Summer: A Glee Story
Chapter 1: Summer Lovin'
Mercedes opens her eyes. She struggles to see through the haze of hairspray and steam that clouds her face. The beautician is smiling wide, a curling iron in her hand. Her bronze skin is stiff from many ventures to the Lima Tanning Salon.
"What do you think, Mercedes?" the beautician doesn't lower her smile. Mercedes picks up a small mirror and marvels at her new perm. She bats an eye at herself. It's undeniable. Mercedes is irresistible. At least to herself.
"I love it!" Mercedes hops out of the chair and gives the beautician a quick hug. They walk up to the front of the salon.
"So, you got any summer plans?" the beautician, whose nametag reads "Cynthia," asks in a swift breath. Mercedes pauses before answering.
"I don't know, girl. It's been a long school year. Probably just relax." Mercedes hands Cynthia a credit card.
"Is there any special guy you plan on seeing?" Cynthia winks and swipes the credit card. She's being nosy. Mercedes doesn't give her the satisfaction.
"None. At all."
Cynthia hands the card back to Mercedes. She opens her mouth to speak, but Mercedes turns sharply, her newly-done hair slapping Cynthia in the face. The bell jingles and Mercedes is gone.
The Hummel household is relatively quiet the first few weeks of summer. Carol is at work. Being a businesswoman rarely gives her luxury time. Burt runs his own business. Husband and wife are always busy.
Finn bounds down the stairs in nothing but a t-shirt and underwear. He's overly excited that it's summer break. Finally.
Kurt sits in the kitchen sipping from a cup of tea. He reads the morning paper. Finn jubilantly sits down across from him.
"Guess what?" Finn appears as if he's about to burst into a cloud of confetti and streamers.
Kurt looks up. "What?"
"It's summer!"
Finn leaps up, shaking Kurt by the shoulders. He runs to the refrigerator and begins to load up on junk food and sweets. Kurt stares at him with disgust.
"Finn, didn't my father's brush with death teach you anything?" Kurt eyes him intensely. Finn has a mouthful of leftover spaghetti. "And you need to shower. You smell like day-old socks."
Kurt gets up with a teasing smile. He's dressed to impress. Hair slicked to the side, teeth whitened. Skin exfoliated.
"Got a hot date?" Finn's teasing.
"Maybe. Blaine is leaving to visit his grandmother in Florida for a few weeks, so I want him to remember me as being... clean."
Kurt is nervous. He hurries out of the kitchen, but pokes his head back in.
"I know Rachel is coming over later, but remind her we need to practice our duet for the Lima Community Theater auditions!"
"Will do." Finn continues to eat. The front door slams behind Kurt.
It echos through the empty house.
"Noah Puckerman, I will have you arrested if you do not get out of my pool immediately!" Mrs. Harvey shouts from her upstairs window.
Puck looks up from the pool. He's floating on an inflatable raft. Swim trunks on. A slight tan. He's enjoying himself.
"Just a few more minutes, Mrs. H." Puck reclines.
"Kid, I don't even know you! I will call the cops if you don't get out of my pool! This is the third time this week!" Mrs. Harvey is fuming. Puck smiles at her unrest and slowly climbs out of the pool.
As Puck makes his way down the sidewalk to investigate another vacant pool, he spots someone. Someone unmistakable.
Lauren Zizes.
Lauren is heading down the sidewalk. In her usual determine stride. She makes eye contact with Puck as they get closer to one another. He smiles at her.
"Hey, babe, wanna get together-" but Lauren turns to him, squinting. Looking through him.
"Listen to me, Noah. We're done. The whole Glee thing was fun for the year, but now I want to own Lima, Ohio being a free woman. Doing what I want. Without having to worry about your overly-tanned ass."
Lauren giggles sadistically. She turns and regains her sidewalk stomp. Puck watches after her, not sure what to say. Or think. Or do.
Santana Lopez does her thing in the McKinley High School gym. Even though it's summer, that doesn't mean anything to this feisty Latina. She goes harder on the treadmill. In her cheerios uniform. Hair pulled back in a tight bun.
Brittany enters, watching Santana with a smirk. Unlike Santana, Brit is decked out in beach apparel. Equipped with some flamboyant yellow sunglasses that devour her face.
"Santana, you need to take a break. School has been over for two weeks and you've been here every day."
Santana doesn't even turn around to look at her. The sweat falls in her eyes. "You know Ms. Sylvester is giving one of the cheerios a scholarship, right? It's my only shot of college, Brit. You know this."
Brittany rolls her eyes. She walks forward and unplugs the treadmill. Santana stumbles off of it, wiping her face.
"That doesn't mean you can take a few days off and come to the beach with me."
Santana's smile heats up. Brittany returns it. "Artie really wants you to come."
Suddenly, Santana doesn't look so happy. She plugs the treadmill back in and restarts her workout.
"I can't today."
Brittany unplugs the treadmill a second time. Santana doesn't meet her stare.
"I don't see why you had to invite Mr. HotWheels to go with us. He can't even walk with you on the beach." The hurt in Santana's voice is heavy. Brittany steps closer to her.
"Artie is my boyfriend, Santana. You know this. You also know how I feel about you."
"Then why can't it be just the two of us? Why can't I hold your hand and run with you down the beach like in some stupid Nicholas Sparks book? It should be us, Brit."
Santana jumps down from the treadmill and gathers her things. She hurries out of the gym, leaving Brittany by herself. Her eyes well up, but her feelings for Santana keep the tears in check.
Rachel sits in the middle of Lima Records, a rundown thrift store for the musically challenged. She sifts through a pile of records on clearance. Blaine Anderson breezes up behind her.
"Rachel freaking Berry." A marvelous grin splashes his face. Rachel whirls around, obviously startled.
"Blaine?" Rachel appears a little shocked, even a tad embarrassed. "What are you doing here?"
He looks around at the chipped paint and stained carpet with an intense smile. "I always come here everyday. It's a Warbler tradition. Support the music!"
Blaine isn't in his Warbler uniform today. It's odd seeing him out of it. He's dressed like a senior citizen who has just attended a paintball match.. in the middle of a tornado.
"Where's Kurt?"
"Right here," Kurt responds, appearing from behind a shelf, holding a body-length poster of Audrey Hepburn.
"Kurt! I can't believe it! Both of you guys are here!" Rachel runs up to hug Kurt, but he slinks away, giving her the "no-no" finger wag.
"I must admit, Rachel, that these past few weeks I have missed your constant nagging and overwhelming sense of self-confidence, but that still doesn't get past the fact that you and Finn cost us Nationals."
Blaine and Rachel roll their eyes simultaneously.
"Don't worry about him, Rachel. He's a sore loser." Blaine says, attempting to be helpful.
"But you guys said that you were okay with it. Besides you, everyone has forgotten about it."
Kurt hugs the Hepburn poster to his chest and scrutinizes Rachel with a glare.
"Do you know, Rachel, that there is a Facebook group that is taking bets on how many slushies you will receive to the face on the first day of school? So far the average number selected is 14."
Rachel's jaw drops open. Blaine shakes his head.
"I don't think so. I mean, five at most. Kurt tells me Principal Figgins stopped issuing the slushie machine for public use." Blaine nods. Rachel shakes the horrible thought out of her head.
"Guys, come on. The kiss was simply a form of expression. I've apologized over and over again. I can't say that I'm sorry enough."
Kurt links his arm through Blaine's. "If I were you, I'd watch my back. All summer. But remember, we're your friends, Rachel. Blaine and I. And Audrey."
He shakes the poster and pulls Blaine with him. Rachel remains standing. "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter begins to blare from the speakers overhead.