Chapter 1: Hey
A/N: This my first fan fiction based on that show. Feel free to comment and give suggestions on how the story can be better. This is a Will/ OC story, with canon couples coming in now and again. By the way, I own positively nothing GLEE related. I don't own the characters ( though I wish) The only characters in this story are the OCs I have created. Also the song 'Hey" is not mine. It belongs to the awesome Matthew Morrison. Lastly, when songs are in the story, they will be italicized and in bold.
The bell rang across the hallways of McKinley. Students and teachers alike were rushing around, trying desperately to reach their classes without getting the dreaded detention slip, or worse… a meeting with Principal Figgins and Sue Slyvester. Not only that, but for some kids, particularly the Glee kids, the icy early morning slushies would occasionally hit their faces like the iceberg hit the fateful Titanic. It was just another first day of school in a small town in suburban Ohio.
Deep within the school, however, away from the stampede of high school happenings, the choir room remained quiet and still, undisturbed except for the quiet sounds of page turning. At the piano sat Will Schuester. Across the piano's shiny surface laid several yearbooks, some covers more aged than others. Yet each one was precariously open at pictures of glee clubs. As Will gazed at each photograph, his hazel colored eyes reflected both happiness and sadness. He looked at the glee club from 1993.
"Those were the days." He said to himself, laughing a little at the thought.
Indeed he thought of the silliness in his younger days. The Rick James like shirts that he wore back then. The overly jelled hair, which, he thought to himself, is not all that different than today. Back then, none of that mattered. All that mattered to him was performing. The applause from the audience after every performance was like a fire in Will's heart. A fire that, while it had been years since he was a student at McKinley, still was dimly lit today. Back then, Will thought of dreams to go to Broadway, to be a star. But when he met Terri DelMonaco, everything changed. He fell in love, leaving those dreams to the side as he graduated and was steered in another direction; college and career. Not a day goes by that Will doesn't reflect on those golden days in his life.
"New Directions Glee Club 2011."
Will's million dollar smile was beaming as he saw this picture. My kids… He thought to himself. He looked at each one of his kids and smiled. He smiled at Rachel Berry as shots of her stole the show. He smiled at Kurt Hummel, so innocent and strong, amid the constant tauntings that came from the small minded town. Lastly, he smiled at Finn Hudson. He was so much like him, he constantly reflected to himself. He wanted to make something of himself- to get out of this small town. He sighed and closed the book. He got up from the piano and stood. He reached out for sheet music as the second bell rung. Suddenly, one by one, the glee club made their way into the choir room, their faces still marveling in the wonders of summer. One by one, the students all gathered to their usual spots. Finn and Rachel sat together in the front row. Their hands were intertwined. Kurt and Blaine, who just transferred to the school from Dalton, were seen in the back, engrossed in a conversation about the latest Vogue fashions. Steadily, the group trudged on in the choir room. Getting up from his seat at the piano, Will approached the group, smiling his usual million watt smile. "Hey guys, I hope you guys had a great Summer." He said enthusiastically.
" Thanks Mr. Schue, hope you had a good one too." Said Finn.
Will walked to his bag and reached in to get a pile of sheet music. Slowly, he walked over to each student, handing each one a piece of sheet music.
" Now I know that we've won regionals and, almost placed at nationals." Will began.
"Yeah, until Manhands and Frankenteen went and macked it up on the stage." Santana interrupted, glaring at Finn and Rachel.
Rachel got up angrily and glared at Santana. "Seriously Santana, grow up! It's been three months."
"Yeah, and you pretty much destroyed the hotel room. " Finn said.
"You know we are seriously banned from that place, thanks Santana." Kurt said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow in the process.
"Damn, and that place had some good tater tots!" Mercedes shouted.
Santana got up and approached Mercedes.
"Listen here Wheezy, I'm sorry for my attitude, but hell, don't hate on the attitude."
Suddenly, Mercedes got up and pushed Santana."Oh yeah, well my attitude can so whoop yours down!" She shot back.
Santana pushed Mercedes. The two girls stared at each other for a moment. They smirked at each other and suddenly, both girls pushed each other down and began to fight. As the two girls fought, the gang all stood up. Puck and Finn tried to wrestle Santana off of Mercedes, but they too fell on top of her. Away from the chaos, Brittany stared at the fight. Her child-like eyes stared hopelessly at them."Guys, let's stop being mean to each other! Let's be friends!" Brittany cried hopelessly.
