Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.
I'm sorry I didn't outline the A/U. I have taken a lot of liberties and I use a lot of different story lines from the show and shove them in here and at my whim. So some things that are happening may be from different seasons or out of chronological order to canon. I think I even have Sam the same age as Rachel and Quinn who are juniors at this point. Thanks for being patient and thanks for the review!
In the corner booth, a few of the glee club were all packed together. A waitress came to the table balancing an enormous platter laden with plates. The server began to hand out their orders and the group eyed their food hungrily. Kurt sat next to Blaine who was next to Puckerman. Brittany and Santana were sandwiched in the middle and Rachel and Finn rounded out the other side.
Although they lost placing in regionals the previous year, the experience had blurred the social lines that had separated them previously. Before their association in Glee Club, this collection of popular girls, jocks, and outcasts sitting together at a table would have been as likely as appetizing food in the school cafeteria. It had not progressed so far as to them associating outside of school so much, but this was a special occasion. Rachel was fitting the bill and no one in their right mind said no to a free dinner at Breadstix.
Finn groaned as Rachel rubbed at his shoulder. Relenting about the football practice earlier, he shook his head. "It's like I couldn't throw the ball far enough that this new guy couldn't catch it. He's batman in cleats." he flinched as Rachel worked at a knot.
"Yeah, you could tell Beaste was in heaven. Ten bones says she gets put in jail for harassment by the end of the year." Puck said, stuffing his hamburger into his mouth.
Rachel settled back down to her salad, eyeing it with scrutiny.
"Well, you have a fantastic voice Finn and will be bringing home a concert choir trophy at the end of the year. That's all that matters. Are these romaine tomatoes?!" she ended with wide, fearful eyes, the subject derailing slightly. "Anyway! Competition is healthy and it pushes us to rise to be the stars we dream to be!" Rachel said enthusiastically.
"Or in our case, sink like rocks." threw in Santana between her french fries.
Blinking, Rachel frowned in deflation at Santana's pessimism.
"Well, while it IS true that we…"
"Washed out." Brittany interjected helpfully.
"...did not place as we had hoped to in regionals last year," Rachel refused to abandon the sinking ship of the subject. "I am confident that we will win not only regionals this year but also nationals!" Again, her energy built as she spoke and Finn smiled. He really enjoyed her positive attitude and her leadership, even if it slid into bossiness and impracticality here and there. He wasn't the only one that appreciated her ambitiousness, Blaine smiled and Kurt even clapped in approval.
But Santana was not to be discouraged from her cynicism.
"Well you are off to a good start to undermine our chances Berry. Adding your little musical to our work load and bringing one of the enemy to spy on us." she nodded over to Blaine who blinked innocently.
"No no no, I'm here about the musical. Since it's open auditions, I can be be in it even if I go to Dalton."
"Exactly." Rachel hurried on, "That is why I called this meeting. Not to talk about regionals but to discuss our production of one of the most amazing musical theater pieces of all time! Les Mis."
"I've never heard of it." said Noah cluelessly and as if he couldn't care less.
Brittany leaned over to him, "It's a christmas play where they wear rollerskates and try to escape from Australia as nuns." she misinformed him with confidence.
Shaking a french fry aggressively Santana said, "It's a waste of time."
"It is just what we need to keep our creative juices flowing and give us some inspiration to be real winners this year! And it won't hurt my application for NYADA singing a main part..." Rachel rationalized, her long brunette hair pushed back with her favorite headband, "Look, I just want to set out the outline for the perfect role arraignment...suggestions."
"Isn't that up to Mr. Scheu and the other teachers to decide at auditions?" Finn asked with confusion.
Rachel shrugged. "I keep running notes on each person in glee club. Their vocal strengths and weaknesses as well as their performing characteristics. I think I have a fairly good idea of who would be good in what role."
Santana just rolled her eyes. After thinking about it for a minute Finn nodded, "I guess you're right, besides, if there was anyone else that could sing, we would know it right?"
"So do you have any roles for me and chubbers here to get some face time? We're all practiced up on any lip-locking scenes you may have."
Santana said snidely as she looked directly at Finn.
