"This is the first morning in a long time that you haven't obsessed over some girl." said Kid Blink, one of Mush's best friends the next day. "Are you sick?"
Mush punched him in the arm in response. The truth was, he had been thinking about Spark all day yesterday. He was so lost in his thoughts.
"Maybe he actually found true love," Jack said, sarcastically. "and he's trying to keep it a secret."
"True love doesn't exist." Skittery added sleepily.
"The pessimist is awake. Oh Joy." Racetrack said, punching Skittery in the arm repeatedly. This earned him a punch right in the eye from Skittery a few seconds later.
"Mush would never keep secrets from us," said Blink. "would you?"
"No," Mush rushed. "what's the point?"
Mush felt a little wave of guilt lying to Kid Blink. His eyes darted to the pillow on his bed. He did have secrets. No one knew about his family or where he came from. But lot's of newsies had secrets. No one knew much about Bumlets or Skittery or even Jack.
The tree outside of the lodging house rustled as Mush passed it. He smiled, secrets were ok. He would tell his friends eventually. In the meantime he had to find out more about Spark.
Mush was stunned beyond words at what he heard at the circulation building. Pulitzer and Hearst raised the price of the papers to 60 cents a hundred. He knew there was no way he could afford the new prices, especially with these terrible headlines.
"This'll bust me. I'm barely makin' a livin' now." Skittery said, echoing Mush's thoughts.
"I'll be back sleepin' on the streets!" said Boots.
"It don't make no sense! All the money Pulitzer's makin'," Mush said, "why would he gouge us?"
"Because he's a tightwad, that's why." said Racetrack.
Mush remembered what Jack had said yesterday, "We're what holds this town together. Without newsies, nobody knows nothin'." He knew Jack was right. And Cowboy Kelly would find a way to get them out of this somehow.
Mush was becoming anxious. So far no one had an idea of what to do.
"We got no choice! So let's get our lousy papes while they still got some -"
Jack cut him off. "Nobody's goin' anywhere! They ain't gonna get away with this!" After a few minutes thinking and arguing with the other boys Jack finally said, "Well listen. One thing for sure, if we don't sell papes, then nobody sells papes. Nobody comes through those gates 'til they put the price back where it was."
"You mean like a strike?" the new guy, David, spoke up.
"Yeah, like a strike!"
Mush could not believe this. They would be starving in a few weeks. Who was gonna listen to a few angry kids?
"Jack, I was only joking. We can't go on strike, we don't have a union." Well at least David had some sense. But Pulitzer can't do this. It's not fair. Mush thought, He sleeps on satin pillows while we're begging for bread.
Mush felt someone grab his shoulder. It was Spark. His heart raced a little. He hadn't been this way around girls since he was young. But the new prices distracted him from thinking about his feelings.
"What's going on?" She asked him, her eyes wide with concern.
"Pulitzer jacked up the price." Mush said angrily.
"By how much?"
"Ten cents a hundred." Mush punched the wall with his fist. Ignoring the sharp pain that followed, Mush felt a little better, but not enough.
"He can't do this to us!" Spark exclaimed. She turned to see what Jack Kelly would say. Spot usually had her keep an extra close eye on him. He seemed to be the most threatening newsies leader to Spot.
"Alright. Let me think about it. Listen. Dave's right. Pulitzer and Hearst and all them other rich fellas, I mean, they own this city, so do they really think a bunch of street kids like us can make any difference? The choice has got to be yours. Are we just gonna take what they give us, or are we gonna strike?" Jack said.
Spark and Mush looked at each other to see what the other would do. Striking seemed like a good idea, but they weren't quite sold on it. Jack kept talking.
By the end of Jack's speech Mush and most of the other newsies were convinced to strike. "The World" would know that they weren't about to take this.
Mush was so ready to beat Pulitzer that he wasn't even paying attention to what Jack was saying.
"... and go tell the other that we're on strike." Said Jack.
"Say, Jack, I'll take Harlem." said Blink.
"Yeah, I got Midtown." Racetrack called over his shoulder.
"I got the Bowery, Jack." Mush volunteered. Most of the other boys wouldn't want to go there. The Bowery was one of the worst parts of Manhattan.
Spark had to go back to Brooklyn to talk to Spot. A strike seemed like a good idea but it wouldn't work if just the Manhattan newsies were doing it.
"So," Jack said, "who wants Brooklyn?"
Perfect timing. None of the boys had to know she was actually from Brooklyn. And she could get the information to Spot and just hope he would agree with Jack's ideas to strike.
No one spoke up. But suddenly Spark stepped forward. Mush grabbed Spark's wrist as she raised her hand to volunteer.
"You can't go there." He said, urgently. Her angered expression surprised him.
"And why not?" She spat, startling him even more. There was a reason none of the other newsies wanted to go to Brooklyn. Spot Conlon was dangerous.
"It's Brooklyn," Was Mush's only response.
"So? I've been there a few times." Spark said, trying to keep her persona hidden. It was hard enough trying to hide her accent.
"But I don't want you goin' there. It's dangerous for a lady to go by herself." Mush said protectively. He barely knew this girl but he didn't want anything to happen to her.
"I'll be fine." Spark said, trying to break from his strong grip. She was getting angry, Mush had to do something to get her to listen.
As the crowd dispersed Mush took Spark's hand and led her to Jack who was yelling at Pulitzer's office boy through the door.
"So's your old lady! You tell Pulitzer he needs an appointment with me!"
"Yeah!" Les yelled.
Jack blushed a little, recognizing Spark as a girl even with her hat on. Mush knew Jack never spoke that way around ladies.
"Jack, David, this is Spark," Mush said, "she wants to help with the strike."
Jack smiled approvingly, knowing this was the girl Mush's thoughts had been on all night.
"You wanna help..." he thought for a minute, "You know, there are some girl newsies around. Of course we won't soak them. We won't even touch them. The bulls won't touch them either. But imagine if all of the newsies in New York went on strike, even the girls, it really would stop the world."
"I think there's some girls who frequent the White Way, you know, Broadway where all of them theaters are." Mush added.
"You could talk to Dave's sister, um..." Jack blushed. A lot. Mush knew he didn't forget David's sister's name, he was in love. "Sarah Jacobs."
"Yeah, we used to see some girl newsies on our way to school every day." David said and gave her his address. Mush was relieved, now he didn't have to worry about Spark.