CHAPTER 48
Mr. Schue went all-out in their preparation for Regionals. He had booked the four soloists gigs all over town, to help them prepare for playing in front of the audience. They had performed at the city center, town hall, mall, public library and were about to try performing in a pub. Secretly, the rest of the New Directions were jealous of all the attention the boys were getting, but they all knew that the boys deserved it: they were the group's ticket to Nationals, and the boys needed to be firing on all cylinders if they wanted to capture the prestigious title of Show Choir Champions. The pub they were about to perform at was called MacLaren's Pub - it was one of only three bars in Lima - and the four boys drove there together the morning of their performance.
"Guys, I feel kinda bad for the rest of the New Directions. I mean, the four of us are not even originals - we're new students - and yet we're getting the star treatment. It's not really fair, is it?" Finn said. The other guys nodded.
"I agree with you, but are you seriously complaining? It's Mr. Schue's problem." Harry said. Finn nodded.
"I know, but I don't want any tension between the group right before Regionals. Well, more tension. There's already quite a bit, courtesy of you." Finn said, patting George on the shoulder. After Quinn and George's breakup, despite the fact that the New Directions said that they wouldn't take sides, they ended up doing exactly that. Everyone in the group acknowledged that Quinn had made a huge mistake, but a lot of the girls who were on Quinn's side believed that George should have forgiven her by now. "Speaking of which…" Finn continued. "Do you think you're going to get back with Quinn? Because if so, you should probably do it soon. She's not going to wait forever."
George shook his head.
"No. No I'm not."
The three guys looked at him, shocked. They had assumed that the two would eventually find their way back to each other.
"Wait… what? Why not? You two seemed so happy together!" Liam exclaimed. George nodded.
"I know. I really do like her. But I'm not about to get back together with her, only to dump her in two months when I graduate and move back home for college." George said.
"You know there's something called long distance, right?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I know, and I also know how hard it is. And it'll be damn near impossible with us in different countries. It'll only be a matter of time before one of us breaks up with the other, or worse, cheats."
Finn laughed nervously.
"Well that's reassuring to know, especially given that I go into a long distance relationship with my girlfriend after graduation."
George shook his head.
"Nah, Finn, you have nothing to worry about. You and Bella are going to make it. You two are made for each other. I just don't think Quinn and I are."
They arrived at the pub shortly after, where they were met by Mr. Schue. As under 21 year olds, they had to wait until Mr. Schue arrived to be granted entry. The bar was packed - it was a Friday night and a lot of people were unwinding with a couple of drinks after a long week. The bartender walked over to them when they arrived.
"Ah… Will! Right on time." The bartender said.
"Hey Carl. Great to see you. And thank you so much for this. This is the band I was telling you about. Meet Liam, Harry, George and…"
"Finn Hudson! How's it going buddy?" The bartender exclaimed, shaking Finn's hand. Finn smiled at him, and other three guys + Mr. Schue raised their eyebrows.
"You know him?" Mr. Schue asked Finn, confused. Finn nodded.
"Yeah, I perform gigs here once a month, to earn some extra pocket money." Finn explained.
"He's everyone's favourite performer." Carl added. Finn smiled at him and nodded. "Anyways, boys, please get ready. The mics are already set up. You have a 45 minute gig, starting in five minutes."
The four singers nodded.
"Good luck! You'll do great!" Mr. Schue called as they took to the small stage. They could feel every eye on the bar watching them as they prepared to sing their first song…
Despite their nerves, 45 minutes later, they had completed an incredible set. They were given a huge round of applause as they stepped off the stage. The four boys high fived one another and celebrated. They always felt such a rush after a set, whether it be in an auditorium in front of a thousand people, or in a bar in front of mostly drunk men.
"Well done boys. We're definitely ready for Regionals next week." Mr. Schue said.
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The day of Regionals was a cold, damp Saturday. The New Directions all gathered at the gates of McKinley High extreme early that morning (at 6 am) , ready to embark on the long drive all the way to Louisville. What made it even worse was that Mr. Schue ordered the four soloing guys on vocal rest until the competition. Finn, George, Liam and Harry weren't allowed to speak, and had to rely on hand gestures to talk to people. The first hour of the drive was quiet - most people just slept - but after an hour, people started to wake up and chat. Finn, who was sitting next to George, was getting quite annoyed about the forced vocal rest. However, they made it to Louisville relatively soon, and they got changed and walked into the greenroom. Rather than wearing button down shirts, trousers and ties like they normally did, they were allowed to wear clothes that reflected their personalities, provided that it fit the colour scheme. Finn was wearing a simple long sleeve t-shirt and jeans, clothes that he wore all the time. While they were sitting in the greenroom, Mr. Schue came in to give some final advice and instruction.
