Mm, I don't really feel content about this chapter, but this was the hardest episode up until now, and I think even the next is going to be easier. There didn't really happen much to the whole Glee Club, just a part of it, and of course, it had to be about running for president, in which my character isn't interested, at all.
So I put some Warblers in it... Always good to write some more words.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, and the quotes above the chapters belong to the show. I do not own the songs. I do own the main character, though.

Song(s) used: 'Falling in Love' - McFly

Makeover

"Once a Warbler, always a Warbler."

look out 4 my bro, will ya? - Puck

The text message arrived during maths – she looked at the screen of her iPhone, frowning while she was wondering why the hell she had ever accepted the coffee offer from Noah Puckerman. It wasn't something she would have done two weeks ago. Then, she would have simply declined the offer, not even trying to be polite. But apparently, a few days without a roof above her head changed her, perhaps for the better.

The teacher walked past her table, but he didn't notice she was somewhere else with her mind. He wouldn't care anyway. Her marks were good, but above all, the teacher at William McKinley High School were crap. Their lack of teaching skills would be another reason why pupils rather focused on bullying each other than learning something. On her first day, Marie-Claire had decided the system was pathetic.

The bell rang.

Slowly, she raised, still looking at her phone, wondering how to answer the message. There was something about her, lately. She still had the days that she insulted people with ease, not caring about whatever they would think or feel. She'd had such days last week - the Britney week. Yet, before that, the first weeks of school, she had been quite nice for her doing. Though she would never be a saint - or just a sweet girl - she had managed not to make someone cry or run for his or her mother.

Was it an improvement?

The slight change had began last year, after the suicide of David Karofsky. Hell, she hadn't even known the guy, yet he had managed to make get himself a place in her life, one way or another. Since Sebastian was probably the most important person she had - and the only one -, she'd heard about the bully but gay guy from her brother. How he committed suicide. No, he hadn't. It didn't work. But it could have. And both the Smythes knew that. They were people to face their flaws - not necessarily chance them, but at least they didn't think they were perfect. Still, it had hit them both knowing their insults, their sharp tongues, could hurt someone that much.

Perhaps that was what had made her more ... caring.

Sure. - MC

She thought about Pucks words. 'You're better in it than your brother, you know. Being nice.' She still was hesitating whether to take it as a compliment or as an insult. It was probably meant as the first, but for her, it usually belonged to the latter.

Sunken in thoughts, she wandered around in the hallway. Her face was quite pale, there were walls under her green eyes. Though she had carefully brushed her hair, washed her body and cleaned her clothes, it was still clear there was something not entirely okay with her. She tried to hide it, though. The New Directioners were teenagers who knew nothing about privacy. Even during lunch, they had started to stare at her. Yes, she was eating more than usual, but that was because it was her breakfast too, and she couldn't be sure she'd get dinner. She hadn't got much money left and sleeping at school wasn't as easy as it seemed.

So, she felt like crap.

Not paying attention to anything around her, she walked into someone - or, as she'd rather see it, someone walked into her. She glared daggers at the sophomore guy, who quietly slipped way - that was the common effect of her glare - at now looked forward. There was the wall with sign-up sheets for some clubs. She had already decided not to join them and was about to pass the wall without looking, until she heard some girls talking.

"... Anderson ..."

"He's standing everywhere!"

"Loser."

"Look, he wants to be president."

"... gay ..."

She was interested and studied the papers. Indeed, Blaine's name was standing everywhere. She frowned, despite herself wondering why he would possibly want to sign up for every club. Superhero sidekicks club. Sewing club. Damn, he was far gone. Marie-Claire didn't even know why she wanted to look at the papers, but still she read every paper, every name. Blaine had probably not only made a move to kill his social life, but also his body. She shook her head and immediately made a conclusion.

Blaine missed Kurt and wanted distraction.

