The Nightmare before Christmas Part I
Before any of them knew it, summer was over, and the normal run of life had come back into force. College was once more the key driving force in pretty much everybody's lives. For Trent, as he entered his final year, life was busy. He was finishing his studies whilst one of the most contentious presidential election campaigns in decades was going on, and it was inevitable that a lot of his classes became skewed in that direction. In some ways, he felt a little guilty about the unfair advantage he had over most of his classmates, given that he had direct access to the political circus through his work for Burt. Then there was his link to one of the most interesting congressional election fights through his ties to Nick. He had in his usual open and honest way made no secret of this to those that were in charge of his courses. They had dismissed all of his worries on that score, and had also been at pains to point out that they did not expect more from him as a result of his connections.
Burt was also only too well aware of the importance of the year for Trent, and with a little help from Rory, he had surreptitiously reduced the young man's workload. Carole had taken on some of the more menial tasks, which left the two college students more time to concentrate on the tougher stuff. Burt had a lot of speeches to make after all, and both of his young aides knew just how to craft them in terms that the electorate could understand and identify with. With a new home as well thanks to Jeff, they also had better working conditions. The extra space was particularly useful in allowing them to do their covert work for Sue.
That particular campaign was never far from Nick's thoughts as he began his third year at law school. He had managed to find time during the summer to chat to the lawyers that had undertaken the prosecution in the Montgomery trial, and they in turn had put him in touch with four of the young women whose lives had been left blighted after meeting Randy Montgomery. He had been concerned that they might not talk as openly with him as he was a man, but he quickly put all of them at their ease. His level of understanding and his conciliatory tone meant that they told him things in such detail that he was moved to tears. Two of the women had then put him in touch with others from the group. It was one of them that gave him a piece of information which was hitherto unknown. She had heard that one of the women he had prayed on was an overseas student that had been studying for a year at Harvard, and that she had left for home before she discovered she was pregnant. She wasn't sure that she had had an abortion. It raised the prospect that somewhere out there in the world, Wes had a half brother or sister. Nick had no way of finding them though, and that was a little frustrating.
All of it had been excellent preparation for his case study project, which was good, given how intensive his studies would be that year. As with Sebastian and Dave, he was likely to see a lot less of his husband than he would have wished that year, but it would all be for a good cause in the end. His other secret project, the election of Sue Sylvester to Congress was of more concern - he still had sleepless nights thinking of what he had done - but in a couple of months, all that would be over. His only wish was that he would not be left to rue his decision in the future.
The run up to the presidential elections of 2016 ended up being a period of divisiveness that left the country in a state of constant flux. From the moment that the two candidates had been selected there had been further elements of surprise emerging from across the political spectrum. Many people could not believe that the country could soon possibly have its first female president, a move that was every bit as ground breaking to some as when they had elected the first African American president back in 2008. Others though were convinced that it would be the business tycoon and reality television star chosen by the Republican Party that would win the day. That a man with absolutely no political experience whatsoever could have been elected to such a position was astounding to the establishment on both sides of the political divide. He had seen his ratings remain high even when there was clear proof of his attitude towards women; when it was quite clear that his lack of knowledge could lead to, at best, incompetent errors; at worst, to the start of the another world war and the end of civilisation as it was known.
The problem was that neither of the candidates smelt particularly of roses. The whole scandal about the e-mails that went on and on in certain sections of the media had been a gift to Mr Trump, who carried on delivering populist soundbite after soundbite. Many people lapped up every word that he said, but as the final pre-election polls were published, the result looked tight. It seemed more than likely though that they would all have to get used to saying Madam President though, starting from the inauguration ceremony in Washington next year…
Mostly election talk was tactfully avoided amongst the group of friends from Ohio. None of them was likely to vote for Trump in any case; his backlash against all the hard won equalities achieved in the last few years was enough for all of them to see that he would be a disaster waiting to happen if he entered the White House. For a start, he wasn't abiding by the rules of the presidential race and giving all the full disclosures that he was supposed to…
For Trent and Rory there was no avoiding the subject either at college or at work. Their home in Georgetown was a politics free zone by their own decree, and although they both headed out on a daily basis wearing their 'I'm with her!' pins and the correct party ribbons, they did not talk about the subject at home over dinner. They did keep their quiet support to the campaign of Sue Sylvester going though, which left them both feeling like wartime double agents as a result, even if they were doing so with the full blessing of Burt. As it was, Nick's father's campaign had never really recovered from the night that his son had told the world that he had assaulted him just because he was gay; true, things had not gone entirely Sue's way either, with skeletons from her own past being thrown into the media spotlight. Her scheming against so many people over the years had left some determined to destroy her at any cost. The final polls in Westerville had shown that she had a clear lead over her opponents, but there was no complacency there. After all, what people said to the person on the doorstep or on the phone about their voting intentions was often the exact opposite of what they actually went on to do.
