Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable except Izzy and the story.
"You WHAT?"
I flinched at Sue's harsh tone, shrinking down in my seat. I'd just told her about yesterday, more importantly, my "audition" for Glee Club. I hadn't had a chance to tell her that I thinking about not going back before she'd snapped. She probably felt like it was a betrayal, and I could understand that, but it's not like I did it intentionally. I wasn't even planning on even going back!
"You're really going join that. . . . that colossal waste of time?" Sue said incredulously, glaring at me. If looks could kill, I'd be dead ten times over. But my stubborn streak reared, and I wanted to leap to the defense of something my friends enjoyed.
"I don't know, maybe. Probably not. But if I did, it wouldn't be a waste of time because it'd be something I enjoyed," I said firmly, crossing my arms. Even as I said it, I knew deep down I would never join Glee Club. Sure, it'd be nice to hang out with Marcie, Lily, and Mike, but the other kids hated me way too much for me to properly enjoy it. Plus there was my whole anxiety about being on stage. I would never be able to do any of the competitions, not without having a panic attack so bad I'd pass out on stage.
Sue fell silent, eying me with an unknown look on her face. After a few moments of silence, she finally said, "I could use that to my advantage." I frowned. I knew what Sue was thinking, and there was just no way I was going to do it. No. Freaking. Way. I was instantly on my feet.
"No, Sue. I will not be your pawn in your vendetta against the Glee Club," I said sternly. "I won't stop you, because there's nothing I can do to do that, but I'm sure as hell not gonna help you! Those kids hate me, they'd think I was a spy if I joined Glee Club, even if I wasn't. The main reason I won't do it though is I have friends in Glee Club. I can handle the other kids hating me. That's fine. But I'm NOT going to do anything to give my own friends in this hell-hole reason to hate me!"
For the first time in probably a very, very long time, Sue Sylvester was stunned speechless. And who could blame her, really? I was quiet. Even when I got mad, I was more likely to shut up and go stew in another room somewhere than anything. I'd never raised my voice to anyone before. I was actually a little shocked at myself, to be honest.
"Okay," Sue said, surprisingly quiet. "If you do decide to join Glee Club, I won't have you be my spy. I'll let you be." With my demands met, my anger receded a lot, but I didn't sit back down. I needed a little time to myself to cool off the rest of the way. Plus, the bell would be ringing in about ten minutes.
Picking up my backpack, I turned to Sue and said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Later, Sue." I even made sure to give her a hug so she'd know I'd forgiven her. With that, I was out the door and headed towards the library. I only made it about halfway though when Rachel Berry—one of the few Glee kids whose name I actually knew—suddenly appeared in front of me. I nearly ran into her she'd appeared so quickly. And she did not look happy.
"What are you plotting?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes at me accusingly, crossing her arms over her chest. When I simply stared at her blankly, she continued, "Oh don't play dumb with me. I saw you talking with Sue." Again, another blank stare. She seemed annoyed by that. "Oh, come on! You're friends with Sue, and you suddenly decide to 'join' Glee Club? What are you two plotting against us?"
I went from staring at her blankly to looking at her like she'd lost her ever-loving mind. Which she obviously had. "Whoa, hold up. I am not plotting anything against you. Sue is, undoubtedly, but I am not. I have no intention of helping Sue bring you guys down. Also, I don't want to join Glee Club." I ignored her snort of incredulity and continued. "I have no interest in Glee Club. I don't like participating in competitions. The only reason I went to that one was because Marcie and Lily talked me into going."
"A likely story," she spat, to which I rolled my eyes. I didn't have the patience for her right now. Not after Sue and I just had a fight.
"Look," I said firmly, trying to keep a lid on my temper, "I don't care whether you listen or not. I am not plotting anything against the Glee Club. I couldn't care less about the Glee Club. Glee Club is not my thing, but I respect what you guys do. Now please, move out of my way."
"If I catch even the slightest whiff that you're plotting something against us, I promise you, I will show this whole school just what a piece of scum you are," she hissed threateningly, pointing an accusing finger in my face.
Now, I'm not proud of what I did next. I'm 100% anti-violence (except in movies of course), and I will even run away as fast as I can if a fight starts to turn physical. But she just hit the right nerve at the right time. I'm only thankful that there weren't any kids around to see it.
I slapped her across her stupid little face and stepped around her and stormed off towards the library while she was still too stunned to react.
