Chapter Twenty
A/N: I own nothing! The songs for this are Heartbreaker by P!nk, I'm Still Here from Treasure Planet and Our Time Now by the Plain White T's. I still own nothing.
It was here. All those months of preparation and tears was finally at the peak of success. Nationals.
"You ready Ted?" Mike asked. A few weeks prior, they had chosen the set list and practiced until their voices were raw. Then they switched to practicing the dances.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Teddy asked as he straightened his tie. He didn't know what their position was, he was nervous as hell and Rachel was blathering on about how he would owe her ten bucks.
"Well, you've been strangling your tie," Sam pointed out and Teddy let go of the fabric. It looked winkled and almost as if it'd been force fed to a machine.
"Okay, so maybe I'm a little nervous," Teddy grumbled. He'd done a lot over the past few weeks. He asked Harry to talk to the head of NYADA for Rachel, he prevented Finn from being an idiot, he….
"Okay everyone!" Mr. Schue motioned them to gather round. "Now, the moment is here. Let's ignore the fact that we're going up against the Warblers and give it our all."
"What's our position?" Kurt asked.
"We're going first," Mr. Schue told them and Teddy raised an eyebrow as everyone groaned. "Oh, and John? The piano somehow self-combusted. You need to choose another song in five minutes."
Teddy looked like he was ready to pass out. He was all prepared to sing something lovely for Victorie and win them that trophy. Now he had to come up with something?
Santana started humming something, something only Teddy could hear. It had a good melody to it.
"Don't worry Mr. Schue," Teddy smirked. "I won't let you down."
00000
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the New Directions!"
Rachel was standing on stage, alone. Her red and black dress looked nice on her, as her hair swooped down her back.
Rachel: I keep thinkin' bout that little sparkle in your eye
Is it a light from the angels, or your devil deep inside?
What about the way you say you love me all the time
Are you liftin' me up to heaven, just to drop me down the line?
There's a ring around my finger,
But will you change your mind?
And you tell me that I'm beautiful,
But that could be a lie.
Are you a heartbreaker?
Maybe you want me for the ride
What if I'm fallin' for a heartbreaker?
And everything is just a lie
I won't be leavin' here alive
I won't be leavin' here alive, no.
Santana stepped towards the center of the stage and stood next to Rachel. They had sung a duet together during Glee, and the group agreed that a 'Pezberry' duet would be better than a Finchel duet. Teddy had pretended he knew what those were.
Santana: Temporary happiness is like waiting for the knife
Cause I'm always watchin' for someone to show their darker side
So maybe I'll sit back and just enjoy all this for now
Watch it all play out, see if you really stick around
But there's always this one question
That keeps me up at night
Are you my greatest love
Or disappointment in my life?
Are you a heartbreaker?
Maybe you want me for the ride
What if I'm fallin' for a heartbreaker?
And everything is just a lie
I won't be leavin' here alive
I might as well lay down and die
Rachel: I'm holding on with both hands and both feet, oh
Promise that you won't pull the rug out from under me
Both: Are you a heartbreaker?
Maybe you want me for the ride
I pray to god you're not a heartbreaker
This time around I won't survive
Cause if I'm fallin' for a heartbreaker
And everything is just a lie
I won't be leavin' here alive
I might as well lay down and die, oh
I won't be leavin' here alive
As the applause cleared, Teddy stepped up to the center of the stage and the two girls fell back. His heart was racing, due to the fact that he could see Lily and Al in the audience and knew that where they were, Harry and Ginny weren't far behind.
I am a question to the world,
Not an answer to be heard.
All a moment that's held in your arms.
And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway…
You don't know me,
And I'll never be what you want me to be.
And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man...
You can take me and throw me away.
And how can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own.
They don't know me 'cause I'm not here.
And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can the world want me to change,
They're the ones that stay the same.
The don't know me,
'Cause I'm not here.
And you see the things they never see
All you wanted, I could be
Now you know me, and I'm not afraid
And I wanna tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am
And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can the world want me to change,
They're the ones that stay the same.
They can't see me,
But I'm still here.
They can't tell me who to be,
'Cause I'm not what they see.
And the world is still sleepin',
While I keep on dreamin' for me.
And their words are just whispers
And lies that I'll never believe.
And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can they say I never change
They're the ones that stay the same.
I'm the one now,
'Cause I'm still here.
I'm the one,
'Cause I'm still here.
I'm still here.
I'm still here.
I'm still here.
Just from his time at Glee, Teddy knew that his performance was not his shinning glory. He gave it his all though, and hoped that his all was enough. He stepped back and allowed Blaine the chance to close it down with a finish. All throughout the numbers, the choreography was brilliant. Brittney and Mike had come up with it on their own.
(ND): Oh oh oh oh oh
Blaine: There will be no rules tonight
If there were we'd break 'em
Nothing's gonna stop us now
Let's get down to it
Nervous hands and anxious smiles
I can feel you breathing
This is right where we belong
Turn up the music
(ND): Oh oh oh oh oh
Blaine: This is the dance for all the lovers
Takin' a chance for one another
Finally it's our time now
These are the times that we'll remember
Breaking the city's heart together
Finally it's our time now
It's our time now
This is more than just romance
It's an endless summer
I can feel the butterflies, leading me through it
Take my heart, I'll take your hand
As we're falling under
This is an addiction girl
Let's give in to it
(ND): Oh oh oh oh oh
This is the dance for all the lovers
Takin' a chance for one another
Finally it's our time now
These are the times that we'll remember
Breaking the city's heart together
Finally it's our time now
It's our time now
(ND) Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
(Kurt) Now
It's a dance
(Puck) Get up
Come on brothers
(ND) Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Blaine: This is the dance for all the lovers
Takin' a chance for one another
Finally it's our time now
These are the times that we'll remember
Breaking the city's heart together
Finally it's our time now
It's our time now
(It's our time now)
It's our time now
(It's our time now)
(ND) Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Finally it's our time now
It was over. They went to the greenroom, where Teddy realized with a smirk, Rachel would have to pay him and Finn ten bucks. Because he saw the head of NYADA in the audience.
00000
They hadn't paid attention to the Warblers but the feeling of dread struck Teddy all the same when it came down to the awards. Here it was. Did he help the team or hinder?
"And the winner of the 2012 National Show Choir competition is….."
JUST GET ON WITH IT!
"THE NEW DIRECTIONS FROM LIMA OHIO!" the announcer person shouted and everyone in the group just started cheering. Santana was hugging him, it was that weird. But the best moment of all was when Lily ran up to him, with a big smile on her face and pigtails smacking her cheeks, and gave him the biggest hug she could.
That meant more to him, than any competition could.
000
The next few days were hectic, but in a good way. People Teddy didn't even know were congratulating him. Finn and Rachel were making out in the hallways of McKinley.
"Eww," Teddy grumbled as he saw that display. Why didn't he feel the elation that everyone else felt? Was it because he saw the writing on the wall? That once the graduation caps landed on the floor, he'd have to go back and face his demons?