Even in Lima, the effects of Mr Trump's rhetoric on the electorate were apparent, with the polling numbers for Burt being down. It could have been much worse had Burt not made a very good and clear point in his campaign publicity. He pointed out that even if Trump could force the big companies to bring back production of goods to the United States, it did not mean that the tank factory would come back to town in any case. His proposed abolition of the healthcare scheme instituted by President Obama would cause issues for many people as provision was cut, and his proposals to cut state budgets would also hit the town hard. His words hit a chord with people, and thanks to that and his own personal popularity, Burt Hummel would be certain to return to Congress, barring a last minute disaster.
Politics was also being resolutely ignored outside of government classes at Dalton Academy. Whereas other schools were holding mock ballots, and even had candidates handing out pins and ribbons, urging students to go home and try and influence how their families voted, the old school remained untouched by the changing world and the political warfare. It was also strictly taboo in the faculty break room, for which Thad was eternally grateful. He had taken to his new job like a duck to water. From the moment he had first heard "Good Morning, Mr Harwood!" from his class as he walked in, he had known that teaching and Dalton where exactly the career and place that he needed to be in. His youth meant that he had an easy connection with his pupils; his lessons were designed not just to instil the essential facts, but to encourage the young men to go out and seek out further information for themselves.
Marking was a bit of a chore, but if he saw from those papers that someone in the class was struggling a little, then he would make time to talk to them, one on one, in a discrete fashion. His duties as a housemaster were not too arduous either; he strictly enforced the rules of the school, but at the same time, he showed sympathy, and made time to listen to the problems of the young men in his care. If he spotted a potential issue, then he tried to fix it there and then, rather than waiting for it to blow up completely.
And then there were the Warblers. He had high hopes for them in the competition circuit this year. He left the council to run things, and did not intervene unless he was asked to. He did sit in though, and if he saw something that he felt was a potential issue, he would speak to the council quietly in private. It was that attention that meant that the few little problems that had arisen had been dealt with and harmony maintained as they came to Sectionals - which they had proceeded to ace. That event had taken place only a few days before the election. His only hope was that the candidate that he felt the country would be best run by would be every bit as successful as his boys had been…
The day of the election finally arrived, and with it a sense that whatever the result was, the world as they knew it was about to change out of all recognition. If Mrs Clinton won, then it would be a victory for all those that had worked so hard over the years in the field of woman's rights and equality; a symbolic moment when the glass ceiling was shattered once and for all…
If Mr Trump won, then as Sebastian eloquently put it the night before, the country would have "sold the farm, and opened ourselves up to a toxic combination of hatred and ridicule such as we have never seen before; we will, as a nation, have shown the world just how small minded and xenophobic so many of us are." He was not the only person to think that; indeed, Trent had found a letter addressed to him in the post that morning from Rory's Nana, which contained an application form for Irish citizenship, and a note in which she stated that he would qualify for it through marriage, and that maybe he should consider taking it, just in case being an American became too risky in the next few months…
For him and Rory, election day itself was one on which they could relax for a while and not have to worry about the pressure of work; indeed, there was a minute chance that they could be out of a job the following day. There were no speeches to write, as they had already drawn up two for Burt to cover both eventualities in the election results, and had a pile available for the presidential result for him too. The man himself had travelled with Carole to Lima, to be there at the moment that the results of the poll were announced. They had both offered to go with him, as there were no classes for them that day. Burt had declined, telling them to make the most of the day off; after all, if that man won, the two of them would find themselves busier than ever before.
