New Girl In Town (1) ✔️

So You Sing?

Twenty minutes later and all my belongings are in my new room. Finn left with the promise that he would be back in a few hours to pick Kurt and Rachel back up.  So they were with Blaine and I trying to set all my things up.

"Kurt, step away from her clothes. I know you mean well but I don't think Shannon wants you to criticize her style choices."

"Blaine I'm just trying to properly organize her closet. There is nothing wrong with her clothes. She may be short but I don't think any of these would make her look too young. Totally age appropriate and cute."

I'm perched on the bed enthralled by the two boys standing near my closet. Rachel sits next to me and rolls her eyes at the two of them. "Don't worry, they're always like that. At least he likes YOUR clothes. He's been trying to give me a makeover since Freshman year. Last time he made me look like a sad clown hooker."

I chuckled. "Oh my, that's harsh. Well while the lovebirds bicker about my style choices would you like to help me set up my photos?" I held a box between us on the bed with mementos from my former life. We began sorting through the box finding places for everything.

"Oh my gosh. This photo of you with your dad is adorable. You really didn't want to sit on his lap did you?" Yea I was bawling in that photo and no more than 2 years old. "And this one with you and your mom on bikes, so cute!! Where was this taken?"

"That one? Hmm... That is when we went to Presquile State Park up on Lake Erie when I was 9, I think." I passed both of the frames back to her and she set them on my night stand.

We rooted through the box some more and then she pulled back all of a sudden and shoved one of them under my nose. Oh no, here it comes. I know this photo...

"Why are you wearing coordinated, sequined outfits in this posed group photo?!" Wow her voice got shrill all of a sudden. The two by my closet even looked over at that. Everyone crowded around the picture and I knew I was going to have to spill.

Softly I mumbled, "That was my Variations group photo from last year." They all looked at me oddly until I elaborated further. "You know, show choir? I know, I know it's lame but I kinda loved it. We didn't compete but it was fun singing and dancing for concerts. I had been in chorus since I was 9 so it felt like the logical step. We preformed at the Statue of Liberty that year."  I could see them do it, exchanging those looks. I'd come to expect that whenever I would explain this to new friends.

"You were in show choir?? You preformed in NEW YORK?! YOU CAN SING?!?!?!!?!?!?" Pretty sure Rachel hit notes only dogs can hear with that line in questioning. It seemed like her voice skipped three octaves in the process.

"Um, yeah?" I shot Blaine a panicked look. I just met this girl and now she was practically hyperventilating over my old choir photo. "Is that a problem?"

Kurt was trying to calm Rachel down so Blaine tried to explain. "So you remember when I went to Dalton and was on the Warblers?" I nodded, he used to send me clips of their shows. So cute with the blazers, two stepping behind Blaine as he sang 'Hey Soul Sister'. Plus guys in uniforms? Some of those guys looked very yummy... Blaine snapped his fingers at me, breaking me out of my Warbler fantasies. "Anyway, well we're in the glee club at McKinley. Rachel and Kurt are actually founding members of New Directions."

I gasped. "Nude Erections?! That's a rather vulgar name for a high school singing group!"

"No, no Shann. New Directions. We're pretty good. They made it to Nationals last year." Ohhhhh.... All I ever did was sing for fun. These guys were serious.

While we were talking apparently Kurt and Rachel were whispering to each other. She regained her composure and said something I really didn't want to do. "That's it, you have to audition once you start at school. In fact, I demand you sing for us now!"

"Chill Rach. She just got in."

"No, no, no Kurt. She said she sings. So she's singing." Final. No other way. Crap...

"Fine if you insist. I haven't done this in a while so bare with me." I shuffled through my iPod and picked out a song. I closed my eyes and began to sing.

"Reflection" (a/n originally by Christina Aguilera)

Look at me
You may think you see
Who I really am
But you'll never know me
Every day
It's as if I play a part
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

I am now
In a world where I
Have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

There's a heart that must be
Free to fly
That burns with a need to know
The reason why

Why must we all conceal
What we think, how we feel?
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

The song ended and I opened eyes to look at the other three sitting on my bed. Blaine looked so proud of me.  Rachel and Kurt shared shocked looks. "She hit the high E above Middle C..."  Rachel said in hushed tones. "I know, right. Rach, Blaine she needs to join Glee."

I've been singing since I was little, it shouldn't be surprising that I can hit the note. What, like it's hard?! I've been practicing that song since 'Mulan' came out.  "You guys satisfied now? Can we get back to organizing my things?"

Thankfully I was able to stop the mumbling about singing and glee clubs. "Let's focus on more important things guys. Finn should be back soon, so can we just order Chinese and chat? I'm beat."