Jenn clapped enthusiastically when Olivia said she’d sit with her and enjoy a drink. She was drinking a strawberry daquiri, but if she could get Liv something then she would. “What do you want to drink? It’s on me! I can also get us something to snack on if you’re not in a hurry.” She stated, offering the other woman a bright smile. Liv had looked a little sad when she’d first run into her, so Jenn was determined to have her friend leave with a smile on her face.
for someone who never intended to be in a single relationship for more than a matter of weeks, laney was making quite a show of herself in front of jackson’s workplace. but that was just laney’s way, drawing attention and not thinking about the consequences. she’d just grown tired of waiting for him as she watched his co-workers trail out, with their pockets overflowing with pens and their little waist aprons balled up in their hands. then she got worried he’d leave another way or walk right past her, not expecting her to be behind the wheel of a shiny black jeep. so she’d perched herself on its glossy hood--bright white tied shirt glancing off her waist shining in the headlights of passing cars, shorts showing off her carefully spray-tanned legs (in the lightest color available to lay over her white skin)--and scrolled through her phone listlessly, looking up every now and then at a passing greeting. turns out jackson worked with a girl she’d once done molly at a party with, their one-night friendship fizzling out with their high. and one of the cooks was the guy who always went around at parties and asking everyone if they were doing okay, his supportive clap on your back always shaking you if you weren’t in fact in complete control of your faculties. but that was just cannon beach. if you didn’t know someone, then you definitely knew someone who knew them.
finally (finally!), jackson emerged and though she wanted to run towards him and grin, she maintained her cool and fixed a smirk on her face. “we’re going on a ride,” she informed him, running her hand along the hood. technically it was her dad’s and technically it was only for all-terrain trips or something, but no one would notice it missing and no one would punish her if they did anyways. “it’s like a thirty minute drive, and yes, i do have my license, but no, i’m not a responsible driver. so you can drive if you want, but only if we can keep the top down.” laney tightened the ends of her eyes at him like she expected an argument from him and waved her hand errantly, “everything else has to be a surprise. are you in?” @jxncollins
Blaine was loving his newfound to life. Everything seemed so much more possible and so much more achievable. He had spent the whole day inside the theatre rehearsing Act One of the show. Sure, the set was still being built and they could only focus on the performance side of things, but it had been a blast. Everyone was super talented and he felt truly lucky to be a part of this iconic show.
The director grabbed him and told him that he wouldn’t be needed until 7pm on Tuesday as most of what he wanted to go through in the following days involved the group numbers and Dentist scenes. Therefore, Blaine was free for a short while, which gave him an amazing idea. He packed a light suit case with the essentials, took a cab to the airport and grabbed the next flight out to LAX.
It was a long four hours he spent sat next to a screaming four-year-old, and a passed out, balding middle aged gentleman, but finally the wheels hit the runway. He found his suitcase and hopped another cab all the way to Cooper’s new residence.
Blaine tipped the driver and stuffed the sweater he had been wearing in LA into his bag. The whole 18 degree shift in the weather had hit Blaine harder than he thought. He wheeled the suitcase down towards the door and knocked excitedly, waiting for either Cooper or Jesse to answer.
It’d been a few weeks now since Audrey and Matt had started this..thing between them. It didn’t have a label, no name to whatever this was, but that didn’t matter to her. She was his and he was hers. Even if no one else in the world knew about it. And as dangerous as it was, she had to admit..it was pretty fun too; there was a thrill to getting away with him whenever she could, sneaking touches and too-long gazes, searing kisses in alleyways and whispered promises of more when no one was around.
Her uncle kept her around because she was so good and lying and manipulating. Might as well use it to her advantage.
Times like now though....times where she was told to go to parties and clubs and to mingle with people, times where she’s told about so and so’s son and to try and get close to them to wrangle out information... times like this were the ones she hated. She didn’t want to be friendly and flirt with other guys. She didn’t want to give anyone else the light of day. She felt a burning in the pit of her stomach, twisting like acid through her. She didn’t want to feel like she was cheating on Matt, even if they’d both know it was just a lie.
She gave her uncle a noncommittal answer, promising to think on it and they could talk more in the morning since he was tired, and once she was dismissed she went to her room- where she promptly snuck out the window. She didn’t even care that it was raining as she quickly made her way across the Romano grounds to where Matt lived, the darkness and the rain masking her movements and soon enough she was at the door, crouched down a bit as she knocked.
The weather was finally getting nicer, warm, sunny days taking up most of the week, so with an afternoon off Faline decided to head to the park, earbuds already in and a new book in the crook of her arm. She loved moments like this, sitting out in nature, leaning back against a tree and sitting in the grass. It reminded her of back home, sitting in the grassy fields of her little village back in Suffolk.
