Halloween 2003- We were on our way to Jazz's house after trick-or-treating as newsies.  We were tired of walking so we decided to take a shortcut through the park.  Cracker skipped ahead of Jazz and I, swinging her pillowcase full of candy and shopping money, "Come on! You two can't be that tired."

          "We're not, Jazz said, "We just don't feel like skipping when we're like, thirty seconds from home."

          'You guys are no fun.  The faster we get there, the sooner we can-"

          "You three bettah get outta here, da Delanceys are comin'," a boy interrupted as he ran past us, "Dey seem like dey's lookin' for a fight."

          We all looked at each other, jaws dropped.  "It's another Newsies fan!  Let's follow him," Jazz yelled as she started chasing him.  Cracker and I ran after and we all finally caught up to him. 

          "Hey," I called when he came into view, "Wait up!"  He stopped and waited for us.  He looks one HELL of a lot like Aaron Lohr.  "Wow, you're Aaron! a newsie." Jazz, Cracker, and I looked at each other.  Oh my god, that's Mush!  We're in Newsies!

          He eyed us for a second, "Yeah," he smiled and held out his right hand, "I'm Mush.  I'm sorry.  I thought you three was fellas when I went by." 

          I shook his hand, "That's ok.  Most girls don't run around dressed like this.  I'm Lida Rose.  This is Cracker Jacks and Rouge Jazz"

          "You can call me Cracker, or Jacks, it doesn't matter."

          "And you can call me Jazz"

          He smiled again, "Pleased ta meet ya.  You goils ain't from around here are ya?"

          Here's your chance to test Tocket's drama class.  "No, we're from Pennsylvania," I hesitated, "We just got here."

          "So where ya stayin'? I'll walk ya there."

          Think fast.  Think fast.  "We haven't really got around to looking yet."  You dumbass, you're turning into a Mary Sue already.  You might as well have said, 'I don't have anywhere to go, please put your big, strong, newsie arms around me and take me to the lodging house with you'.  Good one, Lida.  "I mean, we were on our way to find a place just now."

          "Well, come on, I know a place you can go.  It ain't far," He took a few steps and looked back at us, "It ain't safe for goils ta be out afta dark," he looked at me and smiled again, "even if dey are done up like fellas."  We followed him out of Central Park and onto the street.  The four of us talked, and when Mush asked what we were doing in the city by ourselves, Cracker, Jazz, and I made up most of our life's story right there on the spot.  Actually, I made up most of our life's story, those two just added a 'yeah' or 'uh huh' every now and then.  I pretty much told him the story on my character profile, with a few little changes.  I told him that my father, a farmer, owed money to another farmer who had a dumb, ugly son that couldn't find a woman.  Instead of money, he offered me to marry the son.  I didn't want to, and my father said he was going to make me do it, so I decided to run away.  Then I said that Jazz and Cracker saw me walking into the train station and refused to let me go without them, so we stole clothes from Cracker's brother, she grabbed some money, and we got on the train.  When I finished he nodded and said, "Dat's pretty brave of ya."  Damn, I'm good.  I'm sorry I lied to him, but damn, I'm good.  Mush stopped, "Well, here we are.  See ya 'round," He tipped his hat and ran in the direction we'd just come from.  We all called thank you as he rounded the corner.

          The building he took us to was brick, old and unfriendly looking.  Every light in the upstairs was on, and there was a single light downstairs in the front to the left.  I looked up at the sign above the door.  It read: "Nolan's Lodging House for Girls. est. 1890"

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