Mike wasn't really sure why he'd left with the rest of them. Sure, he knew why Finn and Jesse had left, but not really anyone else. From what he'd heard, they all thought Rachel a little more than crazy, and no one would deny that she would go to whatever lengths it took to get what she wanted. And she craved fame like a pregnant woman craved ice cream with pickles.
Or something.
Still, a part of him had a feeling that Finn would need someone to lash out on. It couldn't be Puck anymore, the two still weren't really on speaking terms, and no other jocks would be willing to listen. He couldn't go to Quinn, because she broke his heart. Finn really wasn't close to anyone else, at least not enough to vent on.
So Mike left once the rest of the Glee members did, a little surprised the Jesse guy was the last one. If anyone, shouldn't he have been first? After all, Rachel was his girlfriend. Not that he understood that. Well, she was pretty, in that conservative way. But then again, leopards were pretty, but he wasn't going to pet one unless it was tamed. And Rachel's craziness was not tamed at all.
Finn didn't make it far. He slammed a fist into a locker and Mike was a little amused to see it wasn't Rachel's.
"Hey, Figgins will ride you if you leave a dent," he warned, to let the other guy know he was coming.
"Whatever." But Finn didn't do it again. He just looked at him. "This is so messed up."
Mike nodded, but didn't offer anything. He knew Finn just needed to get it out.
"How could she do that? She didn't give a crap about using us for her reputation. It was more important than how any of us would feel."
"Didn't you dump her because you were worried about how she'd ruin your rep?" he asked, even though he hadn't meant to speak. "Not defending her or anything, man, but popularity means a lot in high school. And she's been the bottom of the food chain for ages. Even in Glee."
A little distracted, Finn frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? She's the star of Glee, with her voice."
"She's kinda used like a helmet. We can't get too much damage as long as she's gonna sing for us." Mike was not good at metaphors. If that's what the whole calling her a helmet was. He still wasn't sure the difference between a metaphor and…the other thing. "Yeah, she lets us because she wants the attention and wants to get into the business, but no one is really her friend. Except maybe Jesse. But then again, no one in Glee trusts him. And he could just be using her."
Finn didn't look so pissed anymore. Or at least, not at Rachel. If the way his shoulders suddenly dropped so he was almost slouching—it was difficult to tell, even for Mike, since he was so damn tall—were any indication anyway.
"Dammit…" Finn looked torn between being pissed off still, and realizing he was just as in the wrong. "You're right. How do you notice all this stuff?"
"Helps I'm not dealing with a huge load of drama," Mike answered honestly with a shrug. At least, none of his personal drama was advertised at school the way Finn, Quinn, and Puck had theirs. And none of the Glee Club members knew his like they knew Rachel's.
He wasn't super popular and he was pretty much okay with that.
Finn just nodded absently and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, thanks. You know, for telling me. Because otherwise I would've wasted more energy being mad at her. I'll get over it tomorrow. If she's still apologetic."
Mike just shrugged. All he had planned was to listen, and now he'd gotten Finn to realize he was at least partially wrong. If Finn forgave Rachel, the rest of Glee would end up following along. And they'd have a chance at Regionals.
Alright, so maybe his reason for leaving with the rest of the club had a purpose. No one would really know and he could enjoy the camaraderie of the group from backstage again. Life was good.
