Sing With Me || Lysander

[rachel barbra berry]

XX




Could this school year get any worse from the year before? The bullying, the harassing, the embarrassing names whispered behind her back or the stabs of terror as she feels the icy chill of the flavored ice slides down her cheeks, and into the front of her cleavage, leaving a sticky trail wherever it touched – not to mention the color that it stained her clothes and skin. It had to have happened once a day; one of the awful choices that the bullies, students, or ‘haters’ had cast upon her. Rachel, star of the school’s musical, did not deserve one slushy to the face, not a single one of them. Never has she thrown a kid into a dumpster, nor has she locked them into a locker, or thrown them down the stairs. She stays out of the jocks way, and somehow they still find a way to tear her apart and feed her to the birds. Of course now - after all of the many days since she joined the glee club, many things tore at Rachel. The last thing - was the pull from Finn, and the terrible loss at Nationals because of her. All she had to do was ignore those thoughts, and maybe she would be ok.

Today she was going to work – well, it was kind of work. Rachel really didn’t have a job, but she occasionally sang at a little café named Yesterday. Walking inside the place was nearly a blast from the past with all the ornate designs, and brown colors with cream and soft pastels. The ever lingering smell of coffee followed her home most nights, where her fathers laughed, saying it was better that they smelled coffee on her than alcohol. Usually Rachel would just brush it off, she wasn’t one to drink – and they knew that. Before she left her room, the brunette made sure that she had made herself look A-list ready; not that her hair got the memo. Instead of having the full blown curls, spirals that would rival those that would rival the old southern bell’s – but instead she got the same boring curls that furled out on the ends and gave her hair nothing but body. Deciding that it wasn’t worth the fight, she put on a thin layer or makeup and grabbed a light jacket Rachel bounced down the stairs, kissing each one before grabbing her microphone, slipping it under her jacket and walking out the door.

The microphone was a gift to her, the day she opened it – her eyes swelled with tears and it has never been out of her site since. But – unlike the first day she had it, the black was covered by pink and silver rhinestones, every surface covered by glitter that was sure to be seen from far off stage. It was the Star Effect, the glitter in her eye now matched the glitter in her hand, and that, to Rachel, was perfection. Letting herself go over the words of the songs she was going to sing in her head, she let her body walk to the tempo of the first song. It was slow – but lyrical. It was beautifully written, but it was not from a musical, the next was a love song, from a musical – still slow, but a bit better in her book, seeing as it was from something that she cared so much for. And the third was fast, and a happy – but it needed a partner, maybe she would find someone to sing it with her, maybe not. If not, she would sing both parts, Rachel Berry could do that.

Walking through the doors of the coffee shop, Rachel hung her coat up on the rack before looking to the old man behind the counter. His hands were gnarled, and his face was always turned up into a smile. She let her own face try to match his as she gave him a curt nod and nearly skipped through the throng of people to the small stage in the back of the restaurant. The pianist waved lightly before looking at her inquisitively. “Out here on My own, Fame”

He didn’t seem surprised, but he smiled , mouthing ‘a perfect choice’ before walking back to his seat and slowly starting to play the music. Rachel set her microphone in the stand, placing her feet shoulder width apart, before getting a good look at the crowd. A few people just walked in, before it was her time, told by the music, to sing. “Sometimes I wonder where I've been who I am, do I fit in?” with those first few notes hit perfectly, sending the rest of her song into a flurry of notes that almost left her breathless, and not because she was singing. Nearing a minute through the song, the jazzed up actress grabbed her microphone and began to walk the stage, to act the song.

“But when I'm down and feeling blue, I close my eyes-“closing her eyes and tilting her head, as if doing that actually helped her hit a note – whether it did, she did it anyways-“ so I can be with you, Oh, baby, be strong for me, Baby, belong to me, Help me through, Help me need you.” The music slowly winded down, the light twinkling of the piano the only thing that could be heard besides her voice. “Sometimes I wonder Where I've been Who I am, do I fit in?” The song slows to a near stop as then the fanfare almost builds up for her grand finish, the one that all broadway songs had,[ “I may not win But I can't be thrown Out here on my own On my own.” That is when the music actually stopped, and the clapping could be heard over the dying piano notes. “thank you, thank you.” Rachel smiled and blushed, “that was out here on my own – from fame.” It wasn’t as if anyone would know that – but she wanted to enlighten them.

Stepping off the stage, Rachel took a seat in one of the stools, and took a deep breath, maybe this would be her escape – her music.


Hey lysander, there are 1030 words here - and oh - btw - i am wearing this.

Here, just make sure that you read through the post. Anything about sandy will probably be changed to just random glee stuff.

[lysander demetrius deleon]

Lysander and his parents just got to their new house in Westerville. It wasn't as if he didn't like the place; in fact, it was lovely and frankly too large to accomodate just the the three of them. He was told to claim a room as his own for when he stayed at home. Dalton was a boarding school, at least in part. Yeah, he could tell this was going to be fun. And that wasn't sarcastic at all (yes it was).

Once he got up to the second floor, he rushed into the first empty bedroom he could find and dumped his messenger bag unceremoniously next to the door. The room was completely bare, save for a dresser and a bed. It had white walls, white temporary blinds for the windows, and a very plush off-white carpet. He supposed the off-white was just to make things different from the rest of the room. Even so, it was driving him insane.

The movers began to carry all of their worldly possessions into the house. Moving really put things into a new perspective, Lysander mused. Everything they owned could fit into a single truck, albeit a big one. He started to wonder how people with that much stuff managed before there were trucks, but then supposed that those people didn't move. They were the kind of people who lived in the same big manor house for several generations before selling it (much time after the invention of the freight motor vehicles).

