Another chapters up! Thank you for reviewing Damselindestress98, I'm probably going to sneak in a Marie-Claire/Hunter storyline, yes. This chapter... A bit of Warblers, a bit of New Directions, a bit of graduates and a bit of Eli. Yes, I said Eli. So... Enjoy!

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: None again...

Glease

"Guys like it. Girls like it. People like my mum like it. It's about high school, and growing up, and being true to yourself and most songs rock."

She was uncharacteristically unnerved.

Mister Schuester couldn't leave. He practically couldn't. Brittany and Blaine would find ways to kill themselves, Tina would get beaten up because of her bitchy attitude, Jake would get expelled… Everyone would fall in deep, black holes which they couldn't cradle out. Claire knew this counted for her, too.

While everyone was shouting, screaming and cursing around her, she sat silently, keeping an eye on both Blaine and Tina. The former one because she had been watching him with concern for the whole week, the latter because she seriously looked about to explode. The other New Directioners weren't much better off.

She put her fingers against her head, hauled forward. "Well, thank you very much mister 'be a team player' Schuester," she snapped. "You know? That petty talk, about us acting more as a tight group? It doesn't really keep the nice touchy feel about it, now you betrayed us. Way to be a good teacher. Congrats."

There was no reason she was so angry. But she was. Without any more words, she raised, shot some dagger towards Finn and then left the choir room, immediately pulling out her iPhone after. She didn't even think. Resentment and anger just boiled in her and there was no way she was going to go easy on anyone now. Especially not the New Directions.

MC – Congrats on winning Sectionals guys.

Hunter – You admit defeat?

Sebastian – Well thank you.

Thad – I don't feel like this is how winning should go.

MC – A dopey looking alumni has taken over ND.

Sebastian – The one I blackmailed?

MC – Yeah.

Hunter – Still got the blackmail?

Thad – Ehm… Guys?

Trent – Not a good idea.

Meatbox – im with trent

MC – Blackmail's not needed. Seriously. We will suck.

Hunter – Even if you were good, we would be better.

MC – Hunter, I'm liking your arrogance more and more.

Sebastian – Please don't give him any more…

Thad – He can't get anymore.

Trent – You're going to quit?

She had thought about it the last few minutes. Even though she'd rather die than admitting it to the New Directions, she had taken a liking in the Glee club. It was the only thing that made her education at McKinley a bit worthwhile, even though she had no hopes for the future performances of the singers. But she did like to sit on the uncomfortable chairs, listening to others trying to get a note or to boys fighting. There was this air of suspense always seeming to surround the New Directions, the lowest placed group in the social pyramid.

MC – Not sure. If they piss me off, yes.

Sebastian – Like a Smythe.

Trent – Seb, we have pissed you off thousand times.

Thad – You haven't left.

Meatbox – 2 bad

Sebastian – Shut the fuck up.

Hunter – I am captain now.

MC – You're not officially accepted, straight one.

With that remark, she slipped the mobile back into her pocket, digging her hands in together with it. She was afraid to lose the Glee club, she could admit that to herself. In her mind, she was already wondering when the last stand would be. Especially with coach Sylvester as opponent, it would be hard. Let alone the Warblers.

It wasn't because Schue left, but because of the musical.

Glee club was quiet. The auditorium couldn't be used, there had been drama concerning Wade who now had left the New Directions and Grease, Mister Schuester wasn't in charge anymore and actually, everyone was focusing on the musical. Marie-Claire was the only member who hadn't got a part in it. She wasn't sad, she wouldn't have even auditioned if she hadn't been sick, but now she felt a bit alone.

Every time one of the Warblers dropped her off at McKinley, she longed to jump back in the car and go to Dalton. The guys there had become her brothers in short time. She was the youngest of their tight group and regarded as the little sister, though she could perfectly take care of herself and she usually outwitted most of the Warblers.

