"Alright, we need $5,000 to pay for our trip to Nationals in New York." Mr. Schuester said after writing an equation on the board.
"What happened to the money we got from the Cheerios?" Quinn asked, taking her hand away from Dylan's. He was still devastated because of his parents' deaths and he hasn't been the same since. Finn surprisingly understood Quinn's closeness to Dylan and has allowed her to be there for him.
"Uh, I guess Sue hiding it in an offshore account in the Cayman Islands means we're having trouble accessing some of it…any of it." Will said, turning around.
"Just great." Dylan growled before feeling Quinn's hand reconnect with his, gently lacing their fingers together to which Dylan looked out and forced a smile before Will got something from a box and showing it to the club.
"This is Saltwater Taffy." He said with Brittany commenting on how she loved saltwater before the teacher resumed speaking.
"When I was a student here, we paid for our entire trip to Nationals selling this. Classroom to classroom, door to door, we pushed this stuff like crack…and so will we." Mr. Schuester said before going back to the board.
"So to make $5,000 at 25c a piece, we need to sell 20,000 pieces of taffy." He finished before Santana raised her voice.
"Wait, do you honestly think that we can sell 20,000 anythings? I mean we won Regionals for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the planet and I still got a freaking cherry icy facial." Santana said.
"I think it was meant for me but since I threatened to Karofsky that if he touched me again I'd break his balls, he decided against it." Dylan added on.
"Anyway, Santana's right. Nobody cares about us." Quinn then said with a little laugh before Mike stood up, saying he couldn't listen anymore.
"Mike, are you okay?" Mr. Schuester asked.
"No." he said before turning back to the club.
"You guys complain all the time about being mistreated but you have no idea what it's like to work your butt off for something and have everyone, even your friends ignore you." He said before Dylan heard Lauren say something about trying to remember his name.
"Artie, Tina, Brittany and I are on the 'Brainiacs'." He then said as the mentioned went beside Mike.
"Isn't that the academic decathlon team?" Rachel asked.
"Wait, we have one of those?" Finn asked, his mouth filled with taffy.
"Yes, we do. And the four of us went on the Smarty Pants Show, and beat Carmel High to go to the academic decathlon finals in Detroit next week." Artie then said.
"Wait, you guys were on TV? Well why didn't you tell us about it?" Sam asked and Dylan rolled his eyes, sighing.
"We did!" Artie, Brittany and Mike said.
"They did!" Dylan joined in before Dylan spoke up again.
"Before TNA Lockdown where I got to see Mickie James beat Madison Rayne's ass, I remembered them telling us about it so I watched it and I called them afterwards to say congratulations." He said with everyone looking confused.
"Wait, I…I get the 3 of you being on the team-" Will said, referring to Artie, Tina and Mike.
"Is it because 2 of them are Asian and Artie wears glasses?" Puck asked, to which Mr. Schue replied with a definite "No" before he spoke again.
"But Brittany?" he finished.
"Liz Schneider was our fourth but she got Rubella." Mike said before Tina said her parents were hippies who didn't believe in vaccinations.
"Brittany was the only person we could find on such short notice." Artie said before explaining that they bribed her with 'Dots'. He then said that Sunshine Corazon was on the other team and Dylan remembered her being the girl that Rachel sent to a crack house. She was also very good when Dylan watched the show but after Brittany answered the 'Cat Diseases' questions, they were tied. And then the 'White Rappers' question made Artie buzz in, answer and win. But he then explained that they can't afford to go.
"Why don't you just have your parents pay for it?" Rachel asked.
"Because we shouldn't have to: we're a school club, the school should pay for it. It's a matter of pride." Tina answered, with everyone nodding in agreement before Mr. Schuester said that they were right.
"How much do you need to make the trip?" he then asked before Tina said it would cost around $250. Will then headed over to the board.
"Which means…" and the writing began again.
"We just need to sell…more taffy." He finished and Dylan sighed.
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After glee had finished, Dylan walked out of the classroom and his head raised to see Brittany and Artie walking and wheeling down the hallway before they stopped and Brittany knelt down to give her boyfriend a passionate kiss. Dylan thought it was o disgusting he couldn't look, but as his head turned to the side to see Santana watching the couple, a hurt, distressed expression unmasking her usual hard exterior. She then turned to Dylan and they looked to each other before turning and walking away. Dylan then looked back the way he was facing to see Brittany and Artie were gone. He then sighed before heading to the auditorium.
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Dylan was now stood on the side of the stage, his eyes transfixed on something as he begins to sing.
Everyone's around
No words are coming out
And I can't find my breath; can we just say the rest with no sound?
