This is the final chapter for the fic! ;)
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We've switched back to Marley's perspective for this last chapter. Each of the four ace faces got two chapters from their respective point of view. ;) I wanted to end on Marley, since Marley is probably the ace character I personally relate to the most throughout this fic.
The fic picks up at roughly the same time chapter 12 (with Will and Emma) left off.
Chapter 14: The Musical
Marley was in the driver's seat, hoping the fact that her mother would not have to be the person to focus on street signs or other cars on the road would help her mother to instead pay full attention to the audiobook. Marley had obtained a license years ago and was happy to drive, especially since her mother had promised to help navigate with the GPS once they got closer to Cleveland. Despite having lived in Ohio their entire lives, neither woman had ever traveled to this particular location before.
The Rose family car was almost two decades old but the tape player still worked, so they used a cassette adapter in order to listen to the audio file on Marley's phone. The book was The Invisible Orientation. Marley had heard great things about it, especially as a resource to share with someone like her mother. Millie Rose was no longer under the impression that asexuality was the same as celibacy, and Millie had been wonderful about letting Marley switch to a new therapist – one who had thankfully turned out to be ace-competent – but Marley could count on a single hand the number of conversations she'd had with her mom on the topic. Her mother didn't yet possess a deep, nuanced understanding of any of the issues affecting asexual people.
They were currently heading toward a musical where the climax involved a character learning about the orientation and realizing it was his truth. Marley and her mother had roughly three hours to kill in the car ride there, plus it'd be an additional three hours in the car on the way back. So Marley had decided to spend twelve dollars on the audio edition of Julie Sondra Decker's book. She hoped the narrator's voice would be interesting enough to listen to for all that time.
By the time the mother and daughter arrived, Millie was certainly much more informed than she had been before the ride, even if Marley had been familiar with most of the concepts already. Both women were very ready for a break from non-fiction and were looking forward to the performance, which would be a story with a setting and a plot. Hopefully it'd be a refreshing change of pace. The comedic musical would be a testament to the talents of so many people, including Marley herself. Marley was beyond excited to see it come to life. They walked through the entrance about an hour early. They saw so many people already in the Palace's lobby. When Marley spotted Ryder and Unique chatting amiably, she beamed and then walked up to them.
"Hi!" she interrupted. She was so glad that not too long after their break-up, Unique and Ryder had gotten to a place of being friends again – or actually, to a place where they were much better friends than they had ever been prior to their romance.
Ryder smiled and pulled Marley into a warm embrace.
"Long time, no see," Ryder said. "Wow," he added as he took in her appearance. "You look amazing."
Marley blushed at the compliment. "Thanks."
Ryder turned back to Unique. "You both do," he honestly commented.
Marley was wearing a dress that she'd amazingly managed to find on clearance. It was a deep purple with yellow ribbon on the fringes – a fairly simple style. It was also the prettiest she'd felt since her senior prom. She took a closer look at Unique's choice of attire.
"You really do look stunning," she told Unique. The black dress had sequins covering it and was the perfect choice for a night out at the theater. The young women had been together when they'd shopped for their dresses. But this was the first time Marley had gotten a chance to see it worn out in public.
"How's Jake?" Marley asked, knowing Ryder still kept in touch with him. Her ex-boyfriend would always have a place in her heart, and she found it hard to see Ryder without thinking of him.
"You can ask him yourself," Ryder said with a nod. Marley turned in the direction he was indicating.
She gasped. "What is he doing here?" She had certainly not been expecting him to attend.
Ryder didn't answer. Jake began to approach the group. Marley noticed that behind him, her mother had found Mr. and Mrs. Schuester, along with Coach Beiste, and the four adults had struck up a conversation.
"Hey there, gorgeous," Jake said once he was about two feet from her.
"Hi!" she quickly greeted. "I'm glad you're here." It was true. Even after all this time, she still hadn't determined if what she'd felt for him was ever more than platonic or not. She was pretty sure she'd always label herself quoiromantic, but that didn't change the fact that Jake would always be an important part of her journey to where she was now. She'd always appreciate how amazing he'd been as a boyfriend.
