Lima Loser.

After Art class, I had Biology, then recess, then Geography, and then lunch. Glee rehearsal was cancelled at lunchtime, but Mr. Schue postponed it until after school, so Puck and I would still be able to have our little show.

The day went by pretty quickly, so before I knew it, the school day was over. I picked up my book bag and went to my locker to drop off my books from last class. Puck met me there, which was no surprise, considering he was always at my locker these days.

“Ready to rock n’ roll?” he asked.

I looked at him like there was something wrong with him, and then turned my attention back to my locker. “Uh, right.”

“You sure you can do this? I mean, I know we practiced…but that was just in front of me,” Puck seemed worried.

“I can do it,” I sounded more confident than I felt.

“Okay, well, everything is set up in the auditorium. I’m just waiting on you,” he said, patiently.

“Wait no longer,” I hopped up, throwing my book bag over my shoulder. “Should we make an announcement, or just go to the music room?”

“An announcement sounds more pro,” Puck admitted. “Plus, I’ve always wanted to talk over a P.A system.”

“Alright, well, here’s your chance,” I smiled as we headed towards the office.

Once we got there, we both entered and walked up to the secretary. “Can we please make an announcement regarding the Glee club?” I asked.

“Sure, honey,” she got up from her chair. “Over here.”

We followed her to where the P.A system was, and she held it up to us. “Tell me when you’re ready to record.”

I looked at Puck, who nodded. “Go.”

“Excuse me for the interruption, but there’s an announcement regarding Glee club,” she began, and then put the P.A system closer to our faces.

“Uh, there’s going to be a quick meeting in the auditorium in five minutes,” Puck spoke awkwardly.

“So, be there or be square,” I added. “Seriously, it’s a surprise that you’ll regret missing.” The only reason I’d said that is because the whole Glee club would never want to miss me making an ass out of myself.

The secretary shut off the P.A thing, and waved to us before we left the office.

“Thanks!” I waved back and we were back out into the hallway. “Alright, let’s go.”

We arrived at the auditorium a couple minutes later, and a few people were already there. Actually, it was just Mr. Schuester, Kurt, Artie, Finn, Brittany, Santana and Matt.

Mr. Schue walked up to us. “Hey, guys. What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry that we didn’t ask your permission earlier, but we wanted it to be a surprise,” I told him.

“No, no, that’s fine!” Mr. Schue assured us. “What kind of surprise?”

“Well, I was at Courtney’s on Friday, and she came up with the idea to practice a song,” Puck explained. “Basically, it turned into working on her ‘stage presence’, since you wanted her to work on it, and she said that we should do a song on Monday to show that we’re practicing and to help get rid of her stage fright.”

“That’s a great idea!” Mr. Schue clapped. “What song are you doing?”

“You’ll see,” I smiled. More Glee clubbers walked in, so Puck and I made our way to the stage, where his guitar and my microphone were located.

It took a few more minutes, but once everyone was in the auditorium, I stepped up to the mic. “Hey, guys. The reason we’ve called you to the auditorium is because we have a special surprise for you. Puck and I are here today to perform. Because well, I really need to work on becoming more interesting on the stage, and everyone needs to watch me make a fool out of myself.”

I noticed a chuckle throughout the audience.

“We have to cut out a few parts of the song to make it time-appropriate. Oh, and I’m going to need backup,” I added, almost forgetting the small parts of the song.

“I’m yo girl!” Mercedes stood up, making her way to the stage.

“M-m-me too,” Tina also walked up the stage steps.

Quinn also stood up. Of course she had to join. Couldn’t let Finn’s attention be set on another girl for four minutes.

The three girls were behind me on stage, and I let them know the song. Luckily, they all knew it, because it was a one hit wonder, so they knew exactly what to do.

“Ready?” I looked at the four people behind me.

They all nodded, and I sat on the stool, microphone stand directly in front of me.

Puck started playing the guitar in tune with the song, and the backup singers began their part before my part was even thought of.

“Do do do, do do do do
Do do do, do do do do
Do do do, do do do do
Do do do”

I had to admit that Quinn, Mercedes, and Tina’s parts were pretty simple. At that moment, I wished that I was one of the backup singers instead of being in the spotlight, with all eyes on me. Seriously, why had I agreed to this?

Before I could complain any further, my part began. I took a deep breath and tried to convince myself not to throw up all over the place.

“I'm packed and I'm holding,
I'm smiling.
She's living.
She's golden and she lives for me.
She says she lives for me.
Ovation.
She's got her own motivation.
She comes ’round and she goes down on me.
And I make her smile, it's like a drug for you.
Do ever what you want to do, coming over you.
Keep on smiling, what we go through.
One stop to the rhythm that divides you.
And I speak to you like the chorus to the verse.
Chop another line like a coda with a curse.
And I come on like a freak show takes the stage.
We give them the games we play.”

I felt like a friggin’ goddess for being able to sing all of that as fast as it was originally sung. It was almost like rap. I didn’t know how I did it, but I did. And then the chorus came in, which was my favorite part. I stood up, realizing that I had to show the audience ‘stage presence’, and I couldn’t really do that when I was stuck to a stool.

“She said
‘I want something else, to get me through this…
Semi-charmed kind of life.’
Baby,
I want something else.
I'm not listening when you say ‘good-bye’.”

I took another massive breath as the backup trio behind me went on with their “Do do do”’s. I was pretty proud of myself, I had to admit. I looked over at Puck and grinned my ass off, and he did the same back, giving me a signature wink to go along with it.

“The sky, it was gold.
It was rose.
I was taking sips of it through my nose.
And I wish I could get back there,
some place back there.
Smiling in the pictures you would take,
Doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break.
It won't stop.
I won't come down. I keep stock.
With a tick tock rhythm and a bump for the drop.
And then I bumped up. I took the hit I was given.
Then I bumped again,
And then I bumped again.”

“ She said,
‘How do I get back there to the place where I fell asleep inside you?
How do I get myself back to the place where you said…’”

“‘I want something else to get me through this…
semi-charmed kind of life.’
Baby,
I want something else,
I'm not listening when you say ‘good-bye’ .”

Puck then cut in. He begged me to let him sing that part, and since he helped me in the first place, I agreed to let him sing it with no argument. Plus, he sang it really well, and it gave me a little bit of time to breathe.

“I believe in the sand beneath my toes.
The beach gives a feeling, an earthy feeling.
I believe in the faith that grows,
and the four right chords can make me cry.
When I'm with you, I feel like I could die.
And that would be all right. All right.”

I gave him a thumbs up and everybody joined in for the chorus.

“I want something else,
To get me through this…life.
Baby,
I want something else.
I'm not listening when you say
‘Good-bye’
‘Good-bye’
‘Good-bye’
‘GOOD-BYE!’”

By then, the whole audience was on their feet, clapping, whistling, the works. I was so happy I could cry, but distracted myself by walking/hopping around the stage like I’d been doing basically the whole time.

The backup singers finished off the song with the “do do do”-ing, and we were done. All five of us went to the front of the stage and bowed.

Mr. Schuester was going crazy with excitement. He ran up on the stage and hugged each one of us. “That was amazing!” he squealed. “That performance made my day!”

“Glad you liked it!” my face was completely filled with joy. I didn’t think it was that good, but if Will Schuester wanted to compliment it like it was the greatest thing on earth, I obviously didn’t have a problem with it.