Fic: Of Wishes and Dresses (23/?)
Title: Of Wishes and Dresses - Chapter Twenty-Three
Genre: Angst / Drama
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Mike/Tina friendship, Mika/Sam
Summary: Mike Mika Chang was a girl; her body just didn't agree with that assessment.
Sitting in the backstage area at Regionals, Mika could not stop fixing her wig and staring into the mirror. Everyone assured her that things would be alright but she could not stop the acidic feeling in her throat and the way her stomach was twisting violently. She wrung her hands and ran a hand over the wig, smoothing down a piece that would not stay still. She breathed slowly. Part of her wondered if it would have been easier to perform at Regionals dressed as a boy. No, that was stupid. She was going through all of this for her right to be a girl. She was a girl. That was stupid. She had to stop panicking. This was silly.
Sam came up from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder, just as she started to smooth out her dress. “You seem nervous,” he said quietly.
“I am,” she said, honestly.
“You’re going to be amazing. We’re going to be amazing.”
“I know Sam,” she said. “But what if…”
“Nobody’s going to judge you for being who you are,” he promised, even though even he had made a face when he saw the judges. “The new songs are amazing and we have never been better.”
He took her to the side.
“But there’s that freaky teaparty lady and a goddamned nun, Sam.”
“Come on. Aural Intensity are almost going to go on. We need to take a seat.”
Sam led her towards a seat. As they left the backstage area, she caught a glimpse of Kurt who looked a little bit disheveled. A moment later, she noticed Blaine following him, looking around and straightening his messy hair. “Oh god you guys,” she whispered, breaking into the first smile she’d managed in three days. “You have twenty minutes tops until you guys go on stage. Makeout time is later. Break a leg.”
Kurt heard her and nodded.
Mika went to take a seat close to Sam. He kept her hand in his, holding it tightly. He turned their hands around and smiled at her.
Aural Intensity was mediocre, but Sue had definitely pandered their songs to the judges. Mika rolled her eyes as she watched.
The Warblers were fantastic. Blaine had such a beautiful voice and a real command of the stage, even though the group was a very simple acapella group with a classy style. Kurt and Blaine’s duet was beautiful and literally brought tears to her eyes. This was a new world and two thirds of the judges barely batted an eye at a pair of gay teens singing a tender duet. They were going to be alright. Mika was going to be alright.
Then it was their time to shine.
“You ready?” Tina asked, flashing Mika a smile.
She nodded. She was better than ever. She knew that they were made for this and would succeed like they couldn’t last year. There was no doubt in her mind that even with The Warbler’s classic style and Aural Intensity’s flash and being on-point they could win this.
They performed like crazy. The numbers were a blur for Mika. Everyone sounded flawless, especially Rachel, who had come into her own as a songwriter and the choreography she had orchestrated worked perfectly for the effect that they were trying to get across. She felt like she was walking on air, honestly. She had never felt so much like herself, even when she was dancing.
They were the misfits and they were the losers but they were stronger than they had ever been.
After they were done, the judges were obviously impressed and absolutely no one said a word about her. She did get a funny look, or so she thought, but she ducked down near Sam and it was all alright. It went as good as it could possibly go, in her humble opinion.
“We did so damned good,” Sam said, whistling low as the members of the club hugged each other, congratulated each other and hoped for the best. He wrapped one arm around Mika’s waist and hugged her tightly. “There is no way that we’re gonna lose this one.”
“I am not going to say that,” Mika said, “because we seriously thought we had it won last year, but I definitely think that we deserve it.”
The judge’s deliberation took a long time. Mika wandered off, away from Sam after a moment because she was so nervous. She leaned back against the wall and took a deep drink from the bottle of water she had snagged from the greenroom.
A couple of members from Aural Intensity had also chosen to wait in the same backstage area. One of them, a curvaceous dark haired girl, looked at Mika with intense curiosity and then disgust. Mika knew what was coming before she even opened her mouth, but still, she winced a little bit when the slurs came. “So, the Swallowers have a pair of fags sing a duet and then Nude Erections has a tranny right up front and center. We’re shoe-ins to win this, don’t you think, Sarah?”
The smaller blonde girl looked at Mika and nodded. “What the fuck are you?” she asked.
“Cute,” she said, staring them down. “Mika Chang, nice to meet you. Your song was excellent. Jesus would have been proud.”
“Jesus woulda been ashamed of you. What kinda game is McKinley playing?”
“Game?” she asked, chuckling.
Mika wasn’t afraid of them. They were two small females and she had a good foot on both of them height-wise. Tranny freak or no, she was better than them.
What Mika wasn’t expecting was to be hit by several grape slushies in a row. They were icy bullets, one after another. “What the hell?” she screamed out loud. She usually put her slushie-guard on when she was at McKinley and knew what to expect, but what were they doing here?
A trio of boys had joined the two girls. “Coach Sylvester said to save those for the big mouthed brunette but this seemed like a better idea,” one said, laughing. They all jeered while Mika stood there drenched with the ice cold purple liquid. It had destroyed her dress, left her hair hanging limp and she honestly wanted to cry but instead chose another path.