And I know this isn't enough
I still don't measure up
And I'm not prepared
Sorry is never there when you need it
He then watches on as Santana continues to dance with Brittany. They were both dancing with such power and love that it made Dylan's heart break. He tried walking towards them but something was blocking him. It was almost like a glass barrier, he couldn't break through it but he has to watch everything unfold before him.
And now I do want you to know
I'll hold you up above everyone
And I do want you to know
I think you'd be good to me and I'd be so good to you
Now Brittany had stopped dancing with Santana and turned towards Dylan and she walked towards him until she was pressed against his body. Dylan had no idea how she got through the barrier but he didn't care because now he was dancing with a girl he was head over heels in love with.
I would
Santana then watched as Dylan sang his last line and she ran over towards Brittany to try and reach out for her again but she couldn't. There was something in the way. She could only sing and feel her heart split as she watched Brittany dance with Dylan.
I thought I saw a sign
Somewhere between the lines
But maybe it's me; maybe I only see what I want
I still have your letter
Just got caught between someone I just invented
Who I really am and who I've become
Now Brittany had stopped and was at the front of the stage, dancing her soul out to the music as the other two continued to belt out the song.
And now I do want you to know
I'll hold you up above everyone
And I do want you to know I think
You'd be good to me and I'd be so good to you
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah
I would
And now I do want you to know
I'll hold you up above everyone
And I do want you to know
I think you'd be good to me and I'd be so good to you
Dylan and Santana now could only watch as Artie wheeled to the front and center of the stage, smiling to the blonde girl who smiled back and took Artie's hand before they went offstage together. Both Dylan and Santana now tried to go after them but again, the barrier was blocking the way and they could only behold the scene before them, the remainders of their hearts falling.
I'd be good to you; I'd be good to you
I'd be good to you; I'd be so good to you
I'd be good to you; I'd be good to you
I'd be good to you; I'd be so good to you
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Dylan headed into 'The Roadhouse' which was a small karaoke bar where you'd see comedians from time to time. He would always come here to get his mind off of things and right now, he needed all the help he could get to get his mind off of Brittany. He was supposed to have a session with therapist Dr Jessica Latham but it had to be the last thing on his mind right now.
He headed to the bar and asked for a screwdriver and the barman: Scott nodded, not bothering to ask for his ID. Scott knew Dylan came here often when he needed a few drinks to clear his head.
The drink arrived within seconds and Dylan paid him before taking a sip.
"So, who's on tonight?" Dylan asked Scott, who looked to the stage.
"Miranda Sings. She's got a few guests as well. Some people she found around but apparently they can sing." Scott said and Dylan nodded. He had seen Miranda on YouTube and thought she was one of the funniest people ever. And the fact that Dylan got to see her perform for free was a bonus.
"Alright, thanks Scott." Dylan said and Scott smiled, nodding before going to serve a woman at the other end of the bar. Dylan just turned around and waited for the show to start.
An hour and a half later, Dylan was doubled over laughing. He was having a great time watching Miranda and it was definitely clearing his mind, along with the 6 screwdrivers he had. But nevertheless he loved Miranda's performances: they were so bad, they were hilarious. But the guest singers were great and they really balanced with Miranda's singing. She said that the closing number was a fierce song with a fierce singer. Dylan just watched as she announced the singer.
"Alright. Welcome to the stage, Michigan girl: Jennifer McGraw." Miranda said and Dylan's jaw dropped, eyes widening and the glass almost slipping between his fingers. The Jennifer McGraw. Jennifer Rose McGraw. Jenn McGraw. His ex-girlfriend. She hadn't changed a bit. The cardinal red hair. The dark brown doe eyes. She even looked the same height!
Jenn walked onstage and hugged Miranda, completely oblivious to the dumbstruck Dylan sat by the bar. But it wasn't long before Miranda started "singing" the opening lines to 'Lady Marmalade' and he was back to normal. That was until Jenn started to sing.
I mean, Dylan had never heard Jenn sing before and they had been together for over a year. Dylan expected her to be a good singer but not to blow him away. Oh how damn wrong he was.
Marmalade (oooh)
Lady Marmalade (yeah)
Marmalade (no!)
Hey Hey Hey!
Touch of her skin feeling silky smooth
Color of cafe au lait
Made the savage beast inside roar until he cried,
More-more-more
Dylan was on his feet, wildly applauding. He did not know that Jenn had such a good voice. It was so powerful, so amazing. It astounded Dylan how something so big came out of something so small. It was like Rachel or Sunshine singing all over again! But only this time, the singing made Dylan's heart clench and he was falling in love with Jenn all over again.
