Journal Entry: September 5th 2010
OMG its Friday and I am excited. This is going to be the first time I have done a virtual performance. But what can I say, the help from the C Sharps and the song choice will be awesome. OK lets see what I need? Disc with the video check. Phantom outfit check. Regular cloths check. Letter to Coach Mills for swim team tryouts check.
"Chance are you up?" my mom asked from downstairs.
"Yes Mom, I have been up for hours, I to am to excited to sleep." I replied
"OK son. Be down for breakfast in 5 minuets please." she said
" Yes Mom, I will be right down. I replied
I finished packing the things I needed for today. As I left the room, I paused for just a moment at the full length mirror look at myself. Man I do look good today. I checked my watch and turned off my bedroom light and I headed downstairs for breakfast. At the bottom of the stairs, there is a box with my name on it. "Who could this be from?", I asked myself, but I don't have time to open it now, so I'll have to find time during lunch, its just big enough for me to put into my rolling bag with the rest of my things so it wouldn't weigh me down. At the table is my Mom and Dad. Mom is applying her make-up, which she really doesn't need and Dad is sipping on his coffee and reading the newspaper.
"Mom, I just have time for a banana for breakfast. I need to rush, I have a performance today, and I need to check out the A/V equipment for it." I said
"Rush, Rush, Rush! When am I going to have time with my favorite men in my life?" She asked
"Tomorrow Mom." I said and I rushed out the door.
I turned around on my heels and reopened the door. "Mom, Dad I love you." I said
"We love you to." the both said
With that I was across the street faster then the Flash can call for pizza. Ya, ya I know I am geek at heart.
I make it to my first class with minuets to spare and I am wondering what was is the box that was at the bottom of the stairs. Well, I have the time, so I reached in my bag and pull out the bread loaf size cardboard box and opened it. I look in and the first thing I see is a letter. So I open the letter. It from Paul Carter, the guy I was dating before I moved. I didn't get a chance to tell him I was moving since it was short notice. Here is what it said.
Dear Chance,
I had to find out the hard way that you moved away to OHIO. Why didn't you tell me first? I am heartbroken. I miss you a lot. I had to find out from Kaylee when you were not in school. Inside is a care package of things that I think you need from me to remember me by. I guess that with you being gone that we have to call it quits. But my Chance, I want you to know that where ever you are and whatever you are doing remember that you have a gift. Use it. I will always love you.
Love Always
P.C.
P.C was the nickname I gave him after our first date. He was the first guy I ever dated since coming out. I fell hard for him and he for me. We were together for 2 happy years. It was about to be 3 before I moved. I must remember to send him an email and tell him everything that is going on in my new life. I could tell P.C. everything. Gosh I miss him. So I continue looking in the box. I found the pressed flowers we made during our date to the Rec Center Arts Class, the picture he drew of himself, the day I was sick with the flu and he couldn't come see me. He is quite the artist. Also in the box was some things from my old friends in Powerhouse. There was a group picture of the team with everyone signatures on it. How they got 45 signatures on a 8x10 glossy is beyond me? Also a CD entitled "The Album" by the C Sharps. OH MY GOSH! Its finished. The Album was a vocal band project that the C Sharps were working on and before I moved we just recorded the last track of our album. I was an unfinished project, but it looks like that without me the rest of the C Sharps got it finished. And back in the back was mp3 player. I wonder what is on it? There was a note attached to it saying "Play me when your alone. P.C.". So I put everything back into the box just as the bell rang and the other students filed in.
I looked up just as Blaine was walking down the isle.
"Hey Blaine." I said
" Hey Chance. You know your audition was something out of a blue. By the looks of you, I was just going to write you of as another jock that was only in Glee Club just to get close to girls, but boy was I wrong. Your old team had the right name Powerhouse. Because my friend you are." He said.
"Blaine you don't know what your validation means to me. But I have a little secret that I have been hiding. I maybe a jock, but I don't like girls." I said.
Blaine did a double take. "What your gay?" he asked
"Yes I am and proud of it." I answered.
"Finally, its just not me and Kurt anymore." He said.
"Nope its not." I answered with a wink.
As the teacher calmed the class down, we started class.
As time ticked on and lunch rolled around, I thought that this was the perfect time to listen to the mp3 player P.C. had put in the box. So I grabbed my lunch from the cafe.
"Hey Chance sit with us?" Rachel and Glee Club said together in perfect unison.
"Sorry guys, I would love to sit with you, but I have something that I must do. But I'll catch you in Glee Club this afternoon. I have a surprise for you all. Its an experiment." I said. And with that I walked out the cafe door.
