• MARINA • Hunter Clarington-BOOK TWO✔

t h i r t e e n

Rachel had scurried through Marina's clothing, picking something suitable for the girl to go to Callbacks. Marina had discovered it was a karaoke bar, and immediately grinned. She and Rachel hadn't stopped talking since they both got changed, Rachel telling her everything about NYADA and New York as Marina told her about her plans for moving to New York, and she told the older girl about Sebastian and Thad's plans of getting into NYADA.

At Callbacks, Marina was getting multiple looks from people. "Rachel, this is New York, not Lima. More people stare." She muttered.

"For good reason." Blaine grinned, half-hugging the girl.

"Did I tell you guys I was on the Cheerios for a bit?" She asked Finn and Rachel, both gaping at her once more. "I'll take that as a no." She laughed.

The three stood at the bar, ordering their drinks. Luckily, Marina managed to look as if she wasn't still in school for the second time. "Uh, Coke and, uh..." Finn looked to Rachel, who finished off the order.

"Oh, amaretto sour, please- virgin." She then looked to Finn and Marina. "It's good."

"I'll have anything with vodka and whiskey." Marina grinned slyly as the bartender gave her a look of surprise before getting their drinks.

"Hey, Finn, Rachel. Oh, hello stranger." A boy said, coming up to the trio.

Rachel grinned. "Brody, hi."

Finn shook his hand. "Hey, Brody, good to see you again, man."

The boy, Brody, nodded. "Yeah, you too, you too." Marina noticed a tenseness between the pair.

"Hi, I'm Marina." The girl extended a hand as the boy looked at her.

"Brody." He shook her hand, "How do you know Finn and Rachel?"

"Lima. I graduated English high school when I was sixteen but thanks to their principal I'm stuck in American high school until the end of the year."

Brody nodded slowly, before looking back to Finn and Rachel. "So, how's the, uh, visit been going so far?"

Rachel spoke quickly. "Amazing. I took him to school to get the full NYADA experience together."

Brody nodded, "Cool. Well, in that case, I hope you're singing tonight. You haven't really been to NYADA until you've sung at Callbacks."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "This is what I've been trying to tell him, and I really, really want him to sing. 'Give Your Heart a Break' with me,"

Rachel was cut off by Finn. "But... But I'm not a student, so..."

Brody gestured to Rachel. "Well, you're with Rachel, which makes you honorary. And I'm buddies with Pascal, the piano player."

"And the song works better as a duet, so..." Rachel pleadingly looked up at Finn. "Well, why don't you guys sing it together? It's a NYADA tradition, right? And you guys are both NYADA students."

"Finn." Rachel said lowly.

"Yeah. All right, let's do it." Brody grinned, going over to the stage.

"I love you. Wish me luck." They shared a kiss as Rachel bounced off to Brody.

Marina took a swig of her drink, sighing. "I don't like him."

Finn nodded in agreement. "Me neither. He's into Rachel. She's into him."

"She was into you first, Finn. Man, you guys were going to get married! Everything will be okay in the end." She grinned, leaning into his side as the pair on stage began to sing.

"Marina?" Finn asked, looking down to the girl.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"Sing with me."

"We never have done a duet." Marina noted. 

As the pair sang, Marina looked to Finn as they sat down beside Kurt and Blaine. She saw the hurt and sadness in his eyes and leaned over to him. "Hey, Finn, isn't it weird that everyone we meet can sing? Like, Sugar is the only person I knew who couldn't sing and she's already getting better." He chuckled softly, and soon enough the song was finished.

Everyone clapped and cheered as Rachel hopped back to their table, Brody in tow. "Oh, my God, you guys. It's so amazing up there." She breathed. Rachel then looked to Kurt. "You have to do your Sweeney Todd mega-medley."

"And risk a Page Six spread? I don't think so. 'Vogue.com intern sings without warming up.' Not happening." Kurt laughed.

Marina stood, Finn following. "We have a song we're going to sing, actually." Marina grinned.

"Oh!" Rachel said, surprised, "Good luck."

They spoke to the piano player and the band, the group getting ready as Marina and Finn picked up the microphones, sharing a nod as the music began. 

Finn and Marina danced around the stage as if it were the two of them back in the choir room, finally having the duet they deserved. The people at Callbacks clapped, Rachel and the other's being the loudest. When they finished, Marina spoke into the microphone, and arm in the air. "And that is how you do it in Lima, Ohio!"

They moved off the stage, sitting back with the others. They all congratulated the pair. "My god, why haven't we done that before?" Finn asked.

Blaine looked to the group, "I want to sing something."

Brody nodded, pointing to Pascal on the piano. "Yeah, just, uh, ask Pascal."

"Pascal." Kurt stated, his voice joking.

"How was I? Was I good?" Rachel grabbed Finn's arm, referring to when she sang before them.

"Yeah." Finn smiled, the pair hugging, "What about Marina and I?" He asked.

"You two were great." Rachel smiled as Blaine sat at the piano.

"Um, hi, everyone. I, um... I want to sing a song that's very special to me. This is a song that I sang the first time I ever met the love of my life. Um, so, Kurt, this is for you."

Marina knew something was wrong straight away. Kurt was smiling, Finn and Rachel were hugging, but Blaine.... He had tears in his eyes and his voice wavered. Mid-song, Kurt, Finn, and Rachel began to notice something wrong, looking concerned. Marina was just sitting there, face blank, until she felt a tear fall down her face. Why was everything falling apart?