Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.
So I always think of notes I want to put in until I log into here and my mind goes a complete blank. But I hope everyone's still enjoying this. Thanks for the pm's!
The weekend slid by all too quickly for McKee. She was not looking forward to school, which sounded natural for a teenager. But now one of her biggest reasons for going had the hots for someone else. As much as she would try to keep her mind on other things, it kept coming back to rest on Sam. It was irritating, and tender. She even nicked Torri's ear with the shaver being distracted thinking about the ride home in the truck.
Remembering being too close to him made her blush and smile, which she'd shake off in irritation. More so, the conversation she and Sam had about his Mom had affected her, making her think of how strong he had to be for his family. She doubted she could be as brave if it were her.
Sunday afternoon she found herself roaming the fence line of the pasture alongside the irrigation ditch.
Try as she might, she couldn't avoid the obvious. She had a crush on Sam. No matter how she reasoned that high-school relationships were generally shallow and short lived or that he obviously was interested in someone else, her heart wouldn't listen. She couldn't believe that she was the lame corner of the love triangle.
She stopped to pick up a stick, "Quinn and Sam. How mono-sylabically boring."
"Can I interrupt your private conversation?"
The voice came from above and McKee's head fell back.
"Joseph Hart. What are you doing up there? Practicing for your next life as a squirrel?"
The boy straddled an overhanging bough of a walnut tree above her.
"No. I'm Christian. Reincarnation isn't really our thing. I'm collecting tree sap for my dreds." He kept a straight face as he surveyed the tree around him.
"Ah, so that's your secret huh?" she played along, "Adhesive plus insects. Go for the complete Marley."
The neighbor boy gave a cockeyed smile. She had met him and his family the day she had moved in. The Harts owned a larger piece of land adjacent to theirs. He and his siblings were all home schooled which she could see the difference in his social interacting right away. Not necessarily worse or better but different.
Joe leaned over, wrapping his arms around the branch then swung around, letting his body dangle.
"So are they your friends?" He asked, still hanging from the tree about four feet above the water in the shallow ditch.
"Who?"
"Quinn and Sam."
"Not really. Just people from school." McKee avoided the bold consideration in his face.
The boy still hung, "Guy trouble? Who's the guy? Sam or Quinn...or both?"
McKee's head snapped back to look at him with irritation.
"Really nosy aren't you Joey? And it's none of your business you impertinent sloth!"
McKenna began poking at his stomach with her stick until he let go, plunging into the creek. He almost landed on his feet but stumbled and ended up sitting in 2 feet of water.
" 'Impertinent' huh? I didn't know public schoolers had much of a vocab other than 'like', 'omg'' and a selection of cuss words." He said, his clothing totally soaked and shedding water as he crawled onto the bank by her.
Pausing, McKee wondered if she really should reveal her feelings. If she had learned anything in her short high school years is that you never never never tell anyone who you like. It always backfires. Joe, however was two years younger than her and not at Mckinley. It was probably safe to vent to him.
"Sam. His name is Sam." McKenna admitted all too easily. But for some reason it felt liberating to say it.
Joe began wringing out his long-sleeved shirt.
"So what's the problem? The feeling's not mutual?" he asked with no inhibition.
"No. He likes this very attractive, hot, blonde, smart, hot, charismatic...head cheerleader. Did I mention that she was hot?" McKenna mumbled bitterly.
"Yeah got that. Quinn? But I don't see what she's got over you. Well, besides the cheerleader thing."
Surprisingly this fact had never occurred to her in that light which brought a glimmer of hope to Mckenna's heart. That's right. She could do anything Quinn could. If Sam liked the cheerleader look, then she could take the dragon lady's, er, Coach Sylvester's offer. Frowning she thought of having to wear the horrible red, black and white uniform all day every day of the school week. A prison jumper was more enticing to her. She thought of Sam again and pushed her hesitations away.
"Well I guess if it's preppy-chic he likes, it's preppy-chic he gets. I'll just join the Cheerios." She said with conviction.
Raising a pierced eyebrow Joe looked solemn, "You'd change for this guy?"
"It's high school Joey. It's nothing to take seriously. He is a football player, maybe they're just wired to date cheerleaders. Besides it's more of an experiment that I could secretly blog about on the internet or something."
The boy shrugged lamely and said goodbye, jumping back over the fence. McKee thought of tomorrow. Did she have any hideous white, marshmallow trainers to wear? This would take some getting used to.
The sun hadn't quite risen yet and the glow of the imminent day was pink on the horizon. McKenna had to practically drag her brother out of bed to get to McKinley 20 minutes early. She left him sleeping in the cab of the truck and hurried in, leaving footprints in the frosty grass.
