Emily wandered the halls, trying to see if any of the boys in Lima were worth her time. She saw a few who had potential. She would snap a picture of them on her cell phone and ask her cousin, Santana about them later, to see if they were cool or lame.

She had come across a tall nerdy boy with glasses who was pretty cute, a boy with a black Mohawk, a well-built jock who shoved kids into lockers, and a tall boy with gelled hair and a green Ireland hoodie.

Emily stood at the top of the steps in the quad and pulled her jacket tighter around her. She looked at all the tables, trying to find Santana. She was sitting on one of the tables with the other Cheerio's.

She smiled and ran down the stairs as fast as her black UGG's would let her.

"Santana. I need your help." Emily said, standing in front of her.

"So, this is your little cousin from New York?" a blonde Cheerio asked.

"Yeah, Quinn this is the newest Cheerio." Santana boasted.

"She could work." Quinn nodded.

"What do you need?" Santana asked, finally acknowledging Emily.

"Well you said tell you if I found any guys I liked. I found four. I got their pictures. Will you check them out? See if they are good for me?" she asked, holding out her iPhone.

Santana took the phone and scrolled through the pictures. "Brit, isn't this your baby brother?"

Brittany leaned over and looked at the screen. "Yep, that's Cameron. He's a freshman."

"A freshman? Is that too young for me?" Emily asked, not sure what was aloud in Lima.

"If you wanna be like Madonna, no." Santana said, moving on to the next picture. "Puckerman. No."

"Why? I like him. He's cute."

"He's my ex. Exes are against the rules, you should know that cuz."

"Oh." Emily said, looking down at her boots.

"Karofsky. Leave him alone. He's a bully…Brit, who's this?"

Brittany leaned over and looked at the phone. "Probably a freshman. I saw him eating with Cameron and two of his friends the other day. But I don't know. School's only been in session a few weeks. I haven't gotten to know everybody yet." Brittany said, looking at the phone. "He's cute, I'll give him that. I'd say, if you feel like it. Go for it."

Emily smiled and took back her phone. Happy that she wouldn't be single for much longer. That was something Emily never liked, being single. She wasn't accustomed to being alone. She always had someone with her. But here in Lima, she didn't know anyone but Santana and Brittany, and they were always at Cheerio's or glee practice.

Emily looked around the quad and spotted her new boyfriend sitting alone on the steps reading a book. She smiled and walked over to him.

"Aw, look at that. Our little girl is growing up." Santana said, clutching Brittany's arm.

"It'll only be a matter of time before she's one of us." Brittany smiled back.


Emily walked over, feeling for the first time approaching a guy, nervous. He was sitting on a step by himself, leaning against the wall. A hard cover book was resting against his bent knees. He was wearing dark jeans, black Converse, a red t-shirt, a gray zip up hoodie and a yellow beanie.

"Hi." Emily said, standing on the step below him.

He glanced up and looked back down at his book. "Hey."

Emily's knees felt weak hearing his accent. "Where are you from?"

"Ireland." He said, still looking at his book.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Damian." He said, sounding slightly bored.

"Well, hey Damian. My names is Emily but you can call me whatever you like.." She sat down on the step next to him, her shoulder brushing against his.

"I think I'll stick with Emily." He said, finally closing his book.

"…So Damian. Are you a transfer or an exchange student?"

"Transfer."

"I bet you miss Ireland."

Damian nodded, putting his book into his bright blue backpack.

"I bet you miss your girlfriend."

"Don't have one." He said.

"Would you like one." She smiled at him.

"In due time, I'll think I'll find a girl." He said, smiling back.

"Have you met anyone at Lima that you like?"

"Don't really know many people here. But I'll find someone."

"Would you like to go out with me?"
"Emily, you seem like a cool girl. But I just met you, and I'm not looking for a relationship right now." He said, standing up. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings or anything when I say this, but you're not my type. I'll see you around."

Emily stood up and walked back over to Santana.


Damian walked away into the choir room. Cameron, Ellis, Finn, Rachel and a lot of other kids he didn't know were sitting in chairs facing the piano. McKynleigh was standing by the piano with a short boy next to her.

"I see they convinced you too." Damian said to McKynleigh.

"I guess so." She smiled.

"Okay, now that everyone is here. Why don't we get started." The choir teacher, Mr. Schue said. "McKynleigh you first."

McKynleigh walked to the middle of the room. "Hey, I'm gonna be singing So Small by Carrie Underwood."

