*** Stereo Hearts ***
Wednesday, September 1, 2032 - Day 1
Isabella Puckerman stepped out of her mother's red Ford Taurus, books in hand, and onto the paved parking lot, ready to start her first year as a freshman at McKinley. Marley exited from the driver's side door, and walked around the car to her awaiting daughter. She handed Bella her lunchbox, filled with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chopped carrots, fresh blueberries, two chocolate chip cookies, and a canister of tea; and quickly adjusted her daughter's light brown glasses before kissing her on the forehead.
"Aw, you look so adorable!" Marley gushed, eyeing her daughter up and down.
"Mom, you're acting weird again." Bella moaned. She loved her mother, but she always seemed to do things that would embarrass her.
"What? Can't I be excited for my daughter's first day of high school?" Marley asked.
"No, you can, it's just..." Bella took a moment to collect her thoughts before letting out a deep breath, "I'm not a little kid anymore. The whole point of high school is to help teenagers become more independent. I don't see how I'm going to be able to do that if you keep insisting on treating me like a child."
Marley looked disappointed, and maybe even a little rejected. "Oh...I see. I didn't realize you felt that way."
"Please don't take it personally." Bella pleaded to her mother. "We can still have fun in Glee Club together."
"Yeah, of course." Marley replied, still sounding upset. "Speaking of which, I have a meeting with Principal Shuester about the responsibilities of being Glee Club director. You'll be able to find your way around alright, won't you?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll manage." Her daughter responded.
"Alright, well if you get lost, you know your cousins will always be more than helpful to show you around school."
"I'll be fine, mom. I promise." Bella assured.
"Okay, have a great first day." Marley said with a smile. She was tempted to kiss her daughter one last time, but ultimately decided against it. If Bella wanted to be more independent, that's just something she was going to have to accept. Marley waved goodbye to her daughter, and was off towards the main entrance of the school.
After her mother was gone, Bella pulled out her class schedule, and looked up where her first period class was being held. Without watching her surroundings and with her head pointed towards the ground, she started making her way through the parking lot. The next moment happened so fast Bella wasn't even sure you could call it a moment, it was more of a split-second thing.
A blue convertible came zooming down the parking lot, and turned into a parking spot so fast, Bella didn't even have time react. Luckily for her, someone tackled her to the ground before the car could completely run her over. A girl stepped out of the car, with her wavy, light brown hair in a perfect pony tail and her red-and-white Cheerios uniform more form-fitting than ever.
"Next time watch where you're going." She advised the two people lying on the ground. "I can't have blood stains on my brand new car." The girl slipped on her sunglasses, and sent one final look of pity to the bumbling freshman before walking away.
"Holy Zeus, are you okay?" The boy that saved her asked. He helped her off the ground, and watched as she dusted off her clothes.
"Yeah." Bella replied, quietly. She was very shy, and was never good at talking to people she had just met.
"You sure? You don't have to see the nurse or anything, do you?" The boy questioned.
"No, I'm fine. Who was that?" Bella asked, referring back to the cheerleader from before.
"Oh, that was Ariella Weston. She's a real prima donna, always has to be the center of attention." He clarified. "I'm Andrew Abrams, but you can call me Drew."
"Bella Puckerman." She responded, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Bella. Try to stay out of trouble, alright." Drew responded, jokingly, before running off to join his friends near the football bleachers. From the looks of it, they seemed to be having a light-saber battle.
Bella ignored her new-found saviour and walked to the front of the school. She opened the main doors and was immediately met with a large bulletin board on the wall, full of sign-up sheets. She located the one her mother had hung up, and read it as follows:
Glee Club Sign-Up Sheet - Auditions are this Friday!
Current Members
Riley Evans
Olivia Smythe-Hummel
Gabriel Lopez-Pierce
Ariella Weston
Marlow Puckerman
Patricia Evans
Elijah Shuester
Andrew Abrams
Darrell Puckerman
Sign-Up Here!
Bella quickly scribbled her name down on the sign-up sheet before running off down the hallway to her first class of the day.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Daniel Fabray roamed the crowded hallways of McKinley, trying to figure out where his next class was located, but wasn't seeming to have much luck. Today was his first day at a new school, considering the last school he was at got shut down, and he was having trouble finding any of his classes. While wandering around, Dan managed to locate the bulletin boards covered with a wide-range of sign-up sheets from the swimming team to the chess club. He knew, prior to today, that his twin sister was signing up for cheerleading, so he thought maybe he should go out for something as well, at least as a way to make new friends. Then he spotted the football sign-up sheet.
"Thinking about trying out for something?" A boy's voice came from behind him. Dan turned around and spotted a brown-haired boy in a light blue plaid shirt and gray, hooded cardigan, with a sling around his left arm.
"Oh, um, I don't know." The tall junior replied, turning back towards the bulletin board.
"Well you should. McKinley's a really great school, we pretty much offer something for everyone."
"You sound like you're giving a sales pitch." Dan said with a chuckle.
The other boy let out a laugh as well. "Yeah, sorry, I tend to do that. It's just that I'm Student Council president, so it's sort of my job to get new students involved in our school."
"How could you tell I was new?"
"Well I've never seen you around before, and I pretty much know everyone who goes to this school, so I just figured you must be new." The boy explained. "I'm Riley Evans, by the way." He clarified, holding out his hand.
"Danny Fabray." The other boy replied, shaking Riley's hand.
"Well Danny, see anything you like?" Riley asked, gesturing to the bulletin board.
