Clara's POV
For the next week I spent most of my time in bed. I'd get up early, make the boys breakfast, send them to work with a smile and then climb back into bed and sleep for the rest of the day, only to get up at 6:00pm to make them dinner.
The days cycled through with the same routine. I didn't want to wake up from each dream. Dreams where life was okay. Dreams with Crutchie. Dreams where my mother was here. Dreams where everything wasn't my fault.
By the next Tuesday morning I was used to it. The sadness and pain had turned into a feeling of numbness.
"See ya 'lara", Oscar said cheerily after breakfast, "Just so you know, I'll be late home tonight, going to meet Peggy's parents".
"Don't get near her brothers", I muttered, scrubbing the dishes.
"Clara you're not still mad at us are you?", Morris sighed, "we told you not to go near the newsies, by keeping you away from that dumb crip wese protecting you".
"No, I'm not", I said, ignoring the rage building inside of me, Crutchie wasn't some dumb cripple. I dried my hands off with a tea towel, "I'm sorry Oscar, that's amazin', I'm really happy for ya".
"Thanks 'lara'", he grinned, "Oh and by da way", he added, "We know it's ya shopping day so we left $10 on the nightstand for ya".
I watched my brothers leave the house and sigh. Great, I have to leave the apartment today.
-------------------------Time skip brought to you by that picture of Jeremy Jordan--------------------
I had finished shopping by later afternoon. I sat down on a bench in central park. The sky was completely grey today. There was no wind or rain, just grey clouds and smoke that blocked the sun. The trees had gotten more orange then last I noticed. I looked through my bags, making sure I got everything.
"Looks like someone's been on a shoppin' spree", I heard a man laugh behind me. I tense my shoulders and turn around to see Jack Kelly standing behind me.
"What do ya want Kelly?", I replied coldly.
"I wanna talk", he says calmly, "can I sit?", he gestured to the empty spot on the park bench next me before sitting. "Do ya know what Katherine's last name is Clara?".
"Plumber", I replied, what does that have to do with anything?
"Nope, that's her byline; the name she publishes under", he smirked, "her last name, for the time being, is Pulitzer".
"Like Joese-".
"LIKE JOSEPH PULITZER", he cut me off, "Miss Katherine is the one and only, beautiful daughter of Joe Pulitzer, basically my arch rival".
"Why are you tellin' me this Jack?", I smiled sadly at him, being instantly taken back to every moment at the fair.
"Because when I found out she was Pulitzer's daughter I was heartbroken, and that's how my buddy Crutchie feels right now".
I closed my eyes and lowered my head, being suddenly overwhelmed with guilt.
"But then I realised, she didn't choose to be a Pulitzer, and you didn't choose to be a Delancey", he finished his sentence and leant back in his seat. "He loves ya, you know".
"Sure he does", by now Crutchie had probably moved on by now, with some beautiful girl I could never live up too.
"He does Clara, the only things I's seen 'im do the past week is selling papes, and sleepin'. I'm not even sure he's eaten to be honest", I looked up at Jack, he genuinely looks worried, "and you two are basically soulmates, so I expect ya ain't doing much better than 'im".
I smiled at Jack, letting out a small laugh. "Yeah, ya right", I pause and think about Crutchie for a second, his wide grin which always made his eyes light up, or how his cap sat backwards on his sandly blonde hair. Each thought made me feel warm and filled me with butterflies, "I miss 'im, just thinking about 'im makes me feel so happy...maybe youse is right, I do love 'im".
"Well, go tell 'im that, go tell 'im, what I told ya", Jack stood up and pulled out a paper from his bag, "pape?".
I laughed and tossed him a penny, "Thank you Jack, really".
I handed me the paper and tipped his hat, "any time", he winked at me, "Oh and Clara", he turned to me, "go home and eat something first, I may not be smart, but I can see ya skinner, Crutchie will too", he adds before walking back through a somehow brighter central park, hawking some made up headline about some earthquake or war.
YOU ARE READING
Buy My Last Pape'?
Fanfiction"the name's Crutchie Morris". Somehow this kid managed to push my brother's words to the back of my brain. Clara Delancey has stayed away from newsies her whole life. But when she meets Crutchie Morris her life changes. But is it for the better? *C...
