Interlude - Regionals
-Friday, front lobby of Dublin Scioto High School, 5:32 p.m.-
Kurt was nervous. Yes, the Warblers had all voted on and agreed that he and Blaine should sing a duet. Yes, they kept coming up and telling him he was going to "kick ass" or "be awesome".
Still, it was his first time actually performing a solo during competition. And that was terrifying.
In his attempt to calm down, he was sitting at the snack bar, much like during Sectionals, sipping a Ginger Ale and cursing his sudden, inexplicable stage fright.
What if he missed a note? What if he forgot the dance steps?
What if he forgot the words?
Which was when someone slapped him on the back of his well-coiffed head.
Spinning, Kurt found three of his favorite girls grinning at him in matching shiny, light blue dresses with thick strips of black ribbon tied around their waists and a bedazzled pattern accenting the neckline. It was the Unholy Trinity. Brittany bounced forward to kiss him lightly on the mouth, and he grinned, returning the kiss. Santana had placed the hand she'd used to hit him on one hip, as she smirked. Quinn wore a similar expression, but her hands were tucked together in front of her and-
"You cut your hair?"
The shriek cut through the din, causing almost everyone to turn and stare instinctively at the noise.
Quinn and Kurt both blushed bright red at the attention, than the small blonde shrugged. "Right after I broke up with Finn."
That had the countertenor staring, before he huffed and rolled his eyes. "Of course you did. Why is it New Directions can't ever go into a competition without as much interpersonal drama as a soap opera?"
Santana laughed loudly. "We thrive on it. How else are we supposed to kick you and your harem of gay birds' asses?"
He merely looked confidently down his nose at her. "I'll have you know that you are not beating us this time. We're… trying something new, and so far, it's going swimmingly."
Which was when Nick came running up. "Kurt, I think Flint's gonna lose his cookies! You need to do something!"
The girls all raised their eyebrows at their friend, who sighed, then stood. "Alright, Nick, lead on." As he turned and began walking, he realized that the Warbler wasn't with him. Spinning on his heel, he saw Nick flirting with the three McKinley girls, and now it was his turn to smack the back of someone's head.
"Ow! Kuuuuuuuuuurt!" Nick whined.
He just grabbed the other boy's ear and proceeded to drag him away.
From behind him, he heard Quinn call, "Kurt! Listen to the second song. It's for you!"
At the words, tears tried to fill his eyes. Of all the things he missed about New Directions, that was one of the biggest: for any reason, or no reason at all, the gleeks dedicated songs to one another, trying to show support or anger or simply connection. He hadn't had that since transferring. (With the exception of the compellingly cheesy and sweet song Blaine had written and sung to Kurt in the hospital, over two months ago.)
Pulling Nick back towards the area the Warblers had commandeered, he realized his fear of going out on the stage and singing was gone. Because he knew, no matter what happened, his McKinley family would be out there, rooting for him to succeed.
… …
-Friday, Row J in the auditorium of Dublin Scioto High School, 5:39 p.m.-
"We saw my dolphin!" Brittany announced happily, as she bounced into her spot besides Artie. "But one of the birdies came to take Kurt away because he needed Kurt to help him find Flint's cookies."
Everyone nodded as though they understood, and Santana sneered. "One of the other Garglers is barfing and they wanted Porcelain to get the kid's head back in the game."
That… made a lot more sense.
"I wonder how hard Rainbow'll have to smack a bitch to snap the dude out of it," Santana mused, slipping into her chair. She and Puck immediately started debating whether Kurt and his "gay hobbit" were into S&M kinks.
Rachel, meanwhile, was ignoring them and focusing on Quinn. "Did you tell him?"
"That the song is for him?" Quinn responded, than smiling softly. "Yes, I did."
"Good. It is, after all, important that he understand just how much we are aware of his former plight and that, one day, he will be famous, though not as famous as me, and all his tormentors will regret their harsh words and actions towards him."
Mercedes slapped a hand over the brunette's mouth. "Berry, please stop. We get it, you're excited for him to hear the song. Now shut up and sit down, 'cause I think it's about to start."
