Maggie tried not to look at his bare chest, but she couldn’t help it. ‘Wow, and I thought Spot had a good body,’ she thought. But the moment she realized what she’d been thinking, she felt guilty, like she’d betrayed Spot. ‘Well, it’s okay. I love Spot, not Mush. And besides, looking doesn’t mean that much.’

"So are you shoa you wanna do dis," Mush asked doubtfully.

"Yeah. It’s worth a try. Normal selling doesn’t seem to work for me."

Maggie walked over to the bathroom and took a towel out of one of the drawers. She stuffed it into her shirt, trying to get all the lumps out.

"So, shall we go show Alex?" Maggie asked walking back into the room.

Mush just looked at her, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, it’s not that funny," she said. Then she looked down at herself and started giggling. "Okay, it is, but that’s not the point. C’mon, let’s go."

They both walked down the hall to the bunkroom, laughing. When they’d calmed down sufficiently, Maggie opened the door.

"Hey Alex?"

"Maggie?" Alex broke the silence in the room. All were staring open-mouthed, but none were more surprised than Alex. "Um… you aren’t pregnant," she said stating the obvious.

"I don’t think this is doing quite like I’d planned," Maggie whispered to Mush. "Well, you see," she said, rather shyly, "I was bad at selling, so we needed a better way to sell papers…"

Everyone was still staring at them, unblinking and surprised.

"Um… it’s supposed to be funny," Mush added softly.

"Well, she shoa looks funny…" they heard from the washroom. Then someone was laughing… then someone else, and soon everyone was.

"This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind either," Maggie turned to Mush, her cheeks pink.

"Why not? Dey’re laughing."

"Yeah, but I didn’t think it’d be everyone. Just a few people…" She gestured to the room in general, saying, "this is more than a few."

Mush snorted. "Well, dey may be laughin’ now, but in a week they’ll leave you alone and I’ll still be getting’ teased."

"Oh yeah," Blink said walking up to them, "that’s the truth."

"Well come on, I wanna get out of here," Maggie insisted. "Let’s go."

Alright," Mush agreed. They walked out of the room and closed the door to escape the scattered laugher still echoing in the bunkroom.

Alex shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and walked over to Blink.

"That’s got to be the funniest thing I’ve seen in awhile," she giggled.

"Yeah, I know." Blink still had the surprised look in his eyes.

"So, um… did you talk to him," Alex asked.

"Well, I... uh no, not exactly." He looked at Alex’s angry face and hurried on, "but, I mean, you saw ‘em. I think it might work, ya know. We should just let it happen an’ not get involved…"

"Okay," Alex said. "So you really think it’ll happen," she asked excitedly.

"I shoa hope so," Blink said, though Alex didn’t understand his full meaning.

"Remind me again why we’re doing this?" Maggie asked, still shy and embarrassed.

"Well, you did think it was a good idea yesterday. I mean, when ya walked into the bunkroom an’ all. An’ besides, you rememba what happened yestaday," Mush answered.

"Just because I was bad at selling doesn’t mean you have to give me a hard time about it," Maggie retorted teasingly.

"No, that ain’t what I meant," Mush said, not realizing that she was teasing him. "I just mean dat you brought it up in da restaurant…"

"I know, I know that’s what you meant," Maggie giggled, but she quickly sobered up. "So are we gonna go?"

"Yeah, shoa… you really wanna do dis?"

Maggie took a deep breath and the cool morning air, not yet polluted from the smoke of factories, filled her lungs, and she felt calm. "Yeah, let’s go," she said.

Maggie stood on the street corner feeling like the strangest person in the city. And, from the looks she was getting from some people, they thought so, too. But looking at all the people crowded around her and Mush, the idea was obviously working.

A couple walking down the street stopped, the man walking up to Mush to buy a paper, but the woman continued talking to Maggie.

"And how far along are you," the woman asked Maggie kindly.

"I… um… eight months?" Maggie stammered.

"Oh you don’t know? You should go see a doctor soon to make sure your baby is healthy. I can recommend one if you’d like."

"Oh no, that’s okay. I just, um, forgot for a second," Maggie said trying to get out of the situation.

"Alright. So are you two married then?" she asked Maggie curiously.

"I… uh-"

"Yep. Almost ten months," Mush stepped in, putting his arm around a flustered Maggie.

