Warning: This story contains adult language, graphic violence, attempted rape, attempted suicide, and sexually explicit themes. Reader's discretion is advised. Rating - R.

Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. Apollonia, Giselle, Checkers, and other miscellaneous characters are all mine.

Chapter 14 - Can-Cans and Look-a-likes

Apollonia took up Race's offer to go to a cabaret that night. She heard a lot about the colorful array of lights and costumes of the dancers in the club and was told that their can-can like dances were all the rage, since they took the idea from a famous nightclub in Paris. They guys picked her up at her house and began their journey to the vivacious nightspot.

Eyeing the crowd, she witnessed how life continued to go on in the wake of tragedy. Men, women, and children alike were living their lives without much thought of death and seemed to be oblivious to such heartache. They will eventually know death. She thought to herself.

Scanning the crowds, she took notice of several young men, some were newsies; others were factory workers, stable boys, steel mill employees, students and such. Many of them were quite handsome as they were of various colors, ethnicities, religions, creeds, and such. Passing through the streets, she heard a voice yelling, "Man, now that's a looker!" She quickly turned around to see who the guy was talking about. As she was about to make out the figure of the young man, she caught sight of the top of his hat. It was grey. She tried to get a better look and noticed him looking up and into her direction as his eyes met with hers. Her heart skipped several beats when she began running towards him.

"Spot? Spot?" She said to herself, but no one paid attention as it was quite a commotion in the street to begin with, and a number of people still spoke very little English. As soon as she approached the gentleman, her hopes were quickly dashed. She just knew she was losing it. She thought that Spot had come back to life. She even thought she saw Spot's likeness in the young man.

It was an attractive young guy who had the same kind of newsboy hat, upturned nose, and blue-grey eyes that were garnished with very long lashes. His lips were different from Spot's, they were fuller than his. And he was shorter. He took notice of Apollonia and tipped his hat to her. She wistfully smiled to him and watched him as he walked away with his group of friends. "Do you know him?" Blink said walking up behind her.

"I thought I did." Apollonia replied sadly. Blink patted her shoulder and led her away from the crowds and back to their associates.

Once they reached the nightclub, they promptly made their way to their seats. Apollonia and the guys patiently waited for the star performer to make her grand entrance. A sinewy red-haired songstress' leg appeared from behind the velvet curtain. The audience howled with appreciation as she revealed the rest of herself to the applauding spectators. Behind her was an entourage of performers who were scantily, but tastefully, costumed in corsets and skirts of various colors and textures. The recital was very entertaining and electrifying as the dancers began moving across the stage, running, jumping, kicking their legs up to reveal the colorful petticoats and thigh-high stockings they donned.

"How shocking!" Apollonia heard a woman say who seemed surprised, yet intrigued by the entertainment she was witnessing. The male audience members were totally involved in the entertaining stage antics they happily observed. Cheering and clapping, Racetrack, Mush, and Blink roared and hooted as they openly lusted after the women onstage.

"Boy, oh, boy! Now dat's what I call talent!" Yelled Racetrack as he watched a woman flip a coin and catch it in her cleavage. Mush watched as two dancers waved their skirts back and forth in front of each other as if they were engaging in a war of the petticoats. And Blink couldn't help but scream as he watched a woman slide across the floor in a split before being lifted by a velvet-laced wire that strung her up by the ankle and dangled her in the air.

"Now dat's somethin' else." He said as Apollonia looked on. "Ya enjoying yourself, Doll?"

Apollonia nodded and smiled. She felt it liberating to be in such a vivacious environment after being cooped up for so long. She remained calm, cool, and collected as she viewed everyone with a certain appreciation. Seeing that her "brothers" were enjoying themselves, she found it comforting that they took her under their wings to make sure she got out of the house and into the world. Even in the midst of tragedy, she felt blessed.

