15| HEAD CHEERIOS, ROMANCES AND OTHER PROBLEMS

[ Chapter Fifteen ]

❝I want it to make my parents proud that I overcame everything that happened to me at my old school ❞

[Hello-O]

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Despite the fact that the glee club won Sectionals, the student population still treated the majority of them as losers. Even Raven who was head cheerleader had gotten a slushie facial since then. Raven never thought that she'd ache to be untouchable and back on top with Quinn again, but she did. She had the popularity but people didn't take her seriously enough if they were willing to buy slushies just to throw them in her face.

So, when Mr. Schuester started a new lesson that week, titled "Hello", she really hoped she could change her life, "Hello!"

The glee club was dead and everyone basically just weakly repeated the word back to him.

Mr. Schuester shook his head and then asked, "What do you guys say when you answer the phone?"

"What up?" Mercedes grinned.

"Who this be?" Artie answered.

"No, she's dead. This is her son." Kurt said boredly.

"Okay..." Mr. Schuester sighed, "Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, liked to say 'Ahoy, ahoy,' when he answered the phone. It was Edison who decided that 'hello' was a more appropriate greeting. Look, I'm really proud of what you guys did at Sectionals, but as most of you have realized by now, it hasn't made a bit of difference in your day-to-day at school."

"I have a slushie stained training bra to prove it." Rachel said.

"I feel like she didn't mean to say that aloud." Raven muttered to herself.

"The fact is, we're going to have to better, even more spectacular at Regionals. It's time for some new reinvention. Some new New Directions." Mr. Schuster said, "We need a new hello. Here's your assignment for the week. Come up with a fresh number, but it has to have hello in the song title. Okay?"

Everyone nodded but continued to not say anything.

Raven linked arms with Quinn as they left the room, "Do you know what you're going to sing?"

"No idea. You?" Quinn answered.

"Me either."

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When Coach Sylvester summoned Raven, Santana and Brittany to her office, Raven debated not going. She was tired of being on Coach Sylvester's side but she knew that she wanted to keep her head cheerio spot so she went.

"You three should be wetting yourselves with shame." Coach Sylvester told the three girls who were sitting in front of her desk, "Glee club won Sectionals, and you did nothing to stop it. If you were samurai, and my letter opener was sharp enough, I would ask you both right now to commit seppuku. In Japanese it means ritualistic belly slitting."

"We were seduced by the glitz and glamour of show-biz." Brittany commented.

"Let me drop some knowledge on you." Coach Sylvester added, "Ever since Quinn Fabray got knocked up, I've been in the market for a new head cheerleader."

"Wait. What?" Raven blurted out, "I thought I was head cheerleader?"

"For now." Coach Sylvester said to her, "But if you want to keep the spot, you're going to have to listen up. You're familiar with a little glee clubber named Rachel Berry? Rachel's the kind of girl who wants things too badly. And what she really wants is one Finn Hudson. I want you to go after him. She'll go crazy. She won't be able to stand you dating him. Humiliated, shamed, she'll have no choice but to leave the group. And without her, Schuster won't make it to Regionals."

Raven, Santana and Brittany left her office and Raven quickly turned on the other two cheerios, "She's out of her mind if she thinks that any of us are interested in Finn Hudson or if Rachel will fall for any of this."

"I thought you wanted to keep your spot as head cheerio so badly." Santana smirked at her.

Raven glared at her, "Oh. So, you think you deserve the spot?" She huffed, "Well then. I guess, I'll have to prove that I deserve that spot a lot more than you do."

"So, you're going to cheat on your boyfriend?" Santana asked.

Raven smirked, "Oh. He's not my boyfriend. I'm in this to win it."

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"Hey, Finn." Raven stopped by at his locker later after he had performed his hello number for the class.

"Hey, Raven. Um, what's up?" Finn asked.

"You did great with your hello number. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to grab dinner or something with me this weekend?" Raven twirled her hair around her finger as she leaned against the locker.

Finn looked confused, "Um. I'm with Rachel and what is it with you, Santana and Brittany all asking me out?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Wait. Santana and Brittany both asked you out?"

"Yeah..." Finn shut his locker.

Raven sighed, "Um. Yeah, I know you're with Rachel. I'm sorry. I just really need to keep my head cheerio spot and Coach Sylvester is only letting me keep it if I take you away from Rachel."

