A/N- Thank you to those who reviewed! This chapter contains a line from the movie 'Big Fish.' I really liked the line and thought that it might be cool in this. Sorry, I can't come up with really good lines! By the way, the song used in this chapter in an original! Read on!

Chapter Two: A Face in the Crowd

Long ago, it seems so long ago

How young and innocent we were

She may not remember me

But, I remember her…

-The Phantom of the Opera

The boys sped into the theatre, laughing and talking amongst themselves excitedly as Jack slumped along behind them, gloomily. Before, he would have been leading the group in as the staff of the theatre gawked at him in admiration. Now, he seemed to be like a fad that had gone out of style long ago. He sighed heavily and kept his eyes to the floor as he made is way through the other guests to his table, where he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms like a pouting child. Nobody as paying attention to him; they were to busy trying to figure out who the new "starlet" was.

"Who do you think she is?"

"Don't care, as long as she's pretty."

"Said on the sign her name is Sally."

"Sally what?" Jack suddenly piped in to the other's surprise. They stared at him for a moment and shrugged, causing him to scoff at their stupidity. He later admitted to himself that that they weren't stupid; he hadn't even seen the sign at the door. He just wanted to be angry to get attention and to Hell what they thought.

This Sally girl could be anyone, he assured himself as the lights dimmed. There are plenty of other Sallys in New York.

A piano started up like a record and a single spotlight hit the darkened stage, revealing a young girl with her head bowed, standing with a bouquet of assorted flowers in her hand. The piano played an arpeggio up the entire piano and ended in an endless chord. The girl began to sing softly, like a mockingbird…

He'd always sit there silently

And think about a place to be

A better place, a dream, a joy;

One proper for a young cowboy…

He left me there one autumn night

When he was fin'ly out of sight

I thought, 'Remember what he'd say

He left to get to Santa Fe!'

The music livened up as the entire band started to play a jazzy, upbeat song that made the audience sway and holler. Skittery nudged Jack to sway along with them but found it a hopeless cause as Jack was in a state of shock. His mouth hung open in disbelief until Race leaned over and slapped his mouth shut, causing Race to receive a nasty glance which made him shrug as he placed a cigar in his mouth.

"I'll be damned," Jack whispered to himself as he leaned forward in his chair. He watched the other boys run up to the edge of the stage while waving their arms in the air and blowing kisses at her. He was confused by a twinge of jealousy that ran through him. "Sally, you have grown up…" He noticed her perfect smile, her ginger hair that framed her delicately beautiful face, her… Jack cleared his throat and smiled to himself as she sang on…

Out where the cowboys live and roam

Out where my cowboy calls his home

Out where the sun shines ev'ry day

That's what I want, that's Santa Fe!

That endless land of wheat and grain

Is lovely, even in the rain

The sky is bright; it never ends

Over evenings I'd spend with my friends!

Suddenly, she broke into a dance that seemed to mix the styles of that of a rodeo and ballet. The boys at the front of the stage hooted and did the two-note wolf whistle for her. She looked out into the audience and her rosy smile was replaced with a stare of wonder and amazement reflected by Jack.

Jack had overheard some hopeless romantic he had sold a newspaper to tell a man searching for love something that popped into his mind for an instant as he gazed at Sally.

"Time stops when you see your true love."

It certainly seemed like that pertained to that moment; he couldn't hear the music and the crowd's movements had slowed to a stop. Jack stood up and walked slowly to the edge of the stage, brushing past the statues that took up the space and reached out his hand to Sally, just as he did that night long ago. The strange thing about this fantasy was that she was moving as well, not frozen like the rest of the room, and her hand gently touched the tips of his fingers. They smiled together for one moment until the room began to gain life again and the moment was lost. The crowd was roaring and some of the boys by the stage wondered how Jack had gotten in front of them. Sally continued her song and the music became majestic as she reached the grand finale…

Santa Fe is still there, waiting

Quietly anticipating

The day that I arrive they'll say

"Welcome, girl, to Santa Fe!"

Ye-Haw!

The song ended and the entire theatre seemed to explode like dynamite with the applause. The young woman stood at center stage with her arms out, gasping for air and smiling into the audience with a rare sparkle in her emerald eyes. Jack clapped slowly, smiling and whooping with the other boys. Just then, she took the bouquet in her hands and threw it into the crowd where Jack caught it. He was about to look up at her, but she was being helped off the stage by few stagehands.

The poor things out of breath, he thought to himself as the other boys clapped him on the back. Without looking feminine, he brought the flowers to his nose and took in their scent- roses, baby's breath, lilacs, lilies…All lovely. He thought it was weird, but they all smelled like Sally as he remembered her back at the Refuge…one time in particular…

Francis Sullivan sat quietly in his room, his back against a wall as he tossed a ball he had found. It was the children's short time to play among others at the Refuge and he dare not waste it. He watched the younger children play tag as Snyder watched in a quiet and disapproving manner. The state had requested he set up a time for the children to socialize within other cabins in the building. He had that old expression of," Why me?" on his face which made Francis sneer to himself just as Sally Mathews slumped down beside him. She tried to snatch the ball as it was in air when he threw it, but was unsuccessful for the first few tries. They laughed at each other until she leaned over and caught it, making Francis try to grab it back. He leaned a little far and they found their faces no more than an inch apart. They stared into each other's eyes and smiled softly.

He looked over to see if Snyder was looking and found him oblivious to this entire thing. Francis pressed his lips against Sally's and kept them there for a few moments, hearing the other children to giggle and whisper among each other. It was like everything he ever heard about a first kiss; the world stopped, fireworks going off, etc… Snyder noticed this and turned around to see the two, still locking lips. He grew red as a strawberry and strode over to break them apart, taking Francis with him by his shirt collar. Francis didn't care; he was in a complete daze, still feeling her lips on his and her smell intoxicating him…

"Who are you marrying, Jack?" Kid Blink joked as the boys made their way back to their seats at the table. Jack shoved him away playfully and walked over to the stage door in a daze.

"You think somethin' was in those flowers?" Mush asked the others who laughed and waited for the next act.