"Fancy meeting you here," Ryder sighed when he stepped outside and saw Kitty sitting on the steps.
"Just needed a break," she explained as he sat down. "Mike's a great dancer but he makes way too many references to the fact that he's Asian. That performance in there was..."
"Everything ok?" he asked.
She shrugged and said, "Just gave me a lot to think about, I guess. What about you? How are you holding up?"
Ryder was unsure as to what she was talking about. "With?" he asked.
Kitty glanced up at him and said, "Obviously there's something bugging you. You're not still hung up on the she-demon, are you?
Giving her a stern look, he shrugged and said, "I guess she got under my skin."
"I know what that's like," Kitty whispered to herself. She let out a deep breath and looked down at her phone as the screen lit up. "They're starting again. Mike versus Sam, apparently. Let's go."
***
"Ok," Joe said, standing between Kitty and Ryder while the rest of the New Directions and the mentors sat around the choir room. "Mike, you've chosen Kitty to represent your team. Sam, you've chosen Ryder. I'll flip this coin here and whoever gets it will choose the song."
Sam scowled and said, "That doesn't seem fair. What if she chooses some dance song?"
"Then she'll show how much better she is," Mike teased.
Kitty looked over at him and winked but Ryder just said, "It's fine, Sam. I'll take whatever happens. Heads."
"I wanted Tails anyway," Kitty retorted. Joe flipped his coin and looked up once he'd caught it. "What is it?" Kitty asked him.
"Tails," he responded, walking over to an empty chair beside Bree.
"Sweet!" Mike exclaimed. "Do the dance routine we've been working on."
Kitty nodded and took her place. Just as the music was starting, however, she took one look at Ryder and said, "Wait, stop. Stop the song."
The band stopped playing and everyone looked around, confused as though she were just about to have another emotional breakdown.
Instead, however, she said, "Ryder, can I have a quick word outside?"
Ryder nodded and followed her to the hallways. "What is it?" he asked her.
She looked back in the the room and pulled him away from the door before saying, "I know that you're probably feeling like you're never going to let her go... Or vice versa... But I've been there before. And one day, you'll look at her or maybe even just think about her, and you'll know things have changed."
"Thanks," Ryder replied softly. "That was a surprisingly nice thing for you to say."
Kitty grinned and said, "I have my moments. Now come on. I hear belting it out now and then can really help you get all that built-up angst and bitterness out."
"I bet," he chuckled, nodding and following her back to the choir room.
"If you two are done making out over there," Santana said, annoyed. "Have a song yet?"
"Yeah," Kitty said, smiling at Ryder. "I think we do." She walked over to Brad and whispered something. Once the band had come together, they started playing and everyone else awaited.
["Turning Tables" by Adele and done in Season 2 by Holly.]
Kitty: Close enough to start a war. All that I have is on the floor. God only knows what we're fighting for. All that I say, you always say more.
Kitty kept her eyes on Ryder while the rest of the New Directions wondered what was going on. Bree leaned over to Julie and whispered, "She and Vince are good, right?"
Kitty: I can't keep up with your turning tables. Under your thumb I can't breathe...
"Yeah," Julie responded slowly, her eyes darting over to Jake.
Kitty: So, I won't let you close enough to hurt me. No, I won't rescue you to just desert me.
Both: I can't give you the heart you think you gave me. It's time to say goodbye to turning tables. To turning tables...
Kitty turned to others and then back to Ryder, who seemed uneasy. It had been a while since he'd let himself be vulnerable, and she didn't notice until that moment, when she saw him look around the room as though he was afraid of what the others might see. She glanced over at Jake, briefly, and then down at the floor as she continued and hoped that Ryder would be brave enough to show what was really inside.
Kitty: Under haunted skies I see you, ooh. Where love is lost your ghost is found.
Ryder: I braved a hundred storms to leave you. As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down, whoa...
Harmony kept her eyes on her phone, hopelessly trying to make her self seem as though she didn't care. There she was, heartbroken over a guy who was broken down over someone else. Carrie had been right; she was pathetic.
Both: I can't keep up with your turning tables. Under your thumb I can't breathe.
Ryder: So, I won't let you close enough to hurt me. No, I won't rescue you to just desert me.
Both: I can't give you the heart you think you gave me. It's time to say goodbye to turning tables.
Ryder: Turning tables...
Kitty was positive that Jake knew how she felt about always being his go-to when Julie broke his heart. She didn't mind being there for him, but it had gotten to the point where all he wanted was for her to fix him. And she had always felt as though she had to because he had been a big part of her own healing, so she owed him that.
Kitty: Next time I'll be brave. I'll be my own savior.
Both: When the thunder calls for me.
Kitty: Next time I'll be braver. I'll be my own savior.
