It was only supposed to be a bet. Finn Hudson, the most popular guy in school, bet that he could make any girl popular. So now he only has a few weeks to take the biggest loser in school, Rachel Berry, and turn her into the Prom Queen. Sounds simple enough. Yeah...right. Loosely based on She's All That.

Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me. I just like to borrow the characters from time to time. I also have no claim to the song used in this chapter. :)


Chapter Eleven - Expression and Exasperation

i used to get away with so much
now i can't get away
i even thought that it was simple
to say the things i wanted to say
Find My Way Back - Michelle Branch

Mondays could suck it. Finn wasn't sure what it was that they could suck, but they were definitely his least favorite day of the week. He'd spent most of the day trying to talk to Rachel, but he'd been unsuccessful. She'd managed to surround herself with different members of the Glee Club and they were running very impressive interference every time he tried to talk to her.

Glee hadn't been much better. She'd managed to avoid his eyes every time he tried to get her to look at him. There wasn't much else he could do without causing a scene, and he really didn't want to put her on the spot. He just figured he'd talk to her once Mr. Shue excused them for the day.

"So the assignment for the week is 'Expression'." Mr. Shue said, writing the word on the whiteboard. "I want everyone to pick out a song that expresses what they're feeling right now."

"Didn't we already do this assignment?" The Asian girl next to Rachel asked. Finn thought her name was Tina something, but he wasn't sure.

"Yes." Mr. Shue said, pointing towards everyone with his marker. "But we're going to do it again."

"Can I go?" Rachel asked, drawing everyone's attention.

"Absolutely!" Mr. Shue replied, obviously happy that someone was taking an interest in his assignment.

Finn watched as Rachel slowly made her way to the front of the classroom, pausing to talk to the piano man whose name Finn still didn't' know. Finally she made it to the front of the classroom and turned around. The music soon started and she began singing.

"I gotta get away from here,

Where it's always cold
I wanna warm my soul
Because I'm watching the embers die

Said I'm gonna pack my bags
Gonna leave today
I got no need to stay
Cause no one's gonna kiss me goodbye

But I don't need anybody to lead the way
I got a dream to follow
I don't need anybody to save today
Because I've got tomorrow
I don't need anybody to break my fall
Because I know that if my journey leaves me weary at all
I got a voice that carries
Carry me on up
Gonna carry me down to L.A.

Said it's been ten long years
Since I've seen the sun
I'm livin' on the run
And so I'm hangin' my head in shame
But my Momma said to speak my mind
So listen what I say
Cause there will come a day
When everybody's screamin' my name

But I don't need anybody to lead the way
I got a dream to follow
I don't need anybody to save today
Because I've got tomorrow
I don't need anybody to break my fall
Because I know that if my journey leaves me weary at all
I got a voice that carries
Carry me on up
Gonna carry me down to L.A.

I got a voice that carries
Carry me down where the sun don't stop
I got a voice that carries
Carry me away from my pain, yeah

I got a voice that carries
Carry me down to where the sand is hot
I got a voice that carries
That's the only thing that's keeping me sane

But I got a voice

Can you hear it?
Callin' me up and away, yeah
But I got a voice

Can you hear it?

Callin' me, callin' me, callin' me

Down to L.A.

Never had a place to go
Or a place to be, no
As long as I can breathe

I'll always have my getaway song

But I don't need anybody to lead the way
I got a dream to follow
I don't need anybody to save today
Because I've got tomorrow
I don't need anybody to break my fall
Because I know that if my journey leaves me weary at all
I got a voice that carries
Carry me on up
Gonna carry me down to L.A.

But I don't need anybody to lead the way
I got a dream to follow
I don't need anybody to save today
Because I've got tomorrow
I don't need anybody to break my fall
Because I know that if my journey leaves me weary at all
I got a voice that carries
Carry me on up
Gonna carry me down to L.A."