"OK guys. You've all performed in this setting before. You've got it. You all know how to sing amazingly, just show the audience that. I love you guys." He said.
"Some more than others." Mercedes muttered. Mr. Schue raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?" Mr. Schue said, surprised.
"Oh come on, Mr. Schue!" Rachel exclaimed. "You clearly have favourites! Like remember when you booked us that bar gig? Oh wait… we weren't invited to that. It was just Finn, George, Liam and Harry."
"Yeah. And I loved when you got us the mall gig! Oh wait… again just Finn, George, Harry and Liam!" Sam added. Finn, George, Liam and Harry looked down. They knew that the New Directions had a point. They couldn't even defend themselves as they knew that anything they said would sound extremely cocky. Luckily, Bella came to their defense.
"Hold on, guys! That's not fair! Mr. Schue just wants to help us make it to Nationals. So, so what if he works more with the soloists?"
"Mr. Schue…" Mercedes said, standing up. "You once said that if all we cared about is winning, then you've failed us. But look at you now: all YOU care about is winning. To the extent that you're giving the solos and special treatment to four overly privileged white boys who, let's face it, only got the solo because they're hotter than us and they're what the audience wants to see."
Everyone's mouths dropped. Not only was that racist and offensive, but it was completely untrue. Finn decided to speak up.
"Excuse me? How dare you say that?! You make it seem like we've just coasted our way to the extra gigs and special treatment. We've had to work out asses off, sometimes for up to 6 hours a day! I think that after all of that rehearsing, we deserve to be able to perform more than just for the competition. We wake up at like 5 in the morning every day to make it for an early 6 am rehearsal. You think we want to do that? To leave for school when it's still pitch black outside! NO! But we do it anyways, because we know how much you guys want to win, and we don't want it to let you down!"
Mercedes was taken aback for a moment, and when she was about to respond, Santana stood up.
"Mercedes! Back off! They've worked really hard for this solo, and let's face it, they're the best singers here. So if you could shut up and stop insulting them, that would be much appreciated."
"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!" Mr. Schue muttered to himself. They went on really soon, and the room was in chaos. "OK, Everyone, be quiet!" He shouted, and they simmered down. "Look…" he continued. "Despite what some of you might think, I do NOT have favourites! Sure I've worked a bit more with the four soloists, but that would have been the case if any of you got the solo. And any of you could have got the solo! We had open auditions, and these boys won fair and square. And as for the extra gigs, I only arranged them because I know how hard the guys have been working and how many sacrifices they've made, and I wanted to motivate them. Look, can we please have this conversation after the performance?"
Everyone reluctantly nodded. A couple of minutes later, the light in the greenroom started flickering, indicating that they were to go backstage as soon as possible. They all stood up and started walking over to the auditorium. On the way, Bella slipped her hand into Finn's.
"Hey babe. I'm sorry for what the rest of the group are saying. They're just bitter that you guys are the best group."
Finn laughed and kissed her hand.
"Maybe so, but they're not wrong about us getting special treatment. I literally knew this was going to happen too. I'm starting to feel kind of guilty."
"You shouldn't. You deserve this. You put in the work, you deserve the reward. Now go get your ass on that stage and prove why you guys deserved to get the solos. You've got this."
Finn smiled.
"Thanks babe." He said, kissing her quickly and then walked quickly away to join George, Harry and Liam who were being given microphones by some of the backstage officials. Eventually, the New Directions were announced and Finn, George, Harry and Liam took their places on the pitch-black stage. Suddenly, 4 spotlights shone brightly on them and the music started.
Finn:
I let it fall, my heart
And as it fell, you rose to claim it
George:
It was dark and I was over
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me
All:
But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew
All the things you say, they were never true, never true
And the games you play, you would always win, always win
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
Santana glanced at Mercedes, who was still angry, and was watching the performance with pursed lips. Santana sauntered over to her, gleefully.
"So, Mercedes, what do you think? You think you could do better?" She asked. Mercedes scowled at her.
"Shut up, Santana. I never denied that they're good singers. I just think that Mr. Schue shouldn't be treating them like they're the next Backstreet Boys."
"Hey, for all you know, they could be. And trust me, these guys put in hard work. You can't even work half as hard as those guys, and that's why they deserve the opportunities."
Mercedes rolled her eyes and walked away. Santana turned back to watch the rest of the performance.
