Road To Nationals // Hunter Clarington

{Chapter 22} 5 : 12

Rose's POV

"All right, everybody. It's time to get this voting nonsense out of the way so that we can continue on with what you all came here for: the music." Mr. Shue claps. "Y'all can use your left hand for anonymity." April tells us. "But I'm left-handed." Sam frowns. "Then use a foot." April jokes. "Okay." Sam takes his shoes off. We all fill out our forms. "Okay, that's everybody." Rachel and Mercedes walk in. "So, um, sorry about that outburst earlier. Mercedes and I have been talking." Rachel apologizes to us.

"And we both realize that asking you guys to vote for who's more talented is just, it's completely ridiculous, unproductive and narcissistic. I mean, how could we ask you guys to choose between two beautiful queen divas?" Mercedes asks. "Well, funny enough, they did vote, and they did choose. And guess what. You're both equally talented in their eyes. And mine." Mr. Shue reveals. They both laugh and we clap quietly.

"Excuse me, excuse me. I'd like to apologize." April says. "It's not the first time I've raised someone's hopes and then left them on the rocky shores of disappointment and regret. Just ask all of my A.A. sponsors." April looks down. "April. We just want to spend the rest of the week singing in peace." Mr. Shue states. "But what I did do was use the last few hours of my NetJets account to bring in someone whose infectious happiness surely will make the next few days that much brighter. Ladies and gentlemen..." April points to Miss Holiday as she casually slides in. 

"Hola, clase. April, thank you for buttering the floor for me. You know I like to make an entrance." Miss Holiday thanks April. "Who's that?" Hunter whispers to me. "Miss Holiday. She was our substitute a few years ago when Mr. Shue was sick." I explain. "Wait, I'm-I'm sorry. How-how do you two know each other?" Mr. Shue questions. "Oh, because there's a whole Facebook page for people who were guests of Glee Club. I'm on it, April..." Miss Holiday gestures to April.

"Blaine's brother, Rachel's mom, that Mexican guy." April remembers. "Holly... This is amazing. Where have you been?" Mr. Shue hugs her. "Oh, I've been everywhere. I quit being a substitute teacher because I couldn't stand being tied down. I like teaching a room full of kids if I know I'm never gonna see them again, but then, if you're any good at it, they keep asking you back, which kind of defeats the purpose. So, I started my trademark Holly Holiday Teachin' Pop-Ups. I just show up at a classroom unannounced, teach a lesson and get the hell out of there. But when I hear Glee Club was ending, I ripped of my Pol Pot uniform, hopped on that first flight our of Buenos Aires and came to pay my respects." Miss Holiday looks over at us.

"Uh, Holly, you know that we're singing our favorite Glee Club songs we've already sung before." Rachel shares. "That's a terrible idea! Listen, that might be fine for you nerds, but when Holly Holiday is in town, this hot bitch is not looking in the rearview mirror; she's looking forward. Hit it!" She exclaims. 'Happy' by Pharrell begins. She sings, and Mercedes calls me out to the hallway with her.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday." Mercedes sighs. "It was way out of line an-" "Mercedes, it's fine." I tell her. "What?" She wonders. "It doesn't matter anymore, I know I probably won't make it as big in the industry as you will, so I just will stop acting like I will. It's no big deal." I try to turn around and walk back into the classroom, but she grabs my arm. "Don't say that." She frowns. "Why not? I know you think the same thing." I laugh lightly.

"I did once. Then I realized it wasn't my place to assume that without knowing what you can do first." I furrow my eyebrows at her statement. "What do you mean?" I inquire. "Whenever you record your first song, I want to be the first to hear it. Just so I know what I'll be up against." She jokes. I laugh with her. "Apology accepted?" She asks. "Yeah." I wrap my arms around her. I'm glad we cleared this up.

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"I want to show you guys something. All of you that were together from the very beginning when the Glee Club was just a dream." Mr. Shue walks in front of the original Glee Club and directs us to the auditorium. I notice Finn's and Lillian Adler's plaques hanging up. "Their new and final resting places. For as long as McKinley's around, all the students who travel through this auditorium are gonna see these." Mr. Shue says.

"And have absolutely no idea who they are." Artie nods sadly. "You know what? This is crazy. Because I could really give two poops about this place, but this is really getting to me." Santana remarks. "I know. Why is that?" Quinn agrees. "We were all raised by different parents. But we grew up together in the Glee Club. It's a part of all of us. Of course you're sad about it." Mr. Shue's tone is more sad now. "I don't know, Mr. Shue. With this and Finn, it's kind of hard to believe that anything lasts." Mike looks down.

"I don't have any more pep talks. I just have you guys. And the memory to the people on this wall. My friends. I mean, we share this special bond. We're the only one in the world who-who know what this Glee Club meant to us. What it felt like to sing together. To be... to be together. And what if feels like to say good-bye to it. I didn't come here to cheer you up. Just to thank you. Thank you for going on this ride with me." Mr. Shue bursts into tears, and a few slip out of my eyes as well. We all hug him before he continues. "All right, come on. We've still got a few days until, uh, Sue shuts the lights out on the choir room, so... let's make the most of them."

I can't believe Glee Club is over.