A/N: Hey everyone! If by some freakish chance you were around here back in 2003, I posted a story for my best friend under the penname CaitRadcliffe (see profile for background). Any characters that are original and sound familiar…that would be why! For any other reason that the actual story sounds familiar, I PROMISE YOU that I have had this story written for nine years now and did not copy on purpose. It was seeing Newsies on Broadway recently that made me want to edit and finally post this thing. I hope all of you that come to read this story end up loving it in some way (because let's face it, my summary sucks)! Please, I try to take critiquing and use it beneficially but if you're just going to bash the work then why bother? Get a productive hobby. Seriously. Make sure to R/R because it makes my days as a nurse much better :) Thank you!
A curly haired young man of seventeen stepped up to the newspaper circulation desk and ordered his usual amount of papers.
"Hundred papes please," he said, putting down his money. The men behind the counter took the coins and counted out one hundred crisp newspapers, sliding them under the bars to waiting hands that were permanently stained with ink. He grabbed the stack, threw them on his shoulder, and headed down the stairs towards his usual selling spot, Bottle Alley.
Bottle Alley had always been a good place to sell if the papers had crap headlines for the day. Crowds of people would make their way through on route to their jobs, not paying much attention, just worried about getting the news quickly and getting to work on time. Today was one of those bad news days.
"Man dressed as woman! Caught robbin' bank!" he yelled over the crowd.
"Excuse me sir, but can I buy a paper?" asked what sounded like a young lady behind him.
The boy turned around to see the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. She had big hazel eyes, light brown hair that flowed freely down her back in waves, and she stood a few inches shorter than him.
"Yeah, sure miss," he said and handed her a paper. She in return gave him the money he wanted. She turned to her right and started in the direction of where he assumed her job was located.
A strong urge to make sure she didn't get away overcame him so he ran up to her. "Hi. My name's Mush Meyers. I'se don't think I'se caught your name."
"That's because I didn't say my name," was her reply.
"Well den, what is it?"
"That's for me to know, and if you actually care enough, for you to find out." She kept on walking, continuing to flip through the paper.
Boy this girl wasn't easy! He wasn't used to that; never had he had a problem flirting with girls. They practically fell at his feet once he would flash them his 'innocent' half smile!
"So, when can I'se see you'se again?" he asked, trying to keep up with her fast pace.
"I don't know."
"You'se not from around here, are you'se?" Mush said, trying to make conversation so that she would be forced to talk to him.
"What makes you think that?"
"You'se don't have an accent. So, where are you'se from?"
"Pennsylvania. In the Philadelphia area. Have you ever heard of it?"
"Yeah. It is where our country was born, right?" He had rolled his eyes behind her back. If there was one thing he hated, it was people assuming that he was stupid. "So why'd you'se move here?"
"My parents died. There weren't any jobs left for a girl my age, so I decided to take the money I had and move here."
Though he didn't have to move to another state, Mush knew what it was like to lose one's parents. "I'se sorry about your parents."
"It's alright, but thanks."
She finished looking through her paper and a confused look came across her face.
"You lied; there's no article in here by that name."
"I'll be truthful with ya. When us newsies don't have a good article, we tend to improve the truth a little. Usually we can get away wit it."
"Obviously. But why do it?" she asked, a small frown on her lips.
"Because we have to get our money somehow."
A smile appeared on her face. "Say, instead of lying all the time, follow me to work. Just yell out a headline or something and the girls will buy your papers."
"Girls?! As in many?"
She laughed. "Yes, an entire factory full. Maybe you'll go for one of them and leave me alone!"
Mush stared at her for a moment, which made her nervous and a bit of a blush appeared on her cheeks. "Not a chance. Besides, I'se gotta learn your name."
"You're really not giving up, are you?"
"No, Miss."
"Well," she laughed, "maybe if you come every day and I get to know you better, I'll tell you my name."
The rest of the way to the factory they walked in silence. Mush didn't mind, as it gave him the chance to look at her a little more, taking in features he had missed before. Like the way her nose turned up slightly at the end, the freckles across it and her cheeks, the tinges of red and gold through her hair. And especially her long eyelashes.
"Here we are," said the girl, and she opened up a door. They both stepped into the building.
The place was four stories high, the first floor being the entire width on the ground and the next three stories continued on the opposite side they were standing on. It was noisy with all the chatting, clicking of heels, cutting of cloth, and packaging of finished clothes.
"So you're a seamstress."
"Yes, how could you tell?" she asked, cheekily.
"Uh…lucky guess?"
She laughed.
"I'se have ta say, I'se really like ya laugh."
She looked up at him and gave a small smile. "Well, thank you. I have to start working. Why don't you start on this floor and work your way up as you can."
"What floor do you'se work on?" he yelled after her retreating back.
"Third floor. And remember, no lying! Also, if you can, buy more papers for tomorrow. As you can tell, we have a lot of girls here. See you around, Tiger!"
"Bye! Nice meeting you!" Mush watched as she walked over to the stairs and made her way up. Once he could see that she was situated, he went about the floor, yelling actual headlines over the commotion. It was the best selling day that he had had in a long time, and he couldn't help but smile the morning away for more than one reason.
