Penny

The day after the Manhattan Newsies had returned from Brooklyn was Monday which meant getting up early and carrying the banner. Trouble promised Mush that she would sell with him on Monday so she did. Mush and Trouble headed out early. They walked silently for a while. When they had reached the half way point Trouble decided to break the silence;

"Mush" She said looking down at her feet.

"Yeah Trouble" Mush said looking at her

"I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me when I was drunk; I mean everyone else didn't really care. I didn't know what I was doing and Jack and Blink they knew that but they still let me drink. They basically just let me drink and let me face the consequences. But you took care of me, you stayed by my side even after I puked. . . twice. I just want you to know that it really meant a lot to me. I have never had anyone care about me before I mean it's always just been me on my own, but now I am here and I have Jack and the boys always lookin after me and most of all you. You cared about me before you even knew who I was. You took me in and you have cared for me more then anyone in my whole life and it is very over whelming and I just want ta thank ya. . . ya know for carin about me."

Mush looked up at Trouble and stopped her in the middle of the streets. He took her bowed face in his hands and lifted it up so her eyes met his "Your worth carin for Trouble and I will neva stop carin for you" Trouble smiled at Mush and he smiled back they starred at each other for the longest thirty seconds of either of their lives, then reality hit them and they both looked away.

"We betta get goin" Trouble said as she started walking toward the distribution office. Mush started walking after her and when he caught up he laced his fingers into Troubles she looked at him a bit surprised and he smiled at her and then she smiled back at him as they continued to walk to the distribution office. They finally reached in about ten minutes. They walked toward the closed gates. There were two other people waiting at the gate, two people that Mush and Trouble really didn't want to see. When the Delancy Brothers spotted Mush and Trouble they started walking towards them.

"Hey looky heah Morris it's Mushy boy and his little whore. Hi ya Trouble." Oscar then pushed Mush to the ground and then pushed Trouble into his brother Morris. Morris wrapped his arms around Trouble.

"Get off of me Morris" Trouble screamed trying to squirm out of Morris's hold. Oscar then descended on Mush with his fists raised.

"Mush!" Screamed Trouble.

Mush quickly lifted his leg and kicked Oscar away from him. Mush quickly got to his feet with his fists raised. Oscar quickly got to his feet with his fists raised and he charged at Mush which sent both Oscar and Mush rolling on the ground punching each other. Trouble watched horrified as Oscar got the upper hand and was sitting on top of Mush punching him. Trouble had to help so she quickly lifted up her foot and stomped down on Morris's with all her might. Morris screamed out in pain and accidentally let go of Trouble. She ran as fast and hard as she could and tackled Oscar of off Mush. Trouble rolled a couple of times on the ground and finally came to a stop. When she stopped she opened her eyes and starred up into the sky. She was completely shocked at what she had just done. A couple of seconds later Oscar had sat on top of her and pinned her to the ground. Morris had started to fight with Mush.

"So Trouble ya wanna dance, lets dance" Oscar then lifted up his fist and thrust it right at the side of Trouble's face sending her whole head flying the other way. Everything became distorted and blurry and her eyesight was unfocused and her hearing became echo like and distant. When Mush saw Oscar hit Trouble something snapped inside of him. He looked at Morris and punched him three times as hard as he could in his face; he punched him so hard that his knuckles started to bleed. He then grabbed Morris by the back of his head and slammed him into his knee. Morris fell into a heap on the ground. Mush then ran as fast as he could over to Oscar. He lifted Oscar of off Trouble and started punching Oscar senseless. Oscar then fell in a heap on the ground. Mush ran over to Trouble.

"Trouble! Trouble! Are you ok!" Troubled blinked her eyes a couple of times to focus them before answering.

"YEAH Mush I'm alright, you ok?" Mush helped Trouble to her feet and then she notices a black eye starting to show on his left eye and that his lip was split open. "Mush your hurt"

"I'm alright, let me see your face" Mush gently lifted Trouble's face into his hand and rubbed her bruising check with his thumb. "Your gonna have a nice shinah"

"You too" Trouble said taking one of her hands and softly brushing against his bruising temple. Soon after the fight ended the rest of the Newsies showed up.

"What happened heah" Race exclaimed

"The Delancy Bruddahs were just startin some trouble with trouble that's all" Mush said smiling at the boys in front of him. The gates to the distribution office opened shortly after the other Newsies arrived. The Delancy Brothers slowly got up and wobbled and stumbled away accepting defeat.

Trouble and Mush each bought a hundred papes and started selling. Mush had three spots that he would mainly sell at and they were; Central park, Bottle ally, and the Harbor. Today they sold at the harbor. Some rich guy from the senate was found dead in his house with three gun shot wounds to his stomach and chest. Trouble definitely had more costumers then Mush and was selling four papes to every one that he sold. It was probably because Trouble was cuter then Mush or maybe because she was very good at being dramatic when improving and hawking the headline. At about lunch time Trouble only had about twenty papes left to sell and Mush had about forty or so left to sell. They started walking towards Tibby's. The streets were insanely crowded. Trouble and Mush were politely squeezing through people. Mush had grabbed a hold of Trouble's hand so he wouldn't lose her. He led her down the street and towards Tibby's. They were about half way there when a little copper colored puppy ran under Trouble's feet and into the alley way the puppy was followed by three boys around ten chasing it with sticks. Trouble saw this and took pity on the small creature. Trouble let go off Mush's hand and followed the boys down the alley way with Mush at her heals;

"Hey you boys leave my dog alone or I'll soak ya" Touble said raising her fists. The boys looked at one another and then walked back out of the alley and onto the streets. Trouble then went over to the small puppy and scooped it into her arms. Trouble then turned around and walked back towards the street. Mush quickly went to her side.

