#davey missing jack but thinking jack is a lost cause until he gets a text literal minutes after he turns 21

[loving-jack-kelly]

jack in third grade with a crush on davey teasing him on the playground bc he doesn't know what else to do with the weird emotion.

jack in middle school realizing that it's a crush and not knowing what to do with the weird and now terrifying emotions so he stops talking to davey altogether.

jack in high school feeling like shit for ghosting somebody he used to be close with but not knowing what to do about it now that it's been four years and they're about to graduate and also he still gets weirdly sentimental and also butterflies when he hears davey laugh from across the room.

jack in college texting davey happy birthday because he can't think of a better way to restart a relationship that pretty much ended eight years ago and he misses home and misses familiarity and has never forgotten davey's birthday since the first time he learned it in elementary school.

#newsies #jack kelly #javid #davey jacobs #davey missing jack but thinking jack is a lost cause until he gets a text literal minutes after he turns 21 #and suddenly its like theyre 14 again staying up at a sleepover and laughing over how messed up they can make a sim #it's easy with jack the way it's not easy with anyone else. davey has been missing him this whole time and now he's back #and maybe this is stupid but it feels good. #jack feeling lost and lonely and like maybe going so far from home was a mistake bc he wants the familiar. #davey feeling lonely and stressed and scared because for the first time he's really on his own and struggling to hit his own standards #and here's this person they've each been missing for so long. a middle school crush long since gotten over (sort of) #but a lost friendship neither forgot #anyway. i understand them like nobody else and this is true and right

[lettuce-seize-the-day]

Found ch. 6

Summary:  Jack Kelly is a 17 year old kid who has been in the foster system for more of his life than not. By now he's given up on finding his forever family and is counting down the days until he turns 18. Four months before the deadline, Miss Medda Larkin decides she is going to adopt him.

Chapter summary:  Davey and Jack have a disagreement in gym class. Jack needs some space, and Race comes in clutch.

AO3 link

“Where’s your gym clothes, Kelly?” the gym teacher asked. It was Tuesday, third period. P.E. day. The students were lined up in alphabetical order on the line on the basketball court. And, of course, David was in his gym class, and Jacobs and Kelly were only so far from one another in the alphabet. Which meant David was next to Jack. Again.

“Forgot ‘em,” he said, shrugging. Fat chance he was going to take his hoodie off in front of anyone, now or ever. But especially not for fucking gym class of all things.

“We got extra ones, y’know,” the teacher replied.

“I’ll pass, thanks.”

“You don’t change, you don’t participate. You don’t participate, you get a zero for the day. That happens three times and you got detention. You sure this is how you want to play this out?”

“Ooh, I’m quakin’. Ya see me? Terrified. It’s the end of the world if I wear jeans in a gym. But I guess it’s a risk I’m just gonna hafta take,” said Jack, rolling his eyes.

The teacher looked at him, then scribbled something down on his clipboard before continuing down the line.

“Why wouldn’t you change?” whispered David, who had never taken a zero in his life and could not fathom someone choosing to, especially for something which seemed so silly to him.

Jack gave him a laugh. “What can I say, Davey? I’m a rebel widda cause. Fuck the system, an’ all that.”

David shook his head. He could never. He didn’t like gym, either, but half the grade was just showing up and the other half was doing what you were supposed to. They stood in silence for a second, before he replied. “I could bring you gym clothes, if you needed.”

Jack looked at him. “Why would I need that?”

David shifted uncomfortably and looked at the ground. “It’s just, if you don’t have gym clothes, or don’t wanna carry ‘em around, or whatever reason. I could bring you some. I don’t mind.” He didn’t mean to be rude, but Jack clearly needed to go clothes shopping. David knew Medda was fairly well-off, so he didn’t really understand why Jack dressed the way he did. But he wore the same old hoodie every day, and it was in bad shape.

“Thanks, Davey, I ‘preciate it. But I don’t need that. I jus’ ain’t gonna change into some stupid clothes for some stupid class when no matta what happens, I’m outta here in a few months.”

“You don’t think you’ll finish the school year?” asked David.

“Nah, prolly not. It ain’t my thing.”

“What about Race? And Crutchie, and Medda?”

Jack sighed, a bit aggravated at the way this conversation was going. “They’s fine, I jus’ ain’t wanna start pretendin’ this is permanent or nothin’. ‘Sides, I ain’t smart enough to graduate, so why waste my time here any more than I hafta? Nah, the minute I turn eighteen, I’m hittin’ the road.”

“I think you’re plenty smart,” he said softly. “And I wish you’d give yourself more of a chance.”

“Yeah? Well, I wish you'd mind ya business and not worry ‘bout problems that ain’t yours to worry ‘bout. ‘Specially when ya don’t even know the first thing ‘bout me. Who the hell d’you think you are?” Jack snapped. He liked David just fine, but he was clearly crossing a line here.

David looked at the ground. “I just think… things could be better for you. If you only tried a little bit. But it’s like you don’t want them to be, so you can prove some bullshit point to yourself about how the world is so awful, or whatever.”

