Rated T for offensive language, mild sex themes, scattered violence, offensive language, and drama.
I'll post author's notes at the end of every chapter.
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Radio Gaga
"Hey, William," Sue Sylvester said, entering the almost-empty Glee classroom after the club had been let out a few days later.
"Hello, Sue," Will replied with a competitive smirk on his face. He was just as ready to ridicule her as she was to ridicule him. "You haven't spoken to me in a few days. I should have known all good things were not meant to last."
"I didn't come here to be insulted," Sue said, sounding more like Will today. "I came here to tell you that I did something nice for once. But if you don't want to hear about it, I'll leave." She turned around to leave the room.
"No, Sue, wait," Will sighed, and the cheerleading coach stopped. "What did you do?"
"I've been thinking a lot," Sue explained. "Yes, it's a dangerous pastime. It takes away from all that valuable time I could be spending destroying you. But I've been thinking ever since the holidays. It's been a few months since then. I thought about Jean's funeral. I thought about how nice it was what your kids did for her… and for me. All I've ever done to thank you for it is try to get your little club to Libya instead of New York for Nationals. So I decided to do something to repay all of you. A few weeks ago I was surfing the net, Google searching various things like 'I hate Will Schuester' and 'New Directions suck.' Then I stumbled upon a famous pop star's interview. She talked about Nationals, and said that she had access to a tape showing all of the performances. She specifically talked about New Directions, and said that they didn't suck the way people said they did. She didn't think it was bad that Frankenteen and Thumbelina kissed each other in front of a huge audience. She liked it; thought it was powerful. She also thought that the whole group of kids was talented. You'd think I would have kept my big mouth shut, but I wanted to tell you. I also contacted this female phenomenon and told her that I was a personal friend of yours. She wants to meet New Directions right here in McKinley High. I told her that ya'all lost Sectionals this year. She wants your little club to record a song and sing a number in her upcoming concert tour."
"Sue, please don't mess around with me like this," Will groaned.
"I'm serious," Sue promised, and Will looked into her eyes. Yes… she was serious.
"Who's the famous pop star?" he was curious to know.
"That's a surprise, Willy," Sue said with a playful smirk. "But she's going to be here next week. She's going to Figgins' office (he'll probably be speechless when he sees her), and she's gonna tell him that she's here to see a one Sue Sylvester. He'll call my name, I'll come along, and then I'll lead her to the auditorium where she is to meet your little Glee Club."
Will laughed happily. "Thank you, Sue! You're amazing!" He took a few steps toward her and outspread his arms to hug her, but she stepped away from him.
"No, I'm not gonna hug you, William," she said, holding her hands up to keep him away. "Your hair smells too strongly."
Will sighed and shook his head. The smile didn't leave his face. "Thank you, Sue."
"I would say 'anytime,' but I don't want you to get used to it," she replied, and after that she left the room. Will smiled and stood there, wondering who the pop star could be.
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So the big day came, and Will hadn't said a word to the Glee Club. They had no idea. He just had the kids go to the auditorium every day just in case it was going to be then. He'd given them an assignment: to rehearse singing a song that described each of them. He wanted for them to sing the song to the mystery pop star. So the kids were hard at work.
Puck and Lauren were rehearsing with Sam, Mercedes, and Artie. Brittany and Santana were over in a corner together. Mike danced while Tina sang. Kurt ran different song titles by Rachel and Finn. Quinn practiced by herself. Will stood against the stage with his arms crossed. He watched the theater doors, waiting for the singer to enter the auditorium. His heart beat fast. He knew he shouldn't have trusted Sue so much, but she was just so genuine when she told him about the entertainer, and she hadn't bothered him since.
Just then the doors opened, and beside Sue Sylvester stepped a diva wearing huge green sunglasses and her bleached blonde hair up above her head in the shape of a triangle! She wore blood-red lipstick, sparkly white gloves, and a purple suit. She was so eccentric that no one had missed her enter the room. There was a loud scream. Will guessed it must have come from Kurt. The fashionable boy had his hands over his mouth, asking in a muffled voice, "Is it really her? Is it really her? Is it really her? Is it really here? Rachel, am I dreaming? Pinch me!"
Everyone stared at Lady Gaga with their jaws dropped and their eyes star-struck.
"Well, kids," said Sue, gesturing to the popular celebrity. "Meet the only person in this world gaga enough to believe you're talented. Yeah, you've probably guessed it's Lady Gaga."
