A/N: Song featured is "Does Your Mother Know" from Mamma Mia!
Caroline slumped up against the wall as she watched the party unfold before her. She huffed as Dalton slowly twirled Roxie out of rhythm with the music before they resumed their slow swaying, and the Cheerio brought the cup to her lips yet again. The beer tasted awful, and she couldn't remember why she'd switched from wine coolers to the red cups except that they were within easy reach. It didn't stop her from taking another swallow though.
She was happy for Annie and Michelle, don't get her wrong. The freshman knew that they had wanted the leads just as much as she did, and they were doing an amazing job. However, it just felt too pointed that they had both gotten the main parts while she had been put in a safe supporting role. She watched Teddy walk down the hallway with Liam and Andrew in tow, and her temper suddenly got the better of her.
Caroline's white converses thudded along the floor as she marched toward the boys. "We need to talk," she told her ex, not allowing his expression, an adorable mixture of fear and delight at the sight of his ex, distract her from her purpose.
Teddy glanced nervously to his friends, who shrugged and turned together toward their lockers further down. He swallowed hard and tried to meet her eyes steadily. "What's up?" he asked.
"I just need you to be honest with me," she said, watching his eyebrow arch in curiosity. "I asked you last week not to be biased with auditions, but I can't help but feel like the three of you purposely didn't choose me because of our history." She tried unsuccessfully to mask the hurt she could feel overwhelming her features. "Are you still that upset with me?"
The junior's expression clouded. "I can't believe you think I'd do something like that," he replied. "I wasn't sure that I could be objective, I admit, but Liam and Andrew were one-hundred percent neutral on this thing, and we reached this decision together. We wouldn't have done that to you." Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but the student director just shook his head angrily. "Look, you were amazing, Caroline—really. But so were Michelle and Annie, and both have a lot of theater experience on their resume. I've personally worked with both of them before, and I know what they're capable of. I had to take the whole picture into account." The honey-haired Cheerio bit her lip and remained quiet, looking at her feet as he frowned at her. "Rosie's not a bad part, Caroline, and you should be proud of how good you look as her." He took a deep breath and turned away slightly. "But yeah, I am still hurting. I wish things were different with us."
The Cheerio played with her skirt, too stubborn to look back up at him. "Me too," she replied softly. "I've got to go," she excused herself quickly, pivoting off in the opposite direction of Liam and Andrew and flitting toward the bathroom to them from seeing her crying.
It was then that she'd texted Katie to meet her in the bathroom, and her friend loyally offered her support and sympathy. She'd been able to shake off the bad feelings for awhile, but now in close proximity of everyone she felt miserable. The minute she'd walked through the door she'd grabbed something to drink to push all of the lingering thoughts from her mind.
Caroline took another swig and scoffed at the group around her. How did everyone seem to end up paired off at these things? Even the gay kids, as much a minority and odd-numbered as they were, seemed to find someone. And here she was—pretty, popular, Quinn Fabray's little sister— and all alone.
"Hey," her bubbly blonde bestie greeted, the soft chiffon of her cranberry fit-and-flare dress rustling along her knees. "Are you having fun?" Her smile faded as Caroline replied with another long pull from her cup. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Caroline lied, masking her emotions behind a plastic smile.
"Liar," Katie retorted, glancing out to the party. She laughed as Annie and Coby tried to convince Dylan to join them in a round of "Waterloo," complete with choreography. "Is this about You-Know-Who? Because he's so not worth thinking about tonight." The sunny girl nudged the other freshman. "You blew up the stage tonight, and we should be celebrating that!"
"Thanks," Caroline replied with a smaller, though more genuine smile. "You're such a good friend."
Katie laughed, glancing around nervously before leaning her frame closer to the brunette. "Look," she said softly. "There's something I really wanted to talk to you about. Because you're my best friend in the whole world, and even though I know you don't like Dylan that much, I really do—"
"Hey, I think decent is more than Dylan," Caroline told her friend, not noticing her friend's smirk at her mismatched sentence. "I mean, I totally think you could do way better, but so long as he's good to you, that makes him a good boyfriend. Unlike some guys." She tipped her cup toward Katie, who touched it with her water bottle. "Hey, where's your drink?" The fashionista looked from her friend to the shaggy-haired boy now bobbing awkwardly (and soberly) with the drunk Glee Clubbers. "Are you serious?"
"Dylan and I aren't drinking tonight," she explained, looking defensive when Caroline gave her a look. "What?"
"You're letting Party Pooper Salvation Army Boy dictate whether you can have a good time or not?" the girl slurred. "Katie come on! We're here to loosen up and have fun. So let's get the party started!" The Cheerio Co-Captain pushed her cup into her friend's hand.
