Kurt had started his Madonna cover band and he ended up naming it Pamela Lansbury. Rachel, Santana, Dani, and somebody named Elliot aka star child joined. I heavily refused as I don't sing and I have no intention to. There were some problems that everyone had with Elliot at first but I personally always thought he was amazing. Kurt has even asked Jesse to audition as he thought it would be something Jesse would enjoy.
Jesse ended up coming and auditioning for fun. He didn't agree to be apart of it in the end but he has been staying with us for awhile. It's been amazing having him with me. It's almost like we're living together. I really wish he didn't have to go back, but I refused to think of that at the moment.
We started working as Christmas elves for awhile and that whole experience was... interesting. Jesse looked very good in a tight Christmas elf costume.
Kurts also starting to get all paranoid that Elliot is going to steal the spotlight of Kurt's new band.
That day at work, I hand a couple their drinks and give them the minute they needed to pick their food. I look over and see a women being racist and offensive to Santana. Santana looked like she was about to go postal.
"The nerve of some people." Rachel said, scaring me and making me jump.
"God, Rachel." I say, exhaling sharply.
"Let's go." She says before walking away from me. I follow her over as Santana reaches the other side of the bar.
"Ok, I was certain that you were going to go all Lima heights adjacent and just throw those eggs on that lady's face just now." Rachel says with a giddy smile.
"Lima heights?" I ask.
"Bad part of Lima," Santana quickly explains. "Besides, I wouldn't have. I need this job. I'm saving up to buy a noose to hang myself with." Santana remarks, walking away to take more orders.
"Hey... wait, what's going on? Talk to us." I say as Rachel and I follow.
"It's not what I expected, you know? I'm awesome. I thought I'd come here and everyone would see that, too." Santana sighs, taking old dishes instead of orders.
"Wait, what do you mean? You got a national commercial within like, a month of being here." I say with a small laugh as we all start collecting old dishes.
"Yes, and now everywhere I go, I am known as the girl with the raging yeast infection. The other day some customers made me take their toast back because looking at me made them lose their appetite for any bread products. I'm sorry I'm complaining. I'm fine." Santana says before walking towards the kitchen.
"Plus, I think people thinking you have a yeast infection is more so because you went around asking people if they needed any than the commercial itself." I point out.
"No, you're not fine, Santana. Look, it's ok to complain to me, it means we're friends." Rachel says as we follow Santana back to a table with dish bins.
"I just have this weird guilt trip about being friends with you, because I was so awful to you in high school. Quinn and Brit Hayes you too, and that's mostly just because you sucked so bad and you walked with that weird feet pointing out thing. I made Quinn look like the boss, but I was really running the hate on Rachel parade." Santana admits.
"Woah... that's harsh." I say bluntly. Rachel purses her lips.
"It's, fine. Okay? I forgive you, and you just have to forgive yourself. High schools over and it's just me, Madi, you, and Kurt here now." Rachel expresses.
"And now that we all know each other better, I don't hate you as much as I use to," I motion over to Santana. "I mean, really. You were so mean and rude and your quips just weren't funny," I express. "But now, you've mellowed out a bit and we're all here and we're all friends and we're all good." Santana nods in admittance.
"Yes, ok, but out of all four of us, I am crapping the bed the hardest." Santana says looking between us before she walks away again.
"I may be on top right now, but one day it'll be you. You know what you need right now is some good old pampering." Rachel states as we hand outside the bar while Santana's in it.
"Oh, are you treating at the Korean spa?" Santana asks.
"Better. I'm gonna be on the cover of New York magazine." Rachel states. Mine and Santana mouth drops.
"Oh, my god." I say as Rachel squeals.
"Oh, my god, that's awesome. I'm totally pretending not to be jealous. No, I'm kidding, that's really cool." Santana waves off.
"Well, it's just something that the publicist for the show set up to like, introduce me to the world and I just, I feel like this is my moment where Ive finally arrived." Rachel rambles. I forget how we moved from Santana being sad to Rachel being happy...
"I'm really, really happy for you." I say.
"But what does this have to do with me being pampered." Santana says with a shrug.
"Ok, so there's gonna be models at the shoot and I think I have enough juice to ask if you and, maybe you too Madi to be one of them. And you can get, like, you hair done and your nails and your makeup and there's all these free clothes. Are you guys in?" Rachel asks. The bell dings and Rachel and I look over to see the steaming eggs.
"Hells yes, I'm in." Santana says. We look back over to her.
"Yay." Rachel says.
"Me too."
"Yay!" Rachel says again.
