Here Comes The Sun

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Glee' or 'Harry Potter'. All recognisable characters, content or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter Seven: Something's Missing

I feel the love, I feel the pain

Not enough to make me whole again

If only I could feel complete

A puzzle and the missing piece

Something's Missing - Sheppard

The following day, I breeze through the field hockey tryouts with a small smile on my face, clean up afterwards, and make it to my English homeroom with only moments to spare. I drop into the seat behind Sam, withdraw my notebook and a pen, 'Animal Farm', and the journal I'd used the night before to take notes on the two chapters I'd read and analysed. It seems as though I am being an over-achiever, but I know from past experience that it will be a godsend when it comes time for reports and exams, but as my teacher begins the class, I push those thoughts out of my mind.

"Why were you nearly late this morning?" Sam queries after class.

"Field Hockey tryouts," I answer. He nods his understanding, and we walk on in companionable silence. I break it. "So Shakespeare is pretty difficult to understand without dyslexia, so I just wanted to say that if you need help, or whatever, just ask. I don't mind."

Sam looks like he doesn't know whether or not he should be insulted, or touched, but before he can answer, we reach my classroom. I'm sort of glad, because I'm kind of scared to know how he'll respond to my offer, so I give him a wave and a nervous smile, duck into the classroom, and settle into the same seat I occupied the day before.

This time, the girl with the cool boots talks to me.

"Hi, I'm Tina."

"Addie," I answer, and the girl's smile is genuine.

"Do you have any idea what he was talking about yesterday? Because honestly, Asian genetics notwithstanding, I don't have a clue. I had to ask my dad, and he kind of raged."

I blink, bemused, and answer, "I'm pretty sure I understood it. That said, I could be entirely wrong, and doomed for failure, though I hope not."

We make idle chit chat about the homework until the teacher arrives, at which point we silence, turn our heads, and pay close attention to what he has to say.

Just in case.

It isn't until the end of class that Tina turns to talk to me again. I tilt my head, but I'm only confused by what the girl has to say.

"You should eat lunch in the courtyard today."

I furrow my eyebrows, but nod my concession all the same. "Okay. But why?"

Tina leaves me with a cryptic 'you'll see', and I continue on my way to Chemistry, certain to put the thought out of my mind until lunch. Before I can make it to the courtyard though, I'm accosted by a meathead jock, who leans his weight on his arm against the locker beside mine, leers down at the bare skin of my capri clad legs, and then proceeds to speak to my breasts as though I don't have a head above my shoulders.

"Hey babe, will you be at Azimio's party on Friday?"

"Um… let me think about that." I pause. "No. Now, if you don't mind, I don't know you, and I'd really appreciate it if you backed the fuck away."

He stares, dumbfounded, I gaze back, expectant, and it isn't until Sam wraps a cool, steady hand around my elbow that I look away.

"Everything alright, Addie?"

"Everything's fine, Sam," I answer, "I was just about to head to the courtyard. Walk with me?"

We link arms like little children, stop by the cafeteria to purchase ourselves some food, and meet Sunshine at the table we'd sat at the day before. She's still working on her French, but I pay it no heed. Instead, I look around in search of Tina, and see her at a table with several others, most of whom I'm pretty sure are upperclassmen.

She gives me a discreet wink, but I don't understand why until she and eleven others break out into song. A number of them jump onto the tables and begin improvisational dancing, but I'm too busy wondering if I've suddenly walked onto the set of 'High School Musical 4' to wonder why they're performing 'Empire State of Mind' to the interest of basically no one.

"I think that's the Glee Club," Sunshine observes, "They're good."

I nod my understanding and agreement, watch them until their performance is done, and give Tina a smile when she catches my eye. Then I turn back to my lunch, swallow a mouthful of water, and ignore the longing I have to join them - the Glee Club.

I've left that part of my life far behind me, after all, and there's no going back now.

"Do either of you sing?" Sunshine queries.

Sam shrugs nonchalantly, I grunt, and Sunshine stares at us both, entirely unimpressed.

"I'm sorry, but I don't speak neanderthal. Want to try that again, in English this time?"

Sam chuckles this time, shrugs again, and admits, "Sometimes. Not in front of a crowd though."

"I don't," I reply, and the words taste like acid on my tongue. I gulp down another mouthful of water, my fries taste like cardboard in my mouth, and my appetite is suddenly lost. I glance at Sam's tray, to see it mostly untouched, and I still don't think we're friends enough for me to interfere.

I still don't know if I have to.

The vibration of my cellphone fortunately rescues me, I answer, and I'm not really surprised to hear Sebastian on the other end of the line. He's in his lunch hour and I can hear his friends in the background, but we chatter mindlessly until the warning bell sounds, I say goodbye, and Sunshine and I head to French, the subject of Glee Club momentarily forgotten.

"So…" Sunshine begins, "Tell me about the guy you were talking to just then."

"Sebastian?" I query. "He's just a friend, and more recently, my French tutor. We, um, we met when I really needed someone, I guess, and he somehow became the closest thing I have to a best friend. He's also half French, and lived in Paris for five years, so instant French tutor."

"I wish I had one of those," Sunshine sighs, "All I've got is a mom who speaks - like - no English. I mean, I love her to pieces, but man…"

"If it makes you feel better, my grandparents insist on speaking only Welsh to my siblings and I."

"I didn't realise you weren't American," Sunshine admits. She looks sheepish.

"I am for all intents and purposes. I mean, I haven't been to Wales, or Britain, even, since I was ten."

I enter our French class behind Sunshine, and the French teacher, whose name I still don't know, glares at me as though I've personally insulted her. I pretend not to notice as I withdraw my notebook and textbook from my messenger bag, check to make sure I've still got all my worksheets, and make a mental note to stop by a news agency on my way home to buy a few binders, plastic sleeves and other such odds and ends.

"What did you do to her? Kick her puppy, or something?" Sunshine queries.

I shrug, clueless, and I'm honestly kind of insulted. I've never had a teacher outwardly dislike me so much, and for no obvious reason. "Beats me."

Regardless, Sunshine and I make it through French class unscathed, and PE afterwards too, but I'm drained afterwards, and I'm not looking forward to the homework I have to complete.

The fatigue is probably due to the fact that I've not been taking my iron tablets, but as I get home and I find my father lounged comfortably on the couch and watching Sports Centre, I figure they can wait another day.

They're revolting, anyway.

I drop down beside him, start clipping my notebooks into the binders I've just bought, and we chat idly about his trip to London. My father's a lawyer for Potter Pharmaceuticals, and he's predominantly in charge of arranging and signing the contracts between the company and the product buyers. I don't pretend to understand the details, but I know that he's not interested in running the company someday and quite frankly, I don't blame him.

And then my father throws me a curveball.

"By the way, Addie, Paul and Jean are joining us for dinner this Friday."