"I wonder what is up with him?" Blaine said
"I don't know, but the look on his face kind of reminds me of a yearning that I used to see in myself." Finn replied,
"I don't know either, but I am not waiting to find out." Kurt and Blaine said. in sync.
With that they got up and hotfooted after me.
A/N: This next part is a real tearjerker so get you face wipes ready.
I got to the choir room and it was empty. So I set my lunch down and pulled the mp3 player out of the box in my bag and put the headphones on and pressed play. I was not prepared for what I was going to hear. Roads by Chris Mann was playing and I began to cry. That was our song. P.C. and I had our first kiss to it and I blubbered like a baby. I could not stop crying. P.C. meant the world to me. We made plans for our future together. Where we were going to college, where we planned to live together, our wedding, all that couple stuff. As the song ended and I looked up there was Blaine and Kurt standing not 2 feet from me with a look of empathy on their face and mouths as wide as the Grand Canyon.
"Chance are you OK?", Kurt asked
" Yea I'm fine Kurt." I answered through the tears streaming down my cheeks.
"What got you so upset?" Blaine asked
"Its just this morning I got a care package sent to me from my old school. And a old friend left a message in music that he knew only I would understand. I'm just homesick." I said trying to catch my breath.
"Well what was the message and who was it from?" Kurt asked
"Well back home, I was dating someone and we had our first kiss to the song I was playing. When I moved I didn't get a chance to tell that person goodbye. That person meant the world to me. His name was Paul Carter a.k.a P.C. I said.
"His?" Kurt questioned.
"Yes Kurt, he's gay just like us." Blaine said.
"Oh my dear boy, you look like your world has just come to an end. I know the feeling." Kurt said.
" I don't know what to say guys, but I could really use a shoulder to cry on right now." I said.
" You got not one shoulder, but several." Rachel said and the other Glee Club members come walking in.
" Oh man I don't know what to say." I said.
"You don't need to say anything until ready." Quinn said.
"You know something, I am feeling better." I said.
"Good because we can't wait for the surprise you have in store." Tina and Mike said
"Now buddy lets get you cleaned up, because the rest of the lunch is almost over." Noah said
"OK, but how did you all know I was in here?" I asked.
"Kurt sent out a Glee Club emergency text and we came running and rolling." Artie said
" We are going to hug now." Rachel said.
I got my hug from Rachel and Noah and the other boys got me to the bathroom to wash up.
"Oh Artie, I forgot to ask I need to borrow the school laptop and projector from the A/V Room. And someone tell Brad and the band that we will not be needing them today." I said
" You got it buddy." Artie said.
A/N: I Told you it was a tearjerker. Did you cry, I did writing this.
Well the rest of the day flew by so fast after lunch I thought I fell into a time warp. But anyways I was walking the choir room and I was stopped by Mr Schue, before entering.
"Chance, how are things going with your first week?" He asked
"Just great Mr Schue, well maybe not so great I'm just a little homesick." I said.
"Well, give it time. Ms. Pilsbury and I and here if you need to talk." He replied.
"Thanks Mr Schue." I said
"Now get in there, I can't wait for your take on this weeks lesson." He said
"I'm ready." I said
"Good". He said.
And with that he let me in things were already hooked up an ready to go. So I pulled out the disc that was my project and cued it up so It was ready.
"Everyone this weeks lesson was on Remember. Did everyone remember to do the assignment.?" Mr Schue asked the Glee Club
"I did and I am ready to present. But as you can see there is no band and no Brad. Just this laptop, projector and this white wall. OK I told you guys that I was from a different way of doing things like using different media for presentations, so I thought I would employ that. Now I dont really feel like singing, but I enlisted a few old friends. This is Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera, performed by myself and the C Sharps."
" Who are the C Sharps?" Tina asked
"Well I am glad you asked Tina. The C Sharps are a vocal cover band I and a few members of the Glee Club I used to belong to put together. We used to headline every performance and competition we were in. Relax and enjoy." I said.
After the video was over and the lights got turned back on, I asked for questions.
"What was that we just saw?" Rachel asked.
"Its called a virtual choir ensemble." I said "Since the rest of the C Sharps couldn't be here today in person..." and I trailed off because as I turned around, there they were in person. My old friends the C Sharps plus P.C.
" What, where did you come from? I thought you couldn't make it? OMG this is a surprise." I exclaimed
"We got call from a very upset Sugar Motta and she told us that you were homesick and needed us." Kaylee said.