"Right after I spit... in these eggs," Santana says as she walks over to them. Santana walks back over to Rachel and says something about being a good friend about how Santana wants to get out there and Rachel's helping. Rachel smiles happily as Santana walks over to the lady.
"Agh, please don't, Santana." I shout out to her.
At the photoshoot, Santana and I are signing in when Rachel walks over to us.
"Oh, my god, can you believe all these amazing dresses that they pulled for this shoot? And all these girls are like the new up-and-comers from Juilliard and Harvard and Yale. Ok, that girl over there-look, but don't really look- she just got the lead on AMC's new show about Victorian prostitutes. I'm so nervous, but I'm nervous because I'm excited or because I'm scared. This is so amazing." Rachel rambled so much I think she was on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Rachel," I laugh. "Calm down."
"Berry, Berry. You look amazing." Santana attempts to calm her down.
"Ok."
"Own it."
"All right."
"You are exactly where you're suppose to be."
"Thank you."
"Ok, good luck."
"Good, luck." I add with a smile.
"Ok, here I go. Tell me if I look good." Rachel says as she walks out.
"Alright." I say while laughing.
Rachel gets into this sparking back and white pantsuit. The other girls in beautiful dresses. They move in different formations on this small couch that people use to faint on in old timey drama movies.
Santana and I get changed and pampered. Our hair all did and our make up all done. Our nails cleaned and polished. Our dresses picked and put on. Santana's was gold and puffy at the bottom. Mine was a deep dark blue that was slick and had no back.
We joined the shoot. We moved into different sections of the rooms in different formations. At one point we all umbrellas that were a big thing in the shoot to add some pazaz. Another thing we did was have some wind moving silk fabrics above our heads to add some glamour.
The day after the shoot, I was still gleaming with happiness. The shoot was absolutely amazing and I loved every minute of it. I sat in Jesse's lap as I showed him pictures I managed to get ahold of on my phone.
"God, you're gorgeous," Jesse breathes out. I smile bashfully slipping my free arm, further down his so I could freely hide my face in his neck. But I instantly jerk back as he tickles my foot. "Don't hide from me, show me the next picture." Jesse demands. My smile widens before I move to the next picture.
"All right ladies, remember, we got band rehearsal tonight." Kurt says in a sing-song voice.
"Kurt, I'm sorry. I just... I can't." Rachel says, getting up and getting her stuff from around the apartment.
"Wait, what. Why?" Santana asks.
"Santana, don't start with me right now. They're auditioning my understudy today, and I have to be there. I told them it's ridiculous because it's not like I'm ever gonna miss a performance or anything. Just.. it must be an insurance thing, right?" Rachel rambles, now holding her bag and coat.
"Hey, well, hold up. If berry's not coming, then neither am I." Santana shrugs.
"Guys, we're in a band. We have to practice." Kurt protested.
"Kurt, I would think that you would understand all the emotional stress that I am under right now, and I need you guys to just be a little supportive," Rachel breaths as she stands next to the door, putting glasses on her face. "It's just... it's really hard being a star." Rachel says before walking out.
"Good luck!" I shout out. Jesse chuckles with a shake of his head, flipping to the next photo of me.
As Rachel's gone and Santana's disappeared somewhere, Kurt had invited Elliot over. So Jesse and I got to my room and start watching footloose.
A little while later, Elliot shows up and Kurt almost instantly starts grilling poor Elliot about his life and if he wants to take over Kurts band.
"Poor Elliot." I whisper over to Jesse.
"I get the paranoia though... Elliot is a really great artist and Kurt started the band. I could definitely understand the underlying threat in talent there." Jesse nods.
"Yeah, but taking over someone's band like that, what's the point? Why not just make your own band. It's not like Kurt has a following." I explain.
"Or Kurt is just being Kurt." Jesse suggest. I laugh, pushing him away from me.
Kurt and Elliot leave for while. The whole apartment was empty and Jesse wanted to talk to me about something important.
"What's going on?" I ask carefully. Jesse sits next to me on the couch and grabs my hands.
"Well, as you know I've been here for awhile; and well, I'm surprised you haven't noticed but vocal adrenaline hasn't been a factor in anything recently." Jesse starts to explain.
"Are you telling me..?" I start sternly.
"I quit teaching vocal adrenaline."
I sat there. Shocked. My hands were squeezing Jesse's tightly but my face showed no emotion.
"What is it with you quitting things and not telling me." I ask through clenched teeth.
"...Guess it's a.. bag habit?" He asks. I raise a brow at him. "A habit, I very much need to break." Jesse says.