Glancing up, they noticed that the lights were indeed flickering on and off as a warning to the audience to take their seats.
A voice came through the speakers after everyone settled in.
"And now, our judges for the 2011 Midwest Regional Show Choir Competition: Local broadcasting legend and man about town, Rod Remington!"
There was basic applause as the news anchor pushed himself up and waved, before faking a golf swing.
"Recent Tea Party candidate and home schooler, Tammy Jean Alberston!"
The redheaded woman stood, made the sign of the cross, then saluted the audience at large.
"And former exotic dancer and current Carmelite nun, author of the upcoming Lima Press memoir, Habit to Habit, Sister Mary Constance!"
Coming to her feet, the nun smiled widely at the audience and waved, as wolf whistles were heard.
"And now, from Westvale High School, let's have a warm welcome for Aural Intensity!"
Both New Directions and the Warblers fought the urge to boo their competition.
Kurt, on the other hand, was biting his nails, wondering if Sue could pull off for a show choir what she had already done six times for her Cheerios.
Then the curtain went up, the band started playing a song no one recognized, and the group began dancing and singing about… Jesus?
"Jesus is a friend of mine!"
"Jesus is my friend!"
"Jesus is a friend of mine!"
"I'm a friend of Jesus!"
"Jesus is a friend of mine!"
"Jesus is my friend!"
"Jesus is a friend of mine!"
Their moves were smooth and quick, their outfits were flattering, and they had good harmony but what in the name of Alexander McQueen kind of song choice was this? What really shocked Kurt was how much of the audience actually seemed to be enjoying the song. Then, as if it weren't already cliché enough, the dancers formed a Star of David to finish up the song.
As for New Directions, while a few (Mike and Mercedes in particular) had bounced along to the music, most of them sat in shock, trying to decide whether to be worried or offended, especially when most everyone in the auditorium jumped to their feet to applaud at the end of the song.
Kurt was suddenly glad to allow the anxiety about his own performance to fill him, if it meant he didn't have to suffer through whatever horrendous melody Sue had chosen for Aural Intensity to put on next.
He waited for the panic to set in, but as the group finished and rushed off stage, and the Dalton boys took their places, he looked across to the opposite side of the backstage area and saw Blaine, who just smiled softly and winked.
And suddenly, he was ready.
… …
The Warblers were announced, and the entirety of New Directions leaned forward. Santana and Quinn, in particular, were remembering Kurt's declaration that the Warblers were "trying something new".
Then the lights came up, and there were the Warblers, set up in a familiar triangular shape over the bleachers on stage. One of the biggest immediate differences was the lack of Dalton blazers. Instead, they all wore black, button-down collared shirts, with bright blue-and-red striped Dalton ties, and black slacks. The difference was subtle, but there. They no longer looked like an enormous Barbershop Quartet – they looked like performers. They started in on a strange series of notes.
The second change became immediate moments later, when a voice that wasn't Blaine's rang out from stage right.
"Baby's black balloon makes her fly. I almost fell into that hole in your life. And you're not thinking about tomorrow, 'cause you were the same as me but on your knees!"
Kurt slowly walked forward, eyes fixed on the audience, singing an octave above the normal key for the song. And it was subtle, but New Directions felt it: this song meant something to Kurt. Something powerful and aching and wonderful, too.
Then another voice came from stage left. That was when they got what the song meant, as Blaine aimed the words straight at their friend.
"A thousand other boys could never reach you. How could I have been the one? I saw the world spin beneath you, and scatter like ice from the spoon that was your world!"
And finally, those two very different voices were rising together, creating a beautiful duet of sound. The rest of the Warblers added backing harmonies that gave the song a rich tone, and another dimension.
"Comin' down, the world turned over. And angels fall without you there. And I go on as you get colder, or are you someone's prayer?"
Now they were tossing lines back and forth, and it seemed so natural, less like something they had practiced and more like something out of a movie – a song occurring simply because it should.
"You know the lies they always told you?"
"And the love you never knew."
"What're the things they never showed you-"
"That swallowed the light from the sun, inside your room!"