"Caroline, stop," Katie countered, trying to give the girl back beer. "Stop. It's not like we're stopping anyone else, and besides, I'm having plenty of fun." She gave a smug smile as she glanced at her friend's cup, placing it on the table beside them before walking over to her boyfriend.
The Cheerio Captain gave a scoff and quickly downed the last of her beer. "I'm having plenty of fun," she said to no one in particular. "I don't need some hobo macking buddy to be happy!" she defended loudly, bringing her cup back to her lips and shaking it before realizing there was nothing left. "Oh, crap," she pouted, putting the empty container on a table and grabbing a shot glass and beer can that sat unattended nearby. "Finders keepers," she muttered, draining the alcohol quickly.
Annie stumbled across the living room where Hayden, Emma, and Ashwin stood along the wall. "I am so sorry," she giggled, bracing her hands against her lace-overlay skinny jeans to keep from swaying. "I swear I had your drinks, but they disappeared!"
"Are you sure you didn't just forget where you put them, Annie?" Emma asked with a relaxed smile. "You did seem a little distracted over there with Coby and Teddy…"
"What? No!" Annie protested loudly, grabbing Hayden's hand earnestly. "Coby's really really gay, and Teddy's a total dork…" she explained seriously.
"Wow, Annie," Ashwin scoffed in surprise before breaking into a fit of laughter. "Tell us how you really feel."
"It's okay," Hayden tried to reassure her as he patted her hand.
"No!" the drunk sophomore insisted. "I had the drinks! I just put them down on the end table for a second, and when I came back, they were gone." She pouted sadly, and Emma quickly gave her a hug to comfort her.
"It's fine Annie! I promise," she told her teammate. "Michelle came by before you came back and gave us…something." The two girls glanced into the red cup that the academic was holding. Annie smiled hesitantly and took a swallow. "Apparently Walt's trying to teach her how to mix drinks," the petite girl explained.
"Well…huh," the Cheerio finally commented, smacking her lips as she absently played with the zipper running down her cami. "That tastes like…feet." She shrugged and drank some more of the concoction, giggling as it spilled down her chin. "And now I have feet on my chin!"
The group laughed hysterically, and Ashwin took Hayden's distraction in cleaning up Annie as an opportunity to lean over to Emma. "You look amazing tonight," he whispered with a smile. Emma glanced down at her Kerrigan-striped dress and smiled modestly. "Really," he insisted. "I like the brown—it brings out your eyes."
Emma looked up at her ex to see his gaze happily engaged in hers, and when he leaned in to softly kiss her on the cheek, she didn't stop him. She saw his head tilt questioningly, and she unconsciously licked her lips.
Ashwin's hand grazed up her arm and he leaned closer—
"Hey guys! What's going on?" a voice called out loudly, causing the brunette to flinch and the two academics to jump away from each other. She whipped her head over to the intruder, exasperated to see Liam stepping toward them with multiple cups in hand. "I brought refills!"
Annie happily took the cups and handed one to Hayden, while Ashwin gave a tight smile as he nodded and took a cup as well. Emma, meanwhile, merely glared at the boy.
"Liam! You're like a super-hero!" Annie told him. "You're exactly like my brother, except you don't act, and you're single, and you don't worry about everyone...but you're tall," she concluded with a drunken guffaw.
"So what are we doing?" the "casting director" asked innocently, avoiding the academic's eyes as he took a sip of his drink.
"I am trying to convince Hayden to sing!" Annie giggled. "He's got an amazing voice."
"What? No," the blonde argued adamantly. "I do not sing, thank you."
"I am not blind, Hayden," the drunk girl countered, sliding his shades off of his face and putting them on her own. "I've seen your voice, and it is like Reese's."
"It's like what?" Ashwin asked quizzically.
"Reese's," the young Hudson repeated dreamily. "Chocolate and peanut butter—heaven." She sighed happily and grabbed the blind boy's hand to keep him from retrieving his glasses.
"Wow," Liam responded. "See, that's a pair right there—chocolate and peanut butter," he explained when Hayden turned to him defensively. The moment the blonde turned back to Annie in a new bid for his shades, however, her dipped closer to Emma as he took a long drink from his cup. "Look at them—so cute, so full of chemistry and adoration for each other. They can't keep their hands off of each other. You can really tell that they'll be a good couple—"
Emma eyes narrowed to slits and she huffed angrily, shoving her drink into a baffled Ashwin's hand and dragging the A/V geek away from the group. He grinned mischievously as she pulled him down the hall and away from the noise.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Saving you from yourself," he told her bluntly. "I told you I'd be your Designated Thinker tonight, and here I am."
