Season 1, Episode 2:  Showmance

Ownership of Glee:  FOX, Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk

= = =

    The seven members of New Directions were unenthusiastically rehearsing "Freak Out" in the choir room — with the exception of Rachel Berry. There was a huge problem with the performance: the kids hate disco! It was boring.

[Freak Out by New Directions]

    "Energy, guys! It's disco. Good with the hands. John Travolta hands. Alright. We're freaking out. Let's go. And up and out and down. Good. Good. Good. Good, guys," Mr. Shue compliments. Even with these compliments, the kids were still lacking energy.

    Rachel had started getting into the routine a little too much, and almost hit Mercedes' face in the process. Whether it be on accident or on purpose, Mercedes Jones will hit anyone that hits her beautiful face.

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hell to the no! First of all, you try to hit my face again and I will cut you," she told Rachel before turning to Mr. Shue. "And second, this song is terrible."

"No, no, no. It's not the song. You guys just need to get into it." Mr. Shue tries.

    "No, it's the song. It's really gay," Kurt states bluntly. Violet nods her head in agreement with Kurt's statement, while at the same time biting back a laugh.

    "We need modern music." Artie pipes up. Artie's statement also gets a supportive nod from Violet.

    "Yeah, Mr. Shue. Can't we perform songs by newer artists like Eminem or maybe some Kanye West?"

    "I'm sorry, guys. We don't have time to discuss this. We're doing this song on Friday at the pep assembly," Mr. Shue replies with insincerity in his voice.

"I-In f-front of the w-whole s-school?" Tina asks incredulously.

"Exactly." Mr. Shue grins.

"They're gonna throw food at us. And I just had a facial," Kurt complains.

"I'll press charges if they do." Rachel quips.

    "Guys, I cannot express how important this assembly is. We need recruits. There are only seven of you. We need twelve to qualify for Regionals. We have no choice or the club is over. I know you guys don't like the song, but we took Nationals back in '93 with 'Freak Out.' It's a crowd-pleaser. Trust me. From the top." Mr. Shue says.

    Violet reluctantly went to her previous position in the back. "Does he really think that a song performed at Nationals 16 years ago is going to make other kids want to join?" She asks herself. "Well it'll be Mr. Shue's fault if I die on Friday. At least I won't have to face embarrassment from Brittany, Quinn, and Santana." Violet tells herself in her head.

"I'm dead." Finn states as he also returns to his spot in the back.

On that note, the New Directions continue to unwillingly practice.

= = =

"Why didn't you tell me you were in glee club?" Quinn asks Violet. Violet was at her locker, gathering materials for her class. She jumps hearing Quinn's voice, and then looks down to avoid looking in her friend's hazel eyes.

"I didn't want you to think I was lame." Quinn sighs and looks at the freshman.

"Violet... no offense, but you're already a little lame. I'm not mad; in fact this is great. I'm pretty sure that Manhands is trying to make a move on Finn. Will you keep an eye on her for me?"

Violet giggles at Quinn's use of the word 'manhands.' "If you mean Rachel, then yes. I will keep a close eye on her for you." Quinn smiles gratefully at her new friend.

"Thank you, Violet. Oh, I almost forgot! Are you coming to the Celibacy Club meeting tomorrow after school?"

"Yes, I'm coming." Violet reassures. Quinn smiles more. "Great! We're meeting in the science room at 3:00."

"Sounds great, Q. I'll see you later; I've got Spanish." Violet says and waves goodbye to Quinn. She then sees Kurt at his locker and smiles when she walks up to him.

"So... you ready for Mr. Shue's Spanish class?"

Kurt squeaks as he jumps, glaring at Violet playfully when he sees it's her that scared him. "Well aside from the mini heart attack you just gave me, the answer is yes. Don't laugh, Vi. That wasn't funny."

Violet giggles. "But Kurt... it's so funny!" Kurt just rolls his eyes at her and shuts his locker, walking with her to Spanish.

