Soak 'em (Newsies X Reader) | #WATTYS2019

Traitor

I approached newsie square and heard a lot of commotion. I began to jog to the circulation gates to see the usual strikers up and ready for their morning battles. Racetrack and David and a few other guys battling the cops.
"Hey hey hey! Break it up! Hey, race, come here." Spots voice rang above the commotion.

I adjusted my hat and stood next to Spot, as race fumbled back over to us and huffed in frustration.
"What's Up fella's?" I spoke out. Spot turned towards me with a smirk on his face. Racetrack wedged himself between us and nodded.

"Crackin' skulls while you got ya beauty sleep." Race retorted sassily. I scoffed, "Racer, you's the one who needs the beauty sleep."

"Tell me I'm just seein' things, just tell me I'm seein' things,"
I turned a confused glance to Spot, who was looking off into the distance. I followed his sightline to Weasel with Jack beside him, dressed up in a fancy suit.

"No, you ain't seein' things. That's Jack, what's he doin'?" Race asked from beside me.
"He's dressed like a scabber." I said in complete astonishment. Jack said he was going to do something stupid. But this? Beyond stupid. Was he getting paid? Selling us out? What kind of plan is that?"

My attention turned to Mush as he spoke up.
"Jack? Jack, look at me, will ya? Come on, it's
me, Mush. Look at me. What are you doin', Jack?"

"This ain't happening. This can't be happening.
What are you doin' Jack? Come on, what are you doin'?"

"Come on. What is this? Where'd you get them clothes?"

Multiple voices spoke up trying to get Jack's attention but he kept a stern face and kept his gaze forward. Weasel snickered at us.
"Mr. Pulitzer picked them out himself. A special gift to our new employee!"

Race, Spot and I had made our way to the front of the group by now. I couldn't do anything but stare. The voiced had become jumbled together. Jack wouldn't do this, there has to be some type of plan, a reason other than money. But Jack was known for being greedy, needing money to fulfill his dream of going to Santa Fe.
He could have been playing us the whole time, just trying to get close with Pulitzer, or maybe they were in on it together.

"Traitor!"

Spot was yelling next to me at Jack, trying to attack him but the other newsies held him back. The only word that didn't sound like a vibration was the word Traitor.
"No! You're wrong, he's not a traitor."

Spot turned to me, obviously pissed beyond belief. "What's that look like to ya, huh?" He snapped in my face. I bit the inside of my mouth holding back from giving Spot my opinion. With my fist.

"Aww. You wanna talk to him? Come on, come on. Sure. Got right ahead." I watched as David walked up to Jack. David and Les must be as dumbfounded as me. I knew they spent a lot of time together. Les looked up to Jack so much.

"So, this is why you didn't escape last night. You're a liar! You lied about everything. You lied about your father being out west, 'cause he's not out west! You didn't even tell me your real name!" David practically yelled this in Jack's face. What he said about our family was like pouring salt into a wound. I thought we were over this topic. Forgive and forget, right? Maybe not. I just continued to watch the interaction between the two, handing on the words they said Intensely

"So? What you wanna do about it Dave?"

"I don't understand you."

"Oh, so let me spell it out for ya. You see, I ain't got nobody tucking me in at night, like you. It's just me, I gotta look out for myself."

"Well what about-" David began to say my name but stopped. "Slick, what about him, huh? You had him, You had the newsies,"

"Oh, what'd being a newsies ever give me but a dime a day and a few black eyes? You know, I can't afford to be a kid no more, Dave. For the first time in my life, I got money in my pockets. Real money. Money, you understand? I got more on the way and as soon as I collect, I'm gone, I'm away. Alright?"
I knew this was about money. Greed. I couldn't believe my ears right now. This wasn't the Jack I knew. Just up and leaving me for some paper.

"Well, that's good. That's good because we don't need you! We don't need you! All those words you said, those were mine."

"Yeah, but you never had the guts to put them across yourself, didja?"

"I do now."

I didn't stay any longer. I shoved and elbowed my way through the crowd until I broke free of the sea of newsies. The crowd got quiet and I knew they were all watching me leave. I turned back one last time to see Jack looking at me. No emotion or expression was on his face. I felt the pain well up in my chest and the tears form in my eyes once again.

I tried to think back to what Jack had told me last night. I couldn't make any sense of the situation. I wish I could talk to him, find out what was going on in his head, what his thinking was.
I had no idea where to go. Not Brooklyn, Spot wouldn't want to see me after this. I have nobody anywhere, I didn't have anybody anywhere else except Manhattan and Brooklyn. All I had for the longest time was Jack.

I walked back to the lodging house. It was completely vacant except for Kloppman at the front.
"Heya kiddo, how's it?"

"Not good Kloppman, not good."

I continued past the old man and then went upstairs. I opened the door to my room and pulled the trap door from my ceiling. It opened up a pathway to the roof. I climbed up through it and stood looking over the city. The breeze blew through my clothes and I took off my hat, letting down my hair. The wind whipped through my hair and I closed my eyes and sighed. Jack's "penthouse in the sky" is the only place I could think of to go right now.

I shut the trap door behind me and walked to the center of the building and just sat down. Nobody could see me from the outside or the inside. I just needed to be by myself right now, I needed to rack my brain for answers as to what jack was doing, and why he was doing it.