Glee: A Seasonal Review Chapter 1: 1x10 Ballad, a glee fanfic

Author's Note: I have received a suggestion on another fanfiction of mine, "Fifteen More Minutes," to sort of expand on the narrative there into the first three Seasons of this amazing TV show. So, here it is! I will not be adding scenes to every episode; however, I'm definitely covering anything that felt incomplete along the seasons. So, to start it off, we have Episode 1x10, "Ballad." Hope you enjoy! Please read, review, and share!

Some helpful information to aid you in reading this. The episode before "Ballad" was "Wheels," where the Glee Club did a fundraiser for a wheelchair-accessible bus to Sectionals. The episode after this is "Hairography." Matt was absent during the "Ballad" episode because he was at the hospital to get a spider out of his ear. Remember that Rachel is 15 years old and talks really fast and animatedly. Quinn has just been kicked out of her parents' home.

Will sat in his office soon after the club finished performing "Lean on Me" for Quinn and Finn, who had just suffered a horrendous struggle in their lives when the Fabrays found out about their daughter's pregnancy.

Though that major ballad was done, the assignment still wasn't complete.

Monday came, and Matt thankfully returned to school; so, when Glee Club started, Will anxiously walked into the room to continue on the lesson.

"Alright everyone!" Will called loudly, writing the word 'Ballad' on the board. "I hope you all had a great weekend, and welcome back, Matt."

"Dude, did they find any spider eggs in your brain?" Puck asked.

"Now, though I want to move onto something new this week, our last assignments still haven't been completed," Will said. "Now, I know that the original pairings didn't go as planned."

"Got that right," Artie muttered.

"So, I'm going to allow most of it to slide. Mercedes, since you teamed up with Artie to arrange the group ballad, I'll give both of you credit for the assignment," Will began. "Also, since Kurt and Finn, by what they've told me, coordinated an out-of-school ballad together, I'll accept that as well."

"So what do the rest of us need to do?" Matt asked.

"Well, the leftovers still need to go. Santana and Brittany, Tina and Mike, and then Rachel and Matt," Will responded. "Puck and Quinn, are you good with singing a duet together?"

"Sure," Quinn whispered.

Puck smiled, earning a curious scowl from Finn.

"Alright! So does anyone volunteer to go today?" Will asked.

No one raised their hands.

"Everyone knows I'm only here to-" Brittany began, before Santana's hand quickly clasped over her mouth.

"Mike refuses to sing," Tina said flatly.

"Well," Matt began. "I suppose we could try."

"But we'd need a solid twenty-four hours to plan for this," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Glad that I could help bring you out of your shell, Matt."

"Alright," Will said unsteadily. "To the two groups who are hindered by, um..."

"Apprehensive vocalists?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Will said unsteadily. "I'm not going to force you into anything that you don't want to do, but please do prepare for the next assignment. Sectionals is coming up, and we just can't have everyone becoming complacent again and not doing their part. We need all twelve voices meshing together."

Matt had just emerged from the shower in the locker room wearing nothing but a towel when Rachel popped into the room.

"Woah!" Matt said nervously. "Don't you girls ever knock?"

"I apologize," Rachel said quickly. "It's just that we will be delivering our ballad in T-minus 20 hours and thirty minutes, I just wanted to spend every minute together to prepare."

Matt pulled a shirt over his head. "Sounds good," he said. "But can we please meet somewhere else? I just don't really want to be caught in here..."

"I understand," Rachel said. "Meet me at the town library at 7:30 p.m. sharp. I'll leave song choice up to you."

Will walked into the classroom the next day to begin the final round of ballads.

"Alright! Today's the final deadline to perform your ballads," he said. "Who wants to go-"

Rachel's hand shot up into the air. She dragged Matt up to the front of the classroom.

"Hello class! We are very excited to debut Matt Rutherford's amazing vocals to the club. I don't know what I was thinking last week, but Matt here is truly an amazing singer," Rachel said quickly.

"Not as good as I am a dancer," Matt joked modestly.

"I'll have to agree on that, but no offense of course," Rachel said sweetly. "We chose a song that might relate to those of you in here who did not appreciate my choice in classical ballads that I sung to Mr. Schue last week, so Matt's choice might relate to a lot of you in a more personal fashion, and it really got my feet wet in a new musical genre, so I'm very excited."