"You're lucky you're my best friend."

= = =

During glee practice the next day, Kurt and Mercedes were having another argument. Of course, it was about fashion. Violet fixes her ponytail and smooths out her Cheerios uniform.

"You need to call me before you dress yourself." Kurt tells Mercedes.

Mercedes just rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Whatever." She shrugs.

"You look like a technicolor zebra," Kurt comments.

"You're a hater, that's what you are." Mercedes bites back.

"I look like I'm part of it," Kurt shoots back.

"You're trying to copy me."

"It looks like I planned it."

"This is comedy gold." Violet tells Artie softly, who nods in agreement. The bickering ceases when Mr. Shue walks into the choir room.

"Alright, guys. How about a little Kanye?" Mr. Shue says as he hands out the sheet music to everyone.

"For the assembly?" Mercedes asks hopefully.

"No. We won't be ready in time. We're still doing disco. But we can fold this into our repertoire and it'll be awesome at Regionals. Communication is the foundation of any successful music group. If we're gonna succeed, we need to communicate. You guys said you wanted modern music, I'm listening. Violet, I took your advice about singing some Kanye West." Mr. Shue says.

"Mr. Shue, we really don't want to do disco at the assembly," Artie says to the Spanish teacher.

Ignoring Artie's request, Mr. Shue looks at the quarterback. "Finn, you're going to take the solo."

"What? No, Mr. Shue I-I can't do the solo. I'm still learning how to sing and walk at the same time," Finn stutters.

Violet raises an eyebrow at Finn. "Do you even listen to Kanye West, Finn?"

"N-Not really." Finn admits shyly.

"Uncultured swine." Violet says as she sticks her tongue out at Finn. The conversation between Finn and Violet makes Kurt bite his tongue out of jealousy. "I should just quit while I'm ahead. There's no way she'll like me romantically." Kurt chides in a voiceover.

"No problem. I'll walk you through it." Mr. Shue says, a look of determination on his face.

"Oooh." The Glee Club says.

"I think this is considered as a challenge," Violet comments as she stands on Kurt's left.

"Hey, Mercedes, you know this?" Mr. Shue questions the aforementioned girl.

"Oh, I got this," Mercedes says confidently.

As soon as Mercedes opened her mouth and began singing, everyone was shocked. Kurt mouthed 'wow' as he looked at her up and down. This caused Violet to feel this weird sensation that was forming in her stomach. Jealousy.

[Gold Digger by Mr. Shue and New Directions]

Once the joy and laughter died down after the performance, Mr. Shue smiles.

"Just like that. Ready?" He asks his students.

"Oh yeah. My middle name is ready." Violet says with a smile.

Finn looks confused. "I thought it was Ariana."

Violet gently sighs as she shakes her head.

"Finn... how on earth did you make it to 10th grade?"

After rehearsal is over, Violet hangs back for a minute to talk to Mr. Shue. "Mr. Schuester, do you have a second?"

The Spanish teacher smiles. "I have a minute or two. What's up, Violet?"

"I was going to let you know that I'm going to be performing with the Cheerios on Friday at the assembly. We're supposed to go on right before glee club. I just thought I'd let you know I can't perform." Violet explains.

Mr. Shue runs a hand through his curly Ramen-like 1990's Justin Timberlake hair. "That's okay, Violet. I hope you'll be cheering us on in the audience."

"Oh don't worry, Mr. Shue. I'll make sure to cheer you guys on."

= = =

Violet is sitting in the science room with the other Cheerios that were members of the Celibacy Club, including Brittany and Santana. She was talking to Brittany about Lord Tubbington's secret Ponzi scheme when the room gets quiet.

    Violet turns around to see Rachel walking in the room. The younger Berry groans and holds her head in her hands. "I swear to God I'm gonna kill her." She says, causing Santana to smirk. Rachel's eyes focus on Violet, and her jaw drops.

"Violet? I didn't know you were a member of the Celibacy Club."

