Glee: Back to the Top (the third book in the Glee series)

Chapter 57: Motown

"Hey!" Bree exclaimed as she joined Julie on her walk to class. "How was Spring Break?"

"Good!" Julie replied, her sight forward.

Bree nodded and said, "No word from Sam?"

"He's been going to rehearsals, according to Ryder," she said. "And things are awkward but they're ok. I haven't seen him myself but from what I heard he hasn't asked her to marry him yet. I don't care, though. It's a big week. Regionals, Motown, the anniversary of my mom's death... I have much more to focus on than Sam ruining his life." Julie spotted Jake at their lockers and smiled. "Like him," she sighed. "I'll see you later Bree." Bree nodded and watched as Julie ran up to her boyfriend.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "It's good to see you."

Jake smiled and responded, "You mean after spending all of Spring Break together?"

She nodded and smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "This week was exactly what we needed," she told him. "I'm so glad we made time for each other."

"Same," Jake nodded, joining her on her walk to class. "Especially because there's so much going on this week. And about that... There's something I've been meaning to tell you. About why I'd been acting so weird when we started the musical. The truth is that I... I applied to a performing arts school and I received news that I was a finalist."

Julie's jaw dropped. "Wait..." she began. "Juilliard?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "You've heard of it?"

"Of course I have!" she exclaimed. Julie looked around the hall and pulled Jake somewhere where it wasn't so crowded. There, she said, "Jake, they offered me an audition, too."

"You applied?" he asked, shocked. "I thought Belmont was your only music school."

"It was," she nodded. "But then they scouted me after my Rent audition and... Is your audition on Saturday?" He nodded so she sighed and hit her forehead with her palm. "This is a disaster."

"No," he shook his head. "We don't have to compete against each other. It's not even a top choice for me. I've told you, I want to go to UC Berkley and be close to you at Stanford."

"Juilliard is a much better school, though!" she exclaimed. "And... Harmony has a spot, too, remember?"

"Oh, right..." Jake said, letting out a puff of breath. "Tell you what... We'll both audition. Say you get it. I already got into UC Berkley but I also applied to Skidmore. I can just go there and be close to you in New York. And if I get it, well then, I'm sure you'll be hearing good news from Columbia, so we'll still both be in New York. We'll be fine."

"And if Harmony gets it?" Julie asked him, unsure of his positivity working out for them.

Jake put an arm around her and said, "Then we'll stick to our original plan and go to California. We're not going to let anything pull us apart, you hear me?"

Julie sighed and nodded. She hadn't told him about everything that happened with Sam and for good reason. The last thing she needed was for him to think she would leave him. 

***

"Regionals this week!" exclaimed Will with excitement when the glee club had gathered in the choir. Everyone cheered with him on these news, looking forward to it just as much as him. "I hope you all had a good break because we are back to work. The Ransom Notes have the advantage of being a capella, but we have a secret weapon, too. Give it up for our very own version of the Angels!"

Julie, Kitty and Bree skipped to the floor, their Cheerio skirts moving in the exact same manner, as the music began.

"More like the Devils," Unique muttered. Shana and the others snickered but the girls didn't care, as they knew nobody could top them this week.