So the hiatus is over, I did my twenty-one ficlets and all... but I didn't want to stop ;) So I'm not! I want to see how long I can keep this up, one every day, so off we go :)
Also, some of them will be series, not related to one another but tied together by a common element. This first series I've called the "Mix Mash" series. I put the names of 18 Glee characters in a box, pulled them out in pairs, some odder than others, to write a ficlet over.
Today: Mix Mash 5 of 9: Figgins and Brittany
"Lady Giggles"
Figgins and Brittany
She still felt the giddy effects of the vitamin as she dashed out after she and the girls had performed their mash-up. The giggles had been pulled back under the surface for the length of the song, but now… She drifted away from the rest of the group, guided by no thought in specific.
She was feeding her own giddiness with memories of the routine, her hands and feet getting caught in repeating the steps, the motions. She tried to keep her laughter hidden though, remembering where she was. It was a repeated loop… dance step, giggle, gasp, look around, walk quietly… dance step… After a while, it became she was discreetly smiling when she'd stop to look around.
The smile halted though, when she turned to look and saw someone was watching her this time.
"Principal Figgins… Hi," she spoke, just about fusing her lips together to stop herself from laughing.
"Follow me, please?" he motioned with his hand, turning back in the direction of his office.
Brittany's eyes darted about… He knew… right? He knew about the vitamin and now he'd kick them out. She didn't want that, didn't want to end up in a weird new school…
"Please?" Figgins repeated the word and the hand motion. It was a wonder that he didn't notice how the blonde's whole body seemed to be bracing to make a run for it. But then she was still trying not to bust out into laughter.
Finally, she followed, giving the biggest good girl smile she could muster. "Ok," she nodded like an indulgent child. Principal Figgins smile back, leading her to his office, though the smile was infused with confusion as to what the girl was so darn cheerful about.
Once they arrived in the office, each of them took their seat. Figgins sat with his back straight against the chair, his hands folded together over his desk. Brittany was on the edge of her seat, her feet tip-tapping along from one side to the other, accompanied by the hands in her lap.
The parts of her that the principal could see showed nothing of this. All he could see was how Brittany's head seemed to be filling the current silence in the room by following the beat of some unheard song. When he cleared his throat, the beat came to a halt, and she gave a nervous smile. Every so often, the trail of a stifled laugh would escape her, evidently much to her amusement.
"Brittany, you and I need to have a talk," Figgins eventually spoke.
"Ok," she gave the same nod as she had in the hall, a sliver of a smile in her lips and her eyes.
"This is very important, do you understand?" he frowned.
"Yes," she nodded with a lull, then snorted. Her hand snapped up to cover her mouth for a second, to try and get herself to recover, but the damage was done. The snort had blasted the dam, and laughter came spewing out.
"Control yourself now, what is so funny?" Figgins looked at her, utterly baffled.
"Well…" she tried to start, but the giggles had finally captured her whole. Her face was turning red.
"This is…" Figgins started in exasperation, when the phone rang. "Yes?" he picked it up. His frown grew when he found the caller was a police officer. "Yes… yes… our school nurse…" Brittany was still laughing, and Figgins turned his chair away. "Howard Bamboo?" he blinked. Behind him, there was another snort. "Yes, thank you, officer. I will handle this."
He hung up, sitting back a moment, trying to understand… He looked back to the girl sitting across from him, somehow still breathing enough to keep laughing. He'd called her in to discuss her academic standing, but now…
Taking a new approach, the principal got up and went to get a glass of water. He brought it to Brittany. "Slowly now, or you'll choke," he instructed her. It took some time before she managed it, but eventually the laughter began to recede. Once it had, Figgins took his seat once again.
"Now, where were we," he crossed his fingers together. Though Brittany had calmed, the temptation to burst out again was still there, precipitated by Figgins' question.
"I don't know," she shook her head with supreme honesty.
"Tell me, have you been to see the school nurse recently?" Brittany's response was halfway between a gulp and a giggle, as though she knew she was busted, but something in her didn't care… in fact found it amusing. "Have you?" Figgins asked again.
"No?" her head had moved up, meaning to nod, but before she could complete the gesture, her mind flashed a red light and she redirected into a shake of the head. Figgins gave her a benevolent smile.
"You're not in any trouble," he shook his head. Brittany followed this motion before nodding her understanding.
"Ok," she smiled. Figgins nodded.
"Good. Good," he sat back.
"Can… Can I go now?" she asked, sounding hopeful and antsy. "My mom doesn't like it when I get home late," she shook her head with wide eyes. "She worries."
"I won't keep you. Just tell me about Mrs. Schuester," he leaned forward. Brittany's eyes moved left, right… back to Figgins.
"She's nice… she's pregnant…"
"Tell me about seeing her," Figgins specified, exerting the patience known to come and go in his case.
Brittany tilted her head forward just an inch or so, the bounce in her feet starting to tire… the vitamin was wearing off, just a bit, leaving her energies to fluctuate. Her head rose up again, chin up.
"She… gave us vitamins," she finally spoke. Figgins sighed.
"Alright, thank you. Go now," he indicated the door. Brittany practically jumped on her feet, giving Principal Figgins a short wave before spinning on her heel and bee-lining her way out of the office.
She hoped she hadn't gotten anyone into trouble. She was never too good against confrontation. She knew who she was, she knew what she could and couldn't do… she had her friends in Glee Club, and she was afraid if they knew about meeting Figgins…
Moving down the hall, her head went side to side, staring as her feet moved along. A new smile came, remembering the thrill of the mash-up. She looked around.
Dance step, giggle, gasp, look around, walk quietly… dance step…
THE END
