UNIQUE

Knock. Knock. Knock

"Honey it's time to get up" That time again. Lifting my sheets I got out of bed and adjusted my bra strap. After making my bed I put on my bath robe. I was looking at what I should wear. I got it!

"Now this is just CUTE!" 'mmmhmmm' Time for the morning rituals!

Through magics of fashion sense, and makeup I was delicious dynamite. Of course, with my recent explosive emotions it might be appropriate in more than one context. While playing with my hair to get it voluptuous I talked into my mirror.

"I am Unique Adams. I am strong. I am beautiful. I am powerful. I am safe." This all was stressful because my emotional mind set switched between being in and out of school. Walking in the doors always felt like walking into a jungle full of predators. Yet a man was so determined to help me, and ward away the evil. "Sam" his name escaped my shiny lips.

I would not say I was head over heels for him, but I would definitely say I am grateful for what he has done for me. Out of anyone in Glee he has gone above and beyond to help me. But I question if his help will be enough.

"Here you go, eat"

"Thank you mother" In the kitchen I began to dine. "Mom, am I good enough for a man?" she looked back at me surprised.

"Of course you are! Why would ever ask such a question?" I gestured down. She shook her head.

"I will admit, the world is more complicated than it used to be but there is someone for everyone. Always. I understood that when I met your father" She kissed me on the cheek. "You are a beautiful young woman. If a man cannot see that then they are not worth your time."

And I took her words with me as I walked the halls.

"Hey sweetheart" I turned around. It was one of those jerks from the lunch table yesterday. His dark face smirked as he looked me up and down.

"Can I help you?" I put an arm to my chest.

"Perhaps you can thick momma" his voice was supposed to come across low and smooth but I shuddered. He sounded sleazy. His football jacket scared me. I did not enjoy the overt symbol of power he wore. Why couldn't the world just leave me alone?

"I am asking you to leave me alone" I began to turn around. But he pinned me up against the lockers.

"Aww don't be that way. Your new Glee friends are losers. Hang with me and my crew and I'll make sure you're treated right." His hand on my shoulder was strong. Placing my hands on his wrist I tried to push him off. Everyone around me just continued walk up and down the hall as if this guy's behavior was ordinary. "I won't hurt you"

"Then why are you holding me down?" The other guy from yesterday walked by and up to my assailant.

"Oh hey look what you got, hey there" he winked at me.

"Isn't she pretty? Just look at lips and that curvy body" He shamelessly took me in while I could not move. I had to get my power back. My fear was holding me back.

"If you don't let go of me right now I will slap you sideways!" I looked at both of them with hostility.

"Look at how her nose wrinkles" the lighter skinned one smiled.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" it was Sam's voice. The guy on me let go and Sam pulled me away from them, I stood behind him. It took Sam shouting for kids to even look at us.

"We was just talking" he said.

"Yeah, she looked lonely, giving her company"

"Yeah, we were being gentlemen." Nothing in the way he touched me or spoke to me was gentle.

Sam looked back at me, I was getting sick of this passive role. It appeared that no matter what school I went to I generated some tension one way or another. I either made men obsessive with my 'appeal' or my 'freakishness'. Was I manipulating Sam by not telling him the truth about me?

"You touch her again…" his voice had anger in it. "I will take both of you down"

"Heh, yeah sure" they laughed and walked off. My blonde hero turned around, his face looked very concerned.

"Are you alright Unique? I am sorry they messed with you. I am going to have to walk you to class to make sure you're safe. I'll also talk to Coach about them too." I was starting to question if this school was healthy for me to attend.

"I've been better. Thank you again. I seem to say that often to you" I wanted to put him at ease, but I didn't want to lie because it would be easy to see through.

"I feel really bad, I know you're having a tough time and those two jerks didn't help"

"It doesn't matter. Unique knows it is what it is" I snapped my fingers and began to head to class.

