Sorry the update took so long, I got caught up in the Olympics and I had imagination flow on Asian Mystery. But now I've updated ;)
Part 11
A few months went by and gradually Wesley started to forgive his friends in the Warblers, it took the longest to forgive the juniors, but slowly everything returned to normal. Well… as normal as it could because Alvaro… was now a friend of Wesley's. They could be found sitting together in the cafeteria, talking, they could be found anywhere on campus talking or playing sports. Otto and Nathan also joined into their tiny group that played sports outside. Alvaro even joined Wesley, Lucas and Jerry in their study group at the library. The librarian told them that they only needed a sophomore in the group and then it would be a complete set. Wesley started plotting on finding a sophomore to join their group… just for the heck of it.
Then it was time for sectionals and Wesley demanded they'd bring him so he could cheer them on from the audience. The Warblers couldn't say no, he was one of them after all so they all went to sectionals. The Warblers were going to face off with a group named the Sweetbanks and the Whirlwinds. The Sweetbanks did sugar sweet love songs and the Whirlwinds did classic rock and pop. Wesley sat among the boys in the green room, watching Philip pace back and forth. The boy was nearly green in the face, he was so nervous.
Philip Peters may be lead singer this year but last year he wasn't. He didn't get nervous performing at Dalton because he knew all boys there would be nice about it if something went wrong… here he would be laughed at. Something he feared. Philip was a junior and one of the juniors that didn't had to struggle as much to get back in Wesley's good graces. He had somewhat disagreed with Charles and Ethan.
Charles was still struggling to get back into Wesley's good graces but it was hard because he got angry looks from the other Warblers a lot and was starting to wondering of it was even worth it. Anyway back to competition. Wesley watched Philip pace and walked up to him.
"I'm gonna puke", Philip groaned.
"No you're not PP", Wesley said.
"I'm not doing what", Peter called from across the room, grinning.
"Not you PP", Wesley said grinning. "He PP." He pointed at Philip. It was an inside-thing for the Warblers. The juniors had two boys with the same initials and same names… only backwards and with s added to them. It was Philip Peters and Peter Phillips. Both boys went underneath the nickname PP outside of the Warblers and in them as well so it was hard to understand who others were talking about when they said PP. Philip put an arm around Wesley's shoulders.
"Thanks Wes but I don't feel too good here", he said.
"Why not", Wesley asked. "You've nailed it at every rehearsal and you got everyone here backing you up, thinking you can do it."
Philip looked around and saw everyone smiling at him. He smiled back and pulled Wesley into a hug. Wesley grinned and hugged him back.
"Group hug!" Nathan shouted and everyone hugged. The room was full of laughter and good spirits and all nerves seemed to die away. That's when the lights started flashing and the boys ended the hug.
"Okay boys", Jerry said and fixed his tie. "It's time to go. Wes you stay in your seat all the time okay?"
"Roger that Jerry", Wesley said and hurriedly left, after giving Philip one last hug.
Wesley sat in the front row in the audience looking up at the stage that was completely dark. Around him sat the Whirlwinds and they looked at the boy oddly. In their eyes there was some tiny kid in a uniform sitting in the rows reserved for other Glee Clubs. But they didn't have the heart to move him out of his seat. Wesley watched the dark stage and saw his friends move around the shadows. They stood on the steps in neat rows with one single person in the front, Philip. Suddenly the quiet stage wasn't quiet anymore as the boys started to sing: (Warblers, Philip, All)
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
The lights came on and Philip started singing.
I can't stop this feeling (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
Deep inside of me (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
Girl, you just don't realize (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
What you do to me (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
When you hold me (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
In your arms so tight (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
You let me know (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
Everything's all right (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
I'm hooked on a feeling
I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
Lips as sweet as candy
Its taste is on my mind
Girl, you got me thirsty
For another cup o' wine
Got a bug from you girl
But I don't need no cure
I'll just stay a victim
If I can for sure
All the good love
When we're all alone
Keep it up girl
Yeah, you turn me on
I'm hooked on a feeling
I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
All the good love (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
When we're all alone (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
Keep it up girl (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
Yeah, you turn me on (Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga)
I'm hooked on a feeling
And I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
I said I'm hooked on a feeling
And I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
I'm hooked on a feeling
The Whirlwinds now understood why the little kid was there, he was wearing the same uniforms as most guys on stage. The kid was grinning and clapping his hands and the Whirlwinds noticed the lead singer wink at him before they started their next song. It was Michael Jackson's Bad. They performed it fabulously and when they were done everyone was on their feet clapping. A BIG African-American guy walked up to the edge of the stage and held his hand out to the small kid. The kid grinned and grabbed the hand and was hoisted on stage as if he didn't weigh anything. The crowd cheered as the boys all took a bow, the little kid too and then they hurried off the stage.
