This is a re-write of my previous Glee story. I didn't like the way I was portraying my character. I made him too sarcastic, and I realized that someone with the backstory I wrote for him wouldn't behave like that. It is unrealistic. Also, I think I got caught up too much with Glee's campiness that I lost the reason why I wanted to make this story in the first place.
To give layers to characters I liked throughout the show that were never given layers to begin with. Like Quinn, Santana, and Mike. I wanted to improve the show, and I felt like I was trying to fit into the show's tone of writing that I forgot about that.
To the point that I thought about just giving up on the story. But no matter what I did, the idea of that story kept plaguing my mind over and over again. So, I started writing a draft again and ended up coming up with this chapter that I'm proud of. So, I'm taking this story in a new direction (no pun intended) and trying to stick to my original idea.
But before I let you go on with the chapter, I need to make two notes. First, there'll be three OC's in this story, two major ones and one minor one. They appear in this chapter so you'll know who they are. Along those lines, I already have the pairings decided. Since they are tied to the story I wanted to make, they are set in stone (No Brittana- sorry, guys). Not gonna reveal who they are at the moment, but it will be clear later on in the story.
Finally, the musical numbers. Now, I'm not a songwriter, nor do I have amazing musical taste. I'm kind of basic when it comes to music, so I'm gonna ask you to use a bit of imagination and suspend of disbelief when it comes to that. If a song came out well after Glee ended, let's just pretend it didn't. A lot of songs came out that fit very well with certain feelings of characters in the show. And there has been good music being released well after the show ended.
Also, the show dabbles in making original songs here and there, and perhaps I would get my characters to do so as well, and like I said, I'm not a songwriter. So I'll probably just use songs that fit whatever the character wants to convey. It's gonna seem like they wrote it, so just know that I'm just using those songs as inspiration; that's all.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter.
Chapter one
It was early morning in Lima, Ohio. The people at the Allen County Juvenile Detention Center were either bored or calm. They were not as rowdy as they usually were. You could say it was due to the time of day. Or maybe it wasn't just a boisterous day.
But one inmate was thankful for it, as he liked eating breakfast alone and unbothered. This inmate sported short, curly, faded, undercut, light brown hair. He had honey-brown tanned skin typical of those of Mexican descent. His pair of hazelnut-colored eyes looked down at his food in boredom.
Plain would be the best word to describe his meal. He couldn't complain about it too much since he had brought this unto himself. But a year of this could drive anyone insane.
He scratched himself just a bit above his right cheek where the end of a small thin scar in the form of a line ended. This scar went from above his right to the previous spot he scratched.
Doctors told him that his injury would leave a scar no matter what, but at least he liked the fact that it was not something too ugly and was just a thin line.
Midway through his meal, someone took a seat in front of him. A familiar person, judging by the inmate's stare.
"Oatmeal again? This sucks. They could at least give us some eggs. Even those awful ones that come in bags," The person who took a seat said. An Afro-American teen with a short buzzcut style of hair that almost passes as being bald. He seemed to be at least friends with the other teen, judging by the reaction of the Mexican teen.
"Oatmeal is cheaper," The Mexican teen said in a bored tone, taking a bit of his meal.
"Still. They treat us like animals, dude. It's fucked up," The other teen said as the hazel-eyed teen just shrugged his shoulders not caring "So, are you excited?" The black teen asked in curiosity.
"I don't know what you're talking about," The Mexican teen said, trying to avoid the topic, but the black teen just snorted.
"Really? Your last day in this shithole? You don't know about that? Please," The teen said sarcastically, and the Mexican sighed and looked at the Black teen, tired.
"I'm dreading it," He responded as the teen across from him leaned forward.
"Dude, the world is shit in here and out there. There is no reason to be afraid. Don't be such a pussy," The teen said making his Mexican friend snort a bit.
"Thanks," The Mexican teen said and then let out a sigh. "Okay then. Answer me this. What would you do if all the life you knew was gone and you didn't know what was out there once you got out?" The Mexican teen asked in wonder.
The Black teen frowned and leaned back. "I would do everything in my power to get it back. No matter what it took," He said with a conviction that moved the Mexican teen.
The Mexican teen sighed and then looked at his food. "You're right. I just don't have the force to do it. I lost it." The Mexican teen said, getting a scoff in return.
"I don't believe that man. I just think you're tired and bored. But it's there, I know it." He said, and the Mexican teen smiled at him.
"Thanks, Shawn. For this and everything you've done for me here," He said as Shawn just gave him an appreciation nod.
"Hey, what are cellmates for?" Shwan said, getting a snort of amusement as a response.
Then, both of them looked up at the intercom as they heard the Mexican teen's name being called out: "Mateo Lopez! Please make your way to the entrance," The message said before the intercom went silent, and the Mexican teen sighed before standing up.
"Well, I'm up," Mateo said, dusting his pants while he stood up. "I hope the next time I see you, you'll be out there," Mateo said, putting a fist forward, and Shawn bumped fists with him.
"Me too, Teo, me too," He said as both of them gave each other a melancholy look. Meeting one another was the only good thing that came out of being stuck here. And they couldn't help but feel a bit sad at the thought of not having each other's back for a while.
Mateo left the dining hall, and while he walked forward, he put his hands in his orange prison pants. He looked around at the now familiar grey walls of this facility. For over a year, he had called this place home. And as much as he hated this place, he did feel a bit nostalgic at the thought of not being here anymore.
He arrived at the entrance, where a guard and the precinct's manager were waiting for him. "Exciting day, isn't it, Mateo?" The manager said, and the teen just shrugged his shoulders. "Well then. Your mom came to pick you up, and she's currently filling out some documents. In the meantime, here are some clothes she brought for you," He said, giving him a bag of clothes.
"Thanks," The teen said as he grabbed the bag and looked around in confusion. "Um," He said as the guard snorted at him.
"There's a bathroom at the end of the hall, you can change there." The guard said as Mateo gave him a nod, thanking him in the process. "I'm gonna miss you, Teo," The guard said as Mateo smiled at him. He was one of the few guards he liked; the others were too stuck up and just plain mean.
