A/N: Finally! We've gotten to the first major milestone for our Gleeks! I'm working hard to keep these going, and I appreciate everyone that has stuck with me. The episodes are getting a little long, so I'm trying to cut the lyrics to make more room for plot- but it's kind of hit and miss. I'm sticking the songs on the Wiki page slowly but surely however for anyone that wants to hear them in their entirety. So sit back and enjoy!
Sue Sylvester's blue eyes scanned through the slits of the blinds over her office windows before snapping them shut. She turned back toward her primary co-captain as she slowly paced behind her desk, Nikki Hardy watching her closely.
"Well, Hardy," she said. "The time has once again fast approached: the Glee Club's first road bump and where we must gut them hard and fast. The annual Sectional's competition." She slid a folder across the flat surface between them, which the junior was quick to halt with her hand. "Your notes and suggestions have been appreciated and taken under consideration. However, it is of vital importance that, with the number of Cheerios brainwashed onto that Tonal Tilt-a-Hurl, we keep this as discreet as possible. I'm entrusting you, Anime Pom Poms, to carry out this plan like a Ninja Cobra, striking sudden and deadly, to close down that Singing Circus once and for all." The Cheerio coach turned to face her top agitator. "Do you understand your mission?"
The dark-haired girl nodded once, the hint of a smile ghosting her features.
"Okay guys!" Mr. Schue exclaimed as his pen scribbled eagerly on the whiteboard. "Sectionals! This week we are going to get it all together and show the school and show choir community that the New Directions are still the same championship material of last year, starting with a first place trophy here.
"We're going up against the Rhythmic Revolutions and the Vocaliers of Delphos High School," he continued, pulling sheet music from his briefcase. "So I've decided we'll start out strong with a duet featuring Roxie and Dalton, followed by—"
"No," a timid but firm voice interjected, and the entire team turned to stare, dumbfounded, at the bespectacled freshman who'd just spoken for the first time in class. Her face flushed crimson, but she continued in a soft, certain voice, "I don't want to lead Sectionals. Someone else can do it." She glanced sideways at Dalton, unsure of what his expression indicated beyond shock in her speaking. "Dalton is good though," she amended. "He'd be a good lead."
The ashen-haired sophomore was the first to recover, though his expression only lessened slightly as he tried to transition from astonishment to supportive. "No, someone else can have the duet," he asserted, placing a hand on hers, shifting his chocolate eyes to look up at their teacher. "I don't mind."
Will slowly shook himself from his stupor. "Oh," he replied dumbly. With Rachel, Kurt, Santana and Mercedes on the team, he had to admit he'd never had an instance where someone had refused the lead. "Well, um, okay; if that's what you want, I'm sure someone else will be able to handle it."
"How are we going to choose who gets it?" Michelle asked. "I mean, you're not going to just hand it off to someone else, are you?"
"Everyone should get a chance for it," Caroline agreed. "Like try-outs or something."
"You guys realize that Sectionals is this week, right?" Hayley stated cynically. "As in, we have to figure out the song and footwork in a few days?"
"We'll have try-outs for the duet on Wednesday," Mr. Schue announced. "Until then, we'll focus our time rehearsing the group number."
Annie scoffed. "Well, you couldn't pay me to audition for the Sectional's lead," she announced. "Not with The Curse likely still intact."
Stassi turned to look at her incredulously. "The Curse?" she repeated. "Is your head so stocked with boy-craziness that it actually pushed your brain out?"
Annie rolled her eyes and straightened up. "My brother Kurt told me all about it." She leaned from side to side, her tone authoritative and theatrical. "The leads in Sectionals are always cursed: something unpredictable and dramatic will happen to whomever is set in the spotlight: three years ago, Finn found out Quinn was lying about her baby; two years ago, two couples almost fell completely apart over dance choreography; and last year Rachel Berry was suspended." The brunette nodded emphatically with big eyes to match. "It is a proven fact Sectionals is Cursed for leads of The New Directions."
The group looked around nervously, prompting Will to state, "Annie, that's ridiculous. Now, everyone that's interested in auditioning, pair up and we'll hear from you on Wednesday."
Dalton and Roxie walked slowly to her locker. He liked the lazy pace, as it gave him more time with the petite girl.
As she walked, the somber girl tried to project casual, though it was actually stiffness. The constant physical exertion from being in Glee Club was starting to take its toll, and she was popping ibuprofen like candy trying to keep herself moving. However, she didn't want to let down her team or her father, who was so proud at the progress she was making in her physical activity level.
She looked up at the sophomore. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" she asked. She smiled as she watched him glance at her—she'd begun to speak more around him, and it made her laugh that her words still caused so much surprise.
"It's fine, Roxie" he replied after he recovered. "We're a good team—they'll find another pair that can get us to Regionals as easily as we could." She nodded uncertainly, and he slowly reached out to her, hands enfolding around hers. She gazed at them in surprise, the soft cupping around her hands tightening as her eyes slid upwards toward him. He held her dark eyes with his own. "Whatever's holding you back is only temporary Rox—I know it," he assured her. "But you don't have to make your move till you're ready, and I'll always back your play."
Roxie felt her face flush, the warmth spreading from the tips of her toes upward and tightening in her chest like all of her joints had seized up on her. But it didn't hurt—actually the opposite, she felt like she'd explode if she didn't do something. So she smiled up at him, beaming ear to ear as she squeezed his hands that still clasped to hers. It didn't feel like enough really, but the sight of his face grinning back at her and positively glowing made it almost perfect nonetheless.
