starring role .

🏒      ˚ ﹕ㅤㅤ    there was a quiet contentment in being seen, both the good and the bad, especially by someone whose bravado he’d always admired. so maybe barbie and ken, sharpay and ryan, wonder twins separated at birth, and whatever else senseless rumor and moniker people had given them didn’t feel too far from the truth anymore, especially with how easily they’d managed to work together and find common ground. both of them seemed comfortable with what they wanted to present, and neither of them wanted to sabotage themselves with some sad attempt at emotional vulnerability, so he was certain they couldn’t possibly think of a better combination of songs. "  you’re right. people think too much about what would be impressive that they end up losing themselves,   ” he nodded, though he wasn’t completely absolved from that same sin every now and then, too much of a pleaser sometimes. but it didn’t even matter that cecelia was also right when she said he had a penchant for interrogating his instincts, because it was her own confidence and validation that neutralized any doubts in him. “  well, right on then,   ” sydney responded to her agreeing with the mashup of material girl and good ol’ fashioned lover boy, flashing an overjoyed grin that mirrored hers, basking in her reaction, unsure if he had actually ever seen her this way before. if anything, it only fueled his own excitement knowing that he’d done something to inspire her creative vision, to actually make her look forward to their performance than treat it like something to get over with. “  i’m not even sure if kelmeckis wants us to treat this assigment like a competition, but safe to say, i think we’ve got this in the bag.   ” but song choice was also only half the work, still had the tasks of arrangements, choreography, costumes, props, rehearsals, and everything that would put them above the rest. thankfully, neither of them were people who had any intentions of being ill-prepared. sydney’s smile remained as the cogs and gears of his mind were visibly turning, already blocking portions of his calendar to dedicate to this. “  we can work on the arrangement now,   ” sydney said as he took his phone back to quickly lookup sheet music for their songs, then he opened his schedule, enthusiasm still burning despite how others might find these tasks mind-numbingly dull. “  and then we can divide and conquer the rest. i’ll book us the choir room and find another rehearsal space just in case, and you can come up with choreography for the meantime.   ” then, a photo sent to cecelia with all the open slots in his meticulously organized color-coded calendar that they could use for practice, and the next suggestion. “  then we can raid the costume archives in hummel house… or go shopping.   ” lips curled into something more playful, the latter choice spoken as if some kind temptation that a material girl couldn’t refuse. “  my treat.   ”

the  corners  of  cecelia's  lips  curl  upward,  equal  parts  amused  and  pleased.    “   told  you.     i'm  always  right.   ”    she  says  it  with  just  enough  exaggeration  to  make  it  clear  she's  joking . . .  mostly.     there  is  something  oddly  satisfying  about  finding  someone  who  doesn't  insist  on  turning  every  assignment  into  an  identity  crisis.     if  anything,  sydney's  instinct  is  refreshingly  similar  to  hers:  trust  what  already  works,  then  make  it  exceptional.     his  confidence  in  the  mashup  only  reinforces  her  own.     “   and  kelmeckis?   ”    a  quiet  scoff  escapes  her.     “   he  probably  didn't  mean  for  this  to  become  a  competition . . .   ”     she  trails  off,  one  brow  arching.   “   but  have  you  met  those  people?   ”    a  beat.     “   that's  exactly  what's  going  to  happen.     someone's  going  to  turn  this  into  a  full-blown  production,  someone  else  is  going  to  cry,  and  miss  whatshername  will  probably  storm  out  of  the  auditorium  because  ‘people  didn’t  clap  loud  enough'.   ”

cece  scoots  closer  almost  absentmindedly  as  he  pulls  up  his  calendar,  leaning  over  just  enough  to  study  the  meticulously  color - coded  schedule.    “   okay . . .   ”     one  finger  taps  a  free  afternoon.    “   this  one's  ours.   ”     another.    “   and  maybe  this  one  too,  once  we've  lived  with  the  arrangement  for  a  couple  days.   ”     unlike  most  people,  the  organization  doesn't  intimidate  her.     if  anything,  it  earns  an  approving  nod.     “   i'll  handle  choreography,  don't  worry.   ”     she  says  it  with  complete  certainty,  already  picturing  formations  in  her  head.    “   nothing  too  theatrical,  though.    we  don't  need  that  to  tell  our  story.   ”

Shit, were they supposed to be rehearsing? Neither he nor Carter took show choir as seriously as the rest. "Uh... no," he admitted, sheepishly. "I feel like we could kinda wing it. Brochacho to brochacho." You're gonna lose her if you keep talking like that, man. He cleared his throat, trying to swing back to her somewhat gentle attempt of letting him down.

