CHAPTER 2

Everyone had gathered in the choir room, but they weren't saying a word to each other. The room felt emptier now that Brittany was gone, and no one felt any easier when Mr. Schuester joined them. He wasn't surprised to see them looking so down.

"So, you guys have heard?"

"Word gets around", said Joe.

"We've lost two of our biggest talents and closest friends, Mr. Schue", said Artie.

"Yes, I know. And I understand if any of you want to blame me for us losing Brittany. But it's only temporary. She'll be back before we get to Regionals."

"Is what she said true?" asked Tina.

"Did she really use a date-rape drug?" asked Hannah.

"Honestly, guys, I don't know. What I do know is that we're not going to let this drag us down. We're going to keep fighting until the end. Emma will go with you guys to Regionals in my stead while I honor Principal Cooper's terms, starting this Friday."

It was at that moment that Amanda entered, looking as guilty as she possibly could.

"Hey, guys", was all she could say.

"Amanda, please have a seat", said Mr. Schuester.

Amanda did as she was told, but remained as far away from the others as possible.

"Amanda, I don't know what propelled you to publicly denounce me and Brittany like that, but I do know your intentions. The problem is that you could have gotten the position of Class President in a couple of years. Instead, you chose to cheat the system and betray those who trust you."

"Mr. Schuester, I know what I did was wrong. I was ambitious about the whole thing. I know I'm just a sophomore, but I felt that if I won the presidency, I would be able to live up to everyone's expectations, and I would maintain it throughout the rest of high school. But I didn't think it through. I realize now that it made no sense and was illogical and stupid to begin with, and Brittany didn't deserve what she got. I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it. From the moment you were accepted into this club, we've been trying to make nice with you. We offered you a place to truly belong", said Artie.

"When in reality, from day one, you've been planning against this club and the people in it", said Tina.

"How do you figure that I'm trying to plan against you?"

"You were the one who told everyone that Tina was pregnant. You've been all over Emily since you arrived. You publically humiliated Alexander through song. And now you did this. You're tearing through us like a lawnmower", said Sam.

"The only thing we're trying to figure out is why", said Xavier.

Amanda didn't know how to respond, as she was just looking at her feet.

"Look at us!" shouted Sam, making her flinch.

"We tried being your friends", said Gina.

"We tried playing nice", said Joe.

"Were all of our efforts for nothing?" asked Alexander.

"No, they weren't. I was selfish, I was stupid, I was impulsive. I was everything that could have dragged this club down to the depths. You all came to trust me for a reason. And that reason still stands."

"But our trust in you has wavered. You merely turned out to be a stereotypical head cheerleader whose eyes are only on the prize", said Matt.

"Hey, you had the dignity of asking me to some stupid Halloween dance!"

"Yeah, I did. Maybe it was mistake."

"If all you're going to do is antagonize us during your time here, then maybe you should move on to something else", said Rory.

"Wait, so you guys would really kick me out?"

"It's very clear that you no longer want to be in this club. If that wasn't true, you wouldn't have spent so much time doing your dirty deeds", said Tina.

"Amanda, I really don't like telling members to leave, but I'm afraid I have to agree. If we're going to maintain stability and compassion here, we need people with the same mindset", said Mr. Schuester.

"But I can change. I'll get Brittany to come back!"

"You've proven yourself to be someone that we cannot trust. If you're so willing to publicly humiliate a teacher and a fellow cheerleader to advance only yourself, then we have very little faith in your ability to change", said Alexander sternly.

At this point, Amanda had tears building up. She knew for certain that they were not going welcome her anymore, so she stood up to leave, attempting unsuccessfully to hide her face from them when she began crying, but Artie started up NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye", with the rest of the club joining in to certify Amanda's departure. When they finished, Amanda was quick to storm out, not daring to look back.