It was a sweltering 85 degrees in the shade in the cow town that was Lima, Ohio and the perfect weather for the First Annual Glee Club Cook-out to kick off the start of summer.
Since Will Shuester's apartment was much too small to accommodate all 12 of his kids, not to mention their parents, Burt Hummel had gladly volunteered their backyard.
' I'm just saying ,Shue,' said Burt Hummel from the patio where he was setting up the grill,' Mellencamp is everyman's rock. That is classic rock music '
' Not arguing with you, Burt,' chuckled Will,' though Springsteen is pretty close'
' I had such a crush on the Boss ' spoke up Emma Pillsbury, who sat beside him on the picnic table. She looked pretty in a pair of red Capri's and a crisp yellow blouse.
' Didn't we all ' this came from Ruby Jones who was sitting on the other side of the table.
The doorbell rang and Burt stepped into the house to open it, expecting more latecomers.
He hadn't expected to find a woman with kind eyes and a crooked half smile.
'Hello' Burt managed to find his voice, finally.
' Oh, um, hi,' Carole Hudson , dressed casually in a nice pair of Levis and a blue tee shirt, stood on his doorway,' I hope that you're Kurt's dad or else I am going to feel very foolish '
Burt chuckled in amusement as their eyes met and held.' I'm Burt,' he ushered her inside,' and your at the right house?'
'Carole,' she answered,' Carole Hudson'
'Nice to meet you, Carole,' smiled Burt, ' Finn's mom. Am I right ?'
' Got it in one' said Carole,' I am sorry I'm late but I worked over '
' No problem,' answered Burt, leading her through the house,' not everybody's here yet. Come on outside, we're all hanging out on the patio and the kids are playing football'
'Oh, that's nice' murmured Carole as they joined the other parents ,' hi everyone'
She peered into the yard noticing Finn in a huddle with the other boys.
' You haven't missed a thing, Carole,' replied Jay Berry,' except for our praise over Will's extreme patience and devotion to our kids well-being . It cannot be easy'
Carole sat down on a lawn chair as Burt handed her a glass a iced tea .She felt her stomache do flip-flops and murmured her thanks before resuming the conversation.
' I think high school was much easier in the eighties ' commented Carole, earning laughs from the others,' but Will, you have been such a God-send to Finn. I know that my son really looks up to you and that means so much that you listen to him'
'You've done an excellent job raising Finn ' said aan embarrassed Will, looking at Emma. He couldn't tell her that Finn was his favorite when a teacher wasn't suppose to play favorites. Still Finn reminded him of himself at that age.
' thank you,' answered Carole, sincerely,' I try so hard for him'
' Are we expecting anymore parents ?' spoke up Emma, taking in the small group of parents gathered around them on the patio picnic table.
Jay Berry, Rachel's dad, sat on the other side visiting with Ruby Jones, Mercedes mom, while Artie's mother, Catherine Abrams was busy emptying bags of chips into bowls.
Burt was happy to man the grill. ' I think most of them are still at work or already had previous plans,' answered Will,' so I guess we should get this meeting started'
' The kids are all excited about this summer glee program,' spoke up Ruby,' or so I got from Mercedes phone conversations with Kurt, Tina, and company. I defiantly know that Mercedes is siked about it but is it going to be an everyday thing ?'
' yea, I was wondering that myself,' brought up Burt,' Kurt has that football camp next week and I get him at least three days a week helping me at the garage'
' No, no,' spoke up Emma, taking out a list from her straw purse,' only a couple days a week with a few Saturdays. Maybe a occasional Sunday but that depends on the kids'
' It wont interfere with football camp, cheer camp, or the kids jobs,' picked up Will,' I don't want to take up their whole summer with glee. I've heard some of their plans..'
' Artie said no to his camp this year,' chimed in Catherine, conspire tally,' in order to spend his summer with Tina." She sighed,' His first girlfriend '
' they are very sweet together ' commented Emma,' I was just thrilled'
' Tina is the sweetest girl' agreed Catherine,' and dare I think Arthur loves her '
' I believe that Rachel has an itinerary of her and Finn's first summer as a couple' put forth Jay ,knowingly ,of his daughter,' events, outings, and such'
' To which my son will probably change for them' interjected Carole, causing them all to laugh. Finn was more of a spontaneous kind of guy while Rachel was a planner.
