Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies or anything that is familiar to you. I'll claim Tug as my own, and I guess Angela, but I really don't want her so much.

The character of Tag Carolucci belongs to AdrenalineRush16 and is included in the story as my birthday gift to her! Happy Birthday, Adren! Enjoy!

Also, this is dedicated to Rambles, who mentioned in her last review of Beneath It All, that she was curious as to what happens when Angela finds out about Tug and Skittery. Well, here it is...

+Ain't No Mistake+

Irving Hall, the old vaudeville theatre, was packed with bodies, which was typical when Medda hosted a party following her dazzling performance. There was live music, refreshments, and of course, dancing. It was a great social affair, especially for the city's younger generation; kids from all over the city went to enjoy an evening filled with entertainment and good, old fashion fun.

Tug excused herself from the table, nearly about to burst, and slowly picked her way through the sea of people. It did not help that she had to go all the way across the auditorium because the only bathrooms on the first floor were located there. The bumps and jostles she received along were not helpful to her situation; it only made it more urgent.

Relieved to be free from the crowd, Tug threw herself through the curtained archway. This particular corridor was, by no means, completely barren; it was sprinkled with small groups of people and a few intertwined couples. Not really there to have a look around, Tug walked briskly down the hallway, pushing open the door to the ladies' room. She chuckled to herself, remembering the last time she had stepped into this particular bathroom; she and a few friends had to make an escape through the window, after the rally had been raided by the police.

Thankful that there was no need for a window escape tonight, she darted into the nearest stall. Having done her business, she was just double checking that her outfit was in proper order when the bathroom door shot open with a loud bang. It was followed promptly by a loud, irate conversation. Naturally, Tug could not help listening; it was unavoidable in this situation, due to the volume of their voices.

"Ugh," groaned one of the girls. "Did ya see that girl he's with? She ain't even pretty! There's gotta be some mistake."

"I know. Yer much prettier," replied a second voice, attempting to comfort her friend. She suddenly broke into a fit of giggles. "I mean, did ya see her hair? Why would any girl want to look like that--like such a boy."

"She is rather boyish, isn't she?"

Inside the stall, Tug froze; her eyes grew steadily wider as the words hit her ears. She hardly dared to believe that they were talking about her--but then again, who else could it be? Slowly and taking care to be as quiet as possible, Tug leaned forward so that she could peer through the gap between the door and the wall.

It only took a quick glance at the two girls, primping themselves in front of the mirror, and Tug had no doubt in her mind that she was the 'boyish' girl that they spoke of. Instinctively, her fists balled up at her sides while she continued to eavesdrop on the conversation, feeling the anger and hurt boil up inside her.

"Honestly, I don't know how Skittery could choose something like that over me! It just doesn't make sense, Lara."

"Don't worry, Ang. He'll come to his senses sooner or later; they always do."

Tug sent a fiery glare at the thin bit of wood that separated her from Angela and her friend. Tears prickled at the backs of eyes as she took in every word. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself, but she was not sure how much longer she could hold out.

"It looks like I'm gonna have to make sure that it's sooner rather than later," Angela replied with an arrogant sniff. "I'll show him exactly what he's missin'. Besides, I ain't gonna be replaced by a girl like that!"

"You sure ain't," her friend encouraged as they exited from the bathroom.

It was a good thing that they had left in that moment, because Tug could have torn that door clear off it's hinges with the amount of anger that was tearing through her body. She slumped against the wall, hot tears streaming silently down her face as she sobbed into her knees. Unknowingly, Angela had dug straight into Tug's self-conscious, pinpointing exactly what Tug worried most about...

It had taken some time for her to get comfortable with her appearance, after having traded her traditional long locks for a short, cropped style so that she could pass for a newsboy. She no longer needed to pass as a newsboy--her secret was out--but it seemed her hair did not want to grow back fast enough. Everyone in her life didn't seem to care that she had a more masculine hair style, but then again, they were the ones who knew her reason behind her look; the way she looked obviously wasn't an issue for Skittery. It was the little things that had helped her to get over appearances.

Still, Tug couldn't help but take what Angela said to heart. As much as she hated to admit it, Angela was quite pretty, and deep down Tug felt slightly threatened by that. And now, to hear someone--especially Angela--say out loud those same thoughts she sometimes had running through her mind had really stirred the pot.

---

How long she sat there, head buried in her arms, she had no idea. She simply let the tears run their course, swimming through her owns thoughts and feelings about what she had over heard. Tug was so lost in her own thoughts that she jumped when the door banged open again.

"Tug? called an anxious voice. "Tug, you in here?"

