Chapter one
"This can't be happening, this cannot be happening to me right now" the eerie silence of the NYADA campus only heightened Kurt's anxiety as he practically moulded himself to his seat outside Carmen Tibideaux's office before he spontaneously combusted from the effervescent build-up of nerves and stress he so carefully bottled.
"You're not the only one here, Kurt. Whatever the reason for our summons, we have to hold our heads up high and make a show of unity; if that fails we break out our best Barbara number, i say we blindside her with "No more tears" with my being Barbara and you the forever loved and missed Donna Summer" Rachel grabbed at Kurt's arm and furiously began planning the opening bars of what she assumed would be their 'save me' song for the incomparable Carmen Tibideaux.
"I think i'm going to be sick, i actually feel physically ill. This has to be because of the confetti canon incident..." His mind raced through the events of his first week as a freshman at NYADA. From seamlessly blending in with the best performers in what he believed to be the world to narrowly avoiding death when a confetti canon exploded in the middle of his rehearsal for a special number he was working on.
"No, i have it on good authority that that's happened more than once and if anything this would be about the oiled up freshmen cage dancers you recruited"
"Now i'm really going to be sick" Kurt took gulping breaths as Rachel sat beside him with her hand on his as she turned over to look him in the eye. New York was a large city but the fact that they could always rely on each other – just the two of them – had them both ease up a smidgen before the door creaked open and a young woman galloped past them; tears marred her cool, pasty skin and her sobs bounced off walls rich with history. The echoes of her sniffs and cries pierced into both Rachel and Kurt's hearts as they gulped back the fear and looked at each other, knowingly.
"You may enter" Carmen Tibideaux's rich timbre warmed the air around them but with dustings of the young girl's cries in the atmosphere, a chill slithered by and sent shivers down their spine. Steeling themselves for what came next; Rachel turned to Kurt and whispered.
"Together" as they stood up and entered the cosy office space filled with memories, knowledge and theatrical history that rivalled that of the oldest and most esteemed concert Halls of the world.
"You may both take a seat" Carmen gestured to the pair of chairs opposite her and both Rachel and Kurt nervously lowered themselves onto the seats. Rachel eased her breathing; ready at a moment's notice to burst out in song while Kurt barely held it together before the woman he so greatly respected and incredibly feared.
"You may be wondering why it is that..." before Carmen barely completed her sentence when Kurt burst at the seams and cried out in anguish.
"The canon's insured and the boys agreed on the condition i use non fragranced body oil. If I'd known that it was flammable I'd have..." Kurt leaned over the desk; pleading his case while Rachel whipped out her phone and frantically scrolled over her playlists as she prepared to replay the backing track of "No more tears". Carmen lifted up her right hand and the room fell into a deep silence that controlled the atmosphere and impressively calmed both students down before Carmen continued.
"As eager as i am to discuss your confetti faux pas as well as you endangering the lives of fellow NYADA students, it is Friday afternoon and that matter would be best dealt with in the coming week. I did, however, have a reason for asking the pair of you to meet with me after hours" keeping her tone careful and concise; Carmen sat back on her chair and thought through what she meant to say next. Both Rachel and Kurt knew better than to interrupt Carmen right after they'd been told in not so many words that they were "off the hook". Rachel slid her handheld back into her pocket and sighed gently as the uneasiness that had held onto her muscles let go in an instant. Both waited patiently before Carmen finally spoke up.
"I'm going to speak bluntly and not exactly in my capacity as Dean of vocal performance and song interpretation, will you allow me that?" the initial shock of the impending encounter with Carmen finally wore off and both Kurt and Rachel nodded feverishly at the question.
"Sure" they both unanimously chorused.
"I don't know if you both know this but i admire your friendship; the both of you are strong individually but as a pair you bring an energy, that when harnessed correctly could change many lives outside of your own. This is why I've come to request something from the both of you" she shifted in her seat; a rare glimpse of Carmen as an actual person outside of her almost deity-like persona and as an actual, nervous, honest person.
"Anything" without a shiver of doubt both students knew that they'd try their utmost best to satisfy her every wish.
