THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLEEKS
Chapter 9
"Sectionals!" Will declared and the group clapped enthusiastically.
"I can guarantee that we're going to be AWESOME on Friday!" he said. "I would like to welcome back Jenna who is hopefully going to have a different attitude on stage in a few days and ask how your numbers are doing."
Peaches raised her hand and cried excitedly, "Mr Shue we're re SO going to win! We four girls are going to blow the roof down so be prepared!"
"Who are we up against?" asked Blair, who was holding hands with her new boyfriend.
"The Unitards who have been getting stronger every year. They even got to Nationals last year! Harmony, their star is now in her senior year and she is applying for Nyada so watch out for her-she will have to win to even have a chance of getting in! And this brand new group called Passion8ers. We don't know much about them, but apparently they are dancers so our moves have to be extra smooth on Friday. Are you all ready?"
"YEAH!" screamed the club.
"Sectionals here we come!"
On Friday, everyone piled into the mini-bus and sat down. Peaches was next to Nat, Chantel next to Trey, Vera next to Sydney, Bryony by Jenna, Blair practically sitting on Daniel and Skylar was reluctantly next to Jim.
"What up?" asked Jim whilst Skylar looked at him in disgust. "Do you wanna cheese sandwich?"
Skylar frowned in concern at the squashed food and shook his head, alarmingly.
Meanwhile, Peaches was leaning against Nat.
"Thanks for taking me to dinner yesterday, honey!" she giggled, hugging his muscular arm, lovingly.
Nat beamed down at his in adoration and gave a thumbs up to Trey who simply rolled his eyes. He looked uncomfortable sitting next to Chantel who was babbling on about Broadway, Barbra Streisand or what solo she should get next. Sydney was sending daggers in their direction whilst furiously filing her nails. She was sitting next to Vera and if looks could kill, everyone in the bus would be dead right now. Jenna and Bryony were discussing something quite seriously and occasionally Bryony grabbed the other girl's hand in sympathy or embraced her. Blair and Daniel were in fits of laughter and Skylar was staring at Daniel wondering how he could make such a moody and depressed girl suddenly laugh so hard that tears were streaming down her face. Will and Emma were discussing something in the front and occasionally looking back to check on the kids.
"There's lots of drama going on, right, Will!" Emma chuckled, happily.
"Absolutely!" Her husband agreed. "It's no different from other years though!"
As soon as they arrived, everyone was out of their seats and charged into the venue ecstatically. Their problems were forgotten and everyone seemed to be getting along perfectly. In a few hours, they were performing and everyone was pacing up and down nervously.
The girls were wearing matching knee-length dresses with a black bow around the middle, however, they were all different colours. Sydney's was cream, Peaches' was hot pink, Blair's was black and Vera's was a deep purple. Chantel wore a light blue dress and Bryony's was emerald green. Their hair was curled down their backs and they wore anxious faces as they waited in the wings.
Jenna, Bryony, Peaches and Vera were first on. Chantel was reassuring them that if they went wrong, they would still win because they still had their star: herself. Vera almost slapped the irritating girl but Bryony dragged her away just In time.
"First on is…NEW DIRECTIONS!" the judge screamed and the girls all ran on.
PEACHES
You shout it out,
But I can't hear a word you say
I'm talking loud not saying much
I'm criticized but all your bullets ricochet
You shoot me down, but I get up
VERA
I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
ALL
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
BRYONY
Cut me down
But it's you who have further to fall
Ghost town and haunted love
Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones
I'm talking loud not saying much
JENNA
I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
ALL
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
I am titanium
I am titanium
VERA AND PEACHES
Stone-hard, machine gun
Firing at the ones who run
JENNA AND BRYONY
Stone-hard as bulletproof glass
ALL
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
I am titanium
The audience erupted into applause and the girl's grins grew even wider. They ran off stage and Chantel skipped on for her solo.
Don't know much about your life.
Don't know much about your world, but
Don't want to be alone tonight,
On this planet they call earth.
You don't know about my past, and
I don't have a future figured out.
And maybe this is going too fast.
And maybe it's not meant to last,
But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
I just want to start again,
And maybe you could show me how to try,
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?
What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
And I had my heart beating down,
But I always come back for more, yeah.
There's nothing like love to pull you up,
When you're laying down on the floor there.
So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do,
Like lovers do.
What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?
Don't know much about your life
And I don't know much about your world
The applause was even bigger and Chantel wasn't surprised to see a standing ovation. She wished Daniel good luck as he was comforting his nervous girlfriend in the wings.
"Babe, listen. Your voice is beautiful, you personality is beautiful and YOU are beautiful. They will love you. I've got your back so c'mon." They walked onto the stage and stood facing each other.
DANIEL
And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cuz I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
BLAIR
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cuz sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight
BOTH
And I don't want the world to see me
Cuz I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
BLAIR (With Daniel harmonizing softly)
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah, you'd bleed just to know you're alive
BOTH
And I don't want the world to see me
Cuz I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
There were few dry faces in the audience and Blair and Daniel were mere centimetres apart. Daniel grabbed his girlfriend's hand and ran off with her, hugging her tightly. The last song was the group number and everyone ran on.
GIRLS
Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
TREY
Woke up on the right side of the bed
What's up with this Prince song inside my head?
Hands up if you're down to get down tonight
'Cause it's always a good time
SYDNEY
Slept in all my clothes like I didn't care
Hopped into a cab, take me anywhere
I'm in if you're down to get down tonight
'Cause it's always a good time
CHANTEL AND SKYLAR
Good morning and good night
I wake up at twilight
It's gonna be alright
We don't even have to try
It's always a good time
ALL
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
BLAIR
Freaked out, dropped my phone in the pool again
Checked out of my room, hit the ATM
Let's hang out if you're down to get down tonight
'Cause it's always a good time
BRYONY AND DANIEL
Good morning and good night
I wake up at twilight
It's gonna be alright we don't even have to try
It's always a good time.
ALL
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
PEACHES AND NAT
Doesn't matter when
It's always a good time then
Doesn't matter where
It's always a good time there
JIM AND VERA
Doesn't matter when,
It's always a good time then
ALL
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
Everyone was standing, clapping at their fantastic performance. New Directions was awesome and everyone knew it. The Unitards were good, having Harmony's stunning vocal ability and the Passion8ers consisted mainly of hip-hop dancers and rappers. However, the New Directions were confident they were going to win.
When the three groups lined up, holding hands and praying to God that they were going to win, the crowd went ecstatic when the judge screamed:
"NEW DIRECTIONS!"