Glee: World of Chances (the fourth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 48: My Religion

"Jackson!" Helen called out, chasing after her boyfriend once Finn had dismissed everyone else from glee club. She caught up to him on the way to the gym, where he was probably preparing himself to work out or do something else that involved training.

He turned around in place and asked, "What do you want Helen? To come and mock me like everyone else?"

"Of course not," she shook her head. "I wanted to make sure you were ok. Jackson, why didn't you ever tell me you were a Mormon?"

He pointed behind her and said, "That's why. That attitude everyone has towards us. I may as well had said I was a Muslim and maybe everyone would just start calling me a terrorist instead of telling people I have six girlfriends."

Helen stayed quiet for a moment and then began to ask, "You don't have six girlfriends, do-"

"No!" Jackson exclaimed. "Helen, not you, too. Look, I know we haven't been spending too much time alone lately so why don't we go to dinner Thursday. I have training every other evening and the game is Friday so-"

"I can't," she sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack, I... I have to go to this tryout thing we're having because we had another idiot fall from the pyramid and so we need a replacement. Someone who knows everything already or can learn it all in one afternoon."

"Someone like me," Debbie said, clearing her throat after discovering she had sounded like she had strep. Helen and Jackson turned to find her walking towards them. "Sorry," she told them. "I didn't mean to interrupt but I overheard and... Helen, I go to most of your practices to watch you and, uh... I can dance."

"Oh..." was all Helen said, her brow creased as she watched her friend's face swell up and redden.

Debbie gulped. "Yeah," she forced herself to say. "I think if you helped me work through the routines, I can be ready by Thursday and show Coach and then on Friday..."

"Deb..." Helen said with discomfort, turning to Jackson and then to her friend. "Deb, I... I mean, yeah. Yeah, you could do it but uh... I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, people would talk and uh... What about the uniform? We don't really have anything that might..."

Debbie's eyes began to fill with tears as she waited for Helen to say something else. But all she could see was pity and rejection. "Ok, I get it," she said, turning around and rushing as far away and as quickly as she could.

Helen felt like crying, too, as she turned to Jackson, who said, "Are you kidding me?"

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head and said, "I didn't think you cared more about what people might say about an overweight Cheerio than about what your best friend feels."

"Jackson, I-" Helen began.

"Just save it," Jackson told her. "We don't need to talk about this. I guess when it comes down to it, it might actually matter that we don't have the same ideologies because if that's the way you treat your friends... I can't even look at you right now."

Helen frowned as Jackson hurried after Debbie, calling out her name. She leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling, hoping for some clarity which she did not get.

***

"Did you hear?" Clint asked Riley as he met up with her in their usual spot at the library.

She spun around and put her arms around his neck as she asked, "What?"

"That you're the most beautiful girl at this school," he answered with a smile.

A coy grin on her face, she asked, "At this school?"