Ok you all know the drill.. I do not own "Newsies" or anything associated with them.. Including chararcters, lyrics, original story, nothing. I'm making no money off this and doing it just for fun. Chrissy and Zack are mine though. I love reviews, so good, bad, critiques, let me hear them! Alright guys, thanks for listening and enjoy!

It's About the Heart

Chapter One: The Assignment.

22 year old Zack Marcario sat down at his desk at The World trying to hide his disappointment. Just because he was new, didn't give anyone the right to deny him of the really juicy stories. He had become a journalist in order to uncover the truth, to have "dirt" on the big companies of New York, and of course, the money wasn't bad either. He didn't see covering a dog show when he dreamed of how good the paper would be to him.

"You don't have any experience" had been the response to his request for a better story. Well of course he had none! Where in the name of pinstripes was he supposed to get any experience if he never had the chance to do it? How was a dog show supposed to set him up for the big time?

"Bad dog! Go to the corner" came a voice along with a swipe of a newspaper at the back of his head. There stood Chrissy Delveccio who wrote for the women population of the readers. She wrote short stories and covered store sales, jewelry shows, and answered advice every once in awhile.

"This should be you covering the damn dogs" he told her, picking up an old baseball he kept on his desk from when he was a teenager and tossed it at her. It bobbled a little in Chrissy's hands before she eventually closed both hands around the object and put it to the side. "You're getting rusty" he remarked, "What if Michael saw that?"

"He's my brother so I'd worry about it. I'd tell him you threw it way too hard for my poor little hands and say you tried to murder me." Zack rolled his eyes. That sounded like something she would do, just to be annoying. In many ways, Chrissy never grew up. She still lived at home, unmarried, and was as carefree as a boat out on the ocean. Nobody or no situation was forcing her to work, she did because she wanted something to do with her time and to have her own money. Zack envied that, he had no choice but to grow up and earn a living. His parents were dead, he had an older "perfect" brother he never spoke to and inherited almost everything. All Zack was left was the furniture in the house a pocket watch.

"Why don't you tell Old Man Fredericks you want a different story?"

"I tried. No experience sh- speech again."

"Well we'll fix that." She grabbed a blank sheet of paper off her desk and began writing with a possessed look in her eye. "Dear Mr. Fredericks, I hate your stinking guts.

"Umm Chrissy?" Zack interrupted poking her in the back

"Not now, I'm busy.. You make me vomit.."

"This is important, I'd listen to me."

"Holy moly , not now. I'm trying to help you here, stop being a pansy! Now where was I? Oh yes, you're scum between-"

"Scum between what Miss Delveccio?" asked a third voice. Chrissy whipped around and stared face to face with the big hoss himself. "Oh, nobody sir. Um, I was just talking about my landlord, he's a real stinker you know." she tried to explain, crumbling up the paper and sitting on it.

"Your landlord?"

"Zack's. Zack's landlord."

"I know you want to help your friend, but this is not the way to do it" he began. "Now I was put in charge of this paper because of the time and dedication I put into it. I once started off just like you two, and recieved the same assignments. Now trust me, if you work hard and stay with it, you'll end up just like me. A successful, productive member of society who can afford trips coast to coast at any given time. That's all then, carry on."

Chrissy let out the breath she was holding and pushed her copper hair up into a ponytail, not caring about who saw. "One of these days," she began.. "One of these days he's going to get a fat lip to match that fat head of his"

"Who's going to give it to him?" Zack asked, defeated. He started packing together his stuff and was looking up every few seconds waiting for Bradley, his camera man.

"I'll hit you hold?"

"No way, I've been looking to punch him forever now. I'm not wasting the chance on holding".

"Fine. We tie him up, then we both hit. How's that?"

"Better. Alright my dear, I am off to watch the yippy, peeing in the house, and thinks it's acceptable to lick themselves in public animals. Wish me luck." Zack sighed packing his notepad into a pocket and straightening his jacket

"Good luck, and be careful. We don't want any of the puppies to think you're a flea, and therefore you are their leader."

"How is your mother by the way?" Zack smirked at her, ducking as his baseball came flying at his head.

XXX

I'm sure everyone knows the letter I was going with is not mine. I borrowed it from "The Little Rascles."

Wow, how's that everyone? Is it good? Do you like it? I hope so. I would also like to take this chance to tell you about a new site to roleplay. It's called Angry Kids with No Money and the addy is http/angrykids. You can choose which Lodging House you'd like to be a part of and have oodles of fun.

Join the Staten Island house, yours truly is the leader and we'll have fun ;)