Nemesism | GLEE

forty five | the first time

With a sigh and his arms crossed over his chest, Christian found himself seated between Gabrielle Smythe and Cameron Puckerman.

His original plan when he decided to come see the musical in support of his friends in Glee Club and those that had actually left Glee Club and joined another was to sit with Cameron and be surrounded by complete and utter strangers that he could throw food at, if they were too noisy or rowdy.

What he didn't expect was for Gabrielle Smythe, the girl who apparently moved to Lima, Ohio from Paris with a mysterious brother and was made a Cheerio shortly after her arrival at McKinley High, to sit on the other side of him and try to start talking to him.

He didn't know why she was sitting down and talking to him, nor did he know why she'd spent the past week staring at him and watching him while they were either in the hallway or seated near each other in Glee Club.

And he didn't want to know, either.

The only thing he cared about was getting through the rest of his sophomore year and actually graduating from McKinley High in two years.

He didn't want some girl he barely knew to spend her time watching him and not really ever talking to him.

But unfortunately for Christian, he had to deal with just that, so the most he did was try and ignore her as he waited for the musical to start.

It wasn't until after he watched Gabrielle wave at someone who was a couple rows behind them that he turned to Gabrielle and asked her, "What the hell do you want from me, Smythe?" Just as she was about to respond, he said, "I'm serious. You've done nothing but watch me ever since Santana left the Glee Club and have gone out of your way to try and make conversation with me when it should be quite obvious that I have no interest in talking to you."

Gabrielle was silent for a couple seconds as she eyed Christian before she asked him, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I just want to be friends with you?" When he opened his mouth to respond, she raised a hand and told him, "I'm not finished."

When he nodded his head, she said, "I've been watching you and trying to talk to you because I want to see what type of person you are, and from what I've seen so far, you're just the type of person I want to be friends with."

He scoffed before he said to her, "Right. And why the hell would you want to be friends with someone like me?"

She replied, "Why wouldn't I? You say things as you see them, and you don't think twice before you kick someone's ass. I could use someone as strong as you are on my side." When he only raised an eyebrow at her in response, she chuckled before she said, "Don't tell me that you actually think that you're not strong."

When he only shrugged in response, she told him, "Christian, after I saw you fight during my first day of school here in the hallway and how you beat the holy hell out of that guy with the afro, I grew interested, so I went out of my way to pay people in order to find out what I needed about you. And from what I gathered, you're willing to fight anyone, no matter how much taller or bigger they are than you, and I can respect that. Plus you're so incredibly blunt and honest about things that I don't see why I shouldn't befriend you." Then she glanced over at Cameron, who was silently eyeing her with an eyebrow of his own raised, before she said to Christian, "Besides, from what I've seen, your little friend here needs all the protection he can get, and I'm willing to do what it takes to protect him."

Christian scoffed before he asked her, "And why the hell should I believe you? For all I know, you're just doing this just to use whatever information I give you against me at some point later in time."

She laughed as she placed her hand on his arm before she said, "I told you, Christian. I just want to be friends with you, that's all." Then she looked behind herself and waved her free hand at whoever was seated a couple rows behind them before she looked back at Christian and told him, "And don't worry, Christian. You have nothing to worry about. I would never tell anyone any little thing you could possibly tell me."

Christian slowly eyed the Cheerio before he grabbed her by the wrist and said to her, "That better be the case, Smythe, or I will make you regret this, if you ever do cross me."

Gabrielle grinned as she looked right into Christian's eyes before she said to him, "I can't wait."

* * *

After he slammed his hand on the set piece, Noah yelled, "When I think about how we came to America! Like children! Believing! Trusting!"

Santana replied, "Ah, trusting with our hearts open..."

With a wave of her hand, Tina said, "With our arms open..."

Then Rory said, "You came with your mouth open."

While Christian's eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head and Gabrielle glanced over at Christian and eyed the sixteen-year-old boy as Santana sang, "Puerto Rico, my heart's devotion. Let it sink back in the ocean. Always the hurricanes blowing. Always the population growing, and the money owing, and the sunlight streaming, and the natives steaming. I like the island Manhattan." After Tina said 'I know you do', Santana sang, "Smoke on your pipe and put that in."

After the girls on the stage clapped their hands, they sang, "I like to be in America, okay by me in America. Everything free in America."

Then Noah sang, "For a small fee in America."

After the girls moved away from the boys, Santana sang, "Lots of new housing with more space."

As the boys made their way towards the girls, Noah sang, "Lots of doors slamming in our face."

After she pushed Noah away, Santana sang, "I'll get a terrace apartment."

Then Noah sang, "Better get rid of your accent."

Santana sang, "Life can be bright in America."

After the boys sang 'if you can fight in America', the girls sang, "Life is so bright in America."

Then the boys sang, "If you're all-white in America." Then as they took a step forward and spun around, the boys sang, "La-la, la-la-la, America. La-la, la-la-la, America. La-la, la-la-la, America. America!"

Then the girls on the stage sang, "Here you are free and you have pride."

Then Mike Chang and the boys on the stage sang, "Long as you stay on your own side."

After the girls on the stage sang 'free to be anything you choose', the boys on the stage and Mike sang, "Free to wait tables and shine shoes."

As the girls danced around on the stage, they sang, "I like to be in America, okay by me in America. Everything free in America."

Then Noah sang, "For a small fee in America."

Then everyone on the stage sang, "I like to be in America, okay by me in America. Everything free in America for a small fee in America. La-la, la-la-la, America. La-la, la-la-la, America. La-la, la-la-la, America. La-la, la-la-la, America!"

With a grin on his face, Christian stood up with Cameron as he quickly clapped his hands from the performance he watched, while Gabrielle simply remained seated and eyed the sixteen-year-old boy, who was only two inches taller than her.