Sebastian, of course, could handle her comments. He mirrored her insults smoothly and they always seemed to be fighting, though it was nothing more than simple teasing. Thad and Nick handled themselves quite well against her words, while Trent most of the time ignored them, just as David. Meatbox always became quite silent after one of her remarks, but the broad guy sometimes lifted her off the ground, just to show who was the strongest of them concerning muscles. Jeff was too soft. She hardly insulted him, because she knew he could easily be hurt by her words, even though he didn't show it. Also, if she was too rough on the blonde, she was sure Nick would punch her. She didn't want to risk that.

Hunter was the only one who really had to get used to her. He still was shocked when she opposed him, not sure what to do with a fourteen year old girl who had the vocabulary of a gangster. Claire didn't blame him. She knew that enough teenagers from her age where still busy with the pink princess stuff – hell, Sugar was still busy with that – and she was quite an exception on the rule of vulnerable teens. Then again, she had lost her mother at young age, her brother practically raised her, she had lived in Paris where she wandered around without supervisor and she had been abused by her father.

Those things made you grow up pretty fast.

I'll pick you up. – Sebastian

She frowned while reading the message. Usually the guys bickered about who was going to get her from school and it ended up in being either Trent, or Nick and Jeff. The others were quite busy after classes. Especially Sebastian. And Hunter – but he never picked her up. She wondered why her brother would suddenly want to get her. Probably some sibling talk.

Marie-Claire wouldn't put it past Sebastian to take her to their old house, confront their father with a shotgun and then go happily ever after to a gaybar, preferably Scandals.

Ironic name. It fitted the New Directions better, though.

Don't kill anyone on the way here. – MC

Hopefully he would get the message.

He would. He knew himself.

"Uhm? Marie-Claire, right?"

She turned around, facing a boy with the most unoriginal haircut ever. "Yes I am. And you are? Justin Bieber wannabe number one million?"

Oh, a softy. He stepped back. "Ryder Lynch," he hesitantly introduced himself. She frowned – hating the fact that she heard his name wrong. She liked to be in charge of the information. "I'm thinking of joining Glee club, and Marley told me you were in it…"

"Well, congrats on that. So, what do you want?"

He looked very uncomfortable. "Ehm… Just sayin' hi. So, how's the singing going?"

"You're doing most of it, Zuko," she responded irritated. "Have you actually got something useful to say or do you just want to waste my time?"

Ryder looked quite shocked. He lowered his glance, the smile faded from his face. She wasn't about to be nice to him, though. Her mood was quite ruined for the day. Even Sebastian wouldn't be able to put up with her too long. She knew her brother would sooner or later drop her somewhere, just to let her cool down. The football player in front of her knew nothing about her though.

"Oh… Well… Is everyone from The New Directions as –"

"Bitchy as me? No, don't worry. Tina comes close, but furthermore no one has the ability to insult someone as I can." She smiled sweetly, then decided she didn't want to have a conversation with Ryder, turned around and walked away.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw Sebastian standing, leaning against a locker while waiting until she was finished. He smirked at her, playfully opening his arms. Marie-Claire didn't hesitate and dived right into him. Her brother stumbled backwards, but laughed softly. She hugged him, then pulled away and looked with confusion in his green eyes.

"What's up with the love?" she asked.

Sebastian grinned. "Can't I even hug my little sister?"

"Oh, like you don't usually call me a bitch."

"Let's forget about that. How are you?"

Claire frowned. "Fine, just another day in this hell hole and, as you heard, the only joy in life has been taken away from me," she said dramatically, while wondering what the hell was wrong with her older brother. He wasn't supposed to act like he cared. They never did – yes, they cared, but they never showed it when not necessary. "What's up?"

"What?" Sebastian wanted to know innocently.

"Why do you suddenly act like we're in a sugary fanfiction of I-don't-know-what pretending to have an awesome brother-sister relation which is too good to be true?" she explained her question. Sebastian smirked, put an arm around her and took her outside, without answering her. She stared at him from the corners of her eyes, not being satisfied with anything less than an answer.

Sebastian knew this. "Lima Bean," he sighed.

"Skinny white café mocha," she shouted after her brother, even though he could practically dream her order. Her green eyes crossed the Lima Bean, eventually settling on a quiet corner were some tables were free. She walked towards them, ignoring Sam Evans, who was sitting with Brittany, drinking some coffee too. There were always Glee club members around in the place. She hated it – the coffee was good, but she liked to have some privacy.

