The first time I ever saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes

"Quinnie!" my mother called from the front seat of the car "Quinnie baby, you're going to be late if you don't hurry!" My cheeks flushed a crimson colour – she was so embarrassing.

I was fourteen years old, it was September 12th, and it was my first day of school at McKinley. I was scared because I didn't know a single person. My parents had just bought a house in Lima, Ohio, and we moved during the summer, so I had no opportunity to get to know any of the kids my age. I knew that a girl lived next door, who could be my age, but I wasn't sure... My father had banned me from talking to her this summer though – he had seen her with two men, who he presumed were her father and uncle, or one of her father's friends, but it turned out the two men were married and the girl was their daughter.

I remember exactly how my dad reacted. He came storming into the house about three weeks after we'd moved in. He was red in the face and I could almost see the steam flowing out of his ears like he was a kettle ready for boiling.

"Two men!" He yelled "Two men, two MARRIED men living next door to us! The Lord must be going crazy – having two men married to each other, raising a daughter, sleeping in the same bed! WHAT AN ABOMINATION!"

Just as I was approaching the door of my new school, McKinley High School, I glanced over my shoulder to check if my mom was still hanging about. She wasn't, thankfully, and just as I was about to push the door open, someone opened it from inside, holding it open for me.

I recognised the girl, I had definitely seen her before but I couldn't for the life of me place her until she smiled that big, beautiful smile. It was the girl next door. The girl with two fathers.

"You look lost" she said, in a friendly manner "You must be new here?"

"Umm..." I stuttered. I was nervous, if my father discovered I had spoken to her he would kill me, but I couldn't exactly just ignore her, she was the first person to speak to me, to even really look at me. "I- I am... New"

Once I was inside the school, she held out her hand, presumably for me to shake, which I did.

"I'm Rachel Berry" she spurted out "I think I know you. Are you the girl who moved into the house next door to mine this summer?"

I nodded, too afraid to talk to her. She was so adorable. She was beautiful in fact, and she seemed so sure of herself and confident. I didn't want to speak, because I had those crazy butterflies in my stomach, butterflies that I'd only ever felt before because of boys – and I didn't want to throw up on her or in front of her.

"Do you know where you need to go?" she asked, in a quieter voice – she could obviously sense I was nervous and I was grateful for her to turn down the volume a little, she was kind of loud...

"I- I need to go to the office to collect my schedule" I managed to fumble out.

"I'll take you there" she said, and with a little nod of her head she grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hallway.

She waited for me to collect my schedule and then squealed a little when she realised we both had exactly the same classes; we were even in the same homeroom.

The last class I had that day was Spanish, and I was reluctant to go, since Spanish is definitely not my forte. Rachel dragged me into the room nevertheless and took a seat right in the front row. I looked at her as if she were crazy, sitting that close to the front in a class that I probably wasn't going to be able to understand, but all she did was pat the seat next to me. I rolled my eyes at her and cracked a small smile, and slid into the chair next to her, allowing my bag to fall to the floor next to my feet.

"Why are we sitting so close to the front?" I asked as soon as I was comfortable in my seat.

"I like sitting here. Plus, Mr. Schue is the Glee teacher, so he's always nice to me, and the rest of the Glee kids" she explained as I looked at her intently, nodding as she was explaining.

Two minutes later, Mr. Schue strolled into the room. He was wearing a hideous brown vest over his cream shirt and his hair looked like it would set alight and kill him if he went anywhere near an open flame.

"Hola Classe!"

"Hola Mr. Schue!"

I looked around the class as this interaction took place, and every single person in the room looked like they actually wanted to be there. Whether it was just because it was the first day back and we'd done nothing in any of our other classes, or because everyone loved the teacher, I'll never know, but I do know that I hate Spanish.

"Who's this?" Mr. Schue pointed at me in the front row.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, Rachel had already introduced me to the man "This is Quinn Fabray. She moved here from the town over and this is her first day, obviously"

After my introduction, Mr. Schue extended his hand out for me to shake it, and I did.

"Welcome to the class Quinn" he smiled.

