Part 2: Game on: The Glee Project

DAMIAN

"Hey Damian, wake up man!", Samuel tapped his back. Damian looked at his watch and saw it was a little before eight in the morning. "We got to sign, seal and deliver at the Performance Room by nine."

Damian laughed. "Thanks Sam, will be up in a minute." He breathed in deeply, and pushed his head under his pillow, reflecting on last night's events.

Luke, the Oxygen intern, took them to their dormitories and the Glee Project facilities. Their living space comprised of the Boys and the Girls Dormitories with bathrooms, a common kitchen and pantry at the Recreation Room, Sound Studio, Dance Studio, Performance Room, Confessional Booth, Concert Hall and individual studios.

All the contenders were pretty excited by their new digs, but barely had time to really celebrate. After dinner, Luke gave them all their first Homework assignment - a group number performing the song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder. They all had singing parts, and had to memorize the song as well as harmonize with the rest of the group for the chorus parts. It was tough - he has never heard that song before. But as his parents raised him, it's about taking in everything wholeheartedly, so he tried his best to commit the lyrics to heart, and blending with the rest of group. The contenders finished rehearsing their first Homework assignment by close to eleven in the evening after evaluating it was good for performance the following day. Besides, they were all in need of sleep! Every contender was, after all, tired because of traveling from their own cities.

And I traveled all the way from Dublin, Damian thought. He sighed. Positivity is the key.

His stomach grumbled. Food, and a shower. He got up, ready to start the day. Day by day!

HANNAH

"Good morning!", Lindsay's voice called out. "Rise and shine! Who wants tea?"

Hannah opened her eyes and checked the time. It was just about eight in the morning. Tucking her head under the pillow, she remembered from the hand book that they must all be at the Performance Room by nine. "Good morning!", Hannah called out from under her pillow. Day one!, she realized, and turned to face everyone.

"I want tea!", Ellis called out. "Thank you Lindsay!"

"Me too!", McKynleigh seconded. "Thank you sweetheart!"

"Sure girls, I'll leave it at the table." Lindsay replied as she got stuff from her closet. "Oh hey, the crew has breakfast ready for us already, just grab and go. I'm taking a quick shower now."

"I think I slept like a log last night." Marissa said as she got up.

Emily whispered from under her sheets. "Honey, I think we all slept like logs."

"Logs that are signed, sealed and delivered to Ryan Murphy." Ellis quipped somberly.

All the girls laughed.

Stretching on her bed, Hannah looked at the other contenders inside the girls dormitories. Everyone was up and about. I wonder if I can get past them in this competition, Hannah wondered.

Oh well, I did not get here for nothing. She smiled, willed herself to get her butt of the bed, take a shower and get some food before the day's activities start. Bring it on Hannah!

DAMIAN

After a quick shower and breakfast, all of the contenders were now at the Performance Room waiting. It was just nine in the morning, and Day 1 of the Glee Project competition is about to start.

Tory, one of the show's interns, assigned seats to them. "These will be your placements every time you will be here in the Performance Room."

"Nervous?", asked Damian's seatmate Bryce as he sat down beside him.

"Just a bit.", he answered.

"You'll do fine!", chimed McKynleigh, the girl on Damian's left. "I think I'm gonna pass out!"

"That's alright, so long as you do not pass gas!", Bryce replied. The three of them laughed.

"I am so pumped!", Lindsay declared from her seat in the middle. "I vocalized this morning!" She smoothed her hair into place.

"I bet you did...", Emily whispered from behind. Cameron and Samuel snickered.

Damian turned to look back at them and was rewarded with innocent grins from the three contenders.

"Okay guys, listen!" Tory clapped to get their attention. "We are ready to start rolling the camera. Remember to stay true to yourself. Good luck, and enjoy!"

A short-haired blonde guy went up front. "Good morning!", he called out. The contenders greeted him back. "I am Brad Falchuk and I will your director filming The Glee Project show."

