"Good morning," Ryan greeted as he entered the kitchen fresh from his shower. He'd gotten back from his morning run to find his parents already in the kitchen, a rather unusual occurrence as they normally slept in on Sundays. "You're up early."
"We are, aren't we?" James commented, smiling brightly, glancing at Shelby who was sitting at the counter. Shelby just smiled happily from behind her steaming mug of coffee. Ryan tilted his head curiously.
"You also seem rather... happy." He wasn't sure he wanted to know what his parents had gotten up to last night to put them in such a good mood. "Did something happen?"
"Well, you should know," Shelby said lightly. James chuckled, coming over to stand behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "You were already in on it, as I hear." She put her left hand on top of James', and Ryan's eyes widened as a sudden sparkle caught his eye.
"You proposed?!" he exclaimed, looking between his parents in excitement. "And you said yes?!"
"Of course I said yes," Shelby said, smile widening as James laughed. "It's a very nice ring after all."
"Yeah, it was all about the ring, wasn't it?" James deadpanned.
"Yes, it was," Shelby returned, turning to pull him down into a kiss. Ryan hid his eyes behind his hands, peeking through his fingers as he smiled widely. It was obvious how happy they were, he could see it in their smiles, in their eyes, could hear it in their voices.
"Okay, I think that's good," he said eventually, having had enough of his parents making out in front of him. Thankfully they stopped, smiles never wavering as they gazed at each other. "Seriously though, I'm so happy for you." He came around the counter to wrap them both in a hug that they happily returned. "So, how did it happen? When did it happen? What did Dad do?"
His parents laughed again, and they told him the story of the previous night as they ate breakfast. "I wish I could have been there," Ryan commented. "Well, maybe not really, I mean I know it was an intimate moment for the two of you. But I'm sort of bummed out that I missed your duet."
"Of course that's the part you'd care about," Shelby said, amused.
"Well, of course I care that you got engaged," Ryan conceded. "But yeah, still bummed. I can't believe I haven't heard Dad sing yet. And overhearing you in the shower doesn't count."
"That's too bad, I'm sure some of my best performances were in the shower," James said dryly.
"So when's the wedding?" Ryan asked expectantly. "Are you going to have a band? Maybe the Troubletones could sing, like the New Directions did at Mr. Hummel's wedding -"
"Okay, okay, slow down," Shelby laughed. "We haven't talked about it yet, but I don't really want a big fancy wedding. That's not really my thing."
"Didn't think so," James commented. "The when of it is still up in the air though."
"Well, I was thinking maybe after the schoolyear," Shelby suggested. "I mean, we need time to plan it anyways, and Ryan and I are both kind of busy. It's your senior year, after all," she directed at Ryan.
"That's so far away," Ryan complained. So sue him, he wanted his parents together soon.
"It's not really a problem," James shrugged. "And it sort of makes sense, logistically. We're not really in any hurry. I mean, it's not like we've been going about this in the traditional way, is it?"
"I think we've been going at it backwards," Shelby quipped. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. I think we may have gotten a couple of things mixed up."
Ryan snorted. "Just a couple?"
"Normal is overrated anyways," James said dismissively. "The important thing is that our wedding has you, me, your family, our friends, and of course," he grinned at Ryan's direction, lifting a glass of orange juice in a toast. "The best man."
"Me?" Ryan's eyes widened again, before he broke out into a smile. "Really?"
His dad smiled, clapping him on the back. "Of course, buddy. No one better."
"I'm honored." Ryan smiled, happy for his parents. He looked away as they shared another kiss, but the smile never left his face. He'd always wanted a family like this, a happy one, and while what they already had was amazing, this would make it even better.
"I just heard."
Shelby looked up just in time to see Sue Sylvester falling into stride with her as she headed to her classroom. "Sue. Nice to see you."
Sue just nodded at her left hand. "Congratulations on buying into the marriage craze that's been sweeping the world since the beginning of time. I hope you'll be happy with your ball and chain. Mazel tov. I'll be waiting for subsequent news of your epic divorce in, oh, ten years."
"Thank you, Sue," Shelby responded, smiling in amusement. "And how are you this fine day?"
"Pretty good, actually. I got to annoy Butt-Chin and the Golden Marmoset in the staff lounge, so my day is pretty much made."
They came to a stop outside of Shelby's classroom. "Hey Miss Corcoran," Puck nodded at Shelby, aiming a flirtatious smile in her direction.
Shelby nodded back. "Mr. Puckerman. You should get inside, the bell's about to ring."
"Sure thing, Miss C." He winked as he entered the classroom.
Sue narrowed her eyes at the mohawked boy's retreating back. "Well, well, well. It seems that someone has picked up a not-so-secret admirer. Any thoughts on that, Ice Queen?" Shelby gave her an unimpressed look. "You know, it's kind of surprising how this is the first student crush."
"Why Susan Sylvester -"
"Don't call me Susan."
"- Are you calling me attractive?" Shelby winked at her. "The compliment is appreciated." She waved her left hand. "Unfortunately for you, I'm taken. But you know, if I weren't sporting this rock..."
"Please, Barbra. As if you could handle the great Sue Sylvester. And wait. What do you mean by that?" Sue narrowed her eyes again. "Is our resident Broadway wannabe admitting to proclivities?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," the brunette smirked. "And I wouldn't say this is the first student crush."
Sue rolled her eyes. "All right, the first open one then. Anyone with eyes can see Boobs McGee's got the hots for you. But back to the point at hand. If you even consider falling for Puckerman I'll be sure to book you a private suite at the Lima Mental Hospital."
Shelby scoffed. "Please. I'm not a complete idiot. He's a student, not to mention he's the father of my son's girlfriend's daughter. I have no interest in being in a soap opera, thank you very much."
