His Thing

Chapter 14

I don't think this is sad. It might actually be a little happier than last chapter (again, sorry for making you sad if you got sad. In my defense, I did foreshadow it, not that that's an excuse—but I guess that's what "In my defense" would mean).

Today will also probably be a double update bc this is pretty short.

Enjoy!

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"Have you guys seen Specs?" Romeo's  asked the Monday school started that week, a confused and worried look on his face. "He just ain't been around much, and I's worried."

"He's probably at home sick", Race brushed it off, shouldering his school bag. "He's fine."

"But what if he ain't? He's never not told me when he ain't gonna be at school, and I just—"

"Look, man, he's probably at home", Mush sighs, shaking his head. "Just move on."

Tension was high between the Newsies. With two of their own gone and one who was also MIA, there wasn't much to laugh about. They didn't care that everyone at school saw them walking sadly as well.

"Hey, boys", Davey called, a smile on his face. He held his notebook in his hands, eager to write down ideas through out the day. "What's shakin'?"

Everyone grumbled a response, much to Davey's surprise. "Okay."

"Hey, fellas", Jack sighed, smiling softly when he saw Davey. "Hi, love", he whispered, making sure no one heard them.

Davey saw a look of anger on Romeo's face, but wasn't deeply concerned. "Hello. How are you?"

"Livin' as best I can", Jack answered, wishing he could hold Davey's hand. "Just tryin' to figure out what's wrong with the world and live in it."

Davey hummed. "Well, I had this idea."

"You know I love the way your mind works, so what?"

Davey giggled, making sure his blush wasn't too obvious. "A rally?"

"We ain't exactly papershakers, Dave."

"No, not- for the Newsies, the ones everywhere", Davey clarified, his smile never faltering. "I was thinking we could use some help with finding the boys, and I wanted to know if you would be okay with getting other Burroughs involved so they could look for their boys, too."

Jack nodded, opening the door to the school for his boyfriend. "You think it could work?"

"I know it could", Davey says confidently, a smile still on his face. "We still have to ask Medda and the other leaders, and I'm still trying to see if I can get Sarah and Katherine involved, but—"

"Don't worry about it", Jack cuts him off, a small smile on his lips. "I'll ask Katherine and your sister then we can ask Medda before we head out to the Burrough meetin' tonight."

Davey nodded, excitement flowing through his veins. This is going to work. A way to get everyone on the same page. They can work out ways to save the boys and take down this Snyder guy once and for all.

It's epic. "Okay. So I'm going to the theater today?"

"You bet, daddio", Jack joked, staring into Davey's eyes. He looked around, making sure no one was in the halls, before pecking Davey's lips, leaving the shorter boy standing there in shock.

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Jack walked into the cafeteria earlier than usual that day, finding Katherine and Sarah talking about who knows what. Without the permission of anyone, he pulled a chair out and sat down. "Hi."

The two girls looked at him with confusion. "Hello", Sarah says carefully, squinting her eyes.

"Now, I know you two ain't too fond of me", Jack sighs, his voice just as serious as his face. "But I got somethin' to ask of you."

Sarah sighed annoyedly as Katherine listened to his words. Jack licked his lips out of nerves. "Me and Davey came up with the idea of holdin' a rally for our- my boys."

Sarah and Katherine glanced at each other, remembering the conversation they had just a few nights before. "Okay?"

"Some of my friends have been thrown in jail for simply walkin' around", Jack pressed, his voice low and hushed. He didn't want to risk this being the next big story in the school paper. I probably chose the two worst people to talk to, then. "I need to get 'em out."

"And why does that concern us?" Jack looked at Sarah, sighing at her defiance. "We don't know your friends, and frankly, I don't care about them."

Jack glanced at Katherine, deciding to ignore Sarah. "I don't want this in the pape neither. Don't nobody need the whole school gettin' involved because that means the teachers get involved and—"

"The Delanceys", Katherine finished, catching what Jack was putting down. "You think they have something to do with it."

"It's lookin' that way", Jack shrugged, glancing in their direction. The two brothers sat with scowls on their faces, Oscar's more prominent than Morris'. Everyone sat away from them out of fear of eating a knuckle sandwich, and no one at their table seemed to be very hungry. "Specs ain't show up to school, and they been after him since day one."

There was no need to ask why. "Do you think he's in jail, too?"

"I don't know", Jack sighs, shaking his head. He wasn't exactly too fond of the idea of his friends in jail. "If he is, then it ain't lookin' too good for most of us. He's kind of the brains—minus Dave, of course."

Katherine chuckled as Sarah cracked a smile. They kind of liked how Jack found a way to make Davey apart of the conversation, it showed fondness. That didn't mean he was on their good side, but he was on his way.

"So", Jack starts, hoping he isn't pushing his luck. "Will you help us?"

Sarah and Katherine glanced at each other, silently talking. Jack sat there, feeling sweat fall down his forehead despite the rather cool temperature in the cafeteria.

Then, Sarah smiled. "We're with you."

"What exactly do you need us to do?" Katherine grabbed a pen from her pocket and a napkin, making Jack smile.

"I need a pape written to get the word out", Jack whispered, leaning closer to keep the words between the three of them. "It has to be quiet, and I can meet you guys in the news room on...Tuesday? After school, tomorrow."

"Why not today? That would be better since no one would be in the news room after school", Sarah says, her brows furrowed. "I think the school newspaper has meetings today, anyway."

"Yeah, we do", Katherine confirmed, making Jack curse quietly.

"I have a Burrough meetin' today", Jack informed, ignoring the girls' questioning looks. "Those meetin's can go into the next day."

"Well, I don't have a meeting on Wednesday", Katherine said, a small smile on her face.

"And we don't do meetin's on Wednesdays", Jack grins, getting excited again. "Football games."

"Then it's set", Sarah decides, clasping her hands together. "We'll tell Davey to meet us in the news club's room on Wednesday after school."

Jack smiled, happy to finally have a plan.