"Up an' at 'em Feisty, them papes ain't gonna sell themselves!" Jack yelled at the door before going back to wake up the others. It was weird hearing Jack's voice instead of Wolf's, but then again everything was messed up, but she was too tired to care.

She grumbled and then rolled out of bed; as usual, she pulled on her suspenders, buttoned up her shirt, grabbed her vest, put on and laced up her boots, then quickly did her signature braids and tucked it under her cap.

After she was done she headed out of her room, and as usual the mayhem never stopped, which is one of the things she loved most about early mornings at the Lodge. Sure, it was the same old same old, but that's what she loved about her boys.

It was the same thing every morning, but it was done in a different way. She stood in the doorway of her room, which was just an old storage closet that Kloppman made into a room when she was ten since she was a growing girl in a place full of boys and needed her space.

"Heya Feisty," a familiar voice said. She turned around, crossed her arms and walked off to the sink to wash her face.

"The cold shoulder," Buttons said as he walking past Mush.

"Harsh," Sniper added.

"Good luck kid, yer gonna need it." Romeo finished. As if having his best friend giving him the cold shoulder, then the youngest boy in the Lodge called him 'kid', Mush didn't know what else could go wrong....until Jack came up from behind, grabbed him by the collar and started asking questions. "What took ya so long ta get back. Ya had us all worried sick." Jack narrowed his eyes at Mush

"Out on a date, not laying in the gutter dead." Mush pulled away from Jack's grip. He saw that everyone in the bunk room was staring, but he didn't care. Instead he went up to Feister, who just turned her back and walked away. Mush knew he messed up, and big time; when Feister got red hot steaming mad there was no way she was going to forgive and forget that easily.

Since Feister is, well...feisty, and a hot head and short tempered, the boys made up a scale on how angry she was so whenever she did get angry they would know how to deal with it. The scale went from bubbling water, bond fire, over 100 degrees and erupting volcano. And at the moment she was somewhere in between bubbling water and bond fire.

Which wasn't too bad....yet. After getting ready for the morning the newsies headed off to the Distribution Center. They stopped by the cart where the Nuns were giving away free bread and coffee before heading over to the Distribution center.

The whole walk there the boys could feel the tension between Mush and Feister. Usually this would never happen. Ok, so the first time Mush and Feister met was a little well...let's just say things were said, and the next morning they were best friends. They were pretty much a package deal, or like two peas in a pod. You never saw one without the other, and now? Now it was just weird and just wrong.

After getting to the gate the headline was put up; which was bad, as per usual. The gate was unlocked and as usual they all lined up to get the papers. Some jokes were cracked at Weasel, who wasn't impressed, but found it annoying if anything.

The newsies loved picking on Mr. Wiesel, or Weasel as they call him because Weasel cheats them out of their money, or doesn't give them all the papers they bought.

There were also his nephews, Oscar and Morris Delancey. Bullies who like to pick on the newsies. Usually the Delanceys would pick on the youngers or the smaller ones, but they mostly went after Crutchie, Feister, and Romeo. With Crutchie being a gimp, Feister being a girl, and Romeo being the youngest it made sense in their sick twisted minds.

"Feisty..." Mush tapped her on the shoulder. Feister turned around, crossed her arms and looked him dead in the eyes."Whaddya want Mush brains?!" she snapped.

"We's still sellin'?" he asked quietly.

"Can't I's busy with somethin'," she snapped then she was about to say something else but then Weasel said, "Alright girly, get yer papes and move-"

"Along, I's know that Weasel. Get my papes an' move along, it's always get the papes an' move along, so why don't you just put a sock in it for once cause we's know, it's get the papes an' move along," she yelled, slamming fifty cents onto the black box.

Everyone, including Weasel and the Delanceys were speechless, because Feister never once went beyond the lines of a joke.

When Feister saw everyone's staring she said, or more liked yelled, "You boys." she glared back at her brothers. "Put a sock in it too. An' you'se." she pointed to the Delanceys. "Put those slime ball smiles back where they came from cause if you'se thought I's has a temper on a good day you'se don't wanna mess with me when I's in a bad mood, now stop yer gawkin' an' give me my stinkin' papes so I's can 'move along an' do my stinkin' job!" With that being said Oscar handed her the papers, she snatched them and then stormed out of the Distribution center, leaving the place full of boys dumbfounded.

"How in the heck do ya put up with 'er?" Morris asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"She usually ain't like that," Jack replied. Which was kind of true since she only ever yelled at whoever she is mad at. When ever Feister got mad she'd blow up like no tomorrow. She would go on forever if it weren't for Mush keeping her calm.

Some of the boys called Mush and Feister, fire and water because with Feister's short temper and Mush's go with the flow personalities. It made and didn't make sense that a girl like Feister and a boy like Mush would be the ones to calm the other down or get them mad more than anything.

Heck, the two of them fight like a married couple sometimes. But look out for each other like siblings and laugh like best friends.

"Wasn't asking you'se Cowboy," Morris snapped, he tilted his head to Mush. "Was asking Mush brains, cause she looked bout ready ta soak the livin' daylights outta 'im." When nobody answered there was another awkward silence.

This was true. When it came to Mush she seemed to get more annoyed. Maybe it was the first thing he said to her when she walked in, or maybe it was because she has a crush on him. Either way, Mush would mostly get yelled at. Besides Race, or one of the other boys. It depends on her mood.

"How old is she?" Weasel asked, making everyone look at him.

"Thirteen," all the newsies replied without a second thought. But they wondered why Weasel would ask something like that. Like their age matters to an old grump like him.

Weasel nodded then said, "If ya ask me, I say it's her lady time."

"What's a lady time?" little Romeo asked. Weasel grin and said, "Ya see boys, when a goil becomes a certain age-" A bunch of 'shut ups' filled the air; some of the boys covered their ears. Even Oscar and Morris told their uncle to 'shut up'.

Weasel's grin became bigger. "Yer gonna hafta learn bout it sooner or later." Weasel enjoyed the few moments of the newsies and even his own nephews discussed remarks. "Alright enough about the female body." Another round of 'shut ups' and even a few gags filled the air as well. "you'se boys have a job ta do, now-"

"Get yer papes an' move along," all the newsies and the Delanceys said at the same time.

───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────

That day Feister went selling by herself. She decided to go to a nearby park since she didn't feel like walking that much. But she had to admit she was a little lonely selling by herself. But shook it off. Race sold by himself in Brooklyn, and Jack often did to, not to mention some of the others as well. "If they's can do it so can I." she thought.

By mid morning Feister was almost done selling. So, she decided to go check up on one on of the boys and sell the last of her papers on the way there.

As she walked out she ended up selling the last of her papers, which earned her enough money for lunch at Jacobi's and Lodging that night. She got lucky that day since usually she'd make double when she sold with Mush. It was a little weird using her selling tactics without him since they made it up together.

Feister stuffed her hands in her pockets while wondering if she had been a little rough with Mush. Sure, he didn't tell her something and hid it for a week, but it just felt weird not having him next to her. As long as she could remember her life as a newsie he had always been next to her through the thick and thin, and it was weird not having him there at the moment.

She wasn't sure what she was going to do. Sure, he lied and made her feel that weird feeling that burned up inside her body, but she missed him. She was almost out of the park when out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar face. She knew this was her chance to make things right.

But, as she was about to go up to him she then saw a girl with him. Who had wavy blonde hair, and was dressed a little nicer. The blonde girl was holding his hand while laughing at something he probably said, and was smiling the entire time. He also seemed to be enjoying himself. Which made Feister's heart drop again.