"Hey, Jack...They're lookin' at us again."
Jack threw down his ciggerette. He could careless about the girls across the sreet. He never noticed them before so why should he notice them now?
"So what? Ain't my fault dey got nottin' bedder ta do."
Mush laughed,"They ain't so bad. Da tall blonde is awfully pretty."
Mush was steady starring at her again. He did it everyday. Jack says the girls have nothing better to do but then again neither do most of the Newsies when they are not selling papes.



Dave shook his head,"That girl is Slip. They all work with my sister. From what she says they are nothing but trouble."
He paused for a second before adding,"You couldn't handle a girl like that."
"I can handle her!" Mush began to look around at the rest of the Newsies in hopes someone could back him up.
Dave got up in Mush's face.
"None of you can handle them."
Now it was not just Mush who felf insulted. Why couldn't they "handle" those girls? What made them different from all the other females that they knew?
To them, the girls looked harmless.



Davey snickered,"I bet none of you can EVEN get those girls. They seemed to be not be interested in commitment. I heard that one of them is 17 and still untamed"
They all looked at each other in disbelief. It was not everyday that they heard something like that.
Racetrack smiled smuggly. He was not going to let this opportunity of a bet just pass him by.
"Say, Davey..How would you like to put your money where ya mouth is?"
Dave gives Racetrack a really confused look as if he did not understand what he was talking about.
"What do you mean?"
Racetrack lights his cigar, watching Dave out the corner of his eye. This was it! A chance for a real bet that he may actually win.
"I'm talkin' 'bout a bet. See, I t'ink we can `a dose goyls we want."



Mush places his hand on Race's shoulder and shouts,"Yeah!"
Dave looks around again. He was starting to feel stupid. Why did he have to open his big mouth? You would think by now he would have learned when to shut up.
He lets out a soft sigh. Knowing that none of them are going to let this go, he has no choice but to give in.
"Alright, there is 5 of them and a lot of us. How do we decide who gets to partake in this?"
Silence. All of the newsies just look at Dave without saying a thing.
Dave looks at them finally realizing he is going to have to decide. After all, it was partly his idea.
"Mush, of course you have to be in this..and...uhhh...who else......"
He thinks to himslef a moment. Who would really mess this up? Who is so self centered that they could never get a girl if their life depended on it? That is when it hit him.
Jack, Kid Blink and Racetrack. All three of them had some kind of problem. Jack was not a smooth talker and could make a girl lose her interest in him as soon as he opened his mouth. Kid Blink talked a lot of stuff but when it came down to it he was really shy around the opposite sex. Racetrack was shorter then your average male and he had a rough time finding anyone his age short enough to even talk to!
Dave crosses his arms.
"Okay, Jack, Blink and Race as I see you 4 have a lot of work to do. Good luck, cos' as I see it......you are all going to need it."



Dave smiled dilligantly. He was very proud of himself. There was no way those four could pull this off.
Jack ran his fingers through his hair. Then he looks at both Race and Dave.
"What exactly are da toims 'a dis?"
Dave took it upon himself to answer. He was the walking mouth after all.
"If I win you have to pay me half of what you make selling papes everyday for a whole week. And if I lose......"
"If we win dis you have ta give each 'a us two bits and hang a sign on yourself that says "I am a Loser" Da catch is when ya wear da sign ya gots ta be naked."
Racetrack butted in before Dave could even finish what he was saying.
Dave's eyes widened. This was one bet he did not want to lose.
"I agree."
The circulation bell then rings. Another day of selling papes was begining.

End Part Two



On to Part 3