Chapter Text
Katherine climbed the ladder of the fire escape, to come across a certain boy she was hoping to find up here.
The boy she found was Jack Kelly, who was staring out into the dull grey cityscape that stretched out for miles all around him.
From behind, she couldn't see the dull, spaced out expression on his face. Or how he winced when he heard the metal steps of the ladder creak.
"Hey, Jack."
She greeted as she pulled herself up onto the small landing where Jack stood, leaning on the railing.
"I was hoping to find you here, the boys said that this is where you would probably be..."
"It's a nice view you've got up here, you can see practically all of Manhattan from here."
"Yeah, it's nice if you like factory smoke in your face. or the loud shoutin' of the people walkin' the streets."
"Sometimes it's actually nice to hear the voices of the other boys, it's nice to know they're doin' okay."
Jack hadn't turned to face Katherine, not shifting his gaze off of one fixed spot in the far distance, a view not blocked by the seemingly endless tall buildings, factories and apartments.
"I heard, about Crutchie.."
She gathered up her skirts to move closer to Jack, but saw how the mention of that name left a grimace on his face.
At least his facial expression changed, even if it wasn't a good start, it was still a start.
"I'm so sorry Jack, how are you holding up?"
"What does it look like?!"
He snapped, finally looking back, allowing his frustrated movements to spin him wildly around to face the lovely girl who was standing just a few steps away from him. His expression sour, yet an undertone of longing and even, was that, desperation? shown quietly but intently in his watered dark brown eyes.
"We lost, Katherine."
"We put all of our efforts into this strike and, we lost."
The punctuation in his voice made his statement feel like Jack has already accepted defeat.
Hesitantly, Katherine took a few steps toward Jack, her dress' skirts flowing gently with each step.
"You didn't lo-"
"Yes, we did."
Jack cut her off, trying to come off as cold and angry, blatantly hiding the truth of his feelings behind a mask of calm connectedness.
Katherine moved to the railing to stand by Jack's side. Carefully, she enveloped Jack's hand, the one still on the railing, in her own. Hoping the small touch would calm her friend.
"Don't."
He whispered, bringing his hand away he turned his head from Katherine.
"The fight isn't over Jack, we can still win this."
"We can still get Crutch-"
"That's easy for you to say!"
He yelled, his foggy expression turning hot with rage as he looked at Katherine once more.
"You don't know him like I do, all right?"
"Crutchie is MY friend, I'm the one that's supposed to be lookin' after him."
"You don't know what it's like, for us Newsies out there livin' on the streets every day with no true home to come back to."
"And you certainly don't know what it's like out there in the refuge."
"Jack,"
She started, hoping to continue.
"That's not-"
"What? Katherine?"
"You weren't out there, withs us. You weren't gettin' beat on, an-and picked on by those cops."
"You don't have to put a single worry in that pretty little head of yours of where you're gonna sleep every night, or if you's gonna get a sound meal or a good nights rest. You don't know what it's like to haves to work for your livin'."
Katherine opened her mouth to protest, but thought it best not to interrupt when he continued.
"Now, I don't mean like how you, a lady reporter works for The Sun and doesn't get many interesting stories."
"But tell me, Katherine. Are you the only one in your family, cause I's assumin' you still have one, holdin' up your finances?"
"Are you out there, in the grimy streets of New York City sweatin' and walkin' your ass off until you're feet feel numb from exhaustion?"
"No."
He seethed.
"You's gets your pretty little life practically handed to you, Plumber. On a satin pillow, no less. Without you even needin' to worry about ya's liftin' a finger."
Katherine could feel Jack's mask slipping, and how desperately he was trying to not show the vulnerable side of him. She hasn't gained that amount of his trust yet.
The truth of his words were unexpected to her.
Jack's expression a thick fog of anger, sadness, and desperation.
And he was right, about all of it.
But the point of this wasn't for her, because he was right that she didn't understand what it was like, to be a Newsie. To be anything other than what she was. Sure, she was a girl and it didn't give her many job opportunities, but she still had one. And although the pay wasn't much, it was more than what any of the newsies got.
She wanted to tell him, to somehow convince Jack to come back to the strike. If not for her, for all of the other boys who do understand.
If all of this is about Crutchie, finishing the strike, if only for him, should be enough motivation.
Or, so she thought.
She thought that if anyone valued someone that highly they would automatically do anything they can to get them out of danger.
But, of course no one is the same as anyone else.
She couldn't expect anyone to be no less than a little bit different than her, in whatever way it may be.
And Jack Kelly, proved to be a very, very, different person to her.
She tried to find the words, to stop Jack from turning towards the ladder and starting to leave.
"Where are you going?"
She pleaded, wanting to know where he was going because she had a strange feeling that the boy might need someone to watch out for him in case anything happened to him.
Whatever it was, she didn't know.
Jack didn't answer as he kept on his path, noticing his small tells, and what the conversation they just had was centered around she knew (more like had a very strong idea) of where he was going.
"You're going to see Crutchie, at the Refuge. Aren't you?"
No reply.
Katherine followed to the ladder, crouching down to look at Jack, who was already halfway down the ladder and didn't look back when she added;
"Tell Crutchie I say hello, and that I, we all, miss him dearly."