*************

Mary opened her eyes what seemed like a few seconds later, but turned out to be 102 years. It was 1899, the year "Newsies" took place. [author's note--no offense, but if you're reading this and you didnt know that...DUH!]

Mary started blinking violently and smacked her head. She appeared to be in a city square with a statue of some funny looking man.

"This can't be happening. I always knew Caroline was weird, but she did not seriously just ZAP! me into a movie. Probably knocked me uncon...." Mary never finished the conversation she was having with herself (and the little people that live inside her head...) when she saw a whole army of shabbily dressed [but otherwise gorgeous] guys singing and dancing down the streets.
"A might Fiiiiiiiine Life!! Carryin' da banner tough and tall!!!!"
"AAH! Don't hurt me!!" Mary ran for cover. The guys didn't seem to notice and kept going.
Mary scowled, then turned to leave. There was some restaurant around here she remembered from the movie. Maybe she could get something to eat. Maybe she could talk to that funky puppet thing Caroline made fun of at Medda's and get him to ZAP! her out of here. [author's note--that puppet, Zoltar....he's got mystical powers, I sware!!!]
Mary was so immersed in thought she didnt even realize she had walked into someone.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" She looked up and saw she had bumped into David.
"Um--sorry."
"Oh hey, wait. Sorry. I thought you were one of those guys." David pointed to the huge crowd of newsies.
"Don't worry about it. I'm Mary, by the way."
"David. And this is Les."
Les glanced warily at Mary. "You have funny-looking clothes."
"What do you mean?" She glanced down at her pink weathervane shirt and jeans.
"Uh-oh," She thought, "Girls didnt exactly wear pants in 1899..."
"Oh yeah, real nice Les." David said sarcastically and whacked his brother's shoulder. "You must be a newsie." He turned back to Mary.
"Yeah, that's it. I'm a newsie. Carryin' da banner is my life." Mary rolled her eyes.
"Well, come on, let's get the papers." Neither David nor Les seemed to notice.
Mary followed them towards the World Building.
***
"Outta my way, street rat!"
"Move it lady!"
"Does-does anybody wanna buy a newspaper? Please?" Mary had been moping around Central Park for the last hour. "Pleeeeeeease buy a paper sir!" The man didn't give her a second look.
Mary fell down in the gutter, defeated. She still had the 50 papes Jack had bought for her. ("Anodder fifty for my friend heah.") She started banging her head on the sidewalk.
"Hey lady....don't that hurt?"
Mary lifted her head from the mud and cobblestone to look at a small group of newsies giving her a strange look.
"No, I enjoy the pounding sensation in my head." And the circulation bells ringing nonstop, she added silently.
"You'se weird." said a short Italian as he pitched a cigar into a nearby bush.
"Thank ya, much obliged." Mary blinked twice slowly, then went to continue her head-banging.
"Uh listen, I'se Racetrack. Why don't you come with us. We're bettah company than da sidewalk...I think..."
Mary stood up slowly, brushed the mud, banana peels and horse plop off her clothes, and started walking with them.
"Dis is Mush."
"Hi."
"And dis is Kid Blink, Itey, Snipeshooter, Specs and Snoddy."

"Snotty?"

"Snoddy."

"Snooty?"

"Snoddy."

"Oh, okay whatever."
***