Chapter eleven
"Yearbook photo."
It was yearbook picture time, and Kurt had called everyone to the choir room as he threw yearbooks onto the piano but when he looked around he didn't see someone "where's Rachel?" he asked "she's not here yet." Finn told him "perfect. Glee club stands on a delicate precipice. We have all felt the cold humiliation of a slushee in the face. but as of right now, our relative anonymity as a club shields us from more sever persecution. Swirlies, patriotic wedgies." Kurt shared "what's a patriotic wedgie?" Mercedes asked "it's when they hoist you up the flagpole by your undies." Finn shared.
As Caroline raised her brows "sounds like someone has experience." she pointed out "strangely it did make me feel more American." Artie mentioned as Caroline scoffed, turning to her brother "you suck, you know that?" she asked him and just by the look on his face, she knew he did "based on my investigation, I am of the opinion that a yearbook photo would only fuel the flames of anti glee club terror. I've done a little library research." Kurt shared, as Caroline turned around, he moved the top yearbook from the pile and grabbed the second one and as he opened it, he flipped to the glee club as he then turned it to them all.
"Peter Geller, glee club second tenor 1998." he told them as his face in the club photo was scratched out "he can be seen here with both a drawn on Hitler mustache and rice paddy hat." he pointed out about his solo photo "shortly after the yearbook came out, Mr Geller had a nervous breakdown. He's now the homeless man who sleeps in front of the public library." he informed them "patches?" Quinn asked as Kurt turned to her "patches." he told her "he barks at my mom." Britney mentioned.
And then Kurt opened another yearbook "exhibit b, Tommy Peterson. Glee club class of 2000." he told them in which their class photo was even worse having all their faces drawn on with sharpie "seen her in her photo with a cartoon knife stuck in her head. In a macabre tableau that in four years would prove eerily prescient. I think I speak for all of us when I say that not having to pose for a yearbook photo might be a blessing in disguise. I suggest not fighting Figgins ruling." he told them, as Mr Schuester walked in "oh, hey, guys." he told them in which Kurt shut the yearbooks "ah, looking at old thunderclaps?" Mr Schuester asked "it's really unsettling." Artie informed him "yeah, especially with all the stories that happened." Caroline mentioned as others hummed in agreement.
"And totally unfair." Mr Schuester told them as he looked at Kurt "hey, can I borrow one of these?" he asked as Kurt let him take one "you know what? This years thunderclap is gonna have a glee club photo with every one of your smiling faces. You have my word on it." he told them all as he turned walking off, they all looked at each other worried, knowing that was the opposite of what they wanted.
The next day in glee club, Finn was playing the drums while Artie was on the electric guitar, Puck was strumming on his acoustic as Matt and Caroline were dancing while Mercedes and Mike stood behind them talking, Matt had spun Caroline as Mr Schuester walked in "hey, guys, great news. Glee club get's a photo in the thunderclap." he shared, in which the guys all stopped playing and Matt and Caroline froze as they quickly looked at him "what?" Caroline asked as others fake cheered "it's gonna show everyone at the school that glee club is on its way up. When we win regionals those claps are gonna be collectors items. I mean, all of your classmates are going to be begging for your autographs." Mr Schuester shared as Caroline furrowed her brows "he knows that's not true, right?" she asked "clearly not." Artie mentioned "he wants us to endure even more social suicide." Finn mentioned.
As Mr Schuester took a deep breath "but I had to compromise to do it. Um, we only get a quarter page in back. Which means we have to pick two team captains to appear in the photo. So, tomorrow we're gonna put it to a vote. Exciting, huh?" he asked, clapping his hands "alright!" he voiced "yeah." everyone fake cheered.
In which the next day in glee club, Rachel was the only one sitting there smiling as the bell rang "well we're all here. I guess we should vote." Mercedes mentioned as Rachel quickly stood up "with your permission, I have prepared a few words." she told them all, as she turned to face them "I nominate Rachel." Mercedes said "second." Kurt mentioned "all right, let's vote up I this piece. I gotta go to the gym and load up the guns of puckerone for the football picture." Puck shared, handing out pieces of paper to everyone.
Where by the time, Mr Schuester got them all, everyone had unanimously voted for the same person "looks like everybody voted for Rachel. Including Rachel. Look we need two captains guys." he told them "why two? We're fine with having Rachel represent us in the thunderclap by herself." Quinn mentioned "we'd actually prefer it." Kurt mentioned as Caroline nodded "yeah, I'd like to survive high school and all the time after it compared to the past glee club members who somewhere along the way lost their marbles and either died or are now homeless." she mentioned as Mr Schuester looked at her worried as the bell then rang.
The next day Caroline was playing the piano in the auditorium in peace, until she lifted her head up to look at her songbook seeing Rachel, making her scream as she fell off the stool and onto the floor "does this mean you don't want to be in the glee club picture?" Rachel asked her, looking down at her "ow." Caroline groaned, as Rachel took that as a no as she turned walking out, as Caroline huffed, putting her hands on the stool as she pushed herself up off the floor.
Two days later, Rachel had then called a glee club meeting, as they all sat in the choir room as Rachel walked to the door "I'd like to call this meeting to order." she told them all as she went to shut it, Finn then walked in as she turned around walking back to them all as Finn shut it, him and Rachel whispered to each other as he then came and sat down "I realized now that all of you think that glee club is just a joke. Okay? And you're convinced that we can't win and you're content to just sit idle by until Figgins cancels the club.." Rachel was saying "or until my mom finally agrees to send me to Carmel high so I can be in vocal adrenalin." Caroline mumbled as Kurt looked at her "and what? Get screamed at all day?" he asked her.
"Possibly but I'd also be leading lady and get to date my number one crush, the lead vocalist of vocal adrenaline, Jesse St James who I know might be to old for me but I mean look at the guys in the school we have to choose from, it's not a great option." Caroline whispered as Kurt nodded, agreeing knowing there's was full of Neanderthals who would never think highly of them "we've all been cast in a local commercial." Rachel told them all, in which Caroline furrowed her brows "are you serious?" Finn asked her "yes, Finn. And while all of you have been so concerned with your appearance in this school, I've landed glee club it's first big break. Simply put, making us all celebrities. Okay, and no one messes with celebrities or defaces their pictures." Rachel shared.
"What's the commercial?" Tina asked "hold onto your hats and get ready to sell. Some mattresses!" Rachel voiced as everyone then began to talk while Caroline was still confused "but I think getting on tv is against show choir rules." she said but nobody heard her, but she knew what was allowed and what wasn't, she had been reading the book of rules for show choir since she was a kid. So, while the others went out to perform in the mattress commercial, Caroline skipped it as she was sitting in her room playing her keyboard, knowing that what they did would ruin any of their chances of going to sectionals now.
Walking in the hallway, Caroline and skipped glee club as Mr Schuester walked up to her "you missed glee club." he told her, making Caroline chuckle "you mean that joke? I mean seriously Mr Schuester when you told me you were making a glee club, I thought I'd be given the vocal adrenalin treatment but since singing last name in front of everyone at the invitational I feel like I went from being at the top to being slammed back down again." she shared, continuing to walk as Mr Schuester sighed "I know things are hard but that's how high school is! I mean Quinn just got you guys a picture in the yearbook, they all went to get ready for it." he shared.
As Caroline stopped and turned to him "you think I wanna be in a glee club picture that'll be defaced by everyone? I don't care if it's a good booster of friendship! They already almost ruined our chances of even competing after Rachel made them all do that stupid commercial! So I'm sorry, Mr Schuester if I think more highly of myself then that." she shared, turning on her heel and walking off down the hallway.