Hello, all! Back with another wonderful installment, with the big ole Sunshine confrontation. Not conventional, at first, but… I'm getting ahead of myself. Just read and enjoy! And review, of course.

By the way, guys, I am blown away by the number of reviews I got. 38? I just, wow. Wow! You guys are so amazing! I would have updated sooner, but I was so busy! This is like, the first time span long enough to really crank out an update. So enjoy :)

Rachel blushed deeply and cleared her throat slightly, feeling extremely awkward. "Well, things at McKinley reached a dire point, and my daddies had me transfer here."

"Well, that explains why you're here," Sunshine said calmly, though there was obvious anger sparking in her eyes, "but why are you sitting at the Vocal Adrenaline table? They don't let anyone sit here until their six-month probationary period is over. I had to beg to sit here. Speaking of, you're in my seat."

"Sunshine, this isn't a classroom," Jesse drawled calmly, "there are no seating charts. Just sit next to Megan, that seat's empty."

The red-head fox girl, apparently named Megan, glared angrily at Jesse as Sunshine reluctantly sat in the empty chair. She was glaring openly at Rachel, who in turn stared back coolly.

"So, what should our song be about, anyway?" one boy asked, drawing everyone's attention from their light conversations. The table fell into a stumped silence.

"Songs for what?" Sunshine asked, reluctantly tearing her fiery gaze from Rachel.

"Regionals," Andrea said shortly, not even bothering to look at Sunshine.

"We already have our Regionals songs," she pointed out, and she smiled brightly. "Remember? Jesse and I picked them out!" She glanced at said boy and smiled shyly, and Rachel chuckled slightly in shock as she realized Sunshine liked him.

Apparently, the short girl heard her. "What's so funny, Berry?" she snapped. Rachel's eyebrows almost reached her hairline as she regarded the temperamental girl in front of her.

"Nothing, just your obvious infatuation with Jesse cracks me up."

Sunshine slammed her fist against the table angrily before standing to her full- though extremely diminutive- height. "Who do you think you are, coming here? You know what, I was going to keep it a secret so you could have friends, but I don't care anymore!" Sunshine turned toward Jesse and pointed accusingly at Rachel. "She's the girl who sent me to the crack house!"

"I know," Jesse said simply. "I have to be honest, I was surprised she could be so maniacal. I thought she was far too goodie-goodie to do anything. Very impressive of her."

"What do you mean, you know?" Sunshine asked, her brows drawn together in very obvious hurt. Rachel felt bad, and as Jesse's mouth opened, she just knew he was going to say something scathing. She spoke before he could.

"Well, you told them I did it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but how could they possibly remember your name? It took them a week to remember mine, and I only said yours once," Sunshine replied coldly, completely contrasting with Rachel's civil tones.

"Well, I've known Jesse for quite some time now. He went to a McKinley for a short period last year," she said, her tone slowly gaining some ice as she remembered the year prior. Jesse grimaced guiltily, but she ignored him.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Sunshine asked softly. She looked like she had been deeply betrayed.

"It ended badly, and I don't like talking about it," Jesse said harshly. His voiced had quivered slightly, however, making him seem much less menacing.

"What do you mean, 'it ended badly'?"

"He just said he doesn't like to talk about it," Rachel snapped. The topic was still very sore with her, too, and she hardly wanted to discuss it with Sunshine Corazon, of all people.

Sunshine's fist connected with the table once more, and unlike the first time, nobody flinched. They all just fixed Sunshine with steely gazes, but she was ignoring them. Her eyes were locked with Rachel's, an intense stare-down between the two of them.

"I will not take this from you," Sunshine said with a calm voice, though an angry undertone swirled like a storm. Rachel narrowed her eyes and stood up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Listen, Little Miss Sunshine," Rachel spat, "I have been nice to you this entire time, and the only thing I've refused to tell you is what happened last year. You will respect that, and you will not bring it up again."

Sunshine's face contorted with fury. "I don't have to listen to what you say! You're not the boss of me!"

"No, but I'm taller, and I could take you down," Rachel retorted. She could see Andrea nod her approval in her peripheral vision but ignored it.

"Are you threatening me?" Sunshine gasped. Rachel simply cocked an eyebrow.

"I would never," she said ironically. There was a screech of metal against concrete as the tall blond girl at the end of the table stood.

"Cool down, you guys," she said slowly. "Let's just put this incident behind us and enjoy the rest of our lunch hour." She was obviously the level-headed one of the group. Rachel would have thought that would be Jesse a year ago, but his increased temper had obviously lost him that title.

Sunshine sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, tilting her head skyward as she took deep, calming breaths. Rachel fought back a laugh at how ridiculous she looked, such a mature action on a girl that looked like a ten-year-old. After a few moments of tense silence and anticipation, Sunshine looked straight into Jesse's eyes.

"Choose."

"What?" he demanded incredulously. Rachel's eyes widened as she stared at the girl in front of her; she had to be kidding, right?

"Choose between me and Rachel. I won't stand around while the girl who sent me to a crack house—"

"For Pete's sake, it was inactive!" Rachel interjected impatiently. Sunshine ignored her.

"I won't stand around while the girl who sent me to a crack house jokes around with my friends like nothing happens, especially as she's obviously turning you guys against me."

"She didn't have to do it, you did it all by yourself," Andrea muttered. Sunshine didn't appear to hear her.

"Choose, Jesse."

"Why do I have to choose?" he demanded with a quirk of his eyebrow. Sunshine rolled her eyes.

"Because you're the leader of the group. Your decision is most important."

Andrea snorted, and Rachel would have laughed if she wasn't so surprised. She had a feeling Jesse would choose her, but what if he put the good of the team first? He's done it once already, she remembered sadly.

Jesse sighed and opened his mouth to vocalize his decision.

Hee hee hee hee, give some reviews to me!

Ten before the next chapter, mmkay? Though I wouldn't mind another 38 ;)

Seriously, though, you guys rocked my socks off. That was incredible.

Cheers!

Harlot