A/N: Hey. So, it's been a long time, I know, and I'm really sorry. University has been kicking my ass a bit, but writing this has been a good stress reliever. I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS. As I said a bit ago, I still have a lot planned for this, and it's a good way to keep me writing. We are just getting to the good stuff, and I'm not quitting. That being said, updates are going to be two weeks apart, if not more. I hope you understand. Feel free to message me with any questions/concerns. And to any other Canadians out there, Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for sticking with me.
Enjoy :)
Shay didn't know where she was.
The bed was comfortably, almost strangely so, but it was much unlike the one at Mary's house. Shay pushed herself up on one arm, violently rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She shivered, cold arm touching her bare skin as she sat up, blanket tumbling off of her.
Her head was pounding, and if she was any less used to it the heavy feeling in her limbs might have frightened her. But the fact was, she was used to it, in the same way she was used to waking with a strange person in a strange bed.
She reached over and flicked the hair away from the forehead of the boy sleeping next her. "Hm," Shay nodded to herself, he was hot. Even inebriated she had good taste.
Rubbing her eyes she rolled out of bed, tip-toeing around the bedroom until she located her wrinkly clothing. She pulled her pants on quickly, fishing for her phone, which was still sitting in her back pocket. Shay sighed, only about six missed messages from Mary this time. Not too bad.
Pulling her shirt over her head, she slipped out of the room and down the hallway. It smelt of booze and smoke and stale air, and for a moment Shay was glad that she could not remember much of last night. She coughed, her mouth tasting disgusting, and the pain in her head amplified.
Then again, it would be nice to remember what she had done to forget.
"Dylan, hun, time for breakfast," Jenna Jamieson called from the kitchen, pulling her thick hair into a bun as she shifted the eggs around in the pan.
Groaning, Dylan rolled out of bed, running a hand through his hair. He pulled on a pair of pants and yawned as he made his way downstairs. He was just sitting down at the kitchen table when his father entered the room.
"Bye, honey," Micheal said, kissing his wife on the cheek. He paused, adjusting the police badge on his belt as he turned to Dylan. He fixed Dylan with a stern look. "Behave," he commanded in a deep voice, giving his son a quick nod before exiting the room.
Dylan rolled his eyes, shoving more eggs into his mouth. He had just woken up and he was already excited for the day to end.
Ms. Rodgers looked even more excited than she normally did, which was hard to believe considering the substantial amount of joy that she often carried with her. She twisted the emerald ring she had on her right hand, spinning it around and around her middle finger as she watched the kids slowly file into their seats.
Greg sat in his normal seat in the middle row, one leg crossed over the other. He leaned backwards, eyes on Ms. Rodgers' bouncing form, shaking his head to himself. He turned his head sideways, towards EJ and Evan, watching as their eyes travelled around the room, leading him to the back, the empty chair from the corner glaring at him.
Anya hadn't been back to Glee since the incident in the auditorium last week. Greg wondered, briefly, if the Russian girl would even come back at all. He wondered if Evan and EJ next to him were considering the same things. He wasn't sure if he would, had he been in her position, but it didn't stop him from missing her kind smile from the back row.
It was strange without one of them here. It would be even stranger if she actually didn't return.
"Alright," Ms. Rodgers said after a long moment, breaking Evan out of his thoughts. The room had filled a couple minutes ago, but it seemed as if she too was waiting for Anya.
The teacher swallowed, continuing on with her joyful forward. "So, as you all know, Sectionals is at the end of this month." She paused, allowing for a couple quiet cheers to fill the room. Ms. Rodgers smiled. "And the theme for this year's competition is, drum roll please."
Everybody tapped a quick beat on their legs, Greg adding in the sound of his feet against the floor for an even better effect.
"Broadway!"
A grin broke out on Greg's face, and he turned to watch the reactions of his peers. Sabrina and Ashleigh were grinning at each other, giggling. Evan and EJ's expressions matched the two girls, lips turning upwards. Shay scowled from the back, matching an eye-roll from Levi. Sunny turned her head and smiled at Greg, who grinned brightly back.
Speedy raised his hand front the front row. "Wait, so like Cats and stuff?' he questioned, referring to the musical the Greg was sure most of them had seen on an elementary school field trip.
