It was late at night as Mush walked up to the Refuge. The tall brick walls and large and locked gate stopped anyone from coming in or out. He slowly started to remember the last time he ever saw this nightmare of a place. Last year when Feister's wanna be brother Will came and made life for the newsies a nightmare. Now, if Mush thought that what happened to him was bad, he couldn't even imagine what would happened to Feister.
After carefully climbing the gate Mush quietly made his was to the fire escape, luckily no guards were on the job. He guessed they were all passed out somewhere at one of the bars in the city. Not knowing which window to knock on Mush tried his luck on a random one. "Are you tryin' ta get put in here?" a little boy who looked a bit younger than Romeo asked once the window was open.
"Relax kid, I's just lookin' for my friend," Mush replied. "Dark hair, big brown eyes, really feisty, an' is a...a goil."
"A goil?" the kid repeat. "So it is true."
"Is she here?" Mush asked hopefully.
"Two floors above."
"Thanks kid," Mush replied quickly before heading two floors up. Hopefully Feister was there, if she wasn't then he'd just had to keep trying. He needed to see for himself that she was alright, while hoping he wouldn't get caught, or he'd be in big trouble. Mush knocked on the window and soon enough a boy with sky blue eyes and dirty blonde hair came, and before the boy could say anything he asked, "Listen, ya got a new kid in here, Dark eyes an' hair, goes by Feister."
"Is Feister a goil?" the boy asked. When he nodded the kid ran off to get her, and Mush was preparing himself to see the worst. He was anxious to if she was ok. He blamed him for the whole Refuge mess. If he had just kept a closer eye on her, maybe this wouldn't have happened,
Mush was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar teasing voice say, "I never thought I'd be happy ta see yer ugly mug." Mush looked up, and sure enough he saw Feister, who was thankfully in one piece.
"Thanks," she said to the boy, who nodded before leaving them to talk. Mush examined Feister's injuries, there were too many bruises and cuts to count, which was all covered in dirt that probably hid more injuries. Her hair was falling out of the braids she wore. But her eyes, they were still the biggest, brownest eyes that always had a spark.
"Ya got a little shiner there," Feister said quietly as he reached through the bars of the window and carefully ran her fingers under his eye before pulling away.
"So how're you feeling?" Mush asked quietly.
"A little sore, but I'll live," Feister replied with sigh. "How're the boys?" she asked changing the subject.
"Crutch is feeling bad that you'se took his place," Mush explained. He was taking this the hardest of course. If he just kept a closer eye on her, maybe she wouldn't be in here right now.
"Mush, tell 'im it ain't his fault, or yers, or anyone's. Don't think of this as defeat, think of it as motivation ta continue the strike. An' if ya don't, I'm soakin' all yer sorry bums." Mush smiled and laughed; it was good to see that Feister was still herself. He looked deeply into her eyes and started to get lost.
Feister looked into his eyes and wondered how they were so captivating. She started getting butterflies again, which reminded her of something that happened that day. "Mush?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Before the brawl, were you? I? We? Gonna.....kiss?" she asked shyly. Feister wasn't sure if it almost did happen, or of she was dreaming. Sure she may have taken a small liking to him. Oh, who was she kidding, she had a huge crush on her best friend. And it was that reason she didn't say anything. She didn't want to lose him again. She didn't want to ruin their friendship. But after what happened earlier that day Feister was almost sure that maybe, just maybe, Mush, might like, like her.
Mush was a bit shocked the question popped up, with everything going on he had forgotten. "I like you," he blurred out making her eyes go wide. "Ya know that goil I's been sayin' I's like?" he asked. When Feister nodded her head he said, "It's you'se. Yer the goil I've been tawkin' bout. An' fore the brawl you'se just looked so...an' I's couldn't stop myself, an' if those goons hadn't shown up I's probably woulda risked everything just ta kiss ya!" Mush took his cap off and ran his hand through his hair before saying, "But I's know ya don't like me like that. You'se like someone else an'...there I's said it. I's finally said it. I's got the biggest crush on ya Feister Johnson."
Feister just blinked as she processed that she just heard. Did Mush really just say he has a crush on her? This had to be a dream right? There was no way he just said all that. "Ya, like me....?" Feister asked ever so quietly as she slowly started to realize what was going on.
"Ya probably hate me now," Mush replied while looking at his feet. "I don't blame ya if ya do." Mush then realized what he just said. He felt like a total idiot for spilling his true feelings for Feister, but at least she knows, right? But on the other hand, he might have just lost her as his best friend. Why did he just spill his feelings, but, more importantly, why did he go and almost kiss her?
Feister felt her heart beating a mile a minute as she stilled tried to process what just happened. Did Mush really just say he has a...crush on her? She has to be dreaming, right? Cause there is no way in the world that Mush Meyers just admitted that he likes her! Right? But the bigger question is when did this happen? How did it happen? Why is he admitting this now? Why is he crushing on a girl like her?