Well, staring at the ceiling could only entertain a person for so long. With nothing to do in the house, as everything was being taken care of for him, he decided it was time to explore his new environment. He also needed his coffee fix, and the kitchen wasn't yet complete.

After a bit of travel, he found himself in Yesterday Cafe. It was just a little place, out of the way, but it had a homey feel and smelled absolutely heavenly. This was definitely a place to visit more often, Lysander concluded. He ordered himself a latte and sat at a table, contemplating once again how this year would be, like going through freshman year once again.

It appeared that the place had live entertainment, because there was a stage with a piano and a microphone stand. A girl around Lysander's age, perhaps a few years older, skipped up to it with a bedazzled microphone. He had no idea who she was, as she neglected to announce herself, but she began to sing to the gathering afternoon crowd.

Her voice was amazing. Not only that, but she was so passionate about it that it was almost more like a monologue than a song. It was almost definitely one of her signature songs. Lysander figured that it would be her go-to audition piece, even, if she happened to do musical theater. Yes; she was an actress, and she was one to model oneself after.

He applauded her skill once she finished singing. She took a short, modest bow before going off to take a break, and he hoped she would perform again later. After all, she was that good. He went up to her, hoping to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, there. I saw you sing," he began smoothly. "You were pretty amazing. And I mean that; I've done musical theater before, and that was honestly better than anyone I've performed with. You've got talent." He grinned and held out his hand for her to shake. "My name is Lysander. I'm new in town. What's your name?"

---

Word count depressingly less than yours at 620-ssomething. Good to know. I won't just copy and paste everything, then!

[rachel barbra berry]

XX




She was not normally this worried about her pitch, or her tone, or the ever lingering feeling that she was going to lose her voice in the middle of the song, but today was different. That obnoxious pang the feeling that she was going to vomit butterflies and pass out at the same time; that was the one that ate at her today. Rachel was not a person who would become nervous before a song, but today in gnawed at her like an angry beast just ready to jump down her throat and rip every musical piece out of her body with it’s sharp edged claws. “Calm yourself down Rachel, you did fine.” She silently told herself, knowing that if anyone heard her she would easily be called crazy – not like it would be the first, or the last time. Rachel just did not want the rumors to be starting because of her own actions.

Pulling her microphone closer to her chest, she could feel the ruffles on her yellow sleeveless shirt brush against her hand, and then her collar bone before resting back in the position that it was before. Crossing her legs, to make sure that her yellow and navy plaid skirt did not ride up, she caught a glimpse of someone walking closer to her. At first she thought it was a beast – something tall, but not lanky- nor it built. Adrenaline, slowly entered her blood stream – just enough to make the girl more alert. On closer inspection, via the adrenaline, it was a guy around her age, normal body type, mousy brown hair – a bit lighter than hers, but she had dark hair to begin with. He watched her with big brown eyes, pretty eyes – though she was more into guys that had blue eyes. And boy, was he tall. He was so tall that it almost scared her.

Stepping in front of her vision, and meeting her gaze, his voice like velvet. It almost concerned her, sweet talking boys were always the ones who ended up doing bad things, or that is the conclusion that Rachel had come to herself, seeing as she has had no boyfriend to base her study off of. But it wasn’t like guys normally paid attention to the singer, so of course she enjoyed the thought that he had come over here to actually talk to her. Rachel smiled as he spoke, but as she opened her mouth to say something – he continued, gracing her with sweet words of optimism and strength, giving her ego a boost, and quelling the butterflies for just a bit longer. “Thank you – I was actually worried no one was going to enjoy it – seeing as it isn’t anything I do often. Fame is a great musical – it just does not have enough music for a girl to choose from.”

Rachel nearly had to stop herself, so that she could allow the boy to speak. He was new to town, which means he might go to her school, and on the bright side, he is another drama kid who could maybe understand her fixation and love for everything musical. Lysander, also a name for a character she had once studied from a Shakespearian play. The words – the blocking fills her head and she smiles to herself just for an instant before speaking, “I’m Rachel – Rachel Berry the-“ She stopped herself, realizing that she need not go on. The phrase ‘the gold star is a metaphor’ did not need to be said. It was mostly because there was no gold star in site, the only gold were the little buckles on her navy flats “New? Where are you going to school..?” the most she could wish for was with her, with new directions, but with the luck Rachel was having this year, he wouldn’t.

“I’ve been doing this since before I could speak – singing and acting. My fathers put me in classes because they could see my passion.” She looked at her microphone. “Anyways – what brings you here? To Yesterday I mean,” she didn't mean to imply 'why he was in ohio' but she knew it was there so she covered her bases. She didn’t need to know why he was in Ohio, though she was very curious. “I’ve been singing here for about seven years now – and kids my age don’t normally walk in.” Rachel flipped her brown locks over her shoulder slightly and placed either hand on the sides of the stools, smiling. Drama boys – they make everyone smile. He almost reminded her of Finn, though he never seemed to talk to her the way that this boy did - actually he didn't. Finn was a nice guy, but he was not one to shower with praise, and that was something that rachel loved. That feeling of completely being loved.

A Jesse maybe? No - that boy was one of a kind. He was smart, and talented, and he could see Rachel for what she truly was, a briliant shining star. Every time someone nice came to her, there was always a lingering of jesse, and finn, and even puck - but mostly Jesse. That duet that they sang together stuck with her, not to mention that she uses it to sleep at night when she can't go anymore. Rachel smiled at the boy but looked away shortly after. The last thing she needed to do was try and upset finn. Rachel liked Finn, she had spent the last two years running after him, almost leaving her dream in the dust for a chance with him, but was it truly worth it? Finn hudson? Only time will tell.