"So, what you're saying is I have a chance?" He asked, a little quizzically, eyebrow raised.

one  perfectly  shaped  brow  lifts  at  the  phrase  brochacho  to  brochacho,  her  expression  hovering  somewhere  between  disbelief  and  amusement.    “  that's . . .  certainly  a  strategy,   ”    she  remarks  dryly,  tilting  her  head  just  enough  to  suggest  she's  giving  it  genuine  consideration.    “   not  one  i'd  personally  recommend,  but  a  strategy  nonetheless.   ”    her  gaze  lingers  on  him  for  a  brief  moment  before  his  next  question  pulls  the  faintest  hint  of  a  smile  at  the  corner  of  her  mouth.     he  really  isn't  subtle.     most  people  would've  taken  the  hint  by  now;  august  seems to  choose  not  to.

there  is  a  warmth  settled  comfortably  in  the  pit  of  cecelia's  stomach,  the  kind  that  comes  from  good  company,  loud  music,  and  three  tequila  shots  consumed  over  the  course  of  forty  minutes.    she'd  let  herself  be  talked  into  a  night  out  without  much  convincing,  eager  to  trade  captaincies,  rehearsals,  and  everyone  else's  expectations  for  sticky  bar  tops,  a  dance  floor  she'd  inevitably  end  up  on,  and  the  familiar  comfort  of  lucas'  company.    by  now,  the  bass  reverberates  pleasantly  beneath  her  heels,  the  apples  of  her  cheeks  flushed  a  soft  pink  from  the  alcohol,  her  laughter  arriving  easier  than  the  carefully  measured  smiles  she  wears  the  rest  of  the  week.    nights  like  these  have  always  been  effortless  with  lucas,  which  is  probably  why  she  never  thinks  twice  before  saying  yes  ( even  if  she  does  make  a  habit  of  dragging  it  out  before  outright  accepting  it ).

cecelia  is  already  smiling  by  the  time  shepherd  finishes  his  question,  lifting  her  tequila  in  a  silent  toast  before  taking  a  sip.    “   shep,  i  laugh  at  you  recreationally.   ”    she  deadpans,  the  corners  of  her  lips  betraying  her  amusement.    “   you  really  didn't  need  to  ask.   ”    she  shifts  against  the  bar,  giving  him  her  full  attention,  expecting  whatever  story  he's  about  to  tell  to  be  embarrassing.    by  the  time  he  reaches  got  fucking  cast,  she's  already  covering  her  mouth  with  the  back  of  her  hand,  laughter  escaping  despite  her  best  efforts.    “   oh,  my  god.   ”    she  manages  between  laughs,  shaking  her  head.    “   you  got  cast?   ”    the  word  is  repeated  with  far  too  much  delight,  as  though  it  somehow  makes  the  situation  infinitely  funnier.

she couldn't help but shrug, embarrassed by her decisions and feeling even worse admitting them to cece. in fact, she almost forgot just how bad her stomach felt or her head pounded, because seeing the disappointment in cece's eyes was enough. perhaps she stayed in child pose as long as she did if only to hide from the shame. but the moment cece's nudged her, goldie's head perked up. "you know i have trouble sayin' no to free drinks." she muttered, as if that explanation was good enough. taking the water bottle offered to her, goldie took a long sip. but it was no help, even drinking water felt like a chore.

cecelia  lets  out  an  exasperated  sigh,  though  the  fond  smile  tugging  at  her  lips  takes  any  real  bite  out  of  it.  "   well,  you  have  to  work  on  that.  saying  no  is  very  important,  and  it  is  a  full  sentence,  goldie.   "  the  words  are  delivered  in  the  same  patient,  matter - of - fact  tone  she'd  use  with  a  little  sister . . .  if  she  had  one.  "   free  drinks  aren't  actually  free  if  this  is  what  they  cost  you  the  next  morning.   "  she  reaches  up  to  brush  a  few  stray strands  of  hair  away  from  her  face,  unable  to  completely  hide  the  affectionate  look  in  her  eyes.  "   you  always  make  me  sound  much  nicer  than  i  am,  babe.  "  a  quiet  laugh  escapes  her.  "  but . . .  i'm  glad  you  know  someone  has  to  keep  you  alive.   "

