Disclaimer:  You've got it by now.

Opening Comments: Can you believe that we still have NOT finished this thing?  Stupid school.

Skitch: You're on sugar, aren't you?

Bam:  Don't take offense to this…but I can't believe that you'd want to…

Mushtumblr: Ah, the shouts of reviewers…

Princessred::guesses.:: "I love newsies"?

Hush: ::smacks with board:: PATIENCE!

Title: Miles Away

Authors: Stage and ToT

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"Sell the papes!  Sell the papes!" Kloppman bellowed, going from bunk to bunk, waking up the slackers.  He avoided the Chicagoan's side of the room, that was Windy's area of expertise.  She soon came trudging up the stairs, a bucket in each hand.

Windy headed for Mop Top's bunk, every Manhattan eye watching her.  She stopped and lifted up the bucket, dumping it over the Greek with a bit of a sigh.  Mop Top sat up, shook over his hair and grinned at her.

"Good morning!" He grinned, hopping off his bunk.  The other newsies looked at each other and agreed silently.  Chicago was nuts.  Still shaking their heads, they all headed into the bathroom and went about their daily routine.

"'Morning y'all!" Belle exclaimed, walking into the bathroom.  Every newsie saw her and froze in their position.  Some had been caught in the middle of shaving, drying their face, combing their hair, or coming out of the dressing rooms.  Belle was standing in a large shirt and underwear.

"What's the matter?  Ain't y'all ever seen a girl before?" She asked.

"Maybe not a French one!" Stage's voice yelled from the other room.

"Morning Belle." ToT grumbled, stumbling into the bathroom and fully dressed.

"It is aliiiiive." Beamer said in his best sinister voice as he followed her in.  He stopped, looked at Belle, looked at the Manhattan newsies, and walked out.  "That's disgusting."

"What's disgusting?" Penny asked, poking his head in to see.  The others still were unbroken in their drooling trance.  "Oh.  Its not like you don't do that."

"ME?!  When do I do that?!  That's YOU!"

"No, its not!"

"And they're off." Dottie mumbled, pulling up her suspenders as she walked by the bathroom.  "Anyone care to place a bet?"

"A bet?" Race snapped out of his trance quickly.

"All right!  Who's pants are these?!" Sparkles demanded, holding up a pair of brown pants high above her head.

"Yours?" Mop Top guessed.

"They go up to my shoulders!" She snapped.  Blink walked over and took the pants from her.  He peered inside at the inseam.

"Mush, dese are yours." Blink announced.  Mush looked down at his—or rather, Sparkles' pants—and grinned sheepishly.

"I t'ought dey was a litta short taday." He said, taking his own pants and changing in one of the stalls.  Coming out, he gave Sparkles' her pants.

"Thank you." She sniffed, walking back out into the main room.

"Uh, guys?" Stage came in next, arms inside her sleeves.  "This isn't my shirt." She said, flailing her arms and the extra three inches flapping.  "And either I lost about ten pounds last night, or these are the wrong pants."  Stage added, looking down at the pants that were only being held up by her suspenders.

"I t'ink I got da solution ta yer shoirt problem." Specs said, pulling off the one he was wearing.  "Dis ones yours."

Stage quickly changed, thinking of how much she loved undershirts.  "OK, now the pants.  Who has my pants?"

"Me!" Dutchy called, tossing the mentioned item across the room.  Catching them, Stage swapped and threw Dutchy back his pants.

"Wow," Blink grinned.  "Who'da t'ought dat Stage would get inta Dutchy's pants befoir Skitch?"

The bathroom burst out in laughter whilst Stage turned a pink color.  She turned and stormed out of the bathroom, now having possession of her right clothing.  Dottie watched her go by with a puzzled expression as she entered the bathroom next.

"Alright, who has my shoes and suspenders?"

"Hey!  That's my hat!"

"What are you doing with my socks?"

"Those aren't yours…"

Everyone began to realize faults with their clothing and discovered that it wasn't all theirs.  And the Great Clothing Swap began…in other words, all hell broke loose.   The newsies all switched their clothing; tossing pants, shirts, suspenders, and shoes through the air.

"What is going on?!" Windy and Kloppman both shouted when they burst into the bathroom.  All activity froze.

"We're having a bit of a clothing problem." Skittles told her slowly, trying to look dignified with suspenders on his head.

"Y'all are going to be late to the Distribution Office, if you don't hurry up and finish getting ready." Kloppman told them, trying (and failing) to hide the amusement in his voice.  The others all looked at each other, then back to Kloppman.  They grinned.

"Alright!  Everyone got their right clothes?" Penny yelled.

"Yeah!"

"Got 'im."

"T'anks."

"Lets get goin', huh?" Jack shouted.  The others cheered, ran out of the bathroom, and down the stairs.  Once on the lower level, the mass burst out of the Lodging House and into the streets.

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