Note: Some information on this fanfic; like dates, places and names, might
go against information given in the original show. Keep in mind this is fan
FICTION.
"Before We Loved Lucy"
Chapter 1 "Ethel"
It was a sunny morning in Albuquerque when the young Ethel Brooks decided to go downtown and buy a new dress. She invited Lily Graham, her best friend, to go with her. They loved to go downtown and look at the stores, and while they did that they talked a lot about her lives and sometimes about other people's lives too.
"Look, Ethel, that pink dress is amazing."
"Yeah," Ethel said as they approached the window. "It's the most beautiful I've ever seen."
As they looked at the dress, a man was hanging a sign near them announcing that a vaudeville group had arrived on Albuquerque to perform for over three months in the local theater. Ethel was very excited when she saw the sign. Since she was a child, she loved to sing and dance, and dreamt about being an artist. However, she never had much hopes of having a show business career. Her parents would never allow her to go to Hollywood or New York to pursue acting and dancing.
"Ethel, this could be your chance," Lily said pointing the sign.
"What are you talking about?"
"You want to go into show business. You might start here. It looks like a great opportunity."
"Oh, Lily, are you crazy? Why would they want me? And besides, I'm too coward to go there and ask for a job."
"Ethel Brooks! This is your dream! And you're not going to ask for a job, just for an audition. Obviously, after the audition, they're going to beg you to join them."
Ethel smiled shyly. "I don't know..."
"Come on, girl. Let's go there now." Lily said as she grabbed Ethel by the arm and they headed to the local theater.
At the theater, Charles Baxter, the owner of the group, was there when Ethel and Lily arrived. He was very impressed with the beauty of those two young ladies, especially Ethel, whose blonde hair and green eyes were shining beautifully on that morning.
"Excuse me," Lily said to Mr. Baxter, "My friend here, Ethel Brooks, would like an audition for the group."
"Oh, that's excellent! We're really looking for new girls. Please come on in." He said as he led them inside the theater.
Inside the theater, most of the group was rehearsing their lines and their songs. Ethel was fascinated by all those artists. Lily also liked it and she was especially happy to see the joy on Ethel's eyes.
"Well, Miss Brooks, what can you do?" Mr. Baxter asked Ethel after they all took a sit.
"I can sing and dance."
"Oh, that's what we're needing. Just wait here, while I go call one of our performers. I want him to watch your audition."
Mr. Baxter then ran backstage, and finally found who he was looking for.
"Fred! Come on here."
"What is it, Charles?"
"I have a girl here to audition for a singing and dancing number. I'd like you to watch it, because I think she's the one we've been looking for."
"OK, boss. Let's go."
They went back to where Ethel and Lily were waiting. Mr. Baxter introduced them and then asked Ethel if she wanted to have her audition now.
"Oh, I don't know... I guess so." Ethel said, surprised how things were going so fast.
Mr. Baxter gave her ten minutes to get ready, and for that she had the help of Lily and of Naomi, one of their dancers. As they were waiting, Fred and Mr. Baxter talked:
"So, Fred, what do you think?"
"I'm really impressed Charles. She's really beautiful. Let's see if she can sing and dance. If she can, we might consider ourselves really lucky."
"We or you, my friend? Because I noticed the way you looked at her." Mr. Baxter said, laughing.
Fred pretended he hadn't heard it. "Oh, here they come."
For the next twenty minutes, Ethel sang and danced amazingly. Mr. Baxter, Fred, and even Lily were impressed on how natural she was up on stage. After she finished, Mr. Baxter, got up from his chair very excited.
"Congratulations, Miss Brooks! You're one of the greatest performers I've ever seen. You'll have a place in our group, if you wish."
Ethel couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh my God... I don't know, I have to think about it."
"Can you come back with an answer in one week?"
"Yes, Mr. Baxter. That's fine."
"See you! I hope you'll join us. You'll have a blast!" Fred said as the girls left. Mr. Baxter just looked at him and smiled.
The next week, Ethel came back saying that yes, she was going to join them. Everyone was happy because Ethel was very talented. She just asked for a couple of months to make all the arrangements she had to, which Mr. Baxter agreed to.
Two months later, Ethel arrived at the theater with her luggage, looking for Mr. Baxter, who was going to show her where she was going to sleep. Mr. Baxter, however, wasn't there.
"Hello, Miss Brooks. Can I help you?" Fred asked.
"Oh, I'm looking for Mr. Baxter." She said.
"Oh, yes, that's right. He told me you were going to be here. He had to leave, but I'll show you your room."
"Oh, thanks, Mister..."
"Mertz. Fred Mertz. Call me Fred." He said.
"Alright, Fred." Ethel answered smiling, impressed with Fred's good manners.
