A New Start, A New Saint

[Chris St. James]

Life can sometimes take unexpected turns, things that you perhaps had not originally planned on or had even thought about. Christopher St James had taken one such unexpected turn, one that confused those around him greatly and he gave no real explanation for his decision, but whatever the reason, he had decided to turn down Carmel High and instead, start attending McKinley High in the small, cow-town of Lima.

For the past five years, Chris had spent his life at boarding school, something which he had been terrified of when he had been first told by his parents, he could barely sleep without his night light on and Jesse there to calm him down when he had a bad dream. Yes, the younger brother of Jesse St. James had relied on his brother greatly as a child, neither of the two boys really spoke to their parents much, they were providers, but that was about it when it came to any emotional attachment. So the two boys had ‘stuck together’ as it were, Jesse had been Chris’s guide, the leader that Chris was happy to follow and listen to his advice and practically anything he had to say, it was a close relationship, no doubt.

However, that seemed to completely change when Chris was told by his parents that he was being sent to boarding school, saying he needed to stop acting like the timid child he was, he needed a stricter hand to ‘guide’ him as they put it. Chris had tried to beg for them to reconsider, terrified of the idea of being alone, he even turned to Jesse, the protective big brother to try and convince their parents. But, when it came to their parents, Jesse always fell silent and this was no exception. So, Chris had been shipped off to boarding school as a scared, ten year old boy; and now, well, things were a lot different now. Chris had soon learned that on your own, it can be a very black and white world, a “sink or swim” situation where you can either rise above it all or happily sink into the background.

Upset, hurt and confused by what had happened to him, Chris decided to focus on the one bit of his life he still had his music. It became his escape from his situation; he would practice for hours, whether it was singing, playing the piano or even trying to learn some dance moves. Chris’s love for music soon became his obsession and soon, he began to pique the interest of some of the music teachers around. Five years later, Chris was one of the top dogs of his school, he had a music scholarship under his belt, it made sense to his parents that he’d be applying for Carmel and make his mark on Vocal Adrenaline.

But after one look around Carmel and watching one performance of Vocal Adrenaline’s that they put together for potential students to come watch, Christopher had left that very same day with no intentions of ever stepping foot into that school ever again. Though he kept his reasons to himself, he made it clear to them that he wished to look elsewhere. So, after much searching, he finally visited the small town of Lima, where his uncle happened to be residing and visited McKinley High. He’d asked (perhaps more like demanded) to see the tapes of the school’s Glee club at Sectionals, knowing there was always a few recordings of those performances lying around and once he saw that, he decided then and there.

Again, with little reasoning behind his actions, Christopher St James had applied to McKinley High and with his grades and scholarship, he was in within days. So there he was, in a black designer t-shirt, a brown belt, black trousers and grey converses, leaning against the doorway to the rehearsal room, his dark green eyes gazing around before he knocked silently on the open door, scanning the room and seeing all the Glee clubbers sitting in their seats.

“Mister Schuester I believe? I’m Christopher St. James, the scholarship student; I presume this is New Directions, correct?”

[Rachel Berry]

It was the first day of Glee club meeting since the new school year had started again and Rachel Berry, the small girl with a big voice and the female lead of McKinley High's glee club "New Directions", could not be any more excited. Although she would surely miss the carefree days brought by last summer being that it was the first summer where she had let herself actually just enjoy and let loose, obeying what their beloved teacher and coach, Mr. Schuester, had told them before sending them out of the school to start their vacation. Of course this past summer was really refreshing, special, and so much more different than the past ones, being that it was the first summer ever where she has someone really special to spend it with besides her two dads. A few weeks before Regionals, Rachel had her heart crushed by the one guy she thought was perfect for her. Jesse St. James, the lead of their rival team "Vocal Adrenaline" who had won her heart and earned her trust by joining New Directions to be with her, had suddenly decided to leave her and McKinley, and go back to his own team.