Damn, she should become a relationship therapist. Her brother would be an interesting subject of study. As would every person in this school. She already saw another relationship breaking - apart from the lost-distance ones from Blaine and Brittany - and that was the friendship between Brittany and Blaine. He was running for president, Brittany also.

Marie-Claire sighed. Keeping up with the drama would be hard this year, but she was perhaps going too fast now.

She wasn't.

The last days, she had followed the passive attacks from Brittany on Blaine, she had followed the struggles from Artie and Blaine to cope with their dumb blondes Brittany and Sam, she had followed make overs, she had followed trainings, she had followed the disastrous debate. She had followed the act of Sam, watching him stripping. Sebastian had been very happy with the picture, at least.

In the week, her hatred for public schools had grown.

Her respect for Sue Sylvester, too. She was good in insulting.

But, most of all, she still felt like crap. Her head was aching now, she had been quite hungry the last days and calling herself tired was an understatement - she was exhausted. The running for president had at least taken away the attention from the other Glee club members. Marley had sent her some glances but stopped after one from Marie-Claire herself. Blaine - usually always the saint - was luckily too busy with himself, all his clubs and probably gay face. And the other Glee club members didn't really acknowledge her. Though Jake had looked at her quite some times too. She wondered if his brother had told him anything. Probably not. She didn't even know if the two talking with each other.

"... And now he's not here."

Oh damn. She had hoped with the running for president and actually becoming the president - the party was truly lame, by the way - he would finally not pay attention to his troubles with gay face. Apparently, this had been hopeful thinking. She sighed, listening to his conversation with Sam. They had just sat down at her table, not even asking if they could sit there. Blondie boy with the huge mouth could have just sat down anywhere else, but he hadn't. And somehow, she found it nice. He had accepted her.

Where did that come from?

Oh, yeah, she hadn't insulted him. Yet.

"Of course it matters. You're McKinley Highs first gay guy president!"

Way to voice it Sam.

She kept quiet.

It got better. Actually, Sam cheered Blaine up. She smiled slightly, before watching Blaine and Brittany talk. Sam moved over to her.

"So you can smile," he mentioned.

She frowned, the smile disappearing. "It's something most human being are capable of, and though you'd might prefer it, I haven't walked out one of your movies."

Sam grinned. "Seriously, loosen up. Lately, I've been really good at giving advice. Now let me give you some." She ignored him. "Don't be so mean. You're surely quite nice. Over look the fact that all Smythes have to be asses and try and make friends. At least one. Even Santana had friends, and she was as insulting as you are."

Ah, once again Santana popped up. She had heard much from the girl. Sebastian had actually called her hot, and that was a first for a girl. She looked at Sam, studied him for a while, before moving up and leaving the table. Brittany took her place quickly, but she felt Sam staring at her. Marie-Claire walked away, stopped then, hesitated, and looked at Blaine, who disappeared in the crowd. With a deep sigh, she decided to follow him.

He was standing outside, looking at the dark sky.

"Well isn't this cliche," she said, sneaking up to him. He turned around quickly, a wide smile appearing on his face. She shook her head. "Cut the crap, gay boy. That smile doesn't even come close to the one Sebastian has been describing to me. If you're not happy, don't smile." He now just looked plainly confused, but the smile faded away. His eyes were sad. She looked away.

"Claire... What are you doing here?" he eventually asked.

"Looking how you're doing. Sam has given me the advice to be nicer. It looks like a good challenge."

"You are ni-"

"I said cut the crap. That's like smiling when you don't feel like it. If it isn't genuine, it's nothing." She shook her head, walked over to a bench and sat down. Blaine followed her lead. "You haven't contacted Kurt yet, you were lying," she stated. He didn't say anything. "Look, Sam might be a dumb blonde with both money and sex issues, but he made a point. You're his bro, he's your bro."

Blaine hid his face in his hands. Damn, she sucked at this.

