Broadway
It was a long drive to Lola's parent's house. The family was listening to the radio, singing along to the songs. Except during some songs…
Another night in any town
You can hear the thunder of their cry
Ahead of their time they wonder why
Tanya and Sean looked at each other, then towards their parents.
"Umm…Mom? Dad?" interrupted Sean
"What song is that?" asked Tanya
"Only the Young," answered Lola
"From Journey…" added Bugs
"Who?" the kids asked
"A rock group from the 80s," he answered
"That's old…" said Sean
Bugs and Lola looked at each other, shrugged then continued singing.
Only the young can say
They're free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burning like wildfire
From the mirror, Lola could see the slightly disturbed faces of her twins.
It's not that old…heh, kids today. This kinda reminds me of how I was with my parents. Ugh…especially my mom…
The Bunny family was still house hunting. They found a formidable house and were taking the steps to attain it. However something came up…
"Larry? I need to tell you something," said Gladys as she walked into the bedroom
"Yes?" he asked
"I just got off the phone with Marian. She's nearing the due date…and she wants me to come,"
"To New York?"
"Yes,"
"Wow…that's a bit much,"
"I know but…Marian needs me. This is her first child and she really wants me there. And I can't abandon my baby sister when she needs me the most,"
"I understand, but how will you pay for the ticket?"
"She's offered to buy us tickets,"
"Us?"
"She wants us all to go,"
"Gladys, we can't go. Not with the down-payment I have to make on that house…"
"Then how about me and the kids go? They'll be so excited to go to New York,"
"I'm not sure,"
"Please Larry? It'll only be for a few weeks…"
"Well…alright,"
"Thank you," she kissed his cheek
A week later, Gladys and her three children arrived at La Guardia airport. Lola and Katie were excited to have taken their first ever plane ride; Brendan, however, was still feeling nauseous. After passing through customs, they were greeted by Marian, whom was nine months pregnant, and her husband Alex.
"Marian!" Gladys hugged her sister
"Gladys! I'm so happy you're here!" she smiled
"Hello Alex,"
"Hi Gladys," he greeted
Alex was a calm and collected rabbit. He had reddish brown fur and dark green eyes.
"You remember the kids," said Glady
"Yes," he said, "Katie, Lola and Brendan."
"Hi," said the kids
"You all look so precious!" said Marian
"Here let me get your bags," offered Alex
Alex grabbed the largest bags and carried them off to the car outside. The others followed him. He did his best to stuff the bags in the trunk. The family was cramped inside the car. He got in the drivers seat and drove to their apartment in the city.
They lived in a condo on the West Side of Manhattan. It was a very spacious dwelling on the 22nd floor. It had three bedrooms, a huge bathroom, a beautiful kitchen, and a cozy living room.
"My goodness!" said Gladys, "this is beautiful!"
"Thank you," said Marian, "feel free to look around."
The kids wandered around the apartment. Lola looked out the window and saw the skyline. She shifted to the side so she could see the Hudson River through the buildings and look upon Jersey's shore. Kate came to the window and looked around as well.
"This place is huge!" said Lola
"Yeah," agreed Katie
"Too high…" someone muttered
They turned around and saw Brendan slouched on the couch.
"Come look outside," said Lola
"I don't wanna…" he mumbled
"Yup, it's official. He's afraid of heights," said Kate
"No I'm not…"
"You were sick on the plane, and now you won't even go near the window…you're afraid of heights."
"Beh…" he quickly shut his mouth and ran to the bathroom. The sound of puking came through the hallway.
"Eww…" said the girls
Two days later…
Gladys went into the city to take care of some business. The kids were in the apartment with Alex and Marian.
"I'm bored…" said Lola
"Me too…" said Brendan
"I'm tired of being inside. I want to go out. I want to do something,"
"We haven't even gone sightseeing yet…" complained Katie
Marian walked into the room.
"I'm sorry kids," she said, "but you're mom has to take care of some errands before we can go sightseeing. And I can't take you guys out in my condition…"
The kids looked at the floor sadly. Marian didn't know what to do. Then she had an idea.
"Alex?" she called
Alex came from the other room.
"Yes?" he asked
"Can you take the kids to the park around the corner? They're so bored,"
"Ok, you kids want to go?"
Lola and Brendan perked up.
"The park?" they asked
"The park…" mumbled Kate
"Yeah, there's a basketball court and…"
"Oh! Let's go!" said Lola getting up
"Just as long as it's on the ground, I'm in," said Brendan
"Well…there's nothing else to do, and I'm tired of watching these day time dramas on tv," hesitated Katie
Lola ran to the room and searched through Brendan's luggage. She found what she was looking for. She came out the room, wearing a pair of shorts.