Dan scanned the board over, and once again stopped on the football sign-up sheet. "I was actually thinking about trying out for the football team. You don't happen to know if they have a running back spot open, do you?"
"Dude, you play football?" Riley questioned rhetorically, considering he wasn't really looking for a response. "Well you're in luck, our starting running back just graduated last year. And taken as I am the captain of the football team, I could introduce you to all the guys."
"You'd really do that, man?" Dan asked, surprised. This guy seemed really cool.
"Course. What are friends for?"
"Taking pictures of." A girl answered, snapping a picture of the two boys. She lowered her camera, and Danny couldn't help but notice that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Just the way her green eyes lit up when she took a picture was enough to make any guy fall head over feet. "There's another one to add to the yearbook."
"Hey, Liv." Riley greeted. "She's the senior editor of the yearbook and school newspaper." He explained to Danny.
"Not to mention the vice-president of the photography club." The brunette added, walking towards her friend. "So the rumors are true, huh, Riley? You somehow managed to sprain your arm only weeks before football practice started. Do I really have to keep an eye on you every second?"
"I had a great summer, thanks for asking." Riley responded, teasing his friend. "How was New York?"
"Amazing!" Olivia exclaimed. "My journalism internship was all I'd hoped it be and more. I'm thinking about applying for it again next summer."
"That's great, I'm really happy for you." The junior replied with a smile. "Oh, and hey, there's someone I wanted to introduce you to. This is Danny Fabray, he's going to try out for the football team."
"Oh, one more guy I can cheer for." The senior declared. "Sounds like fun. Well, I should probably get going. Lots more pictures to take before the end of the day. Hey Riley, you haven't seen my little sister anywhere, have you? I forgot to give her her lunchbox before school."
"Uh, no, I haven't. I could ask around."
"Oh no, it's fine. I'm sure I'll find her before lunch. Anyway, good luck at football practice. I'll see you in Glee Club on Friday. It was nice meeting you, by the way." Olivia said to Danny before walking away. Dan just ended up waving to her back.
After his initial lapse in consciousness was over, he managed to register what she had said. "Hey, what's Glee Club?"
"Oh, Liv's sparked your interest, has she?" Riley asked. "Well, if you must know, it's a singing group. You know, like a show choir. Don't tell me you sing, too." Dan just shrugged his shoulders, signaling that he did, in fact, sing. "In that case," Riley pulled out a pen from his back pocket, "here you go," and handed it to the other junior.
Danny signed his name under Bella's and handed the pen back to Riley. Today was finally starting to look up. He had made a new friend, joined two clubs, and met the potential girl of his dreams. That seemed like a rather productive morning.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Andrew Abrams was sitting at his normal lunch table, eating a slice of pizza, when someone came up behind him and covered their hands over his eyes.
"Guess who?" They asked.
"Um...Luke Skywalker." Drew replied.
"No, it's me." Olivia said before dropping her hands. She took a seat down next to her friend and stole some of his french fries.
"Damn, that would have been pretty cool if you were."
Olivia just laughed and shook her head. "You're such a dork." She said while throwing a french fry in his face. "Hey, so I heard through the grape-vine that you saved someone's life today. Who would've ever thought that by best friend would turn out to be a hero."
"Let me guess, Ariel told you?" Drew asked.
"Yeah, she said you practically flew in front of her car. And if I recall correctly, she referred to you as a self-righteous moron... among other things that I'm not at liberty to repeat."
"Hmm...that definitely sounds like her."
"Yeah, tell me about it. But you know how she is, sometimes she's rude one day and really nice the next. It really just depends on how her day starts out." Olivia said. "So who was this mystery girl you saved, anyway?"
"Her name's Bella Puckerman. I'm pretty sure she's a freshman." Drew assumed.
"Puckerman, huh? Our new glee director's last name is Puckerman. You don't think that's her daughter, do you?" The senior asked, putting two and two together.
"It's possible. I guess we'll find out soon enough, auditions are this Friday." Drew pointed out, taking another bite of his pizza.
On the other side of the cafeteria was Daniel Fabray. Riley had a different lunch schedule, and he wasn't able to meet any other new friends since then, so he just decided to take a seat at an abandoned table. Not long after he sat down though, his sister, Ava Fabray, joined him at the lunch table.
"Hey, Danny." She greeted, setting down her lunch tray.
Hi, Aj. Having a good first day, so far?" Her brother asked.
"Hmm, yeah, I guess. I've just sort of been floating by. I haven't really made any friends yet." Ava responded. "You?"
"Well, I signed up for the football team and Glee Club. It's sort of like a group for singers. You should try out too."
"What? For Glee Club? I heard only geeks and outcasts sign up for that club." His sister replied, uninterested.
"What? No. Riley's in that club, and he's the captain of the football team." Drew clarified.
"Who's Riley?"
"Oh, he's a guy I met this morning. He's actually pretty cool, I bet you'd like him." The junior thought. "He's the one that convinced me to join Glee Club in the first place."
"Hmm...I'll think about it." Ava said. It's not that she didn't like singing because she did, it's just that she really wanted to fit in at this school, and she didn't think joining something like Glee Club was going to help her become more popular. "Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you after cheerleading tryouts. Ava picked up her lunch tray, and ruffled her brother's hair before walking away.
Dan sent her an irritated look. "I hate it when people do that."
"I know." Ava replied, sticking out her tongue. Oh, how he loved her sisterly love.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Isabella Puckerman walked into the music room for 5th period and took a seat in the back row. She set her bookbag on the ground and looked around at all the instruments in the room. Playing instruments was one of Bella's biggest passions. Her mother had her playing all kinds of instruments from a very young age, she was even considered a musical prodigy by most of her tutors.
