Newsie: Jack

Time Period: Modern AU

Backstory: You're definitely an adult here, maybe around 20. You and Jack have known each other for years, but never went to each others houses because both of you were a bit nervous of how your families would react. Your parents aren't with you (as I'll explain why later on), so you're raising your 7 year-old brother and 6-year old sister on your own while attending college. You come from a poor background meanwhile Jack is part of one of the wealthiest families in the state. After begging you to come meet his parents, you hesitantly agreed in hopes that neither of his parents would judge you for being of lower economic status and social class.

A/N: Based off Rewrite the Stars (I don't own the lyrics at all, they belong to whoever has copyrights to it.). It's not going to follow the song 100% exactly, but it's very close enough. Pretty straight to the point, but it might work best if you imagine yourself being part of an immigrant family, like me (First-generation Salvadoran-American here!). Btw, no proof-reading either, lmk if there is something I have to fix

*~*~*

As I step out of the house, my skin becomes covered with goosebumps thanks to the gently breeze that was passing by. Halfway down the steps, I hear Jack calling out, "Y/N, wait, don't leave!"

"Leave me alone Jack, it's clear that I'm not welcomed here."

I made it to the bottom of the stairs when he asked, "Why do you care of what she think?"

I froze at his question, wondering if I had just heard right. I look back and let out every ounce of frustration. "It's not just her! You've never had someone look at you the way your mom looked at me!"

My breathing began picking up as tears formed in my eyes, "The way everyone would look at us... I don't belong in your world, don't you get that!? I warned you, remember? I warned you this would happen if we got together!

"I don't belong in your world of fancy dinners, parties, speaking with others about business and prosperity. I don't belong in a place where golfing with friends or going to the beach on the weekend is no big deal. I belong in a place where I am viewed as a human being, not how much money I have in the bank or in assets. A place where everything you have, what you consider as a commodity, is seen as only a luxury or dream for us.

"I have a baby brother and sister waiting for me at home because my parents are gone. They had to stay with a sitter because I thought coming here was a great idea. If it weren't for some lady calling the cops on my parents for looking "suspicious," I wouldn't have to risk leaving my babies alone with a random person.

He stops at he looks at me with disbelief, "What do you mean? Where are your parents?"

I look up to the sky, trying to find some control in my voice, "My parents... They're gone! They were deported and now I have to raise two kids on my own while paying for my own college tuition! How can I comfort them when they ask where is Mami and Papa? How can I keep an eye on the 24/7 when I have to be at school or work?"

By now, the tears were streaming down and I could feel him step even closer to me. "Y/N, baby, I-"

"How can we be together when your life is perfect meanwhile mine is just a mess?"

At that, he cupped my face gently with both hands and made me look up to him, "Because I genuinely want to be with you. You always put someone else before you, so you deserve someone to do the same for you."

Placing my hands on his, I take them away from my face before letting go, "I'm sorry baby, I won't be able to live with myself if you leave all of this, your family and life, to be with some no-good street tramp like me." 

Before I walk away from him for the last time, I hear the door open. I look back to see both of his parents looking at me. "Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, I'm so sorry for intruding your home. And Mrs. Kelly, I promise I'll never see your son again."

With that, I began to make my way to the gates, wiping away any tears left on my cheeks and I call for ride home.

---

Jack's POV

As I see her disappear around the fence, I can feel my heart just shatter. The one girl that actually made me feel like a normal guy was run off by my mother. Out of all people.

"It's for the better, son. Just let her go."

I turn around and just stared at her. Without missing a beat, I push through them and into the house to go upstairs. There is no way in hell I'm eating dinner with them anymore. "For the better? Mom, she as the only person who genuinely wanted to be around me because of who I am regardless of money or status. No matter what, she offered what little she had to make sure I was okay, and you called her a gold-digger. She has to provide for two small kids, a college tuition, and bills. Yet she never asked me for money or anything." 

After closing the door, she turns towards Pop before throwing her hands in the air, "See? This is what I meant by low class tramp! She has two kids so that means she's been sleeping around-"

Slamming my fist against the wall, I didn't bother lowering my voice, "Shut up! Just shut up, Mom! Her parents were basically taken away and she didn't want to give them up, so guess who had to provide for them. Y/N loves those kids with all of her heart, she hates leaving them with other people, unlike you who couldn't stand being with me for more than ten minutes at a time. All you cared about was the latest fashion trends and going to the salon with your so-called friends."

Gasping, she places a hand on her heart before trying to scold me, "How dare you talk to me like that! I am your mother-"

Not bothering to think about what I was about to say next, I look straight into her eyes and let it all out, "You lost the privilege of me seeing you as my mother, Cassandra. You'll never be half the woman Y/N is. You can expect me out of the house no later than tomorrow morning. I never want to be around your prejudice ass again."

---
Y

our POV Again

"Y/N, let be clear. I don't want a son of mine to be involved with a low-class tramp like you!" As I stared into her eyes, I couldn't stop that horrible lump in my throat from forming. After all this time, I thought she liked me. Now, I know it was all just a mask to hide her true feelings from her son.

Jack's eyes widen as he stared at his mom in disbelief, "Mom!"

"Cassandra!" Mr. Kelly was startled himself at his wife's sudden outburst.

I couldn't help but feel my heart begin to race,"Mrs. Kelly-"

She held up her hand to stop me from talking, "I know the likes of you. Coming in here with the innocent smile and manipulating my son to give you anything you want without working for it at all. I cannot allow behavior in my house!"

