Hey Guys! Holy Sweet Gaga, it's been a while! I'm oh-so-very sorry for that. My explanation? I get distracted really easily. And I know that's not a plausible explanation, but it's the truth. I started on this chapter a while back, but ever since school started again, I've been distracted by , the extra long chapter as my apology.

And my mind has been invaded by thoughts of another story, I know, I know. How can i be thinking of another story when I can barely keep this one up? That's why I've made it a personal goal to have at least 13 chapters for this story by the time Season 3 starts. That is, if I don't have too much schoolwork to do. Plus there are references for that new story in this chapter, although it's very very subtle. Feel free to take a guess at what it is in the reviews section.

Also, thanks for the reviews that you guys have given me! Next chapter, I'll thank the people who reviewed the past chapters. Oh, and a special thanks to kubirox555 and Elle Loves Glee for reminding me to post, via PM. I promised them I would have this chapter up before the end of labor day, so here it is.

I also don't remember who reviewed about the comment (I think it was 1booklover11; I have to double check later on) but this section has parts directly from the episode. I even have a notepad to make it word-for-word, although I changed some parts to make it adaptable to the story.

I really want to thank everyone who's reviewed or added my story as a favorite or an alert. I smile just a little bit more every time i see that i have a new email that says someone added my story as a favorite story/story alert/review or even an author alert/favorite author. Those really make my day! And someone even added my to a community! I literally squealed! But no, seriously. Thanks for everything! I'll update soon. I really want this story posted as much as you readers do.

Well, anyways, ENJOY!

For future references, in my story, Lauren didn't save Puck from the port-a-potty. It was Rachel. So, there are no guarantees of who Puck will be with but i think i have my eye on who i want to ship him with. If any of you readers have an idea, feel free to leave it in the review!

And after a few chapters, Mercedes is going to be a more minor character. She's still going to be a big part, but I'm not going to use her character as much as Rachel's and Kurt's. But, i do have a major arc in store for her, so she's still an important character.

XxX - Line Break

Kurt'sPOV

We began to walk towards the stage, as Wes stood by the doorway, double checking that everyone's uniforms were in pristine condition. "Randall! Fix your tie! It's crooked." Randall reached towards his tie and tried to straighten it, but failed, so Trent turned towards him and helped him fix it. "Flint, tuck in your dress shirt!" Flint grumbled and tucked in his shirt, while muttering curses (most likely directed towards Wes). "Nick, where is your blazer?" Nick looked down at his torso as if to check if Wes was just kidding about the blazer, then ran back to the room to grab it once he realized Wes was serious. "Casey, your hair." Casey tried to glance up at his hair and asked confusingly, "What's wrong with it?" "It looks weird. Fix it," was Wes's reply.

Casey looked like he was about to slap Wes across the head, so Seth quickly stepped in and pushed Wes forward. "Let's get onstage, before someone ends up with another black eye." As he said this, he shot a pointed look at Andy, who raised his hands in surrender and answered, "Hey, that guy was making out with my girlfriend. How was I supposed to know that he was a boxer?"

Thad rolled his eyes. "She wasn't worth getting a black eye over if she was making out with another guy."

"That's why I dumped her. Cheating old hag, who only wanted me to buy her stuff," Andy grumbled.

We reached the backstage and were quickly ushered onto the stage.

"Places, everyone! Don't forget to smile!" said Wes loudly, enough to be heard by all of us but not by the audience. We rushed to our positions for 'Hey, Soul Sister," (By Train) and took deep breaths. Blaine turned over to me and quickly winked, then mouthed 'Courage' to me, just as the curtains were beginning to open. He quickly turned his head forward again as the announcer introduced us.

"Introducing from Dalton Academy in Westerville, the Warblers!"

Hey heey, heeey

Blaine began the song and we all chimed in the background vocals.

(Tonight)

(hey) Hey, (heeey) Heeey, (heeey) Heeey

We all turned and faced the audience as Blaine began to sing. I tried to smile, but I couldn't help but let it fall into a grimace every so often. It was hard, performing against your old team who was like a family to you. Especially if you didn't know if they were happy for you or not.

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains

I knew I wouldn't forget you (Blaine walked towards David and they jokingly pointed at each other with grins on their faces)

And so I went and let you blow my mind (He walked towards me did a small push back and stunned face motion, then walked towards the center of the group)

(let you blow my mind)

We began to do our last minute added in side-steps, and I finally took a glance at New Directions. Puck was giving a seriously angry looking face, which had me a bit worried. Was he mad that I was competing against them? Mike was bobbing his head to the music, Finn looked happy that I was happy, and Rachel and Mercedes were giving me encouraging smiles. The rest of the team looked like they were enjoying the song, except for Mr. Schuester, whose expression was unreadable from where I was standing.

Your sweet moon beam

The smell of you in every single dream I dream

I knew when we collided

You're the one I have decided who's one of my kind

(one of my kind)

Oh wow, our dance steps were lame – if they were even considered dance steps. All we did were step-sway-step. My smile was beginning to fall again as I was considering this. There's no way we're going to win with these dance steps. As the chorus came on, we changed the steps a bit into step-snap-step, then hop-snap-hop. Seriously, what is with these three-step moves? Next time, I'm going to talk the council into letting me choreograph our routine.

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo (Blaine once again began to alternate looking over at David and I as we hopped from side to side)

The way you move ain't fair, you know

Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do, (As we sang, my eyes caught Rachel's and she looked serious for a moment. I gave her a confused look, but then she lifted her fingers and made a motion over her mouth with them and mouthed 'smile.' Oh. She pointed at her over exaggerated smile and I once again forced a smile on my face, pushing any thoughts about losing or letting New Directions down out of my mind.)

Tonight

We began to walk towards the side and danced in our spots. Well, I swayed in my spot, but I tried to look as cheerful as I could, still not knowing the reactions of my old teammates except Rachel and Mercedes.