She turned around to face Brad, and then the musicians. "Hit it!"

Song: "Single" by New Kids on the Block, ft. Ne-Yo

{Clad in sunglasses, the duo begins the song. Rachel snaps her fingers in a swivel chair, while Matt raps in front of the class. Rachel does ad libs in the background.}

Matt: If you ain't go no money,
If you ain't go no money,
If you ain't go no money,
If you ain't go no money,

If you independent get your money girl,
If you independent get your money girl,
If you independent get your money girl,
If you independent get your money girl,

[Bridge:]
Everybody in the club right now,
Tell the DJ to turn it loud
Dedicate man, your favorite song
Single ladies you can't go wrong
Everybody in the club right now,
Tell the DJ to turn it loud
Dedicate man, your favorite song

{Rachel comes to the front of the room and sings romantically into Matt's eyes. Finn looks impressed.}

Rachel: If you came here by yourself tonight,
Cause he wouldn't pick up the phone
He was supposed to bring you here tonight
Couldn't find him so you came alone

{Santana and Will look amazed with Matt's vocals.}

Matt: It don't matter cause you're here now
And the music, you're enjoyin'
So for the next couple minutes,
Baby I'mma be your boyfriend

{Mercedes and Artie grin and sway to the music.}

[Pre-chorus:]
Pretty mama, if you're single (Rachel: single)
(Matt: You don't gotta be alone tonight)
Rachel: So while the DJ play this single (Matt: single)
(Matt: Just pretend that I'm your man tonight)

{Rachel, Matt, and the entire class look like they're having fun!}

[Chorus:]
Rachel: So you don't gotta be alone
(Matt: I'll your boyfriend)
Rachel: So you don't gotta be alone
(Matt: Girl, I'll be your boyfriend)
Rachel: So you don't gotta be alone
(Matt: Baby I'll be your boyfriend)
Matt: Be your boyfriend till the song goes off

[Bridge]

{Rachel and Matt travel through their audience, singing to the girls.}

Rachel: He don't tell you that you're beautiful
Matt: Lemme tell it to you to the beat
Rachel: He don't tell you that he loves you girl
Rachel & Matt: Let me sing it in a harmony

{Camera focuses on Matt, and Rachel's ad libs, as they travel back to the floor to sing.}

Matt: Let my song get you higher (Rachel: higher)
We never have to come back down
And if ever you should miss me (Rachel: Miss me)
Just tell the DJ run it back now

[Pre-chorus]

[Chorus x2]

Rachel: Oh oh oh whoa oh...
Matt: Oh oh oh whoa oh
Rachel: ...Oh oh oh whoa oh...
Matt: Be your boyfriend till the song goes off

[Bridge]

The song ended, and the class applauded enthusiastically.

"Wow," Mike said flatly.

"When did that guy join Glee Club?" Brittany asked seriously to Santana.

"I am speechless!" Will said excitedly, standing up to face the club. "Matt! That was amazing! Both of you. Amazing song choice. I never would have thought of it!"

"Well, that was definitely nerve-wracking," Matt breathed. "But Rachel definitely got me through it."

The class gave a second round of applause, finding Finn to be a tad jealous of the impeccable chemistry between the two.

"Okay, there's no way we could have followed that, even if we did have a song prepared," Tina said to Mike.

"Ugh, I told you we should've sung something anyway, Britt," Santana said. "They wouldn't have performed half as well if we went up first to intimidate them."

"Alright!" Will said, gesturing for the pair to take a seat. "That was extremely well-done! Do we have our next pair?"

The class diverted their eyes to Puck and Quinn, who were seated next to each other, along with Finn on Quinn's other side.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready," Quinn said, gently walking up to the front of the room with Puck. "I just wanted to thank you all for your support again," she said. "And I want to thank Finn, and his mom, for being really supportive outside of school."

"Well, I knew Quinn needed an extra boost, so I chose a song that was geared more towards supportive friendship, and not that sappy love stuff that everyone else has been doing," Puck said, slinging his guitar over his shoulder.