"That’s so sweet," the woman smiled. "Well good luck together," she called out as she and the man walked away.

Maggie heaved a big sigh into Mush’s shoulder. "Thanks. I didn’t know what to say."

"Yeah well." Then realizing how they were standing, Mush quickly dropped his arm from Maggie's waist.

"I don’t think I wanna do this anymore," Maggie whispered. "I feel really bad about doing this, like… can we just go back so I can change?"

"Yeah, shoa Maggie,’ Mush answered softly.

Alex had watched Mush and Maggie selling papers, and then had seen the woman come up and talk to Maggie. Maggie had just stood there wringing her hands and looking nervous until Mush came up and put his arm around her and said something. When the couple had left, Maggie sighed and rested her head on Mush’s shoulder.

‘I wish I could hear what they’re saying,’ Alex thought to herself.

Mush dropped his hand from Maggie's waist and Maggie said something in return, then the two turned and walked back in the direction of the lodging house. Meanwhile, Alex sighed in frustration.

"Why can’t those two just like each other," she muttered, loosing her patience with the situation. "I mean, if I can’t be happy, at least they should be!"

"An' why aren’t you happy," Alex heard from behind her.

"Oh, hey Blink. Well, it’s not that I’m not happy, it’s just that… oh I don’t know how to explain it, so never mind."

"Um, okay," Blink said. "In dat case, I’ll see you at Tibby’s."

"Okay," Alex sighed, walking away, wishing more than anything that Mush and Maggie would do what she wanted.

"Don’t ever let me get carried away with another idea like that," Maggie pleaded when she walked out of the bathroom. She had taken the towel out of her shirt and was back to her normal outfit. "I feel like such an idiot, and I lied to all those people."

"Yeah, but we always lie ta sell papes," Mush said cutting her off.

"But I don’t," Maggie said. "Man, I hate being so good and moral all the time," she added bitterly.

"Oh, c’mon, it ain’t that bad," Mush insisted, trying to make her feel better.

"Yeah, but what if Spot doesn’t like those kind of girls. I mean, what if that’s why he broke up with me and threw me out." Maggie felt her lip start to tremble, and hot tears welling up in her eyes. "And I hate being such a crybaby!" She shoved her hands across her cheeks, leaving only the remnants of tearstains, then sighed deeply trying to calm herself down.

"Wait, what do you mean you lie to sell papers," Maggie asked, remembering what Mush had said. "Like how you change the headlines?"

"Well yeah, I guess that’s what I meant," Mush shrugged. "Hey, ya wanna go ta lunch? I’m getting’ kinda hungry. We could go ta Tibby’s."

"But doesn’t everyone else go to Tibby’s? I don’t wanna see Alex or Blink or Jack or… well just about anyone. They’re gonna ask how selling went and all, so can we not go to Tibby’s? Please?"

"You’re just trying to get me to take you ta dat Italian place again, ain’t cha," Mush said trying to get a smile out of Maggie.

She did smile, but it was bittersweet and choked with tears. "I guess. Maybe. I’m just really embarrassed ‘cause I thought it’d be fun last night and it didn’t turn out like I wanted," she sighed.

Mush looked at Maggie with a raised eyebrow, catching another meaning in what she had said. Confusion crossed Maggie's face until she realized what she’d said and what is sounded like. She promptly leaned over and shoved Mush, laughing.

"You are so gross," she giggled.

"Well at least I got a laugh outta you," Mush teased. He reached his arm out and put it around Maggie's shoulders, pulling her up against his chest. "C'mon, I’ll take ya out for Italian."

Race slumped tiredly into a booth at Tibby’s across from Blink and Jack.

"Man, it’s a long walk all da way from da racetrack," he observed, laying his head on the table.

"Gee, ya think," Jack teased, smacking his head.

"So how d’ya think Mush and Maggie are doing," Blink asked with a hint of humor in his voice.

"If I know anything about Maggie," Alex said sliding into the booth next to Race, "she started feeling bad and had to stop after ten minutes. So don’t bring it up tonight, okay boys?"

They all nodded in agreement, not wanting to get on the wrong side of Alex’s quick temper.

"So hey," Jack said trying to lighten the mood, "didja guys read dat story on da front page today?"

