The Ballad of Kitty and Artie
Don't Stop Believin' [ Bonus Episode ]
By WildeAbrams
Author's Notes: This is a chapter of all new material that takes place after Dynamic Duets. It was written to give the Glee Club more time together before Sectionals to make the later cancellation of Glee Club more dramatic. I think it also does a better job of psyching them up for sectionals.
Monday morning Artie, Kitty, Blaine, Tina, Sam, Unique, Ryder, Marley, Jake, Brittany, Sugar, and Joe were gathered in the choir room. Finn stood in front of the students in the class and announced this week's assignment by writing on the whiteboard:
Believe
"Last weeks lesson was about being able to set your differences aside and work as a team. This week all about confidence and learning to believe in yourself and your team. So this week I want you to pick songs that showcase the author believing in themselves or an important idea."
He began to pace in front of the group and continued, "I was thinking back to when I was in glee club, and how we all had our own dreams and our doubts and how we really started to gel as a team. It didn't happen until we learned to perform a very iconic song, which became sort of our unofficial anthem. Since the glee club is over half new this year I figured that this would be a good time to put a fresh interpretation on Don't Stop Believin."
He stopped and began to hand out the sheet music.
"Yes!" Tina cheered.
"Blaine," Finn continued "I know you were elected the New Rachel or whatever, but I was hoping that in the interest of team unity, that you'd be willing to take a step back on this one so we can showcase some underutilized talent. "
"Uh, Sure Finn," Blaine answered with a little hesitation in his voice.
"Good," Finn continued, apparently not picking up on the hesitation, "Kitty, I need you up here with Artie, so you two can start us off."
"WHAT?" Tina said outraged. "Why does she get a solo?"
"Read your sheet music Tina. Everybody gets at least a small solo or duet in this one," Finn told her, irritatedly. "Artie is one of our strongest male vocalists, who is often underutilized, and one of the original New Directions members-"
"-Yeah, but what about Kitty? First, you put her in the group without letting us vote, and now you're giving her one of our most prominent solos-"
"-And," he continued, "I need everyone to feel like a member of the team Tina, something that some of you haven't put as much effort into as you should, and the simple fact is I think Kitty and Artie will sound awesome together, just as I know you and Blaine do.
"Since Artie is one of our strongest male voices and I'm pairing him with her, they are leading us off. It's really not that complicated."
The rest of the group began to read their sheet music as Kitty moved down to the front row with a smug triumphant look on her face. Only her second week in for club and already an important solo. Things were looking up. She and Artie shared a brief smile before Finn called their attention back to the lesson, and told Brad the piano player to hit it. .
From the other side of Artie, Tina pouted.
Don't Stop Believin' (Artie, Kitty, Blaine, Tina, Sam, Unique, Ryder, Marley, Jake, Brittany, Sugar, and Joe)
New Directions:
Da, Da, Da, Da
Da, Da, Da, Da
(Continues throughout)
Artie:
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Kitty:
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Artie:
A singer in a smoky room
Kitty:
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
Artie and Kitty:
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Marley and Ryder:
Strangers, waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searching in the night
Streetlight, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Sam:
Workin' hard to get my fill
Joe:
Everybody wants a thrill
Sam, Joe and Unique:
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Tina:
Some will win
Tina with Blaine:
Some will lose
Blaine:
Some were born to sing the blues
Sugar
And now the movie never ends
Tina, Sugar and Blaine:
It goes on and on and on and on
[Artie picked up an electric guitar and jammed out on a solo.]
Jake with Brittany (Unique):
Strangers, waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searching in the night (In the night!)
Streetlight, people (People!)
Livin' just to find emotion
Hiding (Hidin') somewhere in the night
Kitty and Artie with New Directions (Unique):
Don't stop believin' (Oh-woah!)
Hold on to that feelin'
(Streetlight, yeah) Streetlight, people, oh, (Yeah, yeah!) woah, ohh
Don't stop (Don't stop believin') believin'
Hold on to that (Hold on!) feelin'
Streetlight, people, oh, woah, ohh
All:
Don't stop!
Finn and the band cheered!
Kitty and Artie beamed. Most of the rest of New Directions whopped, applauded, congratulated them and patted them on the back. They were a hit.
Tina sat back and sulked with her arms crossed.
*/*/*
Later that day, Artie was at his locker when Kitty approached him.
"You didn't tell me you played the guitar," she told him with a wry smile.
"Yeah," he answered, "guitar and keyboard. I used to be in the Jazz band but haven't really played much in a couple years."
"Why not?" She asked. "You sounded awesome today!"
"Other priorities I guess," he told her. "I played that solo the first time New Directions did that song just after the group was founded. I figured I'd dust off the old guitar for old time's sake."
She smiled and told him, "Well I think you shouldn't let your guitar get dusty anymore. I've got cheer practice, talk to you later, she told him in a quieter voice."
She patted his shoulder and was off.
# # #
Tuesday morning Kitty walked down the hall toward the choir room. She glanced over and saw that Finn was in the office going through sheet misc. The door was open, and she stood in the doorway clearing her throat to get his attention.
He looked up and smiled, "Kitty come in! Sit down."
She entered the room, closing the door behind her, an action that momentarily seemed to confuse him, but he recovered quickly.
She turned to face him, arms crossed and her notebook against her chest, but she did not sit down.
"Everyone is still talking about how awesome you and Artie sounded yesterday," he told her with his usual broad dopey grin. "I'm so glad you took us up on our invitation to join the club!"
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," she began. "I think it's been universally accepted that we kicked that song's ass yesterday! I think it would be a good idea if we were paired up in the future as well.
"If we are going to win our competitions this year, and we need to if I'm going to remain in the club, then we need to put our best feet forward and work with our strengths, and based upon what I've seen so far, we are clearly the two best singers in there. "
Finn chuckled at her confidence.
"And if that means we are also dance partners, that's cool too.
"Besides," she finished in a lower voice. "Wheels is probably the closest thing I have to a friend in that room."
"Yeah," he concluded. "You might want to work on that."
###########
The version of this that is included in The Ballad of Kitty and Artie will have a more elaborate plot line and more songs by the other New Directions members.
[ Teaser Disclaimer: Scenes published as teasers are considered DRAFT, and while they are entertaining in their own right, they will vary (sometimes significantly) from the version in the finished story. ]