Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies. I've only created the character of Tug.
Tug fidgeted nervously, searching for the right words to say. No longer masking her voice, she continued,
"I ain't who ya think I am. Well, I ain't what ya think I am, 'cause I ain't exactly a boy."
Mush's eyebrows rose in a slight confusion as Tug reached up and pulled her cap from head. Running her fingers through her hair, she messed it up to resemble the look she had the day they bumped into one another on the street. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to observe his expression. Steadily, his eyes grew wider as confusion was replaced by a shocked recognition. He gaped for a few seconds, letting the new discovery sink in.
"You?" he gasped in disbelief, blinking rapidly as though he were seeing things. "Yer...yer..."
"A girl," Tug said, finishing his sentence without hesitation. It seemed revelations, such as this, were inclined to leave the recipient at a loss for words.
"No," Mush said quietly, shaking his head, almost to himself.
"No?" Tug replied, dumbfounded by his reaction.
Quickly adjusting his statement, Mush said pointedly, "Well, I mean, yeah, yer a girl, but...yer Claire."
"Oh, right," Tug said quietly, acknowledging the truth in his observation.
She knew Mush would make that connection sooner or later, but she didn't expect it to be the first thing he pointed out. Certainly, he would be more taken aback by the sheer fact that she was really a girl, rather than pointing out that she was the mysterious Claire, who was associated with Skittery.
Mush slumped against the brick wall, running his hand over his hair, still glazed over with shock. He mumbled, "All this time ya been a girl?"
A smile pulled at Tug's lips. "Yes, Mush, all this time I've been a girl." She watched him carefully for a minute or two, then added tentatively. "You ain't mad, are ya?"
Lifting his chin, he looked at her with a crooked half smile, and then shook his head. "Nah, I ain't mad. I just can't believe it. I been sellin' with a girl this whole time and didn't even know it." As he spoke the words, his face fell and slowly tinged pink as he came to a sudden realization. Slapping a hand against his face, he groaned," Oh gawd! You listened to me talk about all them girls, all the time. I told ya so much about 'em."
"Mush, it ain't yer fault. You didn't know," she chuckled, clapping him on the back. "'Sides, if I'd really been insulted, I'da found a new sellin' partner by now." Tug grinned.
He let his hand slide down his face, cheeks still blushing. When he couldn't think of anything better to say, he simply restated the obvious, in an attempt to get use to the idea. "Yer a girl."
Sighing, Tug wished he'd get over that particular phrase. There was something about being in a state of shock that caused an abundance of repetition.
"Look, you and Skittery are the only ones who know about me. I'd like to keep it that way, alright?" Tug asked, looking hopeful. "Ya can't tell the other fellas."
Mush pondered her request for a moment, and then grinned. "Nah, I ain't gonna tell no one."
"Thanks, Mush," Tug replied, issuing a small sigh of relief.
"Hey, I gotta ask. How'd Skitts find out yer a girl?" Mush always thought he knew Tug better than most of the others guys, since they had been selling together before the strike. So, he couldn't help but be slightly put off by the fact that Skittery knew about her situation before he did.
"Oh, well, I didn't intend on anyone finding out. It was an accident really," she explained, sensing a hint of resentment in Mush's question. "You remember the brawl at the distribution center, same day I got that black eye? Well, Skittery and I sorta collided during the scuffle and, well, he sorta figured it out from there."
Mush laughed. "I bet the look on his face was priceless."
"Yeah," Tug said, as the image of that bewildered expression surfaced in her mind. She smiled for a moment and then quickly shook the thought away. Not really wanting to talk about Skittery with Mush, she suggested something else. "You wanna head to Tibby's?"
"Sure," Mush replied, shrugging. "I bet most of the fellas will be gone, or near finished. We's running a little late now."
As they walked toward the restaurant, Mush had plenty more questions to keep her talking. Naturally, he asked her why she had become a newsie. The boys already knew about her mother, after that night they spent in jail, so Tug didn't have any reason to lie. Of course, he was curious about that day he bumped into her as a girl. It was only appropriate for Tug to ask if he ever, even for a split second, thought he might recognize her. She explained everything to him, about how she decided to cover up her blunder that day, which prompted the whole Skittery/Claire situation.
"So you was never Skitts girl?" Mush asked, as they turned onto the street where Tibby's was located.
Tug rolled her eyes, though the truth of it pulled at her heart. "No, we's just friends. I told ya, it was all just a cover to hide the fact that I'm a girl. I don't know where yer gettin' the idea that I was his girlfriend."
"I told ya-" Mush started, but he was cut short as Tug grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop.