After they met, Fred took her luggage and started to introduce her to all the people. She felt like she was at home.
"Before We Loved Lucy"
Chapter 1 "Ethel"
It was a sunny morning in Albuquerque when the young Ethel Brooks decided to go downtown and buy a new dress. She invited Lily Graham, her best friend, to go with her. They loved to go downtown and look at the stores, and while they did that they talked a lot about her lives and sometimes about other people's lives too.
"Look, Ethel, that pink dress is amazing."
"Yeah," Ethel said as they approached the window. "It's the most beautiful I've ever seen."
As they looked at the dress, a man was hanging a sign near them announcing that a vaudeville group had arrived on Albuquerque to perform for over three months in the local theater. Ethel was very excited when she saw the sign. Since she was a child, she loved to sing and dance, and dreamt about being an artist. However, she never had much hopes of having a show business career. Her parents would never allow her to go to Hollywood or New York to pursue acting and dancing.
"Ethel, this could be your chance," Lily said pointing the sign.
"What are you talking about?"
"You want to go into show business. You might start here. It looks like a great opportunity."
"Oh, Lily, are you crazy? Why would they want me? And besides, I'm too coward to go there and ask for a job."
"Ethel Brooks! This is your dream! And you're not going to ask for a job, just for an audition. Obviously, after the audition, they're going to beg you to join them."
Ethel smiled shyly. "I don't know..."
"Come on, girl. Let's go there now." Lily said as she grabbed Ethel by the arm and they headed to the local theater.
At the theater, Charles Baxter, the owner of the group, was there when Ethel and Lily arrived. He was very impressed with the beauty of those two young ladies, especially Ethel, whose blonde hair and green eyes were shining beautifully on that morning.
"Excuse me," Lily said to Mr. Baxter, "My friend here, Ethel Brooks, would like an audition for the group."
"Oh, that's excellent! We're really looking for new girls. Please come on in." He said as he led them inside the theater.
Inside the theater, most of the group was rehearsing their lines and their songs. Ethel was fascinated by all those artists. Lily also liked it and she was especially happy to see the joy on Ethel's eyes.
"Well, Miss Brooks, what can you do?" Mr. Baxter asked Ethel after they all took a sit.
"I can sing and dance."
"Oh, that's what we're needing. Just wait here, while I go call one of our performers. I want him to watch your audition."
Mr. Baxter then ran backstage, and finally found who he was looking for.
"Fred! Come on here."
"What is it, Charles?"
"I have a girl here to audition for a singing and dancing number. I'd like you to watch it, because I think she's the one we've been looking for."
"OK, boss. Let's go."
They went back to where Ethel and Lily were waiting. Mr. Baxter introduced them and then asked Ethel if she wanted to have her audition now.
"Oh, I don't know... I guess so." Ethel said, surprised how things were going so fast.
Mr. Baxter gave her ten minutes to get ready, and for that she had the help of Lily and of Naomi, one of their dancers. As they were waiting, Fred and Mr. Baxter talked:
"So, Fred, what do you think?"
"I'm really impressed Charles. She's really beautiful. Let's see if she can sing and dance. If she can, we might consider ourselves really lucky."
"We or you, my friend? Because I noticed the way you looked at her." Mr. Baxter said, laughing.
Fred pretended he hadn't heard it. "Oh, here they come."
For the next twenty minutes, Ethel sang and danced amazingly. Mr. Baxter, Fred, and even Lily were impressed on how natural she was up on stage. After she finished, Mr. Baxter, got up from his chair very excited.
"Congratulations, Miss Brooks! You're one of the greatest performers I've ever seen. You'll have a place in our group, if you wish."
Ethel couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh my God... I don't know, I have to think about it."
"Can you come back with an answer in one week?"
"Yes, Mr. Baxter. That's fine."
"See you! I hope you'll join us. You'll have a blast!" Fred said as the girls left. Mr. Baxter just looked at him and smiled.
The next week, Ethel came back saying that yes, she was going to join them. Everyone was happy because Ethel was very talented. She just asked for a couple of months to make all the arrangements she had to, which Mr. Baxter agreed to.
Two months later, Ethel arrived at the theater with her luggage, looking for Mr. Baxter, who was going to show her where she was going to sleep. Mr. Baxter, however, wasn't there.
"Hello, Miss Brooks. Can I help you?" Fred asked.
"Oh, I'm looking for Mr. Baxter." She said.
"Oh, yes, that's right. He told me you were going to be here. He had to leave, but I'll show you your room."
"Oh, thanks, Mister..."
"Mertz. Fred Mertz. Call me Fred." He said.
"Alright, Fred." Ethel answered smiling, impressed with Fred's good manners.
After they met, Fred took her luggage and started to introduce her to all the people. She felt like she was at home.