Glee: The Beginning (8 page)

‘Yeah, we were,’ Me rcedes answered as she kicked Kurt in the foot. Why was he acting like such a tool in front of Finn Hudson? Just because Finn was popular didn ’t mean Kurt had to act like such a moron. It reminded her of their family ’s golden retrieve r, who would flop down on the ground and roll around on her back whenever a bigger dog showed up

– ‘classic submissiv e behavior’ , her dad said. Kurt wasn ’t
73

434T_tx.indd 73

06/07/2010 08:35

exactly on his back but, man, he could show a little more backbone. ‘Don ’t worry about it. We’ll just stand here at the counte r. Who needs a seat?’ Mercedes said with a fake smile.

‘Cool.’ Finn ordered two root beer floats, missing the irony in Mercedes ’s voice. As he waited for the floats, he looked around the place and then turned back to Kurt and Mercedes.

‘Aren’t you two in that singing

club?’

Me rcedes and Kurt shared a glance. Kurt still couldn ’t talk. How was it possible that Finn Hudson knew something –

anything – about him? Me rcedes had to answe r. ‘Yup, we are.’ She sipped her milk shake. ‘What’s it to you?’

Finn stared at his shoes. He was grateful when the counter girl handed him his two root beer floats. It gave him some-thing else to look at. He was a little embarrassed that he’d been so moved by Rachel’s performance after school. ‘I, uh, saw Rachel. Singing after school. She said you were going to perform. At the recital.’

Oh my God, Kurt thought. It was so adorable how Finn couldn ’t speak in complete sentences. ‘Friday,’ Kurt managed to croak out.

Finn smiled at them. Even Mercedes felt her knees weaken. It felt good to have a popula r, gorgeous jock talking to them like they were human beings. ‘Well, good luck,’ Finn said.

‘I’d bette r, uh, get going with these.’

‘Finn.’ Quin n ran her tube of lip gloss across her lips and opened and closed them several times to distribut e the gloss evenl y. She watche d as Finn place d the diet root beer float
74

434T_tx.indd 74

06/07/2010 08:35

on the table in fron t of her. ‘Wha t were you doin g over there?’

‘What? Oh.’ Finn slid into the booth. One of the defensive ends walked by and held out his hand for a high five. Finn slapped it. ‘I was just talking to those guys.’ He pulled the wrapper off his straw and stuck it into the float.

‘I saw that.’ Quinn took a tiny sip of her float. Had he remembered to get frozen yogurt? And diet root beer? It tasted awfully sweet. And Quinn hadn ’t got a body like hers eating full-fat ice cream. ‘But why were you wasting your time talking to them? They’re, like, a thousand miles beneath you.’

Finn slurped his float. Quinn could be so . . . harsh. ‘I was just being friendl y.’

‘Well, you should save it.’ Quinn took another sip of her float and then pushed it away. She could practically feel her skirt waistband getting tighte r. She was certain that Finn had messed up her order because he’d been too busy talking to that gay guy and that girl who had no business ordering a milk shake. ‘Some of the Cheerios are planning a prank at the fall music recital on Friday. Something to really embarrass that Rachel girl.’

‘What?’ Finn almost choked on his float. ‘Why would you want to do that?’ Was it because Finn had been talking to Rachel in the auditorium? Quinn couldn ’t tell he was attracted to Rachel, could she? Suddenl y, Finn thought of that creepy old movie where the crazy girlfriend throws the guy’s bunny

into a pot of boiling wate r.

75

434T_tx.indd 75

06/07/2010 08:35

‘Do you really need to ask?’ Quinn tapped her spoon against the sticky table. ‘It was humiliating how that crazy nobody ranted about the Cheerios’ voting booth on the morning announcements.

In front of the entire school.’

She rubbed her lips together again. ‘She definitely has to pay.’

‘I don ’t know.’ Finn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘It doesn ’t seem like that big a deal. She was just expressing her opinion, right?’

‘What gave her the right to do that?’ Quinn crossed her arms. ‘What would happen if we let her get away with it?

There’d be total social revolt if all the losers could talk about us like that.’ Quinn could tell Finn was unconvinced. She bit her lip. She was losing him, and she didn ’t even really have him yet. She never would have had to work this hard to get Puck on her side. He would have done whatever she wanted, without her having to beg.

If she wanted Finn, though, she didn ’t want him to be halfheartedly hers. She needed his full cooperation in this relationship, or they wouldn ’t become the resident It couple. She reached out and put her hand on Finn’s. He dropped his spoon, but she didn ’t take her hand away. ‘Some of the football players are coming, too.’ She fluttered her long lashes at him. ‘Are you in? Or are you out?’

