The Unruly Heart
"Good morning," Blaine said as he started class Monday morning. "It's nice to see so many smiling faces today. As usual, I'm going to start things off by giving each of you the chance to introduce yourselves musically by picking a song that tells us a little something about yourselves. Usually, I pick a specific genre, like Musicals or top forty, but this time I'm going to let you pick any song you want, just remember to keep it clean. I'll give you all till the end of the week to come up with something, but if anyone has something they want to sing today, let's hear it."
Blaine saw a lot of familiar hands go into the air, including Danny Schuester's, who had come a long way from the nervous young man Blaine had first come to know. Beth had done wonders for the boy's self confidence, and Blaine wondered how he would fare without her presence.
He smiled and glanced around, and pointed to a dark haired girl in the back row that he remembered from her audition the week before. "It's Lydia, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, her pale green eyes tinged with sadness. Bee had mentioned that he thought his new friend had a sister in Blaine's class.
"Welcome to McKinley, Lydia. Do you by chance have a younger brother named Carson?"
"Yeah, how did you know that?"
Blaine smiled at her. "My son goes to Neil Armstrong elementary, and told me last week he'd made a new friend named Carson Applebe. So, what are you going to sing today, and how is it about you?"
She turned and looked at the class. Blaine studied her as she spoke about the death of her mom, and how she'd kind of been forced into the role of caregiver to her younger siblings over the past year. He saw the fear of making mistakes, and the deep pride she had for each of her brothers and sister.
"I may have been the one caring for them this past year, but they are the ones who kept me going. This song is about me, but it's also about them."
She borrowed a guitar from one of the band members, and sat down on a stool.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance…
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance,
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',
Don't let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
And wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance... I hope you dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
And wonder where those years have gone.)
The class cheered and clapped for her as the song came to a close, and Blaine put a hand on her shoulder. "That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us. Your brothers and sister are very lucky to have you." He waited for her to take her seat before addressing the class again. "Who's next?"
Again several hands went up. He pointed to the other new senior girl. She had raven wing black hair and eyes so dark they almost looked black. Her skin was a rich burnished copper color that showed her Native American heritage.
"Hi, I'm Payten Harper, and the fact that I can sing at all is a miracle. I was born with a cleft palate, and addicted to meth. My birth mother abandoned me when I was less than twenty four hours old. But I got lucky, I was adopted, and got the treatment I needed to survive. I'm proof that no matter how bad your life may start, it will always get better."
She placed her iPod in the doc and hit play, and a haunting melody began to play.
I won't just survive
Oh, you will see me thrive
Can't write my story
I'm beyond the archetype
I won't just conform
No matter how you shake my core
'Cause my roots, they run deep, oh
Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in my veins
I know it, I know it
And I will not negotiate
I'll fight it, I'll fight it
I will transform
When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, you're out of time
But still, I rise
This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in, think again
Don't be surprised, I will still rise
I must stay conscious
Through the madness and chaos
So I call on my angels
They say
Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in your veins
You know it, you know it
And you will not negotiate
Just fight it, just fight it
And be transformed
'Cause when, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, you're out of time
But still, I rise
This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in, think again
Don't be surprised, I will still rise
Don't doubt it, don't doubt
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You know it, you know it
Still rise
Just fight it, just fight it
Don't be surprised, I will still rise
Again the class erupted into cheers and applause. Blaine had known at her audition that Payten had a strong voice, but this had truly been amazing.
Next, they listened to one of the freshman girls, Carrie Dandridge, the one Blaine had thought of as a ball of sunshine, who needed just a little encouragement to help her bring out her voice. She had the kids laughing and dancing to Megan Trainor's All About That Bass. They ended the class with the only non female freshman, Jason Ghirard.
"Hi, I'm Jason Ghirard, but please call me Jay. I'm non binary and genderfluid. I prefer the pronouns they/them, but I won't be offended if you use he/him or she/her. I'm pretty flexible. But not everyone was too happy when I first came out, and I felt like there was something wrong with me. This song is what made me realize there is nothing wrong with me, the problem is with other people."
Jay plugged in their iPod, and Blaine had to think for a moment where he'd heard that guitar intro before, and then Jay began to sing.
Some hearts can conform
Fitting the norm
Flaunting their love for all to see
I tried to change
Thinking how easy life could be
I just kept on failing
I guess that was a sign
That there wasn't much hope
For this unruly heart of mine
Then, you came along
And right or wrong
Feelings began to overflow
We had to hide
Thinking that no one else could know
And not having you near me
Was where I drew the line
So, I had to conceal
This poor, unruly heart of mine
And though I don't know how or when
But somehow, I learned to see
No matter what the world might say
This heart is the best part of me!
So, fears, all in the past
Fading so fast
I won't stay hidden anymore
I'm who I am
And I think that's worth fighting for
And nobody out there ever gets to define
The life I'm meant to…
Blaine was the one to lead the cheers and applause at the end of the song. "That's exactly what this club has always been about. Everyone being exactly who they want to be, and being accepted for it! Thank you, Jay." He shook their hand. "That is what I want our theme to be this year; acceptance. It has gotten a lot better since my days here at McKinley, but there are still people out there that need to learn that lesson. So, what I'd like to do is at each competition, I want at least one song about acceptance. Either accepting yourself, or accepting one another. Now Brendan, I know you've got some great songs in your repertoire, so if you've got anything you want to submit, I want to hear them. That goes for anyone else who wants to try their hand at songwriting."