Lifting her head at the sound of a familiar voice, she replied, voice cracking slightly, "In here."

"Oh good! The boys were gettin' a little worried. They sent me in here to make sure you was alright."

The voice belonged Tag Carolucci, Blink's girl. She was really sweet, definitely one of the better ones that hung around with the Manhattan newsboys. The boys thought it was absolutely hilarious that Skittery was with Tug Connolly and Blink was with Tag Carolucci. Tug and Tag. Naturally, the two girls had found it quite amusing from the start, but as boys tend to take things to an extreme, they soon grew tired of the endless emphasis on how similar the two names were. It wasn't as if they had gotten together and planned it that way.

It was nice, Tug had to admit, to have another girl around, particularly one she could tolerate. In fact, she was rather relieved to have Tag standing on the other side of the door; this situation needed a girl's touch. It wasn't exactly something Mush would be particularly helpful with--even being the sensitive guy he was; this was undoubtedly girl territory.

"Are you alright?" Tag asked, her voice edged with concern. "I mean, you been gone a while."

Shakily, Tug got to her feet; she couldn't sit there all night. Unlatching the door, she stepped out. Tag's eyes enlarged when she caught sight of Tug's red, tear stained face.

"Oh my goodness, what happened, huh? You feelin' alright?"

Tug took a deep breath before launching into the explanation of what she had overheard. It was mostly just an overview; she couldn't remember everything word for word, but Tag understood.

With something dawning on her, Tag quirked an eyebrow. "Well that Angela sure don't waste no time. She's gotta be the goil who's been throwing herself at Skittery for the last ten minutes." Tag snorted. "It's pathetic, let me tell you."

"What?" Tug said loudly, staring at Tag like she had sudden spouted an extra nose or something. "Yer serious? She's out there right now?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. But, look, you ain't got nothing to worry about," she added quickly, noticing the drop in Tug's expression. "Skittery ain't goin' for none of it. He's the one that asked me to come find you. I don't think that girl knew who he was talkin' about though, 'cause she kept right on at him."

Tug's eyes narrowed darkly. It was time to put this girl in her place and set the record straight.

---

As the two girls neared the table, Tug noticed both Angela and Skittery had their backs to them, Angela now occupying the chair that had been Tug's. Breathing in and out slowly and trying to calm the emotions that were escalating, Tug tapped Angela firmly on the shoulder, glaring.

Angela turned her head slightly; noticing Angela's attention drawn, Skittery followed suit, jumping from his seat like he had been electrocuted. His eyes darted all over the room, guiltily as he looked between the two girls. Tug didn't look at him, instead she feigned a smile, eyes locked on Angela.

"I'm sorry," Tug said in the most disgustingly sweet voice she could muster, "but ya see, yer in my seat."

Angela rolled her eyes toward Skittery, ignoring Tug's comment, and stood up. She grinned devilishly, not breaking her gaze on Skittery, and pulled him toward her, landing a kiss on his mouth. Without thinking, Tug sprang forward, barrelling Angela over. However, before Tug could do any further damage to the girl, someone had grabbed her around the middle; it wasn't Skittery because he was off to one side looking both furious and horrified by what had happened.

Tug struggled against her restraint as Angela collected herself, glaring back. They shared a look of pure dislike, but only for a second because Tug yelled loudly, spitting the words she had overheard right back in Angela's face.

"You'd better believe Skittery chose me over you," Tug growled. Angela gaped, looking slightly embarrassed, but trying to remain dignified. Still struggling, Tug would have liked nothing more than to slap the girl smartly across the face, but under the circumstances a verbal slap would do just fine. "Yeah, that's right--I know what ya said about me. And it ain't no mistake; he's with me now!"

Angela stood there, blinking stupidly, lost for words as everyone around her was looking at her with complete disdain.

"You'd better leave before I tell my boyfriend to let her go," Tag said with a delighted smile, stepping forward. "I can't imagine what a proper fight would do to yer pretty little face."

"And don't try comin' 'round no more, alright? I've made my choice," Skittery added firmly, finally finding his voice.

Letting out a final growl of frustration, Angela turned on her heel and stormed away, defeated. When she was out of sight, Tag turned to Blink.

"I think you can let her go now," she said, chuckling as she walked back to the table.

Skittery scooped Tug into his arms after Blink had released her. Feeling his arms around her calmed her down considerably and she relaxed against him. Looking over at Blink and Tag, Tug smiled, thankful to have friends like them. If anyone was going to mess with her they were going to be messing with all of the Manhattan newsies. Leaning into Skittery, Tug felt certain that Angela would no longer be a problem.