The Two Of Us (will be continued)

Chapter 6: The List

The next day everyone was gathered by the stage waiting anxiously for Mayor Goodway to come and post the cast list. They were chatting excitedly amongst themselves while Humdinger was just standing by himself a ways away.
When Goodway finally arrived everyone began to surround her.
"Everyone, let's not make a crowd. Stand back." She said as she hammered in the cast list on the announcement board.
As soon as she stepped away everyone searched for their name as best as they could to see which part they got. Skye couldn't see at all. She noticed Jake's leg and gave his pants a little tug.
She looked up at him, sweetly. "Excuse me, Jake, would you be so kind as to pick me up so that I can find my name on the list? I can't see a thing down here."
Jake smiled. "Of course, Skye."
"What about me? I can't see either." Said Everest.
"You too, Everest." Said Jake, picking both pups up and placing one on each shoulder. "Well, girls, do you see which parts you got?"
Skye and Everest examined the cast list.
"If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em" CAST LIST:
Marshall - Sir. Zeke The Castle Guard (for the kingdom of Armeny)/soldier
Skye - Laura, The Duchess of Donia/soldier
Rocky - King Tom of Donia/soldier
Everest - Queen Sarah of Armeny/soldier
Zuma - King Gerald of York/soldier
Tracker - The Duke of Armeny/soldier
Chase - Sir. Carl The Castle Guard (alongside Zeke)/soldier
Rubble - Peasant/soldier
Ryder - Grand Old Duke Of York
Carlos - Grand Old Duke Of York's Steed/Peasant
Jake - Peasant/Royal Minister
Katie - Queen Of Armeny's Lady-In-Waiting
Alex - Royal Messenger (for all kingdoms), Little Boy Who Lives Down The Lane
Cali - Black Sheep
Yumi - Royal Chef (for Armeny), Dame
Al - Royal Minstrel
Mr. Porter - King of Donia's Royal Butler, Master
Cap'n Turbot - Old King Cole/Peasant
Francois - Royal Coachman/Peasant
Raimundo - Royal Minstrel
Mayor Humdinger - Peasant
Julius Goodway - Jack
Justina Goodway - Jill
Mayor Goodway - Narrator/sings alongside the royal minstrels
Chickeletta - Soldier/Peasant

Bakstage Jobs:
Rubble - Set Builder
Ryder - Set Painter
Jake - Curtains/Lights Operator
Katie - Makeup/Costume Person
Carlos - Sound Effects/Jake's Assistant
Mr. Porter - Set Builder
Cap'n Turbot - Prop Manager/Head Set Builder
Francois - Set Builder/Assistant Choreographer
Al - Set Builder
Yumi - Set Builder
Marshall - Set Painter/EMT
Alex - Prompter/Give Assistance Whenever Needed
Mayor Goodway - Director/Choreographer
Skye shrieked happily. "I got the Duchess of Donia!!! That's the female lead!!!"
"And I got the Queen of Armeny!!!" Exclaimed Everest.
The pups high-pawed and screamed in excitement.
Jake put the pups down and knelt in front of them. "Wow, great job, Skye! That's the part you wanted! And congrats to you too, Everest! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thank you, Jake!" Exclaimed Everest, giving her owner a lick. "But what did YOU get? I didn't see."
"I got the Royal Minister. And a peasant. I'm also part of the backstage team. I'm the curtains and lights operator."
"Cool! That's great, Jake!" Exclaimed Everest. "Oh hey, here come Carlos and Tracker."
"Hey, guys. Just wanted to come and congratulate you on your parts. And I'll bet you're the most excited, Skye. You got one of the major roles. It was in your prayer." Said Carlos.
Skye gasped. "It WAS in my prayer!"
The cockapoo ran out to the middle of the sportsfield and did a few flips out of happiness. She just couldn't contain her excitement and gratitude.
"I GOT THE FEMALE LEAD! GOD HAS ANSWERED MY PRAYER! HALLELUJAH! PRAISE JESUS!!!" She shouted with joy.
Some of the others just stared at her as she was shouting and jumping for joy. But they smiled. And among them was the mayor.
Ryder smiled too. He was proud of his pup. He turned to see if there were less people by the cast list. There were none now.
