So, I was supposed to post this last night but totally forgot. Woops.

Chapter 4

As Rachel walked into McKinley High the next day, she glanced around for Artie. Finding him was her number one priority that day since he was the only Glee guy she had yet to talk to. She hoped to talk to him at lunch, but she knew she would at least see him that afternoon in the choir room. She really didn't want to wait until then, though; she wanted to solve this mystery as quickly as possibly because it was beginning to consume every thought she had.

She spent the previous night trying to come up with a new plan, but she'd had very little success. She thought about going up to each and every guy on her list and asking them if they harbored a secret love for her, but she didn't know how good the chances were that any of them would admit to it. And even if one of them did have feelings for her, that didn't mean they would be the one she was meant to be with. On top of that, the potential to humiliate herself was far too high. No, she was going to go about this as covertly as possible, and the only thing she could really think to do was talk to them and see if there was some spark on her part.

Rachel was so busy looking around for Artie that she didn't even notice she was about to run into Finn until she walked right into him. She stumbled back slightly and looked up in surprise, an apology about to leave her mouth when she saw that Finn was frowning down at her.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said after a few moments. "I'm afraid I wasn't watching where I was going and it was entirely my fault."

"I just talked to Puck after football practice," Finn said, still frowning.

"Alright," Rachel replied, having no idea where Finn was going with this.

"Did you go out with Sam yesterday?" Finn asked.

"Sam and I had coffee," Rachel answered.

"What the hell, Rachel?" Finn asked. "You're dating other guys now?"

"May I remind you that you are the one who broke up with me," Rachel replied. "It is no longer your business who I may or may not be dating. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be."

She bypassed him and began walking down the hallway, but she could hear his footsteps just behind her. She had no idea why he was so concerned if she'd been on a date with Sam. He certainly hadn't cared when he dumped her over the summer, and she knew for a fact that he had been on a date or two himself.

"Look," Finn said after following her halfway down the hall. "I'm sorry for breaking up with you. It was mistake and I really think we should try again."

"I'm not interested in trying again, Finn," Rachel replied.

"Why not?" Finn asked. "We're good together."

Once upon a time Rachel though so, too, but now she wasn't so sure. She still cared about Finn and she probably always would to some degree—he was the first person she'd loved, after all—but after he broke up with her for the second time, she began to see the flaws in the relationship. Mostly because Kurt had pointed out each and every one of them as he tried to tell her that maybe it was for the better that they were no longer a couple.

She and Finn didn't have nearly as much in common as she wished and he was never very supportive of her dreams. He was always complaining about one thing or another that she did and constantly tried to change her. Not to mention that he'd lied to her about sleeping with Santana when they were broken up the first time. She tried to look past it when they were together, but the longer they were broken up, the more she thought about their relationship. Especially now that she knew they weren't meant for each other. It really put things in perspective for her, and she was no longer going to jump at the first opportunity to be with him again like she would have before.

"We're not good together, Finn," Rachel argued. "If we were, you wouldn't have dumped me twice. I would be more important than your popularity and you would actually support me rather than agreeing with everyone else. One day we'll both find the people we're meant to be with, but it's not each other."

"How do you know?" Finn asked.

"Because I do," Rachel stated.

"People can change," Finn replied. "We can be better for each other. I'll support you or whatever. I want to be with you and I think you want to be with me, too."

"I'm sorry, Finn, but my answer is no," Rachel said as she stopped by her locker and began entering the combination. "I can forgive you, but that doesn't mean we are going to be boyfriend and girlfriend again. I'm willing to be your friend because I do still care about you, but that's all we can be."

"We're not over," Finn said, shaking his head.

"We are," Rachel firmly replied.

"So, what, you're going to start dating Sam now?" Finn asked.

"I don't know who I'm going to date," Rachel replied as she began pulling out the books for her first few classes. "Maybe I won't date anyone for a while or maybe I'll find someone tomorrow. Whatever the case, it's none of your business."

Rachel shut her locker and turned on her heel, walking away from Finn. Thankfully, he didn't follow her this time because she was more than a little annoyed with his behavior. She couldn't believe his nerve; after breaking up with her out of nowhere, he was now angry at the possibility of her dating someone new. And even after making it clear that they were not getting back together, he was still telling her they weren't over.

But she knew better; they were over, and there was someone else out there for her. She just needed to figure out who it was.

Rachel was on her way to the cafeteria for lunch when she rounded the corner and saw Artie wheeling toward her. It was the first time she'd seen him that day other than catching a glimpse of him as she walked by his class, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. Since it was lunchtime, she would have plenty of time to talk to him without worrying about the bell ringing in the middle of their conversation.

