"How can he teach if he really doesn't know the language?" Unique asked the table as the group settled for lunch.
"Lack of qualified teachers applying for the job." Quinn said joining them. "Don't worry Santana will help you pass and actually learn the language."
"I'm your man for history." Artie held up his hand.
"Mike, Tina and I for most other subjects." Quinn offered.
Puck looked up from his burger admitting with a shrug "I can kick someone's ass for you." before getting elbowed by Tina "Right, sorry, I can't do that anymore." he gave an apologetic look before adding "But I know people who can."
"Ladies." Sam greeted the girls at the table as he sat down, sending a wink to the single girls as he did. Quinn rolled her eyes, they didn't need more drama in Glee club.
"What's with the rabbit food?" Puck eyed the salad on Sam's plate.
"It helps keep me in shape," Sam shrugged "I ran my diet and exercise by Mike's mom, she said it was cool." he promised looking at Mike who shrugged. Quinn glanced down at the two hamburgers a piece on Mike and Brittany's plates, they were trying for Julia's sake to gain weight. Quinn had a salad like Sam but she also had fries like Mike, she was trying her best to balance her diet and maintain her healthy weight.
"I don't see how that's gonna help." Puck shook his head before digging into his lunch.
Lifting his arm up Sam flexed "It helps."
"Oh my." Unique looked at the bicep next to her. "May we?" she gestured at it, Sam nodded, smirking when she gave a little squeal when she squeezed.
"Boy put that away, we are eating." Mercedes shook her head putting her tray down. Lowering his arm Sam grinned returning to his salad.
"I am so excited for Thursday." Rachel almost squealed as she sat down with Finn.
Glee club practice, Quinn hid her frown behind her napkin as she pretended to wipe her mouth, it was time to see if Schuester would stick with favoring Rachel and whoever she decided to be her singing partner or if he would showcase other voices. "I'm excited for Tuesday," Quinn shook her head "no practice at all."
The other Cheerios and football players agreed, Rachel only had Glee, she didn't understand.
"So you have practice on every other day?" Marley couldn't believe it.
"Cheerios and football," Quinn pointed at herself and Mike "Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with Glee on Thursdays."
"Plus we workout Saturdays on our own." Puck piped up."
"Eww." Unique shook her head. "No thank you, Momma loves to sleep in on the weekends."
The small group chuckled and laughed "It takes some getting used to." Mercedes admitted, the others shrugged they'd been going to early morning practices since middle school, and pee wee football. "Hey dude, you gonna play basketball with us?" Puck asked before taking a bite of his burger.
"I'm more of a swimmer myself." Sam admitted before drizzling his salad dressing.
"We have a swim team?" Finn asked, he'd always played football and basketball.
"Swim and diving." Sam nodded, Finn nodded not knowing what to do with the new information.
"I thought you boys just played football?" Blaine asked.
"Off season sports help us keep in shape and hone specific skills like speed and footwork." Matt explained.
"Hanskil." Puck spoke up before swallowing getting a glare from Mercedes, swallowing and clearing his throat he repeated clearly "Hand skills, basketball, football, all about throwin' and catchin'."
Blaine glanced at Shane who just chuckled "I lift weights and wrestle."
"Him and Lauren are undefeated in their weight classes." Puck shared before diving back into his burger.
"I box." Blaine offered trying to bond with the athletes.
"Like box or workout box?" Matt asked.
"Box." Blaine wasn't going to give them details as to why he boxed but it was self defense and not fitness.
"What's the big deal about boxing?" Brittany asked "I box stuff up all the time."
"Different boxing sweetie." Quinn promised before telling Finn. "Oh, I have Santana's work for the week, Sue gave it to me this morning."
"Okay, thanks." Finn nodded, he hadn't forgotten he just hadn't had a chance to get it.
"Are you sure it will be alright that we are there?" Marley asked poking at the salad on her plate.
"Shall I text her?" Quinn asked, shaking her head Marley returned her attention to her plate.
"So let your mom know Spanish tutoring after practice, which I expect you to be at." Quinn said eyeing the slender brunette. "Or I can."
