Little Monsters | Unholy Trinity

8

A/N: Who's here?

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Rachel Berry knocked on her advisor's office door with her head held high. She knew this was a risky conversation but hoped they could put their differences aside as professionals.

"Madame Tibideaux?" Rachel called into the large office as she leaned inside with a small smile. "Do you have a moment?"

The woman looked up momentarily and then back down at her paperwork, "If it's to reschedule your Midwinter Critique, then yes. Otherwise, no, I'm meeting with my daughter for lunch reservations in an hour."

"Yes, Cami mentioned that to me." Rachel ignored the way Carmen tensed at the nickname. "So I was just hoping that maybe we could reschedule for after my opening night."

Flabbergasted by Rachel's audacity, Carmen paused her writing and looked up at the smiling woman.

"I thought I was very clear about that." Carmen raised her brows. "It's either this week or you fail."

"I thought that the appeal of NYADA was that we could explore other activities, outside of the school." Rachel tried to keep her smile up, hands moving to seem less nervous about talking to her — hopefully — future mother-in-law.

"Yes." Carmen laced her fingers with a loud thud on her desk. "As long as you kept your studies up. But I've spoken to your professors and they say you are underperforming."

"I'm sorry, who said that?" Rachel breathed out a small laugh.

"All of them." Carmen pressed her lips together as Rachel stuttered to find a response. "All of them."

"I have put up with every single thing that this school has thrown at me." Rachel protested. "Including that lunatic, Cassandra July."

"Ms. Berry, you are barley scraping by and you have the nerve to come up in here and ask for special treatment when you haven't earned it?" Carmen's voice rose slightly as she allowed her annoyance to drip into her voice. "As you should know, no one get's special treatment in my school."

"I don't understand why you're being so difficult. It's just a critique!" Rachel cried out, shaking her head. "Is this because I'm dating Camren?"

"Do not bring my child into this conversation, Ms. Berry. We are talking about you." Carmen stood up from her chair and jabbed her finger down into the desktop. "And this is not just a critique! This is you deciding: Are you a part of this community? Do you want to get your degree? Do you care about the work, or is it just about the spot light?"

"You can ask Camren, Madame Ti—"

"Camren plays on the streets and turned down the chance to be Fanny Brice because she's decided, Ms. Berry." Carmen breathed carefully through her flaring nostrils as she reached forward and turned the picture on her desk around, slamming it flat in front of the student. "Camren has decided! She's chose to do the work! She's chose to be a part of this community! She's going to get her degree! Despite having everything, Camren has stepped out of the spotlight because she knows it's about climbing the stairs...not taking the escalator. She gave up being the lead for you in the same play you are neglecting your school work for because she has decided her future!"