I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long! I feel terrible. I have been super busy with school. I hope you all really enjoy this next chapter! A special thanks to BrooklynsQueen who encouraged me to update!  Comment on what your favorite musical is! Mine is either 42 street, Les Mis, or (obviously) Newsies!  -Lizzy Topaz

After the dog and pony show put on by the giggling nit-wits, Jack led us out of the theater.

David and Les waved goodbye and headed home, and Jack led me back to the Lodging house in silence. Before we entered, Jack turned to me and said, "Is something wrong?"

I was taken aback, "Why would you think that, Jack?"

He put his hands in his pockets and looked at me, "Why did you ignore me at the Theater with Medda and the girls?"

"I wasn't ignoring you. Those girls are annoying."

He looked at me and smiled, "You're jealous."

I felt my cheeks redden, "What?! No! I-"

He stepped forward and pulled my hat off. He was standing so close to me, I could feel his breath on my forehead. He carefully undid the intricate weaving my hair was in. My hair slowly fell to my shoulders, and I tipped my forehead back to look at Jack. As I did, he leaned down and his lips met mine.

The kiss was fast and sweet. It felt like a thousand fireworks were going off in my head, and I felt myself lift to my toes.

He slowly pulled away. He stepped away and grabbed my hand as he did so. He gently pulled me into the Lodging house and led me upstairs. He led me past boys sleeping in bunks, and he led me to his. He gestured for me to climb onto the top bunk and he rested his arms on the top bunk nest to me and he rested his head on his arms. He looked at me and whispered, "Jealous." and with a smirk he strode out of the room.

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The next day, I woke up to someone ramming their elbows into my gut.

I sat up and hugged my gut. I groaned. "Whatwasthat?"

"STARK!" I familiar voice shouted, "GET OFF HER BED AND LEAVE HER ALONE YOU LITTLE BUGGER!"

Mush rushed into view and pulled Stark off the bed who resisted by grabbing hold of the bed frame. Mush looked at me apologetically as he tried to pull Stark off the bed and away from me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.

I nodded because I didn't want him to hear how out of breath I was from Stark's jab.

He sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. He must have though Jack was up here. Stark always wakes Jack up that way and well-" he grunted as he pulled on a stubborn Stark who wouldn't let go, "He must have been surprised when Jack wasn't up here, but the little beast must not have cared it was you. I don't think he really understands the concept of girls."

I looked at him as he struggled to keep hold of a wiggling Stark, "What do you mean by 'The concept of girls'?"

"Ya know, that you are more delicate and soft than us guys. You cry a lot and that stuff."

"Excuse me?" I said looking at Mush.

He looked at me, and I saw realization dawning on his face. He looked horrified and he loosened his grip on Stark just long enough for Stark to crawl to the other side of the bed. "Well. See, I-. I didn't-"

"You didn't what, Mush? Mean to insult me?"

"Well, what I meant was, you aren't as strong as us guys."

"Was that supposed to be you fixing your insult?"

"All I was trying to say was, you aren't as tough as us fellas."

"Oh." I looked at him for a moment and then I launched myself off the top bunk. We fell to the floor, me on top. He pushed me off, "What the hell?"

I reached over and socked him a good one right in the eye.

"Hey! Cut it out!" yelled Mush, "It's not a fair fight!"

"And why not?" I asked rubbing my knuckles.

"Cause you're a girl! I can't hit you!"

"Well, it certainly doesn't stop me from hitting you!"

He opened his good eye and looked at me and he mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked knowing full well what he had said.

"Imsorry."

"A little louder. I couldn't quite hear you."

"I AM SORRY!"

I heard someone burst into laughter behind me and I turned to see all the boys staring and to see Jack standing there, bent over with uncontrollable laughter. One by one the rest of the boys followed Jack's example. After a minute, I started to laugh as well.

I turned back to look at Mush who was standing there with his mouth open. His eye had swollen shut and was turning several different shades of purple, blue, and green.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY YA SCABBAHS!" Mush yelled over the laughter. They all just laughed harder at his reddening face.

"It's kinda funny." wheezed Racetrack.

After a while, Mush walked out of the room. When he passed Jack, Jack slapped him playfully on the back. "Come On, Mush. She just slugged you. It coulda been worse. You'll be alright. The only thing dented is your pride. And you shouldn't have said what you said in the first place."

