My face felt like I just got punched by Rocky twice, once of each side. My cheeks for the size of a small Nerf ball; I just got my wisdom teeth removed. My mother insisted that I stayed in bed to rest, even though I was supposed to be at glee club rehearsals for Nationals, which were just weeks away. But, my mother turns into some lawyer when it comes to arguing with either me or dad, so there's no point in arguing with her.
A few people from glee have been over to see how I'm doing, mainly Jake and Marley. Unique tried to come over, but my mother turned her away at the door. Just because I rejoined the New Directions doesn't mean that we're friends again; we aren't acquaintances.
The third day I was away from school, the impossible happened. Kitty Wilde, the new head Cheerio and the most hated girl at McKinley High School, came over to his house. The walls in my house aren't the thickest, so I could hear everything through the walls when I heard the doorbell ring.
"Hi Mrs. Lynn, is Ryder up to see people?" she asked.
I could hear the shock in my mother's voice when she said, "I'm sorry, and you are?"
"I'm Kitty Wilde, I'm a friend from school," she said.
And ten seconds later my mother lead Kitty into my room. Kitty smiled when she saw my chipmunk-like cheeks. She pulled my desk chair up to the edge of my bed. "How're you feeling?" she asked me.
"Fine," was all I said. All I could say. Besides the shock that went through me like a electricity, my mouth was still too sore to say anything else.
"Well you don't look fine. You look terrible," she said, sarcastically but still rather sweetly. It caused me to laugh but then suddenly groan. "I'm not supposed to make you laugh, am I?"
I shook my head 'no'. "It's like a knife getting shoved into my jaw if I laugh, say the wrong thing, whatever," I tell her, while pushing my self into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. "So how's glee club?"
"Terrible. Mr. Schuester only cares about Tina, Blaine, Artie, and Sam. It's like he doesn't even acknowledge Marley's, Jake's, Unique's, or my existence. Blaine, Artie, and Sam are leading the boy number and Tina is leading the girl's number. He hasn't decided who is singing the grand duet," she said. I was shocked to see how said she looked.
"You four haven't tried talking to him?" I asked her.
Kitty shook her head. "There's no use. He's actually more stubborn than you," she said, with her signature smirk. I couldn't help but laugh, despite the pain that it would cause me.
"So what brings you over here?" I realize that it came out a little harsher than it should have, especially when I saw Kitty look taken back when the words escaped my mouth.
She looked down at her lap, playing with her fingers. "I just thought we could talk, you know? We haven't really talked that much since the library."
She didn't make eye contact – let alone look at me – for a good five seconds after saying those words. I suddenly remembered: I passed up an opportunity to go on a date with Kitty to stay and chat with someone who had been lying to me for weeks. "Look, I never actually apologized for that and I should have-," I started, before Kitty threw up a hand to silence me.
"Can we just drop it? It's not something I want to discuss. Especially with you," she said those words harshly, and she deserved to say them harshly. That hurt look she had when I rejected her all those weeks ago was etched into my brain, and just now escaped it.
We sat in a few seconds of silence before I broke it," So what are the songs for Nationals?"
"Ugh, the boys – well, and you, I guess – are doing Counting Stars, that new OneRepublic song, and the girls are doing Royals. Mr. Schuester hasn't told us the duet yet," Kitty said, forcing her self to look up at me.
"What's Royals? I don't think I've ever heard that song before," I said.
Kitty scoffed. "Are you living underneath a rock? That song is amazing," she said.
"Maybe you could sing it for me then?" I asked her, giving her the best smile I could give her with my cheeks. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm tired. I just came from glee practice. I'm surprised I still have my voice after those God-awful vocal practices Mr. Schuester made us do," Kitty said.
"Aw, please?" I begged her.
"Alright, fine! Just let me get the music," she said, pulling out her phone, punching in some numbers, and then tossing it onto my bed. I caught it, and put it on my leg. Kitty moved over to the front of the bed.
KITTY
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of address,
In the torn-up town, no post code envy
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't car,e we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals
It don't run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler,
You can cal me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy
My friends and I – we've cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us that we're fine with this,
We don't come from money
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room
We don't car,e we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals
It don't run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler,
You can cal me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy
Ooh ooooh ohhh
We're bigger than we ever dreamed,
And I'm in love with being queen.
Oooooh ooooh ohhhh
Life is game without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals
It don't run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler,
You can cal me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy
The music finished and I started shaking my head. Kitty noticed and asked, "What?"
"I just don't get why you never get to sing in glee club. You have the best voice in the whole club," I told her, being completely honest with her.
Kitty blushed as she sat back down. She picked up her phone and noticed the time. "Oh, shoot, I have to go. My parents want me home for dinner. Will you be back to school soon?" she asked me, heading towards the door.
