"You did what?!" Finn asked, staring at the blonde by across from him.
"I'm auditioning for the glee club." Sam repeated. Rachel, who was sitting next to Finn, waved her plastic fork in Sam's direction.
"Okay, I'm telling you this because we're your friends; the glee club is the lowest ranking on the social ladder. If you join, you'll end up being a loser like Quinn and Kurt."
"But if I'm in the football team, surely that''l make up for some of it?" Sam replied, taking another bite of his apple. It was lunch time on Tuesday and the cafeteria was crowded with chattering kids. Even though he was new to the school Sam had quickly been offered a place at the table with the jocks and cheerleaders, which he accepted.
"Not a chance. One dude tried it a year or so ago but eventually, he got bullied so much that he had to transfer to another school." Santana piped up. She was sitting with Brittany, on the other side of Finn.
"Seriously?" Sam found the story hard to believe.
"Yup. He was destined to be a football star but then he decided to join the glee club for some reason and boom - there went his popularity." Rachel nodded as Finn tried to explain the situation.
"Whatever. I can still audition. That Quinn girl said I don't have to sign up or anything. And I do like singing."
"Dude, sing in the shower, or at the karaoke bar. If word gets around, you'll lose it." Santana said with a tone that clearly said 'this conversation is over'. She picked up her tray and walked off, Brittany following a moment later.
"Seriously, Sam. just forget about it." Finn told him. Sam sighed but dropped the subject. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he noticed it wasn't long until class started so he began to head in the direction of his locker.
Quinn was sitting on the floor under her locker, Kurt next to her, eating her lunch when she noticed Sam walking past. She dumped her sandwich on Kurt and jumped up.
"Sam! Hey." She called and he looked at her.
"Hi, Quinn. Look, I'm really sorry but I don't think I'll make it to the auditions tonight. See, I kinda promised Finn I'd help him with some stuff so…" Sam let the sentence drift off.
"That's okay, auditions are running tomorrow too, actually, just come along if you can." Quinn told him, not to be put out. She knew Rachel had had a say in this and was determined to make things right.
"Er, okay, I guess I'll see what I can do." Sam smiled at her and walked off. Quinn sat back down with a huff. Kurt handed her back her food.
"Rachel's got her claws in deep already, Q. He's a lost cause."
"No. Kurt, he's not. I'm going to beat her for once." Quinn said, suddenly determined. She was about to say more when her phone buzzed.
~Quinn, I've been called to an emergency staff meeting and won't make it to auditions today. Can I count on you and Kurt to run them for me? I know you know what we're looking for and will be a good judge. Mr. S~
"What's up?" Kurt asked, craning to see.
"Mr Schue's not coming to auditions, we're on our own." Quinn told him, tucking her phone back into her bag and standing up. She tossed her uneaten sandwich into the trash can and grabbed her books from her locker.
"Great. Oh well, at least we'll get an afternoon of entertainment." Kurt sighed and stood up too. Neither of them knew just how entertaining their afternoon would be.
The rest of the day sped past for the students of McKinley and it felt like only moments before the final bell rang and they began to scatter, some heading home and others heading to extra-curricular activities. After meeting by Kurt's locker, he and Quinn headed to the auditorium and took their seat at Mr Schue's table, looking over the list of auditionees. They were soon joined by the other New Directions, who took their places in the audience and they called the first person to the stage.
"Hi, my name is Jenna Raynor and I'll be singing Taylor Swift's Innocent." The tall brunette girl smiled, holding the bedazzled microphone tightly.
I guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your warpath
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind tryin' to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you?
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been.
You're still an innocent,
You're still an innocent.
Did some things you can't speak of
But at night you live it all again
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
Wasn't it easier in your firefly-catchin' days?
When everything out of reach, someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn't it beautiful runnin' wild 'til you fell asleep
Before the monsters caught up to you?
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not what you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32, and still growin' up now
Who you are is not what you did.
You're still an innocent.
Time turns flames to embers
You'll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to be brand new
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not what you've been
You're still an innocent.
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32, and still growin' up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent.
You're still an innocent.
Lost your balance on a tightrope.
It's never too late to get it back.
When she was done, the New Directions clapped politely and waited for Quinn to speak.
"Thanks, Jenna. Names will be posted by Friday." The girl nodded and walked off stage and the rest of the auditions ran smoothly as student after student sang their audition pieces. Finally Quinn looked at the last name on the list and her eyes widened. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"What?" Kurt asked, looking at the list and groaning when he saw what she had. "Rachel Berry." A smirking Rachel marched onto the stage, her usual minions following her.
"There isn't a rule to say we can't audition is there?" Rachel asked sweetly. Mentally, Quinn thought there should be a rule against it but knew she had no premise to refuse the girl.
"No. Go ahead."
"Good. We will be singing New Girl in Town from Hairspray." The girls got into position, Rachel slightly in front with Brittany and Santana to the side. Quinn rolled her eyes but sat back to watch anyway.
Hey! Look out for that moving van,
Driving down our streets,
You better lock up your man, before he meets:
The new girl in town! Who just came on the scene,
The new girl in town! Can't be more than sixteen,
And she's got a way of making a boy act like a clown!
Ooooooh!
And we don't know what to do,' bout the new girl in town.
The new girl in town seems to dance on air,
The new girl in town
She's got the coolest hair!
You better tell the homecoming queen to hold on to her crown, oh oh oh, or she's gonna lose it to the new girl in town.
She's hip.
So cool.
I'm gonna get her after schkool.
And yet we'd like to be like her, cause she's the kitten that the cats prefer.
Ladies step a side!
The new girl in town has my guy on a string.
The new girl in town, hey look, she's wearing his ring!
I can't stop crying and so in my own tears I'm gonna drown ow-ow-ow
He wants to rendez-vous with the new girl.
We kind of sad and blue
Yes it's true girl
We'd like to say to the new girl in town
the new girl in town
wo-oo,wo-oo,wo-oo,wo-oo
From out of the blue girl
This town's in a stew girl
What a hullabaloo girl
She ain't just passing through girl
She's sticking like glue girl
To the man I thought I knew girl
wo-oo,wo-oo,wo-oo,wo-oo
Hey look out for that moving van
Look out,Look out,Look out,Look out
She was the new girl in.. town.
"Well, names will be posted by Friday." Quinn said bluntly when they were finished. Rachel smiled and walked off, her minions following. When they were gone, Quinn groaned.
"Damn, they were good." Kurt murmured.
"Yeah. And now they're going to find another way to ruin my life." Quinn said, snapping shut her book and switching off the desk light. "Okay guys, Mr Schue will be here tomorrow so make sure you have an idea of who you want to include. Remember, we still have a whole bunch of auditions tomorrow." She addressed the other New Directions before they disappeared, leaving her and Kurt alone in the room.
"I don't believe it." Kurt said.
"How could Mr Shue keep this a secret. He knows what they do."
"I guess he had to let them audition. Rachel's dads are lawyers and Santana's father is a doctor. He could have gotten in a lot of trouble if he refused."
"Maybe. But he could have told us."
"He probably thought we wouldn't run auditions if we knew."
"Whatever. Let's just go home. I'm tired." Kurt nodded and the two of them walked out to the carpark. They hugged goodbye when they got to their cars, parked next to each other of course, and drove off.