Chapter Two:

The week seemed to drag on, Friday couldn't get there fast enough. Charlie Brown spent the past few days reading over the script he picked up from the main office.

"Let's see… I could try out for mr. Banks…" He laid in the bean bag in the living room, "but he's so stern. I'm too much of a pushover, I would never be able to pull him off." He slumped back down in the sleeping bag, he flipped the next page over, "Michael is always an option… but I don't think I have the right vocal range for him… maybe one of the bankers?" He sighed, setting the script next to him on the floor in defeat, "it's hopeless… I can't pull any of these parts off! Auditions are tomorrow and I still haven't figured out a part yet…" he sat up resting his chin on his fists, "Maybe I should just audition for the bird lady…"

"Are you done sulking in the bean bag chair big brother?" Sally came into the living room. Sally was in eighth grade, a few years younger than Charlie Brown. Even though she was going to be a freshman next year, she was still a pragmatist and carried the same traits she had when she was younger, unfortunately those traits were laziness, naivety, and self centered.

Charlie Brown sighed getting up out of the bean bag, "Why did I agree to audition for this musical? Schroeder talked me into doing it. I'm committed, I have to show up to the auditorium tomorrow after school and make myself a complete fool of myself in front of everyone. What did I get myself into Sally? I'm no Thespian!"

Sally changed the channels on the TV. "You think you have it bad? Look at me! I have a three page essay for English and it's due tomorrow and I haven't even started!" She kept her eyes glued to the tv, "these teachers are so demanding these days! They expect us students to be able to write using MLA format! What do they expect from us? We're just eighth graders! We don't know anything about insight taxations! Or new times Raymond! They even want us to put a biography at the end of our essay! A biography on who? Us? The person we're writing about? Our essay is over a book we're reading! I can't find a biography on any of the characters! They're all fictional! Does the teacher want us to write a biography about the author?"

"In text citations, Times New Roman, and bibliography." Charlie Brown corrected, "Also, didn't they assign that essay two weeks ago?"

"Teachers these days expect too much out of us students." Sally sunk down in the bean bag without taking her eyes off her show.

Needless to say, Sally waited until breakfast the next morning to do her essay.

Spoiler alert: she got a D- and a note from the teacher telling her to rewrite her essay.

Which she also did not do.

She is also getting a hold of her attorney, aka Snoopy wearing a bow tie and bowler hat, to sue the school for not doing her assignment.

Friday finally came. The day seemed to fly by fast, it wasn't long before the last bell rang, and the secretary gave the after school announcements over the PA.

"All students who signed up to audition for the spring musical, please report to the auditorium. Those who have signed up for set crew do not have to attend. The procrastinators anonymous club meeting has been postponed until further notice, there will be no Procrastinators anonymous club meeting today. If you ride bus 15, you will be riding bus 36, again, if you ride bus 15, you will be riding bus 36, do not miss your bus! I repeat! Do not miss your bus!"

All the students gathered up their stuff and hurried out of the room. Charlie Brown was in no hurry, he neatly gathered up his homework and notebook, taking his time putting them in his binder. He grabbed his backpack and headed out into the hallway where he was greeted by Linus.

"Hey Charlie Brown!" Linus adjusted his backpack, "Are you ready to audition?"

"No, not really Linus." Charlie Brown clutched his stomach, "My stomach has been hurting all day."

"I think you will do great, Schroeder will tell you what you need to do, I believe in you!"

"Thanks Linus." Charlie Brown gave Linus a half hug. When they entered the auditorium, they found that the place was packed with people, some were in groups talking with each other, others were reviewing the script, some were doing vocal warm ups, while a few were taking the time to do their homework.

"Hiya Chuck!" Peppermint Patty and Marcie ran over to Charlie Brown.

"Hello Charles." Marcie shook his hand, "Are you here for the audition?"

"Well…"

"Of course he is Marcie!" Peppermint Patty slapped Charlie Brown on the back, "Guess what chuck? I'm going to be Mary Popovers!"

"You haven't auditioned yet sir!" Marcie raised her voice.

"I wish I could be as pretty as Mary Popovers, maybe with some makeup and hair, I'll be as pretty as her."

"You need to audition first sir!"

"Yes sir! I'm going to be a great Mary Popovers."

While the three were talking, Linus spotted Miss. Othmar sitting in the front rows with a clipboard. He smiled and pushed by the other students making his way to his favorite teacher.

He cleared his throat, "Hello Miss. Othmar."

Miss. Othmar glanced up from her clipboard, "Why hello Linus. Are you here to audition?

She remembers my name! Blood rushed to his face.

"Actually, I'm here with my friend, I signed up for the set crew actually." Linus cleared his throat.

"Well that's very nice, I heard that the set crew is fun." Miss. Othmar flipped the papers on her clipboard up.

Linus stood there for a moment, "I signed up for the set crew."

"You said that."

"Oh sorry!" He continued to stand there awkwardly leaning against the chair armrest, Miss. Othmar continued to flip through her papers, she glanced back up when she saw Linus standing there.

"Do you need anything?"

"Oh! No! I just came over to say hi!"

"Okay, hi then."

Linus smiled and continued to stand there awkwardly. Miss. Othmar looked at him, "is that it?"

"Yep! That's all!" Linus turned back to join the others waving at Miss. Othmar, "I signed up for the set crew by the way!"

