A/N: Song featured is "Honey, Honey".
I need to talk to u, read Lindsay's message on Michelle's phone. The tiny Cheerio checked her watch and saw she only had a little time before class.
Ok—when?
"Now, if you can," a voice piped up from behind her, and the petite brunette saw her friend peeking out from a nearby girl's room. She zipped over to the raven-haired girl, who quickly shut the door behind her.
"What's going on?" she asked eagerly, then crinkled her nose as an unattractive odor wafted around her. "And what smells like garbage?"
Lindsay ignored her second question and pulled out a dingy, folded up paper. "Look what I found."
Meet me Thurs after third period bell, behind the gym storage—911! Michelle looked up from the scribble. "Who's meeting who?"
"Someone desperately wants to meet Nikki at a completely random time in a super-secret place," Lindsay explained emphatically, exhaling in exasperation when she realized her friend was missing the point. "Someone that's likely been meeting her in secret for some time? With a huge weakness to exploit?"
"Someone like who?" Michelle asked with inflaming curiosity.
"Who knows? A lover? An extortionist? The possibilities are endless!"
"How do you know it's for Nikki? And why is the paper covered in grease?" The freshman's eyes widened in distaste. "You went dumpster diving for this note? Eww!"
"Well it's not like Nikki Hardy is going to just leave something this juicy on a nice clean surface for anyone to find. But that's not the point—the point is we could really have something!" The over-bronzed girl looked to other. "Are you up for a stake-out?"
Michelle sighed. "I can't," she apologized. "Auditions for the musical are this week."
"Coward." Lindsay huffed unhappily. "Go figure you'd rather be with your loser friends than your BFF uncovering the scoop of the century. Fine; I'll send you a buzz when I get some news."
"Be careful," her friend called after her as she slipped out of the bathroom door, to which the small girl waved dismissively.
Michelle, meanwhile, couldn't ponder the situation for long, and she began racing toward her next period. However, another discreet conversation caught her attention as she passed the Music Room and she couldn't help but stop to listen.
"Look," she recognized Teddy's voice as saying. "I know it's a little unorthodox, but I'm willing to straight-up offer you the lead right here, no audition necessary."
Michelle was outraged—she deserved to have a chance to get the lead, especially with her background. And here Teddy was offering it to someone else? No doubt Caroline in order to win her back!
The incensed girl almost burst in through the door right then, only to be halted by a very familiar voice giving their reply.
"Look, Teddy, I'd love to join," her brother responded. "But I'm still finishing up the LCC project, and I wouldn't feel right accepting a role I couldn't devote one hundred percent to."
"I understand," the fluffy-haired director told him. "I still am going to need all the help I can get, though, and even distracted you're the best we've got."
There was a sigh of consideration, and a pause. "I've read through Sky's lines a couple times, and I know his songs by heart, if that would help."
Michelle could hear the taller boy's grin in his voice. "That'd be perfect! I really appreciate it. I'll see you on Thursday then, for the callbacks?"
Everett assured Teddy that he would be there, and Michelle found herself face-to-face with the younger Abrams as he suddenly exited the classroom.
"Eavesdropping again, Chelle?" her brother asked from behind him, and she quickly flitted around the director to give him a hug and congratulate him.
"I'm just so excited for you Hiccup!" she enthused.
"It's just Sky," the theater geek stated as he gathered his bag. "It's not like I'm going for Jekyll or something."
"Not the role, Ev," the small girl said, rolling her eyes at her big brother. "This is the perfect opportunity to ask out you-know-who!"
The curly-haired boy glanced around the empty classroom warily as his face flushed. "Laura Michelle—" he warned.
"I'm serious, Ev," she insisted. "I've been sitting on this secret for ages, waiting for you to make a move, and it's getting ridiculous. You already know he's auditioned for the play; theater is totally your thing. For Doris' sake—ask him out. Offer to tutor him or something."
