Glee fic #22 - Kurcedes:Our Day Will Come
Title::..Our Day Will Come
Spoilers::..Asian F
Rating::..G
Genre::..Drama
Characters::..Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel, Burt and Will
Pairing::..Kurcedes
Author’s Note::..I have always gravitated toward Kurcedes but as season 3 goes on I become more pessimistic about their friendship. After watching I Kissed a Girl I was especially annoyed with Mercedes and I’m feeling like perhaps the writers have totally forgotten about these two EVER being friends. Grr! This little fic is dedicated to everyone who wants to see Kurt and Mercedes reunite before it’s too late and for everyone who remembers how awesome they were together!
This is a futurefic, it’s the first futurefic I’ve ever written for Glee but it wasn’t too terrifying so maybe I’ll attempt another one. The title of the fic comes from the song of the same title; originally released by Ruby and the Romantics in 1962, but the version I drew inspiration from is that of Amy Winehouse as a part of her posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures. In keeping with the Amy theme, it was an Amy Winehouse biography I was reading at the time that inspired me to try something new and take a stab of writing my own section of a biography.
Summary::..The impact Kurt had on Mercedes’ life can never be forgotten.
The following is a preview from the upcoming biography of soul-singing diva Mercedes Jones; ‘Hell to the No’.
It may be difficult for fans of the larger-than-life glamorous two-time Grammy award winner Mercedes Jones to imagine her anywhere but the red-carpets of Hollywood. But the now internationally-acclaimed singer came from a far less glitzy setting. Before topping charts the world over it was the unassuming city of Lima, Ohio she called home.
It was in one of the district’s public schools that Mercedes’ musical talents began to gain her the attention she was craving. On one of the noticeboards in the hallways of William McKinley High Mercedes excitedly scribbled her name (below others, including that of Broadway darling Rachel Berry) on an audition sheet for the revamped Glee Club.
Spanish teacher and Glee-veteran William Schuester had no idea of the onslaught of talent he would find himself faced with as he tacked up the notice calling for members to join ‘New Directions’. Mercedes was going to make sure she earned her spot in the club, performing a song she knew would get Schuester’s attention. An old favourite was called upon for inspiration, Aretha Franklin. Mercedes takes every opportunity to praise the work of disco legend Aretha Franklin. ‘I came out of my mother’s womb singing Aretha’s songs. She had this amazing power when she sung that made everybody instantly shut their mouths and pay attention, I want that.’ Mercedes said.
Mercedes was given her ‘Aretha moment’ when she stepped on to the stage of the school’s auditorium. With only one audience member she sang one of Aretha’s best known songs, ‘Respect’. Will Schuester discussed this audition stating ‘just thinking about it gives me goose-bumps. I can remember the hair on the back of my neck standing up. It was so raw, her standing there on an empty stage with really bad lighting. But she owned it all. I knew at once that I’d found something special. It was talent, just pure talent.’
Mercedes was added to the club and quickly gained the respect of the other members with her ability to belt out jaw-dropping notes without breaking a sweat. Schuester (or ‘Mr Schue’ as Mercedes affectionately refers to him as whenever reminiscing over her days in the club) harnessed this talent, showcasing her natural skill in almost every song the group performed and helping encourage her to try new styles through weekly assignments set for the club.
After being a misfit during the earlier years of high school Mercedes was thrilled to finally find a place where she belonged. ‘Being in Glee Club were the happiest times of my life. It was a way to rise above the fickleness of the rest of the school and really express ourselves. Sure, there were times when not everyone got along and we had as many scandals as you’d expect for a group of teenagers. But at the end of the day we were all there for the same reason: music. We were all passionate about what we were doing and we lifted each other up.’ Mercedes said when asked to speak at an event supporting the continued presence of the arts in public schools.
A fellow member of McKinley High’s New Directions Rachel Berry painted a less chipper image of the time spent in Glee Club. ‘Yeah I was in the same Glee Club as Mercedes. You can imagine how well that went right, two divas like us in the same room.’ She commented. ‘I got a lot of solos and Mercedes didn’t really like that. We were constantly fighting for solos and yeah most of the time I won.’
