A/N: Hi thanks for reading and reviewing. Thanks to anyone who favourited and/or followed this story. It is amazing to know that so many people like this already.
So this chapter, though it is quite long, is really just a filler chapter because I started writing the next chapter before this one and I needed a bunch of not that highly interesting stuff to happen before I can publish the next chapter. That does mean that there shouldn't be too long a gap between this chapter being uploaded and the next.
Thanks for reading and please review! Also if you are American or live in the US, please, PLEASE, read the A/N at the bottom.
...
Rachel had English with her mom second period and she was a full twenty minutes late. It didn't help that she had somehow managed to get lost on the way from the bleachers to her mom's classroom, even though McKinley was like a second home to her. Her mom glared at her as she walked through the door after knocking twice so she didn't get scalded for being rude as well as late.
"Why are you so late Rachel? I know it is your first day, but everybody else managed to make it here on time. And you should know this school better than most people here. You can't just take twenty minutes to get to a class when it should only take you a maximum of five!" Shelby's tone was clipped, signalling to her daughter that she meant business.
"I just went to the toilet after first period, and then I read my timetable wrong and I thought that I had math, I only realised that I didn't when I got there and I saw Blaine's class walking in. I ran up to Blaine and he helped me read my timetable and told me to hurry up and get here so you wouldn't be worried. I'm sorry. I promise that I won't be late again Mom." Rachel replied, putting her acting abilities to good use. Even if it was for a bad reason. She would have to remember to fill Blaine in on the story so that he wouldn't affect her story. She was lucky enough to remember that Blaine did actually have math second period, which meant part of the story was at least semi-true.
"It's Mrs Schuester in school please Rachel. Now next time you need the toilet come to class first and I will let you go, unless the period is directly after lunch. Also, learn to read your timetable correctly please. You shouldn't be missing the starts of classes going to the wrong lesson. Stay behind after class and I will teach you how to read a timetable, I need to talk to you as well." Shelby could tell that her youngest daughter was not telling the full truth, and she wanted to know why the youngest Schuester was so late for class. She would have to check with Blaine if Rachel really did go to his class by mistake as well.
"Yes Mrs Schuester." Rachel responded before heading up to the back of the class to sit at a table next to Kurt and an African American girl she had never seen before, while Shelby turned back to write more about what they would be learning throughout the course of the year.
Rachel turned to the girl she didn't know and introduced herself. The African American introduced herself as Mercedes Jones, diva and fashion extraordinaire.
Kurt looked up at Mrs Schuester just to make sure she wasn't watching the class before leaning over to whisper to Rachel, "Why were you late? And don't tell me what you told your mom, because I know what you said was a lie."
"I was not lying! Rachel Barbara Schuester does not lie! I actually did go to the toilet, what I didn't tell her was that TOM's visiting." Rachel answered Kurt, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Tom? Who's Tom?" Mercedes asked, confusion painted plainly on her face.
Kurt turned to look at his new friend in shock. Mercedes looked even more confused at this and embarrassed, thinking that she didn't know something that everybody else did. Rachel, noticing the other girl's embarrassment elbowed Kurt roughly in the ribs and answered Mercedes' question.
"Time of month. Code word. Living in a house with three boys, you get used to it. I can't even fathom the idea of what it would be like if my brother knew. He's, what shall I say, rather overprotective of me."
"You have brothers?" Mercedes asked, wanting to learn more about this Rachel, she seemed really nice, and funny.
"Yeah, two and a sister as well. And they are all older, and all go to this school. It's like hell. I can't do anything without one of my parents or siblings watching with hawk eyes over my shoulder. I hate it, I have no freedom. Do you know, I'm not allowed to date? My brothers and sister were all allowed to date when they were fourteen but I'm not…how fair is that? God, I hate it!" Rachel grumbled, needing someone to rant to and enjoying the attention Mercedes was paying her.
"Aw girl. I feel for you. My brother had just moved to Mississippi for college, so it's just my mom, dad and me now. I can't imagine what it would be like to have three siblings; it's hard enough to get your parents attention with one, even when he's not living in the house anymore. And you're not allowed to date? Well that's just plain favoritism! Parents aren't allowed to do that!"
