The Wildebrams Season Six
Chapter 2: Kitty's Back [The Hurt Locker - Pt. 2]:
by Wilde Abrams
Author's Notes: Thank you again for everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and subscribed to my previous season 6 one shot installments. Sorry for the delay in posting this next installment, but let's just say I got inspired and this one is significantly longer than I intended. Thank you also to Holly (MyGoldStar) who gave this and the last chapter the beta treatment, and for Sarah (Fire Girl125) who offered some suggestions about some elements of this story.
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== Mid October 2014
Over the next couple of weeks she watch them from afar is Rachel and Kurt and the and the glee club alumni tried to ignore their failures in their real world lives and inspire the next generation of glee club members.
But much like the year that she had been in glee club, the alumni made it more about themselves and the past than about the glee club itself, and the future for its members. She'd heard that Santana had even proposed marriage to Brittany during a glee club meeting. How pathetic was that!
A few days ago her sources had informed her that Principal Sylvester had come up with a plot to take down the glee club while still in its infancy. Before they even had enough members to officially compete, she had arranged and Invitational between the two best clubs in the state Vocal Adrenaline from Carmel High and the Dalton Academy Warblers, both historic rivals of the New Directions.
She smirked when she realized that Will Schuester the former director of the New Directions was now running Vocal Adrenaline and he would be an instrument to take down the new New Directions while still in their infancy. No more unsuspecting students would be lured into the trap of believing that glee club and the arts mattered. None of them would be hurt the way that she had been...
== Early Wednesday Afternoon, WMHS Hallway
Kitty Wilde was walking down the hall of William McKinley High School on her way to her next class when the bell rang and she heard a familiar voice over her shoulder.
"Hey! Your name is Kitty Wilde." It was a very breathless Rachel Berry, who ran up to her from around a corner as she walked down the hall.
Kitty glanced over at the older woman, but kept on walking. Right on time. She'd been expecting this. She continued walking down the hall with a bemused expression on her face as Rachel followed her.
"You were named after a Bruce Springsteen song," Rachel added. "You don't trust newspapers because you think that they lied about Watergate. You once beat up a mascot at a little league softball game for trying to start the wave with everyone. You say that your favorite color is Jesus. Oh, you prefer Triscuits over Wheat Thins."
Kitty's bemused smile got broader. She had to hand it to her. The older woman had done her homework.
"And sometimes you don't wear underwear," she added. "But I got that last one from Artie, so ..."
Mentioning her ex, though, wasn't the smartest move.
"Are you trying to pick me up?" Kirty asked dryly, "Because if you're gonna go lezzy with a cheerleader, I think the world's kind of rooting for you and Quinn Fabray."
She entered the astronomy classroom and Rachel followed. She stopped and turned to face her.
"I just want you to know that I've taken some time to get to know you, and that who you are is important to me," Rachel assured her.
"So that I don't feel like I'm being used when you ask me to join the Glee Club?" Kitty called her out.
"... Pretty much," Rachel admitted.
At least she was honest about it.
"- Look, Rachel," Kitty told her, momentarily turning away and broadening the distance between them before turning back to face her again. "You have a reputation for being an inherently selfish person. You rarely ask people what they think, and when you do, it's usually in the context of 'what do you think about me?' I took a chance and joined Mr. Schuester's Glee Club because I knew that even though it was gonna hurt my rep, that it was being led by a kind man committed to teaching and his protégé; and that there were a bunch of kids in there that would have my back when things got hairy."
Rachel winced slightly at the mention of her late ex-boyfriend, Finn, and stood there fidgeting uncomfortably as Kitty went on.
"Now, what's there? A chubber, a transfer student and a Bizarro Jaime and Cersei Lannister, and an advisor who's gonna jump ship as soon as the real world invites her back to the stage.
"No, thanks."
Kitty turned away again as the second bell rang. Students began filing into the room. She walked out the other door to the classroom, headed down the hall. After only a moment's hesitation Rachel rushed after her.
"Kitty, we need you," Rachel pleaded, as Kitty continued down the hallway. "All right? Your energy, your enthusiasm. I don't know you very well, but I know that you love performing."
She stopped. That got her attention.
"I did," she admitted, softly, biting her lower lip,thinking. "I did love it."
Rachel closed the distance between the two of them.
"You can sing, you can dance," Rachel continued. Kitty slowly turned to face her. "And-and, yes, Santana's cruelty definitely scarred me for the rest of my life, but I know that the Glee Club needs a top bitch to keep everyone in line."
"I invested everything into Glee Club," Kitty told her, hesitantly. "And what did it get me?" Her throat choked up. "They all deserted me." Tears began to well in her eyes. "The only reason I'm still here is because Sue needed me for Cheerios. I miss singing and dancing and the feeling of being in the choir room."