"Well, what are you going to do?! Where are you going to go?! Why did you even quit?!" I shout. Jesse winces but scoots closer to me.
"I left, because I wanted to make something of myself as an artist. I want to be out and start working as an actor. And the reason for not telling you, is that I wanted to see what it would be like- If we could live with each other and not want to bite each other's heads off. So I could move here. With you." Jesse says.
Before I can answer, the door opens and in comes Kurt and Rachel with groceries. Kurt places them on the table as Rachel continues to rant.
"What's going on?" I ask, getting off the couch and over to them to help with the food.
"Santana auditioned for my understudy today! With don't rain on my parade!" Rachel shouts. Jesse comes up behind me.
"Are you mad?" He whispers in my ear.
"Mad? No. Shocked and surprised and in disbelief? Yes." I whisper back.
"You don't own the song." Kurt says.
"No, that song is ms. Streisand's as long as she's on this planet. But let me tell you something- when she goes, it's gonna be my responsibility to sing it." Rachel yells through the apartment.
"Do you know how insane you sound?" Kurt asks.
"This is a little much, Rachel. Even for you." I say carefully. Rachel gaze snaps up to me then Kurt.
"It was completely inappropriate of her to try out without telling me." Rachel says.
"Why? You don't own the musical." I state.
"Because I'm the lead!" Rachel yells.
"Hey, roomies. Talking about me?" Santana asks.
"Yes." I say. Kurt flashes me a look before turning to her.
"No. Why would you think that?" Kurt asks.
"Why did you audition without telling me?" Rachel snaps.
"Well, because I figured that we were going to fight about it anyway, so we might as well go at it afterwards. That way you don't have a chance to torpedo me." Santana says as she walks into the living room. Rachel follows.
"Fanny Brice is a New York Jew. You playing that role is like me being the grand marshal at the Puerto Rican day parade." Rachel yells.
"Woah, woah." Jesse and I say at the same time.
"What if you weren't playing fanny? If you weren't playing the lead, and I came home and said, that I auditioned to be the understudy, would you still feel so strongly?" Santana asks after sitting on the couch.
"I'm arguing on principle. This is not personal."
"Bull crap, Rachel. You have all of this talk about forgiveness for high school, but the reality is that you just love having something over me. I mean, these past couple months with you in rehearsal and me waiting tables has been such sweet revenge for you. And you just can't stand the idea that I might get mine, too." Santana rants, shrugging as her rant proves some point. God, she's annoying.
"I just got you on the cover of New York magazine!" Rachel yells.
"In the background. You were practically glowing about it." Santana says with a laugh. Santana seriously needs to be grateful for something! I squeeze my fits tightly.
"That's because I accomplished something. It had nothing to do with you." Rachel forces out. Both of these girls! All they think about is themselves and not the bigger picture!
"No, see, it actually has everything to do with me. Every step you take in this city is fueled by all the hate that we gave you. All of that ambition is just you trying to prove us wrong. Which is fine, Rachel. I mean, whatever works for you. Just don't try and say that it isn't." Santana argues, standing up to face Rachel. I swear to god, someone needs to back off before I make them back off!
I go to take a step when Kurt beats me too it, holding his arm out at me as he walks up to them. Jesse slides his arms around my waist.
"Ok, why don't we just chill for a second, please. Ok, I'll make an espresso." Kurt suggest. I start to relax in Jesse's hold.
"You know what? You can't handle it. You can't handle that I have made it, and you are just begging to be my understudy." Rachel spits out, storming to her room to fumble around. Santana starts to follow while Jesse pulls me further away from Santana.
"Ok, you know what? Just admit that even with all of your years of singing lessons and dancing lessons and only-child adoration from your gay broadway dada that I am just as good as you. Unlike you, I can still be popular in high school and still make it big after graduation. Just admit that no matter what you do, or how far you go, you will never be able to scratch that itch. You will never be able to look down on me and redeem yourself. Because I was better than you then, and I'm always gonna be better than you. You are short, you are awful, and that is never going to change." Santana rants as I'm practically shaking in rage. I hate bully's with everything in me and Santana is by far the most annoying bully in the entire world.
Rachel grunts, spinning around and slapping Santana so hard her head whips to the side and her hair jerks all over. Kurt gasps as the following words happily slip out of my mouth.
"Fuck yeah!" I shout in joy. Jesse slaps a hand over my mouth as I'm practically giggling. The whole apartment is silent besides me.
"I think you should move out." Rachel says venomously.
