UPDATE!
Nothing's set in stone just yet, and there's still a few characters who haven't even been submitted for yet, this is just a second chapter to get a better feel for Melody and Anthony, some Glee Club...stuff as well with Marley, some more Bethaniel moments (thank you GleefullyGeekyWriting XD), and other...stuff lol.
However, to everyone that has submitted a character so far, WOW. They're all so great and it's gonna be sad that I may not be able to accept them all! Still, thanks so far for all of the help that you've all gave me so far! Competition for some of the spots are fierce! I am starting to make some of these tough decisions though, you've been warned...
And in despite of the fact that there's only a few Warbler/Canary/Vocal Adrenaline characters to choose from, they are by no means minor/secondary characters and I plan on giving them as equal story-time as the New Direction characters. Let's just say, they'll have an interesting rivalry of sorts... ;)
We're still at the open house in this chapter, btw. Or at least the same day, anyway...
Again, as a reminder, I do not own any of the songs that are to be featured in the fanfic, they belong to their rightful owners! I also do not own Glee or anything that's related to Glee.
Another reminder, all of the SYOC information can be found on my profile. Be sure to read the rules and information first before submitting, most of the answers to your questions will be found there. Don't hesitate to ask me for anything, whether it's a question about the story or advice for your character, my inbox is open!
AND NO POSTING CHARACTERS/CHARACTER INFO IN THE REVIEWS!
ALSO! A few more things, lol.
#1 - I'll probably be changing the deadline earlier. If I don't get a new character (by a new submitter) sent in today or a PM stating they're working on a character/planning to submit, the deadline will be changed to tomorrow.
#2 - Because of all of the amazing characters that I've received, I'll probably be accepting a few more than I expected. But I don't want to spoil anything completely ;)
Now you can get to reading, lol XD
Glee: The Next Generation
While William McKinley High School hosted their annual early-open house for the students and their parents and families, a school in a city about two hours away decided to host something a bit more extra curricular.
Whether or not if it was more important depended on who you asked.
An adult duo, looking awfully identical with their raven dark hair, pale skin, and the determination in to succeed (that often was mistaken as the determination to kill) in the look of their eyes, had strut inside Carmel High School that afternoon with a notepad in each of the duo's hand.
To anyone that didn't know, Jesse and Harmony St. James would definitely have been mistaken as siblings or relatives of some sort. But seeing that they were THE Jesse and Harmony St. James, anyone in Akron, Ohio (or all of Ohio) that weren't familiar with the names would have to had lived under a rock.
They were talented (and sure as hell knew it too), ambitious, and relentless, who'd take no prisoners. Especially not today...
The two former Broadway stars arrived in the school's rather massive and impressive auditorium that put any auditorium in all of the Midwest to shame, thanks to the rather generous donations of the show choir's booster club.
Once their presence was made as they walked through the aisle, the thirty-three students stood up to give the St. Jameses a standing ovation. The misses had raised her right hand in the air, immediately signaling everyone to shut up and sit down.
"That never gets old." She murmured with a smug grin to Jesse, who could only chuckle as a response.
Both of the adults had begun setting up their bags and notepads at the table located in the middle of the auditorium. After getting situated, the two immediately shot up with determined glances at each and every last high school student that was invited.
"Welcome to the first round of callbacks, both Vocal Adrenaline slackers and hopefuls alike." Jesse routinely greeted to the crowd of students before him.
Being invited to callbacks could mean one of two things. Either you were scouted personally by Jesse and Harmony, or you made the list. Each year, since one Shelby Corcoran coached Vocal Adrenaline to four consecutive National championships, the coach (or coaches) would rate each and every Vocal Adrenaline member on a number of criteria. Could they dance well? Sing well? Did they look the part? Decent show face? Did they even try?
How ever many members there were ever in Vocal Adrenaline during a year, at the end of the year the bottom half would be asked to "re-audition" with the hopefuls in the summer.
"We here at Vocal Adrenaline have three waves of callbacks. Today dancing, then tomorrow singing, and finally, the day after, performing." Harmony explained, counting on her fingers.
