A climactic moment, or at least a leading up to the climax moment.

Sorry I'm not naming random students, I just want to focus on what's happening...or I don't want to inadvertently create original characters? I don't know haha.

In the third paragraph, all those claims of how much Kid Blink was bribed with can be found in the article I referenced in the last chapter.

Still, this is a big moment.

Enjoy! :)

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And suddenly, Louis gains his confidence back.

Because he's never been more certain of this: Kid Blink didn't actually betray the newsies. He wouldn't. 

The thing is, all the papers contradict each other on how much Kid Blink was bribed with. Some say $200, others $400, others say he was offered free papers and a dollar a day, one even claimed that Kid Blink just thought the strike was over.

He knows that Kid Blink--that he wouldn't do something like that.

Nick has told him more than once that he is his own person. That he won't make the same mistakes that Kid Blink possibly made.

Louis can't wait to tell Nick what he inexplicably knows to be true: Kid Blink didn't betray the newsies, no matter what every one else thought.

What actually happened? He may never know.

But it's okay.

He doesn't need to know exactly what happened.

Somewhere, in some time, Kid Blink is calling out, crying I didn't do it! I'm innocent!

And Louis believes him.

-----------------------------------------

Monday morning comes unfairly fast. But it's okay: they're ready, and they have a plan.

This is all going to work out.

They just know it.

As a group, they enter the school together. Tony is still very uncomfortable, but they made a plan so that he's never alone during the day; there's always going to be someone with him, or someone waiting for him to come to them--never too far apart.

Sean squeezes Tony's hand reassuringly. And then, he takes off to the main office.

The idea is that if Sean shows the school the text messages Tony sent (with Tony's consent, of course) about feeling unsafe about going to school on Monday to someone working in the main office, that by the end of the day at latest the Delanceys will be suspended.

"We're not going to let anything happen to you," Jack promises.

"Hope you don't mind being stuck with us all day!" Charlie says cheerfully.

Charlie's brightness makes Tony grin. "Nah, I don't think I'll ever get tired of you guys."

They all smile at that.

Charlie's just so happy because he's so excited. He's only in ninth grade, and he's already participating in something huge. Maybe in a few years it won't seem as big; but in this moment, this is his world. In this moment, he is reliving the tale of kids sticking together and showing the adults that they are going to be listened to. It's all exhilarating.

And maybe...this could give Charlie just some idea of just who exactly he was in his past life.

Mondays always mean a fresh start to the week.

And they're going to make the most of it.

It doesn't take too long for Sean to catch up to them.

"They said that during lunch, you and I can come into the office, and the Delanceys will too, and we'll talk about this," he informs them. He smiles. "And this seems to be going our way."

This is the best news that Tony has heard in a really, really, long time.

And so they head off to their first class.

Kathryn uses every spare moment she has reordering and rearranging the paper. She knows they don't have everything yet; they saved a big portion of it for where any surveys from lunch will go, but surely if she tries to get it perfect now, she'll have to do less work later to make it perfect, right?

It's not exactly the most logical thing, but it's all Kathryn has to hold on to right now.

-------------------------------------------

By now, it's lunch time, and nothing bad has happened yet, so they would say today is going well.

It's getting better as Sean and Tony head into the main office, Delanceys already there.

Jack watches them enter from the outside with a smile.

"What's happening?" someone asks him.

"Justice," Jack answers. 

"For what?" the guy asks, interested. But it's not just the common casual I want to know why someone got in trouble. It's actual interest.

"The Delanceys were being transphobic," Jack explains. "Really transphobic. And now there's proof about it. And so now they're talking about what the school's going to do about it."

"Could they get expelled?"

"At least suspended," Jack responds. "And that's if they can get more evidence."

"I'll be right back." And suddenly, the guy turns and walks away hurriedly. 

Jack watches him go, confused, not entirely sure what's happening.

It doesn't take long for the guy to come back with his friend.

"I brought more evidence," the guy explains. "Hope xe can help."

Jack's eyes widen. This actually isn't a bad idea. This could actually work. "By all means, go inside and see what you can do."

As his friend goes in, the guy turns to Jack and smiles. "Thanks, man. Xe faced homophobia and transphobia from them too." He gazes at his friend fondly. "I always wanted justice for xem."

They continue watching for a few minutes, wondering what exactly is being said.

"You know," Jack says, "I think it's working."

Meanwhile, Kathryn and the leader of the Mental Health Alliance conduct most of the surveys. Surveys like how everyone's emotions have been in the past week; how well they've done on homework and/or school work; and how they like the new lunch situation. It's going great.

Charlie, being Charlie, just talks with the students, genuinely interested in their sides of the stories. He can greatly sympathize with all the kids who would rather be in the library or a less crowded room to eat lunch in. He writes down as much as he can, shows them what he wrote, seeing if he got it right, and brings all those accounts back to Kathryn.

Louis and Nick talk to the kids in student government about what they think about this, and if there's anything they're willing to do to help change this.

While Kathryn's busy, Sarah goes over all the information so far, being the second set of eyes to proof read everything. Anything to make her girlfriend's job easier.

With give or take ten minutes left of lunch, Tony and Sean come find them, both smiling.

"Good news?" Jack prompts them.

"It's going great!" Tony answers happily. "They couldn't do anything hastily, but we'll have an answer by the end of the day." His smile widens. "And the odds are in our favor."

-----------------------------------

Kathryn and Sarah must have proofread it a thousand times. They check with Mr. Denton before lunch ends. 

In their next class, they print it. Then during their passing time, they all spread their newspaper.

Time passes.

Until it's the last class of the day.

Everyone has to start out in their classes.

Most of them are in Mr. Denton's classroom. When he gives them a nod of acknowledgment, they all leave to go to the principal's office to end this once and for all.

They meet up with anyone not in that class in the hallway.

They're all together now.

They're ready.

And they're going to win.

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Oooooooooo the plot is movinggggg

Yes, short. But like said, leading up the main action.

How many times do I say Once and for all haha I wanna know but I also don't want to know how many times I actually use it haha.

I didn't realize I was going to use xe/xem/xyr pronouns for someone until I did and I loved it.

I love neo-pronouns.

So what's going to happen next?!

...

I wanna know too haha.

Don't worry, I'll think of something.

Please, no homophobia or transphobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (who can't wait for what happens next, even if they don't know entirely how it's going to happen haha)