"Me too, sir," Mateo said, walking away toward the restroom. He got there and dropped the bag onto one of the benches of the restroom. He took a seat next to the back and rubbed his face in a sign of tiredness
He stood up and took his prison shirt, getting ready to change. He looked down and then to the front where a mirror stood. He had gained some muscle and had defined them a bit more than a year ago. But that's what happened in prison. Lifting was the only activity worth doing
But he wasn't focusing on that. No, his eyes went to the trio of tattoos he had on him. The biggest one was the one on his chest. A pair of angel wings took up most of his pectoral area, and in the middle of them, a cross stood with a ribbon that sported the name Bruno Martinez on it.
Then on his right arm. On the top of it, near his shoulder, there was a tattoo of a bright orange sleeping fox in front of a bright blue moon with a white rose on its mouth. Below the fox, the words forever yours were written there in italics
Then the final one. The one that was located just above his left wrist on his left forearm. It was a tattoo of a skull surrounded by mist with a rose just below its jaw. A simple tattoo that reminded him of his mortality
He looked at his tattoos with nostalgic eyes. Whatever these tattoos meant was enough to almost bring tears to his eyes. Tears that mourn the life he once had. Tears for the ones he had lost a while ago.
He rubbed the tears away and started getting dressed, pushing his nostalgia away and just focusing on the fact he was leaving this place
But then, while he was putting his shirt on. He noticed something that he had forgotten about. A scar in the form of an ugly line took up most of his right wrist. A scar representing a dumb decision he had made a year ago. And the backstory of that scar was too painful to explain, so he knew he would have to hide it. What a pain that would be
The ride back home was a bit underwhelming. While it was a good opportunity to catch up with his mother, there still was a bridge between them that would take a while to fix.
Mateo had made many mistakes in the past, but one of the major ones was alienating himself from his family, mainly his parents and grandmother. With everything he had experienced, he had started to feel that they just didn't understand him.
His sister, Santana, was just too young to see the problem in him. But although he may never admit it, she was one of the few things he adored in his life. So even when he was lost, he at least tried to be there for her.
So he hoped his sister still loved him or at least liked him. And his other relatives, well, he had time to regain their trust. He had learned in juvie to not take for granted what he already had.
Right now, he was currently in their garage, fixing his old bike. A black Yamaha FJR 1300 that he had gotten at a low price thanks to a yard sale around the neighborhood. This was his only means of transportation since he had lost his car a year ago. It was a shame as he had put a lot of time and work into that machine. But he didn't have the right to complain
While he was fixing his bike, he thought about the comment his mother had made. She told him that it would be best if he took a job. To get his footing back and show the juvenile center he was making progress
It was part of his agreement in the end. To contribute to society or something. Whether it was a job or community service. That and attending regular AA meetings was the agreement he made with his parole officer.
His mother had recommended trying the workshop that took his car. Burt's automobile workshop, she called it. So, without anything better to do. He grabbed his helmet and jumped on his bike.
He decided to get a feel for it and put gas on it on the way. Killing two birds with one stone sort of speak.
So he drove away. Letting the air hit his arms and hoodie and seeing his hometown for the first time in over a year.
So after a while of just driving and putting gas in it. He arrived at Burt's workshop and was glad to see a sign saying they were hiring people.
He walked around the familiar workshop, as he had been here a while ago when he destroyed his car. He didn't meet the boss of this place back then, but they still treated him with respect, even after what he had done.
"Can I help you, kid?" A voice on his right asked, and Mateo turned around. There stood Burt, if his uniform was any indication. A middle-aged white bald man with a rough expression on him but still Mateo could see kindness in his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm here for the job application," Mateo said, and Burt looked at him confused
"Aren't you a bit young to apply for a job? How old are you, kiddo?" Burt asked, and Mateo raised an eyebrow at him in confusion
"I'm seventeen. And does that matter?" Mateo asked in confusion, and Burt shrugged his shoulders
"Why do you need a job, kid?" Burt asked, crossing his arms. Mateo noticed he at least wasn't being turned away immediately, so that was a good sign
"Part of my parole agreement," Mateo said as Burt's eyes widened. He recognized the teen in front of him now. "And to make cash on the side," Mateo said, shrugging his shoulders
"Ah, yes. That's why I thought you looked familiar." Burt said with a bit of sympathy in his eyes and then changed the topic. "So, do you know anything about cars?" Burt asked, and Mateo shrugged his shoulders once more
"More or less. I took care of my car all those years before, you know," Mateo said, and Burt nodded with a sigh. "And what I don't know I can learn. I'm a very quick learner," He said, and Burt crossed his arms while thinking it over for a second
"I could use an apprentice. God knows my kid would never," Burt said as he stared at the kid's eyes. "Fine," He said, putting an eager smile on Mateo's face. "Come on. Let's step into my office to discuss your schedule. You're still underage, so I cannot offer you regular working hours," Burt said, and Mateo nodded in understanding
"That's fine, sir. I'll take whatever you can give," Mateo said, and Burt put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a chuckle
"That's good. Hope you don't regret that, kid," He said as he led the teen into his office. Burt would never tell the teen, but he decided to take him in because he reminded him of himself back in those years. Where mistakes were made, and he needed a second chance just as he had.
Back in the Lopez household, you could hear a bunch of guitar strings being played sporadically. As if someone was testing how this guitar sounded
This person was Mateo, and he was testing his old electric guitar. One of the few relics from his past life. The ones he still had after all those years.
He passed his hand along the beautiful black guitar in nostalgia. This was a present from his ex-girlfriend, and even after they broke up, he still didn't have the strength to throw this away. Not that he would ever want to, not after everything that happened.
He was glad his parents had maintained the pristine condition of this instrument. He would've been devastated if he saw it oxidated or broken.
The strings needed a change, though. That was certain, but other than that, it was still pretty good.
He was putting it back in its case when he heard someone entering the house with a calling shout, "Abuela, I'm home!" Mateo heard a female voice shout out
Gods, how long has it been since he heard that voice? His little sister's voice. More than a year, surely. He got up and walked to his door to greet her but then hesitated
Would she even remember him? I mean, it was just a year since he was gone, but people could easily forget. Thoughts like that were racing through his mind and made him miss how his door was open
Santana had a ritual for the past year. Her folks didn't care for her brother's stuff. That much was clear, so she took it upon herself to always make sure his stuff was being taken care of.
She would never admit it, but her brother was one of her favorite people in the world. Sure, she would oftentimes find herself annoyed by him, but in a world where her parents spent all their time working and their grandma was just absent. The only person she could fall back on was her brother.
