This is a story I wrote the Newsies Pape Selling Competition. This actually ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would. I planned on it being one or two pages and it ended up being twelve. That's just how writing works!

Task: Favorite newsie falls in love (My favorite newsie is, and always will be, Jack Kelly...although half that reason is probably because he's played by Christian Bale...) I was so happy to get this prompt because people falling in love with each other is my forte. Don't believe me? Go read every story I've ever written.

Prompts:

-Object: Vaudeville tickets

-Dialogue: "Life is tough."

-Color: Green

Word Count: 6,300

"Extra! Extra! See some of da world's deadliest animals right here in New York! Try to leave with your life if ya can!"

As Jack walked on the streets hawking out headlines about the opening of the Bronx Zoo, his heart wasn't in it as nearly as much as usual. Jack had been down in the dumps ever since Sarah had gone and fallen in love with someone else. She had told him that it wasn't personal, but her heart was telling her that she and the new guy were meant to be together. And so she left, leaving Jack alone.

All the others newsies attempted to cheer him up, but it was useless. Sarah had been his first real love. She was part of the reason he had decided to stay in New York rather than go to Santa Fe like he always wanted.

He was so lost in his thoughts about Sarah that he wasn't paying attention and ended up running straight into someone, dropping all of his papers to the ground. Jack bent down to pick them all up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" a female voice said. He looked up to find a young woman, most likely around his age, on the ground helping him gather up his fallen stack. She was…really pretty.

"It was my fault," Jack said as he tried to stop staring.

"Oh no, the fault was entirely my own," the girl replied as they stood up. She handed him several of the papers from his stack. "I hope I didn't ruin any of your papers."

"No, they're all fine."

Jack couldn't take his eyes off her. There was just one problem. She was obviously in the upper class judging by the rather elegant green dress she wore. And someone like her shouldn't even be seen with someone like him.

Her golden locks were tied up into a half ponytail and all of it cascaded down her back in loose curly ringlets. It seemed to shine and glow as if in a competition to outshine the sun.

She gave him a very warm smile. "Let me make it up to you. I have two tickets for the vaudeville tonight. My father was supposed to take me, but something came up and he can't make it. I'm in need of someone to accompany me. Would you be interested?"

She was asking a newsie, someone who meant nothing compared to her, to accompany her somewhere? "I dunno. I'm not exactly cut out for fancy things such as dat."

"You don't have to dress up or anything. It's a lot of fun, I promise. I've been to several before. Please?"

How could he deny her request when she looked at him like that? "Alright," he conceded.

"Perfect!" she said happily. "Here's your ticket." She handed him a small green piece of paper that was nearly identical to the shade of her dress. "I'll meet you in front of the theater."

"See ya then," Jack replied.

"Oh!" she called before she walked off. "What was your name again?"

"Kelly. Jack Kelly."

"Lovely to meet you, Mr. Kelly."

"Just Jack."

"Very well, Jack. My name is Cora."

"Da pleasure's all mine."

As soon as Jack tried to leave for the theater that night, all the newsboys immediately hounded him, trying to figure out where he was headed.

"Come on, Cowboy," Racetrack whined. "What's da big secret?"

"It's nothin', Race. Honest."

Jack scurried out of the Lodging House before any more questions were asked. He didn't feel like explaining to them that someone from the upper class was asking him to escort her somewhere. He'd never hear the end of it.

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the theater that was listed on the ticket to meet Cora.

He found her waiting outside the entrance dressed exactly like she had been when he met her earlier.

"Jack!" she called. "Do you have your ticket?"

He pulled it out and showed it to her.

"Excellent! Let's go find our seats!"

They showed their tickets to the person at the door then were directed to where they would be sitting. Jack had only ever snuck into the theater and watched from the wings or the rafters, so it was certainly a shock to find that they were in the best seats in the house!

He looked around and wished he had something to wear other than his usual clothes and cowboy hat. Cora must've noticed his unease because she leaned over to him and whispered, "You look fine. These people are just trying too hard to impress everyone around them."

The lights dimmed and the show began.

Over the course of the night, they saw around ten different acts that ranged from magicians to slapstick acts to trained animals to singers to dancers to comedians and more. It took a few acts, but eventually Cora heard Jack laughing next to her.

At the end of the show, they left the theater and began to walk back to Cora's house.

"I hope you enjoyed it," she said, making conversation.

"Oh, I did. It was great."

"I'm glad you could make it. You seemed like you could use a laugh."

"What makes ya say dat?"

"Well, you've just looked a little…upset ever since this afternoon."

"It's nothin'. Just some, well, relationship stuff."

"Oh, is that right? Well, the girl who holds your heart is very lucky indeed."

"Actually, there's no one. Not anymore."

Cora blushed slightly in embarrassment and Jack found it a strain not to crack a smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push past my boundaries."

"No, it's alright. It's just somethin' I gotta get used to."

They reached Cora's house and Jack stared in awe at its sheer size. It could easily fit three Lodging Houses and a hundred newsies inside!

Cora noticed his stares and began nervously fidgeting with her hands as they walked up the steps to the front door. No doubt it was like nothing he was used to. "Um, thank you for joining me tonight. And for walking me home."

"It was no trouble. Thanks for invitin' me."

"Well, Jack Kelly, here is where I bid you good night."

"Good night, Cora."