I'm sorry I have been MIA for months. My life has been insane. I'm so ready to begin this again. Love youse guys so much.              -Lizzy Topaz

I don't know exactly what went on in the office. Though, I have always wondered what went on in the 'Room where it happens'. The room where the paper gets edited. The room that decided to change our lives and livelihood forever. The room where Jack and Les get filled with so much rage and passion that they led us straight into the biggest movement ever started by the Newsies. 

When they were thrown out of the building, Jack and Les landed hard on their butts. Jack immediately jumped up like nothing had happened. He was barely down for a moment. On the other hand, Les continued to sit there and yell insults at the now closed and bolted door to the news building. 

The Newsies and I watched as Jack paced back and forth in front of the door. He was wresting his hat in his hands and shaking his head as if he were deep in thought. His eyebrows were low, and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. 

"What now, jackie boy?" Asked crutchie in a concerned tone. 

Jack looked up and surveyed us all with a grimace on his face. 

"I don't know." he conceded. 

"Great." said David, "So, that's it?"

Jack looked at David and furrowed his brow. "what do you mean, 'that's it'?"

"You're just going to give up? You're not going to fight for your rights or try to make things better for all those Newsies out there who just got screwed over by Pulitzer? I mean, look at the headlines. The Trolley workers are fighting for their right to better pay and fair hours. They are done being pushed around by some big wig who doesn't know or understand the plight of the working man."

Jack seethed, "I never said I was giving up."

David crossed his arms, "Well, you sure looked like you were. All of us are standing here depending on you, and you're giving us the look of someone who just wants to give up."

Jack stepped forward, "I NEVER SAID I WAS GIVING UP."

"Well...then....what's your plan?"

Jack straightened his shoulders, "We split up."

"Uh, Jackie," said Crutchie hobbling closer to Jack, "I hate ta break it to you, but the whole point of the strike is to stick together."

"Yeah," said Jack, "But we gotta split up to rally the troops, so to speak."

Everyone nodded. 

"Yeah." said Mush echoing the nods, "We need whatcha-ma-callem's.......... Ambastards."

"Ambassadors." corrected David. 

Jack shook his head at Mush, "Quit embarrassing us in front of the new kid, would ya?"

"Just get on with it." said Mush. 

"As I was saying," continued Jack, "We need to split up and spread the news. It needs to be done quickly seeing as how this is a time sensitive issue."

"Time sensitive?" asked Romeo. 

"I don't know 'bout all of youse, but i don't exactly have a mound of gold hidden under my pillow or a long lost rich relative I can run to for an extra nickel. If this takes too long, we'll all be without a job and more poor than we are now, and that's not saying much." 

"You'se have a point." said Crutchie, "I mean, even I can only survive off this smile for so long. After a bit ,my charms will wear off, and the ladies will stop giving me a nickel just to smile in their direction." 

"Please," said Specs, "They would probably give you a dime just so you would stop looking at them."

"I'd give you a quarter just to stop opening your big mouth."

David stepped next to Jack raising his hands to get everyone's attention, "We are getting way off topic. Let's let Jack finish."

"Thanks, Dave." Jack rubbed his hands together and began once more, "We have to tell everyone that we are striking with or without them and that if they don't want to go down in history as scabbers, they will help us. Whose with me?"

"I am!" yelled Blink. "I'll take Harlem. They love me."

"Probably because you stink worse than they do so they feel better about themselves, " said Race, "I'll take Midtown. I've got a tip on a street match that might work out in my favor if I can get in there early."

"Maybe you should think about holding onto your money instead of just giving it away like that," said Mush. 

"Hey!" said Race, "I got this from a very reliable source."

"I hope it's not the same 'reliable source' you got your last match's tip from. If it is, just throw your money in the street or swallow it.At least if you swallow it, you will have some chance of a return on the investment." Mush countered. 

"Why I oughta-" started Race. 

"FELLAS." Yelled Jack. 

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, alright. I'll take the Battery." Said Mush. 

Crutchie raised his hand, "I guess I'll take the Bronx."

"Okay." said Jack, "Wese need to speed this up. Otherwise we'll be here until tomorrow. Alright. And Bumlets, and Specs and Skittery, you take Queens.  Pie Eater! Snoddy! East Side! Snipeshooter, you go with 'em. Last, but certainly not least, Brooklyn. Come on, Spot Conlon's territory? What'sa matta? You scared of Brooklyn?"

Mush straightened up, "Who youse callin' scared? Because wese aren't scared."

"Knock it off, Mush. No one was calling youse scared, youse already have an assignment. Ise referring to everyone else." said Jack

"Well," said Mush, "Everyone else probably is just thinkin that Spot Conlon makes them a little noivous."

Jack straightened up, "Well, he doesn't make me nervous."

David rolled his eyes as Jack continued. 

"Me, Dave, Les, and Pen will take Brooklyn while the rest of you round up any scragglers who haven't heard our cause yet and get them to join us."

David started, "Uh. I actually think Les and I have something to d-"

"So, Why is everyone so afraid of Brooklyn?" said a voice from the outside of our mass.

We all turned to look at an attractive young woman with strawberry blond hair holding a notepad.