The band started playing and she started singing a country song that Damian didn't recognize.

When she finished she bowed slightly and went to sit by Cameron as everyone clapped.

"Damian." Mr. Schue said.


"There's your boy toy, Cam." Ellis whispered in Cameron's ear.

"Stop it, Ellis." Cameron said, pushing her away.

"Afraid you're going to miss a word you're dreamy, potato farmer has to say." Ellis poked fun.

"Ellie, seriously. Stop." Cameron said, firmly.

"Okay. I'm sorry. It was just a joke." She said, sitting back in her chair.

"I'm Damian McGinty. I'll be singing Buachaill ón Éirne. It's an old Irish folk song." Damian explained.

"Do you know that song?" Mr. Schue asked the pianist and band.

They held up some sheet music.

"Okay, when you're ready."

The band started and Damian started singing in a foreign language. When he finished, he got a standing ovation. He smiled and sat down next to Cameron.

"That was very good, Damian. What language was that?"

"Gaelic." Damian said, his cheeks a little red.

"That was really cool. What were you saying?" Cameron asked.

"A rich boy from Cork, telling the story of how he's going to charm a girl. Tells her he may be rich but he isn't dumb. He can do what any bloke can do." Damian responded with a shrug. "In the end he does get a kiss from her though."

"I'm Matheus and I'll be singing Rocketeer by Far East Movement." The short boy said.

"What's with Ellis?" Damian asked quietly as the song started. "She seems a little mad."

"She was making jokes at me so I snapped at her. I guess it upset her." Cameron said.


"Very good everybody. Rehearsals are during free period and after school." Mr. Schue said right before the bell rang.

Cameron walked out of the choir room with Ellis, Damian and McKynleigh.

"I wish I could make it to the after school practices, but I got soccer practice an hour after school. And that's how long it takes to get there. I'm sorry." Damian said.

"Just come to the free period practices. And you come back to the school anyway. Sometimes practice will be going on still. You can show up then." Cameron said.

Ellis stepped on the back of his shoe on purpose, trying to get him to stop practically begging.

Before Damian could respond, he was hit in the face with a green slushie.

"Santana!" Cameron and Brittany yelled.

"That'll teach you to mess with a girl's heart." Santana snapped before she marched off.

"Brittany, what was that all about?" Cameron asked his big sister.

"I don't know. Clean him up. I'll go talk to Santana." Brittany said, running down the hall.

Cameron pushed Damian into the boys' bathroom and handed him a handful of paper towels.

Damian wiped the green syrup off his face.

"You know them?" Damian asked as Ellis and McKynleigh walked into the bathroom.

"Brittany is my big sister and Santana is her best friend. Santana is a bitch but she knows the rules about slushies." Cameron said, leaning against the wall. "I wonder why she did it. She's not the type to just go up and slushie someone."

"Do you want me to tell my dad?" McKynleigh offered.

"This is the boys bathroom, you know?" Cameron said.

"We know." Ellis responded.

"What's you dad gonna do?" Damian asked.

"You don't know who her dad is, do you?" Ellis asked. "Her dad is the principal."

"So that's why you were surprised when I talked to you when you got slushied." Damian said, pulling his shirts off.

Cameron and McKynleigh started at his bare chest. Damian noticed McKynleigh staring.

"Years of soccer." He smiled, wiping the stickiness off his chest with a wet paper towel.

Damian had six-pack abs and strong arms. He pulled his long red Manchester United soccer jersey over his head.

"It's on your jeans too." McKynleigh nodded at a wet patch on the front of Damian's jeans.

"Fuck." Damian said, unfastening his belt.

He stepped out of his shoes and pulled his jeans off.

"Oh sweet Jesus." McKynleigh said, looking away.

Damian pulled on a pair of black soccer shorts and pulled his Converse back on.

"'M I good?" Damian asked, putting his dirty clothes into his backpack.

"Very good." Cameron said as the warning bell rang.

"I'll see y'all later." Damian said, running out of the bathroom. McKynleigh followed.

Ellis started to leave when she noticed Cameron wasn't moving.

"Cam. You okay?" she asked, smacking his arm.

"Yeah…" he said, shaking his head and snapping out of his trance.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" she asked, putting his hand on his arm.

"…Not right this moment." He said, taking off down the hall.


Cameron slid into the passenger seat of Brittany's bug.