"Now that you mention it that would make for a fascinating TV show," Sue said thoughtfully. "A band of singing misfits who always miraculously come out on top with no preparation whatsoever, with a hodgepodge of vaguely incestuous romantic relations as a subplot."
"Only if the writing was fantastic. I bet it would go downhill after the first season or two."
"Right. Anyhoo, I should get going. Gonna be late for my campaign manager. The polls have me leading the race, so you are looking at the newest Ohio congresswoman, as soon as the votes get in in two weeks."
Shelby nodded. "Well, good luck with that."
Sue smirked as she walked off. "Won't need it."
..
Ryan offered his mom a smile as he slid into Geometry two seconds before the bell rang. Shelby sent him an admonishing look but made no comment, instead choosing to start the lesson. Ryan just smiled, settling down for another session of watching his mom fumble with the geometry lesson. It was kind of mean, but there it was. And to be fair, Shelby didn't do a completely terrible job.
He soon zoned out though, quickly grasping the concepts after a few examples, and his attention drifted to the other students in the class. Once again, Finn was staring cluelessly at the board, probably trying and failing to make sense of it all. Mike was doodling in his notebook; Ryan knew he was way ahead of the class already. Three people were asleep, and two were staring out the window. It was a nice sunny day, perfect for spending outside if one didn't have class.
Then Ryan tilted his head as he surveyed Puck, who was watching Shelby as she explained a problem. Something about Puck's stare didn't sit right with Ryan, and his eyes narrowed. Ryan started studying his mom as well, wondering if there was something he was missing. He couldn't find anything amiss though. Her clothes didn't have anything weird on them, and her hair wasn't messed up. She started writing something on the board, turning her back to the class, and Ryan looked back at Puck. The other boy's head tilted to one side, his eyes roving down -
Oh God, was Puck checking out his mom's ass?
Shelby turned back to the class, snapping Puck out of his daze. Ryan shook his head. He had to be imagining things, because there was no way - he shook his head again, a shudder running through him. It didn't even bear thinking about. It was just wrong.
But now that the thought was there, it wouldn't get out of his mind. Ryan spent the remainder of the lesson watching Puck like a hawk. He wasn't sure if he was reading too much into it, maybe Puck was just paying attention to the lesson. Knowing Puck though that was extremely unlikely.
Ryan was pulled out of his reverie by the bell ringing, and he stood up, collecting his things. He nodded absently at his mom as he left the room before heading to his locker, still preoccupied - and not just a little disturbed - by what he'd just seen.
"Did you even hear a word I said, Midget?"
He blinked, looking up. Santana and Brittany were next to him, and Santana had apparently been talking to him while he'd been thinking. "Uh... what?"
"I was saying," Santana said slowly, as if she were talking to a stupid person, "that Britts wants to do this election thing later. Where the hell were you?"
"Where was who?" Quinn showed up next to Ryan, looking at him, Brittany, and Santana expectantly. Ryan blinked again, a bit disoriented. Right on cue, Puck walked by, swaggering over to his locker, Ryan staring at him the whole time.
Santana narrowed her eyes. "Why are you perving on Puck?"
"Have you noticed Puck being a little... weird, lately?" Ryan asked the three girls, his gaze still on Puck as he ignored Santana's question.
Quinn stared at him. "What?" She looked at Puck for a second, then back at Ryan. "No, I can't say that I have."
"What gives, Midget?"
Ryan tore his eyes away from Puck. "I was just in Geometry with Puck," he explained. "And my mom was teaching, and, I don't know, I think Puck was checking her out," he ended in a hushed voice. The three girls gaped at him for a moment before Santana spoke up.
"Well, I for one can't blame him. Your mom's hot."
Ryan let out a sputter. "Santana!"
"It's true," Brittany shrugged. "Santana said she'd totally hit that if she were like ten years older." She looked confused as Ryan and Quinn stared at Santana - Quinn in surprise and Ryan in a combination of horror and disgust. Santana meanwhile was looking at her in consternation. "Oh, is this one of the things that's just for us?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Oh." Brittany tilted her head. "But I think you'd totally have a chance with Miss C ten years ago, 'cause I'm pretty sure she's a bicorn. You know, like Ryan." That earned her some confused looks. Ryan was bewildered. What the hell was a bicorn?
"Never mind." Santana shook her head. "But yeah, Tiny, your mom's hot and your dad's smoking. It's kinda hard to figure out what went wrong with you."
Quinn frowned. "Not cool, Santana."
The Latina shrugged again. "Hey, just keeping it real."
"Can we stop talking about how my parents are hot please?" If this went on for much longer either Ryan's head was going to explode or he was going to throw up. Maybe both.
"Hey, you started it."
"Look this is so wrong on so many levels, I can't even begin to describe it," Ryan complained. "You guys know he calls himself a sex shark, and he preys on the older ladies at the houses where he cleans pools."
"You guys don't have a pool," Santana reasoned. Ryan gave her an unimpressed look. "What? Just saying."
"Look, Ryan, I'm sure Puck isn't going to try anything with Shelby," Quinn placated. "That would be gross, and even if he did, Shelby would probably shut him down so hard he wouldn't be able to look at another girl for a year. So it's fine, okay?"
"I guess..." That made sense, right?
Just then, Finn walked by with Rory Flanagan, and Santana snickered. "Hey guys, hurry and grab some wet towels, we have to keep Finn wet until we can roll him back in the sea!"
That got the two boys to stop. "Hey, you can't say that," Rory said in his thick accent. The Irish boy had quickly become friends with Finn, joining the New Directions after the whole leprechaun debacle.