"If you are cut from the first, second, or third callback for anyone reason, you are asked to leave and never return. However, there have been rare occasions where we have asked failed hopefuls to return due to a last-minute student transfer, life-threatening illnesses, or even in extreme cases death. And even then, we'd use the corpse as a prop for Nationals before asking a hopeful to return. What an eventful spring break that was." Jesse added, in attempt to get the kids nervous and scared. From some of the slightly petrified looks in the group and the occasional murmurs, it seemed to do its job as usual.
The sound of Harmony's clap echoed throughout the auditorium, which was successful in getting everyone back on board. "So let's get started! I'm assuming you all prepared for the routine this afternoon?"
"Routine?" A small freshman girl asked.
"Oh brother." Jesse commented to himself, face-palming himself with his right hand as he shook his head no.
"Videos of the choreographed routine were emailed to each individual in this room. Who has not seen the routine?" Harmony demanded to know, fiercely placing her hands on her hips as she witnessed nearly half of the kids came unprepared. "Rookie mistake, that'll cost you."
"To all those who were foolish enough to walk into a Vocal Adrenaline callback unprepared, you can go in the computer lab and find the video on YouTube. It's last year's National routine to "Work Bitch" by the Britney Spears. The video is exactly four minutes and eight seconds long, I'm timing you as soon the last person leaves, go!" Jesse informed, setting up a stopwatch on his phone as the fifteen students nearly trampled each other trying to get to the computer lab."
"Every year." Harmony sighed.
"Tell me about it." Jesse agreed, as the two sat back down, glancing over the list. "I still don't agree with your judgement on number 20."
"You cannot be serious!"
"If anything, he's a better performer than numbers 18 and 19!" Jesse whisper-yelled back.
"I was generous with Jacobs' ranking, he could have been number 26."
"Number 26 shouldn't have made it anyway!" Jesse argued in a hushed but playful tone with a smile that Harmony mimicked moments after.
"It was you who wanted her to be in Vocal Adrenaline in the first place!" Harmony reminded.
"That was before her accident. Ever since that car accident, Maggie dances like she has two left feet." Jesse complained.
"Isn't half of her leg bionic?" Harmony reminded.
"That's no excuse for poorly executing a basic pirouette." Jesse shrugged.
"This'll be a long year." Harmony muttered to herself, glancing around the students that waited patiently.
It was now around one in the afternoon and the choir room was practically full of parents and kids that were signing up for classes such as chorus, jazz band, and orchestra. And despite all the commotion, Marley still managed to smile at the joy of it all.
Sure, there were more than a plenty of students who signed up for chorus because it was "an easy A" but Marley loved meeting the students who actually cared about music in general and shared the passion of music with her. Those were what brightened her day.
After reluctantly picking gum out of the bell of a tuba from yet another immature group of students, Marley felt what she assumed to be an index finger tap lightly on her shoulder. Turning around, she didn't expect it to be such a familiar face.
"Mercedes!" Marley shrilled in excitement, trapping the bigger framed woman into her arms as Mercedes did the same. Melody and Anthony, meanwhile, smiled nervously at each other as their mother became reacquainted with an old friend.
"Hey girl, how have you been?" Mercedes asked.
"Good, good. How about you?"
"Pretty good myself!" Mercedes answered, still matching Marley's wide smile.
"Hello, Mrs. Puckerman!" Anthony finally greeted, while Melody waved.
"You guys are so big now!" Marley realized, taking her attention to the Evans offspring. "I haven't seen you guys since you were this small!" She gestured, lowering her right hand to her knee to indicate how tall they were.
"How are your kids?" Melody politely asked, seeing as she couldn't recite their names from memory.
"Well, they're teenagers!" Marley then joked to Mercedes, who laughed alongside, leaving Melody and Anthony to stand idly by. "But they're good, couldn't be happier without them!"
"I hear ya!" Mercedes agreed, side-hugging both of her children simultaneously, causing them to glance down at the ground in embarrassment.
"Either of you two planning on taking any of my classes?"
"Just Ant here." Mercedes answered, rubbing and massaging through the biracial's thick chocolate curls.
"Only after seeing those girls walk in here." Melody added, titling her head to the right to the group of four girls by the piano.
"That is completely false, I have a lovely voice, Mrs. Puckerman!" Anthony defended himself, after seeing Marley's concerned face, only causing Mercedes to giggle.