From the front, Will stared at the group as they fought. It was like this every year, Will thought to himself. They fought one week, made up the next, a couple of diva-offs and crises and then, they performed spectacular performances that wowed the crowds. But this year, it had to be different. By the end of the year, many of the kids would be graduating, off to pursue their own dreams. They would leave each other and probably only see each other at the miniscule reunions that trickle over the decades. In short, their "family" would be apart. Everything they worked for, the troubles and the triumphs would only exist in faded pictures and long-forgotten yearbooks. With the chaos still going on, Will sighed angrily to himself. He got up and approached the piano. He sat down and slammed on the keys, leaving a loud, annoying tone that caused the glee club to stop their fighting and look at Will angrily. They all covered their ears and whimpered in pain.
"Owww, geez Mr. Schu! You could have warned us before you wrecked our ear drums." Puck cried, rubbing his ears.
Will just stared at the group and sighed.
"Well, now that I've gotten your attention, let's get down to business." Will said.
The group groaned and sighed.
"Seriously, Mr. Schue. Some of us are still exhausted from our busy Summer." Finn said.
"Sorry, Finn, but we have a lot to do in a few months." Will said.
"You are so right, Mr. Schue. Our mere dawdling is detrimental to the well-being to our glee club, as well as my future successes on the stage." Rachel said.
"Thank you Rachel." Will replied chagrined. He turned to the piano and picked up a calendar. He turned to the group and showed the club the calendar.
"Guys, do you see what this is?" Will asked.
"It's a calendar." Brittany replied.
"Very good Brittany, now if we flip through these pages from September to June, that only gives us only nine months to be together." Will said, his yes watering a bit.
"Seriously Mr. Schue, I don't see what this little math lesson has to do with music." Rachel announced.
"Yeah seriously, what is the point in this?" Quinn asked.
Will remained silent for a few moments. He looked at the glee club and smiled a little sadly.
"Guys, this is our last year together. Many of you are graduating this year. Some of you are going to be stars on Broadway. Some of you, well, you'll be teachers or even parents. But my point is, well, once that diploma is being handed to you, you will never be in this Glee Club."
"But Mr. Schue, we'll still talk to each other." Artie said.
"Yes , that's true." Will said, smiling at Artie. "But you'll going to look back on these days and miss them."
Kurt raised his hand. " Mr Schue, I'm not going to miss those unflattering slushie facials. God, my Alexander McQueen sweater will never be the same."
Will laughed a little bit. "I know, but though every slushie facial, you guys stood together, right?"
One by one, the students held hands. Some of them even smiled. Will looked at this and a glimmer lit through his eyes.
"You see, now that's what this year in glee club will focus on family. On how, even though we drift apart, we will still have each other." Will said, causing the group to smile. Rachel, on the other hand, was hesitant.
" But Mr. Schue, what about competition?" she asked.
" We will still compete, but, for this year, it doesn't matter if we win Sectionals or Regionals, or even Nationals. What I want to show to everyone is what brought us together in the first place; that we were the underdogs and through together, we made it through." Will said.
The group applauded and stood for Will. Will just laughed and smiled. The bell rang suddenly, causing a collection of groans from the students. From beyond the closed doors, the chaotic sounds from the hallways could be heard, echoing a deep feeling of fear in the unpopular glee kids.
"See you tomorrow guys. Tomorrow, we have to start preparing for sectionals. Now go!" Will said, dismissing the group.
Slowly, the group trickled out, leaving Will by himself. He packed up his belongings and got up. He turned to exit the room when an annoying voice was heard behind him.
"Mr. Schue?"
Will turned around and saw Rachel. Sighing a little bit, he acknowledged Rachel's presence.
"Yes, Rachel?" Will asked.
Bouncing, Rachel walked over to Will, her eyes bringing in both enthusiasm and concern.
"Mr. Schue, while I do love your sentimental lesson and proposition for the glee club, I must say that in order to win any contest, there has to be a sense of competition in the group. Not the sense of friendship circles. Those things can hold us back." Rachel said hastily
Will looked at Rachel for a moment. He stared into her chocolate eyes. They were so determined, yet, as Will often saw, often got so lost in ambition that they tossed the simple things such as friendship aside. He closed his eyes for a moment and looked at her.
"Rachel?" Will asked.