"Sorry, I can't understand a word out of your potato hole."
"Santana, you don't have to get vicious," Finn said, frowning. "I get that we're competitors, but we can do it without getting mean. Come on, Rory." The two boys started on their way again.
"Oh, I'm just getting started," Santana called after them. She turned back to the other three. "What?"
"What was that?" Quinn asked suspiciously.
She shrugged. "He called Britts an idiot. So it's game on."
"That sounds ominous," Ryan noted.
Santana rolled her eyes. "Look, it's just a few digs, it's harmless. I do it all the time."
"Yeah, she's totally the best with her words," Brittany agreed. "Especially when we're on the phone and -"
Ryan quickly stopped her. "Okay, okay, I think we don't need to hear that."
A couple of days later, Shelby looked up from reading a paper in the teacher's lounge when she heard someone clear their throat. She found Will Schuester standing in front of her. "May I?" he gestured at the other seat at her table. She nodded, and he sat down. "Congratulations," Will said. "You know, on..." He gestured at her ring. Shelby smiled slightly.
"Thank you." She looked at him curiously. "How are you and Emma?" Will and Emma had gotten together before the schoolyear had started, and as far as Shelby knew they were good. Emma was nice, and Will could be sweet when he wanted to be.
"We're great, thanks," Will smiled. A mildly awkward silence fell before Shelby cleared her throat.
"Did you want something else?"
"Yes, actually," the Spanish teacher answered quickly. "I was just thinking. We usually do mash-ups around this time of year, boys against girls. It's sort of a tradition. And I thought, since we've got two glee clubs this year..."
"You thought we could have a contest of sorts," Shelby finished for him.
"Exactly," Will said, smiling. "Just a friendly scrimmage, maybe bring out the best in each other. A mash-off. Who knows, maybe it'll get everyone's creative juices going."
Privately Shelby knew they didn't need any help with their creativity, but that wasn't the issue. Will did have a point, she did believe in a little healthy competition now and then. She wasn't sure exactly how the kids would react to it though. "Well, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Tell you what, I'll see what the kids think, and I'll get back to you."
Will nodded. "Great." He started to stand when Shelby stopped him.
"What brought this about?"
"Well, I've just been thinking. There's already so little art around here, it seems stupid to waste time fighting. We should be helping each other. Like we did early last year."
"That was before you accused me of poaching one of your students for Vocal Adrenaline and before I saw you showing blatant disregard for my child," Shelby pointed out.
Will sighed. "I'll admit I made some mistakes last year. I'm sorry. I'm not saying we have to be best friends or anything, but we don't have to be completely hostile, do we?"
Shelby was silent for a moment. "I don't like how you treated my son," she said bluntly. "I stand by what I said before, you've been showing favoritism to select students, and I don't agree with that. That said, you're right. There's no need for hostility. We're colleagues after all, and I can work with you as long you don't interfere with my students."
Will nodded again. "Fair enough." He stood up again, and this time Shelby let him leave. She turned back to her paper, only to look up again when Will was replaced by Sue Sylvester.
"Did I hear right? You're friends with Macaroni Hair again? And here I thought you had half a brain."
"Well, if you were eavesdropping properly, you would have heard that we intend to work together, not have lunch dates," Shelby returned. "Besides, you know what they say. Keep your friends close..."
Sue was silent. "I take it back. You do have a brain somewhere in there." Shelby tapped the side of her head before returning to her paper. "Don't forget to vote Sylvester next week."
..
"All right everyone," Shelby announced as she entered the room for the Troubletones meeting that afternoon. "I have some news. Mr. Schuester just approached me this morning, and he suggested a contest between our teams. A mash-off to be precise."
She wasn't worried about competing, she was sure her team had plenty of talent, even if they were still a few kids short. She had to do something about that soon. Not to mention Ryan wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than a win. No, she was more worried about how the kids would feel about competing against their former teammates.
"We get to face off against Finnept and the Nude Erections? Oh it is so on!"
Maybe she shouldn't have worried.
"Santana's euphoric obscenities aside," Ryan commented, "I think it will be very interesting to pit our talents against our former teammates. Not to mention we have the advantage of knowing how they operate."
"We're gonna crush them!" Santana said gleefully.
"Your enthusiasm is astounding, Santana," Quinn deadpanned.
"Shut up, Blondie."
"Okay, wait, what's a mash-off?" Marley questioned. Ryder and Kitty looked equally confused.
"It's a contest where each competing group sings a mash-up of their choice," Ryan explained quickly. "A mash-up is a combination of two songs that shouldn't go together, but when you mash them together so to speak, they make something unexpectedly better."
"Right," Shelby cut in. "I'm glad you're so enthusiastic, but this scrimmage is just a side project. I've drawn up a schedule for us. We have a few weeks to get ready for Sectionals, so we need start getting ready. This week, we need to start brainstorming song ideas. The very first thing we need is our set list. So everyone can suggest songs, and the next couple of weeks we'll spend some time trying them out. The mash-off is next week, so that works out great."
The students immediately started whispering among themselves, excitedly thinking up songs that they wanted to sing. "Wait, wait, wait," Tina said, shaking her head. "You're letting us choose our own songs?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"Mr. Schue generally sprung our set list on us a few days before the competition," Ryan interjected. "We didn't often have a say. Or only certain people did."
"Ah." Shelby nodded. "Well, I do maintain veto power and I won't be shy about telling you that your songs won't work, but everyone gets a say. Now, as I was saying, after we choose our songs and win the mash-off - because we will be winning," she added as the students cheered, "we'll decide on the arrangements and solos and whatnot, and we'll start on the choreography. Mike, I was hoping you could help with that." Shelby was pleased to see him nod happily. While competent, choreography wasn't her forte and she could use an assistant. This time around she had neither the desire nor the funds to hire Dakota Stanley. "Once we've got everything hashed out, we'll spend the remaining time polishing up our performances. Everybody got that?" She received a round of nods, and she walked over to the blackboard. "With that, you may start making suggestions."