"What? But you deserve that spot." Finn responded.

"Thanks, Finn. But she doesn't believe it." Raven sighed, "Anyways, sorry about this."

"Hey. You know what? Do you want to be my partner for the English project? Then you can pretend with Coach Sylvester when you're really doing the project." Finn asked.

"Really? I am better at English class then you, though." Raven laughed.

"Are you going to take the offer or not?" Finn asked.

"Fine. Yes, I'll be your partner." Raven grinned, "Thanks for this Finn. I owe you."

"Well, if we get an A, consider the debt repaid." Finn responded.

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The next day in Glee club, Raven was shocked to hear that Finn had broken up with Rachel.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel." Raven apologized and looked to see where Santana and Brittany were flirting with him, "He doesn't deserve you."

"I just thought that I finally had my life together. You know?" Rachel responded, "But I'm not sad. I'm angry and I think i'm going to show everyone that today."

Raven nodded and looked over to see Puck sitting with Quinn, "Seriously?" She scoffed.

"You too?" Rachel asked.

"I'm the one who blew him off, so it's kind of my fault." Raven responded.

"Talk to him." Rachel told her.

"Maybe later." Raven nodded and watched as Mr. Schuster walked into the room.

"All right guys, you gotta get moving on those 'hello' numbers." He said, "Who has got something to show us? Volunteers?"

No one answered until Rachel raised her hand, "Mr. Schuester, I think I found a song that sums up my feelings perfectly."

"Fantastic, Rachel!" Mr. Schuester responded.

Raven raised an eyebrow at her before settling back in her chair.

Rachel moves to the front of the room before Gives You Hell starts. It wasn't a hello song but it seemed perfect to fit Rachel's mood and Raven's too for that matter.

Once Rachel got to the first chorus, everyone joined in except Finn. Raven got up from her seat when Quinn came over and slung her arm over her shoulder. Puck came to the other side of Raven and though Raven was upset with him, she let him.

When Rachel finished and sat down, Raven cheered for her though Mr. Schuester was not impressed.

"Guys. Guys." Mr. Schuester interrupted them, "I don't want to be a buzz-kill but the assignment was 'hello'."

"I'm sorry. I was just focusing on the first syllable." Rachel looked pointedly at Finn.

"You know what? I don't think you guys understand the seriousness of what we're up against. While we were busy winning our Sectional, Vocal Adrenaline was busy winning theirs. They're last year's National Champions. They haven't lost a competition in three years. This is the big leagues guys." He paused, "If we don't place at Regionals, Glee club is over."

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Raven went over to Finn's house that evening, after he went out with Santana and Brittany and basically left them at Breadstix.

"They're jerks, Finn. Don't you get it? They're using you to be head cheerio." Raven commented while the two of them sat at her dining table, their homework spread out over the table.

"Well, you were going to do the same thing." Finn said.

"I'm not like that Finn. And you know it. It's just. When I came to McKinley High, I met Quinn really quickly and we became very close, very fast and then I immediately became head cheerio after she got kicked off and I just feel like that's where I belong in the McKinley hierarchy." Raven ran a hand through her hair, "And then I realized that my popularity basically came from being best friends with Quinn. I got a slushie facial this morning and Coach Sylvester got mad that I had a stain on my uniform and made me change. I just want to stop being treated like dirt, everywhere I go. McKinley is no different than my old school and yet it's so different."

Finn nodded, "You really want that head cheerio spot, don't you?"

"I mean. I feel like Santana purely wants it so she can rub it in Quinn's face. And to be honest, I'm not sure why Brittany wants it. But, I want it to make my parents proud that I overcame everything that happened to me at my old school and I want it to make Quinn proud." Raven grinned.

"Okay. I'll help you, Raven. I promise." Finn told her.

"Thanks Finn. Now, we better get to work. This project is so big." Raven groaned.

"Wait. Why are you in sophomore English? Aren't you a freshman?" Finn asked.

"Seriously, Finn?" Raven asked, "Well, I didn't have enough credits to be a sophomore here but they pushed me ahead in quite a few classes like English because I passed some test or something."

"Oh." Finn responded.

"Yeah." Raven laughed.