They all laughed and turned their gazes outward towards the yard.
Finn, Kurt, Artie, and Matt stood on one side staring down the girls, which consisted of Rachel, Mercedes, Tina, and Brittany. After some practice rounds because Brittany was confused, they had finally agreed to play an actual game.
' Come on, girls,' shouted Finn, taking his position,' it's touch football. Not dodge ball!"
He nodded at Matt' I'm on Rachel
Matt flashed him a cheek.' you said it, man'
Rachel straightened, hands on her hips of her denim shorts, and candy striped polo, tried to appear put upon.' We are aware of the game, Finn'
He grinned sexily at her.' Sure you do, baby'
' Girl,' yelled Mercedes,' back in your damn position or your sitting this one out'
' its just a game, Mercedes' reminded Rachel but did as she was asked.
'Dude' spoke up Finn, naturally taking the lead,' go'
Matt let the ball go and Tina ran backwards following it then to the utter shock of all of them, Rachel caught it with a delighted giggle.'OOOOOOOOH'
'GO RACHEL!" shouted Tina, waving her hands frantically as the diva began to run,.
' Get your butt in gear, Barbra,' yelled Mercedes, staying on Matt,' run, run, run!"
Rachel skirted around Artie who looked more amused than anything else as Finn's long legs tore up the distance that separated him from his girlfriend. With an exuberant yelp, Finn tackled Rachel to the ground, as the ball slid from her arms and rolled past them.
' Got you!' declared Finn, his arms tight around her waist, legs tangling with hers.
Rachel stared up at him, eyes feigning anger.' Finn, was that really necessary? You know that I have never before played this and even though I understand the basic concept, this was my first time playing the game' stumbled Rachel, losing herself in his handsome face. His palm swept across her cheek , caressing her, and she lost her train of thought.
' do..do you tackle ..the ,um, guys like this?'
' no but don't really want too,' told Finn,' none of them are my girlfriend, Rach'
He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her passionately, fervently, wildly.
Mercedes let out a groan.' You two get any cuter, I am going to gag!'
' You shouldn't do that,' commented Brittany, innocently,' it works better after you've ate a big meal or pigged out on Taco Bell. Not over Rachel and Finn-eew'
Tina, Kurt, and Mercedes stared at the dingy blonde girl.' Britt,' said Tina, under her breath,' there's a lot that's really wrong with what you just said '
' Oh, it's alright, Tina,' perked up the Cheerio,' I don't throw up in the summer'
' You shouldn't be vomiting on purpose, at all' added Kurt, purposely.
' You guys are nice but I didn't mean anything by it' replied Brittany, softly.
Rachel buried her face in the curve of Finn's neck, pressing a soft kiss on the skin below.' I love you, Finn' whispered Rachel, wrapping her arms around his neck.
'Love you too, babe' muttered Finn, for her ears only.
' That's it,' shouted Mercedes,' go make out somewhere that the rest of us aren't present. Come on, Finn, get your big paws off of Rachel and get in the game, '
Finn helped his girlfriend up from the ground.' we're just playing for fun, Mercedes'
'Speak for yourself,' remarked Mercedes,' I need to get back into the game before my brother gets home from college so I can whip his ass'
' Sibling rivalry with Chase, Cedes?' asked Kurt, wondering if he needed more sunscreen. He could never be too careful with his pale complexion and the rays.
' More like baby sister is tired of losing year after year,' admitted the curvaceous girl, as she noticed Finn and Rachel sharing ,little kisses,' aw hell to the no! Will you two cut it out! Touch football doesn't mean touch each other ! Rachel, get your butt over here!'
