Road To Nationals // Hunter Clarington

{Chapter 21} 5 : 12

Rose's POV

"All right, everybody, I wish I could say that this week isn't about competing against each other, but time for one last diva-off! And apparently, the only song we can sing in a diva-off is 'Defying Gravity'." Mr. Shue smiles. "Wait. So we have to listen to Kurt shred that note again?" Santana asks. "For the millionth time, I did it on purpose." Kurt reminds her. "And after we're done singing the song, there will be a secret ballot where you guys can finally answer the age-old question: Who is the true star of the Glee Club, me or Mercedes?" Rachel tells us.

"Rose would be in this, too, but Mercedes and I don't have that kind of rivalry with her." Rachel smiles in my direction. "Not with you, but Mercedes is a totally different story." I mutter. Kurt, Mercedes, and Rachel sing 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked. We all cheer when they're done. "The song should be on the Broadway." April jokes. "All right, let's stop playing around. It's time to vote." Mercedes walks to the middle of the choir room. "Actually let's just take a beat and... and just enjoy how amazing those performances were. We'll sleep on it and vote tomorrow. But today, right now, you are all winners." Mr. Shue announces. I look at Mercedes and she looks really pissed off. I'm totally not voting for her. Not after the move she made yesterday.

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(Flashback)

The bell rings signalling school is over to the day. I look around for Hunter, because he's my ride home today. "Where the hell could he be?" I whisper to myself. I'd rather not speak loudly to myself; not wanting people to think I've started to go insane. "Rose!" Josh's voice from the other side of the hall breaks me from my thoughts. "Hey, what's up?" I furrow my eyebrows and he continues, "I just saw Mercedes." "What's so important about it that you had to tell me?" I question confusedly. "She was with Hunter. Well, she looked like she forced him into the conversation." He corrects himself. "Where were they?"  I widen my eyes. "Mr. Cooper's science room." He answers. 

"Thanks, Josh. I'll see you later." I kiss his cheek quickly and turn around, rushing to the classroom. Upon my arrival, I see the door open ajar. I quietly walk over to it, and look through the remaining space in between the door and the doorway. "Come on, Rose doesn't have to know." Mercedes states, trying to sound seductive. "No, Mercedes. I'm not doing this." Hunter speaks to her. At least I know now that he's not cheating on me. 

"Why not? Don't you like me?" I take notice of Mercedes walking closer to Hunter. She then puts a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it. What the hell does she think she's doing? Hunter roughly pushes it off. "I told you no. I love Rose. More than anyone could ever love you." I smile at Hunter's response. Footsteps make their way to the door. Mercedes scoffs and sits down at one of the tables. I step a few feet away and pretend like I was walking towards the classroom. 

Hunter steps out and looks at me. "Hey, babe." He emphasizes 'babe' and glances over at the room next to him quickly. "I heard you two." I whisper in his ear, then lean over at kiss him. "I love you, too." I smile at him. He returns it with a grin, then kisses me again. We proceed to walk away. I hear Mercedes walk out of the classroom and close the door. Turning my head to look back at her, I realize she's glaring at me. I smirk at her then, turn my head back to the front, finally resting in on Hunter's arm. She will never get the best of me like that.

(Flashback Over) 

"Okay, guys, we're having our secret ballot at the end of class, but before we get to that, Puckerman has asked to do a number." Mr. Shue walks to an empty seat and Puck stands up. "Actually, Mr. Shue, I was hoping for this number that we could move-" Santana interrupts him. "Hold up, hold up, Private Puckerman. I'm gonna let you finish, but first I would like to uphold the tradition of hijacking this Glee Club and making everyone sit through what is basically an intervention." She looks at Mr. Shue.

"Mr. Shue, you said that we could redo some of our favorite numbers, right? Well, then I want to do a dance duet with Brittany." Everyone cheers but Brittany, who looks annoyed. They sing and dance to 'Valerie' by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse. "See? This is who you are. This is what happens when you don't think about it." Santana tells Brittany. "Wow. I wouldn't want to follow that number, but, uh... if you're still up for it, Puck..." Mr. Shue gestures to Puck. 

"Well, you know what, for my number, I think, uh... we should move to the auditorium." Puck smirks. We do as he suggests and he and Sam play Avril Lavigne's 'Keep Holding On'. About half-way through, the original Glee Club members- including me- go to perform a little routine we planned, joined by the latest members afterwards.

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"All right, everybody! No more drama. Time to vote for either Rachel or Mercedes." Mr. Shue says. "Excuse me, Schuester. Before we cast another pointless vote in a meaningless contest that has absolutely no practical ramifications whatsoever, I would like to say some words about my good friend Rachel Berry." Santana stands up. Rachel smiles like she's about to be complimented. But, sadly, she's not.

"Rachel Berry is the most horrible human being on the planet." "What?" Rachel asks. "Can it, troll." Santana almost snarls. "Santana..." Mr. Shue scolds. "You have sold half the people in this room down the river more times than I can count so that you could get a solo or a lead in a musical, and I'm pretty sure that you don't know the names of the other half of the people." Santana speaks. "That's not true." Rachel tries to convince us. "All right, what is his name?" Santana points to Ryder. "Rick." Rachel answers like Santana is stupid and Ryder shakes his head. 

"Exactly, thank you. See, you've all met Rachel, okay? But I've... I live with her. Let me tell you what it's like to share a bathroom with this stubby, undergrown little cretin. Someone in that apartment shaves their face and leaves their stubble in the sink, and we all know it ain't Kurt, so do the math." Santana then gestures to Kurt. "That's a lie." Rachel defends.

"You know what else is a lie? When you won Prom Queen." Santana shares. "What?" Rachel wonders in disbelief. "Yeah, that's right. You didn't win, okay? Everybody just felt really bad for you, and the two people that you hate most in this whole works, Quinn and I, stuffed the ballot box so that you would win." Santana reveals. "You're so cruel, Santana. I mean, you're only doing this to me because I'm the lead of Funny Girl and you're just the lowly understudy. You want to make me feel bad because I'm better than you. And you're an awful person." Rachel storms off. "Well! I feel so much better. Let's vote." Santana finally sits back down and the bell rings.

Here we go with the drama again.