Disclaimer: I do not own the show Glee, any of its characters, or any of its events.
*No stealing stories, thanks*
A/N: Not sure if a Glee fanfic is overdoing it or not, but I'm going for it! I watched the Glee Project and I love Damian McGinty, the character he plays and most of all, the fact that he's Irish. Which is awesome. This is my take on a possible side story/relationship for our friend Rory Flanagan. Let me know what ya think! Enjoy :)
It had been a long day. Forget that- it had been a super long, new-kid-in-town, stupid-crappy-hard day. Rory sighed as he opened his locker door with a screech of metal. Peering inside, he noticed the handful of green confetti strewn about the inside, covering his books and backpack with an annoying film of paper. High school was tough- possibly even worse than he'd expected.
He remembered how excited he was when he first looked at the exchange program website. America! The land of the free and the home of the brave, someone famous wrote. A completely different culture from his own. And the music they played! But now, a few weeks after his arrival, kids were still giving him crap about who he was; the music he listened to, the homeland sports teams he supported, and most of all, his accent. He couldn't understand why they teased him so much. He loved being Irish. (And he knew they secretly all liked his accent. Finn told him so. They just wouldn't admit it.) Visiting America was supposed to be an adventure. Yet at this moment, Rory would've given anything to be home again, away from the land of slushies and the home of American high-school students who slipped green confetti into people's lockers.
Brushing off the confetti at best as he could, he grabbed his lunch. Closing his locker shut tight, he made his way down the crowded hallway, stopping only when Finn called out to him. Even with his friend, he was not in the best of spirits. Continuing down the hall again, Rory reached the door and walked outside. The air of the winter day was refreshing and mild, nipping gently at his exposed face and hands. He was surprised to see the sun out for the first time in a week. Spotting an almost empty table, he sat down, letting the sun shine on his face. He had glee club up after lunch, if he remembered correctly. Maybe a song would lift his spirits.
Looking down to unwrap his food, he heard a clunk on the metal bench beside him as someone else sat down. Glancing to the side, Rory noticed it was a girl. He didn't get a great look as she too was bent over her food, but her face was unrecognizable to him. That wasn't unusual, considering the masses of kids who attended the high school. He turned back to his food. A moment later, he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to see the girl staring at him.
"Sorry to bother you. Would you happen to have a quarter? I need to buy a drink and I'm one short." She said. Her voice was soft, yet Rory could hear a hint of an accent in the way she pronounced her vowels. She had mid-length hair the color of a chestnut, and dark hazel eyes. Rory knew he'd never seen her face before. He smiled, trying to be friendly.
"Sure." He reached for his wallet and, upon pulling it out a coin, he handed it to her.
"Thanks, that's nice of you."
"No problem. I'm Rory."
The girl, not expecting him to reply, turned back again to him, slightly surprised. Apparently, she did not expect an introduction. She smiled at him shyly.
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Megan." She held out her hand.
Rory was a bit surprised at the extended courtesy. It was a bit formal, perhaps, but appreciated all the same. He shook her hand firmly, returning her strong grip.
"Why are you by yourself?" Rory asked her.
The girl flushed a little before answering.
"I'm new here, so I haven't made a ton of friends yet." Megan shrugged her shoulders. Rory knew how she was feeling. He was still finding his way around as well, and he told her so.
"Don't worry, things'll get better." He told her.
She shrugged again.
"I guess so." She crossed her legs on the bench so she could face him better. "Are you from Ireland?"
Rory nodded. Megan smiled widely at him.
"I recognized your accent. That's so cool."
Rory, not expecting a response, raised his eyebrows. She liked his accent? That was a first. Most kids thought he was weird.
"Thanks. You sound like you have a bit of an accent yourself."
Megan's face turned bright pink as she blushed. He couldn't tell if she was flattered or embarrassed. Most likely the latter, he thought.
"That's just me. I'm from the States, but I've always wanted an accent. I'm not very good yet."
Rory found himself chuckling.
"Sounded alright to me."
Megan smiled a bit.
"Thanks. I try."
She looked at her watch, before groaning.
"Dang it, lunch is almost over." Looking up at Rory, Megan grimaced awkwardly. "I should get going. Thanks for that quarter." Unfolding her legs, she stood up to leave.
Rory watched her as she packed up her stuff, the lunch she brought untouched. She was nice; friendlier than most of the kids here. She was also alone, like he had been when he first arrived. Then a friend helped him out. Working off of his instinct, he quickly spoke up before she left.
"Hey, what do you have next block?"
Megan looked at him, surprised.
"Study hall. I was planning on finishing some homework. Why?"
Rory paused a moment before answering with a smile.
"Do you like to sing?"