paper crown | mike chang | DISCONTINUED

the substitute

I stare in confusion at Uncle Will as he writes on the board. "All right, guys, um...Time to start thinking about song selections." He was stumbling over his words and it was starting to freak me out.

I think he's sick.

"Lookin' good, Puckerman. Someone's been eating their wheaties." Santana compliments. "These guns are fully loaded." Puck says as he raises his "guns".

"Mr. Shue? I, for one think we should use our set list for sectionals to start exploring the oeuvre of one Bernadette Peters." Rachel says and I roll my eyes. "Someday, I'm gonna go to Paris and visit the oeuvre." Brittany sighs.

"I just want to dance." Mike hums and I snicker. "Mr. Schuester, you look a little green." Mercedes says and I stand up, slowly walking over to my uncle. "Hey Uncle Will..."

I put my hand on his forehead and sigh. "Let's get you to the nurse. You have a fever." I say and start to tug him away. "Um... I think I'm gonna go see the nurse."

I snicker.

I just said that.

"But first I feel like I should get you guys a sitter." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion but sighed and shook my head, dragging Uncle Will to the nurse.

[#]

"Uncle Will?" I call out softly as I walk into his apartment, holding a plastic container of soup. "I brought some soup! And I made it. I know how much you love my cooking for some reason."

I stop short when I see the familiar blonde. "Terri," I growl. "What the hell are you doing here?" I glare at her. I've never liked her. She was always so controlling and bossy to Uncle Will. And it only mattered what she thought, not what he thought.

She was a selfish bitch.

"I was just leaving." She hums as she slips on her coat and walks out the door, me glaring at her the entire time. I huff and run a hand through my hair. "Uncle Will?"

"In here Ru."

I hum softly as I pad into his room and sigh. "Did you bring me your cooking?" He sniffles and I chuckle. "Of course." I say softly and hand him the container. I sit on the other side of his bed and smile at the TV, Singin' in the Rain on.

That always makes Uncle Will feel better for some reason.

I glance around and notice a photo of my dad on a shelf in a wooden frame. It had that blue backdrop and he was in his Army uniform, smiling brightly.

I reach for the photo and smile sadly at it. I brush my thumb over his face, chuckling quietly. "I miss him too Ru." Uncle Will hums, eating his lunch, and I nod.

"Did he ever tell you why he joined the Army?" I ask softly, still staring at my dad. "He joined because he didn't want to be around my mom anymore, and he didn't want a divorce because,"

"He didn't believe in divorce." We say together, causing me to laugh softly.

"I remember them fighting about it. They would go at each other's throats for hours until they couldn't yell anymore. I could never sleep. Mom wanted a divorce, he didn't."

"Now look at everything. My parents are divorced and I haven't seen my dad in over two years and my mom is a raging alcoholic." I sigh and lean my head on Uncle Will's shoulder. "She hit you, didn't she? Please don't lie to me."

"Yeah. But it hasn't happened again."

That's a damn lie. It's happened so many times since then.