Both: Standing on my own two feet...
Santana leaned back and yawned, bored by the feel-good family-friendly performance. What fun was it coming back to her old high school when all anyone ever did these days was hug it out? Where was the passion, the fury, the blood, the frenemies?
Both: I won't let you close enough to hurt me. No, I won't rescue you to just desert me. I can't give you the heart you think you gave me. It's time to say goodbye to turning tables.
Ryder: To turning tables ooh...
Kitty: Turning tables, yeah heh...
Ryder: Turning, yeah, oh ooh...
The song ended and Ryder felt out of breath. Had his technique really been that terrible or was he just so emotionally drained by that performance? Once he'd finally found his breathing, he noticed that everyone was clapping for him.
"Awesome," Mike said proudly.
"Agreed," Sam nodded, glancing at Julie briefly. Maybe it was time he took some time to listen to those lyrics and just stop going back to the same patterns after all.
***
As Ryder left the room for a water break, Julie ran up behind him. "Wait up!"
He turned around and smiled at the sight of her. "Hey you," he said as she fell into step beside her.
"I really liked your performance back there," she told him. "Very moving stuff."
"Thinking about Jake the entire time?" he asked her, looking forward as they walked and seeming a bit disinterested.
But Julie shook her head. "No. I mean, yeah in a way but... I was also worried about you. I know when the topic of Carrie comes up I tend to turn away and ignore it but that's only because I still... feel things... about the fact that you dated her. I shouldn't considering everything with Jake but... I do. It doesn't mean I don't care about what's going on with you. How are you holding up?"
"I'm ok," he shrugged. "I'm just dealing with everyone knowing about it, I guess."
"Having the whole school know you're private business is hard," she nodded. She put her hand on his arm gently and stopped him in the middle of the hallway. "I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me. And if there's anything you need from me, anything at all. You just have to ask, ok? I'm here for you in any way that I can make this easier on you."
Ryder forced a smile. "Thanks," he said. "But anything I can think of that I want from you is just... Something you can't give me. Not anymore."
She watched confused as he reached the water fountain and used it to refill his plastic bottle. Her arms crossed, she leaned against the lockers and kept her eyes on him, feeling responsible for all of the pain her friends were feeling. One way or another, her actions had led to that.
***
When Sue heard a knock on her door and looked up to find Bree there, she was surprised. "Shouldn't you be dancing around in that choir room with Sandbags and her band of merry, sexually-confused friends?"
"Alex distracted everyone with Photoshopped versions of Kim Kardashian's break-the-internet photos," Bree explained. "So now everyone's putting their faces in and sort of ended practice with that."
"I don't understand," Sue said.
"Well, they just snap a quick photo in the right position and—" Bree began.
"No, not that," Sue stopped her. "I don't get why Schuester keeps insisting on leaving a group of already-misguided teens with other kids who are barely out of their teens. And that's just some of them. It makes no sense, especially with Nationals right around the corner."
"That's actually what I came to talk to you about," Bree said, taking a seat despite never being offered to. "See, our Cheerios Nationals competition is just days away and it's kind of my cheerleading swan song, so... I was hoping to get that headliner position you offered us a few weeks ago."
"You refused it," Sue said. "And I already gave it to Peyton, you know that."
"Peyton will have her chance," Bree insisted. "Next year. But I screwed up big time last year. I was at a bad place and I went to a party I shouldn't have gone to, beginning what was to be a long, awful road for me. You've helped me pull out of that and this is the final step for me to be at peace with the things I've done."
Sue removed her reading glasses and asked, "And are the other girls ok with this? Weren't you all adamant about the sisterhood of the traveling panties sticking together?"
"They'll understand," Bree sighed. "We haven't exactly talked about it but... Julie and Kitty will be featured singers and dancers at glee Nationals, respectively. I'm sure of it. So I need this more than they do. Please Coach... You've always followed through for me, so do it one last time."
"Please stop begging," Sue stopped her. "It's pathetic." Bree stood up, defeated, and made her way towards the door. "If you can prove that you have the choreography down during practice tomorrow, the part is yours."
"Thank you," Bree said, a serious look on her face. "I won't let you down." She walked out of the room and nearly jumped into a split with joy before heading home.
***
"And you're sure she'll be here?" Puck asked as he and Santana walked into Breadstix.
"This is where she works," Santana pointed out. "After all, she owns the place."
"Right," Puck said.
"Hey guys!" Joe exclaimed upon seeing them.
"Don't!" Santana hissed, pulling him aside. "What are you doing here? You're going to ruin everything."
"What do you mean?" he asked. "What's going on?"
"Isn't that her?" Puck asked, pointing at a pretty, tall blonde woman standing by the kitchen door and talking to someone. "Should I go in?" He turned to Joe and chuckled, "If you know what I mean."
