The fourteen members of New Directions have to make teams to do group numbers. For some it's easy to pick their teammates, while others have to take what they can get.
...are they or are they not...
Ianto and John kept working together on their assignments. They hadn't done a duet together since that first one, but they'd helped each other out with song choices and rehearsals. Gwen and Jo's little cooperation was also thriving, and on a couple of occasions, the four of them had rehearsed together.
This week they had a group assignment, and it felt totally natural for them to team up for it. Both Gwen and John wanted Jack to join them as well, but he had already been taken.
"He is so totally dreamy." Gwen stared into the air. "And so totally not into girls." John replied drily. "But yeah, dreamy is the word," he added as he gave her a wink. "I don't believe that." Jo chipped in. "He is hanging around Jane all the time, I'm sure he has a crush on her."
Ianto chose not to comment. He had seen another side of Jack, and he was not going to share that with the others. Sweet, friendly, and totally gorgeous Jack was very well liked by everybody although he had a tendency to play small pranks. It was never anything sinister or evil, and everybody always got a good laugh out of it.
What happened in the restroom after rehearsal about a week ago could of course just be one of those little pranks, but Ianto wasn't convinced. Jack had come up from behind and wrapped his arms around him. After doing a couple of samba moves as he rubbed his crotch against Ianto's ass, Jack had let go and as he walked away; he blew him a kiss before he was out the door.
He didn't want to put too much into it, and he agreed with himself that what Jack did was kind of rude. If he'd tried that on a girl there would have been no end to the drama. There was still only one thing that really bothered Ianto about this. He liked it. Ever since that incident, he always got a tingle in his gut when he looked at Jack, but the guy seemed to have forgotten already.
"Hey, while we're at it, what about Cas and Wade?" Gwen wiggled her head from side to side as she looked at the others. "The two of them are practically symbiotic. They do all their assignments together and they sit together…" She shrugged a little. Jo exhaled audibly before she drew her breath. "Seriously? They are friends, just friends. I think you just have rainbow colored lenses. Not everybody is gay, you know." She looked at Gwen and shook her head.
"Last week you thought Mason was gay, and before that, you believed that Ianto and John had a thing, that they were gay as well." Jo threw her hands out. "It's perfectly possible for two guys to just be friends. Right boys?"
Ianto didn't want to answer that. He and John were just friends, but he himself could so easily find guys attractive. John was a little slippery on that point, and he was a little hard to read, so Ianto didn't really know what he was thinking. There had been moments between them that could have turned slightly awkward, but so far the two of them had kept it in the friendship zone without a problem.
Jo continued. "I do believe that Wade, er, Unique is gay, but other than that… No. I have never had any gay friends and unlike you, I'm not running around trying to dig up some. I'm fine being in a mostly heterosexual choir." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at Gwen.
"Ahem." John scooted over and wrapped an arm over Jo's shoulders. "Sweet, innocent little girl. You have no idea, do you?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Unique is transgender, technically not gay per se, Jack is most certainly gay, Castiel… yeah maybe. The new guy has a thing for a nice ass, preferably male ones, and me, I'm not so very straight either." Jo threw him a peek under her lashes. "Stop kidding around."
John chuckled a little. "I'm not kidding. Me and Ianto are just friends though. He is probably not gay, although I could be wrong." Jo was about to say something when John shushed her. "Oh, Oh, and Charlie. Cute redheaded Charlie. She's so lesbian."
Ianto nodded to himself. His suspicions about John had been correct and he wondered if this knowledge would change anything between them. The guy was handsome and funny, and Ianto really liked his company, but he wasn't sure if he liked him that way. He had of course given it more than one thought during the time they'd hung out together, but the jury was still out on that.
"Ianto! Wake up!" Gwen was practically shouting at him. "Are you with us, or are you on another planet right now." Ianto could feel a little blush on his cheeks, but it faded quickly. "Yeah, Yeah, I mean, uh… What were we talking about again?"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Castiel was perfectly aware of the rumors that went around about him and Unique. He didn't care about that. The only thing he worried about was if the rumors would hit suburbia, and stir up things for him at home.
He had been very adamant about going to this particular school when they came to Lima, because it was the one furthest away from his house. The likelihood of meeting any neighbors here was slim. It wasn't that he'd planned to befriend a trans-girl, but he didn't want his family to pry into his private life. There had been way too much of that over the years.
