The Disgraced Newsie: Part 2( Rewritten)

Chapter 18: Jack Kelly's POV

Once Racer and I made up, we started to walk back into the dining room until Racer stopped me.

"Jack? I think that you should tell the others what you told me"

"Race, I don't know if I should do that"

"Why not? Everyone will understand your actions and stop treating you badly"

"But I don't think that they would believe me"

"But you never tried to tell us. I believed you, and I think that they will believe you too if you just tell them. Besides, I am certain that most of them will believe you"

"... Ok, I will try, but I don't have that much hope". We walked into the dining room, then after some convincing from me, Jack stood up onto one of the center tables. "Everyone! Can I have everyone's attention! Look, I know that it was unexpected that I came back or that I am even talking at this point, but I wanted to explain something that you all should have known from the very beginning. I think that it is time to tell you all why I said that speech at the rally in the first place. So, what happened is that when I went to Pulitzer's office that day, the Spider was there and Pulitzer threatened to have all of us thrown into the Refuge and beaten if I didn't shut down the strike. I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't think that any of you would believe me. I know that I should have told you guys what actually happened, and I'm sorry that I never explained it to any of you earlier, but that is what happened"

All of the boys just looked at me in silence and with blank stares. I knew that they would never believe me, but at least I tried. I just went back to my table and sat with the ones who still believed in me.

"It was brave of you to admit that, Jack", Davey commented. I just shrugged and continued eating. Eventually, most of the other boys came over to me and wanted to apologize for how they acted toward me. They said that there was no excuse for how they treated me and they never should have acted that way toward me, and if it wasn't for them, then I would have never been afraid to tell them the truth in the first place. Of course, I don't think that I could ever stay mad at the boys, even if I had every right to not want anything to do with them, so I just forgave them, then we just talked it out.

The only one who never approached me was Finch, and I don't think that I can blame him. After all, he helped out Race when he and Albert held me down as Race destroyed my original art book, and he was the one who went to Race about Brooklyn and convinced him to allow them come here and hunt me down with the intent to have them beat me up, despite the fact that wasn't the actual case, but he couldn't have known that.

One side of me understands that he was just hurt and angry that I just betrayed them like that and he just never knew the reason on why I did that to them and felt that there was no reason for me to do that to them because of everything we been through together, so he just wanted to cause me the same type of hurt that he went through because he just didn't know how to express his feelings toward me. But the other side of me feels that regardless of what I had done to them, it was no excuse for him to do that to me and the fact that no-one forced him to do to talk to Spot and that he did it willingly, it should give me every right to not want anything to do with him.

But I wasn't like that. I wouldn't turn away one of my brothers, regardless of what they have done to me. It wasn't in my nature and all of the boys know that. At least I thought that they would have known that. Maybe, I should have shown them a little bit more about how much all of them mean to me, then maybe all of them wouldn't be afraid to approach me because they thought that I will not forgive them and turn them away.

Besides, I have forgiven Albert and Race, so it wouldn't make that sense if I haven't forgiven Finch yet. I stood up from the table and walked toward Finch, who looked worried and surprised that I even came over to him in the first place. It should be like that over here in Manhattan. I have always made it my mission to make sure that all of the boys felt safe and comfortable here. Especially with me.

"Do you want to talk or something?". Wait. That was way too harsh. Try again. "I mean, can I talk to you? Alone?". He hesitated because he probably thought that I would be the last person that I would want to talk to, but then he just nodded. He followed me upstairs. Well, it is time to settle everything with the last one who I haven't forgiven yet.