Chapter Three: Chasing Pavements
Mr. Schuester has been excited and nervous for his first glee club meeting of the year, due to the impending news he had to share with his students. After twenty-years of teaching, he'd be retiring to spend more time at home with Emma and their daughter Caitlin, who resided in Florida where she was attending college. As he placed the sheet music on the piano, he stared at the empty seats in the choir room. In five minutes, his students would be filing in and he would stare at the miniature versions of his first glee clubbers. It seemed strange that twenty years had gone by when he had become the new director of New Directions. Memories flooded him as remembered five kids singing "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat", he remembered blackmailing star-quarterback Finn Hudson into joining glee club, he remembered the time when Rachel Berry nearly kicked Mercedes Jones in the face, and as the memories continued tears began to blind his vision. He was going to miss the choir room and the memories it held. This year was his final year to obtain his first Nationals championship and he would stop at nothing to get it.
He heard the bell ring and composed himself. He couldn't let the kids see him cry. It was only the first week of school; he had plenty of time to come to terms with his retirement. This is what he wanted he remembered, wiping the last tear on his sleeve. The kids would understand… wouldn't they? He watched as the filed into the choir room, leaving their assignments on the piano. They filled their seats silently as Will took a deep breath. It was now or never.
"Good afternoon," he said as cheerfully as possible, while the kids nodded their heads and replied with a good afternoon in unison.
"Alright so let's get this thing started. I'd like to, first, welcome Claire Abrams as the newest member of the New Directions," he said as Claire grinned.
"I'm so excited to be here Mr. Schuester. I've been brainstorming all week about the songs I hope to sing," Claire stated as Will laughed. He enjoyed Claire's enthusiasm and bubbly personality. He known all of them since their births and although he'd never admit it, he always held a soft spot for Claire. She always put him in a good mood.
"I'm glad to hear it Claire, I can't wait for you to sing everything you've had in mind; however I do have some news of my own that I'd like to share with you guys."
"Is it that you love us Mr. Schue? 'Cause we love you too," Susan joked with Will chuckling at her response.
"I know that and on that note, I've watched you kids grow up to be amazing adults and I've never been more proud as to how you've learned to handle yourselves. So I'm saddened to tell you that this will be my last year as the coach of New Directions," Will said, swallowing the large lump that was lodged in his throat. He heard the kids gasp as they stared at him with wide eyes.
"What? Mr. Schue, are you serious?" Samantha questioned.
"After this year, like some of you, I'll be leaving. I've had twenty amazing years coaching this glee club. I saw kids grow to become adults with big dreams and I'd later see those adults achieve those dreams and have children who have the same potential as they did at sixteen. I've had the fortune to watch the ten of you grow up and I know that beyond these choir room walls, I'm still going to be a part of your lives. I just thought you guys should know sooner rather than later," Will finished. He saw Chelsea sit upright in her chair with tears forming in her eyes.
"We're going to get you that Nationals trophy Mr. Schue; no matter it takes. Whether it's extra dance practices or vocal lessons, we are going to beat Vocal Adrenaline and whatever other competitors come our way. We made it to Nationals last year and we can do it again. You deserve this Mr. Schue. We deserve this," Chelsea replied as the rest of the choir room smiled and cheered in agreement.
"I agree with Chels, Mr. Schue. We deserve this and as co-captain of this team, I think we can use all the practice we can get. We're good Mr. Schue, there's no denying that, but we need to be great because I know we can do this. Like you said, for Sam, Max, and I this is our last year to get it right. We're a family and I refuse to let family down. We're too important to each other," Tyler replied causing everyone to look at him in awe. Tyler wasn't much for words. He and Sam usually made arrangements together and it was usually Sam who brought them to the table and shared them with the entire glee club.
"I'm really proud of you guys and I have complete faith that you guys are going to get me that championship, which is why I have an idea. For the past twenty years, New Directions has been doing an array of different musical genres. So I'm thinking this year we should reinvent the covers that have been previously done. Give a sense of nostalgia to the judges," Mr. Schue began as he wrote theme week on the white board behind him. He knew he should have thrown that whiteboard out years ago but something wouldn't let him. He always felt that the choir room should be a place of simplicity.
"Mr. Schuester. I have an idea. It's just something I thought of," Kevin said, causing the rest of the glee clubbers to stare at him in disbelief. Kevin never spoke in glee club. Sure, he talked to them sometimes but he never offered ideas before.
"I'm sure whatever your idea is it's going to be great Kev. What did you have in mind?" Sam asked. Kevin gave her a little smile. Sam had always been so nice to him growing up. She always made it a point to talk to him even when she knew he didn't want to be bothered.
"What if we cover all the songs our parents did twenty years ago? We could split up the material based upon what our parents have sung. I know that maybe some of our parents sang more than others but there has to be some old video footage right?" Kevin chimed, growing silent and flushed as the other glee clubbers contemplated his idea.
"Kevin, that's a great idea!" Stephanie responded to his question. She really did think it was a great idea. She'd love to reprise some of her mother's old songs that she sang. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe they had a shot at winning the whole thing.