The two of them didn't hang out much outside of school, and never at Castiel's, but Unique had come to his church one time when Castiel's choir was performing. She'd come as Wade, and had done her best to act more macho than usual. For Castiel, it had just been weird, but his father had been fooled. It wasn't that Unique actually spent much time with the pastor - it was pretty much just a quick handshake and a few words - but the man had been more concerned about the fact that Castiel's friend didn't attend church on a regular basis.
The few times they had been to Unique's house, they had been mostly listening to music and singing along. On a couple of occasions, Cas had been made up and dressed up, and he had to scrub his face thoroughly before he went home to make sure that there wasn't any traces of makeup left.
Sometimes they talked about boys, but for a while Cas had been a little evasive on that point. He was afraid that if they dived into that, Unique could come on to him and ruin a perfectly good friendship.
It took a few weeks of him shying away from the subject before Unique had had enough. "We're friends right?" She waited until Cas nodded. "I'm sorry, but sometimes I feel that you are somewhat afraid of me."
Castiel felt very uncomfortable, and he wanted to defend himself, but he didn't get a chance. "I like you. I can maybe even say that I love you, but only as a friend. No offence, but your scrawny white ass doesn't do it for me baby."
Cas had to laugh and Unique seemed relieved by it. "I've seen you made up as a girl, and you are very cute, but come on. The two of us could never be a couple. You like guys, and I'm a girl." She had to draw her breath. "Two fruitcakes together would be just way too sweet."
She leaned over and gave him a hug. "I know that you like them a little macho. I've seen you on the bleachers watching those guys on the football team very closely, and I know that you're not into sports. Let's do it together next time."
For the group assignment this week, Unique had been pretty sure they could get Jane to team up with them, but she was already taken by Jack. The McCarthy's had joined them and that left Cas and Unique in a little bit of a pickle. The guys from computer club had their own little thing going, so their best bet was to try to split up the group containing Jo, Gwen, Ianto and John.
That was a hopeless task, so they ended up with Dean. For Cas it was quite alright. The guy was on the football team, and Cas had seen him on the field. He was very handsome in his gear. In the choir room he seemed a little lost though, but it could be explained by the fact that nobody really talked to him much.
It was mostly his own fault. The guy didn't make much of an effort to befriend anybody. Cas liked him though, and was secretly excited to work with him.
Dean often played the guitar himself when he performed, and he was really good, but he made everything sound like rock and roll. Last week for the Disney challenge, though, he'd surprised everybody with the most beautiful rendition of 'Strangers like me' from Tarzan.
"I wanna know, can you show me
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more, please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me…"
Castiel was pretty sure that the guy meant every word, and that the song was his best effort to try to connect with the rest of the club. It didn't work wonders, but for the first time since he joined, he got a genuine applause, and even a couple of cheers.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Kevin wasn't too thrilled about teaming up with Garth and Charlie. It wasn't that he didn't like hanging out with them; he enjoyed their company and they shared many mutual interests, but none of them were really shining stars in there.
He had joined Glee-club on a dare, and when he and Jo stood there in the beginning of the semester as the only two members, Kevin had not been very sure that it had been a good choice. Luckily it didn't take long before more students found their way to the choir room, and as their numbers rose, Kevin learned that he would probably never be picked for a lead.
John was really good, but it wasn't until Cas and Unique joined that Kevin understood that he was out on a limb. Comparing himself to them, he wasn't even sure if he would have been accepted if Mr Schuester hadn't been a little desperate in the beginning.
Jane and the twins didn't change his view on this, and now they had Jack and Dean there as well. It wasn't that he looked at this as a career choice, and he had been content being in the background, but after singing in the auditorium, he got a taste for it.
Until that point, he had just been toiling away, chasing good grades, and hoping for some fun in between. Now, he started to look forward to the next time he could be on stage, and he was practicing every day. He had also convinced his mother to pay for private song lessons, just to up his game.
When they teamed up with Jane for the performance they had when Mr Evans arrived, she had orchestrated the whole thing. She had pushed Kevin and Garth to their limits, and she had taught them a few little tricks during that weekend. Jane had been thrilled that Garth actually could dance, and the two of them had spent some time on choreography, making Kevin feel like a third wheel for a while.
But of course, he couldn't expect her to drag them along forever. When she got a chance to sing with the 'incredible Jack', she grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Kevin was a little annoyed by the fact that everybody swarmed around the guy. Not that he was jealous, but all of them were supposed to be in this together. It wasn't 'Mr Harkness with choir'.
