Chapter 35
I drove to Marley's house the day of the dance. I couldn't help fiddle with my cast. I wore a suit without a tie. Clark has been helping me tie my tie for my uniform. It's kind of embarrassing having Marley help me with the Tie if it becomes a bit irritating. And the cast isn't really helping.
I brought my rose and I knocked on the front door. Marley's mom answered the door and a gave her a big nervous smile.
"Hi, Ms. Rose." I greeted. "Is Marley ready?"
"Just about." Ms. Rose said "Come on in."
She led me into their home. It was a modest home but it felt very homey. She brought me to the living room when Marley appeared by the doorway.
"Hi." She said shyly.
"Hey." I said giving her a wide smile. "You look great!"
"Is that for me?" she asked surprised
I handed her the rose. "A rose for the beautiful Marley Rose."
She giggled under her breath and sniffed the rose in delight. "Thanks."
She saw the cast on my left hand and her eyes widened. "What happened to your hand."
"It's a long story." I said. "One I will tell you later, I may have a reputation of being late..."
"That is an understatement." She teased.
"Yes, well I do not plan on being late this time." I offered her my arm. "Shall we."
She accepted my arm and we said goodbye to Marley's mom. I opened the door for her in the passenger seat before heading to the driver side and started the car.
"Should you even be driving with that hand?"
"Well, since it's my left hand, the nurse said it was fine." I said. "So, let's get this show on the road."
I drove us to McKinley. And I have to say the dance décor was amazing. There were snowflakes and white trees around the whole gym.
"Tina really out did herself." Marley said staring at the décor as well. "This looks great."
"Well, Sadie Hawkins Dances are sometimes called Snowball dances." I mentioned. "It does seem appropriate seeing how close it is to Christmas."
A kid with a camera suddenly appeared in front of us. "Smile."
I wrapped an arm around Marley's waist and we smiled at the camera.
"This is great!" Marley exclaimed over the music. "Thank you so much for agreeing to come with me."
"Anything for my girl right."
She blushed. "So, when are you going to tell me how you broke your hand."
"That is a story for after the Dance." I said. "For now it's all about having some fun."
~()~
I was dancing with Marley when I received a call from Nick.
"Hold on." I said planting a kiss on her cheek "I need to take this."
"Hurry back."
I left the gym and answered the phone. "Nick?"
"Are you in McKinley."
"Yeah, it's their Sadie Hawkins dance today."
"Trent went there earlier." Nick said. "I think he's meeting with Blaine to testify."
"That's good right?"
"Yeah," Nick said. "But you need to convince him to. He's still a bit skeptical with the whole thing. Without a legit Captain, we couldn't forfeit. The only way for us to face justice is for Trent to testify."
"I'll see what I can do." He hung up and I pocketed my phone again. As I was returning to the Gym. I spotted Sam and Blaine running towards the far side of the gym. I followed them.
They led me to the locker rooms where they were talking to Finn. Who I swear graduated last year what is he still doing here.
I stood behind the door and I could hear them talking.
"I knew when Trent didn't perform at Sectionals, something was up."
"Yeah, he is like the sunshine of the group, isn't he."
"Blaine and I joined the Warblers together." Trent said. "It was a band of brothers. A group joined by harmony and honor. But then Blaine left, and Sebastian came then Hunter. It just chipped away, everything good and special about us. Winning was everything, you took the shots or you don't perform. Singing with the Warblers is my life but I couldn't do it."
"The Warblers mean everything to me, and it's killing me to betray them like this."
"You're not betraying them." I said walking into the open. They all stared at me in surprise. "Hunter betrayed them, he betrayed all of us, when he pushed everyone to cheat."
"What are you doing here, Seb?" Trent asked. "You aren't even allowed to drive yet."
"Well, I managed to get a clean bill of health from the nurse, seeing as my left hand was broken."
"How did you break your hand." Blaine asked.
"And what's with the bruising on your neck." Sam pointed out. Blaine looked at me with wide eyes.
"This is what happens when you defy the orders of Drill Sergeant Clarington." I said raising my casted hand. "And I agree with them Trent. I've been telling you this since Day one, you should testify."
