Short Synopsis: This is the story of Derik Nelson, the lead guitarist of the McKinley Jazz Ensemble, who's been in the shadow for far too long. It's not only the Glee clubbers who have it bad with their problems and relationships. He's been having problems with his girlfriend lately and the stress with preparing for Regionals is not helping as well. Add that Blaine Anderson is finally breaking the wall that separates the glee club from the band. What kind of chaos will arise?
Prologue: The Walls That Divide Us
"So it's Diva week on Glee club and as you all well know, us guys need to represent to show that we could also be-"
And with one loud resounding bang, Blaine Anderson started having a sneezing fit again.
"Dude, are you sure you can sing with that super Asian flu thing of yours?" John, the drummer, asked.
"It's not Asian flu." Blaine clarified in that groggy-like voice people with colds carry. "It's just a regular flu that will be gone with lots of water and some of Tina's Anti-flu kit. I'd manage. It's actually you guys I should worry about because we're tackling one of the greatest rock anthems of all time."
The band didn't even react to Blaine's build up. Blaine always sold each solo he wanted to sing on glee club as the greatest something of all time.
"We're doing Queen's legendary pump up song, Don't Stop Me Now! Exciting, right?"
Again, crickets. This has been going on for quite some time. Every time a member of the glee club just randomly drops a bomb of a song for the band to perform as if it's the only thing they ever do with their lives. The band's used to the treatment already but that doesn't make it any less annoying for them. They're walking props for the club and there were countless times that they wanted to quit but they just never found the voice and timing to do so. They could have followed Tina out when she attacked the club for making her a prop. They could have gone with Brad when he left after New Directions lost Sectionals. But for some unknown force, they stayed. And now, they have to practice a killer song with an even more lethal instrumental part.
"So, we're performing this Wednesday so good luck with practice!" Blaine said as he grabbed his shoulder bag. And with that, he left the choir room, leaving the band baffled on how they're going to pull off a difficult arrangement in two days.
"Well, you're definitely doing the guitar solo, Derik." Scott, the bassist, said.
"What? But that'd take so much time! Can't we split it or something? Or have some of the new band people study it? "Derik, the main guitarist, complained.
"As if Blaine would want anything but the best and besides, I bet he'd love some eye candy performing with him. " John added with a smirk.
"Fine. Whatever. Can you search for the chords?" Derik asked Scott who just brought his laptop out.
"Already on it. We're assuming he's playing the piano like the original perf, right?"
"Most probably. This is Blaine we're talking about. If he could find a way to clone himself, he'd form his own band. Call it The Bleatles or something." Scott said, with just a hint of bitterness and annoyance, as he starts thinking of how many hours of sleep he'll end up missing again just to finish studying the club's musical demands.
"C'mon, Blaine's cool. At least he actually talks to us and gives us a warning and not ambushes us with performances by screaming 'Hit It' or something." Derik defended.
"That's true. But they're still too distant though." John said. "I mean its one thing to ask us to perform all these songs. It's another to completely ignore our presence unless they need something from us. And I thought things would change after we saved their asses by performing with them at last year's sectionals."
"And speaking of that, with Sugar and Dreads going AWOL all the time, do you think they'd make us perform with them again?" Scott asked.
"If that happens, you have to perform with them this time." John said to Derik. "My body's still aching from Chang's MJ routines.
The trio went on with their conversations, snide remarks, glee club gossiping and practicing for the various performances they have to do for the week. They were so focused on what they were doing that Derik failed to notice his phone beeping non-stop from his backpack.
When they decided to end practice, it was already dark and all that's left in the school are the trio, the security personnel, the janitors, the admins who are doing some overtime work and the weird night classes Figgins insisted on placing in the school for more profit.
Derik grabbed his bag and immediately saw his phone filled to the brim with missed calls and text messages that were increasing in hostility in each added response. "Oh no. Oh no! Oh no no no no no…"
"Girlfriend troubles?" Scott asked.