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Coach Sylvester summoned Raven to her office the next day but Santana and Brittany were nowhere to be found.

"Um. Coach? Where's Santana and Brittany?" Raven asked.

"They failed in their mission however they did say something about Rachel seeing Jesse St. James from Vocal Adrenaline." She said as she was mixing up a protein shake.

Raven gave her a look, biting her lip as she knew exactly what she was talking about.

"And it looks to me that you know what I'm talking about."

"Um yes, Coach. Rachel met Jesse St. James in a music store and apparently they're going out but it's not serious yet. At least according to Rachel. But, what do you need me for?" Raven asked.

"Hmmm." Coach Sylvester paced around her desk, "Since you actually managed to invite Finn to your house, I think I can trust you to help me with this task. Get Rachel to keep her boyfriend as it will tear the little Glee club apart. That is all."

"Yes, Coach." Raven nodded, knowing that she was going to do the exact opposite, but Rachel would keep him anyway.

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Raven joined Mercedes, Kurt, Tina and Artie for an emergency intervention.

"Oh hey guys." Rachel grinned as she walked into the choir room.

"Cut the butter, Benedict Arnold. We heard about your new boyfriend." Kurt spoke.

"How did you find out?" Rachel asked.

"Raven told us." Tina answered.

"Sorry." Raven muttered.

"Look Rachel. We're all happy that you're happy, but we've worked too hard in Glee club to let you throw it all away on a relationship that might not even be real." Mercedes spoke up.

"Why? Cause he's in Vocal Adrenaline?" Rachel asked.

"Their motto is 'Aut neca aut necatus eris', which loosely translates to 'Murder or be murdered'." Kurt stood up.

"They give their dancers human growth hormone." Tina added.

"Look. We're not saying the dude is playing you." Mercedes said.

"He's playing you." Kurt responded.

"We just think that until Regionals are over, we can't risk the possibility that he is." Mercedes added.

"None of us want to go through what happened at Sectionals again." Tina said.

"Okay look. Jesse and I might not be true love, but what if we are?" Rachel asked.

"Honey. I don't trust him." Raven interjected.

"Raven please. I know who I am. And how many chances at this am I going to get?" Rachel asked.

"If you don't break up with him, then you're out." Kurt said.

"You can't kick me out!" Rachel yelled.

"But, we can all quit, if Mr. Schue doesn't." Artie added.

"Sadly. That's the truth." Raven added.

"Well, good luck winning without me." Rachel said.

"Everyone is replaceable. Even you." Kurt said matter-of-factly.

"How could you do this to me?" Rachel asked.

"How could you do this to us?" Mercedes added, "We're a team. And all you've ever wanted was for us to be great, and be a part of something special. Now is that still true or not?"

Rachel looked over at Raven for help.

"Sorry Rachel. But I'm with them on this one. He's not good for you and you're going to get hurt. Leave him. Or leave us." Raven crossed her arms.

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At the end of the week, the whole glee club decided to sing a song by the Beatles together for the assignment. While they were preparing for it in the auditorium, Raven approached Puck.

"Hey. Um. We need to talk." Raven said, pulling him aside.

"Oh. We're talking now?" Puck asked.

"Noah. Please." Raven whispered, pleading with him.

"Fine. Tomorrow." Puck responded.

Raven nodded, "Okay."

She walked away from him, and towards Rachel, "Hey. So, how'd Jesse take it?"

"Um. I just said that my team is more important. Stuff like that. He took it pretty well. It's over." Rachel breathed.

"I'm sorry, Rachel." Raven apologized.

"Winning Regionals is more important, Raven." Rachel told her, "Maybe you should also stay focused."

"What the hell does that mean?" Raven scoffed.

"You and Puck. Not going to work out. Maybe you should stop trying to make it work." Rachel said before walking onto the stage.

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to calm herself. Rachel was probably right. But, Raven knew she wouldn't take her friend's advice. No matter if it might be true or not.

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Word Count: 2387

Hey guys! Sorry it's been over four months! College is stressful and I didn't have much inspo for this story but I have more now and since I only have two weeks left of the semester, I will try and post more in the summer. 

What did you guys think?  I'm very excited for the Madonna chapter!!

I love you all and will hopefully see you next week for Chapter 16!

POSTED ON:

4. 28. 19