GOTTA MAKE IT TESS!

FINN'S LATEST GLEE ASSIGNMENT WAS THOUGHT UP WITH TESSA (AND REGIONALS OF COURSE) IN MIND. With how she'd recently admitted to have been feeling now out on the open, he, alongside her friends wanted to make it their mission to try and make the rest of her senior year as comfortable as it possibly could be.

Wanting to bring back her sparkle in the process of finding the sparkle in the rest of the glee club, he and Miss Pillsbury had come up with the idea of a diva week. Having announced the idea to the glee club and being met with enthusiasm, Finn rushed out the door to catch up with Tessa as she left the choir room.

"So, Tess, any idea what diva song you're gonna perform this week?" Finn asked curiously, an enthusiastic tone to his voice as he beamed, waiting for her answer.

To Finn's disappointment, Tessa scrunched up her nose as she shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno to be honest, Finn." She replied, "think I might sit this one out."

Mouth dropping open, Finn almost instantly shook his head and stopped Tessa in her tracks, "what? Why?"

Shrugging once more, Tessa held her folders closer to her chest, "I'm not a diva... duh."

Folding his arms over his chest, Finn raised an eyebrow, clearly desperate to get Tessa involved, "that sounded kinda like a diva to me." Continuing as Tessa cracked a smile through a light scoff, Finn grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the choir room. Grabbing two chairs, he sat down on one and patted the one next to him, "c'mon Tess, you're just as much of a diva as anyone else in this glee club."

"That's just not true, Finn." Tessa laughed lightly, slumping back in her seat, "besides, I don't really wanna be a diva. I don't wanna demand my way to the top, I don't wanna kick chairs or return my meal at the Cheesecake Factory a thousand times or storm out every time I don't get a solo."

"But you don't have to do those things to be a diva. You can be a different kind of diva." Finn reasoned with her, "it's about star power. And star power is something you have, Tessa Swann, you are full of it."

Rolling her eyes, Tessa gave Finn a pat on the shoulder to show she appreciated his support but was quick to shoot him down, "if I had star power, Finn, I would've had more than half a solo by now. Mr Schue would've noticed me."

"Mr Schue didn't notice you because you didn't want to be noticed." Finn sighed, "people like Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes got the solos because they fought for them. At every opportunity they were there and nothing was gonna stop them. They were divas."

Tessa pursed her lips together and shrugged her shoulders once more, "too bad I'm a lover not a fighter."

"I hate that you can't see how special you are, Tess." Finn tilted his head to the side, "You are one of the best dancers I've ever seen. And you've got an incredible voice. And you can do them both... at the same time, like really well. Do you not realize how impressive that is? And that's not even mentioning how you can choreograph a nationals winning routine in less than 24 hours. You're a powerhouse."

"Thanks Finn," Tessa said softly, "I promise you though, I don't mind singing and dancing in the background every once in a while."

"But it's not every once in a while is it? It's every single time." Finn argued in a gentle tone, "you deserve to shine sometimes." Standing up from his chair, he decided to put his teacher voice on, "sorry Tess but I'm not gonna let you get out of this one. You're a star and I wanna see your choreography, I wanna see you perform."

"Then you'll see me perform." Tessa stood from her seat, pulling her backpack over her shoulder and offering him a smile, "I'll work something out and I might even add the Finn Hudson signature move at the end." She suggested as she neared the doorway, giving the nearest music stand a kick on her way out, sending the sheet music falling to the floor, and leaving Finn Hudson with a victorious grin on his face.

☆

AFTER INCREDIBLE DIVA PERFORMANCES FROM BLAINE AND TINA, TESSA COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL THE PRESSURE. Rifling through the vinyls in the library, Tessa hoped to find the perfect diva song to perform in front of the glee club.

Waltzing into the library, Sam beamed as he spotted Tessa and popped up behind her. Reading the name on the vinyl, he nodded his head, "Aretha? Shes perfect. Classic diva." He gushed.

"She is the ultimate diva in my eyes." Tessa agreed before putting the vinyl back in its slot, "I could never do her justice." Before he had chance to retaliate, she held her hand up to stop him, "plus, I want something where I can dance. On the dance floor is where I'm most diva."

"That makes sense." Sam nodded along, pulling out another vinyl, "what about a bit of Mariah? You love Mariah."