About 45 minutes into the class, Mr. Schue set us some pair work, in which we would introduce ourselves to each other and say something that we did over the summer break. Rachel had been so into the class so far, that I wasn't expecting her to turn to me and start up a conversation – in English – about something completely unrelated to the task we had been set.

"You should come to Glee Club after school today" she spouted out before I had even fully turned in my chair to face her.

"Uhhh..." I mumbled "Maybe... I don't know"

"Oh come on Quinn!" she pushed "It'll be fun, and you'll get to meet some great people, promise"

I rolled my eyes at her and reluctantly nodded my head.

"I'll have to call my mom first, since she's expecting me home right after school," I explained "But she should be cool with it – she'll be happy I'm making friends at least"

Rachel squealed at her success – I don't think she thought it would be that easy to convince me, but I guess when it came to her; I didn't need much convincing... I had only met her this morning and I'm pretty sure she now has me wrapped around her little finger.

After Spanish class, Rachel told me where the choir room was and left me alone in the corridor to call my mom.

"Hey," I said as soon as my mom answered the phone "It's Quinn"

"Quinnie!" she said on the other end of the phone, rather enthusiastically "How was your first day of school? Wait why are you calling and not coming home?"

"School was great," I replied "And I will be coming home, just not right now"

"Why not right now?"

"I'm staying back to check out one of the after school clubs..." I said to her, quietly "I made a couple of friends today who are in Glee Club and they asked me if I wanted to stay behind and check it out, so I was just calling to tell you that's why I would be late home"

"Okay sweetie," my mom replied "Just be safe okay, and don't walk home alone!"

"I won't mom, thanks for letting me stay" I finally hung up the phone and walked over to my locker, which was just opposite my Spanish room and opened it up to put all of the books I didn't need to take home inside.

Once all my books were piled up, I closed my locker and made my way towards the choir room. As I got closer I could hear laughing and singing, and I smiled to myself. 'This Glee Club sounds like it's gonna be great' I thought as I walked through the door to the room. Everyone was sitting in chairs on one side of the room, and Mr. Schue was talking about some competition that they were working towards. Sectionals I think it was – I'm not sure though, I've never been a part of a Glee Club before, so I have no idea.

"Quinn!" Rachel shrieked as she saw me walk through the door "I'm so glad you could make it! Everyone, this is Quinn – she's new"

I smiled at everyone as they all welcomed me to their group.

"If you would just take a seat Quinn," Mr. Schue asked, as he gestured to the empty seat next to Rachel in the front row – what was it with Rachel and front rows I wondered.

Mr. Schue talked to us (or more like at us) for the next half an hour of the meeting, and then he let us 'take the floor'.

"Mr. Schue," Rachel piped up from next to me, before anyone else had the chance to speak "If I may, I have a song prepared to perform, if everyone would be happy with that?"

As it was the first day back, nobody else had anything prepared so Rachel was able to sing whatever it was she had prepared. Rachel stepped up to the front of the room, whispered something in the ear of the man playing the piano (later I found out his name is Brad) and then the music started playing, and out came a voice that I had never heard anything like before.

"We may not reach the ending,

But we can start.

Slowly, but truly mending,

Brick by brick, heart by heart.

Now, even now,

We'll start learning how;

We can build a beautiful city,

Yes we can; yes we can.

We can build a beautiful city,

Not a city of angels,

But we can build a city of man"

I had never heard the song before, but one thing I did know, was that it was beautiful. She was beautiful, and her voice was flawless. Everything about Rachel Berry in that moment, was perfect.

After Glee Club was over, Rachel and I walked to her locker so she could pick up her sheet music and some other things she had stored in there throughout the day. Once she had gathered her belongings, we made a beeline for the entrance to the school, so we could leave to go home.

We both pushed out of the huge double doors, and just before we stepped down the first stair at the front of school, Rachel linked her arm through mine and smiled up at me.

"Home?" she asked.

"Home" I replied, returning the smile.

I could tell that the friendship I had formed with Rachel was going to be the start of something special because the butterflies never left my stomach that day, or in the days, weeks and months to follow.

A/N: The song used in this chapter is 'Beautiful City' from Godspell, if anyone was wondering. The version I had in mind while writing was Hunter Parrish's rendition, from the New Cast Recording.