The class cheered again, and high fived Jay as they returned to their seat.
…
Blaine picked up the quads after school on Monday, and then picked up Bee. He saw his son and Cole Schuester and another boy he didn't know, but who had familiar pale green eyes, speaking with Marley as they waited for their rides.
"Hi guys," he greeted. "Marley, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing great. We were just talking about the choir sign ups."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Bee said. "I signed up, and so did Cole, but Carson isn't sure if his dad will let him."
Blaine smiled at the unfamiliar boy. "Well, if you sing anything like your sister Lydia, I hope you get the chance to join."
The boy frowned up at him. "You know my sister?"
"Yes, I teach the Glee Club at the high school. Your sister is very talented, and she's very proud of you and your other siblings."
The boy blushed a little, and looked down at his feet.
"Car?" A voice called out, and they all turned to see a rather rushed looking man hurrying towards them.
"Hi dad," Carson said. "This is Miss. Rose, she's the choir teacher here."
"Hi, Luke Applebe, nice to meet you."
"Mr. Applebe, I'm Blaine Anderson, I teach Glee at the high school. Your daughter Lydia is one of my students."
"Oh?" The man seemed a little confused why a high school teacher was at the elementary school, talking to his son.
Blaine just smiled. "This is my son, Bee, and his friend, Cole Schuester. Cole's dad is my boss," he laughed.
"Ah, well, it's nice to meet you."
"Dad, can I join the choir?" Carson asked.
Luke seemed conflicted at the request. "I don't know, Car. My schedule at work is so hectic right now, I don't know if I'd be able to pick you up after rehearsals, and I still have to pick up Lily and Mitch and make dinner…"
"Hey, I have a solution," Blaine offered. "I'll be picking up Bee most days anyway, I can pick up Carson and drop him off at your place. I'm sure Bee and Cole would like to have the extra time to spend with their new friend, and it would be one less thing for you to worry about. I know how hard it can be juggling so many kids." He pointed to the SUV parked beside them, the doors open to reveal the four occupied carseats.
Luke's eyes went round. "Wow, that is quite the handful. Are you a single parent too?"
Blaine laughed and shook his head no. "My husband is Congressman Kurt Hummel, he's currently in DC, making a better world for all of us."
"Oh," the other man said. Blaine could see the other man was surprised by the fact that Blaine was gay and wasn't sure how to handle it. Blaine just smiled.
"We're very lucky, we have a large circle of family and friends who help out as we need, and we're always willing to help others. Like I said, Bee and Cole really want Carson to join the choir with them, and it would be one less burden for you to worry about."
"Please dad?" Carson begged.
Luke let out a little sigh. "Okay, I guess it would be one less thing to have to juggle."
"Yes!" All three boys cheered.
"Thanks dad!" Carson said, hugging him, just as Emma arrived to pick up Cole.
Blaine introduced the former school counselor, and Luke shook her hand.
"Okay, we need to get going," Luke said. "It was nice meeting all of you, but I'm late picking up my youngest, Lily from the preschool, and my other son Mitch at the Jr. High."
Blaine nodded. "I'm heading to the Jr. High myself to pick up my oldest."
They shook hands again, and headed out.
At the Jr. High, Blaine found Lizzie laughing with Kendra, Ke'Andre, Daniella, and Joani, and another boy he didn't recognize. He was only a little surprised when the boy headed towards Luke's minivan, which had pulled up in front of them. Lizzie waved to her other friends, and jogged over and climbed into the SUV.
"So, who is your new friend?" Blaine asked.
"His name is Mitch. He's the one I told you about last week who made a fool out of himself trying to impress Joani. He's nice, but kind of awkward. He's really smart, too. He helped me with the algebra homework I didn't understand. I think he's some kind of math genius or something."
"That's cool. I just met his dad, picking your brother up. Bee's new friend Carson is Mitch's little brother, and his older sister is one of my New Directions."
"Really? Sweet. Mitch is going to try out for the show choir with us, but I think he's only doing it because Joani is trying out."
Blaine laughed. "Well, if he sings as good as his sister. He'll make a great addition."
…
As they prepared dinner that night, Bee talked about the sign ups for the clubs. "Mr. Green was happy I signed up for Photography club again, and said he wants to make me a club advisor, to help the other kids out who need a little inspiration."
"That's wonderful, Bee!" Blaine said, giving him a one armed hug and a kiss on the top of his head.
Bee smiled happily. "I also signed up for the choir, and a new club that doesn't have a name yet, but they are going to do things like helping out shut-ins and the elderly who need things done for them, and random acts of kindness. Miss Marley is one of the Club advisors, and Miss Georgia is going to help out!" He seemed really happy as he mentioned his friend's mother.
"That sounds like a really great club. And I'm glad Georgia is finding ways to make herself feel at home here. Speaking of which, how is Belinda doing?"
Bee shrugged. "She's doing well. She's happy Chester decided to stay with her, though. She says he helps when she gets sick after her treatments. She's taking her schooling online with Miss Marley, and wants to join photography club, too."
Blaine smiled and set the platter of baked chicken on the table as Bee finished the salad. Photography had helped his son so much, he knew it could help Belinda as well. "I think that would be a great idea for her. Maybe we can help out by getting her her own camera."
Bee grinned. "I think she'd like that."
As they sat down to eat, Blaine couldn't help but think he had two of the greatest children on the planet.