Chapter 3

Journey to Regionals

In the choir room, Will wrote the word "Hello" on the whiteboard. "Hello," he said. "What do we say when we answer the phone?"

Mercedes said, "What up?"

Artie said, "Who this be?"

Kurt said, "No, she's dead. This is her son." Aw, poor Kurt.

Will said, "Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. He would always answer 'Ahoy, ahoy!' whenever it rang. It was Thomas Edison who concluded that 'Hello' was a more appropriate greeting."

"Lionel Richie, huh?" A teenage boy said. "One of my favorites."

"Oh, my God. You're Jesse St. James. You're in Vocal Adrenaline."

"And you're Rachel Berry. I saw you perform at Sectionals. Your performance of Don't Rain on My Parade was strong but slightly flawed. You don't exactly have Streisand's emotional depth…but you're talented. I'm a senior now, so this year's kind of my victory lap. Winning a fourth consecutive National championship would just be gravy. I'm getting out of Ohio soon. I've got my sights set on the University of Los Angeles. Maybe you've heard of it. What do you say we take it for a spin?"

"Here? I'm kind of nervous."

Jesse sighed. "I remember when I used to get nervous. Come on, I do this all the time. It's so important to give back."

At Carmel, Vocal Adrenaline were totally sucking. Actually, they were fantastic, but their personalities were far from it. Jesse was singing AC/DC's "Highway to Hell."

Shelby Corcoran said, "Stop! Dear God, stop. Seriously, guys, it's like watching beige paint dry. Jesse, give me a show face." Jesse gave a big smile. "That's a show face. I want a look that's so optimistic, it could cure cancer." Then they all gave big smiles. Shelby clapped and said, "That's what I'm talking about. Take five, everybody. Drink a Red Bull." When they left, Will walked to Shelby. "Uh, Ms. Corcoran. Hi, I'm Will Schuester." They shook hands. "I'm a big fan. I coach the glee club at McKinley."

"I don't usually cotton too well with my competition sneaking in to watch a rehearsal, but I also have trouble seeing you folks as competition."

"I believe you have a student named Jesse St. James. I'm a little more concerned with the whole…fraternizing with the enemy aspect."

"Noted. But I don't stand for any funny business. I mean, what can you do? The heart wants what the heart wants. Sometimes there's that little spark."

Will was making out with Shelby in the next scene. She said, "I'm not interested in coaching just your average everyday high school glee club. I'm driven to excellence."

"Yeah."

"A lot of people thought I couldn't take Nationals for the routine where the kids dance entirely on their hands."

"Okay, no. I can't do this."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm all business. I'm trying to work on that."

"It's not that."

"Are you gay?"

"What? No."

"Most show choir directors I make out with are gay."

In the kitchen, Will poured her coffee. She continued, "I spent every waking moment thinking about Vocal Adrenaline. I hardly have a life. I haven't even been on a date in three years. Thanks. I do know who you are, though. I saw you at our fall invitational. I thought you were really cute."

Will chuckled. "You know, I know what you mean about being obsessed with work. I'm so committed to glee. But then I started dating someone I really care about, and…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. You're already seeing someone and you were just making out with me."

"I'm kind of a mess."

"Look, I don't want to tell you how to live your life."

"Please. Be my guest."

"I think you need to take some time to reintroduce yourself. You just finished being somebody's boy-toy and now you're running off to be somebody else's boyfriend. Seems to me you need to take a little breather." She stood up. "Look, that hair, that dimple, that old clunker you drive…I think you're about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Here's my number. Give me a call. Thanks for the coffee, and the making out was kinda hot." She patted him and left.