The way you can cut a rug, watching you's the only drug I need (Blaine began his weird, yet completely adorable dance moves as the rest of the Warblers and I danced behind him)

You're so gangsta, I'm so thug, you're the only one I'm dreaming of (He moved out of formation and I saw Tina and Artie exchange smiles, which made me relax a bit more - they seemed happy for me.)

(dreaming of)

You see, I can be myself now finally, in fact there's nothing I can't be (We began to move towards the other side of the stage, following Blaine, who was once again doing weird dance moves. Okay, this proves it – Blaine can't dance. Seriously, did he seriously just hop on one leg? Oh dear. At least it's cute. My eyes caught Rachel's once again and she gave me an insanely proud smile, to which I smiled back to)

(nothing I can't be)

I want the world to see you be with me

We all stood still and slowed down our background vocals a bit as Blaine's voice powered over all ours. I began to relax a little more and fell into the music.

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, (Again with the dance moves Blaine! We began to move towards the center of the stage and Blaine stood a few feet in front of us)

The way you move ain't fair, you know (Okay, did he just punch air? I'm going to have a serious talk with Blaine about appropriate dance moves for competition next time. He spun in a small circle and we fell back into our step-snap-step routine.)

Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do (He backed up and joined us again, shooting me a look as we sang)

Tonight

I saw Mr. Schue's face again and this time, it looked unhappy or upset or something. Wait, as my former coach, shouldn't he be happy that I'm happy? I shot unsure glances over at the other Warblers every so often, but they all looked like they were having fun.

Hey, heeeey, heeeey

Tonight

Hey, heeeey, heeeey (We began to move back into our original positions and stood still as Blaine walked up and joined us in his original spot)

Tonight

As soon as Blaine stepped back into his original position, we all finished the last note of the song. The audience burst into applause and I began to smile. Rachel shot out of her seat and gave us a standing ovation, which had me smiling even more, and I'm pretty sure Wes was nodding his approval at her. A second later, Mercedes jumped up and joined her, then gestured to the rest of the club to do that same. All of the Warblers were glowing happily at the two as more and more of the audience joined them. We grinned proudly at the audience until they settled down, then began our next song, which was "Vida La Vida" by Coldplay. {AN: I based this on the acapella version by "pjkmusica" on YouTube, but I'm sure you would get the idea if you just searched up any acapella version of the song}

One again, the rest of the Warblers began a slow beat and Blaine's voice chimed in.

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

We swayed from side to side and I saw some audience members nodding their head to the music.

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

More and more people were getting into the music and I grinned happily as we continued.

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

I caught Rachel's eye again and she winked at me.

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Blaine stopped singing for a few moments as we sang the instrumental part of the song. He came back in, with Wes echoing "Woah-Ah-Oh's" as we backed Blaine up again.

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word

(We all lowered our voices as Blaine sang the last line)
But that was when I ruled the world

Once again, we were met by loud applause at the end of the song. Honestly, I don't know why they chose that song to sing. Seth told me that they had chosen it a while back, before I transferred, but he never explained why they chose it. In fact, I don't even remember why we chose "Hey Soul Sister." Was it- Oh, wait a moment. I do remember, actually. It was the council's choice, but it was an accident in the first place.

~Flashback~

"What is this place?" I asked as the rest of the Warblers took seats around the room. Wes, David, and Thad had led us from practice to go search for music for Sectionals. There was a mini-stage with some risers on one side of the room, a piano in front of it, two sofas on opposite walls from each other, a table surrounded by four beanbag chairs, and a bookshelf on the wall opposite the stage. Oh, and there was a lamp in the corner between the bookshelf and one of the sofas. I looked around the room curiously as Seth, my partner in crime and my best friend, stepped beside me.

"It's one of our practice rooms. Well, actually it's like a storage room, since we do have a tendency to practice anywhere and everywhere."

His explanation confused me even further. He took a glance at my puzzled face, and tried another explanation. "We keep all our sheet music in here. So, it's like a storage room. It was originally meant to be a practice room, thus the stage and piano, but we don't use it often."

"Why don't you guys use it often?" I asked him.

He just shrugged in reply.

Across the room, Wes and David were lifting box after box of sheet music and passed it towards each and every Warbler. "Find a song," Wes said as he passed a box to me .I sighed, knowing that my taste of music wasn't exactly what the Warblers usually sang. Seth joined me by sitting next to me and we both shared a tired glance at each other.

XxX

Hours later, we were still searching for music. Most of the Warblers had already left the room, but Wes made David, Blaine, Seth and I stay. Which was pretty much unfair, considering Thad didn't even stay and he's part of the council. By now, Wes was getting pretty desperate for the perfect choice, and the rest of us were practically ready to just ditch him there.

"Wes, we aren't going to find anything in here," I complained to him.

Seth nodded at my side. I leaned against him for a moment as David and Blaine looked over at Wes.

"We can always go to the music store and find songs," David said, putting his hand on Wes's shoulder.

Wes shrugged David's shoulder off. "I'm not giving up to I find a good song!" He whipped out his gavel.

"I-"

He pounded his gavel on the corner of the box.

"-will-"

Pound.

"-not-"

Pound.

"-give-"

Pound.

"up-whoops!"

As he was going for that last pound to emphasize his sentence, the gavel suddenly flew out of his grasp and knocked over one of the boxes that we hadn't searched through yet behind us. It fell onto the ground with a loud thud and the music inside all fell out.

We all rushed towards the box to pick up the music sheet, when Wes saw the title of the one on top. He then grinned and showed it to us.

I plucked the sheet out of his hand. "Hey Soul Sister? I don't know….." I trailed off, giving him an unsure glance.

He pulled it back into his own hands. "We're meant to do this song. The gavel has spoken," he said, with as much authority he could muster. We didn't take him seriously though, because really Wes? Really?