Kevin felt a little bad for thinking like that. Jack was very down to earth; he was friendly with everybody, and he also managed to say the right words at the right time to make each and every one of them feel good about themselves. Jack was also the only one who actually tried to include Dean, even if Sammy's brother didn't make much of an effort himself.
"Speak of the devil." Kevin said to himself when he saw the Winchester brothers come towards him. He was sitting on the stairs waiting for Charlie and Garth as he was sifting through the music library on the computer trying to find something they could use for the assignment, .
"What did you say?" Sammy sat down next to him, while Dean leaned on the wall a few feet away. "Oh, nothing. Talking to myself. It's what geniuses do." Kevin chuckled a little. "I'm just trying to find a song."
Sam smiled and nudged his shoulder. "Well, genius, tell me how you are going to get to Garth's house without me?" He held up the car keys.
Kevin didn't have a car, and his mom was out of town for the day. Charlie's car was at the garage, and Garth only had two seats in his pickup truck. "Oh, nice." Kevin turned briefly to Dean. "Thanks."
Dean pushed away from the wall. "Don't forget to come pick me up. You have the address, right?" He was about to walk away, but Kevin was too curious to let him leave without asking. "Ahem, er, Dean, who did you team up with?" He knew it wasn't Jack, and none of the others had exchanged many words with the guy.
"I'm working with Jim and Wade." He seemed a little uncomfortable, but then he hurried to turn to Sam. "See you later, and don't get caught." Kevin got a little puzzled by his words to his brother, but chose to ignore it at the moment. "You mean Castiel and Unique, the dynamic duo. Tell me, are they a couple, or…"
Dean scoffed and sent him a piercing stare. "How would I know, I don't know them." He'd already turned away and he gave them a quick wave as he trotted down the hall.
Kevin chuckled as he turned to Sam again. "Your brother isn't the most friendly guy on earth, is he? What did he mean 'don't get caught'?" Sammy sighed as was playing with the car keys. "Well, technically I don't have a licence." He rolled his eyes. "Does it bother you?"
He hadn't really given it much thought, but of course. Sam was a sophomore, and even if he looked older, the two of them were probably the same age. "Oh. No… I don't think so. You are a good driver, and it's not my problem if you get busted." He giggled as he got up. "Maybe you shouldn't tell Charlie."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Tension?
"Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me
But bear this in mind, it was meant to be
And I'm joining up the dots…"
Gwen was strumming the guitar as she sang softly. She wasn't a very good guitar player, but she knew a few songs.
"No. No way. We are not doing One Direction for the assignment." Ianto sat on the bed with a disgruntled expression on his face. Gwen stopped playing and looked at him. "We're not doing Pink Floyd or Rolling Stones either, love."
John had made himself comfortable on the little sofa. It was best used for sitting, he remembered vividly how it was to try to sleep in it. "Stop it, you two. There are more bands in the world than the ones from UK. Although I like them all, I agree with both of you. We have to come up with something new and surprising."
Jo was sitting on the floor next to Gwen with headphones on. She seemed to be in her own little world, mouthing the words to a song that only she could hear. John kicked her gently on the ankle. "Hey, you. Come on, help out."
It took a moment before she managed to rip herself loose from the music. "Yeah, uh, I'm thinking we should do a number from a musical. Make it big with costumes and all." She cocked her head. "I mean, we have to do something spectacular. We are competing with Jack and Jane."
Ianto shook his head and smiled. "This is not a competition. We have to do the best we can, but it's not like we're going to fail if somebody else is better." He looked away for a second. "None of us can compete with Jack."
John looked up abruptly and stared at Ianto. "You like him! You really like him. Like, are you… Oh, man you're blushing." He covered up a small giggle. "I mean he's something, I wouldn't mind… never mind."
There was an awkward silence in the room before Ianto decided to do some damage control. "Come on. Everybody likes him. He is very likeable. Jack doesn't judge anybody, and he tries to make us all better. And, and… He is not afraid of embarrassing himself at all. You know, he sang to one of the lunch ladies as she scooped his food the other day."
The three others looked at him. "Really? What did he sing?" Gwen was the one to ask. Ianto shrugged. "It was just a silly nursery rhyme, but he made it sound, erm, like a…" Ianto noticed that John lifted his brow before he gave him a wink, and decided to stop before he handed the guy more ammunition. "It was nothing, but he got a few cheers, and the lady gave him an extra scoop."
Oh man, this was bad. Ianto was unable to meet John eyes, and hurried to turn to Jo. "What did you have in mind? We should really get on with this and find a song as soon as possible."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A big, bald, black man opened the door and stared at Dean with penetrating eyes. Dean had seen that look many times. The eyes that stared at him through a facemask just before he got tackled on the field, was very similar to the look this guy gave him.
