Heyyo.

40. Practice.

I woke up to my alarm set at 7. I got up, showered and dressed for breakfast at eight. Unique didn't even ask a word about anything but instead talked about her night. I sat there listening to her and smiled. We left the room and saw Ryder waiting for us at the elevator. He grasped my hand and gave a good morning kiss before giving a greeting to Unique as the doors opened.

Downstairs we sat at a reserved table given to us, New Directions, after getting food at the self-serve buffet. Everyone was there. Mr. Schue joined us a while later. "Eat up guys, I changed practice to after lunch so we have rehearsals from 1 to eight. Check-in and lights out around 10 again, alright? Big Day tomorrow!" Everyone cheered and went back to eating their food. Mr. Schue made his way over to me and asked me to come with him for a minute.

Oh crap, he knows.

We went off to a corner of the dining room. "Marley—"

"Mr. Schue! I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen I swear. It just happened." I said.

"Marley we've talked about this before, it's okay." He said.

Maybe he meant the cigarettes and not making it back in time for lights out. "I've stopped, I promise."

"Marley—"

"Okay, okay, maybe once or twice but that's it." I said.

He looked startled. "When?"

"The other day and when we got to the hotel rooms." I muttered.

"Marley, I thought you said your, you know, throwing up stopped." He said. Wait, my throwing up habit? That's what he was talking about? "Are you okay to be in National's? We have those few members Sam got for backup dancers and we could have one fill your spot and give your lyrics to Kitty and Brittany—"

"Oh, no, I thought you meant something else. No I haven't puked in a while." I said.

Mr. Schue looked a little confused. "What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing." I said. "Was that it?"

"Oh, no, well I got these for you," He pulled out of a small shopping bag a small plastic container. "It's a protein shake. I have a few for you in case you want some throughout today and tomorrow."

"Oh," I was surprised. He got those for me? That was nice. But i said, "Thanks for these, but I don't like these. I've tried them in the past and they're gross."

"Oh, um,"

"I'm fine don't worry." I smiled in assurance.

The rest of the time spent was on a beach with the gang. Lark called me once and we talked on the phone for a while until I could see Ryder was growing pissed off about us talking, so I excused myself and hung up. "I'm still friends with him, Ry."

"I wish you weren't." He muttered.

Practice was well. We hit all the notes correctly, we danced to the beat on time and made sure everyone knew their places for each number for each second of the number. We ordered pizza and everyone had three or two slices before we went back to practice. Probably an hour after that I felt a headache and felt dizzy. I wanted to take a break but I feared Tina would throw a fit at me. But she'd throw a fit if I didn't stop.

I can't win with Tina.

Mr. Schue gave us a half hour break around 7. Everyone sat on the floor and took breathes with their water bottle. I told Ryder I was going to go outside for fifteen minutes for fresh air. He nodded and leaned back on the floor taking a breathe.

I stepped outside from where we were to perform tomorrow night. I sat on a bench waving a hand at my face to cool off more. I leaned back on the bench and took some breathe before feeling a tap on my kneecap from a foot. Upon looking I saw Lark. "hey Kiddo."

"Lark, do you have a cigarette with you now?"

"Nah, just a joint. About to go hang out with some new friends who got them too over in an alley not too far."

Damn. I couldn't. "Do they have beer?"

We went to where he was going, an apartment not far from practice being held, and I was given a bottle of beer. I chugged that thing down in a heartbeat, ate a full thing of Ritz crackers, oyster crackers and some saltine crackers and a bite of pizza all in a matter of ten minutes. I waved off to Lark and went back to practice.

My head killed from the drinking, but I pulled through for another thirty minutes. But after that I had a headache that hurt more. So did everyone else so they assumed it was from practice.

Ryder and I watched a movie with some of them in Sam and Blaine's room until Mr. Schue told us to get back to our rooms. I told Unique I was going to stay up a bit later and she said it was fine. I was texting Lark and we made a plan to meet on the hotel roof in about an hour an a half.

I knew how to get to the roof. Just keep going up the stairs behind the building until you get to the top. I did sneak out, but only at 1 AM knowing I wouldn't get caught. I found Lark already there smoking a joint.

"Hey Marley!" He laughed. "Want some?" He held it out.

I took it and put it near my mouth. "Yep." I said and inhaled some. I handed it back and asked for the cigarette boxes. He took them out and handed them over to me. "Here ya go."

I had six or seven of them in the course of an hour before going back to bed.