Seth and I glanced at each other, then shrugged. It had come to a point where we were too tired to argue with his choice. "Fine, whatever. If you need us, we'll be in the kitchen,"

Blaine looked curious. "What are you two going to be doing in the kitchen?"

I leaned over and ruffled Seth's blonde hair. "I'm teaching him how to cook. I'll see you later." I grabbed Seth's hand and dragged him out the door before Wes could end up making us do more. I didn't notice Blaine's long stare at Seth and my clasped hands.

~End Flashback~

I internally laughed at the memory. There had been a lot of chaos in searching for the song, and Randall at one point nearly fell asleep on top of the boxes we were searching through. I heard the Warblers begin shifting around to different spots and blinked for a second. Then I smirked, remembering where I was at and what song that we had chosen to sing as our final song. Well, not chosen. I heard from David and Wes that Blaine had begged them to do this song. I quickly moved to my spot as the rest of the Warblers began the background vocals. I caught Rachel's eye once again and winked, then joined the Warblers in their harmony as Blaine took the solo.

You think I'm pretty without any make-up on (I saw Rachel's and Mercedes' face light up when they realized what song we were singing and inside, I felt just as giddy as they looked.)
You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down (Blaine took a glance at me during this line and I smiled my toothless smile at him as I sung)

I took a quick glance at the judges and the female judges looked like they were about to melt. Yes, Blaine does have a tendency to do that to people when he sings.

Before you met me, I was a wreck

(We swayed and bounced to the beat, smiling the entire time)
But things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life
Now every February you'll be my valentine, valentine (Did Blaine just glance at me again? Hm. Curiouser and Curiouser. He did a heart shape with his hands as he sang to the audience.)

Let's go all the way tonight

(We began to do our step-snap-step thing again, except instead of messing around like the Warblers did when I first saw them, it was a little bit more organized. Just a little.)
No regrets, just love (We froze for a moment on the word "love", then resumed singing)
We can dance until we die
You and I, we'll be young forever

You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream

(We pointed in various directions at the beginning, then pointed back at ourselves. Then we quickly went back to the step-snap-step motion)
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep
Let's runaway and don't ever look back
Don't ever look back (We did a small turn and faced forward once more)

My heart stops when you look at me
Just one touch, now baby I believe

(I took a glance at my old teammates' faces' once again, and lit up when I saw Brittany and Santana bobbing their heads to the music)
This is real, so take a chance
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back

We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and built a floor out of sheets
I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece
I'm complete

Let's go all the way tonight

(We repeat our dance moves from the other verse, having fun the entire time we sang)
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I, we'll be young forever

You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream

(I saw Rachel and Mercedes shoot up from their seats and began to dance along. I struggled to fight the urge to laugh at the silliness of it all, but smiled nonetheless)
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep (The rest of the audience followed along with their example and jumped from their seats, dancing along as we sang)
Let's runaway and don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

My heart stops when you look at me
Just one touch, now baby I believe
This is real, so take a chance
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back

I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans

(We turned to the side, then faced forward again. I mentally smirked, remember exactly what I thought when I head Blaine sing this verse the first time I heard it.)
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight

We all lowered our voices, and Blaine chimed in with a loud "Yeah!" Inside, I melted a little at the goofy grin on his face as he sang the rest of the song.

You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep
Let's runaway and don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

My heart stops when you look at me
Just one touch, now baby I believe
This is real, so take a chance
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back

I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans

(We sang the last verse in unison and without anyone doing any backup vocals)
Be your teenage dream tonight

By the end of the song, I was smiling so fiercely, I thought my face was going to slit into two. The audience cheered loudly as we stood proudly in front of them. We glowed as they continued to clap and cheer for a moment. My eyes flickered to New Directions during all the applause, and saw that they were getting up and rushing over to the door. For a second, I was confused. But then, Mercedes turned around for a quick second, saw that I was looking at them, and flashed me a thumbs up and nudged her head in the direction out the door. I then remembered that they were going up next. Oh yeah. They're my competition. Well that dampened my mood, but only slightly.

The stage curtains closed once more and we began to walk back to our greenroom, to get our post performance buzz a little calmer. As we moved backstage, I felt an arm wrap itself around my waist and I turned to see the culprit. I proceeded to blush when I realized it was Blaine.

"You did really well out there," I said quietly to him.

He beamed at me and said, "You did too."

I flushed happily. Damn it, Kurt! You're acting like a love-sick fool! Stop it! He doesn't like you that way!

Seth knocked shoulders with me and grinned playfully. I rolled my eyes with a grin, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Nice job out there," he added to Blaine.

"You too."

I jokingly asked Seth. "What about me? Jerk forgot me already?"

"You did horribly," Seth replied lightheartedly, with a faux snobby wave of his hand.

I pouted at him, as he laughed at me in return.

The three of us stepped into the hallway and walked towards the green room. As soon as I was in the room, I was greeted by multiple of my fellow Warblers, namely Jeff, Nick, Randall, and Casey, sticking their hands out for high fives.

However, everyone in the room was being unusually quiet, compared to their normal selves. I opened my mouth to question their silence, and was immediately shushed by Wes putting his finger in front of his mouth as if to say "Sh". Seth, Blaine, and I exchanged a questioning glance.

"These costumes are causing some unmentionable chafing." A female voice rang out from the wall. Ah, so New Directions were in their green room. The voice must be Lauren's since I don't recognize it very well. Then, I thought about what she said and smirked. As dull as it was to have to wear a uniform all the time, at least they were somewhat comfy.

Sam's voice came next. "Are you okay?"

We heard Quinn's voice answer frantically, "No, I'm totally freaking out. Last time we performed for an audience, I went into labor. I think I'm having post-traumatic stress disorder." Some of the Warblers gave me confused looks, as I didn't explain all the drama that was New Directions to them before. So, I simply mouthed "Later" to them. They nodded in understanding.

"FYI, I'm totally available to fill in." We all chuckled quietly at Mercedes' blasé response. I think David broke out into full grin over it. The next snippet of conversation was on the other side of the room.

