BY VERY DEFINITION
12. Spanish Project
"Okay, I want you all to work on this project with your deskmates, just the person sitting next to you." Mr. Schuester told his 3rd hour Spanish, walking around and placing a half sheet of paper in front of each student, "I'm handing out the rubrics now and you can have the rest of the hour to work."
Parker looked at the girl sitting next to her, realizing that she didn't even know her name yet. They hadn't payed attention to each other and they'd been sitting next to each other for a couple of months now. The girl next to her was pale and petite, her eyes were brownish hazel set in her round face. Her choppy black-brown hair was cut just below her ears. The girl looked like she was sizing Parker up too, tapping her callused fingertips against the desk.
"I'm Parker Evans." Parker introduced, wondering if the girl knew her name. After all, Mr. Schue had announced it when she first came to the class, but she didn't think anyone was paying attention, who would? The girl's upper lip curled a little bit into the beginnings of a smirk.
"I've heard." She replied, her voice hard and eyes harder as she continued to survey her deskmate, "I'm June Harrison." Parker held back a sigh of relief and looked at the rubric that Mr. Schuester was setting in front of her. When she looked up he was looking at her like he wanted to say something.
"Yes, Mr. Schue?" Parker asked to hurry him along, aware that June was watching them critically.
"Have you and Kurt been practicing?" He asked, "I was planning on introducing the new Piano song today."
"Sure." His student answered promptly, "We practice every Wednesday and Saturday."
"Good." He smiled at her before walking away to hand out the rest of the rubrics. Parker studied the piece of paper for a minute.
"What do you think, a report or a skit?" She asked. After several long moments of silence Parker looked up to see that June had crossed her arms and looked at the other girl with something Parker could only call mild disgust.
"Pianos?" She asked.
"Glee club." Parker answered quietly. June's eyes widened in recognition.
"Of course! You're that Glee girl that shoved that slushie back in Lemsky's face!" She cried jubilantly.
"I guess." Parker blushed.
"But you're a legend! You're a hero!" June was too excited to keep herself contained in her carefully sculpted shell, "Would you teach me how to do that?"
"I'm having a workshop to teach the rest of the club." The other girl suggested, "Maybe you could come to that?"
"Maybe..." But she sounded doubtful.
June Harrison, age 15. Basically the most important thing about me is that I'm a drama kid. I've taken every drama class this school has had to offer. I've been in every play in the past two years and I was in the chorus for all the musicals. I can play the guitar, and my mom taught me how to play the harp, just don't ask me to show you that one. I'm vice president of the drama club, which is an accomplishment for someone who's only a sophomore. But then again, Rachel Berry is president of the Glee Club and she's only a sophomore. Which brings me to my next point: I hate Rachel Berry with a burning passion. The way she goes on about herself, you'd think that she's the only one with dreams and she doesn't care whose dream she has to tear to shreds just to make her own come true. And you'd think she's the only person who ever got slushied...I don't want to talk about it. I also have a bit of a bone to pick with the Glee club. They're taking money out of the arts budgets, that includes the Drama Club. Ever since my parents died four years ago I've been trying to keep myself busy with something, I've been trying to find somewhere where I could be happy just for a little while. I found it with the Drama club and now it's on the hair of being canceled just because of this new club. I'll be damned if I let all those nasty, stupid, worthless little misfits take that away from me. Yeah, I strongly dislike the club and anyone associated with it. Well...almost anyone. One of the girls from the club, Tina Cohen-Chang, sits next to me in computer class and we get along pretty well, we never tell on each other when we find ourselves off-task and she's a lot of fun when it comes to making fun of the teacher. I started hearing the stories about Parker Evans about a day ago, it's only been a couple of days since her total conquering of the one of the most powerful kids in the student body. Just hearing that story made me hate her a little less, and if she was willing to show me how to avoid slushies she might not be so bad.
"I'm leaning towards the report, personally." Parker cut across her thoughts.
"Do you not like acting?" June asked, eyes narrowing.
"It's okay, in English. But I'm not really good at Spanish...at all. Actually I'm downright horrible at it and I don't want to ruin your grade with my lack of speaking skills."
"That's not a problem." The brunette insisted, "I'll help you, we'll read through it and I'll make sure you've pronounced everything right. My acting skills will carry us through on that point and then you can show me how to deflect slushies." She added with a wink.
"Sounds like a deal." Parker laughed, "So I'm guessing you're really good at acting?"
"Parker Evans," June said with a theatrical bow, she only used the upper half of her body since she was still sitting but her hand motions were very dramatic, "You have just been paired with June Harrison, the Vice President of the Drama club."
"Ah." The redhead said, impressed.
"Just a reminder that you won't have another day to work on this in class." Mr. Schuester called to the class, "It's due in a week so make sure you coordinate schedules." June couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"What was that?" Parker asked.
"Nothing." June said, putting on her best play smile, "When can you do this? I have Drama on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. And I'm babysitting most of this weekend."
"You're a babysitter?"
"Hardly." June grumbled, "I'm watching my bratty little cousins. You don't babysit, do you? My aunt and uncle pay well and it'd be nice if I didn't have to watch them all the time."
