Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. I admit, that episode always makes me a bit sad. I know this is another episode Rachel wasn't in, but I did work her in. Enjoy and review if I should keep going.
Chapter 77: Dynamic Duets
Ever since she'd gotten back to New York, Rachel hadn't stopped thinking about what Finn had said. He didn't want contact with her. She had just auditioned for The Glass Menagerie, and she thought that the audition had gone well enough. However, the director looked pretty indifferent when he came outside to talk to her. "Miss Berry?"
"Yes?" Rachel asked.
"We really appreciated you coming in, but we don't think this part is right for you," the director said.
Well, it was her first audition. And she probably wasn't in the right state of mind to audition. Maybe it was for the best. "Thank you," Rachel said as she left and walked to the Vogue headquarters to meet up with Kurt.
Kurt was waiting outside the building. "How did it go?"
"I didn't get the part, but I'm not surprised," Rachel admitted.
"Awww, I'm sorry," Kurt said.
"It's odd," Rachel admitted. "The old Rachel would have been devastated by not getting a part. But now that worse things have happened... it's not like before."
"You mean with Finn?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah," Rachel admitted.
Kurt gave Rachel a hug. "It's all going to be okay."
Rachel sighed. "I don't know... I wish I could be like you are with Blaine."
x
Finn had managed to convince Ryder and Kitty to join New Directions. Well, Ryder had told him after the musical that he wanted to join permanently, and when he'd asked Kitty, she agreed to it. At least the number issue was out of the way. Still, Finn was nervous about his first day leading the glee club today.
The letter about Sectionals had arrived. The theme was foreigner and Finn didn't really know what to do. Maybe he should ask Mr. Schue for advice, but Mr. Schue was in DC. Maybe he shouldn't have broken contact with Rachel. She'd know what to do...
As the glee club arrived, Finn knew he had to fake being confident. "Okay, guys, sit down. We got a lot of work to do today." They didn't seem to be listening. Finn sighed in frustration. "No, seriously, come on, I mean it, sit down. Okay, so the first order of business today is to welcome the newest members to the glee club: Ryder and Kitty."
Tina looked at Kitty. "Wait, don't we all get to vote on her or something?"
Finn didn't feel like this. "Well, Tina, Kitty was fantastic in Grease."
"In spite of my god-awful part," Kitty declared. "Besides, we're under the gun. We have to go to Sectionals next week and we need 12 members to compete."
"Oh, well, then, just call Santana back from Kentucky again 'cause apparently she's better than anyone who's actually enrolled here," Tina said sarcastically.
Finn wasn't in the mood for this. "Look, Tina, not now. Uh, look, where was I? Sectionals, yes. Here's the game plan." Finn reached for the dry erase marker, only to realize that it wasn't working. "Broke the marker. Where does Mr. Schue keep the other markers?" Looking around he couldn't find any. "Uh, screw that. The theme is Foreigner. We're gonna sing songs by Foreigner in foreign languages, wearing all the costumes of the world's nations."
The glee club didn't look enthusiastic. "Wait, seriously, that's your idea?" Artie asked.
Finn had to admit he didn't know if this was a good idea. "Yeah."
Blaine got up. "Finn, times have changed. We're national champions now, which means we have to exceed all expectations, so if that's your best idea, I don't think we stand a chance."
Finn saw that Blaine was starting to leave. "Wait, where are you going?"
Blaine turned around. "I'm going to get our trophy back from the Warblers: the one you haven't even noticed is missing."
Finn looked at the trophy case. Yes, the trophy was gone. Now he felt even worse. Could he get these kids to trust him. "While Blaine gets the trophy, why don't you guys look at the songs I have in mind for Sectionals?
x
The choir rehearsal hadn't gone well. Finn felt like an idiot. The glee club seemed more interested in their superhero costumes than in the songs for Sectionals. As Finn left the choir room, he saw Coach Beiste in a superhero costume. She was into this, too? "So, what exactly are you supposed to be?"
