So I love this song and I really just wanted to find a way to incorporate it into a story. Sorry it's so late in coming, just got back from an impromtu vacation. I'm also going to find out from the neurosurgeon if I need surgery this week. Keep your fingers crossed for me... after you write a review of course. ;) Much love!
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
King of Anything
School on Monday was a bizarre thing for Rachel Berry. Used to hurrying through the halls -mostly to avoid the jeers and taunting from, well, everyone… and the slushies- she was surprised that people kept coming up to her with smiles and congratulatory pats on the back.
"Hey Rach." Mike grinned at her as he sidled up to her locker.
"Hello Michael." The brunette replied distractedly.
The tight end cocked his head as he studied her, the crease between her brows intriguing him. "What's up?"
Rachel gave him a speculative look before unloading her confusion on him. "I'm not entirely sure what's happening today." Then she told him all about her unusual morning.
"They heard about your mad skills at Santana's party." Mike finally concluded after a few moments of thought.
"Mad skills?" Rachel asked, closing her locker and clutching her textbooks to her chest.
Mike nodded. "You know when you kicked Azimio's ass? And then of course there was the dancing…" A faraway grin appeared on his face when he thought back on the 'dancing' the girls had done a couple of nights ago.
"Mike?" Rachel asked when the lanky boy trailed off. Then noticing the look on his face she shook her head. Boys… "I hardly think that participating in a juvenile, not to mention illegal, drinking competition should warrant such a congratulatory response."
Mike smiled and threw an arm about her shoulders as they started walking towards her class. "We're in high school Rach." The petite brunette looked up at him, one brow quirked, questioning "I'm just saying you're 16 going on 30. It's not a bad thing!" He added when her face fell "Let me start again. You're leagues ahead of the rest of us. You know who you are, where you're going and how you're going to get there. You're not caught up in all the high school drama." He gestured wildly. "That being said we're in high school, everyone else lives for the drama. Drinking contests included."
Rachel nodded contemplatively then she smiled at the Asian boy "You know, I think that's the most you've ever said to me all at once."
He shrugged "Puck's my boy, we're usually hanging out and when he's around he pretty much just says what everyone's thinking."
"True."
"So, anyway the reason I wanted to talk to you this morning was 'cause I wanted to find out about your dance classes."
"My dance classes?" He nodded "Why? Which ones?"
Mike sighed and scratched the back of his neck nervously "The thing is my dad and I made a deal. I can defer college for a year to give dancing a shot, but if I don't make it in that year I've got to come home and take business courses at OSU." Rachel prompted him to continue, not seeing what her classes had to do with anything. "So I figure the best way to get myself out there will be to audition for So You Think You Can Dance when I graduate."
"You'll do great at that Mike." Rachel said honestly. "You're an amazing dancer."
"Yeah, but I need to learn some other styles if I want a shot at winning."
"I see. Well, my ballet class is always looking for male dancers." Mike cringed and shook his head at the mention of ballet. "While it would do wonders for your reflexes and help you immensely in football I can see why ballet wouldn't be your first choice…"
"Yeah."
"Why don't you accompany me to my Jazz class on Saturday morning?"
"Really?" Rachel nodded. A huge smile stretched across Mike's face as the final morning bell rang "Thanks Rach. It's a date."
The diva laughed as he pulled her into a hug and then sprinted down the hall towards his English class. She was about to enter her own class when a hand wrapped around her forearm. "Unhand me you-" When she spun around and saw that it was her boyfriend she relaxed "Noah, you startled me. What are you doing here? You have Biology right now, don't you?"
"Fuck that. What the hell were you and Chang doing just now?"
"Me and… Mike? We were just talking. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me. He had his hands all over you!"
"He hugged me."
"Whatever, I don't think you should hang out with the guys so much."
"Excuse me?"
"With Finn making eyes at you and Mike all- 'hugging' you… I think you should just stay away from the guys for a while."
"You can't tell me who I can or can't be around."
"The fuck I can't." Puck retorted.
Rachel narrowed her eyes at him "Mike's my friend and I will hang out with him as much as I want. But there is one guy I'll be spending considerably less time with and that's you! You can call me when you're done being an immature, jealous child." With that the brunette stomped down the hallway leaving Puck wondering what the fuck had just happened.
