Love The Stranger (Glee)

Something's Changed

IDK how I'm managing to write so much after that big break but I guess the break worked? I mean, I love writing this story now and that's awesome. Vote if you want, love you <3

Word count: 5261
------------------------------------------------------

“The things you hope for the most are the things that destroy you in the end.”

-David Levithan

Mr. Shue steps into the office, heart beating out of his chest. He looks to Sue with disbelief on his face, hoping she'd shrug like she has no idea, but she doesn't. She looks bleak, maybe even sad.

"What do you mean?" He asks, probably sounding ignorant, but he's certain that he heard otherwise.

The two men look over at will with smiles on their less than wrinkled faces, their hair swooped in the same manor and their suits obviously being freshly dry cleaned. Leroy and Hiram Berry in the flesh, clean and shapen as ever, and fresh from a weekend in France.

"Have a seat, Will." Leroy, the one with the briefcase, pulls out a chair for Will and sits in his own next to his husband. Will finds himself complying, plopping down next to the two of them and feeling his anxiety kick in. Sue sits on the other side of the desk, still having that grim and bleak look she had had when Will stepped into her office.

"Are any of you going to tell me why I'm in here?"

"They want to restrict the arts program, Will." Sue says.

"The arts program?"

Of all the things Will has fought for; his marriage, his lively hood, his own job. The arts is the one thing the Berry's want to restrict, want to collapse and take into their big berry hands and make jam out of it? The arts, the single and most beautiful thing that could ever happen in this school, fought for by him and Sue for no reason? Well of course there is a reason, but reasons only count if the same thing exists. And the arts don't, not anymore, thanks to the berry's. Perhaps will is jumping the tracks, he has to to stop this!

"W-what do you mean 'restrict'?"

"Actually," Hiram Berry intercepts, setting down a bundle of papers on to Sue's desk, "We not only want to restrict the arts, we want to take them away, possibly forever."—

"That's not fair!" Will interrupts, not loud, but definitely harsher than he would be if the Berrys were anybody else, "These kids have nothing without The arts. You'll make them into brainless zombies!" Music-less, brainless, zombies.

"That's merrily an inconvenience, Will." Leroy smirks, "Hiram and I have come up with a game plan. If you and Sue would just let us show it to you, everything will be fine?" He raises an eyebrow towards Sue, and she nods with zero enthusiasm.

As Hiram and Leroy take paper after paper out of the briefcase, Mr Shue feels his world tipping into nothingness. All the questions, the answers, the what ifs, flow into view and Will finds himself saddened to the core of his being. He glances over at Rachel, and for a moment, he sees a single tear drip down her cheek, but she wipes it away, keeping to the rhythm and helping her fathers with their work. A sigh leaves his throat faster than he can say 'ristrict the arts.'

"Ok," Hiram announces, "I have it all planned out right here."—

"Why?" Will interrupts.

Leroy derails for a second, his voice quivering "Why what?"

"Why the arts, and why now of all time?"

A long pause ensues, and it seems the two men have been stunned by such a question, but surely a valid one at that. Will bites his lip in anticipation when Leroy finally becomes responsive again.