Rachel smiled at Mercedes, liking this girl already. Turning to Kurt, who felt left out in this conversation as he had met Mercedes during period one and already got to know her and he has known Rachel since he can remember, Rachel spoke again.
"So, Kurt, what are you singing for your Glee audition?"
"Ehh, I am thinking of Mr Cellophane from Chicago, but I am not 100% sure yet. I really need a second and third opinion. What about you?"
"You should definitely sing Mr Cellophane!" Rachel whisper shouted in response as Mercedes nodded in her vote for the Chicago song. "And I am almost sure that I am going to sing On My Own from Les Mis. It is just such a wonderful song and it suits my voice perfectly. Hey Mercedes, do you sing?" Rachel had a brainwave and turned back to the African American.
"Ehh, a bit. Why?" Mercedes asked, looking wary.
"You should audition for Glee club with us! It is called New Directions and they are really good! And I am not just saying that because all of my siblings are in it and my parents co-coach it, but because they are actually really good. They need some new people because there were a lot of seniors in it last year and obviously they left after graduation. They are really good though, and it's like show choir, and I've sat in on some of their rehearsals before and it looks really fun!" Rachel spoke at about 100 miles per hour, but somehow Mercedes still caught the drift of what she was saying.
"Well, it sounds like fun…..and I have been perfect Rehab for a while…so I think I will audition with you guys if that okay?" Mercedes questioned, worried that they would say no.
"Of course! Oh I am so excited!" Kurt whispered yelled at the two girls, a huge smile spread across his face.
"Yeah, and we will have to sit at the Gleek table at lunch! Not only because I have been told that I have to, but so we can introduce Mercedes to all the others!" Rachel beamed over at Mercedes.
"Kurt, Mercedes, Rachel, if I catch you talking one more time instead of paying attention to my lesson, you will all have after school detentions with me for a month, understand?" Mrs Schuester shouted from the front of the room.
All three teens' heads popped up to see Rachel's Mom glaring down the classroom at them, daring them to defy her. They all looked down sheepishly while murmuring, "Yes, Mrs Schuester." And they didn't talk again for the rest of the period.
...
All that had happened while Rachel had been held back at the end of her Mom's class was that she told her mom what she had told Kurt, and said that the only reason that she didn't tell her that before was that she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of the entire class on the first day of school. She did say that after she had been to the toilet that she did go to the wrong class though that wasn't 100% true. Or any percent true apart from zero. Her mom seemed to believe her though and she left without much further questioning.
Shelby Schuester did believe her daughter but still want to check with her youngest son to see if her story is true. If she finds out that it is not, well, Rachel will have some hell to pay. She was also going to check to see if anybody else was twenty minutes late to second period today to see if she was maybe meeting with one of her siblings, friends, or someone that her mother didn't even know. That thought scared Shelby. She had been extremely worried when Rachel hadn't turned up on time for her class, but she didn't want to make a scene in front of the freshman class. They were probably scared enough as it was, without adding Scary Shelby Schuester to the mix.
….
Rachel dragged Kurt and Mercedes through the crowded dining hall until they reached the table that the Gleeks usually sat. There were already five people there, but Rachel knew that more would be arriving shortly.
"Hi guys, this is Mercedes and most of you already know Kurt," Rachel introduced the members of the table to the two people standing behind her then did the opposite, "Mercedes, this is Blaine Schuester, my amazing big bother and Kurt's amazing boyfriend, Sam Evans, Blaine's best friend and he is like a brother to me, Mike Chang, he's like a brother to me as well, and he's good friends with Noah, my other brother, Matt Rutherford, best friends with Mikey here, also like my brother and also friends with Noah, and the guy in the wheelchair over there is Artie Abrams, he's just plain awesome!"
Rachel finished her introductions and pulled Mercedes to sit down next to her while Kurt took a vacant chair next to Blaine.
They fell into easy conversation, finding out more about each other and catching up with those they already knew. They were all laughing hysterically as the juniors walked over.
"What's so funny guys?" Quinn smiled good naturedly.
"Yeah, you gotta tell me what I missed, it better not be too good!" Puck shouted over at the table.
Puck and Quinn walked over and took two spare seats next to Sam.
"Oh, Sam just did a really funny impression, that's all Noah." Rachel explained to her big brother.