Violet rolls her eyes. "Add that to the list of things you didn't know about me."

Quinn glares at Rachel as she takes her seat among the Cheerios. Rachel sits at a table on the other side of the room alone. Quinn sits at the head of the Cheerios' table and strikes a gavel against a sound board.

"The Celibacy Club is now in session. Thanks to a school rule that says we have to let anyone join the club, we're welcoming a new member this week — Rachel what's-her-face." Quinn announces.

"Where are all the boys?" Rachel wonders.

    "Down the hall." Quinn answers. "First half hour we separate, then we come together to share our faith." Violet adds on.

    "Are those skirts as short as they seem to be?" Rachel wonders aloud.

    Santana smirks before making her way to the middle of the room, twirling around in her skirt.

    "Pretty much, yeah." She answers.

    "God bless the perv that invented these. Remember the motto, girls." Quinn says, an amused look in her eyes.

    "It's all about the teasing and not about the pleasing." The Cheerios chant. Violet smiles as she performs a double pirouette, the flaps of her skirt flying all around her waist. The other Cheerios cheer her on, encouraging her to dance some more.

    Rachel rolls her eyes at the Cheerios' behavior, giving Violet a disapproving look. Violet just shrugs off Rachel's look and continues to dance.

= = =

    Once the half hour of the meeting was complete, the boys entered the room. Quinn immediately pulled Finn to her side.

    "Let's pair up for the 'Immaculate Affection.' Now, remember. If the balloon pops, the noise makes the angels cry." Quinn announces while holding a balloon.

    Violet is paired up with Charlie, who's a football player. He's in her 3rd period English class, and he's a good guy. He can hold a polite conversation, and is good friends with Violet. All the couples were to hold a red balloon in between each other at genital level.

    Violet was in the middle of talking to Charlie about their English project when she turns to see Puck grinding on Santana.

    "Yeah." He grunts.

    "Stop it!" Santana exclaims.

    A loud POP could be heard within the entire vicinity of the classroom. Quinn and Finn's balloon had popped.

    "Finn!" Quinn scolds the tall boy.

    "It must have hit my zipper!" Finn excuses.

    Violet and Charlie let the balloon fall as everyone stops to see what commotion was going on.

    "You know what? This is a joke. Did you know that studies have demonstrated that celibacy doesn't work in high schools? Our hormones are driving us too crazy to abstain. The second we start telling ourselves that there's no room for compromise, then we act out. The only way to deal with teen sexuality is to be prepared. That's what contraception is for." Rachel vents.

    Quinn gasps. "Don't you dare use the C word."

    Violet hides behind Charlie in embarrassment of Rachel.

    "You want to know a dirty little secret that none of them want you to know? Girls want sex just as much as guys do." Rachel states before storming out of the classroom.

    "I-Is that accurate?" Asks Jacob Ben Israel.

    Violet scoffs and rolls her eyes at him. "Dumbass."

    She then looks over at Quinn and Finn with nothing but embarrassment in her eyes. "Guys, I am so sorry about Rachel. I... th-that was inexcusable and embarrassing."

    "Violet, don't be sorry. If anything we should feel sorry for you. You're related to that dwarf. It's not your fault." Quinn states.

    Finn nods in agreement. "Yeah, you didn't do anything. I feel bad for you because she's your sister, and she's like... kinda creepy."

    Violet laughs at their statements. "Thanks, guys. I feel much better about it now."

= = =

     "I officially call this glee club meeting in session." Rachel says after banging her gavel against a sound board.

    "But Mr. Shue and Violet aren't here." Artie points out.

    "Violet isn't coming because she is performing with the Cheerios on Friday at the assembly. And Mr. Shue isn't coming; I paid a freshman to ask him for help on irregular verbs." Rachel explains.

    "I'm tired of hearing you squawk, Eva Péron." Mercedes groans.

    "Let her talk." Finn defends. Rachel gives him a genuine smile before continuing.

