Newsies belongs to Disney (sigh). Lyrics are I've Just Seen A Face by the Beatles.

Falling

I've just seen a face,

I can't forget the time or place

Where we just met.

She's just the girl for me

And want all the world to see

We've met

The thing was—the really awful, painful thing—was that girls liked Mush. Not that it was a bad thing, in and of itself; Mush had a casual smile and a baby face and a body that could make a deity jealous, but when he was in the room, girls flocked to him. They giggled at all of his jokes (which was saying something, because his jokes were often terrible,) they hung on him, and they couldn't take their eyes off him. So Mush had all the girls he ever wanted.

But his best friend was often left standing around, watching, and never quite sure how to speak up. Not that it would have mattered if he'd said anything, because when you spent your time with Mush, girls just didn't notice you. It was like you weren't even there. It was all Mush, all the time.

Blink couldn't help but be frustrated.

And it wasn't that he was jealous exactly, since he hadn't really seen many girls who he particularly wanted to get to know. There had only been two: Jennifer, who sold flowers on the street corner; and Margaret, who had been a dancer at Irving Hall.

Jennifer, rumor had it, was a prostitute at night (and that was what really paid the bills), but if she was, Blink never saw her on a street corner after dark—he only saw her with Mush, smiling and laughing and touching his arm and batting her eyelashes. And it seemed so unfair, because she'd been Blink's friend first, and that was how she met Mush. But Blink stepped aside for them, didn't even tell Mush he'd liked her, because Mush liked her back. And they'd been together for months and it looked like it would go on maybe forever, and it was just agony for Blink. They'd broken up eventually, of course, because Mush wasn't ready to settle down with just one girl, when he had so many to choose from, and Jennifer had been heart broken and refused to ever speak to him again… And that meant not speaking to Blink anymore, either, because Blink was Mush's best friend.

Margaret was a slightly different story. She had come out to meet her public after a performance one night, and after staring at her for ten minutes, Blink had worked up the courage to introduce himself. And she'd been so nice and sweet and beautiful, and he thought she was just about perfect. But then Mush had come by to see if Blink was ready to go, and he lost her forever. Because Margaret took one look at Mush and fell head over heals for him. And, like Jennifer, she befriended Blink—but she only did it to get to Mush, Blink realized later. And even as Blink was falling for her, she was doing her best to get Mush's attention… But this time, Mush wasn't interested. He was with another girl that month, a pretty little girl with dark hair and blue eyes who didn't speak much English but had a beautiful smile. And one night, when Mush finally told her that he wasn't interested, period, end of story, she had broken down and cried on Blink's shoulder about how it wasn't fair to fall in love with someone, when someone just wouldn't love you back, no matter what you did.

And Blink let her cry and promised her it would be all right, and she'd move on, and she had. But he couldn't have agreed with her any more: it just wasn't fair. Mush didn't even like her, and Blink would have been perfect for her, and she didn't even notice him—not like that, anyway. Not the way he wanted her to.

And then there was his other problem. Even when he saw a girl who made him turn his head, and even if Mush wasn't around for her to run off with, he never know what to say. He didn't know how to approach her. Talking to Margaret the first time had nearly killed him, he'd stammered and blushed and felt like an idiot. And he'd liked her so much because she'd just smiled at his pathetic attempts to flirt, and didn't make him feel dumb the way most girls did. Because when most girls got a stuttered compliment, they just laughed it off. They didn't bother to think about how hard it was to work up the guts to give a strange girl a compliment—they didn't seem to care.

And it wouldn't matter, because any girl who Blink liked immediately liked Mush.

It just wasn't fair.

--

It happened suddenly. Blink was a romantic at heart, and he'd always believed in true love, like in the fairy tales he knew. He believed that somewhere in the giant city that made up his world, there was a girl for him, and that when he met her he'd know. They'd speak once, and he'd know for sure that she was the one.

He was wrong. They didn't even have to speak—he saw her, and he was certain.

It happened on a spring morning, one of the first days in March when it was warm enough to only wear one pair of socks when he went out selling. As usual, Blink and Mush had headed off towards the park together, planning to sell back to back and split the proceeds, then get lunch. It was what they did almost every day, but this day it turned out a little differently.

They hadn't reached the park yet and were walking past a pair of shops when she walked over. The girl was short, and didn't even come up to Blink's shoulder; her hair was a muddy brown and pulled back in a thick braid, and freckles dotted her cheeks. And Blink wasn't quite sure what it was that drew his eye, but he couldn't look away.