Finn's face froze and Rachel, still riding her wave of enthusiasm was looking through a notebook, "I was thinking more of the tavern wife or prostitute number #2 for you Santana."
She said it not with spite but with naive logic.
Finn couldn't believe she hadn't caught Santana's blatant blurt about his and her intimate past together.
With a desperate cough he looked back to Rachel, "So when do we have to do this?"
"First week of December we open...I'm so excited! Everything is going just how I imagined it this year!" She giggled.
Sixth period was definitely the zen session of the day. After three days of awkward, new-kid-in-school stress, McKenna sighed happily as she always did, slouching on the rickety stool in the art department. It was Friday and she let the stress drain from her fingers onto the paper she was sketching on. The art teacher had let her take some liberties as long as she was using the tools they were assigned for the week, he usually let them 'marinate in creativity' as he would said.
To say she zoned out here would be putting it mildly. Her mind often took complete vacations as she drew. This school was, on the cover, a carbon copy of other US schools she had been shoved into and jerked out of over the years. But there was something particular about this school that she could not put her finger on yet.
She was humming softly to herself when noise from the doorway across the room brought her head up. The hour had long passed and the halls were emptying of students excited to go home for the weekend. Torri had a game he was dressing for tonight so McKenna could leave anytime she wanted or stay to watch the game.
Stretching she debated internally. Going home sounded good and Torri said he could catch a ride with someone else. But her parents weren't home and she wasn't sure that their rural house wasn't haunted yet. Sighing she decided to stay but she needed some nutritionally empty snacks from the vending machine to hold her over so she cleaned up her work area and stood up to go. Pulling her shoulder strap over her head, she headed out into the hall. She almost ran straight into Tina who was carrying some music stands coming around a corner. McKenna shook her head, she had to start paying more attention.
"Wow, sorry!" Tina said.
McKenna grinned. "No problem pooch. Where are you going?"
"Pooch?" Tina blinked at her, adjusting the heavy music stands.
"Here," McKenna took a couple from her. "Can I help ya?"
Tina nodded gratefully. "Sure! If you don't mind. I'm going to the auditorium. They're doing the musical tryouts and somehow I got stuck with hauling stuff as usual."
Following Tina, McKenna said, "Oh cool, what musical?"
"Les Mis?"
McKenna made an 'oh' with her lips and the girls made their way through the halls. She remembered that announcement from band now.
The clunky combat boots McKenna wore echoed through the emptying school. She wore a jean skirt that came just above her knees and a fitted, zip up hoodie with furry, stuffed toy ears sewn to the hood of her own creation.
She turned to Tina who seemed to be distracted by her thoughts, "So how did a high school get the rights to do Les Mis?" she asked her.
Tina shrugged, "You don't know Rachel Berry?" she asked like the name explained everything.
McKenna shook her head.
"Well this girl is one huge mess of OCD and Narcissism and she can sing too. I think she will actually make it to broadway someday. Even if it's by brute force. Anyway, the rumor is that she's written the composers and producers since she was 9 and they've given her special permission when the restraining order didn't go through because she's a minor."
Tina turned into the open doors of the auditorium and McKenna followed. A few students mulled around in the low house lights.
All auditorium's smelled like this: a aromatic cocktail of years of paint, glue, plywood, the burn of spotlights and starched costumes.
Walking down the incline towards the stage the girls sat the stands down in the orchestra pit.
"I never saw any notices for the tryouts…" McKenna said, looking around. She was surprised at the low number of students waiting to try out for such a name as Les Mis.
Tina nodded. "Yeah, for someone as good as Berry, she's super paranoid and insecure. She put up the flyers, just in places no one would ever see them or wouldn't care. Mostly in the library where they keep the actual books, boys bathroom, math lab and volunteer center. They did announce it the first couple days of class, right after Principle Figg's weird 'welcome back to school' speech that puts everyone to sleep and no one understands him on the PA anyway. Not that it would matter. Everyone who can really sing and cares is in glee club. I'm surprised they're even holding tryouts." She said the last part with a scoff.
McKenna looked at the stage in silence as she listened.
