Author's Note: Ok, this chapter is incredibly dramatic. I don't know what I was on while writing it, but I think it kinda sucks more than the others. Tell me if you think I should make the rest of the chapters this dramatic, though. Thanks!
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Chapter 10
Love is a Battlefield (No, Seriously)
Mush, Jack, Blink, and Racetrack had been planning on going to the Brooklyn party. Mush suddenly decided against it. It took about an hour to convince him to go. Consequently they were about an hour late.
"Deah me, everbody's drunk already," Race commented as they walked towards the party. Mush sighed. He didn't want to see Spot all over Olivia, especially if one or both of them were drunk.
Racetrack, Blink, and Jack mingled amongst the Brooklyners effortlessly, but Mush stayed off to the side. After a few minutes, he saw what looked like Olivia running out of the Shack crying. He gasped, realizing that quite a few girls had been attacked in there by some Brooklyn thugs. He ran after her.
Mush saw her sit down underneath the next pier over. He walked under it and sat next to her. She immediately put her head on his shoulder as she cried. He put his arms around her protectively. "What happened?" he asked her gently, stroking her hair.
She sniffled, trying to stifle her crying. "I walked in on Spot an Maybelle…" she started. "They…uh, weren't expectin to see me."
"Aw, Olive," he replied sympathetically. "I'm real sorry." And he genuinely was. He never wanted to see her crying like that.
She sat up and wiped her face. "Don't be. I'm fine. Really," she said with a shrug.
"Don't ya wanna talk about it or someptin?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. I nevah wanna hear the name Spot Conlon evah again."
"But I know that you really loved him…" Mush started.
"Love!" she exclaimed. "I'm through wit love. I loved me mudda, I even loved me fadda for a while. What did all that get me? I loved Spot, what did that get me? Love's a bunch'a horse hockey! You of all people should know that, since you're sister died…" she stopped herself. Mush looked down sadly. His sister's death was a very sensitive subject to him. Just thinking about her made him want to cry. "Mush, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, it just slipped out. Loving people is right for you though, Mush. It maybe just ain't right for me." She got up and started to walk away.
Mush followed. "Love ain't a bunch'a horse hockey!" he said, grabbing her hand. "Just cuz ya been hoit when you loved people before don't mean you can't love eva again."
She pulled her hand away. "Maybe I don't want ta love no one eva again."
He grabbed her hand again, this time tighter. "Why you always gotta put on that tough goil act, huh?" he asked her. "You may be the best actress around, but I can see right through ya. Ya wanna talk to me about this, I knows ya do."
"What are you talkin about?" she asked indignantly, pulling her sweater tighter around her.
"You!" he sighed. He paused for a moment, trying to put his thoughts into words. "Remember when ya told me that ya loved bein in love?"
She shrugged. "I was a whole lot less informed at the time. Now I realize that it was a stupid remark."
"No, it wasn't!" he shook his head. "You wanna be in love, I know ya do. I can see it in ya eyes."
She scowled at him, trying to think of something to say. She knew he was right, she just had to think of something to convince him that he was wrong.
Unfortunately, that opportunity passed. "Hey, Mush…leave me goilfriend alone!" they heard someone call after them. They turned around to see Spot running towards them. He swayed back and forth precariously.
Mush grabbed him by the arms before Spot could hit him in a state of drunken rage. "Spot…what'sa matta wit you?"
Olivia grabbed Mush's arm. "He's drunk, be careful!" she whispered.
Mush rolled his eyes. "Great," he muttered. Spot kicked Mush in the shin. "Ow! dammit, Olive, call ya boyfriend offa me!" he said, wincing in pain.
"He ain't my boyfriend any more than he's yours!" Olivia exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Spot, stop it, now! Mush ain't done nothin wrong!"
"Dat's what ya tell me. But what's da truth?" he spat out angrily, fighting to break free from Mush's grip.
She sighed. She walked up to him, looking him over quickly, and punched him hard in the stomach, then stomped on his foot. "That's the truth. I swear by the Bible, I don't eva wanna see ya again." She grabbed Mush's arm and started to run. "Come on!" she exclaimed.
Mush looked down at his fallen former comrade, crippled over in pain. He looked back at Olivia with surprise. She was stronger than she looked, apparently. The pair ran all the way back to Tibby's. They grabbed a booth quickly and both ordered sodas, which were about all that they could afford.
