⤷ the one in which the quiet girl and the dorky new guy fall for each other and sing more than a few times along the way.
♫ [s2-s6] [sam evans] ♫
published: 09.18.2020
completed: 05.21.2023
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Keilani really hoped that the absolute mayhem leading up to Nationals was a good sign.
In New York the year before, everything seemed wonderful right up until Rachel and Finn decided it was a good idea to make out onstage in the middle of the competition. And the New Directions had lost miserably that year.
So with everything falling apart at the seams with only a day to go until they competed, the only thing keeping Keilani at least a little optimistic was the thought that maybe it would be a sign that things would turn out better for them this year.
The first red flag came way before they arrived in Chicago. Unique Adams was becoming more of a powerhouse in the show choir world every day, and the New Directions were terrified to face off against her.
Then Mercedes got food poisoning and was now bedridden, leaving the New Directions without one of their most powerful vocalists and Keilani taking up nearly all the solos she had been singing before in the Trouble Tones mumber. This left Keilani in a near state of panic, as she knew there was no way she could match up to Mercedes's incredible talent, but she couldn't say these fears out loud because everyone else was already so stressed out and she didn't want to burden anyone with that.
Running the choreography seemed to be the final straw. When Mr. Shue had left the room to do something, Mike and Brittany were charged with running 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'. But with tensions running so high for the past few days and the fact they had been rehearsing for three hours straight that day, it only took just a few aggravating moments for the New Directions to snap.
Bursting through the door, Mr. Shue found a scene of chaos waiting for him. Keilani and Joe were both holding Sam back from attacking Puck, who would've likely pummeled the blonde boy with his geography textbook if it weren't for Mike and Finn. Sugar chanting for the two boys to fight in the background certainly didn't help matters.
Mr. Shue stepped into the middle of the two boys, but it did little to calm their anger towards each other.
"He won't stop studying for geography while we're trying to rehearse!" Sam yelled. "It's bogus!"
"Cause I already know the dance! You dance like you got your feet caught in a bear trap, and you're trying to gnaw them off!" Puck shot back before pushing Mike out of his way and trying to punch Sam.
Wanting to put his two cents into the conversation, Kurt added, "Mr. Shue, are you aware that while we're arguing about jazz squares, Unique is being handed the key to the city by Rahm Emanuel?"
"And plus my pillow and blanket fell into the pool! Disaster!" Keilani rushed to her side and quietly comforted Brittany who was staring sadly down at her soaking wet pillow and blanket, trying to pull her away from the window and back to the New Directions rehearsal.
