"Alright guys, let's get down to business!" Mr. Schue said, walking into the choir room with no one other than Noah Puckerman himself. "First, let's welcome back Noah Puckerman. Puck, I hope your time in juvy has taught you a lesson or two about right and wrong?"

"Are you kidding me? I ruled that place." Puck smirked as he moved to take a seat. "All I did was crack skulls and lift weights all day."

"Oh, what a catch, can't believe I ever let you go." Quinn mumbled sarcastically as Piper snorted a laugh, quietly.

"And now, drumroll, Finn! Because I have in my hand our competition for Sectionals next month." Mr. Schue said, as everyone perked up in their seats a bit. "First, the acapella group from the all-boys private school in Westerville, the Dalton Academy Warblers."

"Okay, hold up." Santana laughed. "Like a million awesome gay jokes just popped into my head."

And, at that, both Kurt and Piper turned to glare at Santana before turning to look at each other and shaking their heads in disapproval.

"And the other team to beat, the Hipsters. A first-year club from the continuing education programme." Mr. Schue continued. "Now, they are a glee club composed entirely of elderly people getting their high school GEDs."

"Is that legal?" Rachel asked.

"How are we supposed to compete against a bunch of adorable old people?" Mercedes frowned.

"Are you kidding? Brittle bones." Puck said, as Piper rolled her eyes. "Give one of those old ladies a good luck pat on the rear, it'll shatter her pelvis."

"Now, that's definitely illegal." She said, before shrugging when Puck glared at her.

"Moving on..." Mr. Schue said, deciding to ignore everything that had just happened, as usual. "Since this seemed to get you guys jazzed about Sectionals last year, I wanna make this week our second annual boys versus girls tournament. So! Split up into two groups and figure out which songs you're gonna sing."

At that, everyone stood up and, before Piper could even reach the rest of the girls, she could already hear Rachel talking.

"Okay, I have mash-up ideas in my emergency mash-up..."

"Kurt, gonna say it again." Mr. Schue said, interrupting Rachel and causing everyone to stop and look at Kurt who had been clearly intending on sticking with the girls. "Boys team."

At that, Kurt sighed, reluctantly walking over at the boys as Mercedes and Piper exchanged disappointed glances before being called out by Rachel who was already bossing everyone around with her own mash-up ideas.

***

So, Mr. Schue had decided to switch up things a little and have the girls sing typically boy songs and the boys singing girls songs and, as much as he denied it, Piper was about 80% sure Kurt Hummel himself had something to do with it.

"They didn't even let me finish!" Kurt complained as he walked with Piper down the hallway, telling her all about his failed reunion with the boys to try and figure out what they'd be doing for their mash-up. "Not even when I proposed for us to do a Diana Ross mash-up."

"Oh my God, I love Diana Ross!" Piper squealed as Kurt smiled a bit, all too aware of that fact. "If they don't want to it, I'll do it with you. Feather boa and all."

"See? That's why I wanted to be in the girls' team." Kurt sighed contently, leaning into Piper as the girl laughed.

"Nah, you wanted to be in the same team as me and Mercedes. You don't want to be in the girls' team." She protested. "The amount of times we had to pull Santana away from Rachel before she could rip the girl's hair out is unbelievable."

"I'd pay good money to see that happen." Kurt laughed, as Piper rolled her eyes with a smile.

"You laugh now because you're not the one who got an elbow to the eye while holding back Santana from going all Lima Heights in Rachel's sorry ass or something." She protested. "And all just because they couldn't agree on who was singing a backing vocal line for Mercedes."

"Really?" Kurt smiled.

"Yeah. We settled on Tina." She shrugged, as Kurt laughed.

"Well, at least they're interested." The boy said. "Walking into the room with the boys is like watching an episode of the Walking Dead. With just the zombies!"

"Can't get them to decide anything?" Piper asked, as Kurt scoffed.

"I can't even get them to share ideas." He complained. "And then, when I come in with full mood boards and costumes, I'm shot down."

"I'm sorry, Kurt." Piper smiled sympathetically. "If it makes you feel any better, I'd love to hear your Diana Ross mash-up ideas."

