Gleeboot (Season 2)

4. Resilience

On Monday morning, school resumed as usual, but for Mia it was a whole new world. The whole school had witnessed the humiliating end to her relationship with Alex and she had been in hiding all weekend. Now she was hesitant to even return.

But she couldn't avoid this week. It was a big week. Dubbed Spirit Week, this week led up to the football team's state championship game on Friday. The Cheerios had their Regionals on Saturday. She couldn't miss it.

As she walked through the school's hallways, Mia sported her pajama attire, the theme of the day. She looked cute and cozy, but the warmth she exuded was merely a facade. Inside, she felt like a pariah among her classmates, an outcast in her own world.

As she approached her locker, Mia's heart sank further. Her locker was marred with a vulgar message in jet-black letters: "SLUT." 

The crude word sprawled across the metal surface. Mia was momentarily frozen in shock, her world collapsing around her. All around her, students had gathered, their eyes fixed on the graffiti, their hushed voices adding to the weight of her despair. 

Laughter, cruel and unrelenting, echoed through the hallway. It felt as though the walls were closing in on her, threatening to smother her. Darkness encroached, and she teetered on the brink of fainting when two  hands landed gently on her shoulders.

A lifeline, perhaps, and one which she didn't deserve. She couldn't see a thing, dizzy beyond belief as someone guided her away from the heartless crowd.

***

Mia's vision slowly returned as she took in her surroundings. She found herself seated in a familiar room, the choir room.

And she wasn't alone. Dominic sat beside her. It was his hands that had guided her away from the jeering crowd.

Embarrassment washed over Mia like a wave. She opened her mouth to offer thanks but hesitated, uncertain of how to express her gratitude to someone she'd been through this with already. 

Before she could speak, Dominic's voice cut through the tension.

"It's no big deal," he reassured her, his voice calm and comforting. "I just couldn't stand seeing you like that."

Mia blinked back tears and began to say, "I'm sure you heard about what happened on Friday... I really can't believe that—" Her voice trailed off as Dominic interrupted her.

"I was just helping you get out of the line of fire," he stated firmly, his voice detached, "but that's where my involvement ends. Whatever mess you've made this time... I don't want any part of it. But I wish you luck cleaning it up."

With those words, he rose from his seat and left Mia alone with her thoughts and the weight of her troubles.

***

As the kids filed into their classrooms, Sam stood in the hallway, arms crossed as he thoughtfully stared at the lockers. Gwen was walking towards her classroom when she saw him and she couldn't help but smile. He'd been so busy with her glee kids that they'd hardly spent time together since their New Year's vacation with Santana and Brittany, but every little moment counted.

She made her way toward him, eager to greet him, but as she got closer, her eyes fell upon Mia's vandalized locker. Her expression shifted quickly from joy to curiosity and then shock.

Gwen turned to Sam, concern etched across her features. "What on earth happened here?" she asked.

"I saw a crowd around here earlier and decided to check it out," he explained. "I asked everyone around what this was about and no one would admit to knowing who did it. They all dispersed to their classes but... But it's Mia's locker."