If you ever seen A Very Potter Musical, see if you can catch my reference. (;
I don't own glee, only my original characters.
Jazz is music to be played sweet, soft, and plenty of rhythm. – Jelly Roll Morton
"Where's Rachel?" Kurt asked as he and Jazz put down old school yearbooks in the next glee club meeting. He'd called her this morning and asked for special help.
"She's not here yet." Finn told them.
"Perfect." Kurt said, "Glee club stands on a delicate precipice. We have all felt the cold humiliation of a slushie in the face." Jazz eyes looked towards Puck, a hidden grin across her face. Oliver had gotten him this morning. "But as of right now our relative amenity as a club shields us from more severe persecution. Swirlies, patriotic wedges."
"What's a patriotic wedgie?" Mercedes questioned.
"It's when they hoist you up the flag pole by your undies."
"Strangely, it did make me feel more American." Artie added. Jazz snorted behind her hand.
"Based on my investigation," Kurt started out, pulling out a random yearbook from the pile. Jazz went and found a stool because she'd already heard all of this. "And I am of the opinion that a yearbook photo would only fuel the anti-glee club terror. I've done a little library research."
It was all so stupid and pointless. She wasn't sure why they were so scared of taking a measly photo. They'd performed in front of the entire school. Jazz spun around on her chair, ignoring Kurt's pointless ramblings while he told them about the past members.
"Oh, hey guys." Mr. Shue said. Jazz snapped out of it and grinned while they hastily shut the old thunderclaps. "Ah, looking at old thunderclaps?"
"It's really unsettling." Artie mumbled. Jazz snorted and spun her chair around.
"And totally unfair. Hey, can I borrow one of these?" He ripped it out of Kurt's hand. "You know what? This year's thunder clap is going to have a Glee club photo with every one of you're smiling faces. You have my word on it."
"Wonderful Mr. Shue. We'll all look so cute." Jazz said, offering a sincere smile. As he walked away she muttered to the rest of the choir. "I call the rice patty hat."
Everyone laughed and dismissed. Jazz spun once more in her chair and stood. Her balance was off and she stumbled to the side. Someone caught her.
She turned and saw Puck.
"Thank you," Jazz said, looking for her brother. He made her feel safe but he never seemed to be around when she needed him. This time, he was over by Quinn (Finn had already left.)
"We need to talk," Puck said, setting her back up.
"I agree, we do," Jazz went and took a seat. He followed suit.
"I want to explain about last week," He started but Jazz held up a hand.
"You don't need too," Jazz told him, smiling. "I understand. And I thought about it long and hard and decided that we just need to be friends. We have such a good time hanging out and we get along really well. But all the making-out and that extra stuff, threw us off balance. I don't need to have feelings for someone right now, which is what was going to happen. And you have too many girls to be focused on one, which is what I need." Puck didn't blink as he stared at her. "So, friends?"
"Friends…" He dropped off the word and shook her hand as she offered it. She got up out of her seat and made for the door. Puck didn't miss the movement of her hand wiping her eye.
Glee club practice was fun next time. Artie had picked up the base, Finn was at drums, and Jazz and Puck held guitars. Matt and Mike were dancing around them as they played nonsense.
"We could start our own little band," Jazz joked, kicking Puck's chair.
"Yeah, we could be the 'gleeks.'" Artie told them. Finn and Puck laughed.
"Hey, guys." Mr. Shue said, walking in on them. "Good news. Glee club gets a photo in the thunderclap." Everyone showed fake enthusiasm. Jazz smack Finn who started looking around worriedly. "Yupp, it's going to show everyone at this school that Glee club is on its way up. When we win regionals, those claps are going to be collector's items. All of your classmates are going to be begging for your autographs. But, I had to compromise to do it. We only get a quarter page in back. Which means we have to pick two team captains to appear in the photo. So, tomorrow we're going to put it to a vote. Exciting, huh?" He clapped his hands. "Alright."
When the bell rang the next morning, everyone was already in their seats, waiting to vote. Except Jazz. She ran in late, having just got out of the bathroom. Her eyes had turned from red to pink, and made the excuse of allergies as she walked in the room.
"Yeah, mine are really bad this time of year." She said, taken the vacant seat next to Finn. Cory stared at her skeptically, knowing she didn't have allergies. "And that I've been super tired lately. No sleep."
"You have a dirt smudge on you're nose." Finn whispered. Jazz gasped and quickly rubbed it off.
"Now that we're all here, I guess we should vote." Mercedes tried.
Rachel stood and walked to the podium. "With you're permission, I have prepared a few words."
"I vote Rachel." Mercedes called out, keeping a straight face.
"I second that." Kurt answered. Jazz laughed.
