Star Bright
by: Nina
Chapter One
Zoë Concepcion watched him sit there, laughing. Laughing like he always did on these nights. She would watch him for hours and hours, just sitting there laughing, smiling or casually grinning. Oh how she wished she could be the girl sitting next to him, with his arm firmly around her. But instead she was shunted off to the side of the stage playing the music on her piano for Medda at Irving Hall. Every Friday night Zoë would wait for the Manhattan Newsies to arrive and take their seats to enjoy the show. And every Friday night, Zoë would get shunted off to the side on the stage where she would play music for Medda. It was the same every night, really, Medda would sing and all the men at Irving Hall would hoot and holler and throw roses on the stage. But Friday was when the Newsies would come, and Zoë would get to see her Newsie. She knew his name, Mush. She had heard the other Newsies calling him, and she memorized where he sat. He had a different girl each Friday night. But Zoe didn't care. Her night would be made every time she saw him smile. The wonderful feeling that overcame her every Friday would soon be gone once he would wrap his arm around his girl. Zoe loved his curly brown hair, and his deep chocolate eyes. She never really got close enough to hear his voice though, and how she wish she could. But Zoe didn't have the courage to talk to him. Not with all those other loud Newsies around. Sometimes Medda would ask Zoe to run some errands. Zoe loved to run these errands, she loved to explore the city and visit her old home before her family died. Just thinking of her mother's smile brought tears to her eyes. She missed them dearly, and ever since that awful man her father owed money to came and killed her mother, father and baby sister Mary, Zoe would sneak to visit her old house. Zoe only just snuck away on that dreadful night, six years ago when she was ten. She had run and run until she thought she was going to collapse. About ten blocks away from her house, Medda picked her up in an alleyway and offered her a job and a place to live. When Medda found out that Zoe could play the piano, she was overjoyed. She gave Zoe one of the small rooms above the theatre, and for the past six years Zoe has played the piano every night for Medda's shows. And here she was. Playing once again on Friday night for all the Newsies. She peered out to the crowd, which she rarely did. She could see in the first first row, her Newsie, Mush. He, like all the other times, had his arm around a pretty girl and a smile on his face. He never once looked over to Zoe playing the piano. She didn't blame him. She wasn't much to look at. Her long, thick, curly, pitch black hair was currently down. Medda had lended Zoe a few clips with white flowers on the ends. Zoe had stuck them in her hair. They matched her pure white dress Medda had let her wear for tonight. It was sleeveless and showed Zoe's curves very nicely against her tan skin. Her blue-green eyes were currently scanning the audience as she played, "My Lovey Dovey Baby" for about the millionth time in her life. She didn't even have to look up at the music, she knew it by heart. Zoe was thrown back into reality however when Medda stopped singing and began talking. Zoe just sat there, wishing with all her might that she could be out in the center of the stage, singing her heart out. "We will now take any requests for songs to be played," Medda was saying. "Just come here and inform my pianist on what song." Then she left the stage to talk to some people. Zoe sighed. She usually liked taking requests from people, she made friends that way. But to her dismay, Mush never requested anything. She relaxed a little and looked out over the crowd again. Jack Kelly, the Newsie leader, was talking with Spot Conlon, the Brooklyn leader, and laughing about something. Zoe noticed Racetrack walking up to her and she grinned. Race and her had been friends since Zoe could remember, and it all started with him making a request. She smiled to him, as he approached her. He had a cigar dangling from his mouth, and his hands were in his pockets. She liked his company. Every Friday night him and Blink would come over and talk to her for a little while and make her laugh. Somehow, they had never brought Mush over. "Heya there doll face," Race said picking up her hand and kissing it. She blushed slightly, but recovered by the time Blink had kissed her hand too. "And how are you fella's on this lovely evening?" she asked smiling. She loved the little Italian. They had a brother/sister bond. She glanced over at Blink who was smiling too. Blink was like her older brother, always watching out for her. "Just wanted ta say hi