Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 44th cycle. Now cycle 45!
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** UPDATED WITH CYCLE 45 CHEAT SHEET ** Check it out to find out about shift days!
This is a shift day [see above]. There will be another upload this afternoon: A Dish Best Served Cold, chapter 7.
"Crossover"
Lizzie, Gus, Craig, Elliot, Ellie (OC) - Rachel & New Directions
Project No Day But Today series
(all series now listed under the communities tab in my profile)
They never really brought it up before, either of them on either side. The ones who were already in the club didn't want to end up pushing their luck and end up scaring them away, while the ones who weren't in the club didn't know how to take the leap yet and own up to the idea that they might want to use their being part of Rachel and Puck's musical to crossover into joining New Directions.
Even amongst themselves it remained unspoken. As much as they wanted it, there were going to be people in the school who would start taking notice of them for that association, and well... why put oneself through that if they didn't have to? Except... they wanted it.
They liked the group, having spent all this time with them preparing Rent. They were forging friendships, some more unlikely than others, and in some cases, perhaps, something more than friendship, even if they wouldn't bring it up. But mostly they were becoming aware of how much doing all this meant to them, singing, dancing, performing... and Glee Club was the prime spot for that.
It had started with two of them. Already being in the musical had meant so much to Lizzie and Gus because it had brought them together. Their unexpected romance had gone from budding to committed. Neither of them had ever had something this meaningful before.
One day, Gus had gone looking for Lizzie and he had found her, standing just outside the choir room door, looking in but unseen from within. He had gone up behind her and she was just barely startled, looking to him before holding a finger to her lips: be quiet. Inside, the club was mid-rehearsal with Mr. Schuester. Lizzie smirked, watching them. It had occurred to her before to join, her and Ellie both, but they had gone against it because of what people said and did... Looking in that room though, all she wanted was to become part of it.
When they had almost been spotted, she'd gasped, grabbing Gus' arm and pulling him away. As they got further down the hall, she moved her grasp down to his hand. His heart still skipped a beat every time she did that. To have a pretty girl like her hold his hand, to want to hold it, and to look at him like he was the greatest thing... He didn't really consider his looks extraordinary, if he ever gave it a moment's thought, but Lizzie Wyatt looked at his face and saw someone beautiful.
"We could go in there, you know?" he told her as they walked and she looked to him.
"The choir room?" she asked and he nodded. "Both of us?" she tried not to sound too hopeful.
"I thought about it a lot before, but I didn't think I could do it. Maybe if you were in there with me then I wouldn't be so scared."
"What do you have to be scared about?" she asked, and he could hear in her voice how any attempts to list his failings would be rebuked in a heartbeat. "Let's do it then," she declared, smiling from ear to ear.
"Okay," he cringed when his voice trembled, but she just smiled. "It's fine, I can do it."
"Yeah, you can," she grinned.
X
Gus and Craig had been working at Craig's aunt's diner since the summer before last, now only on weekends during the school year. As long as they had been friends, it was working there that really solidified their friendship. They were working there now as Gus still considered how to tell him about how Lizzie and him were thinking of joining Glee Club. It wasn't like he thought his friend would be upset about it, on the contrary. He was thinking it might interest him to join, too. The problem here was actually getting him to do it.
He knew if it was only up to him, Craig would say yes in a heartbeat. He loved being in the musical, Gus could tell. And while both of them had found a way to make their peace with one-time tormentor Puck, he wasn't the only hand they had to duck at McKinley, and Craig had long stood as Azimio's favorite knock-around... Gus could only imagine what kind of ammo Craig's joining of Glee Club would become for the giant in a letterman jacket.
They were clearing a couple of neighboring tables when Gus decided to just go for it. "Lizzie and I are talking about asking Mr. Schuester to join Glee Club." Craig looked up to him, putting the empty plates in the bin to take back to the kitchen.
"You should," he nodded.
"What if... I mean, you could come with us..." Gus approached the topic with caution. There was a beat before Craig said anything.
"I'm supposed to pick up some weekday afternoon shifts here to help my aunt, I need the money," he shrugged. Gus wasn't fooled. If what he said was true, he would have said something. They never had secrets, certainly nothing like this.
"Remember what we used to call Puckerman before this thing started?" Gus looked to him. "This whole experience, it's changed us. What's to say this isn't the next step?"
"I know... I can't..." he wouldn't look up at him. Gus sighed, looking at his best friend. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he couldn't push too hard or Craig would stop listening at all. So, for now, he abandoned the subject.
X
Elliot doubted if the two of them had seen him there, in the next booth over. He hadn't announced himself, not because he didn't want to but because it hadn't really occurred to him. He was quiet, in most of his life, and he was okay with that, for the most part. There was the musical though, and that allowed him to touch upon loudness. It was not something he did often, but he loved every part of it.
Hearing the two guys talk about joining Glee Club, the thought of it didn't bloom right away, but the seed had been planted. The next time he found himself in school, sitting as he had been when this had all started, behind Rachel Berry, he had looked at the girl, his musical director, and he thought about it, for the first time really thought about it... Glee Club... This girl was like his opposite. He did not strive to stand out, if anything he did his best to fade away, most times, whereas this girl stuck to the spotlight like a shadow stuck to your steps. As much as that would never be him, he saw her passion for the music, and that he understood.
"Rachel?" he found himself whispering. When she turned, he leaned over his desk. "Can I ask you something?"
X
When she had begun dating Gus, Lizzie had worried that Ellie might feel rejected if she went off to be with him too much, just like she might feel invaded if Gus was just there all the time... He had suggested that lunch time at school should remain as it had always been, an exclusive to the Elizabeths. Now every day the two best friends sat as they always did, at their usual table, sharing earbuds and a meal.
"What do you think about this song?" Lizzie asked suddenly. Ellie gave her a look. "Okay but I mean... for like an audition."
"An audition for what?" Ellie frowned, confused.
"Glee Club?" Lizzie revealed.
"For real?" Ellie couldn't help but ask. Lizzie nodded. "You're doing it?"
"Me and Gus," Lizzie confirmed, almost dreading having to hear her response, but...
"I think the song would be perfect," she smiled, and Lizzie grinned. If that wasn't a big enough victory, she saw something in Ellie's face like... curiosity... wonder... possibility... Lizzie gave her hand a squeeze.
"You want it, too. Elizabeth, I can see it in your eyes, don't you lie to me," she shook her head.
"Easy, Texas," Ellie nudged, and Lizzie laughed. She only called her that when excitement awakened that old twang of hers. "Fine, okay..." she conceded, much to Lizzie's approval. "But what should I sing?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, we'll find you something," she sat up, taking hold of the iPod in between them.
X
Glee Club was meeting that day, and now Gus, Lizzie and Ellie were walking down o the choir room. From what they got, all they had to do was go down there, say they wanted to join, and they would get to try out.
"Craig still won't do it?" Lizzie asked Gus.
"No... I'm hoping he'll come around eventually." they turned the corner, and at first when they saw him standing outside the choir room, they thought it was Craig, but they quickly realized...
"Elliot? What are you doing here?" Ellie asked.
"If I have to guess, the same thing you are."
THE END
A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!