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

Chapter 57: Bargaining

"We have several glee club members missing today," said Shana as she walked into the choir room during lunch on Friday. Harmony, Alex and Bree were already there, moving the chairs around. "Julie mainly," she continued as Alex began putting blue tape on the ground. "But also Marley, Dan and Kitty."

"Then we chose the perfect time to do this," said Harmony, sounding rather pleased. She looked over at Bree and said, "Oh, remember to set out the two separate chairs for Joe and Amity over there by the piano. If they want to be Switzerland, they can do it over there."

Bree nodded, snapping her fingers at Shana for her to do it instead. As the ladder went for it, Bree turned to Harmony and said, "What if Schuester turns on us instead of getting the point?"

"Then we will have exposed his true colors," said Harmony. "We can secede like South Carolina. Make our own glee club or something."

"But we wouldn't be able to compete anymore," said Alex, looking up from the ground where he'd just split the room into two sides. 

"Neither would they," said Harmony, crossing her arms. "They'd be left with only nine members."

"Would you really make our seniors miss out on their final competition ever?" asked Shana, unsure of this idea.

Harmony shrugged. "The point is would they let it happen," she explained for what seemed to her like the thousandth time. "There's too much riding on this. If they want us to keep them going, they'll have to agree to our terms."

"And what are those again?" Shana asked, still confused.

Harmony rolled her eyes. "No more special treatment for his favorites," she said. "Mostly Julie. But also Jake and Marley and Ryder. Everyone he gives constant free passes to."

"As long as Julie is somehow punished," Bree said, "I really don't care what happens. She made me run two extra laps at practice yesterday and my legs are super sore. So she needs to pay for that. In a perfect world I'd get some of my friends to throw a couple of slushies at her but now that she's on top that's not possible."

"Seriously," Harmony scoffed. "This school's hierarchy is so unbreakable. As soon as word spread of her new title, everyone just began parting in the hallways to let her through."

"And that's a danger to not only me," Bree said, "but to all of you as well. Now that you've all publicly became her enemies."

Shana sighed, slightly freaked out about she was doing and unsure of why she had even agreed. "Rory, Sugar and Unique are taking forever," she said, looking out the door.

"Probably having a hard time convincing Julie's crew to show up," said Bree. Just then, Will walked inside.

"What's up guys?" he said. "Rory said you all wanted to..." His voiced trailed off as he saw that seven chairs were separated from another seven, divided by a blue line of tape. He opened his mouth as he saw another two over at the front of the room, facing the wall, and looked up at them. "What is this?" he asked.

Harmony crossed her arms as Bree said, "This is us thinking enough is enough." Unique, Sugar and Rory walked into the room, followed by Ryder, Amity, Joe and John, who looked as confused as Will felt. 

"We have had enough," Unique began, "with the injustices that happen in this room. Some people get away with just about anything, things that if the rest of us tried we'd probably be suspended from glee club. Maybe even from school."

"We don't mean any 'arm," Rory spoke up for the first time since taking part in Harmony's revolt. "We jist don't tink 'tis fair whaen we 'av ter folly rules dat others don't..."