It started shortly before the Winter Showcase. Rachel came home from her afternoon dance class boiling mad—she'd had the whole ride on the subway home to replay what Cassandra July had said to her, and by the time she got to her stop had decided she'd been totally out of line.

Kurt was stirring pasta at the stove when he heard her stomping into the apartment. "Cassandra July's a bitch!" Rachel raged.

Kurt sighed. "Well, this we knew. What now?" He was growing a little tired of hearing Rachel complain about the school he'd been desperately trying to get into.

"You won't believe what she did to me. All I did was ask to drink a sip of water while we were practicing the new combination I told you about—and she publicly humiliated me! She called me out in front of the entire class!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Well that sounds like an amateur mistake."

"What?"
"Rachel, you know she's tough. You can't expect her to suddenly not be."

"You're taking her side?"

"I'm just saying, she's clearly aiming to increase your stamina. You may not like her methods, but you've certainly worked harder at dance the past couple months than I ever heard you doing in high school."

Rachel grunted at that. "Stamina?! I worked myself to the bone in high school! I was in 23 clubs! I had leadership positions!"

"Yeah, you were really good at being bossy in high school, I remember."

"Kurt!"

"You just don't like that she's taking you down a notch and making you work on your weaknesses is all."

"I'm not—weak—in dance…" Rachel defended.

"See you can't even admit you're imperfect at something. How are you supposed to learn?"

"I'd be a great student for her if she'd get off my back. She criticizes me more than practically anybody else—"

"That means she thinks you're worth teaching, Rachel. If she didn't think you were talented, she wouldn't work you so hard."

"By making me feel TERRIBLE every day?"

"It's a performing arts school, Rachel. They have to break you down so you get out of your bad habits—"
"Bad habits?"

"Yeah, like thinking you have nothing to learn."

Rachel scoffed and plopped on the couch. "I can't believe you're taking her side. I got a Winter Showcase Invitation—I should be-"

"What, getting invited to the Winter Showcase as a freshman means you get to stop working hard? How are you supposed to do Broadway if as soon as you get one opportunity or one great performance you stop pushing yourself?"

"I never said it meant—"
"That invitation has totally gone to your head."

"I'm allowed to be proud—"
"I didn't say you weren't! I'm just saying, you don't always do so well in these situations."

"What situations?"
"When you get a win. You rest on your laurels."
Rachel sulked. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Honey, look. I love you, and I just want what's best for you. And while I agree she's kinda a bitch, the fact is, Cassandra July is probably a better teacher than Mr. Schue ever was for you."
"How can you say that?"

"Come on, Rachel. You know he had faults."
"Well—of course, but…"

"And I think he was great at building community, and introducing a range of musical genres, and all that. But can you… really say you learned that much from him?"

"I learned plenty."

"You were his star, Rachel. He talked a good game about everyone getting a chance, but…"

"You're still jealous of my solos?!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "No. I don't care about that anymore, I'm saying-"

"Blaine got plenty of solos too!"

"Yeah. Proving my point here, Rachel. Blaine showed up and had a solo every week. How often did Artie get a solo, and he was there from the beginning! Or Mike?"

"Mike Chang's not a singer!"

"Well, maybe if he had anyone pushing him more he'd have gotten to get to be one! He was great in West Side Story! But it wasn't Mr. Schue—it was Artie and Coach Beiste who saw that in him and nurtured it. Mr. Schue could have gotten more out of him if he hadn't been lazy always falling back on giving you and Blaine every other lead."

"Oh this is about Blaine then."

"God. No, Rachel." Kurt was getting exasperated.

"You said you were over him. You said you two were getting past the awkwardness to be friends again even—"

"We are. This is not about that."
"Then what is it?"
"I'd give anything to have a teacher care enough about me to tear my performance to pieces so I could get better, Rachel. I love you. But if you're going to be the best, if you're going to be Broadway material—yeah, you can't just stop in the middle of class for a drink of water, and you certainly can't get into a power struggle every week with your dance teacher."

"She's the one who acts like—"
"Like she's in charge? Yeah, Rachel. She acts like she's in charge of dance class, because she is. It's her class, she gets to make the rules. That's what I'm saying. You can't pretend like you can call the shots in her class."

Rachel slumped, pouting. Her voice became small. "…she said… I'm not good enough yet."

Kurt chuckled. He crossed over to the couch and sat down next to Rachel. "Did you expect to be?"
Rachel was offended. "Kurt!"

"Mr. Schue really screwed you over Rachel. You can't even take the slightest criticism. Being a performer is all about getting criticized. You're a freshman, and dance is your weakest subject. Of course you're not good enough yet."

"Well I told her I would sing at Winter Showcase." Rachel shot back.

Kurt arched his eyebrows. "Well I guess you told her."
Rachel nodded, defiant. Then she thought about it, and slumped.

Kurt shook his head. "Honestly Rachel? Sometimes you tell me these stories and…" he hesitated, unsure of whether he should go further.

Rachel waited for more. "And—and what?"

Kurt shrugged. "And if I was Cassie July I probably would have taken you over my knee months ago."