"I hope not," Joe said, concerned. To Santana, he asked, "What are you up to?"
When Mandy turned in their direction, Santana ducked and pulled Joe down behind a half-wall. "Just shut up and let's go outside. Puck, you know what to do."
***
"Mom, I'm home!" Bree exclaimed, tossing her things on the couch carelessly. She pulled out her phone and read a text from Joe that read, Can't make it by after all. Stuck in some weird Santana plot. Will explain later.
Sighing, she threw her phone on the couch with the rest of her belongings and flopped down mindlessly. "I thought I'd heard you come in," her mother said as she walked into the living room, her purse clutched under her arm as she attempted to put earrings on.
"Are you going out?" Bree asked, sitting up.
Her mom nodded excitedly. "I got asked out by that guy I told you about last week," she said. "You know, the one who keeps coming back into the office and claiming he left little things like pens behind. I think he could be the one."
Bree rolled her eyes and hung her head back. "You said the same thing about the donut guy and the bartender and the hockey player and the journalist and the—"
"This one's different!" she exclaimed.
"You said that, too," Bree murmured to herself as her mother disappeared into the kitchen.
"Have you seen my pumps?" she called out. "The red ones?"
"No," Bree responded. "But you won't find them in the kitchen. Mom, you said you'd stay in with me tonight."
"Yeah, but you said Joe was coming over," her mother said, coming back into the living room and finding one of her shoes behind the TV.
Bree reached under the couch, where she knew she'd find the other one, and said, "Well, yeah, but I was hoping the three of us could hang out. I'd like you to spend more time with him. It's pretty serious, Mom."
Her mother turned to face her and raised an eyebrow as she mocked, "Is he the one? Honey, it's just a high school relationship. You plan on leaving soon anyway."
"Yeah, with him," Bree said. "And I've been with him for longer than you've been with... Well, anyone!"
Bree watched as her mother's expression went from playful to angry in a matter of seconds. With arms crossed, the latter responded, "That's just hurtful. There's no need to remind me of my failures and I'm not exactly sure that you should be one to talk."
"Whatever," Bree replied, grabbing her headphones and placing them into her ears. She turned up the music quickly so that she couldn't hear her mother, just seeing her lips moving rapidly and her arms flinging into the air. She didn't have to hear it. It was probably just ranting about how much she's tried to make up for her errors and how disrespectful Bree was and blah blah blah. Sometimes, she just wished her mother was more like Sue.
***
"Hey, Mandy, right?" Puck said as he approached the girl.
She turned to him, surprised to see him there, and said, "Oh hey, Noah! I heard you were in town. Sam and I have been meaning to have you over for dinner." Puck smiled and reached up to his ear, where he was wearing a small bluetooth device.
"That sounds great!" he told her. No! Santana hissed into his ear. She was just outside of the restaurant, watching from the window and not liking what she was hearing, evident when she exclaimed, Tell her that maybe it could just be the two of you.
"Sam's just so busy these days," Mandy continued. Ooh, or maybe she'll tell you first, Santana said.
Puck scratched his chin and said, "You know what. It's not fair to a lady to be left alone for dinner. Do you have any plans for tonight?"
"Actually, Sam has to go to some corporate meeting so no," she answered. Oh my gosh, this is perfect, offer to cook for her!
"Why don't we sit down here then and grab a bite?" Puck said. Ugh, you idiot! Ok, from now on you say what I say, got it? "Got it," Puck repeated.
"Got what?" Mandy asked him, confused.
Puck looked up at her with wide eyes and said, "Um, uh, the perfect idea. You're probably tired out from all of this bread and the sticks and what not. How about I take you home and cook you dinner? If you're marrying one of my best buds, we should really get to know each other better."
Surprised that any of Sam's friends had taken an interest in her, Mandy chimed, "That sounds lovely! I'll go let Terri know that I'm leaving and then we can head out."
"Perfect," Puck repeated charmingly. As Mandy disappeared into the kitchen, he turned to the window and gave Santana, who was holding up two thumbs up, a look. What had he gotten himself into?
***
"You told your mom that she was bad at dating?" Kitty asked as she crawled into Bree's bed. "Why would you do that?"
"I didn't say it like that!" Bree exclaimed. "I'm just so sick and tired of her and everyone else judging me for my errors."
"But you judged her for hers," Kitty pointed out, confused. Bree sighed and stood up. "Where are you going?" Kitty asked her.
"To get a little midnight snack," she answered. "Thanks for coming to stay with me, by the way, but... I think I should've probably just taken some time alone."
"Do you want me to leave then?" Kitty asked.
