Underneath the bright lights of New York City, she shines. Her busy schedule leaves little time to reminisce about high school or the cruelty of her fellow classmates. At center stage there are no slushy facials or mean spirited blogs, there are no cheerleaders or jocks toying with your emotions. There is simply the adoration of a million or more fans.
When the invitation comes in the mail she ignores it for over a week. She doesn't understand why anyone would want to re-subject themselves to the insecurities of adolescence. It's not until Kurt calls that she lets herself remember the smattering of good times, glee club for example. It's those thoughts that propel her to buy the plane ticket home.
The halls of McKinley haven't changed much. Fresh paint and newly polished floors do little to hide the fear and uncertainty that tainted her high school experience. It reverberates from the walls like electricity, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck.
She stops short of the gymnasium; muted laughter and outdated music drift down to greet her. For the hundredth time she questions why she's come back but then she catches the faintest hint of a familiar sound. It's barely audible over the party noise but it's unmistakable and it brings a fond smile to her face.
She back tracks to the arts hall and makes her way to the choir room. Inside, familiar faces are gathered around a scarred piano, their voices harmonizing in a slightly off beat rhythm. Her heart swells at the melting pot of personas, the diverse group of old friends.
They had all drifted apart after graduation, scattering the globe. Brittany and Santana went to Europe for the summer, two days before they were supposed to return home they called and said they were staying. Kurt had joined her at NYU, while Mercedes had gone to LA. Finn had stayed behind, putting in a year and a half at Lima Community College before joining Quinn at OSU. They were married two years later. Matt and Mike traveled through South America before attending college in Arizona. Puck, Artie, and Tina had started a band traveling through the great state of Ohio before expanding to the rest of the United States. They were discovered in a seedy little bar in Cincinnati by an agent with a huge record company. Their album hit number one in less than a week after dropping.
It's strange for her, seeing them all now, knowing that despite their different paths in life they've all managed to migrate to the familiarity of the music room. As the song wanes, Rachel steps through the door, her award winning smile firmly in place.
"And that, my fellow glee clubbers," she coos, "is how it's done."