Chapter 2

New Friendships

Will Schuester was walking from the parking lot. He was wearing a brown blazer, a typical blue dress shirt, and navy slacks. Not forgetting, of course, a maroon tie to finish the look he had been carrying since he became a Spanish teacher at McKinley High.

But, when he became the director of the Glee Club, he really didn't care about how he looked anymore. What he cared about most were the kids on his club. They way they sang and danced like a family reminded him of when he used to perform on the club. The sheer bliss and excitement of making the audience smile as they performed made him feel like a proud parent.

Sadly, they always came up short. Their rival Vocal Adrenaline always edged them out. But, the past didn't matter. With more experience under their belt and possibly new talent, they'll truly win Nationals this year. And no one's going to stop them.

He walked towards the school entrance near the parking lot, and saw a slim redhead, looking at a step ladder. He instantly thought of Emma, the guidance counselor of the school, and his previous romance, except for the clothes of course. Wearing brown boots, black leggings, and a bright green top, he knew who this student was.

"Marissa, right?"

She immediately turned to see who surprised her. Yes, it was the Spanish teacher Mr. Schuester. She looked at his get-up and was surprised –he was not wearing one of his trademark vests. She loved learning languages, and Spanish was one of her favorite classes. She also liked the fact that Mr. Schuester was the director of the Glee Club, but still that wouldn't make her join.

He was probably wondering why she was looking at the stepladder.

Wait. Her eyes brightened up.

"Mr. Schuester! I didn't know what else to do until you came!"

He frowned as she went near the stepladder and held two of its rails. "What's going on?"

"I saw some of the jocks throw a student at the dumpster, and he couldn't get out."

He let out a deep sigh. When will these students ever learn to ever stop bullying those different from them?

"Okay, I'll help you with that."

He grabbed the other side of the stepladder and they started carrying the stepladder through the parking lot. It was somewhat heavy, even for the two of them. Mr. Schuester looked at Marissa, serious and quiet as always. Even so, she was one of his better students.

"It's very nice of you to help," he smiled. "I don't think you even know this guy."

She smiled at him. "Well, I think that help must be given to those who deserve it."

As they were nearing the dumpster, they heard a voice nearby, singing.

I was scared, I was scared
Tired and underprepared
But I wait for you
If you go, if you go
Leaving me here on my own
Well I wait for you

The closer they got to the dumpster, the louder the voice they were hearing. Marissa was caught off guard. He sounds so good. He could totally be a recording artist. She looked at her Spanish teacher and she knew that they were both thinking the same thing. He could be a good fit for Glee Club. If he gets persuaded he's sure to be a lock-in. Poor guy. This might not be the last time he gets thrown in the dumpster.

Yeah, how long must you wait for him?
Yeah, how long must you pay for him?
Yeah, how long must you wait for him?

"We're here!" She exclaimed, her and Mr. Schuester placing the stepladder. "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Mr. Schuester climbed on the stepladder and reached for the guy to help him get up. Meanwhile, Marissa looked at her phone and saw 5 messages, all from Emily. She was about to reply when the school bell rings.

"Marissa, you go on ahead for your first class. I'll help him."

She nodded. "Thanks again Sir! See you in Spanish!" She hurried towards the school entrance.

Mr. Schue grasps the boy's arm, and pulls him up. "There you go."

"Wait!" The boy said, finally able to stand on the dumpster. However, his 'savior' was now nowhere to be found.

"Say, you seem new here." Mr. Schuester holds the stepladder down as the boy joins him on the ground.

"Yes sir. Cameron Mitchell. I'm previously from Texas, now a new kid in Ohio."

Mr. Schue takes a look at Cameron. He was wearing a slightly long but fitting shirt, tight jeans, and a pair of sneakers. And the cherry on top was his pair of horn-rimmed eyeglasses. Although he wasn't an expert at fashion, he could tell that his attire might've been the reason he was thrown in the dumpster.

He then realizes that the school bell already rang. He wasn't even able to bring up the Glee Club to Cameron. But he will make sure he will.

"Come on, I'll accompany you to your first class," he said as they both entered the school premises.

Lindsay was seated at the front row for her English class, busy planning for her activities for the day. She didn't have any seatmates, though she was used to it. She never really made any friends in school, as she usually hangs out in the school library, studying sheet music she had borrowed or bought the previous day.

The classroom door opened. Lindsay looked up and stopped writing. It was the guy who wrote his name on the Glee Club list. He gives a piece of paper to the teacher.

"Okay, listen up. We have a new student, straight from Ireland."

The teacher steps back to give the floor to the guy.