Ruby watched, amused.' Mercy needs more patience. I wish that girl would find her a boy'
' I'm real sorry, Ruby, that my boy don't swing straight,' said Burt, hoping he didn't sound like a moron,' not that I don't love my boy .I do…oh geesh, Mercedes is a gem. If Kurt dated girls, I would want him to marry your daughter'
' Listen to your sweet talk, Burt Hummel,' laughed Ruby,' I love Kurt just as much but God made them who they are. I reckon they'll date when they find the right ones..'
' I suppose your right ,' admitted Burt,' not sure I'm ready for Kurt dating yet'
' Geesh,' Emma changed the subject,' its really nice watching Rachel be normal. I think that Finn is good for her, Mrs. Hudson'
' Aren't you sweet, Miss. Pillsbury,'agreed Carole as she caught Burt staring at her,' I think that Rachel is very good for Finn" She felt her cheeks color but she smiled rather shyly at him then ducked her head, feeling as if she was a silly schoolgirl again!
'I know that I am happy ,' interjected Will with a chuckle,' not to mention ,relieved that Finn and Rachel are finally together ! It was a long time coming, let me tell you'
'here, here' jay lifted his tea in a sort of casual toast to this announcement.
' So, what's this Booster club thing about ?' questioned Burt, deftly flipping burgers.,'back in the day when I was playing football, we used to have folks write us big checks to help pay for new uniforms and things'
' That's the general idea,' explained Will, taking the floor,' Principal Figgins is extremely tight with our glee club budget until we prove ourselves equal to the sports programs or the Cheerios. If we had our own Boosters we'd have more money to spend on new outfits, props, even field trips. Most importantly, we would have a positive show of support..'
' We thought to become a Glee Booster for a year,' picked up Emma,' a donation, of, oh , maybe fifty dollars would be a good start …'
' Fifty seems reasonable to me,' said Ruby, a down to earth woman,' Justus and I want to show our girl the same type support we showed Chase and kels '
' Glee club is very important, instrumental even to our stars future career,' replied Jay, thoughtfully,' not only is it a building block to her dreams but it has already opened Rachel up to so many new experiences. She has real friends and a boyfriend now' he paused to watch his daughter throw the ball at Tina, who dropped it at her feet.' I think Ted and I would like to start that year at the $100 level'
' that's very generous of you, ,' Will was floored,' thank you so much'
' The arts is underappreciated in this community,' told jay,' as is our daughter '
' being in glee's good for Kurt,' volunteered Burt,' I can handle fifty'
Carole took a sip of her tea, felt Burt's eyes upon her, and knew she was , as embarrassing as it was going to be considering her finances, she had to speak up or else everyone would automatically assume that she was a bad parent to Finn.
' I value what being in glee club does for Finn,' admitted Carole,' he's much more confident now. I would love to be able to help but truthfully, fifty dollars is a lot of money. I could probably manage twenty….'
Burt sent her a kind smile and Carole felt butterflies flutter about in her stomach. Good Lord, she had only just met the man not twenty minutes ago!
' Whatever you can afford would be appreciated,' cut in Emma, graciously,' really, fifty was just a thought. We hope the other parents will want to support the kids as well..'
' Bob and I are in the same boat as Carole ,' this came from Catherine Abrams,' we'd love to help but I'm not sure how much until I consulted the budget. Artie has been looking at new wheelchairs online and they unfortunalty don't come cheap'
'Of course not,' acknowledged Will, understanding the economy was tight,' New Directions just appreciates all of your support'
' You know, Will,' suggested Ruby,' you print up some of those glee booster forms and give me about a dozen or so. I betcha that Justus and I could round up some more -between his patients, our friends at church, the girls in my cooking class, you see'
' ruby,' Will started to get excited at her prompting,' that would be just great'
' Mercedes is our baby,' grinned ruby,' Her Daddy and I have to give her our support'
Back in the middle of the yard, football was forgotten and the kids were just hanging out.
' Like the shorts, Tee' Artie's eyes winked mischievously behind his black frames admiring her form in a pair of cut off jean shorts that were frayed and a black tank top adorned with a red skull and crossbones. Combat boots completed the outfit.
