Dear Pen Pal...Chapter 14
Winter break had passed and it was soon time for the big meeting between Degrassi Community and William McKinley.
The day that the Degrassi students were to arrive in Lima, Ohio found Rachel Berry standing by the baggage claim at the airport holding a pink piece of poster board that read:
Holly J Sinclair
In big bold black lettering with numerous gold stars around it.
Sure gold stars were ‘Rachel’s’ thing but she felt that her pen pal would totally appreciate it.
Looking around the baggage claim she watched as a familiar foursome entered the area causing her to roll her eyes.
She thought she was being original… unique in wanting to be the ‘welcome wagon’ for their friends from the north.
She watched as Tina pushed Artie’s chair while Kurt was gabbing on to Mercedes about something or another.
“Hi guys,” Rachel said.
She was met by an annoyed look from Kurt who didn’t say anything to the brunette but instead looked at his friends.
“Figures,’ he murmured causing the other girl to put a hand on her hip out of annoyance.
“Hey I heard that.”
“Guys,” Artie piped up, “don’t start another diva war here in baggage claim…we wouldn’t want homeland security to arrest you.”
“Artie’s right…save the drama for the choir room,” Mercedes said flashing a friendly smile to Kurt who let out a sigh.
“Fine, anyway so is my lovely step brother here.”
“First of all you did not just call Finn lovely and no, he’s not here….not that he didn’t want to come…it’s just that he had basketball practice…at least that’s what he’s telling me…god I hope he’s not lying…god he better not be shacking back up with Santana cause he told me it was a one time thing when we were broken up last year and….”
Rachel was suddenly cut off mid ramble by a deep coughing sound.
“What are you guys doing here?” Will asked looking over at five of his students.
“We wanted to welcome out pen pals Mr. Schue,” Tina said shocking everyone by being the first one to speak up, her warm smile crossing her lips.
“I see,” he said still sounding a but agitated, “guys you know that it’s not fair to the others…you being here and them not…I mean what will their pen pals think…that they weren’t loved as much…”
“We understand Mr. Schue,” Artie said as Tina placed a hand on his shoulder, “if you want us to go we’ll go.”
He whispered for Tina to begin to turn his chair toward the exit where Mercedes and Kurt where already walking too however Rachel’s voice broke out.
“Wait guys,” she started, “Mr. Schue I beg you to reconsider….”
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The students of Degrassi community were all a ball of nerves as they got off the plane in Ohio talking amongst themselves. Alli was gushing about Puck while Sav was telling his kid sister to not get any ideas.
“Don’t worry…he has a girlfriend you know… Anya’s pen pal.”
Sav rolled his eyes as he looked over toward his ex who’d been chatting with Riley.
God he couldn’t wait to go meet Mike Chang. Maybe the two of them could have a nice chick free time together…that is if Mike’s girlfriend Brittany didn’t mind.
“Ok, so as Student Body president should I give a speech Mr. Simpson?”
The principal never thought of that and simply shrugged.
“I mean if you want to add something you can but can I say something first.”
Some eyes were on the older man while most eyes however were looking at their friends whom they were talking with.
“Attention Degrassi,” Snake bellowed gaining the twelve teens full attention, “you guys are representing the school, your individual behaviors reflect not only yourself and your peers but our school and bigger then that our country. Consider yourself ambassadors of sorts and be on your best behavior or else there will be consequences.”
He was met with twelve voices ringing out at once about how they promised to be on their best behavior as they made their way toward customs.
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The young Spanish teacher was still getting an earful from the glee club captain while the foursome was lost in their own little world when suddenly Artie spoke up.
“Their here.”
That got the petite brunette’s attention as she turned from the teacher and began to march up to the group holding out her pink sign up in the air.
Holly J Sinclair looked up at the sign and rolled her eyes.
Sure she thought that she still was in a way the HBIC at Degrassi but special treatment like this? She looked over to Fiona Coyne who rolled her eyes clearly jealous as her friend was getting attention and she was not.
Rachel watched as the strawberry blonde took a few steps forward. Rachel recognized her from the senior picture she’d sent in her last letter.
“Holly j… I’m Rachel Berry and as glee club president it is an honor to have you and your classmates here.”
Holly J just smiled as Rachel began to feverishly talk with her wanting to know who everyone else was straight away.
Will and Snake just rolled their eyes.
“Well I didn’t think we’d get a welcome like this,” Snake said.
Will shook his head.
“Neither did I, they just kind of showed up.”
The two men continued to talk about the week long trip that Simpson and the Degrassi-ites would have in Lima while on the other side of the baggage claim area Claire Edwards’s face curled into a smile as she made her way over to Artie whom she instantly recognized with his chair and sweater vest.
“Artie,” she said with a smile leaning over to give him a hug, thinking to herself that he looked kind of cuter in person, “man this is so surreal.”
Artie nodded as his eyes drifted over to Tina thinking that she was probably jealous about the meaningless hug he had just shared with his pen pal.
“Yea, totally surreal,” he said as Claire began to talk.
Eli looked from his girlfriend and ‘wheels’ over to the young Asian girl with the pink hairstreaks who was standing next to a well-dressed young man. His friend Adam must of noticed this as well because he looked over at his friend and opened his mouth.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Eli shrugged.
“If your thinking that you think those two are our…”
“Pen Pals,” Adam nodded, “yea I am.”
The two ‘boys’ stood in silence for a few moments before walking over to Tina and Kurt and introducing themselves to the two gleeks who’d been their pen pals and in person it seemed that they were already picking up where there letters left off as well.