They sidled closer, glances flicking back and forth between the crowd of watchers and each other, until they were standing, side-by-side, their voices echoing through the auditorium.
"Comin' down, the world turned over. And angels fall without you there. And I go on as you get colder.
"And there's no time left for losin', when you stand they fall!
"Comin' down, the world turned over. And angels fall without you there. And I'll go on to bring you home!"
They split the parts, as the backing Warblers softly hummed, before stopping all together, so that the last line could sound true with just the two boys.
"All because I'm-"
"All because I'm-"
"And I'll become what you became to me."
There was silence, and then the air was filled with an overwhelming roar of clapping and whistles.
Rachel and Mercedes were holding hands and bouncing in their seats, cheering. Finn had never looked more proud. Quinn and Santana exchanged looks of "hell yes, he did!", while Lauren noticed Puck crying and punched him in the shoulder, even as she discreetly wiped a few tears from her own eyes.
Mike and Tina hugged tightly, while Sam fought the urge to jump up and start dancing. Brittany was trying to do just that, but Artie had pulled her down onto his lap and so she shrugged and showed her happiness another way – enthusiastic making out.
And Mr. Schuester fought the urge to slam his head through the nearest wall. Why hadn't he been aware Kurt could perform songs like that? In his mind, he had put Kurt's song range into a little box labeled "Broadway", even though he knew Kurt could sing other genres of music. And while this song hadn't shown off the boy's voice like "Le Jazz Hot", for instance, it was still a flick on the ear to realize he had both underestimated and perhaps even purposefully ignored Kurt's talent.
Finally, the applause died down, and the Warblers all stepped forward, their movements loose and easy and fun.
"1-2-3-4!"
This was distinctly not the same group of Warblers who they had competed against at Sectionals. Those Warblers would never have been dancing around, doing backflips and grapevines and spins. Nor would they split up a song between half-a-dozen soloists, rather than one main frontman, while the rest (including Blaine) sang backup.
"Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer."
"She's a juvenile scam, never was a quitter."
"Tasty like a raindrop. She's got the look."
"Heavenly bound 'cause heaven's got a number."
"When she's spinning me around, kissing is a color."
"Her loving is a wild dog. She's got the look."
And for the chorus, it was Kurt happily grinning as he sung the high echo.
"She's got the look!"
("She's got the look.")
"She's got the look!"
("She's got the look.")
"What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue? When everything I'll ever do, I'll do for you. And I go: la la la la la! She's got the look!"
"Fire is the ice, naked to the t-bone-"
"Is a lover's disguise, banging on the head drum."
"Shaking like a mad bull. She's got the look."
"Swaying to the band, moving like a hammer."
"She's a miracle man. Loving is the ocean."
"Kissing is the wet sand. She's got the look."
This time there were two echoes, Kurt singing high and Blaine singing low.
"She's got the look!"
("She's got the look.")
"She's got the look!"
("She's got the look.")
"What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue? When everything I'll ever do, I'll do for you. And I go: la la la la la! She's got the look!"
"Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer."
"She's a juvenile scam, never was a quitter."
"Tasty like a raindrop. She's got the look."
Then all six of the soloists sang together, with the rest of the Warblers cutting out.
"And she goes: na na na na na, na na na na na, na na na na na."
Before everyone came back in for the chorus.
"She's got the look!"
("She's got the look.")
"She's got the look!"
("She's got the look.")
"What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue? When everything I'll ever do, I'll do for you. And I go: la la la la la! She's got the look!
"What in the world can make you so blue? When everything I'll ever do, I'll do for you. And I go: la la la la la.
"She's got the look."
… …
As they rushed off stage, Kurt only waited until they were out of sight of the audience, then he pulled his boyfriend to him tightly and pressed his lips hard to the short boy's. Pulling back before Blaine really had a chance to return the gesture, he winked and quietly teased, "I think I might be in love with you."
That made Blaine laugh and jokingly raise an eyebrow. "Really? Well, that's good, 'cause I think I might be in love with you, too."