"That better be the only one this year Trouty Mouth, because I cannot stand those stupid things!" Anyone that didn't know Santana may have thought this was rude, but those who knew her just accepted that that was the way she did things. She had called Sam Trouty Mouth because of the boy's unnaturally large mouth.
"Don't be mean San; he just wants to make us laugh. I find you funny Sammy!" Brittany smiled at the fellow blonde and then took her seat next to Quinn, Santana sitting alongside her.
Finn walked around the table and was just about to sit in an empty seat next to Mike when Tina Cohen-Chang ran towards the table and stole the seat from right under his nose.
"Sorry Finn, but you know that I sit next to Mike," Tina spoke apologetically up at the giant that was Finn Hudson.
"It is fine, I did know that you would want to sit next to your boyfriend, I'm the one that's sorry." Finn apologized sincerely.
Finn looked around at the table and noticed that the only empty seat was the one between Rachel and Puck. He was glad that he would be able to sit next to his girlfriend without looking suspicious by choosing that seat immediately, though he would have to be careful because said girl's extremely overprotective brother, who was also his best friend, would be sitting on the other side of him.
Finn sighed at this dilemma and sat down.
Rachel looked over at the tall boy next to her and gave him a small smile, which he greatly returned.
"So, are all three of you guys auditioning today?" Tina asked the three freshmen.
"Yeah, well hopefully, if Mom lets me." Rachel replied, confusing the others around the table.
"Why wouldn't she? She knows that you are an amazing singer and that we need your voice!" Blaine said, shocked and confused at Rachel's response to Tina's question.
"Ehh, well I might have been a bit late to her class second period…" Rachel looked down at her lap, not wanting to see the others' faces.
"A bit late? You were twenty minutes late!" Kurt laughed from his seat, making everyone's mouths fall open.
"Why the hell were you twenty minutes late?!" Puck questioned her, totally shocked by his littlest sister's behavior.
"I have my reason…that reminds me…Blaine you need to tell Mom that I read my timetable wrong and went your class instead of mine, and you helped me read it so that I knew I had English." Rachel begged Blaine to play along.
"Wait you didn't tell your mom what you told us after everyone else left?" Mercedes asked, shocked that Rachel hadn't just told her mom the truth.
"Oh, I did. I just said that I still went to the wrong class after."
"Why?"
"Because she wouldn't believe that it took me twenty minutes to do what I said I had to. I am actually quite surprised that she believed me." Rachel admitted.
"Rachel Barbara Schuester and Finn Christopher Hudson. My office. Now." Rachel looked up from her lunch, knowing who the voice belonged to but having no idea where it came from.
She turned around and standing behind her was her mom. She gulped and then looked back at everyone sitting at the table, who were all giving her looks of sympathy, while all also extremely glad that it wasn't them at the end of the famous Shelby Schuester glare.
Rachel stood up from the table, just as she saw Finn do the same thing, and they nervously followed Shelby through the cafeteria and out into the hallway.
Nobody said anything until they had entered Shelby's office.
….
"So Rachel Barbara Schuester would you please like to explain to me why you not only showed up late to my class but also lied to me not once but twice today?" Shelby glared at the fourteen year old sitting in front of her. She didn't feel sorry for her at all. She had this coming as soon as she had decided that being late was a good idea.
"Mom can you please stop full naming me! And I didn't lie to you. I told you the truth when I got held back at the end of the class!" Rachel tried to make it sound like she was shocked that her mother would think that her baby girl would lie to her, and hoped that all the acting lessons had payed off.
"If you did not lie to me how come Blaine's math teacher did not see you outside, or inside his second period class at all today and how come you didn't need to ask me to buy you more stuff this weekend if you knew you were due?" Shelby asked. She had only realized that Rachel hadn't asked her to buy more sanitary products at the weekend after she had had the conversation with Blaine's math teacher.
"I had some left over from last time. And I stole some from San. Mom, please can you stop talking about this, there is somebody else in this room remember? Somebody that is like best friends with my brother! The one I don't want to know that I have started!" Rachel near shouted at her mom, while getting more and more irritated.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me Rachel. Finn Hudson, why were you late, by twenty minutes I might add, to Spanish second period?"
Oh crap, Rachel thought. If she had known that Finn had had her dad second period she wouldn't have agreed to meet up with him. Of course her mom and dad would talk. And Rachel's older brother and sister were in that class with Finn.
