Author's Notes: Yes, my readers, my writer's block has vanished!! I
finally wrote chapter 5!!! I hope you enjoy it, also thank you for all the
reviews that I got so far. I'm glad you like my story. Now on to chapter
5!!! - Padme Skywalker
The next few days were like a whirlwind to Jocelyn. She had been working night and day, with only little time to rest. She had been running back and forth from the tiny apartment to the Moulin. She had been singing and dancing, practicing, and also trying to get to know the other women there. Everyday it was the same routine. Dress, hair, makeup, singing, dancing, changing, making dinner, and then returning for more practice. She had had about 3 or 4 hours of sleep every night, yet she still made it through the day. But she knew her body wouldn't be able to stand any more if she didn't get some rest soon. Marie said that sooner or later she would get used to the crazy hours. Jocelyn hoped she was right.
Harry Zidler and Marie were quite impressed with her. Harry was skeptical in the beginning. He only hired her because he was desperate. The Moulin Rouge was dying; he needed a new Sparkling Diamond. Business had slowed over the years as time had changed. With the turn of the new century everyone slowly forgot about the nightclub. Also the "incident", as Harry called it, had not helped business either. But things would be different now. The Moulin would live again.
Jocelyn tried to sit, but this effort was useless. The corset that she was wearing did not allow sitting. She was surprised she could still breathe. Instead she helped Marie put some other clothes away.
"You don't have to help me Jocelyn, why don't you sit down?" Marie smiled.
"I can't sit down, I won't be able to breathe!"
Marie laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
"As I'll get used to everything else I suppose?"
Marie stopped and looked at the girl. "I know this is all new and tiring, but we all had those first rough days. It's the curse of the Moulin Rouge."
"Oh, that's lovely I'm working for a cursed nightclub."
"It's not really cursed, but it is rough."
"So I see," Jocelyn smiled.
The two women went downstairs and into the giant rehearsal room. Jocelyn took a seat in the back and watched the other dancers go first. Her part would be later. Every movement was graceful as they pranced across the stage. Marie was by the piano but Harry was nowhere to be seen. He didn't always come to the practices but sometimes he would make an appearance.
The song ended and the dancers went off stage. Jocelyn didn't bother to join them. She never said much and the others just ignored her or gave her dirty looks. They all wore similar dresses or corsets. But none were as beautiful as Jocelyn's. Her clothes were the finest.
Marie called over to her, it was her turn. Slowly she made her way to the stage. She felt all eyes staring at her, whether in envy or hatred she didn't know. The others hated her and she knew it, but what she didn't know was why. What had she done wrong? She has asked herself this question many times, she had even asked Marie. Marie simply replied that they didn't hate her they were simply jealous. But Jocelyn seriously doubted Marie.
Jocelyn started singing as the piano accompanied her voice. She tried her hardest to make her voice as beautiful as it could go. She fought the urge to just stop and collapse right on stage. She refused to give in to the exhaustion and pushed her body to go on. The song was almost over. She saw the others still staring at her. Marie was smiling proudly while the other girls looked at her skeptically. They were judging the new girl, and they were not kind. Jocelyn saw Harry in the doorway. He must've just stopped in. He was also smiling, he knew he had found a winner.
Finally the song had ended. Jocelyn stepped off the stage and walked unsteadily towards the door. She suddenly felt dizzy.
"Jocelyn, you don't look well," Jocelyn heard Marie's voice somewhere to her right. She tried to look but the room had started spinning.
"I..I'm..fine," Jocelyn replied.
Jocelyn saw the door and started her way to it. Unfortunatly she only made it a few feet.
"Are you sure?"
"Fine..." Jocelyn said as she slowly started to collapse. She felt a hand on her arm. It was Marie's.
Jocelyn heard Marie's voice talking to someone. She closed her eyes from the spinning room and held on tightly to Marie. She didn't know how long she was standing there until she felt soemone picking her up off her feet. They had stared moving.
"Where...where are you taking me?" Jocelyn asked, eyes still closed.
