Author's Note: I don't have a lot of stuff to write into "Trio," but I decided to do a little bit between Rachel, Dani, and Santana, along with Jake, Ryder, and Marley. I wrote Elliot out of the 'Gloria' song because I thought it would make more sense to have the three waitresses sing it, plus Elliot already sings three other songs.
It was time for sophomore History class. Marley, Ryder, and Jake were all sitting in separate locations throughout the class. Will entered the room. "Good morning, class! Today, we're diving into our group current events assignment."
Half the class got up to pick partners, but Will waved them down. "I will be picking the groups by the luck of your seat today. I'm going to count down your rows, everyone remember your number."
Will moved around the classroom, giving each student a number between one and eight. They didn't notice, but Marley, Ryder, and Jake were all given the number three.
"Ones, you will all be at Carrie's table, twos, you will all be at Eddie's table, threes, you will all be at Marley's table-"
Marley, nervous to greet whichever manipulative jocks would be her partners, turned around, and her face shattered at the site of Jake and Ryder coming toward her.
"Damn it," they all said in their heads.
"So..." Jake said awkwardly.
Ryder made sure to sit himself in the middle to separate Marley from Jake. "What are we doing, groupies?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Schuester, this isn't going to work," Marley said, raising her hand.
Will immediately realized this horrible turn of events. "Sorry, guys, but I can't rearrange the groups. This trio will have to do."
Marley pouted.
"Well, we can do a presentation on the news about job growth," Ryder suggested, unfolding his newspaper. "This article says that 175,000 new jobs were added in May, which is 10,000 more than jobs that opened in April."
"I guess," Jake sighed. "So how are we dividing up the work?"
"So long as you don't make me do everything, like everyone else in the class, I'm good," Marley sighed.
"Well, being dyslexic I think I should stay away from the actual report," Ryder said. "I've got to practice my reading, so I can do the research."
"I can write the report," Jake said.
"I can't afford to make the poster board," Marley said.
"I can do the poster board," Ryder said.
"Fine, then I'll do the PowerPoint," Marley said.
"You're late, Lopez and Berry!" Gunther barked from the kitchen.
"Yes, sorry, Gunther, I had rehearsal for Funny Girl," Rachel said, emphasizing herself.
"Yeah, so did I, because I'm also in the cast," Santana bragged, putting an apron on.
"Maybe you two should consider stepping down to part-time and save me some dollars," Gunther said. "It's like I have more waiters than customers in my restaurant!"
"Okay, Gunther, the catering truck for the Broadway preview of Holler If Ya Hear Me is ready to go," Dani said, entering the restaurant with a tray full of entrees.
"Ah, yes, thank you, Dani," Gunther said, retreating to go drive the catering truck.
"So, girls, how were rehearsals?" Dani asked awkwardly.
"Rehearsal went phenomenally well," Santana bragged, pushing Rachel into the counter.
"Actually, rehearsal went okay," Rachel said. "Would've gone phenomenally well if only the actress could keep up with her lines, since a certain understudy is a total theatrical amateur and was only cast because the press is all over the idea of us being classmates."
"Have they always been like this?" Dani asked sadly to Kurt, who was wiping dishes.
Kurt sighed. "I thought it was all over between them the moment they sang Whitney Houston's 'So Emotional' last year. Fast forward a year and they're making me so emotional, so emotional with stress and guilt and anger and ugh, Dani, I'm going on an intermission."
A few hours later, the diner waiters and waitresses were well into their dinner shifts. Dani was cleaning up a table when a woman flagged her down.
"Excuse me, miss?" the woman asked. "Hi, it's my birthday tonight, and I was wondering if you waiters could perform me a song?"
"Of course!" Dani exclaimed. "What are you requesting?"
"Well, my name is Gloria, so-"
"Oh, say no more," Dani said, eagerly bouncing over to her assistant manager to ask if she could get help with the song. A minute later, Dani was surprised to see Rachel and Santana hurrying over to the stage.
"This can't be good," Dani muttered to herself as the music began, and already, Rachel and Santana were going at it.
Santana: Gloria, you're always on the run now
Running after somebody, you gotta get him somehow
Dani: I think you've got to slow down before you start to blow it
I think you're headed for a breakdown, so be careful not to show it
Santana & Dani: You really don't remember, was it something that he said?
Are the voices in your head calling, Gloria?
Gloria, don't you think you're fallin'?
Rachel: If everybody wants you, why isn't anybody callin'?
You don't have to answer
Leave them hangin' on the line, oh-oh-oh, calling Gloria
Rachel & Dani: Gloria (Gloria), I think they got your number (Gloria)
I think they got the alias (Gloria) that you've been living under (Gloria)
But you really don't remember
Rachel: Was it something that they said?
Rachel & Dani: Are the voices in your head calling, Gloria?
Santana: A-ha-ha, a-ha-ha
And you really don't remember, was it something that he said?
Are the voices in your head calling, Gloria?
Santana: Gloria, don't you think you're fallin'?
If everybody wants you,
Santana & Rachel: Why isn't anybody callin'?
You don't have to answer
Leave them hangin' on the line, oh-oh-oh, calling Gloria
Rachel & Dani: Gloria (Gloria), I think they got your number (Gloria)
I think they got the alias (Gloria) that you've been living under (Gloria)
Santana: But you really don't remember,
Dani: Was it something that they said?
