Nellie was in her room gazing at her jewelry box, trying to decide what pair of earrings to wear. She'd asked Shanna earlier what she should wear to the Grasshopper, to which the blonde girl answered easily.
Shanna had explained it to Nellie as the two left the school that afternoon. "There's no dress code," Shanna told her as she ran her fingers through her long hair, "But we like to spruce ourselves up a little. Not anything outlandish, just the sort of stuff you'd wear on a date."
Because of this, Nellie was now clad in a short sleeved, royal blue dress with purple, green, and indigo waves on it, tights, and flats. She decided on a pair of iridescent teardrop earrings that she had received for her last birthday. But she still felt incomplete.
There was a chipper, shave-and-a-haircut knock at the door. "Mom, I'm not ready yet!" She yelled through the door.
"It's me." A familiar voice replied. Nellie went to the door and swung it open. There stood Eliza, rocking forward on her toes and examining the hallway.
"Hey, Nellie. Your mom let me in. Wow, you look great." She stepped into her friend's room. It was pretty sparse; there was furniture and clothes in the closet and boxes, but not much else.
"Thanks. You do too." Nellie wandered in after her. Liza was wearing a short-sleeved sweater dress that was blue, black and white striped and had a dropped waist. This was topped off with black tights, the usual stylish boots, and a double-breasted blazer. "I feel like my outfit's missing something, though."
"Hmm." Liza moved over to the stack of accessories on Nellie's desk. "You took your braid out, didn't you? Well, I think you could either re-braid it or put a headband in. How 'bout this?" She pulled out a 3-strand headband that was purple.
"Here, let's see." Nellie put it in her hair, and was immediately pleased with the results. "I like it."
Eliza smiled. "I'm glad."
Nellie lead the way out of her room, grabbing her jacket and bag on the way. She called a goodbye to her mother, who was sitting in the kitchen doing a crossword as she waited for Nellie's dad to come pick her up for the party. She shouted an enthusiastic "Have fun! Nice to meet you, Eliza!" as they walked out into the cold night air.
Eliza shouted back, "Nice to meet you too, Mrs. V!" There was the station wagon, engine humming and headlights cutting through the mist. Inside Michael and Charlie were rocking out in the front seat, and blasting not rap, but Springsteen. Eliza opened the door to the backseat and they crawled in, single file.
"Nellie! Welcome!" Charlie bellowed over the music as they got settled.
Eliza whipped her seat belt across herself and buckled it. "Hit it, Mike!" Michael, still belting and drumming on the steering wheel, backed out of the driveway and put the pedal to the metal.
Charlie was screaming along to the music so loudly that you couldn't even hear Michael, much to Nellie's disappointment. "How come Liza can call you that and I can't?' He asked Michael when the Boss had finished.
Michael turned the volume knob down and glanced back at the girls in the rear view mirror with a slight smirk. "Because Eliza's called me that since before she could walk. She says it out of love, whereas you would say it for the sake of annoying me."
"If I said it out of love it would be weird, man." Charlie argued, making Nellie crack up in the backseat.
Michael concentrated on the road. "Charlie, I'd hoped that it wouldn't come to this and that you would just respect my choice of name, but you just couldn't leave it alone. So now, if I ever hear you call me Mike, I will respond by addressing you by your middle name." He said calmly.
Charlie gasped in horror. "You wouldn't!"
"Why is that bad?" Nellie asked, amusement in her tone.
Eliza smiled mischievously. "Nobody knows Charlie's middle name. He thinks it's cursed." Nellie giggled while Charlie pouted.
"Except one night when he'd been up for 36 hours straight and hopped up on Mountain Dew, he mentioned it to me, and I, being the honorable man I am agreed never to speak of it. Unless he crossed a line." Michael continued, eyeing Charlie.
"Okay, Michael, you win." Charlie got out a napkin from the glove compartment and waved it around like a white flag. "I surrender."
"Thank you. Now put that thing down, I need to see the road."
They turned left off into a side street and then into a parking lot at the back alleyway. The boys climbed out of the front seat and the girls crawled out of the back. Eliza helped Nellie to her feet.
"Come on," Michael waved to her as she followed him through the parking lot, a back entrance, and down a beige hallway. They walked through a pair of black double doors with a sign reading "The Grasshopper" on it and entered the restaurant.
Nellie paused to look around. The place managed to be both modern and earthy, with the tables made out of wood and the walls being painted a warm dark brown. The over-hanging lights, booths, and old-fashioned bar stools were all a bright Kelly green. There was a bar by what looked like the front entrance with a grand chandelier hanging over it and a little stage in the alcove opposite the bar with sound equipment and a drum set.
The place was buzzing; there were families with children in highchairs and couples holding hands across tables. Eliza and Charlie rushed over to a booth that contained Luke, Adam, and what appeared to be the other Birds. Luke had a fork, spoon, and knife in between his fingers wolverine-style, but wasn't very threatening. Nellie was about to follow them, but Michael put a hand on her arm and gently began to pull her away.