One would think that was enough to crush a teenage girl's heart and spirit, but that was not it for Rachel. There was also Shelby Corcoran, the coach of the same rival team. After some strange turn of events which involved Jesse forcing her to listen to a tape they found that was apparently a recording of her biological mother and her spying on Vocal Adrenaline's rehearsal, she found out that the same woman was in fact her very own mother. It had been one of her dreams to meet her mom so that they can be reunited and live happily together, but some dreams are just not meant to happen. Shelby was not ready to be a mother to Rachel, leaving the poor girl back to square one, crushing the dream she had built in her head for a long time.

Thankfully she still had her Glee club to lean on and focus her attention to, and of course her co-captain, then ex-boyfriend, and best friend Finn Hudson, the male lead of their glee club and also the captain of the football and basketball team. Ever since they broke up after a few weeks of dating before, Rachel tried her best to get over Finn, which was why dating Jesse had been the next best option. But the truth was she never really got over him...she was just more afraid of him hurting her again. When Jesse and her own mom broke her heart, Finn was there, breaking his own word about not being her friend anymore when things turn out badly. That was when she realized he really was the one for her, and not Jesse. He had helped her rebuild herself once again and got her back on her feet in time for Regionals. And when they lost, he was the one who comfort her and never left her until she told him she was feeling better, staying true to his words when he told her he loves her. Finn made her whole summer a whole lot more fun. The times they were together were the best parts of it.

But now school had started again, and Rachel knew that this time, they have to take Glee club even more seriously than before. They only have one year left to prove that their club is worth keeping in the school, and if they do not win or at least place at this year's Regionals, they would really be over for good. Being co-captains gave them an advantage in their relationship since they have the same goals and mindset when it comes to New Directions. Finn understands and encourages her to motivate everyone when they need it. With even more dedication and heart, Rachel was sure that this time they can take that first place trophy come Regionals.

During the last few days of summer before school had started, she had already been brainstorming ideas for the improvement of the group and she was determined to discuss them all with Mr. Schuester on the first day of their meeting. So as she sat in the choir room beside Finn, his hand in hers, and her other hand holding her notes, she listened intently as Mr. Schue started the meeting. Her head suddenly whipped though as a stranger suddenly entered the room and had interrupted their teacher's introductory message.

As he introduced himself, she could not help raising her eyebrows. Did he just say that last name? Is he mocking me? Being the overly dramatic, Rachel looked at the new boy suspiciously. "I'm sorry, did I just hear you curse? Did you say your last name is St. James?" she asked, her hand that was holding Finn's tightening.

[Chris St. James]

Chris kept his posture as it was, leant against the door, relaxed and in control like he always was, his steel eyes lingering on Mister Schuester for a while, before he gazed around the room, taking in each individual, trying to spot any important information that he might need when dealing with each of them. Eyes suddenly focusing as a voice piped up, an almost demanding tone to it, causing him to raise his eyebrow in amusement and gaze at her for a while, taking in her presence. Definitely a diva and probably a key figure in the club, seeing as she was the first one to interrogate him. He’d make a note of that.

Her words did interest her though, she picked up on his surname and paused a little, had his brother been around these parts? Either way, she seemed disgusted by the name, then again, they had just lost to Vocal Adrenaline, so perhaps they were still bitter over that, but it seemed a little more than that and Chris just watched her for a while, letting his amused expression remain before talking to her.

“No, I do believe I didn’t curse, though you are correct, my name is Christopher St. James and by your attitude to that name, I’m guessing you’ve met my older brother, Jesse St. James” He said calmly, eyes gazing at Rachel, before looking away and focusing on their coach.

“My application is just as we discussed on the phone, your rather interesting Principle has finalised it and said I should head over here to let you know I’m now officially a member of McKinley and I’m honoured you have accepted me into New Directions.”

Of course, Chris wasn’t surprised at all that he’d been accepted, his audition tape had been near perfection, it showed off his vocals, his acting abilities and the sheer fact that he was going to be a star, so why shouldn’t he be an obvious shoo in for this club?

[jdcaine]

Puck was just sat at the back not really taking any notice as usual, thinking about all the girls he met this summer. But the face that keeps coming to his mind is Quinn's. He's always thinking about what could have been, with the baby and all. But he never lets anyone know. Puck looks up to see Santana giving him the eye, but for once just ignores it and looks at Quinn. In his mind all he can see is a picture of him, Quinn and baby Beth.