Marley nodded knowing the Cheerio would in fact go to her mom.
"This is fun I promise." Rachel beamed patting the bleachers next to her promising "the boys will be out in a minute." sitting next to her Unique and Marley looked in the direction the songbird pointed. True to what she'd said the boys trickled out to the field "They exercise and then play." Finn waved at the bleachers, Rachel knew it was for her, beaming she waved back before pulling a book out of her bag.
"What's that?"
"Encyclopedia of superheroes," Rachel opened the book to the page she had marked with a pink post it note. "boys are very interested in them, even Finn."
"Everyone is interested in them not just the boys." Unique shook her head.
"I don't understand how they can call them invincible when little things can hurt them." Rachel shook her head.
"It makes them more human, more relatable." Marley murmured.
"So because this guy is afraid of fire, people like him?" Rachel narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"It what it represents." a voice piped up from behind them.
The girls gave a slight jump looking behind them, Rachel asked the thin boy behind them "And what is that?"
"He suffers from PTSD," the boy said moving closer, he simplified the story "his planet was destroyed, his family murdered, fire was part of that so fire takes him back to all that."
"I haven't read that yet." Rachel looked back down at the book in her hand.
"Despite everything he has fought to move forward and protect people who can't protect themselves, it gives people with PTSD hope that they can move forward too." he said sitting next to Rachel.
"Oh." Rachel skimmed the page.
Looking over to Marley he winked, she shifted tucking her hair behind her ear as she looked to her feet.
The Cheerios jogged to the sidelines, Quinn, Brittany, Mercedes and Tina were already waiting for them. Hands on hips Quinn yelled out "Lets hustle ladies!"
"You're with me." Brittany grinned linking her arm with Tina.
"You're with me." Quinn gave Mercedes a nod.
"I'm gonna die." Mercedes muttered.
"It's just some stretches and a mile for you, we are however throwing Tina around." the Asian girl groaned as Quinn chuckled.
"I can't wait for Santana to come back."
"Neither can she." Quinn nodded.
"Hustle ladies and gentlemen, pair off and stretch!" Sue yelled into the megaphone "I will not have our chances at Nationals destroyed because of someone's lackadaisical attitude, if you do not work, you are no longer a Cheerio." The Cheerios rushed to pair off before taking their spots on the field, they had one half while the football players had the other half. "Q, what is the loud one doing here?"
"Watching Finn." Quinn glanced up at the trio before saying "Trouble." to Mercedes.
"Trouble?" Sue looked back to the girls.
"We don't know him, but that's Marley and Unique." Quinn pointed.
"Aretha! Go get your audience, make the loud one sit on the boys bench, they need all the cheering they can get!" Sue ordered, she didn't want Rachel telling Mercedes how to sing or annoying her Cheerio.
"Yes Coach." Mercedes jogged over to the fence in front of the bleachers.
Rachel waved heading to the boy's bench while the other two went to the Cheerios bench, "They told me to come over here." she explained to Coach Beiste. Seeing the boy in the stands she nodded gesturing Rachel to the bench "Thank you, I promise I'll stay out of the way." taking her seat Rachel opened the book again, she could hear the coach and Artie yelling out counts as the boys stretched, glancing up Rachel knew she'd have to spend part of her night reading the football book to understand why they were stretching instead of throwing the ball.
"When Aretha has finished her mile she will sing, she needs an audience and since the pregnant one gave birth it's you two, whatever your names are." Sue pointed them to the bench. "Warm ups and then the anthem, I want it perfect." Sue told Mercedes before shooing her back to Quinn. Marley and Unique took their seats, Marley pulling a book from her bag started to read. Unique smiled and waved back at Brittany elbowing Marley to do the same, the thin brunette did the same before returning to her book.
"We have a field of men in front of us and you have your nose in a book?"
"I have homework," Marley held up the book showing Unique "a book report due on Friday."
"I am suddenly glad I am not in the same American Lit class as you," Unique laughed "but if you need help."
"I will ask." she promised.