I walked into the choir room and I noticed all glee members had come including the graduates. It was still weird not seeing Finn, but it was still nice to see everyone again. I sat down in my seat towards the back. It was my usual seat.
"Hey, could I get Finn's plaque when we clear this place out?" Puck asked.
"The plaque stays here. Lillian and Finn belong here at McKinley. It means so much to me that so many of you came back on such short notice to celebrate the past few years to sit in this room one last time and sing. Your assignment is to sing one of the songs we sang in here but reinvented in some way." Mr. Schuester started. "Way back in the old days when I started the Glee Club I would give an assignment, and then I would give a little demonstration of what I was looking for." W wall start cheering. Those were the good ole days.
"Yeah! See, you all cheer now, but just wait till he starts rapping." Santana snarked.
"Okay, no hip-hop today, Santana. However, I have asked a very special person to come join me. It seemed appropriate since her contributions helped save the Glee Club or, at least, the auditorium way back when. Please welcome, all the way from Broadway - Miss April Rhodes." He introduces the one and only.
"Hey, y'all!" She smiled. Same old April.
"She once taught me how to shoplift meat in my vagina." Tina whispered over to me.
After another impromptu dance and music number, we all departed. I walked into the auditorium since nobody was using it. Maybe I could work on something while I was in here.
"What are you doing in here?" Quinn asked.
"I don't know. Trying to wrap my head around this." I sighed.
"It's hard for all of us." Quinn added. She walked over and sat down next to me in the stage.
"I just always imagined coming back here my sophomore year of college over a holiday break, and seeing all the new glee members. I'd be giving them wisdom to prepare for nationals." I chuckled.
"We all did." Blaine stated as he walked in as well.
"We all envisioned it... All of us original New Direction members of the first national title ever received, coming in and seeing these kids rehearsing. Them seeing us as some sort of legends." Sam added as he sat down next to me.
"Trust me, no matter where we all go, we will always be here for each other." Quinn added.
"Yeah, Schuester brought us all together, and he wouldn't separate us even if we lived on another planet." Santana added.
"If we had it our way and not Sue's way, this glee club would be here forever." Puck included.
"Not only that, knowing us, we will burst into a song any room we walk in." Santana chuckled. We all laughed.
"Thanks guys." I giggled. "You know... if you want to... we can all sing something?" I suggested.
"Let's do it." Santana smirked. We all stood up. We lined up in pairs.
[Blaine and Elle:]
A word is just a word
'Til you mean what you say
And love isn't love
'Til you give it away
We've all got a gift
Yeah something to give
To make a change
Send it on, on and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach your heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action
The chain reaction
Will never stop
Make it strong
Shine a light and send it on
[Santana and Sam:]
Just smile and the world
Will smile along with you
That small act of love
Is meant for one who become two
If we take the chances
To change circumstances
Imagine all we can do
If we send it on, on and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach your heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action
The chain reaction
Will never stop
Make it strong
Shine a light and send it on
[Elle , Santana, and Quinn:]
Send it on
There's power in all of the choices we make
So I'm starting now there's not a moment to waste
[Quinn and Puck:]
A words just a word
'Til you mean what you say
And love isn't love
'Til you give it away
[Everyone:]
Send it on, on and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach your heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action
The chain reaction
Will never stop
Make it strong
Shine a light and send it on
Send it on, on and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach your heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action
The chain reaction
Will help things start
Make us strong
Shine a light and send it on
Shine a light and send it on
Shine a light and send it on
Shine a light and send it on
After a couple of hours of laughing and goofing around in the auditorium, we all departed. Later that week, Mr. Schuester called us original glee club members that came in the first year. We all were crowded around each other in the auditorium.
"I want to show you guys something. All of you that were together from the very beginning when the Glee Club was just a dream. Their new and final resting places." Mr. Schuester showed us the two plaques of the Mr. Schuester's old choir director and Finn. "For as long as McKinley's around all the students who travel through this auditorium are gonna see these. And have absolutely no idea who they are." He chuckled. We can see he is not taking it so well either. He was sad, and even though he doesn't want to show it, we can see right through him.
"You know what? This is crazy because I could really give two poops about this place but this is really getting to me." Puck commented.
"I know what you mean. Why is that?" I asked Mr. Schuester as I folded my arms.
"We were all raised by different parents but we grew up together in the Glee Club. It's a part of all of us. Of course you're sad about it." Mr. Schuester commented.
"I don't know, Mr. Schue. With this and Finn it's kind of hard to believe that anything lasts." Mercedes stated.
"I don't have any more pep talks. I just have you guys and the memory of the people on this wall. My friends. I mean, we share this special bond. We're the only ones in the world who know what this Glee Club meant to us what it felt like to sing together to be-to be together and what it feels like to say good-bye to it. I didn't come here to cheer you up just to thank you. To thank you for going on this ride with me. All right, come on. We've still got a few days until, uh, Sue shuts the lights out on the choir room so let's make the most of them." He finished his pep talk. We all hugged and just looked sad...
Later that week, the club for sure was disbanded. It didn't hit us the most until we all led the choir room for the very last time. Then, we all had the same thought. To do something for Mr. Schue to remember what he taught us. We decided to make a video montage and do one final number as a whole. We were all back stage as the video was playing.
"Hey. So, we don't actually know your name because this video was made before you were born but you are the son or daughter of our teacher." Rachel's voice in the video started. "Will Schuester... You know, many of us don't get to know our dads as men until they're older- past middle age, maybe a little beaten down by life. But we want to tell you about what your dad was like when he was young."
"When he could dance like Fred Astaire." Mike's clip commented.
"And sing like Michael Buble" Mercedes voice added.
"He was an amazing teacher." Holly Holiday continued. "Your dad and I almost hooked up - which means I could have been your mom.