"See, what did I tell you", Wesley said poking Philip in the side. "You did great. Why were you nervous?"
Philip only laughed and hugged him.
"I don't know about you boys", Austin said. "But I have a good feeling about this."
"Wow could you have been more wrong", Nathan told Austin when the group was leaving the theater where they had competed. Mark was forcing Wesley to ride on his shoulders, fearing the kid would disappear in the crowd otherwise.
"How could we end up last", Otto said. "It doesn't make sense!"
"It does", Justin said gruffly. "The judges were horny goats that only looked at the girls from the other choirs."
"Horny", Wesley asked from his perch.
"You're too young to know what that means", Jerry told him, patting his knee.
"But-"
"Like Jerry said", Mark said and looked up at him. "You're too young to know."
"But-"
"No."
"If-"
"Zip it."
"Can you just-"
"Not another word."
"Fine", Wesley huffed and crossed his arms and then smirked. "I can always check the internet."
The boys around him looked horrified and then Lucas and Jerry lunged into explaining that horny explained how a person felt when feeling desire to engage in sexual activities. Wesley nodded in understanding.
"You think those old geezers in the jury wanted to have sex with the girls in the other choirs", he asked and the boys around him stared at him and then some laughed, some looked embarrassed and some only shook their heads.
"Exactly", Jerry said and they headed on home.
Christmas came around rather fast after that and Wesley and the others noticed a change in Jerry. He became… moody and huffish. Anything you said to him made him blow up and get really, really angry. He snapped at anyone, even teachers and at times Wesley and the kid was having enough of it.
All the Warblers hurriedly left practice and they were happy to do so. Jerry had been snapping at them all and lectured them about doing bad work. Wesley was the only one left, waiting for the others to leave so that he could talk to the senior. Jerry sat behind the council table checking through the official minutes, complaining over Austin's notes. Wesley was sitting on one of the couches, watching him. He sneezed and Jerry looked up and glared at him.
"What are you doing here Wesley", he spat. "I don't have time to play with you."
"I'm not here to play", Wesley spat back. "I can stay here for as long as I want."
"Then stop wanting it and buzz off", Jerry snapped.
"No", Wesley said.
"I mean it Wesley. Get out."
"No. Not until you tell me what's wrong with you."
"There's nothing wrong with me Wesley."
"Oh so you're always this snappy with people?"
Jerry rose slowly and glared daggers at the child that glared back at him. Jerry didn't want to snap but he couldn't help it. His parents had called and told him he was to remain at Dalton during Christmas break… and New Year's. Jerry was sick and tired of his parents never caring about him, they only cared about their stupid jobs and it made him so angry… but since he couldn't take his anger out on them… he took it out on his friends instead. He growled and then snorted.
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you", he spat.
"Try me."
"No Wesley."
"Why? Are you scared that you'll be wrong?"
Jerry groaned in frustration… and anger.
"Don't you have homework to do or something?" he asked.
"No as you know I", Wesley began but trailed off. "Oh wait you wouldn't know because you haven't been there with Lucas, Alvaro and me for over a week!"
Jerry slammed his hand down on the table in fury.
"What do you want me to do Wesley?" he yelled.
"I want you to tell me what's going on!" Wes snapped.
"You want to k now what's going on? Fine I'll tell you what's going on! My fucking parents decided a business trip was far more important than their only son, their only child! So they are going to leave for the Holidays and force me to stay here at Dalton! No one stays at Dalton during Christmas! What kind of parents does that? What kind of fucking, bad parents leave their kids alone at Christmas?!"
"Really shitty ones", Wesley said. "But I understand your rage."
"No. You. Don't!"