"You see, i have a nephew; a bright and talented young man who I've never had the privilege of actually meeting in person. His mother, my sister, moved away to the Congo under Doctors without borders while she was pregnant with him and when she passed away many years ago, he returned to Oregon to live with his father. His father wasn't a fan of my family so that ensured my not having seen or spoken to Matthew" her eyes drifted off into a dark sombre place that had the air in the room still as the reality of her sorrow beat as loud as her heart. She took in a deep breath and looked over both Rachel and Kurt's faces and read them as though they'd opened themselves up to her of their own accord.
"That's heartbreaking" Kurt choked out as he sat on the edge of his seat and listened to Carmen relay her heartfelt tale. She cleared her throat and sat up; assuming control of the situation before things went out of hand any further.
"Yes well, Matthew is a freshman here at NYADA..." she continued but paused when Kurt interjected once again.
"Oh my, maybe I've seen him around. Do you have any specifics on what he might look like, a favourite colour, an extraordinary facial feature or what his fashion sense might..." before he could finish, Rachel elbowed him when Carmen's face steeled and her lips tightened at the barrage of questions she couldn't have answered even if she'd wanted to. Kurt shuffled uncomfortably in his seat and mumbled his apologies.
"As i was saying, you wouldn't have met him because he'll only be starting on Monday. He is however performing at the Trump international hotel for the 'find your smile' foundation gala. I purchased a ticket for myself but...it seems that I've lost the little bravery I'd garnered over the years" her voice tinged with sadness, it begged for some encouragement; someone to push her and strengthen her to have a go at it.
"This could be your chance to see him, to speak to him and to know him outside of this space because once he's here he'll be known as Carmen Tibideaux's nephew and that could work against him and if i may boldly say, you" Rachel found herself pleading to Carmen to rethink her stance and decision.
"I don't have the right words to share with him right now; i'm not equipped enough to open up and have him reject me because that's what his father has indoctrinated him with. I lost him once, if i lost him again at his own request, i wouldn't know what to do next" she knew that if he chose not to see her, if he chose not to love her back and if he chose not to welcome her into his life she'd lose the only connection she'd ever have with her deceased sister.
"You owe it to him to at least try. Excuse me for speaking out of turn but how do you think he'd feel if his own aunt wasn't there tomorrow night?" Rachel insisted.
"He has no knowledge of my being here"
"Then how will he feel if he found it out from someone else and not you?" Kurt had asked the very question that had been gnawing at her mind from the moment she'd thought of this plan. As risky as it was; she had to follow through with the help of Rachel and Kurt, she couldn't allow herself to dive in headfirst and risk losing him altogether.
"That won't happen. The reason why i asked you two to join me today was because i wanted to know if you two could attend the gala and listen to him. I'd ask you to befriend and guide him but that could be asking too much, here are the tickets" Carmen handed Rachel both tickets to the 'find your smile' foundation gala and leaned back as Rachel held them over and looked back up at her.
"I could only hope that Matthew meets people as inspiring as the two of you all through his life, which is why i felt the need to ask you to look out for him. You're not in the least bit compelled to be his best friends but knowing that someone else has his best interests would have me rest easy" the finality in her voice told them both that the meeting had ended but before they left Kurt turned to her and smiled.
"The mere fact that you're looking out for him, no matter how unconventional it may be, means that you do know what to say to him and how to open up to him. You've always known what to say; you've been waiting to say it from the day he was born, now all you need to do is find the courage to say it" with that he turned around and left the office with Rachel by his side. The door closed behind them and Carmen was left to her thoughts once again. She thought about Kurt's parting words; how they rang true and how she knew what she wanted to say but struggled with how to say them. She sighed and leaned further back in her chair. One day she'll know how to convey emotions she understood so well in music and how they wrapped themselves in melodies and actions. She'd say it all with the conviction she preached to every budding Broadway star and she'd believe it, just as Matthew would.
Chapter Two
"We're going to be late, Kurt!"
"If you think i was about to walk out of here and rub shoulders with New York's elite with anything resembling a comb over then you have no shame" Kurt frantically moved about the apartment as he gathered himself and prepared to leave for the gala.
"Well if you'd listened to me and moisturised your roots at five instead of waiting to moisturise them at seven after you'd masked, plucked and shaved what i'm convinced is the start of a mono-brow we wouldn't be having this conversation now"
"I don't know what you're referring to and...Done. We can leave now" both turned to leave and just as they craned open the door there with his all white toothy smile stood Brody in his night life best.