Finn stared at her perfect pink fingernails. They were so smooth and straight. He imagined those perfect hands on his shoulders as they slow danced at the homecoming dance. If he wanted to go with Quinn, he couldn ’t fight her on this.
76

434T_tx.indd 76

06/07/2010 08:35

He didn ’t think Rachel was so bad. Even though she’d sounded kind of crazy ranting on the PA, wasn ’t she right?

And even if she wasn ’t, she was kind of nice and didn ’t dese rve to be humiliated.

Quinn tapped her fingers against Finn’s hand, prompting him. Even though he didn ’t know her that well yet, he could tell she was the kind of girl who was used to getting what she wanted. If Finn couldn ’t give that to her, some other guy would be more than happy to.

‘Okay,’ he heard himself say in a voice that didn ’t sound like his own. ‘What do you need me to do?’

77

434T_tx.indd 77

06/07/2010 08:35

434T_tx.indd 78

06/07/2010 08:35

nine

Choir room, Wednesday mo rning

O
n Wednesday morning, Rachel demanded that the Glee kids get passes out of thei r study halls to come to the choi r room for an extra practic e session . For half an hou r, they crowde d aroun d the pian o singing

‘Tonight ’ and trying to do the steps she’d storyboarde d for them last nigh t while watchin g the movi e versio n of
West
Side Story
for inspiration . They had run throug h the routine half a doze n times before Artie wheele d over to the side of the room.

‘What are you doing?’ Rachel demanded. She had on a white puff-sleeved button-down under a wool herringbone jumpe r, but she still managed to move with as much energy as a professional dance r, or at least a Cheerio during one of
79

434T_tx.indd 79

06/07/2010 08:35

Coach Sylvester’s ‘elimination’ practices. ‘We haven ’t nailed the footwork yet.’

‘You don ’t want to see me dehydrate.’ Artie pulled a bottle of water from his backpack and took a swig. ‘It’s not prett y.’

‘I’m with Artie. I think we could all use a break,’ Mercedes admitted, throwing herself down on one of the plastic chairs.

‘My bones are not used to working this hard.’

‘I’m starting to work up a sweat.’ Kurt touched the back of his hand to his forehead. ‘And I can ’t pull off the sweaty look.’ He grabbed a folder and fanned his face.

‘Y-y-yeah, Rachel,’ Tina said. ‘We’re tired. Plus, I’ve got homework to do for tomorro w.’

Rachel clenched her fists at her sides in frustration. Two days. They had only two days to perfect their routine, and it wasn ’t there yet. They were good, but not great. If they wanted to impress the whole school, they didn ’t have time for palt ry things like water breaks. She’d heard that when Madonna was getting ready to go on tou r, she’d practice for eighteen hours straight without even taking a pee break. Still, Artie was in a wheelchai r. Maybe she needed to give him a break. But was it too much to ask that the rest of them

– with two working legs – work a little harder?
Pick your
battles
, she thought. She sighed and sat down on the piano bench. ‘Five minutes.’

Mercedes leaned back in her chai r. ‘I’m not going to prac-tice,’ she sang, improvising. ‘I said no, no, no.’ The others, except Rachel, laughed.

80

434T_tx.indd 80

06/07/2010 08:35

‘Have you all seen the Lady Gaga video for “Just Dance”?

I love it.’ Tina took a sip from her Diet Coke bottle.

‘She’s Eurotrashtastic in that. It looks like an American Apparel comme rcial.’ Kurt loved American Apparel, but the closest one was in Dayton, an hour ’s drive away. He went there once a month to stock up on tight-fitting T-shirts, knee-length cardigans, and whatever came in turquoise. Tina sang a few lines from the song, her platform Mary Janes sliding across the linoleum tiles. Her black-and-red plaid skirt, the flaps held together by five giant metal safety pins, flared out as she moved.

‘Damn, girl.’ Me rcedes started humming the backup part.

‘You’re feeling the Lady Gaga toda y.’

‘
What
’
s goin
’
on, on the floor?
’

‘Tina, what else have you been hiding from us?’ Kurt raised his eyebrows as eve ryone watched her in amazement. Rachel rolled her eyes. Sure, she was happy Tina was coming out of her shell. Maybe singing would give her enough confi - dence to ove rcome her stutte r. But that didn ’t mean Rachel wanted to see Tina steal the show away from her.

