𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝖙𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖍! (HIATUS)

- 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧.

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : the new friend by -livsbedumbs!

GRACIE MARTIN HATED HIGH SCHOOL. like, despised it. she much preferred the fantasy of high school musical, where people didn't care about stereotypes and befriended those outside of their cliques. this wasn't possible at mckinley high. not with the terrible weapon that was a grape-flavored slushee. yes, the popular kids spent five dollars on a mediocre treat, only to launch it into the face of some unsuspecting person deemed as a "loser."

that's why gracie flew under the radar. she played club lacrosse; not school. she was a member of marjorie's dance studio, not apart of the feared cheerios squad. and gracie worked at her mother's bakery, instead of participating in the baking club. it works relatively well, she doesn't get slusheed or shoved around. not that gracie would take getting shoved around, because she could put up a fight if need be. one of her two best friends, parker pipes, taught her everything she needed to know about their areas of specialty. flirting, (gracie failed that one,) fighting, and head-thrashing. if gracie had to choose a movie character to describe parker, they'd be dean portman from the mighty ducks easily. or tony stark, just because parker's ego was bigger than the state of ohio. besides, she's got her other best friend there to protect her.

matt rutherford played offense on the mckinley high titans. the team itself wasn't very good, which sucked because there were some talented players. he definitely kept to himself amongst the popular kids, but he could save his g from being assaulted with a slushee. matt also had a great talent for dancing, something he shared with gracie, and the two always put on shows during their sleepovers.

parker would occasionally join, but they'd also sit back and relax. "if i wanted to watch people dance, i'd join my brother's glee club." they say with disgust, lip curling upwards. parker attended carmel high, a school about an hour away from mckinley. their glee club, vocal adrenaline, were the best in the state. parker's brother, solomon, was one of its star vocalists, but he didn't have much stage presence. now, that was according to parker. gracie only met solomon a few times, and he seemed like he had some personality. she figures it'd be hard to stand out when you've got a baby sibling like parker, whose flirty comments and quick wit could outshine you easily. the mckinley high glee club wasn't much better. the director, mr. ryerson, was rumored to be too hands-on with the kids, especially the boys. only people who were looking to get slusheed joined glee, and that's probably why rachel berry was apart of it. (gracie thinks she likes the attention. but, what did she know?)

it's the first day of sophomore year. gracie knew that this year changed everything. you could drive, the PSATs, worries about making varsity. gracie martin wasn't particularly nervous, she'd go through the school year like she did previously. do her homework, take every extra credit opportunity available, be in the bakery, play hard during games... little does she know, the 2009-2010 school year is one for the books, and not in a good way.

"are you ready to take on sophomore year?" matt asked cheerily, way too cheery for a wednesday morning. they're in the sophomore parking lot, munching on some handmade croissants gracie prepared the night before. she shrugs, "i guess. i mean, it's high school. is it any fun?" out of the corner of her eye, gracie notices a group of football players surrounding that one kid. she forgot his name, but his fashion taste was impeccable. the circle formed is tightening, and the brunette boy cowered into the dumpster behind him. matt realized she's staring off at something, then he began to protest. sighing, "i know it sucks ass, but please don't go and intervene," and gracie martin isn't even listening to her best friend. she recognized finn hudson and noah puckerman; two of matt's "friends." how matty could even associate with those two is beyond her. she didn't know noah too well, but finn and his mother were regulars at thalia's bakery.