Gideon the Street Urchin: On Broadway

The Older Boys

Friday afternoon rolled around faster than Gideon could've imagined. It was raining outside, but that didn't stop him from skipping down the sidewalk to the casting building. Mrs. Tucker held the umbrella for him. He splashed in the puddles which sometimes hit passing businessmen (that earned Gideon some nasty looks). When they got to the door, Mrs. Tucker pulled him aside.

"Take a breath, Gideon," she said. "Remember, you are a professional."

"I'm nine," he shrugged.

"Age does not define maturity. When you walk through those doors, you are as grown as everyone else."

Gideon puffed out his chest. His mom ruffled his brown hair. They walked inside together. Gideon finally got a good look at the place. The last time he was here, there were too many kids to see past the end of his nose. The lobby was a boring grey color. The rug seemed to come straight out of an old Friendly's with hamburgers and fries splattering it. The walls were covered in framed pictures of acting stars. Gideon recognized Matthew McArthur and Debby Murphy. His mom raved about them. He figured they were discovered by this casting agency. The woman at the front desk had a tight blonde librarian bun. Her brows were furrowed like she was concentrating especially hard on something. Her red lips were pursed. Mrs. Tucker and Gideon walked right up. The woman (her name was Alice) did a double-take when she noticed them.

"Hi, what can I do for you today?" she rested her hands on her desk.

"Hi, yes. This is Gideon Tucker," Mrs. Tucker pushed him forward. "He has an audition for Street Urchins at 3:00."

Alice typed away at her keyboard. She smiled.

"You're going to be on floor five. Just take the elevator to your right. The audition manager will be up there to help you."

They said their thanks. Right as Gideon was about to step into the elevator, Alice called back, "Break a leg!" The doors closed. He looked up at his mom with a puzzled look.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"In show business, it means 'good luck'."

Gideon stared at his reflection in the polished elevator door. They deliberated for a while as to what he should wear. They settled on a pair of dark jeans, worn out sneakers, and a black t-shirt. His hair was slightly messed up. He looked tough yet vulnerable- the epitome of Mel. The floor numbers kept climbing. The doors opened.

At first look, Gideon wasn't so sure about this anymore. It was the same narrow hallway from his first audition. Instead of little boys his age, it was filled with big kids. Gideon's throat went dry. Teenage boys twice his height were hunched over scripts. Most of them wore black leather jackets and jeans. They were mumbling to themselves. Gideon's heart rate skyrocketed. His head started to sweat. He looked up at his mom, biting his lip.

"It's okay," she said. "Go on."

Together, they took a leap of faith out of the elevator. They got a few looks from the boys, but Gideon knew he had to push past that. A man with a clipboard noticed them right away. He jogged up to them. He had dark skin and cool dark braids that were pulled back into a ponytail. His smile lit up the room.

"Name?" he asked.

"Gideon Tucker," Mrs. Tucker answered for him. The man nodded.

"I remember you. You're reading for Mel, is that right?"

Gideon looked to his mom to answer, but her lips were sealed. Gideon said shyly, "Yes." The man peeled a large sticker and handed it to Gideon.