Preview: Rachel sings a preview of Get It Right at practice. She takes in everyone's faces and is undecided on how she feels about the fact that Finn isn't there. Part 2 of 10. Rachel POV

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or anything related to it.

In a quick side not before this starts…just as I opened the word document to start typing up what I had written…Get It Right started playing on my iTunes.


I took my usual front row seat at practice for Regionals that afternoon. I read the words on the board in front of me and can tell they've got a good start for a song. The lyrics don't hold my attention for long, I'm too nervous about singing my song in front of everyone—including Finn. It doesn't matter really that it already has Mr. Schue's seal of approval or that he said that we'd be using it. I know that if no one else likes it…he won't let me perform it…that's just how this club works. I may have the most talent…but I've also got the least amount of clout within the hierarchy—even if I am a co-captain. I can actually feel the butterflies—or are they bees—in my stomach when Mr. Schue walks in and slings his bag onto the piano. He looks over us all assembled there with a huge smile on his face. But after a quick second his brow furrows.

"Where's Finn?" he asks, pointing out what I was too self absorbed to notice…that Finn is nowhere to be seen.

"Coach caught him on our way here. She wanted to talk to him about something." Artie explains fiddling with Brittany's finger's where they are interlocked with his own.

"Okay. Well he's just going to miss out on a preview of our first original song for Regionals."

"But, Mr. Schue, yesterday you said that Loser Like Me wasn't ready to be performed yet." Mercedes interjects.

"I wasn't talking about our song, Mercedes. Another member of the club came to me earlier today with a finished song. And after hearing her sing it…"

I stop listening to his rambling there. I can already feel the scorching heat of Quinn's gaze on the back of my head and my mind goes into over drive. She knows it's mine and I'm terrified that she's going to call me out on the subject matter. Yes, part of it is about Finn but I've made mistakes here in glee club too and it's about that too.

"Rachel, you ready?" my hearing returns just in time to hear him call me up to sing.

I know there's no turning back so I just nod my head and try to swallow my nerves away. Earlier I asked Brad to start the track right after the second chorus since I didn't want to give too much of the song away. I screw my eyes shut as the music starts and sing the first line of this section "So I throw up my fist". And somewhere between there and next line I find the courage to open my eyes.

I see Mercedes face first and even though she's barely heard the song I can tell that she likes it. It makes me feel bad that I didn't give her a note to wail on, but I wanted portray the emotion in this song…and I know she'll understand. I see her throw me a thumbs up as my gaze slides to Mike and Tina. They're nodding and smiling and behind them I can see Puck and Lauren mouthing 'You Rule Berry!'. I can see ideas for choreography swirling through Brittany's mind as Artie taps out the guitar chords on her leg.

Sam is smiling and he leans over to whisper something in Santana's ear. Her face has a look of begrudging acceptance on it (and its probably the highest compliment I'll ever get from her so I take it) and I swear I hear the phrase "it's no Trouty Mouth" leave her lips.

I finally get the courage to look at Quinn and the look on her face is indecipherable and indescribable. She knows where the inspiration came from—at least a part of it. After all, she was the one who told me that if I kept looking for that happy ending I'd "never get it right". And I'm starting to think that with this song and the look on her face, I may have just stepped on the path to getting it right. Because right here and now, I know that she knows where I'm coming from…some part of her loves Finn…but not in the same way that I do.

And speaking of Finn…there's a part of me that's actually glad he's not in this room right now. That's the part that wants the part that wants his first time hearing the song to be at Regionals, that's the part that wants him to only have heard the whole song and not a small part of it first, and that wants him to be unable to escape from my voice so that he gets it. Two days ago he said "When you sing,…I feel it". And I know he'll feel it when I sing this.

And yet…there is this piece of me that wants him here. Everyone is surrounding me telling me that my song (or what they heard of it) rocks and that I did great. But right now, those are just words. It's not their approval I crave. It's Finn's. It has always been Finn's approval that I've wanted. Yeah it's wonderful that Mr. Schue likes the song and that even Santana has decided it's acceptable…but for me it all will mean nothing until Finn echoes those statements.

I've just started back towards my seat next to Mercedes when Finn walks back into the room.

"Sorry, I'm late. Coach Beiste wanted to talk to me and wishes us luck tomorrow. What'd I miss?" he asks as I sit down, unable to meet his eyes.

"Not much," Mercedes replies before anyone else can speak, "Just my girl Rachel singing a part of her original song for tomorrow. "

I know he must be thinking that I sang Only Child and somehow managed to convince everyone that it is a credible song with a chance of winning.

"Now that we know that Rachel's song will be performed tomorrow. Lets settle down and finish up the lyrics to the song we started yesterday. For those of you who weren't here its called Loser Like Me."

I'm actually happy that the title of my song wasn't told to Finn. The part of me that was thrilled that Finn wasn't there practically purrs in satisfaction. He'll be in for a shock tomorrow.