Disclaimer- I don't own anything, except for the characters that you don't recognize…the rest belongs to Disney.
This is my submission to the 2010 NYNA Summer Competition (A Mushy Romance). And what started out as a very long one-shot has morphed into a story.
Mush had a dream, one that rivaled Jack's dreams of Santa Fe. Heck, his dream is where he got his nickname Mush. But, Mush needed his dream in order to survive because without it he wouldn't have hope. And that was one thing every newsie had to have, hope. As he walked slowly down the darkening New York street Mush thought back to the day when he had arrived at the lodging house.
A small seven years old boy, with wild curly brown hair and tan skin walked nervously into the room full of teenage boys. He stood there for a minute shuffling his feet until one of the older newsies walked up and said "What's your name, kid?"
"Peter, Peter Smith." The young Mush answered his small voice cracking. He was terrified of the tall boy with long black hair.
"Well, Peter me'se name is Tick and I'se runnin' this joint and if you'se lookin' for a place to stay this is it." The boy spoke with such kind confidence that Mush felt himself relax a little.
Later that night Peter kneeled by his bed just like his mother taught him and whispered his prayers to, as his mother said, the Big Guy Upstairs. Mush didn't know why he had to talk to the Big Guy Upstairs but he did anyway.
"Please, Mistah Big Guy, watch over my mommy 'cause the priest said she's with you. Also, make sure that kitty doesn't get stolen and let me fall in love with someone who'll love me back. Amen."
Peter heard the boys laugh around him and a kid around his age, with a cowboy hat walked up, and said "Gosh, Petah you sure are mushy for a boy."
All of the boys laughed loudly. And then Tick approached the boy, still kneeling by his bed.
"That's what we'll call ya…Mush."
For as long as he could remember, that's all he ever wanted, a girl to love. Every night he still prayed to find her but he had yet to do so and he was edging on seventeen. It was hard to think that he had lived the tough life of a newsie for almost ten years. But somehow Mush had survived, he liked to think that it was 'cause The Big Guy Upstairs had his soul mate waiting for him.
Mush walked down the street, keeping alert to make sure there weren't any thugs that were going to jump him. He was heading to the one year anniversary of the successful newsie strike at Medda's. He was late because for some reason no one wanted to buy the evening edition of The World. Finally, he had to give up and head back to the empty lodging house to get rid of the ten extras newspapers he couldn't sell. Mush even had to skip his usual turkey dinner that he always got at Tibby's.
As he was thinking about the delicious meal he had to miss because of the hoity toities that were too good to buy a paper from him, he saw a skinny black cat scurry across the street and right in front of him.
"Crap." Mush muttered angrily. There was one thing he hid very well from his friends, just how superstitious he really was. He angrily watched as the cat got attacked by a squirrel that came down for one of the trees next to the tall building he was walking by. Mush silently rooted that the squirrel would win but sadly the cat killed it before it even stood a chance. Mush now walked nervously because he knew tonight was going to be even worse than his day so far.
As soon as he walked into Medda's he was bombarded by a drunken Racetrack. Mush knew from experience that Racetrack drunk either meant a fight or the little Italian needed money the next day to buy his papers.
"Where's ya been Mushhy, Mush. 'Ave you'se found dat goil you'se always prayin' for's. We'se all know's you'se pray fors her's but she's not here." Racetrack slurred and spilled a bit of his whiskey on Mush's boot.
"Racetrack, goes get some coffee or somethin', you'se need it." Mush said as he pushed his friend aside and watched sadly as the teen stumbled over his feet and fell heavily on to the wall.
Mush walked through the crowded theatre to find Kid Blink talking to Jack and David. He sat down next to David and noticed the poor kid had a real bad black eye.
"What happened to you'se?"
Blink and Jack broke out into hysterical laughter and leaned into each other.
"What? What happened?"
"He was making googly eyes at Spot's new dame. Oh man, Mush ya shoulda seen the face Davey was makin'. It's like he saws him an angel and Spot saw and came over grabbed him by the shirt and said 'Was you lookin' at Mouth?' and bam! Davey was on the floor holdin' his eye and moaning. Aw you'se sure missed it." Blink said while laughing with Jack.
Mush cracked his first smile all night and said to David "Jeez Davey, I'se thought you'se was smart."
Right after that Mush turned his head to scan the crowd for the notorious king of Brooklyn, when he noticed the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She was leaning over the table reading a book alone, her auburn hair forming a type of shield around her face. It was strange who brought a book to a newsie party? But more importantly who was she? Mush felt a tug at his heart while he stared at her. There was just something about her that was calling him.
Mush turned to Jack and whispered as if she could him "Who's the goil?"
