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

Chapter 73: Houston, Do We Have a Problem?

"I am loving Texas!" Amity exclaimed as she flopped herself down on her bed. She was exhausted just from getting to the hotel, yet Shana was busy primping and getting ready to go out. "I never thought I could eat a burger bigger than my head but... Apparently I can! What are you getting all dolled up for?"

"Ice skating," Shana answered, reapplying her lipstick.

"Ice skating?" Amity repeated.

"At the Galleria Mall," Shana nodded. "It was Unique's idea and—"

"Oh, Unique," Amity teased, an eyebrow rising. 

Shana gave her a look and said, "A bunch of us are going as a group. Kitty, Rory, Julie... Everyone except for Bree, I think. She's staying to finish our dresses. Final touches and stuff. Oh and Marley wants to go over some vocal runs with Mr. Schue. Poor thing's already been freaking out."

"Well, count me in," Amity sighed, standing up. "I wanted to take a nap but I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to ice skate in May. Sounds like fun."

"Great!" Shana exclaimed. "This is going to be so fun!"

***

"And then I was thinking of putting these with it," Bree said, holding out a necklace to one of her dresses as her mother watched. "But I think once you add in the shoes it kind of throws it off."

"Well, what if you—" her mother began to suggest, interrupted by a knock on the door. Bree stood up, but her mom waved her away and went herself. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Marley there.

"Um, hi..." the brunette said nervously. "I, uh, I was hoping to talk to Bree."

"She can come in," Bree called out, though she was pretty confused.

Marley walked inside and, as Bree's mom closed the door once again, said, "I didn't want to bother you but everyone left to the mall and I was just a little.. lonely, I guess... I was supposed to be with Mr. Schue but he heard about everyone going skating and... All the other chaperons were going, too, so..."

"I'm going to get some food," Bree's mom said with a smile, heading back for the door.

"No, it's ok, Mom," Bree stopped her. "We can just hang out here. The three of us."

"Really?" Marley and her mother said in unison. Bree chuckled softly at the sight of the two people she'd hurt most in the last few years, aside from herself.

"Really," Bree nodded. "Marley, you can be my model. I need to see how some of these things will look once they're on an actual human being."

Marley nodded, not even bothering to discuss her insecurities about being judged for the way she looked in a dress. She had one final week of school left and she wasn't going to waste a second on the same ol', same ol'.

"I, uh," she began. "I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about. I need advice and I feel like you might know what to tell me."

"What is it?" Bree asked, distracted by all the work she had to do with the outfits.

Marley took a deep breath and said, "It's about John... See, I've noticed a big change in him lately and I'm not sure if we're going to have a big blow out or what but... I can sense everything shifting."

"Marley," Bree said, forgetting that her mom was even there. "I'm going to be honest here—I'm assuming that's why you came to me—and say that that I don't think you should force yourself to be with him. If you love him and think it'll work, then great. Ignore me and ride off into the sunset. But the way I see it, you're each headed down different roads. Joe and I are only staying together because we're both going to New York in the fall. But John's headed for Los Angeles and you're off to Boston. Who know what'll happen. Maybe you should let go."