"Alright, let's vote up in this place." Puck said, handing everyone a piece of paper. Jazz took her's without looking at him. "I have to go hit the gym to load up these guns of Puckerone for the Football photo."
"That's muscle?" Jazz said, sounding surprised and winking. He made a face at her and turned around.
Everyone quickly voted for Rachel, and Mr. Shue read them, announcing it was Rachel.
"But we need two captains you guys." Their teacher said, looking at them disappointed.
"Why two? We're fine with having Rachel represent us in the Thunderclap by herself." Quinn said quickly.
"We'd actually prefer it." Kurt added.
Jazz was late to school again every day that week and she had skipped football practice all the time, too. She'd been working on something that was taking up a lot of her time, but Cory couldn't figure out what it was. She couldn't drive yet (failed her first driver's test) but she was going everywhere on her old bike that had a basket attached.
Jazz didn't even actually know why she was doing what she was, but it felt right. Puck and Finn and Kurt and Mercedes were all bugging her about, knowing something was up, but she was barely talking to any of them.
When she finally managed to get to school on time, she heard Rachel was being forced to take the picture by herself, and Finn was ditching her. So, Jazz smoothed out her brown dress, flattened her hair and walked into the room.
"Finn's not coming, is he?" Rachel asked as soon as she saw her. She was standing up by a mirror. Jazz shook her head and took a seat on one of the stools, posing.
"I'm ready." Rachel told the photographer, following suit.
The guy took two pictures and said, "Great."
Jazz nodded and ducked out of the room before Rachel could freak out about it.
Jazz ran down the hallway, late for glee again. Finn was squeezing through the door in front of her and before he shut it, she stuck her foot in the way. He turned around, noticed her and let go, following Rachel to be yelled at.
She slipped in and took the only open seat next Puck. Cory glared back at them and Jazz winked, making suggestive moves behind Puck's back as him and Mike played the slapping game.
"Okay, look." Rachel said, stopping Jazz's movements. Just in time, because Puck looked over his shoulder at her. "I realize now that all of you think that Glee club is just a joke and you're convinced that we can't win and you're content to sit idle by until Figgins cancel's the club. Well, I'm about to present to you, a rare opportunity. The opportunity to become, stars."
Everyone looked around at eachother and Jazz made movements like she was posing for the paparazzi. Puck noticed and shook his head, smiling.
"How?"
"We've all been cast in a local commercial." Every single person went wild.
"Are you serious?" Finn asked the question everyone was thinking.
"Yes, Finn." She snapped. "And while all of you have been so concerned with your appearance in this school." Jazz ran a hand over Puck's Mohawk and shook her head. He hit her away. "I've landed Glee club it's first big break. Simply put, making us all celebrities. Okay, and no one messes with celebrities. Or, defaces their pictures."
"What the commercial?" Jazz questioned.
"Underwear." Puck answered, shaking his head and knuckle-tapping Mike. Cory scowled.
"Hold on to your hats." Rachel chose to ignore his comment. "And get ready to sell… some mattresses."
Everyone went off the deep end and started posing and talking about what they were going to do. Rachel watched, satisfied with her work. Jazz rolled her eyes and got up, getting ready to leave the school.
Puck grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"
"Mars." Jazz laughed, pulling her hand out of his grip. "Just kidding. You need a rocket ship to go there."
Puck wouldn't stop at that and continued to follow her. "We barely talk anymore, I don't understand."
"I've just been busy," Jazz told him, making for her bike. "And you have to admit, it's sort of awkward between us."
"I don't get it," Puck sighed, holding the front of her bike so she couldn't take off. "I got to know you, just like you said I should."
Jazz smiled sadly at him and pushed him away from her. "You don't know anything about me." And she took off.
Jazz had finally gotten her pajama's on and made her way out to the rest of the club. She put her clothes down and collapsed on a bed.
"I'm so tired." She moaned into the pillow.
"Maybe you shouldn't be doing what you are doing." Cory said, throwing a brush at her.
"But, my dear brother." She said, propping herself up on an elbow. "I know that I should be doing it."
"Scoot." Puck said, pushing her over to the other side. She groaned and moved over, letting him collapse too.
"Okay guys, we are very excited to have you here." A large, old man in a suit said, walking up to them. "We here at mattress land believe that mattresses aren't just for sleeping and fornicating anymore."
Jazz screeched as Puck made hip thrusts to her back. She picked up a pillow and threw it at his head. He stopped, chuckling.
"We believe that buying an affordable mattress should be fun."
"Alright, let's go over this script." The photographer's voice chimed in. Jazz couldn't see him, her eyes were closed. "I think it's pretty brilliant. I wrote it myself. Action."
