Disclaimer: same as always.

Let's Be Friends

"So your his... tour guide?"

Quinn nodded. "Shelby told me to give him a tour around the campus. She wanted to tell the other members of the team what has changes since, well, you know, your meeting yesterday. What she and Rachel came up with. The whole re-auditioning thing. And in the meantime I'll meet him in the choir room and give him a tour. I'll bring him to the auditorium later."

Katie nodded. She and Quinn were walking across the schoolyard following Rachel into the school building.

"And how exactly did she make you agree to it?" Katie watched her clock. " I mean it's half past six. Not that I would think that you are a late riser or so but this isn't even your school... don't you have an own school to attend to?"

Quinn laughed. "I do, but it doesn't start until nine today. New pupil and stuff. And our show choir isn't rehearsing at this time of the day in general... or at all. We wait until our classes are over, you know? And we go home after that too," she said hinting that Vocal Adrenaline's work schedule wasn't exactly what she- what people- would call normal.

"Haha, you're so funny", Katie replied sarcastically. "But for real now. Is there anything in for you?"

Quinn answered with a smile. "You mean besides the fact that I will get to know the boy who is obviously going to make Rachel's life more than a drama then it already is?" She pulled a bunch of keys out of her bag, a key chain demanding Katie's attention. " I guess so. "
"No way", Katie said. Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "I get it until Rachel gets her driver's license."

"Does she know yet?"

"Nope."

"Oh dear." Quinn nodded beaming. "Just wait until school is over and I pick her up." Katie could only shake her head.

"So you get the keys after your little tour?"

"Si."

The two girls turned around the next corner leading them into a hallway full of trophy cases. It weren't just trophies of Vocal Adrenaline but of other clubs too. Trophies of students who had won chess or various athletic tournaments. The walls of the hallway were filled with trophies of every size. And then the pictures. Every student that had been somehow involved in any tournament win had a picture taken of him and they were hanging just behind the trophies. It seemed like a memory/victory hallway and it impressed Quinn every time she visited. It was one of her favorite places at Carmel. Some of the pictures were missing, Quinn noticed, but that had been part of the plan
The door to the choir room was just at the end of the hallway and it was open.

"I think your tourist is already there," Katie said and they were about to go to it when two people came out of the room. Rachel and Brody. They were going in the other direction, Brody an arm around Rachel, probably heading to the team meeting (or was it a rehearsal already?) in the auditorium.

Katie patted Quinn on the back. "Good luck," she said and ran after the couple. "Rachel wait."

Quinn watched the three disappear around the next corner and then made her way to the choir room.

Rachel and Shelby were standing in front of one of the doors which lead to the auditorium. The other Vocal Adrenaline members had already taken their seats but Rachel had insisted to talk to her mother again before they started. She just wanted Brody to get a second chance just like Shelby had promised him.

"Look Rachel, I know he's your boyfriend and all, but we have talked about this before. I recruited Jesse and he will become male lead. There's no way I'm going to change my decision. It's final."

Jesse. It was the first time she heard the name of the new boy who was going to replace Brody as male lead. She scrunched up her nose. She sure wasn't going to like a boy with a name like this. It wasn't remarkable at all. But then again, Brody wasn't either.

The seconds passed and Rachel didn't know which arguments to bring up to change her mother's- to change her coaches mind. She got desperate.

Then she said "And what if we only pretend to give him a second chance? I can't change your mind, I already tried enough to not know that by now, but it'll be over between us if there isn't anything I can do for him." She pointed her finger at Shelby. "And this will be your fault. I'm not sure how I will be able to forgive you again this time."

Again. Shelby winced. She knew which other things Rachel was referring to. And if she was honest with herself she knew that Rachel was right. She wasn't a saint and she had made mistakes in the past. Maybe she shouldn't try to repeat making mistakes that were somehow involving her daughter. Maybe it was time to clear her debts. It was a thing to try.

She didn't like the idea and she knew that Rachel could make things worse with Brody but when she said "I don't know if that's such a good idea. If Brody is going to know anything about that…" Rachel had only waved this thought aside telling her that he wouldn't get to know anything about their agreement. If they could call it an agreement. It wasn't like things would change. But Shelby had agreed. She would need to tell Jesse about this and she didn't expect him to react to it all joyful but there wasn't any other option . And it took a load off Rachel's mind.