Hit me up when you want your first tattoo. I know a guy." She added.
"If it wasn't for your dad, I would've never been prom queen though that was kind of a bad experience for me when I think about it. But I still would've been living my life with a fake stutter... You had to be there." Tina's voice brought up.
"It may seem a little weird to you, but back here in the Dark Ages it was still crazy for girls to love girls and guys to love guys but your dad made sure that we felt safe loving whoever we chose." Santana's voice included.
"He does this magic trick where he pulls a duck out of a hat. You should have him show you sometime." Brittany reminded everyone.
"Your dad had a passion for teaching. He really loved that moment when he connected with a kid. And he was prone to overemotional yet often inspiring pep talks." Sam included.
"If it weren't for your dad, I would be a lost dancer with only two friends." My video played.
"To put it simply, I was not a particularly nice person. That sweater's legit. Then your dad came along, and I became a man who was kind a relatively large portion of the time." Pucks video clip played.
"I can say without a doubt that your dad saved my life. Little Hepburn and Tracy wouldn't have a daddy if it wasn't for your dad. Those are the names of my kids who aren't born yet either." Kurt's clip started.
"We used a surrogate." Blaine chimed in.
"I donated the egg." Quinn comments. They did their clip together.
"In the whole wide world, you'll never meet a man more accepting and open to nature in all its wonders than your father." Mercedes brought up.
"He's a gem." Rachel added.
"The best thing about your dad and that horrible perm of his is that no matter how talentless misshapen, ugly, miserable or sexually ambiguous you are he will still love you unconditionally." Santana's voice echoed.
"Your dad made sure that everyone in this school understood what it was like to see the world from this chair and he helped me see all that I could be even though I was in it." Artie said.
"He is the most genuine..."
"Honest..."
"Kind..."
"Incredible..."
"Generous..."
"Sand dollar..."
"Amazing man any of us have ever met. He loved and looked after every one of us with as much care and concern as he does for you. We love your dad. We love him very, very much and no matter where we are or what we're doing he's with us, because we have his name tattooed in our hearts." Rachel ended. That was our cue to start the classic.
[RACHEL]
Just a small town girl
Living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Going anywhere
[KURT]
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Going anywhere
[ARTIE]
A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
[ARTIE & RACHEL]
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers, waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searching in the night
Streetlight, people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding
Somewhere in the night
[WILL]
Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
[WILL with BLAINE]
Paying anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
[Elle]
Some will win
[TINA with BLAINE]
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
And now the movie never ends
[BLAINE & Elle]
It goes on and on and on and on
[RACHEL with BLAINE, (Artie)]
Strangers, waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searching in the night (In the night)
Streetlight, people (People)
Living just to find emotion
Hiding (Hiding)
Somewhere In the night
RACHEL with BLAINE, ALUMNI, NEW DIRECTIONS & WILL, (ARTIE)]
Don't stop believin' (No, woah)
Hold on to that feeling
(Streetlight) (Yeah)
People, oh, oh, woah (Yeah, yeah)
Don't stop (Don't stop)
(Believin')
Hold on to that feelin' (Hold on)
Streetlight
[ARTIE and RACHEL with BLAINE, ALUMNI, NEW DIRECTIONS & WILL]
People, oh, oh, whoa
[RACHEL with ALUMNI, NEW DIRECTIONS, & WILL]
Don't stop
After the number, we had one last show circle.
Graduation day!! I was nervous. Just saying goodbye to the glee club was enough for me. Now saying goodbye to my childhood... let's just say I'm emotional. I stood backstage wearing my cap and robe.
"We did it." Tina walked over and gave me a hug along with Sam, Blaine, and Artie.
"We certainly did." I nodded. Then, we began to hear our names beginning to get called. Mine was towards the beginning of the alphabet.
"Giselle Archer." Sue announces. I took a deep breathe and walked out. I walked through the aisles and made my way down the stage steps. I went up and as she handed me my diploma, she opened her mouth. "Sucks you weren't one of my Cheerios, because you had the chops." She grinned. I shook her hand.
"Thank you." I smiled at her. I held my diploma high for my dad to snap a picture. I waved at Sebastian. His graduation is next week. I stood alongside my fellow graduates.
After the ceremony, I received lots of pictures with my fellow New Directions, my family, and Sebastian. I had hundreds of pictures. I still needed one with my favorite teacher. I took a deep breathe and walked over.
"Hi, Mr. Schue..." I started. "Would you mind taking a picture with me?"
"I was waiting for you to ask." He chuckled. My dad stood in front of us as we took a picture.
"Thank you." I smiled.
"I mean, it was a picture." He chuckled.
"No, I mean... thank you for being one of the best teachers, mentor, and a second father figure to me." I smiled.
"I wouldn't have asked for a better pupil." He hugged. "Still come back and visit." He pointed his fingers.
"Count on a few visits here and there." I chuckled.
"You'll do great at Yale." He commented.
"Thank you. Good luck at the new job." I wished him luck.
"Thank you. Alright, see you. around." He waved.
"How does it feel to finally be done with high school?" Sebastian wrapped his arms around me.
"In all reality, it feels great." I grinned.
"So you are fine about the glee club?" He asks.
"Let's be real, something tells me we won't be gone for long." I chuckled.
In that moment, I had realized all the memories created. Tears were wept, memories were made, and friendships that could last a lifetime were created. It may hurt. It may suck that it's over. McKinley may have been when our lives began and where we had the best of times, but it doesn't mean those memories are completely over. It took many smart people to teach me that when I was in the auditorium. We will always be in each other's hearts, and we will always be there for each other when needed. This may have been the end of one chapter of our lives, but it is not going to the end of our books. The next chapter had just started.