Under the tree’s shade she leaned back, legs crossed and book in her lap. With the earbuds in, she drowned out the rest of the world, so much so she didn’t hear anyone nearby until suddenly a ball was hitting her legs and she startled a bit, losing her place in the book as she looked up. The ball was quickly followed by a little boy though so she tugged the earbuds out and stopped the ball, holding it out for the child. “Oh! Here you go.” She offered, figuring the child was more important than her book or her music. She glanced around. “Where’s your mommy or daddy?” she asked softly, tilting her head, trying not to let her worries come out too strongly- or too quickly.
WHO: Hannah Puckerman & Ava Danvers ( @avadanvers)
WHERE: Hannah’s Dorm Room
WHEN: Tuesday Night, 7 PM
SUMMARY: Ava comes back to her former dorm room to pick up more of her things, but Hannah decides to ask her for some advice.
The door to her dorm room opening unexpectedly caused Hannah to jump, unsure of who would just be walking inside of the room without warning. When she noticed it was Ava, she was suddenly far less surprised by her doing that despite the fact that it was technically no longer her room. She wasn’t going to say anything because she knew she still had to get her things into her new room, but Ava was a little disappointed her first college roommate decided to move out instead of the two of them becoming friends. Her foot tapped lightly on the floor as she watched Ava, deciding maybe she should just ask her the question that had been on her mind.
“Can I ask you something?” She blurted out, feeling a little embarrassed for doing it that way. “Like if you’re not busy.”
The little black matte business card reflected in the light of the dinning room of his apartment. He carefully held the card with his thumb and index finger as he carefully read the phone number on the back of the card, almost as if he was attempting to find some secret message. What kind of service was Calden going to get? Calden had no idea. The anonymous person who left the business card on his desk didn’t state what was going to be expected. They only left a note which stated he should ‘stop being uptight, give the fellow a call, and get his money’s worth.’
That was exactly what Calden did. He gave the number a call, got a little bit of information, and has his wallet ready for whatever he had to pay. He never hired an escort before, let alone pay someone for their time. As Calden glanced over at the younger male, he couldn’t help but to wonder why someone like him, so young, would want to be an escort. Of course that wasn’t any of his business.
“So how does this work?” Calden softly spoke up. “It’s kind of my first at this, you know? Do I just.. pay you now or what?”
WHO: Madison Mccarthy and Brody Weston
WHAT: Rehearsal of a potential song for Regionals
WHEN: Wed, Mar 6, afternoon
WHERE: Brody’s house
WARNINGS: None
Madison was still feeling off since her news over the weekend. She was grateful for daily Cheerios workouts and plans like Kitty’s party as well as working on this number with Brody to keep her moving. Fake it til she made it was the only way she knew how to operate. If she seemed like she was still on top, maybe she would get there again. She’d collected a few sets of sheet music from Between the Sheets on her way over to Brody’s place, hoping they would find the perfect number between his ideas and hers. She knocked at his door and tucked a hair behind her ear, then smiled as he greeted her. “Hey! I brought music, and snacks!” Madison said, holding each up in turn.
Brody had been going through his sheet music to find the perfect, upbeat duet for them. He´d collected a couple of pieces and once he was done he checked his watch. He had a couple of hours before he´d start his shift and he was sure they´d be done by then. So when the knock on the door came he jogged downstairs and opened it, a bright smile on his face. "Then you can stay," he found himself joking as he stepped aside to let her in and then nodded towards the basement. "Got a dance studio down there," he explained before making his way there. In the beginning it had only been that, a studio, but over the years Brody had added a piano and even a comfortable couch with a small table where they could sit to try and find the perfect duet.
Madison stepped inside and followed his lead down the stairs. It wasn't often people had a dance studio in their house, and she was definitely impressed. "How'd you get so lucky to have this kind of space?" she asked, settling on the couch and pulling out the music. It wasn't all business, as she was sure they'd have fun getting the number together, but she wasn't one to waste time, either. Madison reached into her bag and passed a water Brody's way and pulled out a container with trail mix and one with cookies. "I went with healthy and also, not so much, depending on how you're feeling," she offered, "so tell me, what did you find?"
The story behind that was rather easy, he asked his mother for it and his father paid for it, but his family wasn´t exactly something Brody liked to talk about, so he decided to keep it short. "Well I was lucky enough to have the space in the house. My Dad isn´t exactly the guy who needs a room to himself other than his office and they decided to let me follow my passions when I was a kid." He nodded towards the couch and the table, on which he had stacked the sheet music he had picked out. "Well depending on what you want to go with. There´s some classics, like Anything You Can Do I can Do Better," he picked up a cookie. "Or something a little out of the ordinary like The Song That Goes Like this," or even "Carried Away" from On The Town." he nodded. "There´s a few more in there. Just have a look,"
"It's really awesome. Mason and I are stuck rearranging the living room when we need to practice cheers or for glee," she noted. Madison shifted to grab the small stack and flipped through the titles, pulling out the ones that struck her. "I love Anything You Can Do," she gushed, lightly hugging to her chest, and then sighed, "but it's a classic. Is it too predictable? Maybe? I hate saying no to it, but..." She trailed off and kept flipping, pursing her lips in thought as she glanced around the room. "Maybe we should put this space to use, find a number we can sing and dance to."
