Lima Loser - Part Two.

“Hey, Courtney, wait up.” I heard a voice behind me as I was walking up the hall to my locker. It was the last period of the day, and I was ready to go home and get away from the whole Blaze/Puck mess.

I turned around to see Mercedes standing there in a t-shirt with funky designs on it, faded purple skinny jeans, and high tops (as usual). She gave me a wave before approaching me. “Hey. I was just wondering if you wanted to work on your 80’s assignment today. I know you’re probably not up for it, considering all the drama that went on today, but I think working on it could take your mind off everything else.”

I smiled at her. “That’s really sweet of you, and I’d love to, but I haven’t chosen a song yet.”

“I think I could help with that,” she nodded, enthusiastically.

-------------------------------

“Good afternoon!” Mr. Schuester walked into Glee rehearsal the next day with a big smile on his face. Everyone was sitting around and chatting to each other. Well, almost everyone. Neither Puck or Blaze were to be seen, so I assumed that “in-school suspension” meant no Glee club, either.

“Before we begin, I’ve got to say something,” Mr. Schue waited for silence, then continued. “There’s a new room that was recently built in the school, and if you didn’t notice, that’s where Sue’s trophies are now stored. So, we can start performing in this room again, instead of the auditorium. It’s fine to use the auditorium, especially for big projects like Sectionals and Regionals, but since this is only a small assignment, we can get back to using this room instead of shifting to the auditorium every time there’s a meeting.”

“On another note, is anyone ready to perform today?” A few people raised their hands, including me. “Alright, well, let’s get this party started! Quinn, you’re up first.”

Quinn nodded nervously as she made her way to the front of the room, with Kurt, her guest vocalist following quickly behind. She took a few seconds to take a breather before she turned around and smiled out at us before the band began to play.

Quinn: “I never said I wasn't gonna tell nobody.
No, baby.
But desperate lover, I can't keep it to myself.
Oh, no.
When we're together, it's like hot coals in a fire.
Oh, baby.
My body's burning, so come on, heat my desire.
Come on, come on!”

Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Two hearts that beat as one.”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “I need you, I need you!”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Two hearts that beat as one.”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Come on, come on!”

“People get jealous, ’cause we always stay together.
Yeah, baby.
I guess they really want a love like yours and mine.
Together, forever.
I never thought that I could ever be this happy.
Yeah, baby.
My prayers were answered. Boy, you came in the nick of time.
Ohhh!”

Kurt: “I got this feeling that you're going to stay.
I never knew that it could happen this way.
Before I met you, I was falling apart.
But now at last I really know that we are...”

Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Two hearts that beat as one.”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “I need you, I need you!”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Two hearts that beat as one.”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Come on, come on!”

Quinn: “I never said I wasn't gonna tell nobody.
No, baby.
But desperate lover, I can't keep it to myself.
Oh, no.
When we're together, it's like hot coals in a fire.
Oh, baby.
My body's burning, so come on, heat my desire.
Ohhh!”

Kurt: “I got this feeling that you're going to stay.
I never knew that it could happen this way.
Before I met you I was falling apart.
But now at last I really know that we are...”

Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Two hearts that beat as one.”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “I need you, I need you!”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Two hearts that beat as one.”
Kurt: “Two of hearts.”
Quinn: “Come on, come on!”

The song ended, and I immediately began to applaud. What a great song choice on her behalf. It fit her (and Kurt’s) voice perfectly, and I couldn’t think of a better song for her to sing.

“Wow!” Mr. Schue smiled as he clapped. “Great job, Quinn and Kurt! I like how the guest vocals were played out, and that song really suited both of your voices.”

They both hugged each other before returning to their original seats, while Mr. Schue looked around to see who was ready to go next. “Mike, your turn!”

Rachel was at the front of the room before Mike even stood up. She seemed much more into his assignment than he did, which I found funny. He made his way up next to her, though, and when the band began, I noticed that this was one song he would not be dancing in. Instead, he took Rachel’s hand and began to sing to her. I knew he wasn’t serious, but it was still entertaining.

Mike: “Every breath you take, and every move you make.
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you.
Every single day and every word you say.
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you.”

“Oh, can't you seeee? You belong to me.
How my poor heart aaaches with every step you take.”

“Every move you make, every vow you break.
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you.”

Rachel: “Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace!
I dream at night, I can only see your face.
I look around, but it's you I can't replace.
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace.
I keep crying, ‘Baby! Baby, pleeeeaaase!’”

Mike: “Oh, can't you seeee? You belong to me.
How my poor heart aaaches with every step you take.”

“Every move you make and every vow you break.
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you.
Every move you make, every step you take, I'll be watching you.”

Rachel: “I'll be watching you.”
Mike: “Every breath you take, every move you make.
Every bond you break, every step you take.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”
Mike: “Every single day, every word you say.
Every game you play, every night you stay.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”
Mike: “Every move you make, every vow you break.
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”
Mike: “Every single day, every word you say.
Every game you play, every night you stay.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”

Mike: “Every breath you take, every move you make.
Every bond you break, every step you take.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”
Mike: “Every single day, every word you say.
Every game you play, every night you stay.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”
Mike: “Every move you make, every vow you break.
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”
Mike: “Every single day, every word you say.
Every game you play, every night you stay.”
Rachel: “(I'll be watching you.)”

The song ended, and the two stood by each other and bowed as we applauded them. I didn’t like their performance as much as Quinn’s and Kurt’s, but it was a killer song, and they did really well with it.

“Awesome job, you two! Both of your voices fit the song very well.” Mr. Schuester complimented them. They beamed and walked back to where they’d been sitting. “We have enough time for two more performances, and anyone else who wants to perform will have to wait until tomorrow.”