Hey lysander, there are 921 words here - and oh - btw - i am wearing this.

Here, i added about 200 words to it, and it was mostly to the end, with the finn and the jesse. obviously, the first few posts don't need to change all that much.

[lysander demetrius deleon]

It was almost sweet, the way she answered with a sort of flustered confidence. The two terms were, yes, contradictory, but that didn’t stop them from being true. Lysander wondered vaguely which part of it was the act, knowing that it wouldn’t matter at all. He was, however, surprised that she actually didn’t do this as much as he thought. A musician, an actress of her caliber must have some great source of experience with crowds. He himself had plenty of familiarity with the musical theater scene, despite the fact that he never once got a lead role. All the more reason for him to be impressed with her.

A spark of hope seemed to glimmer in her eye when he mentioned that he was also a performer, and that he had just moved. They had something in common. It was quite a relief to him; only around for a few hours, and he’d already found a friend. So Rachel was her name. She introduced herself with so much enthusiasm, Lysander just had to chuckle a bit. Her personality was as bright and shining as the microphone she held close to her heart. In his eyes, that was a trait to be admired. If he only had the same self-assurance…

“School? I’m going to an all-boys school in Westerville: Dalton Academy for Boys,” Lysander sighed, taking a seat in the stool next to her. “I’m sorry I can’t go to school with you. Your school is probably more fun than a stuffy old private school. I don’t even know if they have a decent arts program; it would suck so much if they didn’t.” He scowled at the thought. What was he supposed to do if he couldn’t work on performing arts at Dalton? Certainly not work on science. He was so bad at chemistry and mathematics, it wasn’t even funny. That, and his family would need to hire a tutor just so he could pass the class, let alone excel. “If you’re good at science, let me know, because I’m going to need help if I want to graduate!” he quipped airily, not wanting to let on how much it really bothered him.

At least in an environment like this, he was able to stay calm and focused. “Coffee shops are my favorite places in the world,” he confessed. “I’m such a coffee whore, and I couldn’t resist the smell of this place. And now, I don’t want to leave. Come on; they’ve got live music and quality entertainment!” Lysander laughed. Rachel seemed like such a nice girl. That was a thing about show business in his experience: nice people need to be reminded that they are worthwhile and talented; otherwise they fade into the shadows. It happened to an old friend of his from elementary school. After doing a single show with a named character and not getting such a role a second time, the poor kid’s self-esteem dropped right out of the spotlight. It would be a total shame if that happened to Rachel. “I think it’s great that you’ve been pursuing this all your life. When you’ve got it, you’ve got to give it your all, right? You’re lucky to have found your calling so early on, and you have supportive parents. I wish I could have that.”

Even though his parents basically met over Shakespeare, they weren’t so keen on Lysander becoming an actor. They meant well, of course. Realistically, who wants their son to live the life of a starving, penniless artist? Add that to his high standards and low expectations, and you get Lysander the Conflicted. They wanted him to be a psychologist. Ha; as if that would ever happen.

In the middle of her little introductory speech, Rachel had mentioned a surprising little detail that he nearly didn’t catch. Seeing as it was somewhat of a private matter, he leaned in closer to her so no one would overhear. “Don’t be offended, but I have to ask: fathers? Plural? I mean, I’m not judgemental or anything; I just haven’t seen that kind of family structure.”

---

The word count is at 735. Yeah, I'm glad I don't have to do rewrites yet.

[rachel barbra berry]

XX




Knowing better Rachel Kept her mouth shut as the boy had walked up – maybe it was a good thing for kids her age to come to places like this, even though the people that she normally tended to were twice her age and could completely recognize her gift and gave her the attention that someone of her caliber deserved. She knew she was a star – but that didn’t mean that everything that came out of her mouth was perfect and that is how she felt about the song that she had just belted. Though she could feel the song – though every word she sang was true – though her song was an act, not just the music, she couldn’t believe herself, in herself, in the fact that her talent actually pulled through on that song.

But then her face fell, hearing that her earlier thoughts had come true. He did not get placed into her school, instead he went to a private school – a private all guys school. That feeling was not coming off of him – he was not gay, that she could tell – but he was just stuck in an all guys school, in a town he did not know, with no one. That has to be awful – Rachel may be lonely, but at least she had some friends, and she had lived in the town long enough that she could find things to do if she had a bad enough day - or at least find someone to talk to.

“I’ve heard of Dalton – but I don’t know much about it. I know a few kids that go there - or went there. Well, one still goes there, but I go to McKinley. And I really doubt that your school will be any worse than mine – people at McKinley don’t really accept the arts kids – not to mention that our chorus teacher got fired. And our Glee Club didn't place at nationals.” Rachel purposely left out the fact that the only reason that he was gone was because that she herself spun a lie about him feeling up another one of the chorus students because he gave him the solo that she deserved. It didn’t matter to Rachel that the song was for a guy – she wanted it and if he was not going to give it to her, he was going to lose his job, “So I don’t know exactly what is going to happen to our department exactly. I mean - our chorus department is back up - but im worried for our glee club.” Maybe something would come up, it always did.