Ms. Rodgers chuckled. "Yes, Speedy, but not only Cats." She raised her hands to shush everyone. "Because of that, I thought this would be a great time to get in a little...practice," she continued, beaming. "So, this week I want you guys to get together and preform songs from famous Broadway musicals. Maybe we will even use them at Sectionals," she continued.
Greg sat back in his chair, zoning out slightly as Ms. Rodgers began to go into detail about the history of theatre. All he could think about was Sectionals, and how good it might feel if they were to win.
"What the hell are we doing here?"
Sabrina sighed. "Would you just be patient, Shay?" she snapped, arms crossing over her chest. She adjusted her position atop the piano, swinging her legs back and forth in the air.
"She's kind of right," Liz commented from her seat next to Perry. "You called us all here for what, exactly?" she wondered.
Sabrina sighed again, opening her mouth once more, but was cut off by the quick opening of the door.
"Sorry," Ashleigh exclaimed, looking somewhat flustered as she shut the door behind her. "I got caught up," she explained, moving towards Sabrina. "Have you told them anything yet, Sab?" she wondered, brushing a piece of stray hair from her face.
Sabrina shook her head. "I was waiting for you."
"Fabulous," Ashleigh said, clapping her hands together in a way that frighteningly resembled Ms. Rodgers. "So, this week's assignment is pretty cool, right?"
"Not really," mumbled Shay.
"Whatever," Sabrina commented, ignoring Shay. "Either way, Ash and I had an idea, and we need your help," she began, grinning.
Ashleigh smiled brightly, looking between the four other girls. "Have any of you ever heard of Cell Block Tango?"
Perry's brows furrowed. "From Chicago?" she questioned, earning a surprised looked from Liz beside her.
"No way in hell am I doing that," Shay snapped, arms across her chest.
"Why not, Shay?" Sabrina questioned. "It'll be fun, and a great warm up for Sectionals," she explained, wiggling her eyebrows. "Besides, you get to dance, and I know for a fact you like it, I watched you last week."
Shay huffed. "Whatever," she murmured, but still didn't decline the offer.
"We need you, Shay," Ashleigh said. "There's no way Sunny would agree, and neither of us really want to talk to Jordan..."
"Wait," Perry said, sitting up a bit straighter. "Isn't there six parts in that song?" she questioned, motioning to the five of them.
Ashleigh bit her lip, turning to Perry and tilting her head to the side. "Yeah, and that's where Shay comes in again..."
Shay raised skeptical eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"There is six parts, and only five of us here...for now," Sabrina began, slipping off the piano and onto the floor, straightening up. "The sixth part, and anybody who has seen the musical will know, is in Russian."
Shay's eyes widened in realization. "No, no way," she snapped. "I am not going to talk to the Russian nestling doll, she hasn't even been to Glee this week."
"Probably because you scared the shit out of her," mumbled Liz under her breath, receiving nods from the rest of the group.
"Why can't Perry do it?" Shay questioned sharply. "The girl likes her better anyway."
"You need to apologize," Perry snapped before anyone else could speak, eyes burrowing a hole into Shay. "She won't talk to me. It has to be you."
Shay rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing it?"
"Then you better not come back to Glee," Sabrina said.
"What exactly do you mean, barbie?"
Ashleigh chuckled. "Do you really think everyone will let you back if Anya doesn't come back?" she wondered, rolling her eyes. She straightened. "We practice tomorrow after school, in the auditorium. We'll see you there."
With that, her and Sabrina both picked up their bags and flounced out of the room, giggling to themselves as they went. Shay grumbled to herself, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Well, this is going to be a shit show," Liz murmured as Shay stood and stormed out of the room.
"I hope not," Perry said with a sigh, standing up as well. "I'll see you tomorrow, Liz."
'Wait," said Liz before Perry could leave, moving quickly after her. "I though we were going to hang out."
Perry swore under her breath, brows furrowing. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, something came up," she explained quickly. Moving towards the door. "I really do have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
Liz placed her hands on her hips as Perry exited quickly, sighing to herself. "An absolute shit show," she grumbled, before grabbing her things and exiting the quiet choir room.
Anya had always been fairly shy. She was good at ducking her head and hiding, she was good at observing and going unnoticed, she prided herself on these things. Especially after her accident, when she was either ill or too tired to speak to anybody. She was a quiet girl, and quiet girls were normally left alone in Russia, which was exactly what she wanted. She found that things were quite different in America.
