Harmony exhaled and looked over at her friend, Gavroche, smiling as she pushed open the door to where everyone was meeting for the NYADA mixer.
"This is it," she whispers to her friend as they walk into the room, smiles big and confident. "We're going to blow them away."
They looked around, and Harmony felt her smile drop and her heart started pounding. Everywhere she looked, girls exactly like her filled the room, patting their bangs into place, or smoothing out their skirts that ended just below the knee, vocal warm-ups being murmured throughout the room. Gavroche saw boys spraying hairspray over their perfectly coifed hair, adjusting their bowties and stretching out as if they were about to give the performances of their lifetime.
Suddenly, a girl and boy started running up to him, huge fake smiles plastered onto their faces.
"Hi," a girl with brown hair, wearing a navy blue dress said, stopping right in front of the two friends, introducing herself. "I'm Rachel Berry! What's your name, where are you from, and what are your credits?"
"Well, I'm- I'm Harmony," she began, moving her hand up to introduce herself.
Three more students ran up to him, hurriedly introducing themselves.
"I'm Mercedes."
"I'm Jesse."
"I'm Kurt Hummel," said the last boy that ran up to them, his hair coiffed to perfection, holding a headshot of himself. "Named after the beautiful young boy from the Sound of Music."
"I know you totally recognize me," Rachel began. "It's because I'm the girl from the mattress ad! I've been acting since I was a sophomore," she said with a large proud smile, looking over at Kurt.
"I'm staring as Officer Krupke in a McKinely High Production of West Side Story," Kurt added excitedly. "Welcome, welcome!"
Grabbing Gavroche's hand, Kurt led them across the room, talking the entire time. "As my future husband Taylor Lautner always says, it's refreshing to get new meat!"
"New meat," Gavroche said in an incredulous voice, eyeing Kurt.
Behind them, Rachel dragged Harmony over, motioning for her to sit down.
"We've been meeting here each month since we were sophomores, literally." Rachel said with a huge smile.
"Well, actually," Harmony began as she took over her coat. "Gavroche and I found out about this on Monday, but speaking of refreshing, we've put together a number that we think-"
"Places!" Rachel suddenly called out, clapping her hands and motioning for the rest of the performers around the room to stand on stage.
"You're just in time to see a little number we've been fussing around with!" Rachel said with a grin. "Thank God there was a Bats Mitzvah here on Saturday, and I convinced not to strike the stage. So, sit back, relax, and most importantly-"Rachel gave them a small smirk, walking away. "Enjoy."
"Thank you," Harmony said politely.
"Oh my God," Gavroche whispered leaning over to Rachel.
"Just breathe and smile," Harmony said with a large fake smile. "Just because they look like us and act like us, doesn't mean they're better than us!"
The music began to play, and the performers began to stomp their feet in their evened out groups, their large stage smiles making Harmony and Gavroche nervous.
Times have changed
And we've often rewound the clock,
Since the Puritans got a shock
When they landed on Plymouth Rock
If today
Any shock they should try to stem
'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock would land on them
Rachel sang the last line and raised her hands in the air, pointing at Harmony and Gavroche, giving them a fierce competitive look. The other dancers tapped their feet, moving around the stage in an elaborate dance routine, all smiling.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Good authors too who once knew better words
Was looked on as something shocking
But now, God Knows
Anything goes
Now only use four letter words
Writing prose,
Anything goes
Rachel walked down the middle of the stage as the other performers went down the sides, lining up as they came out one at a time, performing cartwheels and back flips, while the others tap danced.
Anything you can be, No, you're not,
I can be greater
Sooner or later,
I'm greater than you
Yes, I am, Rachel sang
No, you're not.
Yes, I am
No, you're NOT.
Yes, I am
Yes, I am
Rachel stopped singing as the music played and danced around the stage, getting twirled around by the male performers while the girls tap danced their way across the stage. It was all a blur of colours and motions, of performers and music.
Harmony looked on, more nervous with each line of lyrics, and each note Rachel sang. The group of performers lined up center stage, and began to dance together, moving at exactly the same pace and singing.
The World has gone mad today
And good's bad today
And black's white today
And day's night today
When most guys today
That women prize today are just silly gigolos
Any note you can hold, I can hold longer
The other performers kept dancing as Rachel and Kurt walked over to where Harmony and Gavroche were sitting, eyeing them with a superior look.
I can hold any note longer than you, they sang, looking over at the pair of friends, smirking.
No, you can't
Yes, I can Kurt and Rachel sang, walking back over the performers, and standing center stage while the others danced around them.
No, you can't
Yes, I can
No, you can't
Yes, I can
Yes, I ...
Kurt and Rachel looked at each other and belted out the last sentence of the song, holding a note for more than ten seconds each. The music stopped as the performers bowed and the sound of an explosion echoed throughout the room.
A startled Gavroche shrieked.
Harmony looked over at Gavroche, the fear in her eyes palpable.
This is bad, she thought.
This, is really, really bad.