Here is chapter 3. Hope you enjoy it...
Now in the teacher's lounge, Finn and Will are silently discussing the upcoming Tina week.
"So Mr Shue, what is the game plan, are we going to do Tina's entire career?" Finn asks
Emma and Coach Beiste walk in during their conversation and sit down next to the men.
"Hi honey." Emma speaks softly. Will smiles back at his wife and they share a kiss.
"Hey Will, Finn." Shannon replies gruffly. Both women start to un pack their lunches. Emma elegantly opens up her tin lunch box and unwraps her sandwich out of the tightly enveloped saran wrap, while Shannon just plops down her sealed up whole chicken. After a few moments they start to eat
"So, what are your kids harmonizing this week Will?" Shannon muffles out, pieces of chicken fly out of her mouth, stressing out Emma, whose OCDs are flaring up.
"We're doing the music of Tina Turner this week." Will chuckles at Shannon's messiness.
Emma and Shannon's eyes light up.
"Oh my God, I love Tina!" They both said simultaneously. Will and Finn's eyes pop out with surprise at the two women's' excitement
"I've been waiting for you guys to dedicate a week to Tina since you did Proud Mary in wheelchairs!" Emma speaks in a higher pitch, hardly containing herself. Shannon looks to Emma, being mindful of the food in her mouth. "They did Proud Mary….in wheelchairs?"
Will nods at Shannon, fondly remembering that memory. Finn fills Shannon in on that moment in glee history. "That was before you came along, Coach. When the New Directions couldn't afford to get the special bus for Artie, Mr Shue decided to persuade us to go through with a bake sale to raise the money for it, and to help us understand Artie's struggle; he had us in wheelchairs for an entire week."
Will and Finn exchange a look before Finn continues. "It help us really connect with each other, made us really start to become a family. Plus that was a kick ass number, but it was wasn't easy."
Shannon chimes in. "Probably lukewarm to when Tina does it on stage. I saw her once in '93, during the release of 'What's Love Got To Do With It', the movie made about her life…" She inhales another mouthful of chicken before continuing, "When she did Proud Mary, she was like a raging hurricane, tearing the roof of a mobile home before sucking it up all together."
The entire table looks at Beiste totally bewildered at her analogy. "But more than that.." Shannon picks up where she left off, "You could tell she gave her heart into that concert, that she wanted to give the audience a memorable show. I only rediscovered her music after I left Cooter and moved in with my sister, and after learning what she went through, she became my SHERO!"
They all look on smiling at Shannon's Tina story, remembering all too well about her abusive relationship. Emma timidly grabs Shannon's hand, that is before taking out a baby wipe from her purse and wiping her hand off.
"That's great Shannon. That's what Tina does for everyone, she inspires others." They exchange a look. Emma then turns to face Will. "So honey, what inspired you and Finn to do Tina week?"
"Actually Emma, Blaine sang a Tina song in class today." Will starts out before Finn takes over
"Private Dancer. And he began to talk about how he was a Tina fan and how she inspires him."
As the adults talk amongst themselves about their days, Finn couldn't help but think about Blaine. He seemed different lately. He should still be angry at him for cheating on his little brother, but he's no longer angry. It took some time, but Finn forgave Blaine for cheating on his brother, after they talked, and he guessed he could understand Blaine.
He was lonely, most of the New Directions hadn't fully accepted him in the groups of misfits. Kurt was gone, was barely talking to him after getting his internship at Vogue. Of course he felt left out. Besides, Burt forgave Blaine a little sooner than Kurt did, so he could also. He could tell he still missed Kurt. He saw how Blaine started throwing himself in all those extracurricular activities to distract himself, to fill the void. But it couldn't have just been about Kurt, he thought.
Could Blaine be missing the Warblers? Probably not, after the whole slushie incident that Sebastian orchestrated, Blaine has kept the Warblers at a safe distance. Could he be missing the former New Directions? He knows Sam and Artie miss Mercedes, and Blaine misses Kurt, and he misses Rachel and Puck, even Santana. Maybe if they visited, that might cheer Blaine up, and help the New Directions in their quest to win Nationals again. Damn, I'm good, Finn thinks to himself.
But before he could suggest the idea to Mr Shue- "Why hello Butt-chin, mini- Shue, Ginger doe Beauty and the Beiste." Damn it, hand to Sue to ruin the atmosphere. She's been angry at Finn ever since he, Sam and Blaine found out about the Warblers' cheating which resulted in the reentry of the New Directions in the school show choir competition. And in true Sue-like fashion, she holds a grudge with a vengeance.
Sue was beyond pissed, she knew it was too easy for the New Directions to lose everything after Sectionals. But why can't anything go her way, she thought to herself. Now Shue and that stupid glee club is victorious once again, just like that? And all because of that dopey imposter of a teacher, Finn Hudson and his idiot friends. Now they are going to ruin the music of another artist, and put the rest of the school through another painful week of having to listen to their mediocre attempts of replicating that artist's greatest hits? Not on her watch.
