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The boys shifted in their various seats around the floor and turned their attention to Mush. He was clearly deep in thought. Finally he seemed to reach a conclusion, and raised his head.

"My question for you'se is…if you could change one thing about you'seself, what would it be?"

"Another deep one," Elmer groaned.

"It don't have to be," Mush said with a shrug. "Could go either way."

"Okay…" Romeo said, squinting. "I would want to be taller."

A pause met his words.

"That's it?" Race asked blankly.

"Yeah, so what?" Romeo threw up his hands. "He said it don't have to be all deep and emotional."

"That don't mean it ain't gonna get to that point," Jack muttered, looking around at his overtired newsies.

Albert was next. "Well, I'm not gonna be the one to get us all worked up," he said. "I would change my…uh…what's that big word, Davey? That starts with an A…means how you look…"

"Appearance."

"Yeah, that. You know, to attract more girls."

"Hey, where'd Buttons go?" Jack asked suddenly.

Everyone looked around. Buttons had mysteriously vanished.

"Buttons?" Jack called tentatively.

"He musta gone to bed," Romeo said.

There was a thumping on the stairs. Buttons appeared, looking half-asleep. "Whaddyawant?" he muttered.

"Oh. Just wondering where you went," Jack said cheerfully. "Night!"

Buttons stared at him blearily for a second, then turned around and stumped back upstairs, to titters from the remaining boys.

"Anyway…Finch?"

Finch started. "What?"

"Um, it's your turn."

"What?"

"Go to bed!" Jack scoffed, rolling his eyes. Finch didn't argue, but jogged up the stairs after Buttons.

"What time is it anyway?" Jack said disgustedly. "They're dropping like flies."

Davey shrugged. "Probably near midnight. We started pretty late."

"Les, you wanna go to bed?" Jack asked. "I ain't gonna make you 'cause that's Davey's job, but it's late…"

"No," Les said stubbornly. Jack had caught him in the middle of an enormous yawn.

"If you say so." Jack scanned the small circle to pick out any other dozers. His eyes lingered for a moment on Race, but he didn't say anything. "Well, okay. Where was we?"

"Specs," Davey said.

Specs was clearly ready to spill out another dark confession. His eyes were still red from earlier questions, and he was on a roll. The others tensed as he opened his mouth. "You guys probably think it's my specs, right? Well, it ain't. I want a family."

"You got us," Crutchie said immediately.

"A real family," Specs said.

"Whatcha calling us? Fakes?" Jack asked, gesturing around at the others.

Specs shook his head. "I mean with a mother and a father. I miss having parents."

There was silence.

"Well…that's not something you can change about yourself, Specs," Crutchie said gently.

"Is any of this stuff we can change?" Specs said angrily. "I mean, it's not like Romeo's getting any taller."

"And Albert sure ain't getting any better-looking!" Race added with a grin. Albert cracked his knuckles menacingly. Jack smacked Race hard across the head.

"That's not what I meant!" Crutchie said loudly. "I meant that it's not something he can change about himself. It ain't his fault. It has nothin' to do with Specs."

"It has everything to do with me!" Specs shouted.

"Shh!" Jack shushed. "Okay, Specs. Okay. We all got the point. Henry's turn."

"The one thing I would change is…not being stupid."

"You ain't stupid!" Crutchie said as Jack smacked Race again before he could come up with a snide remark.

"Well, that's what I'd change. Being even less stupid than I already am."

"Les! Your turn!" Mush said.

"I would change…well, it's not really about myself, but I want to live here," Les said, trying to hold back another ferocious yawn.

"You really are tired," Jack said with a grin.

Davey sighed. "Les—"

"I'm not going to bed yet!"

"Ugh. Fine. Suit yourself. Don't come crying to me tomorrow when you can barely walk."

"I won't come crying—"

"Davey's turn!" Mush yelled.

Davey sighed again. "I would want to change…my big mouth. I would want to know when to keep it shut."

"Good one!" Race said, applauding. Davey glared at him.

"Jack, your turn," Mush said. He was getting pretty good at moving things along.

"I would want to change…about myself…I wish I could fix everything. It's stupid, I know," he said before anyone could object. "But I just wish that when one of you guys came to me with a problem, that there would never be a doubt I could fix it, no matter what."

"You come pretty close," Romeo said quietly.

Jack looked at him, speechless for a moment. He was clearly touched. "Why…uh, thanks, Romeo. That sure means a lot. I sure do try for you guys."

"We know," Race said, earning himself a surprised look from Jack. "What?"

"When did you get done being grouchy?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Around midnight," Race snorted. "Anyways, it's my turn. If I could change somethin' about myself, it would be—don't roll your eyes, now—to not be so tired in the mornings."

"Did you say tired? I think you meant unbearable," Albert said.

"I'll be more than that if you keep it up," Race threatened. "Hey, I know you guys would like it too. Me being nice in the mornings. But I ain't. So let's keep the question rolling."

"Crutchie?" Mush said.

"I'll give you three guesses to what he'll say!" Race said before Crutchie opened his mouth, seeming to want to make up for being so nice a minute ago. "Limp, limp, or…limp?"

The other boys snickered. Crutchie's face was blank. Jack stopped grinning almost at once and turned to his friend.

"It's just a part of me," Crutchie mumbled. "But it does seem the obvious answer."

"It's okay if you don't want a limp," Jack said. "Who would?"

"It helps me sell papes," Crutchie said, almost trying to convince himself.

"But I'm sure it's a pain in the butt sometimes. Oh, did I say butt? I meant leg."

Crutchie couldn't help but grin. "Sure is. I guess I can't change it, though. It's what I would change, if I could."

"Of course you would," Jack soothed.

"I wish I was handsomer, too…" Crutchie added as an afterthought. "But anyway…Elmer?"

"I would want to be able to sell more papes each day."

"Doesn't everyone?" Jack scoffed.

"Fine. I would change my selling spot. Happy?"

"Not really," muttered Jack. "I found that street for you."

"It used to be fine, but then they closed down that old bakery and I stopped getting customers."

"You coulda told me," Jack said. "I woulda helped you find a new one."

"I'm fine. I know where the good spots are. I'll find a halfways decent one," Elmer said.

"The question's back to Mush," Davey interrupted.

"If I could change something about myself, I'd change…my attitude. I'd be nicer."

"You're pretty nice already," Romeo pointed out.

Mush shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"And hey," Davey said, "It's your turn to ask a question, Romeo. Fire away."

"Oh, boy…" Romeo sighed, wrinkling his nose. "I dunno if I've got a good one."

"Let us decide," Jack said.

Don't forget to leave question suggestions! I'm kind of running low on them!

-Sis21K