“And besides, I really doubt that Dalton doesn’t have a theatre department.” That school she heard was really big, and from all the money that came in, they had great everything. Great books, great departments, great living, great food, great bully detection; Rachel knew that if she had a chance to go to Dalton that it would signify the end of all the slushy’s, but for now she would probably had to live with it. “they are a great private school – they have a theatre program, do not worry.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow as he spoke about science, following it with a comment about not being able to pass. Unable to really decide on where to take that, she looked away from him, down at her blue slippers, “I have A’s in my classes, if that is what you mean, but I cannot say that science is my favorite – it’s too logical.” It was an artist thing, that’s what her fathers always told her – they told her that science and math would always be a bit more challenging to her than it would be for anyone else – seeing that her gift was so strong in the arts. It wasn’t easy, but she made sure her grades were good enough. And as long as she had an A, Rachel would not complain.

When he said that the coffee was really important to him, and that the coffee shop is his favorite place to be Rachel had to interject and give her own feelings to the matter “ I may like coffee, but the stage is my favorite place to be, and to stay. It’s the only place I can really be myself.” Rachel didn’t move her body, but she tilted her head to the side, enough so that she could see his frame which was now sitting next to her. “It’s the only place that true performers belong.” It was like Rachel to be melodramatic – especially when it came to her loves, acting and singing.

Rachel smiled at him, a light blush forming on her cheeks – she was quality entertainment. Lysander really knew how to push a girls ego up, especially Rachels. He went on talking for a moment, and she looked away, letting her eyes find someone else to watch. It was a woman, who was talking to a young child who looked clearly upset, and continuously looked up at the stage. It reminded her of herself when she was a kid – always going to be the center of attention, no matter what anyone else said. “Yeah, I love my parents – they are very special to me.”

Turning back, she caught his movement as he leaned in, as if his next comment was going to be something that no one else should hear. Rachel should have known what it was going to be about – it was the same thing that everyone asked her when they first met her. ‘Fathers’? it was nearly as if each time she spoke she stuttered. She did not mind to explain to them, it just was getting a bit repetitive. “I have two dads – I am a child of love. My mother was picked by intelligence, and beauty. I've met my mother - and i lover her, though she really wasn't intrested in a relaionship with me." Rachel thought of her mom and then sighed, " – but my dads make up for that fact. I love them dearly. It’s far different than most homes. There isn’t the male and the female role, there is just more, the ‘parent’ role, and they are both the same in all.” Rachel looked back to the mother, “I would love to have a relationship with my mother– but by now she could be long gone, and I doubt she even wants me, I mean it wasn’t like I was a child for her.” Shrugging she looked back to Lysander, “it’s different –I know”

He would have to understand that she didn’t care whether he was gay or not – but it now made her curious for herself, “but anyways – So you’re into musicals. What is your favorite musical you were in and why?” She loved giving these kind of questions, because she knew that meant she would get to answer back.



Hey lysander, there are 1147 words here - and oh - btw - i am wearing this.

Rewrites suck - lol not really, they just take more time than actually just brining it over.. ehh poor rachel and her mommy

[lysander demetrius deleon]

Lysander truly was sorry. He saw the disappointment in Rachel’s eyes when he told her that he would be attending a different school. It was a disappointment that they shared; Dalton made it impossible for them to go to school together, and she was officially the only person he remotely knew in the area. Impossible, that is, unless he convinced his parents to allow him to transfer. But that wasn’t going to happen. They expected big things from Lysander. Things that made public school not even a considerable option. God, moving sucked.

Apparently, though, Rachel was a little worse off. She offered words of encouragement and revealed the predicament at her school. “That’s terrible. Everyone at my old school really respected all the arts students. Apart from football games, the musical was the biggest event of the year!” he exclaimed. Of course, he wasn’t helping matters at all by saying that. It wasn’t fair if he ever got more recognition in theater than she did, and he felt he was rubbing that in her face. He couldn’t do that. She was the talented one of the pair of them. “Well, I realize that things aren’t like that everywhere, but come on. You deserve better than that, as do all your classmates. Are they all as good as you are?” he grinned.

“Your choir teacher got fired?” Lysander gaped. “Why? What happened?” He thought it was probably budget cuts; music programs across America were being cut because schools couldn’t afford them. School boards everywhere didn’t recognize the importance of the arts and believed that getting rid of them would help the students focus on academics. As far as Lysander knew, their heinous plots didn’t work, only serving to make the more creative kids miserable. “I really hope the program doesn’t get cut. It just isn’t fair. Just because it isn’t important to the administration doesn’t mean it isn’t important to you. Maybe they’ll get a sub to fill in until they find someone else to take the job. Or, if it does get cut, you could try to convince your friends to help you form a club. No giving up for the music program.” He would have joined her cause if he could.

Lysander got a somewhat hopeless glint in his eyes. "You know someone there? Could you possibly introduce me to him?" he begged desperately. Well, he wasn't actually desperate; he was more fake desperate, and made that as obvious as he could, making big hand gestures and leaning in closer to Rachel. "I don't want to be stuck all alone in a new school, if I can help it."

Rachel reassured him that Dalton would have a theater program. He prayed that she was right. It was a good school; he knew that much, but usually funding in private schools went to academics and scholarships. At the very least, he would get a quality education while he was there. Maybe there was an acting class he could take for English if he was lucky.

“It’s alright about the science,” Lysander shrugged. “I completely know what you mean. It’s never been an easy subject for me, but there’s a first time for everything. And, if I need some extra help, I’ll let you know.” He should have figured that, as an artist, she would also have some difficulty in the subject. It was natural for them. What significance did the Periodic Table of the Elements have to the stage? How did the quadratic formula aid in characterization? Those subjects mattered to her as much as they mattered to him. Yet another thing they had in common.

