Back-Up Plan - Book 3 - S.E.

100

"Michael Chang..." Winnie smirked as she made her way toward Mike as soon as she noticed her best friend at the end of the hallway. "Oh, you look good! Chicago is treating you well, I see."

Mike laughed, pulling Winnie in for a hug as they laughed together for the first time in a while.

"Oh, I've missed you!" Mike smiled as soon as he pulled away from her. "And Chicago is awesome. You still haven't visited me, though."

"I will, I promise." Winnie smiled. "Maybe it will be my graduation gift."

"Do it." Mike nodded, all excited. "I have a few restaurants and places that I need to show you."

Winnie nodded then, walking with Mike down the hallway as the boy talked on and on about Chicago and Joffrey, every once in a while asking her about her life in Lima and, as much as Winnie didn't have that much to tell him, she did tell him what she was planning on doing after school, which she had yet to tell anyone yet.

Walking into the choir room, the two of them were hit with a wave of nostalgia pf all of the good times they had spent together in that very room. Smiling at everyone inside the room, they greeted them briefly before moving closer to Mercedes, who was talking to Unique, so the four of them could discuss Mercedes' upcoming album.

From the corner of her eye, Winnie could see Rachel talking to Sam, Blaine and Tina about her Broadway debut and she could tell she was basking in the attention, much like Mercedes. Before either of the girls could even properly say anything, however, Mr. Schue arrived, walking inside the choir room as everyone moved to take a seat. Rachel and Mercedes exchanged a glance before rushing toward the one chair right at the front and right in the middle of the room at the same time.

"Greet each other." Kurt practically growled at the two of them as Winnie chuckled.

"Hello, Rachel." Mercedes sent the girl a fake smile as she fixed her jacket over her shoulders. "I am so happy to hear about all of your success."

"Oh, thank you so much, Mercedes." Rachel responded in the same fake tone. "And you are looking well."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll make my way to the back of the bus."

As Mercedes moved to sit beside Kurt in the second row, Mr. Schue walked toward the white board, writing down 100.

"100 lessons." The teacher announced as they all cheered a bit.

"Hey, can I get Finn's plaque when we clear this place out?" Puck asked as Mr. Schue shook his head.

"No, the plaque stays here." He said. "Lillian and Finn belong here at McKinley. It means so much to me that so many of you came back on such short notice to celebrate the past few years. To sit in this room one last time and sing. Your assignment is to sing one of the songs we sang in here, but reinvented in some way. Way back in the old days when I started the glee club, I would give an assignment, and then I would... I would give a little demonstration of what I was looking for."

Again, the kids cheered.

"See, you all cheer now, but just wait till he starts rapping." Santana said as everyone laughed a bit.

"Okay, no hip-hop today, Santana." Mr. Schue smiled. "However, I have asked a very special person to come join me. And it seemed appropriate since her contributions helped save the glee club, or at least the auditorium way back when. Please welcome, all the way from Broadway, Miss April Rhodes!"

And as soon as April walked into the room, the kids erupted in cheers and claps, happy to see the familiar face. The woman smiled as she walked inside, greeting them all before starting to talk about her adventures on Broadway in her very unique April Rhodes' way, ending up with all the kids reunited around the piano as she talked.