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

Chapter 61: The Full Killing Machine

"I kind of hate that it's only the guys today," Kitty mumbled as she and Bree walked towards the gym. Julie had done her first big move as head cheerleader, calling a practice now that they had the day off from glee.

"Are you kidding me?" Bree sneered. "I'd rather be doing flips and waving pom poms in the air than with the train wreck glee club is today. Sam is doing a terrible job and the guys are making it worse. If only we had Julie's stick-to-it-iveness to help get things along but it's like she's just a doll sitting motionless with us most of the time and--"

Kitty made a face, indicating for Bree to turn her head. There, she saw Julie with Ryder, who had evidently just walked her to the gym entrance.

"I should get back to the choir room," Ryder told her, bending down his enormous broad body to kiss her briefly on the lips before heading out. "I'll call you later, alright?"

Julie nodded as he turned and walked away, glancing at Bree and Kitty only briefly before heading down the hallway. "Have fun with Sam!" Kitty called out to him.

"Doubt it!" Ryder shouted back without turning around. The girls followed Julie into the gym, where they tried to strike a conversation with her. But she had her game face on and was ready to put them through the most intense workout of their cheerleading careers.

***

"Bring your gym stuff with you boys?" asked Will as he walked into the choir room, wearing sweat pants and a muscle shirt. They nodded so he said, "Fantastic. Leave all your other things here, change, and meet me out on the track."

***

"What are we going to do?" Ryder questioned Sam as he and the others followed him to the track outside, which surrounded the soccer field. Sam ignored him, leading the guys outside. They saw the Cheerios working out on the field, already looking exhausted, and wondered what was going on when they met with Will and Coach Beiste.

"Ready boys?" asked Will, grinning mischievously.

"For what exactly?" Joe stuttered, watching the girls nervously and hoping they wouldn't have to do anything embarrassing.

"To prove that you can be men," said Coach Beiste in a raspy manner. "Schuester told me all about your disrespect for women." She shook her head as she glared down at the lot. "Pity, I thought we were past all that when this fool graduated." She nodded over to Sam, who only smiled at this. "Sam, why don't you tell them what I'd do to you, Hudson, Puckerman, Karofsky... Anyone back then who needed a little shaping up..."

Sam sneered at the boys and said, "She helped us get abs like this." He lifted up his shirt and did a turn and they heard a few of the girls giggle in the distance, lifting Sam's ego even higher.

"I'm so confused..." muttered Jake, turning to Ryder who looked away without a word. Jake sighed, realizing they were in no way cool with each other.

"It wasn't pretty," said Sam, shaking his head but the smile on his face not quite fading. "If you thought I was hard on you guys last year when making our calendar, you're in for a nice treat here with Coach Beiste."

"Enough chit chat ladies," Coach Beiste said. "Let's get down to business. Starting with five laps around the field. Now." She blew her whistle and Will laughed as the guys began running, with Sam joining them and leading them. Ryder rolled his eyes, seeing as he didn't have to join them but was just showing off how effortlessly he could keep up with them.

When they had finished running, the less athletic of the guys were exhausted. Ryder's face was flushed and he dripped in sweat but he admitted that that wasn't that bad as Jake reached for a bottle water he'd brought with him. Beiste kicked it away, sneering as she faced the others.