Then all of a sudden he hears the convosation going on in the room. He looks at the door and sees Chris. St James? Urgh, that Jesse kid, i've had so many daydreams of chucking him in that dumpster! It's not like he has feelings for Rachel, but in a wierd way, he wants to stick up for her. Dunno if it's a jew thing? But he knows Finn will always be there for her. He was undecided about letting Chris into New Directions, just because of Jesse.

"Mr Schu, how do we know he won't just ditch us like his brother? Or leak our set lists to Vocal Adrenaline?"

Puck doesn't like to be wrong, so he won't befriend Chris easily. Chris's good looks also aggrevate Puck, he doesn't want another 'pretty boy' in the Glee club. So he will do all he can to make sure Chris isn't part of New Directions for long...

[Artie Abrams]

Artie knew he was really late for the day's Glee Club meeting. He'd left his calculus class at three on the dot, but, for some reason, he hadn't been able to find Mercedes, Kurt, or Tina on his way to class. It was odd, he reasoned, wheeling his scrawny body down the hallway towards the choir room, that they weren't by their lockers, as usual. He glanced wistfully around the barren hall; most of the other McKinley students had gone to their clubs, or afterschool activities, or (lucky them) home. Why did Glee start so late after classes?

That only bothered him for a second, as he looked down at his button-down red shirt, brushing some eraser dust off of it. It was weird that Mercedes and Kurt weren't there, but he could explain that easy enough - Mercedes and Kurt did a lot together, and chances were they'd gotten sidetracked somewhere. But Tina was his girlfriend. He smiled. His girlfriend. It was amazing.

But it wasn't like her to suddenly vanish. It would be hard for her to suddenly vanish, Artie reasoned, with her very showy Gothic Lolita outfits and cute, high-pitched giggle. And the way she walked, making each click of her wedged heels sound like she meant her feet to land that way against the linoleum... Artie was completely in love. It wasn't hard to see. But not having Tina around was seriously depressing him. Not to mention that he had to wheel himself around.

Artie, pondering where everyone was, wheeled into the choir room to see that three people were talking. Surprise, surprise, one of them was Rachel. But the other - and this was a definite change - was Puck. Weird. Artie was getting along much better with Puck, seeing as he stopped locking him into Port O Lets, but Artie still felt uneasy around him. Artie really liked Quinn - really strange, yes, but she, like him, had been ostracized for the out-of-control actions of her body. They'd kind of bonded, in a way. And Artie had a problem with the way Puck refused to give her a clear definition of their relationship.

Artie, from listening to the conversation, soon realized that the third person would be trouble.

"I'm sorry, did I just hear you curse? Did you say your last name is St. James?"

St. James? Rachel was being overdramatic, but, as Artie sheepishly wheeled past their conversation in the center of the room, he stole a glance at this kid. He definitely looked like Jesse, without the emo-child black hair. They had a similar facial structure and everything. Artie eventually settled next to - yay, she was here! - Tina, who, evidently, just didn't want to be late to club. A quick glance told Artie that Mercedes and Kurt were there, too.

“No, I do believe I didn’t curse, though you are correct, my name is Christopher St. James and by your attitude to that name, I’m guessing you’ve met my older brother, Jesse St. James”

And, from Puck: "Mr Schu, how do we know he won't just ditch us like his brother? Or leak our set lists to Vocal Adrenaline?"

Artie didn't dare say anything, instead biting his lip and glancing around the room to see if anyone else was going to say something. He doubted Mark or Matt were, seeing as he'd only heard them speak three or four times total last year, but... come on, someone other than Rachel. Please. A St. James might mean trouble, but, then again, everyone thought a Fabray was going to mean trouble, too.

[jdcaine]

As Puck watched Artie wheel in, he takes a glance at Chris. He could tell he was Jesse's younger brother. The way he spoke and even the way he stood at that door. All he could think about was Jesse egging Rachel last semester, and how suprisingly angry he was. It all built up inside him. I don't think i'm gonna like this kid. He just sat there staring at him waiting for Mr. Schuester to answer him. Finn looked suprisingly calm, Puck wondered why that was? He just assumed Finn wouldn't be happy with this, but could he be wrong?