"I'm the Beiste Master," Coach Beiste declared. "Blaine said I couldn't be faculty advisor unless I dressed up once a week, so I'm from the planet Testostergen, I can digest any known substance and cry at the drop of a hat, and, hey, I'm not kidding about that last part. Last night I teared up at an Activia commercial."
Finn couldn't believe this. "This is just all so ridiculous."
"Oh, come on, pumpkin, this is fun," Coach Beiste said. "Yeah, it's no wonder superheroes are all the rage. Putting on a mask is like getting up onstage. It gives you the freedom to be the person you secretly aspire to be, and if you ask me, the world could use a few more heroes. So, what's bugging you, kiddo? You seem blue."
Finn groaned. "It was my first lesson in Glee Club today, and it was a total disaster."
"What happened?" Coach Beiste asked.
"I don't know," Finn admitted. "I mean, the lesson that I planned was awesome. I think it's just that the the glee club doesn't see me as an adult." He poured himself some coffee and took a sip, surprised at how gross it was. "God, is that what coffee tastes like? How do people drink that?" He spit out the coffee.
"I'm just spitballing here, but maybe you should invest in a pair of tights," Coach Beiste told Finn. "You know, Clark Kent was an awesome guy, but it was Superman who inspired everyone. Be their hero, Finn. I'm just saying."
"So you think I should dress as a superhero?" Finn asked.
"That's what they're into this week," Coach Beiste said. "It'll help you connect with them more."
x
Finn wished Rachel could have helped him with a superhero outfit. He knew she would have had a great idea. Instead, he dressed in a tight blue suit with a yellow cape and a yellow lightning bolt. When the glee club arrived, they were looking at his costume, and he seemed to think that it was good that he had their attention. He'd thought of a superhero related assignment for this week as well, and hopefully this would get them into things. "So, I get it, my first idea was pretty bad," Finn admitted.
"Worse than funk," Tina said.
"Worse than "Night of Neglect," Artie added.
Finn got a dry erase marker and wrote his idea on the whiteboard. "So I decided to try something new: Dynamic Duets. This is gonna be a lot more fun, and it focuses on something you guys actually like: superheroes."
"Oh, so wait are we all gonna have to wear costumes?" Marley asked.
"And who exactly are you supposed to be? The Bulge, who makes gym socks disappear?" Artie asked.
"Please don't melt us with your bulge," Brittany whispered.
"Well, I am the Almighty Treble Clef, Uniter of Glee Clubs," Finn declared.
"Jesus is the only real almighty superhero," Kitty declared.
Joe looked at Kitty. "Amen."
"Nobody asked you," Kitty snapped.
"Come on, guys, let's hear him out," Ryder said to the group.
Finn was glad to have support. "Thanks. Look at the Avengers. Individually, they all have amazing powers, but as a team, they cannot be stopped. Right now, we're a bunch of individuals with great powers and talents, but we're not a team. Some of you even have mortal enemies in this very room, allowing the Dark Side to turn us against each other, when we should be focused on the Warblers."
"Nightbird is handling the missing trophy," Blaine said.
Finn decided to bo along with this if this was what Blaine wanted to talk about himself. "Great. Thank you, Nightbird. Jake will pair up with Ryder, Marley will join Kitty to perform the duets. The rest of you, start preparing to fight an epic battle against the forces of evil at Sectionals."
"That idea was slightly better," Artie admitted.
"Still could be horrible," Tina muttered.
x
The assignment wasn't starting out well.
Jake and Ryder had spent their duet circling around Marley, fighting for her attention and eventually beating each other up. Finn eventually left the rest of the glee club to practice the songs for Sectionals and took Jake and Ryder to the auditorium to talk to them. "My goal was to bring you two together, not to have you dress up and karate-chop each other in the face!" Finn reprimanded the boys.
"It was a lame exercise," Jake snapped.
