Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! Even if only 2 people reviewed on the last chapter, it still means a lot - it means people actually read this story! Yay!
The main idea for this chapter came to me a couple of days ago, and it has been bugging me constantly ever since, so here it is!
No Klaine in this one, sadly, but instead I threw in a little something else that I hope will be just as good ;)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Glee-related.
The next couple of days at McKinley passed quietly. About a week had passed, when I was walking down the hallway. As I turned a corner, I barely had time to register the bulky black football player before I was hit in the face by a slushie.
"I see they found a way to replace Fairy-boy! Glee loser!" he shouted, before continuing down the hall laughing loudly.
For a moment I stood frozen to the spot while I did the math. Fairy-boy had to be Kurt. I felt the anger rising within me, and before I knew it, I had spun around and yelled at the football player.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
He turned around with an amused look on his face.
"Are you talking to me?" he chuckled. I stormed down the hallway until I was face to face (well, rather face to chest since I'm tiny and this guy was huge) with him.
"Yes I'm bloody well talking to you!" I yelled. "'O the bloody 'ell do you think you are, eh?"
"Whoa, speak English, short stop," he said with a confused look on his face. Normally that comment would have offended me, but I was too angry to take any notice of it.
"I said 'o do you think you are, walking around 'ere like you own the bloody place!" I continued.
"Sweetheart, look around you. It's high school. I'm a jock. I do own the place," he said, still highly amused by my outburst.
"So what, you think it's all right for you to 'arass people, make them feel bloody shitty for your own bloody benefit? Well let me tell you something, mate. In ten years, you'll be bloody working for the nerds at this place, getting them their bloody coffee because they'll be too bloody busy in their bloody successful jobs, while you'll live in your little shitty trailer with some minger that you knocked up and were forced to marry! You'll never get out of this little shit'ole of a town! You'll be stuck 'ere, just like your old man, and that will be payback for all the shit you threw at people 'ere in school, because guess what mate, karma is a bloody vengeful bitch 'o never forgives!" I yelled at him.
As I finished my angry rant, I realised the hallway had fallen completely silent. Students were standing flabbergasted by their lockers, staring at the scene that had just taken place. It must have been a right sight to see as well. A tiny girl covered in slushie yelling at a huge football player, and in cockney as well.
Just then the bell rang, and people were snapped out of their daze.
"You're real lucky my mama taught me to never hit a girl," the football player grumbled before leaving. I sighed deeply. I knew I had just dug my own grave.
Out of nowhere, Mercedes appeared.
"Come on sweetheart, let's get you cleaned up," she said before dragging me along into the nearest bathroom.
"That was quite a scene back there," Mercedes said as she helped me wash the slushie out of my hair.
"Yeah well, he bloody deserved it," I grumbled.
"What happened?" she asked. I told her about the comment about Kurt, and how I completely snapped. At the end of the story, she was laughing loudly.
"You just wait till Kurt hears about this, you'll have a BGFF for life!" she laughed.
"BGFF?" I questioned.
"Best gay friend forever," she explained, making me laugh as well.
"Well, one of my mates back at home used to be bullied for being gay. Like, hardcore bullied. Until one day, I gave those morons a piece of my mind. As you saw, just because I'm small doesn't mean I don't fight back," I explained to her. She chuckled.
"Yeah, you've got some bite in ya, girl!" she laughed. I chuckled along with her, then looked down at my slushie stained clothes.
"Um Cedes, you got any tips on how to get this stuff out of clothes?" I asked.
"Sure, just soak it for a long while before washing it. It softens up the fabric and releases most of the colour. You should change out of that though, you'll catch a cold," she said. I shrugged.
"I didn't bring any extra clothes," I said, feeling slightly stupid.
"Alright, stay here, I'll ask some of the other girls, I think you're about Rachel or Tina's size," she said before disappearing out of the door, leaving me on my own.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Luckily the slushie hadn't stained my hair since it was so dark, but my makeup had been smudged and was pretty much non-existent at this point. I rummaged through my messenger bag and pulled out my mascara to re-apply a bit, and just as I was done, Mercedes emerged with a shirt in her hand.