"He just canceled my call," she then heard from beside her. His voice sounded strained. "He keeps talking about New York and Vogue, couldn't even tell me which bow tie I should choose because he was too busy talking about himself. He has changed. If we chat, he talks about how amazing New York is and his life there. He never truly tells me how much he misses me and I'm missing him like crazy and signed up to these clubs to forget him yet I did all of this for him and he doesn't even - oh, and now I'm saying that he's horrible but he isn't, I -"

"Blaine, whatever you call him, I have said ten times worse, if not more," she reminded him. "Just call him a fucking bastard and a crap girlfriend, then you are over with it. I'm not talking to anyone about this. Especially not people he knows. Or he himself."

"He isn't a -"

"Not the point, killer."

"Sebastian and you are alike."

Okay, that came out of nowhere. "Yeah, you know, he's my brother," she responded sarcastically.

"No, really. You're actually nice, you just don't show it to other people. Just ... to me?" He looked at her, confusing written all over her face. Now, she didn't have an answer. He was speaking the truth. She was trying to help him, now. Sebastian had once tried to help him, in a way, but her brother had been pushed away. While she hadn't. Perhaps because she wasn't trying to make a move on him at the same time. Blaine sighed. "Never mind. You both won't acknowledge it. Thanks, though. It helped - you know..."

She just nodded. Blaine raised, turned around and faced her awkwardly, before pulling her into a hug.

For once, she just let him. Perhaps he was her gay bro, too.

I can see you! :) - Trent

That wasn't a good sign. She slowly put her iPhone back in her pocket and looked around her. She had just been taking a walk through Lima when she'd gotten the text from the sassy Warbler. Apparently, he could see her. She frowned slightly, turning around, looking behind her, but she didn't see Trent. He wasn't in front of her, either. She shook her head.

"Claire!"

There he was. He came running to her, a bag over his shoulder, in his Warblers uniform. Why didn't he ever change? She raised one eyebrow, watching him speeding towards her. He didn't slow down, though. She made a move to step away, but too late. He flied into her, successfully tackling her to the ground while she was thinking about when her reflexes had gotten so slow. Probably because she, surprisingly, still felt like crap. It was a recurring theme.

"Ouch," she muttered.

"O my god, I'm so sorry!" She was being pulled up by the overenthusiastic guy. Some people looked at them with puzzled glances, but she didn't care. For the first time in days, she laughed out loud. Shortly, but pleasantly. Trent grinned. "You look like crap!"

"Gee, thanks." She rolled her eyes.

"No, really."

"Trent!"

"O god, what is wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

"Coffee, Lima Bean, Sebastian, Niff..."

"Ehm, Trent?"

Before she knew it, she was sitting inside Lima Bean with a coffee cup in her hands. Trent had fallen down on the chair opposite of her, studied her with a concerned expression. Oh, yes, she remembered she didn't look so good. Even more paler than usual. But that was not the point her. "Coffee, okay, Lima Bean, okay. Sebastian, no. Niff - what the hell?"

"That's better."

"Trent, what the fuck are you implying?"

Trent sighed dramatically. "Well, for starters, you don't look good. But I ran into you, and you laughed. Ten minutes have passed, and you haven't insulted me yet. So, there is something wrong. I need to contact Sebastian, and Nick and Jeff too." He looked quite fond of himself now, acting like he knew every single thing about her.

"You aren't contacting Seb. And Nick and Jeff - what do they have to do think this?"

"They like you. Perhaps David and Thad... And Meatbox and L-"

"Shut the fuck up, Trent. There is nothing wrong with me." She sipped her coffee.

"You let me buy coffee for you," Trent pointed out. He truly looked concerned. She rolled her eyes.

"I was kind of taken off-guard when you first tackled me on the ground, then began screaming thousand excuses and eventually kidnapped me to Lima Bean, of all places. By the way, you could have hurt me badly. This is payment." As usual, she already felt her insulting manners falling. The Warblers had this something about them that she - and Sebastian too, actually - softened up around them. Perhaps it was just their pure innocence. Trent still was a naive young boy, Nick and Jeff still thought what they had was just friendship, David still thought his troubles with his girlfriend had nothing to do with Wes, Thad still thought he was straight - well, the list was long.

