Broadway Love

Chapter 2 - Age 5 (2)

Three weeks later, on Wednesday, Alice took Charles and Polly to their dad's place in Queens, before heading to the Broadway theater with Betty. The little blonde was bouncing in her car seat, not able to wait any longer. She had gotten the call a few days ago, announcing that she was going to play Gretl on Broadway. There was going to be an understudy too because the little kids couldn't work for many hours or days a week. Which meant Betty was going to get most of the shows, but some would get the other girl, and when she got sick the other one would take her showtimes. She was excited to sing and dance and act in front of everybody. But this wasn't the only reason she was that excited today.

Betty hadn't seen Jughead since October. The boy was two years older than her, but it didn't matter. Alice and FP had always been the best of friends, which made Jughead and Betty ones too. Even if Polly and Charles were older, and Betty's older sister was about as old as Jughead, the boy had always preferred her over the other two. Just because they simply acted like they were more important sometimes. Betty had always been happy Jughead played with her.

"Baby, calm down," Alice chuckled, opening the back door so that the girl could jump out of her booster.

"I'm excited," Betty giggled. The blonde had turned 5 just a few days ago, on the 2nd of December. It seemed to Alice as if she had more energy than ever now.

"Come on, you," she chuckled, taking her hand and leading her to the building. Once they got inside, they were escorted to the little auditorium that many productions used for the first practices.

Today it was all of the kids who had been selected. Since there were seven Von Trapp kids, and four understudies for different roles, today in the auditorium were eleven kids and their parents. (Apparently, it was obligatory that every underaged kid had to have their parents with them on the first few times for information. And just to get to know each other better.)

The moment Betty was let on the stage and Alice sat in one of the front rows as every parent did, the little girl was hugging a dark-haired beanie-wearing boy. The boy chuckled quietly, hugging her back.

Jughead was a tall boy for a 7-year-old. He lived with his dad in a small apartment near the theater. FP was a playwright. He had written different musical plays over the years, starting from little theaters and working his way up to I. Jughead's mom left after his half-sister was born, taking her with her, so the boy didn't remember either of them well. Whenever FP needed help, he'd call Alice. Usually, it was the other way around, though.

Alice and Hal separated right after Betty was born. The kids didn't see their father very often and neither Betty nor Polly really knew him well. Charles was more used to him than the girls were. Betty was even scared to stay for nights. She never did. She was more used to FP than her own father, even if she didn't see him that often either.

"Why haven't I seen you?" Jughead frowned when they pulled away.

"Because you were both busy," FP said, walking past them and giving Betty's hair a ruffle and pushing Jughead's beanie down, onto his eyes. The two giggled and took their seats on the pillows on the stage. FP went to sit by Alice in the second row, here as a parent. As a playwright, he had had the privilege of helping to choose the actors, but now he had nothing else to do. He had gotten his pay and was going to get more once the production started. So today, he was here as a parent.

"What's your name?" an older girl asked with a kind smile.

"Betty," the blonde said.

"I'm Margaret. You play Gretl, right?" she asked. Betty nodded shyly, holding her head rather down. "I hear you sing really good."

Now the little girl's eyes became excited. "Really?" she asked.

The girl chuckled. "Yep. How old are you?"