Chapter 3
Friday, march 5, 3:43 pm
🪻Iris’s pov🪻
“So the central city theater is hosting nationals and cc jitters is funding it?” Eddie asked me while we were in jitters ironically “yeah i got the call last night” i said shrugging Barry and i had been make grandma Anne’s cream chicken when i got the call
Flash back (wink wink)
“Barry, can you get me the salt?” “yeah” I heard Barry open the cabinet. Soon he handed me the salt “ok after this we let the chicken cook for 20 minutes” i said while sprinkling some salt in the pan with the chicken. “When is Joe getting off work?” Barry asked while putting some plates and forks on the table” he should be getting off in an hour” I responded by setting the timer for 20 minutes. “I'm gonna leave chicken, sauce, and vegetables on a plate for him.” i add. “Ok” I heard bear’s response from the living room.
I walk into the living room to see Barry sitting on the couch watching the karate kid. “So how do you feel about getting into nationals?” The scene where we won Barry seemed a little off after we saw the list of groups that made it to nationals. “I'm alright, why?” Barry said not so convincingly “well “ I begin “you’ve just seemed off ever since we found out who the competition is for nationals“
Barry shrugged, “I've heard a lot about some of them, you know, last year I heard that the new directions and warbler won by a landslide.” Barry said, trying to make me think that was all that was bothering him. “Yeah the warblers were really going, especially because of their leader, Sebastian Smythe.” I saw Barry's face go from surprised to scared to anxious to indifferent all in the span of a second.
“Who?” Barry says in his best confused voice . “You and I both know that you went by Sebastian Smythe at Dalton and you were the caption and don't you try and gas light me into thinking differently” I say with conviction. Barry grounded in response “how did you find out?” he asked after a second “dad let it slip” I say
“Does anyone else know” Barry asked after a second of him taking that in. “Only me, Eddie, and Luke.” i say barry looked absolutely done with everything “how did they find out?!?!?!?!?” Barry asks “I told them cause I knew they’d want to know” I say with what's probably a shit eating grin on my face.
After a couple of seconds of Barry pouting about me telling them I ask “so seeing your old choir mates is the reason you’ve been acting off lately.” Barry looked pensive for a minute. “I…when I went to dalton put on a mask that wasn’t me i acted like an ass and im scared that they might see me and make a scene or something” Barry said looking worried. “You know with me, eddie, and luke there is no chance that there going to hurt you or even see you if we have anything to say about it “thank’s iris i think i'll want to stay as hidden as i can fro—”
Barry’s phone started to ring and he checked the screen “it’s Thad i'm going to take this” barry said clicking the screen and putting it to his ear “hey that how are you….. I'm good as well….why are you calling?..... You saw the video… i forgot to tell you ok i'm kind trying to figure out how im not going to be seen by the new directions and warblers…. You'll help me stay hidden letting me know where they are… thank you … ok talk to you later.
Barry looked up from his phone and said “Thad knows where going to nationals and that if i want he can help me stay clear of them”. Barry said with a small smile I smiled till my phone rang. I looked at it then looked at the screen and it's an unknown number. I hesitated for a second then answered putting the phone on speaker “hello” I said “is this iris west?” a female askes “yes this is she” looking at Barry he just surges his shoulders “great! I'm an organizer of the nationals singing competition and I'm letting you know that nationals are going to be in the central city of your group's home town. They're going to be held at the central city theater and on April twenty second you can take a look at the website for more information” she tells use “ok thank you for the information. Have a nice night.” i say after the lady says the same i hang up
“I guess we don't have to do that fundraiser.” Barry says after I hang up “we should still do it just to have the funds” I say in response “ yeah probably good to have some just in case.” Barry says after a lot of thought.”
“You said you were an ass at Dalton, can you tell me what happend.” I asked barry. He looked pensive for a minute. He opened his mouth to speak but then the buzzer rang for the chicken. “I'll stir the sauce,” he said, quickly getting up and hurling to the kitchen. I knew he was trying to distract me from trying to find out what was wrong and trying to help. Well to bad for him I'm not giving up.
And of flashback
“So we have about a month to be ready for nationals?” Eddie says bring me back from what happened yesterday. “Yeah we have a lot to do but not a lot of time to do it.” I say “ well we already have song and dance ideas.” I hear Luke walk up to us “where is Barry” after realizing that he would be here by now. Luke looked at me and eddie “i thought he was with one of you” me and eddie looked at each other “we thought he was with you?” i grab my phone to text him when i see i have a message
Max: i just watched barry run out of the
chemistry room saying “im late!!!”
I laugh as I read what Max sent me looking. “What is it?” Luke asks, trying to look over my shoulder to see my phone. “Max just texted me that Barry ran out of the chemistry room saying I'm late!” eddie and luke laugh at the why i tried to mimic barry's vouis which when made me laugh
“How on earth did Barry forget we were meeting here after school? We do this almost every week "Eddie says after we stopped laughing" I don't know but he’s been off scene we found out how made it to nationals "Luke said with a thoughtful look on his face. He was probably think of all the times barry’s acted off in the past few days
“Yeah… I'm pretty sure it's because the team he was in when he was in Ohio is going to be there.” i say remembering the conversation we had the night before. We stay in a thoughtful silence until luke brakes it by saying “ if he’s nervous about seeing his old team maybe we can just distract him from the idea of seeing them”
“Yeah that could work but how.” Eddie rebuteled “I could ask him to help choreograph dances and pick songs.” luke said “ hell! we could give him a solo. We all know he can do it and it would take the mind of his old team." Luke added with a tongue that said he wast going to take no for an answer.
“I agree with Luke we could give Barry a solo and he’d be great” I say looking at both of them. Eddie looks thoughtful for a moment then says “ok it's not like we weren't going to give him a solo.”
“Graet!” Luke and I said “What's great?” i turn around to see barry out of breath its walking towards us “it's just grate that we don't have to travel for nationals” luke said with confidence that even i believed it “isn't it” barry says as he puts his bag on a chair “so what drinks are you guys going the get?” he adds after getting situated
“How about a vanilla latte with a shot of covesea?” Eddie asked with a shit eating grin. Barry looks absolutely done with life “ one time..one time it is not my fault that the barista in that french coffee shop thought that i automatically thought i knew it was an alcohol i thought it was a word for vanilla!!!” Barry ranted. Me, Eddie, and Luke all bursted out laughing, gaining the attention of some people in the coffee shop but that didn't stop us.
“You all can get your own drinks” barry said in pho announce as he walked away. “No! barry! Im sorry!!” eddie said trying to get up but he tripped over this bag and falling to the flore. Luke and I laughed as eddie tryed to get up so he could follow berry but failed.