~

Giselle walked down the street freely passing through Manhattan on her way back to her apartment. She had just finished a day's work at the bookstore with the assistance of Racetrack, who took a day off from Sheepshead to help out. She was heading back to her place to pick up a few things to bring back to Apollonia's brownstone and pay her rent. She did not want the landlord to think that no one lived in her room. Suddenly, a dark-haired figure stood right in front of her.

"Hi, Giselle. How are you doing?"

"Oh! Bonjour, David." Giselle was startled by his sudden appearance before her. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?"

"Frighten? No. You just took me by surprise is all." Giselle said, looking upon David with kind eyes, which was unusual given that their past encounters with each other were neither memorable nor exciting. David fought his nervousness with all his might. He wanted to make sure that their meeting this time would go over smoothly.

"So, where are you headed?"

"I'm going to my apartment. I need to gather a few articles and I will be going back to Apollonia's place."

"May I escort you back? I mean, if it's alright with you?" Giselle smiled warmly at his proposition. "Why, of course, Monsieur." David was ecstatic. He finally talked to her without making a fool out of himself.

As he strolled with her down the street, he decided to be brave and strike up a conversation.

"Wonderful weather we are having, huh?" Giselle shrugged.

"I don't pay much attention to the weather. I'm not a nature person."

"Oh." He simply said, feeling like an idiot. He continued to conduct himself in a gentlemanly manner as she kept quiet while he tried to discuss a subject of interest.

"Have you been to the theatre lately? I hear that 'Peter Pan' is supposed to be coming to New York next month."

"Peter Pan, Monsieur?" She looked at him like he was crazy.

"Uh, I mean the play 'Peter Pan' by Sir James M. Barrie. The play that was started in London is coming to New York sometime soon, or so I've heard." David felt like a total buffoon as he had to correct himself. He then decided not to speak another word until they reached her residence.

Within a few short minutes, they came upon a stately building that looked quite refined. David looked up in awe.

"You live here?"

"Oui, Monsieur. When I immigrated to the United States from France, my papa had given me quite a sizeable allowance, but I still had to work in order to survive. Money does not grow on trees, you know. And Apollonia pays me quite well, in case you are wondering."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to offend you. It's just that this place is nice."

"Well, I thank you, Monsieur Jacobs for escorting me to my home. Merci beaucoup." She said while extending her had to him.

"No problem, Giselle."

"Au revoir." She said as she turned on her heel and entered her address.

~

Shortly after leaving the much talked about nightspot, the Manhattan crew decided to walk around the neighborhood, expressing amusement at everything and everyone that captured their attention. Mush spotted a group of young lovelies waltzing down the opposite side of the street.

"Hey, there, girls! Wanna come over here and keep a buncha lonely guys company?" He yelled. The girls just laughed and giggled at him, speaking in low voice tones about how cute he, the blonde with the eye patch, and the Italian with the cigar were. Thy guys just held up their companionship with no difficulty. Having fun on the weekends was what they lived for. Occasionally they would stay indoors and relax with each other and invite some of their friends to their apartment for fun and laughs.

The cabaret show was the newest activity on their list. The Moulin Rouge- type of panorama was a feast for the eyes. The guys were recounting the women whose attentions they managed to capture at the club.

Apollonia was walking slowly behind them, listening to them while they reveled in their debauched behavior of devising way of attracting the opposite sex. She kept quiet the entire time, even long after they left the social establishment. Racetrack turned around and noticed that she was a few steps behind them, eyes cast down towards the cold cement.

"Hey, guys! Look at us! Here we are, a buncha former street rats, having a good time and we have forgotten dat this beautiful little cupcake is being left behind by us goons when we are suppose ta be seeing dat she's having a good time!"

Apollonia smiled at his comments as the guys rushed up to her to encase her in a massive group hug.

"Sorry about dat, sweetie. We were just having a little excitement is all. None of us has had a date in ages and whenevah we see goils dat look as fine as you, we get crazy." Said Blink.

"Well, we can't have you, so we gotta go for da next best thing!" Stated Mush as Racetrack pinched her on the cheek.

"I love you guys."

"We love ya, too, sweetheart." Racetrack said.