So he hasn't told her everything then, like he said he did. I guess it doesn't matter, she already made a first impression of me.

Gently setting down my fork and placing the napkin on the table, I make my way out of the seat. "With all due respects ma'am, you know absolutely nothing about my life. I apologize for ruining dinner, I'll make my own way out of the door."

That evening won't stop replaying in my head as I make Jasmine and Benny's lunch. It's been two weeks yet it feel like it just happened only moments before. I was looking at moving out of town to start fresh somewhere else, maybe near an aunt who could help me watch the kids while I study or work. Sticking around her would just make everything even harder than it already was.

I place the dirty dishes in the sink before wiping my hands on a clean towel and calling for my younger siblings, "Kids! Your lunch is ready, we gotta get going to school!"

Benny comes out of their room with a smile on his face meanwhile Jasmine slowly makes her way to the counter. 

"Thank you sis," Benny says as he hugs my waist. 

Jasmine stops next to me and looks up with tears in her eyes, "Why don't we see Jack anymore?"

I froze at the question since I didn't want to think about that painful night. Sighing, I think about how she will have to learn about the truth eventually, "Baby, sometimes people can't always be around because we want them to. Life has a way of telling two people that they might be better off not seeing each other for awhile."

Nodding her head, I crouch down and wipe away the stray tears, "I need you to be strong, my Flower, life won't take me or your brother away from you."

Even though it was meant for her, I knew deep down that it was for me too. I had to be strong for the two most important people in my life. 

---

After dropping off the kids at school, I went back to our small apartment and decided I needed a day off from school. Can't take off work or I run the risk of being fired, but I'll just ask Patrick for his notes from class today. As I'm picking up around the place, I hear a knock at the door. I go to look through the peephole and my heart starts picking up. 

Jack. 

Again he begins to knock and says, "Y/N? Are you home?"

"What are you doing here? I meant what I said to your mom."

Through the peephole, I can see that his hair looked like it was run through so much by his hands. "Please, can we talk? I know you blocked my number because none of my calls or texts have gone through."

I knew what I was about to do would probably be one of the dumbest decision in my life, but I open the door regardless and let him in. 

Before I had the chance to say anything after shutting the door close, Jack speaks up, "You know I want you, Y/N. It's not a secret I try to hide. I know you want me, so don't keep sayin' our hands are tied."

"Jack, really, I-," I try to walk away but he grabs my wrist and doesn't let go.

"You claim it's not in the cards and fate is pullin' you miles away and out of reach from me. But you're here in my heart, so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?" His eyes were pleading for me to consider the option, but I know I can't do it. 

He continues on. "What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine. Nothing could keep us apart, you'd be the one I was meant to find. It's up to you, and it's up to me, no one can say what we get to be. So why don't we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours tonight."

I pull my hands out of his grasp and go to the window. I look out and think about if moving is the only thing that would keep me sane. He's truly clueless on how it works from my perspective. "You think it's easy. You think I don't wanna run to you, but there are mountains and there are doors that we can't walk through. I know you're wondering why because we're able to be just you and me within these walls, but when we go outside, you're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all. "

He hands find their way around my waist and lays his head down to listen to the rest of my thoughts, "No one can rewrite the stars. How can you say you'll be mine? Everything keeps us apart, and I'm not the one you were meant to find. It's not up to you and it's not up to me. When everyone tells us what we can be, how can we rewrite the stars? Say that the world can be ours tonight?"

Turning around, we both stare at each other before he voices out his feelings even more, "All I want is to fly with you. All I want is to fall with you. So just give me all of you."

I shake my head, "It feels impossible."

"It's not impossible," he says, as he places a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.

I question his response, "Is it impossible?"

Again, he tries to reassure me. "Say that it's possible," he says encouragingly.

"How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine?" This is all too much, just the thought of him not being in my life is enough to make me want to breakdown again. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into him. Feeling how close he was to me breaks down whatever barrier I had put up for myself.

I place my head on his chest, hearing his heart thumping. "Nothing can keep us apart," he mumbles, kissing the top of my head, "'cause you are the one I was meant to find. It's up to you and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be. Why don't we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours."

We pull back before leaning our heads together and closing our eyes. There was a moment of silence before I quietly whispered, "You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide, but I can't have you. We're bound to break and my hands are tied."

As I open up my eyes, I see that Jack was already staring back at me. My breath hitches as his lips come closer to mine. Right before they touch, he whispered, "I will rewrite every star just for you." And with that, he softly places his lips on mine and we both just soak in the moment. My arms find their way around his neck and shoulders while his arms carefully wrap around my lower back. 

After a moment, we break apart and just stare at each other while figuring out how we're going to move forward.

"I love you so damn much, Y/N," he whispers, "and I don't want to live life without you. Please say you'll let me help you, please!"

Tearing up for what seems like the thousandth time, a small smile finds its way onto my lips, "I love you, Jack Kelly. We'll rewrite the stars, together." He brings up a hand and wipes a tear away, and leaves behind a feathery kiss.

"Yes we will darling, yes we will."

*~*~*

So here we go, I updated. I literally wrote this on the fly because had been the first idea I had the motivation to write at the very moment. Hope yall enjoyed, thank you all for your support, take care, and I'll see yall next time!

Love y'all!

~Abby