"You don't mind if I borrow these? Do you Brendan?"
"Huh? Nah whatever…" he muttered
"You know mom doesn't like it when you wear boy clothes," said Katie
"She also doesn't like it when I get the skirts dirty,"
Katie shrugged.
Alex took the kids down in the elevator. He led them around the block, to a small playground nestled between two buildings. Beside the playground were the basketball and handball courts. There was already a pair of young teenage boys playing on one of the courts. Lola, Brendan, and Alex went to the empty court opposite them. Kate went to sit at the bench. Alex took out a basketball from his duffle bag and passed it to Lola. He was about to join them on the court when he noticed Katie on the bench.
"Katie," said Alex, "you came to the park and you're just going to sit there?"
"Yeah, I don't feel like playing basketball," she said zoning out, particularly in the direction of the boys
Alex shrugged and turned to see Lola and Brendan passing the ball.
"Alright you guys, you two against me," he said
Lola and Brendan turned to each other, then towards their uncle.
"Alright," said Lola. She bounced passed the ball to him.
Lola and Brendan got on defense, while Alex took the ball and dribbled it. Lola approached him first. She was steady, waiting for her move. She struck and stole the ball from him. She passed it to her brother, and he shot. However he missed; and Alex caught the rebound. Alex tried another attempt; Brendan blocked him, but it was too late. Alex made a lay up and scored a basket.
"Loser's ball…" he taunted passing the ball to Brendan.
"Ha ha…"
Brendan passed it to Lola, and she ran to the basket. When Alex got in her way, she dodged him and made the shot. It went in. She caught the rebound, and passed it to her uncle.
"Nice one," he complimented
"Thanks,"
The game continued. Alex was impressed with their skills, particularly Lola. She had a lot of speed and accuracy. The game was then interrupted by the boys from the other court.
"Hey," said one of the boys, "you wanna play a full court game?"
The boys were a bit older than Brendan, just about Katie's age. They seemed to be speaking only to Alex and Brendan though.
"Sure," said Brendan
"I'll sit this one out," said Alex, "I'm tired. You kids play."
He went to sit on the bench next to Kate. The boys looked at Lola, then at each other. Lola noticed the look of disgust on their faces. Then a mischievous smile crept on to their faces.
"You two, versus the two of us," said one of the boys
"Fine," said Lola sternly
The players took positions at center court. Lola stood in position for the jump ball while one of the boys, John, took position opposite her. He didn't say a word, but the look on his face made it very clear what he was thinking. And Lola knew all to well…
Just because I'm a girl you think this is gonna be easy? We'll see about that!
He tossed the ball in the air; they both jumped for it. Lola managed to catch it first and pass it to Brendan. Brendan dribbled to the basket, he dodged the other boy, whom was Carlos, and however John stole it. He made a mad dash for the basket, but Lola was quick to get back on defense. He shot the ball but Lola blocked it. Brendan caught the ball and made another try for the basket. He got past Carlos and took the shot. It rolled on the rim and slid into the basket. They scored the first two points.
"Alright!" cheered Brendan
The two boys were surprised by Lola's performance. However, they didn't show it. They passed the ball to each other and advanced onto the basket. John had the ball and dribbled towards the basket. Brendan tried to block him, but John passed the ball. However Lola intercepted that pass and made a race for the basket. The boys tried to catch up with her but it was too late, she already made a clean shot. She caught the ball and passed it to John; giving him an evil smirk.
Take that...heh heh
He grew annoyed of that.
He passed the ball to Carlos and they tried again. Carlos had possession and made a go for the basket. He got past Brendan and came face to face with Lola. She blocked him with arms spread wide. He couldn't get past her. He then forcibly pushed his way through, knocking her to the ground. She fell to the ground, scraping her elbow on the pavement. She glared at him as she pulled herself up from the ground. After making the shot, Carlos came towards her.
"Sorry," he said, "are you ok?"
His words were insincere
"I'm fine," she said without a trace of emotion in her voice. She dusted herself off and took her place under the basket. She passed the ball to Brendan and he went towards the basket. He made a shot from the foul line, however he missed. Carlos caught the ball and began to run towards his basket. However before he could even make it to his foul line, Lola stole the ball and ran towards her basket. She easily got away from John and made a perfectly clean shot from the side line.
