Always and Forever - Book 2

The Substitute

"All right, guys, um... Time to start thinking about song selections," Mr. Schue said, writing "Sectionals" on the whiteboard.

Hunter sighed, glancing down at the notes in his lap. No matter what they suggested, the setlist would inevitably be chosen by Mr. Schue. He wasn't the only one tuning out, though. As soon as Mr. Schue turned his back to the class, Hunter heard Santana's familiar teasing voice.

"Lookin' good, Puckerman," she called, her tone playful. "Someone's been eating their Wheaties."

Puck smirked, flexing his biceps and kissing them dramatically. "These guns are fully loaded," he shot back, winking at Santana, who rolled her eyes.

Before the banter could continue, Rachel raised her hand, her voice cutting through the chatter. "Mr. Schue? I, for one, think we should use our setlist for Sectionals to start exploring the oeuvre of one Bernadette Peters."

From her seat, Brittany chimed in, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Someday, I'm gonna go to Paris and visit the oeuvre."

Emily, sitting next to her, frowned in confusion but didn't comment.

Behind them, Hunter heard Mike murmur under his breath, "I just want to dance."

Mercedes, noticing something off about Mr. Schue, interrupted the conversation. "Mr. Schue, are you okay?" she asked, concern lacing her voice. "You look a little green."

Hunter lifted his head, and sure enough, Mr. Schue did seem off. His normally confident posture looked a bit slouched, and his face had a pale, almost sickly hue.

"Um... I think I'm gonna go see the nurse," Mr. Schue said hoarsely, his eyes distant. "But first, I feel like I should get you guys a sitter."

Hunter frowned, watching as Mr. Schue slowly walked toward the door. "Did he say we need a sitter?" he asked, annoyed. "What, do we look ten?"

Before anyone could respond, Rachel stood up and marched to the whiteboard. Without missing a beat, she erased "Sectionals" and, with a flourish, wrote "Me" in bold letters.

"Class," Rachel began, her voice filled with authority, "in Mr. Schuester's absence, I'd like to go around and ask everyone what solos you'd like to hear me perform at Sectionals."

The room fell into a stunned silence before the chaos erupted. Hunter and Santana shot up from their seats simultaneously.

"All right, you know what? Let me at her!" Hunter yelled, already charging toward Rachel. Sam leaped up, grabbing him around the waist to hold him back.

"¡Tú eres loca! (You are crazy!)" Santana screamed at Rachel, her fury undeniable as Puck held her back, trying to calm her down. The room exploded into chaos, with both Hunter and Santana yelling profanities in Spanish as Rachel stood frozen in the middle of it all, horrified by the scene unfolding around her.

Sam managed to pull Hunter back down onto the chair, but instead, Hunter landed right on Sam's lap, smirking as he took in the chaos. He exchanged a glance with Quinn, who sat nearby, wide-eyed and clearly shocked by how quickly things had spiraled.

Amid the pandemonium, it was clear—order was the last thing on anyone's mind.

***

After Glee club had finally wrapped up and the room had cleared out, Sam and Hunter walked down the hallway together, the chaotic events of the day still fresh in their minds. Sam glanced over at Hunter, who seemed perfectly content despite everything that had gone down. Suddenly, Sam burst into laughter, shaking his head.

"Dude, you really went for Rachel back there," Sam chuckled, wiping his eyes. "I thought you were actually gonna tackle her!"

Hunter smirked, unapologetic as ever. "Honestly? I was this close," he said, holding his fingers barely an inch apart. "She had it coming with that whole 'Me' thing. Like, come on, Rachel."