He taught her how to be tough. How to not take anyone's bullshit. How to be respected, and how to fight for herself. He taught her Spanish, taught her how to cook, how to fight, and how to insult people without them even noticing.
Most of who she is was thanks to him. So, while their parents tried their best to pretend he didn't exist while he was away, she wouldn't. So, every day she would enter his room. Make sure everything was up to par, and then spend some time in there pretending he was still here.
A secret that she would take to her grave, and if someone were to find out, she would do her absolute best to make sure that person wasn't found ever again. So, like always she went to his room but stopped before opening the door when she saw the lights turned on
"That's weird," She thought as she grabbed the door handle and opened it. Once she was done opening it, her eyes widened when she saw the person standing there
"Teo?" Santana asked in shock as her brother just stood there nervously trying to figure out what he should do
"Hey San, tanto tiempo no?" He told her that it had been a while since they saw each other, and he couldn't help but cringe at his words. He wanted to say more but was interrupted as his sister quickly rushed forward and tackled him into a hug.
He stepped back to stop himself from falling and put his arms around her, tightening the hug. "Cuando saliste?" Santana said, asking him when he got out and moving back to get a view of him.
He also looked down at her. Taking it all in, she had grown. No longer was she the little sister he remembered; she was a full-grown teenager now. "Me dejaron libre en la mañana," He said, telling her he was set free earlier in the morning. Then, he noticed the outfit she was wearing. A familiar one at that. "Cheerios? Neta?" Mateo asked, not believing she had joined McKinley's cheerleading team.
"Jenny era mi héroe. ¿Así que por qué no?" She said, telling him how Jenny, his ex, was her hero, and that's why she decided to join, and he just chuckled.
"Esta bien, esta bien. No te estoy juzgando," Mateo said telling her he wasn't going to judge what she did "Asi que, cuentame, ¿que hay de nuevo en tu vida?" Mateo asked her what was new in her life, dying to catch up with her and figure out what had changed
Mateo was up and early, a habit he picked up from Juvie, and it was still one hour till school started, but he decided to go there right now anyway.
He had a lot to do before classes started. Like getting admitted once more and getting his locker number and all that. He knew Santana would be mad when she found out he left her behind, but he would rather take her anger a bit than postpone this process any more than he had to.
So, here he was, driving towards McKinley. As he got to those familiar streets leading to the school, a huge feeling of nostalgia hit him. It was a rollercoaster of emotions right now for him
He got so frustrated by it that when he got to the school, he couldn't get rid of the scowl of frustration that his face had.
He rubbed his face after taking off his helmet to try and get a semblance of calmness. He decided to focus on what he chose to wear today to try and center himself. A pair of black ripped jeans with white Converse shoes covered his bottom half. While a white shirt with a photo of one of the album covers from the band Queen was plastered in the middle of it. A simple black leather jacket covered his white shirt, while a silver cross chain stood around his neck.
Someone could say it was too much, but it helped him feel comfortable. It was one of his favorite outfits.
He walked up the stairway leading to the entrance of the school and found himself craving a cigarette. He wasn't proud of his vices, and without access to them for over a year, he was managing fine.
He just hoped he didn't fall into those vices once more. And if he did, he hoped he could control himself.
He walked around the hallways of the school looking around the details of this school. It feels just like yesterday since he walked around these hallways. Memories started surging back as he walked through these hallways
His first kiss. The place where he almost broke his arm. The place where he got into multiple fights. The place where his happiest and saddest memories were born. This nostalgia was getting annoying
So he was glad when he got to his destination. The school counselor's office. Ms. Pillsbury's office. Out of the faculty members, she was one of the two he missed the most. She always was kind to him. Sure, she could come across as a weirdo sometimes, but that's just the ignorance of people speaking. OCD was nothing to be laughed at
He opened the door slowly as he saw Ms. Pillsbury adjusting some pamphlets with a methodic process.
"I think they're fine just how they are, ma'am," Mateo said, a bit amused but falling back to his calm and shy demeanor very quickly when the counselor looked up
"You can never be sure, Mateo," Emma said as Mateo chuckled a bit at that comment. "Come on, take a seat. It's good to see you again," She said as Mateo took a seat in front of her
"Likewise, ma'am. It has been a while, hasn't it?" Mateo said, making himself comfortable in his chair. "A year and a half, right?" He asked, wondering how long since he'd been here.
"Or so," Emma said with a smile. "As much as I didn't like you getting into detention all the time. I missed those Saturdays, I'm glad you're back, Mateo," Emma said, and Mateo couldn't help it.
"So you want me to get into detentions?" He asked, smiling a bit at how mortified she looked.
"No, no. I didn't say that," Emma said, mortified, making the teen chuckle. "I was just reminiscing, that's all." She said, composing herself as Mateo put his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. "So, how are you feeling?" Emma asked, and Mateo let out a tired sigh.
"Overwhelmed, if I'm honest," Mateo said, looking a bit tired. "I knew it would be kind of a shock looking at these familiar walls. But I underestimated how lonely they would feel without my friends," Mateo said, looking through the wall of glass that led to the hallway of the school.
"It has been quieter without you three around here. I'm very sorry for your loss, Teo," Emma said, and Mateo winced a bit at being reminded about that. "But being trapped in the past wouldn't be what they want for you. Both of them," She said, getting a sigh as a response, but then Mateo chuckled a bit.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Mateo said getting his amusement under control "He would've kicked my ass if he had seen me in this state," Mateo said as Emma smiled at him in amusement.
Then she got two papers and a lock for him. "Here. This is your locker number and lock. Your classes are the same as your junior year since you will have to repeat it. I'm sorry for that," Emma said, and Mateo shrugged his shoulders.
"It's okay. I never did graduate, so it made sense," Mateo said, and Emma sighed as Mateo grabbed the paper where all his classes were.
Emma looked at the paper in her hand in deep thought. This one was a copy of the announcement that the Glee Club was looking for new members. She knew not everyone would like or even entertain the thought of joining that club. But she believed in Will's idea of having a place to belong, and in her mind, Mateo could need that.
So when he wondered what she was looking at, she decided to leave the decision to him. "This is a recruitment paper for the glee club," Emma said, giving him the paper.