While writing a few notes down in her planner, two jocks were rough-housing in the isle and ended up knocking over her bookbag, spilling out her books and other possessions. They weren't even kind enough to say they were sorry or help her pick them back up, but she figured that was high school. Bella began collecting her books, and was about to pick up her last binder until someone beat her to it.
"Here, I got it." A boy's voice said, picking up the binder, noticing a printed picture on the front of it. "Hairspay, huh? You have good taste, that's my favorite musical."
"Really? You know most guys wouldn't admit that." Bella said with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Most guys aren't me. I don't care what people think." Bella looked impressed. Out of all the guys she'd met, none of them ever dared be that confident. "I'm Riley."
"Bella. Please don't tell me you almost got hit by a car today too." The freshman replied, eyeing the boy's sling.
"Oh, so you're the girl Ariella almost ran over with her car. You know you've become the most discussed topic around school. That's usually my thing." The junior responded, jokingly.
Bella let out a small laugh. "Well I'm sorry for stealing your title."
"It's okay. It's actually nice not being noticed for once. People can be pretty demanding." The jock explained.
"Oh, Riley, you're so funny." A girl said while walking up to them. She had crimped, dark brown hair and was wearing a very short red dress with a leather jacket and high-heeled boots. "You're about as easy to notice as a polar bear in a fish tank. Can you really blame girls for not being able to take their eyes off you?"
"Hi, Maria." Riley greeted with a smile. "You look nice today."
"Oh, thanks, you're so sweet." Maria gushed. "I figured I might as well dress up as hot as possible, considering as of tomorrow I'll be sporting one of those red-and-white Cheerios uniforms."
"Oh yeah, good luck at tryouts. I forgot they were today."
"Hey, you should come." Maria suggested. "You know, considering you can't attend football tryouts today anyway. Not with that sling on your arm, which looks totally sexy by the way."
"Thanks..." Riley replied. Bella could not believe this girl, she was so vain, but at the same time was totally throwing herself at Riley. "I wish I could, but I can't. I'm actually introducing a guy to the rest of the football team after school. He's new this year, and I figured it would be an easy way for him to make friends."
"Aw, Riley Evans, everybody. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. I'm the exact same way." Okay, now Bella literally wanted to puke. This girl was something else.
"Yeah, well, I should probably get back to my seat. I'll see you girls later." Riley walked back to the front of the room, and Maria sent a glare to the new girl before taking a seat down next to her.
"I know you like Riley." She began. "And don't bother trying to deny it because I saw the way you were smiling at him."
Man this girl had a lot of nerve, she didn't understand the meaning of boundaries, did she? "Excuse me?"
"Don't play stupid, four eyes." The brunette retorted. "Let's just get one thing straight, okay? Riley's mine. He and my brother are like best friends so I've pretty much known him forever. That means you stay away from him, got it?"
"I didn't realize he was something you could own." Bella replied.
"Look, I don't like people who mess with my things, so if you try to steal Riley from me, I'm going to make the rest of your four years at this school a living hell." Maria got up from her seat, and sent one final death glare to the other freshman before joining her friends on the other side of the room. After she was gone, Bella couldn't think to imagine this day getting any worse. Whoever said high school were the best years of your life was seriously misinformed.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Ariella Weston sat behind the judge's table, today was the first day of Cheerios auditions, and there to assist her with making her decisions was Olivia and another girl from the cheer squad. Principal Shuester had just found a new cheerleading coach, who just so happened to be Sue Sylvester's niece, but she wasn't expected to arrive until sometime next week, so that left the judging up to the team captain.
"Okay, first up is Lexi Tulson." Ariel spoke.
Out walked a girl wearing a blue tank top over a yellow long-sleeved shirt, high-waisted purple shorts, and pink leg warmers. She began her routine, and it was so terrible Ariel had to shield her eyes or she was going to go blind. Olivia watched as the girl pranced around the gym, executing moves that made it look like she was fighting off a group of invisible ninjas, and losing badly.
"I'm gonna have to stop you right there." The cheer captain interrupted while holding up her hand. "This is the worst performance I've ever witnessed. And who dressed you? You look like the love child of Richard Simmons and Polly Pocket. Next!"
[Cue montage of terrible auditions while playing the Benny Hill theme music]
By the 20th audition, Olivia was pounding her head on the judge's table, Ariella was scribbling the words, "someone sedate me!" on her clipboard, and the other cheerleader had already just gotten up and left.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take." Olivia said. "Please tell me the next person on the list doesn't suck."
"Let's pray for our sakes that they don't." Ariella responded. "Maria Lopez-Pierce, you're up next!"
Maria walked out onto the floor, and at least she looked like a cheerleader, unlike those other girls. She had changed into a white t-shirt, red shorts, and her hair was in a high pony tail. She took her place at the center of the gym, and showed off her contagious white smile before starting her cheer.
"Clap your hands," Maria clapped her hands then paused.
"Stomp your feet," She stopped her feet.
"McKinley Titans can't be beat."
"Go red, red. Go white, white."
"Come on team you can do it just put some power to it."
"Goooooooo Titans!" Maria executed a high kick and then finished her routine off with three consecutive back handsprings.
Olivia began clapping wildly and even gave the freshman a standing ovation. "Sit down." Ariella instructed, pulling the girl back into her seat. Maria just curtsied.