"We only need three songs, right?" Tina questioned.
"Yes. And as far as I know, there isn't a theme this year." She had no idea what was going on last year with that anthem theme. "But actually, we will be making a backup set list, in case something goes wrong."
Santana raised her hand. "Who's getting the solos?"
"We will decide on that once we choose the songs, but they will be selected based on whose voice suits the songs the best." She needed to make that clear, she didn't want any infighting in the group. She received a round of accepting nods. An hour later, they had quite a good list of songs, ranging from Broadway (naturally) to rock to pop. "All right, I think that's good," Shelby decided. "Let's think about it for a bit, and if you've got any more suggestions, I'm more than willing to listen."
..
The group disbanded a few minutes later. Ryan stayed behind, helping Shelby straighten the room up. "Are we going to do Invitationals?"
Shelby shook her head. "I don't think so. Invitationals usually go on around this time, we didn't have the time for it what with West Side Story. Besides, they're optional. And it works in our favor too, we get to keep a bit of our surprise element."
Ryan nodded approvingly. "I'm glad we're starting to prepare so early. Mr. Schue never quite grasped the concept of polishing our performances. And he used to do competitions, like that duet contest last year. The winners got to sing the solos. And I have no clue where he pulled his set lists from."
"Well, I don't generally encourage competition inside the team, I've found that it can mess with team dynamics," Shelby said.
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked incredulously. "VA had the most competitive kids in the state. From what little Jesse's said, they were all pretty much ready to kill each other over solos."
"And you should know not to listen to everything Jesse says," Shelby pointed out. "Didn't he tell you that we used a dead student as a prop?"
"I can't tell the difference anymore," Ryan grumbled. "I can't honestly say I'd be surprised if it were true."
Shelby rolled her eyes. "Anyways," she continued pointedly. "I don't think pitting you guys against each other is a good idea. But a little healthy competition is good, that's why I agreed to our little scrimmage with the New Directions. VA used to do that with some of the neighboring high schools."
"Were those the same schools VA pranked?"
"I never advocated those pranks."
"Right."
"Okay, contrary to whatever you think, I didn't command my students to go forth and TP other people's choir rooms," Shelby snarked. "They did that themselves."
"And you knew absolutely nothing about it all?" Ryan questioned skeptically.
"Well of course I knew about it," Shelby said loftily. "But it wasn't my business. My job was to get the team to win. I don't encourage pranks, but I don't discourage them either. Like I said, a little healthy competition is good. I don't condone all-out property damage or physical assault though," she added grimly. Ryan gave her a small smile. They were quiet for a moment.
"So... if we were to hypothetically attempt to psych out the New Directions, you wouldn't have a problem with it?"
Shelby held back a snort. "Hypothetically, if the alleged prank didn't cause any permanent damage, no. Of course, that wouldn't be an issue, because if this hypothetical prank were done correctly, there wouldn't be any evidence to tie anyone to it. Did you actually have any proof that it was VA who trashed your choir room?"
Ryan opened his mouth only to shut it again. No, they really didn't, that was why they hadn't been able to go to Figgins about it. Shelby smirked at him triumphantly, and he huffed. "Fine." He finished straightening the seats as Shelby erased the board, coughing lightly at the chalk dust. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Ready to go home?"
"Yeah."
Several days later Ryan came across the New Directions' choir room, and as usual, they had left the door open. Ryan, like any fair-minded opponent, of course paused to listen in. Maybe he'd get a few clues as to their strategies for Sectionals. Not that he expected them to have one yet. Sure enough, what he got was Puck and some of the other guys singing a rock song. It was an okay cover, until he realized what the song was.
"All right, guys!" Mr. Schue exclaimed as the song finished. "That was spectacular! And I didn't even have to ask you to do it!" Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"Isn't the song kind of wrong for school though?" Mercedes questioned. "I mean, Hot for Teacher? Really?" Ryan agreed 100%. This was a wildly inappropriate song for Puck to be singing, especially if Ryan's suspicions were correct.
"Well, it all depends on what Puck's intent was when he chose this song," Mr. Schue reasoned.
Ryan watched Puck closely as the other boy's gaze drifted to the window, and Ryan's jaw clenched as he saw Shelby standing there, consulting with a student. He glanced back at Puck just in time for him to answer, "I guess I just dig Van Halen."
"Well, all right then," Mr. Schue grinned. Ryan rolled his eyes at the teacher's obliviousness before hurrying to catch up to his mom. He turned the corner, quickly following her. She was wearing a rather form-fitting purple dress today with short sleeves, and Ryan had seen the way Puck had looked at her earlier.
Shelby looked up as Ryan fell into step with her. "Hi sweetie."
"Hi." Ryan looked at his mom suspiciously. "Aren't you cold in that?"
She looked at him strangely. "No," she answered in confusion. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just worried about you, the weather's getting colder after all," he said, quickly shrugging out of his jacket. "Here, take this. Can't have you getting sick after all, we need our coach to be in top condition especially during our preparations for Sectionals."
Shelby raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, what's going on?"
Ryan sighed. "Just - just - okay?"
"No, I will not just just okay," Shelby told him sternly. "What's going on?"
Right on cue, Puck passed by, and Ryan's hackles rose as he saw him give Shelby a flirtatious smile. "Well, some people have apparently taken a less than appropriate interest in you."
"Oh, so you noticed that, did you?"
