Perfectly Imperfect

Ballad

Mr. Schuester walked into the room, writing in big letters 'BALLAD', "Ballad. From Middle English, balade. Who knows what this word means?"

Ignoring Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry's raised hands, Mr. Schue called on Brittany, holding on to the last bit of hope he had for the answer without calling on the ones with the answer, "It's a male duck."

"Does she mean a mallard?" Dani whispered to Puck as she laid across her chair, resting her feet in his lap. She was exhausted after tutoring her brother until three that morning for their pre-calc test that Friday, so instead of sleeping in class like other kids she decided she was going to take a nap in Glee club.

Britt nodded, looking down at the sleepy girl, "That's what I said."

Mr. Schue cocked an eyebrow at Britt, not knowing who she was talking to. He had given up on trying to give other students a chance and called on one of the only two who seemed to have a clue, "Kurt."

"A ballad is a love song."

"Sometimes," Mr. Schue quickly corrected, earning a perplexed look from Kurt and Rachel when he said he was wrong. "But they don't always express love. 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. Okay, now, sectionals are in a few weeks and there's a new rule this year- we have to perform... a ballad."

Rachel turned to Puck, happily squealing, "Looks like my weekly letter to the Ohio Show Choir Committee finally paid off!" Puck faked a smile while the brunette was facing him but the moment she redirected her attention to Mr. Schue, he was rolling his golden hazel eyes and pretending to throw up on Dani, earning a snicker from the Unholy Four.

"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."

"Does he realize there's thirteen of us?" Puck mumbled to Dani, who was barely awake. But she was awake enough to shrug her shoulders and put Puck's jacket over her face to block out the fluorescent lights.

Finn quickly grabbed his girlfriend's hand, startling the people around him when he loudly exclaimed, "I pick Quinn."

"No, no, no. Too easy. Your partners will be chosen by fate. I put all your names in this hat. Whoever you choose is your partner."

Brittany stared intently at the top hat that sat on top of the piano, whispering in Santana's ear, "I bet the duck's in the hat."

Ignoring her best friend, Santana realized a problem with Mr. Schue's plan, "But Matt's out sick today. He had to go to the hospital, 'cause they found a spider in his ear."

"Um... I guess I'll just have to put my name in the hat for now. Who's up first?"

Puck offers to go first, gently laying Dani's feet in the plastic chair when he gets up, pulling the first name out of the hat, "Mercedes."

"All right."

Artie rolled over to the piano, struggling to reach the hat. Mr. Schue brings the hat down to his level, "Quinn."

"Kurt." The Glee Club all laughed at Finn's selection, few noticing how excited Kurt got when Finn said his name. Finn, too, saw the excitement of his partner and became uncomfortable, "Mr. Schue, I don't know if I can do this with another guy."

Mr. Schue simply shrugged, finding the situation amusing and he wanted to push his students out of their comfort zones, "The fates have spoken, Finn."