She had one more lap to go, she thought as she ignored the burning sensation in her legs. One more lap and she'd be perfect…
"Hey there," Liam panted as he caught up with her, and she jumped. Had she not heard him coming? Or was he that fast that he'd just sporadically ambushed her? "Trying to catch up with me?"
She rolled her eyes and pushed harder to increase her speed. She had tried racing him once more after their initial contest, but she couldn't deny that he was, in fact, quicker than she. She'd considered recruiting him for Track, but when he'd brushed off the idea, the Captain had uncharacteristically dropped the issue, not wanting to deal with someone as lazy as Liam anyways.
Unfortunately, despite her extra training, the boy still kept pace with her easily. "How long have you been out here?" he asked curiously as his dog tags jingled rhythmically against his chest.
"Long enough," she answered shortly, pulling to a stop as they reached the starting chalk. Her body was practiced, and she felt the exhaustion in her gut heaving against itself, but the last thing she wanted was to expose her secret to Liam Stewart. The girl took a deep breath as she tried to control herself. "I've got to go."
"So soon?" he asked, jogging ahead of her slightly to grab her bag and hand it to her with a grin. "My fancy footwork scare you that much?"
Emma wanted to reply with a scathing remark, to show him that she could care less about his (wasted) skills. She opened her mouth to retort—and abruptly felt her stomach surge against her, with just enough time to race to the trash before throwing up.
"Oh my god," Liam said regretfully, drifting behind her to place a hand on her back. "Are you okay?"
Emma's kept her face, now bright red from embarrassment as well as exertion, turned away from him, taking deep breaths as she battled a mixed flurry of empowerment and mortification at her situation. When the brunette felt her body calm itself, she spat in an unladylike fashion and tried to quickly escape around her audience.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the obnoxious boy insisted, reaching over and grabbing her arm to keep her there. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," she lied. "I think I'm coming down with something."
"And you're running?" he replied incredulously.
"Some of us care about our commitments," she bit, jerking her arm away but remaining in place. "I have school, and track practice, and three different faculty meetings happening today for other clubs. I don't get a day off, Liam."
"If you're throwing up on the track, I think they'd understand," he maintained, pulling a water bottle out of her bag now laying on the ground and handing it to her. "You got to take care of yourself first, Emms."
"Don't call me that," she said defensively, glancing at the water distastefully. She did want it, she was exhausted and parched, but she wanted him gone more. "Can you just go away?"
"How about you take the water and let me walk you to the nurse's office, and then I'll go away?" he proposed. She glared at him, but when he remained impassive, she made a face and snatched the bottle from him.
"I'm not going to the nurse's office," she growled in between desperate gulps. "But if you're that insistent on seeing that I'm okay, you can walk me to the locker room, I guess. I've got some antacids there, and I'll fill up the water bottle."
Liam considered her seriously, perhaps trying to decide if he could persuade her anymore, but shrugged his shoulders and hitched her bag further up his arm as she grabbed her coat.
"So are you going to the party this weekend then?" he asked curiously after a few minutes, and she sighed—she'd just wanted to be left alone.
"Yeah, I guess," she replied, frowning. "I mean, if I'm feeling better. Ashwin invited me—we're going as friends." She glanced at the lanky boy as he scoffed loudly. "What?"
"You're going to a cast party that you're not part of with an ex, as friends, and you think that's a good idea?" He cast her a skeptical look.
"He knows that I don't want to get back together," she insisted
"Have you ever been to a high school party?" he asked. "What you decide to do sober almost never matters when you're drunk." She opened her mouth to protest, and he put his hand up to stop her. "Look, does he still want to date?" Emma shot him a nasty look, but said nothing. "And therein lies my point. Unwavering admiration can be tempting under the influence."
"So you think I shouldn't go to this party?" she surmised.
"No, I think you need a DT— Designated Thinker- to keep an eye on you to prevent regrettable decisions," he suggested, spreading his hands to indicate himself. "I promise to protect you Saturday night from any choices you wouldn't make right now." The sophomore grinned as his teammate rolled her eyes and reached for the locker room door. "Except maybe throwing up—I think you may want that as an option later for both instances."
She made a face at him, and he waved goodbye as she shut the door.
"I saw that kiss," Liam told her. "And I know you don't want this. If that means being the asshole who cock-blocks Kumar all night, then that's what I'll do."
"How do you know this isn't what I want?" The gold flecks in Emma's eyes flashed in anger. "Ashwin loves me—he's a great guy—"
"You're right," her teammate agreed. "He is a great guy—that you aren't in love with. Why would you want to hurt him by leading him on like that?"
