DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything related to Glee, otherwise I would probably be working there and not writing fanfiction.
Ryder got out of his old, rusty car sheepishly, carrying the algebra textbooks with one hand. He straightened out his back and rolled up his sleeves - it was really cold and looked as though rain would fall upon him if he was outside longer that 5 minutes, but he was so damn nervous he felt overheated on this dewy evening in Lima. The boy made his glasses more secure on his face and ran a hand through his Bieber-cut hair before advancing to the grand household before him – Marley Rose's house.
Words travelled through his brain at a thousand miles an hour, thoughts banging against the sides of his head in frustration. 'What if I mess this up or if I say something stupid? Why would she even choose me of all nerds?' He mused, and soon he was ringing the silver-plated doorbell of the extravagant house and looking up at its beauty. 'Oh my god this is happening. This is actually, literally happening. I, Ryder Lynn, am at the house of Marley Rose, the girl I've been crushing on from the moment I-'
"Hello?" a thin, beautiful woman who must have been in her late 40s answered the door, looking Ryder up and down questioningly. This must have been Marley's mother. "Who are you and why are you at my house?"
Ryder cleared his throat as he internally panicked, but managed to stammer words out of his mouth. "I-I'm Ryder – Ryder Lynn. I go to-to Marley's school? I'm here to tutor her, Ma'am." His palms were sweating – he was never really good at talking to people he didn't know who were of a higher class than him.
"Right… okay." The woman answered, her menacing eyes looking Ryder up and down again, before shouting up the huge, winding staircase standing proudly behind her, "Marley, some boy is here to tutor you!" then, turning back to the boy in front of her, she offered a welcoming smile. "Do come in, sweetheart."
As Ryder stepped in and fixed his glasses on his face once more, he stared around the elaborate house around him. He was standing on a cream and grey tile-stone floor, so shiny and polished he could see his reflection in it. To his left lay an entrance to a warm and welcoming room, looking to be made entirely from wood and leather, with an immaculate fireplace, a small fire blazing and crackling inside. If he turned his head in far enough, Ryder could see a large flat screen television in there, not a scratch or imperfection on it. To his right, an opening to a spectacular dining room, with a long glass table standing on polished wooden table legs, candles in the middle. Behind that table was an opening to a rather glossy kitchen, with a shiny granite countertop. 'They're so damn rich,' Ryder thought.
"Coming, mom!" a voice shouted from upstairs, and soon enough Marley was cascading down the extravagant stairs with her hair pulled out of its signature ponytail, but her perfect Cheerios uniform still on and clinging to her thin curves. She offered Ryder a smile and a slight wink, and Ryder looked as if he couldn't quite believe it. "Hey, Ryder," She smiled at him, "you look like you've just walked into Narnia, honey." She thought out loud, which made Ryder blush slightly.
"I-ummm… I was just admiring your amazing house, that's all." He chuckled.
"Sweetie, why are you still in your Cheerios uniform?" Marley's mother asked, and Marley groaned before giving a reply.
"Ugh, I just couldn't be bothered to change." Then, turning to the boy in front of her, signalling to her cheerleading costume, she asked: "Do you mind about this?"
Ryder practically eyeballed her up and down before insisting he did not mind, having no control over his words as he trailed off. 'God, he's such a nerd,' the Cheerio mused. "Okay then. I'll show you up to my room, Ryder." The words rolled off her tongue as she grabbed his arm and showed him up the stairs and into her room. Ryder was lost for words at the very sight of it.
Marley's room was massive. Her mammoth bed, impressive with its dark and shiny wooden bed frame, was standing centrally at the back of the room by a large window, and had several brightly coloured cushions on it. To the left was a long makeup table, with several drawers and cosmetics spread across it neatly, a curling iron and a hair straightener also making an appearance on the table, not to mention a huge and impeccable mirror. As Ryder moved his head, he saw an open walk-in wardrobe, complete with all of Marley's cute tops, short skirts and skinny jeans, and occasionally the sight of a small or sexy dress or elaborate lingerie, which definitely raised a crimson colour to the boy's face. There was also a furry, pink rug on the glossy wooden floor, and the walls were painted a simple duck-egg blue, which surprised Ryder, but was also his favourite bit amongst the room before him – it showed that Marley had a soft side.
Marley smirked at his expression, and went to close the doors to the walk-in wardrobe, before she then sat on the pink and fluffy rug in the middle of the room, and patted the spot next to her with a smirk. Ryder quickly obliged, sitting next to Marley and opening the algebra books. He gazed into her piercing light cerulean eyes for a second, before clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses and moving on with the tutoring.
"Ugh, algebra sucks!" Marley exclaimed after half an hour of not getting any of what Ryder was assisting her on. "Like, when are you actually gonna use it in real life?"