"What are ya gonna do with the dog? You'se can't keep it?"

"Who says I can't keep it" Trouble said to Mush as they walked out of the alley way and back onto the streets making their way to Tibby's. "I ma just ask Jack If I can and if he says I can't then we'll find a good home for her."

Mush and Trouble soon made it to Tibby's and walked inside. They made their way to the table that Jack and David were sitting at.

"What you got there Trouble" Jack asked looking at the little puppy in Trouble's arms.

"It's a puppy I found in the alley. She was getting beat up by boys can I keep her please, please, please!" Trouble begged with her saddest most heart breaking puppy dog face. Jack smiled at her and gave a laugh.

"How can I say no ta dat face, but you'se gotta ask Kloppman" Trouble squeled with excitement and then charged Jack and gave him a huge hug. The other Newsies all came around the small dog and started petting her and rubbing her belly.

"What are ya gonna name her" Les asked.

"Hmm I think I will name her Penny cause she is copper like a penny"

"Yeah that's perfect" exclaimed Les petting the small puppy on her belly.

Trouble ordered her usual chicken sand which but she took out the chicken and broke it into little pieces unto the floor for Penny to eat. She then ate her sand which witch was little more then bread, lettuce, and cheese. After she and Mush finished eating they paid and quickly left Tibby's. Trouble finished her selling within an hour and then left Mush to finish his selling so she could go talk to Kloppman about keeping her new pet. When she reached the Lodging House she opened the door very slowly and walked inside. Kloppman was reading a book behind the counter. Trouble walked up to the counter.

"Hi Kloppman" Trouble said with the same heart breaking face and eyes that she had used on Jack.

"Hi Trouble, whats a matter dear"

"Kloppman I just want you to hear me out ok" The old man sat back and focused all his attention on Trouble. "Today I found a puppy and it was being hurt so I took it and I want to keep it. I promise that if you let me keep it I will take care of it, I will clean up after it and the only time that it will be in the lodging house is when it is night time. Please Kloppman, don't make me give her away"

Kloppman looked up at the girl and down at the dog " Trouble"

"Please Kloppman" Trouble begged giving her most heart breaking face

Kloppman took a deep breathe in and then let it out "Alright BUT it's your responsibility. You have to house train it and watch it. I don't want it chewing shoes and makin a mess round here or it has to go. And you bring it wit you when you sell your papes it can stay in the Lodgin House at night, but if you aren't able to control the dog or follow the rules then it has ta go. And it is your job to make sure it gets fed and walked and all that". Trouble's face instantly lit up. She ran behind the counter and gave Kloppman a big hug and kissed his check. Kloppman patted Trouble on the back "Alright, alright, go on get outa here I gots work ta finish" he said smiling. Trouble left the lodging house with the little puppy cradled in her arms. She half ran half skipped all the way to central park looking for Mush. When she spotted him she ran at him;

"Mush! Mush! He said I can keep her! I can keep Penny!"

"That's great Trouble" Mush said with a smile on his face. "A Trouble how you'se gonna feed her?"

"Well she is really little; she doesn't eat a lot so I can share my food with her"

"She is little now but she is gonna grow, and judging by the size of her feet she is gonna be a big dog, like eighty or ninety pounds."

"Well I'ma just have to sell more papes that's all so I can take care of her, she is my motivation to be an even better Newsie"

Mush smiled at Trouble and then went to sell the last of his papes. Penny seemed to get a lot of attention from the passer by's. They would stop and pet the little puppy and then they would buy a pape from Mush. After Mush finished the he and Trouble stayed in the park and played with Penny. They would run around and the small puppy would chase them. They did this until dusk and then Mush scooped the little puppy into his arms and he and Trouble started heading back to the Lodging house. When they got up into the Bunk room most of the Newsies were already back.

"So I'm guessin Kloppman said you'se could keep her" Jack asked with a smile.

"Yep as long as I take care of her"

"Well we'll help" said Itey excited and then all the other Newsies in the room agreed.

"Really thanks guys" Mush put the puppy down on the ground. She started to run around the room excitedly slipping and sliding here and there. All the boys instantly fell in love with Penny and played with her until Kloppman told everyone to go to bed. Trouble scooped up the little puppy and went over into her bed and for the first time since she had come to the Lodging House she laid down in her own bunk and curled up with the little puppy in her arms and fell asleep.

The week passed by quickly. Trouble continued to sell with Mush. She started selling a hundred and fifty papes. This was a lot of papes and usually only the best Newsies like Jack and Spot would sell that many. Trouble didn't think that she would be able to sell that many, but she was wrong. Penny was so cute that so many people would stop and admire her beautiful color and just at how precious she was. This brought on a lot of costumers. Most of Troubles costumers would tip her a couple of cents "here buy that dog a bone" or "A little extra for the dog". People seemed to really take to the little puppy. It surprised Trouble how more people were concerned about the dog eating then her. The week went buy slow because Trouble had a lot more selling she had to do. So she usually wouldn't finish till about six at night. She was determined to sell all the hundred and fifty papes and she did. It took for ever but the week had finally came to an end. It was Friday night, that meant only one more day of selling until she had a day off.