"Excuse me?" she said, when he just stared at her, as she stood and waited.

"Um… I, uh, yes? Can I… Uh?"

"Could I have a paper, please?" she asked, over-enunciating every word as though she was speaking a small (and probably stupid) child.

"Oh… Of course!" He felt himself begin to blush and pulled a paper off the pile to hand to her, while she dug into a pocket and produced a nickel. "It's, uh, that is, don't w-worry about… paying…"

But she took the paper, shoved the nickel into his hand, and walked off.

"Wait!" he called after her helplessly, but she was already in the crowd of people that swarmed by on the street, and he was terrified of losing sight of her. "Your—your change!"

But she was gone, and he couldn't see her anywhere.

Blink stared down the street, helplessly. She'd barely said anything to him, and he'd choked and hadn't been able to say anything real to her, and she was gone.

"Mush!" he called, not wanting to turn around to look at his friend in case the girl reappeared.

"What's going on?" Mush replied, coming up behind Blink, and squinting to follow his gaze.

"I just—did you see the girl who just walked by? Who bought a pape?"

"What girl?"

"She was—I've never—did you see her?"

"I saw some girl, I guess." Mush shrugged. "I didn't really notice her or anything, why?"

"Because I… I've never seen anyone like her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she… She was…" He trailed off. He couldn't really describe her, or why he'd noticed her, was the problem. When he thought about it, she really looked so ordinary; she had normal brown hair, a normal dress on, and she hadn't even smiled at him. He just felt drawn to her.

"Spit it out, Blink, geeze." Mush rolled his eyes.

"I dunno…" Blink shrugged. "I just… I thought I saw somethin', you know?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess." Mush shrugged. "Now let's get back to sellin', huh? 'Cause I'm feelin' pretty hungry and I want a nice big lunch today." He shoved Blink a little, playfully, and went back to selling. And so did Blink, but the whole day he couldn't help but keep his eye peeled just in case she walked by again.

If it was really love at first sight, she'd have to walk by again, wouldn't she? It just wouldn't be fair if she didn't.

Had it been another day

I might have looked the other way

And I'd have never been aware.

But as it is I'll dream of her tonight

When Mush and Blink finally started back for lunch, several hours later, Blink insisted they take the same path—even though it was a bit out of the way. By lunch they were out of papers so they didn't need to go a long route to get more sold, like they did on their way out. But Blink dragged Mush with him, all the while keeping his eye out to see if she would walk by again.

And she did.

Blink saw her across the street, all of a sudden; he'd heard someone yelling (not an unusual noise in the city, but sometimes interesting nonetheless) and craned his neck around to see what was going on, and there she was. Not yelling, but expertly dodging around a slight ruckus that had erupted between two semi-intoxicated men on the sidewalk. "Mush!" he hissed, grabbing his friend's arm. "It's her!"

"Her who?"

"Her from, from this morning," Blink answered, whispering even though he couldn't have explained why. "Look at her!"

Mush shrugged. "Who, the blond girl?"

"No, her! With the basket." He pointed to the girl, who was indeed carrying a large basket, though it hung lightly from her hands, as though empty. "Isn't she a beauty?"

Mush squinted at her, as she turned around and walked into a shop with a large, well painted sign reading Codwell Bakery. "The one who just walked in there?"

"Yeah." Blink nodded emphatically, and Mush started to cross the road. "Where are you going?" Blink demanded, beginning to panic… Because he knew that if she saw Mush, it would all be over.

"Just taking a closer look, geeze. You're all worked up over this girl, she must be worth looking at."

"No, come on, let's just…"

But they were already across the road, and Mush looked in the bakery's large glass window, past the displays of bread and muffins and pastries. "I see her." He contemplated for a minute.

"Stop staring, would ya? Geeze." Blink shifted nervously, but he couldn't stop staring either.

"Calm down, anyone sees they'll figure a couple of street kids is staring at the food." Mush rolled his eyes. "That's the girl? Really?"

"Yes, really." Blink nodded, feeling a little uneasy about the tone in Mush's voice. It wasn't interest, though, which he supposed was lucky. It was more disbelief. "Why?" he finally said.

"'Cause she seems a little… I mean, not much of a looker." Mush shrugged. "No offense, 'cause I can see you're drooling over her and all, but…"

"But what?" Blink asked, pressing up against the glass for a closer look, not even caring how it looked anymore.

