Ms. Jones and the Drama Queen takes place during freshman year like "Cheerios and Titans" it can be read on it's own or with it.
Mercedes Jones was no stranger to being the odd man out, so to speak, there were only 5 other black students at the school and three of them were boys and of course they were on the football team and the other girl, her skinny ass was a cheerleader. Mercedes just kept her head down at school, she shined in her church choir but her older brother had warned her, choir at McKinley was for losers and the popular kids would make life hell.
"Are you kidding? What's wrong with you? Why don't you look where you're going!"
Yelling in the halls was nothing new but it was who was yelling that caught Mercedes attention, it was a short brunette and she was yelling at a blonde girl, in a long black jacket who was on the ground, the leggy blonde looked about to cry. Mercedes pushed through the stunned bystanders as the tiny brunette continued to rant as she picked up her scattered books. Kneeling down Mercedes grabbed the backpack and umbrella near the blonde's hand, they obviously had to be hers, "Come on, I got you." When the girl took her hand to stand Mercedes smiled "I'm Mercedes."
"Brittany." the blonde sniffled holding onto the chunky black girl. "My knee hurts."
Mercedes glanced down at the the girl's leg, it looked like skin had been rubbed off in a certain spot "I'm going to take you to the nurse okay?"
"Okay," the blonde sniffed again "you're nice."
"Thank you." Mercedes smiled at the blonde continuing to walk the blonde away from the yelling brunette. "Excuse us." Mercedes elbowed another student when he didn't move. It was like that the entire way to the nurse's office.
Brittany sat on the table smiling at Mercedes as the nurse put the ointment and then the McKinley red band-aid on her knee. "I'll give you two hall passes to get to class."
Brittany limped along side Mercedes as the chunky black girl looked at her schedule "So you're supposed to be in Spanish, that's in the 100 hall."
"Okay." Brittany linked elbows with Mercedes.
"B!" it wasn't her name but Mercedes flinched just the same, it had been yelled by a very pissed looking Latina Cheerio.
"Santana!" Brittany beamed releasing Mercedes, Mercedes swallowed as the blonde and Latina that Brittany was limping to scowled
"What happened?" the smaller blonde asked still scowling at Mercedes.
"I was trying to find you but they wouldn't let me through." Brittany explained."And then someone bumped me and I fell down and she started yelling..." Brittany sniffled, Mercedes glanced around looking for a place to run, even though she was innocent the two Cheerios were glaring at her. "Mercedes helped me, she's nice." Brittany gestured to the black girl as the Latina helped her take off the black jacket. Mercedes eyes widened at the sight of the red and white Cheerio uniform that had been hidden under the jacket. "she took me to the nurse."
Mercedes finally spoke up "She skinned her knee." Both Cheerios glanced down at Brittany's knee seeing the band-aid they nodded.
Holding her hand out Santana asked "Who was it?" handing Santana the backpack and umbrella Mercedes shook her head, she didn't know the girl's name.
"She's short, she's a brunette and she was wearing a sweater and knee socks." Mercedes gave them the only information she had, her brother had warned her about the cheerleaders. "And she was by the Spanish class."
"You get a pass, for now." the smaller blonde Cheerio nodded, Santana agreed. "What's your name?"
"Mercedes Jones."
She had no idea what they meant by that but it had to be a good thing because Brittany waved over her shoulder as the two Cheerios lead her to her locker instead of Spanish, she heard Santana explain. "You need to take off your jacket so they see your uniform B, then they'll move out of the way."
"Okay."
She wasn't his favorite but she had talent, and a massive ego to go with it, Rachel Barbra Berry. Yet again stood on the stage yelling "You missed your cue! How difficult is it to step out when I say the line? How difficult!" huffing down the steps and off the stage the tiny brunette in knee socks stormed up the aisle to the director Sandy Ryerson, standing he tried to distance himself from her. "Are you even watching this!" the little brunette demanded.
Adjusting his sweater that was tie and hanging from his shoulders the teacher stuttered "N...now see here, this is our first practice we are learning our places and timing."
"I already know my lines and marks." Rachel snarked crossing her arms. "This is completely unprofessional." Storming away Rachel yelled "I'll be in my dressing room!"
Rolling his eyes he gave a deep sigh looking up to the ceiling he called to the teens on the stage "Take five!" Day one of drama class was a disaster.
