new directions | glee

8. SECRET LOVE SONG ☑️

Mason frowns. "This isn't your decision to make, Madison. For once in your life, quit being so darn controlling."

Kayla watches Madison's mouth drop open, and then her already loud voice gets even louder. "Fine! See what I care. I certainly don't want to be controlling. And while you're at it, why don't you just never listen to me again? Like that time I told you not to eat an entire bag of sugar-free gummy bears and you had diarrhea and everyone thought it was a mudslide!"

Madison runs off and Kayla pinches the bridge of her nose before she goes off to find her. God, she hates being a people pleaser. She finds Madison in the empty choir room sitting at the piano.

"Hey," Kayla says softly, being as gentle as possible as she joins her on the pianist's bench.

"I don't really wanna talk right now, Ms. Garrett." Madison says, bowing her head sadly.

Kayla smiles at the title. It's something she's slowly getting used to. Coaching the Cheerios while Roz was on probation was great, but most of the time the team called her Coach or by her first name. The twins were really the only ones that addressed her this way and it was a nice change of pace. It made her see that her future was getting clearer. A few more semesters and she would be getting a teaching degree. She wondered if she was going to be as good at it as Finn would have been.

"Can I tell you a story then?" Kayla asks and Madison frowns at her, but nods.

"Let's take it back to 2009 for a second, okay?" Kayla smiles warmly and Madison looks at her attentively. "I had just transferred here and I was coming off of a good six months bed rest. And while I was sick, my big brother was my number one supporter. We did everything together and he really took care of me, so I got a little attached. Then I was better and we had different priorities. He had others friends that weren't me and I had to get used to that. I didn't want to let go, but I had to. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Madison shakes her head.

Kayla sighs. "I know it's just been you and Mason for a long time. You're close. You're best friends, and that's great. Aaron is my built-in best friend and I love him more than anything, but we couldn't be attached at the hip forever. We had to grow up and move on with our lives. Mason needs to learn who he is without you the same way you need to learn who you are without him. It doesn't mean you won't always be in each other's corners, but even family needs space sometimes."

"What if he doesn't need me anymore?" Madison sniffles, and Kayla wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her into a side hug.

"He always gonna need you, Madison. Family is there to let you make your own mistakes and then support you through them. No matter where you are on this earth, he is always going to be your brother. Nothing will ever change that."

She wipes her eyes. "Thanks, Coach. You know, you're really good at this pep talk thing."

Kayla grins. "So I've been told. C'mon. We need to figure out what you and Roderick are performing at this bar mitzvah."

←⧪→

Kayla is less than stoked to find out that not only is she interim New Directions coach for this bar mitzvah, but that she is being forced into performing too because Myron is the superintendent's nephew. God, she hated social politics.  She doesn't mind her outfit, a blue glittery jumpsuit and black undershirt. She's less than thrilled, however, to find out that Myron scoured the internet to find a video of Kayla and Rachel performing together at their first Sectionals and now he wants them to do a duet.

Spencer, Jane, and Roderick just brought the house down with Uptown Funk when Mr. Schuester pushes out the piano for the duet. Rachel is on the other side of the wings waiting to go on and Sam is by Kayla's side.