"The glee club? The club with that creepy handsy teacher? That's still around?" Mateo asked in confusion, and that confusion grew more when he saw Emma shaking her head.
"No, another professor took over for the club. The creepy one no longer works here," Emma said, not hiding her disdain for that professor at all. She was glad he got fired, but she would never admit that. "It became a haven for people looking for somewhere to belong," Emma said, and Mateo tilted his head.
"It is a club of freaks and nerds, isn't it?" Mateo asked rhetorically, and Emma shook her head, but Mateo didn't believe her. Teachers always underestimated how uncool something was. So he didn't believe her at first until he heard what she said next.
"Well, your sister joined, so I don't think it is," Emma said, a bit sarcastic. She had to admit she had missed this. She took this job to push herself out of her comfort zone, and the other reason was to connect and help the younger generations find themselves.
And she had made such a great connection with the teen in front of her and she had forgotten her sarcastic and free side. It was nice to have it back.
"So, why do you want me to join?" Mateo asked, bringing Emma back to the real world and focusing on the teen.
"I don't want you to. The choice is up to you, Teo." Emma said, shrugging her shoulders. "I just know that having a place to belong can be quite nice," Emma said as Mateo looked down at the paper in deep thought.
"I'll think about it," Mateo said, and Emma smiled at him.
"That's all I can ask," She said as Mateo stood up from his seat with papers in his hands. "Good luck, Mateo," She said when she saw him grabbing the handle of the door.
He offered her a smile as thanks. Then, he proceeded to walk towards his locker. He got there in no time and started going through all the books and classes he had. It would be a tight morning, but most of this he had already learned, so it might just be a walk in the park for him.
If he could find his homework from two years ago, that is. He then looked down once more at the application form of the glee club in deep thought when he heard someone arriving at the locker next to him.
"Glee club, huh? Planning to join?" Mateo heard someone speaking to him from his left and looked up to see an Asian male teen with a black bowl haircut and lean build standing there.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that," Mateo said, looking at the teen in confusion.
The teen pointed at the form before speaking once more, making Mateo look down at it. "Asked you if you were planning on joining the club?" He asked as Mateo shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't know, I'm thinking about it." He said while looking up. "Why?" Mateo asked in curiosity, and the teen chuckled and put a hand forward.
"I'm Mike, by the way. I'm a member of the club," He said as Mateo shook his hand with his own.
"Mateo." He said as Mike gave him a nod. Then Mateo put the paper in his locker and closed it before continuing the conversation. "So, is it any good? The club that is?" He asked in curiosity.
Mike hummed in deep thought for a second and then shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes. Sometimes it can get a bit dramatic," He said, and Mateo raised an eyebrow at him.
"That's not reassuring," Mateo said a bit sarcastically, getting a chuckle from Mike, who looked at him, amused.
"It is a cool place; don't get me wrong. It's just that sometimes our problems messed up the dynamic of the group, ya know," Mike said as Mateo still looked at him in uncertainty. "It's a place where you can express who you are without any repercussion. Sometimes that clashes with something, but we push forward because we care," Mike admitted, and Mateo hummed.
"Sounds very poetic," Mateo said, and Mike just gave him an amused snort.
"And on the plus side, you don't even have to be a good singer to join. Just like me," He said, and that surprised Mateo a bit.
"Wait. You don't need to be a good singer to join a glee club? Isn't that the whole point of it?" He asked, confused. Mike gave him a sheepish smile.
"Well, there are no tryouts, so I just joined. I'm a pretty good dancer, so they let me stick around." Mike said and then narrowed his eyes forward. "It is a bit frustrating, but I'm working on my singing," He explained.
Mateo could feel a bit of sympathy for the teen's frustration and wanted to learn more, but then out of nowhere, someone. A football player, by the looks of it, shouted out and threw a slushie at Mike's face.
And in a moment, all those instincts Mateo learned down at Juvie kicked in, and while the football player was laughing, he quickly grabbed one of his arms and pushed him into the lockers face-first.
"Ow, what the hell!?" The football player asked, shocked at what had just happened. Mike got rid of the slushie around his eyes, and then his eyes widened at what he saw.
Mateo had one hand pushing the head of the football player into the locker while his other hand had a grip on his arm and was holding it behind him, twisting it around the player's back. "You have five seconds to apologize, or I'll break your arm. One," Mateo said as the player glared at him with hatred.
"Who the hell are you!?" He asked, not really grasping what was happening, but Mateo just kept with his countdown. "When I get out of here, you'll be de-" He started saying, but Mateo stopped him by twisting his arm a bit more.
"Three," He said as the football player winced in pain and his eyes winded. Then he looked back, and fear invaded him when he saw a pair of dead hazelnut-colored eyes staring back at him. "Four," Mateo said, and that's when the player knew he would definitely break his arm.
"I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry," He said as Mateo narrowed his eyes at him.
"It's not me who you should be apologizing to," Mateo said, looking at Mike, who had a shocked expression on him. Then he looked around, noticing that Mateo had gathered an audience. He wanted to tell the teen that it was fine, but he figured that he wouldn't listen to him.
"I'm sorry for slushing you. Okay!? I'm sorry, please let me go," The football player said, almost with tears in his eyes. Mateo looked at Mike to see if the apology was well received or not.
"It's okay, you can let him go," Mike said. He was still a bit annoyed at being slushed but decided to forgive the player just so Mateo wouldn't get into trouble.
Mateo then grabbed the collar of the football player's jacket and spun him around while throwing him away. He gave a glare to Mateo, one that promised retribution but stopped when Mateo just looked at him with cold eyes, and the football player walked away with his tail between his legs.
"Are you okay?" Mateo asked in concern as he started flipping the pieces of Mike's hoodie.
Mike looked at him incredulously and then blinked, bringing himself back into the present moment. "I'm fine. Thanks for that. You didn't need to go that far," Mike said as Mateo smiled at him and put his hands back in the pockets of his jacket.
"Assholes just need a scare or they would do it again," Mateo said with a shrug and then looked at him in confusion "Though you don't seem surprised by it. Does this happen regularly?" Mateo asked in confusion.
"Sometimes. People don't like my club. So, this happens," Mike said, rubbing his eyes, and Mateo frowned.
"I'm sorry about that," Mateo said, and the teen in front of him just chuckled.
