• Smooth Criminal • Sebastian Smythe-BOOK ONE✔

f i f t y - f i v e

Mercedes was sick. The girls were all freaking out, trying to help whilst Sue tried her best to give Mercedes a speedy recovery. Mr. Schue came into the room, concernedly looking to Mercedes. "What's going on? How bad is it?" He said as Sue looked down at the thermometer in her hands.

"Her temperature's 101 degrees. Given the fact that Wheezy's complaining about an upset stomach, it's either Amazonian dengue fever or the H1N1 super virus." Sue stated, looking to Mr. Schue as the girls sat with Mercedes.

"Or I have food poisoning." The girl croaked out.

"We all wanted burritos for lunch, so we went to Chipotle, but Mercedes tried some dive called 'Señora Salsation.'" Santana told them as Sue stood and looked at Mr. Schuster.

"Will, a word, please. With Monique down for the count, we are entering the Hunger Games of show choir competition without one of our most powerful voices. We need to have a plan." Sue said, hushed, as she moved Mr. Schue to the other side of the room. Marina heard them and sighed at Sue's words. She wasn't wrong, though.

Mr. Schue nodded. "Right. Because if New Directions doesn't win, that means you go back to being co-captains of the Cheerios with Roz Washington." He smirked.

"Your sniping is as expository as it is wrong. Yes, I have fantasized about handing that prize money to Principal Figgins so I could buy back my sole control of the Cheerios, but my main concern right now is for these kids." Sue paused, pointing to the girls as they looked back at Sue, confused and surprised. "I want this win for them."

Mr. Schue put his face in his hands as the girls continued to help Mercedes, still listening in. "I just don't want everything we worked for to collapse because of one bad burrito. So, here's what's gonna happen: Mercedes, you're on bed rest." He pointed to the girl. "Quinn, you're stepping in."

Quinn shook her head. "No, no, no, I can't dance that number. I can't sing it, either. Not like..." She trailed off as Tina spoke.

"The Trouble Tones need you. And you're better than you think you are." She said kindly.

Mr. Schue pointed at Tina. "Tina, you, too. You're in the Trouble Tones." He then looked to Marina and Arabella, pointing to them. "You two are doing it too."

"Mr. Shue, this is my last competition. I don't want to miss it." Mercedes croaked as Santana and Tina had helped the girl sit up.

Sue pointed to the sick girl. "Amen, to that, sister. That's why I'm putting you on a vitamin B-12 drip. We're flushing your system with Pedialyte, and I'm gonna fill that bathtub with ice and see if we can't get your ambient body temperature back down to normal. Worked in Jacob's Ladder." Sue stated, getting a container and a bottle, and leaving to fill the bath.

"All right, we all have our marching orders. Let's do it." He said as the group dispersed, going to practice (and for Marina, Arabella, Tina, and Quinn's case, learn).

The girls had been practicing the dance moves for the number, struggling, but slowly getting there. They continued to practise the dance routine, slowly incorporating the vocals, too. It kept on going until the boys were in there too, and soon enough a massive fight had broken out. People were shouting, people were holding others back, and some just tried to stay out of it.

Arabella had panic in her eyes as she looked at everyone. Marina saw the girl's shaking hands, the light quiver of her lip and pulled her outside of the room, sitting her down and looking her in the eyes. Marina grabbed her hands, speaking softly. "Bella, what do you see. Five things." She reminded her, the blonde looking around the corridor.

"You, the carpet, the wall, that clock, oh wow there's Mr. Schue." The girl chuckled lightly as Marina helped her stand, the pair looking to Mr. Schue who threw the doors open. Coach Beiste and Emma looked to the girls, smiling.

"You okay?" Coach Beiste asked Arabella, getting a nod and a small smile as the four followed Mr. Schuester into the chaotic room.

"Hey, calm down! Hey, hey, calm down! Calm down!" Mr. Schue yelled to Sam, who was trying to fight Puck.

"Fight, fight, fight!" Sugar yelled, her fist in the air.

"He's studying for geography while we're trying to rehearse! It's bogus!" Sam yelled, pointing to Puck.

"'Cause I already know the dance! You dance like you got your feet caught in bear traps. You're trying to gnaw them off." Puck responded as Sam tried to lunge towards him once more.

"Mr. Shue, are you aware that while we're arguing about jazz squares, Unique is being handed the key to the city by Rahm Emanuel?" Kurt looked up from his phone, looking to Mr. Schue.

"Really?" He asked, shocked.

"And plus, my pillow and my blanket fell into the pool. Disaster." Brittany told Mr. Schue, looking out of the window to the pool.

"Look, I think everybody is just a little tired. We've been rehearsing for three straight hours." Artie stated, a bowl of popcorn in his lap.

"Yeah, and we'll rehearse all night if we have to. We can rest after we've won!" Finn exclaimed; his hands thrown up into the air.

"Just because we've lost Mercedes doesn't mean we can be anything less than perfect. Perfect!" Rachel smiled, slowly turning more aggressive.

"That's easy for you to say." Artie responded as everyone began to fight once more. Marina and Arabella stayed against the wall, annoyed.

"Okay, you know what? You know what?" Santana said, but nobody listened to her.7

"Oi! Idiots!" Marina loudly yelled, clapping her hands, and gaining attention. She gestured for Santana to speak.

Santana gave Marina a thankful look. "I don't want to hear any of this, 'We can't do it without her,' because guess what? We don't have a choice. So be warned: if you are not giving this everything you've got, I will go all Lima Heights on your sorry asses."