    "I have another idea for the assembly." Rachel claims.

    "Can I, once again, stress my most strenuous objections to this attempted suicide?" Artie asks.

    "They're not gonna kill us. Because we're gonna give them what they want." Rachel informs.

    "Blood?" Kurt suggests.

    "Better: Sex." Rachel says smugly.

    Kurt sighs in defeat. He feels a little upset because Violet won't be part of the New Directions's first public performance.

= = =

    It was the night of the pep assembly. Every student from William McKinley High School was in attendance, along with parents, guardians, and teachers.

    Kurt is behind the curtain, texting Violet, who's sitting in the audience next to Quinn with the rest of the Cheerios.

    To Vi❤️😍:  Performance is starting soon. I'm a little nervous 😬

    From Vi❤️😍:   Don't be. You guys will be great!

    "Silence, children. Silence, everyone. Silence. First, an announcement. The toilets are broken again. We are fixing the problem. But let me warn you. There will be zero tolerance for anyone soiling the grounds. We're not going to have a repeat of last time. We are hoping the problem will be fixed as of Monday morning. Now, we have a special treat for you tonight. Mr. Schuester." Principal Figgins announces, calling up the curly haired teacher.

    A faint cheer from Emma Pillsbury could be heard.

    "Uh, hi. Uh, when I went to school here, glee club ruled this place. And we're on our way back. But we need some recruits to join the party. Now, I can tell you all about how great Glee is, but, uh, I think I'm gonna let some friends of mine show you instead." Mr. Shue fumbles his way through his speech before walking offstage.

   The curtains lift to reveal the New Directions in blue and black outfits, with Mr. Shue unaware of the set change. They then begin to sing 'Push It' by Salt 'n' Pepa.

[Push It by New Directions minus Violet]

    Violet gawks in shock at the group onstage. She is utterly disgusted that they changed the song from one about disco to one about sex! She looks at Quinn, who looks equally disturbed.

    When the performance is over, most of the student body is cheering. However, Quinn looks uneasy and Violet is looking at Kurt, disappointment etched into her features.

= = =

- Monday Morning -

    Violet listens as Mr. Shue scolds the glee club for their performance on Friday night. Violet learns that Rachel was the one who jumpstarted the idea to sing about sex in front of the entire school. The bell rings, and Violet makes her way to her locker wordlessly.

    A hand taps on Violet's shoulder while she's at her locker, and she turns around to see Kurt. She frowns and turns her back to him. "What do you want?" Her tone is icy cold.

    Kurt won't lie — he feels hurt by Violet's cold tone of voice towards him. "I-I just came to say that I'm sorry you're so disappointed. I should've tried to stop Rachel, but I didn't. I'm really sorry, Vi." He says, biting down on his lip.

    Violet sighs and takes out her materials, closes her locker, and looks at Kurt. "Kurt, I accept your apology. You know I can never stay mad at you, no matter how hard I try." Kurt shoots her a smile, causing Violet's cheeks to flush pink. They walk to class together, their pinkies linked.

= = =

   Violet walks into the choir room after school, confusion written on her face. She'd gotten a text from Quinn, telling her to meet up in the choir room.

    "Violet, what're you doing here?" Mr. Shue asks, equally as confused as his student.

    "I wish I could tell you, Mr. Shue. I have no frickin' idea." Violet states.

The conversation is cut short when Quinn, Brittany and Santana walk into the choir room with a small radio.

    "Girls what's going on?" Violet asks.

    Quinn shoots Violet a big smile. "We're auditioning for Glee Club." She says.

    Violet smiles widely. "This is great!" She states happily.

"I have to say, I'm really surprised you guys are trying out." Mr. Shue says to the Unholy Trinity.

"I'm sure you've read about this in the school paper. Finn and I have been an item for a while now. So what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't support him? Also, Violet's one of my best friends, and I've decided to join the glee club to spend more time with her." Quinn replies.

