Lima Loser.

Time seemed to go by mega slowly, but eventually, the next day rolled around, and we were all back in the music room. It was lunchtime, so we didn’t have a whole lot of time, but we’d get through it. We were so stoked about showing Mr. Schue what kind of songs we came up with to perform at the school dance.

He walked into the room, smiling, like usual. “Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon,” some of us returned the greeting.

“So,” he began once we all sat down. “We only have forty minutes of lunchtime. That means that we probably won’t be able to get through everyone’s ideas.”

“What are we gonna do, then?” Santana interrupted.

“That’s what I’m getting at. I want to see each of you perform the song you’d like to be played at the school dance, but just a small part of it, because of the time. After everybody gets their turn, we’re going to put all of the song names in a hat, and whatever three songs are pulled out of the hat are the ones that’ll be performed at the school dance. Oh, and we probably won’t get through everyone in forty minutes. That’s why I’m letting the guys go right now, and I’ll be holding a rehearsal today after school for the ladies. Everyone has to come.”

Everybody in the room nodded, in total agreement to Mr. Schue’s mini-speech.

“Okay, so who’s up first!?” Mr. Schuester sounded excited to hear about our ideas. Nobody attempted to stand up. “No volunteers?” Silence. “Alright, Finn! Let’s see what you got!”

Finn shuffled his way to the front of the room. “I didn’t have a whole lot of time to find a song,” he mumbled.

“That’s okay. Just try your best,” Mr. Schue encouraged him.

Finn shrugged and began to sing.

“Last night, I knew what to say.
But you weren't there to hear it.
These lines, so well rehearsed.
Tongue tied and overloaded.
You’ll never notice.”

“I'm not in love.
This is not my heart.
I'm not gonna waste these words...about a girl.”

“I'm not in love.
This is not your song.
I'm not gonna waste these words...about a girl.”

That was all he sung, and I noticed that the whole time he was singing it, he was staring directly at Quinn. She just gave him back a dirty look. Everybody else clapped, and Mr. Schue said that it sounded great. Finn smiled a little fake smile, and went back to where he was sitting.

Next up was Artie. He wheeled himself to the front of the room, and began his song. As soon as he started singing, I fell in love, because the song he was doing was a fave.

“This town’s not much of a friend.
After twenty-three days,
my patience has reached its end.
But I’d take you back anyway.
Hold your breath…
You make the perfect sounds.
This is what a love is made of.
And baby, you are missing out.”

“In your eyes, I thought I saw tomorrow.
Now all I see is wasted time.”

“Can we pretend it’s always been okay?
Never lost it all, lost it all.
Can we pretend we never left this fate?
We never lost it all, lost it all.”

He stopped his song, and I was bummed, because he actually sang it well, and I was enjoying it. If there was being a vote cast on the music we should’ve been playing at the dance, this song would’ve taken my vote.

“Good vocals, Artie!” Mr. Schue applauded him, along with everyone else in the room. I had to admit, Artie was a pretty unique singer.

He wheeled himself back to where Tina was sitting. She grinned widely at him, and touched his shoulder. They looked like a couple, but I knew exactly what was going on just by looking at them. They liked each other, but were too stupid to admit it. I’d been there, done that. Pretty confusing.

Mike was up next. He basically danced his way to the front, and just belted it out without any warning.

“It was in the lobby when I set my sights on you.
Shoulda kissed you in the elevator, but I was too scared to.
It was in the morning when I made up my mind.
I want you staple-gunned right to my side all of the time.
Whoa-oh.”

“Do I have to spell it out for you, or scream it in your face?
Oh, the chemistry between us could destroy this place.
Do I have to spell it out for you, or whisper in your ear?
Oh, just stop right there.
I think that we've got something here.”

He finished, smiled, and quickly walked back to where he was sitting by Matt, before anybody could comment. Mr. Schuester still did, though, obviously, telling Mike that he did a great job.

Sometimes Mr. Schue was too nice, I had to admit. Mike was a pretty good singer, but even if he wasn’t, Mr. Schue would clap and tell him it was great, which made me wonder who he thought sucked in the group.

