Hey everybody! Good news! Here's a new chapter! ^_^ This one certainly take too long at all! Don't get too comfortable though. Future chapters could yet take longer. That being said, in this new chapter, the New Directions are, to put it simply, not at all happy with the way things went down in the cafeteria not too long ago. Fortunately, Mr. Schuester knows just the way to get everyone back in good spirits. Or does he? Let's find out shall we? Here's me hoping you read, review, and enjoy! ^_^
A/N: Again, I do not own Glee, or any of the songs used in this chapter. Got that? Good. Onward we go!
Chapter 10:
Music is the Best Medicine
"You think that slushies are a bad enough thing to get splattered in the face with for people associated with this club?"
A still somewhat messy Dunlap shook his head side to side, his red eyes practically glowing with rage. "Well guess what Mr. Schue; you're wrong." He pointed at his face and his now sauce covered and pepperoni dotted pale albino blonde hair, angry look still present. "Fresh pizza sauce, and on a pizza that's still hot? That's much worse."
"You think that's bad?" Darren asked in a mixture of anger and incredulity, all while still holding a tissue up to his left eye and trying to wipe at it. "I think I might have gotten some ketchup or mustard from one of those burgers that got thrown at me stuck between my left contact and my eyeball."
"To much information," Naomi grumbled, her already red hair and shirt almost completely indistinguishable from its natural coloring and the spaghetti sauce that it was now thoroughly drenched in.
"Don't be rude," said Amber, even though she herself still looked more than a little miffed from how she was still splattered with various food toppings herself, with a particularly hefty amount of mustard caking her shirt.
The other 9 gleeks, likewise, were in varying degrees of messiness leftover from the food fight. Admittedly, they'd all managed to somewhat clean off most of the gunk that had been on their faces and in their hair, but there was still enough leftover messiness on their clothing to allow for very real risk of some serious staining in the future. Hobbes, meanwhile, looked as if he were still very much in need of a bath, and had a look on his face that looked so unsettlingly murderous that it would not at all be surprising for him to burst into flames as a result of sheer rage.
Mr. Schuester, meanwhile, now couldn't help but wince as he took another close look at his messy students and listened to what the sophomores had just said. "I take it, things didn't go well at the cafeteria this afternoon."
"Wow," Cody hissed spitefully, briefly looking up from his work in cleaning up his glasses to direct a glare at the teacher. "What gave it away?"
Bailey and Raj both glared at Cody. The Korean American, seemingly either oblivious or just not caring about that detail, proceeded to snort and roll his eyes dismissively before looking back at his glasses and resuming his work at cleaning them.
Daniel snorted as well. "Understatement of the semester."
"No kidding," Diana grumbled, her arms folded across her chest and her green eyes seemingly locked in a venomous glare. "And it's still only the first full week of school this year."
At the sound of this, Mr. Schuester sighed. "Look guys, I get it, things aren't looking good for us right now. . ."
"Yeah, no shit," Susan hissed. She glowered downwards towards her still quite messy shirt. "This was one of my favorite shirts," she grumbled under her breath.
"I can definitely say this," Calvin growled. He shook his head side to side, arms folded angrily across his chest and a scowl practically frozen in place on his face. "All those punks in the cafeteria were so lucky that Hobbes and I had never experienced a food fight before. If we had, then God help me, that food fight would have been over the instant it began."
Hobbes snarled in a clear 'hear, hear' tone.
"Oh screw you," Charlotte hissed. She then glared down at her spaghetti sauce caked cheerio outfit. "I mean come on, am I the only one who is at all bothered by how they did all this to me? Me?! Of all people?!"
Daniel snorted. "Well thank God for that small mercy at least," he then stated while directing a smug grin Charlotte's direction.
All the other gleeks, sans Zach and Charlotte, couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. "Amen for that," they all stated simultaneously in agreement.
Charlotte glared at all the gleeks who'd just commented at her expense, while simultaneously looking fit to explode. Zach, meanwhile, shook his head and sighed. "Really guys?" he thought to himself.
Mr. Schuester took a deep breath, exhaled, and then looked back at his students, his hands raised in a half placatory and half serious gesture. "Look," he began. "I understand that things didn't go the way I hoped they would at lunch today, and for that I apologize." He took another deep breath, and exhaled. "But nonetheless, the point is that you at least tried, and my heart was in the right place."
The gleeks all thought to themselves, except for Charlotte who stuck her tongue out at Mr. Schuester.
"That is true," Diana eventually managed to say. All but Charlotte nodded their heads and mumbled in agreement with their female lead.
"And with that in mind," said Mr. Schuester. "Now that we're all here, I know something we could do that should make you guys feel at least somewhat better."
