𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗘 | 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻

𝐈 𝐀𝐦 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧

CHAPTER II : I AM UNICORN

"All right New Directions! Big news. As you all know, Vocal Adrenaline came in second last year at Nationals" Mr. Schue said as she walked into Glee rehearsal "The only good thing to come out of that lost weekend" Finn said it making Rachel elbow him "Besides us getting back together" He quickly "Well, the boosters at Carmel High don't donate tens of thousands of dollars every year to come in second. So they fired Dustin Goolsby—" "So handsome" "—And they're having trouble finding a new coach. Seems that no one wants to take on that pressure cooker" "That means they're vulnerable" Tina said happily "Yes. And if we work hard enough, we can beat them. Which is why I've realized that, um I can't direct the musical this year" "But, Mr. Schue, you can't cancel the musical. My New York dreams depend on it" Rachel said worriedly "I'm not canceling it, I'm just not directing it. My sole focus has to be here. Nationals, Nationals, Nationals.
And it's not just me that's going to have to focus harder this year. I've been too easy on you. So every day after choir practice I'm instituting a mandatory 'Booty Camp' so that we can work on our dancing. Now, it's not for all of you — just the people that I think need help. Like..." "Finn" Finn said answering for Mr. Schue  "How did you know?" Mr. Schue said sarcastically "And Puckerman, Hummel—" "I must protest" Kurt interrupted making Blaine and I chuckle "You kind of have one move, Kurt, it's like this sashay and it's super distracting," Mike said, with a little demonstration "Jones," Mr. Schue said, redirecting the conversation "What?" Mercedes asked in shock "Hello to the nizzy-no" "You told me once you were Beyoncé. You don't think she spends extra time in the dance studio?" He said, shutting Mercedes up, he then turned and pointed at me "Ms. Vasquez?" "Yes?" I asked, straightening up in my seat "Since you're new, you'll be joining in too. I want to see your abilities" "What about Blaine? He's new" "We saw him dance last year at regionals, we know he's good" "Yeah, Naya. I'm good"  He said nudging me with his elbow, making me roll my eyes with a smile forming "Mike Chang has offered to be my assistant. And we start tomorrow and yes, Puckerman, it is mandatory" "Actually, Mr. Schuester, would you mind if I did drop by for a little bit? Thinking about it, I need to catch up with you guys" Blaine shyly said "I thought you already 'good'?" I said sarcastically. Blaine chuckled and rested his arm across the back of my chair, discreetly pulling my chair closer to his "Okay, Naya, if you could stop flirting with Blaine for a second, that would be great" I blushed a bright red and glared at Rachel as she continued talking "Mr. Schue, I'm glad that you're so concerned with our special needs members, but what about me? Okay? Who's going to direct the musical?" "Jeez, could she be more self-centered?" I mumbled under my breath "Ladies and gentlemen, your co-musical directors, Ms. Pillsbury and Coach Beiste!" Mr. Schue announced as Ms. P and Coach Beiste entered "Now, Ms. Pillsbury did such a good job helping me out with Rocky Horror last year that I knew she could handle the job" "And I'm here to keep the football guys in line. I've also talked them into playing the 'Jets'" Coach Beiste said "Mr. Schue. With all due respect to Ms. Pillsbury and Coach Beiste, this is crazy. They have absolutely zero experience in directing a musical" Rachel said rudely "Not true. In college, I was in 'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum' I played the Forum" Coach Beiste said impressed with herself  "The teachers at this school are already overworked and unfortunately a lot of them agree with Sue that the arts are a waste of time. Besides, they are going to have some help. I've decided to include a student director this year" "Mr. Schue I'm honored but Barbra was 40 when she directed herself in 'Yentl', so it's just, it's too soon" "God Rachel shut up, please" I said, louder than I intended to "I hate you" Brittany said to Rachel "I was actually hoping that Artie would take the job" Mr. Schue said, shocking Artie "Me? I've developed my whole persona around conflict avoidance" Artie said sheepishly "Come on, Artie, you've made short films, directing is your dream. You can do it" Tina said encouragingly. I leaned forward in my chair, placing my hand on his shoulder "Tina's right Artie. You'll be amazing at it! We all believe in you" I said, smiling warmly. He was quiet for a few seconds looking around the room at all the encouraging smiles in the room and nodded his head "I'm in" A round of applause echoed around the room as the school bell rang.
