I get back to school the next day. I walk up to my locker and see Sam standing next to it. He smiles as I walk towards him. I sigh to myself and force a smile on my face.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him.
"I just wanted to know if you need help carrying your books?"
"Thanks," I tell him, "But I think that I can manage."
"Well, can I just walk you to class?" he asks me, "I really want to." I look at him my eyes getting watery. Oh no, he's really starting to like me. I turn away from him.
"Sure," I say to him, trying to sound joyful. We walk down the hallway as he attempts to grab my hand. I take his and I notice Santana walking down the hall. She shakes her head at me.
"What's with her?" Sam asks me.
"It's nothing," I say, "Just Santana being Santana."
Sam and I walk into the glee room and sit down near the front. Mr. Schue walks into the room soon after us. He quiets the room down before he starts talking.
"Alright, everyone," he begins, "It's clear that we only have a couple more weeks left before our regionals and then soon after that we have our Christmas break." Everyone in the room is buzzing with excitement and joy. "So, I thought that we should practice our songs more by focusing our problem areas. I am going to divide everyone up into groups. I will be pairing off people who are great at this with the people who need some extra work." The Class gets really quiet and start looking around the room.
"Well, ," says Rachel, "I'm more than willing to help out the less fortunate by mentoring them in how to be a great performing."
"Thanks Rachel," Mr. Schue says, the rest of the class utter moans.
"Alright listen," he starts, "Mike, Brittany, Finn, Sam, Joe, Tina, and Kurt. You guys will focus on dancing to umbrella. Santana, Rachel, Quinn, Artie, Sugar, Blaine, Mercedes, Puck, and will focus on singing I want you back." He motions for us to get into our groups.
"Alright, we will be in these groups all week and at the end of the week we will show our progress by performing in front of everyone in class. So I hope for some improvement here." We all get our stuff and shuffle around the room. I sit down next to Sugar and Blaine as they both smile at me. I smile back at them. Santana acknowledges me by looking at me. Rachel then sits down and starts talking away.
"Well, it's clear that this is the group that needs to focus on improving their singing. And since I am the best singer in the group, I have some good techniques to give everyone to help improve their vocals and maintain their range."
"Ummm, Excuse me Rachel," Mercedes starts, "You're not the only good singer in the group. I'm just as good as you are."
"Yeah, And anyway Rachel," Santana starts, "We are not supposed to know who the less fortunate ones are in the group." Everyone looks around in the group as if trying to figure it out when they all clearly knew who it was.
"Well," Sugar says, "I know it's definitely not me."
Blaine waves his hand around, "Alright, it doesn't matter who it is. I have an idea on what we should do." Everyone looks at Blaine, waiting. He looks around at us as if he was in a huge play and just forgot his lines.
"Alright," he begins, "I think we should pair off and help each other out. That way we can solely focus on one person and help each other out. Then on Thursday, we can come together and see how much progress we made."
"I don't Blaine," Mercedes says, "How will they help us, I feel it may get us even more off track."
"No, it won't see the only way to make this work is if we all critique each other but that will cause too much drama. So the next best thing is for each of us to only critique one person. One person only. Then we go on and proceed to help that person." We all nod our heads.
"Alright, let's start," Blaine says. He points out Sugar and has Rachel judge her singing. After several minutes of Sugar murdering, what she likes to call her 'theme' song, Don't hate me by Nerf Herder. Rachel had to point out any imperfections in her singing. They argue for several minutes before Blaine and Santana had to quiet them down. We go down the list, with Blaine and Puck, Mercedes and Artie. Then it came down to me, and Santana.
"Alright Quinn you want to go first," Blaine asks me.
"Let me go," Santana says, before I had the chance to get out of my seat.
Santana positions herself in front of us. She stares at us.
"This is a rap song but I feel that I should only sing the hook. So Listen closely Fabray," Santana says, she looks down and looks back up at us. She begins to sing.
"As the darkness turns to day, only you stand in the way," She begins her voice low and powerful, "No stops when you're on the run, understand who you've become. You're a fire in the rain, only greatness will remain. Push up, yes I raise the bar, don't be afraid of who you are, you are, you are, who you are, you are, you are. Don't be afraid of who you are." She pauses, before she closes her eyes and starts singing again. Her voice even more powerful than before, her emotions clear and vibrant.
"As the darkness turns to day, only you stand in the way. No stops when you're on the run, understand who you've become. You're a fire in the rain, only greatness will remain. Push up, yes I raise the bar, don't be afraid of who you are. So tell me if you're with me, I said I'm traveling at wind speed. Tell me if you're with me cause I'm traveling at wind speed."
The group stops and stares at Santana, looking speechless almost.
"That was good Santana," Blaine says, "Who sings that?"
"It's a song by Wretch 32," she says. She turns and looks at me, "So Fabray," she muses, "What did you think?"