George:
When I lay with you I could stay there
Close my eyes,
Finn:
Feel you here forever
You and me together, nothing is better
All:
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
Finn:
Sometimes I wake up by the door
That heart you caught must be waiting for you
Even now when we're already over
I can't help myself from looking for you
All:
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
Finn:
Your name
To see the actual song, click:
watch?v=LznfAyTYoRM
At the end of the song, the audience absolutely erupted in cheers and applause. Although the women in the room clearly loved the boy band style performance, even the male members of the audience could appreciate their dreamy vocals. The boys didn't have time to bask in the applause though. Immediately after the song, the rest of the group joined them on stage for their second performance of the evening: Sing by My Chemical Romance. For this song, Finn and Rachel took leads, and they did a pretty good job as well. The group number was full of soul and heart, and if the first number hadn't won over the judges, the second one surely had. After the second song, the New Directions walked off stage. The other groups - the Warblers and the Hipsters - had already performed, so it was now up to the judges to decide their fate. The four judges were Olivia Newton-John, John Groban, Rod Remington, and the guest judge… a rude, obnoxious TV personality called Paula Morris.
Meanwhile, in the judges' deliberation room, this was going on…
Paula stormed into the room.
"Newton-John… you're dead to me. Remington, Groban, have a seat! I don't care who comes in first, I don't care who places second, but I have a very strong opinion on who comes in third."
"Paula… if I may." Rod said, standing up. "That Bryan Adams song had me a-moving and a-shaking. And I'm talking old school. You know, I partied with Bryan Adams back in the 80s, and I partied… hard." He winked. He was referring to, of course, the Hipsters' performance of Everything I Do (I Do it for You).
"I for one…" Olivia Newton-John started. "Am offended that only one of the groups chose to honour me in song. I think the Warblers should win."
The Warblers had sung a unique cover of Summer Nights.
"I have something to say." John Groban said. "What about those New Directions? They were young, energetic, and they had a lot of… heart."
"Heart?" Paula scoffed. "Oh please. Talk about blatant tokenism. That whole 'We're inspiring, we're a ragtag bunch of misfits thing is so 2009.'"
"Now hold on just a second." Newton-John said. "The New Directions were really good in my opinion. And those boys, they had it all: they were young, attractive, and they had dreamy vocals. They had great chemistry as a group. I like that."
"OK, let's vote." Rod said.
"My main problem with the New Directions is that production values simply weren't there. Couldn't they have afforded better costumes? They were basically wearing everyday clothes! Are they a poor person's school?"
"I thought that that tall brunette guy had an amazing voice." Groban said, referring to Finn's vocals.
"Brunettes have no place in show business." Newton-John spat.
"Come on! They're just kids!" Paula said, surprised.
"That's no excuse! By the time I was 14, I had already formed a band. When Josh Groban was 14, he was already in the Mickey Mouse club, or something?" Newton-John argued.
"Well, I feel like I should point out that not all kids are offered the same opportunities as others." Paula said. She knew this well as she was also a part time teacher in one of the local schools in Louisville.
"Is that what you tell yourself to get to sleep at night?" Newton-John spat. "Some people just simply don't have talent. You think you're a celebrity? You're not. You just try hard, that's all."
Paula was taken aback by this insult. She was a pretty frightening person so wasn't used to being insulted like that.
"Olivia Newton-John has a point." Rod Remington said. "You have a lot in common with those kids at that Ohio school. Underachievers with delusions of grandeur."
"Can we just vote?" Paula snapped.
"Let's…" Rod Remington said. Sheets of paper were handed out, and the judges wrote down their winners.
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"Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for waiting for us judges to deliberate. It was a hard decision. All three of the groups that performed today have the potential to win Nationals. But, we have come to a decision. In third place… The Hipsters." Rod Remington - the head judge - said.
The Hipsters cheered, collected their small, third place trophy and walked off the stage. The New Directions and the Warblers remained on stage. The tension in the room was palpable. It was dead silent - they could've heard a pin drop in the auditorium. After a lengthy pause to add to the drama, Rod Remington announced the winner.
"And the winner, proceeding to the National Show Choir Championships in Los Angeles in May… The New Directions!"
The New Directions screamed, jumped and hugged one another. They were going to Nationals for the second consecutive year! And this time, they had no excuse to not win the whole competition! Finn, George, Liam and Harry were congratulated by the rest of the group, as it was their solo that pushed the judges over the edge. Once Mr. Schue had collected their trophy, the New Directions walked off stage and back into the green room.