"Hey there, stranger."

When Quinn had entered the room just a moment ago, Jesse had been facing the window. Now he turned around. He looked at her with a cocky grin.

"So your this tour guide Coach Corcoran informed me about?" Jesse nodded understandingly. "I guess it could have been worse."

Quinn's mouth dropped slightly. She didn't know if she should be flattered or offended.

She took a closer look at him and she understood why he was so self-assured. She didn't need to like it but she understood because he was really, like really really, handsome. He was quite a bit taller than her, like 5 inches, which made him 5 feet 11. His clear blue eyes were that mesmerizing, people would fall in love with him just by looking at them. And then his hair. This curly, dark brown hair that even Quinn wanted to touch. It seemed like it wanted to be ruffled. His whole appearance was simply gorgeous. He was wearing a black leather jacket and… he just knew how to make an impression. God, she would have fallen for him if she hadn't been in a relationship. And she was so thankful for that. Especially not since he was competition. Especially not because he was Rachel's new male lead and declared enemy. Rachel, Quinn thought. This is going to get worse than expected. Jesse's whole appearance was going to make everything worse. He looked way too good and Giselle and the other girls would surely agree. The only one who wouldn't let herself be dazzled by his looks was Rachel. But even then Brody wouldn't stand a chance. If Jesse was singing as good as he was looking they were doomed. Not only Rachel but New Directions too. They needed to exchange more than just those few words for Quinn to get a better expression.

She hold out her hand like he hadn't already made a lasting impression. "Quinn Fabray."

He took it. "Jesse St. James."

After her conversation with Rachel, Shelby once again informed her Vocal Adrenaline students about the newest developments.

Rachel had taken a seat at the back row along with Katie and Brody. They already knew what this was going to be about. And besides Rachel was annoyed of the curious looks the others were giving her.

It didn't take long for getting to the re-auditioning part. Rachel smiled. She knew what was about to come and she didn't want her classmates to think she was concerned. There was no need.

A hand was raised. "I understand it correctly when you say that we are all able to re-audition for every possible position?" Giselle asked. Shelby nodded.

Giselle looked over her shoulder. She smiled triumphantly when she spotted Rachel. But Rachel didn't seem to be concerned and Giselle wondered. She knitted her brows.

"Not that I would call that decision into question, it was about time after a performance like that at Invitationals", Giselle pointed out," But why isn't Rachel objecting?"

Good question, Rachel thought. But they had already covered it. Laryngitis.

"Rachel won't be able to perform for the next weeks. She needs to rest her voice", Shelby explained.

Giselle didn't seem to need any more explanation. She obviously enjoyed the fact that she was going to get her opportunity to shine as the rightful star of Vocal Adrenaline.
Rachel rolled her eyes. She should have known- no, she should have been prepared for a reaction like that. And she definitely shouldn't have given her the satisfaction of seeing it. Damn it.
Shelby sensed her daughter's uneasiness the moment it already disappeared again. She knew that Rachel was the one who originally came up with the idea of Giselle taking lead but she also knew that Rachel didn't like it. She needed to bring Giselle back to earth for Rachel's sake. She owned her that at least.

"Especially since we need Rachel at her best when we perform Funny Girl."

Oh yes, Shelby really did enjoy the looks on her students faces. They were priceless.

Giselle was at a loss for words. It wasn't very often so Shelby enjoyed the moment because it certainly wouldn't last that long.

"What does that mean again?" See? "You are not really implying that she gets Fanny, right? I thought those were open auditions as well."

Shelby nodded and gave Giselle a smile. "They are." And with that she let the matter rest.

A few rows behind Katie and Brody were giving Rachel questioningly looks. She shrugged her shoulders. Rachel hadn't been informed about any of this either. But she wanted to hug her mother. Not only because they were going to perform Funny Girl (!) but because that served Giselle right for her snobbish behavior.

She pulled out her phone and wrote a message.

He had been slightly disturbed when she had introduced herself. "Jesse St. James". Most of the girls he had got to meet would have already fallen for him. Or they had at least swooned over him. This was something new, he thought and he didn't really know how to interpret it. But they shook hands nonetheless and he acted like he hadn't been disturbed by her reaction.

