I do not own and I am not affiliated with glee
Ask anyone to describe Jesse St. James and they'd give you one word: Perfection. That word has been drilled into his head for years. At UCLA, however, he's beginning to see that he is't quite as perfect as everything thinks.
It was a tradition.
A stupid one, but still, an annual tradition. If one forgot about how tedious the whole thing was, it would be seen as a privilege. And he was the chosen one.
Jesse never quite understood why Shelby insisted on taking whatever senior was her favorite that year and scoping out the "competition". They versed the same teams every year at regionals—with the exception of when the Dalton Academy Warblers were in their regional division his freshman year. Other than that, it had always been Aural Intensity and that school for ex-convicts. Yet, his coach still insisted that he spend his December Saturdays at these events.
So, there he was, sitting in Row J Seat 24, picking at his nails and wishing he could be hanging out with Ryan Knorr and Mike Girgis right now. Or working on his college audition songs. Hell, even sitting next to his obnoxiously drunk father at an OSU football game seemed more appealing than this!
But he was chosen.
"How the hell is a deaf school competing in a singing competition?" Jesse wondered aloud, flipping through the Sectional's program.
"Jesse, be nice." Shelby scolded the 17 year old, although her eyes never left the phone she was typing on.
"It's not like they can hear me." Some people turned around to glare at the teenager, who once again wished he were with his friends. Ryan and Mike were getting drunk and trash talking Mike's now ex-girlfriend. They would have laughed at Jesse's joke.
"McKinley's got a new coach." Shelby commented, now glancing at the program in Jesse's hands.
"They were at our invitational." He handed his coach the pamphlet. "I think they're called Nude Erections, or something…"
"It's New Directions, Jesse." The brunette rolled her eyes at her student. "Rachel Berry sounds really familiar…."
Their conversation was soon interrupted by Jane Addam's Academy's glee club—a set which Jesse could hardly stomach.
"That girl needs to learn what a diaphragm is before she tries to belt again." Shelby quietly told Jesse as she jotted something down in her notebook.
"I… I don't quite understand…" Jesse replied, staring at the now empty stage. "Why use wheelchairs? What point are they trying to make with that?"
"Well, at least it was a change from that hairography crap they do every year." Shelby stood up and stretched. "I'm getting a water. Want anything?"
Shaking his head no, Jesse turned his attention to his phone. Specifically, a text he received mid-Proud Mary:
Giselle-
Wanna come by l8r?
Jesse smirked and quickly typed 'Of course'. He then texted Ryan 'Guess who's gonna get laid tonight'. He would have sent the same to Mike, but with the whole "my ex cheated on me" fiasco, he opted not to. Jesse may be an asshole, but not that big of an asshole.
The Haverbrook kids weren't very good, but even Jesse had to admit they had guts to be up there singing. He just couldn't believe the group of people who got up in the middle of "Don't Stop Believing" and just walked out of the auditorium.
They have to learn some audience etiquette, Jesse thought, clapping politely as the song ended. He then went in search of the bathroom, taking notice of a kid in a wheelchair who was repeatedly ramming himself into the wall.
Everyone here is fucking weird. The teen sighed as he approached a mirror in the bathroom. His brown curls were styled to perfection. But, he noted, examining his face, where did those dark circles come from? He wondered if his sleepless nights were because of his father. He figured that his weight loss was. Although, my jaw looks awesome now, Jesse smirked, rubbing his hairless face. Sighing again, he put on a milder version of what Shelby calls "a show face" and made his way out of the bathroom.
"I swear, I've heard the name Rachel Berry before…" Shelby said as Jesse returned, more to herself than to her student. "But it can't…."
"Can't be what?" The curly-haired boy questioned his mentor.
"Nothing." Shelby dismissed him, and soon became lost in her memory. A sigh escaped Jesse's lips again as the house lights dimmed for a third time. He began preparing himself for the worst—even though he did that for the other two schools and was still disappointed.
Then he heard a voice behind him.
A beautiful, melodic, soprano voice.
And the girl that it belonged to was the prettiest he ever saw. He shiny dark locks had a slight curl at the bottom, confidence radiated throughout her, and there was only word to describe her face—beautiful. Jesse suddenly felt something he never did before. Something… odd.
The rest of the group was adequate. It looked as though they learned the choreography- if one could even call walking around on stage choreography- a mere ten minute ago. The tall male lead wouldn't make Carmel's normal choir, let alone Vocal Adrenaline. The girl at the end was an okay belter, but no one else stood out at all. Couldn't any of them do anything? The pretty brunette may threaten Vocal Adrenaline, but with a team like that behind her, there was nothing to worry about.
"Well, that was…" Jesse turned towards Shelby, whose face was unreadable, "You're not actually worried about the New Directions, are you? I mean, that soloist was good, but she-"
"-she's my daughter."
He still had that program. He wasn't sure as to why he kept it, but he did. And it was now in his trunk.
The trunk, which was full of other shit too, was currently on the elevator of Dykstra Hall on the UCLA campus.
"So, are you excited to be started college? Nervous?" The upperclassman who was helping Jesse find his dorm questioned.
The 18 year old smirked, "I don't get nervous." He honestly could not remember the last time he was. Not even when he stood in front of thousands a mere five weeks ago at the Show Choir Nationals.
"How do you like UCLA?" Jesse's mother asked, trying to diffuse the uncomfortable silence that followed her son's answer.
"I love it. Hey, look! Floor 6!" The helper helped move the trunk, along with a few other boxes and suitcases, off the elevator. "Room 612 is this way."
Ten short steps to the right led the St. James' to the room that would be Jesse's home for the school year.
"Hmm. Cozy." Jesse's older sister, Ella, commented as she eyed the bare room.
"Yeah." Jesse approached the window, looking down at all the people unloading their cars in the parking lot. He wondered if one of them was his roommate.
"California." The 24 year old girl spoke. She turned to her little brother, "I heard the girls here are hot. "
"I'd be happy to let Dominic know you want to hook up with one." He responded in a dry tone.
"Oh, come on!" Ella exclaimed, jumping onto one of the beds, "Lily says you haven't even kissed a girl since, like, March! That's not you, Jess."
Jesse rolled his eyes as the last girl he kissed materialized in his mind. "And how, may I ask, would Lily know?"
Ella shrugged, "Because you two tell each other about every dry hump you've ever experienced."
"Do you have to talk about this while I'm here?" Jesse's mom groaned as she ripped open a box.
"Sorry." The siblings mumbled half-heartedly as Jesse approached the box. Lying on top of other pictures and clothes was a photo of him and Rachel, both wearing red to celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't tell Lily about every romance I have.
He immediately closed the box. Its true- he hadn't kissed anyone since March. It was the longest he'd gone since 7th grade. Hell, he hadn't eaten eggs since March, either. All because he fucked up the one perfect thing he ever had…
Ella patted her little brother's cheek. "Don't worry. I'm sure perfect, little Jesse will get laid in now time."
Yet, as he smirked at his sister, Jesse's mind stayed focused on a girl who was known for wearing sweaters with animals on them.
Please review! It'd been so much to me to know how you liked it! Thanks for reading!
-Bri