Author's Note: Hey all. This is my first attempt at writing FanFiction for Glee. I hope you all like it. I'm a fan of Brittana, but lately I've really been jumping on the Faberry train. Hopefully I can do these characters justice. It's a bit AU (because of Quinn's character) but for the most part, it's centered around the the same old (original) Glee. I know the first chapter is a bit short, but it's just getting started. So let's do this!

FYI, each chapter title is lyrics from songs I love. Just because.

It started with a song. One fucking song. Rachel Berry always knew music would change her life, but she never expected it would lead her here. Right here. On the doorstep of Quinn Fabray's house. Shaking, weak, nervous, sweating from the California heat and having absolutely no clue what she was doing here, she used every ounce of strength she had to raise her knuckles to the front door. She had no idea what she would say or how she would say it, but with that first echoing knock, she knew she'd simply have to rely on instinct. Because there was no going back now.

To understand how Rachel got here to this sad, pathetic point on her proverbial scabbed knees with her heart completely exposed for all the world to see, you have to go back. Way back to her junior year of high school. That's where it started. Junior year. In the choir room. With that fucking song.

Rachel nervously lingered at her locker, peering through the grates in the locker door just in time to see a blurry version of Finn Hudson twirling his drumsticks as he walked into the choir room. Avoiding Finn had been her newfound hobby after things had ended disastrously between them last year. Since then, she had developed a penchant for hallway espionage, tracking his every move so she wouldn't have to deal with him face to face. The only time she was forced to interact with him was in glee club. But she sure as hell wasn't about to quit. Glee club was hers. She was there from its inception. It was her baby and she refused to let a boy come between her and her one true passion.

Still, she kept her distance. She watched closely as Finn fully disappeared out of view, unable to focus on anything else.

"Berry!"

Rachel jumped. Her heart leapt up into her throat. She let out a squeal, abruptly turned around and rammed her shoulder into the locker door.

"Ouch." She grabbed her shoulder and winced while accidentally dropping her chemistry book.

"Wow. Smooth, Berry."

Rachel bent down to pick up her book and looked up to see Santana Lopez in her Cheerios uniform hovering over her and shaking her head.

"Taking up voyeurism now, are we? I always knew you had a kinky side." Santana winked at Rachel as she walked away. "Britt! Wait up!" She ran over to Brittany, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the choir room.

Rachel closed her locker and reluctantly followed them. She took her seat in the front row and waited for rehearsal to begin. She was hoping to make it through practice without having to actually interface with anybody. That wish was short-lived when she felt someone tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, do you think it's true?"

Rachel turned around to see Kurt's eyes grow wide with wonderment.

"Huh?"

"You didn't hear?" asked Kurt.

"Hear what?"

"Are you guys talking about what I think you're talking about?" asked Tina, as she took a seat next to Rachel.

"I have no idea," replied a confused Rachel.

"Oh, it's true," Artie chimed in. "Totally legit. I saw her myself."

"No way. When did you see her?" asked Kurt.

"This morning. In the front office."

Rachel was tired of everyone talking around her about something she was obviously kept in the dark about. "Wait, what the hell are you guys talking about?"

"Rachel, have you been living under a rock?" asked Kurt, as he moved stray hair out of his face. "McKinley High has its very own celebrity walking the halls."

"Well that's very nice, but I'm not famous yet, Kurt," countered Rachel.

"Very funny. I'm talking about Quinn Fabray. She's here. At McKinley. Like…going here. For school."

Rachel shifted in her seat. Her ears perked up at the sound of Quinn's name. "The Quinn Fabray? Star of 'Outside Hearts' Quinn Fabray? Jessica Shay, herself, is going here?"

"So…you're a fan?"

Rachel turned around, adjusted her skirt and faced forward. "Not really. I've just seen the show on occasion."

"Right. Well…yes. That Quinn Fabray." Kurt stood up and walked over to the piano. Tina followed suit, leaving Rachel to take in the gravity of what she just found out. To her left, she could hear the other glee club members buzzing about the news. She tried to lean in a bit to hear their whispers, but was interrupted by one of Mr. Schue's overly dramatic grand entrances.

"Hey guys!" He pranced in and grabbed his dry erase marker. "Now before anyone says anything, yes, the rumors are true." He turned around and was met with a dozen pairs of eyes hanging on to his every word. "I did get a haircut."

Half the group rolled their eyes while the other half snickered as Mr. Schue turned to the whiteboard and began writing.

"Our theme this week is: Welcome."

"Welcome?" scoffed Mercedes.

"Yes. Welcome. As in, let's welcome our new student. Now, besides my new haircut, I figured I'd address the other rumor running wild among us. Yes, we have a new, somewhat well-known student at McKinley. And I want you all to make her feel at home."