The bell rang to signal the next period's beginning, and Stassi methodically finished the last touches of her apparel repair in the dark. Her hands tightened her high pony and moved down to straighten any creases on her top. As they reached her waist, they were intercepted by a pair of arms snaking around her skirt.
The junior scoffed but could only just suppress a smile as the girl behind her gripped her hips and twisted the Cheerio to face her. They kissed again, softly, before Stassi forced herself to step backwards towards the door.
"Odd thing, about the mute," the troublemaker commented, smirking as she watched Stassi sigh and pause with her hand on the door. "I didn't think she'd pass up the spotlight."
"I'm sure she has her reasons," Stassi replied.
"I'm sure" Hayley echoed skeptically, closing the space between them again and trailing her fingers up the Cheerio's arm. "Although it's pretty impressive how whipped she's got the Trust Fund Baby." Stassi said nothing, and Hayley continued, "So who do you think will take over the spotlight?"
The junior scoffed and turned to the sophomore with her eyebrow arched. "Isn't it obvious?" she replied sarcastically. "If not Roxie, ten-to-one it'll be the other doe-eyed freshman that's got everyone's heart aflutter." She rolled her eyes.
"You don't think Mini-Q's got enough talent to carry us through the competition?" Hayley asked.
"I'm sure she and AV Nerd 1 will beat all odds and carry us to victory," she commented snarkily.
"Well, I mean, the twirly-blonde and her hobo-beau seemed interested too," the younger girl continued. "And no doubt the Theater-Osmonds will put in their bid." Stassi gave another derisive laugh, and Hayley added, "Or, you know, we could actually put in for some real talent…"
"Yeah, like who?
The sophomore hesitated a moment. "Well, I mean, you and I have some of the best pipes in this group, and we'd run circles around the others in choreography." She sidled up a little closer to the other girl and tried to ignore the sudden tension that accompanied the are-you-serious? expression on her face. "Plus we've got this killer chemistry…"
Stassi stepped sideways so abruptly that Hayley almost fell off balance. "Okay, firstly, whatever chemistry we have is strictly for dark secluded spaces, not the stage," she bit. "And secondly, I don't do duets. Solos, absolutely; group numbers, fine. But I'm not going to stand next to someone on stage and pour out some ballad like I give a crap about them. It gives people the wrong impression."
Stassi looked at Hayley significantly as she spoke, tugging at her top and striding past the sophomore as she opened the door and made her way through the empty hallway to class without looking back.
Hayley watched the other girl for a moment before narrowing her eyes in anger and exiting the closet, slamming the door shut as she headed for the parking lot, because screw class.
Teddy watched Caroline as she stretched gracefully on the stage. She'd changed out of her Cheerio uniform and was now in a simple pair of yoga pants, a tank, and flats, though her high pony remained. He knew how lucky he was to have her—she was fun, and beautiful, and genuine, and though becoming a Cheerio had caused some friction in her life (and his by extension), she didn't suddenly become one of the bitchy Cheerios that stepped on anyone to get on top. All he wanted was to give her everything, because she deserved it.
Which was why they were rehearsing now for their audition to lead for Sectionals. Just the idea of standing in the spotlight was causing Teddy to breathe a little faster, because as much as Artie may have loved his solos, all Teddy wanted to do was stand in the background with maybe a line here or there. However Caroline had been so excited about performing with him, leading the team to victory,
Suddenly his phone buzzed, and he slid his finger across the screen to read the message. Caroline looked at him curiously. "Who is it?"
"Marissa," he replied, typing in a quick response to his sister's newest report. "She's got some big drama with an eighth-grader that she's had a crush on for ages; personally, I think the guy sounds like a tool, but reasoning with her is—"
Caroline laughed and nodded in understanding. "It's good that she has an older brother looking out for her," she told him. "Are you ready?"
He shrugged, "I'm just not sure this is my kind of song," he told her shyly, to which Caroline grinned, taking his hands in hers.
"This song is totally us," she countered. "The Freaky Four are going to come at us with Beatle-mania? We have to hit them back where it hurts, and no one can touch this genre like you can Teddy." Her light eyes sparkled at his, and he nodded in determination. "Okay, deep breath," she reminded her boyfriend before nodding to Brad.
The band's on stage and it's one of those nights, oh yeah, she belted out, grinning like a cat as she sashayed to and fro.
The drummer thinks that he is dynamite, oh yeah
She pulled Teddy forward, placing her hands on his hips to swivel them as he picked up the verse,
You lovely ladies in your leather and lace
A thousand lips I would love to taste,
I've got one heart and it hurts like hell
They sang out together, If you can't rock me somebody will
If you can't rock me somebody will
Teddy grinned as he spun Caroline in place, Now I ain't lookin' for no pretty face, oh no
Or for some hooker workin' roughish trade
And there ain't nothing like a perfect mate, Caroline continued, pushing away his hand that cupped hers as she turned her back to him to walk away
And I ain't lookin' for no wedding cake
But I been talkin' 'bout it much too long, she continued
I think I better sing just one more song
Teddy's voice harmonized with hers as they came back together, I've got one heart and it hurts like hell
I'm simply dying for some thrills, spills, oh yeah
The choreography became harder, and Teddy's voice became stilted as he became torn between the music and the footwork, If you can't rock me, if you can't rock me
Somebody will, somebody will, somebody will
If you can't rock me
Well, well, well, well
The music faded off and Teddy found himself panting. He loved Caroline's energy and the genre, but he wasn't sure he could do this. However, as she beamed at him and praised their work happily, the junior couldn't bring himself to voice his concerns.
Maybe, he thought to himself, Katie and Dylan would turn out something better and save him the trouble.
A/A/N: Featured song is Rolling Stones' "If You Can't Rock Me"