You Drive Me Crazy || Sam Evans

82. The Quarterback

"I'm really glad so many of you could make it back for this," Mr. Schue said solemnly, the air in the choir room unlike anything it had ever been before.

This room — the room that had somehow become one of the most important places in all of their lives — had seen its share of hard moments. Friendships had broken apart here. Relationships had ended here. They'd all experienced heartbreak, overwhelm, anger, humiliation, and anguish within these walls.

But nothing like this.

It felt like they were all one big exposed nerve, raw and vulnerable beyond repair... because there wasn't a repair for this.

Because no song, or group hug, or lesson of the week could fix what had been broken.

They had lost Finn.

They had lost one of their own.

You couldn't fix that.

"We wouldn't miss it for anything, Mr. Schue," Mike replied quietly.

"The funeral was for everyone, but I wanted to do something just for us," Mr. Schue continued.

Melanie took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she swallowed a lump forming in her throat at the word funeral.

Beside her, Sam slipped his hand into hers, giving it a tight squeeze.

"To memorialize him the only way we know how... by singing. All week long. Anyone who wants to can come up and sing. Maybe a song he sang, maybe something that reminds you of him..." Mr. Schue explained before finally taking a seat with the rest of them instead of standing at the front of the room like usual.

"Singing isn't going to bring him back," Puck snapped bitterly.

"No, it's not. Nothing is. Not ever." Mr. Schue answered softly, resting a hand on Mercedes' shoulder as she sat there looking almost completely despondent.

"But... for two minutes or so, maybe we can remember the best parts of him." His voice wavered slightly. "So think about what you want to sing, if you want to sing, and we'll start tomorrow."

"Oh, I-I can't wait until tomorrow, Mr. Schue," Mercedes said suddenly, pulling herself out of her stunned silence as she slowly rose to her feet. "I've been bawling for three weeks. If I don't get this all out now, I don't think I'll ever stop crying."

"Sure, Mercedes," Mr. Schue nodded gently. "Start us off."

Mercedes leaned down and whispered the song title into Brad's ear before turning back toward the group.

"Um... I remember Finn telling me that he sang this song to his baby's sonogram." Her voice cracked slightly. "Well... he thought it was his baby."

A few watery laughs broke through the heavy silence.

Melanie's mind drifted back to that time, back to the beginning of glee club. It had been the beginning of the rest of their lives, really.

And she wanted to look back on those memories and feel warmth. Joy. Comfort.

But she couldn't.

Because Finn shouldn't just be a memory.

He should be here.

"He was the first cool kid to be nice to any of us," Mercedes continued shakily, tears filling her eyes. "And he was... our leader in here."

Her voice broke completely.

"We love you, Finn."

"Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes. Come on and come to me now," she began softly.