3rd Person

She sat with her parents on either side of her and Clayton Sullivan and his parents sat across from her. Clayton, his parents, and her parents all wanted Clayton and her to marry. Clayton was a young business man who would soon take his father's position. Both of their parents were wealthy, and her parents, taking advantage of her beauty and wanting to go up in their social status, are making her marry him.

Except she already had a secret boyfriend that no one in her family would approve of. She planned on running away with him to somewhere they don't have to worry about her parents or Clayton. And with the wedding in a week, she was more than ready to leave.

"(Y/N)... (Y/N)," her mother called knocking her out of thought.

"Yes?" she asked.

"We were just talking, and you seemed in a different world," her mother explained. She apologized, and they began talking again.

....

The dinner finally ended before she climbed the stairs and to her room. After making sure her parents would not bother her for the night, she crept out of her room and out the back door. She made her way to her boyfriend eager to see him.

"Hey, (Y/N)," the other newsies call as she walks in.

"Hey, where's Mush?" she questions as everyone points to the stairs. She climbs the stairs, and then climbed up to the roof finding him there. He turns to her hearing footsteps and smiles once he sees her. "Hey," she greets giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey, How ah ya?"

"Okay. My parents are already planning out the rest of my life," she responds sitting next to him. "I just can't wait to leave," she finishes leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Ah ya shoah ya want ta leave?" he asks second-guessing their plan.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"'Cause ya throwin' ya life away-"

"I'm not throwing my life away. I'm just starting a new one," she rephrased. "And it's so we can be together. Don't you want that?"

"I want ya ta be happy," he answers.

"I'm happy when I'm with you," she tells him looking up at him.

....

Her voice echoed in his thoughts replaying over and over. She recently left to get back home, but he couldn't stop thinking about their conversation. He doesn't get how she could just leave as if she has nothing, but she has her family and friends. He would do anything to be with her parents again, but she can't wait to get away from them.

How long could they last all alone? Would she miss her family at all? Would she miss anything? Questions flew through his mind as he second-guessed their whole plan. What if leaving is a mistake?

No, he can't do that. He can't leave.

....

She smiles brightly as she opens the door to the lodging house. She greets the boys before she sits next to Mush.

"Hey," she greets.

"Hey. Can I'se talk ta ya?" he leads her upstairs.

"What's the matter?" she begins to get nervous.

"I can't let ya throw ya life away foah me," Mush whispered. She looks into his eyes as if pleading not to do this.

"I don't care. I don't want anything else. I just want you," she says trying to change his mind. Her eyes well up with tears as he continues.

"Ya know I love ya, but we can't be tagedda. Ya need ta leave an' be wit ya family," Mush finishes keeping his voice soft and pulling away from her. She looks up at him with disbelief as tears stream down her face, but he wouldn't look at her- he couldn't look at her. "Please, (Y/N). Do dis foah me," he whispers not making eye contact with her. She finally gave up, turning around and running out of the lodging house. She ran to her house and then up to her room. She collapsed on her bed not being able to stop herself from crying.

"(Y/N), are you okay?" her mother asked opening her door.

She stops crying and wipes her face. "Yes I'm just overwhelmed. Everything is happening so quickly," She lies.

"Don't worry. Once the wedding is over everything will be perfect," her mother smiles before leaving.

....

"Speak now or forever hold you peace," the priest says while she wished Mush would crash through those doors wanting her back. Her hope soon fades as the priest continues, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." She looks at Clayton as he leans close to her before kissing her. And she felt absolutely nothing.