Brad looked everyone in the eye. "The Glee Project will be like a Glee Boot Camp. It's slash acting, slash dancing, slash singing.. slash everything masterclass.", he said with a spastic wave of his hands. "Each week has a theme, a Homework Assignment, a mystery guest judge from the show and a big production number inspired by one of Glee's songs. Things will be done as closely to what you would experience as a Glee cast member as possible."

Alex sighed and Lindsay squealed.

"If everyone's a-okay with this, let's get this show on the road! Time for some Individuality!" Brad shouted.

Everyone cheered.

Believe..., Damian prayed.

"And we are on in three, two, one.. ROLL CAMERA!" a crew called out and the class bell rang.

HANNAH

Brad Falchuk just introduced himself to them and the mechanics of how the shoot will be done and competition will progress weekly. Seated between Ellis and Marissa, Hannah exhaled slowly. The set is quieting down and getting ready for the shoot of the 1st episode and Week One, Day One of the Glee Project.

Keep it together Hannah, keep it together, she motivated herself.

"I'm part excited and nervous." Ellis turned to her.

"Well it seems like no one is more pumped than Lindsay than the rest of us combined." Marissa quietly snickered, motioning to Lindsay who was fixing her hair and shaking her shoulders as if to release some stress. "She has that Rachel Berry vibe. It's irritating."

Hannah just widened her eyes in agreement.

"And we are on in three, two, one.. ROLL CAMERA!" a crew called out and the class bell rang.

This is it!, Hannah excitedly thought. Time to shine...

Everyone looked to the right as they heard the door open to the Performance Room. Seconds later, Robert Ulrich walked in with Darren Criss, the actor who plays the cute Blaine on Glee!

Hannah clutched at her seat, stupefied for a moment, then stood up with the rest of the clapping and cheering contenders. He's just as dreamy in real life!, Hannah gushed.

"Heeey, what's up?" Darren greeted.

"Oh my gosh, you're so hot!" Emily exclaimed.

"Welcome to The Glee Project!" exclaimed Darren. Everyone cheered. "So, my name is Darren Criss, and I played character of Blaine Anderson on Glee."

"Oh we know!" Alex squealed. Everyone laughed.

"So can you all believe you are here?", Robert asked. "Out of forty thousand people, here you are - the final twelve. And one of you is gonna win a seven episode guest-starring role on Glee, and that's an incredible gig."

"So you guys were given an assignment yesterday to sing Stevie Wonder's 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered'." Darren said. "I was told you have different lead lines to showcase your individuality, and the person who we think did the most shining job..."

"... will win an advantage in the big production number.", Robert continued. "Which means you get the starring role, and Darren will work with you one on one to help you really nail it and and get you one step closer to winning the role on Glee. So, it's YOUR job to stand out."

"So let's see what you got.", Darren finished. "Let's rock and roll!"

The music for Stevie Wonder's song cued in, and starting with Emily, the Glee Project contenders sang their lines one by one. While waiting for her turn, Hannah was snapping her fingers to the song's beat and having a great time, while hoping not to fumble her part when it's her turn. Bryce's line came up and Hannah knew she was next... she took a breath and went for it...

"Now I'm back and not ashamed to cry..." Hannah sang. "Ooooh baby..."

DAMIAN

This is fun!, Damian thought. He looked at who was singing next and glanced back at Hannah who was cruising on her song lines. He is almost up! A few moments later, he heard Lindsay sing her part, and on cue, he went for his line.

"When I touched them, hah, they did nothing girl...", Damian sang with a bit of shoulder and hand gestures. That was easy!, he realized.

Big chorus coming up and Damian took a deep breath... "Here I am Baby, signed, sealed, delivered I'm yours...".

HANNAH

The day was over and Bryce was gone. Hannah felt reality hit her in the face. As much as the day has been fun, the contenders were all drained from the fact that this is a competition. It was emotional, which is a bit weird at first since it's been only Day 1 of the Glee Project, but realizing that they had all gone through numerous auditions, and be eliminated after the first project, hits closer to home.

This is exhausting physically, vocally..., Hannah thought, and emotionally. She was shuffling herself towards the rec room to grab an apple and was so deep in thought that she practically crashed through someone in the dark hallway.

