Chapter 1. [Late September]
A/N:
Hello! So. This is exciting. Endeavor #2 :) Here's a couple things you should know:
Firstly, some background- This is an AU fic that operates in some parallel dimension where Mr. Schuester never became a teacher at McKinley but went off to Broadway to chase after his dreams with April Rhodes instead.
Secondly, this is going to be a veryyy long, multi-chapter Finn & Rachel saga (if my ambitious plans follow through) so get ready! And just to forewarn you all, this story is going to be much more light-hearted and fluffy than my previous one- although there will still be angst (especially in the first half) because what can I say? That's just how I roll :)
And finally, I'm experimenting with writing in the present tense for this (I like the immediacy and immersive element of it) so I apologize for any awkwardness ahead of time.
DISCLAIMER: This applies to all chapters in this fanfic- I do not own Glee or anything Glee-related!
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"strangers waiting.."
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[Monday, early afternoon]
The wave of neon blue iced corn syrup hits her unexpectedly and it feels like a freezing, sticky, mortifying slap in the face. She closes her eyes and fights back tears as she runs to the bathroom (she's memorized the route so she can get there even when she's blinded).
Her eyes burn as the artificial coloring seeps into them. She wonders when she'll become immune to the humiliation and discomfort this positively medieval high school ritual causes. Probably never.
School's only been in session for two weeks, and it's already just as torturous as it was last year. She hoped maybe Sophomore year would be different- that her peers would have gotten over the prejudices they set against her freshman year (led for no apparent reason by her vicious neighbor Quinn Fabray) and forgotten her label as resident McKinley High freak.
She honestly doesn't understand why she's such an un-accepted loser in the first place. Not only is she supremely intelligent and extremely exciting, but she's also undeniably the single most talented student at William McKinley High. So why does everyone hate her so much?
Sometimes she tells herself that at least there are people who know who she is here. Elementary School and Middle School were awful because no one paid any attention to her and automatically wrote her off as that strange musical theatre girl.
But Rachel Berry was not born to be ignored.
So after months of campaigning to her dads at the end of the 8th grade, she finally convinced them to move houses so she could switch school districts. Start on a clean slate so to speak.
When the Fabrays had come over to welcome them into the neighborhood, they had been shocked by their new neighbors' familial situation, and made no attempt to hide their disgust and disapproval of homosexuality. And they had brought their just as bigoted daughter with them, unknowingly sealing Rachel's fate as the most ostracized and misunderstood student at McKinley.
Pull yourself together, she tells herself as she quickly wipes the last remnants of slushie from her face with a moist toilette (she keeps them in her slushie recovery kit along with spare clothes in her backpack). She looks around at the chipped paint on the bathroom stall's walls and realizes she spends way too much in here. After pulling her hair back into a ponytail and changing her outfit, she walks out of the stall and sees in the mirror that she looks good as new. She gives her reflection one of her trademark 100 watt smiles, and finds the confidence to go back out and face that sea of chromosomally challenged mouth breathers known as high school students.
...
Finn's stomach rumbles as he walks down the hall towards the lunchroom with his girlfriend Quinn Fabray. He hopes that chicken's on the menu for the day.
He sees his best friend Noah Puckerman nod to him near the entrance and jog up to join them (not before throwing an empty big slurp cup in the trashcan).
As they walk into the crowded dining hall, people stare at them in either envy or fear. They're pretty much the coolest kids at the school, well, excepting some of the seniors. He and Quinn are the It couple, while Puck's the trusty sidekick who's basically in charge of keeping the system in order (and making sure the three of them stay at the top of the pyramid).
Puck's been his best friend ever since they bonded over their hot wheels collections in pre-school. And Quinn? Well they met freshman year when she decided that she wanted to date him after he was made quarterback of the Varsity football team at the end of the season. And you only need to know Quinn for about 3.5 seconds to know that she always gets what she wants.
"Dude, what the fuck?" Puck suddenly exclaims, after grabbing a tray.
Finn's eyes follow Puck's angry gaze. His friend is staring at a small girl with long dark brown hair, sitting by herself at a lunch table a few yards away.
"I just slushied her, like 3 minutes ago," Puck continues, outraged, "How come she's all damn prim and proper looking again?"
Finn shrugs his shoulders, how should he know?
It's not like he's even into the whole bullying thing anyways. He just goes along with it to prevent himself from getting bullied. Plus, he isn't about to question the whole high school hierarchy thing either. He's long ago accepted that this is just the way it is, and there's nothing he can do about it. He's just happy he's on the other side of those sugary liquid bombs.
