25 The Hands Of Time
Santana and Rachel practically pulled he and Brittany out of their last classes in their excitement to see the cast list. Kurt, Blaine, and Mike were already waiting along with Mercedes and Tina to see what parts everyone had gotten. Karofsky and Azmio were hanging around a bit lazily since they hadn't gone for specific parts. Finn had even showed up, the tall teens hands in his pockets as he awkwardly spoke with Azimio and Mercedes.
Coach Beiste came out of the faculty lounge and grinned at her football players before she pinned up the list. "Before you all get mad, or start arguing, this is not up for debate. This is the cast list. If you don't like it, you can quit and your part will go to someone else."
Dave Karofsky grinned at her, "That mean if we all quit casting starts over Coach?"
"Smart ass," Beiste rolled her eyes. "Read it and come to the auditorium if you're on it."
Dave being one of the tallest guys still speaking to Rachel and Puck called out to the both of them, "Okay…Kurt, get your scrawny ass up here 'cause I ain't readin' this to every-damn-body," The big lineman laughed. "Puck, you got Roger…must be the do that did it." Puck couldn't help laughing and running a hand over his Mohawk, it was once again the stereotypical bad boy cut he'd had last year. "Rachel, shit, you got Mimi!" Dave's voice was nearly drowned at as Rachel shrieked and threw herself into Puck's arms. Puck grinned over her head as Dave rolled his eyes. "Hey awesome, I got Benny," Dave finally found his name.
"Blaine…you're Collins!" Kurt screamed and Blaine shouted, and then Kurt found his name and began to sing 'Today for you, tomorrow for me!"
"Oh my god!" Rachel screamed into Puck's ear. "Kurt's Angel!"
"Damn woman," Puck had to laugh through his ringing ears, "Now I'm deaf." He set her down so she could go and throw herself into Kurt's arms and stare at the cast list.
Santana came up to him and grinned wryly as the male and female Diva began to jump up and down, "So I got Joanne," She offered with a smile. "And they gave Mark to Finn."
"Yeah I figured," Puck shrugged. "Mercedes got Maureen?"
"Yeah," Santana turned uneasily to look at the curvy black girl. "She ain't happy. She wanted Mimi."
"Fuck," Puck muttered under his breath. "This ain't gonna be pretty," He watched Mercedes face as she read her name and the black girl's eyes were like lasers into the back of Rachel's head.
"What the fuck," Mercedes ripped the list down. "This is shit. I was better than she was. I nailed that solo just like I've nailed everything I've ever sung and the skinny little white bitch still gets the best part."
"But Maureen's so multi dimensional," Rachel turned from Kurt to look at Mercedes, "She's this wonderful vulnerable femme fatale, everyone can't help but fall in love with her. She's…its perfect for you." Rachel was blinking in confusion, truly not understanding the rage on Mercedes face.
"At least you got a part Mercedes," Tina offered quietly, "I'm just an understudy." She didn't sound too upset, more like it was what she expected, but Puck felt a little bad for her. Tina's voice had really improved in the past two years and she was a solid singer, just not as showy as Rachel or Santana or Mercedes.
Santana looked at Mercedes and shook her head, "Bitch you have lost your shit if you think you out sang Berry in auditions." The Latina sneered, "But Maureen struck me as a bit of a bitch so maybe it was just typecasting that got you the part."
The uproar that followed drew Artie, Coach and Miss Pillsbury out into the hallway where Mercedes then threw down the gauntlet, "I'm sick of playing second fiddle to Rachel fucking Berry." The black diva shouted, "Either she's out or I am."
Artie took a deep breath and looked up at Mercedes, his amiable face stern and not the least intimidated by her height or bulk, "Then you're out." He told her simply, "I had my doubts but you had the stronger voice for the part. If you won't play the part we thought you were suited for then you don't do the play."
"Fine," Mercedes nearly screamed it in her fury, "I don't need this shit and I don't need alla ya'll either. I'm outa this damn play and I'm out of New Directions. See if ya'll win anything without me." She turned and stormed away leaving Puck wondering when she'd gone completely insane.
"Uh, when did Rachel and Mercedes switch bodies," Azimio asked dryly. "Ain't ever heard her like that b'fore."
"You missed a lotta drama last year," Artie told him in the same dry tone. "Santana, I need to ask you a big favor," He looked up at the Latina, "You and Tina will have a lot of scenes together. I'd already spoken to Rachel, but can you also work with Tina? I think between the three of you working hard that Tina will be a great Maureen."
"Me?" Tina blinked and looked around at her friends, Brittany first, "What about Brittany, she's got—"
"Brit and me are on choreography and chorus," Mike shook his head. "I can't do a full time part 'cause I don't have the time with all my classes. Brit said flat out she'd never remember her lines."
"Tina you'll be wonderful," Rachel smiled hopefully. "When I saw you were the understudy I was pretty much planning to be sick for the Sunday shows. I know you'll kill Maureen." She tilted her head and looked at Kurt, "Can't you imagine our sweet Tina as the femme fatale, all swagger and 'I Kissed a Girl'?"
