Authors Note: This is my first Newsies fanfic, and I know writing a story with an OC and a time travel fic is risky, but I hope it's good enough that people will review and come back for the next chapter.
Full Summary: Wishes become crossed, and now the newsies are stuck in our time. Come along for the ride, as the newsies tackle being modern day teens, and help make a difference in the life of a lonely girl, who just needed a friend to help her believe in herself.
When Wishes Cross
Chapter 1: When You Wish
"It's a fine life, carrying the banner. It's a fine life, carrying the banner. It's a fine life, carrying the banner. It's a fine life, carrying the banner."
Jessa Meadows couldn't help but sing along belt out the last few lines of her favorite movie along with her childhood idols. Even though she knew she would never in her life be able to sing or dance like the boys in the movie, it didn't stop her from trying. It was something she had always done as a child, and she just loved doing it. But some people like her friend Elise Coleman didn't find singing along to movies as enjoyable as Jessa did. Elise held her ears until she was sure Jessa was done trying to sing like the Newsies.
"Way to make my ears bleed. You know for someone who can't sing you always like to … Are you listening to me?"
Jessa turned away from the TV where the credits were rolling up against a black background.
"Did you say something?"
"Yeah I did! I asked you why we're watching some old Disney movie from the 1800s on a Sunday night?"
"Actually it came out in 1992. But the strike happened in 1899," Jessa told her sheepishly.
Elise rolled her eyes, "You're such a geek sometimes, I swear. You know normal teens actually go out and do stuff on the weekends. They don't hang out in their basements watching movies from 1899."
"1992."
"Whatever!" Elise yelled, grabbing her jacket off the back of the couch. "You know my other friends like hanging out and going to the mall. They party; they actually like to do things besides sitting in the dark watching movies all day."
"I like to do things besides watching movies all day. I like to dance and sing."
"Yeah, but you're forgetting one thing."
"I know Elise. I'm a terrible dancer and singer."
Jessa sighed, closing her blue eyes for a moment. Elise was the only person she ever told about her dreams to become a famous dancer and singer, a dream inspired by her favorite movie Jessa longed to be able to move like the newsies. To be able to leap and jump about with confidence that no one would be able to beat down. But she knew she would never have that confidence and she would never be able to dance like her heroes. Her parents, Elise, they all told her she had no talent when it came to performing. Elise made it a point to remind Jessa every day of this fact, bringing down what little confidence the shy girl possessed. While Elise stared in all the school shows, Jessa sat in the audience wishing it was her up there on the stage strutting her stuff, and not Elise.
"Jessa!"
Jessa's eyes shot open, and she looked at Elise who was standing with her hands on her hips, an annoyed expression on her face. If you didn't know the girls personally, you would have never guessed the two were friends. While Elise was strong, popular, and a leader, Jessa was the opposite, weak, shy, and a follower. Wherever Elise went, Jessa was sure to follow. Jessa was too shy to make any other friends, so Elise was all she had. She followed Elise around like a puppy, and always went to her for advice on what to do. Elise knew this, and so she constantly took advantage of her 'friend.'
"Jessa, I said Erik is coming to pick me up in five minutes."
Jessa felt her face turn red. Erik was Elise's older brother, and Jessa's secrete crush. Deciding to change the subject, she turned to look at the movie they had just been watching.
"Don't you think it would be cool to meet the Newsies? I mean how they stood up to Pulitzer was brave of them, and they really showed you can really make a difference. And it helps they were all kind of cute."
Elise stuck her tongue out, her face twisted in disgust, "Eww no! It wouldn't be cool to meet them. They were all dirty street rats who made a big deal out of a few lousy cents. Just pay your money and be done with it. And another thing-"
But she as cut off by a horn announcing the arrival of her brother.
"Looks like I've gotta go."
Elise walked out the door without a goodbye, or a wave of the hand. Jessa looked at the spot where her friend was standing, then at the TV. Sometimes she wondered why she hung around with someone who always talked down to her, and made fun of the things she loved. But then again, she had no one, and it was better to have a friend who was rude then to have no friend at all.
'Maybe she right about meeting the Newsies. It is kind of silly to want to meet a bunch of boys who lived back in the day.'
She grabbed the remote for her DVD player and pressed the play button to restart the movie. Jessa laid down on the couch, wrapping her blanket around her small frame. Closing her eyes, she let the newsies sing her to sleep. But as she slowly began to slip into the dream world, she did something she would never in life be able to explain. Jessa made two wishes that night.
"I wish the newsies were real. I wish I could meet them."
Unknown to Jessa, her wishes were about to be granted. You see when two people make a wish at the same time, no matter how far apart in time they may be the wishes can cross and somehow the wishes become one. As Jessa was making her wish, a newsie in 1899 was making a wish as well. The two didn't know their lives were about to change forever. And it was because of a simple wish.
Authors Note: And that ends chapter one. I know you probably wanted more about the newsies, but they'll be plenty of them in the next chapter, and all the chapter to follow. And I hope Jessa didn't come off as completely lame, because I'm trying to avoid a mary sue by giving her flaws, and I thought shyness and not being to stand up for herself would be good ones. Now here comes the part where I ask for reviews. I want know what you people think, even if its major critique because it'll only make me a better writer.
-EnchantingRose