"Hello. Um, I'm Damian Mcginty, and I just transferred here with my Dad. I'm hoping to be friends with you all."

He looked around at the classroom. He was the type of person who wanted to make friends; yet, his classmates seem to be hostile. No one seemed to care that they had a new classmate from Ireland. His eyes then focused on the front row. She was brunette, had blue eyes and was beautiful in general. And she was looking at him. He felt somewhat relieved. At least there was one person who seemed interested in his arrival.

I've seen this girl before…

He then realizes that she was the girl who was staring at the Glee Club list moments ago.

"Thank you, Damian. You can sit down now so we can start the lesson."

Damian sits beside Lindsay, seeing as it was the only empty seat. He smiled at her as he brought out his notebook. Lindsay, on the other hand, didn't know how to react. She wanted to warn him that joining the Glee Club would make his high school life miserable. But, she didn't want to bring his hopes down, as he seemed really interested in joining the club.

Ugh. Lindsay, don't think about this too much. She continued writing.

Damian looked at Lindsay. She wanted to join the Glee Club, like him. But, she didn't seem to write her name in the list. If she does join, it would be nice to be friends with her. He started to lean to her as he whispered.

"Are you joining the Glee Club?"

Lindsay stopped writing and glanced at the Irishman. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugs. "I saw you looking at the list a while back. You wouldn't be interested if you weren't looking at it."

Lindsay continued writing. "I am thinking about it."

"What's stopping you, err, I haven't got your name yet…"

"Lindsay," she said as she looked at him. "I know you're new. And it probably isn't right to discourage you or anything, but joining that club means torture."

He pulled his chair closer, and leaned towards her as he wrote. "And why do you say that? You haven't been in the club. How would you know?"

"Because," still she was writing. "I know who they are and I've seen how the school ridicules them. They get thrown in the dumpster and get slushied in the face and—

"Slushied?"

She stops writing. "It's when a slushie, a flavored ice drink, is thrown at you."

Lindsay turns to him and is taken aback. He was busy writing, yet he was so close to her. Her cheeks started to turn red, so she scoots a little farther from him, for comfortable space. She immediately continues writing.

"I don't see what the big deal is. About getting slushied, or whatever it is that they do."

She stops writing and focuses and what he is saying.

"As far as I know, the club still has members. Maybe like me, they just love to sing, and to them that's what matters." He stops writing and looks at her. "Even if you wouldn't join, we could still be friends, right?"

Lindsay looks at him. "Um, yeah…of course." He smiles at her and continues writing.

She doesn't know what she could possibly say to Damian at this point. The fact is…he was right. She knew that performing was what she wanted to do since she was born. But all along, what she cared about more was being humiliated or judged by her peers. She shouldn't let anyone shatter her dream.

She glanced at Damian. She could not believe it. Of all the factors that could've persuaded her to join the Glee Club, she certainly did not expect it to be this guy. I can't believe I'm joining New Directions.

It was lunchtime and Cameron was fixing his stuff in his locker. Being thrown in the dumpster was a first for him. He doesn't know why they did throw him. Maybe it's because of how he looked. Back home, no one cared what he looked like. He knew moving was a bad idea. But then again, he was glad that he was thrown in the dumpster. If only he saw the girl who helped him.

When he was in that dumpster, he couldn't get up, maybe because he was tall. He thought he would never get up. He called for help, and for a second, he thought no one would answer. Then he heard her voice. It was different, unlike any other he had heard. It would be totally awesome if she could sing too.

Sadly, he doesn't know who she is. Now, he was hell-bent on finding her. It was like Prince Charming looking for the owner of the glass slipper, but unlike him, he had no glass slipper to base on. Now, he feels like he's exaggerating everything. It's not like the both of you are going to fall in love just because of that! You just want to thank her.

But, in his mind, he really wants to get to know her.

"So, how did you get out, nerd?"

He sighed as he closed his locker and turned around. The same guys who threw him in the dumpster were cornering him, each carrying a cherry-flavored slushie.

"I just did. What's it to you?" He tried to squeeze himself away between two of them, but it was no use.

"What do you want? Throwing me in the dumpster isn't enough for you?"

The five guys looked at each other, and in unison, "Yes!"

One by one, from left to right, the slushies came flying right up to his face. Five times, he felt like he was going to die because of brainfreeze. He removed his glasses, all the red ice dropping on the floor.

"You better not talk back again. You'll be getting more than that!" The five walked on, never bothering to clean up the mess they made.

"Damn it!" Cameron said as he pounded his fist on the lockers.

Not too far away, Hannah and Matheus witnessed the whole thing. They looked at each other and nodded. They approached Cameron.