Being a back-up singer didn’t suit Mercedes. But it was in the shadows of Rachel’s brightly burning ambition that Mercedes found a confidante. Kurt Hummel was another star of the singing group. Mercedes found in him someone who could match her thirst for a showbiz lifestyle. They would soon become inseparable, soul mates who found each other across the crowded cafeteria.
Unfortunately their friendship wasn’t destined to last. Five years after graduating from William McKinley High (the same year as Mercedes released her debut album, Say It Loud) Kurt Hummel was bashed to death outside a friend’s holiday home. When his attackers were later identified they sourced their reasoning for murdering Kurt as his sexuality ‘made them uncomfortable’. Kurt was described by his father, Burt Hummel, as ‘proudly gay’, claiming his son to be ‘the most flamboyant person anyone could ever meet’. Kurt has become an icon in the gay community, a story to teach tolerance and anti-bullying.
After being photographed attending Kurt’s funeral Mercedes was approached by The Trevor Project (an initiative supporting the gay community and their families) to help shed some light on his life. She was glad to sit down for an interview with them as a way to pay tribute to her lost friend. New to the world’s stage it was a risky move to have an interview where no plug for her album was included. But this interview wasn’t about album sales, it was for Kurt.
‘I didn’t become friends with Kurt until after I joined the Glee Club, but I knew exactly who he was before we ever officially met.’ Mercedes said. ‘He was the kind of kid who always stood out. He wore stuff like sweaters designed by Alexander McQueen to school! And the boots, he always had the most amazing boots. Too bad his feet were so much bigger than mine and I could never borrow any.’
The glamorous pair was soon to bond over more than their dissatisfaction over the lack of solos they were to receive in Glee Club. Burt Hummel recalls having Mercedes in his house ‘almost every weekend’. They would spend these weekends on marathon-length trips to the local mall, dedicating their spending equally between their two passions: music and fashion.
Through this creative connection they were able to share things unspoken to others. With one another they were able to create a sanctuary where they could feel safe away from the bullies dogging their every step (often throwing ice-cold ‘Slushie’ drinks in the faces of their victims). In the safety of Kurt’s bedroom they found the freedom to explore the giddy ambitions only teenagers can dream up so optimistically.
With Kurt by her side she was beginning to make her transformation into the stage diva the world knows her as today. It is the age-old cliché that every serious showbiz diva needs a gay man in her entourage. Be it in the position of paid assistant or simply a good friend, every diva knows the opinion of a reliable gay will trump that of any other. Kurt filled this mould perfectly for Mercedes. He used his expansive knowledge of fashion to help Mercedes channel her inner-runway model. He encouraged her to wear clothes which expressed her sassy personality, breaking her out of the habit of dressing down her personal style to avoid bullying.
‘Kurt was the best friend any teenage girl could ever hope for.’ Mercedes enthused to the Trevor Project. ‘He was like my first stylist. He could be a little blunt at times but he always had my best interests at heart. He saw the person I was on the inside and he wanted to show this off to the world. All he wanted to do was help me and there were times when I got defensive and snippy and I deeply regret those reactions looking back at them now.’
When he wasn’t offering unflattering comments and she wasn’t snapping they were the best friends imaginable. A break in their solitude was accepted gratefully by both. Inspiration flowed easily, not just with fashion and music. The pair also inspired one another to be brave in ways unprecedented before in the halls of high school.
‘I was the first person Kurt came out to. It was after we’d just joined Glee and we’d been hanging out a lot. I kind of told him to get his butt in gear and stop hiding. After that he started wearing his real nice clothes to school and he’d stand up to bullies.’ She said.
With Kurt beginning to explore his potential Mercedes took off in her own direction. There are rare occurrences where friendships can survive, in their original glory and strength, the turbulence of high school. It’s a time of self-discovery as children begin on the path to adulthood. Teenagers take this chance to try different fads and styles, often switching friends for new clicks to suit these changes.
