**Disclaimer** Unfortunately, I do not own Newsies, Disney does. I own the plot, Bean, Veronica, and Tom Willer. I am not making any money from this, nor do I have any money to begin with, so please do not sue me.

"Bean, Bean, wake up, you gotz papes tah sell." Jack nudged the girl sleeping on the top bunk lightly, and she rolled over.

"Mrmm," she mumbled. "Whaddya want, Jack?"

"Ya mus be lazier dan me, Bean. It's mornin and ya bettah get down dere bafore dey run outta papes."

"Uggh," Bean slowly rolled outta bed and looked at Jack like he was crazy. "What time is it?"

"Five foity-five."

"Aw crud, dey open in fifteen minutes."

"Dat's what I've been tryna tell ya."

Bean sprung into action. She whipped around the lodging house at record speed, washed up, got dressed, pulled her hair up, and miraculously managed to be out the door by five fifty.

"Wow," Jack marveled as they headed toward the World distribution office, "Even I can't get ready dat fast." He slung his arm around Bean and gave her a brotherly squeeze. Jack had been Bean's family for the past two years, ever since he saved her from the DeLancy brothers. It was right after her parents died in a train wreck.

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"Hey little girly, whatcha doin?"

"I don't dink dat's none a yer business."

Oscar put his hand up against the wall of the building so Sam couldn't get past. "Well I'm makin it mah business." He grabbed her and kissed her so forcefully that it hurt. Sam pushed him away and tried to run, but Morris caught her in his arms. "Why ya tryna run, sweetie?" Oscar asked. "You know you want tah be wit me."

"Uh, no." Sam said indignantly. "All I want is sum food and a corner tah curl up in."

"Oh, but I can give ya so much more." He pushed her up against the building and tried to kiss her again.

"I wouldn't try dat if I were you."

Sam looked up and saw a boy standing there, not much older that herself, with a bandana tied around his neck. He looked like a genuine cowboy.

"Let go of 'er Oscar, afore I soak you and yer brudder both."

Oscar looked at him, then back at Sam, and finally let go.

"Thanks," Sam said quietly as she slipped out of the alley with her mysterious defender. "I wuz startin to get kinda scared."
"No problem," he replied. "Say, you got a place tah stay?"

"Why?" Sam asked suspiciously, considering what had just happened.

"Well first off, ya look like youze been sleepin on da streets fer at least a week, and second, I happen tah knowz a place dat you can stay."

"Wherez dat?" she asked, still suspicious.

"Newsboys Lodgin' House, dere's a bunk below mine wit yer name on it." He glanded at her, "What is yer name, anyway?"

"Samantha Nicole Parker, an' yers?"

"Jack Kelly, but me friends call me Cowboy." They walked for a while without saying anything until Jack stopped suddenly. "Well, Samantha Nicole Parker, here we are."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Ya don't gotz tah call me by me full name, Jack, jus call me Sam."

"Alright Sam, I'll show ya to yer bunk, den." They walked upstairs into a room full of bunk beds.

"Wow, ya mean dere's dis many boys in one room?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"I dunno whether tah be happy coz I get tah see thoity boys shoitless, or disgusted cuz its gonna smell like da zoo."

Jack chuckled.

"Hey Jacky-boy, dis hea is a no-goils zone."

Jack and Sam spun around to see Race standing there, smirking.

Sam noticed a rolled up sock on the bunk next to her, and wasted no time in chucking it at Race's head.

"Hey what was dat for? Why'd ya bean me in da head?"

Jack laughed. "Hey, dere's yer nickname. Bean."

"I like dat," Bean agreed. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::

Bean raced toward the gate of the World distribution office. She pushed her way through the growing crowd of Newsies and got up to the front.

"Hey, what's da big idea?" Race punched Beans arm playfully.

Not long after, the gate swung open and the newsies rushed to the distribution window. Bean was the first to make it to the window. "50 papes, iWeasel/i." she said as she slapped down two bits.

"Yer just as bad as Kelly, ya know dat?" Weasel snapped back.

"An dat's a bad thing?" Bean smirked as she grabbed her papers. She was heading out to the street when Race bumped into her accidentally on purpose.

"Oh, sorry." he lied.

"Shore ya are."

"Hey, I don't go no one tah sell wit today, cuz Blink's sick. Ya want tah come around wit me?"

"Well, I usually go around wit Jack while Davy's in school."

"He can live witout ya fer one measly day. C'mon." Race pleaded.

"Fine," Bean gave up. "Hey Cowboy," she called, "I'm ditchin ya fer Race."

"Well dat's good. Less dead weight fer me." Jack called back playfully. As she turned to start calling out the headlines, Bean caught Jack winking at Race. She started to wonder why, but didn't get to complete a full thought before Race pulled her toward Central Park.

By lunch, Bean and Race had sold all their papers and were heading to Tibby's. When they were walking past the pond, Race tried to tickle Bean.

"No! Stop it!" Bean shrieked as she wriggled away. When Race cam after her again she grabbed him by his arms and swung him away from her. As she did this, Race lost his footing and tripped backwards into the pond. The pond wasn't very deep, but it was enough to soak Race from head to toe. He stood up and stuck his hand out for Bean to help him out. When she started to pull him out, Race yanked her in with him.

Bean shrieked. "I shoulda known better'n tah trust you, Race."

Race grinned wickedly and offered his hand to help her up. Bean was standing so close to his face that she could see the tiny water droplets on the eyelashes above his deep gray eyes. Suddenly, she realized that Race was leaning in to kiss her. Not knowing how to take it, she ducked her head and turned away. "We better get dried off er Tibby'll have a fit when we go in."

Race looked at her, puzzled, and said "Yeah, I guess yer right." He stood there for a moment, taking everything in.

When had he started liking Bean? Race wasn't sure. Bean wasn't particularly beautiful. In fact, to the average person, Bean was rather plain looking. She was about 5' 4", had shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, green eyes, an average build, and had exactly eight freckles sprinkled across her nose. Race had counted them once while she was sleeping. 'But once ya get tah know 'er, she's a beautiful person,' he thought. 'So full a life an' fun an' crazy.' A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yo, Race, are ya gonna come 'er not?"