"Not until Friday. But Kitty, listen," I said, causing her to turn back to me," You really should talk to Mr. Schuester. Sing the song for him. Maybe he'll make you and Tina sing that as a duet."
Kitty smiled at me. "Maybe I will. See you Friday," she said, before exiting my room, shutting the door behind me.
Six weeks later I was standing with the fellow New Direction boys. Myself, Jake, Blaine, Sam, and Joe were sweating while we watched Tina, Kitty, Marley, Unique, and Sugar perform "Royals". The music ended, and all the girls except for Kitty rushed off stage. Marley and Sugar gave me pats on the shoulder for encouragement, while Unique looked down as she passed me. I walked on stage as the music began.
RYDER
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Ohhh…
Won't you come see about me?
I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby
KITTY
Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out and
Love's strange so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that were working on
RYDER
Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets int your heart, baby
KITTY & RYDER
Don't you forget about me
Don't Don't Don't Don't
Don't you forget about me
RYDER
Will you stand above me?
Look at my way, never love me
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down
KITTY
Will you recognize me?
Call my name or walk on by
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down, down
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Ohhhh….
RYDER
Don't you try to pretend
It's my feeling we'll win in the end
I won't harm you or touch your defenses
Vanity and security
KITTY & RYDER
Don't you forget about me
KITTY
I'll be alone dancing you know it baby
RYDER
Going to take you apart
I'll put us back together at heart, baby
KITTY & RYDER
Don't you forget about me
Don't don't don't don't
Don't you forget about me
RYDER
As you walk on by
KITTY
Will you call my name?
RYDER
As you walk on by
KITTY
Will you call my name?
KITTY & RYDER
When you walk away
KITTY
Or will you walk away?
RYDER
Will you walk on by?
KITTY & RYDER
Come on – call my name
RYDER
Will you call my name?
KITTY & RYDER
I say:
La la la…
The music finished and Kitty and I quickly rushed off stage to rejoin the other New Directions, where we were greeted by hugs from the other glee club members. After the hugging died down, Kitty walked over to me. "You sounded great out there, Ryder," she told me with a smile.
"Do you think you would want to hang out when we get back to the hotel? Go swimming or something?" I asked her, before I could help myself.
"That was sudden," she said with a smile. She then added, "I would love to."
We then hugged.
Three hours later we got back to the Marriot Courtyard. I quickly went up to my hotel room, which I was sharing with Jake, and changed into my swimsuit and into a basic t-shirt. I grabbed a towel and made my way down to the hotel's pool.
I took the elevator, and it stopped on the second floor. The doors opened and Kitty was standing before me. She was wearing a pair of Nike running shorts and a t-shirt over her bikini. Her hair was down, and she looked gorgeous with no make-up on. She laughed when she saw me and walked into the elevator.
"I thought the guy was supposed to get there before the girl, not arrive with the girl," she said with a smile, while facing the doors.
"It depends on what type of guy you are going on a date with," I said with a smirk.
The elevator doors opened once more, and being the gentleman that I was, I let Kitty out of the small compartment before me. We walked side by side as we walked past the bar, where Mr. Schuester and his wife were enjoying celebratory drinks.
Kitty and I reached the pool and we were the only ones there. The pool was small, but it was okay for the two of us. I quickly pulled off my t-shirt and put the shirt and towel down on a poolside chair, and hopped into the five-foot deep pool. I resurfaced and spit water out towards Kitty's feet. She shrieked and hopped out of the way.
"Ew, Ryder!" she said.
"Are you getting in here, or not?" I asked her, pulling my hair out of my face. During the time I was underwater, she must have pulled off her shorts and shirt because she was staring at me with a smirk on her face, hands on her hips. Her body looked amazing in that two-piece. I couldn't help myself from staring.
Kitty moved to the edge of the pool and said, "I don't know if I'm up for swimming, though. I'm kind of tired."
I smiled and swam over to her. I rested my arms on the edge of the pool, forming an 'X'. She leaned over. "Oh are you really?"
"Yeah, I am," she said, even though we both knew she didn't mean it. What I did next was something she wasn't expecting it. I pushed myself upwards, and grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her into the pool. We both went underwater and resurfaced at the same time. She splashed me in the face with a shriek. "Jesus!"
I splashed back. We then got in a splash fight, then she decided to push my head underwater, playfully. I grabbed her arm and pulled her underwater as well.
Underwater, my back was against the bottom of the pool. She was holding my upper arms, and I was holding onto her right forearm. We looked deep into each other's eyes before I tangled my fingers into her loose hair, and she did the same with mine, and we connected at the mouth, kissing.