"Oh and why not? Is it because I've never had a parent in the first place? Do you know how many family Christmases I've been allowed to take part of? I'll tell you how many. None, zilch, nothing, nietsky, nada! I was always forced to hide with the staff! They treated me well enough and it was okay celebrating with them! But I knew my 'family' was just outside that door celebrating together like families should… and the staff got to go there too! I had one hour with the staff and then no one! You complain about missing out on one Christmas. Try missing out on every single one!"
"I've not only missed out on one! This will be the third time Wesley!"
"Oh buhu", Wesley spat. "Get over it Jerry! I have and I'm younger than you! I'll probably spend all my Christmases alone! And what's so bad about celebrating at Dalton? I will be here, as will Newt and Logan from White Tiger and Vermilion Bird and Carmichael and some staff members."
"But that's not my family!" Jerry yelled.
"So what?" Wesley asked standing in front of Wesley now. "Celebrating with a few and having a good time is far better than celebrating with people that you know doesn't really care right?"
"But I want to celebrate with my family!"
"We all do but it's not possible now! All around the world there are people with much worse things happening to them and you complain about not being able to celebrate at home?"
"You just don't get it!"
"What's there to get! You're angry for being let down, fine but don't take it out on us here! Tell your parents instead!"
"They won't understand."
"Try them!"
"Why should I?!"
"Because you might get surprised that's why!"
"They won't understand! You don't understand!"
"What don't I understand?!"
"You don't understand parents' reactions because you're just a stupid little kid that no parents ever wanted in the first place Wesley!"
Jerry regretted those words as soon as he said them. He saw Wesley stare at him and he slapped his hands over his mouth.
"Cute", Wesley spat. "Very cute."
"I… I… I didn't mean it Wesley I-"
"Don't fucking call me Wesley!" Wesley yelled red in the face with fury. "My name is Wes!"
His fury gave way for shock… as did it for Jerry. Wesley had just called himself Wes! He never did that! He always introduced himself as Wesley and when others teased him and said things like:
"Aw is little Wessie tired?"
He would say:
"Wesley is not tired."
This was the first time he called himself Wes… ever! Wesley started to grin.
"Yeah", he said. "I'm Wes Montgomery, as close to an orphan as you can be without really being it. The boy that no parent wants or siblings care about. The kid that is not wanted and who will celebrate Christmas at Dalton with people that really matter and you know what… That's perfectly fine with me because Wes Montgomery knows what's important and what is not. And do you know what's not important?
The people that don't want to get to know me even though we're related. The people that shunned me. It's their loss because as I've been told… I'm funny and cute and interesting and amusing and all that jazz. And as someone told me as to why people stare at me, this someone said: 'You light up the dullness around them'. And I don't need those stupid jerks that treated me like trash because I got something better. Right here."
He pointed at Jerry. Jerry stared at him and started to smile he reached over the table and pulled Wes into a hug.
"I'm sorry kiddo", he said. "You're right. Come on, let's go get some dinner."
"Absolutely!" Wes said happily. "You have to apologize to the others after all. Especially Austin, his notes weren't that bad."
"Of course", Jerry said and they left together and Wes thought:
'Watch out world Wes Montgomery has awaken.'
Christmas at Dalton turned out to be quite the affair. A few days before Christmas Wes, Justine and Mitch went Christmas shopping. Wes got money each month from Carmichael, you know the money he tricked Wes' father to pay so that Carmichael could do just this. Anyway, they found gifts for the Warblers they had been assigned, they were doing a Secret-Santa and Wes had gotten the senior Richard. Who it turned out loved baseball nearly as much as the Warblers.
They also shopped for some clothes, Justine had taken it upon herself to dress Wes in suiting clothes… that were also stylish and she promised they would go out shopping for his room after the holidays.
When they got back it was time for the annual Christmas concert the school had where the Warblers, the school orchestra and drama club performed. After that the Warblers got together handing out gifts, hugs and good wishes before the others headed home, leaving only Jerry and Wes behind to celebrate at Dalton and what did they do then? Well that will have to wait for the next chapter.
TBC
Answer to non-members' (or not signed in members') reviews:
Lissi47 - You were right about all kids except for Karofsky, he wasn't there ;)
Paula - Wow samma dag som du kommenterar så uppdaterar jag ;)