Set after Jesse & Rachel's performance of Rolling in the Deep.

Sam was meant to meet with Rachel in the choir room to rehearse for the glee club's latest assignment. They were meant to prepare a party song with a celebratory mood to sing at the prom but when Rachel had failed to show up after half an hour, the blond went looking for some answers. Step one was a mass text to all of the other members of New Directions. Nothing helpful appeared until Kurt's first text appeared.

Rachel's been acting weird and evasive lately. This is like Jesse St. James all over again. Bad news.

That text message had Sam digging a little bit more into the previous year's drama, which Kurt was all too happy to share over some caffeinated drinks at the Lima Bean, claiming it was a story that was too long to tell via text messages. It was going to be helpful to have that insight but he needed something more immediate. Kurt, unfortunately, had nothing to provide. Then another text showed up from Puck that caught his attention.

Guys, was visiting Beth with Quinn. Overheard Shelby on the phone, something about Jesse in town.

Sam ventured a guess that the text was meant for everyone who had been in New Directions the previous year, but he had been included as part of the glee club's texting list. It didn't really make sense to him, although he figured it was the same Jesse from Kurt's text.

He wandered around the school until he found Rachel sitting in the front row in the auditorium, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Rachel Berry, just the person I wanted to see," he said casually as he approached her.

"Hmmm?" Rachel looked up to find Sam standing in the aisle, just a few seats away from her, and her eyes flashed with an apologetic expression.

"You look surprised to see me," Sam pointed out the obvious; "I thought we were supposed meet in the choir room."

Rachel, who really wasn't ready to attack the assignment with her usual ambitious and aggressive vigour, replied casually, "Yeah, I got caught up in something just now. I'm sorry."

Sam hadn't been a part of the glee club for very long and wasn't particularly close to Rachel or most of the group, but even he recognized the unusual behaviour from one of the co-captains of the glee club. He let it slide in the moment as he watched her leave from her seat and head towards the exit of the auditorium.

Following Rachel towards the choir room, Sam asked, "Hey, what's been going on with you, Rachel?"

"What do you mean, what's been going on? Nothing. Nothing's been going on."

"I'm just curious; usually, you're all over glee club assignments."

Rachel shrugged. "I'm just really not that motivated to prepare a song for the prom," she explained, "We should be working on our set list for Nationals."

"I know that," Sam replied, "And I don't disagree with you but since we have to sing at the prom, I figured we could something fun together. You know, like that Friday song?"

Rachel exhaled sharply and explained, "I think I'm going to be flying solo for the performance. You, Mercedes and I are still going to the prom together, but I have a song in mind that I want to sing. By myself."

Sam felt a little disappointed but he had a Plan B – He would ask Artie and Puck.

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Whatever's bothering you, Rachel. You seem a little...distracted."

Rachel was a bit taken aback by Sam's concern. They hadn't been particularly close until she decided to go on a stakeout with Finn and learned the secret about his family. She didn't expect her nosiness would be repaid in kind.

"An old friend of mine, Jesse, he's back in town and I was wondering if it would bother you to have him join the group for prom."

Sam shrugged. While he still had Kurt's warning fresh in his mind, he saw no reason to say no to Rachel, especially since he wasn't aware of the full story.

"No, no, not at all," he told her, "The more the merrier!"

While he went to his locker to retrieve some books, he saw Finn intercept Rachel. Having his locker nearby meant Sam could hear every word exchanged between the two co-captains of the glee club.

"So I heard a nasty rumor that Jesse St. James is back in town and I also heard that he's going to be your date."

The same Jesse St. James that Kurt had mentioned in his text seemed to be a cause for concern according to Finn so he continued to eavesdrop at his locker.

"No, he's joining Mercedes and Sam and I on our prom on a budget. He's going to be in town for a while though, so I'm not sure what's going to come of it."

Finn went on about what he did to Rachel and how awful he was and Sam decided it was best to walk away at this point. He needed to touch base with Puck and Artie to see if they would prepare the song with him for the prom and he needed to see Kurt about this Jesse St. James.