"Good luck kid."

"Go get 'er!"

Fox and Temper's words echoed in his mind as he walked back to Manhattan.

He'll go back to Queens tomorrow...

Hopefully.

"So Race, how'd Queens go?" Crutchie grinned optimistically.

Race shook his head. "No support, no friendship."

"No friendship?" Albert questioned.

Race shook his head. "No friendship."

"Well, maybe we were too optimistic." Blink blinked (sOrRy) (I cOuLdn't rEsiSt) [*wheezes*] [BLINK BLINKED-]

"Ya think?" JoJo narrowed his eyes.

"I just- I just wanna go to bed now, 'kay guys?" Race spoke unusually soft.

Crutchie nodded, "Night Racer."

Echoes of 'good night's' rang through the room.

"We should probably head to bed too." Mush and everyone else's moods were deflated seeing their resident comedian so miserable.

((((()))) (dont judge this is future me thinking that this scene needs a line break and is too lazy to scroll up to find one)

"I take it the boys didn't have much success." Davey looked at the sleeping boys.

"Nope." Romeo responded, sitting up.

"Hey! Whatcha's doin' still up!" Jack whisper-yelled.

"I couldn't sleep." The eleven-year-old huffed.

"Never mind that!" Davey dismissed them. "I thought you said Race has a connection to Slip."

Jack stared at the peaceful sixteen-year-old, curly blonde haired messed up.

"Had." Jack looked up to meet Davey's brown eyes briefly before flinching away. "Nevah should've sent Racer to visit Slip. They had a fight, I knew it."

"How'd you know?" Romeo tilted his head to the side.

"Because I know those two like the back of my hand." Jack sighed.

"Does that mean we'll never see Slip again?" Romeo's eyes filled with sadness. "Drew- Drew stopped sending letters a couple years back."

"It'll be okay kid." Jack reassured before turning back to Davey. "Guess you should probably go home."

"Yeah." Tielo Davey nodded awkwardly. "Got a brother waiting."

"See you tomorrow Dave." Jack sighed, walking over to Romeo to tuck the younger boy in.

Davey smiled softly while watching Jack's interaction with the eleven-year old.

"Alright, so-"

"Jackie! I'm too old to get tucked in." Romeo huffed.

"Yeah? Yeh? Who said dat." Jack crossed his arms.

"Me!" The boy pointed to himself.

"Not even for.... Anastasia's adventures?"

Romeo froze, "Y- yeah."

"You sure?" Jack's green eyes twinkled in amusement.

"No! How'd you know that would get me?!" Romeo glared slightly.

"I don't know," Jack shrugged. "But I do know your favorite is her adventures here, since you don't remember."

Romeo nodded eagerly.

"Alright." Jack nodded, "well five years ago...."

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

"Did they ever find out the other knew it was them?!" Romeo gasped softly.

Jack shook his head, laughing slightly. "They never did."

"What?!" Romeo groaned. "Why not?"

"Cause they're stubborn." Jack shrugged, "or they would've been together already."

"Race and Anastasia are stupid!" Romeo huffed, throwing his arms up.

"We both know they are." Jack smiled. "Now, ya ready for bed?"

"Do I have to?"

Jack narrowed his eyes.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going."

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

"You should head back to Queens." Albert nudged Race.

"For what? To scream at Stais again?" The blonde boy rolled his eyes.

"No, to make up nitwit." Albert rolled his eyes before continuing, "Everyone says things they regret." The redhead smiled softly.

"Not as bad as what I yelled in her face..."

"Come on! It can't be that bad!" Albert nudged again.

"She won't talk to me. Not after what I said." Race looked away, shame written on his face.

"C'mon! I made a bet with JoJo that you'd be together by the end of the strike."

Race groaned. "How much?"

"Sixty cents, in honer of our very own Pulitzer." Albert smirked smugly. [THIS SOUNDS LIKE A BET I MADE WITH IZZY] [basically, if i marry one of my friends that she ships me with, i give her one hundred dollars] [but if i don't, she gives me sixty cents] [the reason why hers is so low is because there's a lower chance it won't happen] (like much lower)

"Say goodbye to your money." Race put his head in his hands.

