It didn't take long for the friends to come to the conclusion that high school sucked. By the end of Freshman Year, they were sure that it would be all they could do to survive the next three years. And then Artie and Tina rolled upon something that had the potential to change the course of their high school lives.

"Auditions for Glee Club?" Artie wasted no time in signing his own name on the sheet, but Tina was still hesitant. She was shy normally, and singing in front of a crowd? She loved to sing, but she wasn't sure if she could sing on a stage in front of actual people.

"Why not? It's not like we have anything to lose. Come on Tina, I know how much you love to sing, lets just try it." He was right there; she didn't have anything to lose. Maybe it would make her even more of a loser, but really, how much further did she have to fall? Kurt and Mercedes had already signed up, and Tina saw the infamous Rachel Berry star before she actually read the sheet. If they were going to be losers, why not be losers together and do what they loved to do at the same time?

Well, maybe they kind of sucked at first, but that was just because they weren't in sync yet, right? But they got a lot better when Finn Hudson joined, and things in Tina's life started to change. She got slushied almost daily, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her last period was always spent anxiously watching the clock, waiting for it to be time to go to Glee rehearsal. For the first time she could remember, she didn't dread going to school. And she saw a change in her friends as well. Mercedes seemed to be more bold, and her clothing got a lot brighter. Artie and Kurt got the worst of the abuse, but nothing could keep the smiles off their faces when 3:30 rolled around. Glee was infectious, metaphorically and literally.

They never expected their teacher, Mr. Shue, to tell them that he was leaving.

The group was shocked, well, with the exception of Finn who Tina had a feeling didn't want to be there in the first place. They tried not to beg him to stay, but when Mercedes finally spoke, she couldn't keep the helplessness out of her voice. This was it, they had finally found a place where they belonged, and it was going to be over before it really started. Rachel tried to take over, but everyone knew it would never work. Rachel was too self centered to lead a group. It may make her an amazing performer, but she would never be able to teach people to work as a team when she hardly could herself.

So that's why Tina ended up laying on her bed, looking at the New Directions poster she had made in an excitable moment only a week ago. All the happiness that the four, possibly five if they could ever stand Rachel, friends had found had left with Mr. Shue. Tina, Rachel, and Mercedes were back to brushing slushy out of their hair in the girls bathroom without the sound of half way content humming in the background. Artie's chair got pushed down a stairwell, thank God without him in it, and Kurt's car was vandalized all in the same day. They couldn't even put on an appearance of being happy.

Tina needed someone to talk to, needed someone who understood where she was coming from. But she had called Mercedes three times this week already and she didn't want to worry Kurt or Artie. So she picked up her phone and dialed the only other number in her phone besides her parents.

"Hello, Rachel Berry speaking, how may I help you?" Tina tried to open her mouth to answer, but all that came out was a breathless little sob. There was a pause on the other end.

"Tina?"

"H…hey Rachel. I'm sorry, I just…"

"I know Tina, it's ok." And with that, the barrier broke and Tina's tears fell without hesitation. She cried until she fell asleep, still on the phone with Rachel who never stopped whispering little nothings into the phone until she was fast asleep.

The next day, Tina walked by the dumpster to see Kurt struggling to crawl out. She stopped, holding back the tears that had come from seeing her friend so hurt, and helped him out. Once he was on the ground, she handed him his bag and linked arms with him as they braved another day of school. Mercedes appeared with her rain coat and Artie with a newly repaired chair. Kurt linked arms with Mercedes and he grabbed Artie's handle in an offering of strength. When Tina saw Rachel by her locker, watching the jock with a slushy in his hand cautiously, she offered her a spot in their line, which she gladly took. And there they were, the Gleeks of McKinley High, giving each other comfort in the only way they could at the moment.

"So let's meet in the auditorium for practice today, maybe we can come up with something…" Rachel said, trailing off as they collectively ducked to avoid someone's slushy. The other four nodded, finally breaking up to go to their separate classes. Later, they met in the auditorium, but all wasn't going well. Rachel was trying, but she just couldn't seem to get that the rest of them weren't professionally trained. They needed a leader, they needed Mr. Shue.

Just then Finn came in, pushing a slightly agitated Artie. Tina tensed, wondering if he was here to insult them like all the other football players, but when Artie smiled tightly at him she tried to relax. Ok, he was probably here to apologize.

But the jock surprised her, confessing that he didn't want to give this up, or them up. That Glee was the one thing that had made him happy for a while. Instantly, the five Gleeks accepted him. They had nothing to lose at that point, and Finn seemed genuine. Plus, he brought his natural leadership talents to the plate and the next thing they knew, they had a number put together. Their version of "Don't Stop Believing" wasn't perfect to say the least, but Tina saw it as perfectly flawed. The now six of them sang their hearts out, meaning every lyric that they harmonized to. They sang and danced and just had fun. None of them could remember actually having that much fun since the year had started. Tina was a little sad when it was over and they all bowed their heads. Then they heard a faint noise that made them look up in joyful disbelief.

"That was good guys. It was a nine, but we're going to make it a ten." Mr. Shue said, clapping slowly and smiling at them. The pride in his eyes was evident and it gave Tina the most amazing feeling of hope she could ever remember. "From the top!"

Tina was sure that he didn't mean for them to start screaming when he said that, but he just laughed all the same. Tina jumped for joy, ending up in Mercedes' arms almost before she hit the ground. When she finally let her go she was attacked by a flying Rachel Berry and then swung around in Kurt's spinning hug. She hit the ground dizzy and fell into Artie's lap. He laughed, pulling her close as she could feel her friends amused eyes stray to her. She blushed as he leaned into her ear to whisper something.

"And you said you didn't want to sign up. Who says Glee cant change your life?"

A/N: Yeah, who says Glee cant change your life? It changed mine! Show of hands if it changed yours! Haha well he finally reached canon! Im just going to warn you, some of my lines might not be perfect here so bear with me. I also have two five page papers due Saturday and Tuesday, a final, and two oral presentations to create so if I don't update soon, I am so sorry! But that's your life when you're an Early College student. So…that amazing little button down there that says review? You should click it, it gives you virtual cookies :D.