"Sweet! That means I can finally find my name!" He thought.
He went up to the list and before finding his own name, he decided to find Marshall's. Which wasn't hard at all since Marshall was first on the list.
"Awesome! Marshall got the lead! He's gonna be the star! Naturally. My firepup is full of talent!" He thought with a smile."
The puppy himself came running up to Ryder with his tail wagging and a happy smile on his face.
"Guess what, Ryder! I got the lead!"
"I know! I'm so proud of you, Marshall! This is great!" He exclaimed, giving the pup pets and scratches on the head.
"Thanks. What'd YOU get?"
"I was just about to find out. Let's see."
Ryder picked Marshall up so that they could both look together. Their eyes went down the list for a bit before they found Ryder's name.
"Looks like you're playing the Grand Old Duke Of York. That's neat."
"Yeah, I guess so. Sounds cool." Said Ryder.
"I better go find Skye. Catch you later, Ryder!" Exclaimed Marshall, jumping out of his owner's arms and running off.
"Hey, come back here, pal! Let me hold you!" Shouted Ryder as he watched Skye and Marshall approach each other.
He sighed and let him go and turned his attention back towards the list. He began to wonder why Marshall had the nerve to ditch him for Skye. That's when he realized: Marshall got the lead. Skye got the female lead. Ryder thought about that and put two and two together. They were going to be co-leads. And HE was only going to be a secondary lead. Not even, probably! Meaning Marshall was gonna end up spending more time with someone else rather than him on the set!
Ryder looked at the list in disgust. "Grand Old Duke Of York?! This is an outrage! This is injustice!" He thought. He would've yelled it aloud had he been alone.
Ryder slumped down on the grass in misery. He looked almost as miserable as that old Humdinger. Rubble came along, bearing the same expression on his face. He too slumped down on the grass next to Ryder.
Ryder finally noticed him. "You don't look too happy."
"Neither do you."
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Sure. What else am I to do?"
"I'm mad about my role because I won't to get to spend much time with Marshall since he and Skye are co-leads while I'm supposed to play the Grand Old Duke Of York."
"You think YOUR role stinks! I'm only playing a peasant and one of the soldiers! Meaning I only have FIVE LINES! At least you get a somewhat big part!"
"Gee, I didn't think that would happen to you, Rubble. I'm sorry you won't get to be in the spotlight much."
"Yeah." Rubble sighed. "And I'm sorry you won't get to spend a lot of time on set with your best friend. Though look on the bright side: you have a best friend. I, however, do not."
Ryder felt super sorry for Rubble. The sad look on the english bulldog's face crushed him and he wanted to help.
"That...really sucks."
"Tell me about it."
Ryder then smiled. "Hey, what about Rocky? I don't think HE has a best friend. Maybe you should try hanging out with him more."
Rubble smiled hopefully. "Ok, I'll try." He said before making his way over to Rocky.
"Way to go, Rubble!" Exclaimed Ryder.
He then noticed Skye and Marshall happily speaking with Mayor Goodway and decided to head over there to give Skye his "congratulations."
"So you really liked my audition?" Skye asked Goodway.
"Why, yes. It was lovely. And Marshall, your singing is exceptional! That's why I knew you two would be the perfect leads!"
"I'm so excited, Mayor Goodway! Don't worry, we won't fail you!" Skye exclaimed.
"I know you won't." Said the mayor with smile.
"Hello, Mayor. Lovely day, isn't it?" Said Ryder.
"Yes indeed, Ryder. And you must be very proud of your pups."
"I sure am." Said Ryder through slightly clenched teeth and a fake smile. He turned to Skye. "Congrats, Skye. Marshall and I were just talking. He got the lead and I saw you got the female lead. So I came to wish you luck."
"Thanks, Ryder! I can't wait to start rehearsing! Neither can Marshall. With our talents combined, this is gonna be the greatest show Adventure Bay has ever seen!"
Goodway smiled widely. "I'm so glad you feel that way!"
"Yes. Anyway, that's all I came to say, Skye."
"I appreciate it, Ryder."
"Awesome. Break a leg." He said with his totally fake smile. But as he walked off and realized that he had actually meant what he just said, he immediately felt a wave of guilt and surprise wash over him.