I'd been hoping that once I got home after school my bad mood would have lifted, but no such luck. Not even my favorite horror movies could cheer me up. If it had just been my fight with Rachel, I'd be fine. But after leaving her for the library, I'd spotted Mike and Tina off in the corner arguing quietly. Not that big of a deal, right? Wrong. When Mike and I did talk about him and Tina, he always had good things to say. They had always seemed to happy. Mike had even bragged that they'd never even had a single fight!
So I saw that, and instantly was worried. Unfortunately I couldn't approach him once she'd stormed off, because we weren't supposed to be friends at school. So I'd gone through the rest of the day stressing over it, wondering and worrying if he was okay. I'd even hung back in Art for a little bit after school, in hopes that he'd be stopping by to work on a project or something. No such luck. I'd ended up riding home dejected and worried even more.
As soon as I'd gotten home, I'd said a quick hello to my parents before rushing up to my room. Once the door was shut, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Mike's number, throwing myself on my bed. Pick up, pick up, pick up, I mentally begged as I heard the ringing on the other end. It rang, and rang, and rang. . . . And then went to voicemail. I huffed and hung up, throwing my phone in frustration.
Thinking quickly, I grabbed my laptop and started it up, it's usual five-second-long start up seeming to last an eternity in my worried impatience. Once the WiFi connected, I opened up my IM program, hoping to see Mike on my Friends Online list. He wasn't. Nor even Marcie or Lily were, which didn't help my mood. Now I had no one to vent to, except for Sven, who was snoring loudly in his doggie bed over by my desk. I could go to my parents, but they'd just tell me not to worry about it, which is not what I needed or wanted to hear right now.
I looked up from my thoughts when I heard my door open and saw my mom peeking in my room. "Sweetie, there's someone here to see you," she said. I could hear her laugh as I bolted out of my room past her, rushing down the stairs, being mindful not to trip. I spotted Mike over by the door, and nearly knocked him over with the force of my hug as I launched myself into his arms. I cannot begin to tell you the immense relief I felt when I saw him. He laughed as I dragged him up the stairs to my room, though I had to resist the urge to growl like a dog at my mom when she told us to keep the door open.
"So. . . . I saw you and Tina arguing earlier," I said as I plopped on the bed, my impatience and curiosity getting the better of me, I'm sad to say. "Is everything okay between you two? I mean, what was the argument about?"
Mike blinked at me and chuckled when my queries registered, waving off my worry. "Everything's fine. It was just over something stupid. There's nothing to be worried about, I promise," he said with a nod and a smile. I could tell there was something he wasn't telling me, but I didn't want to push it. I fidgeted, trying to think of something to change the subject to, though Mike beat me to it.
"What were you watching?" he asked me curiously, motioning to my TV where I had one of my horror movies on pause after getting fed up that it hadn't been improving my mood like it should have.
"Psycho Ward," I said with a shrug, proceeding to tell him what it was about. He perked up and asked me to play it. I chuckled and started it over from the beginning, pressing play. As the movie started playing, we both got comfy on my bed, me up by the pillows and Mike at the foot of my bed. We happily watched it, even managing to get in another movie before my mom came up around six and asked Mike if he was going to stay for dinner.
Mike declined, saying he was going to have dinner at his house, and departed after giving me a hug good-bye. I sat back to finish the rest of the movie before checking my computer again. I found IMs from Marcie and Lily in our group chat. I said hello, and soon our topic of conversation turned to what happened today. I told them about Mike and how we spent our afternoon, and then made the mistake of mentioning how bad a mood I'd been in thanks to Sue and Rachel. Not because I thought they'd get pissed off at Sue or want to get revenge at Rachel. No, it was a mistake because of what they did next.
To be honest, as I related the tale of my fight with Sue and the confrontation with Rachel, I could feel my temper start to rise at the memory off it. I got pissed off all over again. And I told them so, another mistake.
Lily and Marcie began saying that I should join Glee Club just to spite them all. I was resistant at first, but with each reply, they seemed more and more convincing. Finally, when I was all gun-ho for the idea, I told them I would. I'd join Glee Club just to spite them, and rub it in their faces. What I'd rub in their faces, I don't know. We were too riled up to make sense.
With me finally in agreement, they told me that they'd hold me to my word, and I knew they would. I, regretfully, promised them that I would not go back on my word, that I would join Glee Club whether the other kids liked it or not. Biggest. Mistake. Of. My. Life.
I swear to God, I will never let those two take advantage of me when I'm angry or over-emotional ever again.
