Balancing Love ☞︎ A Jesse St. James fan fic

Be Lucky To Make It Through What I Have Planned For The Brave Idiot!

We walk through the streets, carrying candles to the memorial of one of our friends. Everyone sings "no one is alone" from into the woods for his honor.

That Monday as everyone comes over for our annual dinner, things a still a bit dreary. It was such a terrible thing to happen. Almost all of us had arrived, people standing all around the apartment. The door opens and Sam and Mercedes walk in. Rachel gets up to greet them.

"Oh, gosh, I'm so excited that we're all together for our weekly potluck dinner." Rachel says happily, hugging Sam as he walked in.

"Well, it is only week number two." Artie says.

"The tradition will be falling apart in no time." Jesse jokes. Mercedes, seeing the paper on the counter, asks who it was about.

"That was our, um, neighbors friend. He got beat up last week." I inform.

"That's a nice way of saying he was gay-bashed." Kurt grumbles.

"Apparently he was just walking down Bleecker Street and these guys jumped out of a pick-up truck and just decided to beat him up. He's lucky to be alive." Blaine says, being one of the last of us to sit down.

"It's so depressing. Like, hate crimes in America keep decreasing, but in New York, they're actually increasing." Artie informs.

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"Well, a few ignorant idiots just hate the idea that we're finally being accepted. They hate the fact that we're marrying. They hate the fact that we're moving into neighborhoods that are supposedly 'straight'. So they lash out by trying to kill us." Blaine explains.

"Ok, well, let's change the subject before we get so bummed we can't eat." Kurt suggest.

"Please. Some people are terrible and id rather be talking about the people I do like." I say.

"Well, uh, NYADA midwinter critiques are upon us and our fearless leader, Madame Tibideaux, has tightened her turban and given us the ultimate musical theatre challenge." Kurt says.

"Sondheim!" We all say together.

"Oh, my god, it's amazing. But how are we gonna pick? It's so hard." Rachel whines.

"Really? All you have to do, is sing. I have to make- like actually write- a dance for it." I complain.

"Rachel, we have to do a duet." Blaine suggest.

"Hold the phone," Artie says, stopping everything. "Are you two playing footsie?" Artie asks. My jaw drops. No way! Mercedes clears her throat.

"No. I have that, uh, restless leg syndrome. I just, forgot to take my iron pills." Mercedes says as both her and Sam take a drink.

"Uh huh." Artie says. We go back to our normal conversation.

The next week at school, I have been tirelessly working on my piece for the critique. Day in and day out. I've barley hung out with anyone and I've slightly ignored Jesse as he distracts me- in a good way, yes, but distracts me none-the-less.

So there we all were at school in the round room or whatever it was called. Little tables around the stage. I was dressed in a black glittering leotard with a flowing skirt that had many thing layers. Jesse was right there next to me to watch. He held my hand, rubbing his thumb over it to calm me down. He's been assuring me it will be amazing but I was still incredibly nervous.

Rachel and Blaine were up after deciding on a duet. Rachel was wearing a big pink dress as she sat on the piano. Blaine was in the crowd before entering it by singing "broadway baby" with Rachel.