"Oh my god," Unique breathed excitedly from behind her. "I think that's him." Marley, Jake, and Ryder all turned to face where she was looking. A Japanese American guy in a well-fitted suit was glancing around, clearly looking for someone.
Marley smiled for her friend, and then decided to walk over to him.
"Are you Sora?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. Do you know Unique?"
"I do. She's right over here." She led him to her.
Sora was the boy Unique had been dating for months now, but this was the first time they were meeting in real life. Prior to this point, they had messaged back and forth frequently. They had seen photos of each other but since he was busy attending college in Philadelphia, they had not yet had the chance to meet in real life.
As he approached Unique, a very girlish nervousness overtook her facial expression. He outstretched his hand.
"Nice to meet you," Sora said.
Unique grasped it. "You too."
Jake and Ryder stepped back a bit to give the lovebirds some privacy. Marley turned around and saw the two older women who she'd gotten to know well in the Aces of Lima meet-ups still engaged in conversation with her mother. She decided to join them.
"I think the narrator's name is Reay Kaplan," Marley overheard her mom saying, "and maybe the book's more meant to be read – there is a lot of 'and slash or' type of things that, when spoken, can be distracting – but I'm learnin' so much."
Marley smiled. She was glad her mom felt that way.
Emma and Shannon greeted Marley. Marley was a bit surprised to notice the hint of a new baby bump beneath Emma's sparkling green dress, but didn't say anything, because suddenly Sue Sylvester made her presence known to all of them.
"Hello, crowd," she loudly announced as she walked up to the group.
"What are you doing here, Sue?" Will asked skeptically, like he didn't believe she'd really want to see the musical.
"My former Cheerio has penned something that's made headline news – at least in the Arts & Entertainment sections of the newspapers, which of course no one who matters reads," she answered.
Marley was confused. Was it really true that Kurt Hummel had ever been a Cheerio at McKinley?
"Regardless, it is my duty as his former coach to come," Sue continued. "Besides, I'm curious to see what all you art nerds are fussing about. It's also my duty as a mother," she added, as if that explained anything.
Millie and Emma, the two mothers standing within earshot, both looked more intently at her.
"And what does being a mother have to do with you deciding to come to this show?" Emma asked. Then she looked around, as if expecting to see the four-year-old child wandering around on her own. "Robin's not here, is she?"
"Of course not. I'm only here to learn how to protect my daughter from becoming one of these freaks," Sue said.
Marley was surprised to see Coach Beiste smile in reaction to that awful comment. When Shannon noticed Marley's horrified face, her expression turned to sympathy.
"Ms. Sylvester never means it when she says those things," Shannon reassured the youngest of the people congregated in that particular spot.
Marley didn't believe her and turned away, trying not to let it bother her much.
In the far corner of the lobby, Marley spotted Blaine and Kurt sharing a quick kiss, and then Kurt disappeared into the backstage area.
There was some commotion, and then Marley realized the door to the seating area had been opened. She looked down at her ticket to remind herself of which seat and row number she was assigned. She hadn't wanted special treatment, so she'd forfeited her reserved front row seat in favor of the viewing experience that a typical audience member might get.
She sat beside Unique and Sora in the chairs. Sora leaned out a little and looked across Unique, addressing Marley.
"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that you'll never have to worry about me taking your queerplatonic partner from you," he said with a smile. "Unique may be my girlfriend, but I know you two had each other first, and she's clearly committed to you, too."
Marley returned the smile. "I know she is."
Sora looked affectionately at Unique, as if he admired her even more because of her commitment to Marley.
When the lights went down and the curtain opened, the pit was playing the theme for Zack's Lack, and Marley could barely contain her delight. The piece was so upbeat and humorous, containing only flute, fiddle, and banjo. It was played by some of the most talented musicians in the state. Unique had really outdone herself with this composition. And Unique would've never been considered for the job had Kurt not met Marley in an ace meet-up! It had been such amazing serendipity.
Zack started off in the story as a character who lacked good enough grades to graduate high school, who lacked siblings and was exceptionally jealous of everyone around him not being an only child, who lacked skill at playing piano despite having had lessons since age four… he even lacked an interest in girls. Marley had been quite impressed – and, of course, amused – when she'd first read the script for the play. Rewriting the first scene into rhyming lyrics had not only been a joy – it had been surprisingly easy to do. Kurt's words lent themselves to it flawlessly.
