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

Chapter 66: Healing

"Do we really have to do this as a group?" Alex asked as he sat in a big circle in a random classroom with the rest of New Directions. 

Emma nodded and said, "Part of the healing process isn't just individual. You were all there as a group. My doors will be open for anyone who wants to speak privately. But right now, we need to get out all the group angst."

"And why do I have to be here?" Bobby asked. "I know I was there but I ain't a part of this team!"

"This isn't about glee clubs versus the jocks," she said. "So let's continue. Rory, it was your turn."

Rory took a deep breath and said, "Honestly, I wasn't as terrified as everybody else... I'd had a great weekend. Lost my virginity to a cheerleader. And so life was at a high that was pretty hard to come down from."

"Really?" Kitty said with a raised eyebrow. "Having a mentally ill student point a gun to you didn't help you down? Even a little?"

As Rory shrugged, Alex rolled his eyes and said, "Could you be more of an idiot dude?"

"Alex..." Amity muttered, surprised that Alex would say that to Rory out of everyone.

"No, it's true," Alex continued. "Just listen to him. Bragging about his first time like it's such a great thing that it was completely meaningless."

"That's not true!" Rory defended himself. "That's not true at all. It meant everything."

"Yeah, obviously," Bree scoffed. Rory turned to her so she said, "Well, I mean, he's kind of right, you know? If I could take back my first time, I would. You're going to meet the right person one day and regret that you didn't wait for her to come along."

"Exactly," Alex said. 

Stefan shook his head and said, "That's not fair, guys. Bree, you were my first and only and we weren't right for each other but I still don't regret it."

"Same with me and Jake," Kitty pointed out.

"Not awkward to mention that at all..." Jake sighed. 

"Because you're at least friends," Alex told them. "But Rory and that Cheerio... They'd never spoken before in their lives and since the Bachelor thing I doubt they've talked. Or am I wrong?" Rory didn't answer and everyone else also stayed out of it. Emma wondered whether she should intervene, but before she could drive the conversation back to its original purpose, Alex stood up and said, "I don't know how you could be so happy about this, Rory... But I really hope for your sake that you don't live to regret it." 

He stormed out of the room, so Amity stood up, looking at everyone apologetically before chasing after him. "Alex, wait up!" she shouted in the hallway as she chased after him. When he stopped and turned, she reached him and said, "What's the matter with you? Why'd you go off on Rory like that? I get that you don't agree with what happened but we all know he didn't deserve that. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Alex said, shaking his head. "Just stay out of it, ok?" He turned back and walked away just as the New Directions, dismissed by Emma, made their way out of the room. 

"Is everything ok?" Julie asked Amity when she saw her standing still in the middle of the hall. 

Amity shook her head and said, "No, not this time..."

As Julie gave her a sympathetic look, Amity shrugged and walked back to the class she'd been pulled out of, hoping that Alex would open up to her before he hurt anyone else's feelings, or even his own. Meanwhile, Marley knew there was someone else she had to talk to.

"Bobby," she said as she chased after the wrestler.

He sighed and turned to her as he said, "Look, I already left your friends alone. And I even stopped making rude comments to your mom in the lunchroom. I learned my lesson. No need to—"