The point of Jazz is, you do something and then you go on. - Van Morrison
It had been a week since Jazz had started a McKinley High, and she was having a wonderful time. In glee they'd been working on 'Things can only get better.' Finn was still having trouble with the vocals, but Jazz was getting it perfectly. Rachel had been throwing fits about not getting the lead, and had walked out of class once again when Mr. Shue gave the song Tonight to Tina. Classes were great, she kept up an A average in everything so far, even the classes she had with the juniors. And her father had called on Monday.
But the day she was dreading at come, the day she tried out for the football team. Cory and Finn (who Cory had told about the plan and who also agreed with it) had snuck her into the locker room once everyone had ran out to practice so she could get on her equipment without people realizing it was her. Their plan was for her to make the team with them knowing she was a girl, and then, once she had the respect, let them know who she was.
Taking a deep breath, she piled her long pony tail on top of her head, jammed her helmet on, and ran out to the field where Cory was waiting for her.
"Here's Charles now!" Cory said, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her towards the Coach. "He's a wonderful receiver, try him out."
"Finn! Puck!" Coach called, motioning for the boys with numbers 20 and 5 to come over. "Looks like we have another one trying out today, call a huddle." A whistle blew and the entire team ran over, Jazz started shaking slightly. "Take a knee."
Cory patted her shoulder and whispered, "Breath."
"Six games, we've had 15 dropped passes and 8 fumbles. Six games, our kicker Mr. Langenthal, is zero for twelve in field goal attempts. As most of you statistically minded people know… THAT SUCKS!" Coach yelled in a players face. "So Mr. Langenthal will thusly now be in charge of hydration services. We need a receiver who can… CATCH THE BALL! Charles will be trying out for this position." Coach motioned towards Jazz. "Likewise, the next player who can kick a ball between those uprights will get his job.
"Charles, you can go first." Coach said, throwing a ball to Finn. "Finn will throw them down the field, and Puckerman can guard you. Let's see if you can catch."
With a wink, Finn ran down to the other side of the field, while Jazz and Puck set up facing eachother. Jazz wouldn't meet his gaze, in case he saw who she was.
"Think you can beat me out?" Puck growled. Coach blew his whistle and Jazz shot up. Finn threw ball after ball as Jazz dodged around Puck, using her dancing moves and small frame to avoid his heavy body. She caught all the balls. On the last one Finn over threw it but Jazz ran at a charging Puck, stepped on his knee, throwing herself into the air backwards, and catching the ball. She landed hard on her back, but the ball remained in her grasp. The entire team went crazy and ran out to congratulate her.
"Well, you're on the team Charles." Coach said, shaking her hand. Puck was standing behind her, staring at her.
"I know that ass…" Puck started towards her, but she'd heard his comment and pulled off her helmet, letting her hair fall out. Everyone got quiet.
"He's a chick?" A big player asked stupidly.
"Girls don't play football." Puck said, eyeing Jazz. "They stand on the side in little skirts and cheer us on." His eyes flashed down to her waist again. Jazz clenched her jaw.
"Even if I'm not a guy, there are no rules against a girl on the team, and I'll help you win." She told them. Cory, Finn, and a few other boys shook their head in agreement.
"She's on the team." Coach said, everyone started yelling. "Hey, she's better than you, Puckerman." Puck glared and stalked away. All the other guys laughed and congratulated her.
"Now, do we have anyone who can kick?" Coach asked the team once everyone had settled down. Finn made a weird shaking move with his head and out of nowhere Kurt appeared. He wore an old-fashioned jazzercise outfit, complete with a blue head band. Jazz snorted. Kurt looked over at her with a surprised look. Jazz offered him an encouraging smile.
"Hi, I'm Kurt and I'll be auditioning for the role of kicker." Kurt side, a hand on his hip. Jazz had to lower her face so they couldn't see her laughing. Kurt could be so lost sometimes. A few players laughed outright, Jazz's smile turned to a scowl.