"What do you want Sue?" Will reluctantly asks his rival and sometimes friend.
"Well Wilma, my ex-Secret Service spy has given me important information, that your rainbow tribe of a glee club is going to be screeching to the top of their lungs, the chart topping hits of one Tina-Eat-The-Cake-Anna Mae- Turner.."
Everyone shares a shocked expression as Sue continued, "Whose career was made by first marrying a womanizing pistol whipping guitar player, becoming a punching bag for Mr Balboa, running away, only to cry abuse in the form of song for sympathy; to resurrect the already dead career of a 40 plus year old woman who couldn't accept her decaying age by wearing mini skirts and hair that was struck by lightning, while singing the classic song "Who needs a heart, when your face can be broken? And I am telling you now, this will not stand."
"You know what Sue, you have no right to say those things. Tina Turner is a inspiration to millions and made a career not by sympathy, but by her talent and determination…" Finn stood up to proclaim.
Emma backs him up, "She's not as provactive or flashy as Madonna or Miley Cyrus, she didn't have to 'sell sex' or be sexual in order to be sexy like most artists today "
Shannon chimes in, "She is a testimony to women everywhere that no matter your age, race or circumstance, you can still make your dreams come true. Will's kids could learn a lot from the example that Tina gave."
And Will ends the savage clapback with the response, "That is why we are doing Tina week."
The cheerleading coach stands there fuming in anger and frustration. "Well, while you are giving a music history lesson to your kids who 90 percent won't even bother to listen to, and will at the end of the week half-ass a performance like you did at Sectionals, be sure to add this to your retelling of the Tina Turner story. The song she is most known for, was originally offered to…yours truly." Sue gesturers to herself.
Finn flops back down in his seat as everyone else rolls their eyes at Sue's upcoming tall tale.
Sue dives into her story, "It was spring 1984, a young and vibrant Terry Britten was eager to give what was sure to be a Grammy winning hit to the only skillful singer who had not only the talent and sex appeal, but the heart and emotion, one Sue Slyvester.
FLASHBACK: (1984) Sue is in the recording studio recording the song, "What's Love Got To Do With It". She is wearing a jean jacket with a leather skirt and big spikey hair that is about to break the headphones apart.
What's love got to do,
Got to do with it?
What's love, but a second-hand emotion
What's love got to do,
Got to do with it?
Who needs a heart,
when a heart can be broken?
The duo writers of the song Terry Britten and Graham Lyle are sitting at the soundboard in the studio along with Sue's manager. And they are not pleased. Sue was the wrong choice. Unbeknownst to her, she was completely missing the heart of the song.
"She can sing, but she has no heart, no soul for the song.", Terry says to Graham.
"Guess we're back at square one." Graham reluctantly agrees with his writing partner.
"But who can we get on such short notice?" Terry quieres to Graham.
Then, it his Graham like a lightning bolt, "What about Tina Turner, her management has been looking for new fresh songs for an album they are making, supposed to put her back on the charts?"
Terry's eyes bugged out. "Are you serious, don't you remember, we've tried reaching out to Tina and she turned us down, said the song was too wimpy." He reminds him.
Graham recorrects him, "She turned down the original arrangement. You know Tina is a rock chick, why not schedule a meeting with her, bring your trusty guitar and wow her with the song, not the techno?"
Terry ponders the idea as Sue finishes the final notes to the song. The writers made a telepathic decision, Sue Slyvester has got to go.
END OF FLASHBACK: Sue stands sulking. "That woman's solo career is because of me and she never thanked me for it. And I will be damned to have that rubbed in my face again by your sex crazed monsters you call students William."
"You know Sue, just because Tina looks better in her 70s than you do in your 50s, shouldn't give you a reason to hate her." Finn jokes at her expense
Sue gets in his face and whispers to him, "Mark my words Finn Hudson, Tina week will not happen."
Shannon butts in, "And what exactly are you going to do about it Sue?" As everyone faces Sue, she draws a blank, damn that "Facts of Life" marathon last night.
"I'm…not sure. But I will get back to you on that." Embarrassed, she storms out.
Finn redirects the table to the conversation and turns to Will, "Hey Mr Shue, maybe we could bring back some of the original New Directions for this assignment. You know, help the kids channel their…inner Tina?"
Will smiles at his student now protege, "That's a great idea Finn, if everyone is free and willing to come out to do it, then by all means, go for it!"
They high five each other. Tina week was going to be, as the singer herself would say….simply the best.
Poor Sue, she really didn't think this one through. Hopefully she will stay out of trouble. Stay tuned for Blaine and Marley's duet of the first song Tina Turner recorded...