Bree shook her head. "Just don't wait up," she responded. Kitty nodded and turned off the table lamp as Bree exited the room. Once out in the empty hallway, Bree took a deep breath, trying to control herself. It was a good idea, having someone around in case she got too emotional and lost it. But what she wanted most was just to talk to someone who wouldn't talk back.
["Listen" from Dream Girls and done in Season 2 by Sunshine.]
Bree: Listen to the song here in my heart. A melody I start but can't complete. Listen to the sound from deep within. It's only beginning. To find release...
She headed down the hall slowly, looking around at the walls, which were packed with family photos in which everyone was smiling and having a good time. It felt like an entirely different life.
Bree: Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard. They will not be pushed aside and turned into your own. All cause you won't. Listen...
She stopped when she'd reached her mother's room, standing at the doorway and looking around. Her mom was pretty messy, with clothing, shoes, accessories and more sprawled all over the floor. How could she have time to clean up when she was never home?
Bree: Listen. I am alone at a crossroads. I'm not at home in my own home. And I've tried and tried. To say what's on my mind. You should have known. Oh. Now I'm done believing you. You don't know what I'm feeling. I'm more than what you made of me. I followed the voice you gave to me. But now I gotta find my own...
Maybe that's part of the reason for her being so eager to get out of Lima. It wasn't that she hated the town; the town was fine. But she hated her home.
Bree: My own!
She wanted one of her own, away from a mother that saw her there but never really heard anything she had to say. She was done with this. She was ready to move on and at this point she didn't care who was on board. The world would know her name if it killed her.
***
"This is great wine," Puck said as he sipped something from the glass Mandy had given him.
"It's not wine," she said with a laugh. "It's just cranberry."
"Well, it's delicious," Puck grinned, scooting closer to her on the couch. "You know, you remind me a lot of my ex—"
"Quinn?" Mandy responded.
"You've met her?" he asked.
She nodded and said, "Yes, I used to live in New York and went to school right across from her. We hung out a lot. And I met you, too. When you proposed, I was there."
"So that really happened huh..." Puck said thoughtfully. Focus, Puck! I'll tell you all about your past with Fabray some other time. He cleared his throat and said, "I, uh, I meant to say that you're very pretty. And from what I hear, also very intelligent and nice."
"That's so sweet of you!" Mandy exclaimed. "It's such a relief to have someone from Sam's life who actually genuinely likes me. Aside from his friend, Marley, who is three years younger than me, none of them really seem to be interested in at least getting to know me. I'm basically getting the silent treatment from half of those glee kids. And John tries to be nice but I can tell he—"
"Who's John?" Puck asked, confused as he tried to remember someone named John.
Mandy ignored his question and continued, "Jake's a good boy, by the way. He's very sweet and though I don't know him well, he's always polite. Even if his girlfriend does seem to hate me. It's probably genetic, seeing as you've been so kind and—Ooh..."
Puck watched with concern as Mandy put a hand to her chest. "You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah," she waved him away. "It's just the morning sickness. It doesn't always come in the mornings, unfortunately. I'm just so thrilled. It's scary but at the same time, I know that Sam loves me and he's going to be there for me—for us—no matter what."
"Wait..." Puck said, moving away and ignoring Santana's bickering with Joe in his ear. "What are you talking about?"
"Umm, my pregnancy?" Mandy responded, nearly causing Puck to spit out his juice.
"Your what?" Puck exclaimed. "Since when are you pregnant?"
"Sam didn't tell you?" she asked. "But I thought..."
"Oh god," Puck sighed, standing up. In his ear, Santana was back in and exclaiming, It doesn't matter Puck, just keep going. You were doing well! "Of course it matters!" he exclaimed. "She's pregnant!"
"Who are you talking to?" Mandy asked him, confused.
"No one," he said, taking the Bluetooth off.
"Was that..?" Mandy began.
She was interrupted by the opening of the door and Sam's impression voice saying, "Honey, I'm home!" He was confused when he saw Puck there, along with the glasses and the empty plates. "What's going on here?"
"Estupido, why would you—" Santana cried as she appeared at the doorway, her voice trailing away when she saw Sam. "Oh... That's... awkward."
"What is this?" Sam asked Mandy. She shrugged, unsure herself.
"You didn't tell me she was having his baby," Puck said to Santana as he made his way out of the apartment.
Sam stared at Santana, so she said, "I saw them flirting and followed them here?"
"Oh, come on!" Sam exclaimed. "Are you serious? Was harassing me not enough? You had to bother my pregnant girlfriend, too?"
"Sam, you don't have—" Mandy said, wanting the weirdness to just be over already.
"I'm sorry," Santana said, her face serious. "I guess I took things a little too far."
"A little?" he exclaimed. "You know, Santana, when Mr. Schue was calling up old glee club members to take over in his absence, he almost didn't bring you in because of your tendency to create drama. We talked it over and figured you'd matured a lot over the years but now I see that you're still the same petty, manipulative girl that you were in high school."
