Practice Makes Perfect
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee! Enjoy!
Jake sighed as he looked at the cast list for Grease, the musical the glee club was in charge of putting on this year.
Danny…. Ryder Lynn
Sandy…. Marley Rose
Danny's Understudy…. Jake Puckerman
Sandy's Understudy…. Kitty
Kenickie…. Sam Evans
Rizzo…. Wade Adams
Frenchy…. Sugar Motta
Doody…. Joe Hart
Cha-Cha…. Brittany S. Pierce
Jan…. Tina Cohen-Chang
Teen Angel…. Blaine Anderson
Ugh…. He really didn't like the idea of being Ryder's understudy. And even more, he didn't like the idea of Marley and Ryder acting all lovey dovey….. And he hated the idea of them kissing. This couldn't get much worse!
A couple days later he was helping with the set, while secretly watching their rehearsal.
They were in the middle of rehearsing the "Summer Nights" number. Marley was amazing as usual, and even Jake had to admit Ryder was doing goo-okay for his first time in front of an audience.
Summer dreams ripped at the seams,
Bu-ut oh, those su-ummer nights….
Tell me more, tell me more!
"Cut! Let's pick up after lunch."
"Great job guys!" Finn Hudson, the director and close friend of the New Directions, said excitedly with a proud smile.
Marley nodded at Finn's compliment and went to grab lunch with Sugar, Unique, Tina and Brittany.
"How's football?" Jake overheard Finn asked Ryder as they stepped off stage.
"Great so far, I'm ready to reach quarterback potential." Ryder replied with a confident smile.
"Just don't break anything, or else we would have to let your understudy take your place, and it's two weeks till opening night." it was then that Jake got a brilliant idea, well it sounded brilliant to him at least.
He wanted to stop Marley from kissing Ryder, and he could do just that….
Three days later he sat in the auditorium after school. Luckily Ryder and Marley haven't rehearsed the kissing scene yet. Unfortunately, he knew they would have to practice it sooner or later.
"Hey Ryder, here catch!" Jake waltzed up to Ryder with a football in his hands.
"Huh," Ryder looked up from his script confused as ever, as the football came flying towards him.
He managed to catch it, but the slippery floor beneath him, resulted in him tumbling onto the hard stage floor.
Marley gasped, as she looked up from her conversation with Blaine, and ran to go help Ryder up.
Finn, Marley, and Blaine got him situated on a sturdy beach, that they used for the play.
After a while, the nurse came to examine Ryder.
"His ankle isn't broken, but it is really sprained, I'd advise him not to walk on it for six to ten days."
"But opening night is in one week!" Marley stammered.
"Sorry guys, you do have an understudy don't you?" She asked confused.
"Yeah but-"
"So problem solved. See you kids later then." The nurse gave them one last look of sympathy.
"Well she was a big help." Finn muttered.
The next day, Ryder came to school on crutches and Jake was secretly smiling to himself. His plan had worked out after all.
It was his free period so he was on the bleachers, getting a break from the disgusting place he calls school. He smirked when he saw Marley approaching him.
"Was up?" Jake said with a laugh.
"I knew it was you." Marley spoke softly in a slightly angry tone.
"What?" He asked pretending to he offended.
"I knew you purposely tossed that football so Ryder wouldn't be able to be in the play." Marley clarified.
"Now why would I do that?" Jake asked innocently.
"Because you're jealous that you didn't get the lead role? Or that Ryder might actually help the Glee Club get popular again, since he is on the football team and-"
"Ryder this, Ryder that, is that all you talk about?" His angry tone took Marley back a bit. She wasn't expecting this.
"If you want to be in this musical fine! It's all up to you now that Ryder can't perform, are you ready for that kind of commitment?"
"Sure, why not?" He replied smugly.
"We are all counting on you Jake, I'm counting on you!" Marley gave him an intense stare in a serious tone, but it softened once Jake have her a goofy grin.
"Okay, chill. I'll give it 110% guaranteed."
"You better,"
"So wanna help me practice?" Jake asked curiously.
"Well we were working up to the kissing scene, I know it might be uncomfortable for us to do, and you don't have to do it if you don't want to but-" Marley's babbling was cut off by Jake's lips on hers.
"Well ok then…." Marley was secretly jumping for joy. Her stomach was doing flips and her heart was fluttering like a butterfly. This was just what she had hoped for.
"Practice makes perfect right?" He smirked as he leaned in for another kiss.