Secrets Beneath Teenage Love: A Mighty Ducks and Newsies Story

Chapter 11 | Heavy Hearts

Anastasia enters her bedroom, places her purse on the bed, and walks to her desktop. She sits her bookbag down grabs a hair tie and throws up her hair in a loose bun as curls cascade down framing her face.

She clicks on the power button on her computer and reaches down unzipping her bookbag taking out her purple and teal folders, notebook, and her pens. Anastasia turns to her computer, logs in, and clicks on her country music playlist moving the cursor downward until only she can hear it. She then clicks on to her Messenger.

Newsies of New York

Mush:
Lion?
Lion Vlanterrin??

Lion:
Yes Mush, I'm right here

Mush:
I tried to text ya
It's a code 9 why didnt ya answer😞

In a split second Anastasia leg begins to bounce as her mind races.

Lion:
I'm so sorry 😞
Whose hurt? Race, Spot, Kid
What's going on?
Mush??
MUSH MEYERS???

Mush:
Its Jack, he got into a car accident
We ain't sure he's gonna make it 😢

Lion:
Omg😢💔
Let me know when you have more
Information please anything at all😢😢

Mush:
Okay I will 😞😞
Some Brooklyn and Manhattan newsies
is goin to the hospital I gotta go

Mush signed off 5:00pm

Anastasia feels her heart shatter and begins to cry as flashbacks of her and Jack begin to take over her mind. She runs out of her room wiping her flowing tears and heads to the living room.

Her mother hears her first. Oh my God what's wrong baby? What happened? She gets up hugging her daughter. Elizabeth may have been strict, but she never wanted to see her daughter cry.

Anastasia crys as she burries her face in her mom's silk blouse filling her nose with Chanel No. 5.

Sweetie, her dad calls as he gets up from the couch and rubs circles on his daughter back trying to help her calm down. We can't help if we don't know what's wrong.

Anastasia begins to explain it's Jack. David and Elizabeth exchange a worried look and then looks at their daughter. He's.. in the hospital Anastasia cries. And theyre not sure he's going to make it, can I go to him please. She looks red and tearful giving them a pleading look. I know school just started but I never would forgive myself if I wasn't there for him.

If you promise to not fall back in school.
I promise, Anastasia replies wiping her face as new tears roll down her already tearstreaked face.

David and Elizabeth understood how important Jack was to their daughter and her Manhattan/Brooklyn friends. They had all grew up together for years. Some of their daughter's friends were foster children and others David and Elizabeth had known since the newsies were babies. Jack was the oldest. So, naturally he became the groups leader and would protect them at all cost.

Elizabeth nods at her husband as he goes to his office.

Elizabeth looks at her daughter, go upstairs and pack. I'll write to your teachers and let them know you won't be in school for a while. I'll ask them to send your homework to your email. Elizabeth plays with her daughter's hair. Everything's going to be okay.

She lets go of her daughter as Anastasia walks to her room wiping her tears.