For Thad, Election Day meant an early morning trip to the local polling place to cast his votes. For him, today marked a couple of significant milestones in his life. It was the first time he had voted for a President, having been just too young at the previous election and therefore not on the register; and secondly, it was the first time in his life he had ever voted Republican - and he hoped it would be the last… The idea was still awful to him, but it had to be done; Sue Sylvester had to be elected in Westerville, and at a time like this, every single vote mattered. His one consolation was that he could still vote with his true politics in the other contest, and that salved his aching soul, reducing the sense of betrayal that he felt within himself. He then headed back to work, passing the Carmichaels on the way, both of them also with a look of grim determination on their faces, as they too voted against type in the Congressional race. Nick owed them all big time for this one…
For the young man in question, the day had begun with early classes at school, and a discussion with his senior tutor on his project work. It was coming along well, both of them agreed, and Nick's passionate belief and respect for the rights of every human being shone through in his text. He had spoken to several of the victims of the financial side of the Montgomery case as well, good honest people that had lost so much as a consequence of the scams that randy had orchestrated. It left him feeling that the compensation levels for those people had been derisory and almost a great embarrassment; it was as if the system favoured the perpetrator, not the victim.
As Nick had left, his tutor had called him back. "I understand that your father is running for Congress today; I hope that his results are what you would wish them to be…"
Nick smiled, liking the way that he had avoided saying "I hope that he loses." He nodded, and replied "I understand that his campaign has been memorable, and that, whatever the actual result, his name will almost certainly enter the annals of political history in the state of Ohio…"
Nick and Jeff would go and vote together once they had finished school. In preparation for a long line, Nick had packed juice boxes, cookies, crackers and a thermos of coffee in his bag that morning with his books. Mike had been fortunate enough to have a later start, and had cast his vote not long after Niff had left the house that morning. His democratic duty done, he had headed uptown to work, to train and rehearse for his fairly small part in the company's big Christmas show.
Over in Murray Hill, a group of six had made their way to the polling booths together. For Cooper and Grace, it was nothing new; for Sebastian, raised in a household where politics was around, it was just another vote, and Dave felt much the same, albeit both of them realising how crucial this one was. For Mason and Roderick though, it all held a certain level of excitement. The very fact that they were there, and had the right to cast a vote for the first time was wonderful. Their duty done, they split up, all heading off in smaller and smaller groups, until they reached their destinations for the day. NYADA, like Dalton and The Spotlight, was trying its best to avoid the whole subject, but even inside those hallowed halls there was an underlying tension; a strong hope that everything would go okay, but a nagging feeling that whatever the polls were saying, it could all go horribly wrong at the last moment…
Some of course had already cast their vote by the time that those in Murray Hill did. The three older Warblers that had graduated and had work to go to had voted together not long after the polls had opened, all bemoaning the fact that they could not vote by post in advance as people could in other countries; Ethan knew that people in the United Kingdom could after all. David would do the same on the other side of the country, his job with Google being all that he had anticipated and more, but a big consumer of his time. The work was fast paced, and the deadlines short, but in return he did have one of the best working environments in the country. He had heard from Beats all about his friend's working conditions, and he was sympathetic, but he did not agree with his stance that such things were a result of decades of cuts to budgets and there being no choice for the authorities. After all, there was always cash available for the executive's offices to get a plush new carpet, or a coat of paint. Still, the three workers in New York were happy, and none of them hated the jobs that they had found themselves in. Across the nation, the former Warblers and New Directions cast their votes, with all of those outside of Ohio casting their votes for the same party.
Thousands of miles away, a young man had managed to sneak away from his girlfriend for the day, to head into London and cast a vote at the centre that existed there for ex-pats like himself. He had been sent a ballot paper at home, but she had found it and ripped it up, telling him that if he just renounced his US citizenship then he would be able to vote properly. Drew had been angry, but then he had discovered the centre in London whilst online. He had taken to heading to the public library in the centre of Oxford to access the net, as there he was free to look at what he wished, without Lucy checking up on him through his history. He still had pain in his wrist from the injury she had inflicted on him the last time she found out that he had been on the Warblers Facebook page.
