Author's note: I meant to mention this at the end of the last chapter, but
it slipped my mind. All That Jazz didn't come from this time period, but I
couldn't find any songs from then that people knew and that conveyed a
feeling of "Man, I feel like a woman!" Ha if that makes any sense. So
that's the story behind it.
* * * *
Chapter 5
The Plan
The day went on as usual, and no one suspected a thing about Olivia (or as Mush called her in private, Olive). She was an excellent actor, which could be seen in both her performance selling papers and her performance as Oliver. She was truly a natural. Not surprisingly, Olivia confided in Mush that her dream was to be an actress and singer on the Broadway stage. He agreed that it would be a good occupation for her; she was born to perform, he said.
The next few days went the same way. No one suspected a thing, and more often than not Olivia and Mush shared a bunk. Maybe this whole living situation would actually work out! Mush certainly didn't mind having a girl around for a change.
* * * *
It was a slow day for news, so there was no evening edition this day. After the papers were all sold, Olivia asked Mush, privately, to come to Tibby's with her. She told him that she had to talk to him about something. He agreed when she told him that she was paying.
They got a booth and Oliver let his guard down and became Olivia again, who Mush liked a lot better. After they had ordered (they were going to split a roast beef sandwich; money was a little tight), Mush asked her, "What did you wanna talk about?"
She paused for a minute. "This Spot Conlon -- what's his story?" she asked quietly.
He squinted at her. "He's the leader of da Brooklyn Newsies.there's not much else to say about him. Why?"
Olivia sighed. "I really like him."
"Oh?" he asked, glancing up at her from his Coke.
She nodded sadly. "It's too bad --" she started, but never finished.
"What's too bad?" he asked her. He knew she was putting on her puppy dog act already.
She shrugged. "That I hafta pretend to be a boy. I think he'd like me too."
"Oh," he said, tracing patterns in the condensation on his glass. So she liked him that way. "Too bad about that."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't think there's any way?"
Mush shrugged. "Ya said it yourself."
"Well, I mean, if I had someone to help me out --" she said, grinning. "Ya know, ta back me up an covah for me."
He looked at her warily. "You want me to covah for you?" he asked.
"You said it yaself, Newsies back each udda up," she replied, shrugging.
"Well, yeah but --" Mush protested.
"All I needs ya to do is introduce me to him as Olivia, sometime when I don't gots to be Oliver," she said.
"And what reason would I have to do that?" he asked her.
"Because, I could be -- ya dear friend from ya childhood," she exclaimed, a mischievous grin on her face. "I just came to town to live, yeah, that's it! He said he's goin to Medda's on Saturday didn't he? Couldn't we go?"
Mush sighed. "Won't he recognize ya?" he asked.
She thought about it for a moment. "I don't think so -- I looks a lot different wit a dress on and some make up. And he only saw me as Oliver a twice, and we only talked a little tiny bit once."
He shrugged. "I guess so."
"Are ya ok wid this?" she asked, seeing the look of concern on his face.
"Uh, yeah -- I just don't wanna getcha caught, Olive," he replied. This was a risky thing to do for someone who could get kicked out on her arse, wasn't it?
"Hey, don't worry bout that. I'm the best actress on da Newsie circuit!" she said, smiling proudly.
He forced a smile back at her.
* * * *
Chapter 5
The Plan
The day went on as usual, and no one suspected a thing about Olivia (or as Mush called her in private, Olive). She was an excellent actor, which could be seen in both her performance selling papers and her performance as Oliver. She was truly a natural. Not surprisingly, Olivia confided in Mush that her dream was to be an actress and singer on the Broadway stage. He agreed that it would be a good occupation for her; she was born to perform, he said.
The next few days went the same way. No one suspected a thing, and more often than not Olivia and Mush shared a bunk. Maybe this whole living situation would actually work out! Mush certainly didn't mind having a girl around for a change.
* * * *
It was a slow day for news, so there was no evening edition this day. After the papers were all sold, Olivia asked Mush, privately, to come to Tibby's with her. She told him that she had to talk to him about something. He agreed when she told him that she was paying.
They got a booth and Oliver let his guard down and became Olivia again, who Mush liked a lot better. After they had ordered (they were going to split a roast beef sandwich; money was a little tight), Mush asked her, "What did you wanna talk about?"
She paused for a minute. "This Spot Conlon -- what's his story?" she asked quietly.
He squinted at her. "He's the leader of da Brooklyn Newsies.there's not much else to say about him. Why?"
Olivia sighed. "I really like him."
"Oh?" he asked, glancing up at her from his Coke.
She nodded sadly. "It's too bad --" she started, but never finished.
"What's too bad?" he asked her. He knew she was putting on her puppy dog act already.
She shrugged. "That I hafta pretend to be a boy. I think he'd like me too."
"Oh," he said, tracing patterns in the condensation on his glass. So she liked him that way. "Too bad about that."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't think there's any way?"
Mush shrugged. "Ya said it yourself."
"Well, I mean, if I had someone to help me out --" she said, grinning. "Ya know, ta back me up an covah for me."
He looked at her warily. "You want me to covah for you?" he asked.
"You said it yaself, Newsies back each udda up," she replied, shrugging.
"Well, yeah but --" Mush protested.
"All I needs ya to do is introduce me to him as Olivia, sometime when I don't gots to be Oliver," she said.
"And what reason would I have to do that?" he asked her.
"Because, I could be -- ya dear friend from ya childhood," she exclaimed, a mischievous grin on her face. "I just came to town to live, yeah, that's it! He said he's goin to Medda's on Saturday didn't he? Couldn't we go?"
Mush sighed. "Won't he recognize ya?" he asked.
She thought about it for a moment. "I don't think so -- I looks a lot different wit a dress on and some make up. And he only saw me as Oliver a twice, and we only talked a little tiny bit once."
He shrugged. "I guess so."
"Are ya ok wid this?" she asked, seeing the look of concern on his face.
"Uh, yeah -- I just don't wanna getcha caught, Olive," he replied. This was a risky thing to do for someone who could get kicked out on her arse, wasn't it?
"Hey, don't worry bout that. I'm the best actress on da Newsie circuit!" she said, smiling proudly.
He forced a smile back at her.
