Specs moved away from the newsstand making room for me as he counted his papes, a habit he had made after getting shortchanged a couple times, not that he ever actually said anything about it to whoever was working the stand; he just kept a record of how many times the Delanceys screwed up. I slid up to the counter with the brim of my hat pulled low, and muttered to Weisel, "The usual fifty please," and set a nickel and five pennies on the counter.

Unlike most of the newsies, I didn't risk messing with Weisel. So long as I didn't mess with him, he wouldn't get angry with me, and as long as he wasn't angry with me our interactions were reduced to that one sentence every morning. If I don't speak to him much and keep my head down, the chances of him figuring out I'm a girl stay pretty slim.

I moved to the other side of the counter as Albert waltzed forward and started heckling Weisel. As I waited for Oscar to count out my papers, he always made sure to count mine at the risk of catching hell for it later, I leaned my back up against the side of the stand. Glancing up, I noticed Morris, looking particularly dejected, leaning forward, his forearms crossed, lying on the railing at the top of the newsstand.

He scanned the crowd of newsies on the ground in front of him, looking for someone I guess, until Albert said something particularly loud and his attention was directed to the ground directly in front of him. He then looked to his right and his eyes fell on me. I turned my head quickly, looking back to Oscar who was holding out my papes, his eyebrow raised quizzically. I snatched the papers out of his hand, stuffing them in my bag as I pulled out the note I had gotten from Albert. I could still feel Morris's eyes on me, so I looked up with a grin, and his expression changed to mimic his older brothers as he raised his eyebrow at me.

Still holding the note in my hand, I raised my arms over my head, fingers intertwined, like I was stretching in an attempt to discretely convey that I had received his message. The second he saw the note his expression brightened, and a rare smile graced his face. I jumped when I heard Albert behind me, "Don't stare too long, I was under the impression you wanted to not let Jack notice these types of things."

I hastily broke eye contact with Morris as he let his face drop into his usual neutral expression and went back to looking over the crowd of newsies. "You know," Albert continued as we walked away from the stand, "I think Specs may very well be right about that crush."

"Ah shut it Al," I said as I pulled my cap a little further down, I could feel my face growing red. We walked over to where Specs was sitting on a stack of old milk crates, which I promptly climbed to the top of, and sat down as we waited for the rest of the newsies to get their papers.

Feeling my still flushed cheeks, I turned my head towards the entrance of the distribution center to avoid both of the boys sitting and chatting in front of me. There's just no way Specs can be right. Morris and I have been friends for ages, but that's all it's ever been. Even that has been a stretch at times, especially when Weisel was really on the boys about keeping the newsies in line. Even if there was something else it's not like that would be something that would ever work, especially with mornings like today.

I still can't believe Morris pushed Crutchie down like that. Over the last few years, instances like that had happened, and we would have long discussions about them afterward. There were even a couple of times that I had refused to speak to either of the Delancey brothers for several days because they had beaten up some poor kid. The core of the issue always boiled down to Weisel though. If the Delanceys went too long without busting someone up Weisel would come down on the boys, hard.

There are far too many memories I have of Morris or Oscar running through the street to find me, and hauling me back to some alley or hole in the wall, only to see the other brother beat to hell. That particular scenario hadn't happened in a few years, but I don't know whether to attribute that to the fact that the boys are too big for Weisel to handle them that way, or the fact that they no longer attempt to go against his wishes. I was the only friend the Delancey brothers had to turn to back then though, and I know I would help without a second thought if something like that were to happen again.

I just hope it doesn't. The pain those two went through as children was always greater than what they were forced to hand out to the newsies.

I know I worry about them too much, especially since we are on different sides of a constantly ongoing conflict, but I know them better than the other newsies. Anyone else in my situation would easily consider themselves friends. I can't afford to use those words though, I don't want to try imagining what would happen those two if Weisel ever found out we were on good terms. He believes fear is the only way to keep the newsies in line, and making friends undermines that concept.

Breaking me out of my thoughts, Specs got my attention as he tapped my leg. Looking up, he tilted his head towards the stand, directing my attention over to where two boys I had never seen before were buying papers. Specs, Albert, and I watched astounded as the older of the two brothers, I assume they are related since they are here together, accused Weisel and Oscar of shorting him a paper.

Now there is a very good reason Specs never said anything when he was short a pape, and that was because questioning Weisel was like asking to be beat to a pulp. A couple of the boys had tried doing what this new kid was doing before, and Weisel had set responded by setting Oscar and Morris on them the second they were out of the distribution center. Needless to say, those boys didn't cross Weisel again.

This kid must have been either completely insane or honestly have no knowledge about the life of a newsie because he kept pushing Weisel. Then Jack stood up, and snatched the papers out of the tall boy's hands. Fantastic, Jack getting involved in this mess is exactly what needs to happen right now, as if laying out both Oscar and Morris earlier wasn't enough trouble for the day. I jumped up and walked as calmly as I could over to the newsstand. For once, conflict was resolved before I could get over to the stand, and I was amazed when Oscar handed the boy another paper. I guess Jack has been garnering more respect than I thought, especially if Weisel is actually letting him have his way, to a degree.

Jack glanced in my direction and nodded at me, both confirming that everything was under control, and telling me to walk over to him as he walked with the two new boys over to a stack of crates and papers near the center of the distribution center.

I sidled up to the group as Jack spit shook the younger boy's hand, an action at which I noticed both I and the older boy cringed. Jack then turned to me and slung his arm haphazardly over my shoulder and, with his standard grin, introduced me. "Bets, I'd like you to meet my new selling partners, Les, "he nodded to the younger boy, "and Davey Jacobs. Boys, this is my younger brother Bets."

"It's nice to meet you," Davey said with a shy smile. "We was just deciding what to do for the day, selling wise." Jack turned his grin back to me as he talked. "Seeing how I'm going ta be teaching squirt here," he nodded at Les, "what would you think about instructing Davey in the ways of a newsie?

Oh great, loaded question, I kind of had plans, not that I could tell you about that Jack. "That's a great idea Jack!" His face lit up the moment I spoke, great; I don't enjoy dashing his hopes and dreams. "I have a few things I have to get done today though," I continued, trying to communicate a few key points of my sentence through to him. He just continued to look completely dumbfounded, fantastic. Lying isn't made any easier when people don't pick up on what the lie is supposed to be about, and I can't very well say girl things in front of the new kids. "Things that affect specifically me Jack."

There it is! His voice seemed like it rose a couple octaves as he just responded with a simple, "Oh." He then turned to the Les and Davey and said, "Looks like it'll just be us boys." Addressing me, he continued, "Meet up with us later in the alley a couple blocks from Medda's, if you've gotten everything taken care of. Then we can get some dinner together."

"Sounds like a plan, nice to meet you boys!" I nodded to the Jacobs brothers and turned to walk out of the distribution center. I do feel bad about lying to Jack, but I can't very well make a big deal about getting Morris's note and then pull a no show. Looking back towards the newsstand, I notice that neither of the brothers are still there, which means I'm probably going to get beat to my selling spot. All the other newsies have already dispersed, so, disregarding any worries about them getting suspicious, I break into a trot as I make my way through several alleys and down the street, cutting down the distance to my selling spot.