Chapter 8
Mash Off
Shelby's voice-over began, "I don't know what's been going on with me lately. I'm always checking to see if my hair looks okay, or if my outfit is on right. Sometimes I even make my breath extra fresh enough. I know what it is. Jack Masterson. Every time I see him, I can't help but smile. He really takes me by surprise. He's great with numbers, he's an incredible music man, he's full of passion and integrity, and he's really sweet to Rachel…and anyone else he happens to come across. I really like spending time with Jack. Am I crazy for being interested in a guy I've known a whole year? What am I saying? A year is more than enough time to get to know someone. What I should do is tell him, just to break the ice. All I have to say is, 'Jack, I really like you.'"
Jack started walking. "Ms. Corcoran."
"Mr. Masterson." Her voice-over started again, "Crap. I chickened out. Maybe it's for the best. I don't want to scare him. I don't even know how he feels about me." She turned around and smiled again. "But, God," her voice-over said, "here's what I do know: he is so damn dreamy."
Meanwhile, in the choir room, Claire managed to perform "Good Morning Baltimore" with great anticipation. When she was done, there was massive applause. Will said, "Wow! Claire, spectacular! What a way to start off this week! You didn't even need an assignment to work on this. You just did it."
Rachel said, "Mr. Shue, while Claire's performance was exceptionally on fire, don't you think that was just a little bit too intense?"
"Well, that depends on what Claire's intentions were when she chose this song."
Claire said, "I guess I just really like Hairspray."
"All right, rock on." Applause met again. Finn smiled at Annie Marie.
Meanwhile, while Sue was running for Congress, Burt was running against her. Of course, Sue would just make up propaganda like she always does, but Burt doesn't play dirty. And then there's Reggie Salazar. No idea who that is. Kurt was very upset with Sue sabotaging his dad's campaign.
In the teachers' lounge, Shelby walked to Will. "Hey, Shelby, what's up?"
"We haven't talked since Mercedes, Brittany and Santana left New Directions. I hope you know I kept my word."
"I know. It was me. They left before they were too stubborn."
"Brittany just wants to do whatever Santana does. Did you get your letter today?"
"Yeah. Figured we'd be up against the Dulcet Dazzlers."
"Don't forget the Unitards." She chuckled.
"Yeah, so lame. I know."
Shelby took one look at Jack and smiled. Jack walked to the coffee maker and Shelby thought to herself, "Jack Masterson, you are just insanely cute. What is your secret?"
"Shelby? Shelby?" Will snapped his fingers, "Shelby."
"Huh? Oh, sorry. What were we talking about again?"
"We may get along. But some of the kids won't. It's the last year for a lot of them and they want to win."
"Well, maybe the competition will bring out the best in them." In a pig's eye.
"We usually do mash-ups around this time."
"You could still do it."
"You know, maybe there's a way to work with all this fighting spirit. Channel it into something great."
"Talk to me."
In the auditorium, Will and Shelby entered announcing a mash-up mash-off. When Jack came in the room, Shelby smiled and felt her face burn. She leaned on the piano, trying to seem casual while he was strumming his guitar singing "Float Away" by Todd Carey. Anne Marie and Ian were singing backup.
Brittany said, "I kinda like this."
Mercedes looked at her like… Jack winked at Rachel and Shelby.
The girls said, "He winked at me." Rachel swooned when Jack was singing. Shelby's face was as red as her dress. They clapped and Anne Marie and Ian took a bow. Jack smiled modestly. Rachel said, "Wow. You three, that was great, but what exactly was the point?"
Will said, "That sometimes combining two or more great voices can create something totally unexpected. It's time we all got serious with some friendly competition."
Anne Marie said, "Each of you is going to go head-to-head."
Ian said, "For a mash-off."
In Shelby's classroom, Jack walked in. "Hi," he said.
"Hey. Jack, you look incredible."
"You don't think it's too much?"