"Come on," he tilted his head encouragingly at her before turning around to face the way they were walking. "I brought you in the back way on your first visit to the Hopper, which was nuts. To fully experience it," he said with a sneaky smile, "you need to see the front." He continued to drag her around the bar, past their friends, and past the overeager waitress headed their way.
The front of the restaurant was mostly giant windows looking out onto the busy street. They walked out of the main doors, and Nellie immediately gasped at the chilly wind blowing through her veins. The second thing she registered was the tightly packed street full of cars that weren't going anywhere. It was rush hour on a Friday; there was a lot of honking and vulgarity coming from the windows.
"I see why you took the back way," She muttered to Michael as she spun around to face the restaurant. "Wow." She stood starring up at the building, trying to take it all in.
The front of the restaurant was black and super tall, but the huge windows shed some light on the subject. Every window had small, Christmas-style bulbs lining their borders. But the most fantastic part was above it all. Above the windows there was a neon sign that read "The Grasshopper" in green cursive and surrounded by costume bulbs.
"Lovely, isn't she?" Michael said quietly, watching Nellie gaze up at the building.
"Yeah. She's a beauty." Nellie told him as she finished her inspection.
"You wanna go experience some deliciousness?" Michael asked her.
Nellie smiled shyly at him. "Of course." They wandered back into the restaurant where their friends were dining. Nellie pulled up a stool at the bar next to Charlie and Blake, for the bar wasn't serving actual liquor yet. "Hey Blake! Charles," she said as she placed herself on a stool and spun around.
"Hey, Nellie!" Charlie said hello to Nellie.
"Hey Nellie," Blake greeted in his melodic low voice. "Do you think I'd be a good break-dancer?"
Nellie smiled and giggled. "Um, yeah, if you practiced. Why, is this a possible career choice?"
Blake smiled. "I don't know, I've just always wanted to try it. Eliza's the only one who has expertize though. Liza!" he called her over. She was busy chatting with Shanna.
"Yeah, Blake?" She asked as she strode over to them with a smile. She could just feel the silliness coming on.
"Would I be a good break-dancer?" Eliza laughed, and her eyes crinkled and her nose scrunched up.
"Well," She gathered her thoughts, "You have the physical strength, are reasonably coordinated, and have rhythm, so I'd say yes. I have faith in you, Blake." She patted his shoulder.
"You break dance?" Nellie asked Eliza, wide-eyed. "Blake said you had expertise."
Eliza looked at Blake, who shook his head ruefully. "No, I don't break dance. I do a lot of regular dancing, though." She told Nellie before waving at the group of guys pigging out on a ginormous pile of cheese fries. "Guys! We should set up now! Luke, adjust the set. Adam-"
"Get the guitars and tune them. I know, lady." Adam finished for her as he grabbed a chunk of cheese fries and threw it into his mouth, bowed to Liza, and ran off towards the back.
Eliza smiled as he ran away then raised her voice again. "George, come over here." A calmer-looking, slim boy got up from the booth and walked over to them. He had a mop of dark hair, blue eyes, freckles, and a tasteful outfit consisting of a red Adidas sports jacket, an orange printed t-shirt, gray pants, and bright blue running shoes. "Nellie, this is George, our greatly-relaxed bassist. George, Nellie."
George gave a smile to Nellie and shook her hand. "Hey."
Blake said excitedly, "George, you're a dancer. Do you know how to breakdance?"
George half-smiled and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I know some stuff."
Blake's eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "Seriously? Man, I could totally use your help."
At this point Adam ran up, guitar in each hand, and threw one to George. "Help with what?" He asked curiously.
"Becoming a better dancer." Blake answered.
"Oh, you too? I'm recruiting George and Eliza to help me achieve my dream of becoming Michael Jackson." He started moonwalking away towards the back, and George shrugged and began to robot after him. It looked a little awkward because they were both carrying guitars. "You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable. They hate you, you're a vegetable." Adam sang back to Eliza as they moved out of range. It didn't sound half bad.
Eliza grinned after them. "Under normal circumstances I would follow them, but I need to do something first. Has anyone seen my brother?"
Shanna wandered around to Eliza's side. "Yeah, he went to get his guitar." She was wearing a slouchy, thin white sweater over a peach-colored full skirt, grey tights, and lace-up boot wedges.
"Oh okay, thanks Shan. Charlie and Nellie, come with me. I'm going to introduce you two to Ali and Aylin." Eliza looked Charlie over as he brushed crumbs off himself.
"How do I look?" He asked the girls.
"You appear to actually look normal." Eliza stated surprise evident in her voice.
"I'm impressed with myself. Now, are we going to go?" Charlie asked Eliza, his voice cracking and his eyes wavering. Eliza nodded and they began walking towards a side of the restaurant.
Nellie gently rubbed his arm. "You'll be fine, Charlie. Being nervous isn't like you. Just be yourself."
"Yeah, okay. I can do this." He squared his shoulders and got a reassuring smile from Eliza. "I am Charles!" Nellie smiled at him.