"Yes Mr. Schue?" Rachel asked.
Will thought for a moment before continuing.
"What did you like best about glee club?" Will asked.
"Mr Schue, what does this have to do…" Rachel said
"Just answer the question." Will interrupted.
Rachel thought for a moment. She thought about Finn and how their relationship went up and down. She thought about the moments of how she used to sing solo, beating Kurt in the diva off.
"I liked singing the wonderful solos that I so rightfully won and deserved, although it took a lot of proving, if you can recall." Rachel said, beaming.
Will smiled at the student. Deep down, he knew that she was going to shine on broadway someday. A dream that he once; and almost had, before he realized that his devotion to glee and the kids meant a lot more to him than his own dreams.
"What about the friends? Do you remember them?" Will asked.
Rachel bowed her head down and shook her head.
"I think I turned most of them away, Mr. Schue. I mean I know Finn loves me, but I hurt him so bad before. Heck, I hurt a lot of them, even when they were the ones holding me up." Rachel said sadly.
Rachel cried a little bit. Saddened, Will walked closer to her. He handed her a tissue and Rachel accepted. She dabbed her eyes in a dignified manner. Will looked at her and said.
"Rachel?"
Rachel looked at him and took a deep breath.
"I know you are going to be great someday. You have so much potential that, oftentimes, I think that I overshadowed the others. It was wrong of me. You know that you are going to be famous, Rachel, but don't drive the people you love away. Those kids , your teammates, they have stood by you. Do you think that any other friends would have done that for you? Will continued.
Sadly, Rachel shook her head no. Will smiled sadly and looked at her.
"Rachel, this is the last year, you'll probably see those people ever again. This year, I want to forget about the competing. It doesn't matter if we win 1st place or even last. What matters is that we show everyone what brought us together in the first place; unity." Will concluded.
Will and Rachel were silent for a few moments. Rachel looked at her teacher, His kind eyes that helped her through everything. He was truly, she thought a great teacher. She got up and hugged him.
"Thank you Mr. schue. You always know what to say." Rachel said.
"Thank you Rachel. It's getting late, you should get going." Will said.
Rachel proceeded to get up and walk away. She turned to Will again and said.
"Mr schue?"
"Yes, Rachel?" Will asked, his eyes closed.
"If I may, I think that, in honor of your little plan for the year. I suggest we should have the glee club play in places around town. It'll give them a sense of fame, even if it's their only shot of fame. Don't you think?" Rachel said excitedly.
Will thought about Rachel's suggestion for a moment. He thought of that for a time, but never got around to doing it. He smiled at Rachel and nodded.
"You'll right Rachel. Thank you for suggesting that. I'll get around to doing…" Will said.
"Oh no need, Mr Schue. As you know, I am very versatile in the local music community. I know of a place." Rachel interrupted.
Rachel reached into her bag and took out a card. Beaming, she handed Will a card. Will took the card and read it. The card read: treasure Hunt cds." Under the store's name, Will read the name "Jessica." He nodded and looked at Rachel.
"I agree, it's not one of the most lavish of places to perform, but my dads have known the owner for years. You should try there." Rachel said.
"Thank you Rachel I'll have a look at the place." Will said.
Rachel smiled and walked away to the door. As the opened the door, Rachel looked at Will.
"Oh, by the way, I already told them about you and gave your name, they are expecting you later." Rachel shouted as she walked away.
Will blanched for a few seconds and looked at thecard again. He shook his head, laughing slightly as he continued to gaze at the card.
"I seriously have to start watching that girl." He thought to himself jokingly.
Will glanced at the used CD store that had been on the streetcorner for ages, but he had never really noticed. It was a small place- no different from the average hole-in-the-wall store. A few boxes of T.V series, movies, and classic rock posters lined the windows. The shop itself was connected to a slightly larger dinner theatre, which was what the Spanish teacher was after. The CD shop itself was what sold him, however. He nodded, satisfied. The place seemed well off enough to serve the purpose he was going to see about. He opened the door, and chuckled as he heard a bell ring, indicating the door had opened. He looked around, taking in the interior.