The halls were mostly empty, even this close to school starting. McKee wound her way to the prominent office door, through the windows she could see Coach Sue Sylvester sitting at her desk. Her face was distorted in concentration as she leaned over a pile of papers.
Taking a deep breath, McKenna rolled her shoulders back and knocked.
"Come in." Came the course reply.
The shine from the trophies lining the room almost blinded her and she stopped just inside the door.
Sue looked up with a thin-lipped frown, "Sorry shorty I'm not buying any cookies this year. I heard about someone finding a lizard's head in their thin mints so my standing order of 6 cases is hereby canceled."
McKenna was confused and looked around, "Are you talking to me?"
"Do you see any other scrawny 9 year old in here?"
"Um, Coach, I'm a junior. McKenna Bringhurst, remember?"
The woman narrowed her gaze, "Oh yes. Sorry, I didn't recognize you not dressed in drag or like a woodstock season ticket holder. What can I do for you?"
Subconsciously, McKenna smoothed out the skirt she'd made from men's ties and cleared her throat.
"Well, you offered me a place on the Cheerios and I thought about it all weekend and would like to accept...it…" She felt like a bug about to be squished.
Sylvester's stern facial expression didn't flinch.
"Well, it will be a probationary placement until I know that you can really meet expectations of course. Remember, I'm going to expect you to be flipping around like a one legged grasshopper on an ant hill and possibly getting shot out of a confetti cannon…" Sue began to mutter, "Still can't seem to convince that plank Pierce to do it, might as well take advantage of new meat."
Standing up, the coach moved over to a cabinet and began rummaging through it. McKenna looked down at the desk top at what the woman was working on. Pictures of Principal Figgins and Mr. Schuester's smiling faces superimposed on target bull's eyes.
Things were getting surprisingly weirder.
A folded Cheerio's uniform was shoved into McKenna's distracted face.
"Here you go Bratwurst. Oh I see you've taken interest in my little hobby. I've found paint-balling a very relaxing therapy." Coach Sylvester strode around the desk and sat down again.
"Now, put that mass of spaghetti on your head in a ponytail and go change. Wear the Cheerio uniform with pride and no mercy. None will be shown to you. See you at 3rd period."
And with that McKenna was dismissed, the heavy office door closing behind her with a condemning slam. She couldn't help thinking she'd just made a humongous mistake.
Well if she'd wanted people to take note of her outfits before, now the mission was accomplished. In first period Tina kept asking her if it was some sort of joke. But most of the starring came from other cheerleaders eyeing her warningly as if they were about to attack her like a pack of jackals.
She was beginning to have second-second thoughts as she headed for the locker room for her first Cheerio's practice when Coach Sylvester burst from the room followed by Beaste.
"Quit poaching my players Sue!"
The two disappeared into the crowd of teenagers. McKenna was about to go into the locker room when a graceful hand with french-tipped nails forced the door she was opening closed again. McKenna turned to see the Cheerio's captain's thickly lashed eyes, searing as ever, glaring at her.
"I don't mind when you move in on Barry's dream world but while you're in my uniform you'd better watch your back." Quinn gave the threat with her deep, rich voice. Her angelic face magazine perfect as if freshly air brushed.
Quinn then pushed past her into the locker room.
Yes, definitely a big mistake. McKenna started to turn around in retreat and she came face to face with both Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce. Their hair pulled tightly into ponytails with the signature single ringlet. That would be impossible to do with her hair McKenna decided as she waited for the next frontal assault.
"Hey guys, look…" McKenna began to raise a proverbial white flag but Santana cut her off.
"Come on Bringhurst, you'll be fine." The Latina said, her tone almost friendly. The two girls sandwiched McKenna in between them and escorted her, baffled, into the locker room.
Santana's cheeks almost hurt from the grin, no, smirk she had worn for the past couple of hours. Brittany had noticed and as they stopped in front of her locker before going to lunch she asked, "A decoy?"
"Of course B. I've been chasing that cheesecake booty for captain since Junior High, just waiting for her to slip up. Even after her popping a kid out last year Sue STILL puts her in for head cheerleader? No bueno." Santana slammed the flimsy door closed and spun the dial.
Brittany's face was one of pretty adoration.
"So how is helping the werewolf going to get you captain?"
Now it was Santana who was at a complete loss, "The what? You know what? Nevermind. Do you remember Quinn's face at that Soccer game? Concern. When has Bleachzilla ever been concerned about anyone but herself. For some reason this new chick manages to freak her out. So's I'm going to use Butch to throw Fabray off her game and when that happens I'll be there to take over, game of thrones style."
