Hi again! Life just keeps getting in the way of my writing and updates. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated.
The week leading up to Sectionals seems to go by in a blur for him. The New Directions seemed to have come together while he was in New York and although they needed more help with their dancing they were doing well, regardless of Sue's attempts of funkification. At least they were when he was still going to their rehearsals.
Now the day of Sectionals is here and he's sitting in the McKinley Auditorium next to the two idiots that are the judges along with him. He still has no idea how the Show Choir Committee decides to have these people as judges.
The first school performs and although their singing was okay he has no idea what was going on with the birds. He knows Vocal Adrenaline is going to perform next and flashes of his days in his show choir go through his mind. He looks around and sees Sue standing by looking smugly at Will. Rachel is sitting with Will and both Anderson-Hummel's and she flashes a small smile when she catches him staring at her.
"And now from Carmel High, it's the incomparable Vocal Adrenaline!" the MC announces.
That's the most that can be said about his former show choir. He had left them as four time National Champions, he had even brought them back to National level as coach but since then they have fallen from their once high pedestal.
The opening lyrics of "We Built This City" blast through the auditorium and he sees a smirk on Sue's face as she looks at him. She should know that pandering doesn't work on him. The choreography is less impressive than it used to be but it's good. The song comes to an end and the familiar bass notes of the song that has given him nightmares come on and he feels himself go cold.
Likewise at another part of the auditorium Rachel and Kurt have also frozen at the reminder of their first funkification to the tune of "Another One Bites the Dust".
"Hey are you two okay?" Blaine asks them.
"Our first year as a glee club, Vocal Adrenaline used this song to funkify us," Kurt explains in a numb tone. Blaine remembers the story that everyone had told him and remembers that Jesse was involved in that funkification. He sees Rachel looking over at Jesse.
"Are you okay Rachel?" Blaine asks.
"Yes, but I don't think he is," Rachel tells them. Kurt, Blaine, and Will look over to Jesse and see the remorse and pain that he is trying his best to hide. She knows exactly what's going through his mind, how much this performance is affecting him. It's taking everything she has to not go up to him and hold him, to let him know she's forgiven him for what he did and that it isn't held against him anymore. She feels a hand give hers a squeeze. She sees her former coach giving her an understanding smile.
"He'll be alright, Rachel. He knows you've moved past this," Will assures her.
She just hopes he's right.
As the song comes to an end Jesse is able to collect himself and recover in time to hear and watch Vocal Adrenaline perform "Hey Mickey". Soon he's waiting to see what the New Directions decided to perform. He is seriously surprised to see how modern Rachel and the other coaches decided to go with the first two songs and he can honestly say he enjoyed it more than the other two schools.
"That was horrible!"
"I disagree. That was not so bad," Rod challenges the other judge.
He still can't believe he's in this room judging with these two idiots.
"Why are you two even here? You hate show choir!" Jesse exclaims.
"I don't hate show choir," Rod defends.
"Well I do! I just can't believe I was roped into doing this again! But what are you even doing here? Aren't' you a bit biased?"
"I agree. If I recall you went to one of these schools and rumor has it you may be dating the director of another?" Rod points out.
"Yes to both of them and I did argue that with the Show Choir committee but apparently I was the best choice they had after the poodle that was supposed to judge passed away suddenly," Jesse explains.
"Look, I really don't' care. Let's just get this over with. All three schools were horrible anyway."
He's made up his mind since the performances ended and he watches as Rod and this woman argue it out, with Rod not making any sense at one point. In the end they all come up with the same conclusion and make their way to the stage to announce the results. However keeping in mind what the Show Choir committee asked him to do, Jesse receives the microphone and prepares to speak.
"Good evening everyone. I was asked to say a few words to the show choirs that are competing tonight seeing as I stood in their shoes not so long ago," he begins. "So I spent some time thinking about what to say, especially given the fact that I remember how much I hated these speeches and how I wanted to just get to the results," he admits, causing some of the audience to laugh. "But I think what I came up with is pretty good so…" he turns to face the contestants, "Remember this, all of it. The feeling, what's going on around you, the people around you. Enjoy these moments because being up here, singing with your friends, there's little that matches the feeling," he tells them. "Always give it your all but always keep in mind what's really most important in your life," this seems to catch Rachel's attention. "Because it's so easy to lose sight of it. You get so caught up with in the moment, with something that may not really be worth it and in the end you end up losing something infinitely," he says looking at Rachel and giving her a sad smile.
He's faintly aware of the applause he's receiving from the audience and the show choirs. His attention is on Rachel who seems to have understood that he had been talking about her. He feels Rod taking the microphone from him and preparing to announce the results. He slaps his show face on and waits to hear the announcement.
"The winner of this year's sectionals is… the New Directions!"
He claps, watching as the team begins celebrating. The pure joy on Rachel's face is worth going through the memories he did today and he can't help but smile along with them. He's not really sure what this result means for his New York plans with Rachel or what she decides to do in the end, but right now he's happy that he's witnessed another one of Rachel's dreams coming true.