"Thanks." Kurt smiled back at her. "That would be great, actually. But you know what would make me feel even better?"

"Shoot."

"Puck actually told me to go spy on the Warblers." Kurt smirked, as Piper frowned, turning to look at the boy. "And, you know... I know it was a joke, but I thought we could do it."

"Spy on the Warblers?" Piper asked. "You and I?"

"Yes."

"Are you crazy?"

"Why not?" Kurt shrugged. "You've spied on Vocal Adrenaline last year."

"That's different."

"How?"

"I..."

"See? It's the same thing." Kurt smirked as Piper rolled her eyes. "I'm going now. Do you want to come or not?"

And before Piper could even start answering, the oh-so-familiar voice of Quinn Fabray caught her attention.

"Just be honest with me." The two of them could hear her saying and, judging by her tone of voice, Quinn seemed upset. "I won't get mad at you if you tell me the truth, I'll be relieved."

"Really?" Sam asked then. "Because it looks like you're gonna be mad no matter what I say."

At that, Piper raised an eyebrow, walking closer to the lockers so she wouldn't be drawing too much attention as she watched the scene between Quinn and Sam unfold, a few meters away from her. Shaking his head at her sudden interest in the two of them, Kurt let go of Piper's arm and slipped away from her.

"I'll take that as no." He chuckled, noticing how Piper barely even paid him any mind as he left.

"You said another woman's name while you were kissing me." Quinn said, as Piper frowned. They kissed? Were they dating? And most importantly... How in the hell could Sam even think about someone else while kissing Quinn Fabray? "Look. I get it. She's in a position of power over you, which can be exciting and you clearly like women who give you a hard time."

"I'm not cheating on you with my football coach!" Sam stopped walking, spinning around in his heels and frowning when he noticed, from over Quinn's shoulders, Piper standing by the lockers, watching over them. Looking back at Quinn, Sam sighed. "Look. Can we talk about this in private?"

"Why, am I embarrassing you?" Quinn scoffed.

"It's not what you think."

"What I think is that I'm not putting out for you, so you're getting wherever you can, including the locker room with the Beiste."

Beiste? Piper frowned. What did coach Beiste had to do with any of this? Clearly, the woman wasn't aware either because, passing by them, she stopped as soon as she heard her name.

"What's this?"

"This is a lover's quarrel and it's your fault!" Quinn said, without missing a beat.

"Watch your tone with me missy." Coach Beiste warned as Quinn frowned at her. "You crap on my leg, I'll cut it off!"

"I'll leave you two." Quinn scoffed, walking away.

"Everything okay?" Mr. Schue asked, walking into the mess as well.

"I..."

"Stay away from my woman." Mike warned, walking by as well, before coach Beiste could even say anything.

"What the hell's going on around here?" The football coach shook her head, before turning around to leave the boys.

Turning around to face his two students, Mr. Schue frowned, clearly confused.

"What's going on, Sam?" He asked, as Sam sighed, allowing Mr. Schue to guide him and Mike toward the choir room for a chat, but not before sending Piper another look as the girl quickly — but very ineffectively — looked away.

***

"I need to talk to you."

At the sound of his voice, Piper sighed, looking up from her sketch to stare at Sam as he stood in front of her while she sat alone on the bleachers.

"What is it, Sam?" Piper asked then, closing her book and placing her pencil behind her ear.

"Don't think I haven't noticed." Sam said. "The way you look at her. The way you lurk around her. Lurk around us."

"I'm sorry, us?" She frowned, shaking her head even though she knew damn well what Sam was talking about.

"I also know all about your little fling with Quinn last year." Sam continued, as Piper rolled her eyes. "Mike told me all about how close you guys were."

"I didn't have a fling with Quinn last year, Evans." Piper said. "We grew closer over the year, that's all."

"Yeah, but you like her." Sam said, and before Piper could even begin to protest, he continued. "Don't even try to deny it. I see how you look at her. Everyone told me they thought you were in love with her last year, but, honestly, I think you still are."

"Is there a point to this conversation, Evans?" Piper asked, as Sam scoffed.

"You need to back off, Snow." He told her as she rolled her eyes. "She's with me now."

"I'm sorry, with you?" Piper laughed, standing up. "What? Is she your girlfriend, or something?"