🏒      ˚ ﹕ㅤㅤ    there were times when cecelia left him in awe, speechless and unsure whether to feel wonderstruck or primal fear whenever she spoke like she was so completely sure of herself. almost as if a force of nature in the shape of a girl, almost as if she could make the universe bend to her whims. and whether that confidence was a hundred-percent foolproof and unshakable didn’t even matter, because sydney knew she’d do everything in her power to meet whatever expectations she’d set for herself. "  you know that you’re kind of real scary when you talk like that, right?   ” sydney asked, no malice in his voice, a simple lighthearted observation spoken with admiration than judgment. “  like everyone else in the world are a bunch of a blurry thingamabobs, and you’re the only one drawn with clear and sharp lines.   ” and more than anything, it made sydney feel like a poor fake, how he tried to always appear like a pillar of grace and excellence, but it seemed almost impossible to measure up to cecelia. but sydney was nothing but persistent, a grade-A chameleon and people pleaser, a handsome smile maintained on his lips to hold himself back from portraying any semblance of intimidation or hesitation. “  i think material girl is perfect. it’s fun, it’s a classic, and if it speaks to you then that’s already half the assignment done right.   ” a satisfied laugh slipped past his lips, could already see the whole performance coming together perfectly in his head and he hadn’t even settled on a song for his part. other members of new directions might opt for the more emotional choices, overshare in the form of a rodgers and hammerstein medley, but sydney felt more comfortable in this⸻ gratification over vulnerability, iconography versus melodrama, allure over a complete evisceration of themselves for an assignment. “  i was thinking the who’s baba o'riley, the cure’s boys don’t cry, or maybe something by jeff buckley, but since we’re doing material girl…   ” sydney paused for a moment as he searched something up on his phone, looking up lyrics then handing it over to cecelia. he thought it was the perfect song, with a contrasting title and complementary lyrics to cecelia’s choice. “  good ol’ fashioned lover boy by queen. we can tell a story here, a girl who wants to be showered with everything she deserves, and a lover boy who’ll give his girl anything fancy if that’s what she wants to prove his love. so very us.   ”

a  soft  laugh  escapes  her,  accompanied  by  a  small  shake  of  her  head.  "   that's  a  very  dramatic  way  of  saying  i'm  opinionated.   "  there's  no  offense  taken  in  his  observation,  only  quiet  amusement.  she'd  spent  long  enough  being  called  intimidating  to  know  there  was  usually  some  truth  to  it,  though  she  preferred  to  think  of  it  as  simply  knowing  what  she  wanted.  "   and  for  the  record . . .   "  she  gestures  vaguely  in  his  direction.  "   i  don't  think  you're  a  blurry  thingamabob.   "  the  corners  of  her  lips  lift  into  a  knowing  smile.    "   you've  got  a  pretty  good  sense  of  who  you  are.  otherwise  you  wouldn't  have  rattled  off  three  songs  without  thinking  twice,  and  you  definitely  wouldn't  have  picked  songs  that  all  tell  me  something  different  about  you.   "  she  pauses,  studying  him  for  a  moment  with  a  curiosity  that  borders  on  analytical.  "   i  think  you  just  spend  more  time  questioning  your  instincts  than  i  do.  that's  not  the  same  thing.   "

the  corners  of  her  lips  lift  a  fraction  higher.  "   see?  that's  why  i  knew  we'd  work  well  together.   "  she  nods  once,  pleased  that  he  doesn't  seem  interested  in  overcomplicating  the  assignment.  "   everyone  else  is  treating  it  like  they  have  to  bare  their  soul  for  three  minutes,  but  i  don't  really  see  the  point.   "  a  small  shrug  follows,  "   if  a  song  already  feels  like  you,  why  go  digging  for  something  more  obscure  just  because  it's  less  obvious?   "  cecelia  lets  the  question  linger  for  a  beat,  absently  twirling  a  loose  strand  of  hair  around  one  finger.  "   i  just  think  people  spend  so  much  time  trying  to  surprise  everyone  else  that  they  end  up  losing  what  made  the  choice  interesting  in  the  first  place.   "

as co-captain of the new directions and someone still living in shame from last year's disastrous competition season, stella firmly believed that it was her duty to ensure that each and every new directions member was taking things seriously. not just in their group rehearsals, but outside of them too.

which was why she'd taken to cornering new directioners in public settings, appearing seemingly out of thin air beside them in a way that might terrify those with a weaker constitution. luckily, her voice alerted people to her presence soon after. that day's opening line? "hope you're excited about this week's show choir assignment," words she delivered with an only vaguely threatening smile.