"You're right," Santana said after a few moments of silence. "You're completely right. I guess I'll just go now. I obviously don't belong here anymore."
She walked out the door and slammed it on her way, not expecting for him to have been so honest. Mandy kept her eyes on Sam as he locked up and turned to her. "What?" he asked her.
She shrugged and said, "That was a little rude, don't you think?"
"She came here to break us up!" Sam defended himself.
"I know," Mandy nodded. "I knew the moment I saw her and Joe rush out of Breadstix. I'm surprised she used Noah to do it, but I did know. And I didn't say anything because I was getting to know your friends, as weird as that may be. I don't want you to lose anyone because of me, Sam."
"It's a little too late for that," he said. "I'm going to bed now."
***
"Hello, ladies," Stefan said as he walked up to a couple of senior girls. They gave him a few looks and then walked away. "Am I dreaming?" he asked himself, looking down at his legs. "Nope, my pants are on." He followed after the girls and put an arm around one of them as he said, "It's your lucky day. I've just chosen you to be my next girlfriend."
"No thanks," the girl he'd been talking to said, pushing his arm away.
"No thanks?" he repeated. "Do you not know who I am?"
"I do," she said. "And so does everyone else at this school." She handed him the latest copy of The Paper View and walked away as he began to flip through it. When he reached the infamous 'Gossip Corner', he knew exactly what was going on.
"Peyton, I will kill you," he muttered as he rushed through the crowd of students to find her. When he spotted her, she was talking to two other Cheerios, Angela and Heather.
"I'm so sorry, babe," Angela was saying.
Stefan didn't even bother excusing himself as he handed her the magazine and said, "What's wrong with you?"
With puffy, red eyes, she looked up at him and said, "What are you talking about?"
"Spare me the tears, Peyton," he said.
"Don't be a jerk to her!" Heather exclaimed. "She just found out Bree's taking her spotlight tomorrow at Nationals. She's fragile."
"I don't care about your stupid cheerleading politics," he told her. He grabbed Peyton's arm and pulled her aside.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him. "What did I do to you?"
"How about telling everyone in the school that it was me who Carrie cheated on Ryder with?" he asked.
"They all knew since before prom!" she exclaimed. "Besides, I'm not the one who posts those things. Jordan is."
"Peyton, girls are refusing to date me now," he told her. "I'd been lying my way out of the whole situation, saying it was a rumor and that I went to prom with her as a favor, but then you ran the stupid gossip thing and confirmed it to everyone. You've ruined my reputation."
"You did that when you slept with a taken girl," she hissed at him. "Might I remind you that I asked you out in the fall and you turned me down because of Julie. And you think dating another girl with a boyfriend was better? You're even dumber than I thought and I don't like to do much thinking!"
"Peyton, I joined glee club because of two people," he said. "Julie and Ryder. Now I rarely speak to either of them and being in the New Directions is so boring that I'd rather spend my day watching milk spoil. Knowing anywhere I'd walk girls thought I was hotter than Brad Pitt was the only thing getting me through the days and now that's gone."
"Then quit glee club," Peyton shrugged.
"It's not that simple," Stefan told her. "Nationals is next week."
"Fine, then just quit after that," she told him. "Now leave me alone already, please. You obviously don't fit in with the rest of them and no matter how much they say that everyone would be able to fit in in glee club, I never believed that. I mean, I wouldn't. So if you're really so unhappy, stop blaming it on the Carrie thing and just leave the club already."
Stefan watched as she walked away, looking extremely exhausted, and he suddenly felt like taking a nap himself. But there was just too much to think about now. As he walked inside of the choir room for glee club, he watched everyone interacting. Even the glee club had cliques and he didn't seem to fit into any of them. Ryder and Julie were cracking up together in the corner and in the end he didn't have either of them by his side at all.
["Creep" by Radiohead and done in Season 4 by Brody and Rachel (which I really love btw!).]
Stefan: When you were here before... Couldn't look you in the eye... You're just like an angel. Your skin makes me cry... Oh, you float like a feather. In a beautiful world... Oh I wish I was special. You're so very special. Oh...
While Sam, Joe and Mike discussed something with Will, Santana also hung back, not wanting to interrupt or disrupt them more than she already had. How had she arrived feeling so nostalgic, yet ended the week so out of place?
Santana and Stefan: But I'm a creep
Santana: I'm a creep
Stefan: I'm a weirdo
Santana: I'm a weirdo
Stefan: What the hell am I doing here?
Santana: What the hell am I doing here?
Santana and Stefan: I don't belong here...