And, of course, the stage would be her home. Lysander was really impressed that she was so passionate about it. He was starting to see her ambition. She couldn’t take any other option in life; there was only performing, and that was where she would stay. “The spotlight is irresistible,” he sighed forlornly. “I never had it, myself. I probably never will, but I want it more than anything. No one seems to get that.” Well, she might.

Was she embarrassed by his compliments? he wondered. He thought he saw a pink tint to her cheeks, but decided that it was the lighting in the place. That must have been it; just an illusion, his mind playing tricks.

He also thought that she might have given the “yes, fathers” speech before, multiple times. It was easy for him to tell because it sounded like something she read off an index card, which was the tone one acquired when they had said something so many times it turned mundane. Still, he learned something new about families with gay parents. At least, that was what he assumed; she didn’t exactly say it. Rachel looked away from him in the middle of it. Lysander followed her gaze to a mother and her child. She was staring longingly at the pair. It clicked in his head: even though she claimed she was alright with not knowing her mother while growing up, she really wasn’t.

“Of course your mother wants you,” Lysander said soothingly, knowing that she was upset on the inside. “Every mother wants her child. I’m sure she has a good reason for not being involved in your life, then and now. Otherwise, she would be here with you. Right?” He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, but released it soon after and smiled at her instead.

“Favorite musical… let’s think…” Lysander mused, looking all around the place as if it would tell him the answer. He’d been in a fair few since early childhood, and struggled to remember them all. “I think I would have to say West Side Story. It was deep and intense even for the ensemble, which was a great experience for me. It’s also a classic. You know it’s based on Romeo and Juliet, down to Tony dying at the end. There are even some versions where Maria goes through with the suicide at the end, too, but I didn’t do any of those. I was a Jet,” he chuckled. “A bit ironic, giving the Spanish kid the most racist role on stage, but that’s life. I’d do it again any day if I could. What about you? Do you have a favorite performance?”

---

Word count is at 1139. XD Rewrites take actual effort. I was disappointed that we never saw Shelby and Beth in the past season...

[rachel barbra berry]

XX




She should have known, really, it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. Most parents that moved here would not have wanted their kids to go to McKinley with all of the other choices that were in the direct area. There was Carmel, which was just a better school all around, and then of course if you were a guy there was Dalton, the only private school in the district and probably even in the state of Ohio. They had great academics, and everyone at the school seemed extremely happy, and nice, including Lysander, even though he has not probably even stepped into the school. Maybe it was fate that she was going to be stuck at this school – that god was testing her, seeing as if she could stand all the horrid words, and fights. If she could then she would get her dream, if not then her dream would go down the metaphorical drain. Rachel would not let that happen, she would never let that happen.

Unhappily, Rachel smiled for him, what a good thing for him, everything was so nice at his old school. She wanted to pull her hair out at the fact that his previous school was so much better than the one she was currently residing at. Even though he was kind of making her feel worse with the fact that Theatre was so strong, she was happy he was going to a good school and he had come from a good one too. “Well I know for a fact that will never happen with McKinley, seeing as our football team is the main source of popularity, though we suck. Most people go to watch the Cheerleaders. They are the only ones that have done anything.” Rachel wished she was lying, but somehow, it was true. “Of course they aren’t.” She refrained from laughing, but turned her body on the stool to face him. “I’m the only one who really cares about the theatre, the rest of them walk around like zombies. I do care, I am dedicated, I am talented, and they don’t care.” Her words were strong, but Rachel could not tell if she was saying that to convince him, or herself.


Lysander seemed genuinely concerned at the fact that Sandy got fired, and Rachel nearly kicked herself for even speaking of it. She did not want to explain the truth, and she would keep the truth with her to the death. “Yeah, it was awful.” Her eyes fell to her hands that were playing with the blue plaid edge of her skirt. Rachel pulled out her acting, to make sure there was no way he would find out that the real reason that she did not have a chorus teacher was because she was jealous of a guy getting a role that she deserved. Letting her eyes dampen, she shook her head, “He was caught with a student, and that really is not something that I want to see in a man I am around that much.” Truth was, that Sandy was never that bad, even though he did seem to have that obnoxious thing where he would write himself into the script. “We will have to figure out something, because singing here and with my coach isn’t enough.We do have our glee club – but it really its just a bit different.My acting teacher does not always challenge me, and all my dance classes go to the theatre department. We will do something.”


Rachel would die without her music, would die without her creative outlet – and she has that pang in the bottom of her stomach, that it is her own fault that she will not have that anymore. Maybe, somehow, they would pull things together and they would start their own department, with Rachel Berry at the head.


Blinking, Rachel took away her acting and looked up to him as he spoke about Chemistry and classes. Usually she just ignored people when they were blabbing on about normal school, because she did not much care about it. She got her grades and went on. That is all she would have to do, because an actress did not need to know nuclear chemistry, ever. Rachel just nodded at his last statement and ran her fingers over the microphone before Lysander spoke once more. “I will get it, I am a star” She closed her eyes and pictured herself on stage, the spotlight on only her while she belted a beautiful song, and as she finished, she hears the roar of the crowd, and an overwhelming feeling would overcome her and she would just smile, and continue acting. “ I love the spotlight, I need it.” From a young age, she loved the stage, and now it was almost a drug to her. It is addictive.


It wasn’t often that guys complimented her, it actually wasn’t common for a guy to talk to her at all, so when one did, of course it was a big deal. Not to mention the fact that he was a Drama guy and he was complimenting her. But when he continued to speak she watched the mother, how she would pick up her child and smile, kiss the cheek and watch the young one just giggle and laugh, unable to hold in the glee that was filling it’s body. She loved her fathers that way,but half of her DNA was in a woman somewhere who had never contacted her. It was not as if her mother wanted a baby – from what she understood, she was just the woman to carry her. Rachel lied and nodded, not really wanting to get into that conversation with someone she really didn’t know, and blushed once more when his hand brushed against hers and squeezed it.