"You - what - it's true?" Ryan asked, aghast. He'd still been hoping against hope that he was just imagining things. "And you're not doing anything about it?" Dear God, this was so, so messed up. "How can you not do anything about it? It's wrong and - and not right - and it's just wrong!"
"Wow, I'm so proud of your vocabulary there, Ryan," Shelby said sarcastically.
"So that's just it? You're not going to do anything about it?"
"Sweetie, it's a just a teenage crush. It'll go away eventually. I'm sure you've had a few of your own."
Ryan sputtered. "Well - that's not the point! And even if I have had crushes before, they were never on my classmates' parents!" He shuddered at the thought. "You need to do something about this."
"Do I?" Shelby arched an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Ryan answered vehemently.
His mom rolled her eyes. "Okay, you need to get to class."
Ryan stared at her in consternation before throwing his hands up in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. I would just like you to know that this thing with Puck is completely disgusting, and while perhaps not completely your fault, is still very much horrifying and so completely -"
"Wrong, yes, I got that part."
Ryan gave his mother a glare before storming off.
..
That evening James came home from work to a rather quiet household. It was an unusual phenomenon, as his fiancée - he still smiled at the thought - and his son were both quite loud people. And that was putting it mildly. Someone was always singing or talking or making some kind of sound, and the quiet was rather unnerving, especially when it followed them to the dinner table. The three of them ate in a tense silence for a few minutes before James cracked. "Okay, what's going on?" he asked. "Did you two have a fight about something? Because this food is great, but it's getting kind of awkward around here."
Ryan studiously kept his eyes on his food. "Maybe you should ask Mom about it."
Shelby rolled her eyes. "Your son is just overreacting about a little something he discovered at school, which quite frankly has been going on for a while now without any issues whatsoever."
"Wait, I thought this was a recent development, what do you mean it's been going on for a while?" Ryan's head whipped up. "And you haven't done anything about it? What is wrong with you?"
"It's not like this is the first time!"
"Oh my God!" Ryan covered his eyes with his hands. "I'm going to need therapy."
"I don't understand what's going on," James lamented.
"One of my classmates has a crush on my mother, that's what's going on!" Ryan exclaimed. "A classmate that's well known for his random hookups with older women, I might add. And now I find out that not only has my mother known about this for a while now, she hasn't done anything to stop it!"
"Oh." James' eyes widened in realization, and Shelby shot him a look that he couldn't quite interpret. "Well, people can't always control their crushes," he reasoned.
"But he was flirting with her! And for God's sake, he sang Van Halen's Hot for Teacher in glee this afternoon!"
"Oh. That is weird."
"You too?" Shelby asked in exasperation. "Look, it's not a big deal, it's a student crush and it'll blow over soon. It's not like I'm thrilled about it either. But he'll realize soon that he's being an idiot, and it'll go away. In the meantime we'll just go about business as usual."
"Well, excuse me if I don't like the fact that 'business as usual' includes watching the school playboy flirt with my mother in the hallways," Ryan huffed. "I'm going upstairs." He stormed out, and the two parents heard his door slam. Shelby rolled her eyes.
"He's overreacting."
"Is he?" James questioned.
"Yes," Shelby stressed. "This is only as big of a deal as we make it. I'm just ignoring it, and soon this kid will get tired and quit, just like the others."
James frowned, not liking the idea of teenage boys and their rampaging hormones having crushes on her. "How many 'others' have there been, exactly?"
"Wow, how about you wait here while I run upstairs and check my scorecard?" Shelby shot back nastily. "I'm a schoolteacher, sadly it comes with the job. Teenage hormones and all that. Besides, don't tell me you never had a schoolboy crush, I remember how you looked at that sub we had for English when I first started tutoring you."
She had him there. "Okay, fair point," James conceded. "Why don't you just tell this kid to back off though?" he wanted to know.
Shelby sighed. "Teenage crushes are... tricky. Sometimes they think it's the end of the world when they get shot down, and then the world's hottest chili pepper gets eaten and people get traumatized. The point is," she continued, ignoring James' confused look. "We need to handle these things carefully. And to be honest, this kid seems to be the stubborn kind who likes a challenge. If I shoot him down, he'll just come at me harder. Kids can be incredibly stupid sometimes, especially if they think they've got a chance."
"Does he?"
"Seriously?" Shelby gave him an annoyed look. James held up his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay." He leaned over, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Seriously though, do I need to go over and have a little talk with this kid?"
"God no. Look, I've handled this before. It's awkward, it's kind of uncomfortable, but it'll go away and it'll be fine, okay?"
"If you say so."
The fourth period bell rang the next day, ending Quinn's English class. She smiled slightly as she walked up to Shelby. "Hi Quinn, what's up?" the teacher asked.
"Nothing really." She tilted her head. "Just noticed that Ryan seemed pretty annoyed this morning."
Shelby rolled her eyes. "Yes, that. He's just being irrational."
"Is this about Puck?"
"Does everyone know about this?" Shelby asked, frowning.
"No, but he's been ranting about it for a few days now," Quinn answered with a smirk. "I told him he was being stupid and that you could handle it."
"Thank you. I'm glad someone agrees with me."
"Besides, you and James are great together." Quinn knew about the engagement, Ryan had texted her with the news almost immediately. Her smile faded a bit. "I can't blame Ryan completely though. Puck can be very persuasive and charming when he wants to be." She should know that better than anyone.
"Don't worry, that is very much not going to happen," Shelby answered. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm over it." She'd made a mistake with Puck, and she regretted it. But there was no point thinking about it now. She'd grown as a person, and besides, that mistake had produced Beth and she'd never regret that. "Just making sure you know what Puck's like."
