Chapter 3:

AN: I finally finished school for the summer yay! Anyway, enjoy this chapter- the drama and romance element will start to appear more in the next few chapters. I know this chapter's a bit shorter than usual but the next one's about 3700 again!

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Previously on The New New Directions: The kids auditioned for Glee Club, Aria and Rachel had an argument about Finn and singing, and Beth, Quinn and Puck had some family time.

Marley had accepted mostly everyone who auditioned for the Glee Club, and the first meeting was on Monday. She had been in LA with her husband Jake for the past few years working on their careers, her as a recording artist and him as a dancer, while also raising their twins Jasmine and Matt. But Marley had always wanted to do something, bigger. Something like Mr Schue had done. So they came back home, and she argued with the chair of the school board until he finally agreed that she could take over the club, with a limited budget. That was okay though, her two albums had sold well and she had a lot of money to make up anything that wasn't covered by the school's budget. Although, she did need to get enough kids to even be able to compete. So far she had seven: her niece Beth, Beth's friend Aisha, Rachel's daughter Aria, Mr and Mrs Schuester's son Daniel, their friends Liam and Natalia, and Finn and Kurt's sister Maeve. That was a good start though, and Marley was determined that it would all work out.

She walked into the choir room confidently, re-introduced herself to those who didn't know her, saying they should call her Marley, and tried her best to hide the fact that she was scared. The principal had also told her that if she got the club to Nationals to represent the school then McKinley would fund it, otherwise they'd have to disband it again. She wasn't going to tell the kids that though, at least not yet, she didn't want to scare them away. Glee had always been a place for fun and joy, and she wasn't going to ruin that.

"I know it might not seem like there's many of you, but this Glee Club has started with a lot worse." Marley said. She took a pen from beside the board as Mr Schue and Finn had done before her. Then she wrote on, New Beginnings. "This is a fresh start for our show choir, with a new generation," Marley explained. "And I think if we all work hard, and have fun, it's going to be an amazing experience and journey for all of us." All of the kids looked pretty excited, although Aria was trying to hide her enthusiasm. "I want you all to sing songs about new beginnings, because that's what this is for us."

"Hey Aisha," Aisha heard Beth's voice behind her. She turned around to see the blonde jogging up to her. "Want to sing a duet in Glee Club?"

Aisha glanced around self-consciously but no-one had heard them talking about singing together.

"Aish," Beth said. "Seriously, no-one cares one if we're in Glee Club. It doesn't make us any less awesome." She linked her arm through her best friend's. "In fact it makes us more awesome for going for what we want." Aisha bit her lip, but agreed, on condition that they didn't sing a love song, she was tired of those. "Sure!" Beth hugged her and then darted through the doorway to her next class.

Beth could make her do anything with those hazel eyes and that pout, she would really be the death of her.

At the end of that day it was Glee Club again. Beth and Aisha were the first ones there, after Beth had pulled her best friend out of her seat the moment the bell rang at the end of the day. She told Marley that they wanted to sing, gave the band members the music that she had printed out at lunch, while Aisha pulled out two stools. She could tell that Beth was really excited, and she was partially too, but she was also a little worried.

"Alright everyone," Marley said once the others had arrived. "We have a few volunteers for today, first up…. Beth and Aisha!"

Beth gave Aisha a comforting smile and then started to sing an acoustic version of the Taylor Swift song, Aisha kept eye contact with Beth the whole time, as they smiled at each other.

Beth: So we've been outnumbered
Raided and now cornered
It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair
Aisha: You can walk away, say we don't need this
Beth: But there's something in your eyes
Says we can beat this

Beth and Aisha: 'cause these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
This revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we'll sing hallelujah, we'll sing hallelujah

The other members of the Glee Club clapped whilst the two cheerleaders hugged.

"Well done girls," Marley said. "That was amazing!" Beth and Aisha sat back down with the others. "Any other volunteers?"

At the end of the week everyone had performed and when the Glee kids came into the choir room, 'New Beginnings' was wiped off the board.

Marley walked in and came to the front of the room. "We've had a great first week. I've seen that you are all very talented kids and I know that's going to attract some more people. What do you say to perform at the assembly next Friday to attract more people who want their voices heard, but were too scared to try out?"

The kids all glanced at each other. "Are you sure that's a good idea Marley?" Maeve asked. "The other kids at this school aren't exactly supportive, and we haven't had much experience."

Marley looked at them all. "Hasn't this week taught you guys that we need to throw ourselves out there, besides, this IS our experience."

Danny shrugged, "I'm in." Natalia looked at him. It was unlike him to go for something like this straight away.

"Me too," Aria said decidedly.

Natalia wasn't convinced. "Do you two really think this is a good idea?" She asked her friends. In her experience, it was best not to wake the sleeping giant.

Danny stood up. "Guys, we can't be scared all our lives. And anyway, we have each other."

Liam nodded. "I'm in." Maeve agreed too. Everyone was looking at Natalia.

"Okay fine!" She relented. Danny was right. Friends were what had helped her get through her mess of a life. At her old middle school, she'd been the target of racism because of her Mexican immigrant status, but when she'd transferred to Lima, she had found friends in Liam, Aria and Danny. They had defended her from bullies and made her feel like she finally belonged somewhere. Now it was her time to return the favour.

As the seven member show choir waited to perform, Aria headed over to her best friend.

"That- being the first one to say you wanted to perform- was really brave Danny," She said, sitting down on the floor beside him where he was tying the laces of his dance shoes.

He looked up at her and cracked a smile. "Someone had to do it, otherwise this club would have been over already, if we could never get up the nerve to perform."