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At 'Booty Camp' the next day, I was on the floor, in between Kurt and Blaine who were stretching their legs on the ballet har. I was doing yoga poses, stretching out my back and legs "Listen, Mr. Schue, I'm all for participating, But Shay says I'm more of a park and bark and I tend to agree" Mercedes said as she lunged around in a chair "A what and what?" Finn asked, getting up from where he was standing. He extended a hand out to me and I took it, he pulled me up off the floor and then walked over to Mr. Schue. I scooted closer to the belt bar and lifted my leg on top of it, stretching out my muscles properly "Park and bark—I stand center stage singing the notes no one else can while all of you guys dance around me" Mercedes explained "Booty Camp is about all of you dancing, Mercedes. In unison" Mr. Schue pointed out, helping Mercedes out of her seat "I mean, look at Vocal Adrenaline. When they're in sync — one big terrifying machine, they're unstoppable" Blaine, Kurt, and I all brought our legs down from the bar as everyone gathered in the middle of the group "Mike, do your thing. Let's go" Mike walked into the middle of the circle we had formed and clapped his hands, gaining everyone's attention "The jazz square, the grapevine, step-touch, the kickball change, and pivot. We perfect these basics, we'll win Nationals" Everyone lined up in two rows, Kurt, Blaine and I in the back whilst Finn, Puck, and Mercedes were in the front. "Grapevine to the right. Five, Six, Seven, Eight" Everyone copied what Mike did as he and Schue called out encouragements whilst we danced. as we danced Kurt and Blaine started speaking about the auditions tomorrow "I'm going to put my light under a bushel, if only to shine brighter for the auditions tomorrow," Kurt said, slightly breathless "I've already decided on 'Till There Was You' from The Music Man for my audition," I said as I quickly tightened up my ponytail "I'm still trying to decide between 'Maria' and 'Something's Coming!'" Blaine said, running a hand through his hair as a stray curl came loose. "Those are Tony songs. Are you auditioning for Tony, too?" Kurt asked concernedly "Would that be weird?" Blaine replied worriedly "No, no, not at all. You'd be a great Tony actually, be the perfect Tony actually, in some respects" Kurt said unconvincingly "Well one of you is bound to get it and if I get Maria then there is no one I would rather play opposite" I said, smiling happily at the two boys "Finn, you look like you're stepping on bees" Mike called out. Finn threw his hands up in frustration and I suppressed a chuckle—Mike was right "Come on, Mercedes, blend" "Well, except, I'm a junior. Tony's the lead. Which means that a senior should probably play that part" Blaine said, trying to appease Kurt "Yeah, that is kind of how it works, huh?" "I'd be fine with Bernardo or Officer Krupke. As long it's opposite your Tony and Naya's Maria" Kurt and I both awed at Blaine's statement, making Blaine blush slightly "Fine!"
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At auditions, the next day Blaine and I stood backstage as Kurt was called up to audition "Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel and I'll be auditioning for the role of Tony. The male lead" He said, his hand on his hip "That's great Kurt" Ms. P said encouragingly "I'll be performing the seminal, and in my case, semi-autobiographical Broadway classic, 'I'm the Greatest Star' from Funny Girl" "Isn't that a Streisand song?" Coach
Beiste asked "I know what you're thinking, but I got written permission from the woman herself. Ms. Rachel Berry" I nudged Blaine gently beside me "I've only known Rachel for a couple of weeks and I already want to rip her head off" Blaine chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders — the gesture had become so natural for us that I instinctively leaned my head on his shoulder "And I'd also like to thank Cassius from my dad's tire shop for kindly constructing my audition scaffolding" "Okay whenever you're ready," Artie said before the music began to play. Kurt settled himself in the scaffolding and the song began.
I'm The Greatest Star — Funny Girl (Sung By Kurt)
Kurt held the final note beautifully, which earned him a large round of applause — Blaine and I clapping the loud. Once Kurt was finished, the directors called a break from auditions, during which, Blaine and I hid outside Ms. P's office — where they were talking - and listened to the conversation. We assumed Kurt would come with us but he disappeared straight after his audition. "Okay, Marias. For me, it's Rachel Berry. I'm just a huge fan. She's got the eye of the tiger, which I like. She's Jewish but I think that helps with the whole Puerto Rican thing" Beiste said, I rolled my eyes at the statement and leaned my head on Blaine's shoulder "But we do have Mercedes Jones and Natalia Vasquez coming in. For my money, Mercedes has the most soulful voice here at McKinley" Ms. P said "Yeah, she's not white, either, which I like for Maria. So we'll keep an open mind" "Well, Natalia's tanned, and from what Will's told me she has a voice that could rival Rachel's. She can sing some high notes" Ms. P said and I blushed slightly. Blaine jerked his shoulder slightly and I looked up at him. He had a bright smile on his face and smiled back, my cheek still resting on his shoulder "I was there when Naya auditioned for Glee, she is amazing — she can hit the same notes Rachel and Mercedes combined can" Artie said "Okay, well like I said. We'll keep an open mind" Beiste said "Okey-doke. Um...Kurt Hummel for Tony. I mean, let's talk about star quality, shall we?" I smiled brightly at the comment, happy for Kurt but a bit worried about what it would make Blaine think "Kurt was awesome" Artie agreed "No question. He owned that song like it was his prison bitch. My thing is, Tony's supposed to be from the streets.