"Ehh, I had to get something out of my truck and I had to go back to get my car keys from my locker and then I couldn't find what I was looking for in my truck and then I remembered that I hadn't brought it today." Finn answered sheepishly. He was extremely proud that he had managed to remember the story he had told Mr Schuester when he walked into Spanish twenty minutes late. It was not the same story he had told Puck though. He had told Puck that he had met up with some girl. Puck seemed proud, Finn was glad that he didn't know what girl it was, or Puck would have killed him.
"Then why did my husband tell me that he overheard that you had met up with some girl?" Shelby asked.
Crap, Finn thought, of course Mr Schue would have heard what he had told Puck.
"Ehh, I don't know. But I didn't say that to anyone. And I didn't do that." Finn answered, hoping that she would buy it.
"Then why did you tell my eldest son that that was why you were late. I am sure that if I was to ask him, after perhaps threatening grounding if he didn't tell the truth, that he would tell me that you had met up with some girl."
"Well, I did tell Puck that. But it isn't true. I just didn't want to seem stupid for forgetting something. So I told him something different."
"Oh, is that the case? So it is just a coincidence that both you and Rachel, my daughter Rachel, both walked through the doors of your respective second period classes at exactly the same time?" Shelby glared at the giant boy she had known for about eleven years.
"Yes Mrs Schue, it must have been. I am sorry for being late but I honestly wasn't doing anything inappropriate with Rachel," Finn said adding, "or anything for that matter," immediately after seeing the look on Shelby's face.
"And Rachel, you were not meeting up with Finn were you?" Shelby asked her daughter.
"No Mom. I hardly know Finn anyway. He is Kurt's step-brother and Noah's best friend. He is like a brother to me, like Mike and Matt, but nothing more. I promise." While saying this Rachel held her fingers crossed in her lap, not wanting to have to outright lie to her mom. Rachel still hated lying to her mom, but the occurrence was being more and more frequent lately and she couldn't seem to do anything to stop it.
"Okay then. I am sorry for taking up your lunch period but I needed to talk to you both before Glee. I am assuming Rachel that you will be auditioning?" Shelby asked her daughter, still not entire sold on the pair's stories.
"Yeah, and Kurt and Mercedes are too! It's just straight after school in the choir room right?" Rachel wanted to double check before her and her friends auditioned.
"Actually auditions are usually in the auditorium Rachel. So they will be there straight after school. You may leave; I will see you both later." Shelby dismissed the two teens and sighed as they both exited her office.
….
The members of New Directions sat in the fifth and sixth rows of the McKinley High auditorium. The April Rhodes Auditorium to call it by its full name. Shelby and Will Schuester were standing on the stage looking at the ten members of the current New Directions.
"So guys, as you can see there are only eleven of us now, and you all know that we need twelve members to compete, so we need to find at least one new member before sectionals. Today preferably, so without further ado, let's get these auditions started!" Will said, trying to make the prospect of sitting through a bunch of auditions seem exciting to the teens in New Directions.
Will and Shelby made their way off the stage and sat in the middle of the fifth row.
"Kurt Hummel," Shelby called.
Kurt walked out onto the stage after an encouraging hug from both Rachel and Mercedes.
"Hello, my name is Kurt Hummel and I will be singing Mr Cellophane from the musical Chicago."
Kurt took a deep breath and sang.
Cellophane, Mr Cellophane,
Should have been my name, Mr Cellophane
'Cause you can look right through me
Walk right by me and never know I'm there
Never, even, know…I'm there.
Everyone clapped as Kurt left the stage after Will saying a quick, "The final list will be up tomorrow."
"Mercedes Jones." Shelby called.
Mercedes walked on stage, leaving Rachel with another three people, two girls and a boy.
"My name is Mercedes Jones and I'm singing RESECT."
Mercedes looked out confidently at the members of her audience and starting singing.
What you want
Baby I got it
And what you need
You know I got it
And all I'm asking
Is for a little respect when I come home
Hey baby
When I get home, Mister
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Fin d out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB
Ohhhhh, hey baby, yeah
Mercedes smiled as she was also told that she could leave and the list would be put up the following day. As she was walking off the stage, she threw a smile of encouragement over her shoulder at Rachel.
