Chapter 1:
"Cindermushieeeeeeeeee!" came a very loud shout. Blank, wicked newsie number one, walked into the room and shouted once again, "Cindermushieeeee!" He spotted the curly haired one curled up near the fireplace, sleeping soundly in the cinders- hence the name Cindermushie. With an annoyed grunt, he got down on all fours, leaned towards the poor Cindermushie's ear and bellowed, "Hey you, Cindermushie! Time t' get up!"
The soot-covered boy awoke with a startled yelp and he stared up at Blank's face. "Oh! Wicked newsie number one!"
"It's time t' rise an' shine me shoes!" And he slapped his huge, very dirty shoes in front of poor Cindermushie. "An' I want 'em clean enough to eat offa!"
Cindermushie gave him a confused look. "Why wouldja wanna eat offa them?" Who ate off shoes? No one he knew.
"Jus' shine 'em all pretty like, got it!"
He nodded, pulled out one of his many rags from his pocket, where he happened to keep them, and began to shine Blank's shoes. Dirt flaked off and caked beneath his already dirty fingernails, but he didn't stop, knowing Blank would be very upset if his shoes weren't cleaned immediately. Cindermushie hummed under his breath while he worked, not being one to complain. He loved his wicked newsie friends, no matter how much work they piled on to him. Hours of hard work and three dirty rags later, Blank's gigantic shoes were now gigantic spotless shoes. Cindermushie smiled at the reflection his face cast in the shoes.
"Hey Cindermushie!" Blank poked his head back into the room where the curly-haired boy worked. Startled, Cindermushie dropped the shoes. "While you's at it, wash me pants too."
"Mine too!" Mississippi, wicked newsie number two, called out, walking into the room.
"Mine need mendin'!" Shadow called, tossing a pair of pants on Cindermushie's head.
"But wicked newsie number three, you's a girl," Cindermushie pointed out innocently. "Don'cha do that ya'self?"
"No, 'cause it's your job Cindermushie!" Shadow threw her head back and laughed, following her wicked newsie companions out the door.
Cindermushie sniffled a bit, but did not cry, as he watched them leave to go sell their newspapers. He never cried, no matter how badly the wicked newsie trio treated him. He loved them, in all their wickedness, and knew that, somewhere in their wicked newsie hearts, they loved him too. He smiled again. Yes, one day he would join their elite wicked newsie ranks. A moment later, he turned and went to work on his chores, daydreaming of the day he would get to sell newspapers too.
* * *
Cindermushie sat on his knees with a wet, soapy scrub brush in his hands, cleaning the floor. He sang loudly to a tune he heard in his head, words that he'd heard his wicked newsie friends sang whenever they returned from celebrations and such. Unbeknownst to him, there was a repetitive knocking on the door. On he sang, until wicked newsie Mississippi stormed out and said, "Can't you hear that?!"
Of course, Cindermushie's singing was so loud he didn't even hear Mississippi ask the question. Shadow came up next to Mississippi, looking somewhat annoyed. "What's goin' on?"
"He won't answer the door! He doesn't even hear me!"
Shadow gave him a look that read 'let a woman handle this'. Then she strode over to unsuspecting Cindermushie. "Cindermushie!" she bellowed. "Get off ya bum an' get the door!"
With a startled yelp, he threw his scrub brush in the air and looked over. "Oh! Wicked newsie number three! Ya startled me!"
"Someone's been poundin' on th' door for th' last ten minutes!" She thrust her finger towards it. "Now go answer it!"
"Right away!" Cindermushie said cheerfully.
Shadow arched a brow as the curly-haired servant boy scampered to the door. Upon opening it, he saw a well-dressed boy standing there with a crisp sheet of paper in his hand.
Producing a bright smile, the boy pulled out a harmonica and blew on it. "I am the singing telegram," he sang, "Here's what I have to say. I've got a letter for you! A letter for you today!"
"A letter for me today?" Cindermushie pointed to himself.
"A letter for you!" he sang gleefully. "I've got a letter for, a letter for you, a letter for you, you, you!"
"For me?"
"For you!" The boy looked down at the letter.
"Who is it?" Mississippi inquired, coming up behind Cindermushie.
Shadow and Blank followed. "Jiminy!" Shadow exclaimed. "A singin' telegram!"
"Who's it from?" Blank asked.
The boy blew on his harmonica again. "Laaaaaaa...." He stopped and smiled. Turning around once, he began to sing again. "You are invited. Stop. To the swellest place in town. Stop. To a celebration. Stop. Thrown by the bestest girl around. Stop. Come to my celebration. Stop. Bring all kinds of gifts to me. Stop. All the newsies are invited. Stop. To my birthday party. Stop. Love HadeeeeeeEEEEEES!" The boy let the high note drift off, and then with a bow, he smiled, handed the telegram to Cindermushie and ran backwards until he reached his coach, which he then jumped on to. Moments later, the coach was clattering down the street.
Cindermushie looked at the piece of paper in his hands in awe. A birthday party thrown by Hades? He'd always heard about those celebrations. Huge bashes surrounding the self-declared Princess of Newsgirls. (She was too young to be an old Queen, she had reasoned.) His eyes shined.
"Gimme that!" Shadow snatched the paper from Cindermushie and read it over. "Looks like Hades is throwing a party at the swellest place in town. Stop." She looked up. "That must be Medda's." She waited for a response, and when she didn't get one, she looked at Mississippi and Blank, who were staring at the piece of paper, drooling. She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in front of their faces.
Cindermushie looked at the three of them hopefully. "It says.... it says all newsies. So that means I can go! Right, Wicked Newsie Trio?"
Shadow, Blank, and Mississippi exchanged glances and then burst into hysterical laughter.
"Y-you?!" Shadow managed to gasp between her giggles.
"Yes. Me."
Mississippi and Blank laughed louder.
"You ain't a real newsie, Cindermushie," Shadow replied. "You's ... you's jus'... Cindermushie."
"So?"
"So... Cindermushies can't go to parties!" Blank explained. "Hades would jus' be hysterical!"
"Anyway, the party is just for newsies. It doesn't say Cindermushie anywhere on this telegram," Mississippi pointed out.
"But it said all newsies! I's a newsie too!"
"But you ain't th' one of th' finest newsies in town. Jus' 'cause it says all newsies, it don't mean all newsies!" Shadow shook her head.
"Wait... wait..." Mississippi held up his hand. "Cindermushie should be allowed to go to Hades' party."
"I should?" he asked.
"He should?!" Blank and Shadow replied incredulously.
Mississippi nodded. "After all, he is a newsie..."
"But... but!" Shadow sputtered.
"I really can go t' Hades' party, Wicked Newsie Number Two?" Cindermushie asked hopefully, clasping his hands together.
Again, Mississippi nodded. "But!" he added quickly, holding up one finger as Cindermushie danced around in delight. "You must finish all your chores," his lips curled into a wicked newsie smile, "and find something.... decent to wear." He wrinkled his nose at Cindermushie's dirty clothing.
"Oh I will! I will!" Cindermushie exclaimed. "Thank you Mississippi! Thank you!" Away he scampered to do his chores.
"Are ya outta your mind, muttonhead?!" Shadow yelled, whapping Mississippi over the head. "He can't go!"
Mississippi grinned. "Oh, he won't. He won't."
The Wicked Newsie Trio looked at one another and smiled in the Wicked Newsie way. Gathering in a tight circle, they began to plan all they could to keep Cindermushie from going to the party.