Puck looked over at Tina and Artie, he could see their love just beaming out of them. Why couldn't he find a girlfriend he could keep? Puck couldn't keep a girl though, he was just in it for sex, then straight back out. I guess you could say him and Santana are dating, but then Santana must be dating the whole school aswell. He's always had, and will have a crush on Quinn, especially knowing they've had a baby together.

Beth..
The baby changes Puck whenever he thinks about her, the only time he doesn't think about sex or football. All he wants to do is see her. It brings a tear down Puck's face.

[Rachel Berry]

“No, I do believe I didn’t curse, though you are correct, my name is Christopher St. James and by your attitude to that name, I’m guessing you’ve met my older brother, Jesse St. James”

Oh my God...he even has the same attitude. Why me? Rachel almost rolled her eyes in thought, freezing as this new guy who is apparently the brother of the jerk who broke her heart mentioned the name she had just successfully forgotten the moment Finn told her he loves her. It was just then that she had realized how much similarity this kid has to his brother. The smugness, the pretty boy looks...it was as if he was there to mock her and remind her of her stupidity.

"I believe that my very much complicated but stupendous personal life is none of your business, thank you very much," she huffed, turning her head away from this Chris kid. Oh how I hate the St. James nerve! She turned to look at Finn, watching the reactions crossing his face before her eyes wandered to the rest of the group, and Noah caught her eye when he suddenly spoke up. After all this time, Noah Puckerman still has not failed to surprise her with his random actions, and that day was not an exception.

"Mr Schu, how do we know he won't just ditch us like his brother? Or leak our set lists to Vocal Adrenaline?"

Rachel nodded furiously at what Noah had said, giving the fellow Jew a small smile before looking at Mr. Schuester as well. "He's right. We just can't afford to risk it now Mr. Schue," she said, throwing a glare on Chris St. James' way. She might be overreacting, but she knew she had a point. If they only have one year to prove the Glee club's worth, they just could not risk anything anymore.

The tension in the room was broken for a moment when another Glee member entered the room. Artie was late today, he usually was not late before. This could not be good, Rachel thought. They have to learn to be more dedicated this time if they want to win this thing. She looked at Artie, giving him a disapproving shake of the head, pointing at her watch to get her point across before turning to look back at Mr. Schuester. As she waited for their teacher's input, Rachel kept on stealing cautious glances at Chris St. James while keeping her head high. She knew it this time...she would not be fooled by another St. James again.

[jdcaine]

(OOC: Posting as Mr Schue )

Glee club. The best part of Mr Schue's day.

"Hey everyone"

He starts to explain what's going to happen this year until he hears a knock at the door.. Mister Schuester I believe? I’m Christopher St. James, the scholarship student; I presume this is New Directions, correct?

Before he could say anything back, he hears Rachels voice appear from nowhere. I'm sorry, did I just hear you curse? Did you say your last name is St. James? Will thought that that was a bit rude of Rachel, but considering what Jesse did to her, he understood.

No, I do believe I didn’t curse, though you are correct, my name is Christopher St. James and by your attitude to that name, I’m guessing you’ve met my older brother, Jesse St. James.

My application is just as we discussed on the phone, your rather interesting Principle has finalised it and said I should head over here to let you know I’m now officially a member of McKinley and I’m honoured you have accepted me into New Directions.

Jesse St. James' little brother? Oh no, this could cause some serious problems. Looking around the room, he saw everyone staring at Chris with wide eyes. Why was Artie late? He's never normally late, and why did he come in alone? Before he could ask Artie why this was, Puck joined in the convosation.

Mr Schu, how do we know he won't just ditch us like his brother? Or leak our set lists to Vocal Adrenaline?

Typical Puck. "Puck, you should know here in New Directions we always welcome new members. No matter who they are, or where they come from. Come in Chris, take a seat. And Rachel, Chris may be nothing like Jesse, except for the voice. Lets hope he has. *Will sniggers, and notices no one else laugh* Ahem, well lets see what he's got?"

He didn't know whether he made the wrong desicion, but he's sure it can't get any worse...

[Kurt Hummel]

"Mister Schue, this could likely be the worst thing that could have happened since Whitney Houston decided she could still sing live."