When she got to the wings she met Kurt and they both sneaked in to the back of the auditorium to watch the rest of the auditions.
The next person to be called was one of the girls. Her name was Sunshine Corazon. She was good, really good, but she acted like a real brat on stage, especially when Mr Schue told her the list would be up the next day, just as he had at the end of every audition, and she demanded to be told now that she was part of the group as she knew she would be. Everyone in the auditorium tutted at this and she was asked to leave the stage. She stormed from the stage acting like she was the queen of the world.
Next to audition was the boy. Jesse St James. He was a senior. He had only transferred to McKinley this year and he really wanted to be in New Directions. He was an amazing singer. And he was quite charismatic. Even Rachel thought he was cute. Not nearly as cute as Finn though, and Finn was hot as well.
Rachel was left by herself in the wings while the other girl took her place centre stage. She was a freshman who Rachel recognized from her classes, she seemed really nice, and Rachel expected that she could become good friends with this girl if she became part of New Directions.
"Hi, my name is Marley Rose, and I will be singing Adele's Chasing Pavements."
Rachel watched as Marley sang the song beautifully. She really was an amazing singer. Rachel was almost jealous of her. Almost. She knew that she was better. She was the best after all.
Finally Rachel heard her name being called and she walked out onto the stage, smiling at the group of people that were her family, literally, and friends.
"Hi, I am Rachel Barbara Schuester, as you all know, and I will be singing On My Own, from the musical Les Miserables."
On my own In the rain the pavement shines like silver And I know it's only in my mind I love him I love him I love him
Pretending he's beside me
All alone, I walk with him till morning
Without him
I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way I close my eyes
And he has found me
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me forever and forever
That I'm talking to myself and not to him
And although I know that he is blind
Still I say, there's a way for us
But when the night is over
He is gone, the river's just a river
Without him the world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere
The streets are full of strangers
But every day I'm learning
All my life I've only been pretending
Without me his world will go on turning
A world that's full of happiness
That I have never known!
I love him
I love him
But only on my own.
Rachel finished the song to a standing ovation. She smiled proudly and nodded as her dad told her, as she knew, that the sheet would be up tomorrow. She was excused and she skipped happily from the stage. Running around to the back doors of the auditorium, pulled the doors open and ran down the aisle to hug Mercedes and Kurt, happy that her audition, and theirs, went so well.
….
Rachel went to school with her dad the next day, met Mercedes and Kurt outside and followed her dad to the notice board where he pinned up the list of people in New Directions, the list was as follows:
Artie Abrams
Mike Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang
Sam Evans
Quinn Fabray
Finn Hudson
Kurt Hummel
Mercedes Jones
Brittany Pierce
Marley Rose
Matt Rutherford
Blaine Schuester
Noah 'Puck' Schuester
Rachel Schuester
Santana Schuester
Jesse St James
Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes sped read through the list. Rachel almost thought that she hadn't made it in, when she realized that the list was in alphabetical order, meaning that she would be near the end. She screamed and hugged her dad, who was still there watching the three teens, thanking him for casting her in the group.
"Rach," Will laugh at his daughter, "Of course you were going to get in! In case you haven't realized the only person that auditioned that didn't get in was that Sunshine girl and that was because of her personality. I have heard she is transferring soon anyway so what would be the point?"
Rachel looked up at her dad, feeling slightly hurt at the way he made it sound like she didn't have to be good to get in. Will noticed this and quickly spoke again,
"You still had to be good to get in. Better than good in fact. It just turned out that everybody that auditioned was incredibly good this year. But you were still the best," he whispered in his daughter's ear, not wanting the two other freshmen to hear and think that he was picking favorites. He wasn't, his daughter was just the best.
Rachel smiled at this and walked away from her dad.
"So, to celebrate we have decided to have a dive night at my place tonight; you in?" Kurt asked when Rachel walked back over to her friends.
"Sure why not?" Rachel answered.
….
A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review if you liked it!
And if you are American or live in the US and are willing to be my American schooling guide, please, PLEASE, leave a review or PM me. I REALLY need someone to read over it to make sure I have ages and classes and times and the amount of periods and stuff right…and because I'm British I don't know all this stuff…so please if you can help message me!
xScottishGleek1998x