Jesse held his breath as the girl in the dainty black dress twirled past his seat by the aisle. He was in awe at the sight of her flowing brown hair, bouncing softly as she moved, and the fascinating look of determination on her face while she sang. The echo of her song charmed him into a trance--her elegant voice melting away the rest of his world. That voice, he thought, was a beautiful sort of irony, being strong and soothing at the same time. He was under her spell, and it would have been much longer if the woman beside him hadn't spoken.
"That's my girl," Shelby said with a proud smirk.
He blinked and shook away the trance. He glanced at Shelby, then let his eyes fall on the spellbinding singer once more. She was onstage now, belting out a high note. "She's got talent," he scoffed, "but any member of Vocal Adrenaline could do that even with a sore throat."
Shelby chuckled. "Admit it, kid. Just look at her. She's a star."
She was right, he thought, but he wasn't going to admit that. "She's a good performer, but not a star. I'm a star," he smirked.
Shelby raised her eyebrow at Jesse, then shook her head as she laughed. "Honestly, kid, I don't know how you can look into a mirror without kissing your own reflection."
Heads turned as the rest of her co-performers entered from the back of the auditorium. They wore black-and-red costumes as well, but none of them stood out like she did. She was towards the end of her song when the others assembled behind her. That's where they belong, Jesse thought. For no one could outshine her, even as they sang together. Shelby was right--she was a star.
Finally, their performance was over. As expected, the crowd gave them a full standing ovation--a roar of applause filling the entire room. Onstage, the group happily took their bows. "C'mon, Jesse. Time to go," Shelby whispered to him as she stood up to leave.
Jesse looked up at her, "Don't you want to know who won?"
She grinned and gave him a wink. "Based on what we've seen, I already know."
Jesse couldn't help but smile as well. He got up and followed Shelby out of the building and to her car. He slipped into the passenger seat and turned to face her. Jesse examined her face as she turned the key to start the engine. She looked strikingly proud and guiltless.
"Miss Corcoran, about this plan...Don't you realize that it's your own daughter we're dealing with? That she won't even come close to liking you if she found out?" he asked her.
She turned to face him. "I do," she said, and the proud smile on her face was instantly replaced by a look of uncertainty. She cupped her face with her hands and sighed. "Look, Jesse. Do you want to win regionals or not?"
Jesse smirked. "Is that even a question?"
Shelby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Then get her on our team. We need her."
Jesse's smirk turned into an angry scowl. "We need her? Well, last time I checked, Vocal Adrenaline is doing fine with my talent and star power!" he spat. "No, Miss Corcoran. You need her. You're just longing to get close to her. You want her to be your sensation, not McKinley High's."
Shelby glared at Jesse. She raised her finger and opened her mouth to retort, but she retreated. "Then do this for me, Jesse," she said coldly, looking down.
Jesse sighed. He was offended, and he did not like the plan at all. But he could never forget that it was Shelby who helped him realize his full star potential in Vocal Adrenaline. Somehow, he felt that he to return the favor.
"Alright, I'll do it. But only because I feel sorry for her amateur performance. Vocal Adrenaline could do wonders for her," he said confidently.
With that, Shelby drove off, and they didn't say a word to each other, even when she dropped him off. Later that night, they both couldn't sleep. Something was bothering them--whether it was guilt or fascination or longing, none of them could tell. But little did they know that their feeling of uneasiness branched from a single person--Rachel Berry.