Picture Perfect - Book 3 - Q.F.

On my way

"That's it. I'm done." Finn said, rather angrily after Rachel and Kurt showed everyone the photoshopped picture Sebastian had used to blackmail Rachel into not singing at Regionals. "I'm leaving this classroom, and I'm going to beat that Sebastian kid's ass!"

"Finn, chill." Mr. Schue said, stopping Finn from walking out.

"No, I'm not going to chill." He said, clearly upset and rightly so. "I... I'm done chilling."

"The official show choir rule book states that any real or perceived threat of violence, vandalism or humiliation will be met with a swift and unquestioned disqualification of the threatening party's team with extreme prejudice." Artie said, as Sam wheeled him into the room with a book in hands. "It's right here. Page 72, by-law 15, section six, article 44."

"Guys, I contacted the headmaster of Dalton." Mr. Schue said, clearly trying to contain his angry children. They weren't having it at all, though.

"Like you did when Sebastian almost blinded me?" Blaine demanded. "What did they do then? Same thing as they're going to do now... Nothing."

"Look, none of this matters now anyways, okay?" Rachel spoke up as everyone turned to look at her. "We're not going to let him beat us like this. I'm going to perform at Regionals."

"Even if he's going to post a photo like this of me if you do?" Finn asked, as shocked as everyone had seemed to be by that statement.

"Finn, I'm not going to negotiate with terrorists." Rachel said, standing up as she went to walk toward her fiance.

"If someone posted a picture like that of me online, I'd probably kill myself." Sugar said, as Rory nodded.

"Twice to be sure I was dead."

"Look, you guys are just going to have to deal with things like this." Mr. Schue said, as Piper shook her head. "The more successful you get, the more garbage people are going to make up about you. They're going to love to tear you down."

"Making up rumors is one thing." Piper mumbled, highly unamused by the teacher's position. "Blackmailing is another, entirely."

"I can't believe you would do that to me." Finn said, glaring at Rachel as she shrugged a bit.

"I'm going to be married to you." She argued, as everyone watched her in mild shock. "Don't you think I'm going to suffer the consequences as well? I mean, I just... I don't care about stuff like that. I love you, and we'll... We'll manage this together. Okay, the important thing right now is that we win."

"So you wouldn't care if I Photoshopped a photo of you like this and put it on the Internet?" Finn asked.

"Look, our future depends on us winning Regionals." Rachel said. "It'll help me towards my NYADA application."

"Hum." Finn hummed, highly unamused as he started to leave. "Hope you get in."

***

Kurt didn't say anything. Instead, he just sat down by Piper as she sat alone at the bleachers with her sketch book open, but not really drawing anything. For a minute, the two of them just sat there, as Piper chewed nervously in her pencil and Kurt just kept her company, after all, they didn't need the whole are you okay or how are you feeling thing because, truth is, neither of them really knew what they were feeling about the news of Karofsky's attempt of suicide.

So, instead of saying anything, when Kurt sniffled quietly beside her, Piper just pulled him into her arms and let him cry for a while.

"I feel responsible." Kurt admitted after a few minutes of just crying. "He asked me out during Sugar's party last week, and... I said no."