ta our favorite lady, dat's all," Race was saying as he and Blink sat on either side of her. "Be a doll, wouldja an' play us here a song. One of yer good ones, dough (though)." He smiled at her, and she returned it. Zoe began flicking through her music book but was interrupted as someone came over and leaned an elbow on her piano. She looked up and her heart stopped beating. It was Mush, her Newsie. And he was alone. "Heya fellas," he said as he spitshook with Race and Blink. "Who's ya friend heah?" he asked as he looked Zoe up and down. She could feel herself turning red, but quickly looked away. "Dis here is da lovely Zoe," Race said and Blink smiled at her. "We go all da way back." Mush looked again at Zoe and said, "Well can ya play me a song?" Her heart dropped. Her face fell as she nodded and began skimming through her book again. Mush turned and kicked himself mentally. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and he didn't even talk to her. What was wrong with him? Mush, the ladies man, for the first time didn't say anything to a beautiful girl. He shrugged and walked over to his girl, who was eyeing Zoe jealously. Race glanced over at Zoe and noticed her mood change. Blink saw it too, and frowned. "Why dontcha just tell 'im, Zoe? Tell him how ya feel!" Blink said. Zoe's head snapped up and glared at him. "He doesn't even know me!" she snapped at him. "Besides, I don't feel anything for him." She watched his retreating back with a longing expression on her face. "Yea, sure ya don't," Race said before he got up, kissed her on the cheek, and him and Blink headed back to the Newsies. After another hour, Irving Hall died down and she was the only one left. She stood up and called out to Medda, "I'm gonna go get some fresh air." "Do be careful!" Medda answered from somewhere back stage. Zoe sighed. She only wanted fresh air. She quietly slipped through the door and entered the cold brisk night. Up the street she saw a gangle of Newsies, and grinned to herself. Maybe Mush would be there? She shook that idea out of her head. He has a girl. He's not interested in a stupid pianist. Zoe walked a few blocks dreaming of being a star. She wanted to have the courage to sing like Medda did. Zoe stopped daydreaming and looked over her shoulder. She could have sworn she had heard something. Shrugging, she kept on walking through the night.
Chapter One
Zoë Concepcion watched him sit there, laughing. Laughing like he always did on these nights. She would watch him for hours and hours, just sitting there laughing, smiling or casually grinning. Oh how she wished she could be the girl sitting next to him, with his arm firmly around her. But instead she was shunted off to the side of the stage playing the music on her piano for Medda at Irving Hall. Every Friday night Zoë would wait for the Manhattan Newsies to arrive and take their seats to enjoy the show. And every Friday night, Zoë would get shunted off to the side on the stage where she would play music for Medda. It was the same every night, really, Medda would sing and all the men at Irving Hall would hoot and holler and throw roses on the stage. But Friday was when the Newsies would come, and Zoë would get to see her Newsie. She knew his name, Mush. She had heard the other Newsies calling him, and she memorized where he sat. He had a different girl each Friday night. But Zoe didn't care. Her night would be made every time she saw him smile. The wonderful feeling that overcame her every Friday would soon be gone once he would wrap his arm around his girl. Zoe loved his curly brown hair, and his deep chocolate eyes. She never really got close enough to hear his voice though, and how she wish she could. But Zoe didn't have the courage to talk to him. Not with all those other loud Newsies around. Sometimes Medda would ask Zoe to run some errands. Zoe loved to run these errands, she loved to explore the city and visit her old home before her family died. Just thinking of her mother's smile brought tears to her eyes. She missed them dearly, and ever since that awful man her father owed money to came and killed her mother, father and baby sister Mary, Zoe would sneak to visit her old house. Zoe only just snuck away on that dreadful night, six years ago when she was ten. She had run and run until she thought she was going to collapse. About ten blocks away from her house, Medda picked her up in an alleyway and offered her a job and a place to live. When Medda found out that Zoe could play the piano, she was overjoyed. She gave Zoe one of the small rooms above the theatre, and for the past six years Zoe has played the piano every night for Medda's shows. And here she was. Playing once again on Friday night for all