"Not yet." Sam admitted quietly.

"Then, unless she asks me, I don't need to back off from anything." Piper said, picking up her stuff and turning away from Sam to walk off.

"I'm just trying to protect you, Snow. Save you from the heartbreak." Sam insisted, as Piper shook her head. "Because she's gonna be mine."

"Oh, please..." Piper laughed, as she spun around in her heels to face Sam again. "You've known her for what? A month? I've known her for a year. I know the real Quinn and I fell in love with the real Quinn. So open your eyes, Evans, because she's mine before she'll ever be yours."

Every night she walks right in my dreams

Since I met her from the start

I'm so proud I am the only one

Who is special in her heart

The girl is mine

The doggone girl is mine

I know she's mine

Because the doggone girl is mine

I don't understand the way you think

Saying that she's yours not mine

Sending roses and your silly dreams

Really just a waste of time

Because she's mine

The doggone girl is mine

Don't waste your time

Because the doggone girl is mine

But we both cannot have her

So it's one or the other

And one day you'll discover

That she's my girl forever and ever

I don't build your hopes to be let down

'Cause I really feel it's time

I know she'll tell you I'm the one for her

'Cause she said I blow her mind

The girl is mine

The doggone girl is mine

Don't waste your time

Because the doggone girl is mine

"Look, I know you really liked her..." Sam spoke up again, gentler this time, noticing the pain behind Piper's eyes despite the facade she put up during their whole conversation. "But she is choosing me over you."

"Maybe." Piper admitted and, for whatever reason, even though this seemed pretty much like the same situation Piper had found herself in with Puck last year, this didn't hurt as much. At least Sam didn't invalidate her feelings, she supposed. "But she hasn't yet. And if she does... If you do manage to get her to be your girlfriend... Then I'll back off."

***

Piper was still buzzing with her performance. And sure, now she wasn't in her leather rock-chick clothes anymore, but as she stood by her locker, looking into her small mirror there as she tried to take off all the eye-liner Mercedes had insisted on putting on her, she couldn't help but smile proudly at herself, recalling their performance. They would so win over the boys this year.

"Kurt!" Piper smiled a bit when she noticed her friend rushing over at her, but, before she could even start teasing him, she noticed his distressed expression. "Kurt? What happened?"

Without a word, Kurt grabbed Piper by the arm and rushed with her toward the nearest bathroom, locking the two of them into a stall as he wrapped his arms around her and cried.

"Kurt..." Piper cooed, letting go of the toilette in her hands to wrap her arms properly around Kurt while ignoring the fact that she probably looked like a whole panda with all that eye-liner still smudged all across her face. "Shh... Shh, Kurt, it's okay... It's okay, let it out."

And for a few minutes, the two of them stayed like that. Kurt, hugging Piper close as he cried into her and Piper just letting him, hushing him gently from time to time as she rocked them both gently. It was until almost ten minutes later that Kurt calmed down enough to stand up properly and open his eyes to look at Piper. As soon as he did, though, he laughed.

"How come I'm the one crying and you're the one looking like a mess?" He asked through his tears as Piper gasped in mock offense.

"I was taking my makeup off!" She defended herself as Kurt just laughed again, his emotions clearly all over the place. "You interrupted me."

"I'm sorry." He sniffled, before unlocking the stall and walking with Piper toward the sink, before grabbing a handful of paper and putting it under the sink for a second. "Come here."

Piper obeyed then, letting Kurt gently wipe away her makeup and staying there in silence, letting him know she was there for him whenever he wanted to talk, but not pressing him into doing so. And Kurt appreciated it, using a few more minutes of cleaning off Piper to recompose himself and, once he was almost done with her, Kurt looked around for a second before leaning down toward Piper to whisper in her ear.

"Karofsky kissed me." He said, and, at that, Piper gasped, taking a step back from Kurt to look at his face and try to see if he was serious or not. When he frowned a bit, almost about to cry again, Piper knew he meant it. "He pushed me again, but then I confronted him. We were alone in the locker room and I thought he was gonna punch me finally but then... Then he just... He leaned down and... He just..."