"I'm better than half of you, and I'm a girl. Bet he's just as good." Jazz said, standing up with a dark look. A few of them shrunk under her gaze. Coach shook his head.
Everyone set up for the kick, Jazz stood on the side with Cory waiting to see how Kurt would do. Finn walked out to hold the ball for him. Kurt carried a stereo with him, which he set on the ground, pressing play. There was a pause were Kurt went to set up, his hands in the air. Jazz knew what was coming.
Single ladies blasted through the speakers and Kurt was dancing. A few players on the side were bouncing to the beat; Jazz was going over the moves to the dance in her head. As he got closer to the ball, more players started to laugh. But when he kicked the ball in the middle of the routine, everyone shut up. It soared through the air and right through the goal posts. A few players dropped their helmets.
"GO KURT!" Jazz yelled, jumping up and down. Coach was walking out to him, and Jazz followed quickly.
"That was good? That was good, right?" Kurt was asking, staring at the ball.
"Yeah it was!" Jazz yelled, about to embrace him. But Coach pushed her out of the way and grabbed his shoulders.
"Can you do that with the game on the line and ten gorillas bearing down on you wanting nothing more than a taste of your sweet virgin blood?" Coach asked.
"Sounds like fun." Kurt shrugged. "Can I have my music?"
"If you kick like that, you can wear a tutu for all I care." He turned Kurt towards the team. "Gentlemen! We have found ourselves a kicker!"
Jazz and Finn high-fived.
Coach called practice for the day shortly after and as the boys went back to their locker room, Coach grabbed Jazz's shoulder, holding her back.
"This," He said, setting a large, black book in her hands. "Is the play book. Memorize pages 1 through 15 by practice tomorrow." Jazz was going to protest but Coach shot her a warning glance and walked away.
Once she was in the girls locker room, she threw down the book and pulled off her pads. With a deep breath, she started laughing uncontrollably for several minutes. Jazzebel Wendy Lentz was now a football player.
After regaining her composure she started to change. Just as she had slipped on her gym shorts and was about to pull her cut-off over her head, a door creaked open a she heard footsteps and 'shh.' Things got quiet again.
"Who's there?" Jazz asked, pulling the cut-off back over her head. She walked out to the hall in between the lockers and looked around. Still no sound. "Probably just some volleyball players." She turned her back and walked back into the alcove where he locker was.
Now, she was a little nervous. Jazz was a girl that got spooked easily because the of amount of horror films she watched. She started shoving stuff in her locker, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible.
Faint footsteps were now approaching her but she refused to turn around. When something touched her shoulder, she flipped. With her eyes closed, she spun around and threw her fist out as hard as she could. It hit flesh.
Her eyes opened and on the floor, holding his head, was one of her new team-mates. Three others and Puck stood boxed her in, looking stunned.
"Grab her!" Puck said, shaking himself out of his trance. As the rest of the boys tired to take hold of her, she fought back. Jazz landed a bunch more hits, got on of them in the jewels with her foot, and punched Puck right in the nose. Finally, the four accompanying Puck had recovered and each took a limb. Puck stood up, pinching his bleeding nose and standing over her. "Now that you're part of the team, you need the initiation."
The carried her into the shower where a chair was set up. Jazz eyes widened and she started screaming more. Puck pulled out ducktape by a bag near the chair and quickly placed a piece over her mouth. The set her on the chair and held her down as Puck went about securing her to the chair. Her feet was taped to different legs, her hands tied behind the chair and her waist secured to the back.
The boys began to leave, high-fiving eachother and grabbing the bag. Puck stayed behind and bent down eye-level to her. Jazz smirked under the tape. Puck had two black-eyes forming.
"Be thankful. We were going to shave your head." Puck told her. "But you're too hot for that." He reached over and turned on the shower, the freezing jets already soaking her to the bone. "I'll tell Cory you just went home with Finn." Jazz's eyes widened. Cory wondering where she was the only way she was going to get out of this. Puck looked down at her pink sports bra that showed through her white shirt and smirked, walking out. "Welcome to the team."
