NOT EVERYONE HAS A FRIEND AS COOL AS MIKE CHANG!

THIRD WHEELING MIKE AND TINA WAS ALWAYS FUN. So Tessa was glad when Tina had dragged her to Mike's locker, arm locked in hers as she told her all about everything happening at the booty camp that she wasn't a part of.

A bright smile on her face, Tina was ready to move from one practice session to another as they found themselves at a rather sad Mike's locker, "you ready for song practice?" She asked cheerily, "Your audition is tomorrow and Tess and I want to make sure that everything's perfect."

Visibly upset about something, Mike just shook his head, unable to meet their eyes, "I'm not auditioning."

Exchanging a look of worry with Tina, Tessa's mouth hung open, "what? Why? Who's girlfriend am I meant to play now?"

Placing a hand on Tessa's shoulder as she and Mike pouted at each other, Tina stepped forward to try and figure out why her boyfriend was so down in the dumps, "but we've been working so hard on your singing for this! This is your big chance to break out and show everybody that you're more than just a fleet-footed dance ninja. Riff is perfect for you — he sings, he dances, he dies. It's the second male lead, Mike."

"Seriously dude, no one could play Riff like you." Tessa continued, reaching out to give him a playful punch on the shoulder, "we all know how much you want this role. You haven't been able to shut up about us playing Riff and Graziella at booty camp."

An apologetic smile coming to his lips, Mike, let out a long sigh, "I guess you're gonna have to find yourself a new Riff." He mumbled, sadly, "I'm overwhelmed and losing focus. Football, glee club, booty camp so we're ready for sectionals." Moving slightly closer to them, he leant down filled with embarrassment as he knew he had to tell them the reason for his stress, "I got an A minus on my chemistry test."

Surprised by Tina's gasp of shock, Tessa blinked silently as she heard the next words leave her mouth as a whisper, "you got an Asian F?"

"My dad's all over me." He told them, hanging his head in shame.

Confused by how upset they both looked, Tessa furrowed her eyebrows, "I got a B on that chemistry test and my grandad baked me a cake."

Seeing how disappointed he truly was with himself, Tina and Tessa were quick to try and reassure him and encourage him not to let go of his dreams, "you shouldn't have to hide your dreams. Just be honest with him."

Finding himself taking out his frustration on Tina, he slammed his locker shut and gave her a frown, "like you were so honest about pretending to stutter all that time?"

"Yeah, that wasn't the coolest thing you've ever done, Tina." Tessa whispered in Mike's defence.

Sighing with her embarrassment, Tina nodded her head in acceptance of what she'd done wrong in the past, "point taken." She said, but before she could even try to encourage him any further, Mike had left them alone with a shake of his head, sighing glumly as he tried to push his dreams aside for his grades.

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MORE OF THE GLEE CLUB HAD DECIDED TO TAG ALONG FOR BOOTY CAMP TODAY. Standing at the front, Mr Schue looked around at the large crowd, standing taller with his pride for the turn out.

Clapping his hands together for a start, he wanted a word before actually beginning the lesson, "I just want to say how proud Mike, Tessa and I have been with everyone's progress." Becoming distracted looking around, he furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of one of the glee clubs best dancers, "uh Brittany? What are you doing here?"

Already with her answer, Brittany grinned around at her friends, "cause i intend to, you know, dance my way into the voters hearts."

Deciding just to move onto the lesson at hand, Mr Schue nodded his head, despite not understanding, "okay, now your homework assignment was the Widow Maker, perhaps the hardest show choir dance move ever. Now when you get it right, one of us is gonna tap you out and you can have a seat."

Pointing to the piano for a start, Tessa and Mike counted them in and gave the group an encouraging thumbs up before they had to try the dance move. Tapping Brittany out almost instantly, Tessa moved to the back, holding out a hand for Santana to slap, giving her a quick wink before moving on to tap out Blaine with a hug.

Eventually only Finn and Mercedes were left trying their best. Knowing all Finn needed was encouragement, Tessa gave him a thump on the back, "come on Finn, you can do this."

"No he can't." Puck called out, only fuelling Finn to do better until he managed to crack the move, enthusiastically slapping Mike's hand, the three of them all moving to the side to let Mercedes get to the finish.

Taking this moment to talk to Mike, Tessa gave him a nudge in the side, "still not auditioning?" She asked with a pout.

"No," he shook his head sadly, "I have to meet my chemistry tutor."

"I'd offer to be your tutor but I'm not very good at chemistry." Tessa giggled, pleased to see a chuckle escape Mike's lips, "there's that smile we've all been missing this week."