Mush and Maggie walked along the streets of Manhattan. A soft breeze was blowing, playing with Maggie's hair. Mush yelled out the headlines of the afternoon edition as they walked, his stack of papers slowly dwindling. Maggie's eyes looked around the streets, at the people and buildings. Suddenly, her eyes stopped at the window display in one of the shops, and she immediately halted.

Mush backed up the second he noticed Maggie wasn’t beside him. "What is it," he asked, peering over her shoulder.

"It’s Robinson Crusoe," she said, but Mush couldn’t tell what her tone meant.

"Um, do ya want it?" he asked.

"No, it just reminds me of… actually, yes, I do want it, but I don’t have enough money."

"Oh well dat’s okay, I can give you whatcha need," Mush said walking over to the door of the bookshop.

"Oh no, I couldn’t let you," Maggie said.

"Oh yes ya can, an’ you will," Mush insisted pulling her in the door after himself.

The man at the counter was startled to see the two walk into his store. He expected them to ask directions somewhere, and was surprised when they didn’t.

"Hi. Uh, how much is dat book in da window? Da red one," Mush asked the old balding man.

He took the book out of the display and looked at the tag reading ‘seventy-five cents.’ The man looked at Mush and Maggie, then back at the book.

"It’s forty cents," the man said, taking pity on them, and remembering when he was too poor to buy books of his own.

Maggie reached into her pocked and drew out thirty-two cents in assorted coins, including the quarter from the day before. "I just need eight cents," she said to Mush, who took the money out of his own pocket and placed it on the counter next to the rest of the money.

The man took the money and put it in the register, then took the small price tag off the back of the book, handing it to Maggie.

"Thank you," Maggie said politely, smiling kindly at the man.

"My pleasure. Enjoy the book," he said smiling back.

Mush and Maggie walked out of the shop and started back toward the lodging house, while Mush sold the last of his papers and Maggie started to read where she’d left off back in Brooklyn.

"Hey Ma - ow!" Alex yelled as Maggie ran into her with the book she was engrossed in.

"Huh? Oh Alex, I’m sorry," Maggie quickly apologized when she realized what had happened. "I didn’t mean to, I was just lost in the book."

"Hey, it’s fine Maggie. Although from now on, maybe you shouldn’t walk while you’re reading," Alex said grinning slyly at Maggie.

"Okay, I’ll see what I can do," Maggie replied grinning back.

Mush and the two girls walked into the lodging house and up the stairs to the bunkroom. Maggie flopped down on one of the bunks and continued reading, and Alex walked over to join Race, Blink and Bumlets in a game of poker. Mush looked down at himself and decided that he needed to get clean, so he headed into the washroom.

When he walked back into the bunkroom ten minutes later, he found the room noisier and more crowded than when he’d left it. The poker game was much larger and there were countless other things going on, but when he looked over at Maggie, it was obvious she was unaware of the insanity going on around her. Mush walked over and climbed carefully onto the bunk, trying not to disturb her.

"Wouldn’t it be much easiah to read if ya weren’t in da same room as all da rest a da boys," Mush whispered carefully in Maggie's ear.

Maggie's eyes fluttered up from the white pages of the book. "Oh, hey. Yeah, it probably would… wait, why is your hair all wet?"

"I was takin’ a bath," Mush answered. "So really, how can ya concentrate with all dis noise?"

"I dunno actually," Maggie replied, surprised that she had been so lost in the book. "But I think I’m gonna hafta go back into my room to start reading again."

"Okay. In dat case, I’ll be in dere in a couple hours ta go ta bed," Mush said before climbing off the bunk.

Maggie looked around for something to use as a bookmark, but found nothing, so she put her finger between the pages and climbed down the bunk with one hand. She walked over to the poker game to say goodnight to Alex, who acknowledged her with an offhand "uh-huh," then walked out of the bunkroom and down the hall to her own bedroom.

With only thirty cents left from the poker game, Mush decided to stop while he was ahead… or at least had money left.

"Well guys, I think I’m done for tonight," Mush said standing up. "It’s been a pleasah loosing half my money ta you, Race," he grinned, "but truthfully, I wanna be able ta sell tomorrow, so I’m quittin’."

"Okay, goodnight Mush," Alex said smiling up at him. Mush’s heart fluttered as he smiled back.

"Goodnight Alex," he answered, standing there for a moment, then realizing he was supposed to be leaving.

