5YL Let the Encore Commence
Part 59
Blaine and Will weren't even out of the room, when Wes told the Warblers to take a break as they needed to have a word with the New Directions. The Warblers simply nodded, and followed Tess to the backstage area so they were out of ear shot. "McKinley grads, I think it's best if you handle this." Wes said before looking at Sebastian who nodded, as he'd previous been watching Blaine.
It only took a short conversation amongst them for Rachel to step forward. "Would one of you care to tell us what's going on, as this is no way to behave during a rehearsal?"
"We made mistakes, it happens." One of them stated.
"Mistakes happen, but it's more than that." Quinn chimed in. "Although you're behind the Warblers, we can hear some of you sing something completely different. I mean, the Warblers aren't covering the soprano and alto harmonies."
"Quinn's right, so we'd like an explanation." Rachel told them.
"We still get confused with the two versions." Another said in response. "This is the first time we're singing it without music or a director." That earned an exasperated response from Sebastian who walked away from them, knowing he needed to keep his composure. "We only had a week to prepare."
"No, you had three weeks, just like the Warblers did." Sam corrected. "Difference is, they didn't change Blaine's arrangement."
"Mr. Schue was just trying to help, and he did, as we had an easier time with his arrangement."
"What happened to working hard to figure something out that was difficult?" Tina asked. "I mean, there were more than a few times back then we had to work harder."
"You never had to sing harmonies like these." One of the girls said, causing Tina to roll her eyes.
"So, you're saying the Warblers are more talented then?" Sebastian said, as he turned back to face them.
"I never said that."
"But you did, as they figured out the harmonies just fine, sans director." Sebastian replied, earning a chuckle from a few of their friends. "It was Will's job, to teach the harmonies to you, not make it easier."
"He…"
"Don't, alright as no explanation you have to is going to work, especially with Sebastian." Santana told them. "By changing up Blaine's arrangement, Mr. Schue actually hurt you."
"Santana's right." Rachel replied. "If you were having trouble, it was up to him to breakdown the harmonies, and teach them to you."
"He was going to try and convince Blaine to go with his version." Sebastian shook his head in disgust, yet before he could respond, one of the guys did.
"And that's fair to the Warblers how?" Thad chimed in. "Let alone the rest of us."
"No one knew the rest of you were taking part."
"Fine, and that's fair to Blaine, how?" Thad reiterated as Rachel took ahold of his hand. "You know what, this just brings back memories from high school I'd rather forget." He then took his hand from Rachel's. "I need some air." He said before walking off the stage and towards the side doors.
"What's his problem?"
"Seeing one of his best friends frustrated, simply because Mr. Schue gave you guys the easy way out." Rachel replied, knowing better than to go after him in moments such as these. She simply hoped, Blaine was having better luck with Mr. Schuester than they were having with the New Directions at the moment, before trying to fix what was wrong.
The two had been in the closed room for a few minutes before Blaine even spoke to Will who stood near the doorway as Blaine walked the room. When he finally turned to face him, Will saw an expression he'd only saw on Blaine a few times during his time at McKinley. "What gave you the right to change my arrangement?"
"Calm down Blaine."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Blaine exclaimed in response. "Your actions have screwed everything up!"
"I was simply trying to help my kids Blaine; your harmonies are complex." Will told him as Blaine leaned back against the wall.
"You didn't just change the harmonies, you changed the entire composition of the piece, including the tempo." Blaine replied. "Do you realize how long I worked on it?"
"I said I'm sorry Blaine."
"Sorry doesn't cut it, as now the New Directions are in no way prepared to perform tomorrow night." Blaine told him. "The times they were singing my version, they weren't carrying their weight to the point Quinn, Tina, and Brittany were having to help."
"Because there is a stark contrast to the number of female voices to male."
"True, yet I took that into account when composing this arrangement. Keep in mind, not all the tenors are singing harmonies, as the Warbler tenors are doing their thing." Blaine a bit cockily said to him. "But then, explain how the two Warbler bass vocalists are carrying their fair share?"
"Of course, your Warblers are perfect."
"The Warblers are perfect in a sense because they worked hard on the music I sent, unlike the New Directions. If they'd spent the last three weeks on my arrangement, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Blaine said to him. "Seriously, what were you thinking?" His frustration growing the longer the conversation went on.
"It'll work out Blaine, it always does." Blaine scoffed, before looking at his watch. "Have some place to go?"
"No, I was curious as to how much time I have to fix this mess you created." Blaine said in frustration. "Secondly, I don't fly by the seat of my pants like the New Directions clearly still do. If I did, I wouldn't have accomplished all that I have professionally." He then raked his fingers through his hair. "Give or take, we have less than twelve hours to get them up to speed, otherwise…"
"Otherwise what?"