In other words, Kurt Hummel was not happy about what was happening right now. They had just gotten rid of one snake, now they had to deal with his younger brother, who apparently had a similar style of dealing with things, perfect. Besides, did they really need anyone else? They had only just started getting used to everyone's voices and being able to find a flow that worked, adding another voice would only make things more complicated.


Then again, it would be nice to have another member so the constant threat of Rachel quitting or storming off wouldn't automatically disqualify them from competition, though the soprano doubted Rachel would pull such a stunt anymore, it would be nice not to worry about a possible relapse if she was to, god forbid, not get every solo she demanded for.


Alright, so perhaps Kurt was being a little harsh, Rachel had grown up quite a lot in the last year, she seemed to be more of a team player and less focused on herself, particularly with her use of the words "we" or "us" rather than "me" or "I", which she had so commonly used when she had first joined. His eyes glanced down to Rachel and Finn and he paused for a moment, gazing at the pair and for the first time ever, he didn’t feel any kind of jealousy twisting in his stomach. Perhaps he was finally over Finn, he had wanted to be and after the whole ‘GaGa’ drama, he was finding it easier not to think about the boy in any way but as a possible brother in law, if their parents kept this up. Rachel and Kurt’s main reason for their dislike to each other (or more specifically, Kurt’s dislike for Rachel) had been focused on their feelings for Finn, so perhaps with that out of the picture, things might actually settle down between the two divas.


Forcing himself to focus, Kurt focused his gaze on this 'Christopher' character, he seemed overly confident, collected and in control, still while every aspect of him pointed to a carbon copy of Jesse standing in front of them, there was a little bit different, perhaps in the fact he hadn't yet referred himself to the 'star' that they so depsperatley needed or the fact, he was looking everyone in the eye, rather than focusing on Rachel alone. Perhaps it was none of these things, but either way, Kurt felt his lips tighten and his hands tensing as they remained clapsed together and resting on his knee as he gazed down at the new arrival.


'First week back and we've already got a fresh batch of drama, good lord, the money we could make if this was on television....'

[Chris St. James]

(NOTE: This is the song he's singing, you are curious. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLhZrLMRZs0 )


Chris had to be thankful of Mister Schuester’s ability to remain slightly neutral since it seemed the majority of the club wanted him gone before he’d even had a chance to perform or even screw up, clearly they were all a bit hostile towards anyone new coming in, he could work with that, perhaps it would be a challenge, but he doubted that it wasn’t one he could conquer, all it took was a few to trust him and form an alliance with them and eventually the others would accept him. Eyes flickering over Rachel for a moment, almost amused by her constant ‘I hate you just because of your name’ looks she was giving him.

“I find it rather concerning that you all assume since I’m a St. James that I am his little follower, I can assure you, I am my own person and while I may hold the St. James trait of confidence and control, that doesn’t make me Jesse, it takes a little more than a first impression to get to know someone, so I would appreciate it if you tried that before you judged my entire character. But regardless of what I’m like, my talent speaks for itself and perhaps I should let it do just that” He said simply.

As if on cue, Brad the pianist walked through the door and settled on the piano seat, (seriously is this guy a ninja on the show?) and looking at Chris, who slowly walked over to him and whispered a few words into his ear, which Brad responded with a nod and paused, not playing any keys at first as Chris swiftly and calmly pulled one of the stools in the corner to the middle of the room and slowly sat down, his head looking down at the floor.

However, as he raised his head, the smug, controlling look was gone from his eyes, steel eyes suddenly looked a lot softer and more fragile, his hands in his lap and he forced an almost bittersweet smile, his voice soft and sooth as he sung, with the smallest of quivers and trembles.

“Hey, I got your message
That you stopped by the apartment
No worries leave your things here
For one more day...”

His voice remained gentle and soft, as if he was treating something delicate, the pained expression on his face was evident, though as he slipped through the lyrics, his voice got a little deeper and stronger, but it was indeed a subtle change.

“I don’t know why this happened
My life is dark as hell without you
The room feels so much colder
Since you went away...”

