[CUT TO: INT. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - DAY. PRINCIPAL FIGGINS and WILL are seated across from each other.]

Will leaned forward, determined. "I'd like to take over Glee Club."
Principal Figgins arched a skeptical brow. "You want to captain the Titanic, too?"
"I think I can make it great again. There is no joy in these kids. They feel invisible. That's why every one of them has a MySpace page."
"60 bucks a month. That's what I need to keep this program up."
"And you—you expect me to pay it?"
"I'm certainly not going to pay for it. We're not talking about Cheerios here, Will. They were on Fox Sports Net last year. When Glee Club starts bringing that kind of prestige to the school again, you can have all the money you want. Until then, 60 bucks a month. And you've got to use the costumes and props you already have. But we need the stools for wood shop."
[CUT TO: INT. WILL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT. TERRI SCHUESTER is asleep. WILL lies wide awake.]
Will's voice played over the image of him staring at the ceiling in the dark.
"Hiding the $60 a month from my wife, Terri, was going to be hard. But I had a bigger problem. How was I going to get these kids motivated? One thing I knew for sure—we needed a new name."
Will sat up in bed, eyes lit with a spark of inspiration.
"New Directions!"
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. A SIGN-UP SHEET FOR GLEE CLUB IS POSTED. ELENA APPROACHES.]
Elena approached the Glee Club sign-up sheet, eyeing the names already written. Her fingers hesitated for a beat—this felt more vulnerable than anything she'd done. More dangerous than an armed infiltration, even. Still, she picked up the pen and signed her alias: Elena Williams. With her neat, slanted signature in place, she stepped back silently, face unreadable.
[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY. ELENA IS ON STAGE.]
A quiet hum filled the empty auditorium. Elena stood center stage, her expression stoic as she looked out at the empty seats. Will sat off to the side with a clipboard, eyebrows raised with curiosity.
"Name?" he asked.
"Elena Williams," she replied simply. "Miss Pillsbury says I have to be here."
"Will looked up from his clipboard, curiosity piqued. "And what song are you planning to sing today, Elena?"?"
Elena took a breath. " 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' by Tears for Fears."
Will nodded. "Alright. Let's hear it."
She closed her eyes. The music began, and with it, something inside her shifted. Her voice—low, haunting, smooth as velvet—rose with a clarity that echoed in the rafters. As she transitioned from one song to the other, her control was precise. Emotion cracked just faintly through the edges, enough to hint at deep reservoirs she kept buried. Her voice floated then cut, graceful and sharp like a knife dressed in silk.

By the time she finished, Will was speechless. Elena said nothing, giving a small nod and stepping off the stage before he could say anything.
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. MERCEDES JONES walks up to the New Directions sign-up sheet and writes down her name.]

[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY. MERCEDES is on stage.]
Mercedes: "My name is Mercedes Jones and I'm singing..."
[MERCEDES sings Aretha Franklin's "Respect".]
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. KURT walks up to the sign-up sheet and writes down his name.]
[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY. KURT is on stage.]
Kurt: "Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel, and I'll be singing 'Mr. Cellophane'."
[KURT sings "Mr. Cellophane" from Chicago.]
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. TINA COHEN-CHANG writes down her name on the sign-up sheet with ARTIE ABRAMS beside her.]
[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY. TINA is on stage.]
Tina: (stuttering) "Tina C. 'I Kissed A Girl.'"
[TINA sings Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl".]
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. RACHEL approaches the sign-up sheet and writes down her name.]
[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY. RACHEL is on stage.]
Rachel: "Hi, my name is Rachel Berry, and I'll be singing 'On My Own' from the seminal Broadway classic Les Mis."
Will: "Fantastic, let's hear it."
[RACHEL starts singing "On My Own" from Les Miserables.]
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. RACHEL applies a gold star sticker to the end of her name on the sign-up sheet.]
Rachel: (voice over) "You might laugh because every time I sign my name, I put a gold star after it. But it's a metaphor and metaphors are important. My gold stars are a metaphor for me being a star."
[PUCK throws a slushie in RACHEL's face.]
[From across the hallway, Elena witnesses the slushie attack. Her green eyes narrow, and she memorizes Puck's face. She doesn't move—yet—but her posture goes rigid.]
[CUT TO: INT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - LATER THAT DAY. PUCK walks alone, laughing into his phone. Suddenly, a web shoots out and yanks the phone from his hand. Before he can react, Elena appears behind him, moving like a shadow. She strikes once—clean and fast—and knocks him out cold. Moments later, PUCK wakes up in the dumpster behind the gym, groaning, dazed, and sticky from someone else's discarded smoothie.]
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. RACHEL is walking down the hallway in a rush.]
Rachel: (voice over) "And just so we're clear, I want to clear up that hateful rumor that I was the one who turned that closet case Sandy Ryerson in because he gave Hank Saunders the solo I deserved. That's cockpoopie."
[CUT TO: INT. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - DAY. RACHEL is crying to FIGGINS.]
Rachel: "He was touching Hank, caressing him. It was so wrong!"
[Principal Figgins hands her a tissue. RACHEL dabs at her cheeks, smiling.]
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY. RACHEL is admiring a photo of two men on the door of her locker.]
Rachel: (voice over) "I am not homophobic. In fact, I have two gay dads. See, I was born out of love. My two dads screened potential surrogates based on beauty and IQ. Then they mixed their sperm together and used a turkey baster. To this day, we don't know which one is my real dad, which I think is pretty amazing."
[CUT TO: INT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY. A young RACHEL dances wildly.]
Rachel: (voice over) "My dads spoiled me in the arts. I was given dance lessons, vocal lessons, anything to give me a competitive edge."
[CUT TO: INT. RACHEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT. RACHEL is looking at her laptop.]
Rachel: (voice over) "You might think that all the boys in school would totally want to tap this, but my MySpace schedule keeps me way too busy to date."
[RACHEL sets up a video recorder on a tripod and starts to sing.]
Rachel: (voice over) "I try to post a MySpace video every day, just to keep my talent alive and growing. Nowadays, being anonymous is worse than being poor. Fame is the most important thing in our culture now. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that no one's just gonna hand it to you."
[RACHEL uploads a video of her singing.]
[CUT TO: INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY. QUINN FABRAY, SANTANA LOPEZ, and other Cheerios are watching RACHEL's video and laughing. QUINN writes a comment that says "If I were your parents, I would sell you back." Another comment reads "I'm going to scratch out my eyes." Another says "Please get sterilized."]
[While the others are distracted by the video, Brittany has pulled Elena further down the bleachers where they sit close, facing away from the others. Brittany twirls a lock of her own hair and tilts her head at Elena.]
Brittany: "You don't talk much, huh?"
Elena: "I guess I'm still figuring out what's safe to say here."
Brittany: "You've got nice eyes. Like cat eyes. But cooler."
Elena blinks, caught off guard by the compliment. Brittany smiles, soft and earnest, her voice hushed like she's sharing a secret.
Brittany: "You're not like other girls. I like that."
[As she says it, Brittany's eyes narrow slightly in realization. A flicker of recognition flashes across her face. She leans back just a little, her head tilted, examining Elena more closely. That mouth, those eyes... the flashes of memory from that wild party. It hits her—but she doesn't say a word. Instead, she smiles again, softer this time, like she's keeping a delicious secret to herself.]
Elena: (quietly) "You're not either."
[Their moment is cut short as Quinn laughs from above and waves Brittany back over. Brittany gives Elena's hand a gentle squeeze before getting up to rejoin the others. Elena watches her go, a rare smile tugging at her lips.]
[CUT TO: INT. RACHEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT. RACHEL reads the comments.]
[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM - DAY. RACHEL's audition continues.]
Will: "Very nice, Rachel."
Rachel: "When do we start rehearsals?"
[CUT TO: INT. CHOIR ROOM - DAY.]
The choir room buzzed with off-key enthusiasm—or what some might charitably call enthusiasm. Rachel, Tina, Mercedes, Kurt, Artie, and Elena stood in their semi-circle, trying to rehearse "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" from Guys and Dolls under Mr. Schuester's guidance.

