Casey pulled out her phone and bit her lip. She wasn't sure how she felt about Derek at the moment. She couldn't stop thinking about what Sally had told her, about how disappointed in himself he'd seemed, and also how angry she was that he hadn't told her the truth. But what they needed right now was to be a team, and after the chilly reception Ralph had just given him, she knew Derek needed something to cheer him up. She looked over to the other side of the room and watched him for a moment. His head was down, and he seemed to be listening to the plans Max and the other choreographers were making. But he looked a little sad. She opened a text message and typed out, "Hey sexy, break a leg out there…we can do this!" They hadn't sexted in awhile, but she hoped it would make him smile.
It did. He flipped open his phone, read the message, and looked up to find her in the crowded green room. Their eyes met, and he beamed at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the choreographers. She sighed with relief. They would have a lot to talk about later.
Casey moved across the room and joined in the dance planning. She was so ready for this. She wasn't even nervous. Well, barely.
Ralph, on the other hand, was sweating buckets. On the drive over he'd been sure that trying to perform with Derek and Sally would be a mistake. And once he was in the room, he was in no mood for quick fixes. He and Derek would have to work things out another time, if ever. Right now, they had to concentrate on being the best glee club they could be, and that all depended on Ralph putting aside his anger for awhile. Just looking at Casey helped calm him down. He saw her text something and then exchange a smile with Derek. He checked his phone, but the text obviously hadn't been meant for him.
How had this happened? Two months ago, he had Sally and Casey practically fighting over him. Now, neither of them wanted him.
And to be honest, he didn't want them at the moment, either. Sally for being a backstabbing whore and Casey for being another stupid girl to fall for Derek's charms.
But he had to admit Casey and Derek had something real between them, maybe something as real as he and Sally had once had, before all the…baby stuff.
He glanced around the room at his friends. No matter what happened, if he stuck with them, he could get through this. No more quitting glee. He loved it, he loved the people in it (well, most of them), and he was good at it. What more could he ask for?
~L~
As the glee club was rehearsing, Kathy was on the phone with Paul.
"Are they nervous? Has it started?" he asked, a catch in his voice. Kathy's heart broke for him. He so wanted to be there.
Kathy watched the emcee strut to the middle of the stage.
"Showtime." She kept the phone on, and Paul listened to the emcee announce the final team…
"McKinley High's New Directions!" he boomed into the microphone.
Casey waited in the wings at the rear of the theater, her heart pounding. This was it. The moment she'd been waiting for her whole life. Her mom and Lizzie were in the audience, as was her soon-to-be stepfamily. She had to be better than she'd ever been. At least she was singing a song she knew so well, her mother had banned the CD from the house.
The opening bars of "Don't Rain on My Parade" began.
She thrust open the curtain and stepped out into the auditorium. "Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter. Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter…" she began.
She couldn't quite put Barbra's "buttah" spin on it, but she was making the song her own, and so far, she knew it was her best work yet. Every eye in the auditorium had turned to look at her.
"Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!" She descended the stairs, stepping out into the aisle. "Don't tell me not to fly, I've simply go to! If someone takes a spill it's me and not you! Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade?!"
Paul was listening through the phone, and he liked what he heard. Kathy held the phone up higher, following Casey's crystal clear voice as she walked up the aisle towards the stage, growing more confident with each step.
The music tempo picked up, and Casey's steps got livelier as well. "I'm marching my band out, I'm beating my drum! And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat, sir, at least I didn't fake it. Hat, sir! I guess I didn't make it…" As she sang she bent over towards Tinker in the audience, and he swooned as she touched his head on the word "hat." Hopefully that bit of attention was enough to keep him away from her for a few weeks.
"But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection, a freckle on the nose of life's complexion, the cinder, or the shiny apple of its eye…"
She danced up and down the aisle and belted, "I gotta fly once, I gotta try once! Only can die once, right, sir? Oh, life is juicy, juicy and you see, I gotta have my bite, sir!"
