Newsies Short Stories

Sprace-The Refuge

Spot was pacing around the Manhattan newsboy lodge waiting for Jack, who was hopefully returning with Race. Jack had refused to let Spot go and recuse Race from the refuge with him. Jack had gone with Romeo. 

Davey just watched Spot pace up and down. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what he was going through. 

Romeo pushed the door open with a force. He looked hurt, he had cut on his face. Most likely from the climbing. Behind him walked in Jack and Race. Jack with a little cut on his left cheek and Race covered in bruises. 

Race clearly got in trouble a lot at the refuge. Spot ran straight over to Race and hugged him. Race buried his head into Spot's shoulder, which was something very rare as Spot was a lot shorter than Race.

Race would have normally had made a sarcastic comment by now. He had seem to shut down and lost his sarcastic demeanour. Spot wasn't ready to let go, Race didn't normally let go until Spot this but this time he wiggled out of Spot's arm and laid down on his bed and faced away from everyone. He didn't even touch the new pack of cigars left for him.

Spot just stared at Race. He knew something was up. He agreed with Jack he'd stay and sleep on the floor, just so he could make sure Race was okay, even though he knew Race wasn't.

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Race got up like normal, still not touching the cigars. He grabbed his hat and put on his shoes. He grabbed his paper bag. He went to leave with the others when Jack and Spot stopped him.

"You ain't selling today. You ain't yourself, something clearly happened in the Refuge." Spot said.

"Yeah, you can talk to us you know. We've been there before too." Jack said.

"Nothing happened okay." Race said and brushed past them. 

Spot and Jack watched him sprint down the stairs. Something had happened but what they didn't know.

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It had been a few days since Race had come out of the Refuge. He slowly was starting to get his sarcasm back. He had touched his cigars but barely spoke to anyone.

Spot was still here, going back to Brooklyn every two days to check on his boys. Race had let Spot join him at night. He let him cuddle him but that was it. No talking, just cuddling.

Spot stopped Race.

"Me and you are staying here today whether you want to or not. Jack and Crutchie are doing our rounds." Spot said sitting Race down on the bed.

"Racer, you haven't spoken to anyone in a week. You've only said one thing to us. and you're only getting back to being yourself. Please talk to me." Spot said looking at Race.

"Fine." He wasn't happy about having to talk about it. "I made a few comments and they chucked me in a room by myself. They beat me, starved me and didn't let me have anything to drink. I almost died, the day Jack and Romeo came is the day they let me out. They gave me a tiny piece of bread and two sips of water." Race said with tears falling.

Spot hugged him. He wanted to go and murder someone but he knew Race needed him. Race cried into his chest.

"Why didn't you tell me." Spot said.

"I didn't want ya worrying about my health."

"That's my job being your boyfriend. I look after you and you look after me. I wouldn't have baby you. I know you don't like that. I would just have given you a bit more food." Spot said.

Race just hugged him tightly. He was happy Spot had stuck around and Stopped him.

A/N- I didn't really know where to end this.