Rachel slammed into the girl's washroom, having no idea why she was just so… angry. "Stupid, Noah…" She growled as she slammed her books down on the counter. "Ugh!" After a few moments of restless, angry pacing Rachel calmed down enough to hear the sniffling coming from one of the stalls. "Hello?"
"Rachel?"
"Tina? Is that you?" The goth girl finally stepped out of her stall and looked tearfully at the brunette. "Who slushied you?"
Tina shrugged and wiped some of the orange liquid from her forehead. "I don't know. They got me coming around a corner. But that's not why…"
"Tina," Rachel asked softly, "what happened to your stutter?" That's when Tina burst into tears again and the whole story about Artie and the kiss and her stutter exploded out of her. "Oh, Tina…" Rachel squeezed the other girl's hand "what a mess… But I'll tell you something I know for a fact."
"What's that?" The Asian girl asked, rinsing orange slushie from her hair.
"Boys are stupid. And they suck." Tina giggled and smiled for the first time since the whole incident with Artie. "Here's what we're gonna do." Rachel said suddenly, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. "I'm gonna call Santana and Brittany and then we have some work to do."
"So what's this plan?" Santana asked as she, Brittany, and Tina piled into Rachel's car at lunch.
A slow smile spread across Rachel's face as she started the car. "Well, San you're going to find us a suitable wardrobe, Brit's going to come up with some dance moves and the four of us are going to put on a little performance at glee practice this afternoon."
"To what song?" Tina asked quietly from the back seat.
Rachel's grin widened as she found her song choice on her iPod and selected it. Santana smirked. "I love it."
"Okay guys." Mr. Schue clapped his hands to get the glee club's attention. "Has anyone seen Rachel, Brittany, Santana, or Tina?"
"Not since lunch." Mike answered.
The curly haired teacher sighed as he checked his watch, 3:10. "I guess we'll just have to start without them. Mercedes, would you-"
"We're here!" Rachel cried as she barreled into the music room, closely followed by the other three girls.
"Typical diva." Mercedes crossed her arms over her chest, disappointed to miss out on a solo again.
Puck shot her a nasty glare. "Shut it Aretha."
"Noah," Rachel stomped her foot, upset by the interruption, "shut up." Then she turned her attention to Mr. Schue "We have something we'd like to perform."
Schue sighed and checked his watch and sighed again. "Of course."
Rachel ran over to the band and distributed sheet music, and then once they assured her they could play the song she hurried back to the middle of the room and got into formation with the other girls.
With a quick nod from her the band started playing and the four girls took off their coats. They all wore the same simple outfit; low cut black tank tops, jeans, and high heeled black boots.
Brittany, who was standing in the front, shocked the rest of the club by executing a series of complicated hip hop moves which ended in her now infamous standing splits and then she opened her mouth and began to sing her first ever solo.
Keep drinking coffee
Stare me down across the table
While I look outside
So many things I'd say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet
And count the cars that pass by
The blonde slipped back into line and Santana strutted to the front while everyone danced behind her.
You've got opinions, man
We're all entitled to 'em
But I never asked
So let me thank you for your time
And try not to waste anymore of mine
And get out of here fast
Rachel danced forward and she and Santana circled each other as the tiny brunette belted out the next few lines.
I hate to break it to you, babe,
But I'm not drowning
There's no one here to save
Tina and Brittany slid forward to join Rachel and Santana as the four of them began the chorus of the song.
Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything?
Tina, Brittany, and Santana all backed away, leaving Rachel staring directly at Puck as she continued to sing.
You sound so innocent
And full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to
Jump on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset
I'm not the one who's lost
With no direction, oh
But you'll never see
You're too busy making maps
With your name on them, in all caps
You've got the talking down
Just not the listening
Spinning on her heel Rachel danced back towards her friends as they sang the chorus together once again.
Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything?
The girls stopped dancing and the music slowed as Tina stepped up, looking at Artie as she sang.
All my life
I've tried to make everybody happy
While I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me
It's my turn to decide
Everything started back up as Tina finished her long note. The four girls danced around each other, clapping to the beat and just having fun at this point. They sang the chorus twice more before ending the song.
They didn't even wait for their audiences' reactions, they just grabbed their discarded coats and rush out of the room.
Artie was the only one to catch the tears running down Tina's cheeks. He looked contemplatively down at his hands, which were folded on his lap.
"Well," Mr. Schue said after realizing the girls weren't coming back, "that sure was something…"