"Here, I borrowed this from Rachel. It might be absolutely barf-worthy though, I mean have you seen what she wears?" she rambled. I took the shirt and went into the nearest stall to change.
"Oh well, it could have been worse, at least this one isn't frilly," Mercedes said as I stepped back out again. Just then the bell rang.
"What? Did we miss an entire period?" I asked not believing how fast the time had passed.
"Yeah well, your hair is a piece of work to wash," Mercedes said with a smile.
"Oh well, at least we have glee next," I said as I gathered my things and we exited the bathroom.
As we stepped into the choir room, applause erupted from the students already there. I blushed and gave a small smile before sitting down on the empty chair next to Artie.
"Miss Ella, rumour has it you gave Mr. Azimio a piece of your mind," he laughed.
"He asked for it," I shrugged.
"What did he do?" Artie asked.
"First he slushied me, then called Kurt Fairy-Boy," I simply replied. "The slushie I was kind of expecting, but I will not stand for homophobic nonsense."
"Acting out on your homophobia usually stems from a fear of being gay yourself," I heard Rachel's voice behind me. I turned to look at her, a questioning look on my face.
"I have two gay dads, I learned stuff like that in middle school," she replied with a shrug.
Suddenly everyone's attention was turned towards the two people standing at the door. Santana and Brittany were holding hands, fingers intertwined, which I didn't really think much about, since the girls back home walked around holding their best friend's hand all the time.
Then the two smiled at each other before Santana leaned in and gave Brittany a sweet kiss on the lips. I was dumbstruck. Not because of the PDA between two girls, but because I would never have guessed Santana to be into girls romantically. Sure, I had heard about her previous adventures with members of both sexes, but I had also heard she was not one for relationships.
Well, I guess things change.
Then I remembered something. I looked to my right to see Artie fidget in his wheelchair, obviously uncomfortable seeing his recent ex-girlfriend kiss another girl like that. I softly put my hand on top of his to stop the fidgeting and caught his gaze.
"Are you okay?" I whispered.
"Not really, but I guess I'll have to deal," he replied with a shrug and half a smile.
I caught his hand and gave it a soft squeeze, to let him know I understood. I couldn't help but notice how soft the skin that was not covered in glove was. I had half expected it from being rough from him using his hands to get around, but the skin that touched mine was smooth, almost too smooth for a boy.
"Thanks," he whispered as I let go of his hand.
"No problem," I replied as Mr. Schu walked in.
During the lesson, I couldn't help but let my mind wander. Holding his hand, even just briefly and in a completely platonic way, had felt nice. No, nice didn't even begin to cover it. With the risk of sounding corny, it had felt... right. Like our hands fit into each other.
I shook off that thought. I had been at McKinley for a week, and I was already crushing on a guy? I couldn't help but think of what Mercedes had said about Artie and me. What if she was on to something?
Then again, Artie was still in the post-breakup stage. He didn't need a lovesick teenage girl throwing herself at him. What he needed right now was a friend, and a friend was what he was going to get.
Even after just a week in the New Directions, I felt like I belonged. I felt like I truly fit in. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and if it felt like this after just a week, what wouldn't it feel like after six months, or even a year?
A thought struck me and sent a shiver through my body. I would have to leave again at the end of the school year. Every friend I made I would have to say goodbye to as well. A frown found its way to my face. I would have to say goodbye to Mercedes, Rachel, Tina, Artie – everyone.
Artie must have noticed my frown, because he nudged me gently, gaining my attention.
"Are you okay?" he whispered.
I smiled at him and nodded, earning a smile back.
"Just thinking," I whispered back.
I would have to deal with goodbyes when the time came. For now, I decided to just enjoy my time at McKinley and everything that came with it.
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