Everett sighed in embarrassment. Michelle could tell he was wishing he'd never told her anything, but she wasn't going to let her brother's chance at happiness pass him by because he was too insecure to say something, so she continued to bore holes into his head with her eyes.
Finally the taller brunette groaned unhappily. "Fine!" he yielded. "I'll offer to help him with the musical."
"Yes!" the freshman jumped and cheered, rushing to hug her brother again. "You two will be so cute together!"
"It's not a date yet, Michelle!"
"But it will be," she held. "You are too adorable for someone like him to turn down—just have confidence!"
She flitted happily out the door, but not before catching the boy mumbling, "All I'd need is half of yours."
Michelle grinned impishly—he could only hope.
Emma could feel her muscles throbbing as she pushed the last lap of her run, heaving in oxygen as she inched into a sprint through the straight-away of the lane. She crossed the recently-chalked line and gave a groan before rushing to a nearby trash can and promptly voiding the little contents of her stomach into the receptacle.
The brunette stumbled to the grassy field, her chest panting as she gasped for air. Her hands worked to steady the rest of her body as she braced them against her knees and attempted to calm her heart rate. She hadn't been able to repeat Stassi's advice, not really: it was just too much for her mind to get over what she was trying to do to herself. However, running was something she'd always excelled at, and she found that pushing herself to the maximum level could actually allow her the control capability that she desperately needed right now. And really, it wasn't that unhealthy—she was toning up, really, and increasing her cardio, and still drinking plenty of fluids. The rest was all superficial anyways, and she easily put her initial qualms at ease with her results.
Now that her breathing had returned to a manageable level, Emma began trekking to the risers where she'd left her jacket and backpack before walking quickly up toward the locker room. She'd chosen this time specifically to avoid any suspicion, since she had no friends in this class and no official obligations. And while many students (and Mr. Leiger) had raised an eye more than once when she asked for a pass, no one had questioned her motives.
The brunette walked past the lockers and straight to a sink, putting her face close to the faucet to rinse out her mouth before looking back at the mirror as she wetted a paper towel and patted down her flushed face.
"Here," a voice offered and she looked over to see Stassi holding out a small white object. "Everyone's favorite one-calorie breath mint."
"Thanks." Emma took the candy and placed it on her tongue. The cool flavor helped the hot, acrid feeling that lingered in the back of her throat, and she took a deep breath.
"It helps," the junior told her as she leaned against the wall to watch the other girl fix herself up for the rest of the day. "Some chew gum, others down Tums religiously, but I find a certain calm accompanies minty freshness."
Emma nodded silently and pulled out her hair tie, raking her hands through her locks to tame the tangles slightly. The two girls snapped their heads toward the door simultaneously as they heard chatter echoing toward them.
"Stassi! Emma!" Nina exclaimed in delight and curiosity. "What are you two doing here?"
"Don't you have Leiger right now? I took the test second period—it was awful," Annie added.
Emma opened her mouth with no discernible alibi—she'd finished the test early, but she wasn't known to leave class sporadically for any reason.
"Maxima Over-Achiever here ambushed me for some random tidbits for yearbook," Stassi supplied caustically, glancing at the other girl. "Apparently variety is not the spice of life after all."
"I plan on having a well-represented list of people to choose from," Emma corrected, running with the excuse the other girl had provided. "You just happen to represent many of the fields I'm researching—arts, athletics, etc."
"Hi girls! What are we doing?" a peppy voice asked, and Emma followed the other girls' eyes to see Rhi Gauthier approaching them happily. The smaller girl could feel her stomach drop.
"Nothing much," Emma answered shortly, grabbing her bag. "If no one minds, I should go—"
"So what does everyone think about the musical, huh?" the blonde continued, oblivious to the awkwardness she'd created. "I bet it's going to be a blast!"
Nina arched an eyebrow at the photographer. "You're auditioning?" she asked, looking as dumbfounded as Emma felt.
Rhi nodded enthusiastically. "Ashy actually suggested it," she replied, and Emma had to fight to suppress making a face at the stupid pet name. "I think we make a really cute couple, you know?"
