hi guys ok context for this story (?) basically i was reading abt the donner party like a month ago and then i wanted to do a little character study ish thing w modern au newsies, but then like a quarter of it ended up being abt the donner party so. atleast i have something to feed my newsies followers with. yeah? yeah.
so tw for like. kinda weird mentions including death, cannibalism and so on n so forth. it’s not yk awful YOU KNOW WHAT i’m making this seem a lot more about the donner party than it actually is let’s just move on.
there’s some redfinch, ralbert (but its one sided ofc) and kinda implied javid? ? also kath n sarah hate eachother (for now). again its a character study but all of them so no single pov but cmon its me so its kinda albert centric. ok this is getting long lets begin
“the donner party is sooo boring,” race groaned from where he was sitting with crutchie on a beanbag. “who cares about a whole bunch’a dead guys in a wagon?”
“i find it interesting,” crutchie put in. “really emphasizes the human instinct to survive.”
albert shook his head in disgust. “i would never eat another human. sounds gross.”
“if you went that long without food, you would,” crutchie replied matter-of-factly.
“what was the point of all that, then?” race grumbled. “pretty much all of ‘em starved anyway. they coulda gotten off easier without eatin’ eachother.” he practically threw his book across the room into albert’s hands. “i’d rather starve than eat another person.”
“they weren’t right in the head,” jack explained, not looking up from his book. “they were so hungry, they probably became demented.”
“humans are animals,” crutchie added.
albert snorted. “great job, crutch. want a medal?”
“no, i mean- no matter what, driven by hunger, thirst or exposure, we’re gonna try to live. even if that means eating our friends.”
“ehh, i dunno.” jack tapped a finger on the top of his book. “i think i might be with william hook on this one. rather die from eatin’ too much than eatin’ too little.”
albert leaned back in his chair, the front legs lifting up off the floor. “i don’t even think eatin’ people was the problem,” he mumbled. “if the reed guy didn’t take the stupid shortcut, they all woulda survived.”
“man, if only,” race cut him off. “then they wouldn’t be in the history books at all and we wouldn’t hafta be crammin’ for the test right now.”
“yeah, ‘we’ as in ‘not you’, race.” albert waved his friend’s book above his head. “i still have your book. we’s the only people studyin’.”
race opened his mouth to say something back when the door to the room opened and katherine walked in.
“oh!” she seemed taken aback. “hi, guys! didn’t know you were in here.” she took a few steps in their general direction and stopped. “wait, are you supposed to be in here?”
the four boys glanced around at eachother and shrugged almost in unison.
“sorta,” albert said finally. “we’s technically supposed ta be in gym, but coach said we could study since we got a test tomorrow.”
katherine gave an exasperated sigh and turned her course to the filing cabinet in the corner of the room. “nobody ever uses this room. you couldn’t have just stayed in the gym?”
“gym’s awful.” crutchie shook his head. “well, i mean- for me, anyways.”
katherine nodded in understanding, opening a cabinet starting to go through it. “you guys meet the new kid yet?”
race immediately perked up. “there’s a new kid? no wa-“
“you wouldn’t like him,” katherine deadpanned.
“oh.” race’s face fell.
“well, what’s he like?” jack asked curiously, finally putting his book down.
“quiet, reserved… uh, he’s kinda preppy looking-“
“ew, yeah, okay, cut it right there.” race made a face and waved his hand infront of his face, making a ‘stop’ gesture.
“he sounds almost as boring as the donner party,” albert groaned.
katherine shrugged, turning back to the file cabinet. “i like him.”
“of course you do.” jack smiled and shook his head. “he seems like your typa guy.”
“and of course you’re the only one that cares,” race smirked.
katherine pinched the bridge of her nose with a long sigh. “race, please.”
race threw his hands up in mock innocence. “hey, hey! i’m just sayin’!”
crutchie closed his book and held his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead. “race, have you forgotten the only reason they broke up in the first place?”
“yeessss, crutchie, i know,” race forced out. “does this kid have a sister or somethin’?”
katherine hesitated. “yes, he does.” her voice was curt, and she sounded like she didn’t want to further the discussion.
unfortunately, race was never good at picking up on other’s emotions. “what’s her name?”
jack glared at him, but katherine spoke before race could figure out a way to deflect the blame somehow. “sarah. sarah jacobs.”
“jacobs, huh? what’s th’ guy’s name?” jack asked, diverting the subject.
