𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃, mike chang

068 - bridesmaid no more

mike sighed. "i've just got a lot on my plate, right now," he explained before his eyes landed on elle's application papers. "what's that?" he asked.

while elle's heart would normally leap at the thought of telling mike about her scholarship, in that moment all she wanted to do was be there for her friend.

"doesn't matter," she shook her head quickly. "you can talk to me, mike. what's on your mind?"

again, mike sighed. "i got an a minus on my chemistry test," he explained. "and my dad's on my ass about getting it fixed."

"why?" she asked.

"i haven't gotten anything less than an a plus on any test for the past four years, elle." he explained exasperatedly. "an a minus is like an f to my dad."

elle nodded, remembering mike's dad to be rather strict whenever she would go to his house. "he wants me to quit the glee club."

"what?" she exclaimed. "you're not gonna, are you?"

mike quickly shook his head. "no, of course not! i just don't know what to do." he explained, looking so frustrated that he was on the edge of bursting into tears.

"hey, hey, it's okay!" she assured him, dropping her application in his locker before reaching up and pulling mike into a hug. "we're gonna figure this out, okay?" she told him, feeling her heart break as he quietly cried into her shoulder.

"we?" he questioned, pulling out of their embrace and smiling weakly when elle reached up and wiped his twats with her thumbs.

"we." she nodded. "i'm gonna put together a schedule for us, that works around glee club, booty camp and football, for SAT prep. we'll work super hard and make sure you nail your next chem test."

mike chuckled. "don't you have better things to do than help me with SAT prep?" he questioned as she retrieved her application from his locker.

"i mean, not really," she laughed weakly, earning a perplexed nod from mike. "i'll explain later, but for now, i've gotta run something over to ms pillsbury before my audition!"

mike nodded. "right, you're going for maria, right?" he asked, making elle nod. "break a leg, songbird." he smirked, seeing how elle quickly blushed at the nickname.

she nodded and scurried off to the auditorium, just in time to give her application to ms pillsbury before hers and mercedes auditions.

elle stood in the wings, beside mercedes boyfriend, shane, while she absolutely demolished the stage with her rendition of 'spotlight'.

as she walked off of the stage and into shane's embrace, elle shot mercedes a wide grin. "amazing!" she mouthed, quietly clapping her hands before artie was calling her name and she had to walk onstage.

"hi!" she smiled, waving to the three directors as she took her place on stage.

"what will you be singing for us?" artie asked.

"'love you i do' from dreamgirls." she explained before nodding to the band to start the musical.

elle had been practicing the song for the past week since she decided to sign up for the audition, finding that her smooth, often soulful voice was a beautiful match for the song, and even impressing herself with the power of her belt at the crescendo of the song.

as she reached the final note, she spared a glance at artie, ms pillsbury and coach beiste who all seemed in awe of her vocal abilities.

she was met with generous applause when she finished, especially considering there were only three people watching her, or so she thought, as when she looked to her left, she saw mike standing in the wings, clapping like a mad man.

"that was beautiful, elle!" artie beamed.

"seriously!" coach beiste added.

"i've never seen you like this, eleanor," ms pillsbury noted, absolutely beaming. "you're so driven and confident!"

"well, i've decided that if i want to stop feeling like a bridesmaid all the time, i have to work hard and making my dreams of being the bride come true!" she beamed.

the three directors nodded, and applauded her once more before she left the stage and was pulled into a hug from mike.

"what'd you think?" she asked him, trembling from the adrenaline.

"eleanor madigan; bridesmaid no more." he smiled as the two of them headed out of the auditorium.

"how's your song coming along?" she asked. "you're audition's tomorrow, right?"

mike sighed. "i'm not auditioning," he told her.

"what're you talking about?" she asked him, dumbfounded. "tina told me you've been working on your singing everyday! this is your chance to break out and show everybody how talented you are!"

mike said nothing, prompting elle to continue. "and besides, riff is perfect for you; he sings, he dances; it's the second male-lead, mike."

"i'm over-whelmed and losing focus," mike reminded her. "like i said, my dad is all over me."

"you shouldn't have to hide your dreams, mike," elle sighed. "just be honest with him!"

"it's not that easy, elle." he sighed before walking away, leaving elle with a pit in her stomach.