525,600 minutes

chapter 18

"Please tell me he isn't serious about this song?" Santana begged concentrating on her toe nails that were being carefully painted red. "I think I'd rather Brit's suggestion of that stupid High School Musical song."

"The song's not that bad." Mercedes interjected pausing the braid she was putting in Lauren's hair. "At least it's not from before 1980."

"Do I need to remind you that we will be singing this song in front of the entire school and our families?"

"Girl, I grinded with Kurt and sang Push It in front of the school, this is a cake walk."

"Are you girls still complaining about this orange song?" Puck snickered. "I am not singing that at graduation."

"It's Vitamin C." Kurt corrected placing his shoulder bag on a chair. "And I agree, it's cliché and boring."

"You got anything better?" Blaine countered.

Kurt had ignored Carver's words of warning and pursued Blaine. The fire at the Dalton Academy that led to Blaine's transfer had been officially declared as the result of of faulty electrical wiring, everyone else had been certain Kurt had started the fire to ensure his crush would have to change schools. Blaine had remained completely unaware of Kurt's unrequited love until Mercedes literally walloped him over the head and threatened his man parts if he didn't put her best friend out of his misery; they'd been on the rocky road of love ever since.

"That's the point, anything would be better."

"I still don't see what was wrong with my suggestion." Puck complained. "Alice Cooper is a rock legend."

"It insinuates that you're going to blow up the school." Rachel pointed out abandoning her conversation with Matt and Brittany. "Miss Pillsbury suggested the song, that's why Mr Schue is so adamant we sing it."

"We've got to change his mind." Artie agreed. "But I can't think of any songs that aren't cheesy."

"Google it." Tina suggested. "I don't care if it's cheesy, anything else would be better."

"What about the song from The Breakfast Club?" Sam suggested. "It sort of fits."

"Simple Minds are pretty awesome." Finn agreed offering Sam a fist bump.

"Actually I have an idea as well." Rachel smiled nervously; a lot had changed since Regionals in junior year but even now her suggestions were always met with hesitancy; people were just more tactful about it. "I know it's not exactly my usual taste but I heard the song when I went with Indi to see Jackson open for them when they were touring right after I moved to New York."

"Well are you going to tell us or just keep us all in suspense?" Mike asked; he was a lot more talkative and less shy these days; he and Tina had sorted their differences after Tina had apologised for being stubborn. They were still together and their fights always made for the best glee gossip.

"In this diary."

"Never heard of it."

"Who the hell sings that?"

"I'm not singing some pansy ass song about a chick writing in her diary."

"Guys shut up and let her explain." Finn yelled motioning for his girlfriend to continue.

"It's by The Ataris and I think it's perfect and not at all lame, clichéd or cheesy." She glanced over her shoulder to the band and gave them a nod having already supplied them with music earlier.

Rachel shrugged off her cardigan and laid it carefully on her chair striding towards the middle of the room while the band started to play.

"Here in this diary,
I write you visions of my summer.
It was the best I ever had.
There were choruses and sing-alongs
and not a spoken feeling
of knowing that right now is all that matters."