Mush nodded solemnly and walked out of the crowded room. After a minute, Stark ran out after him.

I turned to head into the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. I felt someone's arm rest on my shoulders, and I was pulled into a hug. It was Jack. He pulled away and looked down at me and smiled. "I'm proud of you."

"Why?" I asked.

"You stood up for yourself and other girls. What Mush said was uncalled for. I'm glad you handled it when you did because I was about to launch myself at him, and it would have been way worse than your single punch. I hate it when people are insulted or picked on. It infuriates me to no end. They think that for whatever reason they can pick on those they deem weaker or less smart than they are-"

I rested my hand on his chest and said, "Calm down. He knows he was wrong. Let's go get ready for the day."

Jack smiled and followed me into the bathroom which was full of  yelling Newsies. They shoved past each other in order to use the sinks. Boys were shaving and washing their faces in an attempt to clean themselves up a little before they started the day.

Me and Jack inserted ourselves into the fray around the sinks. Immediately the boys backed up and gave me tons of space to get one of the sinks to myself. Jack walked over to my sink that all the other boys had backed away from. He was smiling.

"You smile a lot." I said.

"Thank you." He said still smiling.

He bent over and kissed my forehead. I heard  a chorus of boys squeal, "Ewwwwww!"

Jack laughed. "Alright, enough. About your business."

Jack braided and twisted my hair up so it would fit in my hat.

As he gently pulled my hair into the delicate twist, I watched his nimble fingers coax my unruly waves into a beautiful up do. When I watched his fingers, I noticed that he was looking at me in a funny way.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said looking down at his own fingers.

"It wasn't nothing a minute ago."

He looked at me again and smirked, "Are you always this flirtatious?"

"Only on days that end in 'y'."

He threw his heads back in a laugh that made me smile.

He looked at back at me, "What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing."

"It wasn't nothing  a minute ago."

I looked at him and mimicked his smirk, "Are you always this flirtatious?"

"Only when I'm with you."

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When we got to the distribution center, We noticed something next to the headline. It was were the price usually was. It was still a price but the 5 had changed to a 6.

I nudged Jack and pointed to the new price.

I watched as Jack's facial expression changed from confusion, to horror, to anger, and then finally determination. By the time jack's range of emotions had been completed, All the Newsies had noticed the price change.

The crowd of Newsies had changed into a roiling mass of boys who were all chorusing the same question, "Why?"

"Jack!" David yelled running up to Jack.

Les lagged behind David.

David stood in front of Jack breathlessly said, "Did you.......notice the........price change?"

"Is Pulitzer a b*stard?" Jack seethed through his clenched teeth.

"No?" David said confused.

"YES!" Jack yelled as he pulled at his hair in frustration.

Mush came up holding a squirming Stark in his thick arms, "Jack!" Mush said frantically, "What are we going to do? Stark and I don't have enough money to afford the papes. None of the fellas do."

Jack looked in the direction of the window where Weasel sold the papes. Jack stood tall and marched up to the window.

"WEASEL!" Jack yelled as he pounded his fist on the counter causing the papers to rattle and fall off.

"Whatta ya want, kid?" said Weasel.

"I WANNA KNOW WHO JACKED UP THE PRICE?"

"I DIDN'T MAKE THAT FANTASTIC DECISION SO DON'T YELL AT ME YA-"

I don't know what he said next because Crutchie reached out and covered my ears. Jack yelled something back at him, but I didn't get to hear that either.

Finally when my ears were uncovered, Jack was being escorted out by the Delancy brothers. We all followed him.

The gates clanged shut behind us. We all turned to look at Jack who was leaning against the large statue in the square outside the gates of the distribution center.

He looked scared and stressed out. I mean, I would to if I had this many boys looking to me for what to do next. So many of these boys looked to Jack as a child would to their father.

Jack looked up at me. I could see the fear written in his eyes. The Newsies converged around him and began hounding him with questions.

I was pushed to the back of the crowd where Les and the other smaller boys were.

Les looked up at me and said, "What are they doing to Jack in there?"

"I don't know." I said shaking my head.

"We have to help him."

"I know."

Les began hopping from one foot to the next. "I have an idea."

Before I could say something, Les burrowed into the huge group of young men and disappeared.

Five minutes later, I heard someone yell, "GIVE THE MAN SOME ROOM TO BREATHE!"