I know nobody's really reading this fanfiction, but I'm going to continue it for myself.
Chapter 2: Auditions
The very next morning, Rachel woke up bright and early with three words on her mind: glee club auditions. Maybe it was a little harsh to hold the auditions the second day of school, but Rachel had no problem with that. The sooner the club started, the better.
Rachel had mostly managed to shake the memory of bumping into that blonde cheerleader the day before. Now that she thought about it, she really didn't understand why she was so worked up about it. It was just a run-in with an attractive girl, and Rachel had felt an attraction. Nothing unusual and absolutely nothing to freak out about.
Rachel made sure to pack plenty of bottled water to drink before her audition. She packed an extra bottle of vitamins and her repertoire––exactly 61 songs neatly tucked into a pink floral binder. She could not be more ready.
Rachel sailed through her second day of classes with ease. When 4:00 came, she was ready for action. She'd placed a post-it on the song she was going to sing in her binder: "On My Own", from the seminal Broadway classic "Les Mis".
Rachel stepped into the auditorium. At first glance, it appeared empty. Empty and desolate. Have no fear, thought Rachel. Rachel Berry is here to light up the stage.
"Hi there." Rachel jumped, looking around before her eyes landed on a teacher who looked like he was in his early 30's. "Are you Rachel?"
"Yes. Rachel Berry. I'm here to audition for glee club." She stood as straight as she could, trying to make herself appear taller than she actually was to instill confidence in the director...or teacher...or whatever he was.
"Fantastic. I'm Mr. Schue, I'm running the glee club this year." He motioned towards the stage "Step right up." Rachel confidently walked up the steps, placing her sheet music on the piano.
"I'll be singing 'On My Own' from the seminal Broadway cla––"
"'Les Mis'. Got it. Let's hear it."
Rachel frowned a bit. She wasn't used to people finishing her sentences. Her confidence a bit shaken, she planted her feet firmly on the stage, stood up as straight as she could and began to sing.
"On my own
Pretending he's beside me
All alone
I walk with him 'til morning..."
Rachel poured her heart out into the song, trying to muster every romantic feeling she'd ever felt for anybody. Halfway through the song, she realized that it was a bad idea; the image of the blonde girl she'd bumped into the day before started entering her head again, and she started feeling flustered and sweaty and self-conscious again. Not good.
"I love him
But every day I'm learning
All my life
I've only been pretending!"
Keep cool. Keep cool. You're doing fantastic, Rachel Berry.
"Without me, his world will go on turning
A world that's full of happiness that I have never known!"
Rachel was almost gasping for breath, she was concentrated so hard on not getting deconcentrated.
"I love him
I love him
I love him...
But only on my own."
Rachel almost sighed with relief as she finished the song.
Mr. Schue closed the binder he was taking notes in. "Very nice, Rachel." He smiled.
That was exactly what Rachel needed to hear to get her confidence back.
"When do we start rehearsals?" she asked in a pointed voice.
"We rehearse every Thursday at 4." Rachel nodded sharply.
Rachel started to leave the auditorium and was at the doorway when she heard Mr. Schue call another name.
"Quinn Fabray? You're up."
Quinn Fabray? That wasn't one of the names that Rachel had seen on the signup sheet when she went to sign up. Rachel turned around to get a glimpse at who this person was...
...and nearly had a stroke. Standing on the stage was the blonde girl that Rachel had bumped into the other day––the one she'd been so flustered about.
Quinn, thought Rachel. Unusual. But pretty.
"I'll be singing 'I Say a Little Prayer for You' by Dionne Warwick," she said in a shaky voice. She cleared her throat and the piano began to play.
"The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair, now
I'm wondering what dress you wear now
I say a little prayer for you..."
As Quinn sang the song, Rachel was taken aback by the sweet dulcet tones of her voice. She was a little pitchy and nasal, but overall she was actually pretty good. Ordinarily Rachel would have been threatened by a girl with any talent at all in the singing department, but for some reason it was different with Quinn.
When Quinn finished the song, Rachel applauded as softly as she could.
"Fantastic, Quinn. Beautiful voice." Quinn smiled shyly. "Welcome to the New Directions."
"Um, Mr. Schuester, if you could not tell Coach Sylvester about this I'd appreciate it," said Quinn in a low voice, almost a whisper.
Mr. Schue nodded.
"Of course."
Quinn nodded as a thank you and walked briskly off the stage. She made her way to the doorway and was about to leave before Rachel caught her arm.
"You were really good," she managed to get out. The flustered feeling was coming back.
Quinn jumped, then narrowed her eyes and marched towards Rachel, looking down at her menacingly. She was at least 2 inches taller than the brunette. She quickly checked around her to make sure that there was nobody in sight before saying,
"If you tell anyone about this, you are going to be very sorry."
With that, Quinn left the auditorium as quickly as she could, leaving a confused Rachel standing awkwardly in the doorway.