A PERFECT MISTAKE, 𝗇𝗈𝖺𝗁 𝗉𝗎𝖼𝗄𝖾𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗇

𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾

"A roller rink?" Tina asked Mr Shue. "Weren't those outlawed in like, 1981, for being totally lame?" Santana questioned, Mr Shue held up his hands.

"Come on, guys. Where's your sense of adventure? The space is great and April is giving it to us to practice in for free." He explained.

"Mr Shue, if I may? New Directions is clearly a club with a dearth of direction. Rachel and Jessie refuse to accept that all of us would rather die before we allow them to become the next Beyoncé and then Jay-Z and Finn's mother's romance with my father is sending him into a wholly unnecessary tailspin of despair. What we all need right now is to explore the idea of a sense of place."

I sat on the benches next to Puck, my head leaning on his as we watch Mercedes get ready for her speech.

"Hey, guys. I'm Mercedes Jones, so most of you know Cheerios is about perfection and winning, looking hot and being popular. Well, I think it should be about something different. How many of you at this school feel fat?" I looked around and watched as people raised their hands.

I raised mine.

Puck looked at me with guilty and upset eyes, he grabbed my other hand and held it gently.

"How many of you feel like maybe you're not worth much? Or you're ugly, or you have too many pimples and not enough friends. Well, I felt all those things about myself. At one time or another. Hell, I felt most of them today and that just ain't right and we've got something to say about it."

I squeezed Puck's hand softly before putting my arm down. "Why didn't you tell me you feel that way?" He asked. "You wouldn't understand." He shook his head at me and then smiled.

"Always could tell me, Medley."

"If you like what we have to say. Come down here and sing it with us." Mercedes told everybody.

When Mercedes started to sing and all the Cheerios spun around I stood up, my hand was still connected with Puck's and he didn't let go so we walked over or Mercedes as others did.

I hugged Puck once the song was over, he pulled back a little as our faces got close. I went to lean in but was cut off by Quinn hugging me.

♪

"I-I don't know what to say..."

"Just say congratulations. I took your advice. I went home, I told Buddy that if he wanted to keep me around he had to ditch the old lady and give yours truly the top job and then he died!" She started to laugh.

"One of his eyes went all funny and he had a stroke in front of me." She explained, making me squirm. "Geez, April. Are you okay?" Mr Shue asked her.

"Okay? I'm rich. The old battle axe was afraid I'd go to the Lima Times so she shut me up to the tune of 2 million dollars! So, I'm sobering up, and I'm heading to the broadway, Will. I hadn't had a drink in 45 minutes." She told him, I hadn't had a drink in months.

"I'm going to take my hush money and I'm going to mount the first-ever all-white production of The Wiz and I've got you to thank."

"Did you tell him yet?" Rachel asked as I leaned against the piano with everyone. "I brought you all the auditorium."

We all clapped and cheered. "I wrote ol' Figgins a check this morning. It's now called the April Rhodes Civic Pavilion."

"I don't know what to say."

"You keep saying that Mr Shue, thank her!" I said as we all walked up to the two.