Chapter 8: McKinley

A/N: Enjoy, this is such a long chapter for me!

Alex's POV:

Mom and Dad are extremely over-excited about the fact that we are starting at McKinley High School. Apparently it was their high school, it was the best time of their lives (although mom hastily added "obviously apart from when you three were born"), and all that jazz.

Amelia's excited too. She got into cheerleading in middle school and she's hoping to do it again this year. She said she's trying out for glee club too. Mom and Dad practically fainted with excitement when she told them that last part.

Amelia comes down in bright red wedge boots, a red top and a blue skirt. She's wearing a tonne of mascara and a bit of pink lip-gloss.

"Remember honey, after school you have ballet, then jazz, then singing!" Mom reminds Amelia. She says she doesn't have favourites but if she did I'm quite sure hers would be Amelia. Amelia loves singing and dancing and she's practically exactly what Mom was like at her age. She LOVES broadway and it's her dream. Apparently though Mom was much more lethal. She would kill to get her dream! Amelia's more like, I would ADORE to be on broadway but I'll get there, we can take it slow.

Amelia's POV:

As I enter McKinley with my friends I suddenly feel terrified. It's huge! Crowds of students stand around and they're all so tall, so old. Wearing letterman jackets and cheerleading uniforms, confident.

I'm about to phone Mom and ask her to take me home when Dad walks past and winks at me, mouthing "It'll be fine."

I look at my time table again and see that after home room I have Dad first! Filled with a new strength the three of us cling to each other to prevent ourselves from getting lost and head to find each of our home rooms.

Aaron's POV:

I'm with Eddie for home room so we find room 354 together and sit next to each other near the back. We see Krystal, Jemma, Carl, Skye and Joshua from our old middle school and nod towards each of them. Jemma, Skye and Krystal sit together a couple of rows from the back. Joshua joins up with another boy and Carl sits alone in the corner. Eddie and I whisper and in the end decide to ask him over.

"Hey Carl, come sit over here?" I ask. He nods and sits next to me. The three of us converse about cars, bikes, sports and TV.

Alex's POV:

Unfortunately my sister is in my home room but we sit at opposite sides of the room so that we don't have to speak. A couple of girls walk over and ask to sit with her and she says yes hesitantly to them both. I'm left sitting alone. A boy wanders over near me and asks to sit with me. I see Amelia and the two girls practically swooning but after staring at him for a second I don't see anything special.

"Nope." I say and go back to putting on more black eyeliner and blowing bubbles with my bubble gum. I don't even look up and when I eventually do he's gone however I see him a few rows back, bright red, but trying to act cool. I look a bit closer and see he is kinda handsome. Blonde hair that flops in his face. Tall. Thin. Muscles. Okay, he's very hot. I just don't like boys, especially not womanizers like that guy.

Some guy called Mr Lopez walks in, does registration and then sits back and chews some gums of his own. Clearly noticing me but not doing anything about it. Amelia looks appalled.

As the bell goes to signal the end of home room I look back at the mystery guy again and he's got two girls on his arm and is flirting with an extra three. Yeah, like I wanna sit anywhere near THAT.

At lunch we go down to the board where you sign up for stuff and I reluctantly sign up for glee (because Mom said she'd give me money and Dad said you get extra credit and who am I kidding? I'm not gonna graduate without some help!)

Amelia's POV:

At lunch we head down to the board where you sign up for clubs and try-outs. I sign up for glee club try-outs with Dad (today after school and it meets every other day for half an hour), cheerleading try-outs with Coach Sylvester (someone Dad told me to beware) (tryouts- tomorrow lunch time and it meets Monday-Wednesday lunchtime and Friday before school) and for my friends' sake hip-hop (no try-outs needed- before school on Tuesdays).

Aaron's POV:

All of the guys and I head down to sign up for stuff. We all sign up for football try-outs and Eddie and I do basketball too while Dave and Jack sign up for swimming instead. I stare at the thing saying glee club. As all of the guys except Dave head off I grab a pen and scribble my name. He stares at me.

