Picture perfect - Book 1 - Q.F.

Ballad

A/N: Not me giving Ms. Fabray more solos because it's what she deserved in that show lmao... Anyway... I hope you're enjoying the story!

"Ballad." Mr. Schue announced, as he wrote the word on the white board. "From Middle English, balade. Who knows what this word means?"

"It's a male duck." Brittany said, confidently, as everyone turned to her, confused.

Still, Mr. Schue gave word to one of the students that had their hands raised.

"Kurt."

"A ballad is a love song." He said, as Mr. Schue nodded.

"Sometimes, but they don't always express love." The teacher expanded. "Ballads are stories set to music — which is why they're the perfect storm of self-expression. Stories and music are the way we express feelings that we can't get out any other way. Okay, now, Sectionals are in a few weeks and there's a new rule this year: we have to perform... A ballad."

"Looks like my weekly letter to the Ohio Show Choir Committee finally paid off!" Rachel said, excitedly as Puck sent her a very fake smile.

"Okay. So here's our assignment for the week..." Mr. Schue said, continuing with the class. "I'm going to pair you off, and I want you to pick a ballad to sing to your partner. Look them right in the eye, find the emotion you want to express, and make them feel it."

"I pick Quinn." Finn said, without missing a beat. And when Quinn smiled at her boyfriend, Piper pouted quietly.

"No, no, no. Too easy." Mr. Schue smirked. "Your partners will be chosen by fate."

When Mr. Schue walked toward the piano and showed everyone a hat, he smiled when the kids watched him quietly.

"Oh, yeah." He said. "I put all your names in this hat. Whoever you choose is your partner."

"I bet the duck's in the hat." Brittany commented.

"But we're 13." Santana pointed out, ignoring her best friend's comment. "We can't just pair up."

"Hum... I guess I'll just have to put my name in the hat for now." Mr. Schue decided, ripping off a piece of paper as he wrote down his name there and threw it on the hat, before shaking it a bit. "Who's up first?"

One by one, then, the members of the club went up to piano to pull out a name from the hat. Up first, it was Puck.

"Mercedes." He groaned, as Mercedes rolled her eyes, sending Piper a look when her best friend sent her an apologetic smile.

"All right." Mr. Schue smiled. "Artie, come on."

Wheeling himself over, Artie picked out a name from the hat.

"Matt." He said.

"Great." Mr. Schue said. "Piper?"

Standing up, Piper shoved her hand inside the hat as she rummaged around a bit with the papers. Please let it be Kurt or Tina, she thought. Please, please, please... When she pulled out her paper and looked down at the name on it, she suddenly felt like she was about to throw up. If for fear, apprehension or anxiety, she wasn't entirely sure.

"Quinn." She read it out, searching for the girl in the classroom and relaxing a bit when she saw her smiling just barely at that.

With a new skip to her step, Piper rushed back to her seat, only to have both Mercedes and Kurt sending some looks. She blushed, looking down at her lap as she tried to ignore their eyes on her. So focused on hiding her embarrassment, Piper didn't even notice the way Finn walked up to the piano and pulled out a name from there, widening his eyes when he read it.