Road To Nationals // Hunter Clarington

{Chapter 17} 5 : 11

Rose's POV

"Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, if we get caught-" Unique is pushed forward by Tina. "Oh, just go!" Tina exclaims. "Trust me, when I was in the Warblers, sneaking onto the stage the night before a show was tradition." Blaine tells us. "I didn't do that when I was captain of the Warblers." Hunter furrows his eyebrows. "Oh, sorry. We had other traditions, but I can't really speak of them." Blaine frowns. "We're not doing anything wrong. We're just, you know, getting a feel for the layout of the stage- our stage." Sam looks at me as he corrects himself.

"So should we sing a song or hold hands or say a prayer or something? Because if I'm being honest, this ghost light's kind of freaking me out." Artie shares. "All right, everybody, circle up. I have a surprise." Sam snaps his fingers and walks to the middle of the stage. "Finn Hudson made us a promise at the beginning of the year: that we were all going back to Nationals together." Sam walks around our circle. "Even when we lost Sectionals, which was totally not Marley's fault, Finn told us that it wasn't over. He said that we'd be right here, together. Now, maybe you're thinking, 'Finn isn't here'." Sam walks over to the briefcase he brought with us. I close my eyes as he pulls out the Finn's plaque. "Well, he is. I made sure of it." Sam holds the plaque close to him.

"Well, well! Les Directions Nouveau!" Jean-Baptiste appears in the doorway. "Uh, apparently, we had the same plan for an illegal midnight rehearsal." He walks down the aisle. "We? You're alone." Blaine reminds him. "Am I?" The lights turn on. "Existentially, yes, Blaine. Perhaps. We are all alone." Members of Throat Explosion step out from the wings of the stage. Hunter pulls my back to his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"But tonight, tonight, this stage belongs to us from midnight until dawn. You see, I called in a few show choir favors. So, we'll just give you three minutes to gather your feelings and leave." Jean-Baptiste announces. "Who is that?" A boy next to Kitty asks pointing at Finn's plaque. "Your spirit guide?" He jokes. "Dolph, enough. Have some respect." Jean-Baptiste scolds. "Look, everyone know you're that show choir. And everyone knows it's been a very rough year for you. And now everyone is just waiting and watching... you." He makes a sharp turn and gets in Blaine's face again.

"Tonight, you have our condolences, New Directions. But let's just be very, very clear. Tomorrow, you will not have our mercy, pity or restraint. We are Throat Explosion. Expect us! Seven, eight!" Jean-Baptiste yells and Throat Explosion all stomp their feet rhythmically. Sam walks away, and we all follow behind him. I turn around to glare at Throat Explosion, and see Jean-Baptiste looking at me. Then he does the worst thing. He winks at me. I guess Hunter saw, because his body tenses up and he tries to walk towards them. "Hunter, it's fine. Let's go." I grab his arm and he looks back at me. He then turns back around and wraps an arm around me protectively. "That piece of shit." He grumbles. I chuckle before we walk off the stage, and back to the hotel.

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"What's wrong?" Blaine asks Sam, who seems to be losing his mind int he front seat. "Finn's plaque- it's missing." Sam answers. "Don't panic. I'm sure it's here somewhere." Blaine states calmly. "It's not. It's not in here. I put it right here. It's gone." Sam checks through everything again. Jean-Baptiste passes the bus. Sam rushes off of the bus. "Give it back!" He exclaims. "Give what back? Your talent? Because you obviously left that in Ohio." Dolph high-fives Jean-Baptiste. 

"All right, just give us the plaque back." Blaine crosses his arms over his chest. "Gentlemen, let's get serious. You've got zero change of winning. You lost your Sectionals. So you're only here on a technicality. And everyone knows all your decent singers graduated. And a little piece of wood with a picture of a guy on it isn't gonna change-" Sam pushes him back into a few members of Throat Explosion. "You're a tool, man! Come on!" Sam yells at him. "Okay, break a leg." Throat Explosion walks off.

"Sam, just... just let it go." Blaine grabs his shoulder. I walk out of the bus and put a hand on his other shoulder. "They're just trying to psych us out; they're being idiots." I tell him. "W got to get our game faces on a win this thing, okay?" Blaine finishes and we get back on the bus. "Okay, guys, look. The plaque doesn't matter. You know why? Because I believe with all my heart that Finn is here. He's right here with us, right now. And he's holding all our hands, and he's telling us, 'The show must go all over the place'." I smile at Blaine as Sam continues to speak.

"And when we're up there onstage, he's gonna be sitting right next to Mr. Shue cheering us on. And when we win our second Nationals trophy, he's gonna be cheering us on even louder. All right? So let's do this, let's go!" Sam claps and we all cheer.

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"A reminder from the City of Angels! The 405 Freeway is closed for repairs this month. Also the subway isn't working and bus service had been canceled due to snipers. Also if you try to walk, people will look at you weird. Also watch out for terrorists." The announcer reminds the audience. "What the hell?" Hunter whispers to me. I shrug confusedly. "And now let's meet our judges! Please welcome the living legend and Academy Award winner, Miss Marlee Matlin!" The audience cheers.

"Give a warm hand for entertainment icon and Emmy Award winner, Jackee!" The audience cheers. "But you all can just call me Jackee." She tells us sassily, and I roll my eyes. "A round of applause for the inventor of the fitness craze that's sweeping the nation, Prancercise, Johanna Rohrack!" Everyone claps again. "And now from Oklahoma City, Amazonians!" The lights dim. 

I can't believe this is happening again.