Lysander removed it soon after and began to answer her question. Rachel peeled her eyes off of the mom and listened to his explanation on why west side story was his favorite musical. She could agree to an extent – but if she was going to watch something Romeo and Juliet, she would actually watch Romeo and Juliet. Not that there was anything wrong with the progressive musical, just classic was Rachel’s thing.

“I played Maria once, in a small production of West Side Story, but it wasn’t my favorite. My favorite performance – oh wow, this is hard.” Rachel closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then opened her eyes smiling, “ My favorite Shakespearean has to be play wise, A MidSummer Night Dream, musical wise, it has to be Kiss me Kate. The music in that show was amazing. I loved Pygmalion, but My Fair Lady was a better adaptation. Guys and Dolls, I was Adelaide, cats , and Chicago is great! And current shows, Next to normal, Wicked, and Lion King was amazing.” Rachel looked lost in her thoughts as she smiled and thought of all the memories that she made watching them and even being in some of the shows. “but there are too many to choose from to just have one favorite.”

Rachel smiled, and then the light bulb went off. “How well do you know the musical, next to normal?”



Hey lysander, there are 1220 words here - and oh - btw - i am wearing this.

Here, ehhh good .

[lysander demetrius deleon]

McKinley sounded like a terrible place, Lysander decided. Apparently they put their focus on athletics, on the cheerleading squad, of all things! It wasn’t even something sensible, like academics. Were the people there completely insane? He supposed that he would need to find out someday. Any school like that needed to sort out its priorities; after all, Rachel said the football team was really bad. Maybe they just didn’t recognize what talent was, and the school was run by blind people. There was no other possible explanation in his mind. Strangely enough, he got some satisfaction in the football team’s record. They got undeserved attention, and the stolen spotlight certainly gave them undesired results.

Lysander chuckled when Rachel said that her classmates weren’t as talented. “Well, I must say, I’m not that surprised. You set the bar high. Maybe they’re just too scared to reach for it.” They were almost starting to remind him of himself in that regard. When he wasn’t noticed by the people who mattered, he stopped trying as hard to impress them. What was the point if it was never going to work? Drawing from that, he tried to encourage her. “You could inspire them. Enthusiasm is contagious, so I’ve heard.”

Maybe, along with that, she could inspire him, too. It was a new town where no one knew him besides Rachel and his family. If he tried, he might even be able to earn himself a stage role beyond that of a member of the ensemble. He wouldn’t be able to do that alone, but if he and Rachel worked together, they had the potential to pull it off. Well, that plan was a little silly. He couldn’t just ask her about it; that would have been weird. If they knew each other better, maybe, or if she were professional then his idea might have had a chance to manifest in a non-awkward atmosphere.

Rachel provided a brief insight on the choir teacher situation. “Ew, pedo? No thanks. If that’s the case, then good riddance,” he grimaced. “At least that means he’ll probably be replaced. For now, it’ll most likely be a sub, but that person will have a more trustworthy record.” He listened to her brief anxiety about the drama department and tried to be reassuring. “You know substitutes in music classes; they just supervise. That kind of makes you the next-highest authority. You could turn this into a leadership opportunity. Looks good on a resume,” he winked, smirking. “Until they get a more long-term teacher, I think you should take some time and lead the choir. Show everyone else how great the department is and how amazing you are.”

He agreed with her silently that she was a star. Spinning in his stool, he turned to face the stage. Try as he might, he mused to himself about his own performing experience once more, wondering if he would ever be as good as she was. He did want it terribly. Rachel was lucky in that way, because she got to have all of these opportunities even with everyone around her bearing down on her and telling her that she couldn’t. What was he doing wrong? Didn’t he deserve the same thing, wanting it just as much? Wanting wasn’t enough, clearly. She had the talent to back it up. He envied her. Even with everything he did, and he probably did more, he saw himself as talentless: an okay baritone and a half-decent dancer who had issues with getting into character and desperately needed practice. She made everything about performing look completely effortless. It just wasn’t fair, he sighed.

Lysander watched Rachel with concern when they were talking about her mother. She was visibly uncomfortable with the subject, so he dropped it. He wasn’t about to make the situation worse than it was, or than he’d already made it. Life without his mother was something he couldn’t imagine, and it was most likely worse for her. From what he could tell, it was a complicated circumstance where she missed a person she never even met. He hoped that she would meet her mother one day, if only to give her peace of mind.

He couldn’t help but smile when she mentioned A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “That was my parents’ favorite Shakespeare play, too. In case you didn’t notice!” he laughed. “They named me after their favorite character, but didn’t tell me why he was their favorite.” He shrugged. If he got the chance, he wanted to be in that play. “Those musicals are all great. The Lion King is probably my favorite Disney movie,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He hadn’t seen the stage version yet. His parents never took him, not appreciating the depth that the stage interpretation brought to the story.

Rachel’s eyes flashed excitedly. She asked him if he knew next to normal, to which he replied, “I may or may not have memorized the entire soundtrack in a frame of time less than half a week. Why do you ask?” He didn’t know what to expect from this; was she going to quiz him or something? Or could this conversation take a turn for the better?

---

The word count is at 942. I don't think that I had to change anything in here...

