AN: I don't own Racetrack, Mush, Bumlets or Skittery they are totally Disney territory. Brockie belongs to herself and Dice belongs to Megan. Jay and Piper are totally mine. This is a BPLH contest fic...please enjoy.


All I wanted was a nice warm banana nut muffin. I just wanted one damn muffin, nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately for me, my newsie salary doesn't cover muffins, especially warm, delicious, sweet banana nut muffins. Oh well…I guess it's just my loss. It's too early to be up for the day but I am anyway. There's nothing to do now not even sleep, I'm wide awake wishing for a muffin. I can't remember that last time I had a muffin. Ever since I left it's been work all day sleep all night and eat if I can afford it, most times I can't.

Turning over I looked to my best friend, the moon. There was never a time in my life when I didn't want to live on the moon. At least there I wouldn't have to scrounge for all I had and yearn for more than it was. I was truly lucky to be where I was right now. The Battery Park Lodging house was my safe haven. I was a broke and hungry newsies but at least I wasn't a broke, cold and hungry newsie. Who knows maybe today would be my lucky day and the nuns would give out some coffee today. Lately however, we've been getting water and bread, something about needing more money to support their charity. I decided it was time to get up and rolled out of bed. As my feet hit the floor I heard a grumble from Brockie at being woke up.

"Sorry Brockie…"

"What are you doing?" she asked in a groggy voice.

"Getting ready."

"What time is it?"

"Do I look like I'm rich enough to have a stinkin' clock?!" I hiss. She rolls over and slams her face into a pillow going back to sleep. I quietly make my way to the washroom and try to make myself look presentable. That's as good as it's gonna get. I think to myself. It's not that I'm ugly it's just that as a newsie there's really nothing you can do most days to look wonderful and still keep your budget.

By now many of the other girls are out and about. Most have bags under their eyes and some are even walking around with their eyes fully closed. As the washroom fills up I slip out and slide down the stairs. Dice is waiting for me outside. We walk up the street and head to our favorite place to have breakfast before we enter our world of selling papes.

"How are you?" she asks.

"Not too horridly bad. How about you, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good did you hear…Jay's coming back?"

"What?!" I exclaim. Jay's been gone since before I can fathom to remember. He's Dices older brother, well one of them anyway. One day he decided to run off and become a cowboy leaving his sister and brother to fend for themselves. "When's he coming home?"

"Sometime soon…I hope. Can you believe after four years he's coming back?" she asks.

"Nope not really. Do you know what I want right now? I want a banana nut muffin."

"Why?" she asks me with a weird look on her face.

"I have no earthly idea…I woke up this morning and my stomach said 'Piper today you need to have a muffin. Not just any muffing today Piper you need to have a banana nut muffin.' So now a really want one." I explain using a funny voice for the stomachs part. She laughs at me and wishes me luck on my muffin quest. As we stop by a wagon we try to jump and see what the nuns are giving out today for breakfast.

A fresh aroma fills my nostrils and I immediately know that coffee is on the menu. The boys are jumping and skipping as they leave for the distribution office. Bumlets' smile is ten times bigger than normal so the food must be good.

Racetrack and Mush are arguing over who's two cents is laying on the ground and Skittery, being his usual self, bends down and picks the money up.

"Now its mine." is all he says and walks off coffee and food in hand.

Dice and I laugh as Racetrack and Mush stare in disbelief at what just happened.

"Never fight over money when Skittery is around." I yell at them. They smile and walk off clearly embarrassed at what has happened. The line moves so slow that I can barely believe it's moving. Finally we make it to the front of the line.

"God bless you."

"Jesus loves you."

"You shall be saved."

"Thank you sisters." I say crossing myself while receiving coffee and a piece of bread. After walking away I look down at what kind of bread is sitting in my hand. It's covered in small nuts and has the shape of a circle. Even in my tired state of mind I jumped for joy as my prayers were answered. "I'VE GOT A BANANA NUT MUFFIN!!!" I scream for the world to know.

"That's good now let's go lady shouts a lot." Dice jokes. Sometimes I think she's related to Racetrack due to her sarcastic nature and gamboling problems.

We walk on sipping our coffee. I want to save the muffin for a little later when I'm really hungry. Dice laughs at me for this logic and stuffs her muffin into her mouth. Reaching the distribution center we wait for Weasel to open up and start selling.

"Oh forget waiting." I said deciding to take a big heaping chunk of a bite out of my banana nut muffin. Hot and steamy just like I like it. Jesus loves me indeed. Dice giggled as I shoved the rest of the muffin in my mouth.

"What happened to waiting until you got hungry?"

"Are you mad women?! Jesus has blessed me with a muffin. He wants me to eat this warm, delicious, oh so decadent muffin. Now back off." I say. We both burst into laughter as the gates open. After buying our papers we head in separate directions to sell the morning paper.

"Dog found with two heads…monster in the Bronx!" I yell out trying to make a living. Thank God for banana nut muffins or I'd still be sleeping.