Mercedes watched the four pairs of students chatting around her while looking over toward the remaining eight Degrassi kids.
“Anya,” she said with a smile.
The young girl raised a hand and took a few steps forward.
“Cedes,” she replied back with a smile as the two girls screamed and began gushing back and forth with one another like the other pairs were already doing.
As for Alli, Jenna, KC, Riley, Fiona, Drew and Sav they realized that their pen pals were not present to welcome them to Lima.
Before they could comment Will walked over to them.
“Hi guys, I’m Mr. Schuester and I bet your all wondering why some of my student came out to greet their pen pals while others didn’t.”
The seven teens nodded.
“Brittany seemed like the kind of person to who’d want to be here,” Fiona said.
“Mike seemed pretty cool too,” Sav agreed.
“As did Matt,” Riley added.
“Guys… they all are really nice,” the teacher assured explaining how his students presence at the airport was all their doing and wasn’t planed at all.”
The teens smiled feeling much better as they watched their own teacher trying to gather up the five students who had strayed from the pack telling them that they’d see their pen pals the following day.
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The following day the Degrassi students entered McKinley and although it was a different school in a different country they all felt a strange sense of familiarity in the air after all a high school was a high school right?
Entering the choir room they looked over toward the risers to see not just the five students they met the previous day but seven others as well.
The petite brunette from the previous day made her way toward them once again giving her
“I’m Rachel Berry…glee captain’ speech while when she was finished Sav decided to give an ‘I’m the president of DCS speech in return.
Once the speeches were over both teachers stood in the center of the room.
“Ok, so here is what is going to happen,” Will began, “we are going to call out names and then you’ll be able to spend the rest of practice time with your pen pal getting to know them in a face to face setting.”
“Then for the rest of the week,” Snake continued, “my students will be attending some classes here at McKinley while also taking the time to enjoy the town.”
“And meanwhile New Directions, I’ve gotten Figgens to allow you to have half days all this week.”
The room filled with cheers.
“Not so fast,” Will continued, “you still have to go to classes if you have an exam that period and we still are having after school glee rehearsals.”
There were little to no groans when the teacher said this, as it was a small price to pay for time off.
“And at the end of the week,” Snake concluded, “you are all cordially invited to a private invitational that is to be put on by New Directions.”
There was a small bout of silences as the two teachers looked to one another and nodded.
“Ok, Rachel Berry and Holly Sinclair,” Will began.
“That’s Holly J,” the strawberry blonde protested as she and Rachel reunited after their brief meeting the day before.
“Clare Edwards and Artie Abrams,” Snake said.
Claire smiled as she walked over and took a seat by his side.
“Tina Cohen Chang and Eli Goldsworthy,” Will said.
The two students dressed predominately in black flashed grins at one another before Eli took a seat between where Tina and Clare were sitting on the risers.
“Alli Bhandari and Noah Puckerman,” Snake said.
Puck didn’t correct the other teacher as he looked at the young Indian girl who was all smiles as she approached him. God, she thought he was insanely hotter in person and wondered to herself why he was tied up with Mercedes and she was tied up with Drew again before reaching out her hand for him to shake.
“Quinn Fabray and Jenna Middleton,” Will said.
Quinn watched as the young girl took a step forward baby bump and all as thoughts of her past year filled her mind and a tear fell down her cheek.
Jenna nodded in understanding as from their letters she’d been learning allot from Quinn’s experience as a pregnant teenager and knew that this face to face would hit the older blonde close to home.
“KC Guthrie and Finn Hudson,” Snake said.
The two young men flashed blank stairs at one another before engaging in a handshake before letting their teachers move on.
“Ok,” Will said, “halfway through…anyway once your paired up you can feel free to leave for the day if you want.”
There were twelve heads nodding and the sounds of Tina and Artie mentioning a place called breadsticks to Eli and Clare could faintly be heard before the teacher began to speak again.
“Where was I,” he continued before passing, “oh right, “Matt Rutherford and Riley Stavros.”
Both men smiled at one another as Riley’s eyes wandered to Kurt whom he’d briefly seen the day before.
‘Him,’ the older of the two boys nodded causing the other one to smile.
“Anya MacPherson and Mercedes Jones.”
The two girls who met the night before smiled at one another before heading out of the classroom to further bond.
“Kurt Hummel and Adam Torres.”
This pair also met the night before and headed out as well… more then likely they would join Anya and Mercedes for the remainder of the day.
“Fiona Coyne and Brittany….” Snake paused as he looked at the sheet in his hand and the blonde in the cheerleading uniform who had suddenly embraced the dark haired fashionista and was babbling away, “does she have a last name,” he asked in a whisper to Will.
Truthfully the Spanish teacher oddly enough didn’t know but it was all right as the two girls knew one another and so he decided to move on.
“Santana Lopez and Drew Torres.”
The duo smiled at one another both thinking the other was super hot.
“Ok Sav,” Snake said, “this must be Mike Chang.”
Mike smiled and stood up to walk to where Sav stood.
“It’s an honor to finally meet you Mr. President,” Mike said with a smirk.
“Likewise,” Sav said before realizing what he said, “I meant about the meeting you thing, not the president…”
Mike laughed.
“I know.”
“So, now that you’re here… care to teach me that pop and lock routine you did on that youtube video you sent me.”
“I will if you teach me that sweet guitar riff you did.”
“Deal,” Sav said as they walked out of the room leaving the teachers alone.
“It’s going to be some week isn’t it Schuester,” Snake said.
“Some week,” Will spoke nodding in agreement.
TBC