"I have to confess Chance that after you left the choir room after lunch you left something behind and since I was the last one out I found your phone. I called Daddy first and asked him if I can borrow the private jet and he said yes. So I called the numbers listed for Powerhouse and I found your old friends, plus someone that you didn't get to say goodbye to. So I had Daddy fly them out here." Sugar said
"Hey Baby." P.C. said.
"P.C. oh oh I have missed you. I have missed you all. " I said.
"New Directions, I want to meet the members of the C Sharps, this is Kaylee Brown, Susan Powers, Travis Fort, and Bobby Price." I said.
"And me. your cant forget about me." P.C. said.
"What, when did this happen? I should that after I left that the Sharps were disbanded.?" I asked.
"Well I we thought about it, but we couldn't do it." Travis said
"We were having so much fun we couldn't and didn't want it to end." Susan said
"Well the reason we are here is to cheer you up as well as we need to do a induction ceremony." Bobby said.
"Remember when we formed the C Sharps we inducted each member into the group and well its time to induct the newest member of the C Sharps. Paul Carter. Susan said.
"And we need to say goodbye to the founding member, which is you." Paul said.
"P.C. you can sing? Well I knew you sing I've heard you in the shower, but you told me you have stage fright? I exclaimed.
"Ok New Directions now we need your help. We need help inducting Mr Paul here into our little family and to say goodbye to Chance. Will you help us? at Breadstix tonight?" Kaylee asked.
I turned around and saw all the smiles from the group and knew that answer was yes.
"We wouldn't have it any other way." Finn said.
" So lets get to it." We all said.
A/N prepare for another tearjerker. But this one is a happy one.
At Breadstix
" Dear Friends old and new, we are gathered here today to induct Paul Bry Carter in to the C Sharps and also to say goodbye to Chance Ross Matthews, our founding member and vocal arranger. Here we are another page has been turned in our future and it is unwritten. We don't know what it will hold, but we can be sure that it will be filled with music, fun, and laughter. Paul Bry Carter, will you step forward?" Kaylee asked
P.C. stepped forward.
"In the tradition of our family you must be inducted by song. Do you have something prepared? Susan asked
"I do." He said and with that Remember When it Rains by Josh Groban begins and P.C. wows us.
"Paul after that I would like to welcome you into the C Sharps. You have a great honor above your head. Wear it and sing it proud. Oh and one more thing can I have the C Sharps jacket please? I asked
And my C Sharp jacket was handed to me by Finn.
"Paul before you is the mantle of the C Sharps. As your biggest supporter I want to encourage you to follow your dreams and follow your heart. Remember me as I remember you." I said
I stepped over to him and kissed him on the mouth. "I will always love you Paul. Can we still be friends?" I asked. Paul just nods his head, because he's crying.
"Wait before we conclude this ceremony tonight we have one last thing to take care of. Chance Ross Matthews, its your turn. For 3 years you have been a member of our group. Heck you founded this group and arranged our music. Got the funding we needed for shows and costumes. You were the man in the mask with the golden voice and we have a something say. Once a member of the C Sharps always a member of the C Sharps. We hope that you will continue to grow as an artist and friend. With great music comes great responsibility. You told us that. And from now own that will be our saying before shows. Now New Directions surround your newest member." Paul said.
All the members of the New Directions circled around me and put their hands on my shoulders.
"New Directions, we leave you with Chance Ross Matthews. Care for him as he did for us. Nurture the gift inside of him. Challenge him as he has challenged us. What say you?" Paul said.
"We do and we will." All the members of New Directions said together.
"You may be far away, but you will always be in our heart." Kaylee said
" With this our goodbye song." Traivs.
"Sing with us one last time?" Susan said.
" OK. but I need my new friends to help." I said
"You got it We already know the song." Rachel said.
"Ladies and gentlemen we have a special treat for you. For the first time, he have some new friends joining us tonight. I want you to welcome the C Sharps, all the way from Dallas Texas. We present the Remember When by Chris Wallace " Finn said as a hush feel over the crowd as we sang.
When the song finished, we all hugged.
I looked around the group and mouthed Thank You.
Well Journal, its been quite a week. There was surprises around every bend. With the C Sharps and P.C. showing at the last minuet and my awesome video. Today has been the best day of my life. I will always remember my friends in Dallas. But I have a home here now in Lima. I don't fell alone anymore, because right in front of my eyes were new friends. The New Directions. They were they wright when I needed them. Well Journal I have some things that I have to do before bed. I must send P.C. that email and I need to prepare for Sectionals.
Good Night.