"Nice talks, Claire. Now, sit down, enjoy your coffee. Do you want to eat something, you look like you're about to faint."

She wasn't. And that wasn't a lie. She was hungry, though.

"No, Trent, I'm fine," she grumbled.

He didn't look satisfied. "Okay, I have no idea when Sebby -"

"- the fuck, Sebby? He can't allow you -"

"He doesn't. I forgot you weren't another Warbler, Miss Smythe." She rolled her eyes. "So, Seb is no where to be found, but Niff is on their way."

"It's ridiculous that you call them 'Niff'," she claimed.

Trent shrugged. "Well, have you ever seen them apart?" She didn't answer. "Exactly. It's easier to think of them as Niff, since they are always together."

"Okay, right. Something else now. How the hell did you got my number?"

"You ask that now? I've been texting you the whole year - including summer, end last year, middle last -"

"Two school years," Marie-Claire interrupted. "So, how?"

"We stole Sebs phone."

She raised her eyebrows, crossed her arms. "Impressive."

"Ah, we are impressive."

Trent looked up, as did she, since that voice wasn't from the Warbler in front of her. She was staring right in the eyes of Jeff - and, right next to him, Nick was standing. She frowned. "Seriously, Trent, you really asked them to come?"

"I don't lie."

"How do you expect me to survive those -" she gestured towards the grinning boys "- when I already look 'like crap', as you told me subtle?"

Trent actually looked ashamed. Nick and Jeff sat down on opposite sides of her, still grinning.

"So why the hell is Sebastian still a Warbler?" she wanted to know.

"Once a Warbler, always a Warbler," Jeff pointed out.

"Warble on," Nick agreed, nodding.

"Yeah. Blaine was once a Warbler, and you all send him in surgery, with Sebastian as leader." She wasn't sure why she was asking this. Yes, she was quite interested why Sebastian hadn't been suspended, but he had already told her the story. Yet she was here, already sitting for an hour with the three boys. Marie-Claire rolled her eyes, wondering why she hadn't left yet.

"We all didn't want him in surgery... But you know ..." Trent looked ashamed, now. He was a bit pale.

Nick shot him a supportive look, while Jeff took over. "The slushie was meant for Kurt," he explained. They all had to know she had already heard the story, but perhaps they understood she wanted to hear it from someone else. Not Sebastian. "It wouldn't make a difference for an outsider, but Kurt was shortly a Warbler, then took Blaine away from us, getting our best friend and leader vocalist to compete to us." He looked sad, now. Nick - now sitting next to Jeff on the couch - hugged him, then took over the story.

"And we had heard about the slushies and it seemed like a good ending to the song. We all agreed with Sebastian and put rock salt it in, making the slushie colder." He bit his lip. "And apparently, more dangerous." Jeff put his hand on Nicks shoulder. "Sebastian threw it, took the blame, but actually, we all helped. It wasn't just his idea. He all did it, wanting to let Kurt pay for taking our best friend away from us. In the end, the New Directions thought it was just Sebastian and that stupid brother of yours did nothing to change their opinion of him. He should have told them it was all our idea."

"Until Black and White," Trent reminded Nick.

The brown haired Warbler nodded. "Then, he was just being an ass, not knowing when to give up. We had to hear it from others Sebastian tried to use blackmail to defeat the New Directions. I think he was doing it for us, once again..." He looked at Marie-Claire, who just nodded, though she knew it had also been a call for attention. Their father, Howard, practically ignored Sebastian. Well, it was better than beatings. "And of course, David happened..."

Now they were all silent for a while. David happened. Yes, it had happened.

Trent spoke up. "Sebastian knew he had taken it too far. We all felt his guilt. It was then that he tried to quit the Warblers."

Marie-Claire looked up. She hadn't heard that story. Trent shrugged, Nick and Jeff was too tangled up into each other to notice her confusion.

