You Drive Me Crazy || Sam Evans

08. Hell-O

Melanie woke up with a spring in her step, the anticipation of another day at McKinley High fueling her energy. However, as she walked through the school doors with a bright smile, it quickly faded when she saw Rachel, Kurt, and Mercedes covered in blue slush. She sighed, feeling the weight of disappointment settle in her chest as she approached the trio.

"We're still losers, aren't we?" Melanie said glumly, her voice tinged with resignation. The three nodded sadly in agreement as Melanie gestured for them to follow her to the bathroom.

As they walked, Melanie couldn't shake the feeling of frustration and helplessness that washed over her. She had hoped that their involvement in the mattress commercial would change things, that it would elevate the status of the glee club and earn them some respect. But seeing her friends covered in slush, it was clear that nothing had changed.

Inside the bathroom, Melanie turned on the faucet and wetted some paper towels, handing them to Rachel, Kurt, and Mercedes. She watched silently as they wiped away the slush, their movements slow and defeated.

"Well, I guess my hope of never being slushied is down the drain," Melanie quipped, attempting to inject a touch of humor into the situation. But her attempt fell flat as the weight of disappointment still hung heavy in the air.

Rachel let out a weary chuckle, the sound tinged with resignation. "I don't understand; we won sectionals. We're winners, that's more than can be said for the football team," she said, her voice laced with exhaustion.

Kurt nodded in agreement, his usually confident demeanor replaced by a somber expression. "It seems like no matter what we do, we're still targets," he remarked, frustration evident in his voice.

Mercedes sighed heavily, tossing the crumpled paper towel into the trash. "I'm just tired of it all," she admitted, her shoulders slumping under the weight of defeat.

The four of them stood in silence for a moment, the disappointment of their situation weighing heavily on their shoulders. But then, Rachel looked down inside her shirt and groaned. "My training bra is stained blue," she lamented.

Her comment broke the somber mood, and the others couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

Now in Glee club Melanie watched as Mr. Schue drew a stick figure with a speech bubble saying hello on the whiteboard. She, along with the rest of the New Directions, looked at him quizzically.

"Hello," Mr. Schue said, turning to the students. "Hello," he repeated, looking for a response.

"Hello," the group replied weakly.

"What do you guys say when you answer the phone?" he asked.

"What up," said Mercedes.

"Who dis be?" answered Artie.

"Hello," Melanie shrugged.

"No, she's dead, this is her son," Kurt stated boredly. Melanie looked at the boy, concerned that that was his answer.

"O-kay. Uh, Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, liked to say 'Ahoy ahoy' when he answered the phone. It was Edison who decided that 'hello' was a more appropriate greeting. Look, I am really proud of what you guys did at sectionals, but as most of you have realized by now, it hasn't made a bit of difference in your day-to-day at school," Mr. Schue said.

"I have a slushie-stained training bra to prove it," Rachel added.

"The fact is, we're gonna have to be better, even more spectacular, at regionals. It's time for some reinvention, some new directions. We need a new... hello," Mr. Schue instructed.