From that, he was aware that Thad was now on the staff at Dalton. He had also discovered by visiting other pages that Nick's dad was running for Congress, much to the young man's disgust. He was startled to discover from Thad's own page that he was backing Sue Sylvester, a Republican, for Congress, until he suddenly realised that she was running against Nick's father. Thad had always been a smart cookie, and he was sure to be voting tactically… Thanks to that, he had cast his own votes in the same way. He was still officially registered as a voter in Westerville, under the care of Dalton Academy, as Principal Carmichael had suggested he and Ethan do when they had decided to come to England for college in the first place. Thus he, like Thad, ignored all of his natural instincts and voted Sue for Congress. It was the least that he could do for his old friends back home. He wished that he could call them or text them, but that was impossible now. The security on the library computers meant he could view Facebook, but not log in; and as his phone had been accidentally knocked out of his hand and into the murky waters of the Thames last month, he no longer had their numbers. Worse yet, in a few days he would be leaving Oxford all together, as Lucy had obtained a new job. He would soon be living in the capital city, in West Hampstead. He had been told to give up his own job, and when he declined, he arrived at work one morning to discover he had resigned… As election day wore on, Drew prayed that Clinton would win, but for his own selfish reasons; if Trump was victorious, Lucy would be irate, and she would take her anger out on the nearest American to her…
As the day dragged on for Drew, it did the same for the rest of them on the other side of the Atlantic. The polls had been upbeat that morning, so there was a degree of cautious optimism. Kitty was busily plotting her own rise to power one day, much to the amusement of Marley and Ryder, who had caught her practicing her acceptance speech. Artie was not laughing though, and neither was Brittany. They alone had noticed that they had barely seen any sign of an angel in the last few weeks, and on their fleeting visits, they all seemed less upbeat than usual. They both recalled the way that Blaine had acted around Wes in his last few weeks, and how Kurt and Finn had seemed sullen then; that was the way all four of them were now.
It was Artie that finally said it out loud to Brittany that afternoon, in a quiet corner of the Spotlight diner. "She isn't going to win. They know, and that's why all of them are distant and sad. They've seen the future, what happens when he wins, and it isn't great…"
Brittany nodded, and whispered, "I think so too, but don't say that to anyone yet. It might be something else that has made them sad - or someone else…"
"Don't even suggest that!" hissed Artie in reply. "If someone else was to go now, it would almost be too much to bear for all of us. I would rather live under President Trump than face having to go to another friend's funeral…"
The first instinct of the two of them was correct, of course. The angelic kingdom had always been given insight into the future, as it allowed it to marshal its resources if a major calamity was in the offing, so that it could cope with the influx of casualties. It seemed strange at first that an election result would be included within that, until it was pointed out to them all that a new leader could result in deaths in so many different ways. It wasn't as likely in the USA, but the same rules applied for every state in the world. Technically, only Elizabeth should have known, and possibly Wes, but the other three had walked in to her office without knocking just as Wes had sworn at her and cursed the stupid darn Electoral College system; Kurt and Blaine had twigged the reason for his outburst at once.
That anger only grew when they discovered that the loser of the race would actually have more individual votes to their name than the person that would be declared the victor. "I don't understand how that can be thought of as democratic and fair!" Finn had exclaimed. "I mean, they made Kurt Prom Queen because he had most votes; this is like they decided to give it to Quinn instead that night!"
"A bit of a poor example there," Wes responded, as Kurt and Blaine just stared at Finn, both thinking that such a result would have been no bad thing, "but that is the way that the system works! The person with the most votes can lose because of the way that each state is allocated votes. It is a stupid, outdated and undemocratic system which should be altered; the presidential vote should be decided on votes from across the USA, and the individual states should play no role. It should just be one big count. Still, I doubt that Mr Trump will be in any hurry to change the system now…"
By the time that the polls closed, the eyes of the entire world had focused on the United States. It was after all one of the most important nations on the planet, and what happened that night would have an impact on the entire world. If the vote went one way, then very little would change, and the world would breathe a collective sigh of relief. If it went the other way, then the seismic shocks would echo around the world, just as they had done with Brexit back in June, when suddenly imports from the UK had got so much cheaper. Many places like New York had special events organised; small parties for those that had not been invited to either of the official ones that were taking place so close to each other.
At the Spotlight diner, there was on the other hand, nothing. It had been decided right at the start that people might like to find somewhere where politics was not being mentioned; where pins, baseball caps and slogan heavy shirts were banned. It had kept them busy all day, but as the time for the results to begin to trickle in approached, the place began to slowly empty and get quiet. Tonight the result was too big for even those that detested politics to miss. The same thing had been noticed by both Cooper and Rachel; their audiences had been smaller than average, and that same trend was being noticed right across the city. It was almost eerily calm. There was no-one screaming or shouting; no protests or jeering crowds - at least, not yet… None of the circle of friends felt compelled to stay up late into the night to watch as the results came in; after all, all of the polls had shown them that their worst nightmare couldn't possibly come true….