I freeze. Oh no, now he thinks I'm a loser. I shut my eyes waiting for the impact. Nothing.

"Hand me that pen." He says. Then he signs up and we go to physics together.

Alex's POV:

I step onto the auditorium stage at 3:40 as a girl with blonde hair leaves looking okay.

"How did you do?" I ask.

She spins to look at me. "Uh, yeah, fine. I did some wrong notes. Are you a freshman?"

"Yes."

"Mm." Then she leaves.

"ALEX HUDSON."

When I walk onto the stage the lights blind me at first and I cover my eyes. I hear laughing from somewhere in front of me. Then I hear Dad's voice.

"Hi Alex, wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Yeah, well. Mom said she'd give me money if I tried out." More laughter.

"Okay." A quite high pitched girly voice says. "What are you singing Alex?"

"Demi Lovato's La La Land."

Silence.

"Alright, off you go then." A boy tells me.

I take a breath and sing.

"I am confident, but I still have my moments

Baby, that's just me

I'm not a supermodel, I still eat McDonalds

Baby, that's just me

Who said I can't wear my Converse with my dress?

Well baby, that's just me

Who said I can't be single and have to go out and mingle

Baby, that's not me, no, no

Well some may say I need to be afraid

Of losing everything, because of where I

Had my start and where I made my name

Well everything's the same in the La La Land Machine

Tell me do you feel the way I feel

'Cause nothing else is real in the La La Land appeal

Well, some may say I need to be afraid

Of losing everything, because of where I

Had my start and where I made my name

Well, everything's the same

In the La La Land machine

Well, I'm not gonna change

In the La La Land machine

I will stay the same

In the La La Land

Machine!"

Scribble, scribble.

"Well done!" Comes the girl's voice again. "Check the board this time next week to see if you made it. Thanks for trying out."

As I leave, bright red in the face, I bump into Amelia.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Alex." She says cheerily.

"Leave me alone." I spit out, pushing past her.

"I was just gonna say, you did great." She sounds so hurt that I thought she was being mean.

"Thanks, good luck."

She beams at me before her name is called and she heads off. Oh why does it have to be so hard to hate her?

Amelia's POV:

I didn't know Alex could sing. I know she thinks I'm kidding but she really is good.

"AMELIA HUDSON."

Here goes.

I'm used to the bright lights after years of shows and I can make out Dad and two other figures. One a boy, one a girl. I guess the captains of the glee club.

"Hey Amelia."

"Hey Dad."

"How many kids do you have Mr Hudson?" The boy jokes.

"Triplets, Kieran."

"Are they all great singers Mr Hudson?" The girl enquires.

"Amelia certainly is. Never heard Alex before that." He flips to the second page of names. "Oh, Aaron's coming too. What did you DO to them Amelia?!" I start laughing along with Dad, Kieran and the girl. "You know the drill Sophie."

"Right Mr Hudson." Sophie says, nodding. "Okay, Amelia. What song are you singing?"

"Don't Rain On My Parade from the seminal broadway classic Funny Girl." I see Dad's eyes light up.

"Off you go then Amelia." Kieran directs.

"Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter,

Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter!

Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!

Don't tell me not to fly, I've simply got to,

If someone takes a spill it's me and not you!

Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade?

I'll march my band out, I'll beat my drum,

And if I'm fanned out, I'll turn a bat, sir.

At least I didn't fake it, hat, sir,

I guess I didn't make it!

But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection,

A freckle on the nose of life's complexion,

The cinder or the shiny apple of it's eye!

I've gotta fly once, I've gotta try once,

Only can die once, right sir?

Oh life is juicy, juicy and you see

I've gotta have my bite, sir.

I'm gonna live and live now

Get what I want, I know how

One roll for the whole sha-bang!

One throw that bell will go clang!

Eye on the target and wham!

One shot, one gun shot and BAM!

Hey Mister Arnstein, here I am!