While pretending to listen to Alex talking about some geeky game he played with Rory the previous night, Harmony stole glances at Ryder and Julie. Even when they were just friends he still preferred her. How could he not? Harmony knew that if she was more like Julie, she'd have him in the blink of an eye. It wasn't fair.
Harmony: Oh. I don't care if it hurts, mmm. I wanna have control, oh, oh. And I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul.
Stefan and Harmony: I want you to notice. When I'm not around. You're so very special. I wish I was special.
Puck entered, late as usual, and nearly walked right back out when he saw Sam. He was just so embarrassed about what he'd been trying to do. With or without a baby on the way, he was halfway home when he'd realized how awful what he was doing was. Breaking off an engagement? After regaining his memories about Beth and about what he'd done to Finn and everyone else, he thought he might want to grow up a little, but obviously he hadn't.
Santana: Oh.
Puck and Harmony: But I'm a creep. I'm a weirdo.
Santana and Stefan: What the hell am I doing here?
Santana and Puck: I don't belong here.
Harmony and Stefan: Oh!
Jake and Dan were friends, Amity and Bree were friends, Alex and Rory were friends... None of them had much in common. So why was it that to Harmony and Stefan, it felt as though they stuck out like sore thumbs?
Harmony (Stefan): He's (She's)
Both: Running out the door!
Harmony (Stefan): He's (She's)
Both: Running out the door!
Harmony (Stefan): She's (He's)
Both: Running out
Harmony (Stefan): She's (He's)
Both: Run, run, run. Run... Run...
Santana ran her hands over the smooth surface of the grand piano, her eyes still on Sam. John would certainly be disappointed to find out that their plan had failed, but that was the least of her worries. She hardly knew him, after all. Then again, she wasn't particularly close to Sam, so why did she care about him so much?
Santana: Whatever makes you happy. Whatever you want...
Santana and Stefan: You're so very special. I wish I was special.
Puck and Harmony: But I'm a creep. I'm a weirdo.
Santana and Stefan: What the hell am I doing here?
Santana and Puck: I don't belong here.
Santana: Mmm...
Santana, Stefan, Harmony and Puck: I don't belong here...
***
"You can't quit glee club," Julie shook her head as she walked to Cheerios practice with Stefan by her side.
"I have to," he said. "It's just not me anymore. Look, it was fun being there for a while but I'm not exactly passionate about it and once the seniors are gone I won't have anything holding me there anymore. Alex, Shana, Amity, Dan... I don't really talk to any of them. And even now, I've gone multiple days without exchanging a single word with anyone in glee club and nobody has noticed. I think it's about time I face the fact that I don't belong anymore. Maybe I never did."
"We can talk about this later," she sighed, "but I think you're wrong. You definitely did belong. Despite your personal errors, your talent is undeniable. And that's the point of glee club. We accept each other's mistakes and acknowledge the gifts we all have."
"Mistakes like you and Sam," he said just as Julie was going to walk away.
She stopped and turned to him, surprised. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said softly.
"Yes, you do," he said. "I don't know any details and I'm not going to talk about it with anyone else, but I've noticed the change in all of you, ok? I see the way you look at each other and Jake went all Pacquiao on him... It didn't take a genius to put it all together. No one else seems to have noticed and ironically I'm supposed to be the dumb one."
Julie stayed quiet for a moment and then said, "It's been nice having you around, Stefan. You've been a good friend, surprisingly... And whatever you choose to do after Nationals... I'll respect it."
"Likewise," he said. "And whoever you choose to be with, I'll support you on it."
"I think I lost my right to choose," she said softly.
Stefan put a hand on her arm and said, "You never lose that," before walking away and leaving her to practice.
***
"I need to talk to you," Kitty said, her arms crossed as she leaned against Julie's locker, waiting for Jake.
He didn't look at her as he opened his own and said, "Shouldn't you be at Cheerios practice? It's a big day tomorrow."
"I told Coach I'd be a little late," she said. "Jake, I've been holding this in all week and it's about time I just let it out. I want something more out of our friendship."
Jake looked at her and said, "Kitty, you're with Vince and I'm not over—"
"I didn't mean it like that," she stopped him. "Leaving my nerd and Jules out of this, you're not a very good friend, ok? I mean, you are in that you're there for me and you always seem to come to my rescue but the truth is that you only seem to need me when you're upset and I want more than that. I want us to be friends for more than just your ten minutes of Julie-related agony so that I can stop feeling like you just use me to get to her."
"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said. "But I'm done trying to win her back and I think you're right. We should try to be normal friends. Not just dark-history-together friends."
"Good," Kitty said with a firm nod. "I'm glad we're on the same page now. I'm going to practice now."
"And Kitty?" he said as she walked away. "Thank you. I appreciate everything you've done for me." She kept walking without another word, thankful that for once something good had come from her honesty.