"It's really booming around here nowadays!" Mercedes witnessed with an approving head nod.
"Yeah, it's crazy!" Marley agreed.
"Glee must be booming too!"
Marley's smile quickly faded onto a disappointed and down facial expression, her frown being very apparent. "Well more like the opposite, actually."
"Seriously?" Mercedes asked in a concerned and worried tone. "With Mr. Schuester as principal, I would have thought he'd make it required."
"He wants it just as much as I do, maybe even more! It's just that the school-board wouldn't approve of spending the school's budget money on five or six students." Marley explained with a shrug.
"I'd love to help but I'm so busy with my new record label and Sam's got his new organization for dyslexics and the arts to worry about. He's at a meeting now and is booked all next week." Mercedes stated. "But Melody and Anthony could join!"
"No!" Both of her kids let out simultaneously at a rapid pace that scared both Marley, Mercedes, and themselves.
"Don't get us wrong, Glee sure did sound cool when you guys were kids but I'm not that crazy about it." Melody spoke on behalf of herself and her brother, who nodded in agreement. "Ant, on the other hand, would be more than willing if he thought any of the girls were cute."
"That...I won't argue with." Anthony accepted with a casual shrug.
"I understand!" Marley reassured, somewhat forcing a smile directed at the brother-sister duo.
"So no Glee, huh?" Mercedes asked again, still down about the situation.
"If we can't get at least nine members before the end of September, Principal Schuester will have to pull the plug for good." Marley replied. "Not to mention the fact that they changed the rules. You now need at least eighteen students to qualify for competition."
"Damn!" Mercedes let out.
"Yeah." was the only word Marley could say. "Well, it was nice seeing you!" She tried to perk up with a much more forced smile.
"Likewise! Maybe I can get you writing one of my songs for the record label?" Mercedes offered.
"I'd love that! You still have my number?" Marley accepted, this time being genuinely happy for once.
"Yup, we'll keep in touch!" Mercedes reassured, again hugging the music teacher of William McKinley. "C'mon guys, let's go!" Mercedes demanded immediately after the short embrace. Marley waved goodbye to the family as they reciprocated the gesture.
"Maybe they'll come around..." Marley muttered to herself with an eager and optimistic smile.
"Thanks, by the way." Beth finally thanked Daniel as the two arrived in the gym, standing idly by the front door without a thing to do. Everyone else in the gym were checking out the club and sports stands such as the famous Cheerios, Chess Club, Football, Celibacy Club, Student Council, etc.
"No problem, it's what we Schuesters do, as my dad always says." Daniel shrugged off. "So what's the plan for now?"
"No clue. I'm staying with Aunt Marley and Uncle Jake until I can afford a place of my own. Not to mention that I'm out of job!" Beth answered, beginning to worry about what she was going to do with herself now.
"Sounds like the typical college kid to me." Daniel chuckled, getting Beth to laugh along.
The blonde sighed. "Those were the days. How is the college life?"
"Crazy, wild, and-"
"Woah tiger! I don't need details!" Beth interrupted immediately.
"I was talking about my work load! Way to keep your head in the gutter, Corcoran!" Daniel corrected the blonde, before she playfully pushed the 5'11 college student into an innocent bystander, causing them to spill their opened bottle of water all over their face.
Well, maybe not THAT innocent.
"Kids will be kids, huh?" Coach Bree Lipoff asked the two young adults with her hands placed on her hips, who did their best not to break out in laughter like little toddlers. "Tell me, Beth, how was your opening night?"
"It was-"
"Terrible, according to the top Broadway blog, The Broadway Pulse." The coach of the Cheerios filled in, fully aware of Beth's situation.
"Mistakes happen, no one's perfect!" Beth responded, appearing to stay strong, shrug it off, and bluff.
"They taught you that in Gleek Club your parents were in?"
"I wasn't in Glee Club but they sure did!" Beth replied with a fake tone of happiness, her fake smile touching from ear to ear, revealing every last tooth in her mouth.
"Did they also teach you not to chase dreams you won't be capable of accomplishing?" Coach Lipoff asked, mocking the same tone and smile.
