𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 -𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚎 '𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚎' 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎

Chapter 6

Attic. 1862.
Meg, Beth, Jo, Amy and I are all dressed as men, with hats and spectacles and pipes.
    Meg reads from the homemade newspaper in her lovely sonorous voice, "A NEW PLAY, written by Miss Jo March and her assistant Mary, will appear at the Barnville Theatre, in the course of the next few weeks, which will surpass anything ever seen before on the American stage."
    "Starring the greatest actress from here to the Mississippi River, Miss Meg March." Jo dramatically says.
    "WEEKLY REPORT Meg— Good. Jo— Bad. Mary— Terrible. Beth— Very Good. Amy— Middling." Meg screams out the reports.
      "Well done, sirs." Amy says in her manly voice.
      "Hear, hear!" I say as I lift my hand to rub my fake mustache.
      I quickly get up and take the stage,"Mr. President and gentlemen, I wish to propose the admission of a new member. One who highly deserves the honor, would be deeply grateful, and would add immensely to the spirit of the club. One who is annoying but great. I propose Mr. Theodore Laurence!"
     "Absolutely not!" Jo says, still In character.
      "No!" Yells Amy.
     "Come now, let's have him." I say.
    "He's a real boy!" Amy exaggerates.
     I break character and joke, "Are we so sure about that?"
     Meg ignores my joke,"We don't want any boys. This is a club for ladies."
    "I think we should to do it, even if we are afraid. I say yes. It's Laurie!" Beth tries to convince them.
     "Exactly! It's Laurie. Everyone, listen to beth! She's the one who's always right!" I exclaim.
      They all sigh.
    "Now then, everybody vote, and remember that it's our Laurie, say 'AYE!'" And then I quickly add, "if you don't, I will hate you."
      "Aye!"
      "Aye."
      "Aye."
       "Aye!"
    I stomp my cane on the ground and cheer,"that's 4 Ayes. We have ourselves a new member! And, as there is no time like present!"
     Laurie comes tumbling out behind the clothes rack. He is already dressed for the occasion of the meeting.
    "You traitor!" Yells Meg in her man voice. 
    "You rogue!" Yells Jo, who I can tell is secretly enjoying this.
    "Ladies," I hit him with my elbow and he corrects himself, "I mean, Gentlemen please- this is my stratagem, I deserve the blame: Lyn only gave into it after lots of teasing and bullying."
     Laurie bows deeply and I yell,"Hear hear!"
    "I merely wish to say, that as a slight token of my gratitude and as a means of promoting friendly relations between adjoining nations, I propose this set of keys for a little post office I've made in the forest by the pond." Laurie proposes.
       He takes out a box of five keys,"Allow me to present five copies of the key, and with many thanks for your favor, take my seat as part of the club."
      He gives us each a key and bows again. We stomp our sticks on the ground and cheer.
        I look at the key Laurie gave me. It has a blue ribbon. I love the color in it. In fact, it is the exact shade of blue I love. I look up at Laurie, who is already staring at me.
       I roll my eyes with a smile. Huh. So he does pay attention.
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I know that I am never going to be satisfied. Well not never. But definitely not any time soon.
        I want to get married and have children. But I don't want a man to run everything. I want to have say in money. I want to know where the money goes.
    But alas, marriage is a economic proposition between two people. What an unromantic way of looking at marriage. Aunt March is probably already trying to find me  a man to settle with.
       How the thought revolts me. All I wish is too fall in love with a man who my family would approve of. More specifically, that Aunt Marge would approve of.
Jo, in our room, places a pretty cover page on top of the novel she has written. She lovingly writes "For Father," and hears,"Jo! Jo, where are you? I can't find my other glove!"
"TAKE MINE!" Jo hollers.
"Can I put my notebook with your writing?" I ask Jo.
Jo nods, putting her novel carefully in a drawer that is filled with her finished writing. She puts my notebook in the drawer and closes it.
"Jo, Mary! We're going to be late!"Meg screams from downstairs.
Jo and I rush downstairs with smiles. Amy and Beth are sitting on the couches near the entryway.
"Where are you going?" Amy questions.
Jo walks towards Meg,"You're not invited."
"You are going somewhere with Laurie, I know it!" Exclaims Amy.
"Yes, we are, now stop bothering." Jo orders.
"Why do you care if we are going somewhere with Laurie?" I ask her.
She blushes and looks down. She's quiet.
"Do you have the tickets?" Meg asks while still rushing around the house to get things.
"Yes! Hurry up!" Jo calls from the door.
"You're going to the theatre with Laurie. Meg, please, can I come?" She begs.
"I'm sorry, dear, but you weren't invited." Meg apologizes.
Jo grows more impatient,"You can't go Amy, so don't be a baby and whine about it."
"I've been shut up in here and I never get to go anywhere. Beth has her piano but I'm so lonely!" Amy complains.
"Amy. You have to understand that you're younger. When your time comes, you can go out all you want. But until then you have to stay here!" I tell her.
Beth from the piano,"I can teach you chords."
"I don't want chords, I want to go to the theatre!" Amy whines.
"NO. I think you'd hate to poke yourself in where you're not wanted. We already have to deal with dull Mr. Brooke." Jo says sternly.
"I like him, he's kind." Meg says.
"Of course you do," I says and wink at her.
"I'll pay for myself!" Amy compromises.
"You weren't invited!" I yell at her.
"You will not come." Jo snaps.
"I'm sorry, my sweet, but Jo and Mary are right. Next time." Meg comforts Amy.
Jo and I are already out the door,"Come, Meg, stop petting her!"
"You'll be sorry for this Jo and Mary March! You will! You'll regret this!" Amy yells as Mary gets out the door.
Jo and I look at each other and laugh. We hurry off to the carriage waiting outside.
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            Jo, Meg and I watch the play, which is a campy vaudeville kind of thing. Jo and Meg are completely engaged in the proceedings.
      In the corner of my eye, I see Mr. Brooke looking at Meg. I turn to Dore to tell him about it but I see he's already looking at me.
        "Must you always stare?" I whisper to him.
          "I'm not staring. I'm observing." He whispers back.
       "It sounds like stalking." I laugh quietly.
        He laughs as I focus my eyes to the front.  I can still see him staring at me. I don't mind it. I pick up my locket from my chest and play with it.
   " What's with the locket?" Laurie whispers.
    "Oh. It's just a locket." I whisper back.
      He nods and keeps staring.
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    As we leave the theatre, Mr. Brooke offers Meg his arm, and she takes it. Jo and I notice it. I make a sour face. I don't like it at all.
     Laurie sees our expressions and offers his own arm in mock chivalry to each of us. I look over Dore's shoulder to look at Jo.
     She nods so I know we have to the same Idea.
     We punch him on each shoulder, and then race up, taking both of our sister's arm, pulling her away from Mr. Brooke.
      I look back and make a snooty face at Teddy before turning back around. Meg looks at us both and laughs.
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