"And then I called you, of course..." Trent said.

Now, the two beside them looked up. Nick was the fist to talk. "Wait, what?"

"You called... What happened?"

Marie-Claire smiled amused. "You didn't tell them?"

"No one."

"Aha. Trent had decided I should do a brother-sister talk. So I took Sebastian here. He had kept me up to date, and Trent had also told me a part of the story, so I knew just what to say. And we both eventually agreed, so I left and he contacted Blaine, or gay face or just someone, they came, he fixed some things and you guys were going a fine performance at Regionals," Marie-Claire informed the boys about her part in the story.

Jeff and Nick frowned. "We lost," they said in unison.

Marie-Claire shrugged. "Not my fault. The New Directions kicked your asses there. But don't worry, if they keep up this pace, you'll beat them with ease."

"Hell yeah," Jeff agreed. "We've got a new secret weapon."

"Jeff," both Nick and Trent said warningly.

"Guys, I'm not spying," Marie-Claire reminded them. "Trent was the one who got me here in the first place."

"Oh, by the way, you should join our Whats'App group, MC," Jeff told her. Nick nodded enthusiastically.

"You mean the Warblers?" Marie-Claire asked. They all nodded. "I'm a girl, remember? Not allowed at Dalton, let alone the Warblers?"

"You're a special Warbler," Nick decided.

"Ah, like the bird?"

"Pavarotti is dead, Claire," Trent reminded her.

"I've never known him. I mean the new one."

"Yeah, like the new one. Only you're more like a kitty." Jeff smiled fondly at this. Nick chuckled and hugged his friend.

"Okay, time for a song!" Nick jumped up. "Jeff, guitar?"

"In the back."

"Song?"

"I know one."

"Great, let's go."

Even Trent looked surprised. "You can't just go and sing?"

"Lima Bean loves spontaneous concerts..." Jeff told him.

"Especially from hot guys." Nick winked at his blonde friend, who blushed.

Trent and Marie-Claire just looked at each other with disbelieving glances.

Jeff started, singing softly.

Everyday feels like a Monday there is,
No escaping from the heartache now I,
Wanna put it back together cause it's,
always better late then never wishing,
I could be in California,
I wanna tell ya when I call ya,
I could've fallen in love,
I wish I'd fallen in love.

Out of our minds and out of time,
Wishin' I could be with you,
And to share the view,
We could've fallen in love,
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Nick took over while Jeff stood in the background, just playing his guitar. Trent and Marie-Claire sat and listened, along with all the other customers, who - indeed - like the two guys singing.

Waking up to people talking and it's,
Getting later every morning then I,
Realise it's nearly midday and I've,
Wasted half my life don't throw it away saying,
Everyday should be a new day,
To make you smile and find a new way,
Of falling in love,
I could've fallen in love.

Out of our minds and out of time,
Wishing I could be with you,
And to share the view, oh
We could've fallen in love
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Now they sang together, their voices mixing, intertwining. They kept looking at each other while singing, ignoring their listeners.

Oh we could've fallen in love
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Sick of waiting, I can't take it, gotta tell ya
Sick of waiting, I can't take it, gotta tell ya
Sick of waiting, I can't take it, gotta tell ya
Sick of waiting, I can't take it, gotta tell ya
Sick of waiting, I can't take it, gotta tell ya
Sick of waiting, I can't take it, gotta tell ya

I can't take another night on my own, so I take a breath and then I pick up the phone she said
Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh
She said
Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh

We could've fallen in love
Ooooh,
Oh, we could've fallen in love,
Oh we couldn've fallen in love,
Yeah we could've fallen in love,
Ooooh
Oh we could've fallen in love,
I wish I'd fallen in love
Fallen in love, we could've fallen in love

The two moved over to each other, smiling. Just when she thought they were actually going to kiss, they simply hugged each other.

"Damn, the sexual frustration between those two," she whispered.

"I know right," Trent agreed. "They affect the whole school."