“david,” katherine sighed out, relieved. “you should talk to him, when you can. maybe not al and race, but-“
“yeah, definitely not al and race,” albert said quickly, and race nodded in silent agreement.
jack suddenly got up and cracked his back, then his neck, then every single knuckle before finally saying, “alrighty then, me an’ crutch’ll go find ‘im. he should jus’ be in gym, yeah?”
race stared at him with a blank expression. “how is even getting up out of a chair an entire process for you?” he asked finally, and albert snickered.
jack shot yet another glare in race’s general direction as he turned to help crutchie up. “you sure you don’t wanna come?” he asked when the shorter boy was successfully up on his feet.
“positive,” albert hummed. katherine gave a triumphant shout and pulled out a single paper from the cabinet.
“what’s that?” race pressed, curious as ever.
“oh, just a little list- it’s for the school newspaper.” she shrugged and glanced quickly between the four boys. ”i have to give it tooo…” she scanned the paper quickly for a name. “…finch cortes. i don’t assume any of you know what class he has right n-“
“physics, room 203,” albert answered immediately, before katherine could even fully finish. “i mean- i think. how would i know?” the front legs of his chair hit the ground with a loud bang as he looked down at his lap, his face heating up. “it’s on the second floor,” he added quietly, fast enough that it almost sounded like one word.
crutchie smiled and ruffled albert’s hair playfully. “don’t worry, you can trust red on his finch factopedia,” he assured katherine, and albert swatted his hand off of his head with a sharp scowl.
“ooohhkay then,” katherine nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing like she didn’t quite get what was going on. “well, i’ll go find him, then. thanks, albert, i’ll tell him you said hi.”
“wait- no!” albert desperately tried to stop her, but she was already out the door.
nobody could really understand how katherine’s brain worked. it was as if she were a machine, and anything you tell her to do, she will or won’t without any wavering decision- and she was notoriously bad at reading between the lines.
“welp, we’d better get goin’,” jack said quickly, and crutchie agreed.
“no, wait! no, please! don’t leave me with him!” albert pleaded as he watched jack saunter out the door, eager as ever to meet a possible new acquaintance. crutchie pivoted and shot a sympathetic glance in albert’s direction. “sorry, al. you’re stuck wit’ him.”
“to most, being stuck with me is a good thing!” race reassured albert mockingly, draping his arms around his friend’s shoulders.
and then it was just race and albert. and for some odd reason, it was a lot more awkward than usual, and the air cracked with an unusual tension.
“so… you an’ finch, huh?” race asked after a moment, a crooked grin creeping onto his face.
albert shook his head quickly and wrung his hands nervously. “no, no,- it’s- not like i got a crush on ‘im or anythin’, i… it’s this brain of mine, the adhd, it, uh, chooses to fixate on the dumbest people at the most inconvenient times…” his voice trailed off, his unfocused eyes coming to rest on race.
his mind began to wander, his thoughts turning to static before they could even front. he shrugged it off- something he had gotten used to by now-and looked away. “you get what i mean.”
“i mean… i guess.” just the tone in race’s response let albert know he didn’t at all get what he meant.
just then, the bell rang, loud and steady, startling both boys out of the uncomfortable silence they had fallen into.
“saved by the bell,” race chuckled, stuffing his books into his backpack. he pointed at albert forcefully as he turned to leave. “don’t think ya got off easy, though. i still wanna know all about this fling wit’ you an’ birdie.”
albert groaned loudly in response and flung his backpack over his shoulder lazily, hearing race talking to himself about albert cortes, finch dasilva, and a few other things in italian that albert couldn’t understand a word of.
albert knew he wasn’t off the hook, he didn’t need race of all people telling him that. but he also knew that finch was in his last class, and maybe-for once- he wouldn’t be all sweaty and gross after gym and too self-conscious to even try to sit near him.
no, he did not have a crush on him.
he loved race, and no matter how much he wished for it to, it was never going to change. but maybe finch would take his mind off of it.
no, albert is not thinking about that right now!
TEEHEE HOPE YOU ENJOYED please speak to me in the tags tell me what you liked and didn’t and whatever also yes ik crutchie would use a wheelchair in a modern setting but i dont even know how those work so yeah not touching thag until i do more research
country/city boy javid for @the-woild-is-y-erster :3
i took some creative liberties and made it a college au bc i can. i think it still works. plus for some reason i was imagining uksies javid but u can imagine whatever ver u want
anyhoo i’m also still in high school so just assume i barely know shit abt how college actually works
so. yeah enjoy
david sat on his bed, staring at the wall and picking at his nails nervously. his roommate was supposed to be here around twenty minutes ago, and his phone battery had run out waiting. he glanced around the room, looking for something to do. he could explore the dorm building, but he wanted to be here when his randomly selected roommate came in.
almost all of his books were downloaded on his phone, which at the moment was in the middle of the room, charging painstakingly slowly.
david sighed and stood up, cracking his back with his palms. fine, you know what, i’m just going to walk around a little bit, it can’t hurt. right when he was about to open the door, it slammed open, and a flustered-looking boy stood in its place.
the newcomer jumped backwards, shocked, before sighing and relaxing a little. “damn, you scared the crap outta me,” he chuckled, shaking his head.