"No. No, not at all. Uh, it's very casual." Her cheeks turned red. "Um, uh, you never told me what it is that you went to LA for."
"It's my grandpa. He, uh…"
"Oh. Oh. Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, it's okay. We took good care of him, though. He lived a long life."
"Rachel and I, if we'd known…"
"It's all right."
"Well, why didn't you tell us?"
"I didn't want to bother you. Anyway, the funeral was great. But the mourning is still going on, and my brothers want a meal fit for a king. I don't really have a lot of catering experience."
"Well, maybe that's something I can help you with."
"Really? Can you cook?"
"Well… No. But I can practice a little. I could also order some Breadstix if you're interested."
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you later." He walked off.
"Yeah. See you later." She picked up a folder and fanned herself.
In the choir room, Will said, "We have our work cut out for us. Any song suggestions?"
Artie suggested, "What about the Clash?"
Blaine said, "The Police."
Mike said, "R.E.M."
Kurt said, "The Spice Girls."
Rachel said, "The Cheetah Girls!"
Finn said, "Guys, we can't use any of those."
Tina asked, "Who do you think we should use?"
Finn said, "How about Hall and Oates?"
Claire blurted out, "Those two?"
Finn said, "Yeah. They're awesome for staying together over the long haul."
Rachel said, "Just like us, despite all their differences." She and Claire held hands for a brief moment.
Finn said, "I think we should give the solo to the new guy. Rory, I think you'll do a fine job."
Rory said, "Thanks, Finn. But I don't think I'm ready for that honor just yet."
Blaine said, "We'll all help you, Rory."
Shelby said, "I think we should let one of the teachers take over. Just to get the feel of it. Mr. Rivers, why don't you do the honors?"
Ian said, "Me? I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."
Anne Marie said, "Oh, come on, Ian. You're totally ready. You'll kill it."
Rachel said, "Mr. Shue, with all due respect, wouldn't it be fair to also give Miss Tompkins a shot?"
Will said, "I don't see why not. How about it, Anne Marie? You interested?"
Finn and Blaine smiled. Artie nodded. Anne Marie said, "Well, if you insist."
Will said, "All right." Applause was met. Shelby sighed.
Claire said, "Great idea, Rachel."
Rachel said, "It was? Nobody ever agrees with me." Shelby smiled at her.
In Jack's classroom, Shelby walked in the doorway and knocked.
"Hi."
"Hey. I wanted to give you your birthday present last week, but neither of us were here. So, if it's not too late, I'd like to give you your present now."
Jack chuckled, "You really didn't have to give me anything."
"I know," she walked in, "but I want to." She gives him a paper bag. "I was going to wrap it, but I couldn't find any paper that matched. So I figured I'd save time."
Jack opened the bag and pulled out a black leather pocket folder.
Shelby said, "It was the latest I could find. Since everyone else has one, I thought you should, too. Maybe I may even recommend you for teacher of the year. You're a terrific guy, Jack. I love…your passion and integrity. I just wanted you to have some recognition." She was blushing and burning again, her heart racing once more.
"Thank you, Shelby. This is really nice of you."
"It seemed like the least I could do." They hugged.
"God, it's hot in here."
Shelby said, "Yes, I guess it is, heh. Jack, why don't you come over to my apartment tomorrow night? You know, maybe we could brainstorm ideas for mash-ups."
"Sure. Sounds great."
Shelby smiled.
In the hallway, Rachel and Anne Marie were walking together.
Anne Marie said, "Thanks, Rachel. Almost nobody here gives me the time of day. Finn and Artie might, but not Santana. I don't think your sister likes me very much."
"Don't let her get to you. You're every bit as talented as we are. She may act all tough on the outside, but she's harmless."
Rory said, "I have your back. Like when that girl with the lips said you look like a whale, I wanted to tell her that I think you look fine."
Finn said, "Have you ever heard of the term trash-talk?"
In the gym, the guys and girls divided and tried to do a mash-up of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "One Way or Another."