"Wait, I don't get it." Finn said. "I thought you'd be the first to be against this. I mean if Trent testifies the Warblers would be disqualified."
"I may have had a lapse of judgment last year. And you may all think of me as some spoiled rich kid. But you don't know who I am." I said. "Hunter may be my friend. But the Warblers are my family. I've already lost so much for my age. And I am not letting the Warblers be part of it."
I could practically feel the New Directions gawking at me as I left the locker room. But I could also feel Trent smiling proudly.
~()~
"I had a great time." Marley said as we walked back to my car. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
"Now are you going to tell me what's wrong." Marley asked. "Like what happened with your hand."
"In order for me to do that, I have to tell you something first though."
She placed a hand on mine. "I trust you. It can't be that bad."
"I'm just afraid that if I tell you. You'll disappear."
"I'm here for you." She reassured. "You were there when I needed you."
I sighed, "I wasn't born here in Westerville. And Stacy isn't my biological sister."
"Barry?"
I suddenly turned to her. "How did you..."
"Stacy mentioned something." She said. "About you being her cousin, and that lost his mom. Then what you said the day you took me out on a date... I figured that if you didn't tell me something like that. It must be pretty important. And you don't want anyone to know about it."
"You're not upset?"
"Before all this." She said. "You were one of my best friends. You saw the best in me. And you were really adorable really. With all the nerdy moments. It's like you were a walking encyclopedia that seemed just as lost and lonely as I was."
"Yeah, well that awkward and nerdy kid was Barry Allen." I said "And the bastard that the New Directions knew was Sebastian. I made some mistakes last year. And this year I tried my best to make amends. But Hunter. He was a good friend to me. I didn't think he would do such bad things..."
"Wait, Hunter did that?" she demanded. "What? How?"
"This is where it becomes complicated." I said. "Apparently Hunter's been forcing P.E.D.s on the Warblers."
"Performance Enhancing Drugs?"
"Yeah."
"Did you..."
"I don't know." I said. "Maybe. If I did, Hunter was administering it without my knowledge. I was so stupid. I didn't think Hunter could do something like this. I should've noticed it when Trent wasn't in rehearsals and when he didn't perform in Sectionals."
"It's not your fault, Sebastain." She reassured. "Hunter tricked you. He manipulated you. If it's anyone's fault it's his."
"But I feel like I want to help him." I said. "Even after all he's done..."
"That's because even after all that," she said. "He was your friend. He taught you how to defend yourself. He just has a problem coping with his problems. We all have our moments I know I had. And I know you had to."
She pushed back the sleeve of my right had to reveal the scars I had made when I was eleven. "We all make mistakes, and we grow from them."
"How did I get so lucky?"
She just shrugged. "I'm just that awesome."
I chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. We were already outside her house.
"Thank you for tonight."
"But before you leave I have something." I said I pulled out a paper bag from the back seat. "I know it's a bit early. But I figured that since next week we're going to be a bit busy with the whole Hunter issue. I wanted to give this to you early. Happy Birthday!"
"Seb, you didn't have to." She said as I handed her the paper bag.
"Well I am your boyfriend." I said "I am supposed to do this stuff."
She opened the paper bag and pulled out a teddy bear. The middle of the teddy bear was a heart with Bear stitched in.
"Bear?"
"My foster dad and foster sister used to call me, Bear all the time." I explained. "It was short for Barry. I thought that you'd like Barry the Bear to keep you company when I'm not around."
"That's so sweet." She cooed and kissed me on the lips. "You're the best, Barry Allen. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
I accompanied her back to the front door of her house and she wrapped her arms around me. I returned the hug.
When she let go I kissed her on the lips and smiled. "Good night, Marley."
"Good night, Barry."
~()~
One week later, I walked through the halls of a place that looks way too much like a hospital. I walked towards room nineteen and I took a deep breath.
Inside was a lot like a hospital room. A window on the far side, a small table beside a plain white cot. Where sat Hunter in blue pajamas and his cat on his lap.
He looked up from petting Mr. Puss.
"Hi, Hunt."