Chapter Two

The next day at school, I meet up with my friends at lunch.

"Hey, I heard you got the alto solo in jazz band," Ashley said. She is a blond and one of my few athletic friends. She plays soccer with me and lacrosse. Unlike Ashley, who is 5'7", I am tiny, only 5' 2". I play mid, while Ashley plays defense or goalie.

"Yeah, but only because Sean is sick," I say, as I stab some of my salad onto my fork.

"You'll be great. You sounded awesome when we were practicing yesterday," Max, a tenor sax player, mentions.

"I hope so. Everyone will be watching me, considering Mr. Reichs is making me stand up when I play the solo. You know I get nervous."

"You never get nervous on the soccer field," Ashley mentions.

"Yeah, but that's different."

"How?" Max asks.

"Well…I don't know, it just is," I tell them, packing up my lunch. "I have to go practice more."

As I'm walking to the band room, I run into Aartie, who is leaving the A/V room.

"Hey Melody, where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asks.

"I was just going to practice my solo some more," I quickly tell him, hoping he forgot about my singing yesterday.

"I told Mr. Schue, the Glee club director, about you. He said he'd like to meet you." So much for him forgetting.

"Oh, well, I still haven't decided yet."

"Okay, but if you decide to, auditions are today," he mentions, as he heads off towards the cafeteria.

I walk towards the band room, but since the choir room is right next door, I can't help myself from glancing in. This is one of the times I'm thankful that I'm short. You can barely see my brown and purple hair in the window.

In the room, I see none other than Rachel Barry, the girl Aartie was telling me about. I've heard some rumors about her, but I know for a fact that she and Finn Hudson, a football player, are dating. They're probably working on a song for Glee club. I know that she and Finn normally land all the solos, thanks to me being in Artie's chemistry and math class, as well as jazz band. But we rarely talk to each other.

I turn to leave and that's when I see the sign-up paper. In a brief moment of insanity, I see my hand reach for the pencil hanging on a string. One swift move and my name is on the paper. Melody Nicholson.