"Aw, me." Finn said his line.
"What's wrong?" Mercedes fake voice chimed in next.
"We just lost our jobs… at the factory." Jazz let out her laugh this time as Puck put too much dramatics into it. "And we can't get a good night's sleep."
"And we haven't had anywhere, too… well you know." Jazz mumbled, not feeling up to actually reading her lines. "Take out the stress."
"Chipper up," Rachel said, over perky. Jazz grabbed the pillow off Puck and shoved it over her ears. "And come on down to mattress land. We've go whole sale prices to fit your style and pocket book."
That's all Jazz heard before she drifted off.
When she woke up, she was in someone's arms, being carried over to a stack of mattresses.
"What happened?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Rachel had a better idea for the commercial." Cory said, smiling down at her.
Once they had finally gotten her up enough, it took her no time to learn the vocals and song. They performed through it, Jazz keeping up and doing her best.
At the end they did some green screen. Rachel said her lines and Jazz hit her off with a pillow to say, "Come on down to mattress land." Rachel jumped back in and they hugged.
Jazz leaned back on the sturdy dock. It had taken her all week, but she had completed it. When she first started working on it, she barely rested, that's why she was late and tired all the time. And as she worked she cried. Now that she was finished, the tears were dried on her face.
A guitar strummed behind her. She turned around quickly and saw Puck standing there, holding a guitar. He began to play.
Oh I have a lot to say was thinking of my time away Cause everything inside it never comes out right I'm sorry I'm bad I'm sorry you're blue
I missed you and things weren't the same
And when I see you cry it makes me want to die
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you
And I know I can't take it back
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds,
and baby the way you make my world go round
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry
Every single day I think about how we came all this way I'm sorry I'm bad I'm sorry you're blue
the sleepless nights and the tears you've cried
its never to late to make it right
all right sorry
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you
And I know I can't take it back
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds,
and baby the way you make my world go round
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry
I'm sorry baby
I'm sorry baby
yeah
I'm sorry
Jazz was crying as soon as he had started singing. When he finished, he cautiously put the guitar down.
"Why?" She sobbed, standing on the edge of the dock.
"Because I saw what you did. And I realized that I'm not alright with being friends with you. I know I'm a jerk and I think with my dick. But I will work on that, for you. Because you are the first girl that's been worth it." He stepped towards her, his eyes swimming. "You're favorite color is orange, you still sleep with a stuffed lion, you love your family, even if they are crazy, your favorite ice cream is strawberry, your favorite twenty-firsts century band is Owl City."
Jazz cut him off. "How do you know all that?"
"Because I listened to everything you ever told me, and I read between the lines." Jazz let out a shaky breath. "I want to be with you. No matter what happens now or in the future. You are it for me." As he talked he took another step towards her. She stood still until he was over her.
"Okay." He smiled and kissed her, holding her and remembering this.
"But we don't want to go to sectionals without you." Artie complained. Jazz leaned against Puck, close to crying again. Mr. Shue had been her rock, the stableness she needed in her life.
"It's without me or not at all." Mr. Shue told them, pushing off the mattress. "Look, I was the one who slept on the mattress. Which means, I accepted them, not you. Which means I'm disqualified from competition. Not you guys."
"He's taking the bullet for us." Puck pointed out, his voice tight. Jazz patted his chest, willing herself not to cry. "Solid."
"We have worked too hard for you guys not to get your shot." He told them.
"But we can't do this without you Mr. Shue." Finn said looking like a lost puppy dog.
"And we don't want to." Jazz snapped, gripping Puck's arm for support.
"Hell, we can't probably do it with you." Finn added.
"That's not true." Mr. Shue said quickly. "You guys are good. You're really good. You did jump for the commercial without me, right? Look, the best teachers don't give you the answers. They just point the way and let you make your own choices. Your own mistakes." Noah and Jazz looked at eachother and pulled closer. Cory's eyes met Quinn's and then looked away. Quinn and Puck shared a glance. "That way, you get all the glory. And you deserve it. If you can't win without me there, then I haven't done my job."
"We're really sorry, Mr. Shue." Rachel spoke for all of them.
"I know." He said, looking around. "I want you guys to go get gussied up and take that Glee club photo with pride. I want to see a smile on every single one of your faces."
Jazz had enough. She wriggled out of Puck's arms and ran right at Mr. Shue, crushing him in a hug. "We all love you, thank you for all you did." She sobbed into his shoulder.
Rachel and Mercedes managed to yank her off of him, and drag her to the girl's bathroom where everyone did touch-ups.
They took the photo that afternoon. Everyone was smiling extra big for the one face they were missing. Jazz burst into tears as soon as they finished and Puck held her until she stopped.