It lasted only a moment before the man's face broke into a wide smile. "You must be Dean. They are waiting for you in the den." He stepped to the side so Dean could enter. "I'm Rob. I'm Wade's, er, Unique's father. Come in. Let me take your jacket."
Dean didn't want to take off his jacket, but he didn't feel like he could turn down the offer. "Thank you, sir." He pulled the jacket off before he bent down to untie his boots. Rob pointed to a shoe rack. "You can just put them there, I'll announce your arrival."
He felt naked as he stood there waiting after putting his boots nicely next to what he believed was Castiel's. It took only a few seconds before Wade appeared. Dean still had a little trouble calling him Unique. They shared several classes, and Dean had known him as Wade until they met in Glee-club. It wasn't that he really had learned to know the guy. He'd just seen him in class, but had never exchanged a single word with him before they were in the choir room together.
Wade came strutting towards him in a sequined dress, and with a blue feather boa wrapped around his neck. Dean braced himself, but at the same time he realized that 'Unique' was a more fitting name for this character.
It was a little puzzling, but Dean decided not to let it bother him. They were going to work together on this assignment, and no matter what, he knew that he was the odd one out. "Hi, nice dress." Dean knew that his facial expression didn't quite fit the words, so he forced a smile to cover up.
Technically, it wasn't a problem for him that the guy wanted to be a girl. He was actually more bothered by the fact that Castiel and Unique seemed to be an item. As Unique led him through the house, Dean wondered if Cas was attracted to Unique, or Wade.
None of the above, obviously. The moment he stepped into the den, Unique turned to him. "Don't listen to rumors. Me and Cas are not together. We are just friends, so you're not working with a couple here. I want you to know this, so you don't go around and think that it's you against us. We are friends and you can be our friend as well." He took a step back, making Dean almost crash into him. "Mind you." He whispered. "The guy is cute as a button, but not really my type. You're a bit closer, but a little too pale for my taste."
Dean was a little taken aback but managed to compose himself. He saw Castiel standing by a shelf sifting through some CD's. He had his back turned against them, and Dean was surprised about how disappointed he was that the guy didn't greet him as he entered. When he finally did turn around, Cas didn't even throw a peek Dean's way at first. "How about this one." He held up a CD with the soundtrack from 'Hairspray'." Then he shifted his gaze a tad and looked at Dean a little sideways. "Oh, hi Dean."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Listen!" Jo had been on the computer for a while, going through her whole playlist to try to find something they could agree on. Now, she stood up and plugged the laptop into Ianto's guitar amplifier. "Listen, I think this could work." She pressed the play button on the youtube video she'd picked and soon they could all hear the subtle piano of a song John knew very well.
"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb…"
Jo's voice sounded beautiful, and he agreed with her choice wholeheartedly. This was something they could do. He threw a peek at Ianto and Gwen, and was happy when he spotted a bit of excitement in their eyes. John wasn't sure how to do it as a quartet, but he knew in his gut that they'd make it work.
Ianto didn't hesitate for a second, but threw himself into the chorus.
"Wake me up
Wake me up inside
I can't wake up
Wake me up inside
Save me…"
It was so perfect. John joined in on Ianto's lines, but he kept it down and managed to harmonize with his friend.
Gwen ran over to Jo and looked at the screen. "A karaoke version. How nice." She smiled as Jo gestured for her to do the second verse.
"Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life..."
Again, John and Ianto did the chorus together, and this time it was perfection. Gwen sang her part as if she was on stage. It was just awesome.
"Wake me up
Wake me up inside…"
The two girls sang the next lines together as if they had rehearsed it before. The harmony was perfect.
"Frozen inside without your touch
Without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead…"
John and Ianto looked at each other for a split second, Ianto gave him a quick nod and that was all John needed.
"All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me…"
John had no idea how the girls determined who was going to sing the different lines of the song, but he really didn't care. When the chorus came up again all four of them sang. John looked over at Gwen and he could see that she was done. The two of them left the last few lines to Ianto and Jo.
"Bring me to life
I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside
Bring me to life."
Songs in this chapter
Strangers like me - from Disney's Tarzan - M/L: Phil Collins
Little things - One Direction - M/L: Fiona Bevan and Ed Sheeran
Bring me to life - Evanescence - M/L: Amy Lee, Ben Moody, David Hodges