Disclaimer: Disney owns newsies. All other characters belong to their respected owners.

Shakin' Things Up

Linsi's POV

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the sun shining through the window. I immediately sat up and started singing. It was just one of those days, "The sun'll come out tomorrow! Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun…" I bounced up and down on the bed in excitement.

That's when I noticed the group of guys turned to stare at me in confusion and disbelief. A few sent me wary glances, slowly taking steps away from me, "Good morning!" I said cheerfully. Some of the guys muttered it back without looking up, as if scared to make eye contact.

"Skittery," Jack asked, "Are you feeling all right?" He looked almost reluctant to ask. I jumped down to the floor and danced over to him.

"I feel great," I told Jack as I landed directly in front of him. He seemed startled by my appearance, "Look, the sun is shining, birds are singing. What could go wrong?"

"Since when did you become a morning person," Race asked, "What happened to 'glum and dumb'?"

"What are you talking about," I questioned, "I love mornings. Who couldn't?" I started to dance a little, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow…" I took a dramatic bow as I finished the last note. Everyone stared at me in shock for a second, as if surprised that I just did that.

Their attention was drawn away though when a knock came from the door. Jack went to answer it. He greeted the person on the other side, "Hey guys, look who's here."

Davey and Les entered the room. Davey spoke up first, "Hi guys. We thought that we'd come by for a visit. How's everything going?"

"How long has it been," Specs asked, "About a month?" Davey didn't even have a chance to answer.

"Davey," I called, running over to him. I grabbed him in a hug and picked him up, "How are you doing?" Several of the boys started laughing.

"H-hi Skittery," David said, sounding slightly uncomfortable, "I'm doing…okay, I guess. How about you?"

"Great," I exclaimed, "Isn't today a wonderful day?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered, "Can you…uh… put me down now?" I reluctantly did as he asked.

"You're no fun Davey," I said, "Wanna sell with me today?"

"No, no," he said, backing away slightly, "That's all right."

"Don't you like me," I asked him, "Whatever I did, I'm sorry. Just tell me what it is and I'll change it, I promise."

"Nothing's wrong with you," he said nervously, "I was just going to sell with Jack today. Sorry."

"Okay," I said.

"What's wrong with Skittery," he asked Jack.

"I don't know," Jack answered, "but he's acting really strange." They glanced over, but I had already returned to my singing.

Aqua's POV

I woke to the sound of yelling. Thinking that it was just my alarm clock, I decided to ignore it. I didn't feel like going to school, but since I had to go, I might as well get a few extra minutes of sleep. It wasn't fair that I got up the earliest every morning. Besides that, I was thinking about Mush. That was one of few things that put me in a good mood.

"Go away," I muttered into my pillow, knowing that it wouldn't do anything. I looked up when I didn't get a response. Then I heard the singing. Why is a guy singing 'Tomorrow'? Man, I hate that song. Finally, I looked around the room.

That's when I saw the bunk beds lining the walls and boys everywhere. And they were all newsies; I recognized them from the movie. I blinked slowly, thinking that it was all a dream. But when the same scene greeted me once I opened them again, I knew it wasn't. This was real!

I jumped down from the bunk and ran for the washroom, trying to locate a mirror. When I found one, I pushed the guy in front of it out of the way. Then I looked up, even though I was scared to look. I froze when I saw who it was.

It was the same guy I stared at when the movie started. I can tell you one thing though, he looks much better in person! Okay, that's a weird thought, especially when it's me in this body….Mush's body.

I stumbled back a few steps, running into the bathroom stall behind me. I didn't expect the sudden movement and fell to the ground…very loudly. I barely managed to catch myself before hitting the toilet directly inside. I wouldn't be able to think very well if I was unconscious. For a few moments, all I could see were stars as my vision blurred slightly from the force of the fall. Slowly, I stood up, ignoring the weird glances I was getting. I got the feeling that this didn't happen often to Mush.

I quickly picked up a shirt and put it on. At least it would stop me from staring at myself. Being absolutely silent, I walked through the room, hoping that no one would pay any attention to me.

"Okay, so you're Mush," I whispered to myself, "That's groovy I guess." I stopped when I realized what I had said. Note to self, lingo is not used in this time.

"The sun'll come out tomorrow," someone sang out. I cringed at the song and looked to locate the source of it. Skittery! Okay, I never expected that. I walked towards him, having a feeling that something was familiar about him.

"Hey Mush," Jack greeted me as I walked passed.

"Hey," I mumbled in response, almost totally ignoring him. I sighed in frustration, pushing passed him without another word. I looked over to see several of the newsies staring at me in confusion.

When I reached Skittery, I studied him closely, as if I was able to see straight through him. He was about to start the next verse of the song, when I clapped my hand over his mouth, "No more," I said, "You look familiar."

"I'm Skittery, but I guess you know that already," he said.

Looking down, I suddenly noticed that weight on my right pointer finger. I saw a silver ring there, my class ring. I glanced up at him and spotted a ring on his hand as well. Suddenly, it hit me who he reminded me of, "Shakes?" Skittery looked up at the name, "I go to Lake View High School too." I showed her the ring, "See?" I put it in my pocket, "I'm Aqua."