The kinder Cheerio glanced over at Emma. "You know, we can talk about something else—" she began.
"No, it's fine. I'm fine," Emma insisted. "I broke up with him, after all. Which part were you thinking of going out for Rhi?"
"I don't know- Sophie seems fun, and I look just like Amanda Seyfried, only without the curls or freakish bug eyes. But I totally relate to Donna, you know?" Rhi leaned over to Annie conspiratorially. "I have this amazing ability to love passionately, and I even have a diary!"
She spun around, landing shoulder-to-shoulder with Annie, Honey Honey, how he thrills me, ah huh, honey honey, she sang as she fanned herself
Rhi's feet began flitting over to Stassi, and she grinned even when the junior pushed her off in distaste, Honey, honey, nearly kills me, ah huh, honey honey
She flipped through her iPhone, showing multiple pictures of Ashwin grinning, I've heard about him before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, he's a love machine!
Oh, he makes me dizzy
Rhi grabbed Annie's hand, who couldn't help but get caught up in the moment, Honey honey, let me feel it, ah huh, honey honey, they duetted
Annie, in turn, grasped Nina's hand and pulled her close in a faux embrace, Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah huh, honey honey
The way that you kiss good night, Rhi sang as she pecked the picture, and the Cheerios echoed, The way that you kiss me goodnight
Rhi hugged herself tightly, The way that you hold me tight, and the others added the way that you're holding me tight
I feel like I wanna sing, when you do your—Rhi looked at the other girls with a wink and they all yelled, thing!
"Okay guys, seriously—let's change topics, huh?" Nina pleaded. "Or get going; the bells going to ring any minute."
The girls nodded, and Annie and Rhi continued their bubbly song as they danced toward the door, Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah huh, honey honey
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah huh, honey honey
Stassi gave Emma a sympathetic look as she followed the others out the door, and alone, Emma slowed the song and concluded in the empty space, I'd heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I'm about to see what you mean to me
She felt her face flushing as tears brimmed, but angrily pushed them away and gathered up her bag as she all but stormed toward her next class.
Caroline and Katie were sitting together gossiping during a lull in French class: the brunette had felt that her best friend had been somewhat distant since Sectionals, and little things would cause her to act distant or preoccupied. Things had been getting better with school starting up again, but Caroline didn't understand, and she was desperate to get back to where that had once been.
"So are you auditioning for the musical?" she asked, thinking that the activity would be a great way to spend more time together.
"I don't know…" the blonde wavered.
"Maybe we could audition for complementing roles, like Tanya and Rosie, or even Sophie and Donna! I bet you'd be great as my mom." She gave a lighthearted smile.
Katie laughed. "Thanks, but from what I've heard I don't think I'd even be considered in the running for a lead part," she replied.
"Heard according to who?" the other girl asked with a dubious look. Katie didn't answer, and Caroline groaned, "You haven't been listening to the Cheerio gossip again, have you? Katie, you know half of that is just to bug us." She had found out from personal experience that girls like Jennifer Johnson were particularly prone to making up rumors to paint up the Gleeks, and Caroline especially, in any scandal.
"It wasn't like the normal gossip," Katie insisted.
After an exceptionally rigorous morning practice, the blonde freshman had been so out of it that she'd completely forgotten to bring Dylan's movies with her. She'd been spending a lot of time with him and his brothers now, trying to stay out of the motel as much as possible to distract from their current situation. This previous weekend they'd come over for an all-day movie marathon, and as he shuffled the boys off to the bus stop to head home, he'd handed her a couple of his favorite horror flicks to borrow. She'd spent the whole night watching them, and now was excited to bring them back and be able to talk about them with him—especially where the forensics would have totally brought the whole plot to a screeching halt.
She'd slipped into the locker room quietly and was so focused that she didn't realize who was talking on the other side of the lockers until they were well into their conversation.
"You really just need to get off of my back Jenna," a voice said curtly.