"She's a little…" Mush shrugged, and gestured, putting his hands on his stomach and puffing it out like he'd had a really large meal.

"She ain't—" Blink started, automatically defending her, then stopped. She had wide hips and wider shoulders, and the curve of her chest was pretty large—but then, he had to admit, there was a curve to her stomach, too. "She ain't that big."

"You're sure that's the girl you was thinking about all morning?"

"I'm sure."

Mush shrugged. "Well… Okay, then." He started for the door of the bakery.

"Mush!" Blink yelped, looking strangled. "What are you… What are you doing?"

"I ain't doing nothing, you're the one who's gotta go in there."

"I'm not!" he answered, then lowered his voice. "I can't, come on. Let's go get lunch…"

"No way," Mush answered. "You gotta go in there and talk to her, Blink, or else you'll regret it forever. I ain't never seen you look at a girl like that before, 'cept maybe Margaret."

"Yeah," Blink answered, more bitterness in his voice than he'd intended.

"But what I'm saying is, you saw her and now you think you really want her, an' if you don't go talk to her you'll be kicking yourself forever."

"But what would I say?" Blink demanded. "I just… I don't know what I'd say."

"You'll think of something." Mush grabbed his arm and pulled, and when Blink started to move grudgingly, shoved him towards the bakery's door—

—and the door to the bakery opened right into where he was walking and clobbered him in the face.

The girl stepped out and stared, looking shocked; and Blink stood stock still for a moment, then reached up to rub at his nose, which was throbbing. He blinked once, then again, and she stared at him.

"Are you all right?" she finally asked.

"Yeah…" he said, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I, uh, that is, the door… I mean…"

"I'm sorry," she said. "You sound a little rattled up."

"Yeah… rattled…"

"How could you have not seen it opening?" she asked, putting a hand on one of her hips. "I mean, you were standing right there for five minutes!"

"I, uh… I guess I just… my mind… I guess my mind just wasn't… there…"

Blink shot a desperate look at Mush, and she followed his gaze, and she smiled. His heart sank. "Anyways, uh… I'm… I'm okay… Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Uh… Okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. You got hit, not me."

"Oh… right."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

She paused. "Have I seen you before?" she asked finally.

"Uh… Yeah, I think I… You… Uh, you bought a… a pape earlier."

"Oh, of course." She nodded. "Well, anyway, have a nice day."

She turned away and started off again, her basket still in tow though looking a bit heavier, and he didn't even have time to tip her hat or ask her name.

"Blink, man," Mush sighed, coming up behind him and sounding like he was trying to stifle a laugh. "That was just awful. I heard the whole thing."

"I told you… I told you I didn't know what to say to her." He sighed.

"How's your face?"

"My nose hurts."

Mush rolled his eyes. "Well, you'll do better next time, Blink. Let's go get lunch."

"I'll… I'll what?" Blink asked, even as he let Mush lead him away.

"Next time, you'll do better."

"I can't talk to her again, Mush! I probably won't even ever see her again!"

"Sure you will." Mush shrugged. "That basket—she went into the store to get it filled, right?"

"Yeah, but—"

"And I watched in the window, she didn't pay for none of it."

"So?"

"So either she goes there enough that they keep her on a tab, or she works there an' was making a delivery or somethin'. Right?"

"I… I guess."

"So we'll just sell there tomorrow."

"Sell there?"

"Right there." Mush nodded. "And you'll see her go in again, and when she comes out, next time don't be standing where the door can hit you."

Blink sighed. "I don't think I can, Mush," he said. "I made a fool of myself. She probably won't even look at me ever again, even if I stand right there."

"Sure she will. She was looking at you this time, wasn't she?"

"Why do you think that?"

"'Cause I listened to what she said, Blink, geeze, you deaf? She was watching you, too, through the window. 'Cause she said she knew you was standing right there the whole time."

"But—"

"An' I'll bet she was so distracted by wondering where you went when you stepped away from the window, she didn't realize where you was. That's how she hit you with the door."

"That ain't true, Mush," Blink said. "She wasn't watching me."

Because he was sure that much, at least, was true. When he and Mush stood side by side, no girl looked at him. Because the thing was, girls all liked Mush.

Falling

Yes I am falling

And she keeps calling

Me back again

--

To be continued…

Woohoo, I'm back! I've had this fic in my head for a couple months now and finally have time to write it down… ahh, the beginning of the semester. Anyhoo, feedback of all kinds (especially CC) is always appreciated. :)