Some friendships can endure these trials and come out victorious. While others wilt, collapsing underneath the pressure. For Mercedes and Kurt the latter rule applies. ‘We floated apart in a domino effect. It started to go kind of sour when he transferred to a different school. It wasn’t even for a year, he came back as soon as possible but the damage was already done. When he came back too much had changed and I felt totally out of touch with him.
‘That feeling never really went away and it only got worse when I split off to join a rival Glee Club.’ Mercedes lamented. ‘We talked every now and then but I never put in any effort to reconnect with him. High school ended, I went off to start my career. Next thing I knew he was dead.’
Despite Kurt Hummel’s death occurring in 2017 the effect of his presence in her life are still evident in the year of 2031. While Mercedes’ career continues to soar she always places her support behind all worth-while gay support groups.
Her eagle-eyed fans have spotted a small tattoo on her wrist, the letter K in extravagant cursive alongside a small rainbow flag (the internationally recognized flag for the LBGTQ community). Mercedes has made no attempts to dispel these speculations. Instead Kurt’s name is often featured; with her old friend seeming to never stray from her mind.
‘There’s a point in my live show where I sing the classic ‘Our Day Will Come’, it’s a beautifully optimistic song and I always seem to get something new out of it every time I sing it.’ She said. ‘But no matter how many fans I’m singing it to that night I always think about the same person: my buddy Kurt Hummel. I sing it to him because I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today if his spirit and his courage and passion hadn’t touched my life. I miss him a lot, still. So it’s nice to sing that song and feel a bit closer to him.’
It’s impossible to know what kind of life Mercedes Jones would be leading had she not encountered Kurt Hummel during such a crucial time in her development. Without him nurturing her creative side and pushing her forward to a place of courage is it possible the world would not know the name or songs of Mercedes Jones?
The only definite answer we can gain is that Kurt’s impact will continue to effect aspects of her life. With observers unable to look past her strong attachments to the rainbow flag. Certainly Kurt could never be far from her mind as she continues to address gay pride rallies. With her defending the values Kurt lived by the memory of her lost friend remains as permanent as the symbolic tattoo on her wrist.
‘Hell to the No’ is available in all leading bookstores on February 3rd.
Spoilers::..Asian F
Rating::..G
Genre::..Drama
Characters::..Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel, Burt and Will
Pairing::..Kurcedes
Author’s Note::..I have always gravitated toward Kurcedes but as season 3 goes on I become more pessimistic about their friendship. After watching I Kissed a Girl I was especially annoyed with Mercedes and I’m feeling like perhaps the writers have totally forgotten about these two EVER being friends. Grr! This little fic is dedicated to everyone who wants to see Kurt and Mercedes reunite before it’s too late and for everyone who remembers how awesome they were together!
This is a futurefic, it’s the first futurefic I’ve ever written for Glee but it wasn’t too terrifying so maybe I’ll attempt another one. The title of the fic comes from the song of the same title; originally released by Ruby and the Romantics in 1962, but the version I drew inspiration from is that of Amy Winehouse as a part of her posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures. In keeping with the Amy theme, it was an Amy Winehouse biography I was reading at the time that inspired me to try something new and take a stab of writing my own section of a biography.
Summary::..The impact Kurt had on Mercedes’ life can never be forgotten.
The following is a preview from the upcoming biography of soul-singing diva Mercedes Jones; ‘Hell to the No’.
It may be difficult for fans of the larger-than-life glamorous two-time Grammy award winner Mercedes Jones to imagine her anywhere but the red-carpets of Hollywood. But the now internationally-acclaimed singer came from a far less glitzy setting. Before topping charts the world over it was the unassuming city of Lima, Ohio she called home.
It was in one of the district’s public schools that Mercedes’ musical talents began to gain her the attention she was craving. On one of the noticeboards in the hallways of William McKinley High Mercedes excitedly scribbled her name (below others, including that of Broadway darling Rachel Berry) on an audition sheet for the revamped Glee Club.