"Whoa, where are we off to?" he stood back to admire the luxurious pale gold and cream dress that flowed effortlessly over Rachel and caught his breath at how beautiful she truly was.
"Hey, eyes up here wise guy" Kurt jibed but Brody was too busy admiring Rachel to care less.
"We are off to the 'find your smile' foundation gala over at Central Park" Rachel fought past Brody's hardly responsive drooling and made to close the door behind them.
"How'd you two land that and most importantly why am i hearing about this now? I was hoping we'd have a crazy night out, New York style" Brody pleaded with his eyes as he followed Rachel and Kurt out of the building. Rachel glanced over at Kurt nervously while Kurt trained his eyes ahead and dared not look over at the handsome Brody.
"We have a contact, so if you'd excuse us..." Rachel made an attempt at brushing Brody off but their bizarre behaviour only served to peak his interest.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing" Rachel's clipped and high pitched answer was a telltale sign of how something was definitely up. Brody dashed over in front of the pair and crossed his arms and waited.
"You're going to have to tell me what's going on or none of you will be attending that gala" Brody stood firmly in place but moved to the left and to the right when either one of them tried to slip by. The cool night air flowed by hastily and chills erupted over otherwise smooth skin as both Rachel and Kurt became increasingly exasperated by Brody's interference. The seconds flew by and Kurt couldn't take it anymore.
"Alright fine..." he cracked.
"No Kurt you promised on Angela Lansbury's vocal cords that you wouldn't" Rachel warned Kurt but he was too far gone in his decision to care.
"Carmen Tibideaux has a nephew that she's never met and she asked us to go and see him and welcome him to NYADA since he's performing at the gala. He doesn't know she's his aunt and she's worried he'll disown her so she wants to know where he stands on that whole thing" feeling like he'd purged what had been bubbling up uncomfortably within him, Kurt let go of a sigh he must have been holding in for a while.
"This can only end horribly" Rachel tapped her foot and ushered a cab while Brody digested the information he'd been swamped with and shook his head as though clearing out the cobwebs and sorting it all out in his head. Finally finding his voice, he looked back up at the pair.
"WHAT!? I mean...whoa, a nephew, in NYADA and...You two? But...whoa" clearly struggling to understand what he'd just been told, Rachel leaned in closer to Brody and looked him dead in the eye.
"You can't tell a soul or there will be dire consequences; this is our future we're risking here, our lives and if we ruin this for Carmen, we'll never be able to show our faces at NYADA again. Is that clear, Brody?" Rachel could feel the anxiety building up as she thought about the magnitude of the situation. Carmen had come to them in confidence and breaking that promise would see them labelled as NYADA's pariahs. Brody's eyes flashed with recognition and a tinge of fear of the determined young lady.
"Sure, i mean it's prime news but i hear you. Look, i have a friend who could probably use one more waiter for the Gala; i want to be there to see who this guy is. I promise i won't cause any trouble, swear" pulling his best puppy dog look as the cab slid over to them to a halt, Rachel opened the door and smiled up at Brody.
"Get in you big baby" she urged him and they all got in and watched as the city bled and blended into a mirage of darkness and light, a molten see of melted smells, colours and sounds. This was going to be one interesting night indeed.
The mezzanine was washed in deep Golds and smooth creams and silvers that spoke of opulence and extravagance. The air bounced daintily about as men and women glided effortlessly from one person to the next. Purpose, promise and prestige scented the air and it greeted their senses with an addicting quality that drew them in.
"So what do we do?" Rachel asked Kurt as she looked around, hoping to find something that would hint to the young man they were there for.
"Find me a husband" Kurt joked but it was missed completely when Rachel began surveying the room intensely for the young man.
"I don't think we'll find him this way, we don't know what he looks like, if he's a pastels kind of guy or if he..." Kurt whispered as his voice trailed off.
"We know that he's black" Rachel offered and shrugged when Kurt looked at her incredulously.
"What? Well, you know what i mean" she turned from Kurt and perused the room with her eyes.
"You're right; I'll start on that side while you start on the other end. We'll ask every guy in here if we have to; just find him" Rachel offered. Kurt was convinced the Rachel was going about this the wrong way.
