A/N: Thanks for all the fave stories/author additions and stuff! Keep up the reviews and I'll keep up the writing! Remember that this is an AU fanfic, so I'm 100% sure most of the personalities of the cast members are inaccurate. However, this is just for fun, and I'm having so much fun writing about Monchele! And I'm only 14, so I'm not an amazing writer or anything haha. In this chapter, Lea finally has a slightly bigger part towards the end. So do you think I should switch to Lea POV next chapter? Read and decide. Reviews make my day! 3 Enjoy.

A couple weeks later, nothing had changed. It was the same old routine: rehearsal, shooting, then a few days off before starting all over again.

Lea and I texted and called regularly, but it wasn't enough. I mean, I got butterflies every time I picked up my phone and "1 New Message(s) From Lea" popped up. I listened to music constantly, thought about her all the time, silently cursed myself for being so in love with her. Why didn't she feel the same?

Dianna became more involved. Eventually, it was a mutually-silently-acknowledged fact that she knew and I knew she knew about my feelings for Lea. The few times I hinted verbally at it, she refused to get involved. At least she wasn't like Quinn, who would most certainly try manipulating me and sabotaging Lea.

Matthew didn't say much about it, either. A few times I would go into his trailer for a coffee or a slice of pie, and we'd just chat about Lea. He was a good listener – super nice, super supportive – but didn't offer much advice. I grew to realize that this was a battle I would have to face on my own. Because the truth is, no two relationships are the same. Nobody that I knew could ever fix my problem, since none of their relationships were ever similar to mine with Lea.

People posted on my Formspring, through email, everything, about "Monchele". was home to a large amount of said couple's stories. If only, I thought. If only Monchele existed. But Lea continued to deny it, and I felt nothing coming from her. Matthew was right in the first place: at least on her end of the things, our chemistry was acting-related. People had chemistry with each other; they had to, to make Glee successful. Dianna and Chord, Jenna and Harry, Kevin and Heather, Mark and Naya, Chris and Darren. But as actors, we learned early on that sometimes it was just that – chemistry. Not a relationship, not love, just some type of attraction free of attachment or real emotional depth. Wow, I actually sounded pretty intelligent there!

I held a wrap party at my place after the first half of the season was over. We chatted, watched TV, pigged out, all that good stuff. Like a big happy family. Note the partial sarcasm in my tone. But really, Lea notwithstanding, we were happy. Unfortunately, we could also all read each other like books. Exhibit A: when we all gathered around the table for cake, Dianna caught my eye and wiggled her eyebrows when I unthinkingly slipped my hand over Lea's as she cut the cake. Exhibit B: Heather, in true Brittany form, leaned over and whispered "My cat thinks you're in love with Lea" when we were watching the gag reel from our first season. Exhibit C: Chord kept casting me suspecting looks when I continued to sit next to Lea at every opportunity.

And things just deteriorated throughout the evening. By half past ten I was trying to ignore Lea, who was now looking utterly bewildered as to why I'd stopped talking to her.

Dianna, Heather, and Amber pulled me aside after Lea stormed into the next room to call Theo.

"Cory," Dianna said sternly. "Sit." She pointed at the loveseat behind me, and I sat instantly. As a dude, when three girls are standing akimbo and ordering you around, you gotta do what they tell you to.

"Look, it's gotten pretty obvious to us that you're, you know, you like Lea," Amber said, forehead wrinkling up. "We just wanna make sure you understand the situation."

"Yeah, since there's the minor drawback that she's engaged," Heather chimed in. "Sorry."

"What are you gonna do?" Amber asked. "You can't pull a Finn and sing a duet with her and ride off into the sunset."

"Guys, I know, okay?" I was rubbing my hands on my jeans, a nervous habit I'd always had. "I – I don't know what to do. I can't seem to get over her, but I don't want to ruin her relationship with her fiancé if she's happy with him."

The three young women exchanged looks. Why do they always do that? "Um, we're not so sure things are going well with them," Amber said, looking concerned.

"They've just been out of sync lately," Heather explained. "Sometimes it happens with couples. Especially close ones like Thea. Or Leo. I was never sure what their couple name was."

"That's beside the point, Heather," Dianna said, half-smiling at her. "Anyway, I guess we could…"

Lea burst in. "Di, there you are! We were gonna – oh, it's you." The expression that crossed her face was unreadable. "I'll just wait out here. Never mind." She backed out of the room like it was on fire, then slammed the door shut.

"Anyway, we could talk to her for you. If you want. If she decides to end things with Theo, we can find out how she feels about you."

"Guys, are you serious?" Part of me didn't want to know, but the other, larger part did. What went through Lea's mind when I walked into the room?

"I'm not too thrilled about going behind my roomie's back, I have to be honest. But…"

"We feel like you two are really good together," Heather finished. Amber glared at her. "What?"

"We weren't going to tell him that and, like, get his hopes up," she hissed.

"Our point is, we don't want drama or too much involvement. But since we're curious and kind of nosy people, and since Heather's right about you two being good together, we're going to ask her. But don't expect too much. More likely than not the outcome will be that she'll never see you that way, in which case you're on your own in terms of trying to get over her."

"Understood. It's a deal. Shake?"

They all nodded, and I shook each of their hands.

"Now that all that awkwardness is over," Heather said, "we should probably go back to the party before people think we're having a foursome." We all looked blankly at her. "Come on, I was joking. Sorry my humor's just not good enough for you," she added, mock-hurt. "Apparently it's good enough for a hugely popular comedy drama that we're all part of, though."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, Heather."

"Cory, you're kind of obsessed with me. It's cool. It's understandable. Let's be friends."

"Yes, let's," I said, laughing and feeling marginally better. She grabbed my hand and swung it, then did some fancy dance thing towards the center of the room. I followed her, grinning. I was about to ask her what she thought was in store for Brittany next week when I felt eyes on me. Turning around slowly, I found Lea glaring at Heather, then flushing when she realized she was being watched, tripped on the carpet, and stumbled out of the room, head in hands.

Jeez. This day could not get any weirder.