Linus sat down next to Charlie Brown and Schroeder, his heart was pounding through his chest.

"She said hi!" Linus blushed.

Charlie Brown hit his back against the seat, "Oh good grief!"

It was time for the auditions to start. Schroeder pulled out a notebook that had a drawing of Beethoven on the cover that he drew. He clicked his pen out and began taking notes. First up was Franklin. He was auditioning for Bert. He sang a good rendition of Chim Chim Cher-ee. He did a little dance along with his singing, he even went as far as to put on a bad Cockney accent. Miss. Othmar was laughing at Franklin's performance.

"He's doing a good job keeping up with the 132 beats per minute tempo…" Schroeder jotted some notes down in his notebook.

After Franklin, Pig Pen was up next. While he was singing Chim Chim Cher-ee, dirt flew off his mouth billowing out into the audience, Miss Othmar had to fan the dirt away.

"Wrong key…" Schroeder muttered, "he's supposed to be singing in F minor, that is not F minor. He's singing too low and only 130 beats per minute." Schroeder scribbled another note down with a very unimpressed look on his face.

When Pig Pen was done, Frieda went up. She stood center stage fluffing up her hair.

"Hi! I'm Frieda! I'm auditioning for Mary Poppins, does Mary Poppins have naturally curly hair?" She flicked her hair up bouncing the curls.

"Alright… What song are you going to sing?"

"Sing?"

"Yes, you have to sing for your audition."

"I thought you were just judging us on appearance."

Peppermint Patty let out a very loud, dramatic sigh of relief that was heard throughout the entire auditorium.

What else was auditable throughout the entire Auditorium was Schroeder slamming his notebook against his face.

After Frieda was ushered off stage, Lucy went up and gave her rendition of Sister Suffragette.

"Oh come on! She's not even singing it in major Key!" Schroeder hissed loud enough for Charlie Brown and Linus to hear, he slumped down in his seat, "and that Vibrato! Ow!" Schroeder clapped his hands over his ears, "I'm surprised that the Sherman Brothers haven't busted in and yelled at her to shut up!"

[A/N: The Sherman Brothers wrote the song Best of Buddies from Snoopy come home. Just a fun fact.]

Charlie Brown and Linus burst out in snickers. Lucy spotted the trio in a fit of giggles in the back row. She shot them a murder glare.

"Oh no! She saw us!" Linus' giggles turned to panic. The three stopped giggling. Oh they were going to get slugged for sure.

Lucy stormed off the stage when she was done auditioning, she marched off stage and sat directly behind the trio, all their hairs stuck up on their necks when Lucy's hot rage fueled breath touched their necks.

"I oughta slug you!" She hissed, the three friends eyes widened in horror, "except for you Schroeder, I will never slug you!" She fluttered her eyelashes at Schroeder, he scoffed and shoved his notebook in her face shoving her back.

The auditions continued, Schroeder filled several pages of notes. Marcie did a good job with her audition, she put on a beautiful rendition of A spoonful of sugar. She was able to change her pitch on each note. She also had the warm, almost motherly like quality to her singing voice. One could almost mistake her singing for Julie Andrews'.

The big surprise came when a certain girl named Tapioca Pudding got up on stage to audition.

"Wait, is that Tapioca pudding?!" Linus sat forward.

"No, it can't be, right?" Charlie Brown craned his neck, "I thought she and her dad moved out to Hollywood!"

"I thought so too! She said that her father wanted to get her into an acting gig!"

Schroeder listened closely to her singing, "well she does have a nice soprano…"

Once Tapioca exited stage right, it was finally Charlie Brown's turn. He inhaled.

Here goes nothing…

He slowly walked down the alley, the students muttered under their breath as Charlie Brown headed for the stage.

He stood on the stage. He gulped.

"Hello Charlie Brown."

"Hi." He said nervously. There were slight giggles from the audience.

"So what role do you want to audition for?"

"Any role actually, I don't expect much…"

Miss Othmar nodded, "alright, so what song do you want to sing?"

Charlie Brown gulped, "I don't know ma'am, I didn't think I would get this far." He gulped, fidgeting with his shirt collar, he could see a few people filming him on their phones, "I think I might sing feed the birds… it seems to be in my vocal range… I guess…"

Miss Othmar looked back down at her clipboard, "alright, go for it."

Charlie Brown squeezed his eyes shut, he inhaled and started to sing.

"Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's The little old bird woman comes In her own special way to the people She calls, "Come, buy my bags full of crumbs" Come feed the little birds, show them you care And you'll be glad if you young ones are hungry, their nests are so bare. All it takes is tuppence from you"

The auditorium went silent. Charlie Brown's singing was low and steady, it was warm, perfect for singing a lullaby.

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag, Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag. "Feed the birds", that's what she cries. While overhead, her birds fill the skies."

The students who were filming Charlie Brown sat motionless, they kept on recording.

"All around the cathedral, the saints and apostles Look down as she sells her wares

Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling Each time someone shows that he cares."

"Though her words are simple and few "Listen, listen", she's calling to you "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag, Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."

Charlie Brown let the last line drag out, he looked up to see everyone in the auditorium completely silent. Did he mess up? Did they not like his singing? What was Schroeder writing about him? Was it good? Was it bad? Did he mess up on the vibrato? Was he off key?

Panic overtook Charlie Brown, he ducked his head and dashed off the stage and out the auditorium door before anyone could stop him.