"Come on, we'll help you clean up," said Matheus looking up at him, smiling. "Follow us."

"Thanks," he said as he followed them.

Cameron was finally cleaned up, although traces of red liquid were still visible in his clothing. He sat down a table, with Hannah and Matheus. The three of them already hit it off while helping Cameron remove the slushie traces.

"So, you're from Texas?" Hannah said, chewing on her home-made sandwich.

"Yeah. We had to move here because of my dad's job." Cameron opened his paper bag. Biscuits and apples. Yum.

"Now, that sucks," says Matheus, who was eating an apple as well. "Hannah and I are lucky that we already live here."

Hannah nods. "Okay wait. Let me get it straight. This morning, you were thrown in the dumpster?"

"Pretty much. I don't know why that wasn't enough for those jocks."

"How did you get out? I mean, there was this other guy who was so much taller than you, and he couldn't get out, so they had to dismantle the whole dumpster for him!"

Matheus and Cameron stopped eating and stared at Hannah.

"Okay okay, it's a joke! But, I'm sure you wouldn't have fit in there. That thing is small for you!" She continued eating her sandwich.

"I got help. From a girl I don't even know. And who was that…the Spanish teacher."

Matheus nudges Cameron's elbow. "I see where this is going! You want to find her!"

"And declare your utmost love for her! Sweet." Both of them raised their hands for a high five.

"Come on," Cameron sighed. "I don't even know her. I pretty much owed it to both her and—what was the name of the teacher?"

"His name's Mr. Schuester," she said, finishing her sandwich. "He's a great teacher. He's also the director of the Glee Club."

"Glee Club?" Both Matheus and Cameron's eyes widened in delight.

Hannah looked at the both of them in confusion. "You guys want to join?"

"Absolutely."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "You really want to live the rest of the year like the first day of school you've been having?"

Both guys looked at each other. "We're not following," Matheus says.

"Well, the things the jocks did to you," she explained. "They're pretty much doing it to the Glee Club. And that's just because they're members of the club. It can go on a daily basis if they really hate you."

"I think I'm still joining," Cameron said. "I just really love to sing, and with a group, it's even more fun."

Matheus nodded. "Same here. Music has been my outlet for all the bullying I got before."

Hannah was surprised. These were new students, and even if they knew what was happening to the Glee Club, they still wanted to join. They had the courage to face the difficulties, just so they could sing. Now, she was glad. These two are the coolest friends she could ever find. And they just convinced her to join the Glee club.

It was the last period of the day, and Emily and Marissa were having Spanish class. Mr. Schuester was writing on the board, when the door opened. It was Damian, who gave him a piece of paper.

"I'm going to talk in English for a while, since we have a new transfer student."

Seated in the third row, Emily straightened herself and flipped her hair. Yes, the new guy totally took notice.

"Emily, what are you doing?" her best friend said.

"I'm making sure that the cute transferee see what he's missing here." She winked at him, as he gave an awkward smile. Mr. Schue gave him the floor.

"Hello. My name is Damian Mcginty, and I've moved here from Ireland. Hope to make good friends with you all."

"Bienvenido!" said Marissa, getting her notebook and pen from her bag. She then looked up and saw that everyone was staring at her, even Emily. She paid full attention to the class last year. Mr. Schuester made it a point that they all say 'Bienvenido' whenever a new student introduces himself. She looked at Mr. Schuester, and like the rest of them, he was puzzled. Was I the only one mentally present in the class last year?

"Great enthusiasm, Marissa!" Mr. Schue went beside Damian. "Since, she was the first to welcome you, I guess you could sit next to her, Damian."

Emily was beaming. "Girl, you did a much better job getting his attention than me!"

"Knock it off!"

Damian went and sat beside the slender redhead, and looked at her as she talked with the winking girl. She's gorgeous. Both of them are. I must be doing something right if I keep on being seatmates with beautiful girls.

A few minutes had passed since Mr. Schue started with the lesson. Getting bored, Emily decided to start the conversation between the three of them. She bumped her best friend.

"What? I'm trying to copy here."

"Scoot."

Marissa sighed as she leant backward. Emily stretched out her hand, making sure that the boy from Ireland can see it. He looks to the left.

"Hi. My name is Emily Vasquez. But you can call me anything you want."

He let out a polite smile and gave her a handshake. "Nice to meet you, um, Emily."

"Oh my god. That accent. It's totally sexy…"

"Um, thanks, I guess?"

"Oh come on!" Marissa took her friend's hand and placed it on the table. "Behave!"

She then looked at Damian. "Sorry about that. She thinks that her God-given talent is flirting. And she makes it a point to flirt with every guy in the school."

"Only cute guys!"