"Oh, I think I know. But the teacher-student boundaries are firmly established. Not to mention he bullied my son and played a part in his claustrophobia..."
"Wait, what?" Quinn looked at the older woman, startled. She knew Ryan was mildly claustrophobic, she'd seen it on the plane to and from New York, but he'd never mentioned why.
"He didn't tell you?" Shelby looked slightly guilty. "He told me Puck and David Karofsky managed to stick him in a locker in grade school for two hours. That's why he doesn't like closed spaces."
"Oh. I didn't know that." Yet another reason for her to dislike Noah Puckerman. "I should go."
"Quinn, I'm sure he wasn't trying to keep it a secret from you," Shelby told her. "When I asked him about it, it seemed like he was embarrassed about it."
Quinn softened. For someone so confident, she'd quickly figured out that her boyfriend had had rather low self-esteem before, and it had only improved in the last couple of years. It made sense, and it just made her want to give him a hug. "I know. Thanks."
Shelby nodded, and Quinn left the room. She headed towards her locker, lost in thought. So lost in fact that she collided with Marley Rose just as she entered the hall.
"Sorry, didn't see you there." Quinn glanced at the door the other girl had just exited. "I didn't know people were allowed in the kitchens."
Blue eyes widened. "I - uh - I was just -" Marley fumbled for an answer, only to be cut off by the kitchen door opening again.
"Marley, sweetheart, you forget your - oh." One of the lunchladies, the large one, came out, waving a sweater, only to stop when she saw Quinn standing there with Marley. The lunchlady looked between the two, eyes wide. Quinn looked at her in confusion, before her own eyes widened. Her gaze flicked between Marley and the older woman, and finally she understood that weird sense of déjà vu whenever the lunchlady smiled at her.
"She's your mom, isn't she?" Her suspicions were practically confirmed when panic appeared in two identical pairs of blue eyes. It looks like today was an information dump sort of day.
The lunchlady spoke first, her words hurried. "Oh, no, that's not -"
"Yeah, she is," Marley cut her off. She looked at her mom before straightening up and looking at Quinn almost defiantly. "This is my mom. Is that a problem?"
"No, of course not." Quinn glanced between the two of them again, watching as they relaxed. The lunchlady hesitated for a moment before nodding, handing Marley the sweater, and retreating back into the kitchens. Quinn and Marley stood there awkwardly for a moment before Quinn nodded. "Okay then."
She set off again, only to have Marley follow her. "Aren't you going to ask why I kept it a secret?" the brunette asked anxiously.
Quinn shook her head. "I think I know why." Of course she knew why. She knew firsthand exactly how merciless kids could be about appearances. She'd done everything to keep her own past a secret after all, until it had all come tumbling out thanks to Lauren Zizes. "Is it also why you switched schools?"
"Yeah."
Quinn nodded. She understood that too. They stood there in an almost awkward silence for another moment. "Are you going to tell anyone?"
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to tell anyone?"
Marley fidgeted a little. "No. I mean, I guess not."
"Then no. It's not my secret to tell."
"Thanks."
The two girls walked in silence before running into Ryan. "Oh, hi Quinn, Marley." He flashed them a smile. "Did you see Brittany? She's handing out Pixie Stix again." Quinn looked down to see that Ryan was in fact holding a handful of candy. She looked back up at her boyfriend's face, before pulling him into a hug. Ryan was surprised, but hugged her back after a moment. She pulled back after a moment, smiling slightly. "What was that for?"
Quinn shrugged. "Nothing."
A second later, Marley eyed the candy Ryan was holding. "Wow, Brittany's really taking this election thing seriously, isn't she?"
"As seriously as she can while pledging to go topless once a week," Quinn said dryly, clearing her throat. She'd forgotten that the freshman was there.
"Kurt's pretty desperate to win though," Ryan mentioned. "He's always working on his campaign when I see him at the garage."
"Well, I sort of think his platform's good," Marley volunteered. Kurt was campaigning to have better, more nutritious meals in the cafeteria. "I mean, obesity? It's kind of a big issue, right?"
"I suppose it is," Ryan nodded, his gaze flicking towards Quinn. "Good nutrition is important after all, especially for adolescents who are going through their growth spurts and whatnot."
"Well, I for one wouldn't mind getting actual food from the cafeteria once in a while," Quinn commented absently. She looked up as their small group was joined by Ryder Lynn. She hadn't interacted with him much outside of the Troubletones, but he seemed like a nice kid. He smiled at her and Ryan.
"Hi." His gaze fell on Marley, and Quinn had to hold back a smirk. This kid was obviously crushing on the brunette. Marley didn't seem to get it though. "Hey Marley."
"Oh, hi Ryder." Marley smiled at him. "What's up?"
"Nothing," the tall boy replied, his smile getting goofier. "You've got algebra next, right? I thought maybe we could walk to class together."
"Oh," Marley's eyes widened a little. "Oh, okay." She glanced at Quinn and Ryan. "I guess we should get going." She and Ryder headed off in the direction of the math class room.
Ryan looked at Quinn curiously. "What?"
"It's nothing." She reached up, giving him a kiss. He was really adorable when he was oblivious. He still couldn't completely understand flirting unless it was incredibly blatant like Sebastian's. It was okay in this case though, because he wasn't the one being flirted with. Ryan tilted his head, happily accepting the kiss as his hands settled on her waist, the Pixie Stix shoved into his bag.
"Get a room." Suddenly Santana appeared next to them. "Hey RuPaul, Tubbers. Me and Pyramid Nipples just got into it, so we're having a dodgeball match between the Troubletones and the Nude Erections later after school. Just thought I'd let you know so you can alert the troops."
