NEWSIES: The Ultimate Modern AU

How Jack Became A Philosopher

An old woman sat on the bench at the bus stop, the only other person there. Jack tried to avoid eye contact with her, he knew how much old people talked. It was an awkward silence that lasted at least five minutes, with Jack pursing his lips and swinging on his heels and toes. The old woman held multiple brown bags to her chest, all filled with fresh vegetables. She reached into her purse and pulled out a muesli bar. "Would you like some?" She looked at Jack, who froze suddenly at the interaction.
"Um... sorry, no ma'am it's ok."
"Please, I insist. The bus won't be here for a little bit." She smiled and patted the bench next to her. With a little hesitation, Jack sat beside her and took the half bar out of her red fingernails.
"Thanks." He smiled.

"Tell me, where you heading, Kid?"
Crap, she was wanting a full conversation, there would be no leaving now. "I'm waiting actually. My girl will be here soon."
"Young love." The woman looked down and smiled, reminiscing on old times he assumed.
"How about you?"
She nodded a little bit, thinking. "Too see my husband." They finished the snack in silence and Jack was glad she didn't want too much from him. He began to relax a little as the food somewhat filled his empty stomach. A bus approached in the early dusk, it's headlights yellow. On top, it's location sign said 'The Green-Wood Cemetery'.
"Well that's me. Have a good one, Kid."
"You too." Jack helped the lady up off her seat to which she thanked him. The bus door huffed behind her. It wasn't until the bus drove away he processed what just happened.

Reflecting alone now, he thought of life. The woman and how she was so alive and warm with someone so important to her gone. How has she done it? Have so much kindness in her heart even with a loss so large on her hunched back. Perhaps that was just how it was, loss, life and death. He sat in his philosophy for a solid ten minutes before another bus approached. It pulled up, the breaks sizzling.

Jack stood and removed his cap, smiling at the door as Katherine bounced off the bus and gave him a one arm hug, her other arm occupied with the multiple subways. She has splurged and got the boys each a foot long sub. She was glowing as usual, her cheeky smile as she looked up at him. Jack looked at the subs and she explained herself. "I haven't seen all you guys and I missed you, plus they had this sale on, three for the price of two. How could I resist?" Then reaching into her recyclable Tote Bag she pulled out a box of cookies. "Plus cookies make everything better."
"It's like you're trying to get them to fall in love with you!" Jack teased, she gave him a little wack on the shoulder and a laugh. "Shall we head back?" He held out an elbow.
"Why of corse good sir!" She mocked an English accent.

Jack turned to the bus stop bench and collected his groceries then awkwardly let go of Katherine to carry his pumpkin. She rolled her eyes. "What is that?"
"Perfectly good vegetables that that scabby grocery store threw away. Couldn't let them go to waste of corse. Plus Elmer has decided to start cooking and to be honest-"
"Has he burnt down the house yet?" Katherine interrupted.
Jack stopped walking and looked her dead in the eyes. "Honestly for all I know he coulda burnt the apartment to bits by the time we get back."
"Then what are we waiting for?" She began to run down the street in her converse, the souls of the shoes slamming down on the road, echoing off the apartment complex walls.
"Oh it's on!" Jack began to follow after her, stumbling as he tried to carry all his groceries and simultaneously run. While his boots boomed on the pavement, he enjoyed the moment. Thinking of how much he loved it.

Running through the streets, cutting through ally's and the night air washing his tired face. He watched Katherine in front of him, her hair bouncing up and down with each step, her arms waving like noodles at her side, the subways rocking in the bags and cookies jumping around inside their box.

"HEY WAIT!" He yelled out at her. He slowed down and puffeded, she stopped in her tracks and changed to a jog, then walk, then hult.
Laughing she managed to sigh "What? Can't you keep up?"
"Nah no, I'm fine. Are the sandwiches?" He smirked.
"Jack Kelly, I swear you know the important things in life when you see them. And yes, they are ok."

They decided to walk the rest of the way. Nothing much happened for the one block they had left to travel. When they approached the apartment with its large stone steps, Katherine exhaled as if she were home herself. Her comfort made Jack content, he was grateful she wasn't disturbed by his weirdos of a family. And of corse he loved them to bits, but sometimes he worried they were too much. Then again, he wasn't much better himself.

Turning the door open, Katherine stepped in first. "Heya fellas!" She yelled down the hall.
"KATHY!"
"HEYYYYYYYYYY!!"
"Oh my god KATHERINE!?"
"AYE KATH HOW YA BEEN?"
The voices rang through the apartment, followed by a tread of foot steps running to the door, and Specs scooping her up into a hug. "It's good to see you again!" He said her her, she suffocated in his hug before he pulled away.

"Hey Specs. Hows the project coming along?" She motioned to the odd model in the corner of the room which none of the boys really knew what it was. Perhaps it was a 'smart person thing' as Katherine and Specs were the only ones who really got the grasp of all the wires and chords that spilt out the stop of the plastic container, although Katherine denied her knowledge.

Before Specs could answer, the other boys had joined them, and Jack made his way through the crowd to the kitchen where he put the bag on the table. "Yeah it's ok, it's fine I just bought a whole bag of vegetables home. YOU'RE WELCOME!" He called down to them. "ELMER WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS THING EAT?" He looked at Jimothee.
"HOLD ON IM COMING!" Elmers feet thudded up the hall until he joined Jack in the kitchen. Inspecting the bag and goods, he let out a whistle. "Jeez you got a lot! Nice one!" He pet Jack on the back.
"Ah shut up." He wouldn't admit it made him warm inside to be thanked and felt wanted. "KATHERINE YOU DONT WANT TO MISS THIS!"
"Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god," the OMGs got closer as she waddled down the hallway. "Oh my god OH MY GOD JIMOTHEE!!!" Her face got somehow brighter when she saw the shelled creature. Jack knew that it was a good decision to keep the turtle suddenly.