“Noah, you’re up!” was all I heard.

Puck stood up and strutted his way to the front of the room, smirking the entire way. “Alright, ladies, please…no screaming.”

I snorted. He noticed and laughed. “I’m kidding. Anyway, the song I’m singing is a hit, so feel free to sing along.”

I had no idea what song he was singing, but I definitely knew what to expect. And what I was expecting was something inappropriate, exaggerated, and something I wouldn’t be able to take seriously.

“ You know, it's kinda hard just to let along today.
Our subject isn't cool, but he fakes it anyway.
He may not have a clue, and he may not have style.
But everything he lacks, well, he makes up in denial.”

“So, don't debate, a player straight.
You know he really doesn't get it anyway.
Gonna play the field, and keep it real.
For you, no way. For you, no way.
So if you don't rate, just overcompensate.
At least, you'll know you can always go on Ricki Lake.
The world needs wannabes.
So, hey, hey, do that brand new thing!”

“Give it to me baby! Uh huh, uh huh!
Give it to me baby! Uh huh, uh huh!
Give it to me baby! Uh huh, uh huh!
And all the girlies say I'm pretty fly for a white guy.”

The whole time he was singing, I was laughing to kill myself. It was that funny. Poor Mr. Schue. He actually had to put that song in the hat, and if it got picked, so help me God.

Anyway, everyone was laughing and clapping and yelling for an encore, while Puck just stood there, absorbing all of the attention.

Mr. Schue was standing by the piano, with a mixture of amusement and “Ohmygod, that song is not going in the hat” covering his face. “Alright, that’s enough. Take a seat, Puck.”

Puck did as he was told and went back to his seat, which unfortunately, was next to me.

“Nice one,” I nudged him, still giggling.

He chuckled. “That was dedicated to you.”

“Alright, we’ve got enough time for the two last guys!” Mr. Schue spoke up. “Kurt and Matt…who’s going now?”

“I’ll go,” Kurt smiled, proudly. He walked his cute little gay walk to the front of the room, and flipped the front of his hair, like he always did.

“Do the D.A.N.C.E
1234, fight.
Stick to the B.E.A.T
Get ready to ignite.
You were such a P.Y.T
Catching all the lights.
Just easy as A.B.C
That's how we make it right.”

“Do the dance. (Do the dance)
The way you move is a mystery.
Do the dance.
You're always there for music and me.”

Under the spotlights.
Neither black nor white.
It doesn't matter.
Do the dance. Do the dance.”

He stopped. I was the only one who stood up, clapping. I loved the song in the first place, and Kurt’s voice just made it better. Everybody else in the room clapped, but not as enthusiastically as I did.

“Wow, Kurt, that fit your voice perfectly,” Mr. Schue complimented him.

“I’m fully aware, thanks, Mr. Schuester,” Kurt grinned and skipped his way back to his seat next to Mercedes.

“Alrighty! Last but not least, Matt, it’s your turn,” Mr. Schue gestured to where everybody else had stood before.

Matt looked shy, but took his place at the front of the room. “I didn’t find anything last night, so can I just sing something that I’ve had in my head all day?”

“Go for it,” Mr. Schuester nodded.

“And in the morning when the sun was coming up.
I had you with me, never wanting to wake up.
And I couldn't let you go because I was with someone like you (someone like you).
But when you flew away, it didn't feel right.
Girl, I was changing and nothing I could take could change your mind.
Even though you let me go, I still want someone like you (someone like you).”

“But it ain't like that.
Let's turn the time back.
To when you told me you had to take your heart back.
You had me waiting.
Anticipating.
Everything we could've been.”

“You said I gave you butterflies.
Then you flew out of my life.
Baby, butterflies.
Then you flew out of my life.”

I hadn’t heard Matt sing before, but I would gladly admit that he had one heck of a voice. It was weird, but at the same time…interesting.

And that was the last of the guys. Mr. Schuester told us right before the bell rang that we all had to meet back in the music room as soon as school ended. That’s where the girl’s songs would take place. That’s where the girls would kick the guys’ asses.