Mush turned around and almost floated out of the bunkroom, walking down the hall toward Maggie's room. He opened the door to Maggie's room, trying not to disturb her from the book she was reading, but when he walked in, he found Maggie fast asleep with the book lying open on her stomach. Mush closed the door with a careful click and walked slowly over to the bed. He picked up the book and put it on the dresser next to the bed.

Immediately, Maggie started whimpering and reaching her arms out, though Mush wasn’t sure if she was reaching for the book or something else.

"Shh Maggie, it’s okay," Mush comforted her, and he sat down on the bed and, like all the nights before, picked her up in his arms, trying to calm her down. Soon afterward, he too was asleep.

Maggie was in a field. The sweet scent of lavender floated on the breeze, and she was surrounded by more flowers than she could remember the names of. Soft green grass covered the hills as far as she could see. There was a pond, sparkling and clear, so still that she could see her reflection in the water.

Then the soft breeze picked up again, and the pond was covered in ripples. Maggie headed over to a tree halfway up a tiny rise of a hill, and she leaned her back against it. The yellow sun shone and warmed her face.

Suddenly something was taken out of her hands that she hadn’t even realized was there. She didn’t know what it was or where it had gone, but she wanted it back. The previously soft breeze picked up and became a strong wind, and the warm sun was covered by dark clouds.

Maggie tried desperately to hold back the hair that was whipping madly around her face, when suddenly, the wind started to slow. Maggie looked up and found herself not in the field, but in empty whiteness. But no, it wasn’t entirely empty, because there was her mother, slowly moving toward her.

Maggie reached her arms toward her mother, scared that something would happen before she got there. Her fears were irrational though, because her mother was there, she was holding her, and Maggie was safe.

"Shh Maggie, it’s okay," her mother said, but like the times before, it didn’t sound exactly like her mom. There was something else there.

Her mother started singing, a song that Maggie remembered from when she was a child and her mom was trying to put her to sleep.

"G’night Mommy," Maggie whispered sleepily.

"Good night, Princess."

Alex rolled over and threw the pillow over her head, trying to block out Kloppman’s voice and the noise all the other newsies were making. "Man, I don’t wanna get up," she groaned.

Finally, she threw the pillow back off her head and yelled, "hey Jack!"

"Whadda ya want, Sleepin’ Beauty," Jack teased.

Alex glared up at him before replying. "Can you go wake up Mush and Maggie for me?"

Jack stood there with a smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised.

"Fine… please?!" Alex grumbled.

"Whatevah you want… Sleepin’ Beauty," Jack said as he turned to walk out of the bunkroom, but he was suddenly hit in the back of the head by Alex’s pillow. "I put up with an awful lot from you Alex," Jack grinned.

"It’s because you love me so much. Now go!" she said, threatening him with another pillow.

When Jack opened the door, he found both still asleep. Maggie's arm lay across Mush’s stomach, her head on his shoulder, and Mush’s arms were wrapped around her.

"Ya know, if I didn’t know any better," Jack remarked to Race, who was walking by, "that’d look a lot worse than it really is."

Race peered in the door to see Mush and Maggie. "Well yeah Jacky-boy, but unless we awl missed somethin’, dere’s nothing going on."

Jack turned around and smirked at Race. "You just don’t want Mush to sleep with a goil before you do," he joked.

"Damn right," Race replied grinning. "So Jack, dere’s this hot tip at da races –"

"Don’t even think about it Race," Jack said laughing. "I’ll see ya at the distribution center."

"Okay. Bye Cowboy."

"Hey Mushie, it’s time to get up," Jack said quietly, grinning when Mush didn’t hear him. Then he grabbed the blanket and pulled, tumbling Mush out of bed and Maggie right with him.

"Oh you’re gonna die for dat one," Mush said, struggling to get out of the blankets, and not having much success.

"Not if ya can’t catch me," Jack laughed, walking out of the room.

After finally untangling themselves, Maggie went into her bathroom and Mush stayed in the main room, and both changed clothes.

"Hey Maggie, ya gonna come with me today," Mush asked when she walked in the room again.

"Yeah, sure. I mean, we do have to figure out a way to get Jack back for this morning… my shoulder hurts from hitting the floor," she added, pouting.

Mush laughed. "Well then. He has to pay."