28. Nothing left to say
"Grouper mouth… Froggy lips…" Santana's voice echoed from the hallway loud enough for Sam and Quinn to hear her. The pair of blonds was sitting on opposite desks in the Astronomy classroom. Both of them chuckled and rolled their eyes at Santana's anthem.
"Okay, now that we're back to junior year, please don't make the Uranus joke," Quinn said with a cute smile on her face as she swung her legs and curled her hair behind her ear.
Sam grinned, paying special attention to show off his full pillow-sized chops. "I'll try my best." He was already clad in the red graduation gown. His hair slicked back following Blaine's advice. "But you know I have a diploma to pick up in like five minutes and I don't know why you called me in here."
Quinn hopped off the table and walked towards Sam slowly. "There are things we should get right. And you know, with the after ceremony party and all the celebration I don't know if we're going to get a moment to talk." She put her hands on Sam's knees and looked right into his eyes with tenderness. Finally, after a couple seconds for her to take some air and get herself ready, she spoke. "The last thing I was expecting when I came back for Brad's tribute was to have you back. Well, actually attending another prom was even more unreal if possible." She chuckled charmingly and pressed a finger against the one and only trouty mouth to shut Sam up before he interrupted her. "The thing is that I like what we have. I enjoy the way you make me feel. You make me feel young and I think that just sounded as if I was an old crone, which I'm not, but wasting my freshman year of college had me severely disoriented time-wise. Anyway, I need to know if…"
"I'm not going to move to New York." Sam's reply was strong and determined, but said with tenderness and care though. No matter how hard you press one girly index finger against Sam's lips, we are talking about the boy that can suck a baby's head here. Fool Fabray for thinking she could shut him up. "I love you. You are the most special girl I've ever been with, but…" he smiled when he saw his declaration hadn't brought Quinn down at all and she was standing there as almighty and gorgeous as usual.
"…But you have your life and your dreams as I have mine, and we're not stupid enough to drag each other along into a long-term unbearable drama," Quinn finished Sam's sentence in a way richer vocabulary that he would have employed, but correct all the same.
Sam smiled and held Quinn's hands. "You really should stop making references to Finn and Rachel if you have some peace the next for years want to." His Yoda impersonation definitely killed the little-to-none disappointment in the bitch's mind.
Quinn laughed along with Sam's old gag, faking the fact that she liked his impressions as she had been doing for the past four years. "What are you going to do after today? I mean, if you're not going to follow the fashion of moving to the Big Apple…"
"Lima is not that bad. My siblings have their lives here and I was thinking about staying to help my family till my parents get completely back on their feet. So…"
"A two-year-long hold for your projects and then what?"
"Is the girl who dropped out of Yale really asking me about lifelong projects that I'm not even willing to plan? Only time will tell, and I don't want to tell time to rush on."
They joined in one last big laugh before Sam got up from the desk. "You are wiser than I thought, Sam Evans." She got on her tiptoes to kiss Sam goodbye. Sam kissed her back. And they let go with clear consciousness. "Before we leave there's something I have to ask you."
"Yeah?" Sam said as he held the doorknob, smiling widely.
"Did you and Puck talked about…?"
"Yes."
Sam walked out, with his satisfied grin shining on his face. He knew he had done right. And Quinn stood there analyzing the cardboard galaxy for a moment, realizing how vastly wise Sam Evans truly was and how wisdom might be contagious as mono because she had figured out what she really wanted to have as her lifelong project. Correction: who she really wanted to have as her lifelong project.
"Berry!" Sebastian Smythe called the girl from the end of the hallway. He hurried to her, having certain problems with walking in a gown that was definitely not long enough for his height. In fact, he stumbled when he reached Rachel, stomping on her foot.
Rachel dried the couple tears that were gathering in her eyes. As usual, every time she went down to Lima, paying a visit to her old locker was a must. It was some sort of tradition since her graduation. Reliving her greatest hits during class breaks and sliding an autographed picture of hers dedicated to the new owner of the locker into it. Creepy for the poor freshman who didn't know what kind of stalker was sending him pictures of a girl he hadn't met in his whole life. Empowering for the diva, who thought she was leading a lucky Johnie Doe towards a career of stage success. Rachel's things.
