|| Side-By-Side || A Sprace Love Story

Chapter 18 - Irrational Decisions

Warning: Stabbing (Be honest with me, how many of you forgot that Jack was stabbed?)
Third Person POV

Race stands up.

Bush panics as he tries to tell him not to do anything irrational.

"Bush, I need you to not tell any Brooklyn Newsies what you just told me." Race starts, sneaking looks at the few Brooklyn Newsies.

Some of them looked concerned.

"What?" Bush's eyes widen. "Race- why?!" He exclaims.

Race quickly quiets him. "I have my reasoning." He tells him quietly. "And they wouldn't let me do this." Race explains, tears streaming down his face. "Just don't tell them. I'm gonna figure this out, okay?"

Bush nods. Race hugs him again, promising him that it's gonna be okay , before running off.

"Race!" Spot shouts, jumping off of his perch, as he watches Race run off.

"Bush, what did you tell him?" Ace asks, hurriedly. Bush covers his mouth with his hands, shaking his head as more tears streaming down his face.

"Bush, hey, it's okay. I understand that he may have told you not to tell us, but for his safety, you need to tell us" Cloth whispers to the little, who nods.

"Jack-" Bush hiccups, still crying. "He was- was stabbed." Oh crush, Smokes thinks to himself.

Every Brooklyn Newsie who heard him turns to each other, all knowing what Race was doing. They were shocked and worried.

"Ace, Hotshot, Smokes, Red, you're coming with me to Manhattan. Knowing him, he's gonna check on Jack, then try to find his brothers. Cloth and Waves, you two are in charge. No one leaves or comes in, unless you know they can be trusted, that's for the coming in part." Spot shouts to all of his Newsies, and they all nod. "You four, let's go. We need to stop him from doing something dangerous."

With Race

Race ran all the way to Manhattan in less time than he usually did.

He was crying- no- sobbing, and he was in a lot of pain, having not fully healed yet.

He knew what he had to do, and he wasn't gonna let the boys stop him, hence why he told Bush to keep quiet, not that that would last long anyway, he knew that.

He also knew that he probably wasn't thinking straight, but Jack was his brother. He loved Jack.

He loved all of the Manhattan Newsies, but Jack was the one he trusted the most. He told Jack everything, well, almost everything.

When he finally got to the Manhattan Lodging House, he knocked on the door, to be greeted by Blink.

Blink's eyes widened when he saw Race.
"Race! You're not supposed to be here! You were in Brooklyn!"

Race shook his head, crying, as more of the boys came over to them.

"Did you just run all the way from Brooklyn to Manhattan, alone?!" Specs exclaims. Race nods.

"Race! That's dangerous! You're still hurt, plus your brothers are looking for you!" Finch exclaims, getting more worried about Race.

"I don't care. I need to see Jack. This is all my fault" Race states, finally breaking. The boys look at him in sorrow, most of them were also crying or had just stopped crying.

They all knew that while they were all really close to Jack, Race was the closest to him, other than Crutchie. The three of them had a really tight bond, and never fought.

Albert steps forward, and engulfs Race in a hug.
"Don't you dare say that this is your fault. This is not any of our faults, especially not yours. You were in Brooklyn when it happened, and it was your brothers who did it. Soon, Racer, I promise you, they're gonna damn well pay."

Race and Albert stay like that for a little while, Race was sobbing, and Albert had a few tears on his face. A few of the other boys joined the hug too.

When they finally pulled away, Race asked if he could see Jack, so Mush took him upstairs.

Jack was laying on the bunk he used when he wasn't sleeping on the roof in his 'penthouse'. It was right across from Race's, and he usually had the top bunk, but now he was on the bottom bunk (Crutchie's) since they couldn't treat him on the top bunk.

Jack was barely awake. He had bandages all over his stomach area, and his shirt was off.

"Jacky" Race starts, about to start sobbing again.

"Did you just come here from Brooklyn, alone?" Jack questions, his voice raspy and in pain.

"I'm sorry, but I needed to see you" Race whispers, his voice breaking.

"Come here, Racer" Jack states, making a motion for Race to go over to him, and Race does.

He sits down next to Jack's bunk. Jack pulls Race closer to him, so Race puts his head on Jack's chest, careful not to injure Jack, while Jack plays with his hair.

"While I'm not thrilled that you came here alone while you're still hurt, I'm glad you came to see me. Remember Racer, I'm gonna be okay" Jack assures Race, who sniffles, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"How do you know that Jack?" Race whispers. Jack sighs.

"Medda had a doctor check me out, he treated the wound, and said that if I don't do anything to it, it'll heal in two weeks time. It wasn't a very deep stab, but it could've been worse" Jack informs Race, who nods, a little relieved.

"I love you so much, Jacky" Race whispers. Jack smiles.

"I love you too, Racer" Jack responds, barely kissing the top of Race's head, cause he was hurt and had difficulty with that.

"Is Race here?" Race hears Spot asks from downstairs. Race's eyes widen, as he sits up.

Race gets up from the bunk, and Mush and Jack, who had been looking at the door, turn to him.
"Racer, don't you dare think about leaving."

"I have to Mush, this is my fault. I'm gonna fix it" Race responds, inching closer to the window with every word that comes out of his mouth.

Mush slowly steps forward, but with every step that he takes towards Race, Race takes a step towards the window.

"Racer, this isn't your fault" Jack reminds him, trying to talk some sense into Race, sitting up. He only injures himself further.

"Race! You're gonna get hurt!" Mush exclaims, hoping that someone would come upstairs and help them.

"I'm sorry Mush, Jack. I love you both" Race whispers, before turning and jumping out of the window.

"Race!" Mush and Jack shout in unison, as he disappears from sight.

Mush runs over to the window, looking out of it.

Race was just down the street, looking back at Mush. He tips his hat to Mush, before holding his arm where he was hurt, and turning to run.

"Racer!" Mush shouts to him, but he had already started running again.

This time, he was running towards Queens.

1166 Words
Sorry about that. Next chapter, anyone?