~ Nineteen ~

I'm finally free from the Refuge. I was sent back home, alone. I was told I was already too valuable to send home, and they shouldn't let any others free. No Crutchie, Mush, or Boots, no one. I say Snyder's just selfish.

We near the lodging house and butterflies rise in my stomach. I step down from the black carriage and take a deep breath before stepping inside.

When I open the tall doors, I see the boys all crowded around the tables, scattered all over the room. They all look stressed and they all try to talk over each other, as usual.

"Don't ya think it'll be hard to break in the Refuge?"

"If we're caught, we'll get soaked!"

"How we gonna get nine diff'rent Newsies outta there?"

"Make that eight." I say as I stand in the door.

They all turn their heads and run to me. "Cory!" The room fills with their yelling, but all I can think is, Where is Jack?

I shove my way out of the swimming pool of newsboys and ask Finch, "Do you know where Jack is?"

"Uh, yeah, he's up on the roof, where else would he be?"

I spot the staircase that leads to the fire escape and begin to climb it. My feet move faster than my brain does, I'm just so anxious to see him. The spiral stairs lead to the boys' room and I make a bee-line for the giant window already wide open. I quickly and quietly run on my toes to get to the roof, but when I finally reach it, I see Katherine hiking up her skirt to climb over the wall.

Of course. Katherine.

I quietly move up the rest of the steps, and slide my back down the brick wall. I close my eyes and listen to what they say.

"Hey, what are ya doin' up here?" Jack asks when he sees Katherine.

"I came up to see you. Finch told me you'd be up here." She replies in her high-pitched voice.

"Oh," he says softly.

"What's wrong? Still worrying about Cory?"

"Of course I'm still worryin' 'bout Cory. She's been gone for days now." He grabs onto the side of the wall like he does when he's stressed. "I dunno how she got captured. It jus' happened so fast. Before I could do anything, she was... I was..."

"It's gonna be okay."

"I'm sorry. It's been a long day..." He sighs. It's silent for a few moments. "They just knocked on the door and--"

"Knocked her out, too." She finishes his sentence. "Jack, you've been up here for three days straight. You haven't been eating or sleeping at all. Come back down, please."

"I can't," he pulls up a chair and sits at the table and buries his face in his hands. "I can't face the boys. I let Snyder take her, they'd be mad at me."

"They're just as worried as you are, Jack." She sits down with him. "Jack..." Katherine mumbles hesitantly. "I know you're in a bad place right now," she sighs. "But this has been on my mind ever since..." She trails off. "I need to get something off my chest."

"Okay?" He stands up straight and turns to face her.

"Someone told me, if you were the one, I would tell you the truth, I would tell you everything." I recognize those words.

"The truth? Katherine, what's going on?"

"I'm... Not exactly who you think I am." Katherine struggles to say. "I am a writer, my name is Katherine. Just, not Plumber."

"You're not Katherine Plumber?"

"I—I'm Katherine Pulitzer."

"Pul—Pulitzer?!" Jack exclaims with a stutter, his voice cracks.

"I use the name 'Plumber' when I write." Katherine explains. Jack is silent while he processes this. "Jack, don't... Don't freak out, please."

"I ain't freakin' out, I'se just a lil' shocked is all." He says frantically.

She told him. She really told him. This means she really cares about him, and I... Was wrong.

"Katherine, why didn't you tell me before?" His tone sounds hurt.

"I didn't think you would stay with me. I didn't think you would--" Katherine is cut off by Jack's kiss. "What...? What was that for?"

"Why would you think I ain't gunna stay with you? I'm always gunna be right here."

"And I'll always be right here, too."

"For sure?"

"For sure." Katherine says with a smile, and they kiss again.

I want to cry. I feel a pain in my chest, my heart beginning to break. All I can think of is the moment we shared before I was taken. But Jack probably forgot about it. I mean, who wouldn't forget about it when you've kissed Katherine Plumber?

"Man, you snuck up on me, Jack Kelly." She laughs. "Up until I met you, I thought I knew what love was," Katherine says with her head leaning on Jack's shoulder. "But now I know that love will do whatever it takes to make things work." They stand right above where I'm sitting. Katherine taps her fingers on the wall. "And this may sound kinda stupid, but you gave me something to believe in."

"I feel the same way, Katherine," Jack smiles. "I never felt this way 'bout any uddah girl before."

"And! And if I, or you, or anyone is gone tomorrow, what was ours still will be there."

"I have something to believe in because you believed in me, Katherine."

Katherine pulls Jack in for a long, passionate kiss, and my heart shatters. They keep talking about how much they love each other, and how they can't imagine their lives without each other. I spill a few silent tears, but I wasn't silent for too long. Before I could make too much noise, I run down the fire escape steps, through the boys' room, down some more stairs, in the foyer, and into my closet. I'm followed by several boys, asking, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I sit in my closet with my knees against my chest and my face buried in between them. I think I'm safe, so I finally let a sob escape my lips. My cries are quiet enough for a few of the boys to give up, but just loud enough to attract others. I jump at the turn of the doorknob, and look up to see a swarm of newsboys. Race and Romeo enter my room and sit on each side of me. Romeo pulls me in for a hug and I stain his vest with my tears.

"Cory, what's wrong?" Race asks me. The boys outside my door are suddenly quiet to hear my response.

I sigh and wipe away the tears from my cheeks. "Can I trust that you won't tell Davey? Please?"

📰 ❤️ 🎵 📰 ❤️ 🎵 📰 ❤️ 🎵 📰 ❤️ 🎵 📰 ❤️ 🎵 📰 ❤️ 🎵

-hey everyone! what do you think about this chapter? i don't know, sometimes i break my own heart.

-so... i just finished a show, then i learned songs for a showcase we're doing, and now i have to learn choreography for one show, and teach choreography for another show, and learn lines for another show, too. ah, theatre. 

-qotd: what show are you currently in, auditioning for, finishing, or working on?

-aotd: i'm in all three of my theatre troupe's shows. (we split the groups off into ages.) i just finished a show called bedside manor two weeks ago, and i'm going to be in the little kids' show, adventures of a comic book artist in march, and in april i'm in my mother's show with the high schoolers, cyrano de burgershack. i'm teaching and learning choreography for all of them! woohoo!

-enough of my ranting, i hope i can be more active, but i have tech week coming up soon. i love you, and i'll talk to you all soon! 

love, hayden beth