songbird, chapter seventy
— it's all over
"okay! before we dive into today's booty camp, i just wanna say how impressed mike, eleanor and i have been with everyone's progress!" mr schue began, glancing at elle who was leaning against the piano that mike and mr schue were crouched beside.
"alright, everyone up!" mr schue encouraged. "now your homework assignment was the widow maker; perhaps the hardest show choir dance move, ever."
"so, when you get it right, one of us will tap you out and you can have a seat," mr schue finished before the music started.
almost immediately, elle jogged over to brittany and tapped her out while mr schue and mile tapped out quinn and santana.
soon enough, only finn and mercedes remained, and since mr schue was watching finn, mike and elle decided to coach mercedes.
"my ankle hurts," she complained as mr schue joined elle and mike, once finn had been dismissed.
"push through it." mr schue insisted.
"i don't feel good," mercedes look desperately to elle, who looked sympathetic.
"mr schue, why don't you let her take a break?" she suggested.
"she's fine!" he insisted.
"no i'm not!" mercedes snapped, making brad stop playing his piano behind her.
"look mercedes, i want you to be the best you can be!" mr schue attempted to reason. "did you even practice this?"
"stop picking on me!" mercedes argued. "you're always singling me out, making me look bad!"
"that's crazy," mr schue dismissed.
"is it?" elle questioned under her breath, making mike gently elbow her.
"no, you're crazy!" mercedes continued. "you're not letting me shine! where's rachel, huh? i don't see her here, being apart of the team!"
"rachel practices everyday after-,"
"no one asked you, finn!" mercedes interrupted.
elle sucked a deep breath through her teeth. "she has a point, mr schue." she piped up. "rachel may practice everyday but, do you consider her to be a good enough dancer to help you coach?" she asked.
"no, but that's not-,"
elle frowned. "and i mean, you'd consider santana a dancer before rachel, right?" she continued. "it does seem like favouritism to me.." she trailed off with a shrug.
"that's not true," mr schue told elle firmly, despite it being the second time she'd brought it up to him.
"you give that skinny, geronimo-wearing, ass kisser everything! and for two years, i took it but not anymore! i'm done!" mercedes fumed before turning and knocking over a stand of sheet music.
"you know, i've out grown you," mercedes noted, quickly turning. "i've out grown all of you!" she told her teammates, taking care to not turn and look at elle.
"mercedes!" mr schue yelled as the girl turned to leave again. "you walk out that door and you're out of glee club!" he warned, making elle's eyes widen.
"what?" she choked before looking at mercedes who confidently walked out of the auditorium.
the room was silent for a moment, everyone shocked by what had just happened, even mr schue.
"well," elle huffed, wrapping her arms around herself. "there goes our shot at winning sectionals." she commented, looking accusingly at mr schue before wandering out of the auditorium.
elle figured that once booty camp was over, she would be in some hot water with mr schue, so when he approached her at her locker and asked to speak with her, she defensively balled up her fists.
"the way that you acted at booty camp was out of line, eleanor!" he insisted as she slumped into the chair sitting opposite the desk, in his office.
"i could say the same thing to you," she replied, crossing her arms.
"what?" mr schue questioned incredulously, taking a seat opposite her. "what're you talking about?"
elle, feeling herself flushing with annoyance, sat up in her chair. "you bullied mercedes out of the team!" she exploded. "how can you not see that?"
"i did no such thing, and i'll thank you to not accuse me of such a serious offence."
elle groaned. "if you just used some of the rest of the talents in the team none of this would've happened," she explained. "i mean, think of how well we did at sectionals last year?"
"eleanor-,"
"you're dream of being on broadway went bust, and i'm sorry for that, i really am, but you can't take that out on mercedes just because she picks up choreography slower than the rest of the team!" elle continued.
mr schue shook his head. "no, you know what. this isn't even about mercedes is it? you're still mad at me for not picking your song at nationals!"
"oh my god," elle mumbled.
"that's exactly it, you hate that i picked finn's song over yours!" he continued.
"no, i'm mad because you always pick finn, just like you always pick rachel!" elle suddenly yelled, standing from her seat. "you think that the success of this club rides on them, even though they're the reason we lost last year at nationals!"
"why don't you believe in any of us, like you believe in them?" she asked, her tone suddenly becoming scarily calm.
"what?"
"you heard me," she spat. "you go on and on for two years about how special we are, but you dismiss us as soon as you get the chance, why?"
mr schue was silent, making elle scoff and roll her eyes before she dug her hand into the pocket of her jacket. "whatever the reason is, i want you to know that it doesn't effect me anymore," she explained before dropping two USB sticks onto his desk.
"what're these?" mr schue asked.
"they're full of songs that i've written, recorded and produced since nationals with the help of the rest of the team," she explained. "because unlike you, i believe in the talents of the people in the club." she hissed before turning and walking out of the room.
upon leaving, elle was immediately accosted by mercedes who had been hiding around the corner and listening to the whole argument.
"you didn't have to do all that for me," she admitted almost sheepishly. "what if he kicks you out of the club?"
elle shrugged. "well... i'll be kicked out knowing that i did the right thing." she explained, making mercedes smile and loop her arm through eleanor's.