Finally on the stage, she spun a few times and reveled in the elation she felt. This was what she'd been born to do, and although she knew she'd been a pain, she had to thank her glee club friends for this chance. She was going to spend the rest of the year trying to make it up to them.
"Get ready for me, love, 'cause I'm a comer!" As she sang, she thought briefly of Ralph, and then Derek. If she had to choose, a week ago she would have picked Ralph without blinking. But she had a feeling something would have been holding her back. She loved being Ralph's friend, and kissing him had been great, but she just didn't have the same passion for him that she had for Derek. He was on her mind constantly, and when they'd started their flirty texts, it had been exhilarating. Her heart beat faster for Derek than it ever had with Ralph.
But then there was the baby issue. She had been willing to be with Ralph when he was having a child…why should it be any different with Derek? Because he had lied? She had a nagging feeling that she may have done the same thing in his position. And Sally had been very clear that it was never Derek who had shirked his responsibilities as a father. Sally was the one who didn't want him. Well, someone wanted him. And Casey was a little scared to admit that that someone was her.
She took a deep breath, raising her arms theatrically. "Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!"
She paced back and forth across the stage, putting everything she had into the lyrics. "I'm gonna live and live now! Get what I want, I know how! One roll for the whole shebang, one throw, that bell will go clang! Eye on the target, and wham! One shot, one gunshot, and bam!" She gazed out over the audience, and her eyes connected with Ms. Zeldin. She was holding her cell phone by her head and beaming. Suddenly Casey realized that Paul was there, in voice if not in body. She needed to finish this perfectly for him. He had done so much for her these last few months, and he couldn't even be around to help celebrate their impending victory.
"I'll march my band out…" This is for you, Paul, she thought, as on that note the rest of the club emerged from the wings and headed down the aisles. The auditorium erupted with cheers as the perfectly synchronized moment played out.
"I'll beat my drum…"
The other eleven members of glee strode purposefully towards the stage.
"And if I'm fanned out…" she pointed to Ralph. "Your turn at bat, sir!" She pointed towards the other aisle at Derek. "At least I didn't fake it! Hat, sir!"
She brought her arms to her sides. "I guess I didn't make it! Get ready for me, love, 'cause I'm a comer!" The members climbed the stairs and began joining Casey on stage. "I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer!" They took their places on the risers behind her. "Nobody, no, nobody…is gonna…rain on my…" she held the syllable. "Pa…" She steeled herself for the last note. "…raaaaade!" She brought the house down, still holding the last note as the auditorium erupted into vigorous applause.
And then…they were standing! Her first standing ovation! She glanced back at her friends, who all wore exuberant smiles. For once, they were all celebrating her success, together. It felt great.
Quickly catching her breath, she announced, "Ladies and gentlemen…New Directions!"
There was more cheering, but she had no more time to revel in it. They were about to start their second number.
The audience sat as the song began. "You can't always get what you want," the twelve members harmonized as Casey moved to stand alongside her friends on the risers.
"You can't always get what you want…but if you try sometimes, you'll find…you get what you need…" The members began slapping their palms to their thighs with the beat. "Oh…"
Their voices blended as beautifully as they always did, and though the choreography was simple, it was difficult to tell that it had been thrown together only minutes before. Kathy nodded her head along with the lyrics, heart swelling with pride. She wished she could be sitting next to Paul. She checked that he was still listening, and he confirmed he was. "I'm so proud of them," he said, and Kathy agreed.
Ralph began his solo, strutting towards the front of the stage. "I saw her today at the reception, a glass of wine in her hand. I knew she was gonna meet her connection. At her feet was a footloose man…" he gazed out at the audience, who was responding positively to the song. He felt like he was in the middle of a dream. Casey had been amazing, but this was his turn to shine. He was going to make the most of it. He winked at his grandma in the second row, and she waved in happy surprise. (She had come to support the glee club, not realizing Ralph had decided to sing after all.) He turned to rejoin the group for the refrain.