"No where to run from me or your lies. I hope the judges like dancing and adultery because you're aces at both of them." My eye brows shot up at Artie's accusation. Was he talking to Brittany? Wait, did Brittany cheat on him with another guy?

I shook my head. Brittany's not the type to do that, unless it was with Santana. So did Artie finally consider Santana and Brittany to be cheating? They were always hooking up, so it's probably not that. Oh well, I'll ask Rachel or Mercedes about it later.

"I don't understand how you found out. I am so stupid. I can't believe I did it. I've never felt more awful about anything in my life." Wait, so she did? No, I know my boo. She wouldn't do that.

"What's Artie all worked up about?"

"You're such a jerk!"

Say what? Even the Asian fusion couple was fighting? What is going on with New Directions? And what did Mike do to get Tina upset at him? Wait- could Brittany have been cheating over Artie with Mike? That's impossible! I mean, sure he has great abs and all, but Brittany wouldn't cheat with Mike. Especially since Mike and Tina are probably the most solid couple in New Directions.

A door creaked at one part of the room. Someone was probably exiting one of their dressing rooms and entering their green room.

"Have you guys seen my charm bracelet? I put it on the desk when I was changing and didn't have a chance to put it back on because Mr. Schue rushed us out. " asked Rachel.

"You had a charm bracelet?" asked Finn. Hm, I thought Finn would have at least tried to take notice of these things. He was still pining over Rachel, but she told me that she was over him, ever since the Santana-Finn incident. Of course, he tried asking me for advice, but a guy can only do so much after lying to his ex. And personally, I was rooting for Wes and Rachel to get together. At least Wes would treat Rachel a little better. I mean, I remember Rachel recalling one of her dates with him to me and she said that during the entire date, the only thing he would talk about was video games. Seriously Finn? Video games? He could have at least talked about music so that Rachel could have joined in.

"The one Kurt gave you?" asked Mercedes. The one I gave her?

"Yeah." Wait, so someone took a bracelet that I gave to Rachel?

"Why would Kurt give you a bracelet?" asked Quinn. I raised my eyebrow at that. Wes and Seth frowned disapprovingly at the comment. Some of the others looked miffed by it.

"How is he, anyways?" asked Puck. I gave at small smile at that. Last year, he was still throwing me into trash cans. This year, he was willing to be my secret service guy. I'm proud of how much he's changed. Plus, we've gotten pretty close this year, although he still acted like a complete idiot at some points.

"He's fine," answered Rachel curtly. "Now where is my bracelet? It's kind of my lucky charm." My heart warmed at her comment. Blaine looked over at me and smiled, and I think I saw a flash of jealously in Wes's eyes. But it passed too quickly for me to be certain, so I'll just let that go. For now.

"I didn't see any bracelets on the desk," said Tina.

There was a slightly jangling sound, then a female voice. "Looking for this?" asked Santana.

"Why do you have my bracelet?"

"Why were you talking to those Garglers from gay Hogwarts?" Well, thanks Santana (note the sarcasm). I rolled my eyes, and the head council looked mildly offended by the comment.

"It's Warblers and Dalton is not a gay Hogwarts. I case you didn't notice, Kurt's apart of their team now. I'm pretty sure I have the right to wish an old teammate good luck on his performance."

"So now you're suddenly Kurt's best friend? In case you didn't notice, you and Kurt hated each other."

"Says who? Things change. Now, can I have my bracelet back?"'

"No, I think I'm going to keep it. I'm sure it'll look better on me- even after a hobbit like you has worn it." Okay, now I was offended by that. That bracelet was a custom made bracelet for Rachel. I had a matching one as an anklet, which I was wearing right now. Both accessories had our names engraved on it, on one of the seven thin charms, so I see no point in Santana wearing a bracelet that had other peoples' name on it.

"Okay, what is up with you?" said Rachel in an annoyed voice. Her voice was getting increasingly louder. "Why are you always taking things from me now?"

"Please, you're just annoyed because I got the solo and you didn't."

"And I didn't complain about that! Heck, I even helped Mr. Schuester pick out what song you were going to sing!" Wow, didn't expect Rachel to help pick out the solo. All she told me was that she wasn't getting a solo, then went back to the movie that we were watching.

Before they could go at it even more, Finn's voice cut in. "Guys, chill out. Santana, give Rachel's bracelet back. Rachel, stop yelling at Santana. We're going to need her voice if we want to win. No need to get all worked up over a stupid bracelet." Oh wow Finn. That was a bad way to order your words. You're in for it now.

We heard someone take a deep breathe, which was probably Rachel. Said person then replied in a calm, yet irritated voice, "First of all, Finn, all I wanted was my bracelet. She wouldn't give it back to me, so I have a right to yell. And it isn't just some stupid bracelet. Kurt had it custom made for me and anything he gives me is never stupid. They're always special and important. And as for that second part-" she paused and took a breath to calm herself even more, "-I'm going to take the higher path and not say anything. For someone who's asking to get back together with me again, you're doing a horrible job of trying to get me back. Where were you earlier when I spent half an hour searching for our green room? You could have at least mentioned that we changed rooms. It's like when you didn't tell me you slept with Santana all over again. No one in this club ever bothers to mention anything to me." Wow. This is just like last year's sectionals. So much drama. I couldn't read the reactions of my fellow Warbler, as there was so much confusion going on in the other room.

"Nobody tells you anything because A, you're a blabbermouth, and B, we all just pretend to like you," said Santana snarkily. Nick and Jeff looked horrified, while the rest of the Warblers looked angry at how Santana was treating Rachel. Even I was a bit annoyed with Santana, and I knew how the Latina was like! Why was no one else helping her? Was it pick on Rachel day for them? But they already did that during school. You would think that they would at least get along before the competition.

"That's not true, I kind of like her," inserted Puck. At least Puck was somewhat defending her.

