Author note: the next chapter is up. I would love to read what you think of the story, so please review.
Into the arms of disaster
Surprisingly the rehearsal in the auditorium was okay. At least the rest of the football team participated and tried to make it look good. And despite some rumblings they all came to the lesson zombie make-up and let the Glee girls help them. All in all Mike felt this was a huge improvement on the first day of this experiment of Mr. Schue and coach Beiste. That is, until Mike saw Karofsky approach Finn. He could easily hear what was being said and it surprised him in a good way: Karofsky actually wanted to perform an extra song! Wow, they were making progress. Mike saw Finn's surprised face and felt proud of him when he didn't look like a fish out of the water and immediately consented to Karofsky's request. Because he had seen the exchange, Mike wasn't surprised when he got the message on his phone requesting the entire football team for an impromptu rehearsal.
That's how Mike found himself with the football team in the auditorium listening to Fill. Finn had already planned a song, one he had practiced and could sing with minimal practice. So they first tackled the choreography. Mike found he like being in charge of the choreography, planning the steps, finding the parts where it didn't work, finding solutions for those parts and seeing it all come together. Within a small amount of time the choreo was rehearsed, then Finn got Brad to help with the singing. Mike saw how the team was committed to doing it the best they could and finally he started to feel proud of being a part of this team.
The next day the team had one last practice session during lunch. Finn had already arranged for the remaining Glee girls and Mr. Schue and coach Beiste to meet them in the auditorium. Tina had attempted to get Mike to tell her what they were going to do, but Mike had, per agreement, remained silent. "Oh come on Mike, tell me." Tina practically begged, hanging on his arm. Mike simply smiled and looked down into her face. "No Tina it's a surprise, just wait and see." He then placed her hand on his arm. Today he was proud to wear his letterman, there had been more days then he dared count when he hadn't been proud to wear the letterman.
The fact that Quinn, Santana and Brittany had pulled out, had registered and he was sad that they had chosen the Cheerios, but to be honest: everybody had expected it. Coach Sylvester was not a teacher you crossed easily. So the Glee club had said their goodbyes. Finn had taken it harder than Mike had expected. That fact coupled with the clash between Sam and Finn should have told Mike this day had the potential to turn sour, but that celebrational feeling he had gotten yesterday was so overwhelming and welcome that Mike didn't want dark thoughts clouding over that feeling. So Mike dismissed that nervous feeling starting in the pit of his stomach.
They had nailed it! They had nailed the performance! The girls and the teachers had loved it and by the way the guys were celebrating, high fiving and smiling, Mike suspected they had enjoyed performing more than most would be willing to admit. The comment from coach Beiste that they were finally starting to look like a team made him glow with pride. The searing kiss Tina had given him directly after the performance made him glow with love for her. The way she had smiled when the other guys had called for him to com roam the halls, so indulgent and proud, was just wonderful. So the ever growing nervous feeling in his stomach was pushed away. "Go on and spend some time with them. I'll see you at the end of the day." Tina had said, all the time tweaking and straightening his letterman lovingly. Mike had given her a quick kiss and turned to his team, not knowing they were walking straight into the arms of disaster.