***
"We've got to stop meeting like this," Julie said, walking onto the stage, where Sam was standing by himself.
"Call off your people," he told her.
"What?" she responded.
He looked straight at her, something he hadn't really been able to do recently, and said, "I asked you to meet her in hopes that you'd put an end to it. John and Santana and whoever else is trying to separate me from Mandy. It's not right and—"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she shook her head. "Whatever it is, I don't have anything to do with it."
"It's because of you regardless," he said. "So just stop. Haven't you had enough already, Julie? Because I sure have."
She began to speak, but Sam wasn't in the mood to listen any longer. He turned on his heels and left her standing on the stage alone.
***
"I heard what you did," said Marley as she stood at the entrance of the animal shelter's kennel room, where John was feeding all of the pups.
He looked up and said, "Who told you? Mandy? Sam? Santana, maybe?"
She shook her head at him and said, "I know you want Julie to be happy but messing with the happiness of others isn't the right way to go about things. Julie needs to move on and you're making that harder for her."
"I want her to move on," John said. "This isn't about her. It's about my friend Sam. He's moving way too quickly with this girl and baby or not, he barely knows her. They haven't even been dating for that long."
"They've been dating longer than we have," Marley pointed out.
"We don't know each other either!" he exclaimed, making one of the dogs bark.
Marley looked from the dog to him and softly responded, "That's not true..."
"Sure it is," John sighed. "Sorry but... You have no idea who I really am, evident by what you came in here accusing me of doing... I wish I could say I knew you but I don't. I've tried to, but I don't."
"John, why are you—" she began.
"I'm working," he interrupted. "I can't ask you to leave because it's a public place but..."
His voice trailed off. He didn't have to finish—Marley could tell that he wanted her gone. And that broke her heart.
***
["The Scientist" by Coldplay and done in Season 4 by Brittana, Finchel, Wemma and Klaine.]
As Carrie stood in her room packing her bags for the trip to Nationals, she reached for a brush from her drawer and set her eyes on a photo of Ryder and she. Lifting it from its place, she stared at it for only about three seconds before her eyes watered.
Carrie: Come up to meet you. Tell you I'm sorry. You don't know how lovely you are...
Meanwhile, Unique sat on her computer, as per usual, and looked through Shana's pictures. She felt like a stalker but it was the best she could do to keep from going to her in person and ruining the amicability of their break up.
Unique: I had to find you. Tell you I need you. Tell you I set you apart...
Across town, Marley leaned against the wall next to the doorway at the shelter and watched John while he continued to work. Was there really that much they didn't know about each other?
Marley: Tell me your secrets. And ask me your questions. Oh, let's go back to the start.
Sam arrived at his apartment and smiled at Mandy, who had already set out a nice dinner for them. As he prepared himself to join her, all he could think of was the look on Julie's face when he'd told her that he was tired of them.
Sam: Runnin' in circles. Comin' up tails. Heads on the science apart.
As he walked into his bedroom and took a seat at the edge of the bed, Jake looked down and caressed the comforter, where Julie had many times lied smiling at him.
Jake: Nobody said it was easy. It's such a shame for us to part. Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard. Oh, take me back to the start.
***
Julie walked up the stairs of her house after the long day she'd just had and headed directly for the bathroom, ready to freshen up and go to bed. After setting the water to start running, she turned to the mirror and stared at her reflection, seeing someone she didn't even recognize anymore.
Julies: I was just guessing. At numbers and figures. Pulling the puzzles apart. Questions of science. Science and progress. Do not speak as loud as my heart.
When John looked up from cleaning out one of the cages and saw that Marley was still there, he sighed. She was staring at the walls now, probably beating herself for something he'd said wrong.
John with Marley (Marley): (But) tell me you love me. Come back and haunt me. Oh, when I rush to the start.
Shana was just getting out of a late dinner with her friends when she looked down at her phone, the home screen still showing a picture of her kissing Unique's cheek. While she changed it to one of her, Amity, Alex and Dan, she wondered whether Unique had changed hers already.
Shana: Runnin' in circles. Chasin' our tails. Comin' back as
Unique and Shana: We are.
Ryder sat in the living room, flipping through channels on his TV, when his phone started to ring. He looked down and saw Carrie's face lighting up the screen, so he let it continue, knowing the last thing he needed at the moment was to let her reel him back in again.
All: Nobody said it was easy
Ryder: Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
All: Nobody said it was easy
Ryder: No one ever said it would be so hard
All (Julie): Aa-aa-ah (I'm goin' back to the start!)
As Mandy went on about her day, Sam did his best to listen, but there was just too much on his mind. He'd officially said goodbye to the girl he was in love with, a sacrifice that had to be made. But he wondered what the rest of them were wondering. How long was it going to continue to hurt?
