In the beginning it's a just a thought, just a plan. Just blueprints in Shelby's warped mind, accompanied by an obsession to win (how many years have they won national's, again?) and secrets (Rachel Berry).

And suddenly, it's more than that.

Because Jesse's here and Rachel's right there and yeah, so maybe he's not the most caring guy in the world, but it takes a lot more than a sly mind to win a girl over and then break her heart, okay?

-0-

Jesse decides that Rachel may be over-competitive (he's one to talk), annoying, and a little conceited, but Rachel? Yeah, she's not stupid. Like, at all.

If Jesse was one to show emotions (and he's not), his eyebrows would crinkle at the fact that Rachel is already hesitant about this. They're just singing a song together (for now), right? It's not like he's proposing.

He tells her about his future. He's going to The University of California Los Angeles (it's in Los Angeles, by the way) and she nods, smiling and maybe she thinks he's kind of refreshing compared to the rest of the 0.5 GPA jocks that live off this town. Not that he cares if she's just smiling to be polite or something. She's just Rachel Berry and her opinions on his future don't mean anything to him. She's just Rachel Berry and he'll be done with this whole thing faster than you can say starinthemaking. She's just Rachel Berry and she's not special.

He starts off the song and his voice is amazing, as usual. It's pure, and strong, and relaxed, and perfect. Rachel joins in later and he thinks that her voice is just as okay up close as it was on stage at Sectionals. It doesn't give his stomach butterflies or anything like that, because she's just Rachel Berry, after all.

-0-

He transfers to William McKinley. It's not truly Shelby's idea; something about him being able to fulfill the plan without transferring school's for God's sake, but he insists because Shelby...well, she can be cool sometimes. So she deserves Rachel; her daughter. Or whatever.

The school kind of grosses him out though. It's like he took a car to an alternate universe where suddenly glee club is nicknamed homo-explosion and it's not cool to be anywhere near it. Which is really messed up because, at his (old) school, glee club was never lame. Seriously, it wasn't.

But he supposes it's okay for awhile because it's for Shelby, and like he said, she's kind of cool sometimes. Or whatever.

-0-

And then there's Finn Hudson. So, yeah, maybe Jesse doesn't care about Rachel (because she's just Rachel Berry, remember?) but she's still his girlfriend and who does this Finn Hudson guy think he is staring (like, that) at things that belong to him?

(It doesn't bother him when she smiles at Finn sometimes, or gives him these looks, that kind of remind him of the days when he watches movies and there's those actors that are just there already and Jesse's still just on his way. Kind of like longing, he supposes.)

But Rachel is still his and only his and not even in the 'we're in love' kind of a way. More like the 'fuck off Finn Hudson, you can't have her' kind of a way. Which is a way, Jesse assures himself.

After all, this plan will only work if Rachel is with him. Not Finn. And Shelby really needs him right now, remember?

-0-

He doesn't care, okay? What's the big deal? She only used him (her boyfriend, may he remind you) and those two other douchebags to make herself look better, to look cooler. Of course, he's supposed to care, 'cause he's her boyfriend and all, so he gives her a hurt look (and it's all just apart of the act, remember?) and walks out. That sound? Kind of like heartbreak? Yeah, that's him slamming the door on his way out.

-0-

He goes on Spring Break with Vocal Adrenaline. He expects her to put up a fight about it, but oh, wait, he's not talking to her. He has to not-talk-to-her, not because he cares, but because he's like "in love with her" and so he should be hurt by this and all, remember? Because he's an actor and that's what he does. He plays roles.

She texts him one night, right when he's stepping out the elevator on his way back to his hotel room.

And no, his heart doesn't start pounding when he sees her name.

'I have laryngitis. I think it'd be quite appropriate if you started talking to me again.
The only way we can work through this is if we both express our feelings, after all. ...I miss you.'

He reads the text once and then puts it back in his pocket. And, no, he definitely does not reread it five more times after that, while tossing and turning in the cold, hard hotel bed late at night.

-0-

He puts the cassette tape in the box, and yeah, it kind of feels like victory.

-0-

"-But now, I think I kind of like her. I don't want her to get hurt."

He doesn't know what he's saying until it comes out. But when he does, he realizes it's true. He kind of...likes Rachel Berry.

Fuck.

-0-

So this is my first Glee oneshot and could be more with reviews(: *hint hint*

My otp is Finchel, but St. Berry's a close second. And Finchel right now is just...too depressing to write. Bleh.

Review?