Hidden Love: A Newsies Fanfiction

Chapter 26

I stay with Oscar a few more minuets before heading home. As I walk back to the lodging house after leaving, I can't help but think about the shadow that I saw run away. Who was it? Were they really watching us?

As I walk through the front door, the usually loud and rambunctious sound of the other newsies is silenced. The whole room just stares at me.

"Um...hey guys. What's going on?"

"Nothing really," Mush says. "Just playing some cards."

I stand in the silence, waiting for someone to say something. "Why are you guys being so quiet?"

"It's just one of those quiet days, you know?" Specs replies.

"Um...ok...do you know where Jack is?"

"On the roof," Sniper says.

"Why? What happened?" All the boys just shrug and go back to their cards, but remain silent. "Um...ok. I'll talk to you guys later."

I start to climb up to the roof, getting more and more uneasy. I don't understand. Why are none of the boys talking to me? What did I do? I get to the top and find Jack sitting on a crate, just staring straight ahead.

"Hey Jack," I say once I reach the top. He doesn't reply. "Jack? What's wrong? Why is no one talking to me?"

Jack looks up at me, his eyes cold. "Why would they?"

"Because I'm their friend...what is going on? What happened?"

"I tell you what happened." He stands up and get nearly nose to nose with me. "You lied. You lied to all the boys and you lied, mainly, to me."

"Lied? What are you talking about? What did I do?"

"Oh don't act all innocent! The truth is out Liv! We all know!"

"Know what?! What is this all about?!"

He shakes his head before walking back to the crate and sitting down. "I know about you and Oscar. We all know."

I can practically feel the blood drain from my face. "W-what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you dating Oscar behind my back! Behind everyone's back!"

"I-I don't know-"

"Shut up!" Jack yells before standing up once again, getting inches away from my face. "Don't lie to me anymore. I want the truth and I want it now."

I've never seen Jack this angry. We've had fights before, but even then he is still Jack. Now, I don't even recognize him. His eyes are cold and hard and his breath sounds forced. His face is pure anger, in a way I've only ever seen on my father.

"Alright," I sigh. "I'm dating Oscar. We've been dating for a while now and-"

"How long?" Jack interrupts.

"I-I don't know. A month or two maybe. It started after Oscar stopped Morris from soaking me. I met him at the distribution center and we told each other about our pasts...we have a lot in common. After a while, he kissed me. Then the next day we decided to start dating."

Jack doesn't say anything. All he does is stare at me, eyes full of anger and betrayal.

"Jack, please say something."

"I have nothing to say to you. Continue your story. What happened?"

"Well, we started hanging out in secret. That night that Race told you he saw two kids from Harlem around here...I met Oscar for a date. I made Race lie so I could sneak out."

"Race knew about this the whole time?!" Jack yells.

"Y-yes...but it's not his fault! I made him not tell anyone!"

"Whatever Liv...keep talking."

"There isn't a whole lot to tell...we started hanging out in secret and he saved me from Scar once. I was at his house when I was missing that first night."

"So Scar was willing the truth," he mumbles.

"Scar told you?!"

"It doesn't matter how I found out Liv! Now keep talking!"

I take a deep breath. "That day I stayed at the lodging house, Oscar came to visit me. We were kissing on my bed when you came to check on me and he hid under the bed. We got in a small fight after that, but that doesn't matter."

"That rat was under my roof?!"

"He isn't a rat!"

"I will call him what I want to call him Livianna!" He grabs me by the shirt. "You have no right to be arguing with me right now. Keep talking."

The way he looked at me, was a way I've only seen my father look at me. "I-I snuck out later that day to talk with him...one thing lead to another and I....um..." I trail off.

Jack let's go of me and looks down at my stomach. His breath is shaky as he lifts the bottom of my shirt to reveal my stomach. "I'm going to kill him."

"Jack wait let me-"

"You don't say a word more!" he yell. Tears brim him eyes. "You lied to me! You lied to me about everything! For all I know, those weeks you said you were trapped at dads you spent with that rat! Do you remember what Oscar did to me, Livvianna?! Do you remember what he did to Crutchie?! Do you remember what he did to Riki?!"

"He never wanted to hurt Riki!" I yell back. I now have tears streaming down my face. "Snyder and Morris made him. He didn't have a choice!"

"He had a choice! He could've saved her but he didn't! And now he has taken the one other thing I love away from me!" He looks down. "Go inside and don't leave. We'll talk more when I get back."

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?! I'm going to show that rat of a human once and for all that he can't mess with my family!"

"Jack no!" I grab his arm, trying to stop him.

"Don't you dare tell me no!" he yells, yanking his arm away. He glares into my eyes. "You've done enough harm. You are going to go inside and you will not leave. When I get back we can figure out what to do about the baby because I won't allow my baby sister to be the mother of his child." He looks away. "I don't know what happened to the Liv I knew, but you aren't her."

Tears stream down my cheeks as he climbs down from the roof. At first, I don't know what to do. Do I run and tell Oscar? To I just let what happens, happen? After a few minutes, I climb down the ladder and run to my bed, flopping down on it before crying into my pillow. "What have I done?"