Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the ideas in their heads.
A/N: Takes place just before the Sue-Sylvesterbowl episode. Credit to Pat Benetar's "Love is a Battlefield" and Jordin Sparks "Battlefield."
I took my usual seat next to Sam in the choir room not really sure what to think. Our assignment for the week had been to take an older song- anything from the 80s or earlier- and mash it up with a newer song, one recognizable from this day and age. I wasn't exactly sure what the point of the assignment was, nor was anyone else especially Rachel who pointed out numerous times that regionals was only a month and a half away, and we should be working out a set list. But Mr. Shue was adamant about getting our creative juices flowing and apparently individual mash-ups were his idea of a great educational lesson.
Throughout the week, members of the club had taken their turn singing a mash-up with varying amounts of success. Mercedes surprised us all as she beat Rachel to the punch and was the first to perform with an inspiring mash up of Ain't No Mountain High Enough by The Temptations and Grenade by Bruno Mars.
Rachel followed her with an annoying yet still impressive performance of Seasons of Love from Rent and With You by Chris Brown. She of course dedicated her performance to Finn in order to sway him to get back together with her. As she sang her little heart out for him and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, I was unsure whether I should laugh or vomit. Both seemed like viable options.
The only other person to go was Brittany, though she missed the point of the assignment as she did a dance to Sleazy by Ke$ha which involved no singing, but got plenty of cheers from the boys in the group. None of the boys had anything prepared and from the looks of it Tina- who was whispering to Mike in their seats on the top riser- Santana- who was filing her nails looking bored- and Lauren- who was stuffing her face with chocolate covered pretzels- weren't going to be singing anytime soon. With that in mind, I decided I would get my performance over with.
"Mr. Shue?" I asked as he walked into the choir room.
"Yes Quinn?"
"I'm going to do my mash-up." I stated, not needing his or anyone else's approval.
"Um ok, the floor is yours."
It hadn't taken me long to pick the songs I wanted to sing, in fact that had been the easiest part. As I got up from my seat and walked over to the piano, I knew that I picked songs that really hit close to home as I continued to struggle to figure out what I really wanted. The music started up, and I closed my eyes to calm my nerves waiting for my entrance.
I started in a low, sultry voice, barely a whisper and definitely not singing yet.
"We are young, Heart ache to heart ache we stand
No promises, no demands, Love is a battlefield"
I looked up and took a few hesitant steps to stand in front of my boyfriend.
"You're making me to go, you're begging me stay
Why do you hurt me so bad?"
I had been dating Sam for over a month, he was so nice and a great boyfriend but something just wasn't there. I thought I loved him, I really did, but sometimes I wondered why I was with him.
"It would help me to know
Do I stand in your way, or am I the best thing you've had?"
Of course as I saw my reflection off the trophy cabinet, singing in my cheerios uniform the answer was at the tip of my tongue. I needed to get back to the top. And Sam was the quickest and easiest way there.
"Believe me, believe me, I can't tell you why
But I'm trapped by your love, and I'm chained to your side"
He was easy on the eyes no doubt about that, and even some of the dorkier things he said made me smile, so what was really wrong with that? Plus, I always felt safe with him and after all the drama from last year maybe safety was just the thing I needed right now.
"We are young, heartache to heartache we stand
No promises, no demands love is a battlefield"
Even though I felt like I should have everything I needed with Sam I couldn't help but to feel like maybe he wasn't the right guy for me. I stepped back slightly and moved to my right locking eyes with the lanky guy in the second row. Now Finn, he was definitely the perfect guy for me, wasn't he? So tall and kind of handsome in a quirky way.
"We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long, both of us knowing"
Sure he was clueless sometimes, but that made it all the more easier for me to be in charge of any relationship we had and really push us to be the top couple at McKinley. Ever since his break up with Rachel, his status has been soaring up, even higher than Sam's though I'm not sure why because even with Sam's big lips I still think his body is way hotter than Finn's.
"Love is a battlefield
I guess you better go and get your armor"
I did love Finn, he was the first boy I really kissed after all. But I hurt him so bad; I sometimes wonder why he even still talks to me. He must still have some feelings for me right? Or else why would he be staring at me the way he is now with that look of longing in his eyes like a puppy who's on a leash and can't reach his bone?
"Can't swallow our pride,
Neither of us wanna raise that flag"
I take my eyes off Finn and walk a few paces to the left putting me in front of Puck and his new "love" interest Lauren. I haven't made my mind up about these two yet.
"If we can't surrender
then we both gonna lose what we had, oh no"
I was so into Puck last year after the whole baby drama and I finally got him to confess his love for me, but he continued to sleep around all summer and I couldn't help but to feel heartbroken.
"Both hands tied behind my back with nothing
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again"
And now he's into one of the creepiest girls at school. How the hell did this happen? I mean Santana, I can understand…at least she's fairly good looking and she of course puts out.
"I don't wanna fall for it now
I never meant to start a war"
But what the hell does he see in Lauren? Another bad-ass like himself? Come on, you can't have two identical people in a relationship. What fun would that be?
"You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for"
Moving my body back to the middle of the room and shifting my view back to my boyfriend, I wonder why I am still with him. I can't help but to notice that my mind wanders between all three boys every time I sit in the choir room listening to Mr. Shue lecture about how this next song could be a contender for regionals or when Rachel spits out another seminal Broadway classic that would be perfect for her and Finn to sing.
"We are young, heartache to heartache we stand
No promises, no demands love is a battlefield"
Speaking of Rachel, she is just another annoyance in my less than glee-full life. I give her a quick glare deciding she's not worth being in my line of vision for any length of time. It's like she is the queen of sloppy seconds. I swear to God if I ever broke up with Sam and she started to date him, I would make sure she had a slushie facial until graduation day.
"Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield?
Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield?"
Could she ever take a freakin' hint? Going after Finn when I was still with him last year, and then hooking up with Puck this year even though I had already his baby. I know people may think she is a loser or diva, but I know what she really is, a man stealing whore.
"We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long, both of us knowing"
Annoyances aside, I still can't help but to think which guy I should really be with. I feel like maybe I'm in love with all of them because they are all so different in a unique way. Is it even possible to be in love with three people at once?
"Love is a battlefield
I guess you better go and get your armor"
I'm going to have to answer yes to that question because obviously I have feelings for all of these stupid high school boys no matter how many mistakes they or I make in our respective relationships. But I still just don't know which one I should really be with.
"Get your armor, get your armor
I guess you better go and get your armor"
As I silenced my last note, I took my eyes off the spot on the floor which I had been staring at and looked up. Most of club had slight confused looks on their faces. Finn looked at me with a hint of hunger in his eyes. Puck glanced quickly at Lauren before eyeing me with a smirk and one raised eyebrow. Sam had a blank expression on his face and began to swivel his head shooting looks from Finn to me to Puck back to me, completely dumbfounded. There was a hesitant applause as I made my way to my seat not being able to meet the gaze of any of the boys I loved.
In the words of Pat Benetar, love is a battlefield. I just wasn't sure which battlefield, I should be on or which man I should start to fighting for.