"Yeah, I think it's cool too. We can incorporate some of the stuff the Warblers did. Char and I can definitely ask dad about the songs they covered. It might be good vocal stuff for the both of us. It will definitely expand our range," Max agreed. He watched as a smile crept onto Kevin's face. For some strange reason, Max always felt connected to Kevin. They were outcasts who didn't know where they fit in high school. He identified with him.
"These ideas are great and all and I hate to be a downer, but didn't most of Aunt Rachel's repertoire consist of Broadway numbers. Sam refuses to do Broadway, remember," Charlotte pointed out. Mr. Schuester glanced over at Sam to see her arms crossed over chest and her head down in embarrassment.
"Charlotte if you want it, it's yours. I know she did 'Don't Rain on My Parade' for Sectionals in her sophomore year and I know how much you love Barbara Streisand. Don't let me stand in your way," Sam said quietly, hearing Charlotte squeal in delight. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Tate giving her a sympathetic smile.
"For what it's worth Sam, I'd think you'd be great if you did that number," Tate replied. Sam grabbed his hand with hers and mouthed a thank-you to him. She watched as Tyler nudged her knee and she smiled lightly at his touch. She was really glad they were all there for her. They knew her parents were never around and that she needed some form of support.
"Alright guys now that we've come up with these great suggestions, I want you all to go home and start doing some research but there is a catch. For my final year, I'd like all your parents to come out and show their support at your competitions, so I will be extending an invite to your parents to accompany us to Sectionals in three months. So with that being said, let's keep this theme quiet from them and make it a surprise. I will see you guys tomorrow afternoon during your shared free period," Mr. Schuester concluded. As the bell sounded off, he watched the kids grab their bags. He watched Sam, who was the last to leave the choir room, and stopped her before she exited the door.
"Hey Sam, if you want the Broadway numbers you can have them. Don't feel like you have to hand them over to Charlotte every time," Will told her. She shifted her bag higher onto her shoulder.
"It's fine Mr. Schue. Charlotte can take them; she's got the range for it anyways. Oh and about inviting my parents, you can try but I doubt they'll come. They've been spending a lot of time in New York with Barbara recently so I don't know if they'll be able to make it. Just thought I wouldn't let you waste your time on a lost cause," she told him as she turned her back towards him.
"Your parents love you Sam," he assured her, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"I know, I'm just not sure how much," she replied sadly over her shoulder. Mr. Schuester rubbed his forehead in contemplation as he watched her leave. He never knew when Rachel and Finn became this way but he was determined to find out why.
~gLee~
Sam entered the garage of Hummel's Auto Body Shop at a quarter after four. Aside from the choir room, the garage was her home away from home. She loved coming in to work on the cars with the guys and forget about everything for a little while. With her dad gone, the shop needed an extra hand so when Grandpa Burt offered her a job, she couldn't refuse. Technically, Finn ran the shop but it was always left to Puck when Finn went out of town. She liked working with Uncle Puck, who was surprised by her knowledge of cars.
"Well good afternoon little miss," replied the familiar voice that made Sam smile every time she walked into the shop.
"Good afternoon Tony. How are you? How's Mrs. Torres?" Sam asked, greeting him with a pleasant smile. Tony Torres has been around for as long as she could remember and worked closely next to her grandfather; however Burt left due to complications with his health while Tony stayed to make sure things were getting done the way Burt wanted them done.
"Mrs. Torres is doing wonderful and I'm doing okay, a little tired," he replied, wiping the grease off his hands and onto his uniform. For a man over the age of 60, Tony was still really great with cars. He would always tell Sam stories of his past and his relationship with Mrs. Torres. It always made Sam smile to hear stories like Tony and Mrs. Torres because she hoped that she would find a love like theirs. As Sam through her jumpsuit over her regular clothes, she tied her hair back into a sleek ponytail.
"Well, Tony, why don't you leave a little early? I'll cover whatever needs to be done for you. I'm sure Mrs. Torres would love for you to be home for dinner for once. You have been working late a lot, take some time for yourself. It only looks like a few oil and tire changes, don't think it should be too much of a problem," Sam said with a smile, as she looked up from her sheet. She always made it a point to let Tony leave early on some days. He really did put a lot of effort into this place and she didn't want him to be stressed out.
"I can't ask you to do that little miss," he said, tapping her nose lightly. He gave her a wink as he went to climb up the ladder.
"Please Tony, I insist. I'm sure Sylvia would love it and she'd be so surprised. Please I promise I'll do a good job," Sam insisted. She could hear Tony sigh as he walked down off the ladder, placing his feet firmly on the ground.
"I'd listen to her Tony, she's like Burt. Once she puts her mind to something, there's no changing it," Puck replied from underneath the car. Sam and Tony both chuckled as they were unaware that Puck had been listening to their conversation.
"Alright kiddo you win. Thank you and as a token of my appreciation, I'm sure Sylvia will have cookies made for you tomorrow," Tony replied, wiping his hands on his handkerchief.