Les Mis was one of her favorite stories. One that the adaptation to a musical hadn't ruined it but brought it to life. She felt like she was teetering on a decision. She needed one more activity to satisfy her graduation requirements and this was an opportunity that would probably never come again.
The magic of being in theatrics appealed to her just as much as anyone even if she hated to admit it. But drama was just that, drama. She had never fit in with other thespians in past schools and always felt that the friction of competition strained any friendships made.
She also thought too much, she knew that.
Glancing at a group of newcomers, the blonde guitar boy caught her eye as he and a couple other of the glee club members entered the room.
Remembering his unique, warm smile, she pulled her hoodie off her head.
"I'm going to try out." Her own sudden blurt surprised her as much as Tina.
She looked at McKee with raised eyebrows. "You're in orchestra aren't you McKee? They conflict don't they? Besides, tryouts are halfway over."
An ear piercing whistle brought everyone in the room's head around to Mr. Schuester who was standing behind a table set up in an isle in the middle of the auditorium.
"Everyone who is going for a lead please go to room 35 across the hall and check in. Someone hold Brit's hand in the hallway so we don't have to have the police search dogs come in again to find her...Chorus people just stay in here and we'll get ya in and out quick. Oh, please hand in the forms you filled out to Mrs. Keer who's sitting on stage right there." he projected then sat down.
Joining him was the critical looking woman from the trophy room. Also Ms. Pillsbury smiled sweetly as she sat down at the table. Obviously they were the casting panel.
McKenna shrugged, "Yeah. I'm trying out." she confirmed.
Tina looked worried, "McKee, you should check with Mrs. Winkleman maybe."
"Look, I'm going to go for a lead. If the dice are loaded like you say then I have nothing to worry about. I won't stay for a chorus ok? Besides, I'm 3rd in line to play guitar anyway. I'll have to bring my homework to do on performance nights just to stay awake."
She looked over at the exiting glee clubbers as they left the room feeling a little bit of apprehension suddenly eating at the edges of her enthusiasm. Swallowing she started to follow the group walking out the door. Then she paused and looked back at Tina.
"Are you coming? Aren't you in glee club?"
"Oh I already checked in and stuff...um, good luck." Tina offered almost in pity.
In the hall, two of the cheerleaders, the tall blonde and the dark haired girl leaned against room 35's doorway.
"Excuse me." McKee said brightly as she scooted around them into the doorway. They looked at her oddly like someone would a stray puppy wandering in the school.
She came in the room where two ladies were taking papers and talking to each student with familiarly. There didn't seem to be a line or instructions of any kind so McKenna sat down in a chair against the wall and waited for the crowd to die down. Rachel Berry came in talking loudly to none other than Quinn Fabray. McKenna slouched down in the chair as if it would help her blend into the background.
"I think with your brushy alto, Cosette will be a little bit of a challenge but don't worry Quinn, I'll work with you on the high notes…"
They all seemed so focused and excited no one noticed McKenna sitting quietly. The group the blonde boy was in consisted of two other guys now and she could hear them talking about the game tonight as they walked back out of the room. After almost a good half hour, the last of them left the room. McKenna stood and went to one of the ladies who was marking something on the papers she had collected.
The woman didn't look up at her so she cleared her throat, "Um hi. I'd like to try out."
The woman throated, "Hmmm?"
"Do I need to fill out something? Like a paper or something?" McKenna asked, absentmindedly twisting her long hair.
The woman straightened up and looked at her.
"What? Oh, the chorus is in the other room sweetheart."
"I know, I wanted to try out for a lead." McKenna smiled.
The woman looked confused.
"What was your name?" she asked.
"McKenna Bringhurst."
The woman's brow furrowed as she eyed a paper.
"I don't have your name down. Have you spoken with Mr. Scheuster? This production is being done on the glee club's budget so he has to give the ok."
Shaking her head, McKenna frowned.
"Go talk to him sweetie." The woman said dismissively and looked down.