"Is she joining glee?" asked Tina, a little too excitedly.

"Who cares?" Santana deadpanned, complete with an epic eye-roll.

"Hey, if she can sing, let's get her in here," said Artie.

Everyone knew what that meant. They all immediate grew silent and looked over at Rachel. She looked at all of them, trying to figure out why they were so intent on staring at her.

"What?"

"Rachel, you don't have anything to say about getting Quinn to join glee club?" Mr. Schue was careful to approach the subject gently, without making any sudden movements.

Rachel shrugged. "If she wants to join, then fine."

Santana rolled her eyes, yet again and sighed. "Unbelievable."

"What?"

Santana shook her head, "Nothing."

After that, Rachel remained noticeably silent, as she had been since school started a month ago. Her demeanor had altered drastically since last year. She was no longer the loud, opinionated know-it-all everyone had come to know her as. Something within her had changed around the time she and Finn broke up.

She glanced over in his general direction and caught his eye for a brief moment. They both quickly looked away, casually pretending their eyes hadn't met. The awkwardness still lingered.

Mr. Schue excitedly clapped his hands. "Okay, now that that's settled, who's up? Rachel?"

Rachel was caught off guard. "Oh…No thank you. I...I don't have anything prepared."

Santana looked at Rachel as if she had sprouted a second head. "So...you're actually giving us a Rachel-free singing environment? Can we freeze this moment?"

Rachel let the remark roll off her back. "I'm just not feeling up to it right now." She could feel everyone's eyes fall upon her, but she remained focused on the cold, tiled ground. It wasn't like her to relinquish the spotlight like this, but lately she didn't seem to care. Something other than stardom was weighing more heavily on her mind.

"All right. Anyone else?"

Puck raised his hand. "I've got something that works with the 'welcome' theme. I know Quinn's not here to hear it, but how about a little Guns 'n Roses?"

"The floor is all yours."

As Rachel prepared herself to smile her way through Puck's rousing rendition of "Welcome to the Jungle," she tried not to focus on her increasingly sweaty palms and elevated heart rate and wondered how many more welcome songs she'd have to sit through today before she could go home.

Word of the "Outside Hearts" star attending McKinley had spread quickly and by the next day, the name Quinn Fabray was on everybody's lips. Rachel couldn't walk the halls without hearing that name echo in her ears.

Rachel was lost in her own world while walking to her next class. She was too busy trying to pin down one of the millions of thoughts floating around in her head. The thought she managed to grab on to was the idea of actually meeting Quinn Fabray in person. What would she say? How would she act? Why did she even care that she was going to school here? She was just another person. No different than herself. Sure, she was paparazzi fodder and had legions of autograph seekers. But Rachel would have all that herself, soon enough. She decided it really wasn't that big a deal. Her last movie was only so-so, anyway. By this point, Rachel was so deep in thought, she didn't even notice the six foot tall figure approaching her.

"Rachel," uttered Finn, nervously.

Even her own name couldn't snap her out of her daze.

"Rachel."

Suddenly, she realized that "Rachel" was meant for her and it was coming from the mouth of the boy she used to fawn over day and night. Before he could speak her name one more time, she managed to maneuver around him and run right into the girls' bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hiding from someone?"

Rachel whipped around and was met with an angelic face. It only took her a second to realize that Quinn Fabray was standing right in front of her, washing her hands. Christ, she washes her hands. Up til now, Rachel didn't even believe a girl like Quinn even went to the bathroom. She just seemed too perfect.

"Uh..." Rachel couldn't help but stare. She was enraptured by her 5'9" frame, her alabaster skin unmarked by any blemish, her green eyes full of electricity and light, her dizzying floral print dress and her perfectly coifed blond hair. She does exist. In the flesh. Standing right in front of her. She was real. And she was also staring at Rachel, waiting for a response.

Rachel's doe eyes finally pulled away from Quinn and searched the room for help. The sinks were of no help at all. The soap dispensers just hung there on the wall, not lifting a finger to help. The mirror only made things worse when it showed Rachel exactly how pathetic she looked at this moment. In front of Quinn Fabray. Flawless Quinn Fabray. Nope. No help from the mirror. Rachel was going to have to rely on her wits to get her out of this. Before she could get a word out, the bathroom door swung open, hitting Rachel and causing her to lurch forward and tumble towards the sink. And that was the nail in the coffin. She was done for.

"Are you okay?" asked Flawless Quinn Fabray.

Rachel couldn't speak. All Quinn got in response was a few jumbled noises and what sounded like a baby trying to form its first word. Any chance of salvaging this moment was long gone. Rachel stood there, embarrassed, afraid and hopeless. She gave Quinn a little shrug and ran out of the bathroom as quickly as she ran in. Now she had to add Flawless Quinn Fabray to the list of people she had to avoid.