"Other than a bath or shower you mean?" Cody snarled spitefully.
Bailey promptly slapped him in the face. "Don't be rude," she damn near growled when Cody directed his own glaring face right back at her.
"You tell him babe," said Raj, only for him to cringe and whimper when Bailey turned her nightmare making death glare straight towards him. "Right, not helping, sorry." Bailey stuck her tongue out at Raj, and then turned her head to face Mr. Schuester once more with a roll of her eyes.
Mr. Schuester, now feeling more than a little aggrieved at being twice interrupted, took a deep breath, and then exhaled heavily. "I'll admit, I'm sure all of you would feel much better after taking a nice long shower or bath; but while we're here, I say that we make do with seeing if any of you could perhaps fulfill their part in the week's assignment." He let a small smile come onto his face, and he lifted his finger as if to emphasize a point. "They always say that music is the best medicine."
"I thought that was laughter," said Calvin.
"Second best then," Mr. Schuester admitted. The other gleeks all started chuckling and giggling. Even Zach and Charlotte found themselves struggling to keep themselves from flat out breaking into happy grins and chuckling themselves.
Calvin raised his eyebrow in confusion. "What's so funny?" he then asked.
Susan giggled, and then made a dismissive gesture. "Nothing Calvin, don't mind us."
Calvin and Hobbes glared at Susan, eyebrows raised in confusion. "If you say so," the autistic boy eventually said. He turned his head towards Mr. Schuester once more, his dog doing the same after another 5 or 10 seconds of glaring in confusion at Susan.
Mr. Schuester clapped his hands together once, smile still on his face. "Alright everyone," he began, "is there anyone who'd like to fulfill their part in the assignment this session?"
All the gleeks who hadn't yet performed for the week's assignment thought to themselves. Then the silence was broken when Darren stood up from his seat, guitar at the ready, and a noticeable determination in his yellow contacted eyes. "I would," he said.
Mr. Schuester gestured towards the nearby microphone. "Have at it then," said the teacher.
Darren let out a small chuckle, and made his way over to the microphone. As this happened, with Darren busy setting up the microphone and later making sure that his guitar was tuned up just right, plus everybody else in the room keeping their focus directed strictly at Darren, nobody noticed Zach start fiddling around with something in his hands.
By the time Darren was ready, Zach had reached a good stopping point in his mysterious 'project', and everybody in the room was ready to see what the half Scottish boy had to offer. "Alright lads and lasses," he said, a noticeable Scottish accent starting to show in his voice. "I hope you're all ready for what I've got to offer for you today. I'll admit, knowing who my idol amongst previous generations of New Directions members is, my choice of song may be a bit of obvious and clichéd; but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it."
The ginger haired boy took a deep breath, exhaled, positioned his guitar as needed, and proceeded to start playing the appropriate tune for his chosen song. And when the part came for him to actually sing, the resulting performance went something like this:
I heard there was a secret chord
David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah...
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah...
(Instrumental Break)
Baby, I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor (you know)
I used to live alone before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
He strummed the final chord on his guitar, and then let silence hang in the air for a moment. Then that silence was shattered by the joyous applause from his fellow gleeks. Even Charlotte couldn't help but begrudgingly give a slow clap and nod her head in acknowledgement of his skill and passion. Darren nodded his head up and down, gave a slight bow, and then said, "Thank you everyone. I'm glad you enjoyed." He walked back over to his seat. "Next up," he said.
Before Mr. Schuester even had a chance to speak, Amber rose from her chair and walked on over to take Darren's place at the microphone, though not without taking a quick detour to the band members' location to whisper something (likely her chosen song) to them. Upon reaching the microphone, one could clearly see how happy she was. In fact, in spite of the messy food elements still present on her clothes, her current level of happiness seemed to just radiate and burst out of her like rays of sunlight.
"Alright everyone," she stated. "I hope what Darren had to offer was enough to get you all somewhat soothed down, because what I've got ready to sing for you all right now ought to really get you in a good mood." She snapped her fingers, smile still on her face, and yet still managing to avoid making herself look inconsiderate and impatient in the process. "Hit it boys."
The band members were all too happy to oblige, and the resulting performance that occurred immediately after Amber finished the very much recognizable humming that occurred at the beginning of the song she'd chosen went as follows:
We have fallen down again tonight
In this world it's hard to get it right
Trying to make your heart fit like a glove
What it needs is love, love, love
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Instrumental Break)
Happy is the heart that still feels pain
Darkness drains and light will come again
Swing open up your chest and let it in
Just let the love, love, love begin
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, everybody knows the love
Everybody holds the love
Everybody falls for love
Everybody feels the love
Everybody steals the love
Everybody heals with love
Oh, oh, oh, oh, just let the love, love, love begin
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin
Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Everybody feels to love
Everybody steals to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Everybody, everybody wants to love (oh, everybody)
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved (oh, everybody)
Oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh.