She was shivering uncontrollably now and her brain wasn't functioning right. Jazz would have to get out of this herself. Her eyes shut and she continued to try an breath through her nose that was filled with drops of water. Without thinking, she began to yell through the tape and tip the chair. Finally, it tipped over with a crash. She sighed and tried to get her arm out from under the wood.
A door opened and cautious footsteps entered her hearing. "Is anyone here?" She heard Finn's voice.
Jazz began yelling through the tape again and soon Finn came into view, his eyes wide. He immediately bent down and said, "Do you need help?"
Jazz shook her head impatiently and tried telling him through the tap what he should do. He looked dumbfounded. Eventually he pulled the tape from her mouth.
"Turn off the water!" Jazz yelled once her lips were free. Finn jumped up and turned off the water. Jazz smiled. Finn took to removing the rest of her tape.
"What happened?" Finn asked, as Jazz tried to warm up with the towel he had found her. She told him the story as she pack up her bag and they made their way to the parking lot. "We have hazing, but that's seriously too much." Finn looked over at her and gave her a warm smile. "I'll give you a ride home, since that's what Puck told your brother." Jazz graciously got into his car and let him drive her.
"Finn," Jazz said, as she got out as her house. "If you ever need help, or anything like that. I'll be here for you."
It was the day after she had made the team and people were giving her random high-fives in the hallway and congratulating her. She was smiling as she went to her locker for the lunch period. Puck was waiting there for her, smirking. She gave him a scowl.
"How was the water?" Puck asked as she threw open her locker. "How did you manage to get out of that one, anyways? I expected someone to find you there this morning."
"Finn helped me, actually." Puck narrowed his eyes. Jazz just noticed the two black rings around his eyes. "Oh, those look painful. How did you get those?"
"Listen here, ginger." Puck slammed his hand on the side of her head. "You embarrassed me pretty badly yesterday, but since you're part of the team now I can't do anything to you or coach would have my hid. I just thought I'd let you know, you're never going to get the ball, no matter what. That's my job, not some prancing little girls."
Jazz glared at him, "How are you so sure about that. I'm the better receiver." She challenged him.
"Finn's more concerned about his reputation than winning, so he'll listen to me." Puck said, slowly getting closer. Jazz's eyes started watering. "So now that we have that settled, welcome to the team. You have to sit with us at lunch now, see you then." Jazz slammed her locker and pushed him out of the way. She needed to find Cory or Finn.
Jazz found Finn first but he was comforting a crying Quinn, so she let them be. Cory was still in class, finishing a test. Jazz sighed and made her way randomly around the school. Somehow she found her way into the auditorium.
There was a piano on stage, but she didn't feel much like playing. She lay down in the middle of the floor, closing her eyes and just breathing.
She heard foot steps approaching her but kept her eyes closed.
"Jazz?" She heard Finn ask. "Are you awake? I need to talk to you about something."
"I need to talk to you about something too. Puck's threat…" Jazz sat up and looked at Finn. She immediately stopped talking. Finn was crying. She jumped up. "What happened Finn?"
He was rubbing his arms, almost as if he was cradling himself. As he started crying harder Jazz grabbed him and held him tight. It was an awkward position because Finn was so tall but neither of them seemed to mind.
"It's okay, everything will be alright." Jazz cooed. Finn stopped sobbing and stepped back, wiping his eyes.
"I feel so stupid…" He said, not looking at her.
"Don't be, cause you're not." Jazz said sharply.
"Quinn's pregnant." Jazz's mouth dropped but she recovered.
"Oh, Finn." She held him again as the tears came again. "It's alright." She could feel him shake his head yes. "Come here, lay down." She led him to the piano bench and sat down; making him lay across it, his head in her lap on the far end. "Music always helps." She began to play an old song by Gino Vannelli.