"Yeow, easy now!", a guy's voice called out. The lights flickered on, and Hannah saw it was Damian.

"Oh my gosh!", Hannah exclaimed, "I'm so sorry Damian!" She felt her cheeks burning. Great, he must think I'm a crazy lunatic now.

"You sleep walking, Hannah?", Damian kidded.

"No, I'm on my way to grab an apple from the pantry.", Hannah replied.

"Me too. C'mon, it's better I lead before you go crashing on to me again."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "I said I'm sorry!"

"I was kidding!", Damian turned back at her. He flashed a silly smile at Hannah.

"Whatever." Hannah exhaled. "After you, Irish lad."

They went inside the rec room and headed to the pantry. Damian grabbed two apples from the counter top, "Here ya go!", Damian said as he tossed Hannah an apple.

Hannah caught the fruit and eased herself into a couch. "Thanks." She took a bite and was absentmindedly stared at her feet for a minute. Looking, she realized Damian took the couch across her, propped his feet on the coffee table and munched on his apple in silence.

"It was tough today, huh?", he asked.

"Yeah", Hannah agreed. "I feel bad for Bryce because to come such a long way from auditions, only to be eliminated on the first round feels...". She got lost for words. "I dunno..."

"I imagine it would be hard for him.", Damian offered.

"Yeah..", she agreed.

A few minutes passed and both were half way through their apples. Awkward., she thought.

"So, how was it flying here to Los Angeles for the Glee Project?", Hannah asked Damian. "It must be hard for you leave your family and friends behind for a long time."

"Well, I am part of Celtic Thunder.", Damian replied. "For four years, I'm used to touring US and Canada and Celtic Thunder has become my family on the road. My real family is used to me being away from home so it's not that tough."

"I see."

"How about you?", he asked.

"Hmm.. I came from a small town and it was a bit of a surprise to everyone." Hannah laughed. "But I think I'm the one who misses my family and friends more than they miss me."

"You can make friends here.", Damian suggested.

"Yea, I guess so...", she nodded. "But you are my competitor!"

"Yes, I am!", he laughed. ".. but we can be friends too."

"Yea...", Hannah's voice trailed.

They sat munching the rest of their apples in silence. Hannah looked at the clock, and tried to stifle a yawn. "I guess we have to be going now.", she said.

"Yup." Damian got Hannah's apple cores and stood up. "After ye, m' lady."

"Damian?" Hannah was still seated. There was a look of wishful thinking on her face.

"Yes?" Damian looked back at Hannah as he was throwing the apple cores in the trash bin.

"Do you think we will still all be friends after this competition?"

"I imagine so.", he confidently answered with a smile.

"I thought so too.", Hannah agreed. She stood up. "10 weeks, and this will all be over."

Damian crossed the rec room and put an arm around Hannah's shoulders. "Don't worry. There will be big love all around for us, even if it's over."

Ten weeks, she thought as they walked back to their respective dormitories.

"Good night Hannah." Damian said.

"Good night Damo.", she whispered back.

Hannah smiled. Big love?, she giggled to herself. Snap out of it, it's just a crush.

DAMIAN

"Good night Hannah." Damian said.

"Good night Damo.", she whispered back.

Damian slowly made his way to his bed inside the boys' dormitories. A lamp flickered on.

"Oooh baby, where have your been sneaking off at night?", Cameron's catty voice purred from under one of the beds. Laughter followed. Hoo boy, Damian thought.

"Aww c'mon guys, I just grabbed an apple and chatted with Hannah."

"Oh, the funny girl." Samuel quipped. "She's nice."

"Yeah, okay.", Damian agreed with a shrug. He climbed into bed. "Good night everyone."

"Oh Damian...", Alex's voice called out this time. Everybody laughed out loud. They were really gonna milk this for all it's worth.

"Kissy-kissy!", Mattheus joined in.

"Good night, Cam! Good night, Alex!", he said, hoping to end the joke.

"Night buddy, just joking.", Cameron said. "Night you all."

As everyone settled, Damian smiled.