after rehearsal snack [stephanie]

[BRODY J. SPEER]

It was after midnight, and VA rehearsal had just gotten done about a half an hour before. Even with a new coach, the team knew just how important practice was. April had asked if they wanted to end early, saying it was kind of strange that they didn't want to stop and mentioning how New Directions never practiced this late, but Brody and the rest of VA just laughed. That's why they didn't make it to Nationals, let alone win, he thought, before the team started the song they were doing over again, ready for another few hours.

Those few hours passed by with a lot of sweat and hard work, and it was finally time to head home. Well, for most of the team that was. Brody usually stopped at the cafe on his way home, grabbing a quick bite to eat. The cafe owner was a VA veteran, and he made sure that the shop was open until at least one in the morning. No one was ever in there, of course, but it was the thought that counted. Parking his Range Rover in the closest spot to the door, Brody hopped out of his car and walked in the door, waving to the guy behind the counter. "Hey, Danny, I'll just have a BLT," he said, sitting down at the only table where the chairs weren't put up.

It took a few minutes for his sandwich to be made, but Brody didn't mind. Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly texted Stephanie.

meet me @ the cafe?

He would have invited Reid, too, but since it was a school night, Reid usually liked to go home and study a bit for school the next day. They both usually hung out on the weekends, and besides, Brody wanted to spend a little time with Steph. She was his best girl friend, and he'd liked her for quite a while, so he was kind of hoping that the more time they spent together, she'd develop the same feelings, if she didn't already have them. Humming the chorus to 21 Guns, the most recent song VA had been practicing, Brody wanted for a return text from Steph.

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[STEPHANIE A. DORN]

After hours of hard work, and a few red bulls later, VA practice had finished for the night. Although Stephanie was glad that it was done for the night, she wouldn't of wanted to end hours earlier, like April had suggested. Stephanie liked rehearsing until she felt like she couldn't move her legs without them giving out on her. And, although it is quite disgusting, she didn't mind sweating from such high amounts of physical activity. It was oddly refreshing, maybe because it was thought that sweating released toxins from the body.

But as practice ended, Stephanie took her sweet time to get from the auditorium to her range rover. Although it was still technically summer, at this time of night, the air was cool and was refreshing on the skin, after spending eight hours in a now stuffy auditorium. As she closed the door to the back seat to her car, after throwing in her school and va bags, Stephanie realized she was close to one of the last students to leave, as she judged by the lack of black suv's in the parking lot.

Pulling out of the parking lot of Carmel High, Stephanie heard her phone buzz on the passengers seat. Reaching over, and keeping her eyes on the road was a bit of a struggle, but she successfully got her phone. As she stopped at a red light, she quickly pulled open the message. It was from Brody. What would he want at midnight? Stephanie just wanted to get home, have a shower and sleep.

After reading the message, Stephanie protested with herself for a moment. She really just felt like crawling into bed, but she couldn't pass up this invitation from Brody. She just couldn't. She'd slap herself if she did.

be there in like, five minutes.

Stephanie quickly texted back, before the light turned green, and having to mentally re-route herself. Getting herself to the cafe from where she was now wasn't a hard thing to do, but after midnight and a few red bulls, thinking took some time.

Pulling into the cafe, Stephanie parked next to the only other car that was there, an identical range rover to her own. She had stopped at the cafe a few times after practices before, but only when groups from VA were going, so seeing only two cars in the lot, and only two people inside, was a bit strange. "You know," Stephanie started to speak, with a joking tone to her voice, as she neared one of the only chairs that wasn't on top a table, "Maybe you should of went home and showered. Your smell seems to of scared away customers."

[BRODY J. SPEER]

Brody received Steph's return text a few moments later, and smiled at the thought of her coming. "Hey, keep the grill on. We'll have another guest soon," he called to Danny, who was busy making his BLT, as he waited for Steph to join him. A few seconds later, though, he heard the door open, and Steph make a joke at his expense. He smirked before rolling his eyes and thinking of a comeback of his own. "Well, Ms. Raccoon Eyes, let's hope it was just my smell and not your poor choice in eye makeup that scared everyone away," he said, referring to the eyeliner that was smudged around her eyes. On most girls, it would have been hideous because of the original amount caked on, but it didn't look that bad on Steph. Brody just needed a comeback.

He casually lifted one arm, though, and gingerly smelled. He quickly put it down, laughing. "Um, yeah, it probably is my smell," he said, mentally making a note to scrub down in the shower later. VA practice was tough, but all the sweat that the members put into it (literally) just proved to everyone else that they were the best. "It was a good practice though. I think I'm going to like Coach Rhodes, especially if she gives us all of the solos," he added, as a sandwich was placed in front of him. He quickly took a bite, then motioned to Steph, seeing if she wanted anything.

Brody chewed and swallowed, his hunger quicky dissipating. "But what about you?" he added. "Do you like Coach Rhodes? Aside from the creepy going-to-see-her-five-times-this-summer thing?" he asked, wondering what her opinion was. Brody had an idea, though. He liked to watch Stephanie during practice (though he'd call it observing), and she seemed to throughly enjoy everything April put them through. She liked to be pushed to the limit. "I think with her here, we're gonna win Nationals again," he said, before taking another bite of his sandwich.