Just as Jennifer sang the line 'Living the grey flannel life', her eyes moved around, examining the bar and her eyes locked with the pale blue irises of Dylan Armstrong. Her face immediately brightened and before she knew it, the hand not holding the microphone was waving at him. She watched him smile and he waved back and as she carried on singing, their eyes would not move from each others. Jenn was figuring out how she was carrying on with the song when Dylan Armstrong was sat in the same room as her. But she did and when it ended, she whispered something in Miranda's ear.
"Well, guys. Thanks for having me. Hope you have a nice night and we're now going into the open karaoke." She said before giving Jenn the microphone and walking offstage. Jenn smirked at Dylan before speaking into the microphone.
"Alright. So I'll go first and I want a certain Dylan Armstrong to join me." Jenn said and Dylan could only laugh before downing the rest of his screwdriver and heading onstage to applause from the crowd. Once onstage, Dylan hugged Jennifer for a while, both of them taking in each other's presence before it was broken just as the opening notes to 'Summer Nights' began to play throughout the bar.
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The next morning in glee, Mr. Schuester had explained that they were doing a benefit. Dylan let out a genuine smile before Mr. Schuester went on to explain the "best part".
"We're only going to do songs by neglected artists." He said and Dylan nodded, understanding unlike most of the other glee clubbers who just looked clueless.
"Because it's a 'Night Of Neglect'." He slowly explained.
"Can you define what you mean by 'neglected artist'?" Rachel asked.
"Um, someone who's brilliance isn't always appreciated." Will said.
"Oh, so you mean like me?" Rachel asked.
"I mean like all of us." The director replied.
"Alright everyone, next Saturday night in our auditorium, McKinley High's first annual 'Night Of Neglect' fundraiser benefit is officially a go." Will then said before everyone applauded.
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"I'm totally doing Lykke Li. She's Bjork meets Florence + The Machine and she's a promising new talent." Tina said before asking Mike what he was going to do to which he answered with: "Mike Chang Dance Dance Revolution", saying he was tired of his dancing being overshadowed by everyone's singing so he said it was just going to be him and his moves onstage. He then turned to Dylan.
"What about you?" he asked.
"I can't decide between Edwin McCain, Lifehouse, The Script or maybe do some Adele. She's probably my biggest female inspiration and she can pull off any song." Dylan said with a smile to which Rachel and Mike noticed but Mercedes spoke.
"You're forgetting about the most neglected artist this glee club's ever seen: Aretha Franklin." Mercedes said, to which Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Neglected? She's like the Queen Of Soul." Lauren then said.
"See, I auditioned for this club singing 'Respect' and she's got none since. So I'm doing Aretha." The diva replied and Rachel said that the choices were awesome and they will be great appetizers for her main course: Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' for the finale to which Mike made a screeching noise.
"That's like the biggest song of all time." Tina said.
"No, you don't understand. Celine isn't the neglected artist, I am." Rachel reasoned.
"I was kind of hoping to do the closing number." Mercedes said before Mike turned to Dylan.
"What's gotten into you today? You seem a lot happier than you have been recently." The dancer said and Dylan smiled.
"Well, I maybe have kind of reconciled with my ex-girlfriend Jenn. We were together for two years and four months before she moved to Michigan but I met up with her again last night and she told me some great news." Dylan said.
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"I've got some great news. I'm enrolling in McKinley next week." Jenn said, sitting on Jenn's living room sofa. Dylan smiled and hugged Jenn.
"That's so awesome." Dylan said before breaking the embrace and thy looked to each other's eyes before quickly leaning in.
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"Hey, do you guys remember Sunshine Corazon?" Finn asked abruptly, ending Dylan's flashback with a growl.
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After a brief argument, the club got Rachel to give Sunshine a chance. And as she sang 'All By Myself', Dylan gave her a standing ovation. She was pretty convincing when she said she wasn't spying and the pipes she had sealed the deal. But Rachel still wasn't convinced.
"She's just trying to get on her good side so she can spy on us." The diva said.
"You're one to talk. We told you the same thing about Jesse St. James last year." Quinn hit back.
"Who?" Dylan asked but he heard a whisper in his ear.
"I'll tell you later at home." Quinn said and Dylan couldn't help but feel his heart drop and lift at the same time when Quinn said "home" but he didn't say anything because the conversation continued with Rachel saying that they were right.
"This whole thing isn't about us. It's about helping the 'Brainiacs'." Finn said before Puck said they needed Sunshine's 600 twitter followers to pay for the tickets or the benefit might as well not happen. Rachel paused before reluctantly agreeing.
