Glee: To the Next Level (the second book in the Glee series)

Chapter 19: Burning Up

Sam: I'm slipping into the lava. And I'm tryin' to keep from going under. Baby, who turned the temperature hotter? 'Cause I'm burning up, burning up. For you baby.

Blaine took his place back in front of his original mic stand and joined Sam as the crowd cheered and Finn and Artie resumed playing their instruments.

Sam and Blaine: I'm slipping into the lava. And I'm tryin' to keep from going under. Baby, who turned the temperature hotter?

Sam: 'Cause I'm burning up, burning up. For you baby.

Artie wheeled down to the front of the stage, stopping when he was in between Sam and Blaine. He had a microphone strapped around his head and immediately joined in, with a positively responsive crowd.

Artie: Yo, burning up in this place tonight. My brothers sing it loud--

Sam and Blaine: And we're feeling right

Artie: Get up and dance

Sam, Artie and Blaine: Don't try to fight it

Artie: Artie's for real

Sam and Blaine: And that's no lie

Artie: Stop drop and roll

Sam and Blaine: And touch the floor. Keep from burning up

Artie: More and more. I got Sam and Blaine with me

Sam and Blaine: Layin' it down

Artie: Come on boys lets bring the chorus around

Sam: I'm slipping into the lava. And I'm tryin' to keep from going under. Baby, who turned the temperature hotter? 'Cause I'm burning up, burning up. For you baby. Burning up, burning up...

All of the instruments stopped as Sam faced the microphone, in Julie's direction.

Sam: For you baby

The crowd's cheering filled the room as the DJ took over once again. Just as Sam was returning to the party, in search of Julie who had disappeared from the front row where she was as he sang, an arm pulled him aside. It was Kitty.

"Hello," she said, a serious look on her face.

"Kitty..." he said.

"Stop ambushing her like that," she said.

"I can't!" he exclaimed. "Okay, I can't. As long as I know she still has feelings for me I'm going to keep fighting for her and for us. So if you'd please excuse me--"

"What makes you think she still has feelings for you?" Kitty asked, already regretting what she was about to do. "Did she says so?"

"No, but--" Sam started.

"Look, Lips," Kitty said, channeling the girl she'd left behind in the previous year. "I'm sure she told you all about how she wants to be single for some time. But I'm her best friend and I happen to know that if she did decide to let a boy into her life, you wouldn't be her first choice. So maybe you should just give her some space now."

Kitty took a deep breath as she walked away from him. This is for Ryder and Julie, she told herself. You're doing the right thing.

"What are you up to?" said Bree as she took a step in front of her and blocked her way.

"What do you mean?" Kitty said confidently, attempting to disguise her guilt.

"I saw you talking to Sam," Bree said, her voice full of suspicion. "You're meddling, aren't you?"

"I just complimented his performance," Kitty responded. "That's it." Before she could be further interrogated, she walked away and returned to John as quickly as she could. And she didn't hear anything of it anymore.

***

"I never thought I'd be so sad to walk into this room," said Ryder as the group walked back into the . "New York was just too great."

"But that show we watched was awful," said Jake behind him. They sat down as Julie, Kitty, and Bree entered, all in their Cheerios uniforms.

"How was your weekend?" Bree was asking Julie. "I'm sure you and Sam had a wonderful time missing each other."

"He's actually been ignoring me since Friday morning," Julie replied before heading for her usual spot between Ryder and Dan. Kitty sat behind her with John and Bree took the other spot next to her. Bree eyed Kitty suspiciously but new better than to start any drama between those two so close to showtime.

"Alright," said Mr. Schue as he walked in. "It is the first week of November, which means..." He turned to the board and began to write as he continued. "SHOWTIME is this Friday! We don't have any time to waste so... Let's get started."