[rachel barbra berry]

XX




Rachel was not surprised at the differences in the schools, but she was not happy that the differences were there. Of course she was an equal opportunist – school wise, and everyone deserved to have the exact same thing, that was unless they ruined the chance for themselves. Lysander seemed smart, and he seemed like he enjoyed some of the same things Rachel did. Things had to start looking up for her. As long as she could keep down enough friends, she could show the world how beautiful her voice was and show how talented her acting skills were. Lysander would be another step in her ladder of success. She would use him, and help him if need be, to become better than she was – she would become the next bright star that graced its way across the stage of Broadway. Then she would be united with her one true love – her music and her theatre.


The sound of the boy’s chuckle brought Rachel from her thoughts and day dreams. Usually she did not get this air headed, nor did she lose focus, especially talking to a guy that was into theatre as much as she was. It must have been the extreme fact that she really felt her love tonight, she felt the joy and the wonder of music in her soul – and that made her nearly lose herself – and that is where Lysander brought her back in. Shrugging Rachel continued, “If they aren’t willing to reach for it than they are not going to go far in the theatre world. That is what Show Biz is all about, beating what the last person has set down for you, raising the bar higher than it has ever been before – who can blame me for doing that.?” She watched him questioningly as he almost seemed lost in his own mind before he continued to speak. Rachel just pushed her hair over her shoulder, “It’s hard to inspire something that doesn’t wish to be inspired. I cannot just go up to a rock and inspire it to be a tree – that want has to be there, and the actual genes need to be there too.” Some people may think she was going a bit over board – but performers were born, not made – and the last thing that the girl needed were a bunch of want-to-be performers instead of ones that were ones. “it is contagious, like a smile,” she grinned lightly, “ or a sneeze – but sometimes there is little that you can do.”


Most said that when she was performing, that she could inspire people with her talent, but enthusiasm – which Rachel was of course full of – didn’t seem to get the girl anywhere with the rest of the theatre kids. None of them wanted, or cared enough – exactly like she had stated – but Lysander watched her as she spoke, and it almost made Rachel queasy. Not the kind that makes you want to barf, or the kind when you are in love, but a nervous kind. Here she was, sharing her life with a guy that she hardly knew, and she was supposed to trust in him. Trust that he would not use anything she said against her. He did not seem like that kind of kid, he just seemed too sweet – too kind and caring to use it – not that anything she gave him was ‘big’ but still. Eventually she would be completely ok with telling him every secret her diary had to offer. Though right now, she was going to keep the scripted pages to herself.


Lysander grimaced as she spoke about sandy, and really – if Rachel thought hard enough about her old Chorus teacher – then she would know that he was not too bad. Yes he was creepy at times, yes he did like to write himself roles, yes he did seem to hate her – but he did know what he was talking about, most of the time. “I agree, but I don’t know if our principal is the one who would find a replacement, he’s really big into funneling all the money as possible into the cheerleaders pockets. Free tanning, free dry cleaning, you know.” Rachel shrugged her shoulders, ”Maybe I will find a teacher that is willing to take over.” The arts could not be lost because of her. But his idea sparked something in her, “Of course I could lead. I would get to choose the songs, and make sure that everyone was on pitch.” It sounded like a dream, not the one that she particularly wanted – but one that she would enjoy for the time being.


When the boy smiled, Rachel could almost feel the excitement of the boy radiate to her over the cool air between them. It did not surprise her that one of her favorite shows was a favorite of another, especially a couple that were into theatre too. Rachel should have known from his name that it was from that play. Really, who named their kid Lysander, and did not get it from that play. Actually, there probably is not a couple that had done that, and that fact just made the girl feel worse about herself than she already did – not catching it sooner. Oh well – she had a lot on her mind, and maybe after she cleared her head a bit – things would be a whole lot more smooth. “He’s a lover, or at least that is what I would like to call a lover – maybe that is why they liked him so much.” Rachel laughed, “ I love all the Broadway versions of all of the Disney Movies, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and The Beast. It’s just so wonderful – all of them. “Her eyes sparkled with memories of all the shows she has seen and been in, each one of them as cool as the next. She missed it, she really did.

Even though Rachel was excited in the beginning, she now was almost itching with excitement. Grabbing the boy’s arm, she flashed him a pretty smile, and pulled him out of his stool, jumped out of hers and dragged him up onto the stage. Lysander did not have a chance to even choose if he wanted to or not, Rachel was going to sing with him, and she was going to sing with him, and if he stood up there and looked like an idiot while she sang that was his fault, not hers. Grabbing the extra mic she handed it to him and looked to the pianist, “Superboy and the invisible girl, Next to Normal, skip the mother’s part of course.” The man behind the piano nodded once and started playing, Rachel looked to Lysander “I know that the song is normally played on guitar – but I know that doing it on the piano has a different feel to it, one that I like of course. You don’t mind singing harmonies do you…?” Rachel gave him one more smile before turning to the crowd, ready to shine. “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” She gave Lysander a small sidelong glance as she continued, “Son of Steel and Daughter of Air He's a hero, a lover, a prince She's not there” Rachel was just itching to listen to the boy sing – of course the only time there were harmonies in the song for him were closer to the end, so she would wait. After a few more lines, she began to take longer deeper breaths in, trying to get enough oxygen into her system to hit every note perfectly, “Superboy and the Invisible Girl He's the one you wish would appear He's your hero, your savior, your son He's not here, I am here,” Rachel let her eyes fall over the mother once more, her heart sinking, where ever she was – her mother – this was for her. “Take a look at the Invisible Girl Here she is, clear as the day Please look closely and find her before she fades away,” She titlted her head back and closed her eyes, making every note flow over the other in perfect succession. Rachel did not give another look to Lysander, but she knew that he would sing if he knew what was good for him. As the piano started, to build she smiled, ready for the harmonies, “ Superboy and the Invisible Girl Son of Steel and Daughter of Air He's a hero, a lover, a prince She's not there She's not there She's not there She's not there.” Hanging onto the last note, Rachel left her eyes pinned shut, waiting for the applause.




