It was still raining after dinner.
"Are we still going to the movie?" Rachel asked, looking out the window and watching rain land on the window ledge.
"Of course" Santana said.
"Yeah, it's just a light drizzle-" Sam began.
Finn giggled.
"-we won't melt" Sam finished.
"My hair will get wet" Sugar wailed.
"Wear a hat" Mike pointed at her.
"Maybe Mr. Schue has umbrellas we can use" Joe suggested.
"Yeah, I'm sure he has sixteen umbrellas just lying around" Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Rory can magic up some for us, can't you?" Brittany smiled and looked expectantly at Rory.
"No I most certainly can not" Rory frowned.
"Does your magic not work in other countries?" Brittany asked.
"Um, yes. That's exactly why" Rory sighed.
When it was time for them to leave, it was still lightly raining.
"All I could find were three umbrellas" Emma said, holding them out.
"Well, they're pretty big so six of us could stay dry" Kurt said.
So Kurt shared an umbrella with Blaine, Sugar shared an umbrella with Rory and Mercedes shared an umbrella with Sam.
So they set off walking.
"Hey guys..." Finn said as they were walking.
"Hello" Sam laughed.
Finn rolled his eyes. "I have a question."
"We may have an answer" Quinn joked.
"Where has Coach Sylvester been this whole time?" Finn asked.
"He's right!" Mercedes said. "She's been MIA this whole trip basically."
"What could she possibly be doing?" Blaine asked. "Half the time we're out of ideas for stuff to do. It's hard to believe she found something to do by herself none the less."
"Maybe she has a boyfriend?" Santana suggested with a smirk.
"Maybe..." Kurt's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibility. "Maybe, but I don't think so. Didn't she try and marry herself last year?"
"Really?" Blaine asked.
"Maybe she goes to Winnipeg?" Tina suggested. "There's more exciting stuff to do there."
"Everyday? No. Besides, she shows up for meals" Quinn said.
"Occasionally" Sam added with a grin.
"Oh man. The smell. I'm weak" Puck said as they walked into the clubhouse, which was swarming with people. They were hit with the smell of freshly popped buttery popcorn as soon as they walked in.
"Who has money?" Finn asked, spotting a popcorn maker across the room. There was a lineup of kids waiting to purchase their own bag of warm buttery popcorn.
"I didn't bring any with me. I didn't think I'd need it for a movie" Mercedes said sadly.
"I have five dollars and...sixteen, no, seventeen cents!" Mike announced proudly, hold up his pockets' contents.
"I can't believe I hang out with you guys" Sugar sighed. "You're all so poor." She reached into her pocket and pulled out several rumpled bills. "This should cover it all, right?"
"Sugar, we can't ask you to pay for all of us" Quinn shook her head.
"Sure we can!" Puck yelped.
"Puck!" Quinn scolded. "Sugar, we'll pay you back. We swear."
Sugar laughed airily. "No need."
Sugar, Rory and Artie got in line.
"You guys go get seats" Artie said.
The only available spots for all of them was at the very back. They didn't even get seats. But they settled themselves on the floor, where they had plenty of leg room and enough room for Artie's wheelchair.
The three of them returned with armfuls of popcorn bags.
"Sugar, I love you" Sam said as she handed him a bag.
She giggled. "Everyone loves me. I'm pretty, rich, funny, sweet..."
"Humble, honest, not annoying in the least..." Rachel added with a smirk.
Sugar missed the sarcasm. "You're right!"
"Hey look! It's Meredith! Meredith! Meredith! Over here" Mercedes waved her arms.
Meredith smiled when she saw them and came over. Andy followed close behind.
"Hey!" Meredith greeted. "Can we sit here?"
"Yeah, we got plenty of room" Tina scooted over.
"Thanks. Andy, the movie should be starting soon so get in line now if you want popcorn" Meredith said.
Andy nodded and ran over to the line.
"Is it normally this busy?" Santana asked Meredith.
"Yeah. The worst is when the movie ends and everyone leaves at once. It's a mad house out there. Normally Andy and I walk here, but Mom got us gas for the boat so we had to bike. So we'll be making a super fast exit" Meredith grinned.
"Do you guys come here for movie often?" Joe asked.
"Yeah all the time!" Meredith said. "Even the stupid movies. They're fun to laugh at."
"Shhhh! The movie's starting!" Blaine put a finger to his lips, covering a bit of his smile.