"You do know that we could just wait for him to perform and then pounce on him then" Kurt offered his thoughts on the matter.
"You're right, you're precisely right" Rachel's voice trailed off as she continued looking at what must have been the group of performers preparing for the stage. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in wonder as she held her head up high and took a step closer to the stage.
"I know what you're doing; you're here to scout the competition aren't you?" It hadn't been clear before but it all made sense to Kurt now; how Rachel wore one of her best dresses and how she eyed out the group of performers and that look on her face that would ward off a wondering bear.
"I don't know what you mean; we're here for Carmen and...Matthew" she spoke but before Kurt could offer up his retort the lights dimmed and the room fell silent as the stage lights came to life in deep purples and blues that burst through the darkness. The house lights allowed them all to move to their seats and wait on the performances to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Sister France Choir for girls" the room erupted with light and disjointed applause before a group of young girls took to the stage in all black.
"They'll sound like Mormons, ten bucks says they'll sound just like Mormons" Kurt whispered in Rachel's ear. With her eyes trained on the stage she reached over to Kurt and shook his hand.
"You're on" and with that the choir hummed to life and sang the opening bars to what was Schubert's Ave Maria. Their voices carried through the room and stirred their spirits as it opened up and then slowly lowered down into a hauntingly stunning sound.
"Those aren't Mormons" Rachel opened up her palm and accepted her winnings. Just then the choir ended their offering off and the audience applauded their effort. Barely showing any enthusiasm they waited for the next performer.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Matthew Huston" the room fell silent as a single spotlight overhead shone directly on Matthew.
"Oh my God that's him, that's him" both Rachel and Kurt began frantically poking each other as they leaned in closer and watched as the young man nodded to the pianist and stepped closer to the microphone. He was a slight young man with dark chocolate skin and short hair. He wore a form fitting tux and looked every bit the dapper performer he could be. The opening bars of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen broke through the silence and the sound of a rich tenor pierced the air and practically took their breath away.
"Oh wow" Kurt whispered but Rachel was lost in Matthew's cool and smooth voice. Then after the first chorus the song went up an octave which saw his voice open up and fill the entire room. No longer a wistful and angelic whisper but now a full on powerhouse, he pulled in the audience as they found themselves in awe of his vocal dexterity and his impeccable vocal mixing. His stellar mellisma soared and twisted with ease and took the audience on a musical journey that had the pining for more. Lost in the throes of Matthew's performance, Kurt and Rachel closed their eyes and listened as his voice opened up even further and his warm timbre shone on the big chorus. Both took a deep breath in as tears threatened to sting their eyes; it was as if his voice was directly in link with their soul, pulling, tugging and begging. It was heartbreaking and emotionally raw, like all he could do was sing and this was his final performance. The audiences was under a spell designed just for them and further pulled in when at the final few seconds of the song, Matthew launched into his whistle register that was light and airy but powerful and commanding.
"He's phenomenal" her words a reminder more to herself than a statement for Kurt, Rachel listened as the young man ended the song like he was cradling a newborn baby. It felt honest, real and stirring. He stepped back from the microphone just as the entire room erupted in gracious applause as men and women as well as waiters and kitchen staff applauded what must have been the most memorable performance they've witnessed in a long time. Kurt wiped off his tears just as Rachel stood up to leave.
"Rachel, wait! Where are you going?" he stumbled after her as she headed towards the stage.
"You can't sing here Rachel!" he hissed in shock but sighed in relief when she passed the stage and walked over to where most of the performers were preparing to either perform or lounging about since they'd just performed.
"There!" she pointed to the far end of the room to the slim figured young man who was packing his things into a small bag with his back to them. They walked over to him and tapped on his shoulder. He turned abruptly as the dark pools of his eyes swirled with fear and confusion.
"You were...everything" the words escaped her lips in a breath and Matthew looked at Rachel like he wasn't quite sure what to make of her kind words.
"You're brilliant, i mean the emotion, the control and then that whistle..." Kurt doted over Matthew's voice but was interrupted by a huff and snort. They both watched as Matthew shook his head and wiped a stray tear that silently tracked its way down the side of his cheek. He sniffed back the tears that threatened to spill freely and looked up at them.
