Saturday: Days Until Prom: 7

"I just cannot believe that this would happen to them. After all the hard work they put in to this, a school board will rip their dreams away!" Rachel waved a french fry around in the air during her impassioned speech. Jesse raised an amused eyebrow at her.

"I'm sure they're upset that they don't get to prom, but the whole ripping away their dreams thing may be a little much." Jesse stated. Rachel shook her head vehemently.

"No, no, no, no. Prom is the only reason eighty-seven percent of students go to high school. I've researched and Prom boosts school spirit, morale, friendships, and romantic relationship growth. They are missing out and it is completely and totally unfair and unjust. My Dads and I will be speaking to the school board about this and we will be speaking to PFLAG, and-"

"And every other corporation in the world." Jesse cut her off, "But Rachel, don't you think that this is their battle to fight now? You've done your part." Rachel looked at him, aghast.

"No! They're my friends!" she objected. Jesse nodded, and opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted.

"Hey. What's up? You guys on a date?" Finn appeared almost out of thin air. Rachel glanced up at him, grinning.

"Finn! Perhaps you can help me! Jesse and I are debating what my involvement in the prom problem should be now that the school board declined the 10,000 signatures." Rachel glanced up to him expectantly. Finn glanced at Jesse, obviously annoyed with his presence, but made himself at home, sliding into the booth next to Rachel.

"I think you should be allowed to do whatever you'd like." Finn stated confidently, still not looking at Rachel, but glaring at Jesse. "You can choose whoever and whatever you want." Jesse tilted his head, cutting whatever Rachel was about to say off.

"Yes. That is true. Not that this has anything to do with the current conversation flow, but I must catch up with you Finn. How are you and Quinn doing as a couple?" Jesse questioned, already knowing what had been going on.

"They broke up." Rachel chimed in. Jesse sighed, pressing a hand to his heart.

"A shame. I thought you two made a lovely couple. Why is it again that you broke up?" Jesse asked, again already knowing the answer. Finn ground his teeth together, while Rachel answered for him again.

"She thought that he could use some time to work on himself before getting in a relationship again and I personally could not agree more!" Rachel stated enthusiastically. Jesse smirked.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" his smirk turned to a mocking smile for Finn.

"Actually, I have been working on myself for a while, and I think I'm ready to date again." he finally chimed in. "Now I guess I just need to find the right girl to date, huh Jesse?" Jesse narrowed his eyes, but nodded sharply.

"Good luck Finn." He left the unspoken 'you'll need it' out for Rachel's sake.

"What do you think about prom?" Mercedes asked, as Azimio traced patterns in her arm.

"I think it's what every teenage girl dreamed about since she learned it was real in sixth grade." Azimio snorted, "And what every teenage boy dreaded since he learned it was real in sixth grade." Mercedes rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her.

"I mean, what do you think about prom without Kurt and Blaine? And Dave?" Azimio's nose crinkled in disgust.

"Yeah, that's uncool. I can't believe that all the shitload of work we put in was for nothing." Mercedes glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What exactly did you do to help get signatures?" Mercedes questioned skeptically. Azimio shook his head.

"Well, I signed, and I got my Mama and little sister to sign, and I bullied some nerds into signing." Azimio listed.

"Az!" Mercedes objected. Azimio chuckled.

"Chill, chill, the nerds were cool with it. They wanted to sign, so I didn't have to do any bullying shit. Besides, remember? Santana took Dave's balls and made him wear the red hat and turn all anti-bully?" Azimio chuckled at his reminder, while Mercedes sighed and shook her head.

"Anyway, I was thinking...and I hope you won't be mad, but I really don't want to abandon my boo Kurt. If he doesn't get to go to prom, then I don't want to go without him." Mercedes waited, for the inevitable explosion, but it never came, because Azimio was too busy laughing.

"Babe, what the hell?" he finally managed, "I'm not a chick! You telling me I don't have to get dressed in a monkey suit and sweat for hours is almost as good as you putting out!" Azimio declared. Mercedes felt like smacking him upside the head for the metaphor, but refrained simply because he wasn't mad to miss prom.

"Hi." Blaine greeted Burt and Carole sadly, before walking pass them and up the stairs. Burt and Carole glanced to one another and nodded.

"We'll tell them tomorrow." Carole decided softly.

Blaine walked in to Kurt's room, shutting the door behind them. "Hey Kurt." he dropped down on the bed next to him. "How are you?" Kurt snorted, glancing up at him.

"I'm great Blaine!" he cheered sarcastically, "It was bad enough when I had given up hope of getting ten thousand signatures, but then to figure out it was all for naught?" he scoffed. Blaine's brow furrowed.

"Kurt, we did everything we could, but you still have to keep hoping. You never know-"

"Why are you so optimistic? And why are you trying to make me optimistic? You didn't let me give up when we were collecting signatures, and now when we don't have any viable options, you still won't let me give up? Why didn't you just let me give up?" Kurt screamed, emotions finally free. He had kept it in last night for the sake of his parents, who he knew checked in on him throughout the night, but this was Blaine and he just couldn't keep it in anymore. Luckily, it seemed to be this one angry burst.

"Because that isn't who you are!" Blaine snapped back as Kurt dissolved into tears. Kurt shook his head.

"But it would have been so much easier..." he sobbed as he leaned into Blaine, who simply wrapped his arms around him and held him silently.

R & R.