Chapter Two
MarleyPOV
When I walk into the choir room the next morning, I see Stephen sitting in there in the back, looking upset. I walk over and sit next to him. He doesn't look at me but just asks the question I know was coming.
"What do you do when you know you messed up?" He asks quietly, something that is very out of character for him.
"How bad did you mess up?" I wonder out loud, hoping that what he did wasn't too huge.
"Well, let's just say, I haven't seen Mary Kate since homeroom." It was almost lunch now… and the fact that he used her full name tells me this is serious.
"Stephen… just- stay here. I'll go find her. You figure out what you're going to say to fix whatever you did. " I tell him, smiling sadly. He nods and smiles back a small smile.
"Okay."
I walk out of the choir roo, pulling my phone out as I do. Dialing Ryder's number, I walk out the back door of the school. As I walk onto the football field, he answers.
"Hey baby!" He greets me through the speaker.
"Hey, can you get out of the shop for a little bit? I need you to come and talk to Stephen. MK and him got in a fight. He's pretty torn up, and she's pulled the disappearing act."
"Give me twenty minutes. I'll be right there he promises before saying goodbye and hanging up. As soon as he met Stephen he grew a soft spot for the boy. Maybe he sees himself in Stephen like I do. I walk further onto the football field and spot MK sitting in the bleachers, just like I always did when I was upset. I walk up and sit behind her, making a little noise so she isn't startled.
"I guess you found Stephen…" She says quietly, tears evident in her voice.
"Yeah, I did. What happened? You two seemed fine yesterday."
"He wants to go to some football team party this weekend instead of dinner and movies like we've done since middle school and were allowed to go without a parent. I guess I just overreacted a little, but it's a tradition!" She tells me turning around to face me. MK and Stephen have been friends since they were about five or six and going from the friend-zone to being in a relationship has had a few ups and downs for them.
"You wanna know something funny? Ryder and I had a fight like this when we were in high school." I told her, trying to make her feel better.
"But did he tell you that the tradition you've had since you were kids is stupid and that you need to stop acting like a kid about it and act like a normal teenage girl?" MK asks me, whipping around to face me again, tears filling her eyes.
"No, but he went to the party without me after I refused to go and didn't tell me he was going. I didn't speak to him for a week when I found out. It was hell." I told her. "you need to talk to Stephen, tell him how you're feeling. If you don't, you could not only lose your boyfriend but the boy whose been in your life longer than anyone else."
"I guess you're right… I just- I can't lose him, Ms. Rose. I just can't."
"Then tell him, communication is key in relationships, MK."
RyderPOV
"Hey bud, I heard you got in a fight with your girl." I say as I walk into the locker room where Stephen is stress exercising. Not good, not good. He only does this when he really messes up.
"I'm a complete jerk, Ry. You don't even know man."
"What happened? It must have been pretty bad if you're in here and MK is out on the bleachers."
"One of the guys from the team is having a party this weekend, and I told MK about it and completely forgot about our dinner and movie date tradition and when she said she wasn't going to the party because I'd forgotten, I flew off the handle and told her the tradition is stupid and that she needed to stop acting like a kid and go to parties like a normal teenager."
"Dude… that's a tough one. What did she say?" I ask the distraught teenager. He looks done before answering.
"She just slammed her locker, walked to homeroom, didn't talk to me during and ran away as soon as first period bell rang." He said lifting weights once more. "I haven't seen her since then."
"Man, you two are more like Marley and I than I thought. You can't just let this go. It's a tradition that's been with you for a long time. Just go talk to her." I tell him, smiling to myself as her changes and grabs his bag to leave.
MarleyPOV
Seeing these kids fix their problems and knowing Ryder and I helped, is a great feeling. When I saw Stephen walking out of the school with Ryder trailing behind I knew everything was going to be okay.
"MK!" Stephen yelled to his girlfriend. I watched as her head flew up, a small smile gracing her face. She stood up and met him at the end of the bleachers, giggling as he climbed the railing to be face to face with her.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Ryder asks me as he sits down behind me and wraps him arms around my shoulders.
"Actually, it went pretty well. I think I made her understand that they need to talk about things when they have problems and not just run from each other." I tell him watching him nod before I turn my attention to the teenage couple in front of me.
"I'm so sorry… I was stupid and unfair to you and your feelings. I know this tradition means a lot to you and I just threw it away." Stephen is telling MK when we focus back on them.
"It's not just your fault… I was acting like a baby. I just felt like you weren't listening to me. I thought you really didn't care anymore… I should have known I was wrong." MK says leaning her forehead against his.
"that tradition is just as important to me as it is you and almost as important to me as you are. I just forgot that for a moment. I really am sorry, love." Stephen says apologizing once more before kissing Mary Kate.
"It's okay, but if you ever suggest we go to a party over movie dinner night… I'm going to kill you." She tells him laughing.
"See man, I told you it would work out!" Ryder yells to the teens. MK blushes when she realizes we're still there. I laugh as I see Ryder and I standing in these kids position.
"Thanks for the advice… but uh… can we be alone?" Stephen asks with a look that tells us to go away.
"Just don't be late for Glee!" I yell to them as Ryder pulls me behind him towards the school.
"Ms. Rose? I have a song for this week's assignment." Lily says from her seat.
I nod. "Go on ahead." Lily smiles and goes to the piano, taking a deep breath before she starts to play.
I don't know just where I'm going
And tomorrow, it's a little overwhelming
And the air is cold
And I'm not the same anymore
I've been running in your direction
For too long now, I've lost my own reflection
And I can't look down
If you're not there to catch me when I fall
If this is the moment I stand here on my own
If this is my right of passage
That somehow leads me home
I might be afraid but it's my turn to be brave
If this is the last chance before we say goodbye
At least it's the first day of the rest of my life
I can't be afraid
'Cause it's my turn to be brave
All along all I ever wanted
Was to be the light when your life was daunting
But I can't see mine
When I feel as though you're pushing me away
Well, who's to blame?
