It's Not Over Yet (the seventh book in the glee series)

Chapter 88: Rinky Dinks

So this chapter was meant to be longer but with Coronavirus and stuff keeping everyone at home, I figured I'd give y'all something to do and just post what I already had in my drafts without adding anything more. STAY HOME AND WASH YOUR HANDS. K enjoy. 

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2028 - THE LIMA BEAN - LIMA, OHIO

On the same night that Mandy and John slept together, Marley had an epiphany. She and the rest of the McKinley Academy team had received 45M dollars in donations from wealthy McKinley alumni. The two biggest donations had come from Sam (15 million) and Julie (10 million) but plenty of others had donated as much as they could. 

They were still about 6 million dollars short, however. And while the others were giving up on getting that lot, she knew as much as Finn did that it was a perfect location. So she came up with a suggestion.

"Why don't we throw a party?" she said to Finn, Leo and Albany on Friday morning as the four met at The Lima Bean. They weren't so sure.

"How is a party going to help us?" asked Leo. "The Sexy Gala was a disaster. Money was raised, sure, but nothing close to millions. And I don't think people would come to another fundraiser of ours after all their info was leaked."

"Yes, that part was bad," said Marley. "But people still like to come together. Santana just had a big release party last night and I heard a bunch of people showed up. Let's throw a big party like that. At Rinky Dinks. We renovate everything."

"A gala at Rinky Dinks?" Albany made a face.

"It's not a gala. It's a huge party. We can remodel the whole place. I'm sure our friends would help out with that. And we send out invitations telling people they can buy tables for something ridiculous like thousands of dollars or something."

"We can't charge people to come," Finn shook his head. "Then they just won't come."

"What if we make it a party that can't be missed?" Marley asked. "We ask a big performer to show up. Do a super exclusive performance. Someone huge who people can't resist the opportunity to go watch." With a very determined look on her face, she said, "I have an idea on who it'll be. So let me take care of this part."

"What can we do to pull this off?" asked Leo.

"You and Albany can get a crew together to start remodeling the place," said Marley. We need this to happen by the end of the month. So I'm thinking two or maybe three weeks from now. Which means we're gonna need to give the place a major makeover to make it look perfect by then."

"And what about me?" Finn interjected. "What can I do?"

"You've gotta get April's cooperation on this," Marley nodded. "Get her to approve the party. And then we're set to raise this money. So who's with me?"

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2028 - MANDY'S APARTMENT - LIMA, OHIO

John slept like a baby but Mandy hadn't gotten a wink. She was up thinking about John. More specifically, about the three words he'd whispered to her.

He didn't seem to think anything of it. For a while there, she wondered if she'd imagined it. But as she lied beside him on the floor, old bed sheets covering their naked bodies, she watched him sleep and knew it had been real. He said that he loved her. And it was... weird.

Why was it that something seemed so right until those words were said prematurely? Then the whole thing was spoiled.

It happened with Damian when she said it too fast. And now John... He'd said it way too early.