Disclaimer- Heh heh heh... Me and Sprite own not only Mush, but Spot, Race, and Jack too... Yeah yeah yeah, we know you're jealous. Fess up.
I also own Benna, Fowl, and any other character you don't recognize. Accept. Liz (Sprite). She owns herself. *duh*

Shouts-
Sprite- Yes, that is YOUR name!!! NO ONE ELSES!!!! Muahaha... PLANS IN ACTION!!!! *hands over cake*

Firecracker- I'm really glad you like it! Uh... yeah! *hands over even bigger slice of cake then Sprites* *Sprite whines* Cheek, you already had three pieces!

SparkHiggins- Haha, I'm glad you like it. So you want Race, eh? Well, he's Sprite's... muahaha... Ah, I'm sure she'll loan him to ya every other weekend and Wednesdays er something. Right, Sprite? (Haha, that rhymes!) *imitates Davey* Here's yer cake. *hands over a hardy slice*

Mmhmm. Right. Now then.

-L'Amo-

Benna felt even more out of place walking to the DO than she did in the lodging house. All around her, boys were doing flips, breaking into song, and anything else they could do for her to glance at them. Though she may have been unnerved, it also gave her a boost in confidence, seeing all these boys show off for her. But she didn't let that show. No, she was too uncomfortable to let that show.

Boots never left the gang. He stayed, plastered to Benna's side, grinning wildly. Benna laughed the first time, but found it rather annoying after a few minutes. It was hard to walk with him right up next to her. So she smiled at Boots and walked to stand between Fowl and Snipeshooter, who were a little ahead.

Within a few minutes, they reached the DO. Benna stood back by the gate, unsure of what to do exactly as Fowl, Snipe and Boots walked into line. Fowl noticed her disappearance and turned to look for her. He smiled at her when he saw her, gripping the gate with one arm. Laughing, he strolled over to her side and grabbed her hand.

"Stay wit' me, I'll show ya whut'cha gotta do ta sell papes," he said, pulling her into the line with the other two. Benna shook her head and tried to escape his grasp. 'Man, is he ever strong.'

"No, really, I don't wanna sell papes. I don't know how, and I'd just slow you down." Fowl smiled.

"Nonsense. C'mon, let's git up deah." he pulled her gently into line, and she gave in. 'Might as well...' she thought, looking around at all of the boys. She looked back to Fowl and the others, and concentrated on them. They were talking about some newsie, one in Brooklyn, who Fowl beat at a slingshot shoot out earlier that week .Apparently, Fowl was one of the best slingshot shooters in the city. He smiled in his glory as the other two talked passionately of the match, reenacting moments with their hands. Benna smiled at them, and then looked at Fowl, who was looking at her, his cheeks a slight shade of red. She smiled at him as well and put her arm around his neck, ruffling his hair. One of the other newsies saw this and turned to the four of them.

"Well well well, looks like Fowl heah's got 'imself a goil. How'dja manage ta pull dat one off, Fowly? Watcha payin' ah'?" Benna shot an evil glance at the boy who'd been talking. Fowl turned a deeper shade of red as Benna let go of his neck and turned, the fear and intimidation now down the drain. She stared at the boys deep brown eyes, hatred building up inside of her. True, Benna was normally a quiet, happy-go-lucky kind of girl, but if anyone messed with someone she cared about, she would turn as cold as ice.

"Dat depends. How much you payin' doz guys ova deah ta hang aroun' witcha?" Benna asked, imitating his accent. She nodded her head towards two guys standing behind him, who had been chuckling. They both stopped abruptly as she motioned to them.

He looked her up and down for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak. Benna cut in.

"An' by da way," she said, pulling Fowl's arm over her shoulder. "My Fowl heah, 'e could get any goil 'e wan'ed." She looked at him with mock love. "All doz goils fightin' ova 'im, an 'e chose me. Boy, I'm I eva da luckiest goil alive." Fowl smiled at her, before turning to grin at the boy who'd made fun of him. "So, please, be on ya merry lil' way now. Dat stench a yo'ahs is cloggin' me lungs." The boy shot daggers at her menacingly. He paused for a second, as if about to strike her. She grinned at him and kissed Fowl on the cheek. The boy shook his head and turned away. "Ciò è che ho pensato," Benna said quietly to herself. She paused, thinking about that she'd just said. 'Why do I keep speaking Italian?' she though, knowing perfectly well what she'd said. She'd meant to say, 'That's what I thought.' But no. It came out 'Ciò è che ho pensato.' Strange. Fowl stared at her.

"Ya really din' 'aveta do dat," he said, but a smile clear on his face. "Really, I coulda' taken 'im." Benna smiled.

"I know you could have. I just hate seeing people mess with my friends." She smiled at the three of them, who smiled back gratefully. "Who was that anyway?" Fowl shot a sidelong look at the boy one last time, then turned back to Benna.

"Mush Meyers. 'E t'inks 'es all dat, jus' cause Sprite wants 'im. Poisonally, I dun see whut she see's in 'im. I've known 'im fa' 'bout t'ree yeahs, an 'e ain't no moah den a face fa' goils ta look at," Fowl finished, looking at the sulking boy. Benna looked at Fowl quickly. She knew that name, Mush Meyers.

"How long has he been a newsie?" she asked, looking at his strong back. Fowl studied her, wondering why she was so interested in him. Benna ignored that and gave him a 'Well?' look. He shrugged and spoke.

"Maybe... 7? 8 yeahs? I dunno, it was long ba'foah I became one." Benna nodded and looked back to Fowl.

"Sprite...? She a newsie?" she asked, forgetting about Mush Meyers. Fowl stared at her, comprehending what it was she's asked, then smiled.

"No, no. Well, not any moah. See, she usta be, she was de on'y goil newsie in 'Hattan. She lived wid ah' mudda, ha' fauda left when she was lit'l. Den ha' mudda died. So, she moved in heah, wid ah' olda brudda, Bayou. Den, abou' t'ree month's ago, ha' fauda came back wid a whole lotta money and took da two of em' back. Dey now live in Uppah East Side, all hoity toity an stuff. We still see's 'em a lot. Dey's friends wid all a us.." Fowl stopped, then a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Hey! I t'ink youse should meet ha'. I'm shoah ya'd like ha' a lot. She's really nice an all." Benna smiled at him, then realized it was their turn in line. She watched as the three of them bought their papers, 60 each, and then she stepped to the side, hoping that they wouldn't make her buy any too. It didn't work.

"'Ey slick, ya gettin' some too," Boots told her smiling. She gave him a 'Pleeeeease?' look, hoping the three of them would break down. Again, she was wrong.

"Ben, c'mon. Ya gonna like it, it's... fun. Yeah. A lotta fun," Fowl said, grinning. Benna smiled at him with a newfound fondness. Only people that really cared about her had ever called her Ben. She sighed and gave in, walking to the desk. She places a nickel on it and was handed 10 papers. She looked at them as if they were about to explode, grabbed them slowly, and headed out the gates with the other three.