"randomized pairing mashups - how fun! i recommend booking the choir room for your rehearsals sooner, rather than later, before it's monopolized by other - lesser and non-performance related - activities."

cece's  attention  lifts  from  her  phone  at  the  sound  of  stella's  voice,  glossy  lips  curling  into  the  sort  of  fake  pleasant  smile  reserved  for  people  she  couldn't  care  less  about.  "   you  know,   "  she  begins,  slipping  her  phone  into  her  bag  with  unhurried  precision,  "   i  do  admire  your  commitment.   "  the  compliment  hangs  in  the  air  just  long  enough  to  almost  sound  genuine  before  she  continues.  "   i  just  think  it's  interesting  that  you've  somehow  appointed  yourself  everyone's  personal  rehearsal  coordinator.   "  a  delicate  shrug  rolls  off  one  shoulder.  "   i'm  sure  it  comes  from  a  good  place,  though.   "

"Eager's a strong word," he said, aware that was a glaring lie, but he delivered it with just enough confidence that maybe it could pass. "I prefer... proactive. Forward thinking. The man with a plan." Eager.

He shifted his weight, toe of his sneaker nudging at the scuffed linoleum floor, watching her heavy disinterest in him. Luckily for him and unluckily for Cecilia, he could not take the hint. Subtly was not his strong suit. "I mean," he continued, trying to get her attention once more, tugging at the one backpack strap on his shoulder. "I like Carter and all, but two guys singing together is just sad. Nobody wants to see a pork show." He wasn't sure what he was trying to get out of this; he wasn't fond of singing in front of people already, this was more so a ploy to spend time alone with her.

cece's  smile  grows  despite  herself.  august's  persistence  is  almost  impressive;  she'd  long  since  figured  out  he  wasn't  nearly  as  subtle  as  he  believed  himself  to  be,  but  there  was  something  oddly  charming  about  watching  him  commit  so  wholeheartedly  to  the  act.  "   proactive?   "  she  repeats,  one  brow  arching  as  though  she's  genuinely  weighing  the  distinction.  "   that's  certainly  one  way  to  spin  it.   "  a  quiet  laugh  escapes  her,  accompanied  by  a  small  shake  of  her  head.  "   hmmm, i  don't  know,  auggie . . .  sounds  suspiciously  close  to  eager,  if  you  ask  me.   "

🏒           ˚           ﹕ㅤㅤ    there was a quiet comfort in being paired with cecelia by the luck of the draw, glad not to be paired with a total stranger, especially dreaded the possibility of drawing the name of an original club member who still felt territorial about this whole thing. as if every new member was encroaching on their sacred space like newly introduced species in an ecosystem, when the reality was that new directions needed this second wind after last year's failure. and sydney didn't want them to be any tension, but it might take some time before they could truly be a united front. but perhaps most importantly, sydney recognized himself in cecelia, both of them stipulating the universe to let everything be perfect and pristine in their lives. that alone was enough for sydney to believe that they were going to rise above everyone else, because neither of them would settle for anything less than great. " so, I basically have to choose a song that represents me and mash it up together with yours? " he chuckled at the idea, a tinge of disbelief at the absurdity of the assignment but he was amused nonetheless. " this is bound to give some people an identity crisis. not me, though. i think i've already got a few songs in mind. got an idea for yours? "

cecelia  can't  help  the  small  smile  that  pulls  at  the  corner  of  her  lips.  unlike  some  of  the  other  members,  who  had  spent  the  better  part  of  rehearsal  complaining  about  the  assignment  or  acting  as  though  the  mere  suggestion  of  singing  about  themselves  constituted  emotional  warfare,  she  actually  finds  it  .  .  .  kind  of  fun.  if  anything,  it  feels  almost  too  easy.  probably  because  she  is  doing  it  with  someone  she  doesn't  completely  despises.  "   pretty  much,  yeah.   "  she  replies,  hesitantly  sitting  down  on  the  arm  of  the  couch  because  .  .  .  this  dorm  has  probably  seen  some  things.  "   if  it  gives  you  an  identity  crisis,  maybe  you  weren't  all  that  sure  of  your  identity  to  begin  with.   "  the  words  leave  her  matter - of - factly,  not  as  a  jab,  but  as  someone  who  has  spent  years  carefully  curating  exactly  who  she  is.  now, whether  that  version  is  entirely  authentic  is  another  conversation,  one  she's  in  no  rush  to  have.