"And everyone else really hates you," sneered Santana. Her comment irked me and the rest of the Warblers. Andy and Jason were practically restraining Wes, whose fists were clenched and he looked ready to punch someone.

"Oh, who are you right now?" snarled Rachel.

From the other side of the room, we heard Lauren say, "Best greenroom ever!" Wow. Seriously, at a time like this? Shouldn't she at least try to stop the fight? Why was nobody helping?

"You know what? You guys are going to have to find someone else to mindlessly harmonize in the background, because I am not going onstage with HER!" But, if Rachel doesn't sing, then New Directions can't compete. They won't have enough people. Wow. Presently, I'm glad I'm with the Warblers. There's so much less drama.

Artie chimed in, "Make that two subs. I'm not going out there with Brittany."

"Me either!" added Tina.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Mr. Schuester. When did he get in there room? "Listen to yourselves. I'm ashamed of you. Think back to where you were, this time last year. In this room, no set list, no choreography, no chance in hell of winning. But you did win because you did it together. Look, I don't care if you guys hate each other. All I want is for you guys to go out there and for six minutes, remind yourself that you're not alone." There was a pause, then, "Alright, Showtime."

There was a bunch of shuffling as everyone in New Directions began to leave the room. The room next door got quieter and quieter as each person left the room. We heard a small "clink!" noise that sounded like metal hitting metal, then a small thud of something hitting the floor.

"Better not mess up, Dwarf," Santana sneered and we heard her footsteps echo down the hallway.

Rachel sighed in the other room as she picked up the bracelet, which was probably what Santana threw at her (If the metal is dented, I'm going to be so irritated at Santana). After a moment, we heard her close the door and waited as her footsteps faded away as she walked down the hall.

The moment they were gone, the room went into chaos. Questions were thrown out left and right at me.

"How did you ever get along with those people?"

"Those people are your friends?"

"What the hell was that?"

"How can you be friends with those people?"

"Why was she talking to Rachel like that?"

"Who the fuck do those people think they are?"

"What does your team have against Rachel?"

"What kind of people-"

"Why are you friends with-"

"Those assholes-"

"Who the fuck was talking to Rachel like that?" asked a low and menacing voice.

Everyone quickly flipped their heads to look at Wes, whom they had rarely ever heard curse. In the meantime, I just sighed. Blaine gripped my hand reassuringly, and I gave him a small smile.

"I'll explain later. We don't have enough time for that right now," I said, stealing Blaine's pocket-watch from him (he blushed when I reached into his pocket. I pretended not to notice, though I blushed lightly too).

Seth leaned over on my other side and his eyes widened. "We have to get out of this room now, if we're going to watch New Directions compete."

I quickly got up and rushed out, not wanting to answer any questions at the moment, dragging Blaine along with me because his hand was still clasped in mine.

The others followed us quickly and we got into our seats just as the announcer was walking onto the stage. As soon as all of us were seated, he said into the microphone, "And now, for our final performance of the program, from McKinley High, the New Directions!" There was a round of applause and I took a glance at Wes, who still looked stiff and angry as the music started.

(Sam, Quinn, All)

My eyebrows shot up when I realized Sam was singing as he entered through the back. Typical Mr. Schuester move. Wow.

Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you

I heard Andy whisper over to Trent that Sam had a big mouth, emitting giggles from the both of them. I rolled my eyes as Quinn took over the next part of the duet as she exited from the back, just as Sam has done. Wow, Ken and Barbie singing together. I never expected that.

'Cause I've had the time of my life
and I owe it all to you

I've been waiting for so long
Now I've finally found someone
To stand by me

We saw the writing on the wall
As we felt this magical fantasy

Now with passion in our eyes
There's no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each other's hand
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency
just remember

Sam walked past us, and for the most part, kept his eyes only on Quinn. Then, the two of them rushed towards the stage, where they danced sweetly around each other,

You're the one thing
I can't get enough of (I can't get enough of)
So I'll tell you something
This could be love (This could be love)
because

The two fell into a loving embrace with each other, as the curtains opened, revealing the rest of New Directions dancing behind them. Rachel quickly caught my eye, and winked over at me and the rest of the Warblers, who grinned at her in return, despite everything they heard in the New Directions green room earlier.

I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you

Hey baby
Hey baby

With my body and soul
I want you more than you'll ever know
So we'll just let it go
Don't be afraid to lose control

Yes I know what's on your mind
When you say, "Stay with me tonight"
"Stay with me", just remember

I took this moment to take in their costume properly. Hm, they weren't that bad. But if I was still there, they would be better. Just saying.

You're the one thing
I can't get enough of (I can't get enough of)
So I'll tell you something
This could be love
because

I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you.

Mercedes chimed in with her strong vocals, and I smiled proudly at her.

Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I've found the truth it's the truth
And I owe it all to you

ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba
ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ba..ooh

Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you.

I've had the time of my life (of my life)
No I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it's the truth (it's the truth)
And I owe it all to you.

I smiled at my old teammates and I think Blaine glanced at me with a smile on his face at one point, but I was focusing on New Direction's performance.

Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I've found the truth, it's the truth
And I owe it all to you

Now I've had the time of my life

At the end of the song, I immediately shot up and cheered for my old teammates, especially Rachel and Mercedes. The rest of the Warblers followed my lead, probably only cheering for the two girls, after the conversation they heard. But they have to admit, it was a really good performance. Although, I swear I saw Wes contemplating something as he stood up and clapped. I wonder what he was thinking about. The rest of the crowd also joined us in our cheering, as New Directions grinned proudly onstage.

"Dang, Mercedes was amazing. Did you hear her belt out those notes?" asked David dreamily.

We laughed and rolled our eyes at him as we sat back down

"Someone's in loveeeee," cooed Jeff.

"Shut up!"

We laughed even harder at David's blushing face.

"Well, Rachel looks pretty hot in a dress," Casey mentioned casually.