"Put the weight on my shoulders
Take the load off of your mind
Cause the headwinds that blow
Will fade away in time
Rest yourself on my waters
Take the lifeline from me
Rise above what has passed
And let yourself be free
I only know what love must bear
Through laden times I will be there
And when your down I'll break the fall
Loose the weight on my shoulders
It aint no weight at all
I only know what love must do
When fortune cries I'll follow you
And when your down I'll break your fall
Put the weight on my shoulders
It aint no weight at all
Put the weight on my shoulders
See you star how it shines
Cause they're so many dreams
Left to find
Put the weight on my shoulders ...
Put the weight on my shoulders...
Put the weight on my shoulders...
Put the weight on my shoulders...
Put the weight on my shoulders ..."
As Jazz sang, his sobbing slowly stopped and his eyes shut. When the song ended, he was smiling slightly. Jazz just sat their running a hand through his hair and still humming the song.
A door shut in the distance and Jazz turned her head. Standing there was Mr. Shue who was looking at them with an eyebrow raised. Finn sat up, turning his head away from their director. Jazz stood up and gathered up bag.
"Why don't you talk to Mr. Shue about this?" She suggested making for the door. "Call me tonight, Kay?"
And she left her teacher and a soon to be dad.
The next day at football, coach told her to come into the guys locker-room once she was dress. Jazz quickly slipped on her equipment and pulled her hair into a low ponytail. She pushed the door open slightly and heard Puck yelling.
"This is garbage, what does Beyonce have to do with football?" He slammed his locker as Jazz snuck in and stood on the side next to Kurt.
Mr. Shue, Finn, and Coach were standing at the front of the room.
"Why don't you ask Kurt and Jazz? They seem to be the only one who can score on this team. Even at practice. Jazz was dancing circles around you Puckerman." Finn said seriously. Jazz blushed, Kurt smirked.
"So we're taking coach advice from Lance Bass and a ballerina now?" Puck retorted, a few boys laughed. Jazz scowled, Kurt's face fell.
"Guys." Mr. Shue said, trying to get their attention. "Guys! Athletes are performers just like singers and dancers. Think about it. Jim Brown, Dick Buckiss…"
"O.J." Finn put in.
"O.J." Mr. Shue added, looking at him weird. Jazz smiled. "Right. All pretty tough guys. All had big careers as performers. Now I don't think you guys are losing because you don't have the talent. You're losing cause you don't have the right attitude."
"Oh, I get it. We have to think more look Amazonian black women." Puck said, rolling his eyes. Jazz almost turned around to say something to him, but Kurt grabbed her arm.
"Think about it." Mr. Shue said, ignoring the comment. "If you could sing and dance in front of people, everything else is easy."
"Coach," Puck said, opening his big mouth once again. "Please, step in here."
"I'm down with it." Coach said, putting his hands on his hips. "I mean, heck. What do we got to lose? We gave up our pride when we lost to the school for the deaf."
Kurt coughed. "Sunzo says in his 'art of war' never let the enemies know you. Our greatest weapon could be the element of surprise." Everyone remained quiet.
"Don't tell me you'd be on your heals if the other team started busting a move on the field." Jazz said, rolling her eyes. Kurt connected their pinkies and winked at her. Coach blew his whistle, which made everyone jump.
"Too much talking, not enough stretching!" Coach said loudly. "In the choir room in full pads in five. That's five minutes, let's go!"
Jazz and Kurt walked out, arms linked. Cory and Finn followed close behind.
"I can't believe I'm on the football team and we're dancing for a practice." Jazz said, making her way into the choir room. "I know the whole single ladies already."
"So do I, my dear." Kurt looked behind him as they entered the room. "This will was amazing." He took a seat on the choir, folding his legs and looking at everyone with an upturned nose.
"Jazz, will you help me teach them?" Mr. Shue asked, walking in with Coach and the rest of the team.
"Of course!" Jazz exclaimed, setting her helmet next to Kurt. First her and Kurt performed the portion they'd be learning.
Then Jazz set them up in lines and began teaching them. Very few people were picking it up, some, like Puck, took to just watching her.
Mr. Shue blew his whistle. "It's good guys, you're hips are still a little tight, okay? It's just like you're playing football. It's all about the lateral movement, you stay low." Kurt stepped into Mr. Shue's way. "Watch Kurt again."