Rachel walked to Jack, who carried a clipboard and wore a whistle around his neck. Rachel said, "This could be deadly."
Jack said, "Well, dodgeball is dangerous."
"I didn't get a chance to tell you. I'm planning on going to NYADA next year. I just need one more letter of recommendation. I wrote to Patti LuPone on her website. Is there any chance we could talk?"
"Aren't we already?"
"Shelby told me about what happened. I'm really sorry about your grandfather, Jack. But you should've told us. We could've helped you through it."
"You all have enough to deal with already. I didn't want to pile more on."
"I know. It's just that… I really… I really miss you, Jack. And I really want to know where you and I are at." Her heart was pounding.
"Rachel…you have a game to start. Okay, we'll talk some more later."
Finn blew his whistle. "Let's roadhouse!"
Santana said, "Oh, it's on, Pillsbury doughnut."
Rory said, "Excuse me, I've never heard of this game of dodging balls before. What are the rules?"
Puck told him, "Keep your head in the game and don't die."
Brittany punched her palm and turned on the radio. "Let's do this."
Anne Marie was strumming an electric guitar. Rory said, "Flawless."
Finn nodded, "Okay. Good game."
Rachel walked in the auditorium. Shelby was at the piano and said, "Hey, Rachel."
"Hi. As you might have heard, I'm applying to the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts."
"Oh, all the girls who beat me out in the auditions when I was in New York, they all graduated from there."
"Well, my grades are perfect, and I was the lead in the school musical, so I just need a killer letter of recommendation."
"Wait, you're asking me to write it?"
"Actually, I've already written it, so all you have to do is sign and the résumé is in there with the letter. I thought that, you know, your pedigree as a national champion show choir coach would just make some noise with the admissions committee."
"Makes sense." And she signed. "Okay." "Thanks. Bye." And she started to walk.
"I'm so proud of you." Rachel stopped. "You are truly a star, Rachel. And it's all still out there in front of you. I'm not going to be the first person who's going to be a little jealous of all the amazing things you have lying ahead. I'm just going to be the one who's also cheering you on."
Rachel nodded. "Maybe you could come to my Broadway debut."
"Ooh, don't try to stop me." They laughed.
Rachel put down a folder. "Maybe you could write your own version of the letter." Shelby smiled and opened the folder. "Such an impressive résumé. You have the musical and all the clubs." Rachel shrugged and Shelby continued, "I feel bad for all the others who don't have these big ticket items in their CVs. They don't have a chance in hell of getting into NYADA."
Finn and Rory high-five. Santana walked to them and said, "Hey, tubs."
Rory said, "Hey, listen here. You can't make fun of Finn anymore."
"I'm here to apologize," Santana fired. "Rachel's right. I haven't been fair to you. You're not fat. I should know. And then at some point, someone just woke you up. Have fun riding on Rachel's coattails for the rest of your life, although I would look out for her come holiday time if I were him because if I were her, I would stick a stent in one of the nipples and let the Finn blubber light the Hanukkah lamp for eight magical nights." She started to walk, but then stopped.
Finn said to Santana, "You know, I think I know why you're so good at tearing everybody else down. It's because you're constantly tearing yourself down because you can't admit that you're in love with Brittany. That must hurt not being able to tell everybody how you really feel. I'll see you at the mash-off." And Santana just stood there, stunned as hell.
In Will's living room, Burt was super pissed about Sue's latest ad. He said, "Put your thinking cap on."
Meanwhile, in Shelby's apartment, she and Jack were going over what songs to mash up for the clubs. "Okay, so we have our setlist. There's Hall and Oates, Adele, and whoever this Jason Munday guy is. So, that makes us…"
"Done."
"You really are a math whiz. I can't do big numbers without a calculator."
"Well, everybody knows their own way. Rachel is a lot like you, you know. Focused, serious, driven."
"So, what was your grandfather like?"
