𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 • 𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚎

𝚇𝙸𝙸

I was sweating out of my mind. I wasn't ready for nationals. I wasn't. It was my first time doing a double melody. I normally did a single melody. It was going to be strange, it was. It was our first time at nationals. It was weird. If we lost this, we had no chance at next years nationals. I sat against the wall in the hallway. I guess sitting in the hallway was my way of keeping sane whenever I got really nervous. I wasn't sure that my meds were going to work. I had just started on the meds and I knew that they might work, but honestly I wasn't one hundred percent sure that they weren't going to make me faint.

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head as I held it in my hands. "No. Finn, I'm not sure that these meds are going to keep me from fainting. I'm not sure they're going to work." I kept my head in my hands. I couldn't move. I just sat there like an idiot, while my team was finishing rehearsal for nationals. "Hey, they're going to help. Alright? The doctor wouldn't have given them to you if he didn't think they were going to work. Just, don't overwork yourself." I looked at him. "I'm not overworking myself. I'm gonna do a double melody with Sam the whole time, but I'm not gonna do all the dance moves."

I could feel him looking down on me. "Alright, here's what you're gonna do. You're going to sing the first two songs as a double melody with Sam, then during the last song, you are gonna go offstage. Sam is gonna do the rest of the song as a single melody." I looked at him. "Finn, I'll be fine. I don't need to go offstage. I'm not overworking myself."

"A.J, you are not doing all three songs."

"Finn, come on."

"I am pulling the older brother card here—and the technical guardian card since mom nor Burt are here—You are not going out onto that stage during the last song. We aren't going to risk anything, besides, we might only be half as good without you out there."

I nodded. Then, I got an idea. "What if I do the double melody from backstage? I don't have to dance, but I can still sing. That way, nothing sounds off balanced." He looked at me for a minute. "Fine." I smiled and stood up. "Alright, big brother. Let's go kick some ass."

**

There I stood, on the stage. The bright stage lights beaming down on me. I was doing perfectly with my double melody. I felt fine. I didn't feel like I was going to pass out. Everything was perfect. Every so often, Finn would look back at me, smiling and I would smile back. That was our way of me saying I'm okay, keep going. It was true. I was fine. I kept going.

I was on my last song. I was finishing my last song. Then, something I never thought I would see in my existence happened. Finn and Lexie stood up there, singing and then the both just stopped. And stared at each other for a minute before Finn bent down and Lexie leaned up on her tippy toes (because Finn was so damn tall) and they kissed. I stood there with my mouth gaping open. It was weird.

And I'm pretty sure that they just cost us the competition.

**

I was right. They did cost us the competition. We didn't even place. Twelfth place was what we got. That isn't even good. I am not gonna lie. I was pissed. All because Finn and Lexie couldn't go one minute without getting all up on each other. Like I said before, animals in heat.

We didn't have to go this time. That was nice. I mean, I guess it was better than anything else. Granted, the season was over and we had nothing better to do. Finn kept trying to talk to me. He knew how important winning this competition was and honestly, I didn't even care at this point.

I still had two years to win nationals. Finn had one. I felt sorry for him. If we didn't win next year, then he didn't win nationals at all. It all sucked.

What a stupid way to end the school year.