A.N. I like how this turned out. Our heroine and the boys give their first impressions. I am thinking of putting more in about Spot and Bumlets reaction. But would that make it too slow? Maybe even a glimse into that twisted mind called Anthony Hearst. And, as always I have no ownership of the Newsies and not affiliated with Disney in anyway. Thanks for all the Reviews. Please Review so I can keep the story up to par. LyxnLion

A Series of Visions

When David finally pulled open the large, pink doors to "the Room," a room full of young men buzzing with excitement greeted the three newcomers. Little notice was given to them, when their appearance was noted. The room was a large and rich ballroom with golden and crystal chandeliers and long white and gold covered tables. As Bumlets, David and Spot made their way through the room bits of conversation hummed around them.

"My boy, I told you to buy copper, not gold," one young man with glasses addressed his companion who was fiddling with coat end.

"I personally believe that the governor isn't hard enough on the low life," another man with an extravagant green velvet jacket uttered.

"Your father is in oil I hear," such another committed to a greasy looking boy.

No where in the crowd of men was Rose to be seen, or was a word spoken about where she could be. When all of the sudden, a hush fell over the room as a middle-aged woman has walked in with an air of business. She walked to the back wall and it was then the boys noticed that the wall hanging was no wall hanging but a pair of gigantic doors. This must be Rose's Ms. Tally.

The time had come. I was standing now, beside the large double doors. I could hear Madame Tally's voice through the wood, "Gentlemen, I welcome you to the delayed 18th birthday party of my beautiful ward, Miss Rose Cordette Llewellyn." The doors swung open and I stepped forward to place my hand into Madame's as she walked me towards the place of honor. My cream dress swishing in the silent room. I hadn't the guts to look up and see if there was anyone there besides Anthony. I knew he was watching me. I didn't dare hope… for? A pair of intelligent eyes. Anthony was there at my chair ready to assist me in sitting. I could not stand the way my heart seemed to sink and chain itself down. I fought down tears of despair, and then I looked up as a large wave of applause erupted in the room.

I could hardly believe anyone had come. Why anyone would bother was beyond me. I noticed Anthony's annoyance first, his eyes flashing, well certainly this had not been his idea. I blushed despite myself, really how much attention can one girl take at a time? The room was filled with young men. I recognized some and others I had never seen before. They all seemed to blur together. I could barely eat. I had nothing to say to those nearby me, Ms. Tally on my left and Anthony on my right, let me sit in peace, but not for long.

"Time for the birthday dances," Madame Tally proclaimed, and then lead me to a long, lean man with a shock of whitish hair, "Rose, may I present you to Mr. Roger Eldetin. Mr. Eldetin, my young ward, Miss Llewellyn."

"A pleasure," he replied in a small tight voice. And so, the dancing began. I had a feeling that as the only girl there, I wouldn't stop dancing until the guests had left.

When the enormous doors swung open, David's breathe was pulled out of his body. He had thought she was lovely when he first saw her. He had thought her beautiful in her party dress. He hardly knew her now. He didn't have the words to describe what he was feeling. There was Angel in a rich cream dress embroidered with pearls. Her long hair that she had refused to cut was pulled up in an elegant knot with a single crimson rose laced through. Her hair was the color of… well ripened wheat… silken and smooth, or honey covered gold. The redness of her lips, the sudden frail paleness of her skin, the deepness of her eyes, they seemed almost to belong to a portrait or statue and not to a live girl. She would have had the attention of any room she had walked into, any street corner she sold on. No, David realized, this isn't Angel. This is Rose. His heart began to sink. He didn't know this Rose woman. This woman that stole his breathe and silenced his brain. He didn't love her. He loved Angel. Had he lost Angel forever? Would this Rose girl stay no matter what happened? Her eyes looked distant, confused. She let Hearst help her to her seat, smooth and calm as satin. Yet, there was a moment when Hearst laid his hand on hers when the confusion in David's heart melted out. In that moment, she pulled back her hand, her eyes sparkled, and she seemed to be looking… for someone. In her moment of rejection, through the portrait that was Rose the heir, Thorns the tough and Angel the sweet took their moment in silent pleading. Release us!

"She don't remember us," Spot said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" David asked astonished.

"She's forgotten. She wants to remember, but she doesn't," Spot continued, "You can see it in her eyes. They are blank, blind, like someone in the middle of thinking."

"Not surprising considering the company she's allowed, either that creepy Hearst or those two goils we met," Bumlets said.

"What are we going to do?" David asked helplessly.

"Hope she remembers you," Spot said shakily, "We just hope she remembers you."

The dancing was boring. It seemed to me that I had found it exciting at one point in life, but that was in the time I had forgotten. Why did I forget it? Was it because it was so horrible? But then why? It didn't make sense. There was something missing. Every once in a while I caught myself scanning the crowd for him. I couldn't get myself to tell me who "him" was, only that I was looking for him. I changed partners again and felt a little sick. I almost could have sworn that Madame Tally was bargaining for something with each of my dance partners, and that… seemed wrong. My new partner was looking into my face with an expression of familiarity, but I knew he had never been in the orphanage before. Then he leaned towards my ear and whispered, "Hello, Angel." For one heart-stopping moment, the bottom dropped out of the world. I was falling through a void of space and time when a pair of intelligent eyes gleamed out of the darkness. The face around the eyes slowly focused into view, and I realized I was staring right at him, my dance partner, the intelligent eyes.

I breathed a sharp whisper, "David!" And with his name, my past cleared and Anthony's half-truths and lies melted in the radiance of his face. To think that I almost let myself give in to Anthony! To think that I felt any type of debt to him! My eyes teared up as a huge smile broke my face. "What are you doing here? What's going on? You're here! You're really here!" I glowed, for the first time in days; I knew why I felt that sickening feeling around Anthony. I didn't love him. I never loved him. I never would love him. Because, because I loved David. I could hardly keep myself from hugging him then and there and confess my heart out to him. But then, I knew. Anthony was watching. I only could hope I hadn't betrayed myself already. David's face, which had almost seemed in agony, had cleared to a calm. He began to whisper to me. And I, I began to feel right for the first time in weeks. My mind flashed with pointless plans, it's all well to get into the orphanage and to flee in the middle of the night when no one knew she hated her life there. It was quite another to run away now with Anthony a mere ten feet away. A shiver ran up my spine. Messing with Anthony Hearst was a big mistake. It was his attentions that brought me back to the orphanage. It was insulting Anthony Hearst as a young girl that had put me into his attentions. There was a strange sadistic bent to Anthony. No, I had learned not to mess with what young Mr. Hearst wanted. But, I knew I could never be his bride. I cursed my cheeky mouth, and then with a grin whispered to David, "Hey Mouth, I've got an idea."