"No, you know what's lame?" Finn demanded. "Not winning at Sectionals. And if we don't get our act together, we're gonna lose, and then that's gonna be it. I need you two to get along."
"I heard you, Finn, but I don't like this guy," Ryder complained. "He's working his way through every girl at this school, and I think Marley deserves better."
"You have no idea what Marley wants, or deserves," Jake shot back.
Finn was reminded of his days of fighting over Quinn with Puck. (What had he been thinking?) "Enough! Okay? Enough. Clearly, you did not take anything from my last assignment, so I'm gonna give you a new one."
"Will it also be lame?" Jake muttered.
Finn looked at Jake, trying to think of something. "Ignoring you. It's a Kryptonite Lesson. You two think you hate each other. I think you don't understand each other. So I want you to sit in a room and tell each other your deepest fears. Only by admitting your weaknesses can you realize your strengths. Deal, do we have?"
x
The next day, Kitty and Marley would perform their duet. Finn hoped this time it would go better, but he wasn't counting on it. A little while before glee club was going to start, Blaine came in. "Hey. Yot a minute?"
"Yeah," Finn said. "Dude, I was just gonna text you. How is Operation: Rescue/Recovery going?"
"Well, when I went back to Dalton, all those blazers and singing with the Warblers again..." Blaine began.
Blaine was singing with their competition? "Wait, wait, what, you sang with the Warblers?"
"It just sort of happened," Blaine admitted. "But they embraced me like I was a long-lost brother. It was like in X-Men 2, when Pyro left the X-Men to join Magneto's Brotherhood. It just felt right, like maybe I belong with the Warblers."
No. This couldn't be happening. "Dude, no, no, you belong here, with us, okay? Does this have to do with Kurt?"
"Everything in this room reminds me of him," Blaine admitted. "We were a dynamic duo in here. Kurt was my anchor, Finn, and now that he's gone, I just I feel like I'm floating. And you... you need a team that's gonna gel."
Yes. Blaine was the team leader. Why would he want to go hang out with people who nearly blinded him. "Yes. Absolutely. We need a team with a lot of gel. And you're, like, the biggest part of that."
"I'm sorry, Finn, but the Warblers are my birthright and my destiny," Blaine said.
Now Finn felt even worse. He'd lost the New Directions their leader. Maybe Mr. Schue had been wrong about giving him this position. Not knowing what else to do, he picked up his phone and called Kurt.
"Hey," Kurt said as he picked up the phone.
"Kurt, I need your help," Rachel said.
"What's going on?" Kurt asked.
"Blaine wants to rejoin the Warblers," Finn said. Maybe Kurt could convince him to stick around.
"Oh," Kurt said indifferently.
"Oh," Finn asked. "That's what you have to say?"
"Well, maybe things would be better if I never joined the Warblers and he always stayed there," Kurt complained.
"Kurt, you should try to hear him out," Finn said. "He feels awful."
"As he should," Kurt said. "You know who else feels awful?"
"Yeah right," Finn mumbled. "She doesn't care about me anymore."
"Of course she does!" Kurt said.
This was going nowhere. "I'll see what I can do."
x
Now Finn was in the same situation he'd been in at the beginning of the week. He needed to find a replacement for Blaine. Jake interrupted his thoughts, coming up to Finn. "Finn? There's something I need to tell you about Ryder."
"Okay," Finn said. "What's up?"
"I think there's something wrong with him," Jake said. "We did the new assignment you gave us... and he couldn't read some of the words in what I wrote down for him."
"What?" Finn asked.
"Yeah," Jake told Finn. "It's just... I don't know what this is."
Finn had an idea of what this was. Ryder probably had a learning disability. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll see what I can do."
Before glee club started, Finn made some calls. Kitty and Marley performed their duet, and luckily, they hugged at the end and looked like they were genuinely having fun. At least this had worked for them. When Finn told the group about Blaine, Sam said he'd get Blaine not to go to Dalton, and Finn felt relieved, since he couldn't do it and Kurt refused to. As the glee club left, Finn stopped Ryder. "Hey Ryder, can I borrow you?"
