Broadway Love

Chapter 4 - Age 8 (2)

After two months of the production going—Betty getting four shows a week while the other two Matildas got three—they were nominated for several Tony Awards. Everybody was freaking out backstage once they found out in the middle of the show. And when the curtain calls were, they announced it to the huge crowd who all cheered to it, understanding the work and sleepless nights that had been put into the project.

Betty was a special kid. For everybody. She by herself had gotten a nomination. Whenever it was a role like that, it had always been all the kids who played the same role. This time it was only Betty; the magazine had explained all about her facial expressions and how she could save the world without even talking, purely by looking at somebody and hypnotizing them with her voice and face... She was natural on the stage. So, even though every other kid in the theater was jealous, they were also happy for her. Really happy.

Alice couldn't believe it at first. It felt so odd and unreal—how the hell could her 8-year-old baby get nominated for a Tony Award? Well... she did. When Hal found out, he was equally shocked, but he didn't know what to say to Betty either. He knew the girl wasn't used to him and her life didn't depend on him. He had other two children now with another woman; 2 and 3-year-old boys.

Being nominated for a Tony award had its own difficulties. The first one: trying to get Betty to agree to go up on the stage alone. "Alone?" the blonde asked, her green eyes wide.

"Baby, you like performing. You love to see the crowd," Alice said.

"Yeah, but... I'm usually acting, I'm just Matilda. I don't wanna be on the stage as me."

The woman chuckled at that. "I'll be there. In the crowd. And so will everybody else. The directors and the writer and the producers. Even some of the kids. I'm pretty sure Jacob will be there..." Jacob was one of her best friends on the show who played Bruce.

"But do I have to say something?"

Alice smiled. "If you win, you should thank everybody."

"I can just thank you at home," she offered, arching her eyebrows questioningly.

"Betty," FP chuckled, facing her while sitting around the table, Jughead next to the younger girl. "You should thank everybody. Everyone that works on the show, the producers, writers, the ones who cast you. And then all the kids and grownups who work with you every day."

"But you're not sure I'll win, right?" she asked, unsure.

"Nope."

"Well then maybe we should hope I won't?" she joked.

That made all of them laugh. "Hey," Jug whispered to her soon enough. "Maybe if you win, you can ask your mom for a guitar?"

Betty smiled at that huge, having pleaded her mom for a few months now to get her own guitar. Till now it had always been the one Jughead had at home and his drums. And the bass that Chaz had in his room, too.

"What did you say?" Polly asked Jughead, seeing Betty's smile.

"Nothing," the boy teased the 11-year-old.

"And the Tony Award for the best actress in a musical goes to... Crystal Marie Williams!"

Betty breathed out quietly, having hoped she would win, but also relieved she didn't. Now she didn't have to go up on the stage and also had something to work towards. She had started to understand with some weeks how important Tony Awards were. Apparently, she was the youngest person ever to be nominated. And everyone was proud of her already.