Both Damian and Marissa giggle. "She's actually fun to be with. She can be her own comedy show."

"I can see that." Damian looked at Marissa, who was now writing down. Girls in this school are awfully occupied with writing.

"How about you, Marissa? What do you love to do?"

Marissa turned to him, who was looking at her. She took a deep breath. "Well, I love to draw...and sing." She bit her lower lip, feeling blood rushing to her cheeks. How could he keep eye contact for so long?

"Sing?" She noticed the eagerness in his voice. "I love to sing too! Are you a part of the Glee Club?"

She straightened herself. "Unfortunately, no," she said bluntly as she continued writing.

"Why not?"

"Because it is social suicide."

Emily butted in. "Are you two talking about the Glee Club?"

"Yes."

"Damian, honey, we just don't think it's worth it to join a club that's going to guarantee you a whole year of slushies that you won't even get to drink." Emily said, leaning towards Marissa, who was still writing.

"Hmm, that's unfortunate then."

Damian reverted back to writing. He wanted to persuade them, but he doesn't think he could. Based on his instincts, both of them are girls who are firm with what they believe in.

Marissa looked at him, who pretty much looks disappointed. Did he want to persuade them to join? Well, she did want to join when she first arrived. It was Emily who told her about the social ridicule, and as the weeks went by, she saw each of the New Directions' members get slushied and bullied. But none even left the club. Sure, she loved performing. But, would she really want to relive being judged by other people? Ugh. I can't believe that this guy has completely twisted my mind on the club!

Oblivious to Marissa, Emily was thinking the same thing. She liked attention. She liked it a lot. Being on the club might help her get more attention and might even help her meet new guys from other schools! But that's too shallow. Like her best friend, she loved performing. That was one of the reasons she didn't want to leave New York, because of the many opportunities you could find there. Joining the club wouldn't hurt, and could actually add to the resume. She then smiled to herself. Watch out New Directions! Emily Vasquez is going to rock your world!

"Okay then. I think he's all set. He can start school tomorrow." The school secretary Donna shook hands with another female adult. This female went out of the office, and met up with a student outside. His hair was in dreadlocks, and he was wearing a white shirt and pink pants.

"So, you're all good! You officially start tomorrow."

"Great," he said, standing up from the bench. "But why here? There are a lot of better schools in the area, I think."

The female laughed. "Samuel, the school is, from what I have heard, uneventful. No one will even notice you are here."

Both of them start walking. "Hm, it's okay, I guess. I just don't get why we have to go to different parts of the country for high school."

"If you guys really want to finish high school, this is the way to do it. It was a great decision to let you wear masks during performing. "

They continued walking, passing the bulletin board. He then saw a Glee Club sign-up sheet.

"Oh look, a Glee Club! You could join!"

He smirked. "You could tell it sucks because only one person has signed in. I'd rather invest my time in something else." They finally reached the outside premises. Still, he glanced at the sheet again.

Author's Note:

Wow, finally another chapter done, and unusually long, I think! I've decided to make this a strictly TGP chapter, with the exception of Mr. Schuester (because he was really needed for the plot). As you have noticed, we got our first song! It's sung by Cameron and for those wondering, it's In My Place by Coldplay. I've already introduced Samuel, and I thought of his plot on a whim! Since it's somewhat vague, you could all guess what the plot is on the reviews section. I hope I can carry it and make it convincing and exciting! Also, Damian is oh so charming in this, he actually persuaded the 3 girls to join the club! Talk about charisma! And, of course, I know you're waiting for the big Cameron/Marissa meet-up, and if you want to see it before the next episode of TGP airs, you guys'll have to be generous in reviews! Okay I'm just kidding! I'll be sure to post the next chapter before 8PM Sunday! That is a promise I will surely keep.

And, spoilers for the fic! A major character of Glee makes a comeback, and he/she is going to torment our new members! Of course, I will mix it up with the original cast, so again, expect the next to be a long one.

A big shoutout to my first-ever reviewers! J-StarGleek, McKoPeN, Gleelover, Polevaultingchick, BelieverInLove, ronxhermioneftw (love ur name btw), and savetonight. Some of you got the two guys right! But, you all get a gold star from Rachel Berry! Seriously, you guys made my day, and are one of the reasons on why I'm writing this fic. I will not let you down!

As for new and old readers, reviews and feedback are always very much appreciated! And I actually need some suggestions on how or where to put Bryce, Ellis, McKynleigh, and Alex. As much as possible, they should be part of the New Directions, but hey, we could work them anywhere. I'll try to give them fantastic roles maybe before Chapter 5, but beware! This I'm not promising!

Thanks, and stay tuned!