Kurt motioned for Jazz and the two set up. "Alright boys, five, six, seven." And they went off doing it again, more players finally getting it as their peer's did it with them. Kurt was saying how to do it, and giving cool names to everything they did so people could remember. "Slap the butt."
Coach blew his whistle. "Okay that's enough for today gentlemen. We'll… work on it. Hit the showers."
Puck walked by her on the way out and whispered, "You sure can move those hips." Jazz scowled at his retreating back as he walked up to Finn.
The next day Jazz was walking down the hallway talking to Kurt about how they could get the team to get the dance when she saw Puck at the end of the hallway. He raised his hands in the air and called, "Call the Vatican; we've got ourselves another immaculate conception." But a small white arm pulled him into a side hallway before he could go on.
When she and Kurt passed the hallway, Quinn ran in front of her crying. Jazz said she'd be right back and ran after Quinn.
She caught up with her before she reached on the front steps where it was raining, grabbing her shoulder.
"What?" Quinn screeched. Jazz could tell she was holding in the tears.
"I know you don't like me." Jazz began, holding on to her and talking through the thunder. "But I know what's going on. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."
Quinn's face puckered as the tears started leaking but she shook her head. Without saying a word she ran off into then ran, towards her car.
Jazz watched her go, feeling bad for the teenager.
The day of the big game had finally come. Jazz's heart was beating so hard she couldn't even hear herself think. She sat in the girl's locker room all alone, her helmet sitting next to her. Someone knocked on the door.
"Coach said you need to come out now. You already missed the pre-game talk." She head Cory yell through the door. Jazz took a deep breath and stood up, pulling on her helmet. Cory waited for her, and then slung his arm around her shoulder, walking out to the field.
Jazz shrugged him off when the team came into view. They all ran out onto the field together. Everyone slipped off their helmets and set them down after warming up. The national anthem came on over the speakers.
Finn called a huddle since coach hadn't come out of the locker room yet.
"Well, I think we've finally come together as a team with week." He started, bouncing from foot to foot.
"Yeah, a gay team." Puck said, "A big gay team full of dancing gays."
Finn seemed ready to retort but Jazz beat him to it. "Oh, so you're gay? That explains a lot." Puck glared at her.
"Seriously, Finn. It was fun at practice and all but we can't do that out here in front of everybody." Another player put in. "It will make us even more of a joke."
Finn didn't say anything as Jazz and Kurt stared at him expectantly. He avoided both of their gazes and put his helmet on and ran out into the field. The rest of the team and Jazz followed him. They huddled up and Finn gave them the play.
"Yo, QB. You're mommas so fat the back of her neck looks like a pack of hotdogs." Jazz glared at him. Finn yelled hike and they took off the play. Jazz was wide open, but Finn didn't throw it to her. No one else was open, so he was sacked.
Jazz gritted her teeth, but didn't say anything. The rest of the game continued like this. Jazz always had perfect opportunities, but Finn refused to throw the ball to her. He was taken down time after time, after time. And Puck, who Finn always threw to, could not catch the ball to save his life.
It was the fourth quarter; they were down six, with 14 seconds on the clock. They huddled up again.
"Throw me the ball!" Jazz yelled at Finn. "I can do way better than Puckerman. You're reputation will be even worse if we lose again."
Puck rolled his eyes, and Finn called another play like he hadn't even heard her. They were all set up, but Finn wouldn't call hike. The clock continued to count down until there was one second on the clock. Finn called timeout.
Finn pulled Puck to the back and they started arguing.
The annoying, fat player from the other team walked up to her. "I wouldn't mind tackling you sometime." He slapped her ass and she went to hit him. Finn and Puck noticed and Finn grabbed her hand. Puck advanced on him like an angry animal stalking its prey.
"Yo, left tackle. You're momma's so fat her cereal bowl comes with its own life guard." The player yelled at Puck.