Once her tradition was fulfilled, she turned around to face the tall Warbler. "What?" she replied sourly, no pleasure found in putting up with the person who told Santana about her affair with Blaine. Though the fault would be Frodo's for telling Sebastian in the first place. And… well… if we start pulling the chain of guilt… she was the one to blame for spreading her legs for Blaine to… you know… walk in… with his… "Knock knock, it's Blaine's dick, may I come in?" "Of course not. Pull up the drawbridge." Doors closed and no worldwide crisis. Easy, don't you think? Well, that's not what happened as you all know and my point here is that Sebastian played a nice part in the exposé.
"Can I ask you something?" Sebastian's tone was definitely friendly, as if no fight had happened between him and Rachel in the dressing room at Nationals. And as if he hadn't ever blackmailed her with a poorly photoshopped photo of Finn before their almost-wedding one year ago.
Rachel frowned, confused by Sebastian's mellowness. "Of course not," she replied while nodding and blinking. Rachel turned her back on Sebastian and walked to the courtyard, where the graduation was about to be held.
Sebastian rolled his eyes at himself. How in hell did he think that Rachel would agree to do him a favor after all the dirt he had thrown at her throughout the years? "It's just a quick question I need you to answer. No bullshit. Just… I just need to know this one thing and I'll be out of your hair for the rest of your life." That was the real Sebastian. Out of falseness, right to the chase, no politesse in a 50-mile radius. "I swear I won't go to New York under any circumstance in forever. You have my word."
The ex-former-ex-alum stopped her flight and turned around just to mock Sebastian in his face. "I am a many-genre singer, polyvalent actress and multifunctional human being, but there is no way in which I could pretend that your word is worth a damn crap."
The boy's expression remained stolid against Rachel's attacks. He needed something from her desperately, and if getting it would mean that he'd have to be humiliated, hell if he was willing to beg, crawl and kill for it. "It's just one question. It's easy. Not theoretical physics or philosophical dilemmas. Just one yes/no question and therefore we can deny each other's existences for the rest of our lives." His eyes were piercing Rachel's, cold as ice on the surface, but paining and heart-broken inside.
"I don't care." All Rachel Berry cared about was her life, her problems, her friends and her Finn. And definitely there was no place for Sebastian Smythe among those categories. "And I do hope you trip over while picking up the diploma and break your damn horse teeth, because you would have absolutely deserved it." She smiled, pulling out every single pinch of bitchiness in her body and resumed her walk.
"Was sacrificing everything for Blaine really worth it?"
Rachel froze in the middle of the hallway at Sebastian's words from the top of his lungs. And all the grudge and hate became comprehension and… sympathy. Sympathy for the devil. Rachel and Sebastian were not so different in the end. They both were in love with Blaine. And they both were the ones who'd lose if they didn't fall out soon enough, though they had already had the greatest taste of the consequences of their feelings.
Sebastian needed closure. And that closure, ironically, was Rachel's and not Blaine's to give. So she smiled to herself and all the bitchiness wore off. She was not a bitch. She was Rachel Barbra Berry. Hurt and everything, but not a bad person. She was a vegetarian, for God's sakes. How would she deny closure to a fly?
"No."
The boy walked the distance between him and the diva slowly. "Thank you," he said with Rachel still unwilling to speak a word to him.
"You said one question. Just one question. And I've given you the answer. Go." But what she really meant was "go before I break down because I put it all at stake for something I regret with my whole soul now".
"I was willing to give you something in return."
"What?"
"Blaine is not who you really think he is."
The real bitch in the red dress walked up the stairs of the courtyard steps where her partner was standing along with almost the rest of the 2013 promotion. "From one to San Francisco Gay Parade, guess how proud I am today."
Brittany S. Pierce was glowing in that gown, and her girlfriend knew. The act was about to begin, but anyway, a quick good-luck kiss before Santana occupied her seat next to Rachel and Mercedes in the audience. "B plus?"
The unbreakable Brittana, holding hands, chuckled together under the attentive stare of some morbid spectators. Specially Jacob Ben Israel, barely graduating, though the pleasure of having a public teen lesbian display of affection fifteen feet from Rachel Berry in a generously-cleavaged dress totally made him forget the crappy résumé he was taking into the Lima Community College.