"Hello, Artie," Rachel said, giving him her biggest smile.

"Hey," Artie said, giving her a skeptical look.

"I was wondering if I could discuss something with you," Rachel said as she stopped in front of him.

"What do you want to talk about?" Artie asked.

"I realized last night that you and I have never really sung together in Glee," Rachel said. "I mean, we've participated in group numbers together, but we've never done a duet together."

"Okay," Artie replied.

"I was wondering if you would like to sing a duet with me," Rachel said.

"Why?" Artie asked, still looking very skeptical.

"Because I think our voices would go very well together," Rachel replied. "Not this week, of course—it's far too late in the week to give us adequate time to prepare—but I was thinking maybe next week."

"I don't know," Artie said. "Why don't we see what next week's assignment is first?"

Artie began to wheel himself around her and Rachel frowned. She'd hoped that would go a lot better than it did. After all, who wouldn't want the chance to sing a duet with her? She was by far the most talented singer in the club, and she would think anyone would jump at the opportunity.

"Wait a moment!" Rachel called out, noticing Artie's shoulder slump slightly before he turned to look at her.

"What is it?" Artie asked.

"I believe I may have gone about this the wrong way," Rachel said. "I would really love it if we could do a duet together. I believe our voices would blend very well together, and maybe if Mr. Schue thinks so, he'll give us the duet for Sectionals." Rachel smiled. "You would like a solo at the competition, right?"

"I'll think about it," Artie said before turning around again and going off down the hall.

Rachel sighed to herself; she really thought he would agree if she brought up Sectionals. Of course, maybe he wasn't as ambitious as she was and didn't really care if he got a solo. Rachel, on the other hand, would do just about anything to continue her streak of being the star of the competition. Not everyone could be the star, though, and maybe Artie just didn't want to be the focus of everyone's attention. Rachel couldn't imagine why anyone wouldn't want that—she lived for that—but she supposed it made some people nervous.

"What were you talking to Artie about?"

Rachel jumped at the sound of Tina's voice behind her and turned around to find the other girl looking at her curiously. "I was simply discussing the possibility of Artie and I performing a duet together."

"You've never been interested in dueting with Artie before," Tina stated.

"Well, we've both been in the Glee Club since the very first day and I thought it was time I get to know Artie a little better," Rachel replied.

"Okay, what's going on with you?" Tina asked. "You've been acting strange all week, and now you're talking to Artie, who I really can't remember you ever talking to before."

"There's a first time for everything," Rachel said with a shrug.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Tina asked, obviously not believing her.

"What makes you think something is going on?" Rachel asked back.

"Mike told me he thought you were hitting on him the other day," Tina stated.

"That's preposterous," Rachel lied. "Not that Mike isn't very good looking, but he has you, and I would never think of trying to break you two up even if I was interested in him, which I'm not. I was merely offering him vocal lessons in return for him helping me with my dancing. I'm sorry if he got the wrong impression."

Rachel had really hoped Mike wouldn't tell Tina about their conversation, but as with everything else that'd happened that week, things had not gone her way. At least Tina didn't seem angry with her, and Rachel really did feel foolish for ever trying in the first place. She was certainly not going to try it again; Mike was off her list for good.

"I also saw you talking to that new kid," Tina said.

"I was welcoming him to the club," Rachel quickly replied.

Tina's eyebrow rose slightly. "Are you looking for a new boyfriend?"

"I am not looking for a boyfriend," Rachel replied.

Even though she considered Tina a friend, she really didn't want to tell her about seeing the fortune teller. She had a feeling she would be just a skeptical as Kurt, and Rachel didn't want to have to try to convince her that the woman was genuine. Plus, she was bound to tell Mercedes, who would probably tell everyone else about it, and Rachel didn't feel like the inevitable ridicule from Santana and Quinn.

"Are you still going to participate in the performance of You Can't Stop the Beat?" Rachel asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Yeah," Tina replied. "We're meeting after Glee, right?"

"That's correct," Rachel said with a nod. "Now, if we don't get to the cafeteria soon, we won't have time to eat."

"I know what you're doing," Tina stated.

"That's doesn't mean I'm not right," Rachel replied. "Our lunch period isn't nearly long enough. Maybe they think everyone inhales their food like the members of the football team."

Tina laughed lightly. "Maybe."

As they silently began walking together to the cafeteria, Rachel was thankful Tina was dropping the questioning for now. She doubted it would last for very long, but maybe she could come up with a plausible explanation before Tina started asking her questions again.

