#catholic jack kelly bc i’m projecting

He was always taking the easy way out. Always looking for some sort of way to martyr himself— mouth off so nobody can call you selfish; take a punch so the pain can come from anywhere besides your own head.

It reminded him of something Racer had said to him once during the weeks leading up to the strike. Exhausted by the Delanceys’ daily beatings and Pultizer’s lack of a response, Jack had leapt up from his bed in the lodging house and declared he was going to march right down to the office of The World and give the bumbling old bastard a piece of his mind himself.

Race had merely rolled his eyes. “Oh, quit yappin’, Jackie. You ain’t doing jack-shit a’ the sort. He’ll kill ya and you know it.”

“Race,” Jack had begun sharply, but his little brother cut him off before he could get any further.

“Nah, Jack. I know you think this whole sacrificial lamb gig is admirable or some shit but everybody knows s’easier ta die like a hero than ta live like one. We need you here. So why don’t ya grow up, get your shit together, and do whatcha gotta do.” Race sat up, placing a cigar between his teeth and narrowing his eyes at Jack with a startling intensity. “And I mean whatcha really gotta do.” He’d sauntered out of the lodging house, then, leaving a stunned Jack behind.

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here’s a bit of a newsies thing i’m working on bc projection idk lmk if anyone would be interested in me uploading it somewhere!