"Please don't talk, you need to rest," said a voice. It was definatly not Marie's for it was a man's voice, nor was it anyone she recognized. Jocelyn could open her eyes but she was too tired to even think. She took the stranger's advice and drifted off into a much needed sleep.
When Jocelyn opened her eyes she realized she was in her room. Well her room at the Moulin that is. The light was dim and she saw it was pitch black outside. She tried to lean up but she was still a little dizzy, but the room was no longer spinning.
"You might want to be careful miss, you took a nasty turn downstairs."
Jocelyn looked over towards the window. She saw a young man standing there. Jocelyn slowly sat up to get a good look at him. He didn't look much older than her. His hair was a reddish color and he was quite tall. His clothes were worn and looked as if they've seen worse, but nonetheless he looked charming. Jocelyn was no stranger to being poor, so she didn't notice the clothes.
"What happened?" Jocelyn asked.
"You collapsed downstairs at practice," he replied. "You weren't lookin' good so Marie said you needed to rest."
Jocelyn looked at him for a moment. He sounded. He had a bit of an Scottish accent in his voice.
"You're the one who carried me here?"
"Aye, I did," he smiled.
"Oh no! I have to go. My father is probably looking for me!" Jocelyn said as her father popped in her mind. She jumped out of bed and walked a few feet but grabbed onto a nightstand to keep her from losing her balance. She was still a little unsteady.
"Easy miss! Don't worry about your father, I've taken care of it myself."
"What do you mean?"
"I went to your apartment and told him you had to stay at work and wouldn't be home 'til morning."
Jocelyn walked back to her bed with the help of the new stranger. When she was settled in he prepared to leave.
"I must be going, you need some rest."
"No, please don't go," Jocelyn grabbed his hand. "Please stay with me. It gets lonely here by myself, it would be nice to have someone to talk to," she explained.
He smiled. "I'll stay."
"Good," she smiled back. "Pull up a chair," she said gesturing to one of the chairs closest to her. He did so and sat down.
"What's you name?" Jocelyn asked.
"I'm Peter, and what's yours?" he asked holding out his hand.
"My name's Jocelyn," she replied taking his hand.
"That's a pretty name. Well Jocelyn it's nice to meet you," he smiled and placed a kiss on her hand.
"Nice to meet you too," she smiled back.
The next few days were like a whirlwind to Jocelyn. She had been working night and day, with only little time to rest. She had been running back and forth from the tiny apartment to the Moulin. She had been singing and dancing, practicing, and also trying to get to know the other women there. Everyday it was the same routine. Dress, hair, makeup, singing, dancing, changing, making dinner, and then returning for more practice. She had had about 3 or 4 hours of sleep every night, yet she still made it through the day. But she knew her body wouldn't be able to stand any more if she didn't get some rest soon. Marie said that sooner or later she would get used to the crazy hours. Jocelyn hoped she was right.
Harry Zidler and Marie were quite impressed with her. Harry was skeptical in the beginning. He only hired her because he was desperate. The Moulin Rouge was dying; he needed a new Sparkling Diamond. Business had slowed over the years as time had changed. With the turn of the new century everyone slowly forgot about the nightclub. Also the "incident", as Harry called it, had not helped business either. But things would be different now. The Moulin would live again.
Jocelyn tried to sit, but this effort was useless. The corset that she was wearing did not allow sitting. She was surprised she could still breathe. Instead she helped Marie put some other clothes away.
"You don't have to help me Jocelyn, why don't you sit down?" Marie smiled.
"I can't sit down, I won't be able to breathe!"
Marie laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
"As I'll get used to everything else I suppose?"
Marie stopped and looked at the girl. "I know this is all new and tiring, but we all had those first rough days. It's the curse of the Moulin Rouge."
"Oh, that's lovely I'm working for a cursed nightclub."
"It's not really cursed, but it is rough."
"So I see," Jocelyn smiled.
The two women went downstairs and into the giant rehearsal room. Jocelyn took a seat in the back and watched the other dancers go first. Her part would be later. Every movement was graceful as they pranced across the stage. Marie was by the piano but Harry was nowhere to be seen. He didn't always come to the practices but sometimes he would make an appearance.