"Congratulations Maria, you're a part of the Cheerios." The captain said, and Maria couldn't help contain her enthusiasm. "Jackie will register you your uniform. As for me, I'm getting the hell out of here, I'm in serious need of a long-ass bubble bath."
"But A, there's still one more person on the audition's list." Olivia replied.
"Ugh, who is it?" Ariel asked.
"Ava Fabray."
"Here!" The junior shouted, and the cheer captain visibly cringed. "I'm here."
"Wait, Fabray? You're not by chance related to Quinn Fabray are you?" Olivia questioned.
"Yeah, she's my mom." The girl responded. Ariel's ears perked up at that, and she turned to face the blonde.
"Wow, she's like a legend at this school." The senior stated. "Those are some mighty big shoes to fill."
"Yeah, Liv's right, I'm not sure you're cut out for it." Ariel said. "I mean, because if you really were Quinn's daughter, you would be able to execute any cheerleading move, right?"
"Um, I guess..." Ava replied, unsure.
"Great. Show me a front tuck - roundoff - back handspring - layout twist."
"A, are you serious? Our last cheerleading coach wouldn't even let us perform that stunt it was so dangerous. Are you trying to get her hurt?" Olivia asked.
"I'm waiting." Ariella said, raising an eyebrow.
Ava took a deep breath, and started walking all the way towards the back of the gym so she would have enough room to execute the stunt. Ariel eyed the girl curiously, trying to decide if she was actually going to go through with it or not. Ava took a running start, and put all her force into executing all four consecutive moves. She ended up performing the stunt perfectly and couldn't help the smile that formed on her face after she succeeded. Ava turned around and faced the judges, waiting for her critique. A long silence filled the gymnasium, and Olivia was holding her breath, waiting to hear what the captain thought of the routine.
"Your landing was a little shaky. If I expect this team to win Nationals, we need to be flawless, no mistakes. Better luck next year." The captain said, sending a fake smile to the other junior. Ava just scoffed at the girl's pride, she obviously couldn't handle someone being better than her at something. She picked up her gym bag, and began walking towards the exit.
"A, what are you doing? She was amazing." Olivia whispered. "I'm telling you, please reconsider. We might have a shot at Nationals this year if she's on our team."
Ariel thought it over in head, she definitely didn't like this girl, she knew that, but what was the rest of the team going to think if she let the best audition of the day walk right out the door. "Wait..." She began, rolling her eyes and grinding her teeth. She really didn't want to do this. "I guess our team could use you. You're on the squad. Be at practice on Monday, 7am sharp, or I won't hesitate to kick your ass to the curb. Let's go, Liv."
Ariel and Olivia made their way to the exit, the captain nudging Ava in the shoulder as she passed.
"Great job." Olivia whispered while giving the junior a thumbs up. Ava smiled at her gesture.
After the two girls were outside of the gymnasium and into the hallway, they ran into Riley and Danny, who were just getting ready to go home after a long day at football tryouts.
"Hey Danny," Olivia greeted, "how'd tryouts go? Did you make the team?"
"Oh, yeah, I did." Danny replied, exited that Olivia was even talking to him.
"Yep, you're looking at the starting running back for the McKinley Titans." Riley said, excitedly. "I'm telling you, State's got our name written all over it."
"That is if you ever get that sling off, Riley." Ariel responded.
"Funny you should mention that A, because I'm actually headed to the doctor's right now to get it removed." Riley stated while glancing at his watch. "Oh, which means I probably shouldn't be late. I'll catch you guys later." He sent a quick wave to his friends and then was out the door.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Riley Evans was sitting in a room at the hospital, waiting for the doctor to show up, and fiddling with the sling on his arm. The nurse had just left from checking his vitals and said the doctor would be in shortly. After a few useful minutes passed, the door finally opened.
"Hi, Riley. Dr. Benson is out sick today, so I'll be filling in for him, I hope that's okay. I'm Dr. Fabray." Quinn said while slinging a stethoscope around her neck. "So, you just need your sling taken off, right?"
"Uh, yeah, that's it." Riley replied.
"Okay, just give me one second." Quinn responded before heading over to the counter and sorting through a bunch of papers. "Sorry, today's my first day here, I'm not very organized, yet."
"Oh, did you just get out of med school?" The junior asked.
Quinn chuckled. "I only wish I was that young, again. I actually just transferred from a hospital in Columbus. I was head of the Peds department over there."
"Why'd you leave?" Riley asked, curiously.
Quinn couldn't help but laugh again. "You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" She said with a smile. "Well, not that it's all that interesting, but I grew up here. All of my friends live in Lima, and I thought it would be nice to see them again. You know, I was actually surprised when you're name showed up on my desk. You're dad was my friend way back in high school."
"Really? Were you friends with my mom, too?"
"No, she was two grades below me and went to a different school. I did meet her at a few show choir competitions, though." Quinn answered.
"No way, you were in Glee Club?" Riley questioned.
"Is that so surprising?" Quinn asked.
"No, it's just, I love that club. I've been a part of it since freshman year and it's probably one of the funnest things I've ever done."
"Ha, I should've figured the son of Harmony and Sam Evans would be a good singer." Quinn replied. "Anyway, let's get that sling off, shall we?" Riley held his arm out for the doctor to take, and Quinn carefully removed the sling, examining his arm to make sure there were no bruises. "You're arm seems to have healed up nicely. I don't think you need an x-ray. So Mr. Evans, mind I ask how you sprained your arm in the first place?" Quinn asked, leaning back against the counter.