Finally, Brad began to softly play the piano, as Chris swallowed a lump in his throat, shaking his head softly, a hurt and pained expression on his face, as if he was trying to hold it together, his voice strong and smooth, perfect control over the pitch despite the shaky looks he was giving, like he might fall apart any second.

“No, I don’t want this
Why can’t we sit and talk this through
I’m losing sleep
And I need you to come back home
To me
Now....”


Voice softening for the last note, Chris’s baritone voice was powerful and strong, seemingly built for the stage and his eyes looking at all of them, before they closed softly for a second, before opened once more, the emotion evident and clear as he forced that bittersweet smile back on his face.

“Since your brother’s birthday’s Friday
I sent a card from both of us
The day before there was no us
How was I to know?
Don’t worry about your clothes and all
Maybe I will pack them up
Make this easier on both of us
Well, just for you...”

This was where it got serious, no more holding back, this was in the song, the make or break moment, where all the emotion was let out, pain, anger, fear, sadness, all let out in these big, theatrical notes that Chris let out with ease, his baritone voice echoing throughout the rehearsal room.


“Cause everything is breaking down, now
Since you’ve been gone
I don’t even know the days
I don’t know where to start
I’m in agony
There are times I can’t breathe”

That last note put Chris into his falsetto voice, a medium tenor range entering as that note hit hard, echoing through the room before it faded away and Chris opened his eyes, the tender, almost broken look in them as he sang softly.

“Now....”

Forcing a smile once more, his eyes looked like they were tearing up slightly, he shrugged his shoulders helplessly, the music softer now, a weak laugh escaping his lips, filled with regret and a defeated tone.

“So, I guess that’s it
Sorry for this message
Your bags will all be waiting, when you arrive
I hope you’re doing well....”

Gazing around the room, he let one final, soft, tender note fill the room and with that, his performance was over.

“Now......”

[Santana Lopez]

This whole ‘double-agent’ act was getting a little old now. Sure, at first it was exciting, giving Santana a taster of what her life would be like when she was chosen to enter the secret service after the scouts picked her up in college (of course they would, everyone in the school new of her mad skills), but after months of taking orders from Sue that only got crazier as time went on…it was boring, really. Had the great villain been anyone else, Santana would have told her where to go by now. As it was though, Sylvester still scared the crap out of Santana, and if she wanted to retain her spot as her right-hand cheerleader then she had to take orders.

It had absolutely nothing to do with actually liking the Gleeks. No, that would be ridiculous. It wasn’t as if she actually found Kurt to be rather witty, or Artie a really sweet guy. Even if she maybe did enjoy Tina’s company (which she so didn’t!), Santana certainly wasn’t going to suddenly go soft on them all. No way. Not in a million years. After all, she did have a reputation to uphold, something she had managed to hold onto despite being pushed into Glee Club.

Walking into the Choir room, Santana stopped dead in her tracks as some new kid started belting one out in front of the rest of the club. Seriously? She knew it was Glee club, had accepted this fact after weeks of denial, but did they have to sing all the time? Why couldn’t they just have quiet time? It certainly wouldn’t be a shame if Berry stopped talking long enough for the rest of them to actually discover what the word ‘silence’ meant. Santana wasn’t delusional though – she had learnt to stop wishing for the impossible years ago.

Okay, so this boy wasn’t too bad she supposed. Santana stood in the doorway, looking over the expressions of her fellow Glee clubbers (wow, had she actually included herself in that? Had she really sunk that low), only just noticing the looks of disdain, and on some of them (aka. Rachel), pure hatred etched on their faces. The chances were Santana would have dismissed the boy purely because he had volunteered himself to join Glee club on principle, but now? Now curiosity had gripped her and Santana wanted to know what could have united everyone against him so quickly.

‘I wasn’t aware we were starting our little bonding session so early in the morning’ she remarked snidely and started heading toward her seat on the topmost row. A quick glance at the clock showed her she was a little late for practice, but there was no way she would be apologising for that, not even if Berry decided to lecture her on the importance of attendance being linked to good grades…again. Last time that had happened Brittany had been forced to physically drag the Latina off the small brunette, Santana screaming at Rachel even as they disappeared down the hallway. Never again.