"WE'RE GOING TO L.A!" Santana screamed.
"WE'RE GOING TO WIN THIS WHOLE COMPETITION!" Quinn exclaimed.
"Yeah, thank you so much for all of the work you put in. I'm so proud of you guys." Mr. Schue said. He couldn't stop smiling. All of the arguments that had occurred in the green room earlier had been temporarily forgotten as they celebrated their victory. However, their partying was briefly interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Mr. Schue shouted. A couple, probably around 30 years old, walked out of the room. They looked vaguely familiar to Finn: Finn never forgot a face, but he sometimes forgot who the face belonged to.
"Hi. I'm really sorry to disturb you all. Congratulations by the way. You definitely deserved to win." The woman said, and the man next to her nodded.
"Thank you. Can we help you with something?" George asked. They nodded.
"Yeah, actually we were just wondering if we could talk to him." They said, pointing at Finn. Finn stood up and raised an eyebrow.
"Um… sure. Did I do something wrong?" He asked, cautiously. They laughed.
"No. No. Don't worry. It's nothing bad. If you could just step outside for a moment, we could talk with a bit more quiet."
Finn nodded and followed the couple outside. It was funny how now, given how massive and strong Finn was, and given his past experiences, he wasn't afraid of getting mugged anymore.
"Hi, I'm Finn Hudson by the way." He said, holding out a hand.
"Nice to meet you, man. I'm Jack Hathaway and this is my fiance Jaimie Fraiser." The man said, as Finn shook hands with both of them. Finn smiled.
"Oh, congrats. When's the wedding?" He asked, politely.
"Um… that's actually what we want to talk to you about. We want to pay you to sing at our wedding!" The future bride exclaimed. Finn's jaw dropped. He was extremely surprised, yet happy.
"Pa-pardon me?" Finn stammered.
"Well, we heard you sing while we were on vacation in Hawaii last summer, and then we heard you sing again today. You have such a magical voice. It would be an honour if our first dance is to your music."
Finn smiled.
"Do you mean just me, or with the rest of the Glee club?" Finn asked, curiously.
"No, just you." The woman said. "Sure you sounded great as a group, but my fiance and I preferred you as a solo singer. You sang such beautiful love songs."
"Thank you. I'm so flattered." Finn smiled and blushed. "I'd love to. Wait… when's the wedding. Because I'm leaving Ohio soon and I won't be able to do it if I'm already gone."
"Oh, we're happy to fly you out for the wedding if that's what it takes." The woman said. Finn smiled and laughed.
"Thanks, that means a lot. But I'm actually joining the Army in August, and I don't think that they'd appreciate it if I took time off in the middle of basic training to sing at a wedding." Finn joked. The couple laughed.
"Well, thank you for your service in advance. And anyways, the wedding's on the 20th of June, so well before August. So, will you come?"
Finn nodded.
"Yeah, I'd love to! You don't know how much this means to me. Here, let me give you my number."
Finn quickly scribbled down his number and he gave it to the couple. They took it, and then gave him a hug.
"Thank you so much. And who knows, after you're done with the Army, maybe you could get a record deal?" The man said. Finn laughed and shrugged.
"I don't know, sir. I really haven't thought that far yet."
"Anyways, thank you so much. We'll call you with the details." The woman said, and the couple walked away. Finn smiled to himself. That felt amazingly good - being recognised for his music. Finn walked back to the greenroom, and when he walked back in, everyone looked at him questioningly.
"What was that all about?" Bella asked him.
"That couple, they're getting married in June and they want me to sing at their wedding. They heard me sing in Hawaii, and then when they saw me here in Ohio, they wanted to hire me."
"Babe, that's great!" Bella exclaimed, kissing him.
"Wait, did they want all of the New Directions?" Rachel asked. Finn shook his head.
"Nah… I asked and they said just me." Finn said. If looks could kill, Finn would not only be dead, but would be disintegrated by Rachel's glare.
"Dumbasses." Rachel muttered under her breath.
"Woah! Someone's a bit salty!" Finn exclaimed, laughing. Everyone snickered, and Rachel was about to retaliate when Mr. Schue raised a hand.
"Guys, please, not tonight. We've done so well today, let's not spoil it."
He was right. They had done so well! Next stop… Los Angeles!
A/N
I am planning to, after I finish this story, write a sequel, which is a five years later story. It will contain the same characters but with huge plot twists. My question to you guys is should I just tack the story onto the end of this one, or should I use a new story and call it Part 2? P.M or review your recommendations.