"I was doing flips on my dirt bike and accidentally fell off. I flew about six feet in the air before I hit the ground." The boy explained.
"Oh god, boy's these days. My son's the exact same way." Quinn said. "Just try to be a little more careful, alright? I don't want to see you back in here tomorrow with a broken leg."
"I'll keep that in mind." Riley slipped back on his cardigan and stood up from the hospital bed. "Thanks Dr. Fabray."
"No problem." She replied with a smile. "Oh, and Riley, you should tell your mom and dad to give me a call. It'd be nice to catch up over dinner or something."
"Sure, I'll tell them when I get home. Have a nice day." Riley waved goodbye to his doctor and Quinn returned the gesture. She didn't know it then, but this wasn't the last time she was going to see this boy, not by a long shot.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Thursday, September 2, 2032 - Day 2
Dorothy Smythe-Hummel walked into her 2nd period gym class, where freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors were all roaming around, waiting for the coaches to come out and tell them to be seated. Dorothy couldn't spot any of her friends from middle school in there, and that scared her a little bit. She already wasn't considered the most popular person in the world, she was actually pretty socially awkward, so the idea of having to make friends with upperclassman was an intimidating thought. What if she was always picked last for the teams, how humiliating would that be?
Yet, Dorothy decided to swallow her fear, and go at this situation head on. She walked up to the first person she saw and introduced herself.
"Hi, I'm Dorothy." She said, excitedly, to a girl in tight leather pants, a cut-off shirt, and black high-heels, with a nose and lip piercing. Come to think of it, Dorothy couldn't help but think that maybe this wasn't such a great idea. The way that girl was looking at her made it seem like she was about douse her in gasoline and then light a match.
The goth girl eyed the freshman up and down, "Talk to me again and I'll kick your ass." Her friends began snickering and Dorothy felt a little embarrassed.
"Hey, Evian, she doesn't want to talk to you anyway." Another girl interrupted. She was dressed like a tomboy, wearing ripped jeans, a plaid shirt, and sneakers. The only reason Dorothy could really tell that she was a girl was because she had long, gorgeous, dark brown hair. "In fact, neither does anyone else at this school." She continued.
"Shut it, Patty." The goth retorted. "You're one to talk. Everyone knows that the only reason you even have friends is because your brother's the most popular guy in school."
"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you? It's either Patricia or nothing!" The girl shouted.
"Fine, from now on you're nothing." Evian said, receiving praise from her friends.
"Oh yeah, real freaking original!" Patricia exclaimed. "At least my parents didn't name me after bottled water." With that, one of the goth girl's friends glanced at the water bottle she was holding, and quickly hid it behind her back.
Evian lunged at Patricia, but before she could reach her, a boy stepped in and pulled Patricia away by the waist, creating separation between the two flustered girls. "Hey, that's enough." He said.
"Thank you, Gabriel." One of the gym teachers expressed sweetly. "Patricia, Evian, I think you two and I need to have a serious talk about proper behavior during school hours." The woman ushered the two girls over to the corner of the gym, planning on having a very stern conversation.
"Hey, thanks." Dorothy said to the boy. "I didn't want to be in the middle of that cat fight."
"Don't mention it." The boy replied with a smile. "I'm Gabe."
"Dorothy. In case you couldn't tell, but I'm a freshman."
"Yeah, I kind of figured that." Gabe proclaimed. "No one would willingly talk to Evian Simpson if they knew who she was."
"I have to admit, that was probably a mistake." Dorothy said with a laugh.
Just then, the rest of the gym teachers walked out and told the students to take a seat on the bleachers. Gabe ran off to sit with his friends in the top row, while Dorothy sat down in the front. Soon after, Patricia came over and took a seat next to the freshman.
"Hey, mind if I sit here?" She asked.
"Sure." Dorothy replied, not wanting to be rude. The girl did stick up for her after all.
A few minutes after the teachers began speaking, Patricia opened her mouth once again, this time at a whisper level.
"So I saw you talking to Gabe earlier while "Coach Killjoy" was reprimanding me." She began. "Just a word to the wise, it's probably best to stay away from him. That boy has "player" written all over him. He flirts with girls, dates them for two seconds, and then hangs them out to dry. Not to mention he's an arrogant jerk."
"Wow, is that all?" Dorothy asked in disbelief. She didn't get that vibe from him at all.
"Oh, he's also been in juvy." Patricia added. "Twice."
Dorothy took a moment to take that all in. She then looked up to where Gabe was sitting, and just like Patricia had said, he was flirting with a girl and playing with her hair. Dorothy never understood why some guys were players, whether it be because she never really got to know any of them or was just too naive to notice them, but she had a feeling that there was a reason behind it. Maybe if she could just become friends with Gabe, she would figure out why he is the way he is. After all, high school's all about broadening your horizons and meeting new people, so what's so bad about stepping out of your comfort zone and befriending someone you never expected to? It was settled in Dorothy's mind, she was going to make as many friends as she could this year. And she was going to start by joining the club she had wanted to be a part of since she got here...Glee Club.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Darrell Puckerman was in the choir room, practicing the piano and trying to think of possible songs he could sing for his Glee Club audition. Ever since Darrell was a little kid, he'd been singing and playing music. With his mother being a well-known studio producer, performing was sort of in his blood. He spent most of his days and nights practicing the guitar and piano, working on his dance moves, and writing music.
Darrell played the first few opening lines of "Apologize" by One Republic until he realized that was not the song he wanted to sing. He lowered his head and rested it on the piano keys, he was getting tired of trying to pick through all these songs, there were just too many to choose from.
