A/N: Well Casey, thank you for reviewing… you made my day, and since I just happened to type this up yesterday because I felt really bad for not updating and I had nothing better to do… you get another update just because you reviewed!
The next morning I didn't wake up to Mush's voice. It was the first time in ages that I hadn't and so I pushed out the window worriedly looking for him. Thankfully I saw him walking down the street towards my house. He waved at me and walked a little bit faster. When he got just below my window he called up to me. "Say, do you want to go somewhere with me?" he asked. "I gotta make a trip."
"Sure." I replied. "What should I wear?"
He pondered the question for a second. "Do you think you could find something ordinary?" he asked. "You know, that looks kinda poor?"
I nodded and left the window. It took me awhile to track down something, but I finally found that Mary Lou had her sister's dress that needed mending that she would let me wear. I was dressed in seconds and I borrowed a pair of Mary Lou's shoes. The skirt was made of a moderately light cloth, but it was still heavier than any of my summer dresses, all of my summer dresses were also much prettier but that I could deal with.
When I stepped outside Mush grinned at me. "Perfect." He said.
"I'm not wearing a hat." I said nervously in response.
"Oh that doesn't matter." He said grabbing my hand. "You could prolly use a little sun anyway." With that he pulled me off down the street, and in a few minutes I was lost, and it was hard for me to believe that this part of the city that I had never been through actually existed so close to where I resided. Many of the people waved to Mush and smiled at me, I just nervously smiled back.
"Where are we going?" I finally asked him.
"We're going down the Battery to talk to some of the Newsies there."
"Oh." I paused. "Why?"
"Well see the thing is," he started. " Is that they raised the price of the newspapers today and so we decided that as the newsboys of New York that they have to respect our rights and lower the price back down so we're going on strike." He looked so proud of how they were taking matters into their own hands that I couldn't bare to tell him that the newspaper people wasn't infringing on their rights in any way whatsoever. "So." He continued. "We are going as messengers to tell the leader of the Battery Newsies to ask him to join us." He finished.
I just nodded and we walked along in companionable silence for a few minutes before I decided to make conversation. "So tell me about yourself." I said. "I don't really know anything about you. Where do you live?" I asked.
"Well I live in the Upper Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House." He said. "With all the other Newsies in our region. It's quite fun really. No one to tell us what to do or where to go."
"That's be wonderful." I sighed.
He looked at me in surprise. "Who do you have telling you what to do?" he asked.
"My grandmother sometimes, but even now while she's no where in sight if I were recognized as Gabbie's or Trixie's friend and I was holding your hand it would effect opinions of the mayor and the chief of police."
"Oh." He replied slightly puzzled. "Would you rather we didn't hold hands then?" he asked bluntly.
"Oh no." I said quickly. He noted the quickness and smiled.
"So you really like me then?" he asked.
"Of course I do." I replied laughing.
"Do you like me more than just as a regular friend?" He asked becoming just slightly more serious.
I nodded also becoming more serious.
"Good." He replied smiling again. "Do you like me more than gum drops?" he asked a sparkle in his eye.
I smiled back slyly. "Yes." He opened his mouth again but I was quicker. "Do you like me more than mashed potatoes?" I asked him teasingly.
"Of course." He said chuckling slightly. "Do you like me more than chocolate?"
I nodded. "Do you like me more than icecream?"
He paused and got a semi-dreamy look on his face. When he finally turned towards me he laughed. "Of course I like you more than icecream." He said.
I just rolled my eyes at him. "Good."
When we made it to the Battery the Newsies were all hanging around a bridge diving into the water and being loud and rowdy as boys are prone to do.
"It's kind of strange really." Mush said to me as we walked through the Newsies who eyed us curiously. "Everywhere you go you see Newsies by bridges. Everywhere that is except where we are from. We don't have a bridge to hang around; we just have a boring old statue. It is so much more fun jumping off of bridges than statues." I laughed agreeing with him, although I had never seen their statue.
As we meandered around the groups of Newsies all of them took of their hats for me and would say hello to Mush or hit him on the back. We didn't stop until we got to a tall Newsie who was sitting amongst some barrels by himself staring out at the water a dark look in his eyes. Mush cleared his throat to alert him to the fact that we were standing there.
The Newsie looked up and his eyes cleared. He stood up and I could now see him more clearly. He was about six feet tall with messy blonde hair and green eyes that were sparkling mischievously. His pants and suspenders were a bright green, and his shirt was barely half way buttoned up, exposing much of his chest.
"Heya Hooli." Mush greeted him.
"Hiya Mush." The boy responded. Mush let go of my hand and they both proceeded to spit in their hands and then shook. I tried to stop myself from cringing. "Where's your manners Mush? Introduce your friend." Hooli continued.
"Oh," said Mush, "Yhea, this is Colleen," He pointed at where I was sitting on a crate. "And this is Hooli, the leader of the battery Newsies."
Hooli nodded a sly grin on his face, and I immediately took a dislike to him as he sat down next to me, a little too close. "And how did my ol' boy Mush manage to get a goil like you?" he asked his voice so oily I almost couldn't keep myself from shuddering.
"I'm not sure." I replied honestly. I got up and stood next to Mush, smiling up at him. "But it worked awfully well." I slipped my hand into his, trying my hardest to ignore the spit still lurking there. I gave Hooli a stare as I did this. He raised his eyebrows and nodded at me.
"So what brings you two to the Battery today?" He asked, standing up again.