"I know you," she exclaimed, "Do you know what going on?"

"Shhh," I said, "No one else needs to know about this."

"Isn't this cool though," she asked, "I mean, we're guys now." I glanced around quickly before pulling her out into the hallway. After a few moments of silence, she started to tap her fingers against the wall in boredom.

"I know we're guys," I replied, "How did this happen?"

"I don't know," she answered brightly, "I just woke up here. I really have no idea how."

"Look, why don't you go sell papes," I said, practically pushing her down the stairs and out the door, "The guys are already getting suspicious." I finally managed to get her out. I didn't leave the door until I heard singing fading down the street.

I got a lot of strange looks when I entered the room again. This was getting to be too much. I sighed and leaned against one of the bedposts. I really needed to think right now. Before I knew it, I was lost in thought.

Emi's POV

My dream seemed so real. All the newsies were there and I was one of them. The friendships were something that I had wanted all my life and this dream felt so real that I didn't want to wake up.

"Get up, get up," came a familiar voice, rousing me from my sleep. I rolled a little and kept my eyes closed. The voice came closer to my bed, telling me to get up. Finally I felt someone standing right over me, then suddenly, "Blink!" Well that startled me right out of my bed and I slammed onto the hard floor. Then there was laughter, male laughter.

"I'm still dreaming," I groaned as I lay flat on my stomach. I reached around and rubbed my hip as I rolled over onto my back.

"Get off the floor!"

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I could think of, the only thing I could think of was, "I can't see!" I blinked and tried to focus. I could see, but only out of one eye. I jumped up and looked around me with my one good eye. Newsies. Everywhere. I started to laugh as I reached up, half expecting to find a patch over my left eye. When my fingers brushed against something covering my eye I laughed even harder.

"Blink, what'sa mattah?" Jack asked me, which only made me laugh harder. Jack was talking to me. But who was I? Was I still Emilia? Or was I Blink now?

"What's going on?" I stumbled forward a little, I was really uncoordinated with that patch over my eye.

"Whatta ya mean ya bummah?" Racetrack asked, punching my shoulder. "What's goin' on is you'se late. You'se slept in. We gotta get out to sell the papes." I looked down at Race, and I do mean down, he was really short. "Why ya lookin' at me like that?" Race asked pushing me a little. "Like ya nevah seen me before."

"Sorry Race, you'se just funny lookin' is all," the newsies around me laughed. I noticed Mush standing a few feet away looking a little lost. He came over to me hesitantly and looked at me carefully.

"What'sa mattah with everyone today?" Dutchy asked as he paused next to me and Mush on his way to the bathroom. "You'se all actin' weird. First Skittery, then Mush, now you," he said and continued on his way.

"Who are you?" Mush asked when everyone was out of earshot. He looked right into my eyes, as if he knew I wasn't really Blink. That did make sense, they seemed to be best friends.

"Whatta ya mean," I muttered dully.

"You'se ain't Blink," he stated matter of factly. I began to nod and opened my mouth but he cut me off, "where'd ya get that?" He pointed down at my hand. I raised my left hand to look at it. There on my ring finger was my class ring. How did that happened? How did any of this happen?

"I, uh, I found it," I stuttered.

"No ya didn't," Mush stated, stuffing his hand in his pocket and pulling out something. He opened his hand and there was a silver ring. I picked it up and looked it over. It was a little different than mine but around the stone was something that made my heart almost stop, 'Lake View High School'. That was my school!

"Who are you?" I asked, turning the question back onto Mush.

He looked around quickly to make sure no one was listening, "it's Alysha, Aqua."

"What?" I almost cried but remembered to keep my voice down. "Aqua? Short, brown hair, blue eyes?" Mush nodded. "We have English together," I whispered. "It's Emilia," I said, pointing to myself, almost to reassure myself of who I was. Or at least who I was supposed to be.

"Nova?" Aqua asked. I nodded. "How did this happen?" I shrugged my shoulders. "You're not helpin'."

"Sorry," I mumbled. "What am I supposed to say?"

"You'se gotta point," she paused and then cocked her head to one side. "Did you hear that?" She laughed a little as I nodded.

"Whatta ya mean?" I said, repeating what I had said earlier. We both laughed.

"I'm a little scared," Aqua said suddenly. "How'd this happen?"

I tapped my foot lightly, "Not sure. Maybe it's gonna be like one of those cheesy aftah school specials where we'se gotta learn somethin'."

"Makes sense," Aqua agreed.

"Did ya hear Dutchy? He said Skittery was actin' weird too," I said, "Should we go find him? Maybe the same thing has happened to him."

"It has. I've already talked to him or her actually," Aqua told me, "I sent him out to sell papes."

"Who is he?"

"You know that really hyper girl at school, Shakes," Aqua asked and I nodded, "She's in Skittery's body."

"That girl," I said in surprise, "No wonder they thought he was acting really strange."

"I guess we really should go find her, him ," Aqua said, "I'm getting confused. Anyway, she is running around the streets by herself."