"Not really." Parker admitted, "But I'll keep that in mind. I have Glee on Tuesday and Thursday. So that leaves...after school on Wednesday?" June nodded and Parker continued, "We can walk to my house after school, but we should try to be done before 5:30 because that's when Kurt's coming over for dinner and Piano practice."
"For Glee?" June asked, the mild disgust returning to her eyes.
"Yes."
"Why do you need two Piano players?"
"Dueling pianos, it's kind of hard to explain."
"Right then." June said in a business-like voice, "Let's get writing."
After school on Wednesday Parker met June at the front entrance to the school and they started to walk together to Parker's house. They had barely gotten off school property when June's cell phone range, she held the Cherry Chocolate up to her ear and listened. She didn't say much the entire phone call, every now and then she'd give a curt "Yes" or "I know". After a few minutes she hung up and blew out a sigh.
"What's up?" Parker asked politely.
"That was just my Aunt. She was asking where I was even though I told her I was working with you tonight. So then she just started listing the chores I have to take care of. I don't have a lot of them, mind you, but when they all fall on the same day it gets kind of tedious."
"Why is that your Aunt's problem?"
"Because she's my guardian." June answered, "My parents died, not too long ago, so I came to live with them and my obnoxious younger cousins. They're only bad to me," She quickly backtracked, "In case you're still interested in babysitting sometime." She sighed again and looked at her feet.
"Oh." Parker said quietly. She waited a few moments before saying, "I live with foster parents." June pulled up short and Parker stopped next to her.
"Did your parents die too?" The little brunette whispered, her eyes wide.
"Practically." Parker grumbled, she started walking again. They reached the house and walked in the front door. Like she did every day, Rhonda stepped out of the kitchen to greet Parker in the hallway.
"How was school?" She asked.
"Fine." Parker answered automatically. "This is June Harrison, we're working on a Spanish project together. June, this is Mrs. Pierson." The two shook hands, evaluating each other.
"Are you a friend from Glee club too?" Rhonda asked reasonably.
"No." June snorted. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, "I'm sorry, that was rude. I just meant no." Rhonda cocked her head.
"June is the Vice President of the Drama club." Parker explained quickly. Rhonda nodded without smiling.
"Kurt will be over for dinner, will she be staying, too?"
"I'm expected home for dinner." June cut in before Parker could answer.
"Well, have fun." Parker's foster mother said before moving back into the kitchen.
"I don't think she likes me." June said as soon as they closed Parker's bedroom door behind them. They sat down on the bed and spread out their notes and textbooks.
"She doesn't know you." Parker assured her, "I don't think Rhonda can just not like someone."
"So what do you want to do for the skit?" June asked, pulling out the sheet of ideas they had brainstormed during class.
"I don't know." Parker answered ruefully, "I'm not very good at coming up with this kind of stuff. Maybe you should be giving me advice on what to do that night."
"Like I could be a Concierge at a hotel!" The Drama VP jumped in enthusiastically, "You could be in town on a conference or something and have a free day, so you come and ask me how to spend it. And since we've been learning about things like Restaurants and movies and stuff like that it'd be perfect!"
"Sounds good to me." Her partner agreed when she stopped for breath.
"Here." June shoved a notebook and paper at her hostess, "You start writing down the script. Here's what I'm thinking: you could come down and sit across from me. You say that you have an evening open and you don't know how to spend it."
"How do you say that in Spanish?" Parker inquired, scratching her head.
It was a few minutes after five-thirty, Parker was leading June down the stairs when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Parker called, going up to the door and opening it. June followed and stood behind her. Kurt stood in the doorway, his truck sat in the driveway against the red of the evening sky. "Hey, Kurt." Parker greeted him cheerily, "We were working on a Spanish project." Kurt's arms were crossed as he observed the two girls in the doorway with an unhappy expression.
"I was just leaving." June said coldly, brushing past him and walking down the street into the growing darkness. Kurt entered the house and closed the door behind him before looking at Parker with raised eyebrows.
"That was June Harrison." He said.
"Yes..." His friend answered uncomprehendingly, "What's wrong?"
"Parker, June Harrison hates the Glee club, and everyone in it. She's a drama kid and she never misses a chance to drag us down a bit to reclaim some of her club's former glory."
"It's not like we have any glory." Parker insisted, "And she seemed nice enough to me."
"Be careful, okay? She's not actually that nice. One second you're all buddy-buddy and the next minute she'd sell you out for a Popsicle."
"What kind of Popsicle?" Parker joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"I'm being serious. I'm not saying you can't work with her or anything...just keep you eyes peeled when you're with her, okay? For your own good, and for all our sakes."
"I don't think it's a big deal."
"Parker." Kurt said sternly, dragging a sigh from the girl.
"Okay."
"Dinner!" Rhonda called from the kitchen. Kurt's serious expression immediately melted into a content grin.
"I've been waiting for Rhonda's cooking all week." He said, rubbing his hands together. Parker laughed and followed him into the kitchen.
I accidentally deleted this chapter before posting it! Ahh! I recovered the first half (Thank you, Enchanted Broomstick) and had to rewrite everything below the first scene, and the entire chapter is down about 700-900 words but I can't think of what else I could have possibly written! Obviously, the first version was better but...this one is still pretty good, I think. Even though it doesn't have a song...oh well.
New Character: June Harrison courtesy of my contest winner The Enchanted Broomstick. YAY!
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