Sitting down, she overlooked the bar. Sebastian was standing in the cue, flirting with a random guy. There was something up. She knew he wasn't the person to be all sugary about his friends or family. Hell – he hadn't even had that any friends before Dalton, leaving the few he had behind in Paris. She was the same case. They knew each other so well because they were exactly alike. She was the female version of her older brother.

"Coffee. Although you can hardly call yours that," Sebastian announced, putting her cup of damping hot coffee in front of her, sitting down. He looked at his own drink, sunken in his thoughts. She studied her brother for a while, blowing in her coffee – it indeed didn't taste like coffee, but there was some in it anyways. The other Smythe had changed. The brown hair had become longer, the style slightly different. His green eyes had a more adult-like look, especially when he was like now, just quietly thinking instead of hitting on every guy, gay or not, in a radius of a kilometer.

"What's up, Sebby?" she softly questioned.

He looked up, sighing.

And she suddenly realized, copying his sigh. "It's because of Howard…" she whispered defeated, before pausing a little while. "Look, Seb, it wasn't your fault. It was my own choice not to tell you and –"

"You don't even call him 'father' anymore," her brother interrupted quietly. "Hell, Claire, when I left, you called him dad. He wasn't an amazing one, but he was something like a father figure. Then I see you months later and you're sick, homeless and beaten up, all because of the man I left you with. I should have known, should have kept an eye on you. Shouldn't have made that mistake…"

"It's wasn't –"

"Oh, keep saying that. It won't work. I fucked up, big time. I should have at least checked – we both know, knew, how unstable he was. But no, I couldn't help my own sister and instead you had to come and fix my fucking troubles because I caused some stupid guy to commit fucking suicide!"

Now they had the attention of others.

She cursed quietly. "Sebastian Smythe, fucking calm down before you're put in jail," she snapped. Sam, she noticed, was about to move towards them, but she gestured him to stay seated. Brittany looked plainly confused. She couldn't blame the blondes – she liked the fact they looked out for her. In a way. It was weird to admit it, even though she always pushed them away. "Look bro, it was my own fucked up idea to keep quiet. You were busy with Dalton and the Warblers, and no one could blame you. You know I would be a bitch enough to do so, but it isn't the case. And Karofsky… We talked about this. We ended the subject, Seb. Don't torn open old wounds. They'll only keep bleeding that way."

Her brother indeed calmed down a bit. He wasn't clutching his coffee anymore – for which she was glad, since she wasn't sure the cup could hold the force of his grip – and breathed slowly, lowering his glance. "MC, you're fourteen. Fucking fourteen, and you talk like an adult."

"We always grew up quicker than others," she said soothingly.

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "Still though. You're way too…" His voice ebbed away.

She sighed. "I was forced to be older than my age, Seb. You were too. We can't do much about it anymore. And I'm turning fifteen quickly," she added after a short break.

Her brother smiled. "At the day of Sectionals. Too bad you're going to lose."

"Nah, not sure." The brown haired girl shrugged.

"What, you think the New Directions can beat us?" he wanted to know.

"Nope. You said I am going to lose, but I'm probably not, since I'll be cheering for you anyways," she explained.

Sebastian smirked. "Traitor."

"I've always been with the Warblers," she smiled. "They're our friends."

They silently drank their coffee, pondering over the bunch overenthusiastic boys.

She wondered why she even was backstage. Marie-Claire had no part in the musical whatsoever, she had no reason to walk behind the curtains, just silently looking at all the people walking around nervously.

Well, perhaps she did have a reason.

Her eye fell on Santana Lopez, who was sitting in front of a mirror, struggling with her hair. The Smythe slowly approached the bitchy cheerleader, though everything inside her was screaming to just turn away. She didn't want to seem like a pants-pissing girl who couldn't take care of herself. But she owed the lesbian.

"Lopez," she called out.

Santana turned around, raising an eyebrow when she recognized the girl. "Well, if it isn't Smooth Criminals sister," she stated. "What are you doing here?" Marie-Claire didn't miss the look falling over her body, though she wasn't sure if the Latina was checking her out or just making sure she wasn't about to collapse this time.

