Burning up ☞︎ A Jesse st. James Fan Fic

The Hurt Locker: Pt.1

Rachel and I walk on stage and over to Mr. Shue.

"Sue really blindsided is with this invitational." Rachel said to him.

"So how does it feel to be back, but on the visiting team?" I ask. He sighs.

"Uh, I'm just glad it's in such a low-stakes environment. I mean, it's basically organized practice." Mr. Shue expressed in relief as we started walking somewhere.

"That's the thing. It isn't for my kids. Do you remember our first week of glee club, when you took us to Carmel to see vocal Adrenaline and they were as great as your team is probably gonna be?" Rachel asks him. Mr. Shue chuckles.

"How could I forget? I thought half of you were gonna quit afterwords." Mr. Shue confesses.

"Yeah, well, the reason why we didn't was because we were so committed to what we were doing." I explained.

"Yeah." Me. Shue agreed.

"Our kids aren't there yet. They haven't bonded. They don't realize how important what it is they're doing. If they see you guys killing these numbers you've had all summer to perfect, well, then they're gonna lose any sliver of hope they have, and the glee club will be dead here." Rachel finishes. We turn around as Mr. Shue had stopped walking.

"Are you asking me to throw the invitationals?" Mr. Shue asks.

"We had to try." I say.

"We're not asking you to blow a competition. You said it yourself, it's not that big of a deal. Look, I know that you're a teacher at Carmel now, but this is your home. Don't you want to protect your home?" Rachel tries to convince him.

"I'll think about it, Rachel? I really would do anything you guys, you know that. But it's not about that anymore. I don't think you understand the kind of pressure I'm under now. The administration really cares about V.A. being the best, and so do the kids." Mr. Shue explains.

"What is your long-term plan here? I mean, you can't go to sectionals with just four kids." Mr. Shue asks. I sigh.

"I just need more time and I'm not gonna get that if you crush all of their hopes at this invitational. Please, Mr. Shue. Look, this place changed your life. You're reminded of that every night that you go home to your wife and your beautiful baby. Just... consider paying it back for everything it's down for you." Rachel finishes and we walk away from him.

The warblers soon get here and Blaine heads over to Kurt, Rachel, and I. We watch the warblers get ready.

"Okay, so let's go through the rules. We decided there's no judges. So this is really about bragging rights. But still, my guys are taking this very, very seriously, so I just want to make sure that the order is picked fairly- and by fairly I mean that we're gonna go second. Um, by the way, how is the filling up of your roster going? Is that going okay?" Blaine says like a dick.

"Hm, seems you really do become what you eat." I sneer. Rachel looks away, trying not to laugh.

"It's an invitational. We don't have to follow the strict show choir rules." Kurt says.

"Has it occurred to you all that this could be a really awful idea for your team?" Blaine asks. I seriously want to punch him.

"We just want to give them a sense of what to expect at sectionals, and... you know, we were also just hoping that maybe you and Mr. Shue would take it easy on us." Rachel suggests.

"Oh, no way. No, no, no. Absolutely not. No ones going easy on anybody. Nope. The warblers are being rebuilt, just like the new directions. I'm sorry, but my allegiance is with them, and if that at all seems scary to you guys, then you should probably drop out. Oh, my god! It's Dave. There's an intruder in our apartment." Blaine says rushing out of the auditorium.

"Maybe it's Krampus going for an early run for that shit for brains." I say plainly. We follow Blaine anyway. Why? I don't know.

"Dave, What is going on?" Blaine asks as he opens the door and we all walk in.

"In there! In the bedroom! I thought I was gonna die!" Karofsky shrieked.

"What?" Blaine asked, making his way to the bedroom.

"No! Don't go in there! You're gonna get killed!" Karofsky shrieked again. Blaine, Kurt, and Rachel made their way in. I looked at Dave.

"Who knew you'd be the pussy in this relationship." I shrugged and followed them to see a bear cub on their bed.

"Oh, my god! Is that a real, live bear cub?" Rachel asked backing away from it.

"Awe." I cooed and slowly walked over. Leaning on the floor and carefully petting it, away from its teeth.

"Dani, What are you doing?! You're gonna get hurt!" Rachel asked in hysterics.

"Calm down. You're gonna make me wish the bear would actually eat my head off." I reply simply and continue petting the cute little thing.

"Why is there a bear in here?" Blaine asks.

"Why is there a bear in here?!" Dave shrieks from the living room.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." Kurt says vaguely.

The next day in glee club were all gathered to talk about invitationals.

"I've got it." Rachel announces as we exit the office and enter the choir room.

"Well, we've got it." Kurt corrects, motioning to him and I.

"We've got the first two songs for invitationals." Rachel announces.

"Um... don't we need more people just to participate in invitationals?" Roderick asks. Rachel looks at Kurt.

"No, you don't need a full glee club for invitationals. It's a trial run for future competitions. No judges or prizes." Kurt informs them.

"And this is where my new piano skills will help us out." Rachel says and plays the piano, very badly.

"Are we just going to ignore the girl who can actually play the piano?" I ask. Rachel pats my shoulder.

"You can help." She tells me. I speak after an awkward silence.

"There is no winner or loser at invitationals, but just like a debutant ball or a quinceañera, it is your chance to introduce yourself to the show choir world." I tell them.

"We're gonna be up against some of the greatest show choirs in Ohio- in America- and the warblers and vocal adrenaline have a very strong history, so this is our chance to show them what they're up against." Rachel puts the pressure on.

"We're screwed." Kurt whispers to us.

The next day I sit with Rachel and Kurt in the auditorium and wait for vocal adrenaline to start their performance. Sue soon walks on stage.

"Please direct your blank stares to the curtain behind me. Soon it will open and there will be blood sport. Happy hunger games. May the odds be ever in your favor." Sue finishes and takes the mic, walking off stage. The curtains open to reveal vocal adrenaline facing the direction opposite of us when they start. Rachel and I look at each other, gasping at their performance. We look angry down at Mr. Shue who just shrugs.

"Wow, he is so not throwing this." Kurt comments.

When their performance ends we barley clap and continue until 'whip it' starts playing as their song. They take off their jackets and hoop things fall from the top of the stage. During their second number I look at our students and they look completely freaked. Their entire performance ends and Mr. Shue is basically the only one to clap...