"No, you can't always get what you want…"
"Oh, no, no…" Ralph crooned over the chorus. He smiled at Casey as he passed by her, and he was relieved to see her smile back. Maybe they were going to stay good friends.
"You can't always get what you want…but if you try sometimes," they raised their hands to the sky and spun, "Well, you just mind find…" Each guy grabbed a girl and did a little dance with her. Then it was Emily's turn in the spotlight.
"Hey, hey, yeahhh…" she belted out, smiling around at the people on the stage with her. "And I went down to the demonstration, to get my fair share of abuse…"
"Singin' we're gonna vent our frustration. If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty amp fuse," Ralph and Casey joined in with their perfectly synchronized voices. Emily didn't doubt her talent for a second, but she had to admit, Ralph and Casey deserved the duet. They sounded beautiful together. As the two danced, Emily reached out her fingers to Sheldon and they touched hands briefly, sharing a smile. One of these days he would get the solo he deserved. She knew he was being patient. Maybe he'd get his chance at regionals. Because they so had this in the bag…right?
"Sing it to me now…you can't always get what you want…"
In the audience, the Jane Addams principal, Ms. Hitchens, shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn't been expecting New Directions to pull together such great numbers in such a short time. Maybe they deserved to win, on sheer courage alone. But she also couldn't deny their powerhouse talent.
"No, no! No, no!" Noel crooned as the chorus continued.
"No, no, no!" Emily answered back as the others pointed their fingers at the audience, who was, incidentally, up out of their seats and practically dancing in the aisles.
"You can't always get what you want…but if you try sometimes…well, you just might find…"
New Directions huddled close together on the stage. "…you get what you need!" They burst apart, raising their arms and dancing, free and loose, like at their best rehearsals.
"You can't always get what you want," they repeated over and over. Kathy could hear Paul crying happily through the phone. "Yes!" he crowed as Emily belted out another round of "Yeah, yeah…" that blended perfectly with the others' chants.
"Get what you need! Oh, yeah! What you need!" For the final lines, all twelve members stepped to the front of the stage and stood in a line facing the audience. "What you need, yeah!" Their foot movements stopped at exactly the same time, and they stared out across the auditorium, raising their arms and crying, "What you need!" as Emily layered a "Yeah, yeah!" over it that rang out just as strongly as the voices of the eleven other singers.
They brought their hands to their sides in unison, and lowered their heads to signal the end of the song. The audience cheered so loudly Casey was afraid her eardrums were exploding. She beamed at Ralph, who was standing next to her, and he wore an identical grin. Everyone else was smiling wildly as well.
~L~
In the sectionals judging room, the three judges sat around a table, each looking crankier than the last. It was 12:15 p.m.
"Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it," Candace Dystra, fifth runner-up for Miss Ohio 2006, whined nasally. "This is a singing competition. I don't know how those deaf kids got in. They weren't singing, they were, like, honking. Everyone was crying, and I was like, 'get off the stage, you're terrible, and you're making me super uncomfortable.'"
"Now, hold on just a second, Candy," Rod Remington, WOHN-TV co-anchor and self-proclaimed Ohio legend, chided. "Those Haverhurst kids twice had me reaching for my handkerchief. And those Jane Addams girls had it going on in all the right places."
Candy wrinkled her nose.
"Can I just say something?" Donna Landries, Ohio Vice Comptroller and state-paid cynic, spoke up. "I have no idea what the hell I'm doing here. I'm serious. I don't understand what a glee club is, and I have never even heard the term 'show choir' until about three hours ago, when my boss told me he had tickets to NASCAR, and I had to fill in at this fool event." She tossed her head and sat back, arms folded. Rod's forehead creased.
Outside the room, New Directions was listening at the door. They knew it wasn't allowed, but they couldn't help it. Despite the fact that they had rocked the house, the judges seemed tough. And from what they heard so far, they were less than qualified to be judges in the first place.
