Mike Chang: Human Dancer
Mike Chang knew what was important in his family.
His grandmother believed in luck. She was a first generation Chinese immigrant, and although she had come over as a girl, she still spoke with an accent. His grandmother insisted they celebrate all the holidays properly, eating foods that would bring good luck. When he or his sister, Nelly, got sick, his grandmother would try to cleanse the bad luck from the house. And, there was no way to grow up in his family and not her the infamous story about how hard his grandparents had tried to buy his Uncle Joe a suit, only to have Joe reject the offer repeatedly. Mike suspects that if his father hadn't taken Joe aside to explain the tradition, there might have been a riot at the wedding as his grandparents tried to rip off the groom's suit and replace it with one of their own.
Mike's mother believes in hard work. She pulled herself up by her bootstraps and her own smart. She won a scholarship to Smith and seems to have expectations that her daughter and son will follow in her footsteps. Nelly has already disappointed, choosing to attend Ohio State to study social work. Mike knows the college decision is looming, and he isn't sure how to tell his mother that he would rather go study dance than go to a traditional four year school. He is putting the conversation off as long as possible, his avoidance aided by his mother's eighty hour a week work schedule.
Nelly claims that she doesn't believe in anything. She is twenty, and jaded. She has studied philosophy. Nietzsche is right, God is dead. Mike has given on luck. Some people are lucky, some people aren't. He knows that hard work won't get him anywhere. And, he isn't sure what to say to Nelly, other than that philosophy might be less confusing in the original German. (Mike has only just made it through his requisite three years of Spanish with Mr. Schue, and English, of course). No, Mike's beliefs are closer to home. Mike believes in his body. He believes in the way his arms and legs react instinctively to music, and the way he dances. He's hyper aware, and yet at the same time, he's completely in the zone. Mike can't describe the feeling, but he knows that dancing feels the same way that holding Tina Cohen-Chang makes him feel: invincible. So, Mike believes in himself and in his dancing. A/N: Mike Chang was very hard to nail. Its so much harder when the character doesn't talk. The title of this chapter comes from a Killer song, "Human". If you want another fic related to this song, I recommend "Human" by xLokiFoxx.