eternally grateful.
Seeing as that's settled, the judge stops paying attention to them.
Luckily, someone else is going to pay attention to them.
Denton walks over to them. They get instantly serious. Anything that Denton is going to say has to be important.
YOU ARE READING
I'll Always Look Out For You
Fanfiction15 years before the legendary newsies strike of 1899, a child was born. When he is 18 months old, he is brought to the Manhattan Newsies Lodging House. In time, he would be known as Racetrack Higgins. This is his story. This is the story of the news...