"Hey, Anya," called Shay as the younger girl passed her. Shay pushed herself off the wall that she had been waiting on, easily catching up to the slow-moving Anya.
Anya hugged her books tighter to her chest, not looking up.
"Can we talk?" Shay asked, in such a soft voice that Anya glanced up in surprise but didn't say anything. Shay sighed, grabbing that younger girl's arm. "Come on."
Anya shook her head firmly, fear filling her veins. Would Shay really hurt her here, in front of all these people?
Shay's upper lip twitched. "I'm not going to hurt you," she assured roughly, moving them over to the door of an empty classroom and releasing Anya's arm. "Come on."
Anya bit her lip, considering for a moment before following Shay inside. She had always seen the best in people, she just hoped she didn't get in trouble for it.
Anya moved slowly, sitting down in the first chair she saw, closest to the door. Shay paced near the front, seemingly having an internal argument before turning to the younger girl, mumbling something unintelligible.
Anya bit her lip, looking up. "P-pardon?"
Shay exhaled sharply, air whooshing out her nostrils. She set her jaw. "I'm sorry," she grumbled. "For..." she paused, taking a breath. She looked extremely awkward, and her face was twisted in a way that told Anya the words were really difficult for her to say. "Pushing you, and being...rude to you."
Anya's brows furrowed, relief and confusion washing through her at the same time. "You are?' she wondered after a long pause.
Shay's eye twitched as she nodded, growling out the next word. "Yes. I am."
"O-okay," Anya stuttered out, voice still filled with confusion. "Thank you..."
Shay sighed loudly, interrupting Anya as she tried to stand. "That's not all," she said, nostrils flaring. "I gotta ask you a favour," she explained. "I, we, need you for a number," she continued, pushing her hair out of her face. "And I'm not sure you're gonna like it..."
Evan stood alone on stage, a microphone stand directly in front of him. Quietly, slowly, the piano began, filling the auditorium in which him and his club mates were. He glanced down at them, all sitting in the front row, staring up at him. Ms. Rodgers looked excited, and apart from a couple of the others, everybody seemed bored. Maybe this was a bad idea. Nobody wanted to be here on a Friday afternoon, and he hadn't had nearly enough time to practice. Maybe he should just not sing.
The introduction quickly dwindled down and Evan took a breath. Too late now.
Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
His voice echoed around the auditorium, bouncing back towards him and filling Evan with confidence.
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can dream of the old days
Life was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp sputters
Soon it will be morning
Evan glanced down at his classmates once more, pleasantly surprised to find them all grinning up at him. He smiled back.
A street lamp dies
Another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me,
It is so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you'll touch me,
You'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun...
Emilio tipped his hat towards the audience, a dark smirk on his face.
And now, the six merry murderesses or the Crook County Jail,
In their rendition of...The Cell Block Tango!
EJ turned and exited the stage as the music began. Ashleigh grinned as she straightened her shirt, taking a deep breath before stepping onto stage.
Pop.
Next came Perry, strutting onto stage as she spoke.
Six.
Shay followed.
Squish.
Then Anya, who looked as uncomfortable as she felt in tight clothing, adjusting the waist of her long pants.
Uh uh.
Sabrina, grinned murderously.
Cicero.
And finally, Liz, taking her spot behind the final chair that was set up on the stage.
Lipschitz.
They repeated this three more times, the sequence quickening as they continued.
Pop! Six! Squish! Uh uh! Cicero! Lipschitz!
The music kicked in, and they all began to sing together.
He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had himself to blame
If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it
Sabrina leaned forward and over her chair, sneering.
I betcha you would have done the same.
Ashleigh stepped forward and around her chair, sliding to the middle of the stage as she spoke.
You know how people have these little habits
that get you down?
She began.
Like Bernie.
Bernie used to chew gum.
No, not chew. POP.
She continued like this, pacing back and forth as she told her story. Her grin grew as she neared the end.
So, I took the shot gun off the wall and fired two warning shots...
Into his head!
Ashleigh laughed, spinning back into line as the rest of the girls sung the chorus once more, allowing time for Perry to strut up front.