‘Isn’t it usually Berry’s forte? This whole ‘suddenly bursting into song no matter how inappropriate’? Are we all doing this now, or is it something that has to be passed through a committee first? I vote no, by the way’. Santana rolled her eyes at the sheer stupidity of this club – Quinn might have rights to the eyebrow lift, but Santana owned the eye roll. There was no way on earth Santana would be growing to love this whole singing and dancing lifestyle…not a teeny, tiny chance. She hoped.

[Brittany]

It was normal for Brittany to be late, but this time, she forgot she was even still in glee this year. She couldn't find Santana anywhere and her phone died during the second class of the day. So when she heard singing by someone who sounded familiar, but yet it was still unfamiliar, it dawned on the blonde that she was still a part of glee club this year and Santana was most likely in there.

As the new face finished, Brittany was behind Santana, poking her head out (she so mastered the art of being a ninja from everyone, including Santana). "Isn’t it usually Berry’s forte? This whole ‘suddenly bursting into song no matter how inappropriate’? Are we all doing this now, or is it something that has to be passed through a committee first? I vote no, by the way" Brittany turned her head to Santana as she watched her take her seat. "I dunno San, he was pretty good," the blonde chimed in, coming out of her (ninja) hiding spot near the door, "Mr. Schue, is this kid your son too?" She took her seat next to Santana, giving her a quick smile before setting her attention back to the new face. "He's pretty cute."

[Quinn Fabray]

Standing by her locker, Quinn Fabray was observing the students that passed by her. A year ago, these were the same losers that looked at her in fear, the girls avoiding her in fear that they might be on her way while the guys looked at her with lust in their eyes as she strutted in her Cheerios uniform, all of them wanting to get a taste of her. She was the head cheerleader after all, Coach Sue Sylvester's right hand, president of the Celibacy Club, Queen of the Chastity Ball, and was dating the quarterback. They were the perfect couple, that was until she got pregnant with her boyfriend's bestfriend's baby. Things got ugly after that. Now she could not wear her Cheerios uniform anymore, and the people she had called losers a year ago, are now the same people who were walking past her, even bumping on her, and ignoring her. The guys who used to look at her in lust now looked at her in disgust. The Cheerios were even worse, they kept on calling her names and was treating her the way she had used to treat that Rachel Berry.

It was ironic, as if she was in an alternate universe. Now she was like Berry, except now even Berry has her ex-boyfriend, and she has...well, technically she has no one. After she had given birth to their baby girl, Puck had been...confusing, to say the least. He had told her he loves her, she remember that so much...and even if she did not want to admit it, it meant a lot to her. But he did not do anything more after that, which somehow made her feel better about her decision of not keeping their baby. He did not see him much that summer, especially now that she had moved back to her own house with her mom. He saw him at Sheets-N-Things once when she went with her mom but they were not even given the time to talk since he was working (also, meeting Mrs. Schuester had been very, very awkward).

Technically she has nothing now, Quinn thought, letting out a sad sigh as she leaned on her locker. You still have Glee, she reminded herself. How could she forget? These were the people who accepted her with open arms when Ms. Sylvester kicked her off the Cheerios. They were there when she gave birth, and no matter how much she disliked Rachel "Stubbles" Berry, she did helped her in her own annoying ways. Now, she dislike her a little less than before. Mr. Schuester acted like a parent to her when her mom and dad disowned her. Glee was her family.

Glee! That almost snapped her out of her thoughts as she looked at her watch. It slipped her mind that they have practice today in being overwhelmed about how different this new school year was. She started walking quickly towards the Choir Room, and now that she was no longer carrying another weight in her, she can move quickly again. Thank God for that. She did not want to miss Glee practice, it was the only thing she have in this school after all.

As she neared the choir room, she could hear the voice of someone singing, someone who she has not heard of before. That is definitely a new voice...had Mr. Schuester already held auditions this early in the year? She slowly entered the door, seeing Brittany and Santana, her ex-posse, still standing she had assumed they had just arrived too. Then her attention shifted to the new guy who has a striking resemblance to a certain St. James. She listened to the comments of her fellow Glee club members but she could not help feeling indifferent towards this new guys since she had only caught the last few notes of the song he was singing and she did not know who he was after all. Still, she could definitely feel the tension in the room as she slowly made her way towards the back of risers, taking the vacant seat beside Puck's, giving him a small smile as she waited for Mr. Schuester, or even Rachel, to speak up.