A couple others raised their hands into the air, one of them being mine, and after looking around the room for a few seconds, Mr. Schue called on Tina. She smiled shyly before making her way up the front of the room with Brittany slowly following.

“Are you ready for this, Brittany?” I heard Tina whisper to Brittany once they were up there.

“Probably not,” Brittany told her, honestly. “I don’t even remember the color of the balloons.”

“They’re red,” Tina nodded before she turned towards the audience and began her song.

Tina: “You and I in a little toy shop,
buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got.
Set them free at the break of dawn,
'Til one by one, they were gone.
Back at base, bugs in the software.
Flash the message, ‘Something's out there’…
Floating in the summer sky.
99 red balloons go by...”

Tina: “99 red balloons floating in the summer sky.
Panic bells, it's red alert.
There's something here from somewhere else.
The war machine springs to life,
Opens up one eager eye.
Focusing it on the sky,
As 99 red balloons go by.”

Brittany: “99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry.
Call out the troops now in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line,
As 99 red balloons go by.”

Tina: “99 knights of the air.
Ride super high tech jet fighters.
Everyone's a super hero, everyone's a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify.
To clarify, and classify.
Scramble in the summer sky.
99 red balloons go by!
99 red balloons go by!”

Tina: “99 dreams I have had,
In every one a red balloon.
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty…
In this dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenir,
Just to prove the world was here...
And here is a red balloon.
I think of you and let it go.”

Tina stopped singing, and everyone was on their feet once again. Tina was a shy performer, and this song helped her voice a lot since it was soft. She (and even Brittany) had done a wonderful job with it. I looked over at Kurt to see that he had shed a couple tears. I put my arm around him and he smiled over at me.

“That was beautiful! Excellent job, Tina and Brittany. Such a lovely song,” Mr. Schuester clapped.

Tina smiled and went back to her seat, but I didn’t think Brittany was even listening to Mr. Schue because she just stood there, staring at something on the ceiling, until Santana hissed “Brittany!” at her and pointed to her seat. Brittany quickly made her way back, and I shook my head, hoping she wouldn’t be like that during her own performance. It would make the both of us look pretty bad.

“Alright, Courtney, you’re up!” Mr. Schue said out of the blue. I looked up and over at Mercedes, who nodded. We both stood up at the same time, and walked together to the front.

“Ready?” I mouthed to Mercedes, who nodded again with a smile.

I turned and gave a thumbs up to the band, so they knew that they could begin. They did, and I took a deep breath as the song began.

Me: “Oooooooh.”
Mercedes: “Haaahaaaaaaa.
Whooooaaa, whoooooaaa!

Me: “Sweet dreams are made of this.
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody's looking for something.”

During the next part, I walked right up to where Santana was sitting and practically screamed the next part in her face, making sure everyone saw it.

“Some of them want to use you.
Some of them want to get used by you.
Some of them want to abuse you.
Some of them want to be abused.”

Mercedes: “Haaaayyyaaaaaay.
Ahhhaaaa, ohhhh.”

Me: “Sweet dreams are made of this.
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody's looking for something.”

Me: “Oooooh.”
Mercedes: “Haaaahaaaaaa.
Whoooaa, whoooaaaa.”

Mercedes: “Hold your head up.
Keep your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Hold your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Keep your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Hold your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Keep your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Hold your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Keep your head up.”

Me: “Some of them want to use you.
Some of them want to get used by you.
Some of them want to abuse you.
Some of them want to be abused.”

Mercedes: “Haaaaaaahhooo, oooohhaaaaaahhh.”

Mercedes: “Hold your head up.
Keep your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Hold your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Keep your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Hold your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Keep your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Hold your head up.”
Me: “Movin' on.”
Mercedes: “Keep your head up.”

Mercedes: “Haaaaaaahhooo, oooohhaaaaaahhh.
Ohhhhhhh.”

Me: “Sweet dreams are made of this.
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody's looking for something.”

“Sweet dreams are made of this.
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody's looking for something.”

“Sweet dreams are made of this.
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody's looking for something.”

“Sweet dreams are made of this.
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas.
Everybody's looking for something."

Well, the song ended, and most people were on their feet and clapping. I had even heard a couple whistles. I say most people because Santana was sitting down with her arms folded across her chest, forcing an “I’m gonna kill your family” look upon Mercedes and I. I smiled to myself and ignored it, taking in the rest of attention we were getting.

“Wow, that was awesome!” Mr. Schue stood up and came over to us. He high-fived the both of us. “I loved it! Brilliant!”

I grinned so widely you could fit a house in my mouth, and looked over at Mercedes to see that she had the exact same expression. We’d done it.

“Girl, you killed it!” Mercedes hauled me into a major hug.

“Your parts were what made the song,” I told her.

The bell rang, and everyone began to shuffle out of the room, patting me and Mercedes on the back on their way out. Besides Santana, of course. She just stormed out like the little bitch she was.

------------

I decided to attempt to talk to Brittany in Biology class, to ask her if she’d had any ideas for a song yet.

“Yeah,” she replied. She then told me the song title, and I tried not to roll my eyes at how cliché it was. At the same time, I thought about it, and it could be fun.

“I’ve also decided that I want costumes. I want to look just like her,” Brittany told me. “My mom told me she’ll make them.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “When should we practice?”

“How about after school?” she asked.

“Sure,” I replied, and that was that.

After going back to my work, I realized that I’d just agreed to go to Brittany Pierce’s house to work on a song together. Oh, fuck. Something was bound to go wrong.