I met Ezekiel Young from
Salt Lake city about two years ago
and he told me he was single
and we hit it off right away.
So, we started living together.
He'd go to work, he'd come home, I'd
fix him a drink, We'd have dinner
Perry smirked, rolling her eyes. She spun to sit backwards on her chair, leaning her front against the back of her chair. She folded her arms on top, grinning frighteningly out at the audience.
And then I found out,
"Single" he told me?
Single, my ass. Not only
was he married
...oh, no, he had six wives.
One of those Mormons, you know. So that
night, when he came home from work, I fixed him
his drink as usual.
You know?
Perry stood abruptly. The music crashed, Perry smirked.
Some guys just can't hold there arsenic.
Perry threw her head back in a laugh, falling into step with the others as they sang together once more.
Hah! He had it coming
He had it coming
He took a flower
In its prime
And then he used it
And he abused it
It was a murder
But not a crime!
Next up with Shay, looking completely comfortable in her leather outfit.
Now, I'm standing in the kitchen
carvin' up the chicken for dinner,
minding my own business,
in storms my husband Wilbur,
in a jealous rage.
"You been screwin' the milkman,"
he says. He was crazy
and he kept screamin',
"you been screwin the milkman."
And then he ran into my knife.
He ran into my knife ten times.."
Shay slid back to her spot, and everyone sung as they switched chairs, leaving Anya in the middle. The Russian girl's brows were furrowed, and she looked beyond uncomfortable in her seat. She fiddled with her collar, and it was difficult to tell whether she truly felt as awkward as she looked, or if she was just really good at acting.
The music quieted again, and Anya began to speak in perfect Russian.
Mit keresek, én itt? Azt mondják,
hogy a híres lakem lefogta a férjemet én meg
lecsaptam a fejét. De nem igaz, én ártatlan
As she continued, Anya began to relax. It was obvious that she enjoyed reverting back to her native language, and it came through as she spoke.
vagyok. Nem tudom miért mondja
Uncle Sam, hogy én tettem. Probáltam
a rendőrségen megmagyarázni de nem értették meg...
Shay leaned over to the younger girl, raising a brow.
So, did you do it?
Anya's eyes widened, and she blushed, shaking her head.
Uh uh, not guilty!
Anya leaned back, and immediately Sabrina took her place, stepping forwards.
My sister, Veronica and
I had this double act
and my husband, Charlie,
traveled around with us.
Her and Ashleigh exchanged a look, laughing.
Well, this one night we were in the hotel Cicero,
the three of us,
boozin' and
havin' a few laughs
and we run out of ice.
So I go out to get some.
I come back, open the door
and there's Veronica and
Charlie doing Number Seventeen-
the spread eagle.
Well, I was in such a state of shock,
I completely blacked out.I can't remember a thing.
It wasn't until later,
when I was washing the blood off my hands
I even knew they were dead.
The music rose around them again, and everyone burst into action, dancing around their chairs and switching positions. Sabrina began to sing, the other girls echoing her.
They had it coming
They had it coming
They had it coming all along
I didn't do it
But if I'd done it
How could you tell me that I was wrong?
Liz stepped forward next.
I loved Alvin Lipschitz
more than I can possibly say.
He was a real artistic guy...
sensitive... a painter.
But
He was always trying
to find himself.
He'd go out every night
looking for himself
and on the way
he found Ruth,
Gladys,
Rosemary and Irving.
I guess you can say we broke
up because of artistic differences.
He saw himself as alive
and I saw him dead.
Everyone stood, strutting around their chairs before moving forwards and to the edge of the stage. They all grinned, dancing together. Their movements were unpractised, and out of sync, but they were having fun singing.
He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had
Himself
To blame.
If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it
I betcha
You would
Have done
The same!
They moved back to their chairs one at a time, spinning towards their right and strutting back. First Ashleigh, then Perry, Shay, Anya, Sabrina, and Liz.
You pop that gun one more time.
Single my ass.
Ten times!
Miert csukott Uncle Same bortonbe.
Number seventeen – the spread eagle
Artistic differences.
Then each girls, in the same order, grabbed their chairs and dragged them off stage, smirking as they went.
Pop!
Six!
Squish!
Uh uh!
Cicero!
Lipschitz!
The music halted, and the front row of the auditorium burst into applause.