Are we making the right choices?
'Cause we can't be sure if we're hearing our own voices
As we close the door
Even though we are so desperate to stay
If this is the moment, I stand here on my own
If this is my right of passage
That somehow leads me home
I might be afraid but it's my turn to be brave
If this is the last chance before we say goodbye
At least it's the first day of the rest of my life
I can't be afraid
'Cause it's my turn to be brave, oh, yeah, oh
And I might still cry
And I might still bleed
These thorns in my side
This heart on my sleeve
And lightning may strike
This ground at my feet
And I might still crash
But I still believe
This is the moment I stand here all alone
With everything I have inside, everything I own
I might be afraid but it's my turn to be brave
And this is the last time before we say goodbye
At least it's the first day of the rest of my life
I can't be afraid, it's my turn to be brave
"That was great! How did you find that song?" I ask her as she sits down.
"It's Idina Menzel… so duh I found it… Broadway." Lily says, laughing slightly with a roll of her eyes.
"Of course, I forgot you're a mini Rachel Berry. That was really great. Does anybody else have a song?" I ask the kids in front of me. When none of them respond I stand. "Okay, I guess you guys can go early. Remember to read my email about set lists for sectionals and the wedding."
"Hey Stars… how was the rest of your day?" Ryder asks me as I walk in the front door, tripping over toy cars, Barbie dolls and card board boxes.
"Rachel! Micheal! What have I told you about leaving your toys in front of the door?! Come pick them up, right now!" I yell as I put my stuff down and sit on the couch next to Ryder, looping my arm through his and throwing my legs over his lap. "It was a lot better, I just don't think the kids take me very seriously."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I just remember wanting to jump up and sing for every assignment we got, these kids don't seem to feel that way though. Let's not talk about that right now, it'll just stress me out. When are we going to finish unpacking all your stuff? If I trip over one more box this week, I'm throwing them on the street." We've been trying to move Ryder in for about three weeks and it seems like every time we finish one set of boxes, another comes through the door.
"Well this is the last set, I promise. It'll be over soon. If we put the kids to bed early, we could power through and finish tonight." He says. I nod and get up.
"Well then I'd better get dinner ready, shouldn't I?" I say as I walk towards the kitchen, not before hitting my toy on another toy car and cursing the whole way to the kitchen, listening to Ryder laugh from his seat in the living room.
"Where should I put these?" Ryder asks as he walks into the bedroom with two boxes in hand.
"What's in them?" I ask taking the top one from him.
"I think my mom said it was stuff from high school… I'm not sure though."
"This one is full of all your Thunderclaps! I haven't seen one of these in forever, mine are all in storage." I exclaim as I pull the yearbook from our senior year out of the box.
"I remember that!" Ryder says as he sits down beside me, pointing at the picture of us when we won class couple. "Kitty was so pissed when she didn't win."
"Yeah, she didn't talk to me for almost a week. She used to be such a drama queen." I laugh and Ryder gasps at me in disbelief.
"Used to be? She is totally still a drama queen. None of our friends have changed at all since high school." He says.
"You have."
"Yeah? How so?" Ryder asks. Heputs the yearbook back ing the box and then puts the box on the floor.
"You've matured a lot. You seem to have grown up immensely. You've really turned into this man who people know they can count on and know they can trust." I tell him smiling, playing with his hand.
"Well, you're still the same girl I met thirteen years ago, when we were sophomores. A girl who is sweet, innocent, and the most amazing girl in the history of the world." Ryder says.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not that girl anymore, Ry. I'm not so innocent and naïve anymore."
"Well, even so, I still think you're the most amazing girl in the history of the world, that's not ever going to change." He tells me again, kissing my forehead. "We should get some sleep though, we have to meet Rachel early for planning. We have to call Sam and Mercedes to see if they can watch the kids first though."
"No, let's not stress them out that early in the morning. Let me text the Glee kids and see if any of them are up for the job. They do owe me for not Telling Mr. Shue about the party they tried to throw in the school last week." I suggest, laughing at the thought of their faces when I busted them, sending out a text at the same time.
"I still can't believe he's the new principle. It's kinda weird. I always thought that when Figgins had his mental breakdown, Coach Sylvester would be put in charge."
"I know, I'd rather it be him." I agree, as my phone beeps. It's Stephen. "Stephen said he and MK can watch them, but only for like and hour… I'll ask-"
"Let my mom watch them after MK and Stephen. She'd be excited to watch them." Ryder interrupts me.
"I just don't know how the kids would react, you know? They've always been watched by people they know really well. She's basically a stranger." I say, trying to hide that I don't want her to watch them because I don't want them to be verbally attacked.
"Do it for me. I want her to see that the life we have together is something real and serious. Please? Just give her a chance, for me and for your own sanity." Ryder pleads with me.
"Fine, for you. Call her and give her Stephen's number. That way they can stay in touch in case he and MK need to leave early. Make sure she knows that she needs to be ready to come over all morning if they need her to."
"Done, Done and Done." He sits there for a moment and just looks at me.
"What?"
"Have I told you today how much I Love You?" He asks as he pulls me close and lies down.
"You know, now that you mention it, I don't think you have." Say smiling at him coyly. He laughs.
"Well, I love you so, so much."
"I love you so, so, so much too" I tell him wrapping my arms around his waist, snuggling into him.
"Good." Ryder jokes smugly.
"Forever, Ry-Ry?" I ask, my eyes drifting closed.
"Forever and Always, baby, forever and always."
