Author Note: This will be at least five chapters long, possibly more if people like it. All comments and criticism appreciated, thank you for reading!
Eventual pairings will be Rachel/Quinn, others still to be decided. This chapter is tame; action in the next one, I swear to Grilled Cheesus.
I do not own Glee or it's characters; if I did, I would find a way to make Rachel's skirts shorter.
It was a fairly average after school rehearsal for the Glee club. Kurt had loudly disapproved of Rachel's outfit, describing it as 'elderly yet whorish', resulting in a near storm-out. Puck had made three sexist comments and received three slaps around the head from Santana, Rachel and Kurt respectively. Finn sat staring blankly into space, until he put his hand up and asked Mr Schue what the word 'discombobulate' meant, to which Brittany replied that she once rode one at the carnival. Mike and Sam were involved in a competitive dance-off that was being judged by Tina, Artie and Mercedes, a heated argument taking place between Tina and Mercedes about whether or not Sam should lose points for tripping over a chair, as he claimed it was his new dance move.
After trying – and failing – to convince Finn that 'discombobulate' was not something you would find at a carnival, Mr Schue moved to the front of the class and waited until the choir room fell silent. He held up a piece of paper. "Guess what arrived today guys," he announced, smiling, "the rules for the Nationals, which is taking place in six weeks!" An excited hush spread through the gathered teenagers. "The most exciting part is… it's being held in New York City! New Directions is going road tripping!"
The reaction from the Glee members was exactly as Mr Schue had hoped. There were whoops and high fives amongst the boys, shrieks of delight from Rachel and Kurt, an excited impromptu dance from Brittany, and even Santana and Puck had huge grins on their faces. They quietened down again when it became clear that Mr Schue had more to say.
"Also, this time I've decided to mix things up a bit. Every other competition we've done, I've chosen your songs. This time," Mr Schue said, pausing for effect, "you guys are choosing. As long as we stick to the Nationals show choir rules, it's up to you!" A chorus of "ooohs" spread through the room and everyone started talking at once.
Rachel's eyes glazed over slightly and she began muttering "ideas, ideas, planning, so many ideas" before shouting "Wicked! We have to do something from Wicked!". Puck snorted and replied, "No way, let's totally do some hardcore rock". Mercedes kept saying "Aretha, Aretha, Aretha" while Kurt gave a lengthy spiel about how they should perform a number from The Sound of Music, with him as the star of course. Brittany, clearly baffled as to what they were talking about, suggested a Happy Meal; there was a slightly awkward silence until Santana patted her on the head gently, then the arguing began again.
Mr Schue, amused by the discussions taking place, let them talk for a while. He noticed that Quinn wasn't saying anything; the girl seemed completely zoned out, her elbows on her knees and chin resting on her hands, staring into space. It wasn't the first time Quinn had seemed distant in Glee. Things had been different ever since she had returned to school the summer after having her baby. It was as if she had completely forgotten about the pregnancy and her fall from grace within the McKinley social hierarchy; back in shape and back to her controlled, private self, she was once again the Head Cheerio, confident and strong. However in Glee she seemed to let down her guard a little, and Mr Schue was worried about the sad girl she seemed to become whenever that happened. She did seem more relaxed around the other Glee members, except for Rachel, still on the receiving end of Quinn's occasionally bitchy remarks, despite the almost friendly relationship between them before the summer break.
Mr Schue's thoughts were interrupted by Finn. "Mr Schue," the tall boy said, a confused expression on his face, "how will we know which songs to pick?" Mr Schue considered the question for a moment, aware than the other Glee members were also waiting for an answer. "Well," he said, smiling at the group, "it's got to come from inside of you." A loud "HAHA!" made everyone jump and glare at Puck, who said with a cocky grin "that's what she said." Everyone groaned and Rachel responded with her usual "shut it Puckerman!", while Brittany simply asked "who is she and how does Puck know she said that?"
Mr Schue sighed as the school bell began to ring, signalling the end of their practice. He said goodbye to the Glee kids and moved into his office, dreading the large pile of unmarked Spanish quizzes on his desk, knowing that most of his students could hardly remember what 'hola' meant. As he sat down, he noticed through the open door that Quinn was still motionless on her chair in the choir room, and was about to check on her when he heard a voice from the room, which he recognised as Rachel's. "Uh…Quinn?"
The blonde girl raised her head as if mildly surprised at hearing her name, looking at the other girl with a gaze that could only be described as lost; Mr Schue had never seen anyone look so utterly miserable. Suddenly it was as if a mask was sliding across Quinn's face; it became cold and expressionless, her eyes hard and almost cruel. "What do you want Berry?" she muttered, "aside from a decent taste in fashion, that is."
Rachel's mouth twitched but she didn't respond to the other girl's jibe, choosing instead to roll her eyes dramatically and head towards the door again, pausing at the frame and ignoring the icy glare directed at her. "You looked upset," Rachel said, her voice sounding almost disappointed. "I thought you might appreciate an offer to talk to someone. Clearly I was mistaken, and it's a mistake I won't make again." With that, she walked away, leaving Quinn to stare at the closing door; after a moment she gathered herself and left, slowly making her way to English class. In his office, Mr Schue wondered how it was that a teenager could have that much emotion and pain; he made a mental note to have a word with Quinn at the next Glee practice. Sighing again, he couldn't help but groan as he marked the first Spanish quiz. Once again, Brittany had drawn either a sombrero or a cactus for every answer.