"Fine! Mercedes, you're okay with being bumped to the decidedly less glamorous middle spot right?" she asked Mercedes.
"Um, sure, I guess…" the R'n'B singer said before looking around and then turning back to Rachel with a firm: "absolutely".
Dylan was pissed at this. He couldn't just let Rachel walk over Mercedes like that. He had to do something. He then looked to Lauren, who was staring at Mercedes in shock. But then the bell rang, signaling class was over. Everyone left and when Lauren said goodbye to Puck, Dylan ran up to her.
"Lauren. Do you have a second?" the boy asked.
"Sure. What's up, Armstrong?" Lauren asked.
"I saw how you reacted to Mercedes being bumped down. You know how low she thinks of herself. I would talk to her but I probably wouldn't get through to her. I know you would though because you don't take no for an answer. Can you please just talk to her?" Dylan asked the wrestler, who smiled.
"You gotta good head on that hot body of yours, Armstrong. Consider it done." She said before walking away, with Dylan smiling.
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"Aww, you miss them." Blaine said to Kurt outside the choir room before they heard a voice behind them.
"Hello there, Mr and Mr Dalton." It called out and the two boys turned around to see Dylan walking hand in hand with a small, redheaded girl. The boys smiled.
"Dylan." Kurt said, hugging the boy before Blaine did the same. Kurt then looked to the girl.
"Who's this?" he asked curiously.
"Kurt, Blaine. This is my girlfriend Jenn McGraw. Jenn this is one of my best friends Kurt Hummel and his boyfriend Blaine Anderson." Dylan said, introducing them before Blaine and Kurt gently took Jenn's hand and shook it.
"It's nice to meet you both. Dylan has told me so much about you." Jenn said and the Dalton students smiled before a gruff voice broke their conversation.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" it asked and Dylan and Jenn turned to see Dave Karofsky stood there.
"We're here for the benefit. Don't tell me you're going?" Kurt asked.
"I wouldn't be caught dead. I was pumping iron in the gym and one of the guys told me you were here spreading your fairy dust all over the place." Karofsky answered.
"Would you just give it up?" Dylan asked before Blaine stepped in.
"You can live whatever lie you want but don't pretend the 3 of us don't know what's really going on." The Warbler added on.
"You don't know squat butt boy." Karofsky sneered before Blaine pushed him and they scuffled before Santana ran over and broke the fight up.
"Real brave with your fists but you're a coward when it comes to the truth." Kurt said.
"Truth about what?" Dylan and Santana asked.
"It's none of your business Ballet Boy and J-Lo." Karofsky said and Santana pulled a face of pure disgust before speaking.
"First of all, anything you do became my business when you decided to toss that slushie up in my grill." Santana said before Jenn stepped forward.
"And don't talk about Dylan like that." She said, a raging fire in her eyes which almost scared Dylan.
"I think I can take 3 queers and 2 girls." Karofsky said and Santana and Jenn scoffed at the same time before stepping forward.
"So here's what's going to go down: two choices. You stay here and we crack one of your nuts, which one for the left and which one for the right, that's your choice." Santana said.
"Or you can walk away and live to be a douche bag another day." Jenn added on.
"Oh and also? I have razorblades hidden in my hair. Mhm. Tons. Just all up in there." Santana finished before Karofsky grunted and walked away.
"Mhm." The girls said before high-fiving each other and turning back to the boys.
"We could've handled that." Blaine said.
"It was much more fun doing it together." Santana said, smiling to Jenn before sharing a look with Dylan, who returned it before turning to Jenn.
"That was amazing. Now everyone knows why I never cross you." The blonde said and Jenn smiled, running a hand through her stoplight red hair.
"Damn straight." She said and Dylan smiled before hearing an "Oh crap" from Santana and the Latina pulled the blonde into the choir room where she announced that Sunshine wasn't coming and neither were any of her Twitter followers. Puck then came through the other door and said there were 6 people in the auditorium before he suggested blowing it off and going to the arcade.
"No. No, screw that. These people paid to see us sing. What's that saying? 'The show's gotta go all over the place' or something." Finn said and Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"You mean 'the show must go on'. Finn's right you guys, whether there's 6 or 6,000 people out there we still have to give it our all." Rachel said before turning to Tina.
"Okay, Tina. You're up first." She said and Tina smiled before heading out to the auditorium.
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Tina had to stop halfway through her song because the hecklers were giving her too much crap and she came back crying. Dylan wanted to go out there and punch those in the face, except Becky because that would be just horrible but he wouldn't mind going all Santana on Azimio, Ryerson and Ben Israel.