"You what?" Ryan asked, gawking at Santana. Quinn simply glared at the Latina for interrupting was had been a rather nice kiss.
Santana shrugged. "I called Finn a -"
"Not that! You agreed to a dodgeball match between the Troubletones and the New Directions?"
"Oh yeah, that. Why, is there a problem?"
Ryan stared at her for another moment. "Don't you think that that was a bit reckless? I mean, facing our foes head-on with no adult supervision in a game as violent as dodgeball? Did you even ask anyone else if they'd be okay with this?"
"Britts seemed to think it was okay," Santana shrugged again. Quinn sighed. Of course she did. "Look, we can't back out now. We'll seem like cowards, so the way I see it is we all go to the gym after school, beat the crap out of those losers, and be on our merry way home before dinner. How does that sound?"
Ryan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But I don't like this."
"Too bad. Besides, didn't you say your mom was okay with a little psyching out the competish? What better way than to cream them at dodgeball."
"Don't worry so much, Ry," Quinn finally said. "It could be fun. I wouldn't mind getting to throw a ball in Finn's face."
"You two seem very sure that we're going to win."
"Of course we're going to win," Santana said matter-of-factly. "We've got the Asian #2, the basketball star, and three Cheerios. Four if you count Q."
"Gee, thanks Santana."
Santana ignored her. "They've got Soft-serve, Lady Gay, a kid in a wheelchair, and the Talking Potato. Who do you think is going to win?"
Ryan sighed again. "Okay." Hopefully they wouldn't regret it. That malevolent grin on Santana's face didn't exactly fill him with confidence though.
..
"This doesn't seem like such a good idea," Marley said nervously as the Troubletones gathered in the gym that afternoon for the dodgeball game. "I hate dodgeball."
"Oh, suck it up," Santana said dismissively as the Troubletones congregated on one side of the gym. The New Directions were on the other side, and Ryan's eyes narrowed as Santana smiled evilly in anticipation. "We are gonna own them."
"I'm on Marley's side," Tina said irritably. "This game is stupid and needlessly violent. Whose brilliant idea was this anyways?"
"Mine, you got a problem?"
"Let's just get this over with with as little bodily harm as possible, okay?" Ryan huffed irritably as Santana smirked. She'd promptly taken on the mantle as leader of this little event, and Ryan had relented after minimal fuss. He agreed with Marley and Tina, he did not like dodgeball at all. He'd spent most of his elementary years getting pummeled at it by his larger classmates until he'd managed to get the hang of running around and dodging. Even then, getting hit hurt. A lot. "Just, try not to kill anyone, okay?"
Just then Finn blew on his whistle. "Okay! Let's roadhouse!"
"Oh, it is on, Finnsbury Dough-turd," Santana smiled maliciously as everyone got into position. She and Finn locked eyes, and a second later the game was on.
In the usual way of dodgeball, once the balls started flying, utter chaos reigned. Ryan wasn't sure how everyone was keeping track of who was out since they didn't have a referee. He was however sure that he saw Artie being used as a makeshift shelter, he was pretty sure that Rory had absolutely no clue what was happening, and he was extremely sure that Santana was having a little too much fun pelting balls at Finn. He saw that the non-Cheerio girls were doing their best to stay out of the action, but Quinn, Brittany, Santana, and even Kitty were having the time of their lives.
Santana had been right though. Slowly but surely the Troubletones managed to hit the New Direction guys until only Finn was up against Santana, Ryan having been hit by a grinning Blaine who had been quickly outed by Santana. Finally Santana managed to slam a ball directly in Finn's face, sending the tall football player reeling back with his face screwed up. Santana grinned victoriously as the Troubletones cheered.
"Okay," Finn conceded, after taking a second to clear his head. "Okay. You win. Good game." He grudgingly offered a hand. Santana simply smirked, and finally Ryan stepped forward, taking Finn's hand in a firm shake.
"Good game." Ryan took a second to look around. "Nobody needs to go the nurse, right?" Shelby would kill them if someone got hurt in this little show. When nobody spoke up he nodded, turning around just in time to see Santana winding up to throw another ball at Rory, who had just come up next to Finn. "Okay, I don't think we should do that," Ryan said, hastily grabbing the ball. "How about we all just hit the showers and we can call it a day, hmm?"
Santana rolled her eyes. "Fine. You're no fun."
..
The two teams disbanded a few minutes later, dispersing to the shower rooms. Ryan ended up in the boys' shower room. Almost everybody had left, and Ryan could hear the last shower switch off. Ryder stepped out in a towel, grinning at him. "Hey Ryan."
"Hi." Ryan smiled back as he pulled some clothes out of his locker. "Pretty good arm out there," he commented.
"Yeah. It was fun."
"Are you still interested in joining a team?" Ryan asked. "I know Coach Beiste is scheduling basketball tryouts in a week or two. You should try."
Ryder lit up. "That would be awesome." He finished dressing. "I'm totally in."
"Great." Ryan watched as Ryder left the locker room before turning back to his locker. Then he turned back around as he heard someone clear their throat. "Hey, you," he smiled as he saw Quinn in the doorway. She came in, setting the bag she was carrying down on the floor before shutting the door.
"Hey." She walked over, leaning up to press a kiss on his lips. "Showered yet?"
"Just about to, actually." He smiled as she ran her hands along his chest. "Something up?"
"Oh, just feeling energized from the game," she answered sultrily. "No to mention the high of winning. I thought maybe you could help work it off." She quirked an eyebrow at him meaningfully, and his smile widened.
"Looks like I'm the big winner of the afternoon," Ryan smirked. "Hold on though, I just need to take a quick shower, all that running around had us working up quite a sweat. Just give me five minutes and we can get going."