The girl balked, tugging at her hair uncomfortably as she forced out an argument. "I could be in love with him…" she countered in a soft voice, unconvincing to even herself.
"Uh huh, right. Look, you're better than this. Yeah, maybe he looks like a complete package, but where's the fun in that?"
Emma scoffed, suddenly incensed again by the boy's statement. "Fun? You think trying to find a guy at this school who doesn't suck is fun?" She threw her hand in the direction of her ex. "I'd be lucky if Ashwin took me back. He wants everything I want; he wants me. I don't know why you think I should be fighting this."
"Because that's not what you really think, and I promised I'd look out for you," Liam reminded her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
The overachiever threw it off, causing the boy's drink to slosh in his hand. "Well I didn't ask you to look out for me!" she yelled at him. "You show up here and act like you care and we're friends, but we're not! You're just some guy that worms his way into people's lives and shakes things up so you can document the fallout for your stupid movies!" She stomped indignantly on his foot and stormed back to her group, grabbing Ashwin and kissing him forcefully on the mouth.
Liam stared as she looked back at him pointedly, then furiously chugged his drink before stalking off in the opposite direction. He reached the dance floor and grabbed Teddy and Andrew and dragged them toward the kitchen.
"Wally," he called out. "We're doing shots!" The stocky sophomore cheered and reached over for an open bottle. "No, wait," Liam stopped him, putting a finger up to pause the boy as he turned and searched the crowd. "Hayley! Get over here!" The prankster's eyes lit up with a devious grin as the bad girl joined them. "We're doing body shots," he informed the group.
Hayley smirked and began climbing up on the table, with Rhi cheering excitedly as she stumbled up with her and rolled up her peach blouse. Teddy, meanwhile, looked at his friend in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Like a freakin' heart attack," he replied forcefully, turning to Walt and commanding, "Pour!"
Hayley shrieked as the cold liquid filled her belly-button, and louder still as the sophomore dipped down to her stomach to suck the booze off. The noise drew in the crowd, and quite a few drunk girls began clamoring to the counter to join in the fun.
"Oh my god, Li- did you just take a shot off of Andy?!" Everett exclaimed as he gaped at the sophomores.
Liam snorted as he laughed uncontrollably, leaning against an equally drunk Andrew's chest. "Hey, if they're going to call us gay, we've got to act like it at least once right?"
"I take offense to that!" Addie shouted as she weaved her way to the front and began climbing a bar stool.
"Addie, you can't do body shots—you're wearing a dress!" Annie giggled hysterically as she placed her hand in Hayden's and allowed him to help her off the counter.
"Like hell!" the blonde replied, grabbing a pair of scissors from a drawer near the phone and digging it into the fabric, crying out in glee as it ripped messily across the front of her dress and created a jagged cut-out along her stomach. The group cheered in astonishment and the reporter scrambled up to take a turn.
"I've got to take this one," Hayley insisted, running her tongue along the blonde's navel as she drank up the vodka and causing the group to break into catcalls. "Fucking epic!" she proclaimed, and she smirked over at Stassi, who's sheer button up was half-exposed as she wiped what she called Coby's drool off of her stomach.
The Armenian girl scoffed, and grabbed her beer as she sauntered out onto the patio. She leaned up against the railing and wondered if it would be a good idea to jump in the pool and swim a few laps to burn off some of the empty calories she was drinking.
The glass door slid open behind her, but she kept her eyes focused on the water and refused to turn. She listened, unmoving, as the square heel of black knee-high suede boots moved closer to her, and forced her features into a mask of indifference.
"Don't tell me I'm actually starting to get under your skin," Hayley commented mockingly, sidling up beside the junior and leaning forward slightly to give full advantage of her exposed assets.
"Hardly," Stassi retorted cooly, forcing her eyes forward as she desperately repressed a shiver of desire. She'd set the tone for the night, she knew, and she would not be the one to break her resolve.
"So," the streaked sophomore commented as she pulled her tank back over her head. "Are you going to the chatterbox's shindig opening night?"
"At my status, it's kind of mandated," the older girl replied as she replaced her dress on its hanger before reaching for her uniform. The two of them had barely waited for the rest of the group to clear out, and certainly didn't pause for her to switch out of costume.
Hayley grinned slyly as she pressed up against the other girl's bare back. "I'll bet the Broadway Babies have tons of dark corners we could slip into."
"Yeah, and tons of drunkards wandering around that would likely expose us both," Stassi reminded her sharply. "I have no intention of being caught in anything resembling a compromising position with you at the home of one of McKinley's biggest chatterboxes."