"And those Jane Addam girls," Donna continued angrily, "I'll be damned if I didn't apportion hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars to that school so they can parade their behinds around like a buncha…hoochie-hos!" She glared at Rod, who shrugged.
"The McKinley group was good," Candy offered, oblivious to everything Donna had just said. She was flipping through a magazine. "They didn't seem all that rehearsed, but I liked their energy."
Rod nodded. "Well, I have to admit I have a soft spot for The Rolling Stones. I was at Altamont Speedway in '69. I actually saw that guy get stabbed. Can't get that image out of my noggin to this day." He tapped his head.
The other two judges had no reaction, and Rod's face fell.
"I seriously don't know what either one of you are talking about," Donna huffed. "I have never been so bored. I mean, if I had to pick a group that I hated the least…"
Out in the hall, Noel backed away from the door, where he had been holding up a glass, trying to hear the verdict . "It doesn't sound good, guys," he groaned.
Before anyone could comment, Ms. Hitchens turned the corner and spotted them outside the judging room. "Hey guys," she said kindly, and the glee members looked at her in surprise. "I just wanted to say how great you all were," she smiled. "I thought you were amazing."
Casey folded her arms. "We have nothing to say to you." The other members were glaring at her, arms also folded.
"Because we cheated, I know. I feel terrible about it. So I'm going to tell the judges right now that we don't deserve to win." It killed her to do that to her girls, but right was right.
New Directions stepped aside to let her pass, watching her uneasily.
As Ms. Hitchens reached for the doorknob, the door opened and the three judges stepped out. "So, your email addresses?" Rod was saying.
Candy spotted the glee members. "Ooh, you guys were so much fun to watch!" she squealed. "You should be very proud."
As they began to thank her, Donna pushed past Candy and grouched, "Get me the hell out of here!" She pulled Candy with her, and Ms. Hitchens grabbed Rod's arm.
"Um, excuse me, I have something I need to tell you—" she began.
"I'm sorry, we've made our decision," Rod replied firmly. He followed Candy and Donna down the hall, but not before looking the shapely Ms. Hitchens up and down creepily.
The glee members' faces fell. Ms. Hitchens turned to them and told them she was sorry.
But it was too late for apologies.
~L~
Paul hung up with Kathy after New Directions finished "Somebody to Love" and headed straight for his lawyer's office on foot. Ralph still had his car, but he needed to do this while he had the courage. No matter what happened with his kids, they had done a phenomenal job at sectionals. He had done everything he could for them. Now it was time to take care of himself.
The consultation didn't take long, and he walked out with divorce papers. It hurt, it did, and Terri would be royally pissed, but he had had enough. He deserved someone who loved him.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to reveal a text from Kathy. It read: Sectionals over. Going house-hunting now.
Paul desperately wanted to ask who had won, but he knew that he couldn't take it away from his kids to tell him.
Good luck, he texted back.
My last day at McK is Monday, Kathy replied. She hadn't been able to tell him that earlier. It would have been too hard to say face-to-face.
Paul gasped. No. Stay – I just left my wife.
It was Kathy's turn to gasp as she read his reply. I'm sorry, I can't, she texted, and then turned off her phone. She hadn't been expecting that. But…he had written the exact reason why she couldn't stay and keep mooning over him. He just left his wife. They were both so vulnerable. It would not be a good idea for her to go back to that school and expect him to fall at her feet. She couldn't do that to him, and she couldn't do it to herself.
~L~
At school on Monday, Lassiter was holding his umpteenth meeting with Paul and The Fridge. "Ryan," he sighed, exasperated. "The directors, both from the Jane Addams Academy, and the Haverbrook School for the Deaf, have informed me that you gave them the New Directions set list."
Ryan leaned back in his seat and grinned. "You have no proof."
Lassiter pointed a finger at him. "The set lists were on Cheerios letterhead," he said smugly.
"I didn't do it," Ryan shrugged.
"They say, 'From the desk of Ryan Sylvester'."
"Circumstantial evidence."