"I messed up on that C6 and wavered when i dropped back down for the end. I had too many runs which made it conceited and way too stylised, it was hardly something phenomenal" he spoke under his breath as he beat himself down. Kurt and Rachel gasped in shock but moved in closer to the young man who looked seconds away from a breakdown. Rachel pulled his head up and looked him straight in the eye.
"You gave a performance that will be remembered forever. Those people out there will remember you for the rest of their lives because you are, and it pains me to say this, one of the best singers I've heard in my entire life" Rachel searched in Matthew's eyes for a glimmer of hope and found it as the young man sniffed and nodded slowly, finally accepting her compliment.
"Thank you" barely above a whisper, but loud enough to be heard.
"I'm sorry, i'm so rude. My name's Matthew, Matthew Huston" he reached out his hand and both Rachel and then Kurt took it and introduced themselves.
"We hear you're coming to NYADA, that means we'll all be seeing more of each other. That includes him" Kurt pointed over to Brody who was making his way over to them.
"How'd you guys know?" Matthew could barely concentrate enough to form an intelligent sentence as the most attractive man approached them. He barely heard Rachel when she said that they had their ways.
"Hi there, you were amazing. I'm Brody Weston" Brody reached out for Matthew's hand and Matthew grabbed it and felt his heart skip a beat. He'd been attracted to guys before but this felt different. Kurt watched as the familiar look of an overwhelming crush swept over Matthew's face and knew that the young man would definitely need his help. This year would be an interesting one indeed, Kurt thought. NYADA is going to be interesting indeed, thought Matthew.
Chapter three
The acrid odour of sweat and hot breath punctuated the air and taunted burning lungs. Sweat stains marred the once pristine hardwood floor as heels scraped and skid across with such fluidity and art that the students practically bled with pride as their smarting lungs and aching joints bellowed in blissful agony. This was performance; bleeding, crying, gasping for air but fighting through your body's limit and reaching new heights. Amid the scrapes and screeches as dancers danced and turned music into art and movement into poetry of their limbs, Cassandra watched avidly as her freshmen pushed themselves and begged for her praise. Tight lipped and highbrowed she moved gracefully from one end of the room to the other and watched on as they dipped, jerked and moved through the air with as much grace as they could muster. The music abruptly stopped at her command and bodies stilled as they all turned to her with glassy eyes and broken gasps as they violently fought for oxygen.
"That was disgusting, craft less, sad and all round disappointing. I wanted to see eloquence, mastery and power but what you gave me was breathing, hyperventilation and promise. Promise is what got you in here but what will keep you here is excellence..." her oration cut unwittingly short by the sound of the door creaking open and small footsteps daintily making their way to the middle of the class. Cassandra sighed in exasperation and refused to turn around in addressing the tardy attendee.
"You're late" her voice laced with discontent.
"I know, i'm sorry; this is my first day and i couldn't find my way" Matthew's childlike innocence seeped through his voice and Cassandra turned to see this obviously too young for his boots new recruit. She loomed over his small frame and pursed her lips as she regarded him. Kurt beamed through his hyperventilation from the other end of the room and waved at Matthew frantically but stopped as soon as Cassandra July side eyed him and cleared her throat to command Matthew's attention once more.
"I don't like late comers"
"I'm really sorry, i just...i'm sorry"
"You said that already...take your position with the rest of the extras" she turned away from Matthew and faced the rest of the class.
"Because that's all you'll ever amount to if you don't push even harder then your hardest; just extras behind the real star, the real dancer, the real performer who was on time for their first class" Cassandra sashayed over to the end of the room as Matthew almost caved in on himself but held onto his composure and cleared his throat when the music blared to life and Cassandra began her countdown.
"I'm, i'm sorry Ms July" the music died and Cassandra craned her neck in Matthew's direction and huffed out of frustration.
"It's just that, i can't exactly dance" the room fell dead silent. Not a breath broke wind, not a creak from the ageing wood and not a sigh from the walls that held the campus together.
"You don't dance? Well then young man, what is it that you do if you do not perform?" stalking her way over to him, Matthew rooted himself on the one spot he'd housed since he arrived in Cassandra's class. The students looked from Cassandra to Matthew in anticipation. Matthew made to answer when Cassandra swiftly interjected.