Jack was absolutely flabbergasted. Here was this kid who didn’t know him at all, calling him out in ways that no one else had ever dared to before. No one had ever cared enough to. And he was angry, because he knew he was right, but it was none of his business! And it started from some stupid argument about gym clothes, of all things.

Jack scoffed. “Whateva. I’m outta here,” he muttered as he walked right out of the gym, consequences be damned. He was no stranger to trouble, and could not stand to be next to Davey for one more goddamn second.

_______________________________________________________

Fourth period was chemistry, which Jack and Race shared, along with Spot Conlon and Katherine. Today, the teacher was assigning lab partners for the semester. She read down from a list that she had already made, then the students went to sit with their new partners. Jack wasn’t in class, but he ended up being partnered with Spot. Race maintained a neutral face, acting as though he didn’t care at all, but of course he cared. He also wondered where Jack was. Then he got a text asking him to meet in the boy’s bathroom by the gym.

Race stood up immediately. “Umm… Miss, I hafta use the restroom,” he said.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed at his verbal disruption of the lecture. “Take the pass,” she said, gesturing to the pass hanging from a lanyard by the door before she continued.

Race gave a little awkward bow before grabbing the pass hanging on the door and went to find Jack in the bathroom.

“What’s up, Jackie?” he asked.

“Can I bum a smoke?”

Race was surprised. Jack didn’t seem the type. But he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his backpack and handed him one. What were brothers for? “Here,” he said, tossing him his lighter. “Did somethin’ happen?”

Jack ignored him at first, focused on lighting the cigarette in his mouth. He took a very long drag, then exhaled slowly, his eyes closed as he leaned up against the wall. “Jus’ nosey people askin’ stupid questions.”

“Like who? Like what?” asked Race, trying to ignore the irony in his response.

Jack opened one eye and gave him a look, indicating that the irony was not lost on him either. Then, after a pause, he closed his eye again and sighed. “Dat friend o’yours, Davey? He jus’ don’t have a clue when it’s time ta drop somethin’. Ain’t no respect fuh boundaries, dat kid.” He took another drag of the cigarette, then coughed a little. He wasn't much of a smoker.

Race understood. While David was a good friend, he really could be overbearing. Which was part of why Race was now so good at putting up a front- he had to be a fast learner, once David decided he was going to be his friend. “I’s sorry, Jack. Ya know he means well. S’just he ain’t neva had ta sleep nowhere but a real house wid two whole folks tuckin’ him in at night. Sometimes he jus’ don’t understand what we been through, cuz he ain’t neva had nothin’ ya can’t ask questions ‘bout.”

Jack nodded. It made sense. But he still just… pushed his buttons, somehow.

“If ya don’t mind my askin’... and ‘course ya can say no, too, but… what was it exactly that gottim so curious?”

“Oh, just stuff ‘bout my work ethic, my potential, how I oughta stay here an’ keep doin’ this school bullshit even afta I turn eighteen. Dat sorta stuff, completely outta nowhere,” said Jack. “Totally outta line, too,” he added, taking another drag of the cigarette.

Hearing this made Race’s heart sink a bit. “Ya don’t… ya don’t think ya gonna stick around, then, huh?” He couldn’t say he was surprised, but he was sad. He really bonded with Jack, and didn’t understand why Jack would choose to leave when there was a door open for him to a place where he was welcomed as family.

Jack looked up at him and saw the slightest change in Race’s expression. It was exactly like yesterday, when they were talking at the bench- something just beneath the surface had shifted. Like suddenly his neutral face was a lie he had to maintain. “It ain’t nothin’ personal, Race. I’s just… not a family guy.”

“I hear ya, Jack.” Race looked at the ground, his expression completely blank. “I gotta get back ta class.” He began to make his way out of the bathroom.

“Racer,” Jack said behind him. He turned and looked at him, wondering what he could have to say. Jack tossed him his lighter. “Thanks for da smoke.”

Race gave a small smile and a half-shrug as he pocketed the lighter, not looking at Jack. “What else is bruddas for?” He turned and walked most of the way out of the bathroom, before stopping in his tracks at the door for just a moment. Without turning around, he said, “Family is for everyone. Ain’t no one too good for it, and ain’t no one don’t deserve it. Like it or not, ya already got one, and it’s up ta youz what ya gonna do widdit.” And with that, he continued walking out the door.

Jack paused for a second, then took another drag of the cigarette that Race had given him. This was exactly the kind of bullshit that made him not want a family. He hated feeling responsible for anyone else. It was always hard on him, especially in houses with kids younger than him. He always ended up being some kind of big-brotherly figure to them, and then he worried about them like crazy when they were inevitably separated. And he always ended up alone. Every time. He was tired of it.

And then, he wasn’t alone. He heard footsteps down the hall, and tried to put out his cigarette as quick as he could. As he was tapping it on the sink trying to extinguish it, the guidance counselor, Snyder, walked in. Jack froze as they made eye contact. His eyes went from Jack, to the cigarette in his hand, and back up to Jack.

#newsies #newsies fanfic #newsies fanfiction #jack kelly #racetrack higgins