"You really need to loosen up," the rebel advised critically as the Cheerio stepped out of her reach to finish pulling on her top. "Maybe we should play hooky tomorrow and find a way to unwind that crank that's got you so stiff."
The junior turned around to watch Hayley as she leaned against a make-up chair, still half-naked with her hair creased in every direction as she considered her—what? Lover? Teammate-with-Benefits? Certainly not girlfriend.
"Let me ask you something—are you anxious to have your life turned upside down? To have a ridiculous amount of attention heaped on you every time you look at another girl? To be slammed constantly from every angle for being what you are? You think you're this big, tough chick, but being nothing but a lesbian to them? It's like having a tattoo across your face that says 'I'm out to make you uncomfortable by threatening your archaic values and playing on your sexual insecurities.'"
"Hey," Hayley snapped defensively. "You don't have to tell me that high school is a fish bowl filled with people that hate you because they hate themselves."
"Good," the other girl retorted curtly, sighing when a hand slid up her arm to turn her back toward the sophomore.
"But you can't tell me that you can't feel something between us—the chemistry, among other things, is mind-blowing," Hayley insisted with a smirk.
Stassi scoffed. "Little girls who play with fire get their fingers burnt."
The Cheerio stood on stage, smirking at Walt as he shot her a smug look from a beach chair, You're so hot, teasing me
So you're blue but I can't take a chance on a kid like you, she leaned in close and smiled, ripping the towel from underneath him and causing him to tumble off of the chair and onto the stage. That's something I couldn't do
She made her way to the stand and watched as Hayley popped up from behind the bar, handing her a drink. There's that look in your eyes
I can read in your face that your feelings are driving you wild, she put out a hand to stop the sophomore as the girl leaned over to kiss her, Oh, but girl you're only a child
That didn't stop Hayley from jumping over the counter and locking hands with the Cheerio, Well I can dance with you honey if you think it's funny, but does your mother know that you're out? The two danced a quick two step before Stassi pushed the bad girl away and into a group of Gleeks
She wrapped the towel around the choreographer and slowly rubbed it lower and lower along her body, resting it on her hips, And I can chat with you baby, flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out?
Stassi slid down into a squat with her back to the audience as the spotlight rested on Walt's anxious expression, Take it easy (take it easy), better slow down boy
That's no way to go
Does your mother know?
She stood up and stepped to the side, showing off the diaper she'd twisted the towel into around his waist, Take it easy (take it easy), try to cool it boy
Play it nice and slow, she continued, pushing him off to the side. Does your mother know?
She grinned and began weaving through the various extras, dancing with each as Hayley kept attempting to cut in, Well I can dance with you honey, if you think it's funny but does your mother know that you're out?
A group of boys surrounded her and lifted her upwards as she grinned superiorly, And I can chat with you baby, flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out?
Stassi slid down their arms and back into Hayley's grasp, Does your mother know that you're out? she sang as the sophomore spun around her. She took a sip of her "margarita", Does your mother know that you're out?
The girls around her chorused, Does your mother know? Does your mother know that you're out?, and Stassi smirked at Hayley before blowing in her face, causing the girl to dramatically fall to the ground.
Things hadn't gotten any better between them after that, with Hayley basically punishing her by avoiding any secret hook-ups and barely glancing her way the entire time, all while dressing as scantily as possible to drive the junior insane. But Stassi knew she was right—in order to keep their lives private, they actually had to maintain discretion, and pretending to get along at this party, forget making out, would throw a serious wrench in that plan.
"You know what I can't believe?" The sophomore finally admitted. "That you're actually a romantic." Stassi scoffed incredulously, breaking her neutrality in her surprise at the statement. "No really—I mean, you say you don't care about anyone, you cringe every time I even mention going anywhere outside of a dark hidden hole, but here you are, helping put Dalxie back together again. It's sort of sweet."
"I didn't do anything except walk her to the auditorium," Stassi argued.
"You made her hear him out—you wanted them to be together," Hayley argued. "You care, and regardless of what you say, I think that means you have the potential to feel for your own relationships too. Face it Moran—you're all bark and no bite." She stepped closer and grinned.
Stassi's eyes hardened into slits. "I told you—I'm not looking for a girlfriend. I'm not looking for anything. This," she waved her hands between them, "is nothing, and you could easily be anyone else, so if you're looking for a KD Lang happily ever after, go talk to the Donut Dyke in there." She stepped away from the younger girl and walked back to the door. "Just leave me alone."
Hayley took out her flask and drained half of its contents within moments. She was going to make that damn Cheerio admit she cared if it killed her.