The game continued on and on. After several shots, passes, and bruises…the game was coming to an end. They were tied evenly. The boys had the ball, while the siblings defended. Carlos made the first attempt, and Lola blocked him. He passed the ball to John and he made a shot. It missed and Brendan caught the rebound. He ran towards the basket; but he met with Carlos. He passed the ball to his sister and she did her best to keep it from Carlos who was blocking her. She faked him out and took a jump shot; it hit the backboard and went into the basket.
The boys stood in shock. They couldn't believe a girl beat them. Brendan and Lola high-fived each other. Carlos gripped the ball and gritted his teeth. John put his hand on his shoulder. He calmed down. John came towards Brendan and shook his hand.
"Good game," he said
"Thanks," responded Brendan
John came towards Lola.
"You play pretty good," he said. His gaze showed no anger. Lola nodded in response. He walked passed them.
"Yeah…" added Carlos, "you play pretty good…for a girl…"
His eyes met with hers. He smirked and walked away. Lola clutched her fist. Grr...
"Wow, you guys were great," said Alex getting up from the bench
"Thanks," boasted Brendan, "it was all because of my awesome skills."
Lola ignored what he said and walked away from the court.
"Well Lola…" said Katie, "seems to me that you have a little crush on someone…"
Lola glared at her.
"I saw you two staring at each other. I think it's so cute when little kids are in love."
"WHAT!" she yelled "You must be out of your mind!"
"Don't deny it…"
"Shut up Katie! I'm not boy crazy like you are!"
"Lola! Katie! That's enough!" said Alex
"She started it!" yelled Lola
"Calm down, girls,"
Lola folded her arms and turned away. Katie couldn't help but chuckle mischieviously at her little sister.
"Let's go home," said Alex
Back at the apartment…
Lola was still miffed about the incident at the park. She kept to herself, just staring out the window of the apartment building.
"You play pretty good for a girl"…pfft…Stupid jerk…
Just then there was a phone call. Marian answered the phone. After speaking for a few moments, she got off the phone and went towards the children.
"Lola, Katie, it was your mother. She wants you to go meet up with her,"
"Where?" asked Katie
"On Broadway,"
"Oh! Cool!"
"Why do we have to meet her there?" asked Lola
"She says there's something she has to show you girls,"
"What about me?" asked Brendan
"She said it was a 'mother daughter…s' thing,"
"Whatever,"
"Alex will take you girls? The subways can be pretty tricky when you don't know where you're going,"
After riding in the trains, the group came out the station and was struck by the lights of Broadway. Even though it was past sunset, it seemed bright as day. The girls were amazed with so many lights and action bustling about on the famous street.
"This is so romantic," sighed Katie
"I've never seen so many people…so many…lights," muttered Lola
Alex led them to further down. However at one street, he took a turn, the girls followed. They were now in a less crowded place of the city. He stopped in front of an old building.
"This is the place," he said
"Here?" asked Kate, "I thought we were staying on Broadway."
"Yeah, well there are off-Broadway theaters too."
"This is a theater?" asked Lola
Suddenly, from the doors emerged Gladys.
"Hello girls," she said
"Hi mom," they said
Gladys took one look at Lola and was unpleasantly surprised with Lola wearing one of Brendan's shorts. Not to mention that they were dirty.
"Lola? What happened to you? Why aren't you wearing a skirt?"
"Umm…because all my skirts were dirty," said Lola. She cursed at herself for forgetting to change back.
"You could've worn one of Katie's skirts,"
"They're too big,"
"Hey I'm not fat…" said Katie
"I didn't say that,"
"Alright, alright…We'll talk about this later. But first I want to show you something. Come in come in, don't be shy,"
They all followed her in. As they walked through the doors, they saw an old lobby and staircase. The wood was moldy and paint was chipping off the walls. They went up the stairs.
"What is this place?" asked Lola
Gladys turned on the lights and revealed the innards of the theater. There were rows of red cushioned chairs, and even balconies on the sidewalls. It used to be a majestic theater in its prime, but now it rests peacefully; Home to cobwebs and mice.
"This is where I made my debut," she said leading them down the aisle.
"My father was co-owner of this theater. I would always come here after school. I would hang around with the actors. Sing the songs…learn the dance numbers…I wanted to be just like them."
She got on stage.
"Then one day, I decide to take my shot. I auditioned for a role and I got the part. It wasn't much…just a chorus girl. Oh but it was wonderful! Singing! Dancing! It was a magical moment. I've never seen so many people smile. But now it's to be torn down, and I wanted to spend the last moments here with you two. "
The girls got up on stage, however Alex sat on one of the front row seats; causing a little dust cloud.