She soon suggested to start their little tour and he had agreed. He took a last look in the choir room, the scent of the girl he earlier interrupted with her boyfriend still filling the air, and closed the door behind them.

She- Quinn was guiding him through the school giving him the most important information needed. He wasn't really paying that much attention. It wasn't like he was going to get lost at this place. This was a school, for crying out loud. How difficult could it be to attend some classes? His major reason for joining this school was the opportunity he was given by Ms. Corcoran for becoming male lead of her show choir. The rest didn't really interest him that much.

But they continued their tour anyway. It didn't take long for them to get to the personal part of their meeting. She had asked him how old he was, 17, why he was still a junior then, he had been studying abroad for a year and needed to continue from where he had left, if he was that good of a singer which he'd just answered with a glare that resembled Rachel's (didn't she know?) and other question like that.
At the point when she had asked him what he wanted to do after high school, or with his life at all he had just smirked and answered "Broadway." The moment he said that a smile appeared on Quinn's face and Jesse wondered if she had similar plans. Now it is time to get to know her better, he decided.

He sneered "What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing, really."

Jesse raised a brow. "Didn't look like it." He looked at her questioningly. "Do you have any problem with me getting to Broadway?"

She muttered something he couldn't understand.

"So?"

She shook her head again. "No, god. No. I could care less about your plans for the future since you're competition and all."

He only nodded though being a bit disappointed. Not that he didn't understand her motives because he agreed with her on that but it meant they hadn't something major like this in common. "It's just that you remind me of someone who has the exact same plans as you," she then added. That drew his attention. "And that would be who exactly?"

She looked into his blue eyes and she had never seen a boy being more interested in something than him at this very moment. She looked at him and she felt herself again being drawn to his features. It was funny, though, that he wasn't looking interested at her because of her. And she somehow started to like this part of his personality. They were looking at each other for a moment longer when she finally answered. "My sister."

So she has a sister, Jesse thought. He wondered if she looked anything like Quinn.

"And how old is she?" He wanted to bite his tongue as soon as the question escaped his lips. Great move.

His worries proved to be baseless as soon as he saw Quinn smirking at him. "She gets sixteen in a few months."

"And she can sing?" he asked doubtful.

"That she can. She is a hell of a singer."

"Mh."

Jesse didn't like the way Quinn looked at him. Like she could see right through him. He needed to fix things before they got out of control.

"No worries," Quinn winked. "You'll get to meet her sooner or later."
Too late. He needed to get them back on track. He cleared his throat. "Ah."

They were walking though the school and Quinn led them to the hallway they were coming from.

Quinn stopped in front of the trophy cases he had noticed before. She pointed to one of them explaining that this was the one from VA's Sectionals win two years ago. He only nodded. He didn't even seem to wonder why there weren't any pictures like they were with the others.

They talked for another few minutes when Quinn's phone vibrated in her pocket.

Jesse saw her reading a text message. You can bring him.

He decided to do something unusual for him. "That reminds me…" he said pulling out his phone too. "We should exchange numbers."

It wasn't because he wanted to keep in contract because he was interested in her or anything but there had been a few things in their conversation that had seemed interesting, yes, promising perhaps. And, yes, Quinn was really ok. She wasn't interested in him that way either and he liked that she didn't even seem to be influenced by his good looks and charisma. She was different. And perhaps they could become something like friends.

Originally this chapter was named after Emily Osment's song Let's Be Friends and I wanted to add it but it didn't fit.
Then I was torn between naming the next chapter after it or keeping it like this. You see the result.
In the end both names fitted but this one fitted better in here because of obvious reasons.
Emily Osment's song was originally the reason the idea of this story developed in my head so I needed to include it.
The "Hello stranger" part was the very first thing I wrote although it turned out to have gotten different.

And again: I cut it. It's 1:30am and there are more than 2,600 words and I don't have any energy left. I need to sleep...
Another chapter and then this first day will be done. Finally.

And now to you. Please review. It would just be nice to know what any of you think. Be as honest as you what.
I already swallowed my pride :)

And now... Goodnight. May 19, 2014.

Whoops, I forgot to upload it :D 9:30am...