"For what? You didn't do it," Mike said, and Mateo let out a defeated sigh.
"No, but I invented the whole damm thing," Mateo said with a shrug as Mike's eyes widened at him. "I'm surprised they haven't gotten rid of the slushie machine," Mateo said as he tightened his backpack behind him and offered one last look to the teen
"You should probably get that cleaned up. It was nice meeting you, Mike," He said, walking away and leaving a dumbfounded teen behind him
And while he was walking away, he didn't notice the pair of green eyes that stared at him filled with curiosity. They belonged to the resident blond girl of McKinley. Quinn Fabray. She had seen the whole debacle happen from the very start, and she couldn't help but contain her curiosity
She wondered who the new kid was, and even if she had promised herself to focus on herself this year, she couldn't help but feel curious. And hoped she had the opportunity to talk to him a bit. To see who he was mostly.
Mateo had walked away from there and walked to a specific destination. He had one more thing to do before classes started. Now, he was standing in front of the trophy display of the school.
He was looking at the Cheerios championship from three years ago and the photo that was next to it. His eyes were stuck on one particular blond.
"Seems the rumors were true. The devil is back." He heard a female voice on his right said and his eyes narrowed at the nickname that was being used.
He turned around, wondering who could know that particular nickname. But when he saw who it was, his eyes widened in shock. As if they just had seen a ghost.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" A familiar Latin woman with dark shoulder-length hair wrapped in a ponytail asked him. She had a pair of dark, mischievous eyes and a smile that just screamed mirth and glee. She was fit, Mateo noticed. She was a healthy type of skinny, and he could clearly tell she exercised regularly.
He knew exactly who this person was. Back then, he had a slight hatred for her, but it seems that he wasn't the only one who had changed. She was more confident, he noticed.
"It has. Jenny's girl," Mateo said, slightly smirking at her a bit and making her roll her eyes in amusement.
"It's Maddy, you jerk. I'm sure you remember," She said, and Mateo held back a snort and looked ahead once more. "How was juvie?" She asked, and he sighed.
"Shitty," Mateo said and then glanced at her in curiosity "How was your sophomore year?" He asked, and then she sighed just like him.
"Shitty," Maddy said looking at the same picture he was looking at "School without you three got pretty boring. Pretty fast," She explained, and Mateo hummed. "She hated that photo, you know," She said, and now he did snort.
"Oh, I know. I couldn't hear the end of it for two days," Mateo said and then gave her a high-pitched voice pretending to be a girl's voice. "That's my least favorable side, Teo. It is a disgrace, and I will kill whoever took it, she used to tell me," Mateo said with an amused chuckle.
"Did you ever tell her you took it?" Maddy asked in amusement, and Mateo shook his head.
"God, no, she would've killed me," Mateo said, getting a chuckle from the girl next to him. "I miss them," He said, getting a nostalgic look in his eyes.
"Me too," She said, mostly referring to Jenny. "I also miss the sex," She said, trying to lighten the mood, which worked, getting a laugh out of the teen.
"Yeah, me too," He said with a smile on his face. "Sorry about all the things I said about you in the past," He said, and she gave him a slight, soft smile.
"Water under the bridge, right?" Maddy said, putting a hand forward for him to shake. "It's not like I didn't call you names also." She said and Mateo gave her a snort while shaking her hand. "Besides, she would've liked it if the two of us became friends," Maddy said, and Mateo nodded while taking his hand back.
"That she would," Mateo said as he gave one final look at the picture. "So, what class do you have first?" He asked, and Maddy smiled at him.
"Chemistry. You?" She asked as they both started walking, side chatting about which classes they share.
A bond was born between them. One that was born out of the mourning of those they lost, and at least Mateo was glad a part of his previous life hadn't disappeared as he feared it had.
This was a new feeling for Quinn. She couldn't get that boy out of her mind. Sure, he was cute, but she couldn't understand why he plagued her thoughts. She had gotten a glimpse of his face for a second when he threw Karofsky into the lockers.
His narrowed eyes and burrowed frown made him look so hot, in her opinion. But the fact that she liked the most was that he had stood for Mike just because.
She was walking towards the glee club with a frown on her face, still lost in her thoughts as she walked around a corner.
So lost in her head she was that she missed the person rounding the corner as well. She crashed face-first right into someone's firm chest, and the smell of a strong sweet lotion invaded her nostrils.
"Um, hello?" He heard a voice say above him, and she looked up, her face still in the chest, not wanting to leave the smell.
Her eyes widened when she found the person that had been plaguing her thoughts, and she had to quickly compose herself. "Hi," She managed to say with a smile on her face.
Mateo couldn't help but check her out. She was very pretty after all, but her face right now looked very cute, so he smiled a bit at her. "Not that I mind. But why do you have your face in my chest? A sort of hello perhaps?" Mateo asked in curiosity, his smile still there.
Quinn blinked a bit and quickly took a step back in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking forward," Quinn said, and Mateo gave her a soft smile.
"It's okay. Crashing into pretty girls is not that bad," Mateo said, trying to ease her embarrassment a bit.
"Well, thanks. Crashing into cute boys is not that bad either," Quinn said with a bit of amusement in her voice. "Quinn," She said, putting a hand forward.
He took it and noticed how soft her hand "Mateo. I love your dress, by the way," Mateo said, looking down at her outfit. "It's very cute," He said as Quinn looked down.
"Thank you. Wanted to make a good impression on the first day back," She said, twirling around a bit before looking back up. "Is not too much, is it?" She asked in curiosity.
She was putting up a show and flirting. She couldn't actually believe it herself. Her plan of focusing on herself went out the window at the first meeting. But she found herself not minding.
"Well, just a bit." He said before looking at her eyes with a slight smirk, "But you pull it off. You look very cute in it," Mateo said, and Quinn gave him a smile in appreciation.
"Thank you. I love your jacket," She said, pointing at his leather jacket. "You pull the rocker style pretty well." She said with a smile.
"Oh, thank you," Mateo said, looking down. "My friend told me I was stupid to adopt this look. But I quite like it," Mateo said, and Quinn tilted her head a bit.
"Well, you pull it off. You look very cute in it," Quinn said, repeating his words with mirth, and he chuckled at her. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Mateo, but I have to go. I'm running late," She said, and Mateo nodded in understanding.