Jack leaned over Mush to get a look at her and simply shrugged his shoulders in response. It was at that moment he heard all of boys roar with excitement as the Swedish Meadow Lark took the stage dressed in a purple dress with lots of purple ribbon on it. Mush almost wanted to gag, he love Medda but sometimes her outfits were just a little much.
"Hello, boys!" and soon the whole crowd was swaying and singing with the women. Mush tried to find the girl again but she was lost in the crowd of crazed news boys. He had to find her, he just had to. Mush tried desperately to push past the tables and boys to find her table but he couldn't seem to get through the rambunctious crowd. A growl of frustration left his throat as he went to go outside for some air and to bum a smoke, then come and look for her.
Mush breathed the muggy summer air as soon as he opened the door, cherishing the clean air that wasn't riddled with the smell of cheap booze and cigarette smoke.
There she was, leaning against the brick wall with the book open in her lap. She was staring at him with round hazel eyes that were partially hidden by round glasses that had slid to the end of her nose. The urge came over Mush to reach over and gently push the glasses back up her thin nose so he could see her eyes more clearly buy just as his hand reached down he realized just how weird that'd be. She just stared at him as he studied her rosy cheeks that had small freckles that were concentrated on her nose and spread out to her cheeks. He noticed a bruise on the side of her face and the way her light blue dress was too large on her small frame. Mush fought the urge to pick up the girl and carry her away so he could study her more. His heart was in his throat trying to come out his mouth and he couldn't say anything in the fear that it would come out.
"Ummm, hi?" Her voice was small, as if she was afraid to speak. Mush didn't want her to be afraid of him; he pushed down his heart and responded like a true idiot.
"Hi, Mush…I am?"
She giggled softly; it reminded Mush of the bells that came from the church his mother always took him to. And that's when it hit him like one of the Oscar's fist. She was it, she was his dream come true, she was what he had prayed and wished for. And here he was standing and sounding like a complete and utter idiot. God, help him.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Olivia. Or Olivia…I am?" There it was again, that noise that was the most amazing thing ever. Mush had to hear it again and again. His lips curled up into a wide smile that could break his face in half.
"So, Olivia I've nevah seen anyone bring a book to a party."
"Well, I'm not really the partying type."
"Neither am I" alarms sounded in his head, that was a lie, he loved partying with his friends. The last thing Mush wanted to do was lie to his angel, he got the feeling that she had been lied to enough. "No, wait, that ain't true. I do like parties. They are fun, if you're around the right people."
"Well, I think I'm around someone nice now." There it was again the feeling that his heart was going to pop out of his mouth; either that or it was going to explode. But Mush didn't mind, no he loved this feeling. He coughed a bit, hoping now he could talk.
"Oh…umm Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare." Mush had never heard of it but nodded his head like he had.
"Is it any good?"
"Yeah, I like it." There it was again the quit voice from before. Mush liked it better when she had just talked not like she was scared of something.
But then he heard the door slam open and saw the leader of Queens walk out. Everyone knew Bottle; he was notoriously cruel and was the first to create tension with other boroughs. Ever since he had taken over there had been more territory wars than ever before. Bottle was tall and muscular with a scar running across his cheek bone, given to him by Spot Conlon. He had curly bright red hair that stuck out in all directions and unlike the other newsies he was just a bad guy. Bottle got his name from his love of liquor, even when he had just been a kid.
"This where'se you'se been talkin' tah Mush. God, your a filthy whore why do I'se even keep you around?" Bottle said while forcefully grabbing Olivia by the arm.
"Hey, get your hands offa her!"
"She's my goil. I can do what I want, so bug off." He said while dragging her across the street, Olivia didn't even fight him. She let herself be dragged away like some sort of rag doll. No…she couldn't belong to that monster. That angel couldn't be with him. Mush's heart felt like it was breaking; it felt like it was going to burn into a pile of ash. He had found her, his angel, and there she was being dragged away by the devil.
Why couldn't the Big Guy Upstairs give him a break? He watched until he could no longer see her. Her book lay on the ground; Mush leaned over and grabbed it. When he found her again he'd return it and in the mean time he'd read it. Then the door behind him opened again and Spot walked out.
"Mush, you'se look like ya puppy just got ran over by a carriage. What's with you'se?" Spot said while lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag, then offering it over to Mush. Mush took it gratefully and replied.
"I just saw an angel being carried away by the devil."
"So get her back."
"I will even if it kills me." He replied with a look of determination that the King of Brooklyn had never seen on the relatively easy going newsie.
"God Mush, you'se such a softy."
Mush felt ill at the thought of Bottle grabbing Olivia so harshly, she was so fragile. He meant what he said he was going to found his angel and he wasn't letting her go. He was love sick and the only way to stop it was to find her.