He twists his neck a little to get a better look at the girl. He recognizes her as the supposedly obsessive broadway fanatic. For some reason, what should be a quick glance turns into a full on check out. He can't help but notice that she's actually kinda hot in a sneaky sort of way. He also thinks she looks pretty pathetic concentrating so seriously on her sheets of paper all by herself. He continues to watch as she lifts the pencil in her hand and bites it absentmindedly.
But a couple seconds later his friends are shoving him to move down the line and he becomes distracted by the disappointment of seeing that the lunch ladies are serving fish sticks for the special again.
"I hate fish," he grumbles to Puck, "When will there be chicken?"
...
Rachel scribbles furiously on the new musical arrangement she's working on for Glee Club. Now that she's finally gotten that creep Sandy Ryerson fired, she's sure Principal Figgins will soon be notifying her with the directorial replacement so the Glee Club can return bigger and better than ever. Biting her pencil, she looks over the changes she's made. Perfect.
Reluctantly, she turns to the unappetizing mass of grey noodles and what's supposed to be mushrooms (but looks more like tree bark) on the dirty white ceramic plate in front of her. She hates it when her Dads forget to pack her lunch. But before she can mentally assure herself that she's not going to contract e-coli or salmonella by eating a couple of bites, her name is called over the loudspeaker.
"Rachel Berry please report to Principal Figgins' office. Rachel Berry."
She gets up enthusiastically and plasters an unnaturally wide smile on her face so the entire student body will see that she is Rachel Berry. Unknowingly, Principal Figgins has given her a wonderful opportunity to make herself known throughout the halls of William McKinley High. Unfortunately, the publicity opportunity is lost as it doesn't seem like anyone is really paying attention.
Two minutes later she's sitting expectantly across from Principal Figgins' desk, waiting to hear the great news.
He gives her a weird look before launching into his heavily Indian accented spiel.
"I am very sorry Rachel, but we simply cannot fund the Glee club this year. We're in a bad economy and there have been budgets cuts left and right. So I'm going to have to disband it."
Rachel refuses to believe what she's just heard.
"I'm sorry Principal Figgins, I must have misheard you, I could have sworn you just said you were going to disband the Glee club. And that notion is frankly just ridiculous and unfathomable. Because if that were the case," her voice takes a threatening edge, "It'd be my duty to inform you that my two dads happen to be prominent members of the American Civil Liberties Union, and I'm sure you would not want a lawsuit on your hands for discriminating against the artistically inclined."
Principal Figgins looks at the petite brunette in front of him, and thinks this might be more difficult than he anticipated.
"It's simply out of my hands Rachel, we just don't have the money."
He begins to worry when her face contorts into a frightening grimace that makes it seem as if steam is going to rise from her ears at any second.
"Well I suggest you find the money Principal Figgins, because unless you do, you're going to be needing a lot more when you, and this entire school, is sued. One of my fathers also happens to be a lawyer and he will suck this school dry for every drop of funding it has, and I will then use that money, to begin my own school at Lima, devoted to the under-funded performing arts programs, and it will be so great that we will win every Glee competition from here to eternity!"
The principal looks at the maniacal gaze in her eye and realizes that Rachel Berry is not bluffing.
"Okay Rachel let's make a compromise. Not only is the Glee club budget consuming, but I also cannot find anyone who's willing to be director. However, the school board has decided they want to bring back talent shows at McKinley High. So what if I decided put you in charge of the talent show this year in exchange for letting go of Glee."
Rachel's eyes gleam as the thought of that high position of power fills her. However, she soon comes to the conclusion that this 'compromise' is not enough.
"Well, that seems like a reasonable idea. Only, I feel as if I'm getting the shorter end of the bargain here. Who will be directing the school musical this year?"
Figgins can see the wheels turning in her head as she continues.
"If I were given full creative and organizational control of the yearly spring musical too, I might reconsider the lawsuit."
He sighs.
"Fine, but you have to use the costumes that are already in the costume closet, and get the fine art classes to make the sets. Any other expenses will have to be personally provided for."
"Deal!" Rachel exclaims, throwing out her hand to shake on it.
Principal Figgins takes it awkwardly, and is taken aback by how firm it is.
She gets up out of her chair triumphantly, already planning every minor detail of her two new projects.
She thinks this just might be a great year after all.
...
Quinn bursts out laughing at the announcement in the lunch room.
"So do you think manhands got sent to the principal's office for looking like she just walked off a float off the tranny parade?"
Finn laughs uncomfortably with the rest of their table of jocks and cheerleaders. What's a tranny parade?
"Oh my God," Santana Lopez, Quinn's second in command, responds, "Do you want to come over after school and destroy her spirit even more by making fun of her ridiculous myspace videos again?"