All the others had gone now and McKenna thanked the woman and headed back to the auditorium. It definitely was the strangest tryouts she had been to. A line of probably 15 students sat up on the stage, each in turn got up and sang a line from one of the songs in the musical. A quick, 'thanks' from the panel of three at the table moved the progression quickly. This must still be the chorus tryouts, McKenna thought and she started to walk over to the table of teachers.
The last person on the stage finished and Mr. Scheuster stood up again, his voice echoing.
"Ok, look for the casting that will be posted on Monday outside of the music room. Good job everyone."
Mckenna blinked, that was, fast. She started to step up to the table which was surrounded with people when Scheuster called out.
"Oh, everyone for leads on stage please. All other questions please wait."
The glee kids began to climb to the stage and McKenna shrugged and followed them. Tina waved at her weakly from the other side of the stage and McKee grinned back at her, crossing her eyes which brought a smile to Tina's face.
Again, she felt invisible as the group amassed, talking to each other and laughing. McKenna was content to be patient and stood at the back near a drum set she began to examine casually.
She was startled when someone touched her shoulder and she turned around.
"Excuse me band kid." said Rachel intensely, "Could you tell the brass section to please try to stay in tune on the reprises and half cadences? It really dampers my coloratura. I know it's usually only one person but really this is important and I need a strong horn sound on the crescendos."
A couple of the other glee members looked back at her including the blonde boy who gave her a smile of recognition. McKenna blinked then started to reply when Rachel's name echoed through air and she grinned giddily and ran onto the stage. Confidently, the girl introduced herself and then sang masterfully a show tune. Then she sang a section of the solo for the character Eponine which was obviously the role she was going for. Her voice was awesome and she sang with emotion and moved around the stage smoothly. She had a edgy pop sound to her well trained voice. After she was finished she was instructed to sing a duet with a boy named Finn. They were obviously dating or something close to it judging from the way they smiled with adoring eyes at each other.
The others were called next. No one for the same part, as if it had been decided already.
The blonde boy walked out when they called his name, 'Sam'. McKenna smiled at this then quickly caught herself. He seemed cool, that was all, she told herself and stopped her thoughts there.
Tina was right, every one of the group could sing and perform well. McKenna felt the intimidation pressing on her when the last of the glee kids, Kurt, finished singing with another boy with black hair the leads for the revolutionaries.
Scheuster spoke up, "Ok. We've gotta wrap it up so the guys can make it to the game. Thanks and we'll see ya Monday."
Everyone began to disperse. McKenna looked over at Tina who shrugged. Taking a breath, McKenna walked out onto the stage and said as confidently as she could.
"Um, excuse me! I'd like to try out too?"
She drew only the attention of a few of the departing kids. Kurt who stopped in front of Sam and a girl named Mercedes turned and made the others look back at her too. But at the table, Mr. Scheuster was speaking with . The other woman was rubbing her head like she was nursing a migraine.
"Mr. Scheuster?" McKenna elevated her voice, "I would like to try out please."
The Glee director brought his attention to her as Ms. Pillsbury pointed at McKenna. It seemed the whole auditorium turned to look, the chatter dying down completely into an awkward silence.
Mr. Scheuster looked at her strangely, as if trying to recognize her then came to himself and said, "Oh, um. Sorry, we are finished. I didn't see that we'd missed anyone. Did you miss the chorus section?" He was looking down on a list.
Ms. Pillsbury leaned over whispering in his ear.
"Um no, I wanted to try for a lead?" McKenna was beginning to realize the dynamic of the situation now. Tina was right, the vocal talent really was mostly in glee and it seemed that few others bothered to try to enter the bubble of their activities, unless it involved an unexpected slushie.
McKenna's statement got a giggle from someone and a few sympathy smiles from the rest.
The stern blonde woman leaned forward, cutting Scheuster's reply off.
"You look like you walked off of an anime cartoon, not like you're here to seriously try out for what is surely going to be the most pathetic disaster of a production ever performed in history young lady."
Nodding McKenna laughed along with the rest, "Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't know about the tryouts until they started."
A few heads turned to look at Rachel who was sitting in the row of seats behind the panel's table.
"What?" she said obliviously.
"So, you want to try out for a lead role? Aren't you in Mrs. Winkleman's class? You look familiar?" Mr. Scheuster intervened.
