Disclaimer: I don't own The Glee Project or its contestants/judges/guest mentors. Otherwise, Damian would be mine, Cameron would be my friend's, and Darren would be my other friend's.
Note: Okay, so this chapter goes out to Mrs. Unusual-in-Groovy-Ways, who gets Cameron because she loves him half to death. Can't say I blame her; he is one hot nerd. At any rate, I hope you like this chapter, because I really liked writing it. Again, this is half-what actually happened, half-fiction, hence the Samissa pairing. Also, to Hellen Ackles, who gave me an idea for a scene towards the end of the chapter, thanks.
Note: Okay, PLEASE keep reviewing! I've worked so hard on this story (this chapter in particular), and I hate to see it un-reviewed!
Chapter Three: Vulnerability, or, "We're More Alike Than You Think"
"I kind of miss Ellis," Cameron said sadly. Two down, nine to go, he supposed. Still, he admitted that it was sad to see someone to go home every week, knowing that their dreams were crushed on national television. He vowed that it would be him and Damian in the final two, whatever it took.
"Yeah," Damian sighed. "But eh, we're another week closer to the end."
"You and me, right?" Cameron forced himself to look at the pretty Irish boy.
"What?" Damian asked quizzically, returning the look.
"In the final two…it's gonna be us, right?" Cameron lowered his eyes, unable to stand the way Damian's blue-green ones pierced straight into his hazel ones.
Damian broke into a wide grin. "You bet!"
"After last week, which was so crazy, I bet this week's going to be something emotional, maybe more of an acting challenge or something," Matheus broke in to the conversation.
"Oy, I hope not," Damian groaned. "I don't want to cry in front of everyone."
"Me, either," Cameron shook his head. "I mean, we're always being filmed…"
"Hey, the ladies dig a man who isn't afraid of showing his emotions," Matheus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Like Marissa, eh?" he winked at the blonde-haired boy.
"What?" Cameron shook his head. "You think I like Marissa?"
"You'd make a cute couple," Matheus shrugged. "And she's smokin' hot."
"No, no," Cameron closed his eyes. "I mean, she's very pretty, yes, but I think she kind of digs Samuel, to be honest." He glanced over at the dreadlocked boy, who was engrossed in some paperback book, deep in thought.
"Who digs me?" he looked up upon hearing his name being mentioned.
"Marissa," Damian laughed. "She's always staring at you, mate."
"Marissa. Huh," Samuel set down his book. "You don't say. Interesting…" he smiled mysteriously to himself.
"Ah! You fancy her, don't you?" Damian bounced excitedly on his bed. Cameron grinned; it was cute how Damian got excited about everything, like a little kid.
Samuel just gave him that same half-smile and picked up his book again, not saying a word, but emitting with his body language that he had feelings for the quiet girl.
"You should ask her out," Damian persisted, getting more excited about this. Samuel smirked, turning a page in his book, ignoring the excitable Irish boy.
"Leave 'im alone," Alex rolled his eyes. "He'll get around to it eventually." Samuel gave him a thumbs-up to show his agreement. "See? Come on, let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow, after all."
Homework Assignment
"Please Don't Leave Me," Emily read off the chalkboard. "Awesome, I love P!nk!"
"Vulnerability," McKynleigh murmured. "Sounds like a tough week."
"I bet the guest mentor will be Chris Colfer," Lindsay decreed.
"Shut up, Princess, and learn your lines," Emily shoved the sheet music in her arms.
After the prerequisite hour passed, Robert Ulrich walked into the room, on cue. "Hey, everyone. This week is going to be a tough one, I'm not going to lie. Vulnerability is a hard thing to convey in real life, let alone on camera or on a TV show. With that being said, let me introduce your guest mentor for the week," he waved towards the door.
"Hi," Dot-Marie Jones walked in. "Nice to see you all."
"This is Dot-Marie Jones, who plays Coach Beiste on Glee," Robert introduced her.
"Beiste is my favorite," Lindsay gushed. Cameron rolled his eyes; she was such a suck-up to the guest mentors and judges on the show.
"Make me cry, you guys," Dot said, smiling as the top ten took center floor. Cameron was shaking a little; he was the first to sing in this song, a very emotional song, but he gave it his all, acting as if he were singing to his girlfriend, Macy. As he moved back so Samuel could take his place, he couldn't help but to notice Damian swaying adorably off-beat next to him, trying not to smile as he watched the smaller boy bopping around. Your heart is broken? he asked as Damian sang his line. I'll fix it…I'll fix your broken heart…wait, where was this coming from?