"He was always so happy. Willing to cheer me up whenever I was sad. Bright-eyed and always up for a game of cards. He had a pretty good poker face."
Shelby laughed.
"Go ahead and laugh."
"I'm sorry. I'm also sorry that I never met him. I'd think he'd be very proud of you."
"I think he would've really liked you."
"You know, Jack, I think that you'd make a pretty amazing dad yourself one day, too." Jack looked at her. "I mean, you're smart, you're caring, you're funny…and you and Rachel have a lot in common yourselves. Same sweet smiles, same incredible faces, same bright, shiny eyes…" She cleared her throat, "I'm just saying that you'd be good at it, is all." They chuckled.
Jack moved Shelby's hair behind her ear. They started leaning forward slowly.
"Uh…" he said. "I-I should probably get home."
Shelby started blushing again. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, it's getting pretty late, so, um…"
Jack stood up and cleared his throat. He put on his jacket and was about to leave for the door.
"Hey," Shelby stood up and stopped him, "I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do, but would you ever consider dancing again on stage? I think that Will got a real kick out of seeing you dance."
Jack raised an eyebrow and said, "You're not serious."
"Again," she said, "not forcing you, but would you do it just once?"
Jack said, "Would you consider doing it with me?"
Shelby smiled and said, "I'd love to."
Jack said, "Great. Uh…"
They hugged nervously. Jack said, "Good night, Shelby."
"Good night." And then Jack took off. Shelby sighed, feeling warm. The door closed. "Oh, man."
In the auditorium the next day, everyone was gathered around. Will clapped and said, "Welcome, everyone, to day one of the McKinley High mash-off! Now, here are some ground rules. There will be no heckling of any kind." Shelby walked on stage and took one look at Jack. She thought to herself, "You know, I never realized it before until now, but Jack Masterson just gets cuter and more handsome every day." She sighed. Jack walked to her. "Hey. Do you think this looks okay?"
"Fine," Shelby nodded. "God, you're sexy."
"What's that?"
"Nothing. Uh," She cleared her throat. "I was just saying that it's nice to see that you're so committed to this." They both blushed.
Will said, "It's gonna be fun, okay? All right, here we go. Finn will represent half of the New Directions. Claire will represent the other half. Rock-paper-scissors to see who will perform first." Brittany and Santana did a high-five. Finn rubbed his hands together. Claire lightly cracked her knuckles. Will called, "Let's get - it - going!" Claire won. Rachel shouted, "Yes! Yeah!" Will was surprised but impressed, "Okay, Claire, you're up first. Let's see what you all got. New Directions take the stage."
Rachel smiled and ran to Claire, "Kiss for the winner." She kissed her cheek and Claire winked at that.
Finn and the others were singing, "You Make My Dreams Come True" and "I Can't Go For That." He, Kurt and Rory were dressed up like Daryl Hall, whereas Artie, Puck, Mike and Blaine were all dressed up like John Oates. Rachel, Tina, and Quinn dressed up in skirts.
Anne Marie was singing flawlessly, but Shelby was glaring at her in annoyance. Rachel smiled while dancing closely with her and Claire. Brittany even said, "Wow. They're really good." Santana rolled her eyes. As soon as their performance was finished, applause came. Will shouted, "Yeah!" Rachel gave Claire two thumbs up. Claire smiled and shrugged. Anne Marie and Ian held hands and took a bow.
In the gym, Kurt, Brittany, Nelson and some other guy were all seated together for a debate. Beiste was standing behind them. Rachel saw Jack walk in. He was wearing something casual but fancy. Rachel smiled, her heart racing.
Kurt said, "Unbelievable."
Brittany asked, "What?"
"She's totally still into Jack."
"Who, Rachel? Yeah, I know. He's totally into Shelby. Anyone with eyes could see that."
"Well, apparently, so can Sue, unfortunately."
Shelby was sitting next to Sugar. Burt shook hands with Will.
"Burt, I thought you weren't gonna make it."
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this."