"It's wonderful to meet you, Miss Gaga," Will said, approaching the mega-pop star. He held his hand out for her to shake, hoping that it wasn't trembling too much.
"Likewise," she replied in a cool tone of voice, accepting the gesture. She observed the Glee coach for a moment and said with a crooked smile, "Your hair is very nice."
"Why, thank you," Will said in response, smirking at Sue, who shrugged in boredom.
"Can we…?" Tina asked, her voice trailing off. Will grinned and nodded at her. The whole Glee Club came running over to Lady Gaga, all speaking to her at once.
"One at a time, guys! One at a time!" Will laughed.
Rachel (of course) pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She was awfully strong for someone so small. She grabbed Gaga's hand and shook it vivaciously. "Hello, my name is Rachel Berry, and I just wanted to tell you that I am a huge fan."
Kurt shoved her out of the way with a sideways jut of his hips and took Gaga's hand out of her grasp and into his. "You. Are. A. Genius." He was going to hyperventilate.
"I'm Tina Cohen-Chang!" Tina said, deciding to stand behind Kurt. She knew that there was no getting him away from Lady Gaga.
"And I'm her boyfriend Mike Chang," Mike said, putting an arm around his girlfriend.
"Artie Abrams!"
"Santana Lopez!"
"Noah Puckerman!"
"Lauren Zizes! You are amazing!"
"Finn Hudson."
"Sam Evans."
"Mercedes Jones!"
"Quinn Fabray."
"Brittany Pierce. You are so hot. Ow. You didn't have to hit me, Santana."
"I know who you all are," Gaga informed the teenagers. "I watched the tape of you performing at Nationals this past summer. You were quite impressive. And as for the kiss, the judges were sensitive. I believe every performance needs a controversial, shocking moment. It makes it more dramatic."
Rachel beamed and squeezed Finn's hand. Lady Gaga was impressed with New Directions, the two of them in particular!
"We've done lots of your songs in Glee Club," Kurt explained, fanning himself with his hands, for some reason thinking that doing so would keep him from fainting. "We've done 'Bad Romance,' 'Born This Way' -"
"'Telephone!'" Rachel interjected. "'Pokerface!'"
Lady Gaga gave a small smile. No one could see her eyes from behind her dark sunglasses. "It flatters me to know that I have inspired so many beautiful people," she said, still in her reserved, almost-monotone speaking voice. "And now I shall tell you why I am here. The song you sang at Nationals - 'Light Up The World' - was spectacular. I want for you to record it, and I will personally see to it that it is heard on the radio. And then I would like to see you perform 'Born This Way'….. on stage….. In my upcoming concert tour."
Everyone thought they were dreaming. Was this real? Lady Gaga was an inspiration to almost everyone in the auditorium, and now she was going to make them stars!
She was going to get their voices heard in cars all over the world, and then she was going to let them sing their hearts out on stage. With her. This was almost too good to be true, but it was true. And at this moment, none of the slushees, insults, or bullying mattered. Every hardship New Directions ever faced was worth it. It all meant something. It was like the Glee students had traveled through a horrible blizzard, and now found a warm, cozy little cabin. All that hard work had paid off. Rachel had always known that it was only a matter of time before something like this happened, but it came over as a huge surprise to everyone else.
"Guys, get up onstage," Will told the kids. He wanted them to perform 'Born This Way' for Lady Gaga.
"We don't have our t-shirts," Mike referred to the tees that displayed a word or phrase showing what each student had been afraid of, but were no longer ashamed of.
"Bring them to school tomorrow," Will said, smiling. "We'll rehearse again."
Kurt squealed with happiness and leaped onto the stage with Mercedes and Tina scurrying to keep up with him. Everyone got behind the curtains, and Will turned to Lady Gaga and Sue Sylvester. He gestured for them to follow him over to the seats.
Kurt came out from behind the curtains and began when the music started - the same way he'd done when the club had performed the number the last year, "It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M. Just put your paws up, 'cause you were born this way, baby!" He'd raised his arms up in the air, and Tina and Mercedes appeared at his sides. He wasn't wearing his special tee or a jacket over it, so they didn't do anything to his outfit today like they usually did while performing this song. But they did the usual dance.
Tina: "My mama told me when I was young 'We are all born superstars.' She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on in the glass of her boudoir."