"What is your name?"
"Matthew, Matthew Huston"
"So Matthew Huston, you say you don't dance?" she towered over him with her eyes slit and the heat from her skin pinching out at his.
"It's not that i don't; i just can't. It's like what happens in my brain and what my body does are two different things and more often then not i end up doing more harm than good" he shrugged and tight bursts of laughter bounced off the walls.
"Well then, i guess we'll have to do something about that won't we? We'll see if you'll be saying the same thing once i'm done with you" And right on cue the music bursts back to life and the others assume their positions. Cassandra points toward the back where Kurt comfortably stood and Matthew shuffled over to the only other person he knew in the city and campus.
"Hey" Kurt whispered.
"Hey" Matthew whispered back. The music blared and Cassandra took no prisoners as she cracked her whip and pushed them further and harder than any of them have ever gone. Matthew took to her lessons slowly and she eyed the young man carefully; appalled at how he indeed had very little control over his body but impressed at his determination and courage in voicing his inadequacy before an entire room of hungry, fame and power hungry freshmen who would stop at nothing to be the best and if that meant they'd use what they knew about you to get there then so be it. Matthew heaved and fought through the pain as sweat drenched his white t-shirt and his legs practically gave out but he wouldn't give up. He'd come so far and he had so much to offer; he wasn't about to let dancing get in the way of him achieving his dreams. Kurt, not exactly the Mia Michaels himself, fought through his smarting joints and dangerously beating heart.
His arms hurt, his mouth felt cavernous and dry but he too knew that he had to push himself further then the best if he was going to be the best and match the prowess and command of his dear friend, Rachel. Minutes seemed like hours later but it finally ended as they all slumped and fell over into a floor matted with limbs and bodies and coated in sweat. Kurt took this opportunity to chat to Matthew about Saturday night and to get to know him better.
"It's good to see you again" he opened.
"It's great to see a familiar face, i hope you don't mind but i plan on sticking to you and Rachel was it? Like glue"
"Think nothing of it; we'd love to have you in our inner circle. Rachel and Brody won't mind at all" Kurt didn't miss the wistful look that skid across Matthew's features at the mention of Brody's name.
"He's very attractive, trust me i know" Matthew turned to Kurt with alarm staining his dark cheeks and recognition had him boring holes on the floor.
"He is" he whispered back.
"Take it from me, it's great to look but it'll hurt you more than satisfy the pink monster on our shoulder who seems hell bent on ruining our lives" Kurt chuckled as did Matthew.
"I know, i know. It's just this being bisexual thing is confusing. I know what i want but when what i want changes ever so often it confuses you a bit. The older i got the more i realised what i wanted is to be with you know, a guy"
"And Brody seems like the perfect one, right"
"It's his eyes, they're like pools of happiness you want to skinny dip in" both guys laughed heartily but Kurt sighed and turned over to Matthew with concern edged in his features.
"I've been where you are, wanting a man who also wanted Rachel. I was young and managed to find something better, i want the same for you. Think of me as your fairy god mother – the Whitney Houston kind in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" Both laughed good naturedly as they got up to leave.
"Which reminds me, you're a Huston right, with a voice like that you have to be related to the late great Whitney?"
"Not that i know of, but maybe she's a long lost aunt or something" Matthew replied as they found themselves moulded in with the rest of the NYADA crowd and going off to their next class.
The concert Hall opened up before Rachel as she stood next to the jet black baby grand piano and took a synapse electrifying breath of the polished wood and air of experience and culture that clung to the walls of NYADA. She thanked the great divas both alive and dead everyday for the opportunity afforded to her and knew to make the most of every second she had. She pressed lightly on the ivory and drank in the piercingly crisp sound that echoed all throughout the hall. Moments away from warming up her voice; her attention was pulled away from the baby grand and over to the hall's entrance.
Brody's frantic movement toward Rachel captured her audience and discarded plans of warming up immediately.
"Brody?"
"First off i want you to know that I'm really sorry and it all happened so fast i couldn't take it back and i might have just ruined everything" the sheer panic in his voice drew her in as he stood before her; fidgeting and nervously avoiding eye contact.
"What did you do?"
"I might have let it slip that Matthew is Carmen's nephew and..." Alarm crept into Rachel's muscles and lungs as her breathing became laboured and her life practically ended before her.
