Our Story • glee

Ballad 1x10

"Ballad. From Middle English, balade." Mr. Schuester says, writing the singular word ballad on the white board. "Who knows what this word means?"

"It's a male duck." Brittany looks up confident in her answer.

Blake stifles the laugh that threatens to erupt from her chest as Mr. Schuester calls on Kurt. "A ballad is a love song." The boy smiles dreamily.

"Sometimes, but they don't always express love." Their teacher acknowledges, "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." He describes to them passionately. "Okay, now, sectionals are in a few weeks and there's a new rule this year– we have to perform... a ballad."

Rachel almost bounces in her seat, not being able to contain her excitement, "Looks like my weekly letter to the Ohio Show Choir Committee finally paid off!"

"Okay. So here's our assignment for the week: 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."

Blake smiles simply because she loves a good ballad, and she has plenty of friends she would love to sing to. Blake looks over to Ace only to find him looking straight back at her, both of them making a nonverbal agreement to be partners for the assignment.

"I pick Quinn." Finn smiles and looks at his girlfriend.

Blake scoffs and rolls her eyes, "Typical."

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

Ooh's are heard from around the classroom but all that is going through Blake's mind is, "shit." She mutters while slowly deflating in the red chair underneath her. Don't get her wrong, she doesn't mind leaving things up to chance, but when four out of the fourteen people in the club are people she's trying to avoid, she isn't exactly a fan of letting a hat decide who she has to sing an emotion filled song to. Especially with her terrible luck.

"Ooh, yeah. I put all your names in this hat. Whoever you choose is your partner." Their teacher looks at them with victory in his eyes.

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

"But Matt's out sick today. He had to go to the hospital, 'cause they found a spider in his ear." Santana points out.

"Um..." The teacher looks away kind of disgusted at the thought of a spider crawling around in one of his students' ears. "I guess I'll just have to put my name in the hat for now." He says, putting his name inside the hat. "Who's up first?"

As the glee club members go up one by one, Blake can't help but move her leg up and down anxiously. She has her fingers crossed that someone she's not giving the silent treatment to picks her name.

The brunette girl sees Puck approach the hat and she can feel one singular sweat droplet cascade down her forehead. 'Please don't be me, Please don't be me.' She thinks to herself. The boy pulls out a strip of paper and sighs.

"Blake."

Blake hangs her head down. Of course this is what happens. No matter, she'll put her feelings aside for the assignment. Plus, she is kind of excited to be partnered with the boy. It gives her an excuse to talk to him without technically forgiving him.

People continue drawing names until Finn goes up, and Blake notices his eyes go wide, and his posture goes rigid. "Kurt."

The rest of the glee club laughs, but Blake doesn't. She can see how uncomfortable Finn is. While she doesn't understand why, she doesn't like seeing him uncomfortable no matter how mad she is at him.