Skint

As I walked through the door, I looked around for Moth and found her sitting at a table in the corner, her head buried in the menu.  I sat down beside her.  "Don't think I didn't know it was you."

  She looked at me with her most innocent face and replied, "What was me?"

  I decided to let it drop, she'd got me back and now we were even.  "Hey Moth, pass me that towel, I got flour in my ears." 

  I proceeded to wipe myself clean when Moth said, "So, tomorrow's the big day huh?"

  "Yup, everything's planned.  But remember, we have to keep our pranks to a minimum.  We can't risk anything going wrong."

  "Agreed.  So, what are you ordering?"

  "I'm not hungry, I just have to check that Tibby has everything we ordered, and then we have to go see Mrs Jacobs."

  I went to speak with Tibby while Moth drank her sarsaparilla.  "Hey Tibbs, you got the food?"

  "Yeah Skint, it's all in the back.  Wally Frank's gonna bring it to the LH and set it up early tomorrow morning for ya."

  "That's great Tibbs, thanks," I said as I hooked two doughnuts for Moth and me.

  "I saw that."

  I grinned as I made my way back to the table and handed Moth her doughnut.  "Thanks.  So everything's ready?"

  "Yeah, you ready to go?"

  We made our way to Davey's house and I knocked on the door.  It was already ajar, so it opened further when I knocked.  The warm aroma of chocolate cake filled the apartment, and I had to hold Moth back as she headed for the freshly baked cake that was sitting on the counter.  It looked perfect.  "Wow," Moth admired.  "You know, I betcha nobody would notice if we just took the tiniest piece right now.  We could rearrange it and it's be fine."

  She picked up the knife and I was just about to agree with her when we heard someone behind us.  "Uh uh, put the knife down, you're as bad as David."

  We both grinned at Mrs Jacobs and Moth put the knife down.  "Hi Mrs Jacobs, we came to pick up the cake."

  "I don't think so.  If I let you take it tonight, there's not going to be a cake left for the party tomorrow.  I'll bring it with me in the morning."

  Moth and I sighed in unison and looked at the cake.  "OK."

  Mrs Jacobs smiled.  "Thanks girls.  It's going to be a great party."

  "Party, what party?"  The three of us turned to look at the door and saw Stress and BonBon standing in the doorway.  "Sorry," said Stress, "the door was open.  Did someone mention a party?"

  I shot a look at BonBon to say 'why did you bring Stress here' and she shot one back saying 'sorry there wasn't anything I could do.'

  "Hi, come in.  BonBon, are you looking for David?"

  "Yes Mrs Jacobs.  Is he here?"

  "I'm afraid you just missed him.  He's gone with Jack to see Medda."

  "Thanks, I'll look for him there."  She started to drag Stress away from the door before she ask any more questions but Stress stood her ground.  She wasn't about to let BonBon pull her away when nobody had answered her questions.  "Skint, what are you and Moth doing here?"

  I had a brilliant excuse to get us out of this mess, but Moth obviously didn't realise because she wouldn't let me get a word in.  "We were helping Mrs Jacobs bake a cake," she started, pointing to it.  "I thought you'd probably wonder who it was for, we're making it for Mush.  Yeah, Mush.  Because… well he and Skint had a fight this morning and he loves chocolate cake and she wanted to make up with him, so Mrs Jacobs offered to help make a cake for him."

  We all just stared at Moth.  I elbowed her in the ribs and whispered, "Take a breath girl."

  Moth took a breath so I finished off for her.  "We have to go now."

  "But what about the party, someone said party," Stress insisted.

  "Oh that.  No, we didn't say party, we said parting.  Ya know, parting is such sweet sorrow.  But we have to part now.  See ya."  I grabbed Moth and dragged her out the door before Stress could ask any more questions.

  As we shot down the stairs, I could hear Stress ask Mrs Jacobs, "If the cake is for Mush, we did they leave it here?  And why did Skint have flour in her hair?"

Moth

The morning of the party dawned bright and beautiful, with big fluffy white clouds meandering slowly across the sky. Jack had gotten Stress out of the LH, telling her he was taking her somewhere special, when actually he would blindfold her and walk her around Manhattan to confuse her and just bring her back to the LH.

Skint directed everyone in what to do and where to put things while I went down to the door to be lookout. And watch for the cake.

"Hey Moth!" Mrs Jacobs staggered through the door peering over the top of the cake. "Where should I put this?"

"Here, I can take it." I reached out for the cake but Mrs Jacobs gave me a Look. Almost like she knew I was going to try to sneak a piece… "You can just drop it on the counter in the kitchen and cover it with the cloth that's there."