"They're not performing with everyone else, as I'm not going to…"
"What, embarrass yourself?"
"No, embarrass them." Blaine countered as he walked towards him. "If they were having so many issues, why didn't you get in touch with me?"
"You were on vacation, plus, I don't have your number." Will replied.
"True, but you do have the number of my manager, who in turn would've gotten in contact with me." Blaine said. "All of this could've been avoided, if you'd simply done as requested."
"Your arrangement is complicated."
"Again, if it's so complicated, how did the Warblers figure it out. And for the record, their parts are more complex, as they're doing more than simple harmonies."
"You've become even more arrogant with success, it's gone to your head." Will responded in frustration, only pissing Blaine off more.
"If you view me wanting the people I'm performing with to be prepared as arrogant, then I guess I am." Blaine said. "But in my world, it's called doing your damn job!"
"This isn't a job for them Blaine."
"I know, but it's a performance, one they should've prepared appropriately for! No wonder they didn't even place at Regionals!"
"Excuse me?" Will shouted in response, shocked that Blaine knew how badly they did.
"You heard me. It's that same sort of lack of preparation, that put them in that situation."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I though? I mean, while the Warblers didn't win Nationals, they placed." Blaine replied. "Something the New Directions haven't come close to since the individuals in the other room graduated."
"That was low, but I shouldn't be surprised considering how you've treated Kurt." Will said in response. "You've put him in a no-win situation, I mean, with your fame and expensive lawyers
"Excuse me, how I've treated Kurt? How, I've treated Kurt!" Blaine said in disbelief. "For the record, a majority of what's happening to him isn't because of me, or Sebastian, or my expensive lawyers, it's the judicial system at work. He's the one incapable of following the rules not only the court has set forth for him, but behavior he agreed upon."
"I highly doubt that, as everything was going fine for him until you…"
"Don't you dare bring Sebastian into this!"
"But he was the catalyst for what's happening."
"No, the catalyst for all this, was his inability to accept I'd moved on with my life!" Blaine declared loudly enough that Thad could hear his raised voice as he came back inside, sending him straight to Sebastian.
"With Sebastian."
"My god, you're nothing more than another fucking apologist for him!" Blaine said to him. "Everything, that's happening to Kurt he brought on himself. It's not my fault, not Sebastian's, HIS and his alone!"
"You pressed the initial charges." Blaine couldn't help but laugh at the obscurity of the statement. "Deny it all you want, but Kurt told me what happened"
"I should've known, as according to him, everything is mine and Sebastian's fault, he owns no responsibility for what's happened. And of course, you believed everything because Sebastian's presumably the villain all this."
"He has an influence on you Blaine, admit it." Will told him. "If Sebastian wasn't in your life, this…"
"Think carefully about finishing that thought." Sebastian said from his spot in the doorway, flanked by Rachel who wouldn't let him go alone. "Because anything you say would be based on the absence of facts on the matter." He said eerily calmly, catching Will off-guard, while Blaine knew this was the calm before the storm should the wrong thing be said. "Blaine, are you alright?"
"I will be."
"Not the answer I was hoping for."
"I know, but it's the truthful one." Blaine said as Sebastian made his way into the room, Rachel staying at the door. "Why are you here?"
"Thad heard yelling and…"
"I don't need to hear anything else." Blaine assured him before stretching to press a kiss to his cheek. "Seems my expectations are too high, which…"
"Don't you dare contemplate apologizing for you expectations or standards. Without them, you wouldn't be where you are right now." Sebastian told him, before looking at Will. "How the hell did a conversation presumably about your groups lack of preparation, wind-up at Hummel?"
"I'd like to hear that as well." Rachel chimed in, arms crossed. "Since knowing how Blaine feels about his ex, he didn't."
"I brought Kurt up after Blaine made a comment about the New Directions which…"
"Which you didn't like, so you called him out on what's happening to Kurt." Rachel said, after an elongated pause, which Will confirmed. "I doubt what he said, warranted you throwing Kurt in his face after what he put him through."
"Rachel."
"I'm not done." She then looked at Blaine and Sebastian. "I think it's best of the two of you return to rehearsal, see if you can help the New Directions, though it might be hopeless at this point." When Sebastian was about to speak, she simply gave him a look, which had him agreeing to do as she asked. Yet before the two of them left the room, Sebastian told her not to hesitate to call him, and she promised she would if she needed him. Once the two were gone, Rachel closed the door and asked Will to take a seat.
"I let my emotions get the better of me Rachel, it…"
"Don't say it was a mistake, as I've been told how you feel about what's happening between Blaine and Kurt." Rachel told him. "To blame Blaine for what's going on, is wrong, as Blaine's the victim, not Kurt."
"Rachel, I find that hard to believe."