"Whatever you said can't have been that ba-" Albert began but was cut off.

"I screamed! I told her I wish I let the cops take her!" The blonde whimpered. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Albert paused for a moment before hesitantly awkwardly patting Race's back.

"It'll be okay. She knows you didn't mean it."

"Tell that to the hurt look on her face." Race snapped. "I'd never forget it.... she looked so- so- broken."

"Then fix it." Albert crossed his arms.

"How?" Race turned back to his best friend.

"Say you're sorry."

"Sorry can't fix everything Al." Race rested his chin on his hand.

"Yeah, but it's a pretty good place to start."

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

"Why am I doing this?" Race mumbled.

He had a short period of time to race to Queens and convince Anastasia to join before they strike.

"You aren't welcome back here." A Latino boy around his age crossed his arms, the same boy who opened the door for him. (Just to be clear this is Books)

"I know but-"

"Look, you really hurt Slip." Another taller boy stepped up, he had dark brown hair and grey eyes. (Hyper)

"I know but-"

"You should really go." A final boy glared, he looked like he was from South-West Asia. (Rowan)

"I MADE A MISTAKE OKAY!" Race finally snapped. "You never have to see me- or- or talk to me again! Just let me talk to Stais." He begged.

The two boys collectively looked to the Latino.

The first boy gulped before whispering a simple, "....go ahead. She's up on the fire escape."

Race nodded a thanks. Following the brown-haired boy's instructions.

"You got a real nerve showing up here again Higgins," Anastasia muttered, looking up.

"I know." Race chuckled softly.

"So, you here to damage our broken friendship even more?" Anastasia crossed her arms, a throbbing feeling in her heart.

"No, I'm here to fix it." Race took a step forward but winced as Anastasia took a step back.

"A sorry won't cut it Race."

Race smirked slightly. "No, but it's a good way to start."

Anastasia smiled back. "Well, apology accepted. I'm sorry too." [he frickin said "I HATE YOU" unironically you're gonna need more than "iM soRrY"] (nonononono) (they're not friends yet) (they just both apologized)

"It was my fault." Race shook his head.

"No, it was mine. I started it." Anastasia argued.

"So, you in. Or out?" Race smiled.

Dread filled Anastasia.

"Race, people might get hurt. People will get hurt!" Anastasia threw her hands up.

"So? It's for a good cause Stais."

Anastasia gulped. "Wh- what if you get hurt?"

Anger filled Race. "So? You stopped sending letters years ago! What would you care?!"

"I care because youse my frie-"

"It doesn't feel like it." Race huffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anastasia glared.

"We get more hurt if we don't strike then when we do."

"You act like I'm betraying you." Anastasia shook her head, a humorless laugh escaped her mouth.

"It sure feels like it." Race grumbled.

"LOOK!" Anastasia snapped. "WETHER OR NOT YOU ACCEPT IT I CARE ABOUT YOU! THAT'S WHY I'M NOT JOINING THE STRIKE! BECAUSE- BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU, AND IF I CAN'T PROTECT YOU FROM THIS, THEN I'LL D*MN WELL MAKE SURE I'LL DO IT FOR MY NEWSIES!"

"YEAH? DAT WHY YOU DON'T WANNA JOIN THE STIRKE? RIGHT REDWOOD?" Race screamed, anger suddenly pulsing through him.

"YEAH DAT'S WHY I AIN'T GONNA JOIN THE STRIKE!" Anastasia yelled back, frustrated with how Race was acting.

"We both said stupid things." Race looked down.

"I didn't mean a single word." Anastasia shook her head.

"Neither did I," Race agreed. "I don't hate you Stasia." The back of his mind screamed the opposite. (Just to clarify, the opposite doesn't mean he hates her, it means- well- yKnOw) [HE LOVES HER Y'ALL] (y'all?) (sToP sPoiLiNg mY bOok) [yes i'm southern now] [y'all'd've never expected] (y'AlL'd'vE-)

"I missed you." Anastasia mumbled, surging forward, arms wrapping around Race's neck.