Mercedes: "There's nothin' wrong with lovin' who you are. She said ''cause He made you perfect, babe.' So hold your head up, girl, and you'll go far. Listen to me when I say…"
Everyone else joined in: "I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes! I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way! Don't hide yourself in regret. Just love yourself and you're set. I'm on the right track, baby. I was born this way, born this way! Ooh, there ain't no other way. Baby, I was born this way. Baby, I was born this way! Ooh, there ain't no other way. Baby, I was born this way. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way."
"Don't be a drag; just be a queen!"
"Don't be a drag; just be a queen!"
"Don't be a drag; just be a queen!"
"Don't be, don't be…"
"Give yourself prudence and love your friends. Subway kid, rejoice of truth. In the religion of the insecure, I must be myself, respect my youth. A different lover is not a sin. Believe capital H-I-M. I love my life, I love this record, and mi amore vole fe yah! I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes! I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way! Don't hide yourself in regret. Just love yourself and you're set. I'm on the right track, baby. I was born this way, born this way! Ooh, there ain't no other way. Baby, I was born this way. Baby, I was born this way! Ooh, there ain't no other way. Baby, I was born this way. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way."
Kurt moved dramatically to the front of the stage again: "Don't be a drag; just be a queen! Whether you're broke or evergreen. You're black, white, beige, chola descent. You're Lebanese, you're orient! Whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased. Rejoice and love yourself today, 'cause baby, you were born this way!"
Everyone: "No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life: I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive! No matter black, white, or beige, chola, or orient made, I'm on the right track, baby. I was born to be brave! I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes! I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way! Don't hide yourself in regret. Just love yourself and you're set. I'm on the right track, baby. I was born this way, born this way! Ooh, there ain't no other way. Baby, I was born this way. Baby, I was born this way! Ooh, there ain't no other way. Baby, I was born this way. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way. I was born this way, hey. I was born this way, hey. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way. I was born this way, hey. I was born this way, hey. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way."
Lady Gaga clapped her hands as the worn-out Glee students caught their breath. They'd given more than ever before to a performance today, since they were performing for the Lady Gaga. "Bravo!" she told them. "Splendid! You've all outdone yourselves today, my little monsters!" Will smiled over at Sue, who did not return a look. She wasn't ready to become Will Schuester's friend just yet. Actually, she wasn't sure if she ever would be.
"Did you hear that?" Rachel hissed at Sam and Lauren. "She called us her little monsters! This has to be the best day of my life!"
Gaga handed Will a few phone numbers, including hers and her agent's.
"Bring the kids to the recording studio next week," she said. "That's when I want them to record the song they sang at Nationals. There we'll talk about the concert."
"Great. Thanks, Lady Gaga!" Will said, still unable to get over the excitement as the diva made her dramatic exit out the door. Sue stood there with her fists on her hips.
"Well, Gaga threw Figgins for a loop when she entered his office, just as I predicted," she told Mr. Schue. "And there were a bunch of students hanging around that saw her."
The Glee kids all started laughing, wondering which students had seen her in the McKinley halls. "Wow, I bet those underclassmen wish they hadn't quit Glee," Mercedes chuckled, supposing that they'd been some of the people that saw the pop star.
"Guess I'll see you 'round, Willy." Sue waved before leaving the auditorium.
"Hey Sue," Will said, stopping the cheerleading coach. She turned around and looked at him. Will grinned. "She liked my hair."
Sue frowned. "Don't push it." And then she was gone.
The kids all continued to talk about Lady Gaga and about what they would say to everyone who'd ever doubted them. While Will watched them converse with such joy, Emma Pillsbury entered the auditorium in a cute red blouse with black polka-dots. She looked like a ladybug. She went over to Will and smiled widely up at him.
"I saw Lady Gaga earlier," she told him. "Sue told me she was going to see you and the Glee kids."
"Yeah," Will said, nodding his head. "She wants the kids to record a song, and then appear in her concert tour."
"That's amazing," Emma encouraged him. "See, even though you didn't take the Broadway deal, you're still climbing that ladder of success."
"I'm never going to be at the top," Will sighed, "until I have you."
Emma's smile faded. "Yeah, Shannon told me that she broke up with you."
"You say it like it's a bad thing," Will said, making a face.
"No, it's not." Emma shook her head and looked down at her feet. "I love you, Will, and I really want to be with you. I'm just so scared that I'm going to… mess it up."
"What makes you think that?" Will wanted to know.
"Something always goes wrong when we're together," Emma reminded him. "I wanted this for a long time, but now that I can have you, it's all coming back to me. And now I'm not worried that one of us will cheat on the other, but I'm worried that my…. Problems are going to get in the way of us. I've been taking pills, but -"
"Emma," Will took her hand, "I promise to help you get rid of these problems. I will stand by your side until the end, and get you through this. It's not permanent. It really isn't."