"Shame," He said in a whisper, making her smile grow a bit as he let her pass. "See you around, Quinn," He said as she passed by him.
"Likewise, Mateo," She said in a whispering manner while walking away. He stared at her swaying hips as she walked away shamelessly. He had to admit he hadn't expected to meet someone so gorgeous.
"You're staring," She said without looking back, knowing fully he was staring at her. After all, the little swaying of her hips may have been done on purpose.
He smiled, feeling amused at this small meeting. He put his hands back in his pockets and continued walking away.
He figured he should say hi to one more person while he could. His second favorite person on the faculty. One Sue Sylvester.
He got to her office and looked around, and memories started flowing into his mind. Memories of him and his ex messing around in the night and just having a good time.
He passed his hand along Sue's seat. The one where Jenny used to sit and pretend she was her. What a good time that was.
"Oh excuse me bitch. Who are you!?" He heard someone shout at him from the doorway. He looked up and saw a girl with Down syndrome in a cheerleading outfit glaring slightly at him.
"Um, what?" Mateo asked, pretty confused at what was going on, but then he saw Sue walking towards them.
"It's all right, Becky. He's okay," Sue said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Give us a moment," Sue said as Becky looked confused but still went out of Sue's office.
"You look good, kid," She said, not moving from the doorway as Mateo scratched the back of his head.
"Thanks, ma'am," He said as she let out an amused huff of air. Still the same shy kid, it seems.
"Move your hand out of my chair, Enrique Iglesias," She said as Mateo snorted and moved his hand away. "So, the rumors were true," She said, taking a seat on her chair while Mateo took a seat in front of her.
"Rumors?" He asked in curiosity.
"Rumors of a vandal manhandling a football player and almost breaking his arm," Sue said with sarcasm in her voice. "Sounds familiar?" She said, putting her glasses on.
"Not really," Mateo said sheepishly, and Sue shook her head with an exasperated sigh.
"Not even a day and you're getting back to your old habits," Sue said, looking through some papers on her desk. "Must be a record or something," Sue said, and Mateo shrugged his shoulders.
"Should get rid of that machine," He said, a bit amused.
"So, are you here for something or just to say hello?" Sue asked in curiosity, and Mateo smiled at her a bit.
"Can't I say hello to my favorite Disney villain?" Mato asked cheekily and got a small smile in response to his comment. "Actually, I came here to give you something," Mateo said, taking out something from one of the pockets of his jacket.
"Oh, what is it?" She asked as Mateo handed her a letter with a female writing on it.
"After the funeral, I was a mess," Mateo said as Sue took the letter and immediately recognized the handwriting. "And I forgot to give this to you. And then Juvie happened, so." Mateo explained, and Sue looked at it with a slight sadness in her eyes.
"Do you know what it says?" She asked, and Mateo shook his head.
"No, she never told me. But she wrote it just after she left the Cheerios." Mateo said, standing up. "And whatever it says is between her and you. So that's that," Mateo said, walking away.
But before he could leave, he stopped when she spoke out once more. "I'm glad you're back, Mateo," She said, but he didn't offer any response and just walked away.
It had been a trying day. He actually kind of forgot how much this whole thing was.
He was back home already having dinner and pondering about what happened in the morning. He had the glee form next to him, and now and then, he glanced at it with deep thought on whether he should give it a try or not.
"Maldita pendeja, quien se cree que es ¿eh? Cuando la vea mañana le voy a partir su madre," He heard his sister entering the house while cursing someone out loud. She was pissed he could tell so it was better to stay out of her way.
"Oh, no sabia que habias vuelto," She said, noticing he was back home when she entered the kitchen.
"Hice quesadillas por si quieres," He told her he made some food if she wanted some and couldn't help but look at her in curiosity while she grabbed a plate for herself "Tonses. ¿Quien es la pendeja?" He asked, wanting to know who she was cursing out.
"Quinn Fabray. La maldita le dijo a Sue sobre mi cirugía," Santana told him that the blond he had met earlier today had told her coach about her summer surgery as she called it.
"La sexy rubia del vestido blanco?" Mateo asked, trying to see if she was referring to the same sexy blond he had met in the morning.
"SI ella- espera. ¿Como chingados sabes quien es?" She asked incredulously, not believing how he would know who Quinn was. But then she noticed the small smirk on his face. "No puede ser. No me digas que coqueteaste con ella cabron," She said, guessing he had flirted with her and being one hundred percent correct
He just shrugged his shoulders in amusement, and she threw a piece of food at him and got a chuckle from him. "You're too much sometimes," She said, exasperated and slipping back into English for just a second.
A thing Mateo noticed and frowned. Seems she had forgotten a bit of their pack. No English between them. It was born out of spite for their dad as only they, their mother, and their grandma knew Spanish.
Their dad was a second generation of Mexican immigrants, same as their mother, but he never did learn Spanish, so when they wanted to get out of trouble, they just spoke in Spanish to mess up with their dad.
Seems she had forgotten that "Hey, que habiamos acordado?" He asked, reminding her a bit forcefully of their pact.
Her eyes widened for a second, remembering what he was talking about. "No ingles ni secretos entre nosotros. Perdon," She said, as the agreement was no English and no secrets between them.
"No, esta bien. Ha pasado bastante tiempo. Es mi culpa," He said, telling her that a lot of time had passed and it was his fault she forgot the pact. "Entonces. ¿Que te hizo la guerita?" Mateo asked her, wanting to know what Quinn had done and wanting to change the topic.
"Recuerdas mi cirugia?" She asked him if he remembered the surgery that she had gotten over the summer.
"Una estupidez en mi opinion pero si," Mateo said. He still thinks her surgery was stupid. His father would never hear the end of it, of that he was sure.
"Bueno," She said avoiding his disappointment "Le fue y le conto a Sue sobre ella y me bajo de capitana a la parte de debajo de la pirámide, la muy pendeja," She said telling him that Quinn had told on her.
Mateo leaned back and gave her a sympathetic look. "Lo siento, San. ¿Pero neta? ¿Ser la porrista mayor es lo mejor de todo?" Mateo said, asking if being the top Cheerio was the best thing there was.
"Claro que lo es!" She said, telling him that, of course, it was. Mateo crossed his arms and tilted his head.
