Author's Notes:

This prologue is just setting things up, showing how my pre-Vocal Adrenaline peeps perform, which by the way, in middle school they're called Choral Passion, and by peeps I mean Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Sebastian and my OC Jaden. I really just felt the need to have Jesse see Rachel perform, kind of like we know he did when she sang Don't Rain on My Parade at Sectionals.

Title of the fic is from the song "White Houses" by Vanessa Carlton.

Go and check out the song please, it's lovely and is basically the whole base of this fanfic.

I'll probably be putting together a soundtrack on tumblr or something eventually, but for now I'll be giving ya'll bonus songs each chapter. They're not necessary to listen to, but it gives you a taste of what I use while putting things together.

Done babbling now, enjoy the story!

"…And now introducing Carmel Junior High's lead soloists of Choral Passion – RACHEL BERRY AND KURT HUMMEL!"

A young girl walked across the stage. She looked to be about fourteen years old. Her long brown hair hung down her back. She was dressed in a black and rose colored dress with a large bow in the front at her waist, and the outfit was completed by a pair of black flats. She reached the middle of the stage along with a few other identically dressed teenagers. A boy also entered the stage dressed in a pair of black pants and a black button up shirt with a rose colored jacket and tie. His brown hair was neatly combed and his glasz eyes were full of emotion. The pianist began to play the melodic intro to "At the Beginning".

They say that every town has a little girl with a big nose, and a talent to match. Well, for Carmel Junior High this was true. Everyone knew that Rachel Barbra Berry was born to be a star. Vocal Adrenaline and Shelby Corcoran were proud to have her, or at least they would be – come the fall of 2008. Jesse St James knew that this year Vocal Adrenaline would not just be the top Glee Club in the country, as of this year they'd be the best in the world. Next year, the junior high's best performers, Kurt Hummel, Sebastian Smythe, and Rachel Berry, would be members of Vocal Adrenaline along with a boy who would be going into eighth grade but would be taking extra classes at the high school, Blaine Anderson. With those four and Jesse St. James himself, there is no one that would ever be able to defeat them.

Rachel looked over and grinned at her best friend Kurt Hummel. They had been in this together for their entire lives and now here they were performing at graduation. Rachel's life was all about her future and every step that she went brought her closer and closer to her future – Broadway, New York, Barbra. Kurt understood her incredible drive; he was the only one who ever did.

"So that's Miss Rachel Berry?" Jesse said as he turned to look over at his partner who sat next to him. Andrea and Jesse were the soloists of Vocal Adrenaline; both were going to be headed into their junior years at Carmel Prepatory High School. They had been keeping an eye on the young Jewish superstar ever Jesse had given her voice lessons a few years ago after the pair met in a ballet class. Five years of watching the girl and now they'd finally be able to receive their prize. "Damn, how she has grown." Jesse licked at his lips, a smirk on his lips as he looked at her.

He saw the glare that Andrea was giving him; obviously she knew exactly what he meant when he said that. Andrea had known Jesse for long enough to be able to know exactly what he was thinking and to know that his mind was filled with nothing but dirty thoughts. "Shut the fuck up, Jesse, they're about to start the song."

Rachel stepped to the front of the stage and turned to look at Kurt with a smile appearing upon her face. She grabbed a hold of his hand, and Jaden St James – Jesse's younger brother, began playing the introduction on the piano.

"We were strangers, starting out on a journey,
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through.
Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing
at the beginning with you."

Rachel had a loud melodic voice, something that sounded like some sort of mix of Natalie Wood and Barbra Streisand. It was beautiful. She and Kurt looked right together, you could practically feel the chemistry fill the room. Now Kurt had turned to look at Rachel, looking deep into her eyes, still holding onto her hand.

"No one told me I was going to find you,
Unexpected what you did to my heart."

Kurt Hummel's voice was unlike one that Jesse had ever heard before. A counter tenor, a boy who must have taught himself how to sing high simply by singing to show tunes…from the sound of his voice, Jesse noticed it sounded suspiciously like the voice of one Idina Menzel…he must have based his song off of Wicked. At the next part of the song, both had now started singing together.

"When I lost hope you were there to remind me,
This is the start."

With the end of that line, Kurt's hand extended out and the curtains opened revealing a large group of people dressed just like them. Among them were a few of the other members that Jesse had been sent to watch seventh grader Blaine Anderson and eighth grader Sebastian Smythe. The groups had begun to do their choreography, being led by Rachel and Kurt.

"And life is a road that I wanna keep going.
Love is a river, I want to keep flowing.
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey.
I'll be there when the world stops turning,
I'll be there when the storm is through.
In the end I want to be standing
At the beginning with you."

The choreography was very difficult and intense for a group of seventh and eighth graders, but of course that had always been the way that Carmel had done it. The chorus ended with the boys dipping their female partners in a style of slow dance. After that it was once again Rachel's turn to sing. She circled Kurt as she sang the lyrics.

"We were strangers, on a crazy adventure."

Kurt responded with the next two lines of the song, pulling Rachel close to him and holding onto her waist.

"Never dreaming, how our dreams would come true."

The two began to sing together once again, Kurt dipping her and spinning her with the song.

"Now here we stand, unafraid of the future.
At the beginning with you
And life is a road that I wanna keep going.
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing.
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey.
I'll be there when the world stops turning,
I'll be there when the storm is through.
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you."

After the second round of the chorus, Kurt had now pulled Rachel into a mix of ballet and ballroom; he lifted her as the two of them sang loudly and clearly.

"Knew there was somebody somewhere
A new love in the dark.
Now I know my dream will live on.
I've been waiting so long,
Nothing's going to tear us apart.

And life is a road that I wanna keep going.
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing.
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning,
I'll be there when the storm is through.
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you."

Jaden had now switched places with another member, Blaine Anderson. Blaine now was playing the piano, and Jaden was playing a guitar.

"Life is a road and I wanna keep going.

Love is a river, I wanna keep going on."

Now Rachel had moved away from Kurt and was in the dead center, about to sing a single line.

"Starting out on a journey."

The line sent shivers down Jesse's spine, she wasn't belting it but it was so filled with such complex emotion.

"Life is a road that I wanna keep going.

Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing.

In the end I want to be standing

At the beginning with you."

Jaden and Blaine both were now at the piano, playing the last bit of the song, and then the curtain fell. Rachel and Kurt both stood next to each other grinning widely. Kurt gripped onto Rachel's hands and jumped up and down. "That was amazing, we were amazing!" He yelled, pretty much squealing with happiness, "Oh my god, Rach, we need to celebrate, facials and appletinis tonight at my house."

Rachel grinned happily. "Yes!"

"Well lady face, congratulations on another successful solo of doing nothing but making Rachel look good."

Kurt turned his head to see Sebastian Smythe looking back at him sneering like the criminal chipmunk he was. "Of course that's not too hard to do when you're as untalented as you," the young boy growled, glaring hard at the rich boy.

Rachel eyed her friend curiously, and then looked back at Sebastian. "Screw off, Bas or I'll tell everyone just what hot piece of ass you've been having wet dreams about since performance camp two summers ago." Rachel then turned to grin at Kurt again. "Come on Kurt, let's go, I gotta go find the dads and let them know that I'll be staying at your house tonight."

Additional Author's Notes:

Bonus Song: At the Beginning by Richard Marx ft. Donna Lewis (from the Anastasia soundtrack)

Sometimes the bonus songs will be songs used in the chapter, this is one of those times. :)

This is just a really lovely power ballad for me, and well this is the beginning so a la At the Beginning!

Next chapter we'll actually get to Rachel and the gang in Carmel which is the whole point of the story, look out for it! :D