"That was excellent! You were amazing." Finn said to his girlfriend, after she walked off the stage. She had just performed Out Here on My Own, a diva off for the part of Maria in the school musical. Finn couldn't stop smiling at Rachel. She did a fantastic job. Blowing Mercedes out of the water for sure. But Rachel didn't have a smile on her face.

"She was better than me." Rachel said, not even making eye contact with Finn. She walked away, knowing the role was no longer hers. Mercedes was better than her. That was something she was sure of.

"Rachel, wait!" Finn said, and ran after her.

"Tell me. Just tell me. Was she better than me?" Rachel asked. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for Finn's answer, which she knew would be 'Yes.'

"No. Rachel, you were great."

"But she was better." Rachel said bitterly, and turned to leave.

Finn grabbed her arm, and pulled her back. "Stop it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're better than Mercedes. Ask anyone in Glee Club. They'll say the same thing." Finn said.

"I have to go." Rachel muttered, and walked away. She exited the auditorium and into the empty hallway. It felt like her dreams were crashing down. Without the Maria role, there was no way she was getting into NYADA.

NYADA was the only way she would get out of Lima. Without that school, her plans for New York would have to wait, due to college. School always came first. Her dads wouldn't even let her audition for Disney Channel as a kid because of school! School was her dads number one priority. If her dreams didn't come true, she would have a diploma.

Was she not as good as she thought she was? That was what Rachel was starting to think. She had gone her whole life thinking she was better than everyone, when really she wasn't. There was nothing special about her. She was just another girl with a pretty voice.

Rachel wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her locker and looked in the mirror. "When you're smiling when you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you" she whispered to herself. Rachel said that to herself whenever she felt sad. It always made her feel better.

"Hey." Finn said

"Hi." Rachel turned around to face him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"No. I'm not. Because, I'm not as good as I thought I was and it took me this long to figure it out."

"Rachel, where would you even get an idea like that?" Finn protested.

"One thing I was sure of was that I was better than everyone in Glee Club. That I was the star. But after that diva off, I know that I'm not. Being better made me special. And now that I know I'm not, there's nothing special about me." Rachel frowned.

"How could you say that? You are special Rachel. You're special to me." Finn half-smiled, then kissed Rachel.

"Maria is your part." Finn assured her.

"You really think so?"

"I know so." Finn said.

"I love you." Rachel whispered, and kissed Finn again. When they pulled away, they pressed their foreheads together, and closed their eyes.

"Marry me." Finn said, Rachel's eyes opening wide.

"What?"

"I love you and I don't want to lose you. Marry me." Finn said.

"I know you don't want to get married until you're thirty and have won a couple Tony Awards, but I don't want to wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I took the job at Burt's to buy you this." Finn pulled out a small black box from his pocket.

"I was going to wait to propose to you after your first performance as Maria, but I can't wait any longer." Finn said, and dropped down to one knee.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, will you marry me?"

"Finn." Rachel gasped.

He smiled at her.

"Yes."