Chapter Four: Audition
"Okay guys, today we have a new student who would like to try out for Glee Club. Everyone please give a warm welcome to Miss Melodie Bloom."
Ten faces stared with interest, two with disbelief, at the petite girl in her colorful and mismatched getup. Her cheeks pinked a little bit, but her shoulders were squared and she met every pair of eyes with open defiance. Melodie Bloom shied away before no one. Mr. Shuester sat down at the piano and looked at her expectantly.
"Well, Melodie, what would you like to sing for us today?" Melodie looked at him, a little uncertainly, and then turned to the band.
"Um, do you guys know 'Only Happy When It Rains' by Garbage?" A few eyebrows raised around the room, but she wasn't paying any attention to them, her eyes intent upon the band's response. One guy with shaggy, sand-colored hair and big glasses—she supposed he was their leader—nodded minutely, and the band struck up the opening chords.
"I'm only happy when it rains. I'm only happy when it's complicated. And though I know you can't appreciate it, I'm only happy when it rains. You know I love it when the music's bad. Oh why's it feel so good to feel so sad? I'm only happy when it rains…"
Despite the fact that only a few of the members of the club had ever listened to Garbage—Rachel, because she listened to ALL music, and Puck because he'd had the hots for the lead singer when he was, like, twelve—they found themselves getting into it.
My only comfort is the night gone black...I didn't accidentally tell you that. I'm only happy when it rains.
It was a different kind of music than they usually sang. It was raw with emotion but subdued, somehow, and Melodie's voice and general manner complimented the mood of the song perfectly. She really got into it, tapping her foot to the beat, gesturing with her hands, and flipping her head as she sang so that her short, multicolored hair spiked around her face. She looked like a rock star.
"You'll get the message by the time I'm through…when I complain about me and you, I'm only happy when it rains."
By the time the song was over, the entire club was dancing and singing along, even the initially skeptical Kurt and Mercedes. She was good…not their usual by any means, but good, and she fit a niche none of the rest of them had yet claimed for their own. Within the space of ten minutes, Melodie found herself being accepted into the Glee Club with much less ruffling of feathers than usually would have gone on…though of course she couldn't be expected to know that. Smiling at their congratulations, she took a seat on the other side of Kurt, and while Mr. Shue began to talk about their assignment for the week, she leaned over conspiratorially.
"Hey, Kurt, right?"
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to point out that there's no way in hell Avril Lavigne could ever mix baby pink and camo and make it work."
Kurt whipped his head around to stare at the new girl, but she had leaned back in her chair and was listening intently to Mr. Shuester, not even the hint of a smirk on her face to confirm that he'd just heard what he thought he'd heard.
Great, he thought sourly, that's just great. It isn't bad enough Karofsky terrorizes me in the hallways; now Karofskette is going to be pulling mental sneak attacks during Glee practice too! He huffed internally and turned his attention back to Mr. Shue, just in time to miss the smirk find its way onto Melodie's mouth after all.
