THE LATEST TESSA GOSSIP!

IN HIS BID TO WIN IT ALL THIS YEAR, MR SCHUESTER HAD A PLAN THAT INVOLVED DANCING. After deferring his job of directing the musical to Coach Beiste and Miss Pillsbury, Mr Schue had an excited grin on his face as he offered the job of student director to Artie, instead of Rachel for once.

"Me?" Artie questioned, stunned as he was instantly showered in support from his friends, "I've developed my whole persona around conflict avoidance."

Sensing his nerves, Tina reached down and gave him a pat on the back, "come on, Artie, you've made short films. Directing is your dream."

Hearing the encouragement from his friends, Artie beamed with excitement, "I'm in." Cheering along for him, everyone was glad that Artie was being given the chance to shine doing the thing he loved and were eager to support him in his new role whilst Rachel was throwing all her best acting moves his way in the hopes of shuffling her way into the lead role as Maria.

Clapping his hands together, Mr Schue was quick to move on from directing and onto the main focus of today's lesson, "last year, I lost focus, but it's not just me who's got to focus harder this year. I've been too easy on you." He announced, "so every day after choir practice, I'm instituting a mandatory booty camp so that we can work on our dancing. Now it's not for all of you, just for the few people who I think need help, like..."

"Finn." Finn sighed out, looking up to meet Mr Schue's eyes with an accepting nod as Tessa reached down to give him a pat on the shoulder.

"And Puckerman, Hummel."

Outraged, Kurt sat forward in his seat with a deep frown on his face, "I must protest!"

"You have like this one move, Kurt." Mike told him, "it's like this sashay and it's kind of distracting." He explained, imitating Kurt's sashay and forcing Tina to hold in her laughter.

Giving Mike a small shove, Tessa looked over to Kurt with a smile, "well I think it's a great move that we should celebrate at Nationals this year."

"Exactly." Kurt agreed, springing the two into sashaying over Mr Schuester's next words.

"Jones."

Upon hearing her name, Mercedes was more upset than anyone to be put in booty camp, "what? Hell to the nizzy-no!"

"You once told me you were Beyoncé. You don't think she spends extra time in the dance studio?" Mr Schue managed to persuade her, moving on as she slumped back into her seat, grumpily, "Mike Chang has offered to be my assistant."

"Tess too." Mike interrupted, thumping a hand down on Tessa's shoulder he felt the need to explain himself, "she's one of the best dancers in here and she's not given half as much credit as she deserves for it."

Pouting happily at him, Tessa held her hand over her heart, grateful that he was always there to stand up for her and encourage her when she needed it the most, "thanks Mike."

Looking over her shoulder to face them, Mercedes was desperate to find a reason to think that booty camp wasn't the worst thing in the world, "please Tess, it'll be a whole lot more bearable with you there."

Grinning from ear to ear, Tessa nodded in agreement, earning herself a tight hug of celebration from Mike, who whooped loudly and threw himself across his chair and into her arms.

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WALKING ALONG THE HALLS OF MCKINLEY SANTANA WAS ON THE HUNT FOR TESSA. Catching sight of her, she rushed forward and immediately linked her arm in hers.

Rolling her eyes at the prospect of hearing anything going on in glee club, she pushed her the fact she missed the club to the back of her mind and focused on the mess that was Tessa Swann's ponytail. Pulling it tight, Santana gave her a quick smile, "the day you learn to do your high pony properly will be the best day of my life."

Tightening it once more herself, Tessa stuck out her tongue playfully, "you love doing it for me. Besides, I've just had booty camp, give me a break woman."

Giving her a shove on the arm, Santana lowered her voice to a whisper, "you never seemed to have any trouble fixing your own hair after we used to make out."

"That was after making out." Tessa said slowly, "this is after an hour of trying to persuade Puck to get off of the floor, Mercedes to participate and Kurt to stop doing jazz hands. Finn hogged Mike the entire time." She pouted, making Santana chuckle with amusement, continuing to pull her down the halls.

Just down the hall, the new kid at Mckinley and already star football player had his sights set on the girls as they walked. Full of his own confidence, he closed his locker with a lick of his lips and slung his backpack over his shoulder, strutting over to the girls.

As he stopped them in their paths, Santana and Tessa exchanged a glance. Only one thing on her mind, an excited smirk came to Santana's lips as the new kid turned his attention to her with a grin, "you mind letting me have a word with this one?" He asked.

Looking him up and down to gage an idea of whether this guy would be okay for her friend, Santana nodded slowly, "oh I'd love to." She smirked, flashing Tessa a wink before walking past them, and stopping at the nearest point where she could watch the interaction from a distance just in case Tessa needed her or Jacob Ben Israel decided to pounce on them.

Growing nervous as Santana was practically out of her sight, Tessa gave him an awkward smile and wave, waiting for him to start the conversation. Luckily for her, he did, sticking his hand out for her to shake, "Ryan Beckett. I'm the new linebacker." Just as Tessa opened her mouth to respond, he interrupted her with the answer, "you're Tessa Swann. I've heard a lot about you. From in the locker rooms mainly."