‘You should save those moves for next Friday night,’

Rachel blurted out. ‘You don ’t want to use them all up on us now.’ The others exchanged glances. ‘What’s next Friday night?’

Artie asked cautiousl y.

‘Um, just the homecoming dance?’ Rachel’s eyes widened.

‘We can all celebrate our dazzling recital performance at the dance next week.’

81

434T_tx.indd 81

06/07/2010 08:35

‘How would we do that if we’re not th-th-there?’

Tina

flopped down into one of the plastic chairs and took a giant sip of wate r. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. She didn ’t agree with the Andy Warho l saying tha t eve ryon e gets fifteen minutes of fame. It was a little too egalitarian. She’d prefer it to be based on ability instead.

‘You’re not going?’ Rachel had always dreamed about going to high school dances. She’d had a closet full of play clothes when she was growing up, and her dads would help her transform the dining room into a ballroom.

‘Hell to the no,’ Mercedes said, staring down at the piano. She would have liked to go, but only with Kurt, and if he was going to ask her, he probably would have done it by now. She glanced at him. He was adjusting his hai r.

‘I’m not really equipped for dancing in large crowds of people.’ Artie rolled back on his wheels. The only person he could imagine going with was Tina, and it would probably be embarrassing for her to be the only one with a date who had wheels.

‘I get n-n-ne rvous in crowds.’ Tina fiddled with the black leather cuff bracelet on her left wrist.

‘None of you are going?’ Rachel couldn ’t believe it. ‘The homecomin g danc e is one of the semina l event s of any student ’s high school career. Kurt?’

‘I’ve considered it.’ Kurt touched his hair. He was wearing his favorite Marc Jacobs button-down and the only pair of jeans he would wear, his Rock & Republic dark-wash skinny
82

434T_tx.indd 82

06/07/2010 08:35

jeans. ‘I just bought an awesome new Tom Ford suit on eBay, and it would be the only place I could wear it.’

Rachel clapped her hands. ‘Yes! Let’s all go, then.’ She found it disturbing that Kurt knew so much about fashion.

‘I just said I’d considered it.’ Kurt glared at Rachel. Must she always be so peppy? ‘But I don ’t really want to deal with the popular kids. They’ll be out in full force, probably drunk and ready to terrorize.’ He smoothed his shirt. ‘It’s a really great suit. I don ’t know if I can risk it.’

‘This is shameful, everyone!’ Rachel slapped her hand down on the piano. She felt as ang ry as she had after seeing the Cheerios charging students to vote. ‘Why should the
jocks
be the only ones who are allowed to participate in McKinley High’s activities? They’ve already got most of the funding for their sports and clubs, and they get away with throwing slushies in everyone ’s face. We can ’t take it lying down.’

Artie straightened his tie. ‘That’s because they’re the beau-tiful people.’ Although Tina was prettier than anyone else in school, in Artie’s opinion. The blue streaks she’d put in a few weeks ago were like ribbons in her long, shiny black locks. He even liked the crazy eye makeup she wore – bright pinks or bright blues in electric cotton candy colors. And she was a nice person, which was priceless. ‘Beautiful people historic-ally have been able to get away with anything.’

Rachel threw her hands up in the air. ‘That doesn ’t make it right!’ She turned to Tina, sensing a potential ally. ‘Tina, you’re a great dance r. Wouldn ’t it be fun for you to get all
83

434T_tx.indd 83

06/07/2010 08:35

dresse d up in a . . .’ She stare d at Tina’s Goth outfit . ‘In a . . . fancy black dress and some new spiked leather bracelets? And step out on the dance floor and show people how to do it?’

Tina shook her head. ‘I-I-I don ’t think so.’ She stared at the floor. ‘I can dance in front of y-y-you guys, but not the whole school. Someone would probably trip me, just to see how I landed.’

‘You guys.’ Rachel stepped back. This was shocking. ‘We
have
to go. We have to show the rest of the school that we won ’t be pushed around or influenced by what eve ryone else thinks.’ Last spring, Rachel stayed home from the Under the Sea end-of-the-yea r dance , pretendin g tha t she was busy working on her MySpace page. But really she was too embar-rassed after the school president fiasco to face the student body. She wasn ’t going to let that happen again this yea r. Date or no date, she wanted to go to the homecoming dance. Kurt sighed. While he admired Rachel’s change-the-world spirit, it also just made him tired. ‘That’s all very nice and good in theo ry, but it’s just not practical. The rest of the school
does
push us around, and eve ryone
is
influenced by what they think.’