She really did. But she wasn't going to give into flattery and emotional manipulation.
"But I know Sue, and I know you," she explained beginning to tear up. "And I don't want to jump back in just to have my heart broken again in a couple weeks when it all goes away." She was on the verge of tears.
Rachel could really tell how deeply Kitty had been hurt, and really felt for her.
"Look," Rachel said, stepping closer and making eye contact with her. "This is real. Okay? I'm not going anywhere until my job here is done and the Glee Club is back at McKinley permanently.
"Look, you have my word. You come back, and we'll see this through together."
Kitty's face started twitching; she really wanted to believe her, but didn't know if she could. She knew that Rachel had a reputation for manipulating people to get what she wanted. Was she being genuine, or doing the same thing here? She didn't know her well enough to be able to tell.
"Please just think about it," Rachel plead. "I can see that Glee club means a lot to both of us, and between you and me, I don't think we can pull this off without you."
Kitty nodded, and Rachel finally left her alone with her thoughts.
== Late Tuesday Evening, Kitty's Bedroom
That evening Kitty lay in bed, watching old New Directions performances on YouTube with her iPad, and considering what Rachel had said. She really, really missed performing. It was exhilarating and gave her the freedom to express feelings she normally kept locked away out of fear of being judged. But, as much as she wanted to believe her, her better judgement told her to stay as far away as possible.
== Wednesday Morning, WMHS Hallways
The following morning Kitty was walking through the halls when she found herself approaching the auditorium. She hadn't planned to be anywhere near this part of the school, but something subconsciously drew her there.
== Wednesday Morning, WMHS Auditorium
Kitty cautiously and quietly entered the auditorium, staying out of sight. From the black blazers with red trim she recognized the Dalton Academy Warblers performing on the stage. She couldn't help but notice that the Warblers had changed their style and were no longer singing exclusively a Cappella numbers. She'd almost forgotten how much she'd missed show choir until her encounter with Rachel the day before, and had been subconsciously drawn in by their number – a cover of The Knack's "My Sharona."
[ The Warblers ]
My Sharona
My Sharona
[ Head Warbler (with The Warblers) ]
Ooh, my little pretty one, pretty one
When you gonna give me some (time, Sharona?)
Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run
Gun it coming off of the (line Sharona)
[ Head Warbler with The Warblers ]
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, ay, ay, woah!
M-m-m-my Sharona
[ The Warblers ]
My Sharona
[ Head Warbler (with The Warblers) ]
Come a little closer, huh, ah, will ya, huh
(Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona)
Keeping it a mystery gets to me
(Running down the length of my thighs, Sharona)
[ Head Warbler with The Warblers ]
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, ay, ay, woah!
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
[ The Warblers ]
Na, na, na, na, na-na
My Sharona
[ Head Warbler (with The Warblers) ]
When you gonna get to me, get to me
It is just a matter of (time Sharona)
Is it d-d-destiny, d-destiny?
Or is it just a game in my (mind, Sharona?)
[ Head Warbler with The Warblers ]
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, ay, ay, woah!
M-m-m-m-m-m-m-my, my, my, ay, ay, woah!
M-m-m-my Sharona (The Warblers: Sharona)
M-m-m-my Sharona (The Warblers: Sharona)
M-m-m-my Sharona (The Warblers: Sharona)
M-m-m-my Sharona
Oooaah, my Sharona
Oooaah, my Sharona
Oooaah, my Sharona
Whoo!
She stood there in the shadows watching the performance. The music was so moving and powerful. It reminded her of the good times two years ago before things had begun to fall apart. The singing, the dancing, the feeling of being on the stage, whether it was in front of a competition audience or just her fellow glee club members. As much as she didn't want to admit it, cheerleading had never brought her that much joy.
But as the song came to a close, she found that it was too much for her as she felt the tears beginning to well in her eyes again and she silently walked out before the second number began. It was just too painful.
== Wednesday, Mid-Day, WMHS Choir Room
Kitty skipped her next class and walked the familiar halls of McKinley considering what she was going to do. Somehow she ended up at the empty choir room. She went inside and walked around. She loved singing and dancing. She missed glee club.
The last time Kitty had been in this room, it had been almost completely cleared out. It had later been turned into a computer lab, which she had avoided using at all costs over the past year, because she didn't want to be reminded of what she'd lost. Now most of the furniture and other furnishings were back, including the Baldwin grand piano and the ugly purple plastic chairs. The trophy shelves were conspicuously empty, and the pictures and posters were missing from the walls, however.
