I know what you guys are thinking- I'm a very well-learned Legilimens- and I know, I'm on a roll. I just can't stop it, even if I wanted to- if I get a new idea, I have to post it. It's weird, but I love keeping St. Berry alive. It's so important! Boo for Finchel endgame! We must keep St. Berry going, even if it's only through FanFiction! Well, there won't be much St. Berry in this, mostly just mentions. I'll probably ignore Jesse's McKinley days, unless it's on the VA side. We know what happens.
So, I was reading this story my friend wrote (she's a Finchel writer, and she asked me to check it out- she won't post it, and even though it's well-written, I'm not gonna complain about less Finchel) and she was completely bashing VA. Of course, I was like, dude, WTF are you showing me this? I'm a St. Berry shipper. She then told me she was trying to convert me and show me how evil VA and Jesse are.
UN. ACCEPTABLE!
So this was born. I hope you enjoy this look into the dynamic of Vocal Adrenaline. Starting in Jesse's sophomore year, his first year as lead, (he was just chorus in his freshman, in this).
Blah, overly-long AN finished. I don't own Glee.
ENJOY :D
As Jesse pulled up to the sprawling campus of Carmel High, he let out a breath he had seemed to be holding in all summer. Yes, he had enjoyed his college tours in California, and he had especially enjoyed spending time with the gorgeous girls he had come across there, but he hadn't enjoyed the time away from the team. He had missed his team, and his home away from home, the Carmel auditorium. Not only was it the nicest high school auditorium in all of Ohio, it had been the main source of happiness in the past two years of his sixteen-year-old life.
He nodded to his uncle- who was the only one in town now that his parents had gone to Florida for the fall- and climbed out of the car. As embarrassing as it was, he had yet to get his driver's license. He had been too busy over the summer. But he had taken the classes online at night, and he was taking his test that Friday, so he would be driving in no time, and wouldn't have to depend on his uncle waving goodbye and embarrassing him further. He knew it was stupid, but damn, he was Jesse St. James. He was a badass. Badasses didn't hitch rides from their uncles, unless they were like Uncle Jesse from Full House, and had rode up on a motorcycle.
"St. James!" a voice called from the entrance of the school. Jesse whipped around and smiled slightly at Chris, the tall, twenty-one year old member that had been continuously failed to stay in Vocal Adrenaline. The guy was huge, and frankly scared the crap out of Jesse when they had first become acquainted. But the guy was cool, and knew how to make a mean grasshopper pie.
"Hey, Johnson!" he laughed, giving him a slap on the hand as Chris pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Glad to be back?"
"You know it. You know who they got to do my classes this year? Alexis Monroe. The girl is a frickin' genius. Honor roll, front runner for Valedictorian. I'm so set."
"Dang. Where do I find out about that, anyway?" Jesse frowned, swinging the door open to the auditorium, and after bypassing the lobby, inhaled the scent of dusty velvet chairs and freshly-polished linoleum floors. He smiled.
Various members were dotting the stage, smiling and laughing as they shared summer stories and compared tans and haircuts. The girls showed off their new styles and the boys were talking about their summer conquests.
"Real tall girl, mile-long legs, real gorgeous. I brought her back to the hotel that very night!" one senior laughed, obviously proud. Jesse smirked and walked over, easily sliding into the conversation.
"Did you at least stay to buy her breakfast?" he smirked. The boys roared with laughter.
"I never asked how she liked her eggs, St. James. The girl has legs, she can walk herself to a diner!" Adam laughed. He was tall but stringy, definitely one of the dancers of the group, with a wicked grin and endless charm, when needed. When with the team, though, he became about as charming as dead fish.
"Yeah, I would say you could walk her there, but your legs were probably already chasing fresh tail," he replied coolly. Adam just laughed.
"Hello? I'm here to try out for Vocal Adrenaline!"
The entire team turned around in synch, immediately snapping into hive-mind business mode. Jesse, the new lead, stepped forward.
"Miss Corcoran isn't here yet," he told the newcomer. She was a lean black girl, with curly black hair and heavy bags under her eyes that made her look much older than the freshman she obviously was. "When she's hear, though, you can try out. I'm Jesse St. James, the male lead."