SMACK.

"OW! Hey, I was just saying that Wes! I wasn't hitting on her. Crap, that hurt!"

Wes grinned evilly, tapping his gavel in his hand, as Casey rubbed the back of his head, whilst muttering curses. We fell into a third round of laughter, as New Directions took their positions for their next song. Brittany and Rachel were sticking a headpiece onto Santana's head as the music started, rushing over to their own spots as the Santana began to sing. Wait, Brittany just smacked Santana's ass. Sometimes, I question the sexuality of those two.

Well sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water
And I think of all the things, what you're doing
and in my head I make a picture

Santana danced across the stage, standing first next to Brittany, then Mike. So they were showcasing dancing.

'Cos since I've come on home, well my body's been a mess
And I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress
Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me
Why won't you come on over Valerie, Valerie?

Mike and Brittany launched into a series of dance steps that involved a lot of flips and turns. I have to admit, I was impressed with both the dancing and Santana's singing. Maybe that's why Artie thought Brittany and Mike were cheating on him and Tina- they were practicing their dance. But Brittany wouldn't cheat, I'm positive of that.

Did you have to go to jail, put your house on up for sale,
did you get a good lawyer?
I hope you didn't catch a tan,
I hope you find the right man who'll fix it for you
Are you shopping anywhere,
changed the color of your hair, are you busy?
And did you have to pay the fine you were dodging
all the time are you still dizzy?

Yeah

'Cos since I've come on home, well my body's been a mess
And I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress

Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me
Why won't you come on over Valerie, Valerie. Valerie, Valerie?

Well sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water
And I think of all the things,
what you're doing and in my head I make a picture'

I winked over at Rachel, who was dancing in the back, and she laughed as she continued to sing along with the others. I glanced over at Mercedes, but she was looking towards the other direction of the audience.

Cos since I've come on home, well my body's been a mess
And I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress
Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me
Why won't you come on over Valerie, Valerie. Valerie, Valerie?

Yeah Valerie

They ended the dance with an impressive flip, and I once again shot up in my seat along with the other Warblers, although I wasn't the first one this time. The entire audience was also standing and clapping, and I felt a small twinge of sadness hit me. I missed dancing and singing with New Directions. And although I never showed it off, my dancing could probably rival Mike's. I was a cheerleader for Gaga's sake – I had to sing while doing crazy flips and splits! I'm pretty sure Rachel was a really good dancer too. She did take dance lessons since she was really young, after all.

I'm glad we added some movement. Rachel and Mercedes were right- we would have lost if we had no dancing at all.

They finally transitioned to the last song, which I began to laugh at once I recognized the beginning beats. Blaine gave me a bemused look, and I just leaned into him, continuing my laughter.

(Finn, Artie, All)

This ain't a song for the brokenhearted
No silent prayer for the faith departed
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud

It's my life!

I'm surprised they found a way to incorporate the girls into this song. They changed up most of the choreography and positions, but kept the same solos. I think it was better how we originally performed it, but that's just me. And at least they're not high on Vitamin D again. Oh, good times, good times.

It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive

It's my life!

These are my confessions

Just when I thought I said all I can say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
:
These are my confessions

If I'm gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all
Damn near cried when I got that phone call
I'm so gone and I don't know what to do
But to give you part 2 of my

You better stand tall
When they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break
Baby, don't back down

These are my confessions

It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever

These are my confessions

I just wanna live while I'm alive

It's my life

Just when I thought I said all I can say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way

These are my confessions

I just wanna live while I'm alive!

It's my life!

I laughed as they struck a pose at the end of the song, and clapped for them once more. At least Mr. Schue finally used a number that we worked on previously for their opening number. New Directions huddled together onstage and took their bows. After a moment of cheering, they walked off the stage towards the back, and Wes began to lead us towards the back as the audience sat down again.

"They were really good," said David.

"We were good too," Wes answered back confidently.

"Tough competition but at least we're not against Vocal Adrenaline," chimed in Jeff.

There were nods of agreement as we finally reached the hallways that our greenroom was in. As soon as we turned the corner, I was knocked to the floor.

"R-Rachel?" I groaned, lifting my head up slightly as she kept her arms and legs wrapped in a hug around my body, very much like a monkey. Dang that girl's scary.

"You guys were amazing! The songs were so adorable! And you guys sand Teenage Dream too! That was so cute! I –"

"Rachel. C-can't b-breathe."

Trent immediately leaned down, putting his arms around Rachel's waist, and lifted her off of me. Then, he smirked and flipped her onto his shoulder.

"Hey, I'm wearing a dress!"

Blaine offered his hand towards me, and I grabbed it, allowing him to help me up. I brushed myself off, and said, "You're wearing leggings, either way."

We walked into our greenroom and took seats on the couches spread across the room. Trent dropped Rachel onto the person closest to him, and she landed on Flint's lap. She blinked her eyes rapidly, and laughed, waving at Flint as she realized where she was sitting.

"Your group was good too," said Blaine. She gave a small shrug in reply, when I noticed something.

"Hey, where's Mercedes?"

"She was gossiping with Tina about something when I left," Rachel answered casually, yawning a moment after.

"Hey Rach, babe, want to tell us what's been going with you and that uh, Santana-" he looked at me to ask if it was the right name and I nodded, "-chick?" asked Seth.

Instead of giving them a direct answer, Rachel just stretched her arms and legs out, very much like a cat, and rested her head on Flint's chest while saying, "Later, I'm tired." She made herself comfortable on Flint's lap, curling up against him, and I, along with the rest of the Warblers, smiled at how adorable she looked at that moment.

Wes pouted at her, and David nudged him. When Wes noticed my glance, he flushed a bright red.

Everyone fell into short conversation while we waited for the results.

"Then you pour the oil into the pan?"

"No Seth, you pour it into bowl with the other ingredients," I answered.

"But I thought we already poured oil into the bowl."