"Mariah writes bangers. But Kitty's doing Mariah." Tessa shrugged, taking the vinyl out of his hands and back into its slot. Slumping down on the chairs, she leant her head against the back of it, "it's no use, Sam. When I look at these songs I think I love this song... but it's just not Tess."

Sitting down next to her, Sam slid his hand into hers, "then you've gotta make it Tess." He told her, encouragingly.

"I just don't know how to do that." Tessa whispered, almost ashamed as she finally got the strength to lock her eyes with his, "not anymore."

"Every time I watch you perform with the glee club or the Cheerios you're unreal." Sam told her, squeezing her hand, "you just look so cool, like what you're doing is the easiest thing in the world, even if you're doing the most difficult move Coach Sylvester can invent. You look like you're having the best time ever and to me, that's what makes a performance Tess."

"I am having the best time." Tessa agreed, "dancing is my life. I feel like I understand myself the best when I'm dancing."

"Then we need to find you a song where you can dance your heart out." Sam smiled, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.

Placing a hand against his cheek, Tessa pecked his lips, "you always know what to say to me, Sam."

"I try my best." He shrugged, a smirk growing on his lips.

Pushing herself off the chair, Tessa went back to the vinyls, looking closely at potential options whilst Sam sat and brainstormed. After a bit of thought, Sam clicked his fingers, catching Tessa's attention, "how about Fame?"

Scoffing lightly, Tessa shook her head, "we both know I don't want fame. Not really."

"No, the song, from the musical, you dork." Sam elaborated, grabbing Tessa's attention, "you love that film, we watch it all the time. Think about it Tess..." he began to brainstorm excitedly, "it's the perfect diva dance number."

"Sam Evans I think you've just found me my diva number." Tessa beamed excitedly, pulling him up from his chair and out of the library, making a beeline for the dance studio, "come on, you can help me with my choreography."

[SONG — FAME BY IRENA CARA SANG BY TESSA SWANN]

                             ☆

SANTANA HAD COME TO MCKINLEY TO PROVE THAT NO ONE COULD DO DIVA LIKE SHE COULD. After a tough conversation with Brittany, she knew she had a lot to think about and had sat herself down on the edge of the stage in the auditorium to work out what was best.

Coming in from the wings, Tessa spotted her best friend deep in thought and walked over to sit down besides her, swaying her legs against the edge of the stage. Instantly, Santana laid her head against her shoulder, letting out a long sigh.

After a while of silence between them, Santana began to open up, "I heard you killed it with your diva performance."

"I'd like to think so." Tessa giggled lightly, "you definitely killed it with yours. It was such a nice surprise seeing you."

She shrugged, "you know I love to come and make an entrance every now and then. Show the new glee kids how to really go all Lima Heights in this bitch. And I like coming and checking on Britt. Who will check on her if I don't?"

"I will." Tessa responded immediately, "and I do, I promise you. And Sam, and Artie and Blaine and Tina. We all love Brittany." She told her genuinely, taking hold of her hand, "if she wasn't happy you'd be the first person I'd call, you know that."

Squeezing her hand, Santana let that do the talking as silence came over them again, "I dropped out of school."

"I thought you might've done." Tessa admitted quietly, "don't get me wrong, I love seeing you every other week, but I kinda guessed you'd dropped out when you stopped going to the classes in our shared calendar."

Laughing, Santana rolled her eyes, "you're so funny,Tess."

"So what's next for Santana Lopez?" Tessa asked, curiously.

"Somewhere as big, bright and hot as I am." She told her, lifting her head from her shoulder to look her in her eyes, "I'm thinking New York." She thought aloud, "I've always wanted to go there, it might be refreshing for a while whilst I work out what I want."

"That sounds totally awesome." Tessa grinned, "you're right, you deserve to be somewhere as amazing as you are, somewhere where you can really shine."

"And I think New York is that place." Santana nodded along, "I'm gonna go tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Tessa confirmed.

With another nod, Santana stood up and held her hands out to pull Tessa up after her, "tomorrow." She confirmed, "which is why me, you and Britt are gonna go to Breadstix tonight for one last dinner before I go."

"That sounds lovely." Tessa grinned, wrapping her arm round Santana's shoulder as they left the auditorium together for the last time in a while, turning the lights off as they left to give Santana the proper send off to New York she deserved.

lmao purely for the shits and gigs, hope you enjoyed x