"Well…" Mush started importantly. "You know how this morning they jacked up the price of the papes? Well we decided to go on strike and we're here to ask youse to join us against Pulitzer." His eyes lit up as he spoke with such earnestness.
"I don't know about that Mush, that's a bit of a risky business you're getting into." Hooli said slowly.
"Oh C'mon Hool, you know it's unfair." Mush added.
"I'm not saying it isn't unfair." Hooli said quickly. He glanced around, eyeing the rest of his boys. "But we don't want no trouble. Striking means the authorities getting involved. I don't see why Jack would be in such a hurry to get no chief of police after us."
My interests perked at the mention of Trixie's dad. I wondered why getting the authorities involved would be something so horrible and my dad's words about Newsboys echoed in my brain.
"Well what does Spot Conlon say?" Hooli finally asked.
"I don't know yet." Mush replied quietly. "We prolly sent someone over there to go talk to him." He glanced down and I could see a look of defeat come over him. "We sent someone to go talk to him same as you."
"Well I'll admit Mush 'ol boy, I like the idea of a strike. And we did discuss it a lil bit this morning. But if Spot don't back it up, it's a no go." Hooli smiled sadly at Mush and stuck out his hand. "I'm sorry kid. Youse are welcome to stay for a bit if'n you'd want to." He added. "I know you don't have anywhere to swim up there in…" He briefly donned a British accent. "Upper East Manhattan."
Mush laughed at his impression and nodded. "Sure, that is if you don't mind Colleen."
"Go ahead." I smiled tightly at him. I was the upper class of Upper East Manhattan that Hooli was making fun of and I wasn't sure if I liked being talked about that way. He didn't know us. I stared at him angrily but within a few moments I realized that he was referring to the same people I made fun of: the dimwitted elderly that came to visit my on my birthday were exactly those types.
The three of us made our way along to where the rest of the Battery Newsies were already jumping off of the bridge. I sat down when we stopped, refusing to jump in myself with all of the half naked boys.
Mush tossed me his shirt before he ran and jumped in. I shook my head to myself and folded his shirt neatly and put it next to me. I then decided to occupy myself by searching out the area for a place where I could be in the shade so my complexion wouldn't be a rosy pink when I returned to my Grandmother.
After about ten minutes I gave up, and instead I searched the Newsies in the water for any sign of Mush, after a few seconds I noticed a shadow over me, and I smiled up at him standing over me dripping. He sat down next to me and slid his arm around my waist shyly.
I smiled at him assuring and laid my head on his shoulder and we sat like that for a few minutes contentedly. Eventually though he turned and smiled mischievously at me. "Why don't you want to go for a swim?" He asked tightening his grip around my waist before I could escape.
I sighed, knowing it was futile to bother fighting. His voice was the same tone that Trixie's was when you couldn't talk her out of whatever she had planned no matter how silly it was. I put my arms around his neck as he lifted me up and began walking towards the edge of the bridge.
"You can swim right?" He asked pausing just as he was about to toss me over the edge. "I mean, are rich girls even allowed to swim?" He looked suddenly concerned as to whether or not he was tossing me to a watery grave.
"Of course I can." I muttered exasperatedly. "Just toss me in already."
He stared at me, still poised motionless over the edge of bridge, with open curiosity. "You realize I would have put you down had you said no right?" He asked chuckling slightly.
I nodded. "I didn't want to spoil your fun." I said, trying to think up a reasonable explanation.
He groaned. "I suppose you think I'm going to let you off just for that."
"Only if you want to get pushed in." I commented slyly as I lightly smacked his face.
"So that's how it is?" He asked raising his eyebrows. "Well then I shall wait no longer." He moved over and let go of me, but my arms were still around his neck. So instead of cooperatively letting go, I made sure that he lost his balance and fell in before I let go.
The water was kind of gross and muddy, and my skirt did nothing to aid me in swimming, but I soon popped up and glanced around for him. "Mush?" I called out uncertainly as I scanned the murky river. I began to worry that maybe since he hadn't been able to jump properly that he'd been hurt somehow. "Mush!" I called out more frantically.
"Boo!" He yelled in my ear, making me scream. I turned as he splashed me lightly, daring me to splash him back.
"You know, my dear Mush." I said, trying to make myself sound pitiful. "I would absolutely love to send torrents of this muddy water flying at you, but I don't think I'd have any hope of my hair ever drying." I simpered.
"You're already wet!" He pointed out tactlessly.
"And I have to get you back!" I agreed and taking him off guard I splashed him heartily before swimming away quickly.
I swam off under the bridge and hid behind one of the poles, carefully peering around to see where he was. But he'd disappeared again. I still shrieked when he reappeared in front of me, grabbing a hold of my wrists and holding them in front of me so I couldn't reattack.
"Now I've got you." He said flirtatiously.
"Oh but I let you toss me in." I whined.
"True." He said slowly.
"And I let you eat mashed potatoes at my house."
"Also true."
"And I wouldn't be as pretty." I added stubbornly fingering my wet hair.
"No you wouldn't." he replied, imitating my tone.
I sighed exasperatedly. "Fine, then you might as well get the splashing over with."
He gazed at me for a few seconds pondering. "Naw." He replied, letting go of my wrists and then brushing his hand over my wet hair. He then lightly brushed my cheek with his thumb and I realized just how close my face was to his. "Let's go back to Manhattan." He whispered.
A/N Numero deux: Okay, I always thought everything moves a little bit quickly here, but I really just wanted to get the plot moving to a certain point along with the strike so their relationship progresses REALLY quickly.