She punched the smirking boy in front right in the face.
She smiled to herself as her fist made contact. She had never punched a bully in her life, not even when she was a “confident” male football player. She may have been a girl but she decided in that moment she was going to defend herself.
“Mika!” Tina shrieked, coming to her side. “What the hell just happened?”
“Aural Intensity felt like messing with the competition. Rachel was the intended target but they found someone more interesting in me. It’s all good. Come on, Tina, they’re going to announce the winner.”
“Why is he bleeding?” she asked, as Mika went to quickly find a towel.
Mika shrugged. “I punched him.”
Tina put an arm around her and walked backstage. They were able to find her some paper towels but she still had to walk on stage for the announcement of the winner covered in purple goo with a ruined dress and wig. When Sam saw her, his mouth hung open. “I’ll explain later,” she said, but she did give her boyfriend the satisfaction of knowing by jerking her head towards the Aural Intensity member who had walked on stage holding a shirt to his nose.
“The winner is…the New Directions!”
Mika was overwhelmed. She screamed and cried with the rest of the group. Sue looked aghast of course, which gave Mika the biggest smile yet. A year of struggling to reach this point and they were there. Rachel and Mr. Schue cradled the trophy like it was their lifetime accomplishment but Mika just stared happily, from the side.
After the announcement was made, they headed off stage. Sue immediately approached Mika. Mika hesitated, backing up a little. “You hit him?” she asked, arms crossed. She looked absolutely defeated but there was a hint of a dark smile hiding underneath that.
Mika nodded.
“I know it wasn’t right,” she said. “But really, asking your kids to slushie Rachel in the face? Not cool. You know exactly what we endure on a daily basis at McKinley and you decide to use it against us? Tina told me about you throwing stuff at her a couple weeks back. Does bullying kids really satisfy you that much? I thought you were the one who defended Kurt against Karofsky and knew better.”
Mika paused to take a breath but she wasn’t done laying into the woman.
“I’m glad the freak was more their idea of a good target than yours. If they had slushied Rachel, I think he’d have been a lot worse off. I hope you were listening to what we were singing about today, because that was about stuff like this. Your idiot choir just proved us right.”
She considered Mika, taking a step back and then nodding. “I like your style, girlie. I’m bored with those losers anyway.”
She walked away, leaving Mika raising an eyebrow and turning around to see Rachel and Brittany, who had approached while she was ranting. “Some things are never, ever going to change, are they?”
“Probably not,” Rachel admitted. “But we won. C’mon Tina has some clothes for you.”
Genre: Angst / Drama
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Mike/Tina friendship, Mika/Sam
Summary: Mike Mika Chang was a girl; her body just didn't agree with that assessment.
Sitting in the backstage area at Regionals, Mika could not stop fixing her wig and staring into the mirror. Everyone assured her that things would be alright but she could not stop the acidic feeling in her throat and the way her stomach was twisting violently. She wrung her hands and ran a hand over the wig, smoothing down a piece that would not stay still. She breathed slowly. Part of her wondered if it would have been easier to perform at Regionals dressed as a boy. No, that was stupid. She was going through all of this for her right to be a girl. She was a girl. That was stupid. She had to stop panicking. This was silly.
Sam came up from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder, just as she started to smooth out her dress. “You seem nervous,” he said quietly.
“I am,” she said, honestly.
“You’re going to be amazing. We’re going to be amazing.”
“I know Sam,” she said. “But what if…”
“Nobody’s going to judge you for being who you are,” he promised, even though even he had made a face when he saw the judges. “The new songs are amazing and we have never been better.”
He took her to the side.
“But there’s that freaky teaparty lady and a goddamned nun, Sam.”
“Come on. Aural Intensity are almost going to go on. We need to take a seat.”
Sam led her towards a seat. As they left the backstage area, she caught a glimpse of Kurt who looked a little bit disheveled. A moment later, she noticed Blaine following him, looking around and straightening his messy hair. “Oh god you guys,” she whispered, breaking into the first smile she’d managed in three days. “You have twenty minutes tops until you guys go on stage. Makeout time is later. Break a leg.”
Kurt heard her and nodded.
Mika went to take a seat close to Sam. He kept her hand in his, holding it tightly. He turned their hands around and smiled at her.
Aural Intensity was mediocre, but Sue had definitely pandered their songs to the judges. Mika rolled her eyes as she watched.
The Warblers were fantastic. Blaine had such a beautiful voice and a real command of the stage, even though the group was a very simple acapella group with a classy style. Kurt and Blaine’s duet was beautiful and literally brought tears to her eyes. This was a new world and two thirds of the judges barely batted an eye at a pair of gay teens singing a tender duet. They were going to be alright. Mika was going to be alright.
Then it was their time to shine.
“You ready?” Tina asked, flashing Mika a smile.
She nodded. She was better than ever. She knew that they were made for this and would succeed like they couldn’t last year. There was no doubt in her mind that even with The Warbler’s classic style and Aural Intensity’s flash and being on-point they could win this.