the Newsies. She peered out to the crowd, which she rarely did. She could see in the first first row, her Newsie, Mush. He, like all the other times, had his arm around a pretty girl and a smile on his face. He never once looked over to Zoe playing the piano. She didn't blame him. She wasn't much to look at. Her long, thick, curly, pitch black hair was currently down. Medda had lended Zoe a few clips with white flowers on the ends. Zoe had stuck them in her hair. They matched her pure white dress Medda had let her wear for tonight. It was sleeveless and showed Zoe's curves very nicely against her tan skin. Her blue-green eyes were currently scanning the audience as she played, "My Lovey Dovey Baby" for about the millionth time in her life. She didn't even have to look up at the music, she knew it by heart. Zoe was thrown back into reality however when Medda stopped singing and began talking. Zoe just sat there, wishing with all her might that she could be out in the center of the stage, singing her heart out. "We will now take any requests for songs to be played," Medda was saying. "Just come here and inform my pianist on what song." Then she left the stage to talk to some people. Zoe sighed. She usually liked taking requests from people, she made friends that way. But to her dismay, Mush never requested anything. She relaxed a little and looked out over the crowd again. Jack Kelly, the Newsie leader, was talking with Spot Conlon, the Brooklyn leader, and laughing about something. Zoe noticed Racetrack walking up to her and she grinned. Race and her had been friends since Zoe could remember, and it all started with him making a request. She smiled to him, as he approached her. He had a cigar dangling from his mouth, and his hands were in his pockets. She liked his company. Every Friday night him and Blink would come over and talk to her for a little while and make her laugh. Somehow, they had never brought Mush over. "Heya there doll face," Race said picking up her hand and kissing it. She blushed slightly, but recovered by the time Blink had kissed her hand too. "And how are you fella's on this lovely evening?" she asked smiling. She loved the little Italian. They had a brother/sister bond. She glanced over at Blink who was smiling too. Blink was like her older brother, always watching out for her. "Just wanted ta say hi ta our favorite lady, dat's all," Race was saying as he and Blink sat on either side of her. "Be a doll, wouldja an' play us here a song. One of yer good ones, dough (though)." He smiled at her, and she returned it. Zoe began flicking through her music book but was interrupted as someone came over and leaned an elbow on her piano. She looked up and her heart stopped beating. It was Mush, her Newsie. And he was alone. "Heya fellas," he said as he spitshook with Race and Blink. "Who's ya friend heah?" he asked as he looked Zoe up and down. She could feel herself turning red, but quickly looked away. "Dis here is da lovely Zoe," Race said and Blink smiled at her. "We go all da way back." Mush looked again at Zoe and said, "Well can ya play me a song?" Her heart dropped. Her face fell as she nodded and began skimming through her book again. Mush turned and kicked himself mentally. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and he didn't even talk to her. What was wrong with him? Mush, the ladies man, for the first time didn't say anything to a beautiful girl. He shrugged and walked over to his girl, who was eyeing Zoe jealously. Race glanced over at Zoe and noticed her mood change. Blink saw it too, and frowned. "Why dontcha just tell 'im, Zoe? Tell him how ya feel!" Blink said. Zoe's head snapped up and glared at him. "He doesn't even know me!" she snapped at him. "Besides, I don't feel anything for him." She watched his retreating back with a longing expression on her face. "Yea, sure ya don't," Race said before he got up, kissed her on the cheek, and him and Blink headed back to the Newsies. After another hour, Irving Hall died down and she was the only one left. She stood up and called out to Medda, "I'm gonna go get some fresh air." "Do be careful!" Medda answered from somewhere back stage. Zoe sighed. She only wanted fresh air. She quietly slipped through the door and entered the cold brisk night. Up the street she saw a gangle of Newsies, and grinned to herself. Maybe Mush would be there? She shook that idea out of her head. He has a girl. He's not interested in a stupid pianist. Zoe walked a few blocks dreaming of being a star. She wanted to have the courage to sing like Medda did. Zoe stopped daydreaming and looked over her shoulder. She could have sworn she had heard something. Shrugging, she kept on walking through the night.