"There's something I wanted to give you before you become a grown woman," Santana said before she kissed Brittany softly on the lips.
"I might not be a math genius, but I'm two months older than you. Am I not?" She was actually asking. In fact, since 2000, Brittany had been having several problems remembering her own age.
Santana laughed loudly. "You are, you are." Anyway, she got on one knee and looked up into Brittany's eyes. "Brittany S. Pierce…"
Brittany, along with the rest of the attendants, alumni and Santana's best New Yorkers included, let her jaw fall to the ground in absolute awe. "Oh my God, Santana is proposing!" Kurt yelled and literally pointed out from the bottom of the courtyard.
"No, I am not proposing. Seriously? You think so badly of me? We all know that the only one of us who gets to propose and almost-get-married unlimited times is Tubbinn Hudson over there." And everybody turned their stares to Finn, who was in the first row ironically sitting next to Quinn. Awkward moment. Berry's eyeroll. Quinn scooting her chair away from Finn embarrassed by the dumping-at-the-altar thing and attention back to Santana's proposal or… whatever. "Brittany S. Pierce, this is my graduation gift to you. You are my lady, and I bow to you." She opened her purse and pulled out her phone. "And New York City bows to you."
Brittany picked the phone and read out loud the text message on display. "'Okay, bring her in'?" She didn't get the complete meaning of it, but she got through the spelling with her brains in one piece. "What…?"
"Read the sender," Santana insisted, still holding one of the blonde's hands.
"Shelby."
"Shelby." Santana nodded and smiled widely, perking her eyebrows, now truly hoping Brit had got it.
"Shelby? Who's Shelby?" But she hadn't.
Jesse, now sitting between Finn and Quinn, yawned and shouted it clear to the poor poor Brittany. "Oh, God, nepotism applied to the vagina sciences. It's not that complicated!"
"Nep…?"
Santana laughed, adoring how cute Brittany got when she tried to understand certain high-level concepts. "If you bring Rachel's mom a diploma, you have a place as a background dancer on her musical. Brittany S. Pierce, do you want to work with me?"
The other girl blushed as she helped Santana to her feet so she could kiss her properly and the rest of the people applauded such unexpected job offer. "I do," she whispered into her girl's ear. "But I don't have a visa, is that a problem?"
"We'll work that out next year." And I'll leave the truth about Brittany's place of birth for the next volume, 'To Move Forward'. Stay tuned, it's a big cliffhanger. Where will it be? Mexico? Cuba? The aforementioned Uranus?
"My name is Tina Cohen-Chang, and sometimes I have the impression that I have voice-over too often and this might be some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder." It was her moment, and she knew it. Actually, she thought she knew that a life-defining moment was taking place twice a week, but she is about to graduate, so we will let her go with this one, right, fellas? "Anyway, here I am. Walking down these hallways for the last time. Heading to the doors that separated the school I became a woman at from and the courtyard where I am going to be recognized as the adult I am."
Outside, the lunch tables had been replaced with cheap scissor chairs placed in two wings facing the concrete stairs. There, the graduates were standing. All smiles and caps and gowns. Only a wooden pulpit with a microphone and a pile of diplomas stacked on it was presiding the outdoor scenario.
"Whatever. This is my moment. You know why? Because I am going to make my moment out of life any single freaking time I please." Tina finished her self-reflection and pushed the door open as the band started playing from the bottom of the stairs. And finally all heads turned to look at her.
[The best - Tina Turner]
Tina:
I call you when I need you, my heart's on fire.
You come to me, come to me wild and wired.
When you come to me,
give me everything I need.
She walked down the aisle, high-fiving every single known face she recognized. All the former New Directions were there. Especially her Mike, for whom she had a kiss on the cheek ready during the song break.
Tina:
Give me a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams.
Speak a language of love like you know what it means.
Oh and it can't be wrong.
Take my heart and make it strong, baby.
She joined the rest of the promotion, her fellow Glee Clubbers in the first row of seniors.
Tina with the graduates:
You're simply the best.
Better than all the rest.
Better than anyone.
Anyone I've ever met.
I'm stuck on your heart.
I hang on every word you say.
Tear us apart.
Baby, I would rather be dead.
Tina:
In your heart I see the star of every night and every day.
In your eyes I get lost, I get washed away.
