Time Truly Divides || Newsies Time Travel AU

Chapter 7

"Race." Race rushed forward to hug Jack but stopped a moment before he did.

"What are you doing here?" Race asked. "And who's she?"

Jack looked back at Maria for a moment before looking back at Race. He didn't want to have to explain the situation. "I'm Jack's social worker. Is your mother here?"

"Yeah, I'll go get her," Race answered before turning and shouting into the house, "Momma. There's someone here for you."

A few moments later Medda appeared and Jack blinked. Why was she there?

Medda smiled at Jack. "Do you want to come in?"

Jack looked back at Maria who nodded to him and placed a hand on his back, urging him forwards.

Medda stepped out of the doorway as Jack was urged through.

"Toni, do you want to show Jack his room while I talk for a few minutes? Then I'll be up."

Race nodded and motioned for Jack to follow him. Jack was far more willing to follow Race.

"That's Momma's room," Race explained as they walked through the house and up the stairs. "Crutchie's upstairs because it's 'our floor' but the stairs can put strain on his bad leg so Momma got a stair lift put in for him. I'm in there and you're here."

Jack stopped and looked at the door of the bedroom Race was promising was his. It was opposite Race, which was nice. Other than that he didn't have many opinions, the door was plain white and closed so he couldn't see in.

"If you need anything, you can just come to me. I'm literally across from you so... yeah."

"Why-" Jack sighed deeply and tried again, "Is-"

"Do you want to put your bag down?" Race asked. "I can help you unpack."

"Okay," Jack said.

Why was it so hard to talk with Race? He did it every morning and afternoon. Every lunchtime too. Why was it so difficult all of a sudden?

"Listen, Jack, just because we're living together doesn't mean we can't be friends anymore."

Jack just nodded. Everything was so strange all of a sudden, and Jack didn't really understand why.

"Albert lives next door too," Race added. "He comes around a lot to hang out. And our friends do too. You'll really like them. Maybe you could meet them some day soon."

"Yeah, that sounds, yeah."

Jack unzipped the duffel bag and pulled out a t-shirt from the top. Race took out a pair of Jack's trousers and folded them.

"Where do you want these to go?"

"Maybe in there." Jack shrugged in the direction of the dresser that stood beside the tall wardrobe.

"Sure," Race said as he placed the trousers into the dresser.

They went on like that for a few minutes, Jack placing something in a drawer and Race helping him organise the drawer. All of this happened in a comfortable silence until a knocking on the door disturbed them.

Jack turned and looked at the blonde boy who was leaning on two crutches with a polite smile on his face. He presumed that the crutches were to help support him since he was standing on only one of his legs.

Race stared at the boy, a slightly cross look on his face.

"You know you're not supposed to walk to the stairs, Crutchie. It puts a strain on your leg."

"I'm not an old lady. I don't need a stair lift," the boy Jack guessed was called Crutchie argued. "And my leg is fine."

Race sighed but relented. "Jack, this is Charlie. Or Crutchie. I call him Crutchie."