A GIRL LIKE YOU. sam evans

i. NEW YEAR, NEW KID

"You said the word 'new' about four times in a sentence." the blond pointed out, the smallest grin on his face.

"Oh, well, that's quite some news." Aria smiled, "I should be going now. See you around."

Before the boy could reply, she had already walked away, on her way to the courtyard for the New Directions' performance.

•••

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? We've been waiting for you so we could start." Puck told Aria as she finally arrived at the courtyard.

"Sorry. There was an interruption when I left the bathroom. I—"

"Aria! There you are!" Rachel pulled her away from Puck, "We were about to begin without you. You should go to your place now, the music should start playing soon."

Rachel immediately walked away, leaving Aria to walk to her place alone. She heard the music start, and waited for her cue to start moving.

"Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now, I'm down in Tribeca, right next to Deniro, but I'll be hood forever. I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here, I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere." Artie Abrams rapped as Kurt pushed him through the crowd.

"I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicano's, right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's." Finn continued, "Took it to my stash box, five sixty State Street. Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons with them pastries."

"Eight million stories, out there in it naked. City is a pity, half of y'all won't make it. Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made". If Jesus payin' Lebron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade. Three dice Cee-lo, three card molly, Labor Day Parade, rest in peace, Bob Marley." Puck and Mercedes walked down the caged stairs, side by side, as Puck rapped his lines, "Jigga, I be Spike'd out, I could trip a referee. Tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from,"

"New York." Aria sang along with Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez, and Brittany Pierce as the four ran down the concrete steps, "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There's nothin' you can't do. Now, you're in New York."

The girls sang in unison, "These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York."

"One hand in the air for the big city. Streetlights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty. No place in the world that could compare. Put your lighters in the air." Mercedes sang, "Everybody say,"

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." The New Directions sang all together, "New York. Concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There's nothin' you can't do. Now, you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York."

The music ended and the glee club struck a pose, all their eyes wandering, looking for someone to acknowledge their performance.

Aria turned her head and noticed the blond from earlier looking at her. She flashed him a smile, and he smiled back, waving the tiniest wave at her.

•••

AFTER THEIR FAILED PERFORMANCE, Aria, Kurt, and Mercedes changed out of their 'New York' shirts and entered the choir room.

Kurt and Mercedes were playing around with the piano while Aria sat and listened when she heard Mercedes struck up a conversation.

"Is that a men's sweater?"