"I'm Andrea Cohen," the girl replied, walking to the very front row of seats. She sat gracefully and entwined her fingers, obviously not going anywhere. The team exchanged awkward glances, not ready to let their guard down. Shelby was very selective when it came to new members, and mere mortals could not see the inner workings of the show choir.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Andrea asked patiently. Jesse narrowed his eyes slightly; if she was going to be part of this, she needed to at least kiss some ass before she could talk to them like that, or even show she had some semblance of talent.
"Yeah, you could head to class and come back at lunch," Bryan said, stepping up beside Jesse. "Civilians don't get their own squints, you have no excuse to ditch."
"English, please?" Andrea snapped.
"You don't get some random nerd sent to take your classes for you. You're going to be late, so you'd better go," Giselle translated. Andrea rolled her eyes.
"Please, like I give a crap about missing class. I'm staying." Jesse quietly hoped she made it; if she was talented, she sure did have the right spirit. As inconvenient
There was a collective groan, and instead of going back to catching up amiably, they went off to do things individually. They still sat in a large circle, however, and sometimes whispered quietly to each other.
Jesse ended up sitting between Giselle and Amelia, two fellow sophomores. Giselle was watching YouTube videos on her iPod, and Amelia, ever the intellectual, was hunched over her Nook, her brow furrowed as she read Les Mis. Beside her was Chris, who Jesse decided to talk to quietly.
"So how was your summer, man?" he asked.
"Epic. I made a bunch of cash, and met this super hot bartender biker-chic. I swear, dude, I've never seen so many tats on one body. She makes me whatever drink I want, too, as long as I bring her some grasshopper pie from work. As girly as they are, I'd kill for one of her Mai Tais," he whispered. "What do you think of new girl?"
"I think she'll fit in well, if she's good," he said.
"I feel like she's a bit too forward about what she want," Chris admitted. "I mean, we're never so blunt about it. We're subtle. She doesn't seem to be cut from the same cloth, you know? If she's got the right stuff, I don't want to alienate her. It might be dangerous."
Jesse bit his lip, not having considered that angle. "Good point."
"I know, I'm full of them. Seriously, though, bro, she could be poisonous. We should watch out."
"Yeah," Jesse replied slowly, eyeing Andrea warily. She just stared back blankly, giving him even more pause. "Let's just hope she's one of the 'bad guys'."
Chris laughed and once again resumed talking about his beautiful, inked-up bartender with magical Mai Tais.
-breakbreakbreak-
When Shelby arrived, not yet in coach mode, she was all smiles and welcomes. "Guys, it's so great to see you! I hope you had wonderful summers, and—" she stopped short. "Who are you?" she demanded harshly.
"Andrea Cohen, pleasure to meet you."
"You need to be in class," Shelby replied coldly. "You're not my student. Try out during lunch."
"I won't leave until I get an audition," Andrea replied, eyes blazing. Jesse heard somebody whistle lowly, as if anticipating a showdown. He wouldn't be surprised.
"Look here, Andrea Cohen," Shelby said quietly, her voice the epitome of calm before the storm. "You will not order me around. Who's the director here? I am. Not you. So get out of my auditorium now, or so help me I will make sure you never set foot in here again. Are we clear?"
Andrea nodded sharply before storming out of the auditorium. "See you at lunch, Coach!"
"I like her," Amelia said mildly, pushing her thick-rimmed black glasses up her J shaped nose. "I think she has spunk."
Evan, a junior with an obvious infatuation with Amelia, stepped forward and nodded solemnly. "I do, too. She's the kind of fire Vocal Adrenaline needs." He smiled at Amelia and winked. "I got your back, Ritter."
"Noted," she said wryly. Shelby cleared her throat loudly.
"She seems to be a bit stubborn. I don't need someone who's going to challenge me and make things difficult. I need someone who will do what I say without asking," Shelby said honestly. It might have stung to have her refer to them as followers, but it got them their National title, so they felt no need to complain.
"Okay, guys, let's get down to business," she said, and with a single clap, Vocal Adrenaline got in formation and got down to business.
So, I'm not going to just right about Jesse, I want to focus on individual characters. So who do you want for the next POV? Amelia, Giselle, Andrea, Shelby, Evan, Chris, or Adam? It's totally up to you! Just not Jesse, sorry. He will be the main person, though. It'll be Jesse, OC, Jesse, OC, Jesse. So yeah.
Ten reviews till the next. I hope you like it. I know a lot of you want my St. Berry streak to continue, but I feel like VA needs a chance to show they have souls. Everyone makes them so… black and white, one-sided. I want depth for them.
Cheers!
Harlot