"They're written in your handwriting!" Lassiter cried.
"Forgeries!"
Paul looked at Ryan in disbelief. He was not going down without a fight. Paul should have known it wouldn't be that easy.
"Ryan, there is an orgy of evidence stacked against you," Lassiter said firmly.
"Well, you've clearly made up your mind not to be impartial in this case, so let's see if you can't wrap up this little lecture, slap me on the wrist, and let me get back to whipping my squad of champions into shape." He stood up and began walking towards the door. "We have to be in Albuquerque in a couple of weeks for nationals."
"RYAN!"
Lassiter's outburst made Ryan stop in his tracks.
"Sit! Down!"
Ryan curled his lip and returned to his seat. He was too smart to directly disobey a superior, no matter how much he hated to do it.
"Ryan, as of today, you are no longer coach of the Junior Cheerios."
Ryan sat up straight. "I beg your pardon?"
Lassiter repeated his statement. Paul looked over at him, trying not to smirk.
"I beg your pardon!" Ryan hissed through clenched teeth.
"All this time, I thought—"
"I beg your pardon?!" Ryan thundered.
"I thought," Lassiter continued, ignoring Ryan's fury, "that Paul was overreacting. And frankly, I was too willing to look past your monkeyshines because you kept winning. But now you've gone too far! You have embarrassed yourself, and besmirched the name of William McKinley!"
"A failed president!" Ryan howled.
"Oh, please! The greatest one who ever lived!" Lassiter shot back. "You are suspended as of today." He looked at Paul. "Anything to add?"
Paul smiled sadly at Ryan. As great as it felt to finally be vindicated, and as horrible as Ryan was, deep down he was just a troubled kid, taking his problems out on everyone else. "I think some counseling might be in order. I know a great family therapist I can recommend."
"Fine. And principal-ordered counseling sessions. My word is official."
Ryan scowled at both men. "Okay, if this is the way you want to play it." He suddenly got very calm. "Okay." With a frustrated glance at Paul, and a shake of the head at Lassiter, Ryan exited the office with his hands in his pockets and his head down.
Paul stood up, ready to put the whole messy Ryan vs. Glee business behind him.
"Hey Paul, in light of Ryan's interference, I am reinstating you as coach of the glee club," Lassiter told him before he could leave. "I called the Ohio Show Choir Governing Board and set the record straight."
Paul heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir." He shook Lassiter's hand.
"My pleasure. We'll get that Ryan kid figured out before he graduates, huh?"
Paul shrugged. "I hope so."
The bell rang, and Paul left the office with a spring in his step.
~L~
"We have a few things we'd like to show you," Ralph announced as Paul arrived for glee rehearsal that afternoon. Nothing in any of the twelve faces before him gave away their emotions. "First…" Ralph and the others stepped aside to reveal Noel, who was holding the gigantic…sectionals trophy!
"Ta da!" the glee members cried.
"Ah, haha! Yeah!" Paul clapped his hands and whooped. Noel handed him the trophy as everyone applauded and laughed. "I am so proud of you guys," he beamed. "You won, fair and square."
"The result was unanimous," Casey added. "The judges didn't even know what went on behind the scenes."
"Congratulations!" Paul pulled her into a hug, and motioned for everyone else to join in. After their group hug, Paul sighed happily. "Of course, now, you know we have to concentrate on regionals. You can bet Vocal Adrenaline is hard at work, so we should be too."
"And we'll get to work," Ralph replied, "but we have something else for you." Ralph stepped over to a table in the corner, where he motioned to a sheet cake with "Congratulations, New Directions!" written on it in yellow icing. "It's from Casey and Derek's parents," he said.
"Ralph—" Casey began to correct him, cheeks burning. The last thing she wanted at this happy moment was a reminder of her familial relationship with Derek.
"Casey's mom and my dad," Derek interrupted irritably.
Ralph shrugged, not meeting Derek's eyes. "Yeah, that's what I meant."
