Being a Newsie

The next day Trouble bought herself eighty papes, and then the day after that she bought a hundred. She not only had money to spend but now she had money to save as well. Every night she would put her extra forty cents into a sock and put it under her mattress. She promised Blink, Race, and Mush that she would sell with each of them. On Friday she sold with Blink ;

Blink sold one of his papes to a very pretty and very wealthy girl. After she walked away he just watched her walk down the street with a big dreamy grin on his face.

"Hey earth ta Blink you ok" Trouble asked waving a hand in front of his face.

"Yeah" he said letting out a sigh still starring off in the direction in which the pretty girl left.

"So who is the girl"

"That's Elizabeth, the Mayor's daughta"

"Well you sure set your standards high"

"She is the girl, she is the one I'm gonna Marry"

"Blink I didn't know you'se was such a romantic" she said laughing at him.

He smiled and pulled her cap over her eyes and started to sell papes again. On Saturday Trouble sold with Race;

"Trouble you is my lady luck you know dat, I sold all my papes by two and I even got tipped a quarta" Race told her as they walked back to the Lodging House to call it a night. Trouble didn't even go into her bed to sleep she just snuggle up on the ground and went to sleep. The next day was Sunday and No one worked on Sunday because it was the Sabbath. She spent the day with her three favorite Newsies. They walked around the busy streets and through Central park. They sat in the park thinking of what to do.

"Hey why don't we take her to Medda's" Race screamed standing up.

"Yeah she'd love dat!" Blink said standing up and lifting Trouble up from the arm pits "come on" he said grabbing her hand and dragging her through the park.

"You sure are excited about this Medda thing" Trouble said while being dragged through the streets

"Medda is not a thing she is the best performer in all of New York" Said Mush with a smile.

The boys quickly ran into a Theater that read 'Irvington Hall' and dragged Trouble along. The theater was empty. There was a woman who had her back to them and she was on stage. She had a mass of strawberry blond curls on top of her head and was wearing a lavender show dress. The three boys ran down to the stage jumped on top of it and surrounded the woman giving her hugs and kisses, and taking off their caps. Mush then turned around to face Trouble who was standing next to the stage.

"Oh Medda this heah is Trouble" Mush gave Trouble his hand and yanked her up on to the stage "She is a new Newsie"

"Well it's about time there was a girl Newsie" Medda said smiling at Trouble

Trouble just smiled back. The boys and Medda continued to talk and Trouble Kind of tuned them out and looked around the stage. She spotted a beautiful baby grand piano and her eyes got big and she gasped. Every one turned to look at her. She didn't know it but she started walking up to the piano and she ran her fingers across the black glossy side.

"Isn't it a beautiful piano" Medda said smiling at the girl. Trouble just looked at Medda, smiled and then looked back at the piano. "Do you play" Medda asked. Trouble nodded her head yes without looking at her. "Please , sit play" She glided over to Trouble and lead her on to the bench. Trouble sat down and placed her hands on the keys. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She let her fingers control her brain as she started to play her favorite song, Cannon in D. She improvised and played how she felt and it was beautiful.

Her three friends stared at her in shock with their mouths open, Medda smiled at the girl as she watched. They walked up to her and watched her graceful fingers move across the piano like a dance, so gentle and just beautiful.

Mush watched and he thought to himself he has never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. He felt a huge weight in the bottom of his stomach, and goose bumps all over. And from that moment on he felt differently about Trouble. But to what that feeling was he had no idea. She had started a fire inside of him and he could not put it out.

After about five minutes the song ended. The three boys just starred at her like she had a horn growing out of her head. "That was beautiful dear it truly was" Medda said clapping her hands.

"where did you loin how to do that" Blink said loking at the girl in aww.

"Well when I was in the orphanage I started piano lessons when I was four. It was all I had. But when I ran away to Boston I met a man named Charlie, after sneaking into his pub I played the piano he heard it and thought I was good, so a couple times a week I would go to his pub and play and he would give me a meal on the house."

"Oh look at the time my show starts in ten minutes you all can watch from back stage if you would like." Medda offered. All three of the boys said "YEAH!" in unison and she ushered them all back stage and told one of her workers to give her guests anything they want.

The theater had gotten really smokey during the show. Trouble was starting to have trouble breathing she coughed a few times. Mush noticed;

"You ok Trouble"

"I'll be alright Mush I am an asthmatic and I just ain't really used to the smoke, but I'll get used to it"

"I'll go outside with you for a little bit if you want just till ya feel betta"

"No that's ok Mush I'll be alright" she said smiling at him

The show ended about eight at night. The four kids left through the back of the theater and into the cool mid September night air. The air only made Trouble cough worse.

