last week had been a mess. quinn was kicked off the cheerios, finn had quit. granted, he was back and the other boys got to return to football. but, i think things will finally be calm. i think this is finally our serenity as a team.

all the surrounding problems had been relieved, and we're now left with nothing but interior problems.

"hey, you okay?" i asked finn as i came and sat by him, moving away from artie.

he looked a little in his head.

"i need a job. we're getting bills for the baby left and right." he sighed.

"i'm sorry. you know, i'm a babysitter. you say the word and i'll hand over whatever you need."

"you know i'd never do that."

"then i'll give it to quinn."

"you're not doing that. this isn't your thing to pay it's mine."

"finn i just wanna help. those families over pay me anyways."

"stevie. no. drop it. i'll find a job and i don't want you to offer again."

"fine, fine." i held my hands in surrender and left the conversation.

"all right, guys. we're doing a new number for Sectionals. i know that pop songs have sort of been our signature pieces, but i did a little research on past winners, and it turns out that the judges like songs that are more accessible. Stuff they know. uh, standards, broadway." mr. schue said as he handed around the sheet music.

"defying gravity? i have an entire playlist dedicated exclusively to songs from wicked. this is amazing." kurt gushed.

"think you can handle it rachel?" will smiles.

"it's my go to shower song. it's also my ring tone." rachel beams.

i looked over at kurt who looked upset.

"i don't really wanna hear rachel squawk this song out, mr. schue. plus, why does it always have to showcase her? there's a lot of people out here with talent but all i ever see is rachel with the solo, or rachel with the lead with finn as the other lead. i'm tired of it, and i think everyone else is bored." i rolled my eyes.

"stevie, rachel is getting this one thing. there will be plenty of other opportunities for all of you to shine."

"yeah. but the thing about that is, is that those will be given to rachel too. this song is nice for rachel's voice, i'll give you that. but if you did a different song, to accommodate for the other voices in this club it would be nice."

"next week, stevie. next week."

"whatever." i rolled my eyes.

"next, the school won't pay for the special bus to get artie to sectionals with us."

"w-w-what?" tina asked.

"that's not fair." i frowned.

"so we're going to have to raise money to pay for it ourselves. see, when i was in glee club, and we needed new silk cummerbunds for regionals, we held a bake sale." mr. schue said.

much to everyone's dismay.

"can't artie's dad just take him?" mercedes asked.

"i can't believe how insensitive you're all being. aren't we team?"

"of course we are. but artie understands." quinn shrugged.

"yeah...anything that takes away from rehearsal time isn't good for the team." artie nodded.

❁

i sat with kurt in his room. he had asked me to talk with him after my spiel in glee.

"so, you wanted to talk about what i said?"

"yes. you weren't wrong it what you were saying...but i think it was the wrong time. the thing about mr. schue is that you have to take those stands when he's willing to listen. he wasn't gonna contradict himself in front of everyone."

"that's true. but i'm just so tired of it. i joined his stupid little club, and he said it was all inclusive. but it's really fucking not, kurt. it's all about rachel. and if it's not she throws a little bitch fit to ensure it stays all about her. and then she gets what she wants. but what about the rest of us? i'm tired of singing the oohs and aahs. i want to be noticed. just because i don't shine as bright as she does and i don't work as much doesn't mean i don't want it."

"i get it. which is why...i think we should start the revolution." kurt smirked.

"what kinda revolution are you thinking?"

"well...i wanna sing defying gravity. you wanna be heard. i think i protest and you just fall back. you don't work at all. you don't try at all. and then we'll see if mr. schue comes to his senses. once he realizes we've lost a strong voice he'll be putty in our hands."

"sounds like a fucking plan, my guy." i shook his hand.

❁

i laid across three of the chairs in the choir room, very visibly ignoring everything going on around me.

"stevie, would you mind sitting up for me?" mr. schue asked.

"i'm afraid i can't do that. it's not like i need to pay attention i know what's happening, rachel's getting the lead and finn's getting to male lead, mercedes will belt the last jaw dropping note and the rest of us will be your props."

"stevie, this isn't time for a principled stand. sectionals are coming up and we need to work how i tell us to work." mr. schue said.

"this isn't a stand. but if you don't care about anyone else but rachel, i don't care either."

"stevie just sit up." mr. schue sighed.

"fine. but don't expect me to listen." i rolled my eyes and sat up.

it was then time for kurt to ask to audition for defying gravity. which he did and was ultimately rejected. how cute.

"anyways. back to what i was saying, i was very disappointed with how you guys were so willing to take a bus and let artie go on his own. we're a team and we're going together."

"artie doesn't care." quinn said.

"i do care. it kinda hurt my feelings."

"we didn't think you would take it personally." rachel shrugged.

"well you're irritating most of the time, but don't take that personally." artie said causing me to laugh.

suddenly wheelchairs were brought in and the next thing i knew we all had to roll around in them for three hours every day.