Something - Quinn Fabray

Chapter 79

"You're kidding me, right?" Ryan stared at his mom, her most recent suggestion still hanging in the air. "You want me to have a co-captain?"

"That's what I said."

Ryan's jaw flapped up and down as he tried to formulate his response. He and Shelby were alone in the choir room after a Troubletones rehearsal in which they'd finalized a mash-up idea for their scrimmage with the New Directions. "What makes you think that I need, or even want, a co-captain? Do you think I can't do it?"

Shelby fixed him with a look. "Basketball tryouts are next week, right?"

"What?" Ryan blinked, confused. He shook his head. "Yes, they're on Monday. That works out fine, because they'll be starting just after our rehearsals. That means after the tryouts I'll be free to rehearse Monday night and all of Tuesday for the mash-up."

"I think there's a little too much on your plate this year," Shelby told him. "You have the Troubletones, obviously. You're the captain. But you also accepted captaincy of the basketball team, which you know is going to take a good portion of your time. You also have your part-time job at the garage, not to mention your schoolwork."

"What are you saying?" Ryan frowned.

"I'm saying you might not have enough time to devote to the Troubletones because you have a lot of other things going on."

What? Of course he would have enough time to devote to the Troubletones. All he had to do was manage his time well. "The other guys on the football team manage being on the team and being on the New Directions."

"And how many rehearsals did they miss because they had conflicting schedules?" Shelby challenged. Ryan looked down, frowning. The football guys sometimes did have to choose one or the other. "I'm sorry to say this, but I didn't allow anyone on VA to be involved in any other teams that could conflict with our rehearsals."

"So - so what? You want me to quit the basketball team?"

Shelby shook her head slowly. "No. I just need to know that if it comes right down to it, you're going to prioritize the Troubletones. I need to know that you're going to be able to juggle the schedules of three extracurriculars in addition to your regular schoolwork, because I'm not just your coach, I'm your mom as well. And I won't have your grades flagging because you're trying to do too much."

"They won't!"

She sighed. "Okay. I'll believe you for now. But if your grades drop this semester, or if I feel that you're not as committed to the Troubletones as I need you to be, I'm going to have to ask you to drop something. And you need someone to assist you with the Troubletones."

"I don't need another co-captain!" Ryan seethed. He'd had plenty of that with Finn in the New Directions, and all that had happened was he'd been practically pushed aside while Mr. Schue and the others took Finn's every suggestion as gospel. Theoretically Ryan supposed he could understand the advantages of having a co-leader, but he still balked at the thought of sharing the top position with someone else.

"Regardless, as coach of the Troubletones, I'm going to have to insist," Shelby said. "You can talk to the others, so you have a say, but if you don't choose, I'll choose for you. And no, I would highly recommend you don't choose Quinn," she said, cutting him off when he started to speak. "That would hardly be productive because you two would just end up making out instead of working on the music."

"Fine," he gritted out.

"Good." Shelby gathered her papers. "Are you going home?"

"No."

Shelby rolled her eyes when no explanation was forthcoming. "Back by ten-thirty, got it?" Ryan rolled his eyes right back.

"Yes ma'am."