When Rachel walked into the choir room that afternoon it was completely empty except for Quinn, who was sitting near the back with a book in her hands. Rachel briefly wondered what she was reading, but she knew better than to ask. So, instead of saying anything, she took her usual seat at the front of the room and fought the urge to look over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the front of the book.

It felt like several minutes had passed before Sam strolled in, giving Rachel a light smile. She smiled back at him in acknowledgement before looking down at her hands again as she waited for the rest of the Glee Club to arrive. One by one, everyone finally began to stroll in, and Rachel looked at the time. She didn't know why her peers were incapable of being there on time. Of course, Mr. Schue was perpetually late, so they didn't exactly have the best example to follow.

"Planning your next victim?" Kurt asked as he took a seat next to her.

"I believe the word 'victim' is a bit harsh," Rachel responded.

"Fine, your next target," Kurt said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Will you keep your voice down," Rachel whispered, looking around to make sure they hadn't been overheard.

The last thing she wanted was for someone to find out what she was doing. She knew some people were already suspicious of her and thought she was acting strangely. If the guys found out what she was doing, she was certain they would begin avoiding her, and how would she figure out who it was if none of them would even talk to her?

"And I don't know what I'm doing now," Rachel continued in a whisper.

"You could just come out and ask everyone if they're secretly in love with you," Kurt said back.

Rachel shook her head. "I need to be more subtle than that, but speaking with the guys doesn't appear to be getting me anywhere." She sighed. "I really thought it would be easier than this."

Kurt reached out and patted her leg, and she appreciated that he didn't voice his disbelief in the fortune teller once again, though she could tell he wanted to. Rachel didn't doubt the psychic, however, and it wasn't just because she knew about Rachel's phone; she felt it in her gut that the woman was speaking the truth. There was someone out there waiting for her—quite possibly in the room with her at that very moment—and she just needed to figure out who it was.

"Alright, guys, Finn just told me he's prepared something for us!" Mr. Schue said, walking in with Finn just behind him.

"How cute," Santana sarcastically said. "Maybe Finn will wow us with his dancing."

"I would like to dedicate this to a special someone," Finn said, turning a bit red from Santana's comment, but otherwise ignoring her.

Rachel look at the band as the music began and she easily recognized it as one of her fathers' favorites. Much to her surprise, when she looked back to Finn, he was smiling at her as he started singing directly to her.

"It's undeniable that we should be together
It's unbelievable how I used to say that I'd fall never
The basis is need to know if you don't know just how I feel
Then let me show you now that I'm for real
If all things in time, time will reveal, yeah"

Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Finn kept all of his attention on her. It wasn't the first time Finn had sung to her, but those had been under very different circumstances. They were dating then and she thought it was very romantic. This was just awkward.

"One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl, it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me"

Rachel glanced over at Kurt, who looked embarrassed as well. She could hear snickering behind her and had no doubt that it was Santana. Finn seemed to take no notice of it, or if he did, he was ignoring it.

"And four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one, yeah yeah"

When Rachel glanced over her shoulder, she caught sight of Puck making a rude gesture toward Finn. She frowned at him, though he wasn't paying any attention to her disapproval. A row above him, Rachel caught sight of Quinn with a frown on her face, and Rachel wondered if Quinn had been making plans to get Finn back and if that's why she looked so unhappy and annoyed.

"It's so incredible, the way things work themselves out
And all emotional once you know what it's all about, hey
And undesirable for us to be apart
I never would've made it very far
'Cause you know you got the keys to my heart"

The song felt like it had gone on forever, and she was thankful that it was finally coming to a close. As much as she normally liked being the center of attention, she could really do without it at the moment. Not only had Finn been staring at her the whole time, but she could feel everyone else looking at her, and she just wanted it to end.

"One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl, it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me

"And four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one"

"Rachel, I want you to know that I'm sorry about how I broke up with you, and I want a second chance," Finn said as soon as the band stopped playing. "Will you go on a date with me Friday night?"

Finn looked so hopeful, and Rachel really wished he hadn't chosen to do this in front of everyone. "I'm sorry, Finn, but no."

"What?" Finn said, his face dropping.

"I told you this morning that we're over," Rachel replied. "Your performance, however well intentioned, doesn't change that. I'm sorry, but that's my final answer, Finn."

"Okay, does anyone else have anything they'd like to sing?" Mr. Schue loudly said.

"I'm sorry, Finn, but no," Rachel said yet again.

