"You know you should really try out for the musical, don't just join stage crew. I'm sure you'd get a great part." Artie watches as the girl jumps and turns around, surprised, before smiling congenially.

"What makes you say that?" She asks.

"I am the student director, and I get a pretty big say in who gets to be who. I think you'd be perfect."

"What's the show?" She looks genuinely curious, even though she's now turned away from Artie to pack up her bag and sling it over one shoulder.

"West Side Story."

Her face breaks into a… confused grin. "You can't be serious? That's what my old school is doing this year. I was so pissed that I was going to miss the first year that they actually did a good show."

Artie wheels towards her. "Try out. I think you'd make a great Maria."

"I've always thought I'd be more of an Anita. But you'd have to put me in dancing boot camp. I look stupid if I try to do anything remotely like dancing."

"You've got the rhythm. And don't get yourself down. You could be a great dancer. I haven't completely let go of my dream to be a dancer someday… and you can't possibly be less likely to get there than I am." It's a joke, and she laughs at it, and Artie notes gratefully that she hasn't once looked awkward about the fact that he's in a chair.

"Well, I'll definitely try out. When?"

"We're actually starting today after school, in the auditorium, if you've got something prepared?"

"You know… the rest of the world isn't like this school. We don't know the lyrics and harmonies to every single song automatically, or have band members constantly hanging around to back us up. But… yes… I can sing West Side Story in my sleep. I'll be there in ten." Katie pushes him gently backwards with her boot, and Artie smiles as she walks out of the choir room.

She has a really nice ass, he notes, before sighing and turning to watch as Brittany and Santana follow Katie out the door.

-X-

A few people are gathered backstage when Katie arrives in the Auditorium. It's taken her about a half hour, not ten minutes, to get there, because first she had to find her locker in that mess of a school, and then of course she had to find her way back to the auditorium, which is a lot harder than you might think. Kurt is grinning, and walking off the stage with a spring in his step when Katie get's there. She stops him, and doesn't need to ask him how it went, because she knows, but she asks anyway. She knows that he needs to gush.

"It was absolutely perfect… I think. I mean, I totally rocked the song, and the whole blocking with the scaffolding was a nice touch.. but maybe it was too much… oh my god… what if I was horrible!"

Katie mostly doesn't know what he's talking about, but puts a hand on his shoulder anyway, and tells him he was absolutely fantastic, and no one in their right mind wouldn't cast him in a show. She heard the last few notes, and he sounds like a stunning singer. She can't really attest to his dancing... but if there was scaffolding involved he's probably fine, because he's not hurt, and no one is laughing at him.

Rachel walks on next, and Kurt and Katie sit in silence in the dark of the right wing watching her.

"Maybe you shouldn't listen. You two are basically out for the same parts… you don't want to psych yourself up too much," Kurt whispers.

"I didn't know I was even auditioning until a half hour ago… and I would love working backstage as much as center stage... so… at least right now there's no pressure. I'll live."

So they watch.

And Katie didn't realize just how wonderful of a singer Rachel is until this moment. She tears her eyes away from Rachel's face to look at Kurt, who, though smiling, and with an impressed expression on his face, doesn't look as surprised as Katie thinks she must right now.

Kurt sees Katie's expression. "She really is fantastic… but… you know, it gets old."

Katie nods, "Yeah… I do get it. But right now she's just about the best singer I've ever heard, so… I'll bask in the drama queen psycho talent glow of Rachel Berry." There's sarcasm in her voice… but it's not as adamant or dry or funny as it would have been if she hadn't been truly stunned as she said it.

When Rachel hits the last note, she nods toward the audience, and then walks quietly off the stage, to the left wing, away from Kurt and Katie.

"Well, I guess you're last. I saw Quinn and Brittany both audition, and they're nothing on you, so just go out there and sing." Kurt pushes her towards the stage, and Katie stumbles, but then she's caught in a spotlight that's trained on the center, and she straightens her spine, and grits her teeth and looks forward. She can't see anything but white.

-X-

Rachel hears the other girl stumble as she walks across the stage, and decides, maybe… maybe she should stay and watch. She turns around and hides herself in the folds of thick black curtain. Katie is staring up into the spotlight as if it's not hurting her eyes at all.

"My mom took me to see West Side Story, on Broadway, for my birthday when I turned fourteen. That was the revival where they translated a lot of the lyrics into Spanish, and I don't know if you were considering doing that for the show… but, I think this song is even more powerful in Spanish… so that's how I'm going to sing it."

She pauses.

"It's called.. Un Hombre Así. A Boy Like That."

And Katie starts to sing. And sing. And sing. And she can really sing… but Rachel knew that. And she sounds like honey and cinnamon and latkes on Hanukah, but it's angry too, and it sounds the way it felt to watch her father almost burn the kitchen down, and the bitter taste of smoke, and it sounds like Finn and Quinn, and Quinn and Finn. Rachel shakes herself to stop from thinking that, because why would singing sound like food, or fire, or smoke… or jealousy. But the vowels are beautiful and hateful and painful even though Rachel speaks French, not Spanish, and can't understand a word, but then of course when Katie hit's the verse where Maria comes in, she goes back to the beginning and sings it again in English.

And she remembers why it's so beautiful and Hateful and painful.

Because "he'll murder your love, he murdered mine" and "a boy who kills cannot love" and no matter how much Rachel wants to hate Katie, she also needs to cry.

And she needs a glass of water. Because she's sad. Or thirsty. Or something like that.

-X-

Author's Note:

Hey guys… so I know this is a super short chapter… but I didn't think it fit with the next bit. I'm not going to have a set chapter length at this point, so some may be very short, and others very long. I will try to have short chapters posted more often though.

Look forward to some Brittana action next chapter. I'm going to skip over or just briefly mention some season three events that fit into my story… and probably nothing after the first few episodes will actually be included. Presidential elections are happening however, and we'll be seeing Santana and Brittany decorating campaign posters soon enough.