"I'm horrible!" He thought.
Meanwhile, Carlos and Tracker were still speaking with Jake and Everest. Carlos and Jake giggled at how excited all the pups were and watched their own pups chat joyfully with each other about the play.
"It's gonna be so much fun!" Exclaimed Tracker.
"I can't wait to sing songs!" Exclaimed Everest.
"You pups are gonna do fantastic!" Exclaimed Jake.
"We should all celebrate later!" Exclaimed Tracker.
"Great idea, Tracker." Said Jake.
"Yeah! We should celebrate!" Exclaimed Everest.
"So, Jake, I guess I'm supposed to be your assistant backstage for the curtains and lights." Said Carlos.
"I saw that. It's gonna be great." Said Jake.
"You bet." Agreed Carlos.
"Can't wait to work with you, bro."
"Back at ya. Well, I guess we'll see you guys later."
"Yeah. See ya."
Carlos smiled at him and blushed a bit before walking away with Tracker. Jake's eyes followed them for a little bit.
"Should we go sit in front of the stage? I think Goodway wants to say a few words." Said Everest.
"Yeah, let's go." Said Jake, still glancing at Carlos.
Ryder saw Marshall walking by and picked him up off the ground before the pup could say anything and set him on his lap when he sat down.
As everyone gathered to the seats in front of the stage, Goodway shot Humdinger a glare that matched his own. Deciding to just ignore him she walked up on the stage and waited for everyone to be seated.
"Ok, everybody. Thanks a lot for turning up to view the cast list. I hope you are all happy, or at least satisfied with your parts. Are you?"
Lots of people nodded and started talking about how thrilled they were. Ryder just gave a thumbs up and a fake smile. Rubble nodded despite himself and Humdinger just continued glaring at Goodway.
"That's excellent. Now, I'm going to discuss the rehearsal schedule as well as some rules. It's February third and the musical and party are on Valentine's Day, meaning we only have ten days to rehearse. From tomorrow, on."
"Ten days?!" Shouted Jake.
"But Mayor Goodway-" Ryder started saying.
"That's barely enough time!" Shouted Chase.
"We should've started this whole thing weeks ago!" Shouted Raimundo.
"Now, guys, I know it seems like a tight schedule but we can work it out. The work load won't be as bad as you think." Goodway assured.
"AS bad." Mumbled Humdinger.
Goodway shot him a look before continuing. "We're going to have a great time. It won't take long to learn the songs or moves. And some of you won't have as much to do as others. Those of you that DO have a lot more work, you'll be just fine. But the point is, this is a team effort. No matter what or how much is asked of you you are all expected to do the best you can and help one another. Got it?"
"Yes." They all said.
"Alright, good. As I was saying, we have ten days to rehearse. The last two days will be dress rehearsal. Each rehearsal will be from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Some may be longer depending on how fast you pick up the lines and dance moves. In total, each rehearsal is ten hours. But like I said, some might end up being a bit longer. Of those ten hours, seven are for acting practice and three are for dance and singing practice. Um, I guess that's about it as far as the rehearsal schedule. Any questions? Concerns?"
Rubble raised his paw.
"Yes, Rubble?"
"What if we get hungry before rehearsal is over?"
Goodway giggled. "Don't fret. There will snack breaks in between."
Rubble smiled. "Ok, good."
"Any other questions?"
(Crickets)
"Moving on, I shall now discuss some rules. Number one: this one's for you, Humdinger. No disrespect or evil plans. AT ALL."
Humdinger only muttered to himself angrily as he glared at Goodway.
"Number two: you must ALL practice your lines, songs and dance moves at home in order to get it just right for the performance on Valentine's Day. Number three: you all must help each other as best you can. We're a team."
"And there will be no fighting, pups." Ryder added.
"Yes, and no fighting for any stupid reason." Agreed Goodway. "Does everyone understand? Are there any questions?"
(Crickets)
"Alright then. Now, Francois is going to pass out your scripts and a paper with the schedule on it so that you don't forget. Once you've gotten those two items you may leave. Oh, but wait! I'll need my backstage crew to stay behind for a bit. If you are not part of the backstage crew you may leave. I would once again like to thank you all for coming. First rehearsal is tomorrow!"
