Love The Stranger (Glee)

To Merge and To Splat

Hello, Everyone! The song(s) used in this are:

Pool -- Paramore

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Word Count: 10,589

This is ACTUALLY the longest chapter I've ever written, so tuck in and get a snack!

Don't forget to vote!

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"This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!"

- Sirius Black, POA

On Thursday morning, Tina walks into Mckinley fearing the absolute worst. With the Berry's threats of club deletion and Puck being back at school for almost two days straight, Tina knows something bad is bound to happen. To top it all off is the social life distruction awaiting her in the hallway; red letterman jackets lining the lockers, the wearers ready to pounce on a moment's notice.

But when Tina enters into the school the jocks seem to be almost avoiding her. And if they're holding a slushy, they're not throwing them. Her heart beats into her chest like a drum as she walks past the big group of red to her locker. Surprisingly she makes it unscathed; dry from head to toe.

She doesn't have time to process anything that just happened before a mic is shoved into her face.

"Tina Cohen-Chang," a nerdy, croaky voice calls from Tina's side. She winces, expecting the cold slap of a slushy to hit her face -- but it doesn't come. Instead the microphone is shoved more into her mouth, waiting for her to speak.

"Yes?" It's a mere whisper being clashed with the boy's overly enthuastic tone. She opens her eyes to see Jacob Ben Isreal and his afro sticking up above his head.

"How do you feel about the Berry's taking over our school district?" His questions come fast, giving her no time to think through her answers.

"What? Oh... I d-don't like it," She whispers. Jacob licks his lips, firing off more questions.

"And would you say you hate them?" He clicks his recorder with an eagerness that makes Tina feel sick.

"Hate's a s-s-strong word."

Jacob nods, clicking his recorder again. Tina eyeballs the device, biting her lip. What is he up to this time?

"I'm s-s-sorry, Jacob -- but wh-at is this about, exact-ly?"

"It's for a school project."

"Oh..." She can't tell if he's lying or not, and she really doesn't want to say no. She's done with confrontation, having her own spill of it yesterday at the junkyard. She remembers taking a baseball bat to a window of a car, leaving glass fractals in her bloody hand.

Jacob continues to interview her, taking in every word she says like an over enthusiastic therapist. Finally, he gets to the last question just as the bell is about to ring.

"Ok, and what do you think about the arts being shut down?"

The thought scares her. Tina's hands become sticky with hidden rage, "All arts programs?" Is all she can muster.

Jacob nods his head, hair flying every which way, "Yes, all -- how do you feel about it?"

All this time she thought Glee was the only program going, that it was a direct target for them to be shut down. The future never seemed so uncertain earlier that week when Hiram Berry himself told everyone the news. He lied. That's all she knows. The Berrys are liars who love to see people squirm in their grasp -- and for a second, Tina squirmed, but now as being the odd one out clears away, she's left still -- staring off into the distance at a cherry slushy Mike Chang is chugging down ("Brain freeze!").