Chapter 10- Already Gone

Author's Note- Hi everybody! Sorry for not updating in over a week…I feel bad as usual. It's been a really busy school week though. Anyways, I've been really psyched to start writing the dance. Thanks to all the people who reviewed! You guys are awesome and I love you all! I hope you guys like this chapter, I enjoyed writing it!

Will Schuester pulled into McKinley High's parking lot. It was 6:30 and the dance was due to start in fifteen minutes. Come on Will, you can do this. Even with Carl here, you're going to have to be strong. Just ignore Emma and get up there and sing the song. It's going to be kind of hard to ignore her though, Will thought, as he got out of his car. The Spanish teacher locked his car and began walking towards the building.

"When are the students coming, babe?" Carl asked, snaking his arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"In fifteen minutes," Emma replied, tensing under his touch.

"Okay. How was your day?" Carl questioned, smiling down at her.

"Um, it was okay," Emma said, craning her neck to see if Will had arrived yet.

"Are you okay? You look really distant," he asked, with concern.

"I'm fine. I've just got a lot on my mind," Emma answered, not caring in the slightest where Carl thought her mind was.

"Alright, so is there going to be a lot of slow dancing?" Carl asked, playfully.

"I think so," Emma replied. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. Emma saw him, Will had just walked in the door but he hadn't noticed her. He's here! Will's really here. Oh gosh, I'm going to have to talk to him. What will I say? I'm sorry I broke your heart? Yeah, that's a great conversation starter. Wow, he looks so handsome and cute… Emma thought, studying the Spanish teacher. Will was a little dressed down than most people. He was wearing a green Lacoste polo with a white t-shirt underneath, his tan leather jacket on top, khaki dress pants, and black Converse low-tops. Had this been a week earlier, Emma would have laughed at his boyish appearance but now it was just a sad reminder of the relationship she wrecked.

Will weaved through the growing crowd of high schoolers and their teachers, making his way towards the stage where the glee kids were waiting. He hadn't seen Emma yet and didn't want to see her until he sung his song. Will walked up to the stage and unzipped his jacket, placing it with the kids' own coats. As soon as Rachel spotted him, she ran up to her teacher.

"Hi Mr. Schue! Finn's getting ready to sing backstage, he's leading off. You should be getting ready too, you're singing towards the beginning of the dance as well," Rachel exclaimed.

Will heard what she said but it didn't register in his brain, he had spotted something beyond Rachel's shoulder. Rachel followed her teacher's sad hazel eyes and saw Ms. Pillsbury standing with an older man with black hair, she assumed he was Carl.

Oh no…she looks beautiful. Please say she doesn't notice me yet, Will thought to himself, as he stared at Emma. The guidance counselor was wearing a green knee-length dress and a black cardigan with black flats. The two staff members had both wore green, unknowingly. God, is that…Carl? Ugh, I don't know why I still care about her. She's obviously moved on with dreamy dentist guy, he thought.

"Mr. Schue? Mr. Schue? Are you okay?" Rachel asked, knowing that he wasn't.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm, uh, fine," Will replied, stepping to the side out of Emma's viewpoint.

"You miss her, don't you? Like you want to throw a rock at her face just to show her how much it hurts to miss her," Rachel said softly, her eyes flicking towards Finn for a moment.

Will looked at his student, confused. "Yeah, I guess I do." Will hesitated and took in a deep breath, "I think that I'm just filled with like more hurt than hate towards her. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Yeah, it does. You just need to take a break, I think," Rachel said, smiling hopefully.

"Thanks, it means a lot. So, when do I sing?" Will asked, trying to rid his mind of thought of the redhead.

"In about twenty minutes," the ambitious student replied, before waving and walking back to the rest of the New Directions.

Emma knew she had to stop Will and talk to him but she just couldn't figure out when or how. Alright, Emma, you have to do this. Stop being a coward, just go up to him and talk…just like old times. Except that it's not…it's not the way it was a week ago. If only I could just go back in time but that's not possible. Next time, I just shouldn't screw up in the first place, Emma thought. Carl was talking to the school's AP math teacher about some crime show on TV. Before she could change her mind, Emma began storming across the room to where Will stood alone at the snack table, munching on a cookie. When the guidance counselor was about ten feet away, Will looked up and noticed her, his eyes growing wide. Will began to walk away but Emma closed the gap between them quickly. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and Will turned around slowly.

"Emma…" Will murmured, his eyes glued to the ground. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Will, just, let me explain," Emma pleaded, her brown eyes filled with hope.

"I don't think there's much explaining to be done," Will said, softly.

"No, Will, you know there is. I don't like the way things are between us now," Emma said, trying to make eye contact with him but Will's eyes were glued to the floor.

Will finally looked up; his hazel eyes meeting Emma's brown ones. "I thought you wanted it to be this way, I mean like after what you did. Isn't this what you wanted to happen? What did you think? That I was just going to smile like nothing's wrong, talk like everything's perfect, act like it's all a bad dream, and pretend it's not hurting me?" Will suggested, his face filled with deep emotion.

"No Will, this isn't what I wanted at all, and I'm so sorry. I hate how it is now. I hate my brain piling up with things left unsaid but most of all, I hate you hating me," Emma confessed.

"I don't hate you. I never will. I just act like I do, because it's easier than admitting that I miss you," Will admitted, swallowing hard. The last thing he wanted was to break down in front of Emma again.

Emma looked at him, wondering how everything went so wrong. "Please just hear me out, I need to apologize and really talk to you. But not here, in a different room. It kills me to see you heartbroken and know that it's because of me," Emma said, quietly. Will looked up at her and Emma could sense the hurt in his eyes.

"Emma…I just, I'm disappointed most of all. I'm disappointed of how easily you turned into everything you said you'd never be. I'm hurt because it was so easy for you to hurt me, after hearing a false rumor from my worst enemy. You once said you never wanted to see me hurt, so did you close your eyes when I cried?" Will asked, looking into Emma's worried and confused doe eyes. When she didn't respond, Will began walking away.

"Will…wait," Emma called after him, but it was too late. He was already gone. As soon as Emma put her head down, Will glanced back over his shoulder. He saw her small body hunched over in worry and regret and…he just wanted everything to go away. All of this. The whole past week, to stay in the past. But he wasn't stupid, Will knew it wouldn't be that easy for him to forgive and move on.

When Will reached the stage, Finn was waiting for him. "You're on in a few minutes, Mr. Schue, right after this song," Finn informed him. Finn noticed his teacher's hurt eyes and vulnerable demeanor. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll be better once I sing. I'm going to put my feelings all out there," Will responded, sneaking one last glance at Emma before stepping onstage.

So what did you guys think? Did you like it? The song will obviously be next chapter…I don't want to spoil it for you about which song he'll be singing. Please review! Your reviews are what keeps me writing!