"I understand that, but it's because you weren't there. Heck, I was, and still had no clue to the depth of what was happening between them." She replied. "Did you watch the big interview Blaine did, the one he not only talked about being the victim of a hate crime, but being in an abusive relationship." Will nodded. "That abusive relationship, was with Kurt. He suffered from emotional, mental, and physical abuse, all at the hands of Kurt."
"After what Kurt went through in high school, he'd never do that." Will said to her. "Not to mention, Blaine's more than capable of defending himself, especially physically.
"I never thought he would either, but he did." Rachel replied. "True, Blaine could've protected himself, yet he didn't because he knew if he landed even one punch, he could seriously hurt him and, he wouldn't do that to the person he loved."
"I'm sorry Rachel, I just…."
"Don't believe it, well that's on you as it happened. I've witnessed firsthand, Blaine shutting down around Kurt, almost cowering around him. And if you've ever done any research on abuse victims, it happens." She told him. "Blaine went from happy, having the time of his life, to wanting to get out of the situation immediately."
"Rachel, he…"
"Just stop! Nothing you say to me, is going to change what I know for a fact is true. All your information comes from the news or, from Kurt as I heard he stopped by to see you after returning to Lima."
"He did, and told me all about how Blaine cost him his job."
"That's rich, his behavior cost him his job! He was given chance after chance, and he blew them, simply by being unable to leave Blaine and Sebastian alone." Rachel informed him. "Did you hear what he did to me, after Thad proposed?"
"According to my students, Kurt went off on a rant, not only about Blaine, but how Thad was no good for you."
"Correct, and for the record, going off on Blaine in that matter, violates the gag order, which is part of their divorce. Also, he confronted Thad and I at court and….you know what, it's not important as clearly Kurt's painted Blaine as the problem."
"And Sebastian, speaking of, how could you of all people support them being together? After what he did to Blaine, he should be the last person you'd want him with."
"That was an accident, something we're all aware of. As for supporting them, it's easy. For starters, there is so much more to Sebastian, than the boy we thought we knew back in high school. Secondly, he makes Blaine happier than I've ever seen him before, and the love they share, is what people dream of having with another."
"Even if that's so, how could you have turned your back on Kurt he was your best friend Rachel, Fi…"
"Finn, would be appalled at what Kurt's done to Blaine." Rachel said firmly. "Finn, would've actually listened to Blaine, and not taken Kurt's word as truth." Clearly pissed, that once again Finn was being used to try and make her feel guilty for turning her back on Kurt. "Do you think I liked hearing what actually happened between them?" Will shook his head, as her voice got louder. "Damn right! To think someone I loved, could do that to another person I love, seemed implausible, but doesn't mean it didn't happen! Blaine underwent hours upon hours of therapy to deal with what he'd gone through."
"If it was so bad, why…"
"Why didn't he leave sooner? Ask for help?" Rachel mockingly replied. "Because he was so beaten down, he didn't know where to turn, as Kurt basically convinced him no one would believe him." She said while wiping a tear from her eye. "Thankfully, he opened up to his parents who helped get him out."
"You can't tell me you weren't confused."
"You're right, I can't as I had no clue what was happening between them. And no matter how badly Kurt tried to blame Blaine for everything, I somehow managed to stay impartial, unlike Santana. Her bullshit detector went off, and she took Blaine's side, even if he wasn't letting us in."
"I still can't imagine Kurt doing that."
"Which is why he was able to get away with it, no one would imagine him doing so, especially those of us who knew what he went through. Rachel told him.
"But why did Blaine have to get the authorities involved?"
"Because Kurt left him no choice, as he wouldn't leave them alone. Mind you, after Blaine left him, Kurt constantly showed up at NYADA to harass him, to the point he was banned from the campus. Also, Blaine's close friends, who are actually his band, made sure to never leave his side, it was that bad. So, for you to take Kurt's word, when you weren't there…I never imagined you of all people would so readily take sides."
"Burt…."
"Burt is blinded by his love of his son, yet Carole isn't, as she actually spoke out in court against Kurt."
"Not to change the subject, but how did we get here when Blaine's issue with me, was the New Directions not being ready?" Will said, as dealing with an upset Rachel wasn't something he wanted to do.
"We got here, because you not only brought Kurt up to Blaine when he called you out, but also attempted to blame Sebastian for what's happening." Rachel replied. "And I have a feeling, your belief Blaine's the cause behind Kurt's troubles, is behind this mess with the song. Or Santana's right, you're jealous of Blaine's success, and wanted to prove you've got similar skills."
"That's ridiculous!" Will said, clearly taken back at her response.
"I think doth protest too much." Rachel replied, using one of Thad's favorite lines against him. "Otherwise, why rewrite what's truly a beautiful arrangement?"