Huffing as she climbed in the back seat Rachel told her dad LeRoy "It's so frustrating, they have no idea what they're doing and Mr. Ryerson is no help, he favors that untalented Hank."
LeRoy sighed "Honey not everyone has your discipline, they do this just for fun, they have no desire or the talent to leave Lima. They are not destined to be a star like you are."
"And rude, some girl bumped into me on my way to Spanish and knocked my books out of my hands, she didn't even apologize to me or help me with my books." Rachel muttered. "They'll see, I'll be famous and they'll be nothing."
Cold was not the word Rachel would use to describe the slushies that were thrown in her face the next day, her eyes burned as she tried to open them to find the nearest bathroom. She wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of crying, not in front of them any way. The janitor grumbled pulling his mop and bucket along with him grumbling about slushies."Damn kids."
"You should complain to the principal." Rachel huffed pushing the restroom door open.
The laughter she heard as she stepped into the bathroom meant only one thing, Cheerios. The most popular girls in the school all beautiful and mean as hell. Looking up from the floor she cowered at the sight of Frannie Fabray and two other Cheerios, everyone knew who she was even freshman, the drama kids had warned Rachel about her. The sneer and perfect high pony tail greeted her, laughing at the slushie covered freshman Frannie and the other Cheerios left the bathroom "At least she's kept that going."
Washing her face off first Rachel tried her best to rinse out her hair, it hadn't gotten all of her hair but it had gotten enough. Taking off her sweater she sighed in relief, her collared shirt underneath was affected, rinsing out her sweater Rachel looked at herself in the mirror "They're just jealous because I have talent and all they are is boobs and skirts." wringing her sweater out and drying her face and hair to the best of her ability she sighed "Lima Losers, that's all they are."
Spanish was her second class, holding her books close to her chest she hurried to her seat in the front row, the teacher was cute and even shared her love of sweaters, but his Spanish could use some work. The football players that had thrown the slushies on her were in the class as well, sitting in the back, laughing as she took her spot. "Alright everyone take your seats, this is room 101 and this is Spanish 1, I am Mr. Schuester." he started the same way he had the morning before, because inevitably someone was always in the wrong class the first week of school. Head down Will Schuester began searching through his papers for the lesson plan.
The bell ringing one student raced out the door only to fall back into the classroom landing on his butt causing everyone to laugh, grabbing his fallen books he cowered to the side of the door as three Cheerios walked in. "I..I'm sorry." he scurried away after they entered the room.
Rachel rolled her eyes, all of the boys were now paying attention to the trio, two blondes and one Latina. "Sorry we're late Mr. Schuester, Coach wanted to talk to us." Quinn Fabray innocently smiled.
Looking up Will smiled "Not late at all ladies, just getting started." paper in hand he turned to the board writing the lesson for the day and a few words and phrases in Spanish as well. Hands clasped on her desk Rachel sat up, she loved taking the language because it was just something else she could put in her resume, anything to further her career. "So can anyone tell me what this means?" he tapped the first phrase getting laughter and whispers from the Latina Cheerio and two blondes.
¿Discúlpeme, dónde está el baño?
Rachel's hand shot up "Excuse me, where is the powder room?"
"Close." Will chuckled causing her to frown, looking down at his seating chart he called "Ms. Lopez care to tell us?"
The raspy voice behind her was amused when she spoke "Restroom or bathroom."
Rolling her eyes Rachel huffed "Same thing."
"How about this one?" Will tapped the board again this time by a single word.
Tocino
Rachel's hand shot up again but it was someone in the back that answered first, "Bacon." the laughter from behind her made Rachel look back, Quinn Fabray was smirking at the other two Cheerios who were laughing.
"Correct Ms. Fabray it seems a few of you know a thing or two about Spanish." Will nodded and smiled.
"Hey, Mr. Schue?" Rachel rolled her eyes at the football player that spoke up. "Why we need this class?"
"It's a required course Mr...?" Will glanced down at his seating chart.
"Azimio Adams." the large black football player answered. "Linebacker."
"Yes Adams, it's a required course." Will explained then added "That means you have to take it and pass it to graduate."
"Why, I mean this is America, I speak American."
"It's English you moron," Santana snarked "you speak English."
"What she said." Azimio didn't seem phased by the Cheerio calling him names.