"Coach Lipoff-" Daniel began to speak up, seeing that Beth's bluff started to slowly crumble.
"Hold it, Schuester!" She cut him off, holding her index finger by the young man's face. "Your girlfriend here wants to fire shots but is suddenly too scared when it's someone else's turn to do the shooting."
"You started it!" Beth reminded.
"And I finished it too!" Coach Lipoff stated smugly, strutting to her stand for the Cheerios while Beth just rolled her eyes.
"Why does your dad even let her teach here?" Beth asked, watching the coach with her Cheerios by their stand, happily promoting what could be one of the most hardest cheer squads to ever get into.
"That's what Lily asked." Daniel laughed, Beth chuckling along.
"Is she gonna re-join the Cheerios?"
"I personally don't know, and I know that Mom said no, but you know Lily." Daniel honestly replied, Beth agreeing with a smile and nod.
"Maybe she could get interested in other extra-curricular activities?" Beth suggested, attempting to be helpful.
"Like what?" Daniel questioned with doubt, gesturing to all of the stands in the gym.
"Volleyball!"
"She doesn't like the team captain." Daniel denied.
"Celibacy Club?" Beth yet again attempted in with some doubt, seeing that was the second stand she spotted.
"Did you forget she dated Caleb Greene?" Daniel reminded. "Had it not been for my parents and his, I would've kicked his ass last year."
"No way!" Beth called out. "You love Lily but you're too much of a lover to fight for anything!"
"I'll fight for what I love." Daniel argued in his defense.
"Karate!" Beth suggested next.
"We don't have karate here." Daniel verified.
"Oh." Beth sadly slumped in defeat. "What does she like to do?"
"Lily's a complicated individual. She's only interested in things that allow her to shine in the best light." Daniel characterized.
"What did she like to do as a child?" Beth rephrased.
"Singing with Dad and putting on shows. All three of us would put them on for Mom on her birthday and every Mother's Day." Daniel smiled at the memory when he and Lily were merely young children. Even when Emma was sick, or tired, or stressed, or angry, or depressed, Will and his helpers (Daniel and Lily of course) would find a way to make the woman of the house feel better.
"Sounds like Lily would fit in perfectly with-" Beth began, before titling Daniel's head toward a very specific stand and pointing in that direction.
Sitting behind the stand was none other than Jake Puckerman, Beth's half-uncle. The bi-racial man decided to sub in for his wife until she finished up with her open house for all of her classes.
"Glee Club?" Daniel laughed, as if Beth were delirious. "I tried asking her senior year, and you wanna know what she did?"
"Oh, Lord." Beth mumbled, regretting to ever suggest such a thing.
"She laughed and then said she'd rather starve than take part of the social suicide singing squad." Daniel recited word for word.
"Well, where else does she belong?" Beth played devil's advocate.
"Maybe at..." Daniel began, glancing at each and every stand except the Glee Club's stand, "okay, you might be right." The 20 year old accepted his defeat.
"So let's sign her up!" Beth took charge, grabbing Daniel by his hand and marching to the Glee Club stand, dragging a somewhat reluctant Daniel along.
"We can't just force it on her though!" Daniel mumbled, as the two stood before Beth's uncle Jake. Looking up from the sign up sheet, he was surprised to see the two young adults standing there.
"Don't you think you're a little too old for Glee Club?" The 37 year old man joked with a playfully grin, getting both Daniel and Beth to chuckle along.
"No, we're here to sign his sister up."
"She can sign up herself!" Daniel argued (though in a calm tone), pulling away forcefully from Beth's grip.
"I don't know, Daniel has a-" Jake began to speak on the matter, until he was interrupted by his vibrating cellphone placed beside the clipboard. "Hold on, I gotta take this!"
The two young adults nodded simultaneously, allowing Jake to answer his phone to take a call.
"Hey Rach...good, I'm good, how are you?...That's good to hear...I'm at Marley's open house, helping her with...uh huh...yeah...but we just held a meeting last week!" Jake reminded. "Uh-huh," He spoke onto his phone, this time a bit more reluctantly, "yeah...yeah, okay, I'll be there. Bye."
"What was that about?" Beth questioned.