A brunette man and teenager, as well as a blonde teenager were laying on the small raised area in the opposite corner from the register. One was a man probably just older than Will, donned in grey shorts and a red button-up short sleeve shirt. A faux leather baseball cap was placed on his head. His long hair was up in a ponytail, showing off crystal blue eyes. The teenage boy had what looked like grey eyes. The younger man was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans. The teenage girl also apparently had blue eyes. She was wearing a black tank top and jean shorts. She was the first to look up at him. She offered a smile that seemed more like a smirk. "Hey there, Stranger. What brings you to Treasure Hunt Records?"
Will smiled back. He loved the name of the shop, as well. He had completely forgotten the name since then, having been more focused on the address. "Sorry. I have a meeting with… Jessica, is it?" He looked down at his slip of paper.
The girl nodded, then looked at the older man. "Your turn, Ty."
"On it," The man got up and headed into the back. "Yo, Jess! Visitor ho!"
Will glanced over as a woman came out from the back room in the building. He tried not to gawk as she did so. She was gorgeous- she wasn't an all-out bombshell, but she came across as the grown up, innocent girl next door. Her dirty blonde hair was up in a ponytail, keeping it back from grey eyes. She was wearing ripped jeans and a Maroon 5 t-shirt. The woman smiled at him, and Will tried not to grin back like an idiot. Little did he know that her own thoughts about him weren't too far off. He tried to say something, but his voice died in his throat.
I wonder if she's here with someone
A girl like that could get attention
I could just go walking her way
All I have to do is figure out the words I need to say
All I need's an introduction
I keep coming up with nothing
Why do I lose my voice and choke
When all I wanna say is
Hey hey I gotta be with you,
You're beautiful in every way
So what I need to say is 'Hey'
And change the world in a day
He tried again. "Hi…" He offered lamely.
She offered her hand. "Howdy. It's Will, right? Will Schuester?"
"Yeah, hi, Jessica." Will said, then winced. "I said that already. Sorry, this is my first shot at… location scouting, if you will."
"Don't worry about it. And call me Jess or Jessie, please. I'm not one for 'Jessica.'" The woman replied.
"Jess it is, then. Anyways, yeah, this place is perfect for what I'm looking for. It's not too big, but it really welcomes people in."
Jessica smiled. "Thanks, that's what we go for."
Will nodded and looked at her, liking her small, hesitant smile. "So, how's business?"
Jessica raised her eyebrows."Here? Don't you worry about that. It's nonstop. Tyler's a bit of a local celebrity in the music world around these parts, so they come for him, and they come for the prices. You should see how fast the three dollar used Harry Potters fly off the shelves."
Will nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. So, when can practices and performances happen, and when can I bring my guys in here to meet you guys and see where else they're gonna perform?"
"Well, let's see. Tyler, the guy who called me out here, usually does his thing late on Tuesdays, so you can probably go before him, or we have Wednesdays and Thursdays free, and whenever you want to bring them, bring them. Just… give us notice."
"Oh, of course." Will nodded. "Give me a couple of months for bringing them, then? I'll stop by every so often from now til then."
"You have yourself a deal, Mr. Schuester."
Will put his hands up. "Hey, if I can call you Jess, you call me Will. It's only fair."
"You got it, Will." Jessica smiled.
Will returned the smile, and the two stood, staring at each other, letting an awkward silence start up.
On the other side of the room, Tyler arched an eyebrow at his teenage companions, who shrugged subtly. He looked back at the pair, wondering how else the conversation could get any more awkward.
Will finally seemed to realize too much time had passed in silence, so he cleared his throat. "Mind if I drop by in a couple of days, then, see what layouts and designs we can do with the stage?"
"Sure, once again-"
"Notice. Got it," Will nodded.
Jess smiled reassuringly. "We'll see you then. Well, Tyler won't, but Riley…" She pointed at the blonde girl, who grinned and waved. "And Adam…" The brunette young man waved now. "Will. Take care, now."
"Thank you. See you on Thursday." Will nodded a farewell to her, then the others, before leaving. He waited to be out of sight before turning around and leaning on the neighboring building's wall. His jaw dropped, but not before he slapped his hand to his forehead. He had mad a complete fool out of himself in front of some gorgeous stranger. He felt like he was a teenage boy, considering his thought, but he couldn't care. He would go back Thursday and redeem himself. Hell, he planned to be there quite a bit to get to know her. Who knows where it might lead.
So that's my first chapter. I know it's a bit long, but it is merely an introduction for the many things I am planning to do with this story. Feel free to review and offer suggestions. By the way, this story is going to be co-written by Phantomcreedylover.