Rachel ended the song as everyone stood up to give her a standing ovation, something Finn was sure she was used to. He joined in the applause, but couldn't help but think that the song had been directed at him. She hadn't looked anywhere close to him during the song, but he still felt like it was for him.

"Very good, Rachel." Mr. Shue said, still clapping as he made his way back to the front of the room to stand next to Rachel. "Why did you pick that song?"

Rachel seemed to be thinking about her answer for a moment, but then she turned to Mr. Shue with a brilliant smile on her face. "I just needed to remind myself that I'm going to get out of Lima, Ohio, and that the best way for me to leave this town is to use my voice. My voice is going to take me places. After graduation I'm going to move to New York City and go to NYADA and leave this place behind."

"Okay..." Mr. Shue obviously hadn't been expecting as long of an explanation. "You did a great job."

Rachel smiled once again and made her way back to her seat, this time she did venture a glance towards Finn, and if looks could kill Rachel would be leaving Lima, to go to prison. Finn gulped and faced Mr. Shue once again.

"Well, that's all for today." Mr. Shue said. "I want everyone to think about their songs for the week and I'll see you all tomorrow."

Finn knew this was his only chance to talk to Rachel. He'd be able to talk to her in the hallway when she went to get her things from her locker. He quickly got up from his seat and followed her to her locker, thankful that her posse seemed to find escaping the school more important than keeping him away from her. Even Blaine, who had stopped to talk to Mr. Shue about something.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Finn asked as he walked up to Rachel's locker, where she was busy gathering her books. He knew that the question was ridiculous; he knew full and well why she had been avoiding her since the party, he just wasn't sure how else to broach the subject.

Rachel didn't respond, just kept gathering her books as though he wasn't even there. "Okay, I know, that was a stupid question." Finn sighed reaching up to turn Rachel towards him, regretting it instantly when he saw the irritation on her face.

Once again Rachel didn't say anything as she turned away from him to close her locker. Only when she began to walk away did she say anything. "Could you please just leave me alone?"

Finn knew that he couldn't leave her alone, but not because of the bet. Rachel Berry had intrigued him quite a bit, and he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason why. Plus, he needed her help with Glee. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened the other night at the party. Santana is a bitch, but none of what happened had anything to do with me."

Rachel spun around and faced Finn, her eyes full of rage. "It had everything to do with you!" She yelled, not noticing how some of the Glee kids were still in the halls with them. "You invited me to that stupid party. You and your friends have treated me like trash for years, so I don't know where you get off saying that it had nothing to do with you."

"Okay, I think I deserved that." Finn said, rocking back on his heels, taking in Rachel's words. "Feel better now?"

Rachel seemed to deflate fairly quickly after her outburst, her face losing most of its emotions, until it was nearly a blank slate. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just am sick of putting up with all the bullying, which is why I am looking forward to graduation. I'm going to move to New York and become everything I was meant to be."

Finn smiled at her words. "I'm glad that you have such a huge dream. Can I let you in on a secret?" Rachel nodded. "I have no idea what I want to do after graduation."

Rachel seemed shocked. "I thought you had college scouts offering you scholarships for football and baseball."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "I do have plenty of offers. I just don't want to play college ball. I used to play sports just because it was fun, now it seems like I only play sports because I'm supposed to. The game isn't fun anymore."

Rachel gave him a small smile as she reached out and took a hold of his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Well, what is fun to you now?"

"I am having a surprising amount of fun with Glee. Who knew that singing and dancing could have ever been my calling?" Finn wasn't sure if music was what he wanted to, but he did know that the times that he'd been singing were the best times he'd had in a very long time. That had to mean something.

"Speaking of dancing, we should probably go work on yours." Rachel said laughing.

It wasn't until that moment that Finn realized that he had been holding Rachel's hand ever since he'd told her about not wanting to play sports. Her hand felt right in his so he didn't let go as she led the way to the auditorium.


a/n; The song is A Voice That Carries by Bonnie McKee. (Who incidentally happens to be helping Lea with her solo album, at least that's what Twitter tells me.) Please don't forget to review! :)