Rachel folded her arms in frustration as the piano trailed off.
"We suck," she declared flatly.
Mr. Schue offered a hopeful smile. "Uh, it... It'll get there. We—we just need to keep rehearsing."
Rachel whipped around. "Mr. Schuester, do you have any idea how ridiculous it is to give the lead solo in 'Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat' to a boy in a wheelchair?"
Artie shrugged good-naturedly. "I think Mr. Schue is using irony to enhance the performance."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "There is nothing ironic about show choir!"
Will raised his voice. "Rachel... Rachel!"
Elena stepped away from her place in the circle, shaking her head slightly. "You're exhausting, Rachel. I have cheer practice. Later."
Without another word, Elena turned and exited the choir room, her red-and-white duffle bag slung casually over her shoulder.
[CUT TO: EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY. SUE is yelling at her Cheerios. RACHEL is watching from the bleachers.]
The football field rang with the sharp commands of Coach Sue Sylvester.
"That's sloppy! You're sloppy babies! It's just disgraceful! And I want the agony out of your eyes! Uh-uh, Lance, don't you start crying! You are the weak link, pal! How's it feel to be the weak link, huh?! That can't feel very good!"
Rachel watched the chaos unfold from the bleachers, arms crossed, feeling distant from it all. Her eyes scanned the field until she spotted Elena mid-back handspring, flawlessly sticking a landing near Santana and Brittany.
Will approached and quietly took a seat beside her.
"You changed out of your costume," he observed.
Rachel didn't look at him. "I'm tired of being laughed at."
Will tried to reassure her. "You're one of the best kids in there, Rachel. That comes with a price."
She finally turned to him, her voice low. "Look, I know I'm just a sophomore, but I can feel the clock ticking away, and I don't want to leave high school with nothing to show for it. One of the best? Really?"
"Will nodded. "You get great grades. You're a fantastic singer—and yeah, Elena has a great voice too.""
Rachel frowned. "Everybody hates me."
Will looked at her gently. "And you think Glee Club is going to change that?"
She nodded, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Being great at something is going to change it. Being a part of something special makes you special, right? I need a male lead who can keep up with me vocally."
Will tried to offer solutions. "Maybe I can coach Artie a little."
But Rachel shook her head. "Look, Mr. Schue, I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but if you can't give me what I need, then I'm sorry. I'm not going to make a fool out of myself. I can't keep wasting my time with Glee. It hurts too much."
Will watched her stand and walk away.
Down on the field, Sue shouted another round of vicious encouragements. Elena flipped through a move and landed hard. Santana clapped. Brittany gave her a thumbs-up.
Will looked down, thinking.
Something had to change.
The echo of sneakers and a sharp whistle pierced the gym air as Ken Tanaka called out.
"Schuester! Figgins wants you!"