Paul winced. It looked like Derek and Ralph were pretty far from reconciliation, not that he could blame Ralph. "Either way, this was really nice of them," he said firmly. "Let's eat!" He made a mental note to schedule guidance appointments for Derek and Ralph as soon as possible.
Everyone gathered around the table, laughing and joking.
Ralph pulled Casey aside. "Sorry about that, Case."
She shrugged. "That's okay. It's something I'll have to get used to hearing. Derek's dad is going to be one of my parents soon."
"Are you two…?" he couldn't quite bring himself to ask the question.
Casey blushed and stared over at Derek, who was serving Sam and Noel their slices, laughing with them about something or other. "I think so," she whispered.
Ralph patted her back. "He's not my favorite person right now, but I'm happy for you. Friends?"
Casey smiled. "Of course." She paused. "Do you think…do you think you'll ever forgive him?"
Ralph shuffled his feet, taking his time on the answer. "I honestly don't know," he finally said.
"Fair enough." She wished that wasn't the case, but she couldn't push the issue. Her job as his friend was to be there for him, no matter what. They hugged briefly and rejoined the group.
Max and Amy grabbed chairs and began feeding each other cake. Noel and Sandra held hands as she led him to their own chairs. Emily and Sheldon had their arms wrapped around each other as they waited for their cake.
Sally watched the happy couples, feeling sad that she was no longer one of them. She glanced at Ralph, who looked away quickly. "Come on, Ralph," she pleaded, inching towards him. She grabbed his hand and led him away from the cake table. "I'm sorry, okay? Please don't hate me."
Ralph looked at the floor. "I don't hate you. I'm just…I feel betrayed. Just looking at you makes me want to cry."
Sally's eyes filled with tears and she hung her head. "I understand. Again, I'm sorry."
Ralph nodded. "I know. Look, maybe someday I can forgive you. But right now…it hurts too much."
Sally sighed. "I guess I'm just grateful you're even speaking to me."
"Of course I'm speaking to you. I want you to stay at my house for as long as you need to. And if you ever need anything for the baby, I'll be there for you, you know that, right?"
"Thanks, Ralph. I appreciate that. But I think I'm going to let Derek take over from here. He always wanted to, anyway. And besides, I've decided to give the baby up for adoption."
"Really? That's great." Ralph patted her shoulder.
Sally wiped her eyes before she could start crying again. "Could I maybe…have a hug?" she smiled nervously.
Ralph opened his arms, and she stepped into them, but pulled away quickly. She didn't want to push her luck.
He patted her shoulder again and went to grab a piece of cake.
Before Sally could move away, Derek was at her side. "Here you go," he handed her a slice. She took it and thanked him.
"You decided on adoption, huh?" he scratched his neck awkwardly. "Couldn't help but overhear."
Sally nodded. "I did. I hope that's okay with you."
"I would have been a good dad."
"I know you would have."
"But," he looked at Casey fondly. She was talking with Kendra and Sam while they ate. "It would have complicated things..."
"You can say that again." She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Go for it. She's great."
"Who?" Derek feigned ignorance, but he was smiling.
"Just promise me one thing, okay, and I'll promise the same."
"What's that?"
"Start using condoms."
Derek's nodded solemnly. Sally winked at him and went over to sit with Kendra, Sam, Casey, Paul, and Tinkles.
Derek walked back over to the table, feeling relieved. He cut himself a piece of cake. Sheldon waved him over to his group, and he joined Sheldon, Emily, and Ralph. Ralph gave him a nod as he sat down, and Derek returned it. He was going to have to be thankful for what he could get for the time being. He had screwed up pretty badly, and he was no stranger to ruined friendships. But if Sam could start to like him again, he felt sure that Ralph would come around eventually.
Once everyone was done with their cake, the glee members stood in a group in front of Paul, who looked at them questioningly.
"Time for our last surprise," Max announced. "Paul, since you didn't get to see us perform at sectionals, we put together a special number just for you."