[Artie Abrams]

So the guy could sing.

Mentally, Artie was agreeing with Kurt's sinking-ship assessment - the Whitney Houston metaphor was one of the more apt comparisons he'd made this week - and didn't want Chris St. James anywhere near the club. And when Santana showed disdain for the sudden "power of music" interlude, Artie was shocked to find that he... actually agreed with her. Strongly.

He nodded to Santana as she crossed her arm and gave everyone her trademark angry stare.

"Um... Santana's... kind of right," Artie had to say, though his voice was wavering. He glanced to Tina, hoping that she didn't find him a total douchebag for saying so. "It's nice that he can sing, but... singing doesn't make you a nice person. Bryan Ryan could sing, remember?"

Oh Bryan Ryan. The mere mention of his name made Artie want to simultaneously heave and punch a wall. But he thought that it was appropriate - there were plenty of conniving bastard people who could sing like angels. And Chris' brother was one of them. Artie tried to be accepting of people when they wanted to join club, but... this one was just ridiculous.

And then Brittany spoke.

"I dunno San, he was pretty good. Mr. Schue, is this kid your son too? He's pretty cute."

Where did she come from? Artie jumped up a bit, startled. She snuck into a chair next to Santana, not elaborating on how she'd become a ninja. Well, with Britt, you never really knew. Artie waved lightly at her - Britt was friendly to him, so why not?

Quinn then wandered in, standing awkwardly, as if trying to work out what was going on before taking a seat next to Puck. Artie seethed. Jerk, not letting her know what was going on between them. Artie didn't have feelings for Quinn in a romantic sense, but he had them in a friend sense, and if he was less fond of his limbs, he would've punched Puck out by now. As it was, he sank back into silence.

[Mercedes Jones]

Mercedes was sitting in detention, anticipating the turn of the hands on that clock that would let her know she was free. Getting in trouble wasn't like Mercedes (unless you count busting the window out of someone's car as getting in trouble), but this time, she had gotten detention for a dress code violation. How was she supposed to know she wasn't allowed to wear heels over 4 inches? And they were only 4 and a half inches, they weren't even actually heels, either; they were boots. There is a big difference.

Nonetheless, she kept humming and tapping her foot (slowly) in time to the beat of one of her favorite songs: I'm Changing from Dreamgirls, waiting for the minute hand to get to the 12. Her calculus teacher just sat there and stared at her disappointedly, tapping his stupid fifteen dollar pen on his desk, loving every moment of depriving her of the first few minutes of what he knew was one of the only things she loved: Glee. He was cruel. Just cruel.

Mercedes just sighed and rolled her eyes, she only had 60 more seconds in this hellhole, and she'd be free at last. One...two...three... She was counting the seconds. The long hand crept towards the big 12 for what felt like hours, and it finally reached that golden number. Mercedes scoffed and said, "See ya!" As she dashed out the door, grabbing her stuff and heading to the choir room.

She went at at very brisk walk, almost a run, but she was still wearing her boots, so her speed was very limited. As if on cue, Mercedes's phone started vibrating; it was a text from Kurt reading:

MERCEDES! Where are you?

She just closed her phone, and sped up her pace, he'd see her in a second. She finally reached the door and said, "Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late, I was in deten-- Oh my God." That was when she saw a new kid. A new kid who looked extremely similar to a douche bag by the name of Jesse St. James. Even though Mercedes wasn't very close to Rachel, it still made her mad that Jesse would be so cruel to her. He broke her heart and he broke an egg on her face; only the other glee clubbers are allowed to humiliate her, as Mercedes's best friend Kurt says.

"What is that?" she asked very seriously, with her finger pointed at the Jesse-clone, and the other hand perched on her hip. This was unreal...he looked exactly Jesse, except with different colored hair. His face had the same structure, he had the same attitude, he even had the same posture. This cannot be happening, she thought to herself; this kid being in glee could ruin them.

She stayed standing by the piano waiting for a response, preferably not from the carbon copy of Jesse St. James.