I nodded and turned to go when Aqua reached out and stopped me. She pointed down at my hand again. I laughed a little, "bettah take this off huh?" I slipped the ring off my finger and stuffed it in my pocket.

Caitlin's POV

"School, I hate you," I muttered when I woke up. Keeping my eyes closed I sighed and put my hand over my face to block out the sun that was coming through my window. I almost rolled over and went back to sleep when I realized that the only windows in my room were on the opposite wall and sunlight has never, ever shone in my face in the morning. I sat bolt upright and looked around me. I was very surprised to see a bunch of other slumbering boys. I almost laughed out loud.

"Looks like a lodgin' house," I stated to myself, thinking about the Newsies Lodging House in my favorite movie. "But then that would mean," I glanced down at myself and almost shrieked. I was in long johns. "Hell no," I cried and look to my left where a familiar sling shot was laying. The red suspenders were on the floor next to a pile of clothes, and the walking stick was propped up against the wall.

I uttered a moan and flopped backwards onto the bed. At least now I can pee standing up. Wait, did! I just think that? I'm Spot Conlon, a fictional character in a movie. I pinched myself, hard. "Ow! Ow!"

Not dreaming. How in the hell did this happen? What is even happening? I looked myself over again and noticed something I hadn't before, my class ring. There it was on my index finger of my right hand, the black stone gleaming up at me. Maybe that meant I wasn't alone in this. Manhattan, I had to get to Manhattan. I dressed in a flash, not wanting to see something I shouldn't. Which felt weird since technically it was my own body.

Before I left I slipped the ring off my finger and added it to the string around my neck, which already held the mysterious key. Maybe now I would know what it was for. I looked back at the sleeping newsboys and dashed out the door. My feet carried me all the way to the Manhattan newsies lodging house and without questioning I knew the way. Like part of Spot was still with here inside this body.

Creeping inside I wondered where the other newsies would be. Maybe I was too late and they had already gone to the distribution office. I turned to leave when a voice called out to me.

"Spot?" It was Blink. I turned and saw him come in through the front door with Mush at his side.

"Yeah?" I asked a little shyly, I mean it was Blink and Mush, and they were talking to me.

"You ain't Spot are you?" Blink asked, he seemed to know. But how?

"Well," I began but paused when I saw both of them pull something out of their pockets. Suddenly there were two gleaming class rings under my nose. Blink's had a black stone, like mine but there was a star on either side, whereas mine had a music note and a camera. Mush's also had a music note but on the other side there were drama masks, and the stone was blue. I looked up at them in shock.

"It's Emilia," Blink stated and then he pointed at Mush, "and Aqua."

"Caitlin," I replied, shocked that they seemed so calm. "How did you... How did this... Oh my..."

Emi laughed, "I know how ya feel, I almost screamed 'what the heck' when I woke up dis mornin'." I laughed, remembering that Emi says that line all the time.

"We think it's weird that nothin' else transferred over with us 'cept for our class rings," Aqua stated. "And mine was on my bedside table."

"It wasn't even on your finger?" I asked. Aqua shook her head. "Has this happened to anyone else?" I asked, thinking that maybe there more than just the three of us.

Emi nodded, "Skittery." My jaw dropped and I just looked at Emi. "You know Linsi?"

"Shakes?" I cried, picturing the hyper girl stuck in Skittery's body. "Whatta sight that must'ah been!"

"She's out sellin' papes," Aqua said. "Couldn't sit still, I tell ya."

When Aqua said that I laughed, I couldn't help it, "You'se two sound so funny."

"So do you," Emi laughed. "I can't believe this is happenin'."

Aqua spoke up, "Emi think's we need tah learn somethin' from this. Then we'll go home." She paused and scratched her head.

"But I'se don't wanna go home," Emi blurted out. "I mean I'se don't wanna be a guy so much but I don't like my life." She paused as a tear trickled down her face. I was so weird to watch Emi's personality and habits displayed in a boy's body.

"Why not?" I asked. "You're so pretty and talented in art, and smart too." Emi sniffled. "I'd think you'd be dyin' to go home and look like a girl again," I said, wondering why she didn't want to go home.

"Nah," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Thanks but I'se not pretty and my life's not what ya think." She shifted her weight and looked over at Aqua.

"I kinda don't wanna go either," she cleared her throat nervously. "I'se mean, look, I'm Mush, he's cute." Well all laughed at that and I thought about how suddenly I didn't want to go home either.

Suddenly Skittery burst through the door. "Guys, I have problem." I looked real hard and could tell that it was Linsi inside there, hopping around from one foot to the other. "I'se gotta pee real bad."

"So go," Aqua said, waving her hand lightly.

"Oh no," Emi cried. Linsi nodded, knowing what Emi was groaning about.

"I think we'se gotta problem here," Linsi cried, hopping around faster than before. "I don't wanna see that!" she cried. I laughed a little, couldn't help it. "Let alone touch it!" Aqua and I burst out laughing.

"I know," Emi stated simply. "I had to go this mornin'." She blushed furiously, "go sittin' down and just close you eyes. That's what I did."