The Name's Crutchie

Chapter 9: Watch What Happens

Jack's brush scratched across the canvas, adding light details to the vast landscape. He let himself get lost in the soothing sounds of the coarse hairs against the canvas. The scaffolding above him rattled as someone stumbled into the theatre.

"How about letting a pal know you're not dead." David, of course. "Where'd you go? We couldn't find ya."

"You ever think maybe I didn't want to be found?" Retorted Jack, his eyes were focused on his painting but his mind was far from him. David approached Jack - undeterred by his unenthusiastic response - brandishing a newspaper.

"Did you see this Jack? We are above the fold. Oh yes, above...the fold" Jack ducked his head under David's outstretched arms to swirl his brush in his old cracked mug of water.

"Swell." Jack replied, mocking David's enthusiastic tone. Absentmindedly his fingers danced over the ends of his brushes, the bristles grounding him in reality.

"Don't ya know what this means, Jack?" Questioned Davey. "We're in the papers, they can't ignore us now, they just can't." Jack crossed in front of Davey, returning to his painting of a sweeping meadow. Davey looked Jack over, he had never seen him out of his daily clothes; buttoned shirt and vest. He looked so different in the yellow and blue striped singlet, his arms were bruised and sore, his body covered in colour from both the paint and the beatings. Jack's eyes gazed emptily at the artwork, his mind was far from him, David's voice pulled him back to the present. "Jack?"

"We got stomped into the ground Dave, okay? How hard is that for you to understand?" Jack sniped, turning around but avoiding eye contact as he leaned against a crate.
"They got us this time I'll admit. But-" Jack's tired voice broke through, it was quiet and hoarse.
"Every newsies who could walk showed up this morning to sell papers just like nothing ever happened"

"Yeah and I was right along there with them. If I don't sell papes, my family doesn't eat. Then I saw the look on Weasel's face, he was nervous like really worried."

"Well that's great ain't it." Retorted Jack, Davey had never heard the boy sound more defeated in his life. Jack looked back at the meadow like it could somehow take him far away from here. Davey gave him some space to breathe, there was something Jack wasn't saying. The silence stretched out, Jack didn't move an inch, frozen to the spot by fear and indecision. He hung his head.
"I went to visit Crutchie." There it was. "He was so beat up he couldn't even come to the window. Now I know he's just one person but if I lose him... Davey I couldn't live with myself if that's my fault." David's face softened.
"Do it for him then."

"What?" Jack and Davey locked eyes.
"Do this for Crutchie. We've got Weasel scared, I'm sure Pulitzer is scared ashell too. What else are we gonna do, just roll over?" Davey saw the slightestspark in the depths of Jack's eyes.
"Well then Davey, what do you suggest we do?" Asked Jack, already sounding morelike himself. Davey's face exploded in a range of emotions.
"I completely forgot, the whole damn reason I came here." Davey's grin lit upthe room, he took a moment to compose himself. "We want to hold a rally, inviteall the newboys from all over the city. So we can keep up moral and organisewhat we're gonna do next." Jack welcomed the distraction of a new challenge,Davey could see him working it out in his head.
"Where are we gonna hold it?" He questioned.
"Here! I mean we have to ask Medda but I'm sure it'd be alright." Jack regaineda glimmer of a smile.
"That ain't a half bad idea Davey" Jack mused, Davey lit up.
"I know!"
"Hey now don't go getting a big head about it all. We still gotta pull thisoff." Jack smirked, the enthusiasm was rubbing off on him bit by bit. "Shouldn'tyou be gettin' home? Your folks are gonna start getting worried."
"Oh shoot, you're right. Hey do you wanna come with? I'm sure we could findsome room for ya."
"Nah I'm fine," Jack lied, but he didn't want to put the Jacobs household out, "thanksthough Dave, I gotta get back to the boys sometime let 'em know I ain't justgonna abandon them." Davey smiled a soft smile and laid out the paper for Jack tosee.
"See ya tomorrow then?" David offered.
"Yeah I guess you will." Jack looked back at this painting as Davey turned toleave the theatre. "Hey, Dave?" The tone of Jack's voice made him stop intracks, he didn't want to see him upset again.
"The boys don't... hate me? Do they?" Jack asked, clearly terrified of the answer.
"They could never hate you Jack. You should know that." Davey replied, entirelysincerely, there was not a person on earth who could hate Jack Kelly.   

____________________________________________

Hey uh surprise I'm not dead :P Hope you're all doing well, hope this whole self isolation thing hasn't gotten ya down too much. Anyway I'm going to finish this story this time I swear!! I'm contemplating a few things but out of curiosity who would you like to see Davey end up with?? :D If I can't do it in this story I might write another.