Ryder looked at Finn. "Sure, what's going on?"
"We just need to figure some things out," Finn said, leading Ryder to the classroom where he'd arranged for the district's special ed administrator to come meet with Ryder. "Jake told me you had trouble reading," Finn began as they went into the classroom.
"What's going on here?" Ryder asked.
The woman from the board of education came up to Finn and Ryder. "I'm Mrs. Penkala. I'm the district special education director. And Finn brought you here so I can help you, Ryder."
Ryder looked reluctant. "I don't need any help. I've made it this far on my own. Jake should've kept his mouth shut."
Finn knew what it was like to have trouble in school. His grades had improved, and he wanted the same for Ryder. "Dude, just relax, okay? Don't you want to figure out why you keep studying but you don't do any better? Just have a seat." He stepped outside, hoping things would go well.
A little while later, Ryder came out. "I'm dyslexic," he told Finn. "You know, do you know what it's like to have a real secret identity? Not like Clark Kent or Peter Parker, but to know inside you're not who everyone thinks you are. My whole life, it's been, Ryder just needs to apply himself. Ryder's smart; he just needs to work harder, focus, get it together, man up. But inside, man, I knew they were all wrong. It didn't matter how hard I focused or how hard I worked; I was stupid. And if anyone ever found that out, if they knew the real me I was I was sure it would've killed my parents. Man, and my dad's a freaking PhD. How is he gonna feel about having an idiot for a son?"
An idiot? Finn hated seeing Ryder put himself down like that. "I'm sure your dad loves you no matter what."
"Dude, you learn to read when you're six," Ryder continued. "When you're six. That's first grade. Then they separate you into these levels. They don't tell you that's what they're doing, but everyone knows who's in the smart group and who's in the dumb one. You think a six-year-old knows his dad's gonna love him no matter what? I've been carrying I've been carrying this secret around my whole life, man, all this time."
"Now you can put it down, okay?" Finn said. "Because the only secret is that your brain works a little differently than everyone else's, that's it, okay?"
"They're gonna start an individualized education program for me," Ryder explained. "I'll start working with a special teacher every day next week. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for helping me, Finn. I owe you."
"Actually, you owe Jake," Finn reminded Ryder. Still, he did feel good that he'd been able to help. Maybe he was on to something.
x
When Finn arrived for glee club, he was surprised to see that Sam was there, holding the Nationals trophy - and with Blaine next to him. "Is it okay if I take my spot back?" Blaine asked.
"Of course," Finn said. "This wouldn't be the group it is without you."
The rest of the group started arriving and got excited when they saw the trophy. "Guys, it was epic," Sam said. "Dalton was like Death Star meets Mordor meets Temple of Doom. I mean, I might be exaggerating, but probably not."
"I owe all of you an apology for ever doubting McKinley's my home," Blaine said. "You guys are my home. We've got a real fight ahead of us with the Warblers at Sectionals, but I am not worried at all. Because we've got the team, we've got the talent, and we have, most importantly, the leader." He handed the trophy to Finn.
They did see him as a leader. Finn realized he might actually be good at this. He put the trophy in the case and then turned to the group. "Thank you! Let's start with some warm-ups, and then we can..."
"Uh, Finn, wait," Tina interrupted. "Can I say something? This is for you, from all of us." She handed him a fanny pack.
"It's a superhero utility belt cleverly disguised as a fanny pack," Artie said.
"There's some stuff in there we thought you could use," Joe added.
Finn began looking through the bag. "Ah, cool, uh Magic markers. I could never find these. Antacid."
"In case you get the show choir squirts," Sam explained.
"Thanks," Finn said as he found a barbie head.
"That's from me," Brittany said. "You're welcome."
Then Finn pulled out a gold treble clef pin. "That's to always remind you that you're the almighty Treble Clef, the Uniter of Glee Clubs. And the Uniter of Friends," Blaine said.