I'll march my band out,

I'll beat my drum,

And if I'm fanned out,

Your turn at bat, sir,

At least I didn't fake it.

Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it.

Get ready for me love

Cause I'mma comma

I simply gotta march my heart's a drummer

Nobody, no, nobody

Is gonna, rain on my PARADE!"

Everyone is silent as I catch my breath, even Sophie.

Surprisingly Kieran (who seemed to be the quietest) speaks first. "Well Amelia, thank you very, very much. That was wonderful. This time next week the list of glee club members will be up. Check to see if you made it."

I run off the stage sobbing! Macey (who's next) is waiting and tries to catch me but I speed past her. As I leave I catch sight of Chloe as well as Aaron and his friend but no-one manages to stop me. I keep running until I'm outside. I duck under the bleachers and sit down in a ball, clutching my knees and sobbing uncontrollably.

"'Melia..." I look up. It's Alex, with that glee club captain person, Sophie.

"What is it?" Alex asks, she sounds kind of tetchy (as usual) and her own eyes look red (NOT NORMAL).

"When I- when I was- was singing-"

"Yeah, I am not good with singing or emotions. Feel better sis, don't worry, it'll all be good. See you on the bus." And she runs off. I start crying even harder and Sophie kneels down beside me.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"EVERYTHING!" I shout out.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"I got some notes wrong in the song!" I mutter.

For some reason this makes her laugh.

"What?" I get all defensive, why is she laughing?

"Amelia! You sounded amazing! We wouldn't even have known you did those notes wrong if you hadn't told us." She shakes her head. "You are so talented."

I brush my hair out of my eyes and look up at her. "So I'm in?"

"Of course you are! Now, I'd better get back."

When we return both my best friends have auditioned and they both think they did quite well. We talk for a few minutes then they point behind me, giggling.

Suddenly Alex and Aaron are beside me and they pull me into a janitor's closet just next to us.

"What's going on?" I enquire, studying their faces for clues.

"You tell her!" Alex is uncharacteristically happy.

"What are you two up to?"

Aaron's POV:

"AARON HUDSON." Dave gives me a thumbs up and then I walk onto the stage.

"Oh, bright!" I squeal!

"Come on son. Let's get going, you have to get in. The girls both are! You can't let them beat you!" Dad lets slips and I grin. The girls are both in!

"Yeah, I'm Aaron and I'm singing Let Me Love You, by Ne-Yo."

"Go ahead whenever you're ready Aaron." A boy says.

"Okay,

Much as you blame yourself

You can't be blamed

For the way that you feel

Had no example of a love

That was even remotely real

How can you understand something that you never had?

If you let me I can help you out with all of that...

Girl, let me love you

And I will love you

Until you learn to love yourself...

Girl, let me love you

I- I've had a blank!" I start panicking. I can't let the girls beat me!

"That's alright Aaron," says a girl, who I swear wasn't there a second ago. "We have enough."

"No!" I can't let the girls win! "I can dance, could I show you that?"

"Go for it." Dad nods, he sounds surprised though.

I start hip-hop dancing, like I've been learning to do at home from the computer. When I finish the three of them clap and the boy says "you're totally in!" I leave the room and after wishing Dave luck I find Alex sitting with her friend and whisper into her ear that all three Hudsons are in! She grins at me, tells her friend to just "wait a second!" And then we look for Amelia. We catch sight of her talking with her friends. When the two of them see us they point and giggle. Amelia spins around just as we grab her and pull her into the janitor's closet. I quickly say "won't be a sec" to them and then after letting her think for a minute I tell Amelia.

"We all got into glee club!" I whisper. Amelia starts jumping up and down and hugging us!

"I'm not a hugger!" Alex screams. Once we've all calmed down we leave as nonchalantly as we can manage!

I doubt Amelia will be able to keep it a secret but somehow she manages!

Next chapter: Cheerleading try-outs for Amelia, football try-outs for Aaron and their first glee club meeting.