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WELCOME TO THE CLUB!
after spending more time with you and laurie (and of course the teasing that ensued), jo wanted to officially make you both part of their club.
"alright, i'll sneak you in, before anyone can notice. you'll hide until i tell you it's okay for you to come out." she said, leading you down the path to the large black house. "everyone is in town at the moment so we'll just go in."
"have you got the keys?" you asked laurie quietly.
"how could i forget?" he said, with a lopsided smile.
nodding your head, you followed behind her and entered the warm home. you could smell the fresh bread and the burning wood from the fireplace.
"jo is that you?!" a voice called from the kitchen.
"yes hannah, the others will be back soon." jo sighed. "once we get to the attic, hide in the clothes." she said, in a now hushed voice. laurie and you nodded your heads in understanding and quieted your steps as you walked up the stairs. for about five minutes, you hid in the clothes when jo said they were coming up. you could hear the thumping of the three march girl's and stilled against laurie. you sat beside him and leaned your back against the wall.
jo had told you before that they were having a meeting that would be pretty long before she would have you guys come out.
"teddy," you whispered, hitting his ribs with your elbow.
"ow! what?" he whispered back, and held his side.
"wake me up when meg is almost done speaking." once he nodded, you leaned your head on his should tiredly. you could feel yourself drifting off as you listened to laurie's steady breathing and heartbeat.
you hadn't know how much time had passed, but laurie was gently shaking you awake.
"choupette, wake up," he whispered. sitting up partially, you tiredly nodded and rubbed your eyes. laurie thought you might be the cutest thing he had ever seen.
"a new play," meg's sonorous voice sounded greatly. "written by miss jo march, will appear at the barnville theater, in the course of the next few weeks, which will surpass anything seen before on the american stage!"
"starring the greatest actress from here to the mississippi river, miss meg march." jo quipped.
"excellent." said beth's surprisingly loud voice for a quiet girl.
"well done, sirs." you heard amy say.
"mr. president and gentlemen, i wish to propose the admission of two new members. both who highly deserve the honor, would be deeply grateful and would add immensely to the spirit of the club. i propose mr. theodore laurence and ms. [ y/n ] beauregard!"
"no!" meg gasped. your heart sunk.
"absolutely not!" yelled amy. you wanted to curl up in a ball.
"[ y/n ] may join, but not laurie!" meg said. all the girls hummed in agreement. you smiled at that but frowned a little when you saw laurie's disheartened look. you squeezed his hand as if to tell him, don't worry, i'm sure they'll change their minds.
"come now, let's have him." jo whined, breaking her previously formal tone.
"he's a real boy!" amy scoffed.
"we don't want any boys. this is a club for ladies." meg insisted.
"i think we should do it, even if we are afraid. i say yes. it's laurie!" beth added.
"what--no!" amy rejected.
"it'll change everything!" meg protested.
"all right, i call a vote! put your hands up." said jo.
"don't put your hand up!" amy yelled.
"put your hand up! it's laurie." jo convinced.
"fine. aye." amy said harshly, finally giving in.
"get ready," you whispered to laurie. you smoothed down your pants and went into a squatting position.
"and as there is no time i'd like to present--" jo said, getting cut off by your and laurie's screams. both bursting through the rack of clothing, you rolled and laughed on the floor, causing the others to break into laughter and scream as well.
"ladies, ladies, please!" laurie said, once he had gotten up. giving you a hand, he pulled you up with him and you continued to double over laughing, not able to get a word out.
"this is our stratagem, we deserve the blame." laurie spoke in a ridiculous voice and was hunched over like an weary old man.
"jo only gave in to it after lots of begging and teasing," you said, in the best voice you could muster, and bowed.
"yes, we merely wish to say," laurie said. it was a wonder how he hadn't broken character yet and started laughing strenuously. "as a slight token of our gratitude, we--we..." he trailed off, finally laughing.
"as a means of promoting friendly relations between adjoining nations," you took over, also trying to stop yourself from laughing. "thus we propose this set of keys, for a little post office we've made in the forest by the pond."
"laurie, the keys please," you kicked him in the leg, forcing him to go down on one knee and he looked up at you with a hurt yet playful expression.
"yes, four keys. they're for you, darling!" laurie said, as he handed each of them their own key with a ribbon. "meg, yes, yes. and for you."
"oh thank you very much," amy said, clinking her key with beth's.
"and for you," he said, handing you a key with a yellow ribbon instead of a blue and red one like the others. you looked at him in inquisition but he just smiled and turned away.
"this is for me. and without further ado, thank you for your favor!"
"we will take our seats as part of the club." you bowed once more, with a big tip of the awful top hat you had on (to dress for the occasion). you sat down and stomped your feet on the floor in applause.
"bravo, bravo!" beth said, pipe in her mouth.
meg fell back in her seat in a fit of laughter and you leaned on laurie's shoulder trying to stop your stomach from cramping as you laughed as well. though you didn't know then, these times with the club would be the greatest of your life.