"Having some trouble?" Came a women's voice from the doorway. Darrell looked up to see who it was, and was surprised with who he was met with.
"Mom?" Darrell said, confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd have lunch with Marley." Mercedes replied. "See how her first day at McKinley went. Then I ran into you."
"Oh." The junior watched as his mother took a seat down next to him on the piano bench. "Well, since you're here, have any suggestions about what I should sing for Glee Club auditions?"
"I've got a few songs up my sleeve." Mercedes said while rolling up her sleeves. She arranged her fingers on the piano keys, and began playing the opening notes to the song.
If I could write you a song to make you fall in love
I would already have you up under my arm.
I used up all of my tricks, I hope that you like this
But you probably won't, you think you're cooler than me.
Darrell took over playing the piano, while Mercedes got up from the piano bench, grabbing her son's sunglasses on the way. She placed them over her own eyes, and continued singing.
You got designer shades just to hide your face and
You wear 'em around like you're cooler than me.
And you never say "hey" or remember my name
And it's probably 'cause you think you're cooler than me.
Darrell put a lot of energy and fun into the piano solo before taking the next two verses. Performing was such a treat for him, he couldn't imagine loving anything else more.
You got your high brow, shoes on your feet
And you wear 'em around like it ain't shit.
But you don't know the way that you look
When your steps make that much noise.
Shh, see I got you all figured out
You need every one's eyes just to feel seen.
Behind your make up nobody knows who you even are
Who do you think that you are?
Mercedes sat back down on the piano bench, and they both finished the chorus together.
If I could write you a song to make you fall in love
I would already have you up under my arm.
I used up all of my tricks, I hope that you like this
But you probably won't, you think you're cooler than me.
You got designer shades just to hide your face and
You wear 'em around like you're cooler than me.
And you never say "hey" or remember my name
And it's probably 'cause you think you're cooler than me.
Darrell played the last note on the piano and the song was over. He always loved having jam sessions with his mom. She always brought so much energy and sass to every performance, it was really helpful to watch.
"Well, I should probably be getting back to the studio. I have a one o'clock." Mercedes informed. "Don't stress so much about what song to sing, it's the performance and the amount of passion you put into it that really counts. I'm sure you'll do great."
"Thanks, mom." Darrell gave his mom a hug, and then she was out the door, back to the studio. He turned back around towards the piano; he was pretty sure he knew what song he was going to sing for Glee Club now.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Patricia Evans was sitting with some of the other girls from the hockey team, who at the moment were having an arm wrestling contest, eating a turkey and cheese sandwich, along with an apple, rice crispie treat, and a carton of milk. Patricia has always been a tomboy, for as long as she can remember. She always wanted to do whatever her dad was doing, and that included playing hockey. Whenever her mother even tried to get her to sit down and watch a musical, she was always pulling out a sports magazine five minutes later and completely forgetting about the movie.
It's not that Patricia resented the fact of being a girly girl, it's just that she grew up with Sam as her best friend, not to mention a brother who did every sport from football to motocross. Those two were always rough housing around the house, and Riley was really the first person to teach her that it didn't matter what other people thought, as long as you liked who you were, that was the most important thing. I guess you could say her family influenced her a lot, and that's why she is the way she is today.
While taking a bite of her sandwich, Gabe Lopez-Pierce came over and tapped her on the shoulder.
Patricia turned around and immediately rolled her eyes. "If you're looking for my brother I don't know where he is."
"No, I'm actually here to talk to you." Gabe clarified while taking a seat at the lunch table. "Hello, ladies." He greeted the other hockey players.
Patricia smacked him in the arm, and Gabe visibly winced. "Why do you need to talk to me?"
"I wanted to know if you'd cover for me tonight."
"Why? So you can go to your stupid fight club?" Patricia asked. Gabe had only told three people about his secret activity on Thursday nights, one of them being his best friend, Riley. But you know how little sisters are, Patricia had accidentally overheard them talking about it one night in her brother's bedroom, and Riley had to pretty much bribe her not to tell anyone. "Why don't you just ask Riley to do it?"
"He won't be home tonight." Gabe explained. "He has football practice until 5, and then he has motocross practice until 8:30."
"Then ask one of your other friends. Oh wait...you do have some, right?" Patricia asked, sarcastically.
"Very funny." Gabe deadpanned. "They're all busy tonight, too. And I can't use the normal excuse of going on a date because my parents have some dumb family thing planned for tonight, so I need a really good reason for not being there."
"And what important thing would you have to do with me?" The sophomore questioned, finding a flaw in his genius plan.
"School project?"
"On the second day of school? Yeah, that's real believable." Patricia scoffed.
"Well, I don't know. You think of something then." Gabe complained.
"I don't have to think of anything." Patricia retorted. "It's not my problem." With that, she picked up her lunch tray and stood up from the lunch table. "I'll see you girls later." Then she looked to Gabe, "You're my brother's friend, not mine. Maybe you could just skip it for tonight, spend time with your family, I don't know."
On the other side of the cafeteria, near the serving tables, Dorothy Smythe-Hummel was going through the lunch line. She had ended up skipping breakfast, so she had really worked up in an appetite since then. She decided on a sub sandwich, potato chips, a cup of strawberries, and an apple juice. When she reached the check-out woman, she pulled out her lunch card and slid it through the machine. A loud "Ernn!" noise came after it, and Dorothy looked confused.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
"You don't seem to have any money in your lunch account." The check-out woman said.