Becky ran to Sue. Sue said, "Sexual assault. What's not to like about that?" Um, everything.
Kurt was saying how during the debate how he feels dodgeball should be banned from all schools because of how brutal and painful it can be. Brittany was talking about how much she hated tornadoes.
Rachel was at her locker. Jack walked by her and said, "Hey."
"Hey."
"I told you we would talk later and it's later. So, about what you said before…"
"I meant it. Every word. You're already so spectacular. Shelby says that you should be teacher of the year, and I'm inclined to agree. I mean, if not you, then maybe her. Making you teacher of the year would just make you top of the line. Like I already know you are." She hugged him.
"Oh, I love you, Rachel Berry."
"You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that."
At Breadstix, Shelby was getting the food for Jack's grandfather's funeral. She asked the maitre'd, "Look, is there any chance you could wrap it all up to go? I really need to meet someone." She reached for her wallet and pulled out the cash. "Thanks. Keep the change." She picked up the bag and walked out.
There was a knock on Shelby's door. She opened it and Jack said, "Hey."
Shelby smiled, "Hey."
"I just thought I'd stop by for a bit."
"Well, I'm glad you did. Listen, uh, I got you your catering orders from Breadstix." She put up a brown paper bag. "I wasn't sure what type of food your family is into, so I decided to play it safe and keep it low calorie. But it should still taste good."
"These croutons are my dad's favorite."
Shelby smiled at that. "Well, then, um…I guess, uh, I guess… Do you think this food will still be fresh by the time you get back to LA for the services?"
"Actually, we already did the funeral. We were actually planning the other services here in Lima. It would mean the world to me if you and Rachel were there this time."
"We'll be there. So is it just gonna be you?"
"And my brother. And a few of our relatives."
"I hope Justin likes croutons." They chuckled.
"For what it's worth," he said, "if your parents had decided to keep Rachel, I think she still would've turned out pretty great." Shelby smiled again and kissed his cheek. "Um…I-I'll, I'll see you later."
Jack nodded and left. "Good night."
"Good night," Shelby closed her door, turned around, smiling and blushing. Jack touched his cheek where she had kissed him and smiled, walking away.
The next day, Brittany and Santana were walking in the hallway. Brittany said, "I think you need to stop making fun of Finn. You're being really harsh." For once, she's right. But Santana said, "Manatees have thick skin."
Becky ran to them. "Santana, Coach Sue needs you in her office right away."
Santana walked in, Will and Burt were also there.
Sue said, "Have a seat, Santana. I'm afraid we have some bad news, and I might be to blame."
Burt said, "Oh, you think?"
Sue said, "I said some stuff in my campaign, and I don't feel good about it."
Burt said, "Reggie 'The Sauce' Salazar on his latest campaign ad."
Sue said, "Turns out he has a niece who goes to this school and she overheard a conversation a few days ago between you and Finn Hudson."
Santana looked sad. "I can't believe this is happening."
Sue said, "I'm so sorry."
Santana stood up and started to run, "I haven't even told my parents yet!"
In the auditorium, Jack walked on stage and Shelby smiled at him. Will smiled at her. She looked at him and said, "What?"
"Nothing."
Mercedes, Brittany and Santana all sang "Rumor Has It" by Adele with a touch of "Judas" by Lady Gaga.
Finn whispered in Rachel's ear, "She's really great." Applause occurred. Santana jumped down and said, "What did you just tell her?" Finn replied, "I said I thought you were great."
Rachel said, "No, he literally just said that."
"Did you tell her, too?"
"Tell her what?" Ian asked, "What's going on here?"
Santana said, "Everyone's gonna know now."
Finn stated, "The whole school already knows, and they don't care." Kurt sat in silence.
Santana fired back, "Not just the school, you idiot. Everyone!"
Claire shouted, "Enough!" and she punched Santana and she went down.
Rachel exclaimed, "Aah! Oh, my God."
Claire panted and the school bell rang.