' I wore these during Hairography, Artie' reminded Tina, sliding onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck,' not that you've forgotten that'
He grinned cash at her, caught.' You look hot,' confessed Artie,' it's a new look for you'
' It's supposed to be a really hot summer,' explained Tina,' and I'm trying something new. She proceeded to unfasten the top three buttons on his short sleeved green and white polo shirt ,' so shorts. Tell you what, Art, I'll wear shorts all summer long if you promise to wear those tee shirts I got you at Hot Topic'
' You have to wear shorts anyway, girl,' hollered Mercedes,' if I am wearing em, so are you. We agreed not to be threatened by the skinny girls like Britt's size nothing…'
' I wear a one, Mercedes ' answered Brittany, following the conversation.
' Of course you do, Brittany,' sighed Mercedes,' your in on this too, Rachel'
' I hadn't planned on not participating in our pact, Mercedes' says Rachel, honestly.
Finn's brow wrinkled in confusion.' You girls made a pact over shorts?'
Matt put a hand on his shoulder,' It's too weird so don't even ask them, Finn'
' You would never understand the complexities ' brushed off Kurt, who was included in the pact to be more confident in their body during short and bathing suit season.
Tina ignored them and turned back to her boyfriend, who was just as baffled as Finn and Matt. He chose to simply ignore the fact.' You in daisy dukes,' teased Artie,' me in tee shirts of your favorite bands. I think its win win here, Tina'
' I am holding you to that, Artie' Laughing they shared a slow, easy kiss.
' Good Lord,' swore Mercedes, feeling particularly lonely at the moment,' we're surrounded by lovesick fools on all sides. Seriously if I don't find my own man soon, I am going to turn into one of those bitter man-hating teens on Mtv'
Kurt leaned over and gave her an affectionate hug.' I feel the same way,' confessed a hopeful Kurt,' but we have the whole summer ahead of us , Mer'
' I hope so,' Mercedes allowed her gaze to roam in Matt's direction,' maybe I should give Matt a thought. I mean, the boy is fine and he's never been anything but nice'
'Santana's ex,' Kurt shook his head as he looked at the quiet cornerback,' oh honey, there's no denying he's fine but don't even go there'
' I can handle Santana…' informed Mercedes, disgusted that he didn't think she could.
' But why would you want too?' inquired Kurt as the man in question jogged over to their circle, waving his cell phone in the air,' hey, Mike just sent me a text. He's working until ten tonight so there's no way he'll be able to make it today'
' That's too bad,' commiserated Brittany,' I miss him. Santana had to go visit her grandma and they don't get back until Sunday night from Cleveland '
' Has anyone heard from Puck and Quinn?' asked Artie, rolling him and Tina over to group.
' I have,' spoke up Finn, holding Rachel close in his arms,' doubt they'll show today. Puck has like an emergency pool cleaning to bring in some fast cash for the baby. I kind of got that Quinn isn't ready to bring the baby out yet '
' Well, it's only been 4 weeks ,' said Tina,' Beth is still really little'
' ' I think that we should all show them our support,' volunteered Rachel, having given this situation considerable thought,' it is customary to present the parents with presents for a newborn. Perhaps Noah and Quinn would appreciate some of my blueberry muffins and we might fill a basket with items they could use as well as wipes , lotion, onesies and such necessities for the baby'
' That's a good idea, Rach' smiled Finn, encouraging her .
' We could all help fill the basket,' agreed Tina,' and we should go visit them'
'Sounds like we have a plan,' agreed Kurt' I assume Quinn and Beth are still residing at the Fabray home with her mother ?'
' Uh yeah,' answered Finn,' and Puck's kind of staying there, too'
' Bet her Mom loves that' commented Mercedes, a wry laugh coming from her.
Burt stepped off of the patio and lifted his voice,' Chow time! Come and eat, kids!'
No one had to tell them twice but as they were filling their plates, Kurt noticed his father laughing with Finn's mother. This was strange. He let it go and forgot about it.
It would seem that the Hummel Glee Club Cookout was a rising success!