"Oh, my dads must have forget to enter money into my account. Is there any chance I could just pay for it tomorrow? I'm starving."
"Let me check with the supervisor." The woman replied, about to walk away.
"It's okay, I got it." A boy said from behind her, pulling out a five dollar bill. He seemed to be the next person in line.
"Oh, you really don't have to do that." Dorothy said, appreciating the boy's gesture, but not wanting to cause him any trouble.
"Nah, it's fine. Karma right?" He added, inferring that if you do something nice for someone else, you will be repaid for your good deed. "You can just put the rest of it into my lunch account." He said to the woman behind the counter.
After they were both done paying for their meals, the boy gestured for Dorothy to follow him to his lunch table. He took a seat down at the table, and Dorothy sat down across from him. "Hey, thanks for helping me back there, it was really nice." Dorothy said.
"Hey, don't mention it." He replied. "I'm Elijah, by the way, but you can call me Eli."
"Dorothy." The freshman introduced.
"Like from the Wizard of Oz." Eli thought. "That's such a great movie."
"Yeah, it is." Dorothy said with a smile. "Hey, what's this?" She asked, picking up the notebook he had next to his tray. "Did you draw this?" It was a caricature of one of the lunch ladies, and she was berating a few kids for stealing too many mozzarella sticks, thinking to herself, "I'm too old for this shit."
Eli just laughed. "Yeah, my notebook is filled with drawings like that." He watched as Dorothy flipped through the pages, smiling at the pictures inside.
"These are amazing. Do you plan on becoming an artist?"
"Nah, drawing is just a hobby of mine." Eli responded. "What I really want to do with my life is form a band and tour all over the world. Either that, or perform on Broadway."
"Wait, you're a singer? So am I!" Dorothy exclaimed, maybe a little too loudly. "Are you in Glee Club?"
"Have been since freshman year. This will be my second year in the club." The sophomore replied, proudly.
"Oh my god, I'm trying out for Glee Club!" She shouted, yet again. "Sorry, I just get really excited when people love music just as much as I do."
"It's cool. I like that about you. It shows you're not afraid to be yourself." Eli said.
"Well, maybe we could sit together during auditions?" Dorothy suggested.
"Sure," The sophomore agreed, "sounds like a plan." The two new friends finished their lunch together, laughing at a few more drawings from Elijah's notebook.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Alexander Chang was outside on the football field, under the bleachers, smoking a cigarette with one of his best friends, Marlow Puckerman. These two were known for doing this a lot; ditching class to cause trouble, whether it be to smoke under the bleachers, start a fight, or defile one of the teacher's cars. While Alex was more laid-back and chill, Marlow was very sassy and sarcastic, in a witty way. They balanced each other out fairly nicely, but were both still known for their streaks of rebellion.
Alex finished off his cigarette, threw it in the grass, and immediately lit another one. "You ever think about what you're going to do when we get out of here?" Alex asked, exhaling a puff of smoke.
Marlow just chuckled. "Not really. I can already see my future unfolding right in front of me. I'll probably graduate with my G.E.D., not have the grades to attend college, and end up working at Burt's Tire Shop for the rest of my life."
"Don't you have more confidence in yourself than that?" Her friend questioned. "Just because most of the people here don't expect you to amount to much, doesn't mean you have to think that way too. You're talented enough to get out of this crummy town, don't throw that all away just because of some bitchy girls in high school."
"It's not just them though, Alex. Without even getting to know me, everyone assumed I was bad news, just based on my last name. So what did they do? They made fun of me, called me names, made me feel like crap. Sorry, but, if this is who everyone expects me to be, I'm going to make damn sure they fear me because of it."
"So you're just going to waste your life away, huh? Prove those people right? Yeah, that'll show them." Alex just shook his head, and stood up from the grass. He was tired of his friend always treating herself like she wasn't as important as everyone else, because she was.
"Hey, you're one to talk. You're no better than me." Marlow retorted.
"I never said I was." Alex quipped back. "But at least I go out there and I try. I don't succumb to whatever somebody else wants me to be."
Marlow opened her mouth to fire something back, but nothing came out. She slowly closed her mouth, then opened it again, only to have the same thing happen for a second time.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad, Mars." Alex said. "It's just...maybe you should think about why you're doing this. Is it really because you like being a badass, or is it just easier to act like you don't care because you're scared people won't accept the real you?"
Marlow thought it over for a moment, she didn't want to believe that her friend was right, but he did have a point. One of her biggest flaws was pushing people away out of fear of getting close to them and then getting hurt. "Damn, Alex, when did you become Dr. Phil?" The junior asked with a smirk.
"What can I say? I just want to see the best for you." Alex replied, and his comment couldn't help Marlow from giving him a hug.
"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Gabe asked, leaning against one of the legs of the bleachers.
At the sound of his voice, Marlow immediately separated from Alex and greeted her friend. "Hi, Gabe." She said with a smile much larger than before.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Smoking a cig." Alex replied. "Didn't feel like going to gym today."
"Right, that seems to be a normal occurrence for you." Gabe responded. "Anyway, I know you already said you were busy tonight Marlow, but do you think I could tell my parents I'm working with you at Burt's Tire Shop until late tonight? I've already asked Riley and Patricia if they could cover for me, but they said they couldn't."
"Wait, why'd you ask her?" Marlow asked, considering she had been holding a grudge for Patricia Evans since like...ever.
"Because she's Riley's sister and I thought she would help, but of course, she didn't. So now I really need one of you guys to do it."
Marlow let out a large huff. Every time that boy asked for something, it was only a matter of time before she gave in. "Alright, but you owe me."
