Sorry it took me so long to update… again xD
Chapter 9: The S- word
Puck pov
"Okay guys, it's show time!" Mr. Schue said enthusiastically. He was standing in front of the big stage of the auditorium. "I've invited Ms. Pillsbury as guest- judge." He made a hand gesture towards Ms. Pillsbury, who was sitting three rows behind us.
She smiled sweetly towards Mr. Schue. "I'm really looking forward to your performances kids." She said, with that typical nervous look in her creepy big brown puppet- eyes.
"Fantastic." Mr. Schue said. "So, who wants to start?"
Rachel and Kurt stood up immediately, and climbed the stage.
"My dear fellow Glee- clubbers." Rachel said, way to cheerfully for my state of mind (which was I- want- to- kick- something- depressive). This is going to be a looong afternoon…
"Kurt and I are going to blow your mind with our version of: I'm the greatest star!"
The music started and the two started singing.
Rachel: "I'm the greatest star, I am by far, But no one knows it!"
Kurt: "All the world's goanna stare up, lookin' down… You'll never see me… Try the sky, 'cause that'll be me!"
Together: "In all of the world so far, I am the greatest, greatest star!"
Of course Rachel was freaking good, and Kurt was really good as well. But damn, it was one heck of a lousy duet. It was more some kind of musical- war between the two of them. Nevertheless I applauded politely with the rest of the Glee club.
Santana and Brittany were next, and though their singing and dancing was extremely hot, I lost my focus somewhere halfway the performance. I stared to the girl who was sitting eight seats away from me, in between Mercedes and the other Asian; Tina. I had tried to call her the entire weekend, but she had ignored me, surprise surprise. I had also driven pass her house at least a hundred times, but never had the guts to ring the doorbell. (I mean; what if her parents had opened? Awkward!)
I had kind of expected she'd be sick today, but she wasn't. Still I hadn't spoken to her. She was avoiding me and was 99% of the time in the company of Mercedes….
But I had a plan. I was going to apologize and even Mercedes wouldn't have the power to stop me.
Yes; apologize. The S- word. The loathed word I had avoided 16 years of my life. A word of which I had sworn it would never ever leave my mouth.
But it was going to leave my mouth after all. And I wasn't just going to say it…. I was going to sing it.
After all the other couples had sung their duet, Mr. Schue took the floor again.
"Tina? Puck? Are you two ready?"
Mercedes gave a quick encouraging glance to Tina, and Tina started to speak. "I- I'm sorry Mr. Schue, b- b-but p- p- Puck and I… h- haven't prepared anything we… c- couldn't agree on the song…"
I had been counting on this. This was the moment stage A of my master plan would start.
I stood up. "Mr. Schue?" I asked. "If you don't mind… I've prepared a solo, you know, instead of our duet."
I realized everybody was staring at me confusedly, Tina the most of all.
"Well, if you've prepared something, I'm sure everybody would love to hear it." Mr. Schue said.
I climbed the stage as toughly as I could. I didn't want anybody to see how nervous I was; I still had a rep to keep up.
I looked down to the faces of the others. Tina; scared. Mercedes; angry. Rachel; wondering. Finn; wide- eyed. Brittany; empty headed but exited. Mr. Schue; a bit anxious. The others; either expectantly or just plain disinterested.
My heart was pounding like hell and I felt a bit dizzy. The S-word, the faces, the spotlights, my feelings for Tina… it was all too much. Stop being such a fucking pussy! You're Puckzilla! A football- hero! Nerds fear you! Girls totally dig you!
I exhaled deeply, and tried to focus. I can do this. And after that one last thought, I finally looked Tina straight in the eye, and started singing.
"What do I do to make you want me
What have I got to do to be heard
What do I say when it's all over
And sorry seems to be the hardest word
It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word
What do I do to make you love me
What have I got to do to be heard
What do I do when lightning strikes me
What have I got to do
What have I got to do
When sorry seems to be the hardest word…."
My voice trembled a bit at the last sentence, but that was nothing more than a sign that I had put my whole fucking soul into the song. I barely noticed the big applause I received. My eyes searched Tina's again. Her expression could have one thousandth different meanings.
"Great, that was great Puck!" Mr. Schue said to me. "I always knew you had it in you, singing such a sensitive song."
I murmured thanks and returned to my seat. I tried to ignore Rachel penetrating questioning glance, and Mercedes' livid whispering.
"M- Mr. Schue, I- I want to sing something to." Tina said all of the sudden, to my great surprise.
"Well we still got some time left… so go ahead Tina." Mr. Schue said.
Tina climbed the stage. She didn't look nervous at all, rather confident, and she started singing, with her eyes on me.
"I am done
Smoking gun
We've lost it all
The love is gone
She has won
Now it's no fun
We've lost it all
The love is gone
And we had magic
And this is tragic
You couldn't keep your hands to yourself
I feel like our world's been infected,
And somehow you left me neglected
We've found our lives been changed
Babe, you lost me"
Her voice was sweet, beautiful and strong, but her words stung like burning needles. My master plan had failed, clearly.
She was still looking at me as her eyes filled with tears. She jumped off the stage and quickly walked towards the way out.
"Tina wait!" I yelled. She disappeared through the door and I ran after her, leaving the rest of the Glee club behind in complete perplexity.
"Wait on earth is going on here?" Hummel's voice was the last thing I heard before I shut the door behind me.
Tina pov
I felt weak for crying and walking away from… everything, but it was all too much.
I heard footsteps behind me, and knew it was Puck. I had managed to not speak a single word to him for three days, but I couldn't run from him anymore. So I stood still, and turned around.
"What do want from me Puck?" I asked.
"I want to know what you want from me! I said I'm sorry, what more do you want to hear?" He said frustrated, trying hard not to yell.
"Y- y- you're messing with other girls behind my back, and you think just a- apologizing would make everything okay again?"
"Not girls." He muttered. "Just one. And it was a mistake, I wanted to push her away but then there was that stupid Mercedes…"
This information was new for me, and I wanted to believe him, I really tried, but I just couldn't. "I- I don't believe you. And d- don't call Mercedes stupid, she's a better friend for me than you, a- at least she does care about me. "
"I care about you to! What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
"I- if you really care about me, you would know w- what to say and do." I said, and I walked pass him, ending our conversation. I kind of expected he would stop me, but he didn't. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him walking away into the opposite direction with fierce steps. He harshly pushed a freshman out of his way, and disappeared around the corner. I sighted and felt new tears well up my eyes, but I didn't bother to stop them. My make- up is ruined anyway…
In a haze I walked towards the school entrance. I absolutely didn't want to return to the auditorium, and face the rest of the Glee club. No doubt they would ask questions I really didn't feel like answering. All I wanted was to go home, and ban all thoughts out of my head. Ban Puck out of head, though I already knew I never could.
Oh drama
Will this story ever have a happy ending?
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! ^^
ps: R and K sang I'm the greatest star from Barbra Streisand (It's also from the musical Funny Girl, just like Don't rain on my parade, which Rachel sang at sectionals, remember?)
pps: Puck sang Sorry seems to be the hardest word from Elton John
ppps:Tina sang You've lost me from Christina Aquilera