"You should text me when you head get at school so I can walk with you" I have not texted him at all ever since he gave me his number because I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to open up on my personal issues.

"I do as I please. But!" I lifted a hand as we were walking. "I see the usefulness of this. Alright I will"

"Booyah!" he was a dweeb. We were at my class. "Remember my class is next to yours, I'm in the neighborhood" He walked off. I sat at my desk so I had to take a step back and look at everything objectively.

I left my old school due to the violence and danger against me to go to another school that by day three ends up having a man trying for force himself on me, and has a cutthroat jock click. I didn't see much of a good trade here. Was my life just going to be endless drama? Man, people try to warn you about high school but you really don't know until you're in the middle of it.

Breezing through my Science class I got escorted to my English class and finally we walked to lunch together. I felt safe so long I was around Sam. And I strongly disliked this codependency because I felt I was acting against the very thing that I cherished: my individuality. But there were emotions I had that I could simply not face yet and he helped me keep them down.

"Today I kept getting a bunch of people asking me on how to impress us so they could get into Glee." Tina started the conversation.

"Well they are just going to have to learn that they have to work for it just like we did." Arty responded.

"But I am still curious who is out there. I mean, we are kind of small" Blaine looked at all of us.

"Small but mighty" Sam threw a fist on the table dramatically.

"That's what I think of Lord Tubbington"

"Who is that?" I asked her. Sam looked at me and gave me 'kill' signal.

"He is my cat. He is in a gang" I looked at Sam.

"Ohhh. How cool" I left it at that.

"So let's cut the boring stuff. I heard today that Phil offed you his big chocolate bar" Sugar was staring at me.

"What?" Blaine, Tina, Arty all asked at the same time. I looked at her wide eyed.

"I don't think she wants to talk about" Sam answered for me.

"So it's true! You make it sound like such a bad thing. I mean, day three and you already have Jocks wanting your goodies." She winked at me.

"When it comes to Phil, I don't think that's such a great thing" Tina told Sugar.

"Oh please, you just use them to climb the social ladder anyway. Who cares which one it is so long they are cute?"

"I don't think I could ever find him cute" Blaine shook his head.

"Well you like them pale that's why!"

"Kurt has a healthy skin tone!"

"There is a lot of promiscuous behavior here" Joe took a bite of his food.

"I think everyone just wants a hug" Brittney looked sad. "I miss hugging Santana. How come you don't hug Mercedes anymore? "She gestured to me.

He looked at her with a raised brow. "Well…that's not Mercedes and it's hard to hug someone when they are not next to you" he cleared his throat.

"You got him tricked Mercedes, but I'll have Lord Tubbington do an internet search on you and figure you out"

"Right" I wondered where this girl's mind was.

Following the rest of the day it went by with less dramatics than the morning had. And I was appreciative of this. The final class of the day ended.

"Ready to see to who are new padwans will be?" I assumed he meant getting people for glee.

"Only if they are good padwans, I don't want evil padwans"

"Don't worry those are called apprentices, we are not getting any of those"

We all gathered in the auditorium, Sam made a point to sit next to me.

"Okay" Mr. Schuester clapped his hands together. "Let's get this started" Kurt turned on the recording camera.

"And remember guys, we are looking for superstars" Kurt gave the reminder. The first guy walked up on stage. He wore baggy clothing, had messy red hair and looked tired.

"Hi, I'm Stoner Brett and this is Busters Get Popped" The music started and it was fowl, full of gun sounds and a trashy beat he went on to say things I had no right saying. Sam and I looked at each other. I could see Mr. Shcuester was not enjoying this.

"Thank you" Mr. Sshcuester said politely, he left the stage and a cute black girl walked up. Even I couldn't remember her name. Then the music started. It was terrible, I shook my head. Then the girl went on to dance, and it was just as bad.

"She gotta go" I told everyone, that chick was just throwing her arms around at this point. 'Nope' Next came a darker skinned man. He was much more attractive than the other two. Did he have potential?