"It's pouring now!" Rachel gasped. The movie had ended, and like Meredith had said, it was a mad rush to leave. As soon as the last scene faded to black, Meredith had jumped up, grabbed Andy's arm and they hurried out, whispering goodbyes to the New Direction gang.
They had waited until everyone else had cleared before leaving. They walked out of the clubhouse to find large puddles and the rain still falling heavily.
"We'll get soaked!" Artie gasped.
"And we only have three umbrellas" Quinn reminded them all.
"I guess we gotta run for it" Puck said, a grin stretching across his face. He took off from the shelter of the building into the rain. Once he was in the middle of the road, he waved at the others, who stood, still dry, watching him.
"Every man for himself, I suppose" Sam laughed. He, too, ran out into the rain and was followed by everyone else.
The girls shrieked as they were hit with the cold water.
"My shirt is soaked already!" Puck said. "Now the ladies can see the abs."
"Last one home is a rotten egg!" Mike yelled and took off down the road.
"How mature" Santana said, but smiled and ran after him.
They all dashed down the road, avoiding those potholes filled with water. By the time they made it to the large hill, they were all soaked and shivering. They were also huffing and puffing from running. But they all sported large grins. Something about running like maniacs in a summer storm was thrilling. Sugar was the only one who used an umbrella, but she ran too and she was still wet despite her attempts to cover herself.
"Come on!" Blaine yelled cheerfully and grabbed Kurt's hand.
They dashed down the hill. Artie had one hand on the brakes of his wheelchair at all time because he was going so fast.
"I can't even see where I'm going!" Rachel yelped as she ran down the hill. "The rain is obscuring my view!"
"It's even worse with glasses!" Artie replied.
The hill finally levelled out out they came to the entrance of the cottage's lawn.
"I win!" Sam yelled, leaping up on the porch.
Last to make it on the porch was Sugar.
"I'm wearing platform sandals. I can't run in those!" she whined.
"You're back! And you're soaked to the bone!" Emma said when she saw them come in. She set aside her magazine and hurried to them.
"Phew! That was something" Mercedes said, stepping in.
Brittany wrung out her hair.
"Try not to drip on the floor" Emma said, wrinkling her nose. "And take off your muddy shoes."
Will walked over from the luggage room. "Oh, hey guys! Wow, you're all wet!"
Quinn gave a thumbs up. "Good observing skills."
Rory shivered.
"Are you guys cold? Here, I'll get the fire going" Will said, going to the fireplace and opening the gate.
"Go get changed out of your wet clothes" Emma said. "Then bring them here so I can p- oh my gosh!"
A loud clap of thunder boomed out and shook the cottage. Emma jumped and Brittany screeched.
"Was that thunder or the apocalypse?" Kurt sarcastically asked, his hand on his heart.
"Thunder" Will confirmed, striking matches.
"Anyways, bring you clothes here so we can hang them up to dry. They obviously won't dry outside" Emma said, ushering the kids away from the door so she could mop up the puddles from where they stood.
Tina sneezed.
"Bless you!" Joe piped up.
They all went and got dry clothes, mostly thick sweaters and socks, changed into them and gathered around the fire that Mr. Schuester had started. It was blazing strong and lit up the whole room. Their clothes were hung up on a home-made clothes line Emma made by taping one end of twine to one wall and the other end on the wall across the room.
"Aw, Quinn stole the last blanket" Kurt frowned, walking into the circle that they sat in.
Quinn smirked and settled down next to Joe with the blue knitted blanket.
Santana and Brittany had the red one and Rachel had brought a pink one that her and Finn were huddled under.
"Now I'm gonna freeze and it's all Quinn's fault, you kn- hey, Tina, where'd you get that?" Kurt asked, staring at the large navy blue blanket that Tina and Mike were arranging.
"You packed that big thing in your suitcase?" Sugar asked.
Tina giggled. "No, sillies. It's my sleeping bag! It has a zipper so I can open it up and use it as a blanket."
"Brilliant!" Sam grinned and dove for his sleeping bag. Everyone else did the same.
"So much cozier" Kurt grinned as he cuddled up to Blaine under his sleeping bag.
Blaine smiled too. "I second that."
"Sam, we're too far from the fire" Mercedes said. "We gotta butt-shuffle over there." The two of them, without getting up, shuffled around slowly like slugs until they were closer to the fire.
"Mucho better" Sam grinned.
"You're not spanish" Mercedes rolled her eyes.
"Shhhh guys listen to the wind" Brittany said and everyone shut up.