Everybody, everybody wants to love (oh, everybody)
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved (oh, everybody)
Oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh (oh, everybody) oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh.
The joyous applause that followed literally two seconds after Amber finished her performance was music to her ears, and she couldn't help but smile and giggle as she saw how her performance had indeed put all of her fellow gleeks in a much better mood then they'd initially been in at the beginning of the session. Even Charlotte couldn't help but smile.
Mr. Schuester, also smiling, eventually managed to finish clapping. "Thanks for that Amber," he said.
Amber giggled. "You're welcome," she responded. She then walked back over to her seat. "Next," she said.
Dunlap was the next to rise from his seat and he proceeded to make his way to the band members, and from them to the microphone. Much as had been the case with Darren, everybody else in the room was so focused on Dunlap that absolutely no one noticed Zach seemingly fiddling around with something in his and Dunlap's backpacks. And of course, Zach managed to finish his little bit of 'business' in time to avoid getting caught when Dunlap finally made it to the microphone at full preparedness for his upcoming performance.
"Alright everyone," said the albino boy, his red eyes blazing with excitement and joy that had most certainly not been there before Darren and Amber's performances. "Hope you've all still got room for more happiness and positivity after what Amber had to offer; because my performance will so leave you wanting to literally dance with joy." He turned his head to face the band, winking in the process.
The band members promptly began playing the appropriate tune for the song that Dunlap had chosen, and the resulting performance went like this:
Ladies and Gentlemen we've got a special treat for you tonight
I'm gonna call my friend Olly up here to... to sing to you ladies
Olly!
Let's go man
My name is Olly nice to meet you can I tell you baby
Look around there's a whole lot of pretty ladies
But none like you, you shine so bright, yeah
I was wondering if you and me could spend a minute
On the floor up and close getting lost in it
I won't give up without a fight
I just wanna, oh baby
I just want you to dance with me tonight
So come on, oh baby
I just want you to dance with me tonight
We're getting sweaty, hot and heavy in the crowd now
I loosen up and let your hands go down, down
But go with it girl, yeah just close your eyes, yeah
I feel the music moving through your body
And looking at you I can tell you want me
Don't stop, keep going till the morning light, yeah
When I saw you there, sitting all alone in the dark acting like you didn't have a care
I knew right then, that you'd be mine, and we'd be dancing the whole damn night like
Oh baby,
I just want you to dance with me tonight
So come on, oh baby
I just want you to dance with me tonight
Break it down now,
(New Directions: yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Shake it like that,
(New Directions: yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Now bring it all back
To dance with me tonight
One more time, one more time, come on now
(New Directions: yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Do your thing,
(New Directions: yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Everybody sing
(New Directions: I just want you to dance with me tonight)
I just wanna, oh baby
I just want you to dance with me tonight
Everybody, everybody come on now
Girl, just close your eyes
We can dance all through the night,
I just want you to dance with me tonight
And everybody sing
Girl just close your eyes,
We can dance all through the night
I just want you to dance with me tonight
So come on girl just close your eyes
We can dance all through the night
I just want you to dance with me tonight
Much like with Amber, all of two seconds passed the end of Dunlap's performance before the audience assembled within the choir room exploded into jubilant applause. Naomi even went so far as to give Dunlap a standing ovation; and considering the fact that she'd usually never do such an action as a result of her blindness, that was saying something.
"Bravo Dunlap," said Mr. Schuester as he began to wind down in his applause. "Excellent performance."
"Thank you, Mr. Schue," said Dunlap. He made his way over to where he'd been seated. However, instead of immediately sitting back down in his empty chair the way Amber and Darren had done, he came to a stop right by Naomi. "I trust you'd perhaps be willing to have a go today before the session ends?"
Naomi chuckled, and nodded her head, her opaque blue eyes seemingly sparkling from joy. "Need you ask?" she asked.
Dunlap chuckled, and proceeded to escort her over to the microphone, even going so far as to ask her to tell him her chosen song and spread the information to the band for her before finally returning to his seat altogether.
The instant Dunlap was seated once more and everyone had their attention focused on her, Naomi took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "Good afternoon everybody," she began. "Well, I'm sure that my three compatriots have all gotten you in a much better mood than you were all in at the beginning of this session." Her 12 peers all mumbled in agreement and likewise showed assent. Naomi giggled. "Well that being said, I hope you're ready, because my performance should be just the thing you need to end this session on a real high note." She turned her head and tentatively squinted in the direction that she guessed was where the band was located. "Are you ready?" she asked.