"Hello Sir, What's your name?"

"Jake" his voice was on the lower side.

"Got a last name Jake?"

"Uh, just Jake"

"Okay, uh, well show us what you got just Jake" Again the instrumentalist appeared randomly. How come the other two before didn't get them? I guess I should get used to the unneeded drama and random musicians.

Some things we don't talk about

Rather do without

And just hold the smile

"He is so sexy" Sugar said to the group.

"No he is not" Sam corrected her. Well he was great looking, but I didn't want to shoot Sam down.

Falling in and out of love

Ashamed and proud of

Together all the while

You can never say never

While we don't know when

But time and time again

Younger now than we were before

He was a very good singer that was for sure. The way he carried himself showed dedication and emotion.

Don't let me go

Don't let me go

Don't let me go

"Okay Jake thank you" the music suddenly stopped. He looked upset as he stood in the silence.

"I don't get to finish?"

"He could finish with me" Sugar whispered at me. I could see Sam trying to shake the dirty images from his mind.

"We've got a lot of people to see"

"But I have been practicing"

"We've seen enough. Thank you" Mr. Sucuester's voice was getting serious. Jake took one of the girl's music stands and threw it on the ground. The papers flew around.

"That's rude and unacceptable" Kurt tried to lecture.

"I'll handle this." Our teacher stood up. "Jake, come on man why don't you pick up the music stand." Jake raised his eyes at him, scoffed and walked off giving full eye contact to Mr. Shucester.

"He might be trouble" I whispered to Sam. He nodded in agreement.

Next came a small girl to the stage. She was just a tiny thing.

"Hello my name is Marley and I will be singing 'New York State of Mind' Written by Billy Joel"

"Popularized by one Miss Barbra Streisand" I told Glee, nothing wrong with showing off your music knowledge. It might even impress Arty.

Some folks like to get away,

Take a holiday from the neighborhood.

Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood.

But I'm takin' a Greyhound on the Hudson River line.

I'm in a New York state of mind.

I've seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines.

Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens.

I know what I'm needin', and I don't want to waste more time.

I'm in a New York state of mind.

I saw Blaine look at Tina in disbelief.

It was so easy livin' day by day

Out of touch with the rhythm and blues

But now I need a little give and take

The New York Times, the Daily News.

For as small as she was she packed a punch greater than anyone suspected.

It comes down to reality, and its fine with me cause I've let it slide.

I don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside.

I don't have any reasons.

I left them all behind.

I'm in a New York state of mind.

It was so easy living day by day

Out of touch with the rhythm and blues

But now I need a little give and take

The New York Times, the Daily News.

It comes down to reality, and its fine with me cause I've let it slide.

I don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside.

I don't have any reasons.

I left them all behind.

I'm in a New York state of mind.

I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line.

Cause I'm in a, I'm in a New York state of mind

We all clapped for her, she did deserve it.

"Thank you, thank you" Mr. Shuester showed her our gratitude. She waved and walked off stage. "Wow, now that's what I call star quality. What do you guys think?"

"10" Sugar gave her vote

"She's good. She's good" Blaine looked like he wasn't impressed. Tina looked frustrated. Were they worried about having to fight her for the title of the 'new Rachel'? That was silly of them, of course it was mine.

Sam led me out the parking lot where my mother was waiting for me.

"Text me when you get here tomorrow, okay?" He looked concerned.

"I will" and I got in the car. He waved to me as the car drove away.

"Oh, he is handsome. Is he your boyfriend?" she laughed a little.

"Mom, he is just a friend. I can assure you."

"Well it looks like you are picking the right ones. He looks like a nice guy too" He was very sweet. 'When I get over my own problems I hope I can help him one day.' It's hard finding people like him. In his own way, he was unique.


Songs Used

"Never Say Never" The Fray

"New York State of Mind" Billy Joel