♪breathe♪

♪new kids♪

new message: finn
from: cassie
hey hudson, how's the army treating you? just wanted to check on you, text me when you get the chance.

"how's mercedes?" logan asked cass as they walked into the halls of mckinley high school for the first time since cass had graduated.

since graduation she's been in classes at the university of northwestern ohio and her first extension class for specialized studies was today with the start of glee club.

"do you really want to know? you took the breakup pretty hard."

after a few weeks of mercedes and logan attempting to keep their relationship alive over long distance, mercedes broke it off because it was too hard for the both of them.

logan tensed up at the mention of the recent break up, "i'm fine, i swear. it was what's best for the both of us. i'm here, she's in l.a it makes sense."

cass knew in her heart that logan was lying and that he was sick about their breakup but knew that he wouldn't stop asking without some kind of answer, "she's fine. she's a little homesick but she's fine. do you know what's up with sam? he's been acting weird since classes started at northwestern."

logan didn't know about his sister and sam's relationship, mainly because he was dealing with his breakup with mercedes. but he did notice that since his sister started at unwo, sam was sulky and distant with the both of them.

"couldn't tell you. i've gotta get to class. see you in glee."

cass watched her brother turn down the hall, seeing a new figure come towards her, "what're you doing here?"

"just visiting," he smiles, quickly hugging her as he continues to walk by with his phone to his ear.

"are you calling rachel?"

kurt nodded, "yes, i'll tell her you said hi. and tell cedes i said hi."

"yes sir."

new message: cedes
from: cassie
i miss you, we all do. kurt says hi.

mr. schue ran excitedly into the choir room to see his remaining seven new directions, "glee! we are coming off of a national championship, but it's time to look forward, and thanks to glee now being the coolest club in the school. this shouldn't be a problem. yes, we've lost some big voices. but we still have some huge ones in here. and i promise to do everything i can to replace the ones that we lost. and on that note, i'd like to introduce you to our newest member: the mvp of last year's nationals, wade "unique" adams."

cass led in wade, as britt quipped, "that's a great haircut, mercedes. i thought you graduated."

"i wanted to be somewhere where different was celebrated," wade smiled, letting go of his mentor's hand that he'd been using as a crutch for security.

mr. schue smiled at his eighth member, "we are so excited to have you."

"guys where's the love?" cass grumbled, seeing that aside from the smiles and the high-five wade received from logan no one seemed to want wade there.

blaine sent a quick, kind smile to wade before turning back to the two standing before them, "i think wade is great, but the competition to be the new rachel is already so intense, the last thing that we need is one more contender."

"the new rachel?" the schuesters questioned together.

tina nodded, explaining the concept as though it were an obvious one, "every glee club needs a star performer. rachel was that, and now that she's gone, many of us want the job."