Sitting in the a concrete barrier by the front doors after school, McKenna huddled over her bare legs as she studied from her math book. She'd never noticed how cold it was now nearing the end of October. Leg warmers, that would help...and cheese off the tyrant queen Quinn. Which, she had figured out, was why Santana had taken her under her wing. This school was full of these dramatic rivalries! Santana and Quinn, the Cheerios and Glee club...or more specifically, Sylvester and Scheuster. The most awkward thing about it was she had somehow come to be the proverbial slushie used in the scrimmages between groups. Now she was hiding from them, braving the cold while she tried to figure out how this got so out of control.
And Torri was in practice for another half hour.
She got up and began to turn cartwheels and try some high kicks. She'd have to look up some of this stuff online. How in the world did anyone ever learn anything before you tube? McKenna looked over to see Tina, at least she thought it was Tina behind a load of hangers and clothing. McKenna ran over to her.
"Tina can I carry some of that?" she took some plastic bags of fabric and a huge rolly backpack from her friend's hand. Grinning McKenna could see Tina was wearing black fishnet hand gloves and plaid leggings, suspenders hanging from the belt line. Goth was one style McKenna had never tried but she thought Tina looked awesome.
"We've gotta get you a pack mule or a bell hop or something T-dizzle." she joked.
A big smile bowed Tina's face and she laughed, "I do have Artie but he's at football practice."
McKenna echoed her last words. "Football practice, the bane of my existence. I have to wait for Torri too. So are you moving in or?"
Tina actually gagged, "No! Gross! These are some samples for Les Mis."
"Wow it's pretty early for that yet right? When does the show run?"
"First two weeks of December. But Rachel likes to get her costumes ready super early." Tina explained. Something about getting glamour shots so she could print her own playbills.
They wandered into the school and to a stage entrance to the auditorium. There was a little room off to the side and Tina turned the lights on. It was a costume room chock full of every garb, dress, attire and accessories imaginable.
"Thanks McKenna! You can just sit them down….carefully there." Tina pointed and took her armload to a rack. After McKee had put the clothes down she walked along the shelves and racks while Tina fussed over specific pieces.
"Are these all for this year? I didn't know McKinley was so serious about it's theatrics!" McKenna scanned the neatly arranged collection.
Opening the rolling backpack, Tina's voice floated back. "Oh these are all glee stuff. Concerts, competitions, just performances we do in club."
Taken back, McKenna looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "And you make these?"
Tina nodded. "Kurt and I. He's pretty talented, I hate him." She added with sarcasm.
McKenna was impressed. "You should do this professionally Tina! How much do tailors make?"
Shrugging Tina brought out a stack of material. "Not enough to deal with this! Rachel ordered these from Paris. She said the seller on line claimed they're from the actual revolution and she wants them sewn into her costume."
As if following a stage cue, Rachel rushed into the room. Here dark brown eyes brimming with tears.
"Tina. Please tell me you didn't know about Finn and Santana too!" She left off when she saw McKenna standing there with a top hat on.
Tina guiltily blinked and looked away. "It was a long time before he met you Rach…but yeah, I think Brittany told me or something"
"So everyone knew before I did!" Whined Rachel who put her face in her hands.
'I didn't.' Thought McKenna but was proud of herself for not blurting it out this time.
Tina looked like a deer in the headlights not knowing what to do so McKenna took off the hat and edged over to Rachel. Reaching out she patted her shoulder, "Rachel, from what I've seen he's over the moon for you. What's that matter now?"
Sniffling Rachel looked up at her and for a moment McKee braced herself for the fury of the scorned Jewish girl.
"You think so?" Rachel merely asked softly.
"Yeah, I mean, he's always got that goofy grin on his face when you two are holding hands and stuff. Smelling his own breath when you look away." McKenna reinforced her opinion with all fervor.
Raising a thick eyebrow, Rachel frowned, "Are you some sort of weird stalker?"
McKenna coughed, "Uh, no. Just, it's obvious you guys are in love."
"Then why wouldn't he tell me. Everyone else knew but me…" Rachel argued bitterly.
Shrugging McKee said, "Maybe that's why. He didn't want it to be about him and anybody else but just you and him? Maybe he thought it would hurt your feelings."
A tear still nestled on her cheek, Rachel looked thoughtful. Then slunk into McKee, hugging her.
The sudden invasion of personal space made McKee stiffen and looked over to Tina who was just as shocked as she was. Forcing a hand up, McKee patted her back again and Rachel drew back.
"Uh, thank you, Mackenzie. I think I left a snot slick on your shoulder." Rachel said in all one breath and emotion.
Afraid to look, McKenna smiled, "That's alright. This isn't my favorite outfit anyway. And it's McKenna."
Tina took the opportunity to jump in. "I still can't believe you're a Cherrio. I could see Rachel as a Cherrio before you."
"Thanks a bunch Tina." Rachel said as she looked onto the table she was standing by. "Oh! My material! Yay!"
