Glee: To the Next Level (the second book in the Glee series)

Chapter 17: Never Set Me Free

Hey guys, for this chapter I'm doing something a little different. I'm going into 3rd person, which means I'll get to follow around other characters without Julie having to be there! I hope you all enjoy the change. If you like this better than just hearing everything from Julie's perspective, let me know and I may make it permanent!
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The glee club was excited to go to New York, some of them for the first time visiting the Big Apple and others for the first time leaving Ohio. They couldn't believe that they were given permission to leave school, especially halfway through their musical rehearsal.

Their directors had given them one condition: they had to get some rehearsals in while we were away. Luckily for Julie, her role as Amber wasn't difficult and her numbers were all group numbers, so there was very little for her to rehearse. She just needed to find some time to run lines and, most importantly, to be seen running lines.

"Alright are we all set?" asked Mr. Schue as they got ready to go through security. He pulled out the tickets and counted them. "Oh, oh. We're missing one."

Julie had nearly forgotten about her ticket, which was given to her by Sam that Monday, and she quickly reached into her purse and pulled it out. "I have mine," she said. "Sam gave it to me."

"Ooooh," Bree teased, poking Julie's ribs. She made a face at her as she handed her ticket to Mr. Schue. He looked at it.

"Okay, you're right next to us," he said. "I thought maybe you'd been separated but I guess he just wanted to give you yours himself." Sam, Blaine, and Tina had left the morning after they'd arrived.

"I'm so thankful for getting a spot on here," Shana was telling Unique, who was doing her best to ignore her. "I'm not even in glee club, yet of all the theatre kids and the cheerleaders and the other extras, I was given the spot."

"You and Alex," said Unique. "And guess what, all you guys had to do was keep showing up to glee club stuff instead of just musical stuff."

"I know!" Shana exclaimed.

***

Marley looked down at her ticket, 26B, as they boarded the plane. She didn't mind sitting with anybody except Jake, Kitty, or Bree. Everyone else she liked. Everyone else she can do with.

She watched as Mike, Finn, and Puck took seats 24A, 24B, and 24C, respectively, and wondered what sort of order they were in. When Mr. Schue, Wade and John took 24D, 24E, and 24F, she realized the chaperones were up front and the rest of them were in what appeared to be alphabetical order. AS she made her way to row 26 and took her seat in the middle, she made quick calculations to find out who she was with. Amity Hills... Ryder Lynn... Sugar Motta and... Jake Puckerman. She couldn't remember if anybody else's last name came between hers, Rose, and Puckerman. She tapped her foot anxiously as more people took their seats.

Meanwhile, Shana was happy to take the seat behind Mike Chang as Joe sat next to her, followed by Amity. Although she was far from religious, there was something about the kids in the Christian Club that she simply couldn't get enough of.

Across the row from them, Ryder, Sugar, and Jake took their seats, much to Marley's relief. She saw that it was Dan and Julie who sat on either side of her, with Julie taking the window seat, and couldn't be more relief. Joe was right in front of her and behind her was a stranger, making her trip out to be peaceful.

At least, that's what she expected until she noticed it was Bree, Kitty, and Alex sitting across the row from her. Bree automatically started flirting with Alex, complimenting his style and his hair, and Marley had a feeling she was doing it to annoy her. Joke's on you, Bree, Marley thought. I don't even like him like that.