"This is it; I'm going to work for McDonald's, my life is officially ruined" she spoke more to herself then anything and latched onto the baby grand for support before she fell over from the shock.
"Maybe it's not that bad, i mean he was going to find out anyway..." Brody's futile attempt at pacifying Rachel's roaring emotions only sunk her deeper into her shock.
"Carmen is going to kill us, she's going to publicly shame us and she'll throw the book at us and then she'll kick us out and then Kurt will probably cry and my family will be devastated and..." emotions swam chaotically about as Brody apologised profusely but both were yanked out of their episode by Kurt and Matthew's entrance.
"We thought you might be here" Kurt jovially greeted the pair.
"Hey Kurt, Matthew" Brody eased his voice and looked over at Rachel who barely looked up at the pair as they entered.
"Everything alright?" the air stung with a sense of tension but Kurt couldn't make out what it all was about. Brody looked to Rachel and Rachel donned her sunny disposition and plastered a carefully constructed facade.
"Everything's fine, it's just that i'm not sure which song to go with for the next showcase" her hands moved furiously through the music sheets as she sought to distract herself.
"Showcase?" Matthew still captivated by Brody's presence, now more strongly as Brody stood beside him and his masculine scent wafted over him. He trained his eyes and senses to Rachel; desperately trying to fight his urges.
"Yeah, it's where the best the academy has to offer showcases, or rather competes for an audience at the end of the year; it's by invitation only. Rachel here won it last year and now she's preparing for the next one so soon it seems" both boys turned to Rachel as she looked up and beamed up at them.
"Yes, early bird and all, right?" she explained but just then the door to the hall swung open and a group of students led by Cassandra July came barrelling in. Rachel, Kurt, Brody and Matthew all turned to face the intruders and groaned at the sight of who it was.
"Time's up small fry, we need this space to rehearse" Cassandra barely asked them twice before she gestured for her dancers to move chairs about.
"Well we were just about to work on some vocal..." Rachel tried but was cut short.
"Vocal schmocal, we need this space and the last i checked i had seniority over all of you combined so it would do you well to move on over" Cassandra insisted.
"Sorry but..." Brody made an attempt at coming to Rachel's aid but bit back his words when Cassandra hissed in disdain and narrowed her eyes not at him but at Matthew.
"So you think that you can come here and just move mountains and call plays like you own everything huh?" she hissed but Matthew merely took a step back as she neared threateningly towards him.
"I don't..." he stammered.
"Cassandra maybe you..." Brody tried but she was too far gone to hear anybody else.
"The great nephew of the even greater Carmen Tibideaux; you think that you can do as you please and have your little gang of misfits make and break rules? If so then you have another thing coming, Matthew Huston" every word was skilfully delivered to hurt as she punctuated and clipped them. Matthew's heart raced frantically and his blood roared through his veins and filled his eardrums. Distant murmurs and calls were lost to him as he mulled over what Cassandra just said. He knew that he had an aunt but knew nothing else of her whereabouts let only who she was. He had to know, he had to find out. His eyes glassed over and a single tear marked its path as he looked up at Cassandra. He gasped and clasped both hands over his mouth as he took a step back.
Cassandra furrowed her brows and cocked her head and then realisation dawned. She stepped forward and extended her arm out to Matthew; honestly not knowing that he didn't know and regretted having said anything to begin with. Matthew broke away from the group and set his path for Carmen Tibideaux's office. He was going to get to the bottom of this even if it killed him. His vision blurred by the now freely streaming tears, he rushed out into the open hallway and fought to hold back the sobs. He wasn't sad; just disappointed and hurt. Determination burned his irises and he looked straight ahead until the door that belonged to Carmen's office appeared. He didn't care too much about knocking, he wanted answers and so he barged in to find Carmen seated behind her desk with her head lowered and face buried in a mountain of papers.
His entire body hummed in anticipation, he wanted to know, needed to know the truth. Carmen looked up at the frail young man in her office and realisation stole her attention. She stood slowly up as a lone tear mapped its way down the side of her face. This was it; the first time she'd ever met her nephew, the first time she's ever met her sister's son and the first time she'd met yet another member of her family.
(To be continued)