If Only || Glee

Ch. 5 || The Rhodes Not Taken

Quinn was not hiding the pregnancy well. She stopped singing, catching Mr.Schue's attention. She held her hand up to her mouth, clearly about to spill her guts everywhere.

"Quinn, you okay?" He watched after her worriedly as she dashed out of the choir room.

Finn pressed his mouth into a line. "I think she just had a bad breakfast burrito."

Ryder frowned as he saw neither Finn nor Puck went to help, or even comfort Quinn. He wanted to, but his pride and knowing that it wasn't his place kept him in his seat. 

Kurt spoke up from in front of Ryder, "Can we please talk about the giant elephant in the room?"

"Your sexuality?" Santana shot at him quickly. Causing Ryder to toss a spare peanut m&m at her. That was his mom's boyfriend's son she was talking about, after all. "It's so sweet how you defend your boyfriend, Stilts."

Ryder rolled his eyes at the jab, it did make him sick to his stomach though. He didn't even want to imagine being in a relationship with Kurt. Borderline incest was not his cup of tea.

Kurt sighed in annoyance. "Rachel. We can't do it without her." 

Mr.Schue ran a hand through his curls, obviously not wanting to hear Kurt's pessimism. "That's not true. We may have to layer Santana and Mercedes over Quinn's solo, but...we'll be fine."

"Maybe for the invitationals, but not for the sectionals and certainly not the regionals," Artie said quietly, just loud enough for the teacher to hear.

"The wheelchair kid's right. That Rachel chick makes me me wanna light myself on fire, but she can sing." Puck finally looked up from his phone, which he had bene texting on the whole time.

"You make me want to light myself on fire," Ryder mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for the mohawked idiot to hear. He looked back and glared, not making a move from his chair.

Mr. Schue looked around hopelessly. Defeated, he admitted it out loud, "Rachel left, guys. She's gone. If we want to make this thing work, we can't look back. Alright, take five minutes."

The next few Glee clubs meetings were uneventful. More whining about no Rachel and Quinn doing a lot less singing and a lot more sitting in a stool looking bored.

Everything was beginning to feel normal again. Ryder in the background while Finn and Quinn reveled in the spotlight, together. Until Mr. Schue introduced a new member to the Glee Club, one a little-- out of the age category.

"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to someone very special. This is April Rhodes. She's our newest member." He smiled at the woman, clapping his hands excitedly. April stood beside him wide eyed and enthusiastic. 

Finn cocked his head in confusion. "Wait, so old people can join Glee Club now?"

The blonde woman clicked her tongue, her hand taking rest on her hip sassily. "Old, huh? You guys look like the world's worst Benetton ad."

Mr.Schuester shook his head, making a noise of disapproval. Ryder raised his hand, this woman was eyeing them all up too much for his taste, "I don't think this is a good idea Mr.Schue." He noticed the way April's eyes focused and unfocused as she attempted to check Puck out, she was clearly drunk out of her mind.

"April is a great singer. And she never graduated," he assured the teenagers, trying to make them believe in her as much as he tried to. 

Mercedes raised her hand. "We appreciate what you're trying to do, but she's no Rachel."