"Well. Good thing the two of us have more than enough space to practice." Brody chuckled. He could use a duet at Regionals and Madison was fun to sing with. It would be something different and maybe Mr. Schue would go for it. He did seem to like the old school style, but he wasn´t afraid to try new things every now and then. Brody smiled to himself as he finished the cookie and nodded. "That would certainly be something new. Duets are usually ballads or Broadway numbers. Do you have anything in mind?" He then asked, picking up some of the sheet music himself to go through.
Madison smiled knowing Brody was on board. They'd have their work cut out for them, but the payout was going to be worth it. She had a feeling. "Well, I think modern is risky with convincing Schue, but it seems to do better at competition. There's this Sara Bareilles song I'm a little obsessed with. She did a version as a duet and it's just," she paused and made a face, unable to properly convey her feelings for the song. "There'd be room for the whole glee club for backup, it's got a good beat for dance. I brought sheet music and the track."
"He might like the old school, but he does know what works best with the judges." Brody agreed with a nod. He wanted to win, he NEEDED them to win. And if they did he wanted to be front and center. At her words he nodded. Maybe it was good not to go for Broadway this time. "Well, let´s hear it." he then added, getting up from the couch and clapping his hands together.
She bounced up and nodded, grabbing her phone to plug into his stereo. With the audio queued up, Madison pressed play and listened as the music started to fill the room. Her shoulders shimmied with the opening piano before she took to a hand microphone and started to lip sync along with the lyrics. She turned to him, looking for his reaction as he took in the song, pointing as the male vocals came in, and soon enough she couldn't stop herself and was full out singing along. When it ended she turned to him excitedly. "Sorry, I should have let you have a clean listen without me overpowering it. But... what do you think?
Brody nodded over to the stereo and basically told Madison to help herself. He had definitely heard the song before and while it wouldn´t have been the first thing to pop into his mind for a duet at Regionas he couldn´t say that he wasn´t intrigued. Especially not with how much Madison was getting into it. It was quite adorable to watch, actually. Brody was tapping his foot along, his lips curving into a smile. "Well I think we´ve found our song." he then chuckled. "Never apologize for passion though. I can see you´re really into the song. Do you have the sheet music? Or should we see if we find it on the internet?"
Madison blushed a little at his comment about her being really into it. She'd probably looked a little ridiculous, honestly. This was type of song she danced around her bedroom to, and she knew there wasn't anything particularly graceful about that. "It's empowering, I guess. Like, it's pretty clearly about some relationship, but you can twist into any not great situation and be like yeah, it sucks, but I'll figure it out," she explained with a shrug. Madison moved back over to her bag and flipped through to find the music. "It took me forever to find the duet of this. She released the solo as a single so it was everywhere."
"Look at you, being all prepared." Brody grinned, figuring this might have been the duet she´d been wanting to do from the beginning. He wasn´t upset though, more impressed with her determination. "Well if the duet is a rarity then we might actually have a change at getting picked for the duet." Brody had performed duets at Sectionals and various competitions, and even a solo every now and then, but there was a bunch of talented people in Glee Club so to get picked over them was important.
Madison knew this was the song she wanted, but she wasn't about to force it on him. However, she was thrilled Brody had agreed to it. Having passion for the song could only make the performance better, right? "It'll be unique," she agreed, "modern but not over done." She passed him a copy of the music, keeping one for herself even if she didn't think she'd need it much. "Should we just start from the top?"
"Sounds like the perfect song for us," Brody replied with a smile. He´d already done some warming up before her arrival, so he was ready to go whenever she was. He went over the sheet music for a moment, making sure to know all the important parts, before wandering over to the piano. "Yeah, let´s do a slow run first," he suggested before sitting down and putting the sheet music in front of him. It wasn´t long until he had the melody down and began playing, a smile on his lips.
Madison was admittedly a little surprised when he went to the piano to play. She’d heard him sing and watched him dance, but had no idea that his talent extended to the instrument as well. Listening to the opening bars, she shifted closer to the piano before joining in with the opening ”Goodbye, should be saying that to you by now, shouldn’t I?” Her voice carried over the bouncing melody from the keys and carried on until it was Brody’s turn to take the lead, anxious to hear how well his voice fit the song.