Are the voices in your head calling, Gloria?
Rachel & Santana: (Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria)
(Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria)
Santana: They got your number
All: Gloria
Dani watched as the girls ran over to Elliot to ask who was better. After Elliot stormed out of the diner and Rachel and Santana hurried back into the kitchen, Dani went to sit next to Kurt.
"What's going to happen to them?" Dani asked.
"I don't know," Kurt said. "But one thing's for sure, Pamela Lansbury cannot perform at our next gig with that bad blood."
"So what?" Dani asked. "Do you want them out? At least for now? We can be a trio, you'd never know. Destiny's Child became stronger than ever after they became a trio."
"You'd really do that to Santana?" Kurt asked.
"Hey, it's not about hating either of them," Dani said. "But I joined Pamela Lansbury because I wanted a creative outlet, somewhere I can jam out on my guitar, and sing with friends. If being a trio until this settles down will accomplish that, I'm all for it."
"And so, a grand total of 175,000 jobs were added to the nation in May," Ryder said. "That's 10,000 more than the 165,000 added in April."
"Great research, guys!" Will said. "So how does this apply to your lives?"
"Well, my family is very familiar with unemployment," Marley said. "My mom was laid off from her job at my old school, so we made the move to Lima."
"My mom's also struggled with unemployment," Jake said. "She's a waitress and she's been laid off from a lot of jobs in the past. Thankfully she has a bit more tenure at the country club she's working at, but all the same, a lot of her younger colleagues have been getting laid off since the recession started."
"So it's just important that people can get jobs and that the unemployment rate will decrease," Marley said. "We all need a steady source of income to survive, so 175,000 people were lucky to get that chance."
"Great jobs, guys!" Will exclaimed, marking down their grade on their rubrics. "I'll see you folks in Glee Club," he whispered.
Later that night, Kitty, Artie, Unique, and Marley were at Kitty's house having a movie night.
"Thanks for coming over, you guys," Kitty said.
"No problem, gurl," Unique said.
"I'm just glad you're not making fun of me this time," Marley laughed.
"So long as you don't puke in my toilet," Kitty said.
"How was your bowling date?" Marley asked.
"Eh, it was okay," Kitty said. "Thank goodness for the bumpers, because my ball can't stay in the lane to save my life."
"OH MY GOSH, IT'S BACK," Unique exclaimed!
"Gosh, I love the Cheetah Girls!" Marley exclaimed. "We were only like six years old when this movie came out!"
"Where's the fourth chick, yo?" Artie asked.
"Raven Symone," Unique corrected him. "And she was unable to do the third movie, so the Cheetah Girls became a trio."
"I liked it better as a quartet," Artie muttered.
"Please, you've been saying all week about how quartets are 25% stronger than a trio, we've heard it," Kitty snapped. "Gosh, I love Dorinda, she's such an amazing dancer. I wanna be just like her one day."
"I just really love Galleria and Chanel," Marley said. "I always wished I had a friendship like that. But Chanel, her voice is amazing, she has that awesome Latina rasp."
"Gurls, I'm all about Aqua, gurl has some serious 'tude," Unique said.
"You guys should totally open up for the seniors-not-including-Artie-trio tomorrow," Artie said.
"That is a great idea," Kitty agreed.
Will walked into the auditorium, seeing only Jake and Ryder in the audience. "Welcome, boys, to our pre-Nationals number from the seniors, but before that, the three sophomore girls would like to open up for them while the boys settle down Tina's crying backstage."
Song: "One World" by The Cheetah Girls
[All]
Yea
[Marley]
Love always finds a way every single time
Once we learn to trust our heart.
And Know inside it feels right.
[Kitty]
Now we see who we are in a different light
We're not so far apart, anything is possible
[Unique]
With all the differences we're stronger here.
Now the truth has been discovered ooh yeah
After all we've been through now it's clear
That all of us, we share.
[Chorus - all:]
One World
One Love
One All
We're a circle together
One World
One Heart
One Song
Now and forever
[Chant]
Everybody Celebrate!
Will & Jake & Ryder: Bring on the party, bring on the dance!
Time to let the music Play!
Will &Jake & Ryder: The Party never ends!
Everybody every world!
Will & Jake & Ryder: Stand up and shout, say it loud!
Everyone around the world!
Will & Jake & Ryder: Come on and join in!
[Unique]
We're gathered here today
Everything just right.
[Kitty]
Cause when you give from your heart
The things you do come back to you.
[Marley]
There to be strong and brave
Not afraid to try.
[Kitty]
That's when we see who we are
The best of friends and that's fun.
[Unique]
With all the differences we're stronger here.
Now the truth has been discovered ooh yeah
[Marley]
After all we've been through now it's clear
That all of us, we share.
[Chorus - all:]
One World
One Love
One All
We're a circle together
One World
One Heart
One Song
Now and forever
{Will and Emma sing this at home.}
Emma: Ooh I never knew that love
Would find a way to bring together
Both of us.
Will: Now inside, I know it's true.
Both: Cause what we have is meant to be
You'll let me be the real me
Together here is were we belong.
[Chorus - all:]
One World
One Love
One All
We're a circle together
One World
One Heart
One Song
Now and forever
[Chorus - all:]
One World
One Love
One All
We're a circle together
One World
One Heart
One Song
Now and forever
We're a circle together
Now and forever
One World.
[Repeat]