"Hey, ankle grabber. I had sex with you're mother." Puck said, facing him. He looked serious and Jazz's mouth dropped. "No, seriously. I cleaned your pool and then I had sex with her, in you're bed. Nice star wars sheets."
Jazz couldn't believe her ears, but it seemed to be true. Noah Puckerman was truly a mother effer. She let out a small laugh at the irony. Puck turned to Finn and said, "Let's do it, captain."
Finn called another huddle. "Okay, ring on it on three." Everyone looked around at eachother and Jazz smiled. "Yeah, alright? Come on. On three. One, two, three, break." Everyone clapped at the same time.
Puck walked by Jazz and whispered, "Follow me." She gave him a weird look up shook her head, setting up.
"Hut one," Finn yelled. Jazz's smile widened. "Two, three… Let's hit it!"
The speakers let off a little feedback but soon after the music started, everyone was getting into it and hitting their moves just right. The other team was staring at them dumb struck, trying to figure out what was going on. Jazz was shaking her hips, and winked at the annoying player that he grabbed her ass, which she slapped right then.
They ran around the field performing the dance. Jazz looked to her side where Puck was standing and had to laugh at him doing the girly dance moves. He caught her eyes and laughed but continued to dance. They were moving forward as they danced and we're slowly ending up in their positions. Soon everyone was ready and Finn called, "HIKE!"
Puck took off down the field, Jazz following like he told her too. He motioned for her to move out of his way as Finn's pass came flying down the field, and Jazz dropped back a little to block, knowing that's what he made her come with him for. The pass landed in him arms and it seemed he had it in his possession. But then he was falling and Jazz was passing him, the ball flying ahead of her.
With a burst of speed, she grabbed the ball and ran full force for the end zone. One player who had recovered quick enough, made a dive for her but she easily jumped over him and into the end zone. They had scored. Jazz threw the ball down and did a small portion of single ladies. Puck had recovered and ran at her, picking her up and spinning her around. When he dropped her they ran to the sideline where everyone was going wild for her score.
Jazz threw her helmet behind the bench and turned to face the field. Everyone quieted down and Kurt took the field. This was it. She reached out and grabbed the player's hands that were closest to her, Cory and Puck. The rest of the team followed suit until they were all joined.
"Go Kurt!" Jazz yelled, and Kurt turned to give her a nervous smile.
Kurt motioned for the music and Finn, who was holding the ball for him again, called hike. Kurt did his little dance and at the end, kicked the ball.
And it was soaring and soaring and soaring and… a score! Jazz screeched and dropped the boy's hand. She was one of the first to reach Kurt. He looked slightly dazed, but Jazz was squeezing him and smiling and laughing. The rest of the team was on them in seconds, lifting the two up in the air. The crowd was going wild. Jazz felt like she owned the world.
They dropped her and Puck ran up to her, picking her up again. Cory ripped her out of Puck's grip next and hugged her tightly. Jazz saw from the corner of her eye, Cory watching Quinn and Finn in a lip lock with a confused expression. She also noticed Puck staring at her for a while, then walking off the field by himself, shaking his head.
But she didn't do anything about it now. Now, it was her time and nothing could ruin that.
Jazz was the last to leave the school that night. She told Cory she wanted to walk home and that he should go to the big party some popular kid was throwing at his lake house. He left after arguing for a bit.
This was a time she needed to be alone. Right now, she really wanted her dad to be here for this. She always left him messages on his phone, but he barely ever returned her calls. He'd missed almost everything great that happened in her life, and this was one of those things.
Jazz jingled her wrist in front of her eyes, staring at two bracelets full charms.
"This is my night." She said to herself, "I won't let him ruin it." Wiping her tears away, she gathered up her back pack, flung her damp hair over her shoulder and walked out of the locker room.
As she was walking across the field someone yelled, "Hey, wait up!"
Jazz stopped and waited for Puck to catch up, her eyebrow raised. "Why aren't you out partying?"
He shrugged, "Didn't feel much like partying tonight. I didn't play my best game."
"But," Jazz gave him a weird look, stopping in the middle of the field. "You had that last ball. I know you did. You gave it up, to give me a chance."