"Oh, Kurt..." Piper cooed again, pulling the boy in for a hug. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry... Do you... Do you want to talk about this? Do you want... You want to talk to him about this? Do you... What do you want to do? Just tell me and I'll do it."

"Can you drive me to Dalton?" Kurt sniffled, as Piper nodded. "I... I sort of met this guy named Blaine and he... He understood me, you know? I just... I just wanted to talk to him."

"Yeah, I'll drive you to Dalton." Piper nodded, without missing a beat. "Just wash up your face and let's head back to the choir room first, okay? Mr. Schue said he had an important announcement to make."

"Thank you, P." Kurt smiled at the girl, pulling her into a hug before leaning over the sink and washing his face.

"Don't mention it." Piper smiled, running a gentle hand up and down his back. "It's what I'm here for, anyway."

***

The announcement clearly wasn't a good one and Mr. Schue was angry.

"Well, I genuinely hope you guys are happy." He said, sternly as Piper frowned, confused. "Because Coach Bieste has quit."

"Wait, what?" Finn asked. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, it's not what we want." Sam said.

"That's the opposite of what we want." Artie agreed. "The football team is actually winning."

"Well then you'd better put your heads together and find a way to get her back, fast." Mr. Schue said, as Kurt, Mercedes and Piper all exchanged confused looks. "Because I am actually ashamed of you. You really hurt someone who was a great addition to this school."

"I'm sorry." Rachel frowned, clearly lost as well. "What exactly did we do?"

"No, it's us." Finn told her girlfriend. "The boys."

"And Tina." Mike added, as everyone turned to look at the girl.

"We sort of... Figured out that picturing Bieste while making out was even better than a cold shower." Finn explained and Piper gasped at that. Finn stumbled over his words, though when Rachel turned to him with a glare. "I mean I don't, ever."

"Oh, wow." Quinn whispered, sending Sam a shy look. "I'm sorry."

Wait... Was this what their fight earlier this week was about? Had... Had Sam said Beiste's name because he was... Picturing her? To... Cool off?

"Dear God..." Piper mumbled, in mild shock.

"Can I just say that is what happens when people don't put out." Santana spoke up, clearly missing the point of this whole conversation. "If everyone just put out, we would have a winning football team."

Before anyone could even say anything to that, however, Principal Figgins appeared by the door, clearly angry as well.

"William! I need to see you and Noah Puckerman in my office please."

***

Piper smiled a bit as she noticed Kurt coming back toward the car with a boy beside him that she could only assume to be Blaine Anderson. Pushing herself off of her car, Piper pushed her sunglasses up on her head and extended a hand toward Blaine from where she had been waiting for him and Kurt by her car at the Dalton Academy parking lot.

"You must be Piper Snow." Blaine smiled, taking Piper's hand in his and shaking it. "The best friend."

"One of." She nodded. "And you must be Blaine Anderson. The... New friend."

Piper smirked when Kurt sent her a look, but smiled at Blaine when he smiled at her too, clueless to the pair's silent conversation.

"Well, it's really nice to meet you, Mr. Warbler. I heard lots about you."

"Piper..." Kurt growled lowly at her as she just giggled.

"What?" She feigned innocence as Kurt scoffed. "I did. You told me all about the brunette boy from Dalton Academy that was really nice to you when you came here and made you feel safe. Which is why, you made me come all the way here to retrieve him so he could help us with our little... Situation."

"Wait... This Krakofsky kid..."

"Karofsky." Piper corrected Blaine gently as he smiled at her.

"Fine, this... Karofsky kid... He's messing with you too?"

"I mean, yes." Piper shrugged. "It's definetly worse for Kurt but I'm gay too and I'm almost always with Kurt, so I'm kind of like... A bonus or something."

"Oh, no, no, no. Then we definitely need to fix this." Blaine shook his head and as Piper giggled, Kurt smiled at the small interaction between the duo.

"You barely even know me." Piper commented, as Blaine shrugged.

"I already decided I like you."

"Horrible idea, really." Piper teased, as Kurt joined in with a smirk.

"Very poor decision making skills." He said, as Piper scoffed, playfully, shoving Kurt a bit before putting her sunglasses back on and smiling at Blaine.