Just as long as I'm here in your arms
I could be in no better place.
Tina with the graduates:
You're simply the best.
Better than all the rest.
Better than anyone.
Anyone I've ever met.
I'm stuck on your heart.
I hang on every word you say.
Oh tear us apart, no, no.
Baby, I would rather be dead.
She picked the microphone from the stand and walked to the audience. To her audience.
Tina:
Each time you leave me I start losing control.
You're walking away with my heart and my soul.
I can feel you even when I'm alone.
Oh baby, don't let go!
"That's my girl!" Kurt shouted from the very first row of seats as the sax man blew his instrument (insert any kind of sexual jokes here). Next to him, Finn, Jesse and Quinn nodding with complete approval and admiration.
Tina:
Oh! You're the best! Woo!
Tina with the graduates:
Better than all the rest.
Better than anyone.
Anyone I've ever met.
Oh I'm stuck on your heart.
I hang on every word you say.
Oh, tear us apart, no, no.
Baby, I would rather be dead.
Tina:
You're the best!
On the other wing, the very Rachel Berry bowed to Tina, the just-not-proposed Santana Lopez waved her jazz hands in the air with recognition and Mercedes Jones wooed and cheered for her partner during the unsung days.
Tina with the graduates:
Oh you're simply the best!
Better than all the rest.
Better than anyone.
Anyone I've ever met.
I'm stuck on your heart.
I hang on every word you say.
No! Tear us apart, no, no.
Baby, I would rather be dead.
Oh you're the best!
You're better than all the rest!
Better than anyone!
Anyone I've ever met.
Tina:
Oh I'm the best!
The attendants, background seniors included, were about to start the standing ovation when they realized the slight egomaniac change of lyrics that the soloist had made to the song. Then the projected applause turned into a collective eyebrow-perking and eyeroll.
"That was totally out of place. And even more than false. You know I am the best," Sugar Motta broke the silence from the second row, though Marley Rose quickly elbowed her in the ribs to shut her up.
Tina blushed and returned to her place between Blaine and Brittany. "That was awesome," the blonde said into the Asian diva's ear.
Sue Sylvester came to the pulpit after she ripped the microphone from Tina's paralyzed hands, gave her a harsh look and placed it on the stand. "Good afternoon everybody. My name is Sue Sylvester as you all know and I'm filling in for our beloved Principal Figgins, who is out on a forced trip back to India due to personal reasons. Cough. Cow flu. Cough. Sorry. I have my throat slightly sore." She didn't even try to fake the coughing attack. "After this dreadful proof of the morals the Glee Club intends to impose through the degradation of our musical culture, I am going to introduce this year's valedictorian, Artie Wheels Abrams. And you don't know how grateful I am that this is the last year this National loser choir is going to be the center of every single academic event. Thank you, Will Schuester, you suck. I win." She grinned proudly, truly believing the Glee Club would be eradicated after a second batch of seniors setting off.
Sue dropped the microphone on Artie's lap disrespectfully as the boy rolled forward. "Thank you so much for this warm introduction, Coach. On behalf of all the Glee Club, I just wanted to say that we might have lost, but at least we didn't try to rape Blaine's brother."
Everybody muted and ohed at the same time, scandalized by such a bold, yet deserved, response. "You are going to regret that and I don't care how crippled you are!" Sue shouted outraged from the back row of seats. "Besides you only have two tires! That's even easier than a car!"
"The fact that you send Becky to slash my wheels doesn't make it fairer. You know that, right? Taking advantage of a handicapped person is even more punishable," Artie replied slowly and confidently. "Though you will probably get a sentence reduction for your. So go ahead."
The crowd burst into laughter and an ovation that muffled Sue's rabid cursing (there was actual froth coming out of her mouth) and forced the valedictorian to shout into the microphone. "And that's how the Glee Club pays back." Artie made the C sign with his hand, and dropped the mic and rolled away.
"What about the speech?" Blaine inquired as the boy went back to his previous place.
"For those who only oft-sing, dear Blaine, we have to leave the show at our greatest hit and there's no way that I can outbest that with any rite of passage stuff. Besides, I think I should leave the country while I get the restraining order."
Only one chapter left. Tomorrow before Glee season premiere. Huge stuff. Get ready for it.
