Author note: This is one of the chapters I'm very happy with. Mike loses his cool, after the team quits. I hope you like this chapter also, please tell me what you think about the chapter. Thank you for reading.
Call Tina
When coach Beiste heard about the confrontation between the football- and hockey-team she actually rushed to the locker room, hoping she would reach it in time to be able to do some damage control. Because she knew she would need to do damage control, these guys were so insecure about themselves. They didn't know who they were, they just wanted to survive and they did it by putting on a tough exterior, but most were not at all as strong as they appeared. That knowledge was part of the reasons that Shannon Beiste liked what Will did, he taught his Glee Club so much by their singing and slowly but surely the Glee kids were starting to realise that reputation was not that important. They were starting to feel secure in themselves, realising they were not losers just different and that was okay. Shannon had loved the song 'Loser like me' very much.
Shannon Beiste had hoped that the football team would learn some of those lessons and maybe there was a very small beginning with the song they had done together. But that was so fragile and easily torn away. And being put down by the hockey team could do just that. When she reached the showers she realised it had done just that. The way they were talking...yes Artie's comment was dumb, but Shannon could understand his frustration. And Karofsky's reaction illustrated exactly what she had been thinking: the slightest hint that he wouldn't be popular and they put up their mask blaming someone else. Ah...yes, Mike had been right: all the blame went to the Glee Club.
Coach Beiste interjected, hoping against hope that her comment would stop this train wreck. "Covered in ice and red dye nr. 7 you look more like a team then you have ever done out on that field." But they didn't care about being a team, they only cared about themselves and their popularity, she could see it in their eyes. She saw the defeated look, the determination and the nods just before Karofsky pulled the plug: "Well good luck with that." From the corner of her eye coach Beiste saw her disappointment and disbelief reflected in Mike Changs' eyes.
When all the guys, except Mike, Finn, Puck, Sam and Artie, had left Shannon turned to the deflated boys. "What do we do now, coach?" Finn asked. She could hear his hope in his voice. Hope that she as the teacher and coach could fix this easily. But the truth was: she didn't have any idea about how this could be fixed. She sighed: "I don't know Finn." The look in their eyes hurt her, she had grown to like all the boys in her team and to let them down like this was really hard. Coach Beiste straightened her back: "Get cleaned up and go home. Football practice is cancelled." She looked on as the five guys turned o continue their wash. But she saw the darkening in Mike's eyes, before he turned away.
Sitting in her small office Shannon buried her head in her hands. They were so close...had been so close. From her office she had a clear view over the locker room and in the past it had been a real asset, because there had been fights, altercations and shouting matches enough. With the five guys left there were never problems so she didn't even glance at them. The first thing she did was print a sign-up sheet , then she called Will, from the racket around him she understood the girls from Glee club had heard what had happened and were discussing it amongst themselves, until Will had repeated her words, stunned: "The entire team quit? Except the Glee boys." After that the voices in the background stilled. Shannon could only imagine how the girls would look at Will and each other, processing the information and wondering what the consequences would be. Shannon had always admired the Glee club for their loyalty to each other, it may not be absolute, but they honestly wanted the best for their Glee friends. And because of that she knew the girls would feel the blow to the boys also. She heard Will say he would come by, and then heard the hard metallic sound of a locker being shut with a lot of force. Shocked coach Beiste looked out of her office and had, to her surprise, to conclude that it was the quiet Mike who had slammed his locker shut. Quickly breaking the conversation off, she stepped into the locker room, unnoticed by the guys who had been discussing the situation until Mike had slammed his locker shut.
"Mike!" Finn said, shocked, because everyone knew Mike was not one to slam things. He hardly ever lost his cool, so when he did people were likely to be shocked and pay attention.
"What!" Mike snapped, making all flinch. Mike continued putting his stuff back in his backpack not looking at the others and then continued to vent his frustration: "Don't they understand that what happens in High School isn't going to be of any importance in our future lives? High School is just a small, a very small period in our entire life. Don't they understand that there are much more important thing in live than your stupid reputation? What do they think? Do they honestly think being called loser or gay or any of those other names is going to kill them? Are they so afraid of what others will think about them that they are not even willing to try? Don't you see?!" Mike finally looked up and at the others: "They are throwing away all those hours of training because they are afraid. And to think they are willing to throw away the one thing that could mean something: this championship. How many tries do you think we are going to get at playing a championship? Not a lot. And they are willing to throw that away because they are afraid to be themselves, because others might not like them. And they have the audacity to claim the Glee kids are losers! I'm sorry, but if they can't find it in them to do the halftime show, they don't deserve to be on this team. They only care about themselves." With that, not waiting for a response, Mike turned to the door.
"Mike!" Sam called out, Mike turned around, "Your letterman." Sam pointed to the jack lying on the bench. Shannon saw the disdain and disappointment in Mike's face. With a flick of his wrist and a small shake of his head Mike turned and left, leaving the others standing in the locker room.
Shannon saw the remaining guys stand around the abandoned jersey on the bench, they looked lost, as if they had never realised someone could refuse the much prized and coveted letterman. "He took it hard." Sam said looking up seeing the coach.
"He plays in a team, he works hard and does his job in the team to the best of his ability and he expects the same from his teammates." Coach Beiste said, walking closer: "To find out that the team isn't as important to others is not easy."
"I've never seen him like this, he was always the quiet one, happy to dance." Finn said.
"We have to go find him, make sure he knows we care about the team like he does." Artie already moved to the door, but Beiste stopped him: "No, let him be for now, he's hurting."
"We can't let him go like that coach! Who knows what will happen." Finn protested.
"It's Mike we are talking about, he won't do anything stupid." Puck said, still looking at the jersey. Beiste agreed with him but also with Finn. Mike needed some time to calm down and get rid of the frustration and tension. "Call Tina." Beiste said. The boys remained silent for a moment, then Finn grabbed his phone and called Tina. "Tina can you come to the locker room? Just come in, we're decent." He snapped his phone shut and looked at Beiste. "Why Tina?"
"Really Finn?"
"No, I mean I know she is his girlfriend, but why can't one of us go and talk to him?" Finn amended. Coach Beiste sighed and then sat down on the bench, next to the deserted jersey: "I've seen Tina and Mike calm each other with a touch. Actually not unlike Rachel did with Puck during their performance. But that is beside the point. Tina and Mike understand each other very well. I think Tina can help him the best." Just as she finished Mister Schue walked in. "Hi, how is everybody?" he carefully asked, looking at each of the boys, reading the answers in their eyes. "That bad?" Coach Beiste looked up at Mr. Schue: "Yes it was a rather hard blow." Then Tina opened the door: "Everybody decent?"
"Yes Tina, come in." Artie said.
