CHAPTER 5
Everyone had gathered in a pristine chapel to celebrate Will and Emma's nuptials. It was a very joyous atmosphere compared to what everyone had been through during the past year. Sugar's father had purchased a large glass sculpture of a phoenix ("It's supposed to symbolize the rebirth of your love!" Sugar claimed excitedly) for the occasion, and Sam had attempted to be discreet with his presence by donning shades.
In one room, Will was straightening his black bowtie, carefully examining every inch of his tuxedo in the mirror. He knew that Emma was still a stickler for perfection, and understood that the slightest trace of a pillow feather would ruin everything for her. He was going to be her third husband, and was going to make this one stick. All the while, though, his mind inconsistently drifted to Brooke…
He wrenched his thoughts back to Emma, and stared at his reflection intently.
"Stop this. It's wrong. You're marrying the love of your life. Forget about the girl."
"What's the matter, William? Cold feet?" his reflection asked.
"This is going to be the best day in my life so far. It cannot go wrong."
"Who says it will go wrong? What's this girl to you?"
"She doesn't mean anything to me. She's a student."
"Ah, but she's like super-hot, right?"
"Yes, she is, but it doesn't matter."
"But you are attracted to her?"
"No, I'm not."
"Yeah, you are. Come on, doesn't she remind you of a freak combination of Emma and Terri?"
"No, she doesn't. I love Emma. I am not attracted to this girl."
"Oh, come on. You are a little bit."
"How goes it, Mr. Schue?" Matt called from the doorway, briefly startling Will from his thoughts.
"Just about ready. You should go and find your seat. I'll be out in a minute", Will said hurriedly, straightening his already prim hair. Matt nodded and left, still contemplating whether he should tell his teacher what Emma had said or not. Just has Matt left, Brooke stepped in.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything", she said, shutting the door behind her.
"Uh, I don't think you should be in here, Brooke. I'm getting ready to get married here."
"That's fine. But I've got to tell you, tuxedos really, really turn me on", she said softly, inching towards him.
"Uh, seriously, why are you here? I don't recall inviting you. I don't recall anyone inviting you", said Will, getting progressively more nervous.
"Oh, is that a nervous gulp I notice? You know, that tuxedo is a rental. Better not sweat too much", said Brooke, promptly standing right behind him.
"I'm not sweating, and why should I be nervous? I'm marrying the love of my life."
"I'm sure you are, and I would never interrupt the sanctity that is marriage. But let me ask you, are you attracted to redheads? From what I hear, your first wife was practically a ginger."
"She was blonde. Please leave", said Will, his voice becoming shakier.
"What if I were to, you know, convince you otherwise? I mean, marriage clearly isn't your thing. If it was, you probably wouldn't have let your first one die."
"The fault was hers. She lied about being pregnant."
"And a guidance counselor who likes everything just right is any better?" said Brooke tenderly, starting to guide a polished fingernail up his left sleeve.
"Why are you here?"
"Oh, something about the way you teach History. It sounded so… enticing."
"Okay, I'm going to go now", said Will, promptly heading out the door to keep the situation from getting worse.
INTERLUDE
Will and Emma stood before the minister, barely hearing a word he was saying. They both tried hard to stay on cue, making their promises, exchanging their vows, and placing their rings on each other's fingers. They hardly paid any attention to the attendees cheering them on or to the fact that they were officially married. Emma seemed to throw the bouquet on autopilot, whereupon it landed in the hands of Brad the piano player, and as they headed out the doors to the waiting limousine, which came complete with a heart embroidered with "Just Married", Will caught a glimpse of Brooke, who gave him a sultry look that he forced himself to ignore. The newlyweds entered the vehicle, Will robotically smiling at everyone who wished them well. The wedding had been a success, or so he thought, and they were taken to their next destination to celebrate their unison.
INTERLUDE
The reception was far livelier, with everyone having a great time. The Glee Club alumni, except for Finn, had returned to honor the uniting of their teacher and their guidance counselor, quickly reminiscing of the good old days while conversing with the newcomers of more recent ones. Alexander had opened up the long and joyous night upon the couple's return with Elton John's "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", though Will found it very hard to concentrate on dancing.
"Come on, Will. I know you're a better dancer than this."
"Huh? Sorry, I got distracted."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, now that I'm married to you", said Will, glancing nervously at Brooke, who sent him a flirtatious wink.
"You don't have to be cheesy. What's going through your mind?"
"It's just… I'm so in love right now."
As the newlyweds continued to waltz, the students and alumni enjoyed and cheered on Alexander's performance. As he sang, he kept trying to catch Emily's eye, but she was looking the other way. He knew that their relationship was on the rocks, and was determined to fix it. When he concluded the performance, Brooke took her eyes off of Will and looked towards Alexander with an almost too extreme intent. At the same time, everyone cheered on Will and Emma as they finished their first dance as a married couple.
INTERLUDE
Following the festivities, Matt was pacing around the gardens, mulling over what to do. He had both of his teachers' best interests at heart, but could not find the best way of telling them what he knew. He wasn't the kind of person to ruin somebody's day just to relieve some of the pressure, but he was someone of good conscience and of strong moral responsibility.