Aria nodded her agreement. "I never told you about what happened that day at my house after we signed up for Glee Club, what happened between my mom and I after you left I mean."

"Ar, you don't have to do that-" Danny started but Aria interrupted.

"I want to tell you," She said. "You're my best friend." She rested her head on his shoulder and started to talk.

"After you went downstairs my mom didn't say anything for a long time." Aria continued. "She sat down on my bed, and turned her head away from me, and I didn't know what to do. I knew it had been really wrong and horrible of me to say what I did about not doing it for my dad's memory, I knew that was cruel, and completely untrue. So I sat down next to her and I kept apologising and saying how sorry I was, but then I heard this little noise, and I could tell she was trying to keep that she was crying away from me. So I stopped talking, and I lay across her lap like I used to do when I was younger and it was just me and her and she'd tell me these stories about a tall, goofy, brave guy, and I asked her to tell me a story." A tear slid down Aria's cheek and she brushed it away before Danny could see, then stood up. "It must be almost time to perform." She looked up at the ceiling, imagining through the roof where the star would be that her dad had named 'Finn Hudson' as a present for her mom to remind her that he would always be looking down on her. "Wish me luck daddy," She whispered.

Sam was standing on the bleachers during the assembly. As they waited for the Glee Club to perform, a brunette girl came down the lines, handing out flyers that read 'Geek Club Stinks! Share the Hate!' It was painted over the original poster reading 'Glee Club Rules! Share the Love!'

Sam grabbed the posters from all the people around him and shoved them in the trash. He didn't teach her, but there was only one person that girl could be, Robin Sylvester. She was famous around the school for her bad attitude and hatred for the arts- Sue Sylvester re-incarnated basically. Made sense, she was her daughter.

"Students," Said the principal. "Today we have a treat for you." She didn't seem to want to say the words, probably because she was a Sue Sylvester supporter and thought that the arts weren't important. "The New Directions," She said and then took her seat next to Sam.

There were seven red and blue clad kids (just like the Don't Stop Believing outfits) on the stage, standing in a line in the dark. Slowly a spotlight shone down and Beth walked forwards holding a microphone as the others ooh-ed and aah-ed.

Beth: I think it's so cute and I think it's so sweet

How you let your friends encourage you to try and talk to me

But let me stop you there, oh, before you speak

The student body were all muttering, and it wasn't helping at all. "Shut up," Sam hissed at his football jocks around him. Beth stayed where she was, but now Aria came forward too.

Aria: Nah to the ah to the no, no, no

There was still a lot of talking but the New Directions kept going with their singing and planned dance routine.

New Directions: My name is no

My sign is no

My number is no

You need to let it go

You need to let it go

Need to let it go

Nah to the ah to the no, no, no

At that point, Robin Sylvester was screaming at the top of her voice- "No to YOU!" and many others joined the chant. The Glee Club members looked shocked at what to do but they were still singing, then Robin smashed the fire alarm and everyone ran outside, leaving the glee club kids, Marley, Sam, Quinn and the principal as the only ones left in the room, getting sprayed by water.

The principal gave Marley an 'I told you do' look and then she ran out of the door behind all the students, shouting after them to calm down.

Sam looked from Quinn and Marley to the kids. They all looked broken-hearted.

Marley stepped onto the stage. "Guys, this is not the end. It was just the worst possible outcome, which means we can only go up!"

Just then, an Asian boy with black hair and an all American looking blond boy came over.

"Mrs Puckerman," The blond one said. "I'm Lucas,"

"And I'm his friend Dylan," Said the black haired boy. "We were wondering if we could try out for the Glee Club?"

At this moment a scared looking boy with brown hair in a Bieber circa 2009 haircut approached. "Hi I'm Kieran Bieste." He said. "Can I try out for Glee Club?"

Everyone looked over at that with excited, albeit confused, expressions on their faces. The boys tried out right there, and all three were great, so Marley happily accepted them. Sam grinned, things were looking up for the New Directions.

Laughing, Liam ate a brownie from the plate for guessing first. He and his friends were having a sleepover at Danny's house, and they were playing a game where they impersonated people, they had just done the principal of the school, trying to make a joke out of the situation they were in.

"Okay, it's my go now," Liam said. He stood up, did a loser sign, and pulled a disgust face. "GEEK Club sucks!"

"Robin," All three of his friends said at the same time. They all took a brownie, though Danny said he was full and put it back a moment later.

Natalia groaned. "Seriously though, why does she hate the Glee Club so much?"

"My parents said that her mom was the cheerleading coach, and she spent six years trying to destroy the New Directions," Danny explained. "And then when she finally did, she retired."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Lame." The others looked at her confused. "Who would waste over half a decade of their life trying to destroy a high school club? LAME." She said again.

Just then Danny's mom came into the living room, with gloves on and holding a dustpan and brush. "You guys didn't spill anything that stains did you?"

Aria looked over her shoulder and smiled. "No Mrs Schue, we tried not to."

"Yeah, don't worry about it Mrs Schue," Liam added, taking the dustpan and brush from her. "We'll clean up when we're done ourselves."

Emma opened her mouth to say something when there was a crash. Danny's sister Eleanor wandered into the living room and with her eyes glued to her phone drawled "Mom I knocked over that vase in the kitchen-"

Mrs Schuester looked at her. "The priceless one?"

Eleanor shrugged at her mother, who hurried into the kitchen. Danny raised his eyebrows at his sister but she headed up the stairs, her eyes still on her phone.

Next Time: The Lopez-Pierce kids arrive in town and there's a kiss for two main/major characters.

Songs Featured: Taylor Swift- Change (Beth and Aisha)

Meghan Trainor- No (New Directions)