Moving in for another kiss, they heard a gagging sound behind them and spun to find the rest of the Warblers watching. It was Andrew who was sticking out his tongue and mock dry-heaving. "You two are just way too damn sweet!"
In response, the couple snuggled into one another, then turned with happy puppy dog eyes aimed at their schoolmates.
Trent stumbled back, clutching at his chest. "No! No! Not the puppy dog eyes of doooom!"
That left everyone laughing, the adrenaline still pumping through them causing it to go on much longer than it otherwise would have. They were lucky the ten minute break had just been announced, otherwise the entire audience would probably have heard them.
Finally, Kurt began herding the teenagers out into the hall so that they could retake their seats in the auditorium. As he passed the green room, he was suddenly separated from the Warblers, as a tiny brunette blur appeared in a flash to grab him and drag him inside.
For a moment, the Daltonites stood, unmoving, in shock. Then they charged into the room after their countertenor.
Inside, they found him being passed around, from person to person, as all of the New Directions hugged and congratulated him.
At their entrance, Rachel spun to look them over and sniffed. "That performance was, quite frankly, far superior to the one I was expecting. I congratulate you on-"
Santana pushed the girl aside and stalked closer to the boys, who instinctively huddled back away from her. "What Man-hands means is congrats on finally removing the sticks from your asses, prepsters."
Thad opened his mouth, and Flint immediately clapped a hand over it, before nodding his head at the terrifyingly straightforward female.
Nick and Jeff, on the other hand, bounded forward to grab Kurt's arms.
"We'll be taking this back now-"
"-if you don't mind."
"And we'll still take him back-"
"-even if you do mind."
Kurt rolled his eyes as Brittany, who had wrapped herself around him at the boy's words, protested that he was "her dolphin first". Dropping a kiss on the girl's cheek, he removed himself from her arms, shook of the hold of the best friends, than winked at the rest of his old glee club. "Knock 'em dead, guys."
Mercedes nodded. "You better believe it, boo."
Then the backstage warning bell rang, and the Warblers rushed out of the room, calling back "good luck"s and "break a leg"s.
The New Directions shared anxious looks, then smiled and stepped out into the hall, heading toward the stage.
… …
"And now, from William McKinley High in Lima, Ohio, the New Directions!"
That got a snicker from Jeff, causing Nick to hit his leg. Leaning forward, he ignored his bestie to whisper to Kurt, "Did you guys even think about how that would sound when you named your club?"
Kurt actually snorted, then stuck his nose in the air before coldly replying, "You think we're the only group whose name doubles for a porn production company? Aural Intensity? Vocal Adrenaline?"
That cut Jeff off as he considered the words.
Meanwhile, Kurt leaned forward and watched as Rachel walked slowly to the microphone set up center stage, movements contained and quiet rather than her normally actions which demanded people's attention. She shot a questioning look offstage, and whatever she saw gave her the courage to smile as the piano began to play.
"What have I done? I wish I could run away from this ship going under.
"Just trying to help, hurt everyone else. Now I feel the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
"What can you do when your good isn't good enough, and all that you touch tumbles down? 'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things. I just wanna fix it somehow. But how many times will it take? Oh, how many times will it take for me to get it right? To get it right?"
As Tina and Brittany joined Rachel on stage, Kurt was struck by Rachel's singing. For Rachel, it had always been about the attention and the spotlight. This was the most honest performance he had ever seen out of her, and it was breathtaking and bitter and lovely. Reaching out, he caught Blaine's hand in his own and whispered, "They're doing original songs."
Blaine's eyebrows went up, and then he focused even harder on the stage as this new development sunk in.
"Can I start again, with my faith shaken? 'Cause I can't go back and undo this. I just have to stay and face my mistakes. But if I get stronger and wiser I'll get through this.
"What can you do when your good isn't good enough, and all that you touch tumbles down? 'But how many times will it take? Oh, how many times will it take for me to get it right?
"So I throw up my fists, throw a punch in the air! And accept the truth that sometimes life isn't fair. Yeah, I'll send out a wish, and I'll send up a prayer. Then finally, someone will see how much I care!"