She walked around the room so familiar to her she was washed over by memories of things that happened in that room: ... her very first performance of "Holding Out For A Hero" with Marley. ... Bonding with Quinn Fabray before Sectionals ... 'dancing' next to Artie while Blaine performed Don't Stop Me Now ... Performing a mash-up of "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend" and "Material Girl" with the New Directions girls ... Watching Ryder playing the drums with the band ... She and the other girls singing "Wannnabe by Spice Girls, and Artie being impressed by her performance ... Performing "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" for Artie during Stevie Wonder week ... Practicing for Sectionals with the other New Directions ... Smiling and sitting on Artie's lap as he rolled the two of them out the door ... Taking Artie's hand, pouring out her heart to him and giving him permission to make them 'Facebook Official' ... Helping clean Tina up after she was 'Carried' at prom ... Watching Rachel sing "Make You Feel My Love" for Finn ... Artie telling the group that it was 'physically impossible for him to twerk', and she responding with 'I beg to differ' ... Holding hands with Artie as Unique sang If I Were A Boy ... Singing "Raise Your Glass" with April and the New Directions ... and finally, cleaning out the room with Jake, Marley, Ryder, and Unique.
She knelt down next to the risers and noticed the marks on the floor next to where Artie generally parked his wheelchair.
Artie.
So many of her memories of Glee Club involved him. Their breakup had been the second most painful experience of her life. He'd been there with the other alumni when they launched their recruiting efforts a few weeks ago. If she got involved with Glee club again, it was inevitable that she would have to interact with him. Was she ready for that? She didn't know.
But she'd be spending most of her time with Rachel, Kurt, and the new Glee Club members. She had seen the looks on the faces of the new New Directions members. They were in awe at the Warblers, whose performance was good, but not amazing. She could only imagine what their reaction to Vocal Adrenaline had been. She could clearly see that Sue had set up this invitational to sabotage the new Glee Club by shattering the spirits of the newbies, and it was working.
Rachel was right. They really needed her. But was she really willing to risk her current standing at the school by irritating Principal Sylvester by getting involved in the Glee Club again? Was she willing to face her ex-lover again? Could she trust Rachel to keep her word and see things through to victory?
She really didn't know.
== Wednesday Evening, WMHS Choir Room Office
Later that evening, Rachel was distracted, looking through sheet music when Kitty entered her office.
"Oh, this is a fun one," she heard Rachel mumble.
"Okay, fine," Kitty said. "I'm in."
Rachel turned around and gave her a big hug. "Oh, my God, amazing."
The two of them smiled broadly. Kitty laughed happily. She was surprisingly excited!
"Where is everybody?" Kitty asked, noticing that the choir room was empty as the two of them walked out of the office.
"Oh," Rachel explained, "I called everyone and pushed glee rehearsal for an hour because I'm still trying -"
"- To come up with a set list for a performance you're giving tomorrow?" Kitty ventured. "That's so Mr. Schue I can't decide if that's sad or adorable."
"The answer is adorable," Rachel told her. "It's just that Sue is judging, and if she wasn't, then I'd have it, but I know she's gonna hate anything that I pick."
"I know," Kitty said simply, with a mischievous look on her face.
"You know what songs she'd like?" Rachel asked.
"No," Kitty answered, "but I know where to find them. Follow me."
== Wednesday Evening, WMHS Principal's Office
A few minutes later the two of them stood in Sue's outer office. Rachel held a flashlight while Kitty proceeded to pick the lock to the inner office.
"I probably shouldn't be letting you do this," Rachel told her, "being that you're a student and all. Plus, we're probably being recorded."
"No," Kitty reassured her. "I already cut the main line to the security cameras and the alarm."
Kitty finished picking the lock and gestured to the wall where Rachel could see that, she had indeed sabotaged the security system. Then she led Rachel into the inner office.
"Look," Kitty continued as they approached the desk. "I may not have lived in some vague outer borough of New York City, but there's a reason I'm the only glee kid who survived Sue Sylvester's regime at McKinley." She open the laptop and sat down. "Because I'm ruthless, too."
Rachel stood looking over her shoulder.
"Wait, how do you know her password?" Rachel asked.
In response, Kitty removed a folded slip of paper from inside her top.
"I bribed Becky with a box of smuggled Mexican Twinkies," Kitty answered. "She's got a thing for third-world snack cakes made with real sugar and animal shortening. I don't want to know what 'ThunderBolton69' means, but she hasn't changed it in years."
"Okay, so what exactly are we looking for?" Rachel asked.
"Sue has a secret playlist of songs that she's so emotionally vulnerable to that they're hidden in an encrypted, password-protected folder only she can access," Kitty revealed.
"Wait, how do you have that password?"
"Nicaraguan Ding-Dongs," she answered matter-of-factly. "Take a look at these."
After only a few moments, the two of them had agreed on the perfect set list.
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Endnote: The title of this chapter not only describes the plot, but is also the title of the Bruce Springsteen song Kitty is named after.
[ Revised Text: October 2015 ]