Glee Club // Hunter Clarington

{Chapter 44} 4 : 21

Rose's POV

Kitty has just finished singing 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours'. We are all cheering and laughing together. "Seemed like the perfect Stevie song to celebrate Artie getting his acceptance letter into film school." Kitty explains to us and my mouth gapes open. "Signed, sealed, delivered." Kitty smiles. Artie wheels back to his usual 'seat'. "Well, you know, that may have been the perfect song, but that performance was just one package that I'm not signing for. I mean, honestly, it was good, but you guys have got to be great for Regionals." Mercedes says rudely. "Yeah, clearly we should be taking our advice from someone who came crawling back to Ohio after apparently having her L.A. dream shattered. You learn your new lyrics yet? Do you want fries with that?" Kitty over-exaggeratedly sings the last sentence. 

I laugh quietly to myself, so does Hunter. "Oh, well, maybe if you put some of that sass in your performance, your teacher wouldn't have begged me to come here and be your new vocal coach." Mercedes fires back and Kitty makes a face. "Mercedes is one of the strongest vocalists in McKinley Glee Club history." Mr. Shue states. "So get on point, Kitty, your little theory about Mercedes' shattered dreams, like most of the garbage that comes out of your mouth, is wrong. All right, Mercedes is back because she has a new album coming out, all about home, and she's come back to film a video for it." Kurt explains.

"Wow, Mercedes, that's awesome." Sam comments. I roll my eyes in an annoyed manner. Mercedes may be my #1 home girl, but ever since she got a record deal, she hasn't stopped finding ways to brag about it. I hope if I get one I won't be like that. "And Mr. Shue asked me to help choreograph for Regionals." Mike says. "I love you, Mike, I love all my exes. But this isn't wonderful news, it's shocking. Now we need some guy to help us dance? #GleeHatesGirls. And what are you here to lecture us about, Kurt, our horrible taste in clothing?" Tina asks, turning to Kurt. "My dad has cancer." Kurt's eyes widen.

"Thanks, Tina." Blaine says quietly. "All right, let's take this whole thing from the top. Kitty in the back. Rose, I want you on lead vocals. All right, come one... let's go." Mercedes continues to boss us around. At least throughout the years, I have always been on her good side.

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"All right, everybody, let's give it up for Island Beetz recording artist extraordinaire, Mercedes Jones." Sam introduces Mercedes. I roll my eyes, but clap and cheer with everyone else. There she goes reminding us yet again. "All right, all right. Now, I know that Kurt is going through a lot this week, but in spite of that, we are all very happy to be here. As you may remember, we saw you guys at Sectionals, and there's a reason that you guys lost. Fear." Mercedes begins. I know she's going to bring up Marley. 3, 2, 1... "For instance, Marley. You have got killer vocals, but you have stage-fright. Rose." She looks at me.

"You are an amazing artist and I've heard you have started song-writing." I nod my head letting her know that's true. "So, why is it that I've never heard you do a Mercedes Jones-style vocal run?" She asks me. "I don't know. Maybe because I'm not you." I state. Everyone looks at me. "What do you mean?" She questions. "I mean, that I'm not Mercedes Jones. I'm not the Mercedes Jones that you're making me out to be. I'm just Rosalyn Knight, the girl who's-" She interrupts me. "Too afraid to try. You have every bit of potential in being able to do anything. You're just putting yourself down and thinking that you won' be able to do it." Mercedes begins to walk towards me.

"But trust me, girl, you can do it. You're just too scared to belt it out. And you're probably afraid that when you do, I'm gonna test your breath control by hitting you in the solar plexus with this maraca." She pulls me toward the other two graduates near the front of the stage and grabs a maraca from Mike. "All right, give this girl a note to do a little runnin' with." Mercedes requests. A note begins to play. "Oh..." I grunt when she hits me in the stomach with the maraca. We all laugh. "See? If you had better breath control, you could probably hold that note every time. All right, floppy-headed bass player, why don't you give us a little bit of that spooky Stevie Wonder bass line to get us moving. And all of y'all need to shake out your nerves and stop being so scared, and that includes you, Kurt." Mercedes points him out and he widens his eyes. 

"I know what you're going through, and this one's for you, baby. And, Rose, I want to hear those high notes, and don't be stingy with those runs." Mercedes reminds me. I nod my head as Stevie Wonder's 'Superstitious' begins to play. 

[Mercedes]

Very superstitious
Writing's on the wall
Very superstitious
Ladders 'bout to fall
Thirteen-month-old baby, yeah
Broke the looking glass, yeah

Seven years of bad luck, yeah
The good things in your past

Oh, when you believe in things
That you don't understand
Then you suffer
(Rose: Don't understand)
Superstition ain't the way
(Rose: Hey, yeah)

[Blaine]

Ooh, very superstitious
Wash your face and hands
Rid me of the problems
Do all that you can
Keep me in a daydream

Keep me going strong
You don't want to save me

Sad is my song

[Rose]

Oh, whoa
When you believe in things
You don't understand

Then you suffer

Superstition ain't the way

[Mercedes] 

No, no, no, no, no
When you believe in things
That you don't understand

Then you suffer
(With Rose: Superstition ain't the way)

We all finish cheering and clapping until the bell rings. 

That went better than I thought it was going to.