Marley is worried. Finn's assignment this week was for them to sing about something personal but to sing it in a style, musical genre, singer or band that they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with. Finn said it's supposed to test their versatility and, at the same time, prove that as long as what you sang was true, or felt it sincerely, it will help carry the performance.

Finn had the idea when one session broke down into an argument that they were "playing it safe" and not experimenting enough.

The problem with finding a song in a style that she's unfamiliar with is that she has no idea what songs that would fit her own personal issues, which led to Marley worrying. Someone less kind would say that she has plenty of reasons to be, what with her problems with Jake and Ryder, her issues with Kitty—and, to a lesser extent, Tina—her worries over Unique, and her struggles with her weight.

She could ask Jake for help except that she and Jake actually like the same kind of music. Then Marley blinks, there is one person who could help her. Not because he has different tastes in music, but because he listens to so many different kinds of music that he could help her out.

Blaine.

Now she and Blaine aren't really close. Blaine's best friends are Sam and Tina while Marley's best friend is Unique. However he's really nice and they almost always partner up in group numbers. And when Finn assigned them the duet for Sectionals, they ended up spending a lot of time together to prepare for it.

Marley had a blast with Blaine. Singing with Blaine is different from singing with the people she usually sings with. There isn't any of that emotional and...the other kind of...tension like when she sings with Ryder or Jake, or that feeling of having to compete when she sings with Kitty. And while she loves Unique, Unique craves and, frankly, belongs in the spotlight so Marley has to stay on her toes or end up in the background. And that's with Unique being supporting. In a way Marley likes it because it forces her to come out of her shell and be more uninhibited when she performs.

But Blaine is completely supporting. She doesn't worry about Blaine eclipsing her because Blaine knows how to share and even direct focus to his partner when it's needed. There is no tension but he knows how to create chemistry so they aren't bland together but she doesn't have to worry about him misinterpreting her feelings. He's also one of the most technically adept singers in glee. And while New Directions are naturally good performers, most of them are getting their first musical education in glee club. She can actually discuss the technical aspects of the song with Blaine, not just who gets to sing which part and in what key. Aside from losing Sectionals, one of Marley's regrets is not being able to sing that duet that she and Blaine worked so hard on.

They didn't really talk about personal stuff. They mostly talked about the song and their performance and gossiped a little about their friends and people they knew. Aside from music, they discovered a mutual love for Broadway musicals (particularly Sondheim, although Blaine was aghast that Marley likes Webber and she remembered two funny hours Blaine spent lecturing her why she shouldn't), classic Hollywood musicals, rom-coms, Audrey Hepburn and Meryl Streep.

But Blaine's a senior and Marley's a sophomore and Blaine is super busy with a lot of extra-curricular clubs so they don't really have a lot of time to spend together even if they wanted to.

But her brow furrows as she had noticed that there was something off about him lately. Even when he isn't singing there's always a spark, a twinkle in his eyes; a smile always threatening to break out. His face is very expressive and he gives this impression of barely contained energy; that he would break out into a blur of motion at any given moment. But lately, that spark is missing and that energy is gone.

She wonders if he's upset about Kurt again. Even she's heard about the epic romance of Blaine and Kurt. But this is different. During Grease, even when he was sad and upset, he still had that aura, only this time it was that of a tragic hero, like Romeo or Lancelot. Now that aura is simply...gone.

Marley didn't think anyone else has noticed because Blaine has been acting normally. But that's the thing. Blaine is acting normal. Blaine is anything but and she doesn't remember the last time he smiled that amazing smile of his or laughed out loud. If she was Sam or Artie, she'd suspect that Blaine was replaced by an alien impostor.

Maybe she should talk to Sam? He and Blaine are super close even for best friends. Except, and Marley frowns at this thought, that they haven't really been hanging out all that much. In fact, in the past week, she hadn't seen them together outside of glee. Is that it? Are Sam and Blaine fighting?

Marley thought back to their sessions in the choir room and rehearsals and while Sam and Blaine spoke and interacted with each other, it was always about the song or the performance but they weren't horsing around like they used to.

Marley sighs. Is this any of her business? She has her own problems to deal with but Blaine is nice to her, the least she could do is maybe bring it up to a friend who knows him better. Maybe as an outsider she saw something that people closer to him might have missed. She squares her shoulders and gathers her resolve. There's no way out of it. She really has no choice. She doesn't like it but the glee kids look out for one another. She needs to do this.

She needs to talk to Tina.