"Yes." Said a voice behind them and Mrs. Winkleman came in with her arms folded across her chest walking up to the teacher's table.
Nodding to her, Mr. Scheuster shrugged, "Well orchestra schedule is conflicting so, sorry...what was your name?"
Mrs. Winkleman bent over to speak to him in a normal voice, making it hard to hear from the stage. McKenna blushed and she felt guilty for not asking her teacher first now. The four adults spoke quietly to each other for a moment, leaving her on the stage shifting nervously as the other students began to murmur again with muffled laughs. This was probably not as good an idea as she had thought, she began to inch off to the safe cover of the curtains, resolved to never step foot in the room again.
"Let her try Mr. Scheu."
McKenna turned at the statement. It was Sam. A couple of the others including Tina nodded. Mr. Scheuster looked from Mrs. Winkleman and a smile spread across his face.
"Mrs. Winkleman said that if you make it she'll accommodate you...what part are you going for?"
The band teacher took a seat in the audience, her face unreadable. It took McKenna a moment to catch up and she shook her head to focus.
"Um I like Eponine, but any you think I would fit." As she said it she saw Rachel gasp.
"We've found our Jean Val Jean!" said Kurt sarcastically and everyone laughed.
Mr. Scheuster put his hands up, shushing the crowd, "Ok well um, do you have something you could sing for us then? We're really short on time…"
"I didn't bring any music for accompaniment, but I'll just do a capella if that's ok? Do you want something from the musical?"
"Um, why don't you do something else, variety you know." Mr. Scheuster said.
"Ok, this is Standchen, by Scheubert." McKenna shrugged. There was a collective groan from the darkened crowd.
She took a breath and felt the silent introduction in her mind then let the music out. The sound floated and flowed through the air sweetly, touching each note melodically and movingly. The low murmur in the auditorium dropped off. Everyone stopped and listened in stunned silence. The dynamics of each tone rang like a violin's hollow resonance as McKenna sang the German song.
She hadn't heard anyone do a classical song but it was the only one she could bring to memory at the time. Even Rachel, leaned forward in her chair, her mouth slightly opened. Everything about the song and voice pulled in the senses and as the last few notes hung in the air there was quiet.
Mr. Scheuster cleared his throat, about to speak but someone started clapping, Tina. Then more joined in. The applause only lasted seconds as Scheuster raised his hand again for quiet.
"Alright. Ok. Thank you. Um…" he seemed at a loss.
The stern woman stood, her face set.
"Do you know any of the songs from the play...musical, whatever?"
McKenna nodded.
They directed her to sing a couple of the varying songs and she did so but they cut her off after only a few bars on each.
Mr. Scheuster finally stood up and called out, "Ok that's great, again, casting will be posted on Monday. Have a good weekend everyone."
Mr. Scheuster called and instantly he was flooded by the glee members surrounding him, talking over each other and looking back at McKenna. Mrs. Winkleman, who had come down to the pit called up to McKenna. Giving Sam a quick wave she moved down to where her teacher stood expectantly.
"Mrs. Winkleman…" she started.
"I am very disappointed McKenna. I let you in the orchestra with the strict understanding that you would commit to doing your best for us." she said calmly.
Looking down sheepishly, McKenna nodded.
"I know. I couldn't give you one good reason why I did it. I'm sorry. Is it too late to blame it on harebrained teenagehood?" she scrunched her apologetic face up.
To her surprise, Mrs. Winkleman's eyes did soften and she stepped closer.
"Well, given what I just heard. I am kind of glad you did do it. Yes you should have told me, but talent like that should be shared. Like I said, since you probably will be cast, I will let you do some make-up work, but I want your commitment for the rest of the year. That means no glee club. I know you need the extra curricular arts credits and I'll help you with that. But please speak to me first before you go head first into something like this again?"
With a humbled nod McKenna smiled, "Yes Ma'am." came the automatic military response.
"Good. I'll see you next week." She left McKenna alone but relieved.
A/N: Wow that was long. I wasn't very happy with this chapter but I had to get a lot of stuff in there. Thanks baring with me!