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Prompt: Candy Cane
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hear them sing (soon it will be christmas day)
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Rose Riordan hated McKinley High; it was the only public high school in the Lima area and the only option her just below middle class parents could afford. Being that Rose was 5'5", slightly chubby, had red hair and plenty of freckles, it was open season on her by the Cheerios and jocks. Her lone friend and fellow outcast, was a Goth girl named Abby.
It was a pain, but after their families moved to Lima the year before, her younger sister and brother fit in effortlessly, and Rose refused to make things harder on her parents. Thus she sucked it up, brought a change of clothes to school and washed the slushie casualties at Abby's house. And on such days like this, when Abby had some afterschool activity, Rose waited for her at the Lima Bean—iPhone and a mocha latte to entertain her.
The frosty air sent a chill down her back and alerted Rose to customers entering the coffee house, and had her taking a generous drink of her now lukewarm latte. When Rose looked up she found that she knew the group of four—Finn Hudson, Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel and newly transferred Blaine Anderson. She didn't know them personally; just of them from New Directions. Also knew that wherever one of the four went, one other usually followed.
Rose couldn't deny being envious of those four brave teens. Having a love of music and ability to sing made the glee club very appealing to her. Yet she wasn't quite brave enough to take even more slushie facials. Plus, since Abby couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid, meant joining alone with kids a year or two older.
Knowing it was wrong but feeling very little shame about it, Rose lowered the volume on her iPhone and pulled the right bud out of her ear, the faint strains of Fun.'s "Some Nights" could still be heard as she watched them take off their jackets, hats and gloves one table over.
She had to bite back a dreamy sigh as Blaine pulled a chair out for Kurt and Finn teasingly pulled on one of Rachel's pigtails before going to the counter to get their orders. If Rose were honest, she thought as the three chattered on about some music store, she was actually jealous of Rachel. The tiny girl was always dressed elegant and had a rich dark beauty; her best friendship with Kurt was on a level she'd never seen; the handsome quarterback was her boyfriend and looked at her with nothing less than love, awe, and protectiveness. That's not including the fact that she was so damn talented and brave enough to do what she wanted despite peer pressure. It was hard not to feel a pang of envy, because her and Abby—her only friend—weren't near that close, and she could only dream of a hot guy looking at her like that.
When the song on her iPhone rolled over to "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes and clashing slightly with Michael Buble's "Holly Jolly Christmas" on the Lima Bean's speakers, was when the very tall teen returned to their table.
As he slid his girlfriend her hot drink, he used his other hand to reach into his vest pocket to pull out a regular candy cane with a red bow around the stem.
"One candy cane, for my girl," he said with a cute half-smile, and leaned over to kiss her cheek sweetly.
Rachel's smile was blinding as she bounced in place while clapping excitedly. "My favorite!" she chirped and leaned up to give Finn a quick peck on the lips.
"Aren't you just adorable," Kurt cooed after taking a sip. "So, what song will Miss. Rachel Berry and Mr. Blaine Anderson be delighting us with?"
"Well," Blaine slowly began, "We were thinking about 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas'"
"Because Artie will only accept cheerful music," interjected Rachel, with an eye roll and irritated undertone, as she took the lid off her drink to stir it with her candy cane.
"Because Artie wants cheerful music," agreed Blaine with a good-natured laugh that pulled a smile from the other three. "Or, if we've found something better at the music store, then we'll do that."
"Oh, I can just imagine it!" sighed Kurt, "'won't you meet me by the tree, slip away so secretly," he crooned the lyrics almost wistfully.
"Right on!" Finn agreed with an enthusiastic head nod. "You guys would rock that!" he continued with a smile and a kiss to Rachel's temple.
As Finn and Blaine began to talk sports and Rachel and Kurt drifted into their own conversation on Broadway, the music on Rose's phone muted for the set alarm to go off—the five minute warning that Abby would be there soon.
Getting ready to leave, Rose couldn't be stopped from watching them, or ignore the bittersweet feeling that had come with it. She wanted that, and maybe someday she could have it.
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[End]