Gladys walked off towards stage left and pulled out a piano. She brought out a stool and sat down. She motioned for the girls to come closer.
"You girls remember what I taught you about reading music?"
"Yes?" they answered
"Here, try this,"
"You mean we're gonna sing here? Now?" asked Katie
Gladys nodded
"Cool!" squealed Katie
"I want you girls to know what it's like to sing on a real stage. To feel what I felt my first time. Just imagine a full audience, a large red curtain, an orchestra in the pit, and a spotlight all for you."
Gladys handed them sheet music. The yellowish paper was a score from West Side Story. Katie's eyes widened, she held it close to her chest and squealed in delight. Lola wasn't as excited as her sister.
"Katie, you're an alto so you'll sing Anita's part. Lola, you're a soprano, take Maria's part," said Gladys
"I'm not too sure…" said Lola
"Just try Lola, it'll be fun,"
Gladys gave them their starting notes. She then began the melody. Anita was first.
A boy like that who'd kill your brother,
Forget that boy and find another,
One of your own kind,
Stick to your own kind!
A boy like that will give you sorrow,
You'll meet another boy tomorrow,
One of your own kind,
Stick to your own kind
A boy who kills cannot love,
A boy who kills has no heart.
And it's the boy who gets your love and gets your heart!
Very smart, Maria, very smart!
A boy like that wants one thing only,
And when he's done he'll leave you lonely.
He'll murder your love;
He murdered mine
Just wait and see,
Just wait, Maria,
Just wait and see!
Lola took a breath as her part came.
Oh no, Anita, no!
Anita no!
It isn't true, not for me
It's true for you, not for me
I hear your words
And in my head
I know they're smart.
But my heart, Anita,
But my heart
Knows they're wrong
You should know better,
You were in love,
Or so you said.
You should know better…
I have a love and it's all that I have,
Right or wrong, what else can I do?
I love him; I'm his
And everything he is, I am too.
I have a love and it's all that I need,
Right or wrong, and he needs me too.
I love him, we're one,
There's nothing to be done.
Not a thing I can do,
But hold him, hold him forever.
Be with him now, tomorrow,
And all of my life!
Then they were together in unison
When love comes so strong,
There is no right or wrong,
You're love is…you're life
They're voices echoed in the mostly empty theater. As the last echo died down, Alex and Gladys's applause filled the air.
"Beautiful!" said Gladys, "there were just a few things wrong."
"Aww…but mom I thought this was just for fun," said Lola
"It is, but I'm just going to give you some pointers. Kate, you were perfect. You have a beautiful strong alto voice. Great pitch and all your notes were on point."
Kate smiled from ear to ear. It wasn't very often her mother complimented her on something.
"Lola…you need to work on those high notes."
Lola sighed.
"You were doing great; it's just this one part where you kind of…cracked. Here try this. Stand up straight and keep your feet shoulder width apart. When it gets to that part, pick a spot out in front of you, and sing to it. Make sure you take a deep breath and pinch yourself when you have to go up high. Now take it from 'be with him now…'"
Lola rolled her eyes and stood center stage. She chose to look at a clock above the balcony. She placed her feet correctly and took her breath.
Be with him now, tomorrow
And all….of my life!
She barely made it to the last, highest note.
"Much better," said Gladys, "just keep practicing and you'll get it perfectly."
"Mom…I'm not much of a singer…" said Lola
"Nonsense Lola, you have a beautiful voice, you just need the skills in order to become the best."
"But…"
"Trust me, sweetie. Once you experience the stage, there's nothing like it…you'll fall in love."
I'm not much of an actress, or singer…sure I love singing, but it's not something I would want as a career. Mom wanted me to become a performer, just like her. Why couldn't she see that it wasn't for me? She never really accepted….the things that I liked, or didn't like…nothing I did was ever good enough for her.
"Mom? What are you thinking?"
"Hmm? Oh…nothing,"
Lola's mind came back to the car. The radio was on commercials and the others in the car were fairly silent. Just then another song came on. Bugs turned up the volume. Everyone in the car started to move to the music.
We are family
I got all my sisters with me
We are family
Get up everybody and sing!
A/N: All I have to say is…foreshadowing!!!
"Only the Young" is copyrighted by Journey
"A boy Like That/I Have a Love" from West Side Story is copyrighted by Columbia
"We Are Family" is copyrighted by Sister Sledge