"Oh, thanks, you're the best." He said, patting her on the shoulder. "Hey, I'll see you guys later, okay? I'm going to hit the weight room before fight club tonight. Thanks again, Blondie. I don't know what I'd do without you." With that, Gabe was gone as soon as he had came.
Marlow watched as he left, wanting to say so many things to him, but not having the courage to say even one.
"Are you ever going to tell him how you feel?" Alex asked, eyeing his friend's reaction.
The junior turned around and looked at Alex, "Guys like Gabe don't date girls like me."
"Why not?"
"Because I know him too well." Marlow simply put. "He hates relationships like that."
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Tina Chang was having lunch in the conference room at the hospital, when Quinn walked through the door with a salad in her hand and took a seat down next to her.
"Hi, Tina." She greeted, happily.
"Well someone is in a good mood, mind explaining?" Tina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's just one of my patients." Quinn explained. "She's the sweetest little 8-year-old girl, and she's had some severe cancer for a few years now, but she's finally starting to get better."
"Aw, good for her." Tina smiled, she always loved hearing about kids pulling through. "But to be honest, for a second I was hoping you were smiling about a guy."
"Oh, god, what is it with you and everyone else wanting me to jump back into the dating scene. Can't I just stay single for a while?"
"You have been single, for a long time Quinn." Tina reminded. "In fact, I can't even remember the last time I saw you with a serious boyfriend. You're still young, you should be out there showing the men what they're missing."
"You don't think I've tried to meet guys? I have, but it's kind of hard juggling a full-time career along with two teenage kids." Quinn defended.
"Quinn, your kids should be one of the things encouraging you to get back out there. I could understand why you didn't have time to date while they were younger, but they're teenagers now, they can take care of themselves." Tina said. "I think you're scared of dating again because every time you've been in a relationship it's ended badly. You just have a fear of getting hurt again, that's all it is."
"So what if I do? Since when is that a bad thing?" Quinn asked. "At least I know my heart's safe."
"Everyone's heart is safe if they never take a risk." Tina informed. "All I'm saying is think about it, don't completely rule out the possibility of dating again. Maybe someone will surprise you."
Just then, Tina's cellphone starting ringing, and she saw that it was the school's phone number. "Hello?" She answered.
"Hi, Ms. Chang, this is Will Shuester."
"Oh, hi Will, is everything okay?" Tina asked.
"Actually, we seem to have a situation on our hands. One of the teachers caught Alex smoking behind the bleachers today when he was supposed to be in class."
"What?" Tina explained, and it made Quinn jump. She started to wonder what was wrong.
"Don't start thinking the worst yet." Will said. "I've come up with a solution you might be open to. I was thinking that Alex could join the Glee Club. I know how helpful it was for you guys, and I think it would have a really positive influence on his behavior in school."
"Oh Will, I would appreciate it so much if you do that. I don't know what'd I do if he was suspended."
"It's no problem. I know how kids can be." He replied. "But I would suggest some sort of punishment while he's home."
"Oh, don't worry. He's going to hear an earful when he gets home." Tina assured. "Actually, is he with you right now?"
"Yeah."
"Do you mind if I speak with him?"
"Go ahead." Will handed the phone over to Alex, and he slammed his eyes shut before putting the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" He answered.
"You are grounded for an eternity when you get home, Alexander Oliver Chang." Tina said, sternly. "Your father and I are going to have a serious talk about your behavior." Quinn even seemed a little frightened by the way her friend was speaking. "Now, I love you. Stay out of trouble." Tina ended the phone call and set her phone down on the table.
"So much for teenagers being able to take care of themselves." Quinn mumbled while sipping from the straw in her orange juice.
"Don't even start with me, Fabray."
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Marlow Puckerman walked into her 6th period English class, late I may add, and didn't even show recognition to the teacher's disappointed expression while making her way to her seat.
"Excuse me, Ms. Puckerman," The teacher interrupted, "mind telling me where you've been for the past 45 minutes? And is that smoke I smell on your clothes?"
"Oh, no, it's probably just this." Marlow said, pulling out a lit cigarette from behind her back and showing it to the teacher. Most of the students in the classroom gasped, surprised by the girl's boldness, while others snickered.
"Ms. Puckerman, you know smoking is not allowed on the premises. I'm going to have to report you to the principal." The teacher said sternly.
"Or you could just let it slide Mrs. Turner. I mean, after all, you wouldn't want your husband finding out about what you do every Saturday night while he's a work, would you?" This left the teacher speechless, along with opened jaws from most of the kids in class. "I didn't think so. Now, I'm feeling kind of sick at the moment, so I think I'm going to go home and take a nap. I'm sure you don't mind."
With that, Marlow walked out of the classroom, smirking as she left. That teacher should really learn to mind her own business.
*** Stereo Hearts ***
Marley Puckerman walked down the halls of McKinley to the large bulletin boards near the main entrance. She had only put up the Glee Club sign-up sheet yesterday, and only knew for sure that her daughter had signed-up, but for some strange reason, she felt like the club was going to be very popular this year, considering the kids that were currently in it. Marley reached the sign-up sheet, and was very pleased with what she saw.
Glee Club Sign-Up Sheet - Auditions are this Friday!
Sign-Up Here!
Isabella Puckerman
Daniel Fabray
Ava Fabray
Maria Lopez-Pierce
Dorothy Smythe-Hummel
Alexander Chang
She had a feeling this was going to be a really good year.
*** Stereo Hearts ***