"No, that was olive oil. This is vegetable oil."

"So confusing!"

Blaine chuckled from the other side of me as he listened in on our conversation. "And this is why I don't ever want to cook."

I whacked him lightly on the head. "You should want to learn how if you ever want to be a wonderful domestic husband."

He just winked at me and said, "I won't have to if the guy I marry already knows how to."

I rolled my eyes with a grin on my face (and a light blush), and said, "Psh, useless."

He faked a hurt look, causing both Seth and I to burst out laughing, just as the lights flickered once again, and a voice rang out through the PA system, saying, "All competing teams required onstage."

At this, Rachel jumped up (I thought she had fallen asleep, but she must have been talking to Flint or something) and said, "I have to go back to me green room." She rushed out of the room, and we all got up and Wes, David, and Thad began to lead us out of our greenroom.

We walked out, and we heard some "Where the heck were you?" and "What the hell, Berry?" from New Direction's greenroom. I shook my head sadly at them, as Blaine gripped my hand and gave it a squeeze. I looked up to his hazel eyes and smiled, as we walked backstage where the other groups were waiting.

A moment later, New Directions joined us (with Finn staring at Rachel, and Rachel and Mercedes nodding at us) and all the groups walked onstage, now that all competing teams were there.

"And now, this year's head judge associate director of the Ohio directory of motorized vehicles, Mr. Pete Sornowsky!" an overheard voice said into a microphone.

Everyone cheered, and I exchanged a glance with Mercedes, who waved at me and I winked back at her.

"Thank you and thank you to all the groups who performed here today. We all had a serious good time. You know what else is a serious good time? Taking 2 minutes to save a life by filling out an organ donor card because it's never too late to donate."

We clapped politely, and I notice the Hipsters giving approving looks at the speaker.

"Drum roll, please!"

Everyone straightened up, and all the Warblers had their hands clasped together in front of them, while the other groups looked at the speaker nervously.

"In third place, the Hipsters!"

We clapped for them, and I held my breath as the speaker told the lady getting the trophy for the Hipsters, "Thank you, drive carefully."

"And now, the winner of this year's West Central Sectionals is-"

Everyone shifted nervously onstage, while the speaker took a double take at the card.

"It's a tie."

Wait, say what? They could do that? Wait, who won?

""Congratulations to the Warblers and New Directions! You're both going to the Regionals!"

My face lit up, and I shared a happy smile with Blaine, who I was standing next to onstage. There was a loud round of applause, as the speaker passed one trophy to Mr. Schue, and another one over to Wes, David, and Thad.

Blaine turned towards to Mr. Schue and shook his hand, saying, "Congratulations."

"Yeah, nice work. See you at Regionals," replied Mr. Schue.

As the members of New Directions hugged each other, and the other groups walked off the stage, the Warblers stood around giving celebratory smiles to each other. Why they weren't jumping around and hugging each other, I don't know.

Suddenly, Rachel bounded towards me, and I caught her in my arms. I spun her around for a moment and she giggled, then she leaned forward and caught my lips in a kiss. I chuckled slightly and kissed her back, ignoring the looks of shock that I was getting from the Warblers. As we broke apart, I grabbed her hand and we casually walked offstage and towards the lobby.

Once we were there, she immediately ran towards the crowd to look for her fathers, while I was joined by the rest of the Warblers.

"Kurt-"

"What-"

"You and-"

"Que?"

"Kiss-"

"I'm confused-"

I held my hand out at them and they all stopped talking, then I gave a small wave to shake them off, saying, "I'll answer your questions later." I searched through the crowd for a second, and saw my Dad and Carole talking to Finn. I looked the other direction and saw Rachel dragging her two dads towards our direction. "I think Rachel wants us to meet people." The Warblers glanced at me confusedly, then looked the direction where my gaze was and understood. Suddenly, some of the guys looked ready to bolt.

Rachel bounded towards us and dragged both her fathers with her.

"Guys, these are my Dads – Leroy and Hiram Berry!" said Rachel, grinning happily at all of us. I nodded and gave them both a hug, as they had met me multiple times before. In fact, Hiram had even offered me a chance to try on some of his designs before they went out in stores! And that was pretty major, considering his clothing designs (although he uses a pseudo name to hide his identity) were one of the top fashions in the world. Why Rachel never told any of us this last year, I don't know. But I'm glad I'm her best friend (not just for the clothes or anything), because she really is an amazing person once you get to know her.

Mercedes walked over to us from another direction, after giving her mom and dad hugs and waving goodbye.

She greeted both of Rachel's fathers with a hug, and Rachel continued with her introductions of us. Some of the guys actually looked pretty nervous at meeting Rachel's dads, as if they had never met a girl's parents before. Come to think of it, I don't think some of them have met any parents before, except each other's. Have they?

I turned and whispered in Seth's ear, asking, "Have these guys ever actually met any girl's parents before?"

He shook his head and whispered back as Rachel was excitedly explaining to her dads how she met everyone. "Most of these guys have been in private schools their entire life. Only Blaine and I really transferred from public schools, excluding you. And I think only David has ever been properly introduced to a girl's parents."

I laughed quietly as Casey nervously took Leroy Berry's hand and shook it gently.

The introductions continued, when Thad suddenly glanced outside and said, "Our bus is here."

"Are you going to be going with us, Darling?" asked Hiram Berry, looking at his daughter.

"No, I think I'm going to stay at Dalton. Can you take my car home?" Her fathers nodded as she gave them her car keys and turned to us. "Wait for me to change," she demanded.

I rolled my eyes and nodded at her, then she rushed towards the greenrooms. Mercedes quickly followed after her, and they came back out a few moments later.

"We already talked to Mr. Schue," said Mercedes.

"Now, let's go! I don't want to stay here all day," whined Rachel.

I rolled my eyes once again at Rachel and dragged the two of them onto the Warbler's bus, where everyone else was already sitting.