Feister knew she wasn't like any other girls he'd dated. It was always blondes or brunette, gingers or auburn; from blues eyes to grey, greens to light browns. The girls who were perfect from their hair to the their skin, who always dress a little nicer and are just a bit better off, but there was the one time with a rich girl, which is a story for another time. Heck, there was even a stolen kiss from the milkman's daughter, again, that's a story for another time. All the girls he's seen or dated were always taller than she was, and around his age.
While hearing that Mush likes her back is a dream come true, but, taking her previous thoughts into mind, and remembered his...shall we say reputation when it comes to the ladies. There was Lacey, Chloe, Amber, and Genevieve, and those were the only ones who made it to girlfriend!
There was also Rowan and Nacey before Chloe came along. Then there was Katie, the rich girl, and the milkman's daughter before Amber. Finally, there was Tammy and Mary before Genevieve. It stops there since at some point Mush decided to take a break, but that never stopped him from flirting with other girls.
"Do ya really mean that?" Feister asked quietly after what seemed like a lifetime. "Do ya really like me, or are ya just sayin' that?"
"I meant every word I's said, Claire," Mush replied. He used her real name so she'd know he was telling the truth. "Yer not like other goils."
"Exactly," Feister cut off. "I's small, I's have dark hair that's always stickin' out one way or anudda. I's ain't a blue eyed blonde, or a green eyed brunette. I's a dark haired an' dark eye goil who's short, an' I's don't only wear boys clothes, but I's also smell like one, an' not like that lemon verbeeaa stuff." she rambled.
"An' I's don't care bout how ya look an' how ya smell," Mush replied. "In fact, you'se smell better than I's do most of the time. Yer not like other goils, an' I's like that. What makes ya different is what I's love bout ya! Yer one of the boys, an' I's can actually do fun stuff with ya. You'se never care bout how dirty ya get an' yer just...I's don't even know how ta explain it. Feisty, I'd take a short, dark haired goil with big brown eyes who's one of the boys over any blue eyed blonde or green eyed brunette, as long as that goil is you'se. If I's bein' honest with ya, whenever I's was out with anudda goil, you'se was always on my mind, an' it don't stop there. You'se the first person on my mind, an' the last one at night. Took me sometime ta realize that I's loved ya. But I's know ya don't like me like that. You'se like someone else, an' I's probably ruined our friendship, but I's just can't hide this anymore."
Feister was at a lost for words, never in her life has anyone, ever, said something like that to her. It gave her this weird feeling from the inside out as she repeated Mush's words over and over again in her head. Her head was spinning, and her heart was pounding out of her chest as she continued to look at him. Her best friend since she was six, her crush since she was thirteen, the boy who had put her through happiness and heartbreaks, anger and sadness, and every other emotion out there. "Mush," Feister breathless whispered. "Ya know that boy I's told ya bout?"
"Yeah," Mush mumbled as he looked down. He knew what was going to happen next, she was going to say that as flattering as what he said was, she doesn't feel that way about him. But they can still be friends, yet, it would be completely different since he likes her, and she likes someone else. Now Mush knows what it's called a "crush', it crushes your heart into a million pieces. "What'd bout 'im?"
"Turns out he does like me," she replied with a small smile. "In fact, he just told me right now."
"Who?" Mush asked as he looked up. Feister giggled, she wasn't surprised that Mush wasn't putting two and two together. In fact, it was kind of cute that he wasn't getting it. "It's you, ya nitwit," she said with a small laugh. "Yer the boy that I's like."
"Really?" Mush asked hopefully. Did Feister really just say that she likes him? If this is a dream it better not end. Feister let out the smallest laugh before saying, "For the longest time I's had this stupid little crush on ya," she admitted as her cheeks turned pink.
"Have I's ever told ya I's love ya?" Mush asked with a sigh. Feister giggled and shook her head. "Well I's tellin' ya now Feister Johnson, I's love ya."
"I's love ya too, Mush Meyers," Feister replied with a smile. It was with those three little words Mush reached through the bars, placed the palm of his hand on her cheek and ever so gently pulled her closer. Feister could feel her heart pounding as she moved closer. She couldn't believe that the boy she likes actually likes her back. If this was a dream she didn't want it to end. They were about to kiss for the first time....again.
"Someone's coming!" Lucky yelled, quitely.
Feister quickly looked back, all the boys were scrambling to their bunks, in a mad panic. "Mush," she whispered, looking back at him with sad eyes. "You hafta go."
"But, what about you, they'll..." Mush couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. He knew what was about to happen and he didn't want to leave Feister to those slim balls.
"Mush, get outta here before they catch ya. Please, I'll be fine." Mush could tell by Feister's voice that she didn't want him to leave, but they both knew better.
"I'll come back," he replied after what felt like forever. He kissed her forehead before leaving. She watched him despair into the night, sadden that once again their moment was over ruined.