They really did believe in him. This was honestly the best Finn had felt since graduation. "Wow. Uh I don't know what to say. I'll never let you down. I promise. Okay, come on, huddle up. All right, let's huddle up. Next week at Sectionals, we are gonna kick some Warblers' sorry asses. And then it's Regionals, and then it's Nationals, and then this year is gonna go down in the McKinley High record books as the greatest year the New Directions has ever seen!"
New Directions: Some nights, I stay up, cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
Oh, whoa! What do I stand for?
Oh, whoa! What do I stand for?
Ryder: Most nights, I don't know anymore
New Directions: Oh, oh whoa, oh woah, oh
Oh, oh whoa, oh woah, oh
Blaine and Sam (New Directions): This is it, boys, this is war (Oh, oh whoa)
What are we waiting for? (Oh whoa)
Why don't we break the rules already? (Oh)
Jake and Ryder (New Directions): I was never one to believe the hype (Oh whoa!)
Save that for the black and white (Oh whoa!)
Try twice as hard and I'm half as liked (Oh)
But here they come again to jack my style
Kitty: That's alright
Marley: That's alright
Kitty and Marley: I found a martyr in my bed tonight
Stops my bones from wondering
Just who I, who I, who I am
Oh, who am I?
Marley: Who am I? (Kitty: Mmh)
Who am I? (Blaine: Well)
New Directions: Some nights, I wish that this all would end
Cause I could use some friends for a change
New Directions: And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again
Some nights, I always win
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
What do I stand for?
What do I stand for?
Sam: Most nights
I don't know
Marley: Oh come on
Joe: So this is it?
I sold my soul for this?
Washed my hands of that for this? (Marley: Oh my, my)
I missed my mom and dad for this? (Marley: Oh my)
Tina: When I see stars, when I see
When I see stars, that's all they are (Marley: Oh, come on)
And when I hear songs (Marley: Oh my, my)
They sound like a swan (Marley: Oh my)
Ryder: So come on (Jake: Oh, come on) (Kitty: Come on) (Marley: Oh, come on)
Blaine and Sam (New Directions): Well, that is it, guys, that is all (Oh, oh whoa)
Five minutes in and I'm bored again (Oh whoa)
Ten years of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands (Oh)
Jake and Ryder (New Directions): This one is not for the folks at home (Oh whoa)
Sorry to leave, mom, I had to go (Oh whoa)
Who the heck wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun? (Oh)
Kitty and Tina (New Directions): The other night, you wouldn't believe (Oh whoa)
The dream I just had about you and me (Oh whoa)
I called you up, but we'd both agree (Oh) (Marley: Oh, come on)
New Directions: It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance, oh!
It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance
New Directions: Oh whoa!, oh woah, oh
Finn applauded at the end of the number. He had to admit, he was proud of the number he had put together. This would be their closing number at Sectionals, and he had a feeling that if it went as well in rehearsals as it did today, the title would be theirs.
x
Little did Finn (or Blaine) know, over in New York, Kurt and Rachel were watching the video of today's number in the New Directions Facebook group. Watching the number, Rachel couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. She noticed that they all had on red t-shirts and was reminded of the performance of Don't Stop Believing her sophomore year. Finn was good at this, and she wished she could be there to support him.
"They were good, weren't they?" Kurt said to Rachel.
"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "I do kind of wish I was going home next week."
"You're not?" Kurt asked.
Rachel decided she might as well tell him. "No. My dads understand. Every time I go home, I've ended up heartbroken."
"You shouldn't be alone," Kurt said.
"Maybe it's for the better," Rachel said.
"How about I stay too?" Kurt suggested. "Like you said, my last trip home didn't go so well, either."
"I wouldn't want you to do that for me," Rachel told Kurt.
"Maybe we could make a good Thanksgiving here," Kurt pondered.
"We can try," Rachel said. Ultimately, she wished she could just turn back time.
10 reviews unlock Chapter 78!