"Take a see-eat!" Casey sing-songed.
The girls assembled on the first riser, the boys below them on the floor. They began dancing and swaying to the music as Tinkles played the opening bars. The boys hopped up onto the riser in unison and began dancing with the girls, as Casey switched to the floor and began, "Guess this means you're sorry, you're standing at my door…"
Paul laughed when he recognized the song. Casey smiled happily at him, and he smiled back. He had the best glee club in the world!
"Guess this means you take back, all you said before," she stepped up to the riser again, and smiled at each of her friends as she walked past them. "Like how much you wanted, anyone but me…"
The club began walking in a circle, each winking, waving, or doing finger-guns at Paul as they came into view. "Said you'd never come back, but here you are again!"
A few members put on cowboy hats, and they did a little western jig.
Everyone joined with Casey for the next line. "'Cause we belong together, now, yeah! Forever united here, somehow, yeah!"
A few rooms away in her office, Kathy was busy packing her belongings. She hadn't seen Paul all day, which she knew was for the best. But she really wished she could at least tell him goodbye.
Back in the choir room, twelve voices cried, "You got a piece of me, and honestly, my life—"
"My life!" Kendra, Amy, and Sally echoed.
"Would suck!"
"Would suck!" Max, Sandra, and Emily repeated.
"Without you!" they all sang, executing more choreography they had learned so far that year.
The six boys harmonized on the next lines, while the girls all danced together. "I know that I've got issues, but you're pretty messed up too. Either way, I found out, I'm nothing without you!"
Paul glanced at the doorway, towards Kathy's office. He had felt sick all day, knowing she was about to leave. School was over now, and she very well may have been gone for good by then.
"'Cause we belong together, now, yeah—"
Paul stood up, and the singers stopped abruptly. "I…I'm sorry, guys, this is fantastic, but Ms. Zeldin is about to leave and I—"
"Go!" Casey cried. "Go to her!"
Everyone else was nodding, and Paul thanked them. Then he sprinted from the choir room and went careening down the hall toward the drama department.
He saw her coming out of her office and skidded to a stop. "Kathy!"
Back in the choir room, Ralph suggested they may as well finish the song. "Forever united here, somehow, yeah!" he continued with the others, stepping towards the doorway.
Paul could vaguely hear the music and singing as he grabbed onto Kathy's shoulders. She looked at him, surprised. Tears welled in her eyes.
"You got a piece of me, and honestly…"
Paul grabbed her box of belongings from her hands and set it on the floor. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in towards her.
"My life…would suck…without…you!"
Kathy stared at him, desperately wanting to tell him all of her feelings, everything. But the she realized that all of her own feelings were reflected in his eyes.
"'Cause we belong together, now, yeah!"
With one swift motion, Paul leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Kathy immediately responded, gripping the back of his neck and pulling him closer.
"Forever united here, somehow, yeah!"
As Paul and Ms. Zeldin kissed in the hallway, Ralph backed away from the door and gave his friends a thumb's up. They all did little jigs of excitement for Paul during the next line.
"You got a piece of me, and honestly…"
Derek grabbed Casey's hand as she danced with Sheldon, and he smiled approvingly as Derek led Casey a few paces from the group.
"My life would suck without you…" he whispered as he dipped her. She gazed up at him, nodding firmly. She wrapped an arm around his neck and stretched out her leg to balance them.
"'Cause we belong together now," she whispered back, and he smiled wider than she'd ever seen him. They were almost stepsiblings, Derek was having a baby with another girl, they were still in different cliques…and yet she was one hundred percent sure that they should be together. Somehow, everything would work out, as long as they had each other.
"Forever united here, somehow! You got a piece of me, and honestly…"
He leaned forward, supporting her weight on his knee, and kissed her soundly.
The entire glee club whooped and cheered for Derek and Casey, and when they broke apart, they rejoined the group as the twelve members huddled together for the final line, everyone smiling around at each other.
"My life…would suck…without…you!"