The wind was loud and howled through the trees, rattling the frames of the windows and with each bang of thunder, the cottage shook.
"Scary" Artie whispered.
"Makes me glad we're all in here together safe and warm" Finn said, resting his chin on Rachel's head.
"Hear, hear!" Quinn smiled.
"Ah, I knew I smelled smoke" Sue said, coming in the cottage from the bunk house.
"Well, the kids were soaked when they got back so we started a fire to warm them up" Will said with a smile.
"Well, I'd be careful if I were you. This place could burn down in an instant" Sue said.
"We're very careful" Emma assured her.
Sue walked over to where they all sat and joined them.
"So where's the s'mores? Can't have a fire without them" Sue looked around.
Everyone else stared at her as they couldn't believe that she was being genuinely civil.
Finally Will snapped out of the shock. "Uh, I don't know about graham and chocolate, but I did buy marshmallows. I'll get them."
Will got up and went to the kitchen. He came back with two bags of marshmallows and several metal rods.
"These are shish-kabob sticks but we can use them for roasting marshmallows" he grinned.
"Marshmallows roasting on an open fire..." Sam began singing.
"It's not Christmas!" Santana said loudly and Sam stopped.
"I know" Sam laughed. "That wasn't even the right lyric."
They roasted marshmallows until they were all gone and their hands were sticky. The fire slowly died down and the room was in darkness. The rain hadn't let up at all as it still pounded against the roof and north wall. The wind was also strong and they could hear it pick up once and a while. The thunder was also still going strong and there was even lightning a few times. They even looked outside at the beach and saw that the lake was a mess of fierce white-cap waves.
Once the fire was dim and the food was gone, they realized how late it was. Will, Emma and Sue bid their goodnights and carefully dashed outside and to the bunkhouse.
"I don't want to move. I'm warm now" Sugar said.
But they got up anyways and put on their pyjamas.
"Tina? What are you doing?" Mike asked. Several of their friends were already asleep but Tina was standing by the window with a scared expression. Mike walked over
"Look at the trees" Tina whispered and pointed up. "They seem to be swaying dangerously."
Mike looked up and saw the tops of the trees. The wind was making them shake a lot.
"D-do you think they'll fall?" Tina asked and Mike could hear the worry in her voice.
He put his arms around her. "Unlikely" he said and kissed her cheek.
"What if one does?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the tree tops.
"It won't."
"We'll die."
"We'll be fine."
"It'll crush the cottage" Tina whispered.
"Tina! Stop worrying. We'll be fine. If the tree was that dangerous, it would have been cut down a long time ago. I doubt this is the worst wind Victoria Beach has seen" Mike said, turning her around so he could face her and so she wouldn't see the trees. "And anyways, I'll protect you, make no mistake."
Tina smiled. "Alright."
"Now let the wind lull you to sleep" Mike said, leading her to her sleeping bag and kissing her goodnight.
"I love you" she said.
"I love you too" Mike replied.
"Blaine!" Kurt whispered and poked Blaine's shoulder gently. "Blaine are you awake?"
"Yeah" Blaine nodded, though his eyes were closed.
"I'm sorry to wake you, but are you wearing your grey sweater?" Kurt whispered.
"Not anymore" Blaine said. "It's on the chair we sat in by the fire. Why?"
"I want to wear it. I'm freezing and can't sleep. I didn't bring many sweaters that provide warmth" Kurt said. "I didn't think it'd be this cold, even if it is Canada."
Blaine opened his eyes. "This sleeping bag can fit us both, if you want maximum heat."
Kurt considered it then looked around to make sure no one was watching. They'd all, Santana especially, make a big deal about it. When he was sure they were all asleep, he crawled out of his sleeping bag and slipped into Blaine's. It was a bit snug so there wasn't much room to move around, but it was much warmer. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt.
"Goodnight" Blaine whispered, his eyes closed again.
"Thank you. And goodnight, my love" Kurt whispered. He fell asleep fast and soon, like the others, he didn't hear the thunder, rain and wind continue on.
A/N
Take it from me, VB storms are scary stuff. One year, the storm went on for like three days. Let's just say I played more Monopoly than most people play in five years. But I tried to make it seem fun for the ND gang. Hope you liked it.
Anyways, next chapter (maybe two if I decide to split it up) are going to be big, interesting, dramatic and shocking. I've already started writing. Next chapter(s) is what the past few chapters have been leading up to. That's all I'm going to say. ;)
See you soon, hopefully! Love you and thanks to my reviewers!