The note stretched, and Britt and Tina began the chorus again, while people were standing and already applauding. Rachel and Mercedes always had been the ones to beat for the extended notes. As if summoned, Mercedes and the rest of the ND girls joined the first three on stage, taking their spots and joining their voices to the sound.
"And all that you touch tumbles down? Oh, my best intentions keep making a mess of things. Just wanna fix it somehow!
"But how many times will it take?"
Then it returned to the original format, of simply Rachel and the piano as the song drew to a close.
"Oh, how many times will it take to get it right? To get it right?"
The clapping and cheering was everything the girl could have asked for, as she beamed from her place in front of everyone. But Kurt could see the tears forming in her eyes and understood - Rachel Berry had written a song that put her own mistakes and painful hopes on display, had shared it with an audience of strangers, and all the applause in the world wouldn't make her feel less vulnerable than she did in that moment.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced. "We're the New Directions."
Kurt heard Jeff chortle at her pronunciation, just different enough from the normal one to make it sound less scandalous.
A stagehand rushed up and took her mic, as the rest of the club filed out and took their places on stage.
Quinn's earlier words were repeated in his head as the guitars began to play.
"Listen to the second song. It's for you!"
Then they were all stomping and spinning and started singing about being losers, leaving Kurt to blink in confusion. Then he got it, and he laughed out loud as joy filled him.
"Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero. But hey, everyone you wanna be probably started off like me. And you may say that I'm a freak show."
"I don't care," Santana shrugged and smirked.
"But hey, give it just a little time, I bet you're gonna change your mind.
"All of that dirt you've been throwing my way, it ain't so hard to take. That's right! 'Cause I know one day, you'll be screaming my name and I'll just look away. That's right!"
Kurt tried to fight the pull for mere moments, before standing and cheering, bopping to the beat, while the Warblers looked on in amusement. By the end of the chorus, they had joined him, dancing in the aisles.
"Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth, so everyone can hear. Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down. Baby, I don't care. Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out, you wanna be- You wanna be a loser like me!"
The L's they were holding up to their foreheads were familiar symbol that everyone watching understood. After all, who, at one point or another, hadn't been called a loser?
"A loser like me!"
It was Finn who sang the lines that really hit Kurt though.
"Push me up against the locker and hey, all I do is shake it off. I'll get you back when I'm your boss.
"I'm not thinking about you haters. 'Cause hey, I can be a superstar. I'll see you when you wash my car!"
They had just used two of the phrases, nearly verbatim, that were Kurt's favorite to toss out before he was forced to go dumpster diving.
"All of the dirt you've been throwing my way, it ain't so hard to take. That's right! 'Cause I know one day, you'll be screaming my name and I'll just look away. That's right!
"Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth, so everyone can hear. Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down. Baby, I don't care. Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out, you wanna be- You wanna be a loser like me!"
Their style was utterly different from the Warblers, as each individual put a different spin on the same moves. But it worked. Because, even separately, they were still a team, and it showed.
"So go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth, so everyone can hear! Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down. Baby, I don't care. Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out, you wanna be- You wanna be a loser like me!"
Mike started wheeling something in from stage left, and Kurt felt the breath go out of his body. Was that… a slushy machine? Did they intend to slushy the audience?
"A loser like me! A loser like me!"
Then they tossed whatever was in the familiar cups, and shining confetti flew over the overjoyed crowd, signaling the end of New Directions' turn on the stage.
Kurt had never been so proud of them.
… …
It felt like a second and eternity all wrapped up in one terrible bow as the judges closed themselves in a room to deliberate. When the votes had been tallied, the three choirs were called to the stage and stood in anxious silence.
"And now, to announce our winner, Lieutenant Governor Stevens's wife, Carla Turlington Stevens!"
The older blonde joined them onstage, mic in one hand and the final results of the voting in the other.
Coming to a stop, she swayed slightly, before loudly speaking. "My husband is verbally abusive, and I have been drinking since noon."
That had all three groups shooting looks at one another.
"I'm bored," she continued, after a moment of confused silence. "Let's just see who won, huh?"
