Hidden Love: A Newsies Fanfiction

Chapter 7

I try to continue selling, but I can't get my mind off Oscar. "I just kissed Oscar! I just kissed one of Jacks worst enemies!"

"Hey Liv. How was selling on your own today?" Jack asks when I walk into the lodging house.

"What? Oh, it was good," I mumble as I make a beeline to Race. "Race, I need to talk to you."

"Hey Liv. How was selling?" Race asks.

"Fine," I reply in a monotone voice. "I need to talk to you. Now." I grab him by the back of the collar and pull him to the roof.

"Geez Liv, what's up?" Race says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I can tell you anything right?"

"Yeah, sure."

"And you'll keep it a secret?"

"Sure," Race says, drawing the word out.

"Ok. I'm going to tell you something and you're going to think I'm insane."

"I already think you're insane," Race laughs.

I roll my eyes. "Thanks. Anyways, you probably won't like it, but you can't tell anyone. Especially Jack!"

"Liv, please tell me your not pregnant."

"What? Ew. No."

Race sighs, relieved. "Thank you God. I did not want to hide that from your brother."

"Race, focus."

"Sorry, what's up?"

I take a deep breath. "Ok. I kissed Oscar."

"Oscar Richardson? That weird kid who always hangs out on the corner?"

"No!" I sigh. "I kissed Oscar Delancey."

Race looks at me for a second before bursting into laughter. "Nice joke, Liv."

"I'm not joking Race!"

He stops. "You're not?"

"No! Listen, Oscar saved me from getting soaked the other day."

"Liv, enough with the stories. I'm not buying it."

"Racetrack Higgins, you have know me sense Jack and I first came here. Have I ever told a lie?"

"Yeah. You told Mush that fairies would come when he was asleep and make him a merman."

I roll my eyes. "To you. Have I ever told a lie to you?"

Race thinks before his eyes widen. "You're not lying."

"Nope." I pull out the note Oscar gave to me and hand it to Race. "I wanted to know why he did it so, like it says in the note, I met him at the distribution center. We started talking about our pasts."

"You told him about your dad?"

"I had to. He told me about his parents." I smile. "Turns out we have a lot in common."

"What did he do then? Kick you, punch you, hurt you?"

I blush. "He kissed me."

Race starts to pace. "This is awful, Liv. Please tell me you didn't kiss back."

"He pulled away a second after he did it."

"Good."

"Then I leaned in and kissed him myself."

"Ugh!" Race yells before pointing at me. "Your brother is going to kill you. You'll never be able to leave this place again."

"No he won't because you won't tell him."

"I have to tell him!"

"Race no! You promised you wouldn't!"

"Liv I-"

"Please Race. Please don't tell Jack." I give him my best puppy dog face.

"You-you owe me. Big time."

I smile. "Thank you Race!"

"Yeah, yeah. What are best friends for?"

"Um, can you keep another secret?"

Race rubs his neck. "What?"

"I'm meeting him again tomorrow."

"Wait, wait, wait! I thought that Oscar was a one time thing!"

"I didn't even think it would be a one time thing," I laugh. "We were both wrong."

"I regret suggesting to let you sell alone already," he mumbles. "Ok, so what does this mean? Are you two dating or something?"

I blush a bit. "Maybe. I don't know. It's all really complicated."

"No. No, no, no. And, in case you didn't hear me the first four times, no! Getting involved with him is a bad idea!"

"Race," I groan, rolling my eyes.

"Liv, it's Oscar Delancey we are talking about. If you haven't noticed, his last name is Delancey. That means he's evil!"

"Aren't you quick to judge today?" I cross my arms.

"And you expect me not to tell Jack that you are dating Oscar?! He doesn't allow you to date anyone, let alone Oscar!"

"I'm not sure if we are actually dating! Besides, I'm sixteen. It's about time he let me have some freedom."

"Ok, ok. I'll agree with that one. But why Oscar? Liv, you're just going to get hurt."

"You don't know that. Race," I say, sitting down on a crate. "It's like I got to see a whole new side of him. He's has some good in him!"

Race sighs. "Liv..."

"Trust me, Race. Please just trust me. He won't hurt me."

"This is going to end so badly," Race mumbles. "Fine! I won't tell your brother!"

I stand up and hug Race. "Thank you Race!"

"But, you need to know that you won't be able to keep this a secret forever."

"What do you mean?"

"Jack know a lot more than you think, Liv. If he doesn't know, someone will probably see and ask him about it."

"We'll be careful."

Race sighs. "I'm not talking you out of this am I?"

"Nope!" I smile.

"Fine. I'll keep your secret." He runs his forehead. "I need a cigar."

"Oh!" I pull out a pack of coronas. "Here. Like I promised."

He take them. "Where did you get these?"

"I stole them."

"Liv!"

"Hey, I figured we are close enough that I can tell you that," I laugh.

"That better be the last secret."

"What are you two doing up here?" a voice asks.

I turn around. "Hi Jack!"

"What's this about a secret, Liv?" Jack says, crossing his arms.

"Oh, well I just told Race my secret for selling papes! He's always so jealous of how fast I finish." I put on a big smile.

Jack tilts his head. "Is that true Race?"

Race nods. "Yep. She just gave me some tips for good headlines."

Jack looks from Race, to me, back to Race. "Ok. Just wanted to make sure everything was ok." He glanced at me before climbing down.

Once he is gone, I let out a sigh of relief. "This isn't going to be easy is it?"

Race laughs. "Not at all."