Ryder chuckled slightly. "I don't know, Marley. But you have to learn these things if you don't want to flunk again."
Little did he know she knew everything he was teaching her. She was acing algebra in understanding, but she was flunking it on purpose so she wasn't being called out as a 'nerd' or an 'algebra dork'. You need a status and a reputation at McKinley, otherwise, how are you meant to survive?
Marley just sighed and nodded in reply to Ryder's statement. "Okay, I guess you're right. But can we at least take a break? All these values for 'x' are tiring me out."
"I don't see why not." Ryder smiled. Then, Marley rested her elbows on her knees and cupped her cheeks in her hands, looking at Ryder. "So, what's happening in Glee Club?" Ryder was taken aback about her question. "Since when do you care about what's happening in Glee Club?" He chuckled somewhat nervously.
"I don't know… sometimes it sounds… pretty fun." was her reply. "So, what's happening?"
"Ummm… we're preparing for Nationals, I might get a solo." Ryder looked down and grinned. "I really, really hope I do, though."
"You should, I bet you're super good at singing." She complemented him innocently with a smile.
"uhm, thanks, I guess." Ryder blushed and turned crimson again, then cleared his throat. "So, uh, what's happening in… the Cheerios?"
Marley groaned and lay back on the rug. "Coach Sue gave us this super hard cheer routine, and she's moved our rehearsals to, like, 7 in the morning and every day after school for our Nationals competition. It totally blows, Ryder. And when I come out of rehearsals, tired and all that crap, these floods of jocks just come up to me whilst I'm trying to get to my next class, just asking me if I'm okay and if I want to go out with them on some date to cheer me up. Ugh!" she groaned again.
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised about all of these guys coming up to you – you are very pretty and popular." He confessed, and blushed again. 'Did I really just tell her that?'
Marley smiled, really, and grabbed his knee reassuringly. "Thanks, I guess," she giggled, sitting back up and looking into Ryder's eyes for a second, getting lost in them with no control. Ryder looked into her eyes, and their eyes locked for a decimal of a second before Ryder cleared his throat again and looked down at the algebra textbook.
"We should… we should, uh... get back to studying." He concluded the conversation as he swallowed the lump in his throat – he wanted her so badly. Why did he have to want her? Why couldn't he just like someone who was actually in his league?
"Yeah," Marley giggled with her mouth closed, a smirk upholding her face. "I guess we should."
They studied for another hour and a half, Ryder going through everything with her, stuttering a little. Marley wasn't even listening – she was just arguing with herself. Why was she acting so weird around him? Why was she so shy now, when thousands of guys had been to her house before and she had been so confident? 'I better damn figure it out,' she thought, 'It's getting in the way of my meddling.'
"Any more questions?" Ryder asked, snapping her out of her thoughts and raking a hand through his hair, not noticing the thin girl in front of him bite her lip as he did so (and scolding herself afterwards for being just a little attracted to him).
"Uh, no. I think I have it now." She smiled, then, realising a way to catapult her plan in full swing, she smirked. "Actually, yes." Ryder looked up at her, concerned as to what she could be stuck on. "You know my friend Kitty?" Ryder nodded questioningly, "well, she's having this big Halloween party at her house next Friday. It's a costume party, and I'm allowed to bring a plus one… do you… want to come with me?" she bit her lip again, looking at him with her begging blue eyes.
"Are… a-are you serious?" she nodded in reply, still biting her glossed bottom lip. "Uhm, yeah, okay." He grinned, blushing again and adjusting his glasses once more.
Marley squealed in (fake) enthusiasm then pulled the Ryder into a tight hug. "Great! Party starts at 9pm. You better be there." She smirked, standing up and handing him his algebra books as he did the same.
"O-okay," he chuckled, "I will." He took his algebra books from the smaller girl.
"Good." She smirked, then leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, leaving a mark of her classic pinky red lipstick behind, before pulling away afterwards with a mischievous smirk. Ryder looked completely lost for words.
"See you, Marley," he blurted out, chuckling slightly in disbelief as he made his way down the stairs of the household. Turning to her mother, he exclaimed "Always a pleasure, Ms Rose," before grinning and leaving the house, not a chance in the world that the grin on his face would fade any time soon.
And that's chapter 3 complete, my friends. I hope you enjoyed, and, as always, keep reviewing/following/favouriting! I am very pleased about the positive feedback coming, you guys are the best!
Oh, by the way, I changed Marley's mom because I thought it would fit in more with the story. I have nothing against Millie Rose though, she's a sweetheart!
Next chapter: Kitty's Halloween party :D (I understand the timings are pretty different to the present day, but that was simply due to poor planning- sorry guys :/ )
I hope to update soon! ;-)