"I'm going to tell them tomorrow. I'll get them together, and I'll have them tell each other. Wait, what?" he groaned to himself, knowing that it was a surefire way of damaging their already fragile relationship.
"Matt, are you okay?" Will called to him, as he and Emma walked across the gardens to him.
"You're both infertile. You told me individually in confidence and I didn't know how best to let either of you down gently!" Matt cried in a hurry, unable to control himself. Will and Emma looked at each other in concern and confusion, unsure of how to proceed without ending up in another argument.
"You can't have children? When were you going to tell me?" Will breathed uneasily, trying to maintain composure.
"When were you going to tell me? I thought everything was fine."
"You told me everything was fine, too."
"Great, so now our marriage is dead on arrival, isn't it? We can't trust each other with life-changing news, so how can we trust each other at all?"
"Guys, don't fight, please", said Matt.
"No, Matt, this is no longer your concern. It was unfair of us to put this kind of responsibility on you, so you're off the hook. Go now, because my wife and I need to talk."
"Look, I want to offer a solution."
"Matt, please go. There are no hard feelings between us and you. Just hard feelings between us", said Emma, tapping her foot impatiently and glaring Will in the eye.
"Tina's pregnant and open to the idea of adoption. Why don't you just talk with her about it?"
"When did Tina say she was going to give up her baby? She never talked to us about it", said Will angrily.
FLASHBACK
"You're a pretty cool guy for maintaining secrets, Matt. But honestly, it's not for you to keep their secrets. Sam's not ready to be a father, and I have dreams to follow. If Mr. Schue is shooting blanks, then I have an idea", said Tina.
END FLASHBACK
"She's offering you the best wedding present fathomable. Will you guys consider it?" Matt continued, looking at them with extreme worry. Will and Emma continued to look each other in the eye, still too angry to discuss it. But as they let the idea sink in, their expressions softened.
"I don't want to have a repeat of what happened with Terri. We just got married, and I'd like this to be the start of something great. I will consider it if you will."
"I'll consider it if we agree to no more secrets. None whatsoever", Emma concurred. With the situation diffused, Matt backed away, sighing in relief.
INTERLUDE
During a late-night dinner at a Hawaiian restaurant, Lawrence and Shannon had been discussing the day's events. Shannon was glad to have met Lawrence, as he was proving to be a positive influence on her life every day. She was free of any judgments and felt that she had finally found her man.
"So, Shannon, dear, I couldn't help but notice that a lot of money that the football program is bringing in is being funneled into other clubs and programs. Most of which aren't remotely related to football."
"Oh, come on, Lawrence…"
"Oh, call me Larry. Lawrence makes me sound so… villainous."
"Okay, Larry… some of these clubs and programs are keeping kids involved in what they're interested in."
"I was thinking that in order to help the football team to thrive, we need the students to be focused on things that matter, like their academics. Let's face it, without mathematics, the players won't know jack about what makes a play work. Without English classes maintaining their expanding vernaculars and teaching them the best of Wilde and Dickinson, what teams would they join should they go pro?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that if you want a continuously successful team, you need them focused. Cut out a few of the filler programs, save money, allow students to see true potential…"
"What filler programs are you talking about?"
"Oh, say… that charming Glee Club. Now I recognize that it's important for students to follow their dreams and all that, but let's be real here. In the outside world, following your dreams often leads to disappointment and bitterness. As I understand it, one of the school board's most distinguished auditors visited the school a few years ago with this very idea in mind."
"Yeah, but then Will convinced him to continue with Broadway."
"And tragically, the show only lasted three productions, the last due to an accidental incineration of the curtains and several wooden props. Bryan Ryan is now a talent agent in Harlem. Oh, do I feel sorry for the poor fellow. More to the point, the Glee Club has had very few success stories, and has channeled well over $2,000,000 worth of costumes, lighting, props, and our good Lord knows what else. If I'm going to keep your football team winning and that school standing, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel the Glee Club indefinitely."
"Rachel Berry is a success story. So are Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones…"
"All kids I've had the pleasure of never meeting who I'm sure are fantastic at what they do. But if they want to make it big in the real world, it's not a matter of what you do that makes all the difference; it's what you achieve and build from it all."
"Lawrence, please, they deserve every chance they get…"
"Larry, please, Shannon. While I sympathize with their plights, I sympathize more with the school's risk of bankruptcy. They're on their way to their third consecutive Nationals competition. Then it's on to the Showcase and finally to the National Championship. Good for them. But if they keep draining the school of money, the cancellation of their beloved club will be the least of their worries", said Lawrence, casually taking a drink of wine. All Shannon could do was stare, helpless and speechless, as she knew, deep down, that Lawrence was right.
INTERLUDE
With Will enjoying his honeymoon with Emma in Aruba, Alexander, Xavier, Joe, Rory, and Ray led the New Directions through their original song "Reflections" to prepare the group for Nationals, with Gina and Dina secretly watching from nearby.
THIS IS THE END TO THIS STORY. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE EXTREMELY LONG DELAY. IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY END OF THE YEAR DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, BUT NEW IDEAS ARE COMING TO FRUITION, AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE HAVING AN AMAZING 2015. STAY TUNED FOR MORE.