    Violet smiles as she sits next to Mr. Shue.

    "Well, let's see what you've got." He says and pressed play on the radio.

[I Say a Little Prayer by The Unholy Trinity]

Violet claps for the girls once they finish their routine. "You girls were so good!" She compliments.

Mr. Shue smiles at the three Cheerios. Violet smiles because she knows that her three new girl friends are now in glee club.

    After their audition, the Unholy Trinity walk out of the choir room together with Violet.

"Violet... you know that supporting Finn and spending more time with you are two reasons I'm joining glee club, right?" Quinn asks.

Violet nods. "Let me guess: you want to make sure that Rachel doesn't try and take Finn away from you?"

    Quinn nods in response. "I just don't like her — no offense — but you didn't see the way she was undressing him with her eyes. It was uncomfortable to watch!"

    Violet chuckles. "It's fine, Quinn. Did you mean what you said back there? That I'm one of your best friends?"

    "Of course I meant it. I don't just throw that phrase around." Quinn says. Violet smiles in response.

    "If it's any consolation, Q, I think you're one of my best friends too. I finally have a girl best friend I can talk to about boys." Violet says.

    Quinn laughs as she spots Kurt standing at his car. "I think he's looking at you." She motions towards the glasz-eyed boy.

    Violet smiles and waves to him. Kurt waves back with a smile. "Gotta go, Q. He's my ride home. I'll see you guys tomorrow in glee club!"

= = =

"You're giving Quinn Fabray the solo? That's my solo." Rachel complains.

Violet was staying behind after Cheerios practice to help Mr. Shue organize the sheet music for 'Don't Stop Believing.' Violet was proud when Mr. Shue told her and Rachel that Quinn would be getting the solo.

"You made this happen, Rachel. You were the one who wanted to sell sex at the assembly. Quinn's audition song was on Figgin's approved list and, frankly, she did a heck of a job singing it." Mr. Shue argues.

"You're punishing me." Rachel deducts. Violet has to hold back an eye roll at her sister's selfishness. Why couldn't she be happy for Quinn?

"Contrary to your beliefs, it's not all about you. Or, I've realized, about me. Look, I screwed up too. I'm as responsible for what you did at the assembly as you are. I should never have pushed disco so hard. When we did it back in '93, the disco revival was in its heyday. It was cool. We had fun. And that - that is what Glee is supposed to be about. If we're gonna succeed, we both need to change our mindsets. You're not always gonna be the star. But I promise to do my best to make sure you're always having fun. This is a good thing, Rachel. We're on our way." Mr. Shue explains.

Hearing her Spanish teacher's words made Violet hopeful that she could maybe fight for a solo in glee club. She's so used to being in the shadows; maybe it's her time to shine.

Mr. Shue gathers his things from the choir room and begins to walk out.

"Can I use the auditorium later to practice? Our neighbors are filing a lawsuit." Rachel requests.

"Sure." Mr. Shue responds before leaving the room.

Violet looks at the now dejected Rachel. "Hope you're happy, sis. You brought this one on yourself."

"I don't understand why you didn't defend me. That was rather rude." Rachel comments.

Violet turns on her heels. "Well so were you. You changed the entire performance behind Mr. Shue's back, and now you're suffering the consequences. Oh wait, consequences isn't in your vocabulary. And I didn't defend you because I agreed with Mr. Shue. You did this to yourself. I never realized how freaking selfish you really were until now. You are a poor sport and you always make everything about you. Take a bow, Rachel. The curtain's closing on your act."

Violet walks out of the choir room in frustration, leaving Rachel alone.

For once in her life, she wished she wasn't a Berry.

= = =

3609 words

Songs Mentioned/Performed
1. Freak Out - New Directions
2. Gold Digger - Mr. Shue and New Directions
3. Push It - New Directions minus Violet
4. I Say a Little Prayer - Unholy Trinity

I'll be updating tomorrow! Next episode is Acafellas!