"'Principal Hudson' wants to hold another staff meeting. This time, it's an 'emergency'." He filled in, air-quoting "Principal Hudson" and "emergency". After Rachel pursued her dreams on Broadway (and married her high-school sweetheart that she too meet in Glee Club, Finn Hudson), the short Jewish woman decided to give back by opening a performing arts school for the young, where she was the founder and the principal, as well as a singing and acting coach.
Jake, after pursuing his dreams of dancing and starring in the last three installments of "Step Up", became a dance teacher at Rachel's school, known as The Gold Stars Academy of The Arts.
Jake had a right to complain, though. The last "emergency" staff meeting had to deal with carpooling to make sure everyone was safe getting to work after one car accident that barely injured a teacher in Columbus.
"That's Rachel." Beth characterized, giggling a bit and shaking her head in disbelief.
"Well, I've gotta go! Do you guys think you can take over until I get back? The school's only about ten minutes away and I promised your aunt Marley I'd help her this time." Jake pleadingly offered to his niece and her friend, who directed uncertain glances at one another, waiting for the other to respond.
"Sure!" Daniel agreed.
Jake shoot up from his seat and shook Daniel's hand while saying "Thanks", and then shook Beth's before adding in a hug for his niece.
"Are you okay? I heard what happened." Jake wanted to know as he still held on, glancing down at the blonde.
"Yeah, I'm fine, aren't you going to be late?" Beth rushed, not wanting to get into too many details at the moment.
"Right, thanks again!" Jake hurriedly ran out of the gym through the front door to make sure he wasn't late for yet another one of Rachel Hudson's meetings.
"So, are we signing Lily up?" Beth asked for permission while Daniel found a chair to slid beside the blonde's seat.
"No, not unless she wants to do." Daniel made final.
"Fine." Beth reluctantly agreed, playfully slumping in the back of her chair. "There's not many people signing up though." She then realized, after taking a good look at the clipboard.
"Wow, this list is shorter than last year." Daniel inspected the sign-up, glancing down at the names of the piece of paper. "Dad'll have to shut it down for good."
"Aunt Marley wanted it so much! It's one of the only reasons she decided to teach here!" Beth stated, a bit gloom that the chances her aunt had of keeping Glee alive were slim to none.
Was it completely over?
"She has got to be kidding!" Melody complained as she Anthony walked into the gymnasium after meeting all of their teachers and their lists of supplies that they needed for school. Just before the two were allowed to leave, Mercedes wanted Melody and Anthony to participate in something school related by signing up for a sport or club in the gym. And for proof, she wanted the two to take pictures of their names on the sign-up sheet. They couldn't just wait at home all day doing nothing. Plus they were the new kids on the block...
"What are you gonna do?"
"Basketball! Duh?" Anthony made obvious as if Melody were a kid.
"Basketball? Are you trying out for a new position? Or are you sticking to playing bench-warmer all year?" Melody asked sarcastically as she leaned her back against the wall, crossing her arms, and then chuckling.
"I was a freshman last year on the varsity team, of course I wasn't going to get in all of the games!" Anthony defended himself.
"Or any." Melody added teasingly.
"I played!"
"How many games?" Melody asked in disbelief.
"...two." Anthony mumbled. "While you stand here like a duck in headlights, I'll sign up for the basketball team!" Anthony pointed back at the designed stand, before turning his back on his sister and approaching it on his own.
"It's a deer in headlights!" She loudly corrected.
"Not in your case!" He yelled back, not bothering to turn around.
"Goof." Melody said, way out of Anthony ear-shot as he went to talk to the coach of the basketball team. Melody directed all of her attention at the other stands to see where she best belonged. The A/V Club seemed desperate, in more ways than one as one of the male members winked and sloppily licked his lips as he caught Melody's glance.
Cringing, Melody continued to search through the stands. She barely passed Art freshman year, so the Art Club was out. Being raised in New York City didn't do her or the Gardening Club any favors.
And Glee Club was DEFINITELY out.
"Hi!" Coach Lipoff approached the teenage girl, causing her to literally jump at how sudden she approached her and the huge smile plastered on her face. "Would you be interested in joining the Cheerios?"
"The cereal?" The blonde, curly haired girl asked, confused.