"Yep! Gotta run! See you tomorrow if I come out of this alive!" Derik shouted as he rushed out of the choir room, ran into the hallway (which he shouldn't be doing) and into the school parking lot to get his car.
He drove disastrously fast. And maybe there was as a portion of that drive where he almost ran across a pedestrian but he arrived to his destination, Crawford County Day, in under twenty minutes; A trip that usually takes him more than an hour to complete.
He texted Ali, his girlfriend, that he finally arrived. Derik had no idea what to expect or how pissed off his girlfriend would be but he decided to take his chance. They were supposed to go out tonight to celebrate Ali's early acceptance letter to Stanford but Derik utterly forgot with all the practicing he had been doing.
He saw a silhouette coming out of the lobby, approaching his vehicle and immediately recognized the figure as Rebecca, his girlfriend's roommate. Derik got out of his car to greet her even if he was fully scared of her wrath right now.
"How dare you show up here after you stood her up?!" Rebecca, or Becks, as most of her friends call her was a fierce woman you wouldn't want to mess with. She's a bit of a tomboy, captain of the basketball team and to add to the lethality, president and founder of the Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship club.
Derik immediately took on a defensive position, expecting Becks to punch him or something.
"Please, I don't hit sissies." Becks said. "I suggest you go home right now because there's no way she wants to see you right now."
"C'mon Becks, I need to talk to her. To apologize. She's not answering any of my calls or text-"
"Like you did awhile ago?" Becks said with raised eyebrows, clearly not impressed.
"Yes… and I'm really, really, REALLY, sorry for that and I just have to see her. Can you stop playing gatekeeper now?"
"Whatever, Nelson. It's your own funeral anyway." Becks said as she walked back to the dorm as Derik followed. Crawford County Day allowed boys to enter the dorms provided they logged in, took a visitor's permit and be out of the facilities by 9PM. They think that's already enough to ensure that shenanigans won't happen but of course, just like every high school, the students have their ways of bending the rules.
When Derik arrived at his girlfriend's room, Becks stopped him and told him that he'd check on her first. After Becks gave him the signal to enter, all hell broke loose.
The room looked like a tornado hit it so his girlfriend definitely went on a tantrum streak and her face definitely had tear streaks but her expression was just pure hatred. Derik didn't know what to say.
"Well don't just stand there!" Becks said as she jabbed him in the ribs.
"No. Don't. I'm doing the talking for this one Rebecca." Ali said. "We're over. This relationship is just not worth it anymore. We have communication issues and we definitely have different paths we want to pursue in life. I'm pretty sure we'll be one of those couples that'll just breakup the week before College starts so why not get a head start so we could both move on."
"But-"
"No, Derik. Just go. Please."
"You heard the lady, out the door." Becks said as she grabbed Derik by the arm.
"Wait! I just" Becks grabbed his arm tighter, bent down and threw him out the room in a perfect Judo throw. Yes, she's also into martial arts, might have forgotten to mention that.
"Leave now if you know what's good for you. Don't coming knocking back or I'll call security and you'll be banned in the dorms forever." Becks threatened.
"Just please tell her I'm sorry and that I still want to make things work."
"I don't want to make things work! Just GO!" Ali shouted.
Derik was heartbroken and even though she would rather take a beating form Becks to make his way back to his girlfriend, he knew that no words could be said tonight that would help the situation with Ali's current state. He left the dorms and made his way to his car, devastated. He texted Ali one more time before he drove home and mope around for what a few hours of rehearsal caused him.
AN: Thanks for reading this. And a big thank you to Derik Nelson himself for allowing this fic to be published and for actually reading this and for serving as the inspiration for this story! Go check out his youtube page and all the covers and original songs he has. They're definitely awesome.
All the songs i'll use for the fic will be songs of his/covers he made. Hopefully he likes how i'm putting my spin into them
For the readers who know my other ongoing glee fic, i'll update it when i get the time. I just posted this since i already had it typed before but just wanted Derik to give the go signal first~