"I'll get off of your back when you stop being such an idiot about who you just give it away to," her sister retorted, and Katie couldn't believe her ears. She'd never heard the girls speak as if they were two separate people, and she wouldn't be surprised if nobody else in the school had either.
"I wouldn't have ended up with him if I hadn't blacked out," the first Jenn argued, and a short scuffle implied she had moved closer to her sister. "I depend on you to be my Designated Thinker, Jenna: you know that." The first twin sighed, obviously not pleased with her twin's mannerisms, and so the second changed decided to change subjects.
"Do you think Nikki will want to take on the Gleeks on stage?"
Katie's eyes widened and she leaned closer to the metal doors.
There was a pause. "Hm. Probably not; Nikki's plan seems to be getting more covert since she started sharing the Cheerios with that smug skank." Seriously?, Katie thought at the last remark as her eyes rolled upward. "But she probably won't be Singing the Seventies with the Loser Patrol."
"At least Fabritch will finally get hers," the second Jenn opined.
"You think?"
"Oh come on—Hudson only lost out on the musical last year because she was cock-blocked by Man-Hands, and the little Jabberwocky was probably born in Gershwin Theater. It's got to come down to those two."
"But Yarn Head and Baby Abrams are directing, Jenny" the shrewder Jenn pointed out. "They both have a bias that runs in her favor."
"No way," her sister opposed. "For once, Little Quinn Junior is going to be shown that her stuff ain't smelling any sweeter than the rest of us." Her sister scoffed, and they finished the last touches of their make-up before slamming the doors and walking out of the room, leaving a bewildered blonde in their wake.
"Katie, you know they just planted that stuff," Caroline chided her friend. "Annie and Michelle are good, but so are we. You should come out."
The blonde girl smiled at her friend. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I'll audition with you."
The two girls broke into grins and began bubbling about possible music choices, and Caroline felt like she had her old friend back.
Dylan found himself once again at his mother's grave. While he usually showed up a few times a year in the past, in the last month he'd probably been her closer to once every couple of days. He was starting to think he was getting morbid.
"Hey Mom," he said with an easy smile. "I got those DVDs back from Katie today."
"You loaned out your movies to a girl?" a deep voice asked from behind him, and he whirled around to see his father appearing from the shade of a nearby tree. "You must really like her."
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, running a flustered hand through his shaggy mane.
"Same as you; I came to see your mom, try to sort through things." Mark Jamieson gave his son a remorseful look as the boy tugged his bulky sweater nervously. "And…I was hoping to see you here as well."
"Why? You could have just called."
The older man rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, and Dylan thought he looked awfully tired. The freshman couldn't help but wonder if his father had been getting any sleep.
"I know I screwed up," he began. "For a long time. I made a promise to your mom over fifteen years ago that I'd take care of her forever, and the minute I screwed that up all of my other promises seemed to just fall over like dominoes right after."
"You did take care of Mom," Dylan couldn't help but offer.
"I couldn't keep her from dying, could I?" the older man lamented. "Couldn't have done something, anything different and made it so she was here right now." He sighed. "But I can't do anything about that now—all I can do is try to make up for every way I've let you down since." Mark looked into his son's brown eyes hopefully. "I've been going to AA every chance since we…talked," he told his son. "I'm taking some vacation time I've got stored up and I'm seeing a grief counselor, if you'd believe it." His eyes became earnest. "I want you boys to come home, give us another shot at fixing our family—doing it right this time."
Dylan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was completely at a loss for words.
"I know it's a lot, and I don't expect you to believe me right away. But come to a meeting, please. You'll see that I'm really serious about this. I want us to be a family again. The right way."
It was all the brunette boy could do to nod his head and agree to consider his father's offer before the scruffy man had walked away after a brief nod to his wife. The quiet boy was completely floored by the opportunity for everything to be fixed so quickly, and he looked at the headstone next to him in awe. Maybe he and his father could keep their word to hold their family together after all.