Spanish teacher and Glee-veteran William Schuester had no idea of the onslaught of talent he would find himself faced with as he tacked up the notice calling for members to join ‘New Directions’. Mercedes was going to make sure she earned her spot in the club, performing a song she knew would get Schuester’s attention. An old favourite was called upon for inspiration, Aretha Franklin. Mercedes takes every opportunity to praise the work of disco legend Aretha Franklin. ‘I came out of my mother’s womb singing Aretha’s songs. She had this amazing power when she sung that made everybody instantly shut their mouths and pay attention, I want that.’ Mercedes said.
Mercedes was given her ‘Aretha moment’ when she stepped on to the stage of the school’s auditorium. With only one audience member she sang one of Aretha’s best known songs, ‘Respect’. Will Schuester discussed this audition stating ‘just thinking about it gives me goose-bumps. I can remember the hair on the back of my neck standing up. It was so raw, her standing there on an empty stage with really bad lighting. But she owned it all. I knew at once that I’d found something special. It was talent, just pure talent.’
Mercedes was added to the club and quickly gained the respect of the other members with her ability to belt out jaw-dropping notes without breaking a sweat. Schuester (or ‘Mr Schue’ as Mercedes affectionately refers to him as whenever reminiscing over her days in the club) harnessed this talent, showcasing her natural skill in almost every song the group performed and helping encourage her to try new styles through weekly assignments set for the club.
After being a misfit during the earlier years of high school Mercedes was thrilled to finally find a place where she belonged. ‘Being in Glee Club were the happiest times of my life. It was a way to rise above the fickleness of the rest of the school and really express ourselves. Sure, there were times when not everyone got along and we had as many scandals as you’d expect for a group of teenagers. But at the end of the day we were all there for the same reason: music. We were all passionate about what we were doing and we lifted each other up.’ Mercedes said when asked to speak at an event supporting the continued presence of the arts in public schools.
A fellow member of McKinley High’s New Directions Rachel Berry painted a less chipper image of the time spent in Glee Club. ‘Yeah I was in the same Glee Club as Mercedes. You can imagine how well that went right, two divas like us in the same room.’ She commented. ‘I got a lot of solos and Mercedes didn’t really like that. We were constantly fighting for solos and yeah most of the time I won.’
Being a back-up singer didn’t suit Mercedes. But it was in the shadows of Rachel’s brightly burning ambition that Mercedes found a confidante. Kurt Hummel was another star of the singing group. Mercedes found in him someone who could match her thirst for a showbiz lifestyle. They would soon become inseparable, soul mates who found each other across the crowded cafeteria.
Unfortunately their friendship wasn’t destined to last. Five years after graduating from William McKinley High (the same year as Mercedes released her debut album, Say It Loud) Kurt Hummel was bashed to death outside a friend’s holiday home. When his attackers were later identified they sourced their reasoning for murdering Kurt as his sexuality ‘made them uncomfortable’. Kurt was described by his father, Burt Hummel, as ‘proudly gay’, claiming his son to be ‘the most flamboyant person anyone could ever meet’. Kurt has become an icon in the gay community, a story to teach tolerance and anti-bullying.
After being photographed attending Kurt’s funeral Mercedes was approached by The Trevor Project (an initiative supporting the gay community and their families) to help shed some light on his life. She was glad to sit down for an interview with them as a way to pay tribute to her lost friend. New to the world’s stage it was a risky move to have an interview where no plug for her album was included. But this interview wasn’t about album sales, it was for Kurt.
‘I didn’t become friends with Kurt until after I joined the Glee Club, but I knew exactly who he was before we ever officially met.’ Mercedes said. ‘He was the kind of kid who always stood out. He wore stuff like sweaters designed by Alexander McQueen to school! And the boots, he always had the most amazing boots. Too bad his feet were so much bigger than mine and I could never borrow any.’
The glamorous pair was soon to bond over more than their dissatisfaction over the lack of solos they were to receive in Glee Club. Burt Hummel recalls having Mercedes in his house ‘almost every weekend’. They would spend these weekends on marathon-length trips to the local mall, dedicating their spending equally between their two passions: music and fashion.
