just the way you are

chapter one: dance callbacks

"everyone listen up," jeff calhoun's voice rang out across the stage as he spoke to his cast members through microphone. bailey jackson was used to this, she had been part of newsies since papermill playhouse when it was a small off broadway show. "tomorrow is dance callbacks for finding the tour cast of newsies," jeff announced

the cast members all cheered. it was a bittersweet moment bailey knew as she stretched next to brendon stimson, one of her best friends, on the floor like she always did. daisy garcia, one of her other best friends, was sitting next to them on her computer. daisy was a swing, so she always had to be stretched and prepared to go on stage at the drop of a hat.

when the tour was cast, newsies on broadway was going to close a few weeks later. bailey was still going to be a part of the tour cast along with brody (her little brother), daisy, and a few others, but it wouldn't be the same anymore.

"this means i need a few of you to come in and help me and chris," jeff announced, "i have a group that i want to help if they agree. i want bailey, daisy, brendon, nico, and john michael to help with this."

"look," brendon quietly talked so just the five members of the broadway cast could hear him. the five (bailey, brendon, daisy, john michael, and nico) were sitting on top of a long table waiting for the dance callback to start. there were at least forty boys and twenty or so girls crowded in the dance studio. "23 looks brody's age."

"who?"

"curly blond hair, neeks," bailey pointed out the boy who was talking to a red headed boy and a dark haired boy. "adidas pants," she added when nico still had the questioning look on his face.

"holy shit," daisy gasped as she saw the blond boy. "that's ben cook, he was on the billy elliot tour with me."

bailey blushed as the red head that was taking to ben and the other boy looked over and smiled at her.

"ooh," brendon bullied the younger girl, "someone has a crush."

"shut up bren," bailey muttered as she almost shoved her friend off of the table.

"leave her alone, brendon," daisy grinned, which in turn caused bailey to shove her too.

"do you guys know anyone?" john michael asked, successfully pulling the subject off of bailey's non-existent love life.

"12 was in gypsy with me in 2004," bailey pointed out zachary sayle. "he was a newsboy when I was baby june."

"pretty sure that 28 was in the book of mormon," brendon pointed out.

"i'm ninety percent positive that's jeff heimbrock," daisy added.

"that'll be confusing for you, girls," brendon laughed, earning himself another shove.

"oh, that's where I recognized him from," nico face palmed.

"bren? daze?" bailey asked, "wasn't 15 in big fish with us?"

"yeah," brendon answered after looking at who bailey was pointing at, "that's dan deluca."

"shush," daisy shushed the boys and bailey as jeff calhoun, the director of the tour and broadway cast, moved to the front of the room, "jeff's starting."