Newsies - Racexreader

Beautiful? - 18

Within half an hour, everyone had moved towards the newsie square and now huddled around in small groups of boys. I clutched onto my small newspaper bag and swung it around my shoulders, gently picking at the frayed strings. I could feel Race playing with the edges of my clothes as he draped an arm over my shoulders.

My attention was taken from the bag when all the newsboys moved to see the news for the day. I stood up with them and quietly followed them towards the bored where the news was being written.

'Newsies strike lowered prices back to 50 cents.'

I smiled at the headline and turned to watch all the newsies reactions. Behind me they began to jump around and yell out, pointing at the headline.

Elmer reached towards me and grabbed my arm before pulling me into a strange jump. I laughed, watching as Wiesel strutted up behind the counter with the Delancey's. His smile faded once he saw the headline and I pointed towards him, laughing as Elmer turned with me.

The group of boys migrated towards the counter holding 50 cents with a smug look covering their faces. I joined them, marching towards Wiesel as I smiled.

Race walked behind me, his hand pressed onto my lower back as he gently moved me to the back of the line behind Mush who slid his cracked glasses up his nose.

"Well, Weasy. How's work treatin' ya, huh?" I lent my elbows on the counter and looked the red faces man up and down. His eyes travelled along my face and down to the 50 cents I tauntingly held in my right hand.

"Get ya papes... and move along." he snarled. His face came inches away from mine and I only smiled, squinting my eyes as I slammed the coin on the table and moved away, snatching the papes from Oscar before I walked away and sat on a small barrel, packing the papes into my bag.

My attention was taken from the bag when two people walked into the square. I looked up and watched Jack saunter in, his arm wrapped around the shoulders of Kathrine who held a small notebook and pen.

As I watched them move, I could feel a small amount of water seep out from my eyes. I quickly pulled up my sleeve over my hand and wiped away the water.

"Y/n?"

I looked up again and sighed. Crutchy moved towards me, his leg dragging behind him slightly. I hummed a small answer but Crutchy only moved forwards and sat beside me.

"Y/n... what happened?"

This short question seemed to draw a lot of attention to us. Elmer, Race and Specs turned to look at me.

I glanced towards Race who furrowed his eye brows and stood up, slowly walking towards me and Crutchy.

I moved my eyes and set my blurred vision in Jack. He hadn't even noticed me. His arms still draped around Kathrine as they spoke in the corner. His clothes were clean and stitched up and his feet were covered with new shoes that shined in the darkness of the square.

The tears started to drip again but I didn't move, I just followed the feeling of the water as it dropped.

Race finally reached me and knelt down, watching the water follow the trails left behind on my cheeks.

"Beautiful?" His palm gently strocked my cheek and ran his thumb across the tears, swiping them from my skin to his.

I stood up and snatched the bag into my hands again before I twisted. My feet threw me towards the gates of the square and I barged passed Jack, my shoulder slamming into his making him turn and finally see me.

His smile flattened and he followed close behind me, his shoes squeaking with each step.

"Y/n!"

I just kept going. Ignoring the pain in my ankle, ignoring the sharp tingle shooting across the wound on my shoulder. I marched out of Manhattan.

Jack slowly caught up to me before he stopped. Out of breath, he lent against the wall of an alleyway as he watched me run.

I didn't know where I was going, I didn't know why I was leaving. But I just kept running until I ended up in a place I didn't think I would need to go.

Brooklyn.