"Actually, he just wanted a song he could have fun with," Quinn said softly. "There's a really fast rap in it, but something subtle for me, as well."

Quinn turned around to Brad, and he began to tap away at the piano.

Song: "Don't Let Me Fall" by B.o.B.

Quinn: Well it was just a dream
Just a moment ago
I was up so high
Looking down at the sky
Don't let me fall
I was shooting for stars
On a Saturday night
They say what goes up
Must come down
But don't let me fall
Don't let me fall
Don't let me fall
They say what goes up
Must come down
But don't let me fall
Don't let me fall

Puck: Cause I'm gliding up there oh so very high
That if the clouds were to drop me
Then I'd fall out the sky
I don't really know why I'm here
I guess I'm just here for the ride
I swear, it feels like I'm dreaming
It's vividly defined, yeah
So call me whatever you want
Title me to whatever you like
But let's get one thing straight
You know my name, so I run this town
When I'm on this mic, yeah
So here I go, B.O.B, Bobby Ray
I don't know, need I know
But I know, that I flow
Rack 'em up, knock 'em down, dominoes
Then I go, as my story goes
I know I've done been down here before
Product of my east-decatur home
Cause I was in the cold
Trying to keep my toes unfroze
Now I'm in your house
Now I'm in your stoves
Now I'm everywhere that your iPod go
Everything I seen was a dream just a moment ago

Yeah, I'll fall much lower
Than where that pavement is
Cause there ain't no parachute
That they can make for this
Cause I put my pain
My heart, my soul, my faith in this
Does anyone feel like how I feel
Then you can relate to this
I just blazed with this
Maybe roll one up then take a hit
Toast to the good life then take a sip
Vacay everyday, yeah take a trip
It's easy to see I was made for this
From the womb all the way to the grave, I spit
Just to show y'all losers what greatness is
Yeah, I'm talking very lucid, like making movies
To picture my life, Boy you need a higher resolution
I used to cut class in the day
Then runaway at night
But now I'm ruler of the upper class
And I don't even write

{Quinn bursts into tears and runs out of the room.}

Puck: Don't let me fall
Don't let me fall
They say what goes up
Must come down
But don't let me fall
Don't let me fall

The rest of the Glee kids were almost in tears from the song, but applauded nonetheless.

Puck set down his guitar and ran out after Quinn, closely followed by Finn.

Quinn was at the other end of the hall, trying to stop her tears by her locker.

"Are you okay?" Puck asked.

"Yeah," Quinn sniffled.

"Anything I can do?" Finn asked. "I can take you home."

"No, it's alright," Quinn said, wiping her tears out of her eyes. "Both of you. Just get back to Glee Club."

Finn nodded.

"I'm just gonna go steal something from the cafeteria then," Puck said, pretending to go down the hall as Finn proceeded back to Glee Club, though consistently looking back to Quinn to make sure she was alright.

Once the door to the choir room shut, Puck came out of his hiding place.

"I know you're not okay," Puck said. "Look, I know you have it rough right now, and I know that I act like I don't care about you sometimes, but I really do, and-"

"I've heard enough," Quinn whispered. "Puck, I thank you for everything you're doing for me, including stepping it up for Finn to pay for my doctor's visits. But my life is spiraling out of control, and I'm keeping more secrets from more people than I can remember. I'm going nuts. And I'm going to crack soon."

"Wait, is Finn still paying for those bills you've been getting?" Puck asked.

Quinn nodded. "He's only been working for about a week, but even with minimum wage, it barely covers anything, and Finn can be an idiot sometimes. The guy who hired him thinks he's a paraplegic, but I know for a fact that people have seen him moving his legs on the job, and it's only a matter of time before he gets fired for lying to get a job."

"That loser," Puck muttered.

"He is my boyfriend, Puck," Quinn said. "You are just the guy I made a mistake with, and when it comes down to it, Finn cannot find out about this."

Quinn let out another sniffle. "Maybe Finn's right. I'm just going to go home already. I can't take this anymore. Go back to the choir room and tell Finn I'm waiting for him to take me home."

Puck looked back to Quinn as she exited the school. He hardly ever felt any feeling of remorse, guilt, or regret, but what Quinn just told him totally filled him up with emotions that he had rarely ever felt before.