"Well placed punch ya gots there," Mush said with a grin.
She smiled, slapping him lightly on the arm. "Me fadda taught me that, and nuttin else."
He laughed. "He sure taught ya well." Suddenly his tone changed. "Ya still love Spot, Olive?" he asked, looking down.
Olivia shrugged. "I dunno. Did I eva really love him?"
"You should know," Mush shrugged.
"Well I don't," she said. "I don't seem to know anythin anymore. I mean I thought I did love him. I really did…but now, I'se not so sure."
"Whata ya mean?" he questioned.
She sighed. "Well…I think I wanted him to love me so much, I forgotta love him."
He chuckled. "That don't make no sense!"
"Sure it does. I wanted to be the goilfriend of the leader of the Brooklyn Newsies. I thought I loved him but I really just loved the title I guess." She suddenly looked very discouraged. "I'm real disappointed in meself for bein such a dope, such a…phony."
Mush shook his head. "You ain't a dope or a phony. You gots a good head on ya shouldas and you're a nice goil. Any guy would be lucky to have ya."
"Ya really think so, Mush?" she asked him.
He nodded. "I know so."
"Thanks," she smiled demurely. She paused for a moment. "You know, I'se really sick'a keeping up this…this charade."
He nodded. "Me too. But how else can ya stay here?"
She shrugged. "I'se thinkin about movin again. Maybe go to Joisey. Or Philly."
"Move?!" he asked with surprise. "Why wouldja move?"
Olivia sighed sadly. "I don't belong no place, ya know? I'se a born wanderer, I guess ya could say. I ain't got nothin to stay for, do I?" she stated more than asked.
He looked down. "You could stay for me," he said softly.
She looked at him and a smirk crossed her lips. Before she could say anything, however, Jack, Racetrack, and Kid Blink walked in and saw them.
"Heya Mushy, who'se ya friend heah?" Kid Blink asked, obviously not recognizing Olivia.
Mush looked at Olivia and she nodded. "Fellas, this here is me friend Olivia Allegretti."
Kid smiled widely, laying the charisma on thickly. "Nice ta meetcha, Olivia Alle…" he stopped. "Allegretti?" he asked, looking at her wide-eyed.
She smiled, reaching into the bag next to her. She pulled out a black newsboy cap and put it on her head. "Heya fellas," she said, grinning.
Racetrack nearly passed out from surprise.
"So…you been a goil all dis time?!" Jack asked her incredulously.
She laughed. "Yep, all this time!"
"And Mush knew all dis time?" he asked.
"Most of it," she nodded.
Jack smacked his head. "So Mush been in love wid a goil not a guy!" Jack said, a look of pure relief crossing his face. Racetrack smacked him across the chest in a congratulatory manner.
Mush started to blush. Olivia peered across the table at him. "In love?" she asked Jack.
Mush shot Jack a threatening look. "Well, eh…not in love, just likes a lot," Jack corrected. He waggled his eyebrows at Blink and Racetrack, who were suppressing giggles.
"Oh," she said, not sounding fully convinced. Mush sighed at Jack's…Jackness.
"So, uh…why'd ya pretend ta be a fella for so long?" Racetrack asked her.
"I needed a cheap place to live, and most newsboy lodgin houses don't take goils in wit open arms," she told them.
"So you gonna keep pretendin ta be a boy den?" Racetrack asked her.
She shook her head slowly. "I'se sick of pretendin."
"Den where will ya go?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Joisy, maybe Philly?"
"Joisy or Philly?" Race asked. "Ya can't leave! I wanna get ta know ya as a goil foist!"
"Hey, Jacky…don't Kloppman have an extra room in da basement?" Kid asked.
Jack thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think he does…he put a bed down dere when his nieces came for a visit, I think."
Racetrack looked at them strangely. "I neva hoid'a no extry room…"
Kid ignored him. "Maybe we could put her up in dere," he suggested.
"Really?!" Olivia asked with surprise. "Do ya think he'd let me stay?"
"I don't see why not," Jack shrugged.
"Where was I when his nieces stayed ovah?" Racetrack's question went unheard.
"That'd solve the problem," Mush said. "Let's not tell Kloppman it's the same person, though…he might get mad knowing he been fooled." Jack and Blink nodded in agreement. Kloppman wouldn't be too keen that he had let a girl stay with the newsboys all this time.
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Author's Follow Up Note: See, told ya it sucked. I must have low self esteem.