"I can only choose one winner," Dot said after they'd finished, Marissa ending them on a chilling and heart-wrenching note. "And I have to go with…Matheus." The small boy grinned, happy to have won his second challenge of the competition.
"Dot, why don't you tell them what they'll be singing this week?" Robert asked.
"This week, you'll be taking part in a black-and white, very emotional, music video to Gary Jules's 'Mad World'," Dot told them.
"You'll be filming it in Universal CityWalk," Robert explained. "You'll each be given a white sandwich board, and you'll write a word or phrase on it about the one thing you're the most vulnerable about. Here, why don't we go around and toss out some ideas?"
Samuel raised his hand. "I was almost engaged to this girl," he admitted. "And in the end, she rejected me. I haven't been in a relationship since then…I guess my word would be 'rejected', because that's how I felt in that moment, and it made me feel so bad, like I'd never have love again because she'd just reject me like this girl did."
McKynleigh spoke up softly. "I'm half-black and half-white. I'm not really sure how I identify myself. Some people call me white, and some call me black. I'm just…'black or white'," she shrugged.
"Anyone else?" Robert asked, staring some of the 'harder' contestants down.
Emily began to cry. Marissa reached out to comfort her. "I used to try to make it in 'the business'…I went to this casting call and the producer…he could only see me for my sexuality…and…something happened," she began to cry harder. "I was used," she gasped. "I was used by him…by every other producer I've been to…" Marissa held her hand gently, rubbing her back, trying to soothe her.
"We have a lot of emotional pain here," Dot said quietly. "I'd like to see you all use that pain in the video shoot. I wish everyone the best of luck this week. Lean on each other if you need to."
'Mad World' Video Shoot
"Hey, what's your word?" Cameron scooted closer to Damian to take a look at his board.
"I don't want to talk about it," Damian mumbled, moving so Cameron couldn't see what he had written.
"I'll be seeing it eventually," Cameron laughed lightly. "Come on, just tell me. We're best friends, aren't we?"
"Well…oh, Cameron, stop making those puppy-dog eyes at me," Damian groaned, hating when Cameron would bat his hazel eyes at him. "Fine, I'll tell you. My word is 'numb'."
"Why's that?" Cameron asked, seeing the dark-haired boy tense up.
"I don't want to talk about it," Damian said again. "I'm sorry, mate. We're cool and all but…this is personal…and I don't…I can't…I'm sorry," he stood up to go join Hannah.
Cameron looked down at his own 'misunderstood' board and sighed. Maybe he should have gone with another word, 'questioning' or something like that. After all, if Hannah could go out there with 'fat' on her chest, and Alex with 'gay', surely he could go out in public with 'questioning' written and strung around his body. He closed his eyes; too late to switch now, he supposed. He went towards the video monitors, who were currently on Alex.
"Oh my God," Lindsay murmured. "I can't imagine…that must be so hard for him."
"Alex is a tough diva," Emily asserted. "He'll be okay. I mean…it's not a secret that he's gay or anything. Sure, he might be vulnerable about it, but it's not a secret, like some of the other ones here." She adjusted her 'used' board from where it lay next to her.
"I can't do this," Marissa began to sob quietly. "Seeing him like that…I just can't do this…"
Emily rushed to her side. "What is it, chica?"
"I have to change my board," she tossed her 'flawed' board aside. "I just…seeing Alex go out there and be so vulnerable, so open, nearly in tears…I can't just say that I'm 'flawed'. I…I'll be right back," she rushed to tell the directors something.
"Poor thing," Hannah sighed, having already shot her scene.
"Damian, we're ready for you," a crew member waved him over.
"Good luck," Cameron squeezed his shoulder, sending him off, settling down in front of the monitor. He watched as Damian went up an escalator with his 'numb' sign.
"And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad," Damian sang as he went up, people staring at him as he traveled along, eyes downcast, tears forming in them. Cameron's heart sank for the boy, who was clearly a thousand miles away, thinking of someone or something (a girlfriend? A former lover? Cameron's heart pattered strangely at the thought of Damian entwined in someone else's arms). Hannah gave him an odd look, noticing the expression of disbelief and grief on his pale face. She went up to him.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked softly, in case the gossips or cameras were listening.
"Nothing," he turned to her. "It's just…this assignment is really hard, you know?"
"Misunderstood?" she looked at his sandwich board. "You?"
"It's a long story," he waved her off.
"If I didn't know any better," she paused. "I'd say…nah," she made a face.
"What? What?" he hated when the self-proclaimed class clown did this to him.
"I'll tell you when you're older," she teased, hugging Damian as he came back, the Irish boy looking, well, quite numb. "You okay, honey?"