Marley had heard Kurt gush about how talented the actor playing Zack was. But when Kurt had revealed that he and Gabe had entered into a relationship, Marley had assumed that his intense crush had led Kurt to exaggerate the man's abilities. Now, sitting here with her eyes on the stage, she realized just how mistaken she had been.
Gabriel Miller was killing it.
He danced with a lightness in his steps that took Marley's breath away, while at the same time reminding her of Jake's skill at ballet. She knew her song so well, but she'd never heard him sing it before and he had a way of transforming the lyrics into something raw and real, while still encouraging the audience to laugh at the end of every verse. There was something truly remarkable about how clearly the audience was laughing with his character, rather than at him, despite how on paper one might think Zack was simply pathetic. Gabe somehow infused a realness into him that was easy for anyone to relate to. Plus, now that the show was being performed live, there wasn't only a silliness to the script but also, especially, to the delivery of each word. Combined with the vibrant and fun set, the costumes, and the truly inspired choreography…. if the first act was this amazing, she couldn't imagine the audience not being enthralled once asexuality was introduced into the plot after intermission.
Sure enough, about two hours later, the show got a standing ovation. As the lights came back on, and the somewhat-inappropriate enthusiasm from the cast's closest friends and family died down, Marley looked around and saw fresh tears shining on Coach Beiste's cheeks. She was sure they were happy tears caused by the exceptionally sweet finale. Marley saw that Burt and Carole had the proudest smiles on their faces. She could've seen the reactions of so many more people she recognized if she'd looked – Rachel Berry and Mercedes Jones, for instance, were also in attendance – but what she chose to focus on instead were the reactions of everyone else. As each member of the cast came out in succession, the audience as a whole clapped harder and harder. Judging by their faces, Marley wasn't the only person to be blown away by the entire show.
The curtains drew to a close. People dissipated. Marley lingered back with Unique, and the two young women looked for Kurt. They caught sight of him in the area of the lobby where the cast was congregating in preparation to greet the attendees who wanted to meet them. Kurt was running up to Gabe. They embraced in a passionate hug.
Marley could barely contain her happiness for Kurt, for Gabe, and really for aces everywhere. The play's success was hopefully just beginning, and it was such a 'win' for visibility efforts. She could literally see, from where she was standing in the lobby, Coach Beiste as a real-life example of an aromantic ace who could be truly happy with no one in her life except for close friends – although Marley would never understand why that cruel cheerleading coach was one of them. She saw Blaine run up to join Kurt and Gabe. As he congratulated them both, it reminded her of just how amazingly polyamory could work out for some aces. She looked over at Unique, who was conversing with Sora. Those two were likely due for a first kiss anytime now. Marley was so thrilled for her friend, and Marley knew what she wanted from her own life was working out too. Marley had a queerplatonic partner who she couldn't imagine loving more.
"There you are," Millie said, and Marley turned toward the direction of her mother's voice. "That was a spectacular show, sweetie."
"It was, wasn't it?" she gushed.
Millie smiled. "I'm ready to listen to more of that book on tape, if you are."
"Sure, Mom," Marley warmly replied. "Let's go."
As they exited Connor Palace together, Marley stepping onto the city sidewalk in her high heels on their way back to where they'd parked, Marley noticed something beautifully poetic. It was nighttime, and as a girl used to living in a small town, she'd always associated it with darkness, as if the sun was the only way a street could be illuminated. But this street was able to be bright anyway, from all of the streetlamps, headlights, and neon signs on storefronts.
From behind them, footsteps began to approach quickly.
"Wait up!" Blaine called out as he ran to the mother and daughter. "The Schuesters want to take a photo of the entire McKinley gang while we're all here."
Marley thought that was a truly lovely idea. She turned to her mother. "Can you wait here? I should be right back."
"Go ahead," Millie replied.
Marley began to pose for the picture.
What she had realized tonight was a parallel. She'd always grown up thinking there was only one way for a person's life to have a 'happily ever after'. It was remarkably comforting to now know just how untrue that was. She'd been a part of helping spread that message to so many more people via this musical. Her heart swelled with pride.