"No, no lo es." Mateo disagreed wholeheartedly and a bit seriously. "Mi ex fue la perra major por dos años seguidos. Dos años de pura miseria, para ella y todos los que amaba," Mateo said telling her that being the top dog was a misery world.
"Aun así. Ser la mejor es lo que todos deseamos no," Santana said telling him that being the best was what everyone wanted "Pero talves tienes razon. Lo que me caga es que me gano peleando." Santana said telling him he had lost her fight and Mateo snorted a bit.
"Pues. Pelear nunca fue tu estilo ese era el mio." Mateo said, telling her that fighting wasn't her forte. "Pero no puedo dejar que un familiar mio pierda ante un guerito. Andale párate," He said, saying he wouldn't let her lose a fight to a white person ever again. Not on his watch.
"Oaky. Enseñame tu guardia," Mateo said, telling her to put her guard up, and he started showing her a couple of moves he could use to fight.
A few moments pass where Mateo teaches his sister how to defend and how to actually win a fight. By playing dirty and being fast. And he hoped the next time she got on to one. Because he knew she would; that's just who they were.
After being done with the improvised fighting lessons, both returned to their dinner. After a while of just silent dinner. Sanatana noticed a paper on the table with a familiar name on the top of it.
"¿Que es eso?" She asked, wondering what the paper was and gulping fast the food she had in her mouth so she could speak
"Oh, esto?" Mateo said, grabbing the paper and passing it to Santana, who gave him an amused chuckle. "Me sugirerion que me uniera. No se, ¿Que piensas?" Mateo asked her opinion nervously.
"¿Que pienso? Pienso que deberias unirte," Santana said, telling him that she thought he should join the glee club. "Se que te encanta cantar. Igual que a mi. Y aparte," She said, as she knew that he loved to sing just like her. "Ese club es el show de una persona. Rachel se cree la gran cosa y nos trata como extras. Necesito a alguien en mi equina ahí," Santana said, a bit tired, explaining how there was a girl who believed she was above everyone else and treated them as extras. And that she could use his support there as well.
Mateo looked down in deep thought, wondering if he should try it, and then he just shrugged his shoulders. There was no harm in giving it a try. "Esta bien. No pierdo nada con intentarlo," Mateo said, telling her he would give it a try and winced at the excited squeal his sister let out.
"Genial! ¡Vamos tenemos que discutir que canción vas a cantar!" Santana said, grabbing him by the arm and leading him upstairs to discuss what song he should sing.
Mateo had never seen his sister so excited, and maybe this was not a bad idea after all.
Mr. Schuster had realized something since he took charge of the Glee club. He was a person who worried a lot. It's mostly about his club. His students' health and enjoyment and, most of all, their chances to win.
And now it was no better. Vocal Adrenaline had recruited Sunshine Corazon, and she accepted because Rachel had scared her away. So, not only did he not get a new talented member, but his star was hated, again, by most of the glee club.
It took some convincing on his part and an apology from Rachel to quell their anger. But he still could feel the animosity directed towards her. So, he decided to give tryouts one more try. And see if someone came by.
He was placing all his bets on this. If someone came and auditioned, it would lift everyone's spirits, so he was hoping someone would walk through that door.
Most of the club was not confident, but he did notice that when he mentioned it, Santana looked as if she knew that someone could come in. So he found solace in her confidence.
He was about to call it off when someone who he hadn't seen in over a year and a half walked up to the doorway and nervously knocked on the door.
"Hi," Mateo said nervously, looking around till he found his sister and managed to calm around. He noticed a set of green eyes looking at him with great interest till he found the teacher of this place and his eyes winded "Mr. Schuster?" He said in surprise. He wasn't the teacher he had pictured while thinking of who ran this place.
"Mateo? I didn't know you were back," Schue said, walking up to him and wrapping him into a hug, much to the surprise and confusion of the glee club. "How you've been?" Schue said as Mateo looked dumbfounded and patted the back of the teacher.
"Fine. Still getting used to being back," Mateo said just loud enough for the teacher to hear as Schue let him go. "I didn't remember you being this friendly, Mr. Schuster," Mateo said, amused, trying to ease his nervousness.
"A lot can change in a few years, Mateo," Schue said, amused, putting a hand on the teen's shoulder. "So, will I have to lock my office on the nights again, huh?" He asked, amused, and Mateo blushed a bit in embarrassment.
"That wasn't me," Mateo said nervously, and the teacher raised an eyebrow at him. "You could never prove it," He said with a shrug, getting a chuckle out of the teacher.
Their little reunion was short-lived as someone from the club interrupted them. "Um, who is he, Mr. Schue?" Finn asked in confusion and slight jealousy. Though where it came from, he didn't know.
"Right, sorry," Schue said as he and Mateo faced the rest of the club. Immediately, like a magnet effect, his eyes found those beautiful green eyes.
Both of them were currently having a short, silent conversation with just their eyes. A flirtatious one at that. He wondered what had possessed him to actually try and flirt with someone. This was not one of the things he had planned for himself, trying to flirt and date someone that is.
But with just seeing her eyes, all rational thought went out of the way. And what he didn't know it that the same effect was happening to Quinn, the owner of those green eyes.
So not wanting to make a fool out of themselves, both looked away, with Mateo quickly finding Mike. The guy he had helped yesterday. The other teen gave Mateo a nod while Mr. Schue finished introducing him.
"So, are you perhaps looking to join us, Mateo?" Schue asked, bringing Mateo's attention back to him as the teen gave him a shrug.
"It was recommended," He said cryptically, messing a bit with the Spanish teacher. A nice reminder of the good days when he and his friends did that. "Besides. Santana will kill me if I don't," Mateo said, shrugging his shoulders.
The glee club looked at the resident Latina, who was looking at the teen with a sweet smile, but everyone could see the murder in her eyes.
"Okay…" Mr. Schuster said with uncertainty before looking back at Mateo. "Well then, show us what you got, Mateo," Schue said as Mateo nodded and walked to the band.
Mr. Schue took a seat with his students. Excited at the prospect of having a new member. Maybe New York was achievable after all.
"Hi," Mateo said to the band nervously as they looked at him in confusion. "Here are the sheets of the song," Mateo said, handing them to the guitarist.
He looked at it in confusion as he passed it to the rest of the band. "Um, thanks, dude, but you didn't have to do that," The guitarist said, and Mateo raised an eyebrow at them.