He's the leader of the lets, an alpha gang member. I look at Kurt, and I don't believe it" Coach Beiste said, crushing the hope that I had blooming for Kurt "Well, respectfully, Coach, Tony's retired from the Jets. He's a poet of the urban jungle. There is a delicate wholesomeness to Kurt that's unexpected but not unwelcome, for Tony. I mean, if I were Maria, I'd love to be held in Kurt's toothpick arms on my fire escape" "Listen, I love the kid, but I want a Tony that excites my lady parts. Hummel's too much of a lady" I straightened up where I stood, lifting my head off of Blaine's shoulder, and prepared to storm into that room to give Beiste a piece of mind but, as if sensing what I was about to do, Blaine grabbed my hand — pulling me back beside him. He shook his head at me, telling me not to go in there and his grip tightened. I sighed and leaned back against the wall, continuing to listen "Well, Artie, you know him best. Could Kurt, you know, could he pass?" "I'm a firm believer in color-blind, non-traditional casting. For instance, I hope to play Porgy one day. And we should see who else comes in. But, yeah, I'm a little worried that Kurt may be a little...delicate for Tony" I sighed and slouched against the wall as the bell rang — unaware of my hand still being intertwined with Blaine's.
__________
The next day at the auditions, once again Blaine and I stood backstage waiting for our turns and we were shocked to see Kurt and Rachel walk onto the stage with what looked like a bed. It seemed as though the directors were shocked too "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you two auditioned already" Ms. P asked confusedly "You heard me sing, but I wanted to show you the pure masculine power and intensity I would bring to Tony if and when you graced me with the part" My eyes widened and I nudged Blaine in the side "Did you tell what we heard?" I asked worriedly "No! Did you?" "What? No, of course not. He must've been listening somewhere else" I said with a sigh "I've asked your obvious Maria-elect to do a cold reading with me, not from West Side Story, but from the play it's originally based on, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" I frowned slightly at him calling Rachel
'the obvious Maria-elect' but brushed it off quickly as Rachel annoyingly started talking "And might I just add that I only read through the scene once ten minutes ago and I'm already off book" I rolled my eyes and mumbled 'yeah right' under my breath, earning a chuckle from Blaine "So you're playing Romeo, Kurt?" Beiste asked incredulously "Picture if you will, Juliet's boudoir. Post coitus" I grimaced slightly at the image of Rachel and Kurt doing the nasty that popped into my head and hurried to push it out of my brain as the scene began "Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day. It was the nightingale and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear. Nightly she sings on the yon pomegranate tree. Believe me, love, it was the nightingale" "Tis the lark, the herald of the morn, no nightingale. Look, love, what envious streaks do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. Night candles are burnt out, and jocund days stand tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. I must be gone and live, or stay and die" "Thou light is not daylight, I know it, I. It is some meteor that the sun exhal'd, to be to thee a torch bearer, to light thee on thy way to Mantua. Therefore stay yet;
thou need'st not be gone" "Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death; for I am content, thou wilt have it so. I'll say that yon grey is not the morning eye. 'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow" Kurt stopped talking for a second as Beiste burst out with a chuckle, interrupting the scene. To be fair — I couldn't blame her, I was on the verge of laughing myself "Nor—Nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat the vaulty heaven so high above our heads. I have more care to stay than will to go: home, death, welcome! For Juliet wills it so!" Kurt leaned in to kiss Rachel but she stopped him as she started laughing, she muttered an apology between giggles but I don't think it had much effect as the directors started laughing too. Kurt got up, ignoring Rachel's pleas for him to stay, and ran off stage.