"I did too." Race returned the gesture.

Anastasia pulled away, scanning Race.

"If the strike means this much to you... I'll join. Maybe convince Conlon too."

Race cheered, "Hurry up then Stupid! We got a strike to get to."

"I'm going, I'm going." Anastasia laughed.

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

"CONLON!" Anastasia yelled, running to Spot Conlon's selling spot.

The Navy Yard Pier. [STRIKES AINT FUN-]

"Redwood, longtime no see." Spot smirked and spat in his hand.

"Yeah." Anastasia held her hand out and they shook.

"Got news on the strike?" Spot exclaimed between hawking headlines.

"That's what I'm here for." Anastasia frowned. "Look, I don't want my newsies hurt. I know you don't want yours. Same with Jack, 'Hattans a big family. If- If all of us team up then everyone should make it out."

"What makes you say that Slip?" Spot smirked. "Who gave Queens a visit?"

"No one of your concern." Anastasia flushed bright red.

"Really convinced you, huh." Spot nodded.

"Wether you join or not, Queens is in." Anastasia narrowed her eyes.

Spot rolled his eyes. "As much as I hate it Redwood, youse a good leader. Loyal friend. I'll follow you to death if I need to."

"Good to know Spotty Boy." Anastasia grinned cheekily.

"Well, when are we striking?" Spot crossed his arms, a smirk settling on his face.

"Within the hour." Anastasia smiled sheepishly.

"Seriously?!" Spot's eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What can I say." Anastasia shrugged, "I was given short notice also."

"You really have sent us off to our doom." Spot shook his head, walking away.

"See you at circulation center!" Anastasia yelled. "Don't be late!"

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Spot waved without turning back to the younger girl.

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

(Bare with me folks, gonna mix both musical and movie here) (...) (dUriNg cOmPleTelY diFferEnt pArtS)

"Newsies!" Jack yelled, pointing to the bulls. "Get em!"

Everyone charged, havoc wrecking.

However, it was clear the newsies were losing.

"NEVER FEAR! BROOKLYN'S HERE!"

The Brooklyn newsies popped up like daisies from the rooftops above.

"Brooklyn!" Everyone cheered.

"QUEENS!" Slip yelled, flinging open the previous sealed gates.

"DREW!"

"ANASTASIA!"

The Manhattan newsies screamed twice as loud as they had for Brooklyn. [spot conlon rn: i came out to have a good time and i honestly am feeling so attacked right now-] (lol)

"Hey Spot, Stasia." Jack nodded as the two joined him in punching goons.

"What's up Jackie?" Anastasia grinned, kicking some cops gut.

"Ah nothing much, great day to crack some heads." Jack responded, continuing to fight. "How 'bout you Spotty Boy?"

"It was a long walk to 'Hattan considering we were running. In the broad daylight.... under the hot New York sun." Spot deadpanned, whipping out his cane.

"Why do you even have a cane?" Anastasia questioned.

"That is for me to know and you to never find out."

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

"Guys! Freeze!" The bright voice of Kathrine Plumber rang through, making everyone freeze.

The photo was crowded with the newsies from the three boroughs, each smiling wildly.

Race and Anastasia instinctively linked arms.

They both locked eyes for a moment before flinching away.