Kurt grinned, "Epic." Blaine leaned around his boyfriend to grin at the delicate looking oriental girl.
"Well now that we've gotten that settled, lets have our first read through," Miss Pillsbury said with a smile. "We're set up in the auditorium."
Puck looked over at Rachel and smiled slightly, "Angel when are you gonna tell me what you've been up to?" He wondered closing his government book.
"Up to?" She wrinkled her nose playfully and closed her textbook, moving so she could sit in his lap and drape her arms around his neck.
"Yeah," Puck couldn't help grinning up at her, "You've been sneaky with your phone lately and I hear you've been talking with Tina and Santana after rehearsals about a road trip."
"Well…I had this idea," Rachel sighed. "And I've gotten permission from my dads but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."
"What've you been up to?" Puck sighed and wondered what ridiculous thing he'd end up doing now because Rachel wanted to and he couldn't say no regardless of how idiotic he'd feel doing it.
"San, Brit, Tina and me, we've been plotting to bring Sam back," Rachel told him quietly. "My dads said he could stay in our guestroom downstairs."
"An' what? You thought I'd be like pissed?" Puck grinned and shook his head. "I'm glad you guys want Sam back. Ain't mad. I don't want him sleepin' on the same floor as you 'cause you wander around in your panties and cami. An' I really don't want him hearin' how sexy you sound when I'm with you. But if he's in the guestroom down here that ain't a problem."
Rachel grinned, "I thought maybe it would make life easier for AZ and Dave and you on the football team," She explained quietly. "Sam's a better quarterback than Finn according to all of you."
"Yeah he's a lot more accurate and he isn't an idiot," Puck gave her a slight smile. "Only thing Finn has on him is height and that's shit without accuracy."
"I talked with his parents yesterday," Rachel confessed. "They'll miss him but if he chooses they'll let him come stay with me." She tilted her head and her voice was wistful, "It would be nice, like having a brother."
"Well we don't have a game this Saturday, why don't we all go down and talk to him?" Puck suggested mentally trying to figure out the distance and how much gas they'd need.
"We'd have to borrow one of my dad's cars, we won't all fit in your truck," Rachel said thoughtfully. "Santana drives an SUV though, so maybe we could use her car."
"You think Sam'll go for it?" Puck asked letting his lips find the soft skin under her jaw.
"Hmm...I think so, Santana seemed to think he missed all of us," Rachel sounded breathless, just the way he liked her. "And if Finn gets sent to Juvie after the court date next week we'll need Sam."
Puck grinned, "Well let's go get him this weekend. I'll tell Coach." He found her pulse point and sucked on it gently.
"That reminds me, I want to have her over for dinner with Lauren and the rest of our friends from Glee," Rachel's voice was a moan as if she was barely remembering what she wanted to say. Puck could feel his grin spreading wider, he'd have to work harder on seducing his girl if she could talk straight still.
Puck fought the urge to roll his eyes and just stroked his fingers over Rachel's knuckles. Finn had waited until Schuester was done with his talk about preparing a set list and then he'd gotten up and talked about how difficult it was to do sports and Glee and how he wasn't sure he could do it. Mr. Schuester had nearly shit a brick and talked really fast and Finn had nodded and said he'd do his best and he'd stay but could he be excused from practice right then.
"Are all of you happy now?" Mr. Schuester regarded them coolly, "If Finn decides in the end that he doesn't want to do Glee then there went one of our best chances to make it to Nationals."
"Really?" Azimio blinked and looked at Puck and Mike who shrugged, "Dude don't ever have an original idea though. It's all eighties pop with him."
"Finn has a good voice," Rachel admitted. "And his voice will be missed, but I for one, won't miss his attitude." She looked at Schuester and shook her head, "Mike's voice is really improving. Dave and AZ are very strong vocal performers and Artie and Noah are absolutely wonderful. Kurt and Blaine are practically in a vocal range all by themselves. We can make it without Finn." Puck smiled as she deliberately left out the fact that Sam was coming back, the blond boy was just giving notice at his job and arranging it so that legally Rachel's dads had guardianship while he was in Lima so if something happened medically they'd be able to make decisions until his parents got there.
"Well I'm glad you think so because we'll have to, but we need more female voices, Quinn is MIA and Mercedes has left, the voices we have are strong but we're unbalanced," Schuester sighed. "Now, the set list... we've got to come up with some ideas, things we haven't done, or we need to give old things a new twist."
"What are the requirements for this year?" Rachel asked curiously, "I read they were going to set guidelines for the performances." She explained to her fellow gleeks who obviously had no idea.
"Where'd you read that?" AZ wondered and Rachel blushed.
"I check the National Show Choir site almost daily," She admitted. "There are rumors about something retro being required."
"All right then, I want you all to work on some music that is definitely not of your own generation," Schuester told them. "Find something that has some meaning to it."