As she staggered on into the kitchen, I walked back to the door, trying to look uninterested in the huge chocolate… WHAM! Huge chocolate wham? I looked up from my new seat on the floor to see two Stresses and two Jacks walking in from two separate doors. Wait, two? I sat up groggily and shook my head. "Stress? What're you doing here?" Stress blinked at me in confusion, obviously not seeing why I was sitting on the floor.

"I forgot my hat. I made Jack come back here so I could get it." I nodded.

"Oh, okay. Wait! Your hat? The one that's upstairs in the bunkroom?" Stress looked at me oddly, and I remembered she, like most newsies, only had one hat. "Uh, I'll get it! It's your special day with Jack, right? So why don't you just relax and I'll just run up to the perfectly normal old bunkroom and grab your hat!" I shot up the stairs, cursing under my breath. "Skint! Skint! StressishereandshewantsherhatandIhavetogogiveittoherandohgodmyheadhurts…" My last view before I fainted was Skint blinking at me rapidly, trying to figure out what I'd said.

Skint

  I carried Moth into the bunkroom and laid her on her bed.  I quickly fetched a glass of cold water and smiled, when I realised she'd have to thank me for this.  I poured the water on her face and she slowly opened her eyes.  "Moth, are you OK?"

  She sat up and blinked a couple of times.  "I think so.  Thanks Skint."

  I laughed.  "That's the first time you've thanked me for getting revenge.  I was almost considering following through with some flour."

  Moth laughed and rubbed her head.  "I'll get Stress' hat and bring it to her.  You go down and make sure she doesn't see anything."

  "OK."  I rushed down ahead of Moth to me met by Stress who was halfway up the stairs.  She looked up and me.  "What's taking Moth so long?  Can't she find it?"

  "Uh, no.  I mean yes she's coming.  She just got… thirsty.  Yeah thirsty so she's having a drink before she brings your hat."

  Stress shrugged her shoulders.  "OK."  I sighed with relief as she turned around and headed back downstairs.

  Moth was just at the top of the stairs as we were reaching the bottom, but she still managed to make it to the bottom before we did.  I turned to see her holding her head and then proceed to trip and roll all the way down.  She landed at the bottom in a heap but still managed to keep hold of Stress' hat.  She held it out to her from her position on the floor.  "Here ya go Jack, err Stress."

  I covered my face with my hand.  It's going to be a long day.

Moth

A couple hours later, everyone was gathered in the lobby, going over the plan. It was decided that I would stay downstairs to warn people when Jack and Stress came in and everyone else would hide up in the girls' bunkroom.  The littler kids had been let in on the plan and were very excited about the whole thing, even getting inspired to clean the bunkroom from top to bottom.

"Moth, you stay out of the kitchen, ok? We don't want the cake disappearing before the party." Mrs Jacobs stood in front of me, looking very stern.

"You have my word Mrs J. I won't step foot in the kitchen." I put on my most innocent smile as she eyed me suspiciously and went to stand in front of the window just as Stress and Jack came in the door. "Stress! Jack! How simply wonderful to see you!" I squealed and pounced on them to cover the scurrying noises that were heard from up the stairs. Mrs. Jacobs slipped undetected up to the bunkroom while I babbled on about a large lizard I'd found outside.

"Moth, this is all very interesting, but could I please go upstairs?" Stress looked very impatient and I stepped aside, letting her and Jack continue on up. Debating whether or not to follow them, I decided against it and headed into the kitchen.

Skint

As we all heard Moth talking loudly to Stress and Jack downstairs, we all took our places.  The plan was that we were all going to hide in and under the beds.  We could hear footsteps coming upstairs, and then we could hear Stress say, "Where is everybody?"

  I put my head up from under the covers and whispered to Stress.  "Don't bother.  Moth can't hear you from the kitchen.  Just take your place with Jack.  She'll be up any minute."

  And I was right.  She was stomping up the stairs, muttering to herself, "I couldn't hear anyone shout surprise.  Since when does Mrs J have better hearing than me?"

  As she walked through the doors to the bunkroom, she looked around and waited. 

"SURPRISE!"

  We all jumped out with big grins and I walked over to Moth to give her a hug, but she just stood there.  "I don't get it."

  "Moth, it's not Stress' one year anniversary, it's yours.  Don't you remember?"

  Moth gave a sheepish grin.  "I can't believe it… all this time… it was for me?"

  "Yeah."

  "I'm speechless.  I really don't know what to say."

  "Oh come on, you've never had nothing to say."

  "Well, I guess I there's only one thing to say.  Lemme at that cake!"

THE END