Puck looked up, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I thought you deserved it." He looked back down at her, grinning. "At least you scored."
Jazz laughed and pushed him arm, "See, I like this side of you. Not the Puck side, more of the…" She thought for a moment. "Noah side." His face turned slightly pink.
"Well, don't get used to it." Noah said seriously, but then he winked at her. All of the sudden the sprinklers came on, both of them screamed and ran quickly to the parking lot. But not fast enough, both were soaked to the core.
Noah slipped his jacket and wrung it out, while Jazz fell on the floor laughing. As he wrung he asked, "What's so funny?"
"That was," she laughed, standing up back. "so movie perfect, don't you think?" Noah merely smiled. Jazz shivered as the cold air hit her; she turned around to see which way she should take home when she felt a slightly damp jacket sit on her shoulders. Noah messed up her hair as she tried to protest.
"Do you have a ride?" He cut her off, before she could say anything.
"I was planning on walking." She answered.
"I'll walk you home then." Noah told her firmly. He quickly added, "In case of muggers, you know."
"In the suburbs of Ohio?" She laughed, but let him walk along side her anyways.
"What were you crying about earlier?" He questioned, breaking the comfortable silence.
"I wasn't crying." Jazz said quickly, avoiding his gaze.
"Yes you were. I've seen what a girl looks like after she cries, and that's what you looked like."
"Because you make them cry?" He merely smirked in response. "Just stupid stuff, I guess." She said, avoiding his gaze.
"It had to be something big; you just won McKinley High its first football game in forever and you walk out in tears."
Jazz sighed. "Just my dad I guess." Noah gave her a look telling her to keep talking. "He left seven years ago, when my parents got divorced, to travel the world. That's actually the reason they split, because he was always complaining about being 'confined.' Well, he'd missed almost half of my life. I haven't seen him since I was nine. And he barely ever calls. All these really good things have happened to me in my life, but he's missed every single one of them. And all he does when he misses them is send of a post card that says 'I'm sorry' and a new charm from where ever he is at the moment." Jazz held the bracelets in front of his face, and Noah's eyes widened. "Yeah, that's a lot. I'm going to need a third bracelet soon. I just wish he'd be around more, you know."
Noah was such a good listener, putting his input in once in a while and nodding his head in the right places, Jazz continued on to explain about how she lived with her crazy, large Aunt for a while, refusing to live with her mother, who she blamed for sending her father away. She went on to explain the situation at home with Denis and Dakota.
As she finished tell about the time her Aunt had fell through the ceiling of her old, broken down house, she had reached her house.
"Oh," She said, looking up in surprise at her front doors. "Looks like we're here." Noah looked at it in awe. "I know it's kind of large, but I didn't pick it out. Well, I better get to bed. I just hope Cory isn't home yet." She turned on her heel and started up the stairs.
"Jazz." He called her by her real name, instead of flames or ginger. She turned around to see him smiling slightly. "Don't worry about your father. He may not be there all the time, but he was still in your life. My father was too rock star to ever even care he had children." Jazz walked back up to him and nodded. She took his hand and gave it a little squeeze.
Noah nodded and began to walk away. "Hey, Puck." He turned around. "Did you really have sex with that guy's mother?" He laughed, shrugged, and walked away without answering.
In glee club, Jazz and Cory were off to the side discussing who should sing the other lead in 'Things can only get better.' Mr. Shue walked in.
"I would like you to meet some new members." He said, clapping his hands together. "Straight off their win on Friday night, Noah Puckerman, Matt Rutherford, and Mike Chang. Regionals. Here we come."
Jazz smiled and clapped her hands together twice, catching Noah's eye, and making him laugh. Everyone got in a line and Mr. Shue smiled and said, "Let's start today with Tonight, from Westside story." Rachel smiled and shook her head in anticipation. Jazz frowned at her and knitted her eyebrows together. "Tina, show us what you got."
Tina walked forward after everyone exchanged surprised looks. Rachel stormed out again, Jazz glad to see the back of her.