She would be more comfortable with the first option.

"Couldn't get enough of this loser school?" Claire questioned, coming closer. "Look, I'm not a softy, unlike all those others here. But you had my back recently, kind of saved my ass even though I was perfectly capable of doing that myself. The point is, I owe you."

"Is this a 'thank you'?" Santana asked.

"You can regard it as one," the Smythe hesitantly responded. "Let me help." She offered her hand and Santana, after a short pause, put the hairbrush in it. Wordlessly, Marie-Claire started to brush the dark hair of the sitting girl, careful not to cause any pain and not to miss a single hair. It felt soft in her hands. She caught the eyes of Tina, who stared confused at the two girls, but with a threatening glance from the green eyed one, she walked away, focusing on her costume instead.

"You're not as much an asshole as your brother," Santana decided suddenly.

Claire almost chuckled. "Oh, believe me, your friends think otherwise."

"You don't know what they thought about me."

"Superhot, dreamlike singer and cheerleader with an amazing vocabulary?" Marie-Claire proposed without thinking.

Santana shook her head. "They weren't glad with the latter," she said, ignoring Claires compliments. The other was glad for that.

"Done," Marie-Claire said softly. She stroked the hair and nodded. Santana shook her head a bit, then grinned.

"Thanks MC."

The Smythe blushed. No one even called her MC apart from the Warblers, who had all copied the nickname from Sebastian. Apparently, Santana had decided to shorter her name that way as well. The brown haired girl liked it. Then, she reminded herself of the walls she had carefully build up. She wasn't going to let a cheerleader destroy them. "Good luck Lopez," she said, shutting her emotions down again. It wasn't always easy, but it did make others things less hard.

She didn't want to get hurt again. Her mother, her grandmother, her father. Even Sebastian, since he had left her with her father. She didn't hold a grudge towards him, but he had hurt her by leaving her alone. Marie-Claire had decided not to be such a vulnerable girl again. She liked to be fearless, to be able to take on anyone. The walls she had built weren't like a mask – her uncaring self indeed was her character, she just had more than that, though she didn't show it.

Santana Lopez just nodded, stood up and then walked away, her hair ridiculously looking – but the way it had to be for the first song, Beauty School Dropout. Marie-Claire made her way over to the seats. She was simply allowed backstage because of her position in the Glee club. Everyone seemed to think that who was in the New Directions had a role in the musical.

There was something wrong.

She noticed the tortured looks on the face of Blaine. After a few of his glances, she managed to follow them, revealing no one else than gay face Mrs. Kurt Hummel. Her eyebrows curled together immediately. Marie-Claire wondered what the hell the pale skinned boy was doing in McKinley High. He was supposed to live in New York with one Rachel Berry – probably the girl sitting next to him, though she looked nothing like the girl Sebastian had described. The egoistical and drama loving girl her brother told her about was more grown up than she had expected, and – she had to admit it – more good looking.

That didn't matter though.

Marie-Claire focused on Kurt Hummel. Blaine struggling to finish his song – he obviously was distracted by his ex-boyfriend. She wondered why the alumnus had come. Was it only to pain Blaine? She would almost believe it, since the whole idea of coming back was ridiculous. She bit her lip, deciding she had to go backstage when the musical was over. The others were way too focused on their roles and, despite the fact that she did not want to admit it, she liked Blaine and considered him something close to a friend. He needed her.

"Kurt, I need to talk to you."

Don't.

"I'm not interested."

Listen to him.

"I… I never to you about what happened. The guy that I hooked up with… I, I need you to know everything."

Don't.

"What are you going to tell me? That it wasn't serious? That you only made out? That you didn't care about him?"

Saw that coming.

"Kurt…"

Shut up.

"Do you think any of that matters to me? Relationships are about trust. And I don't trust you anymore. It was stupid to come back. Rachel is right. This isn't home anymore."

Leave, Blaine, don't hurt yourself even more.

She had to do it. Though she was frankly quite sure the one who made the biggest mistake was no one else that Blaine Anderson, she still needed to protect him. He felt like the brother she never had, the vulnerable one. The younger sibling, even when he was older than her. He was still so easy to be broken.

Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry – her hand on his back, as a sister would do, as she should do right now with Blaine – left, walking outside rapidly, not looking back. The place wasn't their home anymore. They were right, they should have never come back. Marie-Claire knew they wouldn't come back any time soon. Probably never. But she still had to make sure.

A last glance on Blaine. He didn't know she was there, pressed against a locker, having followed the entire conversation between the ex-boyfriends. The black haired homo was about to collapse crying, she knew. But instead of Berry, she didn't walk towards hem, lead him out with a supporting hand. She wasn't the passive type.

Marie-Claire Smythe preferred counterattacks.

She sneaked outside, unseen by anyone. "Gay face!" her voice echoed between the walls of the school. Hummel froze, while Berry looked confused around her. Claire was sure they were searching Sebastian. He was the owner of the nickname, of course, even though she used it too.

It was too dark to truly see them, but they were the only two outside. Hummel and Berry had to be able to see her features, but apparently, they couldn't quite decide who she was. "Sebastian?" Hummel called out, his voice still slightly broken, but with an undertone of anger. She didn't turn back though, even when he now faced her.

She moved closer. "Close. His sister," she revealed. "Look bitch, I need to talk with you. And there's no turning down me, since it isn't a question." Berry seemed about to interfere. "Shut up, Berry, if you know what's good for you. You have nothing to do with this."

"It's okay Rachel," Kurt ensured. He sounded a bit more confident now.

She was impressed. He was tougher than he looked. The female singer slowly turned away, probably glancing devilishly at Marie-Claire, but the latter couldn't see it due the darkness. She instead looked at Hummel.

"So it was Criminal Chipmunk?" he sighed.

"You might want to check your choice of words. It's my brother you're talking about."

"O what, he needs protection? Gotten scared?"

She stepped forward, grabbed his t-shirt while pulling him closer. "Look gay face, I'm not going to discuss my brother with you. Just keep your fucking comments in your mouth, or else I'll beat the shit out of you, both literally and figuratively. Sebastian didn't get into the pants of your ex-boyfriend, take my word on it. Probably he had some nice wet dreams about it, but not in real life. Blaine has sunken far less low than you think."

"I'm not…"

"Shut the fuck up or I'll make you. Mrs. Hummel, mark my words. Blaine has been beating himself up because of you and I'm not yet sure if you're worth it. What I do know, is that you're now hurting him even more. I won't ask you to forgive him, hell, for my part, you never speak to him again. But don't you dare and come around like this again only to torture him, because if you do that one more time, I won't be so nice on you. Next time, I'll bring back all the memories from high school and I'm not talking about the pretty ones."

She breathed heavily, tried to keep herself from slapping Hummel.

"Run back to your friend Snow White. I'm done with you."

She pushed him away roughly, turned around and started to walk away. When she was doing that, though, the most unexpected words even came from the boy behind her.

"Take care of him."

She didn't answer.

Together with Sam, she had managed to get Blaine home. The ride had been much more comfortable than the time before – they had both silently acknowledged the fact that their teamwork would be needed more often in the same situation, where Blaine was sleeping restless in the back of the car and Marie-Claire and Sam held whispering conversations with each other. After dropping the gay boy at his home, Sam had offered her a ride home, but she had declined, instead asking him to bring her to her brother.

He hadn't even been surprised when they stopped at Scandals.

He had been surprised when she had thanked him and smiled.

Marie-Claire had decided she liked Sam. He could have his dumb moments, but he cared for his friends and could notice certain things quickly. Though she still pondered about his mental wellness. He had told her to be careful in the language of the movie Avatar – she didn't even know the name. Sam would be disappointed.

"MC? What are you doing here?" Sebastian called out. He had a beer in his hand and his hair was carefully gelled. She checked his eyes – he wasn't drunk, perhaps a bit tipsy, but her brother was good at holding his liqueur. "How did you come in?" He ordered a coke for her. Sometimes, he was really good at playing the responsible older sibling.

"Fake ID," she answered. "And a wink at the big guy. He was definitely straight."