"Tony, you sure do know a way to a girl's heart," Sam replied, kissing his cheek lightly. He gave her a light hug and walked towards his car leaving Sam to fix the five cars he had left.
"It's a good thing you know what you're doing kid," Puck said, hitting her lightly on the back. Picking up her tools, Sam began to work and hummed to herself. She only hoped that she'd be done by seven.
~gLee~
Tyler couldn't shake the feeling that something would be happening tonight with Charlotte. He liked Charlotte but he knew about her reputation. He didn't want to jeopardize their friendship and his friendship with Sam. What if something did happen between them tonight? He didn't have that great of a reputation either with women but this was Sam's cousin. He couldn't do that to her. He wouldn't do that to her because lately she was all he could think about. He didn't even know why he kept thinking about her. They were best friends. So what if Charlotte did try something tonight? He and Charlotte were single; they could do whatever they wanted… right?
He rang the doorbell and waited patiently on her steps. He'd been here so many times before but he still couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach. Shifting his backpack on his shoulders, he saw as Blaine answered the door.
"Good afternoon Ty. Charlotte said we be expecting you. Already behind I see," Blaine said with a chuckle. Tyler laughed with him. Everyone knew that someone needed to be on his ass for his homework or it wouldn't be done.
"Yeah Uncle Blaine, first week back and I'm already behind. Maybe I could put laziness and procrastination on my college applications," Tyler joked as Blaine let him inside. He liked Uncle Blaine. He was a really cool guy to talk to.
"Hey, they could count it as an extracurricular! How are your parents doing?" Blaine asked.
"They're doing great, have their hands full with Jess but she's still young and Dad's been working a lot lately. Apparently he and Sam have a bunch of cars to fix this week. Bad accident on the freeway from my understanding," Tyler explained as he watched Blaine nod his head. Blaine understood Puck's dilemma as he too had been swamped with work recently and with a kid going to college out of state things would become expensive.
"That's good to hear. Well we'll be having our annual dinner party in two weeks so make sure to extend the invite to your parents. You know how your Uncle Kurt gets and before you leave I'll give you all the information for them. Now, I have to get back to some work but Charlotte's upstairs in her room," Blaine told Tyler as he walked into the den.
"Thanks Uncle Blaine, I'll definitely let them know. Don't work yourself too hard," Tyler said as he sprinted up the stairs. He knocked on her door gently and heard her telling him to come in. As the handle of the door clicked, he saw her attire: a tank top and booty shots. Dear Lord, he murmured under his breath, trying to divert his attention away from her and onto something in the room.
"Hey Ty," she said. He placed his bag onto the ground and stared at the ground. Whatever you do Tyler, do not stare. Do not stare, he reprimanded himself. Why'd she have to dress like that and make it so damn hard for him not to stare?
"Hi, we should probably get to work," he mumbled, his attention still diverted to the ground. He wasn't going to give in and stare. He could hear her moving closer to him as a knot began to form in his throat.
"I really wasn't considering this a work date," she said, bringing his eyes to meet hers. As she leaned forward, he placed his arms on her shoulder and backed away. She stared at him in surprise. No guy had ever moved away from her advances and she, definitely, didn't think that Tyler Puckerman would be the first guy to do that. He had the same reputation as she did. He was the perfect conquest.
"We-we-we can't do this," he stuttered. He grabbed his bag off the floor and headed towards the door.
"And why not? Come on Ty, let's be honest here. You and I are exactly alike. Why can't you see it?" she asked, once again moving closer to him. He closed his eyes as he felt her breath on him. He shouldn't have come. He should have known better.
"I can't do this to Sam," he blurted out, catching her off guard. Sam? This had to do with her cousin. Of course it does, she thought to herself as she shook her head at him. She couldn't believe it. Leave it to her cousin to take another thing away from her.
"What the hell does Sam have to do with us? Don't you get it Ty, you're her buddy not her love interest. Next year she's not even going to care about you. She's probably leaving this god forsaken town and never going to look back and if you think that you're included in that plan then you're wrong," Charlotte stated angrily.
"Don't talk about her that way. Sam isn't like that, she'd never forget about me and our friendship," he replied with certainty. Now he was pissed. Screw what Charlotte thought. She didn't know there friendship and Sam may have been her cousin, but she didn't know her like he does.
"Don't be so naïve Tyler. One more year and she's gone. You know it, I know it, and so does everyone in glee club and McKinley. She's not meant for this town, unlike the rest of us. When are you going to see that," Charlotte retaliated.
"You're wrong. I'm out of here and you can forget this partnership. I'm not that desperate since, according to you, I'm not good enough to get out of this crapfest of a town," Tyler yelled, slamming the door behind him. She stood there speechless. She really screwed up this time and it was all thanks to her cousin. Again.
~gLee~
Hope you guys enjoyed this newest chapter. Look for more updates considering I'm done school for the year. Love you all and thank you for reading!
Sam
