• MARINA • Hunter Clarington-BOOK TWO✔

f o r t y - e i g h t

"Have this, Schuester." Marina said to the man, handing the already opened letter to him. "It's competition." Joining the others sat around the auditorium, Mr. Schue spoke to them all, the letter dramatically held in the air.

"I hold in my hand, ladies and gentlemen, our competition for regionals." He paused dramatically as everyone clapped and cheered. "Drumroll, please. From... North Central High School in Indianapolis, the Hoosierdaddies."

"That's very clever." Tina commented dryly.

Mr. Schue continued. "And from Our Lady of Perpetual Loneliness in Battle Creek, Michigan, the Nun-Touchables."

"Wait, is that a convent?" Blaine questioned in confusion.

"Guys, I like our chances against both these squads, but we still got a lot of work to do." Mr. Schue grinned.

Brittany sadly and seriously moved to stand beside Mr. Schue, her voice dry of emotion as she spoke. "Mr. Shue, please stop talking. I have an announcement." Everyone silenced as they turned to look at Brittany in confusion. "I regret to inform you a deadly asteroid is headed our way."

Blaine spoke first. "Wait, didn't we just go through this at Christmas?"

"Yeah, and is it true you and Sam got married? Did that happen?" Tina wondered.

"Shut up, Tina." Brittany said sternly, "I'm naming this comet. Tubbington-Bopp, and it is headed straight for Lima."

"So, if we hide out in Dalton, we'll be okay?" Arabella wondered into Kara's shoulder, the dark-skinned girl giggling at her girlfriend.

"Wait, so is it an asteroid or a comet?" Artie judgementally questioned.

"It's both." Brittany responded.

"Wouldn't NASA know something about this?" Marley asked.

"We can't trust NASA. I mean, last month a meteor exactly like Tubbington-Bopp hit Russia with no warning at all." Brittany stated.

"Oh, so now it's a meteor." Artie scoffed.

"That's right, Artie, and when this meteorite hits, I will not be spending my time in this room preparing for regionals. I will be spending my last hours making amends with somebody who I need to get right with. Someone who I love very much. Lord Tubbington. So, go back to your homes and hide your wife, hide your kids, and hide your wife. McKinley High, I salute you." Brittany then strolled off.

"She said hide your kids, so come on, you three." Marina laughed, pointing to Kara, Jamie, and Arabella. "I'll have to protect your brothers too." The four laughed.

Back in the choir room, everyone was discussing Brittany's asteroid. "I'm really surprised that Jesus Christ Superstar has chosen to end the world this way instead of the way he killed off the dinosaurs, which was a global yeast infection." Brittany said seriously to Sam and Blaine.

"Do you think God will let me be a girl angel in heaven?" Unique sassily questioned.

"Well, I've never met a judgemental Christian. Mostly" Jamie shrugged over to the girl, referring to Sam, Mercedes, Quinn, and Joe. "Or Jew." They finished, meaning Puck, Jake, and Rachel.

"If you're talking about Rachel Berry, she can be judgemental when it comes to singing but you'd win a sing off." Marina grinned to Unique. "Technically you did, back at Nationals."

"Wait, there are girl and boy angels? Does that mean you can have angel sex?" Sam confusedly wondered.

"All right. Show of hands. Who's worried about. Brittany's meteor/asteroid/comet prediction?" Only Sam raised his hand. "Okay. Well, here's how I see it. There are two possible outcomes. First, the meteor misses us, and we go to regionals and we kick butt, which will only happen if we prepare."

His speech then took a sadder turn, Marina, Arabella, Jamie, and Kara interlocking hands. "Or... we only have a few days to live and if that's the case, we need to say everything we need to say to the people we love. I can tell you from those couple of weeks where I couldn't talk to Emma that there is nothing worse than unfinished business with the one you love. And meteor or no meteor any moment you have with those people might be your last one."

Mr. Schue then stood, "Bruce Springsteen always says that he plays every show as if it's his last, and that is the kind of urgency we need at regionals this year. So, this week we're either gonna sing our last songs to each other or get in touch with what it feels like to do that. Okay, everyone. Let's make the most of it."

Brittany and Sam called everyone to the auditorium, Sam playing the guitar as the pair sang. The rest of the group emerged from the shadows, lighting candles as they sang. Brittany eventually moved to sing to Lord Tubbington, making Marina laugh lightly from where she sang backup alongside everyone else.

Marina, Arabella, Kara, and Jamie lounged around the sofas of their shared dorm area, thinking deep about the chance they were going to die. "If I die, I want to at least do it on my own terms." Marina hissed, calling the six boys, and telling them to get back quickly.

When they all sat down, Marina looked to them all. "Brittany said we're all going to die." The only ones who were actually concerned was Nick and Jeff.

"She aced her SATs, what if she's right?" Nick quietly asked.

"I don't want to die!" Jeff argued with a frown.

"Our assignment is to sing to those you hold dearly." Arabella piped up as they moved into a tight group hug.

"I know the perfect song." Kara smiled slowly as she began to sing, the rest of the group joining in.

"I love you guys. So much."