"Yeah, they do that on purpose. So gay people don't flirt their way in." Sebastian raised an eyebrow, but she just smirked, grabbed the coke and sipped. "How was the musical?" Her brother wasn't truly interested in that, she knew. The reason why she was at Scandals was what he wanted to know, but he knew her well enough to get that she wouldn't say that unless she felt like it.

"Pretty good, actually," she reluctantly admitted. "Get me a beer next time. This is horrible," she frowned at the coke – how could it taste so badly? She never knew coke could taste that way. She put the glass back on the bar, glaring at the bartender.

"You're fourteen, I can't get you beer," Sebastian whispered.

"Fuck that. I'm inside Scandals. I can get everything I want," she replied.

"Except for the guys." Her brother shrugged.

She smirked. "If you can turn straight guys gay, I can do it the other way 'round."

"Smythe genes."

They bumped their fists.

"Gay face was in Loser High."

Sebastian looked genuinely surprised. "What was she doing? Ruining Blaines life?"

"Pretty close. Nah, actually, right. But she left. After I had a nice talk."

"Good sis."

"Learnt that from you, Sebby."

"Fuck off with Sebby. Some of the Warblers call me like that now," Sebastian complained.

She grinned devilishly. "Yeah, might have to do with me."

"Fuck you. What are you doing here?"

Ah, the question had finally come. "Just informing you."

"And?"

She sighed, glancing through the space. "Looking for someone." The smell of alcohol and sweat filled the clammy air. Music spat out of the boxes, everywhere were people dancing with each other, occasionally leaving towards the bathroom. Somehow, this gay bar was worse that most normal ones. She rolled her eyes.

"Who? I probably know him."

"Yeah, I think you fucked him."

It was Sebastians turn to roll his green eyes. They always acted like he fucked every single walking person – hell, it seemed to be common knowledge. But it wasn't quite true. Yes, Sebastian was far from virgin, but he didn't just fuck every person. He flirted a lot, made out a lot, but didn't always went as far as fucking. He wasn't that much a man whore.

"So, who?"

"Eli."

"The lighthouse guy?"

"Check."

"Ah, he was –"

"Don't. No details," she interrupted her brother. "So, where is he?"

Sebastian smirked, then scanned the dance floor. "There, against the wall." He frowned. "With that other guy." The Smythes both rolled their eyes at the same time, knowing what those words meant. "You might want to wait," the brown haired boy suggested. His sister didn't listen, just started to walk towards the dance floor. "Oh, great…" The Smythe muttered. "Good luck!" he called out to her back.

She just waved, focused on Eli and wandered over to him and his companion. Or hook-up. Probably the latter. Without even giving to two the time to realize she was there, she pulled the guy off Eli, not looking to what they were doing. They looked flabbergasted at her, but she didn't give them the time to respond.

"Stay the fuck away, if you value your life," she told the other guy. He backed off, clearly drunk and impressed by the strength with which the girl pulled him off Eli. She turned towards her victim. "You know life is unfair, right?"

"Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm furious and dangerous, that's what matters. So, life can be unfair, right?"

"Uhm… Yeah?"

"Well, deal with it," she advised misleadingly calm. "You managed to fuck up the life of a friend of mine, and of one other guy. Also, you gave some others surroundings those two quite some crap. And you all did it without knowing that."

He clearly didn't follow her.

Not important. "Life sucks," she reminded Eli, then clenched her right hand into a fist, throwing a punch in his face without holding back. The guy stumbled backwards, his hands going up to his nose, which had begun to bled.

She didn't even wait for his reaction, just turned around and walked to the bar. "The coldest drink you have, with a hell of a lot ice." The bartender – having seen her actions on the dance floor, just as everyone else in Scandals – just nodded and got her order, giving her a cup with a lot of ice and some liquid. She didn't know what it was. Didn't matter. Everyone was watching her, waiting for the moment she got to Eli.

Her victim already knew what was going to happen. He was familiar with the slushy ritual. She smiled cruelly. The green eyed boy in front of her tried to get away, mumbling her name, but she shrugged.

And threw the cold drink in Sebastians face.