Rachel huffed turning to the football player "Don't you want to learn how to properly speak to our brothers and sisters to the south? It's important to learn other cultures native tongue..."
"Oh hell no, you are not my sister." Santana barked, the football players laughed when she added "I don't have one and if I did she sure as hell wouldn't be no Hobbit looking, tight wearing drama nerd, cause I'd have beat her ass every day if she tried to leave my house looking like you."
Ignoring the rant Rachel glared at Santana "I am taking this class to learn another language to better myself..."
"You're taking this class because it's the only language class available and you won't graduate if you don't." Quinn corrected.
"Okay." Will clapped "Copy this down, I want the translations and homework on my desk by tomorrow." he rapped his knuckles on the board to get their attention. Rachel turned back to Will watching him write more words and phrases on the board. She ignored the giggling behind her and began copying everything he was writing down.
Back to digging through his folder he grabbed their first day assignments, he'd graded them and was ready to hand them back, packet one was numbers and letters, the second packet days of the week and months. "Very good Rachel." handing her both of her packets he moved on before she could say anything. "Boys you need to see me after class." he handed the football players theirs. "Perfect of course Ms. Fabray, Ms. Lopez...um Brittany you need to see me after class."
"No she doesn't." Santana shook her head "Her answers are the same as mine and Quinn's."
"Be that as it may Ms. Lopez, they are not written in pen or pencil..." Santana handed Will a card confusing him. "What is this?"
"Call that number now. Change her grade." Santana smirked as Will did exactly what she said, taking Brittany's paper with him he headed back to his desk calling the number on the card from his personal cell phone.
"Really bullying a teacher." Rachel huffed crossing her arms.
"Not your business Hobbit." Santana glared before glancing at the football players who nodded.
They couldn't hear the other side of his conversation but they did hear Will say "Oh, okay, I understand...yes...immediately." before he hung up. Looking up at Santana Will nodded changing the grade on the paper.
"Are you kidding me!" Rachel yelled. "A phone call and you change her grade?"
"Ms. Berry her answers were correct..."
"Not that it's any of your business." Santana growled.
Will handed it back to Brittany softly saying "Try a pencil next time."
"Okay." the tall blonde beamed at the grade on her paper happily showing the other two girls.
After class the football players stayed while the others, including the Cheerios filed out, holding her books Rachel picked up her backpack with her still wet sweater in it trailing behind the others. Gasping when right outside the door she was hit with three red slushies to the face, one right after the other, she didn't see who it was and the only person that still remained when she wiped the ice cold slushie away from her eyes and opened them was Quinn Fabray, but no slushie cup to be seen.
"I thought once was enough but it seems you need to learn this lesson over and over, leave my Cheerios alone." Quinn warned before turning and walking away.
She wasn't the only one wearing her PE clothes but she was sure she was the only person to have been slushied twice in one day. She'd rinsed out all of her clothes including her undergarments, she was glad she kept a spare set of undergarments in her PE locker or she'd have felt more awkward than she already did. "You must have really pissed off The Unholy Trinity." the girl with the locker next to Rachel laughed, she'd witnessed both of Rachel's slushy incidents, not that she would admit it to the principal.
"Who?" Rachel shoved her cherry smelling backpack into her locker.
"Are you kidding? The Cheerios." the girl looked at Rachel as if she'd grown a second head. "Quinn Fabray and her two friends, she's the Cheerio captain."
"I thought that was her sister." Rachel said confused as she shut the locker door glancing around the hallway, the other girl scurried away from Rachel without a word, the trio in question were coming down the hall. The football players from Spanish were walking behind them smirking as the kids in the hallway pressed themselves against the lockers to stay out of the way. Rachel rolled her eyes muttering "Cro-Magnons."
"Rachel, honey what happened?" Shiving in her short coat and gym clothes Rachel climbed in the her father's car and out of the rain.
"They threw slushies at me!"
"Who?"
"I don't know, football players but nobody will say, the principal says without witnesses he can't do anything." Rachel flung her backpack across the backseat in frustration.
Mercedes felt bad, she didn't know they were going to throw slushies at the girl, but she wasn't going to say a thing her brother told her the best way to get through high school if she wasn't in a sport was to keep your head down and not get in the Cheerios way.
She'd safely made it through the first two days and if it was true that they were giving her a pass she'd make it through the week.