~ Seven ~

I came back to the lodging house with Davey and we said our goodbyes at the door.

And, well....

He kissed me.

I watched him leave and walked inside with the blood rising to my cheeks. It really didn't feel right at all.

When I came inside, I expected it to be quiet. It is past curfew, after all. But it was loud. Almost like they were waiting up for me.

"Cory!" They all shouted when I walked in the door.

"Hey, boys."

"How was your date?" Crutchie teased.

"It was alright." I smiled and nodded. "Where's, uh, where's Jack?"

"He left a while ago. Don't know where he went." One of the boys answered my question.

"Okay? Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Not a clue." Romeo said.

It freaked me out a little bit, that Jack wasn't there. He was always there after my dates. Pointed out the guys' flaws, and every once in a while, tell me how stupid the guy was when he broke my heart. It makes me laugh now, but back then, it meant so much to me. He was jealous, and it was adorable.

"Alright then, I'm gonna head to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning." I waved as I walked into my closet again and changed into my slip to fall asleep in.

It wasn't too long after they all went to bed and I went up to the rooftop.

Alone.

It was all quiet, no one was there. That is, until someone was.

There was laughing and hushed talking. I couldn't tell who it was, so I tried to look over the edge, careful not to fall over.

"So, why do they call you Cowboy?" A girl's voice asked.

"Cowboy." I whispered to myself.

"Well, I've been wantin' ta get outta here an' go out West. There's a place called-"

Don't say it, don't say it...

"Santa Fe."

He said it.

"Oh, I hear it's so pretty there. My father-" the girl stopped herself there.

"What about your father?"

"It's nothing. Never mind."

"It sure is pretty, but it ain't near as pretty as you," he said. She smiled as he took her face in the palm of his hand and kissed her. I leaned my back against the side of the balcony, probably getting my slip all fuzzy on the back. But I don't care. I couldn't watch this.

"So, Jack, where are we going?" I heard her ask.

"To my 'penthouse in the sky'."

"And.....Where is that?"

"My rooftop." I gasped and quickly stood up. I ran down the stairs to my closet and ran into Jack and... Katherine. He was with Katherine.

"Cory. What are you still doing up? Just coming off the staircase?" Jack asked me.

"I just got back from my date... And I was... Heading to bed." I said.

"You just got back from your date. In a slip?" He was confused.

"It was a while ago."

"Is Davey still here?"

"N-no."

"Well, we'll be upstairs." Jack moved past me.

"'Night." I waved awkwardly and ran back to my closet. "I can't believe that just happened." I cringed and pulled my covers over my head.

~*~

I woke up on Sunday morning, it was a little cloudy, and it looked like it rained over night. Haha, Jack was on the rooftop with that reporter, I'm sure they had a fun time.

I walked out of my "bedroom" and was greeted by the guys, no sign of Jack, he must be still upstairs. While I was fixing a plate of bread and butter from the nuns, a shirtless Jack Kelly gave me a little psst from the staircase. I quietly walked over with no hesitation.

"What do you want?" I asked with a raise of the eyebrow.

"Hey, would you mind gettin' a few ta'wls for me and Kat?"

Kat? Now that's a little too much. I thought to myself.

"We got a lil' wet last night, thanks, C." He began to go back up the stairs, but he turned around quickly and whispered to me again. "And while you'se at it, could ya get some bread fer us? Great!" Jack shoots me a thumbs up and runs back up the stairs, and I hear a squeal from the rooftop by the time I come out of the showers with a few towels.

I wish they would quiet down up there. We're tryin' to eat down here. Ugh.

I slowly walk up the stairs with a plate in my hand and some towels over my shoulder. Almost slipping on the metal step at the sight of Katherine on top of Jack, I caught myself on the rail and rolled my eyes with disgust and relief at the same time.

Katherine stands up from her plank on top of my best friend. This is probably the most disgusted and jealous I've ever felt in my entire life. She brushes off her real satin slip and puts her hair back into her ribbon, and smiled at me. I spot, what looks like, a corset on the ground and looked at my fake slip and my large bust sagging down. Believe me, I look so much better when I've actually started my day. She stared at me and I sort of just gave her a look saying.

"I don't care."

Okay, maybe I actually said that. Hoping that she didn't hear me.

"Thanks, Cory." Jack sat up and draped his elbow on his bent knee. Katherine sat back down on a blanket with the bread and towels.

"Yes, thank you." Katherine made a fake smile.

"Sure, if you need anything else, I'm just a holler away." I said sarcastically. "See ya later, Jack." I looked at him and he wasn't even paying attention. I guess Katherine's lips were more interesting than I was. Understandable. I let out a long sigh walking down the wet steps.

~*~

"Davey!" I ran to his arms, fresh off the staircase.

"Heya, Cory," he kissed my forehead and we sat down on the steps.

"What's goin' on?" I asked.

"I was thinking we could talk about what happened last night."

I barely remember last night. All that's filled my mind is Jack and his new girlfriend, Katherine.

"What about last night?"

"Look, it's obvious that Sarah didn't really take a liking to you right away,"

"Obvious?! That's an understatement." Sarah is Davey's younger sister, about a year younger than I am. She makes me think that maybe going out with Davey isn't the best idea.

"She wanted to apologize-"

"But I guess not, because she's not the one who paid me a visit from the Jacobs Family," I said, cutting him off.

"Right. I'm here to apologize for her behavior. She really didn't need to mock you and the Newsies last night. It was completely unnecessary."

"Well, apology excepted. From you, anyway." I smiled.

"Do you want to do something tonight?" He asked me with his arm draped around my shoulder.

"Do I have to wear a dress again?"

"Not if we're just going on the rooftop." I smiled when he said that. It sounded almost perfect.

Pretty soon, Jack and Katherine came down the spiral stairs and had to break up my moment with Davey.

"You guys have been at it all day, haven't ya?" I asked Jack.

"No, we just talked for the most part." Katherine smiled.

"Not from what I've heard," Davey mumbled to me.

"Not from what I've seen," I mumbled back and we laughed.

"Cory, can I talk wit' ya fer a second?" Jack looked at me.

"Of course."

We went to the rooftop to be alone.

Now this was perfect. Or, at least, that's what I thought.

❤️ 📰 🎵 ❤️ 📰 🎵 ❤️ 📰 🎵 ❤️ 📰 🎵

-ERRRRRRRR I LOVE THIS STORY. SO MUCH. Ok, calm down.

-OOOH! Guess what? I auditioned for Shrek the Musical a few weeks ago, and I'm playing Teenage Fiona in July! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 idk, thought I'd share.

-Listen up. Rant settings: activated. I know I'm making it look like Katherine is a mean person in my story, but believe me when I say that I have never seen her that way, Katherine is probably one of my favorite characters written for the stage, and I love her so much. (#jatherine #legitotp) This is only part of the story, Cory is just jealous and only sees the bad things about her. It gets better. Trust me.. Rant settings: disabled.

-QOTD: Favorite Disney Musical?

-NEWSIES WOOT WOOT (and Mary Poppins, too. ☺️)

-I love you all to pieces! (<<Get my little Violet reference there? No? Ok.) Please give me feedback. It is much appreciated!

Stay Musical. Hayden Beth 💚✨