"I full heartedly agree." I say heatedly after moving Jesse's hand off my mouth. Santana slowly looks over at me before she turns back to Rachel.
"I agree." Santana says quietly before she starts walking out, storming past me to reach her buzzing phone.
"This is crazy! We're friends!" Kurt shouts.
"Not really." Santana mutters as she looks in her purse.
"We were dumb to think Santana could ever change or be nice or do something for somebody else." I rant. Jesse starts shushing me, slowly guiding me away from Santana. We all stand next to each other as Santana is away from us, answering her phone.
"Hello? Yeah, good. Ok. Well, thank you for letting me know so soon. Bye... I'll see you at rehearsals, Berry. I'm your new understudy." Santana says before walking out.
The next day, we have a roommate meeting. Santana and Rachel standing across from each other while Kurt, Jesse, and I stand off to the side. Kurt sitting on the counter while Jesse and I lean against it.
"Well all can't live here anymore. One of us has to go." Rachel says, staring at Santana.
"I've paid rent here for three months. And even though I never actually got to have a bed, uh, I still have squatters rights." Santana says back.
"Kurt, Jesse, Madi... you vote." Rachel says.
"Oh, well, then I guess I should pack my stuff now. Cause we all know who they're gonna side with." Santana says.
"Right. Thank you." Rachel says.
"I'm picking neither of you! Ok? This is ridiculous! We are friends. I'm not gonna let something like this break us up." Kurt shouts.
"This is betrayal, Kurt, ok? This is exactly how friends break up." Rachel says, motioning to us all.
"She auditioned for your understudy, Rachel. How is that betrayal?" Kurt asks.
"Ok. You know what? Let me break it down for you- the sole purpose of an understudy is to hope that the lead never goes on. She only wins if I lose! And I can't be around this negative energy anymore. This is my big break and she is poisoning it!" Rachel rants.
"Poisoning." Santana mutters.
"Even if she never went out on that stage, this would be a very important job for her. And I'm a little disappointed you can't find the generosity in your heart to see that," Kurt scolds. He looks down at me. "Wanna but in here?!" I shrug with my lips pursed.
"It will work itself out. Usually does." I mutter.
"You know what? If you think that she is just some babe in the woods who is perfectly fine with living off of the scraps of my Star sand which, well then you are naive and willfully ignorant! She would kill for this part!" Rachel shouts.
"Oh, yes, she has been awful to us before. But I believe her now." Kurt says carefully.
"Look at that, pasty gay is siding with me." Santana shouts.
"I am not siding with either of you. I just want to order a pizza, sit down and talk this out!" Kurt shouts.
"I got the pizza." Jesse mumbles, typing it up on his phone.
"Thank you." Kurt whisper/shouts.
"You know what? You guys can do whatever you want in this apartment, because I'm leaving, and let me tell you something, Santana. You and I have just been pretending to be friends ever since we did that stupid number in the choir room after graduation, all happy and supportive. But it's all crap! Because you and I have never been friends. Never have and never will be!" Rachel yells, spitting it all in Santana's face. By now, they're both crap. I'm sick of all of this. I honestly want to go back to my studio in LA.
"Rachel, no." Kurt says brokenly.
"No. No, you know what? Let her go. Hey, leave the mattress though, would you?" Santana snarks.
"I am on the cusp of something that most people never even touch, a dream come true. I am gonna be a star on broadway. And I am not gonna let one moment of this amazing life-altering experience be ruined by friends who aren't even my friends... that's it. I'm done. I'm leaving." Rachel says, her lip wobbling, her voice wavering as she's on the brink of a breakdown before going into her room to get her stuff.
"Ok. Ok." Santana mutters. I scoff loudly.
"Do you even have a heart, Santana? Because, honestly, I don't think you do. I don't think you know how to love or care. Despite relationships you've been in or friendships you've had. I don't think you can love. And I feel so bad, for whoever you end up with." I say calmly as Santana stares at me blankly. I shake my head, heading to the fridge to get a water bottle.
After a good chunk of time and hours later, Rachel leaves her room with all her things packed. She holds one suitcase as the rest as to be sent. Kurt, Jesse, me, and... Santana, stand up from sitting at the table. She hugs Kurt first. She then turns to me and barrels into my arms. I hug her tightly, wishing Santana was the one leaving. Her and Jesse hug for a moment before she turns to Santana.
Instead of a goodbye hug, Rachel moves around Santana, leaving Santana confused before turning around. Rachel grabbed the picture of them at graduation on the stand next to the door. She holds it up to Santana before ripping it to shreds and throwing it in the air as she walks out.