"Come on," Finn begged. "You're going to make me look like an idiot in front of everyone."

"You're the one who chose to ask me out in front of everyone after I already declined your advances this morning," Rachel pointed out.

"I know, but I thought you'd say yes," Finn replied.

Rachel sighed; she may feel bad for Finn, but he was beginning to get on her nerves. The moment Glee was over, he had come up to her and tried to get her to change her mind once again. She thought she was being perfectly clear that she had no desire to try again with him, but he didn't seem to hear what she was saying. Which was one of their problems when they were dating. She was well aware that he often just pretended to listen when she was speaking to him.

"Just one date," Finn pleaded.

Rachel shook her head. "We've given our relationship plenty of chances; it's over."

"Fine," Finn huffed.

As Finn roughly grabbed his backpack, Rachel sighed. She really didn't want to hurt Finn, but he needed to understand that things were over between them. She wasn't going to give him false hope; she knew he would only get hurt more if she did.

"Are you coming to the auditorium?" Kurt asked as he walked up to her, having given her and Finn some space.

"Will you let everyone know I'll be there in a moment, please?" Rachel said.

Kurt nodded and then turned, but quickly turned back around and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rachel answered. "I just wish Finn would accept that things are really over between us."

"He'll get it eventually," Kurt replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Rachel gave him a sad smile, and Kurt turned to leave the room, leaving her alone with Mr. Schue and Quinn. The former was packing up his briefcase while Quinn was talking on the phone, and judging by the tone of her voice, Rachel guessed Quinn was talking to her mom.

"Where are you guys doing your performance?" Mr. Schue asked, looking up at her.

"The courtyard," Rachel answered. "Since so many people mill about there before school officially starts, we thought it would be the best place. The cafeteria at lunch was suggested, but there is far too much opportunity for people's lunches to be thrown at us, and none of us want that."

"Let everyone know I'm excited to see it," Mr. Schue said, giving her a smile before he departed.

"You turned Finn down," Quinn stated, surprising Rachel since she thought the blonde was still on the phone.

"Yes," Rachel said, reaching down to pick up her bag.

"Why?" Quinn asked.

"Because I'm not interested in rekindling our relationship," Rachel replied.

"Is Rachel Berry finally learning?" Quinn said as she walked down the risers, passing by Rachel.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked.

"It means a rock learns faster than you," Quinn said, turning to face Rachel.

Rachel frowned. "I resent that."

"Finn breaks up with you and then when he realizes no other girl wants him, you take him back," Quinn said. "How many times has it happened in the last year? Three? He says he's sorry even though he's only sorry he couldn't find someone else, and you forgive him. He keeps breaking your heart and you let him."

Rachel wanted to protest, but Quinn was right. It had happened far too many times, and she forgave him every time because she was lonely and she hoped he could change. But he never changed; his popularity was more important to him than their relationship, and deep down, she knew it always would be. It hurt, of course, but now that she knew there was someone else out there for her, it hurt a little less.

"Well, that isn't going to happen anymore," Rachel stated. "Finn and I are over. For good this time."

Quinn's eyebrow rose. "I guess we'll see."

"I can assure you, Quinn, that I am in no longer interested in anything except friendship with Finn," Rachel stated. "If you're thinking of rekindling your relationship with him, I promise you that I will not try to come between you two."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Maybe you haven't learned anything."

"It's not crazy to assume the reason you're talking to me is because you want to date Finn again and you thought you would see where I stood with him," Rachel replied. "He was your first love, after all."

"I didn't love Finn," Quinn said.

"Regardless, he is very popular and can be very sweet sometimes," Rachel replied. "I'm simply saying I could see why you would be interested in reconciling with Finn."

"I'm not," Quinn stated.

"Well—that's fine, too," Rachel said.

Rachel was a little thrown. She wasn't really sure why Quinn came up to her unless she was interested in getting Finn back, but Rachel trusted her when she said that wasn't the case. They may have had their issues in the past, but Quinn was almost always truthful with her. Even when she really didn't want to hear the truth.

Rachel frowned and suddenly asked, "What did you mean when you said maybe I haven't learned anything?"

"Nothing, Berry," Quinn said before turning around.

Rachel wanted to call out to Quinn and ask her again what she meant, but she stood there silently as she watched her walk out of the room.

As Rachel called for a break and watched everyone disperse, she rubbed her temples. Rehearsals weren't going nearly as well as she'd hoped, and she was beginning to get a little frustrated. Everything needed to be perfect if they were going to get anyone to join the Glee Club, and things were far from perfect at the moment.