"SMILE!" Katherine finally yelled, and they all grinned. Both Anastasia and Race ignored the evident blush on their faces.

~~~~~~📰~~~~~~

"You were late." Race scoffed, ripping up papes.

"That wasn't my fault." Anastasia huffed while throwing her paper shreds into the air.

"At least you came." Race smiled.

"You know, just cause you convinced me to join the strike doesn't mean we're friends again. Especially not what we used to be." Anastasia stopped tearing papers, turning to Race.

"I figured." Race shrugged. "I know I can't fix everything."

"Sorry's a good place to start." Anastasia smiled slightly. [<3]

"JACK CHEESE IT! IT'S THE GOONS!"

Everyone's heads snapped up to see the bulls storming the circulation center.

"Come on, we gotta go." Books rushed over, tugging at Anastasia's sleeve.

Anastasia was just about to call off her newsies when Jack screamed, "NEWSIES.... GET EM!"

"You take the little ones out." Anastasia nodded to Books. "Anyone older than twelve willing to fight should stay."

Books nodded, running off.

(I can feel myself hyperventilating while lookinng at this freaking latin)
(You Ms. Beta are insane) (I CANT TRANSLATE IT BACK) (BETA)(Wait a min)(iS THIS EVEN MY BOOK?!) (im so bad) (I dONT REMEMBER WHERE I LEFT OFF)
[IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR BOOK AHAHAHAHAHA] [ITS PLACEHOLDER TEXT](this freaking prank) (I was next to Paul when I found out, and I gasped like "HDHD OH NO SHE DIDN'T!" and he looks over my shoulder "what happene- oh...") (davey offered to help fix it too)

(For reader context, I pranked my editor Resident Beta Readers book by putting a bug space between every paragraph) (so beta did that in sone places but since my book is so long she did it in random spots of each chapter) (right here she put a space holder? Which was partly in latin and gibberish)

"We friends enough to fight together?" Race chuckled.

"I'll settle for frenemies." Anastasia smirked, but the smile quickly fell as large goons bursted through the gate.

The newsies fought hard, but even with the newfound Calvary they were starting to lose.

That's when the real bulls showed up.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU SHOWED UP!" Romeo stumbled. "THEY'SE SLAUGHTERIN' US!"

Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief until a loud SMACK rung through the air and Romeo collapsed to the ground.

That's when everyone panicked, realizing the bulls weren't going to help them.

Scrambling, everyone began to retreat.

Specs ran to pick an unconscious Romeo up, ducking the bats of the cops so he wouldn't meet the same fate.

Over the chaos Anastasia screamed orders to her newsies, counting them as they rushed out by spotting their gray clothes.

Satisfied with all of her newsies she too joined the, in heading out.

Until she heard the familiar shriek of an old friend.

Or brother....

"JACK, WAIT FOR ME!" Crutchie yelled.

Anastasia snapped her head around and saw Oscar roughly toss Crutchie to the floor.

"JACK HELP! ROMEO! FINCH!"

"Aw shut it crip!" Morris wacked Crutchie hard with his crutch.

Anastasia adjusted her hat and started to bolt back through the gates when the cold hand of Racetrack Higgins grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him in a hug-like matter.

"Stasia..." Crutchie whimpered eyes temporarily locking with his friend.

Anastasia struggled more against Race's grasp, tears silently falling down her face as Snyder dragged her older brother figure to the refuge.

Once all the dangers filed out Race finally released the sobbing girl but Anastasia turned back and wrapped her arms around her sort of friend, sort of enemy.

"Y- you didn't want to join the strike because you didn't want me to get hurt. I'm returning the favor!" Race fought back his own tears.

Crutchie may not have been useful to the strike physically, but he was the heart of the newsies.

"You- you were right." Anastasia mumbled into Race's chest.

"Huh?" Race pulled her chin up.

"If some of da guys like Crutchie ends up hoit it'll be yer fault."

Anastasia pulled away looking down.

"Crutchie is going to the refuge because of me." Anastasia faltered. "If- if I would've done something."

"It wasn't your fault, he shouldn't have been there." Race put a hand on the shorter girls shoulder.

Anastasia shrugged his hand off.

"Stop Race... just- just stop." Anastasia snapped, finally turning back. "I gotta go."

And with that, she took off, leaving the dumbfounded Racetrack Higgins to himself.

Snapping back to reality, Race quickly chased after her.

Sorry for the long wait guys! Last week I was helping my cousin move into his college dorm and the week before was my grandparents death anniversary.

Anyways.

I hope you guys liked this chapter!

This is Izzy,
Over and out