The band members, who indeed were in the area she was looking towards, all said "You bet," in unison.
Naomi chuckled nervously in relief. "Good," she said. "Let's begin."
The band obliged, and the resulting performance that unfolded soon afterward went as follows:
We, we don't have to worry 'bout nothing
'Cause we got the fire, and we're burning one hell of a something
They, they gonna see us from outer space, outer space
Light it up, like we're the stars of the human race, human race
When the light started out they don't know what they heard
Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world
We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky
'Cause we got the fire, fire, fire
Yeah we got the fire, fire, fire
And we gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
Gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We don't wanna leave, no. We just wanna be right now (right), r-r-right now
And what we see is everybody's on the floor acting crazy, getting loco 'til the lights out
Music's on, I'm waking up, we fight the fire, then we burn it up
And it's over now, we got the love, there's no sleeping now, no sleeping now, no sleeping
When the light started out they don't know what they heard
Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world
We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky
'Cause we got the fire, fire, fire
Yeah we got the fire, fire, fire
And we gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
Gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
When the light started out they don't know what they heard
Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world
We gonna let it burn burn burn burn (burn burn)
Burn burn burn burn (burn burn)
We can light it up, up, up
So they can't put it out, out, out
We can light it up, up, up
So they can't put it out, out, out
We can light it up, up, up
So they can't put it out, out, out
We can light it up, up, up
So they can't put it out, out, out
When the light started out they don't know what they heard
Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world
We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky
'Cause we got the fire, fire, fire
Yeah we got the fire, fire, fire
And we gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
Gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
We gonna let it burn, burn, burn, burn
When the light started out they don't know what they heard
Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world
We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky
'Cause we got the fire, fire, fire
Yeah we got the fire, fire, fire
And we gonna let it burn
For what seemed like an eternity to Naomi, silence hung in the air as the assembled audience gaped at her in awe. But the apparent eternity was, in reality, only two seconds. And once those two seconds were up, the silence was emphatically DESTROYED by the sound of the applause that exploded from the throats of everyone else in the choir. Naomi let a wide smile come on her face, and she giggled joyfully as she listened to the sound of the applause coming from the mass blur of color sitting in front of her.
Mr. Schuester, naturally, was likewise happy as he added his own applause to the mix. "Well done Naomi," said the teacher. "Fantastic performance."
Naomi chuckled in a clear 'ah shucks' fashion. "Thanks Mr. Schue."
"You can say that again Mr. Schue," said Dunlap. "Was that awesome guys? Or was that awesome!?" The other gleeks all let out a cheer of agreement.
At exactly that moment, the bell rang to signify the end of the session.
"That's all for today everyone," said Mr. Schuester as he and everyone else in the choir room got up from their seats, gathered their things, and slowly began to gradually make their way out of the room. "Remember everyone, we've still got three full days left this week for the rest of you all to finish the assignment. Enjoy the rest of your day; I'll see you all tomorrow!"
The gleeks all gave off varying forms of verbal acknowledgement of their teacher's words as they all proceeded to depart from the choir room and head off in various directions towards the areas they needed to go to take care of some final activities before they left the school grounds altogether. However, as all the gleeks headed off in their respective directions, not even one of them was at all aware of the almost devious look that was on Zach's face. He had a big plan for what he intended to do once he and everyone else in the glee club were finished with the activities and tasks they were now on the way to take care of. He had already taken care of the necessary measures to prevent interference from at least four, possibly even seven of the other members of the glee club. Now all he needed to do was get one or two other tiny details taken care of and he'd be all set. And he was looking forward greatly to what he now intended to do.
And just like that, another chapter done, and on a note of suspense to! Will this be enough to allow you all to look forward to the next chapter? I certainly hope so! Remember, I require a minimum of 2 reviews for this chapter in order to post the next chapter (upon its completion of course). That being said, here I am very much hoping you enjoyed this chapter and leave plenty of feedback nonetheless! ^_^ And believe me, I'm having lots of fun with this story (and by God do I hope you are having just as much fun reading as I am writing).
Songs Used:
Hallelujah - Jason Castro - Performed by Darren McCrimmon
Everybody - Ingrid Michaelson - Performed by Amber Lawson
Dance with me Tonight - Olly Murs - Performed by Dunlap Carmichael
Burn - Ellie Goulding - Performed by Naomi Bright
Coming up Next: Tensions between Calvin and Zach reach dangerous new heights!