Brody smiled as he glanced up at her, fingers flying over the piano. He wasn´t an expert by any means, but his parents had decided he should learn an instrument, and considering he had his sights set on Broadway early on he´d picked the piano. "Maybe we can start off slow with me playing the piano and then speed it up later on," he mused as he played and eventually listened to her first tunes. His lips curved into a smile before he eventually joined in. "And I tell myself to let this story end, oh, my heart will rest in someone else´s hand."
She nodded at his instructions, happy to let him set the pace as he learned the song. After all, it was her obsession not his. Madison’s fists clenched slightly in excitement when she heard him start to sing. It was perfect. She volleyed back and forth with him through the song, harmonizing under him in some sections, and taking the lead in others. Even at a slow first go through, it sounded like victory. “You sounded good,” she complimented as they finished.
For some reason they hadn´t been singing together all too much in Glee Club. In group numbers, yes, but it had rarely ever been the two of them. Brody was enjoying himself though and it turned out that their voices were going together pretty well. He finished on a high note, his lips curving into a smile. "WE sounded good," he then told her. "And I think it´s good to start off slow and then go faster. It brings a good dynamic to the song," he scribbled down a few notes before glancing up at her. "Alright, shall we go again?"
Madison smiled at his note that it was the pairing of them that sounded great. She needed the positivity and the feeling that something might just go her way again. "I like that too," she agreed to note on tempo. "It would make a good opener. Just you and me, slow and steady, then it ramps up and everyone joins in on backup," she mused, gesturing as she pictured it playing out in her mind. Madison took a moment to clear her throat and took her singing stance once more. "Play me in."
"Perfect." Brody agreed as he scribbled down some more notes for the people to join in later. He´d be giving a copy of the sheet music to Mr. Schue during their next Glee Club meeting. He wanted their teacher to see just how much effort Madison and him had put into the whole thing so they´d definitely be considered for the duet. "Alright," He played a couple of notes again, his lips curving into a smile as they started over. It went on for about an hour until he figured they deserved a break. "You know, I think we really have a shot with this," Brody grinned as he took a sip from his water bottle.
She couldn't have agreed more. Even with the little time they'd put into it, the number was objectively a contender. Madison took her spot on the couch again, munching on a bit of the granola she'd brought. She took in the room for a moment, trying to think if she'd ever noticed Brody's dancing. He definitely kept up in all the group numbers, but Mike seemed to take the forefront. And with a dance studio in his basement? Brody must be more talented than she knew. "Do you want to choreograph something for it? The music would definitely support more than Schue's typical sway and twirl," Madison noted.
Brody put the water bottle down and glanced at Madison, his lips curving into a smile. "That would actually be a really cool idea," he admitted. He wasn´t necessarily a pro choreographer, but he could whip something up that would outdo anything Mr. Schue had to offer. No offense though. "I´ll definitely think of something," Brody pulled out his phone and checked the time, making sure he´d still have enough time to get to his shift. But he was good for now. "Should we do another run through and then maybe start again tomorrow? I´ll have some choreography by then,"
Madison's hands clapped together in excitement. This really was coming together. Knowing that Brody was just as invested in their number, in this number, had her all the more motivated. She was back to her feet at the piano as quickly as she'd sat down, ready to go again. She let Brody play in the intro and was back on her lines again, full force this time for the last run through. She harmonized with him through the last chorus I'll be all right, just not tonight before finishing on her own, fists clenching with the final someday... Madison let out a satisfied sigh with a grin, holding a fake microphone to mouth. "And the 2019 Regional Champions taking a spot at Nationals... The New Directions!!"
Brody played the notes on the piano before he let the playback take over and got into the song, giving it his all. Their voices really did harmonize well together and he was going to enjoy performing this in Glee Club together. It was going to be a hard competition, because not everyone was just going to accept someone else taking a spot in the front row, but he doubted all of them would be as well prepared. Brody chuckled an clapped before holding an imaginary trophy up in the air. "Can you imagine?" He then laughed. "It would be glorious."
Madison sighed wistfully at the thought. "It would be glorious. And plausible, I think. we're strong as a team this year, stronger than I think we were last year. And I really think you and I are bringing a strong number to the table," she listed off. She was learning to not be over confident in herself, but still, optimism was her mainstay. "I think we could all pull it off."
"Definitely." Brody agreed. Most of them had grown up quite a bit this year and appreciated the fact that they were all a team more. They definitely had a shot at the championship this year and Brody would have loved to put that on his resume. And of course he´d loved to with with the team. He enjoyed performing with most people in Glee Club and it would be nice to win with them. "Same time tomorrow?" He then asked as he gathered the sheet music.
She nodded and moved to gather her things. The start of her week hadn't been great, but the magic of a good number had brought back her optimism. Madison hooked her bag on her shoulder and smiled at Brody. "I'll bring my dancing shoes."