As Lily Matthews sat down at the long table full of clothing, she felt three pairs of eyes staring intently at her. 'Will the staring ever end today?' she thought to herself. She liked to keep to herself, not bring any unnecessary attention because it made her nervous. Lily set the paper she had bought on the floor next to her chair and looked up at her group of friends innocently before grabbing a dress that needed to be finished.
"Whose da guy?" asked Rosie, the obnoxious loudmouth of her group. She was the oldest of them and had been working at the factory the longest. It was Rosie who had taken Lily under her wing when Lily had moved to Manhattan a year prior.
Lily pursed her lips. "His name is Mush. He's here to sell his papers since I don't appreciate lying. Leave him alone," she warned, knowing Rosie's incessant need to flirt with every attractive young man that she came across.
"How'd ya manage ta meet him?" Lydia questioned.
"I simple bought a paper," she paused, "and he wouldn't leave me alone."
"Why not?" asked Vivian.
"Cause maybe he thought she was cute!" Rosie said, and she smacked Vivian upside the head.
Lily just laughed and said, "He wants to know my name."
"And…"said Lydia. She was the romantic of the group and was always harassing Rosie and Vivian for information about their dates. The youngest of the group, she didn't have much experience in the field of courting, though her blue eyes and blonde hair turned many a boy's head.
"And I wouldn't tell him."
"Why not?" asked Vivian. She was always stating the obvious and yet had the tendency to be a little slow at times. The other three worried about her more often than they would ever want to admit to.
"Cause maybe she didn't wanna!" Rosie said, smacking Vivian upside the head again.
"Would you stop hitting me!"
"No!"
"Would you two stop! You should be worrying about getting those clothes done, not my personal life!" said Lily.
"But it's interestin'. So why won't you tell this guy your name?" Rosie questioned.
"Why SHOULD I?"
"You'll get ta sex fasta," said Vivian, shrugging as she threaded another needle.
The girls laughed while Lily shook her head. "Maybe I'm more of a respectable lady than that, Vivian," she replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Dat's nice, but lookin' at dat man, heed my woids when I'se say ditch da act!"
"For once I'se agree wit her," said Rosie.
Lily looked over at Lydia. The girl shrugged, blushed, and ducked her head over her clothes. The other three shared a look and burst into laughter.
Mush walked to Tibby's Restaurant around noon. All of the guys were meeting there for lunch like they had done every day since they had started to make better money post-strike. He had been walking through Central Park to pass the time, and try to clear his head over the mystery girl. Mush had gone on many a date, wooed many a girl, but never had he been stuck on someone like this before. He couldn't point out what it was exactly about her, but he could feel only what he could explain as a pull to her. It was as if someone was trying to tell him that he was meant to be with her.
When he walked in to Tibby's he was greeted by the majority of his newsboy pals. Most of them were still harking headlines after so many years of having done it. Some had moved on to different jobs, but they still managed to come to lunch to catch up every once in a while.
"Heya fellas. How was your sellin'?" greeted Mush.
"Since when do you'se ask about our sellin'?" asked Racetrack Higgins, an Italian newsboy who had a quick temper and was always questioning whatever someone was doing.
"Since now."
"How long did it take ya?" questioned Jack Kelly, unfazed. He had been their leader during the strike in 1899. Jack had met a female reporter during that time, Katherine Plumber, and they had settled down shortly after. Because her father was the newspaper titan, Jack was offered a job making political cartoons for the New York World, which had now turned into a job as a reporter for the paper. He loved the newsboys like family, because essentially they were all he had before Katherine had come along, and always joined them for lunch.
"Less den fifteen minutes," Mush smirked. He couldn't help it; it had to be some sort of record.
"WHAT?!" yelled the entire room.
"How'd ya do it, Mush?" Crutchy questioned, hobbling over to Mush to hear him better.
"Met dis goil. She works at a sewin' factory on sixth street and she had me follow her dare. Didn't even have ta lie, and you'se know it was a bad headline day!"
The entire group groaned and shook their heads in unison. He was right; the headlines had been terrible for over six months now.
"So what's this girl's name?" asked David Jacobs. He had been Jack's right hand man during the strike and was the only reason that the newsies had had enough faith to go up against such big shots. David had now moved on to working alongside his father in a factory that made automobile parts until he could finish up his schooling to play a bigger part in politics.
"I…I'se don't know," replied Mush with a dumbfounded look on his face.
All of the guys laughed. None of them could remember a time that Mush couldn't brag about the newest girl he had met.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jack asked, chuckling behind his hand.
"She won't tell me!"
They all laughed loudly again.
"So, do we get ta meet dis goil wit no name?" Racetrack questioned, smirking while lighting up his cigar.
"I'se don't know. Maybe when I'se learn her name."
"Come on, Mushy Boy. How 'bout you'se sit down and stop thinkin' so much. You'll get wrinkles dat way," joked Skittery as he pulled Mush down into a chair. "And den she really won't tell you'se her name!"
The newsies laughed some more.