Up and Downs

2

 Chapter 2

In the backroom of the theater, a few stagehand members had a break and sat around a table drinking coffee. Two men held a newspaper in their hands, which they read while taking their coffee and Beau Andrews along with Parker Langerak were the only ones on the table using their smartphone to scroll through social media. At the entrance of the break room entered a part of the orchestra group and walked to the edge to get in queue to take coffee from the coffee machine. Pauline Wan opened the fridge beside the counter to take out a soda can, then left it open for Stiles to take out other drinks, then handed them out to the specific owner of them. River was part of the group, then accepted with a smile her cafe latte and walked to the next free table to sit down, then gazed at Christopher, who was reading the news.

"Anything new today?" Questioned River watching the brunette man shake his head.

"Not really," Commented the man as River opened the cover of her drink and eyed her husband, who was surfing through social media. River felt her smartphone vibrate inside the pocket of her jacket, afterward she took it out to see she received a picture of her daughter Ruby. River opened the image and widened her eyes amazed, then zoomed closer into the image to see she had sent the mother the current semester's grades.

"Did you see a ghost?" Questioned Pauline as she sat down vice versa to the brunette, afterward River shook her head.

"Oh no, it's nothing bad. Actually, it's something good. Ruby just received this semester's grades and she's got almost everywhere an A," Revealed River making Pauline smile.

"That's great!" Complimented the Japanese descendant woman seeing her work pal copy her facial expression. "You must be proud of her,"

"Yes, we are," Commented the Irish woman.

By the table of the men, Parker got up as his smartphone began to vibrate showing the social media icon of his childhood friend Ethan Bunch. Parker attended the call of his friend, then chuckled upon recognizing his voice.

"Hey Parker. How are you doing?" Questioned Ethan.

"Hi Ethan. What a surprise. I didn't expect you to call,"

"Yes, well life has been busy, to be honest. I had other things to do and a couple of days ago I talked with Lisa about the summer holidays. Bebe and I had planned along with Holly and Davy to go together to a summer camp with our kids. We invited Lisa's family to come too and I didn't remember asking you. Do you think there's a chance for you and your family to come? You, River and the kids?"

"Actually we didn't plan to go anywhere. If you're all okay, we come. I will just ask River and the kids if they're interested," Stated Parker walking to another table while being on the phone with the blonde.

River by the table observed her husband talk with his friend, then looked at the message of her daughter and typed down a message to the girl.

"I think we have found a place to go on vacation,"

"Didn't you two plan to go on vacation this time?" Questioned Pauline watching River shake her head.

"We didn't really have in mind, where to go. Our kids didn't have any suggestions as well and the most recent thing we did with them was going to the amusement park in Barnacle Bay," Commented River making Pauline nod. "They're not really interested in going to Sweden or Portugal. They barely have any connection with it. They're able to speak the language more or less, but since their great-grandparents passed away, there's no big interest for the kids to get to know the place. Parker just like me had no interest in the place as well, we both grew up the major part of our life here in Sunset Valley,"