Some people got up to go as soon as they got their scripts and rehearsal schedule paper. The pups that weren't working backstage headed to the Paw Patroller to wait for the others.
Ryder, Marshall, Rubble, Jake, Katie, Alex, Mr. Porter, Yumi, Al, Francois and Cap'n Turbot (and Cali since Katie was there, and also Julius and Justina since their aunt was there) stayed in their seats, facing Goodway who sat down at the edge of the stage.
"My backstage crew, you are all in charge of, well, what goes on backstage. There's the set, makeup, costumes, lights, curtains and sounds. So they are your additional tasks aside from practicing for your roles. All of these are important jobs, as they are vital to the success of the play. Set builders, you are in charge of building sets such as, for example, the castle which is the main one, the carriage, and so on. Set painters, you are in charge of painting these constructed sets. Jake, you're in charge of the lighting and working the curtains. Carlos, you're in charge of providing sound effects and helping Jake."
Jake and Carlos smiled at each other.
"Katie, you're in charge of gathering up whatever you can for costumes. You don't necessarily have to make some. Just find some. But if you would like to make a few, you may. You're also in charge of doing makeup. Marshall, you're an EMT, so if anything goes wrong and someone gets hurt you can treat them. You're also a set painter. Alex, you're the prompter."
"What's a prompter, Mayor Goodway?" Asked Alex.
"Well, Alex, a prompter gives the actors their lines if they forget them. Kind of like a person who holds Q cards. Only instead of holding cards you will whisper the actors their lines through a little microphone that only they can hear."
"Cool!" Exclaimed Alex. He liked having this job. It made him feel important. And he hadn't felt this important since that day he was made an honorary member of the Paw Patrol after he figured out how to get Cali down from Farmer Yumi's silo.
"Cap'n Turbot, you're the prop manger, meaning you're in charge of gathering and/or making props. I've also selected you to be the head set builder. So you're basically the leader of the set builders."
"I won't let you down, Mayor." Cap'n Turbot stated proudly with a hand salute.
"Mr. Porter, Yumi, Al, Rubble and Francois are in the set builder team. Ryder, you're a set painter."
Ryder was happy that he'd at least be able to spend time with Marshall backstage. Especially since they had the same job.
"And of course, Francois is also my assistant choreographer which you all already knew. And I'm the director and choreographer, of course. So anyway, that's what you will all be doing. If you're in a group you can get together for a few minutes and discuss how you will start your projects. Then you may leave. Have a great rest of the day!"
With that, the set builders got together, Jake and Carlos got together, Katie and Cali left and Alex just sat down and waited around for his grandpa. He was talking and laughing with Julius and Justina since they were waiting for Goodway. Ryder and Marshall looked at each other and then looked around at the others on the field.
"Where are the other set painters?" Asked Ryder.
"I don't know. I think we're the only ones." Said Marshall.
"Sweet! I mean, um, let's get started. What will we, you know, paint first tomorrow?"
"Hmm..I'm not sure. We have to wait for the set builders to finish building something first. And who knows how long that'll take." Answered Marshall.
"I'm just glad you and I got the same job. You know I can't bear to be away from my firepup." Said Ryder, sweetly.
"Oh, stop." Said Marshall with a playful eyeroll.
"I'm serious. Now let's wait for everyone to finish their discussions so we can head on home."
"I'm hungry, Ryder. What's for dinner?"
"I don't know yet. We might go somewhere again. But after that, popcorn and a movie in the lobby just you and me?"
Marshall smiled. "Sure."

Mayor Humdinger finally saw his chance to approach Goodway. He was not happy and needed to make it clear. He caught her speaking with the set builders. Once she left their discussion she was immediately met by the grumpy mayor of Foggy Bottom standing right before her, and her smiled turned to a frown.
"What do you want? I thought you went home." She said.
"I wanted to complain about my role! I said I could become a star and make this play the greatest! I can't believe I'm only going to play a peasant! It isn't fair!"
"Oh don't give me that, Humdinger! You're lucky I even gave you a part at all! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm very busy and I've got twins to look after. Come along, Francois." She said, walking off with Cap'n Turbot's cousin.
Humdinger only grumbled and muttered to himself before leaving.