"I didn't think it was possible to hate us even more. We're calling this off." Artie said before Mr. Schuester said they had to buck up and asked them what they would do if they had an unfriendly crowd at Nationals, and that there would be some Vocal Adrenaline hecklers in the crowd. He then realised a way to shut up the hecklers which was to give them the saltwater taffy. Dylan and Quinn gave them out just as Sam announced Mike and his routine to 'Bubble Toes', which went very well. And Mr. Schuester planned for Mercedes to go on but Lauren came through the door saying she was refusing to go on. Mr. Schuester said she wanted to talk to her.
"Don't bother. Mercedes has left the building." Lauren said before Dylan looked to Quinn.
"Okay, you guys go find Mercedes. I'm gonna go deal with the haters." Miss Holliday said before turning to Dylan.
"Blondie, be ready in 15." She then said and Dylan nodded before going with Quinn to try and find Mercedes.
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Dylan was currently sat on the piano stool, smoothing out his white Abercrombie & Fitch button up shirt, black dress pants and smart black shoes. He then heard the microphone feedback and rested his fingers on the piano keys.
"And now ladies and gentleman, Miss Holly Holliday accompanied by Dylan Armstrong." Sam announced and as the curtains opened, Dylan began the piano introduction of 'Turning Tables' by Adele. After he saw Miss Holliday trying to look for solos after dropping out her duet with Mr. Schuester, Dylan suggested listening to Adele's album'21', giving her the CD although he knew he wouldn't get it back, and she came back, determined to sing 'Turning Tables' and wanted Dylan to accompany her on piano, to which he agreed to.
She sounded incredible. Dylan had no idea that Miss Holliday could pull off Adele as well as Cee-Lo Green and she truly was talented. And she sang that song from the heart, you could tell. She sounded so pained and so sad that it mirrored Adele's emotions when she sang the song. And the audience could tell because at the end, she was met with applause and a standing ovation from Kurt, Blaine and Jenn who was smiling to Dylan. Dylan smiled back, blowing his girlfriend a kiss.
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After a minute of panic, Mercedes returned with one more demand: "I demand that all of you get your butts out there and watch me sing" To which everyone applauded to. Dylan returned to the auditorium where he sat down next to Jenn and introduce her to the rest of the club who hadn't met her yet before Sam went up to the podium to announce Mercedes.
She hadn't told Dylan what song she was singing and when he heard the opening lines of 'Ain't No Way', Dylan's heart stopped and it was literally like that for the rest of the song. She sounded incredible. He could only wildly applaud the girl when the song finished and it seemed that Jenn liked it too because she was stood up, applauding. In fact everyone in the auditorium was and he couldn't help but think the benefit was a success with a number like that.
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Will walked into the auditorium after saying goodbye to Holly when he saw an all too familiar face in the choir room.
"Sandy. What are you doing in here?" he asked.
"I tried to be a hater but I just couldn't do it. That song and the weed I immediately smoked prior…it gave me a change of heart."
"Mr Ryerson offered to pay for half of the trip." Artie said before the 'Brainiacs' did their signature move. Sandy then said it was drug money but it was a great way to launder it.
"So who's paying the other half?" Will then asked and Dylan raised his hand.
"Jenn is paying $25 and I'm paying the remaining $100. She was on her academic decathlon team in her school in Michigan and she knows how important it is. My therapist said that because I make my friends happy, it would make me happy too." Dylan said, smiling before feeling Brittany hug him tightly, almost tackling him off of his chair.
"You just got poked." They then heard Sandy say and they looked to him.
"Poked by the Dagger." He said almost demonically and Dylan raised his eyebrow before hugging Brittany again as everyone chanted 'Detroit'. No one saw a small, red haired girl smiling at the club before turning on her heel and walking down the hallway.
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Song used is 'Good To You' by Marianas Trench feat. Kate Voegele
Alright! There we go! There is the introduction of Jenn McGraw who should play quite a big part in this story, especially in the next chapter onwards. I had 3 people in mind to play her but I ended up going for TV and Broadway actress: Ariana Grande.
'Born This Way' is quite a big episode for both Dylan and Jenn so definitely watch this space. It should take a week to post that chapter since it hasn't aired in the UK yet. And I get to watch 'Rumours' tomorrow, so damn excited!
Have you seen the contestants for 'The Glee Project'? Because Damian is from Northern Ireland and has a killer voice, I'm already rooting for him but I do think Bryce would play a good love interest for Mercedes, I just haven't heard him sing yet. I can't wait to hear the others sing :)
Feel free to review!