Quinn rewards her best friend with a malicious smile.
"I'd love to, but Finn and I have a date," she says, sending her boyfriend an alluring look.
Finn smiles excitedly, they've been dating for awhile now, but they still haven't done the deed. He's hoping tonight she'll finally let him get to second base (her parents are out of town again).
Okay, so she's the president of the celibacy club, & his chances aren't great. But he's a glass half full kinda guy, and there's always room for compromise right?
His thoughts are interrupted by the bell signaling fifth period. He gives Quinn a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before heading to Spanish with Puck.
"Dude," his friend begins, "I fucking love this class. Mrs. Gonzalez is hot as hell, and I'm cleaning her pool on Saturday. I'm pretty sure that means I'll definitely be acing espagnol, especially chapter 6 on the female anatomy if you know what I mean..."
"Yeah, that's pretty sweet." Finn replies.
One of the reasons why their friendship works so well is because Finn doesn't like to talk all that much and Puck talks all the time (pretty much because he just loves the sound of his own voice).
"And I am so over Santana," Puck goes on, "Do you know she broke up with me because of my freaking credit score? I got my first credit card, like, yesterday. But whatever, I realized Puck-zilla is better fitted for no strings attached sex with cougars anyways. And speaking of sex, how are things going with you and the Queen Bee? Is she still refusing to put out?"
Finn nods glumly. He thinks about sex a lot, like a lot a lot. And having to wait for his holier than thou girlfriend to show a chink in her religious armor, is only adding to the already long list of pressures in his life.
"I'm beginning to think she might never let me get further than the stage we're at now.."
"Making out and grinding?" Puck questions, making sure nothing else has happened since the last time they exhausted the topic.
"Yeah.. I mean, I should have realized it when she asked me to join the celibacy club..."
"Relax," Puck laughs, "Remember, Brittany and Santana are in that club too, and I'm pretty sure that between the two of them they've slept with about half the school."
Finn regains a glimmer of hope as he remembers this.
"Just get her drunk on wine coolers," Puck continues, "and then ask her if she's lost weight. She'll be putty in your hands dude."
He isn't sure if he'd be comfortable with that, but he laughs anyways before heading into class.
...
Rachel spends her free period after lunch posting her freshly made flyers on all the walls and lockers of the school.
Do YOU want to be a STAR?
Get noticed by joining the talent show or the spring musical!
Auditions are being held this friday in the auditorium at 3 pm,
so get ready to SHINE!
She's sprinkled the posters with her trademark gold stars and is sure they're going to be a huge hit.
Obviously she didn't include the fact that she, Rachel Berry, will be the only real star of both productions (not to mention the brains behind each operation as well). But she can't do either piece without a supporting cast, and (most importantly) a leading man.
...
Finn drifts out of class with the rest of the herd scrambling to get to 6th period. He's surprised to see that the hallway has literally been transformed by a mass of hot pink flyers that have been sprinkled on every square inch of spare space.
When he arrives at his locker, he sees Quinn waiting for him with one in her hand.
"This school is finally reviving the high school talent show tradition and giving us an opportunity to cement our status as the most well-rounded and enviable students in this lame town. Brittany and Santana and I are going to practice our audition after school, so we're going to have to cancel our plans for tonight."
He holds in a sigh, and just nods disappointedly before letting his overbearing girlfriend continue.
"And I was also thinking that you should play the drums. Maybe you and Puck can start a band or something, because honestly, I don't want people to think that I'm dating a dumb and talentless jock."
Finn lets this uncalled for insult slide, and focuses on the positives of Quinn's lecture instead. He almost feels his bad mood disappear a little at the thought of music. He's always thought showing an interest in anything other than sports or girls wouldn't be 'cool', but now Quinn's ordering him to get involved with music? Something's he's loved since he was a kid?
He's pretty stoked.
"Yeah I've actually always thought being in a band would be pretty cool," he responds enthusiastically, "And I've also been told I have a decent voice, so maybe I could even get a part in the musical too."
He realizes that he hasn't said the right thing when Quinn's face expression visibly ices over.
"Who said anything about the musical?"
He hates how she says the word the way an anorexic would say cupcake.
"We were talking about the talent show, not the breeding grounds for closeted homosexuals."
And with that she whisks around and walks away, clearly wanting to punish him. Finn closes his eyes and leans back against his locker.
He thinks this is going to be a long year.
...
A/N pt. II:
So who caught the reference to Cory Monteith's most hilarious interview moment ever? I hope a lot of you, because that part was probably awkward if you didn't. lolz.