Quinn smiled, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him down into a kiss. Ryan's eyes closed as her tongue darted out to swipe at his lower lip. Then she moved her lips away, trailing along his jaw to his ear, and he shivered as her breath ghosted along his skin. "Maybe we can both take a shower," she whispered, her voice smoky. "It would save time."
Ryan's breath caught, his eyes darkening at the suggestion. "But... oh..." He sighed as she attached her lips to his neck, her hand creeping under his shirt. He looked around helplessly. "What if someone comes in?"
"I locked the door," she breathed out, her fingers stroking along his stomach. He swallowed, already feeling his body reacting to her touch. "Besides, everyone's gone home already." She dragged her lips back up to his, pressing against him possessively. Ryan moaned as she dominated the kiss, helpless to stop his own arousal. He didn't want to be caught in such a compromising position, but he couldn't help himself. He pulled her closer, sighing as his erection pressed up against her thigh.
Suddenly Quinn drew back, pressing another kiss to his lips before stepping back and straightening his shirt. Ryan blinked in surprise at the abrupt stop. "What -"
"You're right, we might get caught," Quinn nodded. "But you know, Britts and San are in the girls' locker room, and I really don't want to be a part of that. So," she stepped back, smiling mischievously. "I think I'll just shower in here."
Ryan's brain short circuited as she sauntered away from him, her eyes fixed on her swaying hips - he swore she was doing it on purpose -
"Are you coming?"
His head snapped up at the question, and he almost swallowed his tongue when Quinn shot him a smirk before pulling her shirt off. That got him to move, and he hurriedly followed her. Then he stopped, turning back to his locker. He opened it, frantically searching his things. He knew he'd left some in here - yes. He finally found one of the foil packets he was looking for. He shut the locker door, almost slamming his fingers in it in his hurry, and stumbled after Quinn who had by now taken off her gym shorts.
The blonde's smirk widened as she slid her hands under his shirt, easily tugging it off and tossing it to the side before dragging him into another fervent kiss. Lost in a haze of lust, Ryan wasn't sure how she managed to unbutton his shorts and pull his pants down, but she did. He helped her drag them down, growling impatiently as they caught on his sneakers.
"Classy," Quinn snickered as he hopped slightly, trying to get his sneakers off. Ryan just glared at her. Finally he managed to get them off, and Quinn tugged him into one of the shower stalls. This time Ryan leaned down, attaching his lips to her neck as he pulled her towards him. Quinn reached behind her, twisting the tap on and sending water flowing over them. Ryan sputtered a little before recovering, only to lose it again as Quinn ground against him seductively.
He fumbled behind her back, clumsily undoing the strap of her bra before helping her out of it. The bra was followed by her panties and then his boxers, all tossed to a pile in the corner of the shower. Ryan took a second to step back, his eyes roving appreciatively over his incredibly hot girlfriend. He'd lost count of the number of times they'd had sex, but she still took his breath away every time, and the sight of her with water cascading all over was fantastic.
"Like what you see?" she inquired.
Ryan gave a strangled chuckle. "You have no idea." He surged forward, his lips crashing against hers. She kissed him back enthusiastically, and he stepped forward, pressing her back against the wall of the cubicle, water still pouring over them. Quinn's hands slipped up his abs before taking the small foil packet that was still miraculously in his hand.
"Very good foresight," she chuckled, tearing it open. Ryan's lips slipped to her neck, and she tilted her head to the side to grant him better access. He bit down lightly as she rolled the condom over his sensitive dick, before moving down to capture a breast in his mouth. "Oh God," she moaned breathily.
"Like that?" He suckled softly at the nipple before nipping, and her hands flew around his back to steady herself.
"Yes," she hissed. Ryan grinned as he palmed one breast, still sucking on the other. His other hand gripped a conveniently placed towel bar on the wall, keeping him from slipping on the wet floor. He let out a soft hiss as her nails dug into his back. "God yes."
He switched his mouth to the other breast, his hand slipping down to stroke at her entrance. "Hmm. Is this from the shower or is this for me?"
Quinn let out a moan, thrusting against his fingers. "Ryan, inside," she panted. "I want you. Now."
Ryan released her breast, moving up to look her in the eye. He almost passed out at the desire he saw there, and he nodded. He positioned himself hastily, before pushing his throbbing cock into her. Quinn bit her lip, whimpering softly as he bottomed out.
He looked at her anxiously. "Okay?"
She nodded after a moment. "Move. Please." Ryan nodded, moving forward to kiss her sweetly before pulling almost entirely out and slamming back in. Quinn's head fell back against the wall, her hands clutching desperately at his back. "Ryan!"
Ryan pressed his lips against her neck as he took a moment to steady himself, before setting up a fast pace. "God, Quinn, you feel so good," he panted. He was close, so close, but he wanted her to come first. She let out a loud yelp as he thrust particularly hard, and he covered her mouth with his. "Shh, someone will hear!"
"D-don't care," Quinn gasped out. "More, Ryan, I'm close -"
He nodded, moving his hand between them to toy at her clit, and she finally came apart, his name leaving her lips in a scream that he caught in a searing kiss. The sensation of her clenching around him triggered his own climax, and he grunted as he spilled himself into the condom.
The couple stood there for a few minutes, trying to catch their breaths as water continued to cascade around them. "How much time did we save, really?" Ryan questioned momentarily.
Quinn chuckled tiredly. "Not much, but it was so worth it." Ryan nodded, pleasantly exhausted himself. Keeping his balance on the wet tile while fucking his girlfriend was harder than it looked in the movies.
"Completely worth it," Ryan agreed, smiling as he kissed her on the lips.