Nearing the diner, Tug caught sight of something that caused her to groan inwardly. Just a few steps from the entrance to Tibby's, leaning against the building, smoking a cigarette, was Skittery. Hovering beside him, like a little spaniel sniffing at its owner's ankles, was that girl. She leaned against him, laughing animatedly, twirling a bit of her hair around her finger.
Almost instantly, Tug stopped walking. She couldn't do it. She couldn't walk passed him, not when that girl was around. Letting go of Mush's arm, she said the first thing that came to mind,
"I've just realized I got to be home soon. Sorry, Mush. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
Mush had followed her gaze as it slid back to where Skittery stood. He had been around enough girls to know when something was wrong. "You alright?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just gotta go," Tug said, a little too quickly as she started to walk away.
"Alright," Mush replied, not entirely convinced. "See ya tomorrow."
---
The next morning, Tug met Mush at their usual selling spot. She had been running late, so Mush had a bit of a head start on sales. The headlines weren't too bad, as there were still a few articles mentioning the newsies' strike; naturally, they milked it for all it was worth. The day had been going fairly well, people seemed keen on buying newspapers. When some wizened old man, in a top hat, asked for two newspapers, he gave Tug a dime. She couldn't believe her luck when he told her to keep the change; he didn't want all those pennies banging around his pockets.
So, when lunched rolled around, Tug offered to buy Mush a hot dog from a street vendor. She didn't want to chance another encounter with Skittery again. Unfortunately though, her plan wasn't entirely successful as her lunch break was not Skittery free.
"Hows come you left so quick yesterday?" Mush asked, as he settled himself down on a park bench.
Pulling the wrappings from her food, Tug shrugged. "I told ya, I had some things to do at home."
"Right," Mush managed to mumble, his mouth stuffed with food. He swallowed before continuing. "You sure it didn't have nothing to do with Skitts and Angela?"
"No, it wasn't 'cause of them," Tug grunted insistently, not looking up from the little pieces of bread she was tearing apart. She hated that he was absolutely, one hundred percent, correct about her departure yesterday afternoon.
His eyebrows rose skeptically. "Well, just so's ya know, I'm surprise she's still around. We all though it was a one time thing."
Tug looked up from the mess of food she had sitting on her lap. "Well, apparently it ain't," she said flatly, standing to brush the crumbs from her trousers. "Come on, we still got some papes to sell."
Sighing, though slightly pleased that his assumptions had been correct, Mush knew he had hit a nerve. Scooping up his newspapers, he hurried after her. After some more prodding, he was finally able to make his final conclusion on the matter and announced his findings, with an all knowing grin as they walked home for the evening.
"You like Skitts, don't ya?"
Groaning, Tug rolled her eyes. "What's the difference if I do or not, huh?"
"Ha! I knew ya did," Mush said, crossing his arms over his chest, looking all pleased with himself.
"Oh, just leave it be, Mush," Tug replied, grumpily. He was really living up to his name as far as she was concerned. He really had a knack for the relationship business. "He don't like me."
Mush shook his head. "I think he all he needs is a little push in the right direction."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Tug turned on him. "What are ya talkin' about?"
"I's just thinkin', maybe if he thought you were seein' someone," Mush said, suggestively.
"No! Don't you even think about it, Mush. I ain't doin' anything like that. Skittery is allowed to see any girl he wants, whether I like it or not," Tug said firmly, as she turned down the alleyway toward her apartment. "Just leave it, alright? I"ll see ya tomorrow."
Mush nodded solemnly, defeated. He only wanted to help her. She was his friend after all. "Yeah, alright."
---
The following morning, Tug leaned against one of the railings that encircled the Horace Greeley statue, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Mush. He had been running late that morning and was near the end of the line. She could have gone on to without him, but she decided to wait, though quickly regretting that decision.
Bored, she occupied herself with listening in to passing conversations. One in particular stuck out as Racetrack and Blink walked passed.
"It ain't been this bad since Snitch chucked all of Specs' books out the window into that pile of snow," Blink said, shaking his head sadly.
"Yeah, I'm puttin' money on him not livin' through the week," Racetrack replied with a chuckle.
Blink laughed as he said something in return, but they were soon out of earshot so she couldn't hear what he said. Puzzled, Tug couldn't help but think something happened between some of the boys. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long to find out exactly what it was, because Mush came strolling over a few minutes later, a nice red welt visibly surfacing under one eye.
"Mush!" Tug exclaimed, wide eyed. "What happened to yer face?"
He didn't replied right away, instead his eyes shifted uneasily around the square until they met hers. He gave her a small, guilty half smile before replying,
"I might've let it slip that I was with Claire last night and Skittery might've overheard me."