Emma's round eyes filled with tears. "You are such a good man, Will."
And at that moment, the two of them kissed on the lips. It didn't matter that all the kids were there. None of them were paying attention. They were all thinking of their amazing meeting with Lady Gaga, none any less star struck than they were at the moment she entered the auditorium. After the kiss was over, Will knew that this was the best day of his life.
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Finally, Rachel Berry thought to herself that next week when she and the rest of New Directions walked into the recording studio. Since Lady Gaga made her appearance at McKinley, people treated the Glee Club like it was full of kings and queens. There were still a few people who treated it like crap, but those idiots didn't understand the genius that is Gaga. Rachel had recorded a few songs in the past, but it was all small-scale stuff. Today she would be singing something that would be heard on the radio, everywhere!
The kids shook hands with a bunch of important people in the business before Gaga joined them to talk about recording. When the pop star made her dramatic-as-ever entrance, she explained to them that they needed to go into a booth and get their head-gear fitted to their liking. Mercedes had brought the track for 'Light Up The World.' Lady Gaga told them to warm up and rehearse for a little while before the actual recording. After that, they were ready.
Santana: "Hey-hey-hey you and me keep on dancing in the dark. It's been tearing me apart, never knowing what we are. Hey-hey-hey you and me keep on trying to play it cool. Now it's time to make a move. And that's what I'm gonna do."
Artie: "Lay it all down."
Brittany: "Got something to say."
Artie: "Lay it all down."
Brittany: "Throw your doubt away."
Artie: "Do or die now."
Brittany: "Step on to the plate."
Artie: "Blow the door wide open like up, up, and away."
Everyone: "Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight! Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight!"
Finn: "Hey-hey-hey you and me, turn it up ten-thousand watts. Tell me why we gotta stop? I just wanna let it rock!"
Artie: "Hey-hey-hey, you and me," Tina joins in, "keep on staring at the road, like we don't know where to go. Step back, let me take control!" Artie by himself again: "Lay it all down."
Brittany: "Got something to say."
Artie: "Lay it all down."
Brittany: "Throw your doubt away."
Artie: "Do or die now."
Brittany: "Step on to the plate."
Artie: "Blow the door wide open like up, up, and away."
Everyone: "Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight! Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight! Hey-hey-hey you! Hey-hey-hey you! Hey-hey-hey you! Hey-hey-hey you-you-you-you-you!"
Rachel: "Lay it all down. Got something to say. Lay it all down. Throw your doubt away. Do or die now. Step on to the plate. Blow the door wide open like up, up, and away."
Everyone: "Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight! Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight! Let's light up the world tonigh-igh-ight! You gotta give up the fight and ri-i-ide! I know that we got the love, alrigh-igh-ight! Come on and ligh-ligh-light it up. Light it up tonight!"
"Brilliant, just as I expected," Lady Gaga said as her producers applauded.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair began passing out papers to each of the members of New Directions. "Here are your contracts," she explained. "Have your parents sign them if they are alright with the idea of you touring with Lady Gaga."
Many of the teenagers exchanged looks amongst themselves. Not even half of them had mentioned to their parents that they met Lady Gaga at all. They wondered how their moms and dads would react when their kids asked them to let them tour with her! Rachel had already told her two dads about the diva's appearance at her school's auditorium. Tina's parents knew. So did Mercedes', Brittany's, Santana's, Artie's, Puck's, and Lauren's. Sam and Mike had yet to tell theirs. Quinn's mother had no idea. Finn's mom and Kurt's dad were unaware. Rachel needed this. Any Broadway director would be impressed to hear that she'd been featured in a Lady Gaga concert tour prior to an audition. This would look fantastic on her résumé.
When the teens left the recording studio, Will took a look at his cell phone and saw that he'd received a text message from Emma. She was asking him to join her at Breadstix that night. Will smiled to himself. Things were definitely looking up.
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Author's Note: The girl/lady I can relate to the most on Glee is Emma. I hope that she is able to overcome her problems in Season Three. Only a few more chapters and I'm done posting this! You would not believe how much editing I did on this story. I practically rewrote it and changed everything because I was not satisfied with it enough to put it up on fanfiction. It still isn't great, but I really have improved writing since. I promise you that! I hope you enjoyed this anyway. There are many errors, I know.