"As I said, my…"
"I forgot, the New Direction couldn't sing it." Rachel said to him. "So, how is it, Shelby was able to teach it to them. Explain that." When he simply looked at her, Rachel shook her head and sighed. "That's what I thought. "Now, either you can step back and let Blaine and Shelby attempt to fix this mess or pull your kids, the choice is yours."
"Blaine needs them."
"Then you should've thought twice before doing what you did." Rachel told him before walking out of the room, leaving him to think about what she'd said.
When she returned, she walked right up to Thad who wrapped his arms around her before pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Should…"
"I don't want to talk about it, at least right now." Rachel said, cutting him off as she rested her head against his shoulder. "How are things going?" Instead of answering, Thad turned them ever so slightly, so she could see Shelby working with the Warblers and New Directions, and Blaine sitting on the floor with music spread out before him. "What's Blaine looking at?"
"Quinn got the New Directions to hand over Mr. Schue's changes to Blaine's arrangement." Thad replied, causing her to look around once more.
"Where's Sebastian?"
"Outside, with Santana and Wes, as Blaine's reaction to the changes, wasn't good. Doesn't understand how he could possibly think…it's crap, plain and simple, there is no eloquent way to put it. Said he wrote more complex pieces in music theory at Dalton."
"Is it really that bad?" Thad nodded. "Alright, but why's Sebastian outside?"
"Because after what you and he walked in on, which he wouldn't talk about, it was all we could do to stop him from barging back in there and giving him a piece of his mind. Tomorrow means so much to Blaine, so to see his hard work tossed aside for…"
"Crap." Her response causing him to chuckle.
"He feels betrayed Rach. While he had doubts about Mr. Schue, he never imagined he'd dismiss his work. It's one thing to take issue with him, but not his work." Thad told her. "He put so much of his heart into this Rach, it's…"
"You don't need to say anything else. Is there anything we can do?"
"Right now, Blaine needs space to process it, which is why Wes took a riled-up Sebastian outside. He's reaching his breaking point Rach, and I'm talking about Sebastian. He's been strong for so long, yet Blaine's his weak spot, so seeing him hurting over this…" Thad couldn't finish his sentence as Rachel pressed a kiss to his lips. "What was that for, not that I object?"
"For not protecting me from what's going on, as I know it's instinctual." She replied before slowly stepping away from him, which happened to coincide with Mr. Schue returning. Yet before she could do anything, Blaine hopped up off the floor and walked towards him.
"You really think this piece of garbage is better than mine?" Blaine said as he waved the arrangement in front of him. "These are literally basic harmonies, which any begin theory student could come up with! No wonder your students are having problems remembering mine. I'm pretty sure Rachel's daily warm-ups, are more complex than this piece of garbage!" Due to how angry he was, every eye in the room was on him.
"Blaine, I'm…"
"Don't waste your breath, as I wouldn't believe a damn word out of your mouth! The only reason I invited the New Directions is because people that I love, were brought into my life because of them!" Blaine exclaimed as Sam made his way across the room towards him. "Those people, who are all here, are the only reason I don't view my time at McKinley as one of the biggest mistakes of my life!" As the last of those words came out, Sam placed his hand on Blaine's shoulder, causing him to snap his head towards him, which made Sam remove his hand.
"You know what, I don't need to take this." Will replied. "New Directions, we're leaving!" When they went to object, Will told them once more they were leaving.
Once they were gone, the Warblers all stood quietly on the risers, shocked by what had happened. "You do realize, they might not show tomorrow, right?" Sam said as he looked around for Sebastian, surprised he didn't return upon hearing Blaine yell.
"I do."
"So what do you want us to do, we're willing to do whatever you may need us to." As he spoke, he noticed Blaine looking around. "Sebastian's outside, as are Wes and Santana."
"Would someone mind getting them, we have work to do." Blaine said relatively calmly. Once he did, Brittany went to go get them, leaving Blaine before Sam."
"Blaine, what's the plan?"
"We have work to do."
"I know, but…"
"While I appreciate everyone's offer to help, just focus on what you were given."
"But…"
"If I've picked up anything from Sebastian over the years, it's always to have a back-up plan." Blaine told him.
"So, you're not worried?"
"No. Just let me make a call before we resume."
"Are you sure, I mean you just lost…"
"He's positive." Sebastian said as he came up behind them, wrapping his arms around Blaine as he did. "If my B says not to worry, don't worry, particularly when it comes to his music." He then pressed a kiss to Blaine's cheek. "He's got this." Sam nodded before walking away, giving the two a minute before rehearsal resumed. "You know you're playing with fire B."
"I know, but he gave me no choice. And who better to turn to, than someone who understands what it feels like to have their talent dismissed by one Will Schuester."