Through this creative connection they were able to share things unspoken to others. With one another they were able to create a sanctuary where they could feel safe away from the bullies dogging their every step (often throwing ice-cold ‘Slushie’ drinks in the faces of their victims). In the safety of Kurt’s bedroom they found the freedom to explore the giddy ambitions only teenagers can dream up so optimistically.
With Kurt by her side she was beginning to make her transformation into the stage diva the world knows her as today. It is the age-old cliché that every serious showbiz diva needs a gay man in her entourage. Be it in the position of paid assistant or simply a good friend, every diva knows the opinion of a reliable gay will trump that of any other. Kurt filled this mould perfectly for Mercedes. He used his expansive knowledge of fashion to help Mercedes channel her inner-runway model. He encouraged her to wear clothes which expressed her sassy personality, breaking her out of the habit of dressing down her personal style to avoid bullying.
‘Kurt was the best friend any teenage girl could ever hope for.’ Mercedes enthused to the Trevor Project. ‘He was like my first stylist. He could be a little blunt at times but he always had my best interests at heart. He saw the person I was on the inside and he wanted to show this off to the world. All he wanted to do was help me and there were times when I got defensive and snippy and I deeply regret those reactions looking back at them now.’
When he wasn’t offering unflattering comments and she wasn’t snapping they were the best friends imaginable. A break in their solitude was accepted gratefully by both. Inspiration flowed easily, not just with fashion and music. The pair also inspired one another to be brave in ways unprecedented before in the halls of high school.
‘I was the first person Kurt came out to. It was after we’d just joined Glee and we’d been hanging out a lot. I kind of told him to get his butt in gear and stop hiding. After that he started wearing his real nice clothes to school and he’d stand up to bullies.’ She said.
With Kurt beginning to explore his potential Mercedes took off in her own direction. There are rare occurrences where friendships can survive, in their original glory and strength, the turbulence of high school. It’s a time of self-discovery as children begin on the path to adulthood. Teenagers take this chance to try different fads and styles, often switching friends for new clicks to suit these changes.
Some friendships can endure these trials and come out victorious. While others wilt, collapsing underneath the pressure. For Mercedes and Kurt the latter rule applies. ‘We floated apart in a domino effect. It started to go kind of sour when he transferred to a different school. It wasn’t even for a year, he came back as soon as possible but the damage was already done. When he came back too much had changed and I felt totally out of touch with him.
‘That feeling never really went away and it only got worse when I split off to join a rival Glee Club.’ Mercedes lamented. ‘We talked every now and then but I never put in any effort to reconnect with him. High school ended, I went off to start my career. Next thing I knew he was dead.’
Despite Kurt Hummel’s death occurring in 2017 the effect of his presence in her life are still evident in the year of 2031. While Mercedes’ career continues to soar she always places her support behind all worth-while gay support groups.
Her eagle-eyed fans have spotted a small tattoo on her wrist, the letter K in extravagant cursive alongside a small rainbow flag (the internationally recognized flag for the LBGTQ community). Mercedes has made no attempts to dispel these speculations. Instead Kurt’s name is often featured; with her old friend seeming to never stray from her mind.
‘There’s a point in my live show where I sing the classic ‘Our Day Will Come’, it’s a beautifully optimistic song and I always seem to get something new out of it every time I sing it.’ She said. ‘But no matter how many fans I’m singing it to that night I always think about the same person: my buddy Kurt Hummel. I sing it to him because I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today if his spirit and his courage and passion hadn’t touched my life. I miss him a lot, still. So it’s nice to sing that song and feel a bit closer to him.’
It’s impossible to know what kind of life Mercedes Jones would be leading had she not encountered Kurt Hummel during such a crucial time in her development. Without him nurturing her creative side and pushing her forward to a place of courage is it possible the world would not know the name or songs of Mercedes Jones?
The only definite answer we can gain is that Kurt’s impact will continue to effect aspects of her life. With observers unable to look past her strong attachments to the rainbow flag. Certainly Kurt could never be far from her mind as she continues to address gay pride rallies. With her defending the values Kurt lived by the memory of her lost friend remains as permanent as the symbolic tattoo on her wrist.
‘Hell to the No’ is available in all leading bookstores on February 3rd.