Coach Lipoff laughed in response, trying her best not to be offended or get offended. "No, silly, William McKinley's cheerleading squad."
This time, Melody laughed. "Ha, when pigs fly!"
"Are you sure? We're on our way to our tenth consecutive National Championship! Tryouts will be held on the last Saturday before school starts! Everyone loves being a Cheerio!" The African-American woman continued in her fake charade and forced smile.
"Everyone but me!" Melody mocked in the same tone and fake smile. "Sorry, I just have better things to do then cheering in tight short skirts and pom-poms." Melody honestly replied and apologized.
"What, you think you're too good for the Cheerios?" Coach Lipoff immediately dropped the charade, eyeing the girl up and down. "You wouldn't survive a practice session with us!"
"Then I guess you guys are pretty desperate for a tenth consecutive National Championship, huh?" Melody shot back, not liking this woman's attitude.
"I'd hate for you to get two weeks detention for poor behavior. And it's not even the first day of school yet." Coach Lipoff threatened.
"Guess that makes me some kinda legend." Melody shrugged off.
"I like your sass." Coach Lipoff admitted, nodding her head up and down.
"Can't say the same for yours."
"We'll meet again, young lady." The woman warned. "Until next time!" She finished in her fake tone and smile, before strutting off into the McKinley High hallway.
"What the hell was that?" Anthony asked, standing beside his older sister.
"Beats me." Melody honesty replied.
"Well we can't leave until you sign up for something!" Anthony reminded, a bit annoyed as he softly banged the back of his head onto the wall behind him.
Not finding anything that suits her caliber, Melody quickly came up with a plan. "Here's what I'm gonna do! I'll walk into Principal Schue's office-"
"Oh, God, no!" Anthony immediately denied, his curls bouncing as he shook his head no.
"Just listen!" She demanded. "I'll go to Principal Schue and ask for a sign up sheet because the club or sport I'm signing up for is out of paper."
"What sport?"
"I don't know, the Cheerios?" Melody answered, leaving Anthony confused since he had not a clue as to what sport or club that was. She continued with her plan. "Then, I'll write my name down on pen on the blank sign up sheet, take a picture, throw it away and Mom'll never know."
"She will if you come home early everyday." Anthony spotted a flaw in her plan.
"I'll find something to do in this hell-hole for an hour everyday." Melody reassured.
"Or someone." Anthony joked, despite the fact that his sister wasn't that kind of girl.
Somewhat light-hearted, Melody responded with a push on Anthony's right shoulder. "Shut up! Are you in or what?"
"In?"
"I need a witness and you're the only thing I've got." Melody explained, now leaning on her left shoulder as she faced Anthony.
"Okay!" Anthony agreed willingly, shrugging his shoulders as the two made it into the hallway.
"That was easy." Melody practically bragged with a smug half-grin, her hands in her jean pockets as the two strolled down the corridor.
It wasn't as easy as they thought.
"Melody? Anthony?" A familiar sounding voice called out, leaving the two bi-racial children to slowly turn around only to find out that their instincts were right. "Hey, I haven't seen you guys in so long, how are you?" Jake Puckerman asked, approaching the children from the door at the end of the hallway.
"Good!" The siblings replied simultaneously, even the nod and the smile.
"Where are going?"
"To see Principal Schuester and say hi." Melody came up with on the spot, pointing back in the direction that his office was located at. "How are the kids?"
"Well, they are teenagers." Jake repeated after his wife jokingly. Not missing a beat, Melody and Anthony again acted simultaneously as they laughed a bit too hard at the joke that clearly wasn't funny to either of them. "Yeah, yeah. Why won't you sign up for Glee Club?"
"What?" The siblings replied yet again at the same time, sending angry glances toward each other.
"Marley called me after I left from a staff meeting, she said you two didn't want to join. Why?"
"We're just not interested in it. It's not our thing." Anthony honestly replied.
"It wasn't my thing, or any of our things. But after we joined, we really liked it and we think you kids could too! It helped out all of us when we needed help the most!" Jake defended. "And isn't there a YouTube video of you two singing a duet for the talent show a couple of years ago?"
"We were in elementary school, everyone participated in the talent show." Melody shrugged off.