Hey lysander, there are 1437 words here - and oh - btw - i am wearing this.

lawls... i didn't rewrite anything. I got bored of rewrites. XD

[lysander demetrius deleon]

Lysander listened carefully to Rachel. He didn't like what was going on in this place, in this high school. It just wasn't fair, and he was more and more convinced that it was run by lunatics. However, he reasoned that it might be because he was in an unfamiliar place. What Rachel described could just have been the way things were, even though it was completely unfair, and while he wanted to help her change things, she was probably used to it. It was a terrible thing to get used to, but Lysander thought he might try to grin and bear it for a while before deciding that things needed a change. That is, if he was even the change that needed to happen.

"Well, you would be a tough act to follow," Lysander conceded. He couldn't blame her for being frustrated and bored with her peers and their lack of ambition when it came to her (and his) passion. In fact, that was something he'd felt before, when he worked with a younger crowd. He knew, though, that leaving them all in the dust wasn't the solution for getting everyone motivated. "It's good to set high standards, but some people see highly gifted people as intimidating. I know I might get scared if I were asked to perform something after you. Hell, I'd be scared to do something with you, because I might screw it up."

Lysander turned his head to the ceiling, embarrassed by his own words. He had so little self-confidence, but that wasn't the person he wanted to be for Rachel. Even though they'd just met, she was the only person he knew at all in this small town, and he wanted her to think better of him. It wasn't even that he was bad; he just didn't see himself as that good. Who was he to give her advice on something she clearly knew more about, anyway? he wondered, examining the light fixtures hung above their heads. It wasn't like he was older and wiser, or anything like that. He couldn't help her situation, especially not from another school. Curse being the new kid who knew nothing.

She seemed to try to make him feel better, going on about how it wouldn't be easy to take his advice anyway. "If it were anyone else, I'd probably say that you're right. People have potential, some more than others, but with enough work you could get through to them. Will they be as good as you? Unlikely, but they will get better over time." Of course it wouldn't be easy, Lysander mused, if everyone was being difficult. That didn't necesarrily mean that it was impossible.

Lysander glanced over at her again, listening to her speak intently. She shifted somewhat uncomfortably under his gaze, so he turned his attention back to the ceiling. The last thing he really wanted was for his only friend to feel insecure because of one too many things said, or if he was staring or something creepy. Yep, those lights were really nice. He could only look at them for so long, but it was better than being awkward. He still heard her talking, so it wasn't as if he wasn't listening to whatever she wanted to say, but he didn't want to press anything that was personal. Not until he got to know her better.

He whipped his head around to face her when she mentioned the cheerleaders again. "What's up with that? Why the cheerleaders?" he snapped. "What makes them so important that they get all that free stuff? That isn't right." He slapped his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I never really liked cheerleaders. For some reason, whenever a girl puts on the uniform, she turns into a complete bitch, if you'll pardon my language." He took in a deep breath and released it slowly and calmly. "Bad experiences," he mumbled, not getting into it.

It made him smile again as Rachel warmed up to his idea. "You'd make a great teacher, Rachel. They could learn a lot from you." And if not... Well, she'd certainly find someone fantastic. She had the best taste of anyone else he knew.

Rachel's suggestion gave Lysander a new insight on his name. Of course, he'd read it for class back in middle school, but he'd never considered how it reflected on him, other than that he felt very silly because he kept thinking of the character as himself, and he never knew anyone named Helena or Hermia, or anything similar to that. Lysander, a lover. As opposed to a fighter? But he was also a fighter, because he had challenged Demetrius for Helena's affections... Lysander shrugged. "Maybe."

"I really need to see those sometime. My parents never had appreciation for anything other than the classics, so they don't 'believe' in Disney on Broadway. They clearly have no idea that they are missing out on some incredible works of the theater. I keep trying to tell them, but..." he laughed, shaking his head. They probably just didn't get Disney and its amazingness.

Lysander stared back at Rachel blankly, and found himself suddenly yanked to his feet, being dragged over to the stage by this girl who seemed to be about half his size (an exaggeration, but they were drama people). She shoved a microphone into his hand, one that wasn't as sparkly as hers, and he stood staring at it in shock. Did she... did she expect him to sing with her?

Yes. Yes she did. She told the accompanist to play "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" and asked him if he was alright with harmonies. All he could do to respond was nod mutely, but she flashed him an encouraging smile and began to sing Natalie's part flawlessly. He fidgeted, trying not to pick up feedback on the microphone, and oh god, there was an audience and what would they think because he was completely caught off-guard. He just thought he was going to embarrass himself even more, but then...

Rachel cued him. It was just at the end of the song, and it was still her moment, for the most part. He took a deep breath and brought the microphone an inch from his lips, trying to emulate the character Gabe. "Superboy and the Invisible Girl/Son of Steel and Daughter of Air/He's a hero, a lover, a prince/She's not there, she's not there, she's not there, she's not there," he and Rachel chorused together, letting the song fade.

His heart was pounding. Their voices sounded really good together, and he happened to have the song in his back pocket, but he could only hope that the audience would agree. After all, the crowds were always the final judges.

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The word count is at 1227. Psh, rewrites XD But now the fun begins!