All: Nobody said it was easy
Sam (Unique): No, no, no, no (Yeah, oh woah)
All: Nobody said it was easy
Jake (Shana): No, no, no, no (Nobody said it was easy)
All: Nobody said it was easy
John (Carrie): No, no, no, no (No, oh)
John closed the final kennel, Unique closed her laptop, Carrie closed her Cheerios bag, Jake closed his eyes and Julie closed her heart.
All: Nobody said it was easy
***
"Ladies!" Santana exclaimed when she saw the Cheerios walking down the hall together.
"I thought you were leaving," Kitty said, confused.
Santana shrugged and said, "I guess I didn't want to go without wishing the squad good luck on their competition. I know there's only about ten minutes before you all have to go but this will only take a few minutes. Follow me."
She led the girls to the auditorium, where the entire cheerleading squad was met with all of the glee club, plus Mike, Joe and Puck.
Noting that Sam wasn't there, Julie turned to Santana and asked, "What is this?"
Santana smiled as she joined the others up on the stage and said, "It's your 'good luck' from all of us. We know you've all worked hard to be in the Cheerios and other clubs you're a part of so just have a seat and let us treat you all to fine entertainment."
The cheerleaders hesitantly sat down in the first couple of rows as the glee club spread around on the stage.
["Best Day of My Life" by American Authors and done in Season 5 by Sam and Blaine. This was my graduation song so I'm just like uggggh with it right now, but it seemed like the right fit.]
All: Oh, ooh-oh-oh-oh, oh.
Bree furrowed her brow, unsure of what was going on. Suddenly, Puck did a questionably sexual dance in the center and began to sing as everyone else danced—if you could call it that—behind him.
Puck: I had a dream so big and loud. I jumped so high, I touched the clouds. Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh.
Santana: Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh. I stretched my hands out to the sky. We danced with monsters through the night. Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh.
Puck: Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh.
Peyton giggled as Alex and Dan, arms on each other's shoulders, stood at the edge of the stage and sang to them.
Alex (and Dan): I'm (never gonna look back)
Dan: Woah!
Alex (and Dan): I'm (never gonna give it up)
Dan: No!
Both: Please don't wake me now
Jake, who couldn't run around crazily like the rest of them, walked down the center and counted off on his fingers.
Jake: Two, three, four.
Meanwhile, the rest of them threw their hands up in the air and started pumping their fists at the ceiling. The Cheerios were, for the most part, pretty into it, even if it had been random.
All: This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe. This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe.
Puck: Woo!
Bree finally stopped frowning at how weird the whole thing was when Joe stood in front of her and sang to her.
Joe: I howled at the moon with friends. And then the sun came crashing in. Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh.
She hadn't even seen him come off of the stage, distracted by everyone moving around, and she was even more surprised when he grabbed her hand and led her up there. Dan pulled Peyton up, Alex pulled Julie, and Rory, Marley, Mike, Amity and Shana led the rest of them so that everyone was on the stage now.
Marley: Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh! But all the possibilities. No limits, just epiphanies. Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh.
Joe: Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh!
Carrie looked at Ryder, who was dancing with Marley at the moment and didn't even pay attention to her.
Shana (and Amity): I'm (never gonna look back)
Amity: Whoa.
Shana (and Amity): I'm (never gonna give it up)
Amity: No!
Both: Just don't wake me now
Jake struggled to keep his ground, but still used whatever energy he had to pick Bree off of her feet and carry her on his shoulders. She giggled as he did this, begging him to put her down when he began to spun, but she was having fun.
All: This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe. This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe.
Mike took Kitty's hand and led her to the center, where he began to do the choreography they'd been working on. She followed immediately, pleased about finally having the honor of breaking it down with him.
All: I hear it calling outside my window. I feel it in my soul (Soul) The stars were burning so bright. The sun was out 'til midnight. I say we lose control (Control)
When Alex snuck up behind Julie while she danced with Harmony, he made sure to wrap his arms around her extra tight. It was fun messing with her, especially as he kicked her legs in hopes that he'd give her room to breathe.
All: This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe. This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe.
Peyton looked around her at everyone, so happy and coexisting jovially. This is exactly what she'd make sure it would be like next year, when she was in charge. Everyone singing, dancing and doing as they pleased without fear of being judged for it.
All (Rory): This is gonna be, this is gonna be, this is gonna be (This is gonna be) The best day of my life (My li-i-i-i-i-ii-ife) Everything is looking up, everybody up now!
When she spotted Dan, who was dancing with Amity, she pulled him over to her and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him as the rest of them continued around them. She may not be the star of the routine anymore, but she'd make sure that her friends on the squad finally got that championship title back.
All: This is gonna be the best day of my life. My li-i-i-i-i-ii-fe.