They performed like crazy. The numbers were a blur for Mika. Everyone sounded flawless, especially Rachel, who had come into her own as a songwriter and the choreography she had orchestrated worked perfectly for the effect that they were trying to get across. She felt like she was walking on air, honestly. She had never felt so much like herself, even when she was dancing.
They were the misfits and they were the losers but they were stronger than they had ever been.
After they were done, the judges were obviously impressed and absolutely no one said a word about her. She did get a funny look, or so she thought, but she ducked down near Sam and it was all alright. It went as good as it could possibly go, in her humble opinion.
“We did so damned good,” Sam said, whistling low as the members of the club hugged each other, congratulated each other and hoped for the best. He wrapped one arm around Mika’s waist and hugged her tightly. “There is no way that we’re gonna lose this one.”
“I am not going to say that,” Mika said, “because we seriously thought we had it won last year, but I definitely think that we deserve it.”
The judge’s deliberation took a long time. Mika wandered off, away from Sam after a moment because she was so nervous. She leaned back against the wall and took a deep drink from the bottle of water she had snagged from the greenroom.
A couple of members from Aural Intensity had also chosen to wait in the same backstage area. One of them, a curvaceous dark haired girl, looked at Mika with intense curiosity and then disgust. Mika knew what was coming before she even opened her mouth, but still, she winced a little bit when the slurs came. “So, the Swallowers have a pair of fags sing a duet and then Nude Erections has a tranny right up front and center. We’re shoe-ins to win this, don’t you think, Sarah?”
The smaller blonde girl looked at Mika and nodded. “What the fuck are you?” she asked.
“Cute,” she said, staring them down. “Mika Chang, nice to meet you. Your song was excellent. Jesus would have been proud.”
“Jesus woulda been ashamed of you. What kinda game is McKinley playing?”
“Game?” she asked, chuckling.
Mika wasn’t afraid of them. They were two small females and she had a good foot on both of them height-wise. Tranny freak or no, she was better than them.
What Mika wasn’t expecting was to be hit by several grape slushies in a row. They were icy bullets, one after another. “What the hell?” she screamed out loud. She usually put her slushie-guard on when she was at McKinley and knew what to expect, but what were they doing here?
A trio of boys had joined the two girls. “Coach Sylvester said to save those for the big mouthed brunette but this seemed like a better idea,” one said, laughing. They all jeered while Mika stood there drenched with the ice cold purple liquid. It had destroyed her dress, left her hair hanging limp and she honestly wanted to cry but instead chose another path.
She punched the smirking boy in front right in the face.
She smiled to herself as her fist made contact. She had never punched a bully in her life, not even when she was a “confident” male football player. She may have been a girl but she decided in that moment she was going to defend herself.
“Mika!” Tina shrieked, coming to her side. “What the hell just happened?”
“Aural Intensity felt like messing with the competition. Rachel was the intended target but they found someone more interesting in me. It’s all good. Come on, Tina, they’re going to announce the winner.”
“Why is he bleeding?” she asked, as Mika went to quickly find a towel.
Mika shrugged. “I punched him.”
Tina put an arm around her and walked backstage. They were able to find her some paper towels but she still had to walk on stage for the announcement of the winner covered in purple goo with a ruined dress and wig. When Sam saw her, his mouth hung open. “I’ll explain later,” she said, but she did give her boyfriend the satisfaction of knowing by jerking her head towards the Aural Intensity member who had walked on stage holding a shirt to his nose.
“The winner is…the New Directions!”
Mika was overwhelmed. She screamed and cried with the rest of the group. Sue looked aghast of course, which gave Mika the biggest smile yet. A year of struggling to reach this point and they were there. Rachel and Mr. Schue cradled the trophy like it was their lifetime accomplishment but Mika just stared happily, from the side.
After the announcement was made, they headed off stage. Sue immediately approached Mika. Mika hesitated, backing up a little. “You hit him?” she asked, arms crossed. She looked absolutely defeated but there was a hint of a dark smile hiding underneath that.
Mika nodded.
“I know it wasn’t right,” she said. “But really, asking your kids to slushie Rachel in the face? Not cool. You know exactly what we endure on a daily basis at McKinley and you decide to use it against us? Tina told me about you throwing stuff at her a couple weeks back. Does bullying kids really satisfy you that much? I thought you were the one who defended Kurt against Karofsky and knew better.”
Mika paused to take a breath but she wasn’t done laying into the woman.
“I’m glad the freak was more their idea of a good target than yours. If they had slushied Rachel, I think he’d have been a lot worse off. I hope you were listening to what we were singing about today, because that was about stuff like this. Your idiot choir just proved us right.”
She considered Mika, taking a step back and then nodding. “I like your style, girlie. I’m bored with those losers anyway.”
She walked away, leaving Mika raising an eyebrow and turning around to see Rachel and Brittany, who had approached while she was ranting. “Some things are never, ever going to change, are they?”
“Probably not,” Rachel admitted. “But we won. C’mon Tina has some clothes for you.”