"Are you okay, Sweetie?" Kurt asked.

"This isn't going how I hoped," Rachel said.

"It is a little rough," Kurt agreed. "And it's unfortunate that Sam isn't a very good dancer."

"At least his voice isn't bad," Rachel replied. "He could certainly use some work, though."

"If you'll excuse me, I need to hydrate," Kurt said, nudging his shoulder into hers.

As Kurt walked away, Rachel looked around and noticed Mike standing by himself. She glanced around for Tina, but the other girl was nowhere in sight, so Rachel headed over to him. They may be working on their performance, but that didn't mean she couldn't multitask and work on her other project. Even though she'd decided Mike was off her list, she was beginning to get desperate, and she didn't want to pass up the opportunity to speak with him again.

"Hello, Mike," Rachel greeted.

"No," Mike said.

Rachel frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"No," Mike repeated.

"No what?" Rachel asked.

"Tina told me to just say no," Mike replied.

Rachel looked around again for Tina, but the other girl must have gone to the restroom. When she looked back at Mike, he had taken a few steps away from her.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Rachel said in confusion. "I didn't ask a question."

"I don't know what you're up to and neither does Tina, but I don't want to be a part of it," Mike stated.

"I was simply saying hello," Rachel lied.

"Hi, but no," Mike said, ducking his head, and quickly retreating from her.

Rachel frowned and put her hands on her hips as she watched Mike walk as far away as possible without leaving the stage. She was used to people not wanting to talk to her—even those she considered friends—but she had never experienced quite that reaction before.

"What in the world did you say to Mike?" Mercedes asked, coming up to her.

"I said 'hello'," Rachel answered.

"Girl, he walked away from you like you set his pants on fire," Mercedes said with a laugh.

Rachel sighed. "I think he had to go find Tina."

It was probably the truth; he was leaving the stage and walking down the aisle toward the door, probably off to find his girlfriend. Rachel just hoped Tina didn't confront her about speaking with Mike. After all, she didn't do anything other than greet him, and she actually wasn't going to flirt with him or anything. She just wanted to see what type of connection they had. She hadn't spoken a lot to Mike in the year they had been in Glee together, and she wanted to change that.

"Hey, Rachel," Sam said, jogging up to her.

"I'll give you two some time," Mercedes lightly said, raising her eyebrows in a conspiratory way.

"Hey, how long do you think we're gonna be here?" Sam asked. "I mean, this is cool and all, but I told my mom I'd watch my brother and sister when she makes dinner. It's kinda hard for her because my little brother can be hyper and he likes to run around the kitchen if there's no one else there to play with him."

"I didn't know you had siblings," Rachel commented.

"Yeah," Sam said, smiling widely. "Stevie and Stacey. My little brother's nine and my sister is seven."

"It's sweet that you help your mom with them," Rachel commented.

Sam blushed slightly and he shrugged. "She works hard and I like to give her a break sometimes. It's not a big deal."

She didn't want to make Sam break his promise to his mom, but she knew how much work they still had to do. It was so important that they get some new members into the Glee Club. With their current numbers they couldn't even compete, and that would be a complete disaster.

"Well, can you stay another hour?" Rachel asked. "I'll see how it's going then, and if our performance isn't where I hope it will be, we can simply meet back here before school."

Sam nodded. "I can do that."

"Wonderful!" Rachel brightly said.

Rachel looked around, hoping everyone was back in the auditorium, but Tina and Kurt were both still gone. She told them a five minute break, but it was quickly becoming a ten minute break. Now that they had much less time than she thought, it was imperative that everyone get back on time, but that was obviously not going to happen. Her only hope was that everyone showed up in the next minute so they didn't waste even more time.

"When can we go?" Brittany asked from the middle of the stage, looking directly at Rachel.

"Just another hour," Rachel answered.

"Lord Tubbington hates it when his dinner's late," Brittany said. "He gets lightheaded when he's hungry."

"Well—you'll be back in plenty of time to give Lord Tubbington his dinner," Rachel replied, trying to hide the confusion she often felt when Brittany spoke, and then she shrugged. "You know what—why don't we get started? I know Kurt and Tina are still away, but I'm sure they can easily catch up once they get back."

When she looked over her shoulder, Sam gave her a smile, which she returned with a soft smile of her own. Even though she still didn't feel that spark between them, she began to wonder if maybe she'd judged Sam too harshly during their coffee date. And even if Sam turned out not to be the one, maybe she could at least find a new friend.

The song was Back at One by Brian McKnight.