"I really want to audition, Tess." Mike sighed out, throwing his hands up limply, "but what if I lose concentration and fail another test? My dad would force me to quit glee club. I'd be even more of a failure."

Quick to reassure him, Tessa put a hand on his shoulder and flashed him a small smile, "you won't fail another test, and you didn't fail this test and one thing you definitely are not, is a failure. You're so talented in so many ways and I'll be damned if I let you go another minute without believing that." Pointing to the group stood behind them, she gave him another encouraging smile, "it was you that taught everyone here the hardest show choir dance moves we can think of."

"You helped." He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I needed you."

"But I wouldn't be here without you." Taking hold of both of his shoulders, she gave them a shake, "you put my name forward. You never fail to acknowledge me and you never let me forget my talent or throw away my dreams. What kind of a friend would I be if I just let you throw away yours? Just take some time to have a dance on your own. That always helps clear my head."

Letting her words sink in, the smile crept onto Mike's lips once again as he threw his arms around her, "thanks for being my friend."

"I think I should be thanking you. Not everyone gets to have a friend as cool as Mike Chang."

The moment was quickly interrupted by Mercedes shouting at Mr Schue, "stop picking on me!" She shouted, standing up with a deep frown. Feeling guilty that they'd allowed Mr Schue to push Mercedes past her limit, Mike and Tessa rushed to her side to help, "you're always singling me out, making me look bad!"

"That's crazy." Mr Schue scoffed.

"No you're crazy for not letting me shine!" Mercedes accused, pointing a finger right up into his face, "where's Rachel, huh? I don't see her here being part of the team." Glancing back round at the nervous looking group on the stage as they shuffled their feet against the floor, Mercedes felt her point had been proven until Finn spoke up in his girlfriends defence, "Rachel practices every night."

"No one asked you Finn!" Mercedes yelled, whipping round to scowl at him, then back to Mr Schue, "everyone knows that Rachel's your favourite."

"That's not true." Mr Schue denied.

"No, it's true. You give that skinny, garanimal-wearing-ass-kisser everything! And you know, for two years I took it. But not anymore! I'm done!" Storming towards the door, she turned back round with her finger pointed again, "I've outgrown you. I've outgrown all of you."

"Mercedes!" Mr Schue called out, "you walk out that door, you're out of glee club!" Without even stopping to think for a moment, Mercedes had stormed out of the door, leaving the group in shock.

Upset that Mercedes had left them, Tessa let out a long sigh, fiddling with her fingers as she tried to deal with the uncomfortable silence and so standing forward, she was the first to speak up, "you've gotta stop kicking people out, dude."

Seeing Mr Schue glare right at her angrily, Tessa backed up behind Mike with her hands held up in surrender as he put a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter before he could kick her out too.

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THE WEST SIDE STORY CAST LIST WAS BEING POSTED. With Ryan's hand in hers, Tessa pulled him down the hall, full of excitement to find out of her friends had gotten the parts they wanted, particularly Mike Chang.

Groaning loudly, Ryan wasn't half as keen as her, still salty over having to take part in the musical at all, "I can't believe Beiste is making me do this stupid musical."

Slapping his arm, Tessa gave him a frown, "it's not stupid. It's cool."

"You have a strange idea of what's cool, babe." Ryan laughed to himself, rolling his eyes once again.

"Come on! If you make the NFL, you could go on Dancing with the Stars!" Tessa gushed, with an excited grin, squeezing his hand to try and encourage him to be more positive, "besides, this is my kind of cool, even if it isn't yours."

Throwing his head back as he continued to complain, he ran a hand through his hair, "what even am I playing again?"

Pleased that he was even thinking about the musical, "you're in the Jets." She replied, "same as me."

Seeing the crowd of glee club members gathered around the cast list, Tessa picked up the pace, letting go of Ryan's hand and rushing straight over to Mike as she saw him beam, throwing his arms around Tina. Once letting go of her, he spun round, catching sight of Tessa and pulling his arms around her too, lifting her off the floor slightly, "I did it! I got Riff!"

Screaming with excitement, Tessa jumped up and down in his arms, pulling Tina in so she could wiggle her way into the group hug, "we told you you could do it!" Tessa yelled, "all that hard work paid off!"

"And you're playing my girlfriend!" Mike exclaimed, excitedly, "we're in love!"

Pushing Tina out of the hug, Tessa gave her a playful wiggle of her eyebrows, "sorry Tina, I'm stealing your man."

Rolling her arms with a laugh, Tina just threw herself back on top of the two of them, grateful that Mike had found his mojo once again and that even with her closest friend gone from glee club, she knew she had others that would make sure she kept laughing.