"Aylin!" Eliza shouted, getting the attention of a girl pushing another girl in a wheelchair. She had beautiful long, brown with a hint of red wavy hair and clear Middle Eastern skin. Charlie gasped next to Nellie as the girl broke into a smile and hurried toward Eliza.
"Liza! I can't wait for the performance!" She exclaimed as she happy-danced and hugged Eliza. She was wearing a turquoise dress with a zipper in the front, a black leather jacket over it, boots, and pearl-like studs in her ears.
The girl in the wheelchair rolled toward them, a gigantic smile on her face. "Hey guys! Thanks for having us, Liza!" She said as Eliza hugged her, too. This girl was very pretty with long blond hair and a bright smile. She was wearing a green flowered skirt and white jacket for warmth.
"Who are these fine looking people?" Aylin asked with a kind grin.
"This is Nellie, who is new here, and Charlie, whom I'm sure you've heard about." Eliza said, gesturing to her two friends.
Charlie bowed to Ali and they said hello, then Ali rolled towards Nellie. The two girls began to talk animatedly about music and glee and clothes, meanwhile Charlie moved towards Aylin.
"Nice to meet you finally." She said as they shook hands. "You know, I saw you singing in the cafeteria the other day."
Charlie smiled an apprehensive smile. "And how was it? I hope my reputation doesn't precede me."
Aylin broke out into a mischievous smile. "It was great. I have a feeling your voice was made to croon."
Charlie grinned and then on impulse grabbed her hand and delicately kissed it. "It's nice to meet you too, then." Aylin smiled and blushed softly. "So you're in glee, correct?" Charlie asked her.
"Yes." Aylin replied with a curious look on her face. She wondered what he was getting at.
"Do you think I should rejoin?"
"You were in it before?" Aylin asked as they moved towards one of the giant corner booths that was filled with their friends.
There they continued to chat with the other people in booth who were Abraham, Shanna, Eliza, Ali. Blake and Nellie were on stools close by. At the arrival of Charlie and Aylin they all began to rearrange themselves to make room for them. Abraham toppled over onto Shanna, who was scooting it make room. "Abe!" She yelled before she collapsed in giggles.
Blake and Charlie eyed each other at the same time. They locked eyes, then they both scrambled towards the booth. Blake literally jumped over on side of it and landed on Abraham. Charlie, one hand on the table and the other on the back of the booth, swung himself over Ali and crashed into Eliza. It was no longer a booth, it was a dog pile.
"Nellie, come join us!" Eliza yelled from the center of the booth. Shanna was partially draped across her, partially across Blake. Ali was between Blake and Charlie, somewhat sprawled on both of them. Abraham was next to Eliza and was waving at Nellie to come sit next to him.
"Come on in, Aylin!" Shanna called to her friend.
Aylin broke out into a smile. "Hell, yeah!" She yelled as she threw her purse under the table and full on dove on top of Charlie.
They all began to call and cajole Nellie to join them. She eventually decided that she should go with the flow, shrugged, took off her jacket, and flew at Abraham. "Yeah!" Everyone cheered, all squished and crammed into the booth. Nellie began to crawl into a more comfortable position while Charlie was staring at Aylin with adoring eyes. The group as a whole was receiving some weird looks.
"Hey the band needs you-" Michael ran up to the booth planning to get the ever-behaved Eliza, but stopped short when he saw them. "Oh. Hey everybody. I guess this is what happens when I leave."
"Mike, join us!" Eliza shouted at her brother. He hesitated for a second, then dropped to the floor and army crawled under the table. "Mike?" Eliza glanced down at the table.
Suddenly he popped up from the floor, purse in hand. "I was getting your camera." He told Eliza as he fished out her red Canon from the depths of her bag. Then he crawled in by Nellie and began pushing buttons. "Ready, everyone? Five second countdown, starting now." He set the camera in the middle of the table while everybody counted down and posed.
"3, 2, 1!" They all smiled with all their might and the flash went off.
Eliza got up and dusted herself off. "Thanks, Michael. You said the band needed me?" She asked him as he returned her camera to her.
"Yeah, they wanted to warm up and stuff." He told her. "Did you get anything to eat?"
"No, but it's fine. I'll just get something later." She looked back to the stage, then to the booth, then back at her brother. "I guess I should be getting back there, then."
Michael nodded. "Okay. Hey, good luck."
She smiled. "Thanks, bro. You too." She impulsively gave him a hug then ran off towards the stage.
Michael sat back down at the booth. "Well, I guess we should get some food in ourselves." His diagnosis was met with cries of happiness and agreement. He waved down a waiter, who gave them all menus and a friendly smile. Conversation resumed and there was a feeling of jolliness in the air.
Nellies smiled as she peered at the menu and listened to Shanna recommend things to her. "Thanks for inviting me, guys."
Hello all! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in forever, it was a combination of writer's block and the craziness of my life. I'm also sorry because I know I said this would be the longest and most exciting chapter yet, but it went in a different direction than I planned and I decided to split it in half. Either way, a big thank you to all who are still reading faithfully and I hope you enjoy! P. S. I love Blake as Ryder on glee!