Strikes and Ladders

Chapter Five: See you tomorrow, Mr. President -Jack Kelly

When they get back to the lodging house, the sun is down. Newsies are all over, with several in each bunk and many sitting on the floor or just outside, taking advantage of the warm summer nights while they still can. They walk into the lodging house, searching for Jack, but they don't need to search for long. As always, he is holding court, telling the congregation of newsies some probably made up or wildly exaggerated story.

Davey knows better than to stare too openly, but he just can't help it. He leans against a wall and watches as Jack jumps around and waves his arms to accentuate the story. At one point, he picks up one of the youngest newsies, Snipeshooter, who is barely five, and throws him up in the air to make a point. Everyone, excluding Race, who is used to this after all of their years of friendship, is completely enraptured. After allowing it to go on for a few minutes, Race interrupts the flow of the story.

"Alright Jack, pack it up! It's late, and we all have papes to sell tomorrow. Besides, your boys have gotta be gettin' home."
Davey flushes as being called one of Jack's boys and subtly kicks Race in the shin, but his friend just grins back at him, teeth wide and sharp. "Yeah, where's Les? I left him in your hands so if he's missing, Jack Kelly, I swear-" He is cut off with a flick to the top of his head and the theft of his hat. He looks up, bewildered, and sees his younger brother hanging from the rafters.

"What in the- Les, get your ass down from there!"

"I'm gonna tell Momma that you said ass," He says, sing-song, before pushing  himself just out of David's reach.

"We're gonna be late for dinner, come on Les."

"Oi!" Jack's voice cuts into their conversation. "If you ain't get down from there, don't think you're sellin' with me tomorrow. You're on your own, kid." Davey knows he's lying, that Jack would never leave such a young, new newsie out selling on his own, but he appreciates the gesture. Les might not know Jack as well and he thinks he does, because he very quickly flips down and hands Davey's hat back, mumbling something about unfairness.

David smiles and looks over at Jack, who is as sunny as ever, even in the night of the lodging house. "Walk us home? He asks, rather selfishly, because as much as he wants Jack to be safe and not walk alone at night, he also wants to spend as much time together as possible.

The boy nodded and the three newsies set off together into the night. Davey wasn't sure when he'd started calling himself a newsie, or when them became us , but he also didn't hate it. As they walked, he finally began processing the past few weeks, starting from his father getting hurt and ending with just over an hour ago. His silence is uncharacteristic, considering the fact that he's always chattering on about something or other.

Jack nudges him with his shoulder. "Hey, penny for ya thoughts, Dave?"

This shakes Davey out of his minor spiral and shakes his head as a way to clear the thoughts out. "Ah, it's nothing important, Jackie. Just thinking, that's all."

Jack nods. "Anything in particular?"

Davey looks forward to his brother who, for all his energy, is definitely starting to wind down. It is late, after all, and he's still only nine. "Just...everything that's happened. In the last few weeks, I think I've met more people than the rest of my life combined. It's all hitting me at once. It's been crazy."

Jack nods again, clearly listening intently, and takes his hands out of where they had been resting in his pockets. Their hands brush together and it takes every fibre of Davey's being not to flinch away that very second, but he manages to hold himself together. "I'm...worried. Now that we've won, everything seems so good. But summer can't last forever. My dad is healing up and I should be going back to school in the fall. I...won't be able to sell with you guys anymore, except on weekends, and I'm a little afraid that means I won't be a part of this group after I leave, that I'll miss everything. That everything will go back to how it was, me alone, no friends."