Mercedes took a seat next to David, and Rachel took the seat next to her, right next to Wes. She yawned for a moment and rested her head on Wes's lap.

"We're going out for dinner to celebrate our tie. Is that okay?" he asked her, while gently brushing his fingers through her hair. The three of us (Mercedes, Rachel, and I) nodded as I took my seat in between Seth and Blaine.

"Where are we going?"

"That's a good question - where are we going?"

"Jim's Diner?"

"No, that place apparently doesn't allow big groups."

"Orange Buffet?"

"That one waitress always hits on Randall and Blaine!"

"I'd rather not get hit on this time."

"Korean Barbeque?"

I lifted an eyebrow. "Don't forget Rachel's a vegan."

Rachel nodded.

"Oh yeah, sorry Rach!"

"Johnny Rockets?"

"No fast food!"

Everyone thought hard for a place to eat.

"Belle's?"

"No, that's- Actually, that's a good idea. I'm game."

"I love Italian food!"

"That one waiter chick is cute!"

"Alright, Belle's it is! Can someone tell Ryan that?"

Jason moved to talk to the bus driver, then returned to his seat. As everyone fell into casual chatter, Seth suddenly thought of something.

"Hey Rachel, what's the issue between you and Santana?" asked Seth.

Rachel's head shot up from Wes's lap. "Didn't I tell you guys that before?"

Everyone shook their heads, except for me. Mercedes glanced at me.

"Did Kurt ever tell you the details about New Directions?"

Once again, everyone shook their heads except for me.

"Only vague things," said Thad.

My two female best friends looked at each other.

"Then it's time you guys knew."

"It's actually a really long story, so you guys had better get comfortable," added in Mercedes.

"Okay, how should we start? Kurt?" Rachel looked at me for ideas.

I thought for a moment. "Well, it all began when Mr. Schue wanted to revive Glee club. Rachel, Mercedes, Tina, Artie, and I were the original five members. Then Mr. Schue got Finn, my now step-brother, to join by blackmailing him with marijuana that he planted in his locker-"

"Wait, 'planted'?" asked Nick incredulously.

"Yes, 'planted'. Mr. Schue was desperate for Finn because Mr. Figgins, our homophobic principal, was threatening to cut off glee club because of budget problems."

"Which he is still doing, by the way," added in Rachel.

"Anyways, Mr. Schue's wife supposedly got pregnant, so he decided he wanted to be an accountant because his wife wanted him to be. Since Mr. Schue was leaving, Finn left too, since his reputation was getting tarnished. But he suddenly saw the light of his ways and came back. Then we sang 'Don't Stop Believing' and Mr. Schue heard us, then decided that he wanted to stay. And during that time, Finn's girlfriend Quinn was the head cheerleader and Finn was the quarterback. Puck was also Finn's best friend during that time, but since then, things have gotten really sketchy."

"And that was just all in one week," Mercedes added.

"Woah, wait. How can all of this happen in the span of one week?"

"New Directions has a crazy history."

Mercedes, Rachel, and I looked at each other with smirks on our faces.

"And that's only the beginning," we said in unison.

We laughed at the astonished looks on everyone's faces, so Mercedes said, "Maybe it'd better if we just told you things in small parts, before your eyes fall out from shock."

I nodded and giggled, as Seth said, "Maybe that would be better. But why do Rachel and Santana hate each other?"

"We don't exactly hate each other – we just don't get along very well. Last year, I used to get on everyone's nerves- shut up Kurt!" She glared at me while I giggled. I leaned into Blaine's chest to hide my face and continued laughing as she resumed her talking. "Like I said, I got on everyone's nerves at one point, and Santana's a cheerleader, so she kind of made it her job to make fun of everyone in glee, especially me. And she had sex with Finn, my ex-boyfriend, and he lied to me about it, so that kind of added to the fire. But basically, we're not always fighting each other. We're more like uh, frenemies. And I know deep down that she's a good and caring person, although she tries not to act the part."

I finally stopped laughing and nodded to Rachel's explanation about Santana. And I respected Rachel a little more, because even though Santana's a real bitch to her sometimes, Rachel still tries to see her in a good light.

The rest of the Warblers nodded at the explanation, but didn't seem at all alleviated by it.

Blaine looked towards me and nudged my shoulder. "What about you, huh? Why were you getting so kissy-kissy with Rachel?" Is it me or did he sound jealous?

Instead of answering, I just winked at him, while Rachel giggled from her spot. Blaine pouted at me, and I chuckled, glancing over at Rachel. She stood, and moved as gracefully as she could on a moving bus, and sat on my lap.

"Rach and I are really close," I said.

"Like, really close," added Rachel.

"But-" I continued.

"But?" questioned Blaine. Was that a hint of hopefulness I detected?

"I only see her as a sister. So it doesn't exactly mean much when I kiss her."

Rachel pouted at me, and I smiled apologetically at her, knowing she was just joking.

"Plus, I'm gay, so that adds to the factor."

"Wait, so since we only see you as a brother, we can do that too?" asked Casey.

"Uh-"

"Cool!"

Instead of answering, I simply just rolled my eyes and let it go. Since the thought is now in their mind, they'll end up doing it even if I said no. Ah, stupid Warblers. Except Blaine of course. He's definitely not stupid.

Preview of Next Chapter:

"Wait, Blaine said what to you?"

"And the other guys said the same thing too?"

"Do I need to go cut some bitches?" threatened Mercedes.

I shook my head. "Guys, I'm mad about it too, but it's their stupid-"

"I don't care! They didn't even listen to you Kurt! They shot down all your ideas without even listening! And Blaine? Isn't he supposed to be your mentor? What kind of-" Rachel shrieked.

"Guys, calm down! I'm mad too. Right now, I think I just need some girl time with you two."

Both girls nodded to me in understanding, but there was still a flash of anger in their eyes.

Review? And don't forget to PM me to post. I remember more easily when people do.