Rachel was staring in open mouthed disbelief. She watched the tan fingers move nimbly across the guitar strings, heard the music flowing from the guitar and she was impressed. She saw the foot quietly tapping out the beat, saw the broad, powerful shoulders moving in perfect harmony with the chorus, and she was enthralled. She saw the stripe of thick brown hair that stood out in sharp contrast to the shaved white scalp and she was shocked. Puck? Noah Puckerman was the person playing this song?

Earlier in the day, Rachel had spent her study hall pouring through sheet music trying to identify the mystery music she had heard the day before. She had kept the piano player after rehearsal for twenty minutes, insisting he must have played the piece before. She had even asked Mr. Ryerson, that wretched man, if he knew the composition, but it was useless. No one had ever heard the composition before.

She had been on her way home when she heard the song floating down the hall. Winding down the empty corridor, she followed the song until it led her to the open door of the music room. And now here he was, Puck, the last person she'd ever expect to know anything about music, playing the song that had haunted her.

As she stood there watching him, she couldn't help but notice how different he looked. Gone was the self satisfied smirk he nearly always wore. His face was softer, and goodness gracious, more handsome if that were possible. She suddenly flashed to the previous day, her rushing into the music room... his fingers frozen on the guitar strings. She had heard him play before and hadn't even realized it.

Just then the music stopped, Puck looked up and saw her staring at him. She couldn't believe it, was he... blushing? Rachel laughed at loud at the thought. His face twisted into a angry snarl as he quickly stood, dropping the guitar to his side.

"No!" Rachel said adamantly, taking a step forward. "Don't stop! It was.... you were..."

"It was nothing. Forget you ever saw that." Puck said in low menacing tone.

"No, really... it was beautiful. What song is that?"

"Seriously, it's nothing. I was just messing around."

"You... you wrote that?" Rachel queried in amazement.

Puck shifted his weight from side to side uncomfortably. His eyes darted around the room, as if searching for an alternate exit.

"I didn't write anything. I was just messing around, killing time until the stupid Glee thing tonight. What are you doing here anyway? Didn't you quit Glee?" He demanded.

Rachel winced visibly at the reminder of her defection. "I... I was just on my way home, when I heard the music..."

"And what? You've got nothing better to do than listen to shitty guitar playing?"

"It's not sh...." Rachel stammered, unable to bring herself to use such crass language. "You play the guitar very well. I had no idea you were so talented."

Puck turned toward her. "Talented?" he scoffed. "Yeah right. Little Miss Broadway thinks the dumb jock is talented? Riiight..."

"I possess impeccable taste, thank you very much. Being gifted myself, I recognize talent when I hear it, and though it pains me to admit it, that was exceptional," she stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Pains you, huh? Bet you'd have no problem if it were Finn who was playing," he said coldly. His eyes were like daggers as he stared her down.

Rachel knew she had messed up. She hadn't meant to insult him but she was having a difficult time reconciling the image of this sexy, musically adept man in front of her with the neanderthal jock who had doused her with slushies on a daily basis.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, " I just never imagined..."

"Never imagined that I wasn't a loser?" He spat venomously. "You don't know me, Berry. You don't know anything."

The moment of tense silence was broken when Finn walked into the room.

"Rachel!" he exclaimed, the delight obvious in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," she stated tersely, her eyes never leaving Puck. Clearing her throat, she plastered a wide grin on her face and turned to Finn. "Good luck tonight, Finn. I'm sure you'll be exceptional." Stretching up on her toes, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and swept out of the room.

Finn glanced from Puck to the empty doorway, a look of confusion on his face. "Exceptional? Is that a good thing?"