Swaying In The Background

Episode 10: Ballad

"You have got to be kidding me," Mike said spinning around on his chair. It was a Sunday night when Matt had decided to call him that he was in hospital.

"Yeah, I've been having a severe earache since me and my family went backpacking last weekend. My mum took me to the hospital and they found a spider in there."

Mike scrunched his face in disgust.

"They managed to get it out but want to monitor me for a few days so I won't be in school for the week 'cause my mum has already said she's not sending me back until I'm completely healed. I had to practically beg for my phone so that I could let you know what was going on." Matt said sounding annoyed.

Mike laughed, he could never imagine his parents letting him stay home for a whole week.

"It's not funny, stop laughing"

That caused Mike to laugh harder.

"I hate you" Matt muttered, petulantly.

Mike grinned "You love me"

"Yes, I do" Matt replied softly.

Mike paused feeling his face flush "Um I'll come and see you later on in the week."

"Can't wait to see you"

"Me too" Mike smiled before hanging up. He sat back in his chair feeling like a little girl. He shook his head, had to get homework done, and swooning over his boyfriend was not helping.

//////

Mr Schue wrote 'Ballad' on the board before turning to the group. "Who knows what this word means?"

Rachel and Kurt immediately raised their hands.

"It's a male duck" Brittany stated in full confidence. Mike bit his lip trying not to laugh.

Mr Schue looked confused "Kurt"

"A ballad is a love song," Kurt said.

"Sometimes," Schue corrected him "but they don't always express love. Ballads are stories set to music, so they're the perfect storm of self-expression. Stories and music are the way we express feelings that we can't get out any other way. Okay, now, sectionals are in a few weeks and there's a new rule this year we have to perform...a ballad."

Rachel looked especially happy "Looks like my weekly letter to the Ohio Show Choir Committee finally paid off!"

Mike almost burst out laughing at the look on Puck's face.

"Okay. So here's our assignment for the week: I'm going to pair you off, and I want you to pick a ballad to sing to your partner. Look them right in the eye, find the emotion you want to express and make them feel it." Mr. Schue explained as he stared into Artie's eyes who looked extremely uncomfortable once he looked away.

Finn said he picked Quinn but Mr Schue said their partners will be chosen by fate. He walked over to a hat that had all their names in it.

"But Matt's out sick today. He had to go to the hospital 'cause they found a spider in his ear." Santana interrupted.

Everyone had various looks of disgust on their faces.

"I guess I'll just have to put my name in the hat for now," Schue said as he wrote his name on a piece of paper and dropped it into the hat. Mike tilted his head, 'cause that's the next logical step. What was Mr. Schue thinking?

Each of the Glee club goes up to the hat and picks a name out of the hat.

Puck gets Mercedes, Artie gets Quinn and Finn gets Kurt.