new directions | glee

17. YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL ☑️

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN |
you're beautiful

***

"OKAY, WHO DID it? I'm serious, guys! Principal Figgins is threatening to disband the club over this." Mr. Schue reasoned with his students, holding up a list of names, cleverly named a 'glist' to rank the glee members in terms of hotness.

Kayla had fully expected herself to be at the bottom of the list with Rachel. After all, pretty much no one knew who she was up until two weeks ago, but joining the Cheerios had changed things for her. She was ranked halfway up the list, which was certainly new for Kayla. She wasn't used to being noticed. Tina wasn't even on the list. That's what she fully expected to happen to herself, but sports had really changed everything for her.

"It was obviously Puck." Santana stated, sharpening her nails to probably stab Kayla when she was her flyer.

"I didn't do it, dude." Puck raised his hands in defeat. Kayla chuckled slightly at his demeanor.

She sat up and said, "He didn't do it, Mr. Schue."

Santana mumbled, "Of course his girlfriend thinks so."

Santana and Kayla weren't exactly on the best terms. Santana kind of hated pretty much everyone, but especially Kayla at the moment. She had to assume it was because she was so close to Puck and she was coming in between the only person that kept her straight girl cheerleader act up. Kayla knew Santana was still severely in denial about her feelings for Brittany and tended to take it out on everyone else. Kayla and Rachel were just her favorite targets.

But Kayla was tired of being on the receiving end of Satan's abuse.

"We're such a cute couple. Don't you think so, Santana?" Kayla smirked, locking arms with Puck. Maybe it was a bit petty, but she really enjoyed that annoyed look Santana gave her along with the silence that followed it.

Puck chuckled softly by her and locked eyes with her. "You are so stupid."

"But I'm your stupid." Kayla countered, chuckling along with him. She didn't move her interlocked arm from his. It was so much more comfortable to just be able to touch him. His presence was about the only thing that calmed her down and she was the same thing for him.

"You know, you guys are getting quite the bad reputation." Mr. Schue stated when the culprit refused to admit their identity.

And thus their weekly lesson was crafted at that very second. They needed to recreate some songs that have gotten a bad reputation and revive their spirit, whatever that meant. The only bad reputation Kayla had was not having Rachel as her best friend again and she was really feeling the sting. She wanted her back. Even though she knew she shouldn't. And that thought terrified her to no end.

←⧪→

Kayla was the first glee member to perform that week. She really expected Rachel to take her slot instead, but apparently the shorter girl was making a music video of "Run Joey Run"—a song Kayla had never heard of in her life. That meant that she was first on the chopping block and to say that she was nervous would be the understatement of the century. Obviously the club knew that she was talented. She'd shared the Sectionals solo with Rachel and she was April's understudy that one week, but she hadn't really sung a number for the club yet as a solo and she was terrified of what everyone would think.

Puck was following Kayla's steps as the duo made their way to the choir room. Kayla had tried to psyche herself up for her performance, but realized that she was failing miserably when she got to the doorway and immediately turned around, ready to dash down the hallway and never face her friends again. Puck, however, grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her back around.