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At Booty Camp the next day, I was about ready to die. I lay on the ground in a starfish position — sweat dripping down my forehead as I tried to catch my breath. How Mike and Mr. Schue were still dancing, I don't know. Mr. Schue was calling people up to come and do the dance we had been working on and I was next "Naya, your turn" I took a deep breath and pushed myself up off of the ground I walked over to Mr. Schue and Mike and sighed, shaking out my arms and legs "Alright let's go" The music started playing and I did the dance. Once I finished, I was met with a round of applause and a hug from Mike. I smiled breathlessly and stumbled over to Kurt, Mercedes, and Puck at the ballet bar, high-fiving the three of them as I approached "All right, Finn. You got this buddy. Come on" Finn sighed and got up as Mr. Schue clapped his hands. They started the dance and Finn looked like he was doing pretty well, but then he stumbled and fell, losing all his confidence as he landed on the floor. Mr. Schue stepped over to him and crouched down beside him, extending out his hand "You okay?" "I can't do this" Finn said with a mixture of anger and sadness in his voice "You can" "I can't!" "Hey, who knows more about dancing—you or me?" "You" "That's right. Look, I know you can do this. And I believe in you" "You can do it, Finn!" I called out in what I hoped was an encouraging way. Kurt, Mercedes, and Puck all joined me in cheering on Finn as he slowly nodded, accepting Mr. Schue's extended hand "One more time" "Whoo! Go, Finn!" I yelled as the music started up again. This time, Finn danced perfectly, not a single step out of place and he was completely in sync with Mike and Mr. Schue. When he finished, everyone erupted into cheers. Kurt and I jumped up and down as we clapped. Suddenly the cheering stopped and I noticed everyone turning to face the opposite way. There stood Quinn—I believe, although she looked different. Her hair was still short but blonde instead of pink and she wore a nice white dress instead of her grunge clothes. She had taken out her nose ring and her makeup was a lot less bold and more subtle "Can I help you, Quinn?" Mr. Schue asked, shocked "I heard this was for people who needed a little help with their dance moves and want to win Nationals," She said, smiling shyly "That's right" "So, I'm a little rusty. And uh...would it be cool if I joined in?" Mr. Schue didn't waste a second before responding "Absolutely" She was quiet for a second, smiling softly "Welcome back" "Get in here, girl" Mercedes cheered as Quinn approached the group "You've been missed" Mercedes hugged Quinn tightly and everyone joined in. She stopped when she got to me "I'm sorry, I don't think I know you" "Oh! Right, I'm new here. I'm Naya Vasquez" I said holding my hand out to her. She looked down at it and then pulled me into a hug "Quinn Fabray" She said as we hugged each other as if we had known each other for years "All right, let's line it up. Enough, enough. Alright, let's get in lines" Everybody got into their lines as Mr. Schue quickly spoke to Kurt before we all danced together.
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After Booty Camp, Blaine and I made plans to meet up to warm up for our auditions. We met on the stage in the auditorium after I had cleaned up and gotten changed. When I arrived he was sitting cross-legged on the floor with sheet music surrounding him. I sat down opposite him, careful not to move the sheets, and smiled softly at him as he flicked through the songs. He was so concentrated that he hadn't noticed a stray curl fall into his face and I had the strongest urge to brush it away but I didn't. Eventually, he looked up to see me and he smiled brightly "I didn't realize you were here," He said, placing down the sheets in front of him "I got here a few minutes ago but you were so focused I didn't want to disturb you" He nodded his head and picked up a sheet, handing it to me "I was deciding which song we should sing together to warm up" I took the sheet from his hands and looked up at him in surprise "'Sun and Moon' from Miss Saigon? Are you sure?" I asked incredulously "Well, I figured we should sing a duet and I know you love Miss Saigon from the countless times you've listened to the soundtrack in the past couple of weeks. Plus you've got quite a high voice and I think this song would suit you really well" I looked back down at the sheet and shook my head "I don't know if I can do it, Blaine. I have to do it justice but enact it I can't? I'd be so disappointed in myself" "Hey" He said, reaching forwards and cupping my face with his hand. He tilted my face up to look at him and stroked his thumb across my cheek. I leaned my head into his hand and smiled softly at him "You can do this. You are an amazing singer and I know you will rock this song" He smiled back at me and he took his hand off my face. He stood up and extended a hand out to me, lifting me to my feet. He then took the sheet music from me and passed it over to the band who had been waiting for us to start. He walked back over to me as the first few piano notes played and took both of my hands in his. I took a deep breath and started to sing.
Sun And Moon — Miss Saigon (Sung By Blaine & Naya)
[Naya]
You are sunlight and I, moon
Joined by the goods of fortune
Midnight and high noon
Sharing the sky
We have been blessed
You and I
[Blaine]
You are here like a mystery
I'm from a world that's so different
From all that you are
How in the light of one night
Did we come so far?