“…sorry,” david managed after a pause, stepping aside so the other boy could get inside.
“s’alright. i’m jack, by the way.” the boy- jack- edged his way into the dorm, bringing his suitcase along with him.
“david.” david was a little overwhelmed by all this- not completely because of how rushed his new roommate seemed- and somehow, was still twenty minutes late- but because of how downright gorgeous he was. dark hair, brown eyes, shorter than david by a decently large amount-
“nice ta meetcha, davey.” jack’s voice interrupted david’s thoughts, and in turn reminded him to stop being so gay for once.
wait- ‘davey?’ where’d he get that from?
there was a few minutes of silence as jack started unpacking.
“where ya from, then? ‘round here?” jack asked finally from over his shoulder.
“manhattan,” david hummed, barely paying attention. “so- i mean- yeah, around here.”
jack whistled, starting to fill the drawers on his side of the room.
“is that news?” david asked, flopping down on his bed.
“is to me. i’m from new mexico.”
“long flight,” david replied, his voice betraying his surprise. then again, he had assumed jack lived far away- his voice had a hint of a southern accent, and david didn’t think he would’ve been so late if he lived right down the road.
“yeah. s’alright, jus’ a little jetlagged. i drove, actually.” jack turned and shot a bright smile over at david, whose face flushed at just the small gesture. he hoped to god jack didn’t notice.
“this is my first time ever leavin’ the south. what’s it like in new york?” jack turned back to his suitcase and finished up filling the drawers, turning instead to his bed.
“uh. loud,” david answered weakly. “busy. can you see the stars in the south?” he asked, flipping over to face jack and hanging his head off the side of the mattress so he was upside down.
jack nodded. “all the time. millions of ‘em, pretty much anywhere there’s sky- ‘cept for the small city here an’ there.” he sat down on his newly made bed and snorted at david’s new position. “why’re you layin’ like that?” he asked, snickering.
a light blush crept onto david’s cheeks, his brow furrowing, “is it bothering you somehow?” he mumbled.
“naw, it’s fine, just funny.” jack laughed, laying back on his bed. “you’re turnin’ so red-all the blood rushin’ to ya head.”
that’s not why, david thought, but bit his tongue and tried to change the subject. “what’re you majoring in?” he settled on asking.
“art,” jack said simply, “you?”
“computer science,” david answered, sitting up on the bed- his head actually was starting to hurt now.
“huh. what’s that involve?” jack asked, his voice curious.
“uh- coding, design, little bit of engineering, a pretty good bit of math…”
jack groaned. “i hate math. that was the only class i failed in high school.” his tone made david think it wasn’t the only class.
“how old are you?” he wanted to slap himself for asking. but per his overly nosy nature, he had to know.
“‘re you suggestin’ i got held back?” jack lifted his head and glared daggers in david’s general direction. “because i did,” he finished after a moment of david stressing and trying desperately to figure out what to say. jack burst out laughing, david staring at him, dumbfounded. “i’m 19,” he added when he finally pulled himself together.
“an old man, i see.” david fought a smile.
“what are you, 11?” jack let out another beautiful laugh- not that david thought he was beautiful or anything. “c’mon, you gotta be at least 18.”
“i am. you’re gonna be 20 this year though, right? so, you’re old.” david shot jack a shit-eating grin as he finished.
“shut up,” jack grumbled, waving david off. “he crack i heard goin’ down the hallway was probably your back or somethin’.”
david’s eyes widened. “you heard that??” he near shouted.
jack doubled over laughing, grabbing the headboard of his bed to keep from falling off. “that- that was your back, wasn’t it!?”
“of course it was my back!” david’s jaw was on the floor, and his face was turning a darker red by the second.
jack wiped tears from his eyes, still laughing.
a smile crept onto david’s face as he stared gazed civilly and heterosexually at the other boy, his face beginning to get red for an entirely different reason. with a roomate this gorgeou- enthusiastic, maybe this year is looking up.
I HOPE U ENJOYED 🙏🙏🙏 just know i will almost always accept writing requests so ,,, yk if ya want,,,
It still hurt, in a weird way. I guess I’m just desperate to impress her somehow. Knowing her, this probably set me back by, oh I don’t know, a few years?
I hope she shows up tomorrow. If she doesn’t, she officially finds me crazy. Maybe I’m overthinking this.
I wonder if she thinks about me outside of our meetings in the daylight. I know I do.