"Yeah," he said in a low voice. "It was just hard, you know?"
"I know," she cupped his cheeks, planting a kiss on the top of his forehead, making Cameron's head spin with a sudden surge of intense jealousy. "Now, go on. Let's watch Sam, okay?" The shy boy nodded, wandering over to the monitors with the redhead.
"Damian?" Cameron whispered as the dark-haired one walked past him. Damian looked up at him, eyes wet with tears. "We're more alike than you think." And with that, Cameron walked out of the tent, walking over to Marissa, making sure she was okay.
"I changed my board," she pointed down to it.
"Anorexic?" Cameron read, looking at her in surprise. "'Rissa…"
"It was years ago," she said softly. "I wound up in the hospital…I was always vulnerable about my weight."
"But you're beautiful," he said honestly, in a friendly tone, knowing Samuel liked her, and she him.
"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Can I tell you another secret? You're kind of the only one I trust here…"
"Yeah, sure," he knit his eyebrows in confusion. Why did she trust him so much?
"I like Samuel," she took a step towards the blonde, speaking in hushed tones. "But I don't want him to know that…well, he's going to know," she let out a bitter laugh. "I just don't want him to think that I'm…"
"Insecure?" Cameron supplied for her.
"Unstable," she corrected him.
"He won't," he reassured her. "Anyway, being in the Boy's Dorm, you hear things…"
"Don't do that to me," she smacked him playfully. "But what did he say?"
"He didn't say anything, but his body language certainly said enough," the boy smirked.
She bit her lip. "You really think he likes me?"
"Of course," he told her.
"Thanks, Cam," she gave him a quick, sincere hug. "I really owe you one." She stepped back. "I see you hanging out with Hannah a lot…want me to talk to her for you?"
"Oh, I don't like Hannah," Cameron shook his head. "I mean, I like her, of course, as a really great friend, but not in that way."
"Okay," she smiled a tiny bit. "Well, good luck out there."
"You, too." He ducked back into the tent just in time for his name to be called to set.
Damian watched the scene outside with darkening eyes, something that only happened when he was upset. He watched Cameron and Marissa hug, something pulling at his heartstrings, but not knowing why that was happening. He just didn't know anymore.
That Night
"No...please...Jenna, don't..." Damian moaned in his sleep, tossing and turning like mad.
"Damian. Hey, Damo, wake up," Cameron shook him, seeing that the boy was having a nightmare.
"Whu," Damian sat bolt upright. "Oh, Cam! You bloody scared me, mate. Don't do that!"
"Sorry," Cameron said sheepishly. "But you were tossing and turning, and talking in your sleep. Something about a girl named Jenna..."
"Oh," Damian drew his knees to his chest. "My ex-girlfriend. She made me...she made me decide between her and my career."
"Sounds like a bitch," Cameron told him. What girl could be so heartless to a guy as amazing as Damian?
"I loved her, I did," Damian whispered. "But I chose my career over her. That's why I'm afraid of being alone, of being tossed aside like her again."
"If someone really loves you," Cameron said in a low voice. "They won't make you choose lke that again." He put his head down. "I wouldn't."
"Wouldn't what?" Damian sniffled, shaken by the memories.
"Make you choose between our friendship and your career. I wouldn't give up on you, not then, not now, not ever." Cameron's heart raced wildly.
"Thanks," Damian murmured. "Mind if you...just kind of...stay here until I fall asleep again?"
"Anything for my best friend," Cameron fondly ruffled the Irish boy's hair, sliding into the bed with him until Damian sank into a peaceful sleep.
Revelation of the Bottom Three
"Well, we've reviewed the footage," Robert addressed the ten finalists. "And we've made some decisions. When I call your name, please step forward. Alex, Hannah, Matheus…"
Cameron watched in horror as five were declared safe, neither him nor Damian part of the group. He, Lindsay, Damian, Emily, and Samuel were left onstage. "Cameron," he looked up at the sound of his name. "You'll be singing for Ryan tonight." His heart sank, especially as he found himself going head to head against Emily and Damian.
"No," he murmured to himself. He didn't particularly like going up against Emily, but it was unbearable to be going up against Damian, who was finding himself in the bottom three for the second time in the competition. He had no idea what was coming next.
"Emily, you'll be singing 'Grenade' by Bruno Mars," Robert said.
"Okay…okay, I can do that," she said confidently, though Cameron knew she was shaken on the inside over being in the bottom after a rough week.
"Damian, you'll be singing 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' by Elvis Presley."
Damian didn't say anything; he just cast his eyes downward and nodded.
"Cameron, you'll be singing 'Your Song' by Elton John".