"Huh, meaning?" AZ joked, "What's that s'posed to be?" When Rachel turned to begin lecturing him the lineman held up his hands in surrender, "Chill, I totally get it. I swear."
Puck laughed and shook his head, "Well this'll be interesting," He looked at Rachel and then the other girls, "We can work on that this weekend during the road trip."
"Road trip dude? And you ain't invitin' us?" Mike sounded a little put out and Puck shook his head.
"We're headed to Kentucky, Rachel's got someone who's comin' to stay with her," He explained with wink at his girl. "You'll meet him later."
Puck walked into the choir room with his guitar over his back and grinned to find Rachel waiting for him. Yesterday she'd done a slow aching version of 'Send In the Clowns' more reminiscent of Frank Sinatra's version than Barbra's and it had been stunning even if Schuester had said something about getting away from Broadway and Sondheim for a while. The teacher had been happy to have Sam back in the club though.
That was more drama, Quinn was acting in Santana's words, 'loca mucha' and had joined the Troubletones. She'd said it was so she could get to know Shelby and get closer to their daughter but Puck wasn't entirely sure Quinn didn't have some other angle. The girl was more messed up in the head than he was and if that wasn't saying a lot he didn't know what did. Finn had shown up for rehearsals as if everything were normal but it was obvious he wasn't giving it his all. His retro song had been an old Hootie and the Blowfish song which Puck doubted had been what Schuester had in mind.
Schuester came in and Puck watched as Kurt and Blaine volunteered to do their song, a slightly predictable version of 'Mr. Sandman' but it was nice to see them singing together. Dave had followed Rachel yesterday with an old Simon and Garfunkel tune. Puck raised his hand when Schuester asked if anyone else had their assignment ready. "I got mine Mr. Schue," He told the instructor rising from his chair.
"Then you have the floor Puck," Scheuster took a seat near Mike and Tina. "Since this is likely unfamiliar, would you like to tell us what song you'll be playing?"
"It's an old one Perry Como sang," Puck shrugged. "My ma used to sing along with it on the radio. 'S called The Hands of Time. Gotta shout out to my man Artie since he helped me find the music," Puck added before he began to finger the opening chords and looked straight at Rachel.
"If the hands of time were hands that I could hold,
I'd keep them warm and in my hands
They'd not turn cold.
Hand in hand we'd chose the moments that should last,
The lovely moments that should have no future and not past…
The summer from the top of a swing
The comfort and the sound of a lullaby
The innocence of leaves in the spring
But most of all the moment when love first touched me
All the happy days would never learn to fly,
Until the hands of time would choose to wave good-bye…
The innocence of leaves in the spring
But most of all the moment when love first touched me.
All the happy days would never learn to fly,
Until the hands of time would choose to wave good-bye…"
Puck tilted his head and smiled slightly, his girl was wiping tears from her eyes and even Kurt was looking a little moist around the edges. "So I guess it didn't suck?" Puck ran a hand over his Mohawk a little self-consciously when the room was so quiet he coulda sworn he heard crickets.
"I think it's one of your best performances to date," Schuester said after a long moment of stunned silence. "Congratulations Puck."
Puck nodded and then watched as Mike and Tina got up and performed a duet from 'Singing In the Rain' complete with dance number. It was fun and energetic and typical of the couple. He couldn't help grinning as Mike bowed with a flourish and Tina curtsied, her fluffy goth skirt fluttering around her knees.
"Anyone else?" Schuester got up when no one volunteered, "All right, now remember our ultimate goal is to find songs we can use for the competition, but that's no reason we can't have fun with this."
"Got room for one more?" A familiar voice asked from the choir room doorway.
"Lauren!" Rachel nearly squeaked in her happiness and ran for the bigger girl. "I promise you won't regret this."
"Hell Rache, I missed you guys," Lauren laughed. "But coach had too many conflicts so he rearranged practices. They're the same time as football right now." She looked at Schuester, "That's assuming I'm welcome."
"As always Lauren," Mr. Schuester smiled slightly and waved her to a seat. Puck was amused to see Lauren take the chair next to Rachel and kiss his girl's cheek before she tugged on her hair and leaned back to enjoy the rest of the performances. The wrestler had a look in her eye that said she'd found something else new and exciting in her life and that meant she and Rachel would be giggling and whispering until they decided to let him in on the secret. If he had to guess he'd say Lauren had a new crush or possibly a girlfriend.
Author's Note: So this is shorter than the last one but I wanted to post something. I promise though Finn will not be with us much longer. I've really been researching on juvenile hearings and the court system in Ohio and its different from my current state and also from the one where I grew up so this is not easy for me. I can tell you that the length of time between the arrest and the trial/hearing date is totally realistic. In fact five months is nothing.
I know there are some people who don't like that Finn is still in Glee and on the football team but this is America and its still innocent until proven guilty. If they threw him off it would be one student's word against another because the courts haven't rendered a judgement. And with Schuester going to bat for Finn... well lets just say that Schuester is going to find himself very uncomfortable soon enough.
Thanks for reading folks and all the reviews and faves and follows are just awesome.