"Hey you ok Trouble" Race asked with concern on his face

"Yeah Race I'm fine. I'm just an Asthmatic and I'm not used to that much smoke in a closed space ya know"

"Ya's want a piggy back ride" Mush asked bending down

"Yeah sure" she said jumping up on Mush's back

He could feel Troubles labored breathing on his neck. She rested her head on Mush's shoulder and closed her eyes. They walked down the street about a block and then meet up with Cowboy.

" Hey a fella's whats rollin" Then he noticed Trouble on Mush's back

"What happened to Trouble" he asked putting a hand on the back of the resting girl on Mush's back.

"I'm alright Cowboy there was just a lot of smoke at the theater and my asthma started acting up, but I feel fine now."

"If you'se feelin so fine now then why is I still carrying you" Mush asked smiling.

"Because you're my Jackass" Trouble said smiling at the boy

"Eaww" Mush said

"Does smoke really hoit you'se bad" Jack asked concerned

"No I just have to get used to it I think"

"Well then tonight I'm establishin a new rule, No smokin in the Lodgin House"

"Jack you don't have to"

"Yes I does cause it hoits you and you'se can't help if you'se was born with asthma but the boys can help smoking" Jack said smiling at Trouble.

That night when they got home Jack stood up and made an announcement;

"Hey fellas I am makin a new rule, No smoking in the Lodgin House on account a Trouble heah is Asthmatic and it hoits her" There were a couple of groans but the boys all obeyed and put out their cigarettes and cigars.

"Thanks Jack" Trouble said giving him a soft hug before sitting on the ground to watch a poker game. About an hour later Kloppman came upstairs and made everyone go to bed.

The next day Trouble sold with Mush. She had a great time. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled so much. She didn't know why or what it was but she felt something for Mush, something more and yet different then what she felt for the other boys. The day had come and gone all too quickly for the two as they begun their walk back to the lodging house.

"Thanks for sellin wit me"

"No thank you I had a lot of fun, actually the most fun I have had in a long time"

"Well you'se wanna sell wit me again tomorrow?"

"I would love to but I promised Crutchy I would sell with him, but I'll sell with you on Wednesday"

"Ok" He said giving her a smile. They walked into the lodging house and went upstairs to the bunk room and Trouble went into the wash room to wash and Mush sat down and joined in on a game of poker. After Trouble finished washing and getting dressed into her night clothes she watched the boys play before curling up with a blanket on the floor and going to sleep.

Trouble had started to get comfortable with her new life style. This is the happiest she has been in her entire life. She liked waking up at the crack of dawn, she liked eating lunch at Tibby's, she liked selling papes, but most of all she liked all of her new friends. Sure there are the downsides to being a Newsie like the early morning tussles with the Delancy Brothers, and the fact that selling papes was really hard work but the positives out weighed the negatives. That day she sold with Crutchy and really got to know him. She thought that he was the kindest and most gentle person she ever met. He inspired her with the way he was so able for s cripple and selfless. He never felt sorry for himself and was just always so optimistic.

The following day Trouble sold with Mush and then the day after that she sold with Race again. Race left around four to go to Sheephead like he did every Thursday.

He went to his normal seat were he sat next to none other then the King of Brooklyn himself, Spot Conlon.

"So how's it rollin Spot"

"It's been good, so how many of you'se comin on Saturday for the polka night?"

"Well the usual ya know Jack, Me, Mush, Blink, Bumlets, Specs, Snipeshoota, Itey, snitch, pie eata, Skittery, Dutchy, Boots, David, and Snoddy, oh and Trouble she's new."

"'She?' Since when does Jackey boy let goils be Newsies! The bum always has to copy me I let a goil Newsie in about six months ago, now he goes and does it." Spot turned his attention back to the race then looked back at Race "Is she tough, can she fight"

"Well I've seen her throw a decent punch but she said that that's all she can do oh and she can kick a guy where it hurts real good but that's about it."

"Is she preddy?"

"Yeah she's real preddy but she is Trouble, both figuratively and literally. She's real rebellious and has a real smart ass mouth that gets her in trouble. She is always causein some kind of mischief but we all's really like her. So what's your goil's name?"

"Crazy"

"She tough?"

"I'se taught her how ta fight of coise she is tough"

"Is she pretty"

"Ya and you'se betta not try anything funny Higgins or I'll soak ya" The two boys smiled and turned their attention to the race.

The next day Trouble sold with Blink. She watched as he sold a pape to Elizabeth, the Mayor's daughter and she felt sorry for this hopelessly in love boy in front of her.

"Why don't you go tawk ta her"

"Are you crazy she wouldn't tawk to me. I ain't good enough for her."

"Blink you are an amazing guy, you are more then good enough for her. Don't put your self down like that because you are only defeating your self if you don't try."

Blink smiled at the girl in front of him and put his arm around her "Thanks Trouble you'se right. But I don't even know were to begin let along what to say."

"Don't worry we'll come up with a plan".

The two Newsies finished selling their papes by three thirty and then walked around and talked for a while. When it started to get late they both went back to the Lodging House for the night.