"Santana told me why she slushied Damian." Brittany said, putting the key in the ignition.

"Turn the car on and let's go get Zack." Cameron said. "And why?"

"It's because her cousin Emily flirted with Damian and he wouldn't go out with here." She said.

Cameron nodded, making a note to tell Damian next time he saw him.

"Are you okay, Cammie?" she asked, putting her hand on his knee.

"Just thinking. A little confused." He said, pushing her hand away gently.

"About what?" she asked, finally starting the car.

"I think I like someone." Cameron said quietly.

Brittany squealed and hit the gas. "Who?"

"I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" Cameron asked, sliding down in his seat.

The rest of the ride to Dalton was quiet.

Zack was waiting outside the soccer field when Brittany pulled up.

"I'm driving home." Zack yelled, jumping up.

"Tyler, do you need a ride home?" Brittany asked, climbing out of her car.

"I, um. I'm not sure if I'm going home." He said, standing up.

"Then come over to our place and stay. You're always welcome." Cameron said, leaning out the car window.

Tyler nodded and stood up.

"Damian, right?" Brittany asked, walking over to the boy who sat in the grass.

He nodded, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I wanted to apologize for Santana. You hurt her cousin, Emily, by turning her down. Santana didn't like that. Don't be surprised if there are rumors going around about you on Monday." She said, sitting on the bench above him. "Are you waiting for a ride?"

"Yeah, my mom should be here in an hour or two. Once she gets off work." Damian said.

"Nope. That's too long to wait. We'll take you. You'll come over, have dinner. Borrow a pair of Zack's jeans so you don't freeze to death in those shorts. Let's go." She said, grabbing Damian's hand and pulled.

"Is that okay with your mom?" Damian asked, standing up and grabbing his bags.

"People are always over." Brittany said. "You're riding in back with Tyler and Cameron."

They put their bags in the trunk and piled into the car.


"Ma! We're home!" Brittany yelled, walking into the house.

Everyone followed.

"Hello everyone." A woman smiled walking into the front hall. She had an apron tied around her waist. Her hair was dirty blonde and her eyes were bright blue. "And who do we have here?"

She hugged her kids and Tyler and faced Damian.

"Mom this is Damian. He's a friend of mine from school." Cameron said.

"A team mate of mine." Zack yelled from the kitchen.

"Well, Damian. I am Eliza. And you always welcome here." She sad, hugging him. "Why are you still in your soccer clothes?"

"Santana slushied him and his clothes are sticky and stained." Brittany said, walking up the stairs.

"Cameron, see if you can find him something of Tyler's to wear." Eliza said, pushing Damian and Cameron towards the stairs.

Cameron walked up the carpeted stairs and down the hall to the last door on the left.

"This is Tyler's room…when he's here." Cameron said, digging through the dresser. He tossed a pair of green skinny jeans and a purple v-neck t-shirt.

"Seriously?" Damian asked, pulling his shirt off.

Cameron nodded and walked out of the bedroom. Damian changed and put his soccer clothes into his backpack. He walked downstairs, the house smelt like spaghetti and garlic. The smell alone made Damian' stomach growl.

He ditched his backpack in the front hall and walked into the living room. Tyler and Zack were wresting over the remote. Brittany was sharing the love seat with Santana. A boy in a wheelchair sat beside them. A boy with dreadlocks, who looked like Tyler, was lying on the couch watching TV. Cameron was sitting on the floor with a young girl, who looked like him in his lap.

"Hey Damian." Brittany smiled at him.

Santana growled.

Damian smiled at her and sat down next to Cameron.

"Damian, this is my little sister Emma." Cameron said, hugging the little girl in his lap. "That's Samuel, on the couch. He's Tyler's little brother. And the boy in the wheelchair is Artie. One of Brittany's friends."

"Kids! Dinner!" Eliza shouted from the living room.

Everyone got up and ran to the dining room. The table was huge and piled with food. A big dish of baked spaghetti sat in the middle of the table, a colorful bowl of salad, a basket of bread, a dish of corn, a dish of peas, and two pitchers of Kool-Aid surrounded the dish.

"Take your seats." A man at the head of the table smiled at everyone. His voice boomed.

Everyone sat down. Damian ended up between Cameron and Santana.

"I don't feel very safe." Damian whispered to Cameron, glancing at Santana who was eating salad only, talking with Brittany.

"We're in front of my parents, she won't do anything." Cameron whispered back.