The song ended and the dancers went off stage. Jocelyn didn't bother to join them. She never said much and the others just ignored her or gave her dirty looks. They all wore similar dresses or corsets. But none were as beautiful as Jocelyn's. Her clothes were the finest.
Marie called over to her, it was her turn. Slowly she made her way to the stage. She felt all eyes staring at her, whether in envy or hatred she didn't know. The others hated her and she knew it, but what she didn't know was why. What had she done wrong? She has asked herself this question many times, she had even asked Marie. Marie simply replied that they didn't hate her they were simply jealous. But Jocelyn seriously doubted Marie.
Jocelyn started singing as the piano accompanied her voice. She tried her hardest to make her voice as beautiful as it could go. She fought the urge to just stop and collapse right on stage. She refused to give in to the exhaustion and pushed her body to go on. The song was almost over. She saw the others still staring at her. Marie was smiling proudly while the other girls looked at her skeptically. They were judging the new girl, and they were not kind. Jocelyn saw Harry in the doorway. He must've just stopped in. He was also smiling, he knew he had found a winner.
Finally the song had ended. Jocelyn stepped off the stage and walked unsteadily towards the door. She suddenly felt dizzy.
"Jocelyn, you don't look well," Jocelyn heard Marie's voice somewhere to her right. She tried to look but the room had started spinning.
"I..I'm..fine," Jocelyn replied.
Jocelyn saw the door and started her way to it. Unfortunatly she only made it a few feet.
"Are you sure?"
"Fine..." Jocelyn said as she slowly started to collapse. She felt a hand on her arm. It was Marie's.
Jocelyn heard Marie's voice talking to someone. She closed her eyes from the spinning room and held on tightly to Marie. She didn't know how long she was standing there until she felt soemone picking her up off her feet. They had stared moving.
"Where...where are you taking me?" Jocelyn asked, eyes still closed.
"Please don't talk, you need to rest," said a voice. It was definatly not Marie's for it was a man's voice, nor was it anyone she recognized. Jocelyn could open her eyes but she was too tired to even think. She took the stranger's advice and drifted off into a much needed sleep.
When Jocelyn opened her eyes she realized she was in her room. Well her room at the Moulin that is. The light was dim and she saw it was pitch black outside. She tried to lean up but she was still a little dizzy, but the room was no longer spinning.
"You might want to be careful miss, you took a nasty turn downstairs."
Jocelyn looked over towards the window. She saw a young man standing there. Jocelyn slowly sat up to get a good look at him. He didn't look much older than her. His hair was a reddish color and he was quite tall. His clothes were worn and looked as if they've seen worse, but nonetheless he looked charming. Jocelyn was no stranger to being poor, so she didn't notice the clothes.
"What happened?" Jocelyn asked.
"You collapsed downstairs at practice," he replied. "You weren't lookin' good so Marie said you needed to rest."
Jocelyn looked at him for a moment. He sounded. He had a bit of an Scottish accent in his voice.
"You're the one who carried me here?"
"Aye, I did," he smiled.
"Oh no! I have to go. My father is probably looking for me!" Jocelyn said as her father popped in her mind. She jumped out of bed and walked a few feet but grabbed onto a nightstand to keep her from losing her balance. She was still a little unsteady.
"Easy miss! Don't worry about your father, I've taken care of it myself."
"What do you mean?"
"I went to your apartment and told him you had to stay at work and wouldn't be home 'til morning."
Jocelyn walked back to her bed with the help of the new stranger. When she was settled in he prepared to leave.
"I must be going, you need some rest."
"No, please don't go," Jocelyn grabbed his hand. "Please stay with me. It gets lonely here by myself, it would be nice to have someone to talk to," she explained.
He smiled. "I'll stay."
"Good," she smiled back. "Pull up a chair," she said gesturing to one of the chairs closest to her. He did so and sat down.
"What's you name?" Jocelyn asked.
"I'm Peter, and what's yours?" he asked holding out his hand.
"My name's Jocelyn," she replied taking his hand.
"That's a pretty name. Well Jocelyn it's nice to meet you," he smiled and placed a kiss on her hand.
"Nice to meet you too," she smiled back.