"okay, real talk, how much power do you have as captain?" sully squirts some water into his mouth from the bottle in his hand, gaze momentarily wandering to a passing teammate before his attention is brought back to cece once again. "because i think the dudes' uniforms need changing. you guys get those cute little skirts, and ours are so boring. like, i think they should at least be sleeveless. you know how distracted the other team would be, if they caught sight of my arms? it's science."

there was a soft skip in her step as we walked into the choir room to join all her fellow glee club members. taking her usual seat in the second row, slightly off to the side, goldie shrugged out of the her cardigan (definitely used more for fashion then warmth) and laid it out on the chair next to her. by now everyone knew the spot was reserved for cece, but you could never be so sure! once she was settled, the blonde looked up at the board and saw this week's assignment written out. "do you think if we're allowed to trade partners?" she thought of when the names had been pulled out of the hat, how she wished to be matched with at least five people in here and none of them had been the named called. "i doubt mr. kelmeckis remembered every pair off the top of his head." she couldn't even list off two groups from the top of her head.

option two. outside during cheer practice [0/2]

the sun was high in the sky, bright as could be, but thankfully there was a breeze that accompanied the late september day which gave some relief. stretching next to the others, goldie brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the glare as she trained her gaze on the person next to her. "i really hope coach steele goes easy on us today. i had way too many beers last night at a frat party and my tummy's been gurgling all morning." she sighed, moving into child's pose. or at least an attempt at it, really she was trying to find some kind of comfort. "remind me never to drink that much again." it wouldn't matter. she'd do it again. she never learned from her mistakes.

option three. inside sweet sugar [0/2]

she had found a moment for herself, between her late morning and mid afternoon classes, to be alone with a sweet treat. her biggest weakness is her penchant for sugar, and having a dessert shop in town was not doing her any favors. goldie had just bit into her pumpkin cupcake with cheesecake frosting when she locked eyes with another. "please don't mention this to coach steele," she begged, real fear in her eyes. putting the pastry down, goldie grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. "we're not supposed to eat unnecessary carbs or sugars, but it's a seasonal flavor!"

August had been struck in the butt by Cupid himself. That's the only logical reason he could think of for the way his hands began to sweat ever since Cece joined New Directions and the way his heart was quick to pick up whenever he got a whiff of whatever perfume she was wearing.

He was lovesick.

It was why, after practice, he had lingered back leaned against the piano like he hadn't been very intentionally pretending to retie his shoelaces for thirty seconds just to wait for her to pass by him. With the bait laid, he waited until she glanced at him — if she glanced at him, the pushed off the piano, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.

"Cecilia," he sang in the tune of the Simone & Garfunkel hit, basically having to stop himself from serenading her. "You know with these duets coming up, maybe we should do one of our own," he tried to pitch is as casually as he could. "The freaks do it all the time. They're like, weirdly always singing when they shouldn't." Forgetting himself that he was one of the said freaks now.

normally, cecelia wouldn't have lasted more than three minutes in a glee rehearsal before mentally checking out, but coach steele had given her a mission, and cece had never been one to half - ass an assignment. so, instead of tuning out the endless vocal warmups, she'd started paying attention, quietly collecting little pieces of information about her fellow clubmates as if they were puzzle pieces.

which  was  exactly  how  she'd  learned  that  august  had  all  the  subtlety  of  a  marching  band.  the  conveniently  timed  conversations,  the  lingering  looks,  the  way  he  somehow  always  managed  to  be  exactly  where  she  was  whenever  rehearsal  came  to  an  end . . .  if  he  thought  he  was  being  discreet,  he  was  giving  himself  far  too  much  credit.  luckily  for  august,  she  had  no  intention  of  making  him  squirm  by  acknowledging  it. not yet, anyways.