*I do not own the song which is Mayday Parade's "I swear this time I mean it"*
Rachel
The video chat went better than Rachel had expected. Everyone seemed really excited about the baby, and Brittany even volunteered to babysit for her which she graciously declined. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the offer, but Brittany was like a child herself.
She was happy to catch up with her old friends. She learned about the newest additions to New Directions and made sure that she gave Mr. Schue some ideas that he could use to challenge the glee club. He even offered to have her come in and be a special guest one week. It was probably said in jest, but she was seriously considering the offer. She was wanted to visit Lima soon anyways, and this way she could help her friends bring home another National Championship. The more she thought about it, the better the idea was sounding.
Two Weeks Later
Rachel moved along the familiar hallways of McKinley High School in a daze. Everywhere she looked was a memory. Passing by the student announcement board she saw a signup sheet for New Directions and thought back to the day she signed up for glee auditions. She found herself at the foot of the staircase where she kissed Finn after the ordeal with Jesse.
She still couldn't believe that Kurt and Santana ran into him in New York. It seemed like she would never be rid of him. She was grateful that she wasn't the one to run into him. The last thing she needed was him harassing her about Finn and hounding her about NYADA. She was happy with her decision and knew that it was the right thing for her and the baby.
She heard laughter coming from the choir room and a smile found its way to her face. She approached the door and after a few steadying breaths, she entered. There were a few squeals of delight and Rachel was enveloped in hug after hug from her glee club family. She even received a hug from Wade "Unique" Adams, who she recognized from Vocal Adrenaline. There were two new faces that Rachel didn't recognize, but Mr. Schue quickly changed that after he got everyone else to calm down and take their seats.
"Most of you remember Rachel, but for those of you who don't, she was one of our star performers who graduated last year. Rachel, these are our newest members Marley and Jake." She gave them a smile and waved. "Rachel will be taking over our lesson this week." There was a round of applause and even a few cat calls from Brittany and Sam to which she blushed and gave a bow.
Mr. Schue took a seat next to Brittany and motioned for Rachel to start, "Hi everyone. I know that most of you are expecting me to focus on Broadway due to my expertise in that area," she smiled at the expected groans, "but I was hoping to try something a little different. New Directions has always been about diversity and that is what gave us the National Championship last year and I would like to continue with that."
"What did you have in mind Rachel?" Mr. Schuester asked.
Her smile grew even wider, "Well, I was inspired by a song that Finn mentioned to me in one of his letters which was really good, even though I don't typically listen to Alternative music. I would like to pose a challenge this week. I want you guys to find a song that you enjoy from a genre that you don't like."
Everyone except Mr. Schue seemed a little confused, "I think you might need to explain a little more, Rachel."
"I mean, that I want you guys to explore different types of music that you wouldn't typically enjoy and find a song that surprises you. Let me demonstrate." She nodded her head and one of the guys started playing the guitar.
Oh, Florida, please be still tonight
Don't disturb this love of mine
Look how she's so serene
You've gotta help me out
And count the stars to form the lines
And find the words we'll sing in time
I wanna keep her dreaming
It's my one wish
I won't forget this
I'm outdated, Overrated
Morning seems so far away
So I'll sing a melody
And hope to god she's listening
Sleeping softly while I sing
And I'll be your memories
Your lullaby for all the times
Hoping that my voice could get it right
If luck is on my side tonight
My clumsy tongue will make it right
And wrists that touch
It isn't much, but it's enough
To form imaginary lines
Forget your scars
We'll forget mine
The hours change so fast
Oh, God, please make this last
'Cause I'm outdated, overrated
Morning seems so far away
So I'll sing a melody
And hope to god she's listening
Sleeping softly while I sing
And I'll be your memories
Your lullaby for all the times
Hoping that my voice could get it right
You could crush me
Please don't crush me
'Cause, baby, I'm a dreamer for sure
And I won't let you down
I swear this time I mean it
And I'll sing a melody
And hope to god she's listening
Sleeping softly while I sing
And I'll be your memories
Your lullaby for all the times
Hoping that my voice could get it right
Everyone clapped and Sugar wiped a tear from her eye, "You never know what you will like until you give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised by this song and have actually started trying to expand my horizons."
"I'm very proud of you Rachel and I think that this is an excellent challenge. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. Does anyone have any questions?"
Tina spoke first, "Who sings that song Rachel? I liked it."
Rachel wasn't the one to answer. Instead, Jake answered her question, "It was Mayday Parade. I don't have that song, but I have some of their other stuff. Here listen." He removed his iPod from his bag and plugged it into a speaker station Mr. Schue kept in the room. "This is 'If you can't live without me, why aren't you dead?' which is one of my favorites." The song was met with mixed reviews. People like Blaine and Brittany were getting into the song while Tina and Unique were making faces.
Mr. Schue paused the song, "Now do you see why Rachel presented you with this challenge? If you had listened to this song first, would you have bothered listening to the other?"
Tina shook her head, "Probably not."
"Remember when we performed Lady Gaga? The boys were opposed to the idea, but they found a way to participate. There have been songs that each of you were against trying because it wasn't what you normally listened to, but you tried it. If you're afraid to try something new then you'll never grow."
"I look forward to the challenge, though I have an eclectic taste in music, so finding something I don't like will be difficult." Everyone laughed at Artie.
Mr. Schue clapped him on the back, "Do your best. Alright everyone let's get started."
*I hope you all enjoyed Rachel's return to Lima.*