"But then how will you know the song?" Mateo asked, and the guitarist gulped, not knowing what to say.
"He's got you there, Ben," The drummer said, looking at the sheet. "I'm Ted. Those are Harry and Louie," The drummer said, pointing at the other members of the band. "And we're just used to people just saying hit it and expecting us to know the song," Ted said. A million thoughts raced through Mateo's head, but he only voiced one.
"And you know them? Out of the blue?" Mateo asked, confused about how someone could just know every song. The members of the band just looked at each other and shrugged as Ted just gave Mateo a nod "That's fucking amazing," Mateo said impressed and the band chuckled.
"Thanks, man. Just tell us when to start, and we'll follow your lead," Ben said. Mateo returned to the matter at hand, and his nervousness almost got to him.
"Can I use that stool, please?" Mateo asked, pointing at the stool behind Ben. Ben moved around, allowing Mateo to grab it.
"Good luck, Mateo," Ted said as Mateo gave them a grateful nod while placing the stool just in the middle of the room.
"You can begin whenever you like, Mateo," Schue said as Mateo took a seat on the stool while putting his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. A habit that was getting more common every day.
He gulped a bit of saliva, trying to get his nervousness under control, but when he looked up and met the stares of everyone, all of it suddenly felt too real. He was nervous he would get a panic attack and almost snorted at the thought of it. That will certainly make a very good first impression.
But then, just for a moment, unaware that he was doing so, he found Quinn's eyes once more. And suddenly, all his nervousness melted away by her small but encouraging look. And he gained back the confidence he needed to sing. So, giving a nod to the band, he got ready to start.
I'm Still Here - Colm R. McGuinness cover
The band started first. Ben took out a lute and Harry a violin and started a sweet Irish melody that most of the club didn't recognize. Santana looked at them with a slight glee on her face. They expected them not to know what song it was as they had given it their own twist for the surprise factor. She wanted to gloat a bit but held back. Right now, it was her brother's moment. So she looked back and watched Mateo take the stage.
He sang the first verse with his hands inside his pockets and looking at the floor. A way to protect himself from his nervousness. And tried to get the right feeling into the song, taking his previous bad experiences into the song.
Quinn, on the other hand, was paying close attention to his performance. Usually, she didn't pay attention to many performances. Only those who were pretty great or the ones from persons she liked. But this time, she paid attention from the start. She was biased, of course, thinking that the person singing was cute was a great reason to pay attention from the start.
But then she paid attention to the lyrics and soon found herself connecting with the words Mateo was singing.
And as the second verse was about to start, he finally looked up, finding the confidence to look at the club in its entirety.
He put a bit more force throughout that verse, tightening his fist inside his jacket. Roughing and sounding a bit raspier, showing a bit of his anger at all the things he had been through. At the end, a few of the Glee members sang along, having finally recognized the song. So when the chorus came, a few of them sang along quietly, feeling drawn in by Mateo's emotions
Ted and the rest of the band went hard with their notes, completely clearing Mateo's nervous state. Because, in the middle of the chorus, he had taken his hands out of his pockets and started slapping his legs at the beat of the song.
But what did really help was that at the end of the chorus of the song he had accidentally connected eyes with Quinn once more. But this time, he didn't break the stare, finding strength and confidence for the incoming chorus.
And as the chorus started, those who had recognized the song and had started to sing along became more immersed in it, serving as background singers as Mateo's voice cut through all of them, having finally delved into the feeling of the song. All those thoughts of never fitting in came out in full force through the lyrics of the songs.
Unbeknownst to him but his chosen song fit perfectly to a lot of the Glee members since they, too, were used to not being able to fit and trying to pretend to be something just to be seen.
And the two who Mateo had talked to previously, those being Mike and Quinn, felt it the most. Mike hadn't told anyone, not even Tina, but he was getting frustrated about being known only as the dancer of the group. Or the Asian of the group. And it wasn't as they did it to be mean, but it still bothered him anyway.
Perhaps he could connect better to someone with an outside perspective, someone who hadn't grown used to seeing him as a one-trick pony type of guy.
Quinn also felt seen by Mateo's lyrics but for another reason entirely. She looked down at her Cheerio's uniform, and that feeling she tried hard to escape came back again. You see, all her life was about change, change into fitting this regal queen persona that thrives on popularity. But she knew, she knew that people didn't really see her. They saw what they wanted to see. And while she was content with being like that, there was a part of her that hated it. She hated having to pretend to be something she was not only for other people's sick pleasure of respecting the popularity chain. She was good at playing that faking game, but she hated it.
So when Mateo glanced at her here and there for whatever reason, she felt like he was catching glimpses of the real her, though she didn't realize that by connecting with the song, her insecurities and real feelings were slipping a bit from her popularity mask. But what surprised her was the fact that when he caught those glimpses, he didn't look away, and instead, his own insecurities slipped out for her to see.
And whatever interest she might have had in him grew into liking him right in that spot. Because for once in her life, she felt like someone had finally seen her and noticed that she was there just as much as the rest.
But as the song neared its end, not everyone was feeling as enthusiastic about Mateo's audition. Those two were Rachel and Finn. Rachel had had her whole debacle with Sunshine recently, and that still weighed on her a bit. But her jealous feelings came back in full force when she saw the club getting into the song that easily; she felt threatened once more. Here came an outsider once more and captured the club's likeness that easily, and he was talented. Her spot as a star felt threatened, and she didn't like it.
Finn was feeling jealous in the same way as Rachel. Because you see, for most of his time in the club, he had grown used to being the leader, the quarterback, but now, since the new coach had thrown him out of the football team, he thought he could fall into being the quarterback of the glee club as he always has been. But seeing how quickly the members of the club had welcomed him made him feel scared at losing his position. Not realizing that Mateo would never want it or take it from him.
But coming back to Mateo, just as the song was starting to end, he let himself loose a bit and started bobbing his head along the melody of the song and putting all his emotion into the final chorus of the song.
And as the song ended, the room erupted into a chorus of claps and cheers. Mateo looked at them with a bright small smile on his face. It seems that after all that he went through last year, there was still a breathing of air for him.
A place to belong, perhaps, to finally let himself loose from all those mistakes. A perfect place for a rebirth.
End of Chapter 1