"Could you two at least give it a chance? For my wife? For me? For your parents?" Jake offered.
"Ugh, I hate it when adults start making sense." Melody complained. "Fine, I'll sign up."
"Ow!" Anthony called out as his older sister stepped on his foot. "I guess I'll join too..."
"Thank you! It was nice seeing you two! I might even see you at the rehearsals." Jake thanked properly, patting each of the two on the back before heading off to his wife's classroom.
"Great!" The two responded with forced smiles.
"We've got to stop doing that." Melody told Anthony.
"And this is why I don't like to be involved with your schemes!" Anthony explained, putting all of the blame on his sister.
"It happens to the best of us." Melody shrugged as they walked back to the gym.
Several moments later, both Melody and Anthony stood before Daniel and Beth, surprised to see the two.
"Hey guys!" Beth happily greeted with a wide smile. Daniel couldn't help but to smile just as wide either.
"How are ya?" Daniel casually asked.
"Good." Anthony replied as he was the first to sign his name on the sheet. "Melody?" He offered her the black pen.
Snatching from his grasps, Melody quickly wrote her first and last name on the piece of paper.
"We'll be seeing you." Melody stated her farewell, after handing the blonde the black pen. The tomboy then rushed to get out of the gym so she didn't have to stay in there any longer than she had to.
"Is she okay?" Daniel asked, a bit worried.
"Not really, it's a rough one." Anthony lied, chuckling after realizing he meant to refer to the day rather than what could have been interpreted as something completely different. "I'll see you guys around!" He also stated his farewell, before literally following in his sister's footsteps.
"Nice, we scored two names!" Beth let out.
"Someone's excited." Daniel examined the new-found smile on Daniel's face.
"Well, it'll make Aunt Marley happy. Your dad'll be happy, everyone's happy!" The 24 year old explained.
"Maybe you can help Marley with Glee Club?" Daniel suggested.
"You think?"
"Well, so far, your Broadway career went to hell-"
"Hey!" Beth yelled, offended.
"Let me finish." Daniel recommended. "Temporarily, it went to hell. So you could use a break. Glee Club could be your break!"
Beth hummed. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. But what if Glee goes to hell too?"
"Well, she could use help with her classes like orchestra, jazz band, and chorus. You could be her TA or something and get paid so you can get out of her and Jake's place and find an apartment on your own." Daniel offered.
"What about your dad?" Beth continued to spot holes in Daniel's plan.
"He'd be willing to help you out. He'd give you a job like that! Four years of NYADA, you were taught by the toughest of the tough!" Daniel continued. "And besides, you're young...ish-"
"Hey!" Beth repeated, slapping his hand in protest.
"And you'd be able to connect with the kids better." Daniel finished.
"Good point." Beth agreed, nodding as she smiled to herself. A break from all of the New York drama to help kids achieve their dreams like she could have with hers.
It didn't sound that bad and it couldn't be so bad, working with groups of high-school students with their whole lives ahead of them. Maybe this was just the kind of break Beth Corcoran needed...
"Alright, let's get started!" Jesse St. James demanded, as he and Harmony stood as close as possible to the stage to watch the hopefuls carefully to see if they had what it takes to be in Vocal Adrenaline.
"Wait!" One of the students called out. "There's thirty-three of us and the routine calls for a partner, how are we supposed to-"
"Out!" Jesse interrupted, pointing his thumb at the exit behind him.
"What?" He asked.
"Out! O-u-t, out!" Harmony literally spelled out.
In tears, the rising freshman boy ran off the stage sobbing as Jesse and Harmony and the other thirty-two students watched every step he made.
"Any dancer would have made it work, regardless of what the routine calls for." Jesse explained his reasoning to the students, who all nodded nervously, almost sweating in anticipation.
"There's always that one student every year." Harmony remembered, from previous students who were asked to leave for asking similar questions. "Anyway, enough of that. Let's see what you got! Track 3!" She yelled, cuing the music for the first round of callbacks to finally commence.
Vocal Adrenaline were going to be as fierce as ever.
A bit longer than the first chapter (and that might be because of the update stuff), but whatever. I hoped you guys liked it! Review to let me know what you thought of it! I'd love feedback! :)