"Awesome," he tried to smile despite the situation. They were dismissed to the practice rooms, and Cameron immediately changed into something nicer, wanting to impress Ryan Murphy. He knew the song nearly by heart, but went over it on his guitar anyway. He could hear Emily singing in the room next to him. She sounded good; no, not good, great. Suddenly, Cameron was worried that he or Damian would go home. If he had to choose, he'd rather Damian stay. He tried to listen for the strains of Damian's sweet voice ringing above Emily's powerful one, but he couldn't hear anything. Sighing, he paced the room until he was called to the stage. "Hi, I'm Cameron Mitchell, and I'll be singing Elton John's 'Your Song'," he nodded to Ryan and the judges. He sat on the stool and strummed away, singing the familiar melodies, trying not to read too much into the expression on Ryan's face.
"I didn't like it," Ryan said bluntly. "What's up with your outfit, Cameron? This isn't the guy I saw in the audition tapes. This isn't the guy I like."
"He dressed up for you, Ryan," Robert said.
"I…" Cameron started to say something but was cut off.
"Go change and come back and sing it again," Ryan waved him off. Cameron, not wanting to argue with the show's creator, hurried offstage. He could hear Emily make her introduction as he rushed to change into his comfortable flannel and jeans, making it back as she exited. "Much better," Ryan nodded approvingly.
"Hey, I'm Cameron Mitchell," he said more confidently. "And this is Elton John's 'Your Song',". Ryan much more approved of this performance.
"That's the kid I know and like," he said. "Good job, Cameron. I just have to ask you something, though..."
"Yeah, sure," Cameron nodded, wondering where this could be going.
"I hear that you and Damian are rather close. Is it true that you two have been in bed together twice since the start of the competition?" Ryan stared down the blonde, who had begun twiddling his fingers as soon as Damian's name had been mentioned.
"Yeah, we're best friends," Cameron said honestly. "And yeah, but it was only cuddling. Not even cuddling. The first time, he couldn't sleep and just kind of wound up next to me. And last night, he was having a nightmare, and he asked if I could stay there until he fell asleep again. He...he needed me."
Ryan gave him a look. "Okay, Cameron." He was dismissed once again. Damian was waiting in the wings, looking quite upset.
"Hey…hey," Cameron whispered to him. "Good luck out there…they'll love you…"
Damian shook his head and walked onstage. The blonde ran around to where he could view the onstage action on the monitors. His heart broke as Damian began to waver half-way through his song, voice breaking on the word "parlor" and on the final "tonight". He started to cry soft tears.
"What's going through your head, Damian?" Ryan asked the upset boy.
"It's just…I always put my career…you know, with Celtic Thunder…before my girlfriend…this song…it reminded me of her…I was touring here in America and she'd be back in Ireland…the distance…we didn't make it," he hung his head. "I regret it."
Ryan smiled softly. "Why didn't we see this emotion in the video?"
"I don't know," Damian shrugged. "I guess I didn't have the right…mindset at the time."
Cameron walked away from the video monitor, unable to see this beautiful boy break down any longer. He burst into the common room, where everyone was talking quietly.
"Hey, what took you so long?" Emily asked confusedly. "You went before me."
"Bathroom," he lied easily. He turned at the sound of the door opening, Damian walking in, the tears gone and dried from his face. "Hey," he looked up at the blue-eyed boy.
Damian wordlessly sat down, leaning his head on Hannah's shoulder. The redhead put her arm around him comfortingly, blushing as he snuggled against her. Cameron again felt the strange surge of jealously blow through him as he watched his best friend in the competition curl up against the girl, wishing it was him that Damian was cuddling with.
"The list is up," Robert came in the room a little while later. "And it was a hard decision. I'm sorry. Go take a look." Emily sighed heavily, her hands shaking a little as she headed towards the door.
"I can't do this," Damian moaned. "I can't do this again."
"We'll do it together," Cameron whispered. "Come on, let's not keep Emily waiting."
They walked down the long hallway to the choir room one at a time. Cameron glanced quickly at the list, sighing in relief when he saw his name on the callback list with a gold star next to it. He scanned further, letting out a slight yelp when he saw that Damian's name was written under his own, declaring him safe as well. He felt sad for Emily, and hugged her after she saw the news for herself.
"Don't worry about Cha-Cha, guys," she laughed as she hugged them, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. "I'll be fine." She patted Cameron on the cheek. "Kill it, boo." She hugged Damian tightly. "Take care of yourself," she murmured. She even, to everyone's surprise, hugged Lindsay for a brief moment. She waved goodbye as they made their way to the stage, saluting her in goodbye to the now-familiar song.