Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Newsies or the Mayor who was the real Mayor during the strike although I did create his character somewhat... but all the other characters are completely from my imagination...

A/N: Okay, and we are now switching into Mush's point of view, I do that periodically, just to warn you, switch the point of view. Except when it's not Colleen it will be in third person, and when it is Colleen it will be in first person. And I always try and state the person's name within the first sentence like I do right there whenever I do that... so well... just deal with it... it's a bad habit of mine, I know. If you don't like it, read my other fanfic, I haven't started changing point of view in that story yet, and I actually don't plan on it, but if it does, I really can't help it all that much... Oh yhea, and later it switches to Trix and Gabbies for a really short time...

You look kinda familiar." Mush started when the next act left the stage and the audience's applause died down. "Have you ever been in the papes before?" he asked.

Everything about her stiffened uncomfortably, as she answered him. "Maybe once or twice." She replied and so he looked toward the stage once again. What was so wrong about asking if she had been in the papes? She probably hadn't been recently anyway. He would surely remember her if she had been, she was so beautiful. He had liked her the minute he saw her, but if he kept messing up as he had been he knew he would have to just give up.

Mush mentally berated himself for saying another stupid thing. He tried smiling at her again which had seemed to get him pretty far before then, but his smile was weak, and it ended up not being directed at her. He finally just let his mind drift back to the show.

When Medda came on the rest of the boys cheered, but Mush didn't. He'd found recently that he didn't care about her at all. And now Colleen was so much prettier than Medda was, and come to think of it Medda was kind of old. He'd never really actually talked to Medda much anyways she always paid more attention to Racetrack, or Blink or Jack.

"Isn't she kind of old?" Colleen whispered to him then, taking Mush completely by surprise, especially by how he'd just been thinking that himself.

"Yes, she is." He agreed. "It's kind of funny how the other guys like her so much considering." He whispered back. She looked over at some of the other guys whose eyes were shining at her and she giggled, then settled back to watch the show.

'Geez.' Mush thought to himself. 'Girls are so confusing.' Here he'd just thought that he'd lost any chance with her that he had when he'd asked about the papes and now she was talking to him and giggling. He decided to take another chance and turned to whisper to her how they had celebrated her 35th birthday party with her about two months ago, and yet it had never occurred to any of the boys how that this made her over twice their age. She laughed again. After Medda went off stage and there was another slight break before the next performer came on he stopped one of the concessions people. "Would you like some candy?" He asked her.

She nodded and got ready to take out her pocket book. "No I'll pay for it." He assured her.

"Oh, but—"She began to protest.

"No." He said firmly pushing her money away and handing the man his. Then he handed her the striped bag. She smiled at him blushing just slightly "Thank you." She said. She put a candy in her mouth and then offered him one. He took one and then the next person came on. The next time she reached out to take a piece of candy he noticed a set of marks on her arm. He didn't say anything but the next time she reached he couldn't help himself. "What are those marks on your arm?" he asked her. He'd said it just loud enough that he'd gotten the attention of some of the Newsies around them. Colleen and the two girls began to laugh. "Trixie bit me." Was all Colleen would say but one of the other girls added, "She was pretending to be a rabid squirrel." The other girl next to Blink who was apparently Trixie laughed nodding and Blink looked at her strangely and moved over in his chair closer to the other girl.

Later that evening as Mush left the hall with the rest of the guys he lagged behind them just slightly, thinking about the evening. He'd had fun for the most part but he still didn't understand what had made her so uncomfortable. She had been very nice, and she'd even laughed at some of his comments. He laughed as he thought about how much better things had gone for him then they had for Dutchy and Jake who had been trying to talk to Colleen's two friends. With that thought he ran up to join the other guys in their banter.

Trixie was extremely exasperated. All evening she'd been trying to catch the one eyed kid's eye but the guy with the funny nose kept getting in her way. Jake she thought he'd said his name was. She had barely listened to a word that he'd said because basically every time he'd opened his mouth she would watch in strange fascination at the way his nose moved when he spoke. The kid with they eye patch on the other hand had a very good-looking nose. He'd spent almost the whole time looking over at Gabriella but didn't seem to be able to get up the nerve to talk to her. The one thing he'd said to Trixie was "Is she really the mayor's daughter?" She had happily said yes but then she'd noticed how his face had lit up when she's said that. "I'm the chief of police's daughter she commented." But he hadn't heard her. And then of course there was the squirrel business. All of the other Newsies had thought it was hilarious except the one eyed boy. He had just looked disturbed and kept refusing to meet her eyes. She sighed and looked at the very dirty clothes of they one eyed boy. Her eyes finally stopped on one his ankles where she noticed that there was a very ominous thread sticking out of each leg. She dropped her handkerchief and noted the fact that the one eyed boy didn't even notice before she bent down as if to pick it up and gave one of the strings a tug. She watched in fascination as the leg slowly began to unravel, and she pulled harder.

On the way to Gabriella's house from the theatre Gabbie looked out the window of the carriage and spotted all of the newsies walking away from the hall. She pointed silently and they all stared out the window after them.

"What an interesting evening." Trixie commented laughing to herself.

"Such a long day." Colleen replied sighing.

"It is good that we get to know the ways of the lessors sometimes." Gabbie added offhandedly, making a gesture at the driver whom was listening to every word that was said. The other two girls nodded, they understood that no more should be spoken about it in front of the driver. When they finally made it to Gabbie's room then they began to converse openly. Gabbie settled herself between Trixie and Colleen. "Happy Birthday Collie." She said smiling. The three of them all sat silently for awhile remembering the day.

"I guess it actually did turn out to be fun." Colleen said finally breaking the peaceful silence.

"Why wouldn't it have been?" Gabbie inquired curiously.

"Well I don't know." Colleen replied bitterly. "You saw all of those people who were over; I was just thrilled by them you know? I even heard a whisper of marriage amongst them before I let the squirrel out. Hopefully that chased all of their thoughts of marrying me away. I'm much too young to marry; everyone knows that, including my grandmother. I heard her telling someone the other day that she wouldn't know what would happen to me when she died and that was why she was trying to marry me off as quick as possible." She sighed forlornly.

"We may think she doesn't know about the mischievous streak that we all have, but she does. And she thinks the best and only cure for it is marriage." That silenced Gabbie and Trixie right away. Marriage? It was a thing that they had thought about enough times but not for a long ways off. The thought at Colleen being married was horrifying, especially considering the fact that it would most likely be to someone older and miserly.

Gabbie shuddered at the thought of it. She hoped to marry someone around her age, but not for awhile yet. That evening the two boys she'd been sitting next to had definitely put her off that idea any time soon. The one named Dutchy had been extremely annoying as he kept trying to show off his spelling abilities, and the other one, the one with the eye patch had spent the whole evening opening his mouth as if he was about to say something and then closing it as if he had thought better of it, this thoroughly reminded her of a fish. Trixie on the other had did not agree with Gabbie on that whatsoever.

"He was adorable." She insisted. "And he ignored me the whole time because he was in love with the fact that you're the mayor's daughter."

Gabbie sighed. "I thought he looked like a fish." She said.

Colleen laughed. "A one eyed fish?"

"A blond one eyed fish," Gabbie said. Even Trixie laughed.

"He did look kind of funny." She admitted. "I guess the only one of us who had any success was Colleen."

"Tell us about him, Collie." Gabbie added nodding.

Colleen giggled slightly to herself. "Well." she started. "I have seen him before..."