[Naya]
Outside, day starts to dawn
[Blaine]
Your moon still floats on high
[Naya]
The birds awake
[Blaine]
The stars shine too
[Naya]
My hands still shake
[Blaine]
I reach for you
[Blaine & Naya]
And we meet in the sky
[Naya]
You are the sunlight and, I moon
Joined here
Bright'ning the sky
With the flame of love
[Blaine & Naya]
Made of
Sunlight
Moonlight
[Naya]
Tomorrow will be the full moon
I can bring friends to bless our room
With paper unicorns and perfume
If you want me to
[Blaine (spoken)]
Unicorn? Sure...
By the end of the song, our faces were inches away from each other and my hands were framing his jaw. He leaned in closer to me and for a split second I thought he was going to kiss me but instead, he kissed me on the cheek and leaned towards my ear "I knew you could do it" He whispered and I felt an insane amount of heat flood my cheeks. He pulled back slightly but not too much and smiled warmly at me "I couldn't have done it without you"
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Finally, finally, it was the day that Blaine and I would audition for West Side Story and I could not have been more nervous. Blaine gripped my hand tightly, and just his presence was enough to calm the butterflies in my stomach. All the feelings I was experiencing, he was too and that small fact comforted me. I wasn't alone in this "Blaine Anderson" Artie called out and Blaine reluctantly let go of my hand. Just before he walked away, I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to me. I went up on my tiptoes — Blaine was shorter than usual but he was still a lot taller than me — and I kissed him on the cheek "Good luck" I whispered to him with a smile. He blushed slightly, smiling shyly at me before walking onto the stage "Hi guys" He said nervously as he walked center stage "Greetings. Uh, what song will you be singing today?" Artie asked as Blaine swung his arms anxiously "Uh 'Something's Coming'" He said, the directors nodded their heads and Blaine turned his back to them, he glanced to the wings where I stood and I gave him an encouraging thumbs up. he brought his hand up to his mouth and blow a kiss to me, making me blush profusely as the music began.
Something's Coming — West Side Story (Sung By Blaine)
His song earned him a massive round of applause from the directors and I could not have been prouder. It was at that moment that I realized just how much I liked Blaine, we had only known each other for a couple of weeks but it felt as if we had known each other our whole lives. We've sung together, danced together, laughed together and it may seem soon and quick but to me — to me, it was the perfect time "I so want to give you a standing ovation right by now" Artie said "Thank you" Blaine said breathlessly but as he prepared to walk off stage Artie stopped him "Wait. Wait. On your audition form, you said you were only interested in the role of Bernardo" "Uh, yeah, or, I'm Officer Krupke. Either one's fine" I furrowed my eyebrows—confused as to why he would say that but then I realized. He was doing this for Kurt "Would you mind reading for Tony?" Blaine hesitated and I could see how much he wanted to but he wasn't going to—he was too much of a loyal friend to Kurt "I'll think about it" He said, finally answering before walking off stage. I heard Artie such as Blaine reach me in the wings. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him close "Blaine look, I know you don't want to upset Kurt but you need to do what you think is best for you, not him" I said pulling back slightly, but keeping my arms around his neck "You would be the perfect Tony and you know that" "Natalia Vasquez" Artie called out. I huffed, blowing a piece of hair out of my face, and pulled completely away from Blaine "We will talk about this when I get back" I said before skipping off onto the stage. I reached the center of the stage and happily waved at the directions "Hi Artie, Coach Beiste, Ms. P" I said, greeting each director individually "Hi, Naya, what'll you be singing for us today?" Artie asked. I tucked my hair behind my ear and took a deep breath "I'll be singing 'Till There Was You' from The Music Man" I said, shuffling on my feet nervously. Artie nodded and Ms. P leaned closer to her microphone "Take it away Naya" I swung my hands nervously and nodded to the band. The first few notes of the song started playing and I quickly looked over to where Blaine was standing. He mouthed 'You can do this' to me and I felt a warm feeling swell in my heart. I turned my head to face the directors just in time to start singing.
Till There Was You — The Music Man (Sung By Naya)
[Naya]
There were bells on the hill
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you
There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you
And there were wonderful roses
They tell me
In sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you!
I held the last high note for as long as I could only stopping when I ran out of breath. The auditorium was silent for a few moments once the song but then they all burst out into cheers and applause. I smiled at the judges before walking off the stage. I jumped into Blaine's arms, holding him close as he laughed and congratulated me. At that moment I didn't care whether I got the part, I was just glad that I did it, I sang the song.