Pulling open the envelope and tugging out a paper, she stared at it for a moment, brow furrowed, then shrugged. "The New Directions and the Warblers tie! You're going to nationals in New York!"
The moment the tie was announced, Kurt stared, shocked, over at his old team. Then he ran straight at them and jumped right into the middle. At that, both teams seemed pulled to one another, like magnets, and soon everyone was cheering and hugging and laughing.
It was perfect.
Of course, nothing could last forever, as Sue angrily spun the Lieutenant Governor's wife around and punched her right in the jaw, sending the woman tumbling backwards and literally knocking her out of her shoes.
… …
-Saturday, Warblers' common room at the Dalton Boys Private Academy, 1:26 a.m.-
"There's a brand new dance, but I don't know its name, that people from bad homes do again and again. It's big and it's loud, full of tension and fear. They do it over there, but we don't do it here."
"Fashion!"
"Turn to the left!"
"Fashion!"
"Turn to the right!"
"We are the goon squad and we're coming to town, beep beep!"
Thad was nearly passed out on the couch from snickering so hard. He didn't know whose idea it had been, but it really didn't matter, so long as Kurt, Rachel, Brittany and Blaine stayed up on that table performing the classic David Bowie song.
Kurt had, of course, been dragged up by his furniture-hopping boyfriend, otherwise he would still be sitting comfortably, snuggling with Mercedes on a nearby loveseat. Now, he and Rachel were going back and forth, while the other two danced in the background. Brittany looked amazing, even if she was also stripping as she went. Blaine looked drunk and extra dorky.
"Listen to me!"
"Don't listen to me!"
"Talk with me!"
"Don't talk with me!"
"Dance with me!"
"Don't dance with me! Beep beep, beep beep, beep beep!"
He knew they had been the ones to invite New Directions to join their party, but Thad still wasn't sure who exactly had brought the booze, and normally he would have protested as much as the next Warbler – especially considering how much trouble they could get into if caught. But the scary-looking guy with a Mohawk had handed him a cup and told him to let loose. Not that he was letting loose anywhere near as bad as some of the others, like, say Wes.
Ah yes, Wesley. The Warbler council president was currently partying like an 80's rocker. He also hadn't stopped hitting on the Latina gal, Santana was what Thad thought her name was, even though the girl had been in tears since her third drink. Thad was in Spanish II, and he still couldn't guarantee he understood everything Santana was rambling about in the language.
As soon as the current performance was over, Kurt carefully pulled his boyfriend back to the ground, before helping Rachel and Brittany down as well. (He had to fight off each of them, and their advances, so he could go back for the others.) From what Thad had observed, the countertenor had yet to have any alcohol, and the entirety of New Directions was –even in their drunken stupors- making sure no one so much as handed him a cup. Which appeared to make him the last sober person in the room.
Thad wanted to wonder about that, then was distracted as Nick and Jeff turned on a new song and began belting along.
"Right now you are down and out, and feeling really crappy…"
"I'll say."
"And when I see how sad you are… it sort of makes me happy!"
"Happy?"
"Sorry, Nicky, human nature! Nothing I can do! It's Schadenfreude, making me feel glad that I'm not you!"
The inappropriately hilarious song continued, and when they reached the bit about stairs, everyone in the entire room turned and shouted the words. If he had been in his right mind, Wes would have freaked out that they were being too loud. Instead, he screamed right along with them, then started giggling like a school girl while flinging his limbs around in what was probably supposed to be a dance.
Thad continued laughing, lying back and watching as the two teams interacted. They really had been brought together more by love of Kurt than anything. And now they were having a ball, everyone letting loose and enjoying themselves.
Eyes finally landing on the boy in question, he found the slim brunet smushed between Blaine and Brittany, both of whom were insistently and sleepily cuddling up to him. And the smile on the boy's face was everything anyone could ask for: he looked peaceful and safe.
He looked happy.
... ...
a/n Songs used in this chapter:
Jesus is a Friend of Mine - Sonseed
Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls
She's Got the Look - Roxette
Get It Right - Glee
Loser Like Me - Glee
Fashion - David Bowie
Schadenfreude - Avenue Q