Frowning slightly, Tessa wondered to herself how exactly she'd managed to make a name for herself but shook it off with a look to Santana for reassure. Taking the moment to take in who was stood in front of her, Tessa looked him up and down, from his dark hair to the letterman jacket draped over his shoulders. He obviously had a lot of confidence in himself, something Tessa didn't have.

Noticing her staring only fuelled his confidence as Ryan smirked at her, "like what you see?"

Blushing deeply, Tessa was completely conflicted, she still had the same feelings for Sam, but she could hear Santana's words ringing in her ears, maybe it would do her good to move on, even just a little bit. Continuing the pattern of talking for her, Ryan shrugged his shoulders, "it's all good, most do." Looking her up and down, he continued to smirk, "And I must say, I like what I see too."

Biting her lip, Tessa looked to the floor out of embarrassment, "thanks, I guess." She muttered, quietly, pulling her Cheerios jacket closer around her as she realised she wasn't sure on what to say.

"Let me get straight to the point, next year I'm gonna be quarterback and everyone's saying you're the shoe in for Cheerios captain —"

"Am I?" Tessa questioned, mouth hung open in shock.

Chuckling to himself, Ryan smiled softly at her surprise, "you're cute." He commented, taking a bold step towards her and handing her a slip of paper, "call me sometime."

Looking her up and down one last time, Ryan flashed her a dazzling smile before strutted back down the halls, leaving Tessa blushing and stunned.

Thoroughly impressed, Santana rushed over, clapping her hands together slowly, "What just happened?" She hissed, excitedly, whipping the number out of her hand and wiggling her eyebrows back at her.

"Honestly, I have no clue." Tessa said through a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her neck, "did you know I was shoe in for captain next year?"

Waving this off quickly, Santana nodded her head as if it were obvious, "oh totally, you're my number one girl." She shrugged, desperate for them not to divert off of the conversation Tessa had just had, "is that seriously all you got from the last five minutes? A hot piece of ass has just been puttin' the moves on you!"

Feeling slightly guilty, Tessa shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, "but Sam..." she trailed off.

"Give this guy a chance." Santana encouraged her carefully, "if you're not careful you'll end up getting back with Puckerman. And nobody wants that."

"Very true." Tessa laughed loudly, letting out a nervous breathe of air as she felt the heat come to her cheeks, "you know what, you're right."

"Of course I am."

"Now help me with this text." She rolled her eyes playfully as Santana jumped up and down a little, squealing excitedly.

Practically drawn over by the prospect of drama as she saw this, Tina weaved her way towards them and wiggled her way in between them, desperate for all the drama, "what? What is it? What are we squealing about?"

"Tess's getting herself a new boyfriend!" Santana informed her, poking Tessa's chest teasingly as Tina gasped, squealing so loudly that Mike looked over from the other side of the hall, concerned. Bouncing around, she was thrilled, not caring that she was attracting the attention of everyone left in Mckinley only interested in her friend's love life.

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BOOTY CAMP WAS IN FULL SWING WITH EVERYONE WORKING ON THE NEWEST DANCE MOVE. Struggling, Finn furrowed his eyebrows in frustration as he watched Mr Schue, Tessa and Mike dance the steps in a way he knew he never could. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he let out a long breathe of air before trying again.

Getting the first few steps, he was instilled with a bit of confidence but quickly tripped over his feet and ending up on the floor.

Giving a smile to Mr Schue, Tessa thumped Mike on the back before plopping herself down right besides Finn, nudging his arm encouragingly, "you were close. You get closer every time."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Finn chuckled, hanging his head as he wiped a hand across his forehead once again, breathing heavily.

Scoffing, Tessa rolled her eyes, "please, would I ever lie to you?"

A wicked grin pulling at his lips, Finn looked up with a shrug of his shoulders, "you haven't told me about your new boyfriend yet. I had to get my Tessa gossip from Kurt."

Glad to see the smile back on his face, Tessa thumped him on the back and pushed herself up from the floor, "if I promise to tell you all the Tessa gossip from now on before anyone except Santana, will you give the dance another go? I know you can do it, dude."

Giving in with a small smile, Finn nodded and held out his hands for Tessa to pull him up with, shaking out his nerves before trying the routine again. Flashing him a thumbs up of encouragement, Tessa stood besides him ready to try again. With this last bit of much needed confidence coming from his friend, Finn was finally able to complete the routine with zero mistakes in sight.

Holding her hand out for the most enthusiastic high five, Tessa was the first to congratulate him, "I knew you could do it, dude! Mike better watch out before you come for his job as my dance partner."

Pulling her away as everyone gathered around Finn, shouting their support his way, Mike pointed over to Finn with a shake of his head, "you're not allowed a new dance partner. I'll be sad."

With everyone laughing together and sharing high fives and hugs, nobody noticed Quinn sneaking in through the wings, nervously, back to her normal, blonde self. Clearing her throat slightly, she was able to catch the attention of the group, a nervous smile appearing on her lips as they all burst into shocked smiles at the sight of her.

Stepping forward, Mr Schue was full of hope that the blonde hair and the old clothes meant the group got to have one of their old members back, "can I help you Quinn?"

"I heard that this was for people who need a little help with their dance moves and want to win nationals. So I'm a little rusty, and I was wondering if it'd be cool if I joined in?"

Relieved to see Quinn back to herself once again, the group came forward to eagerly welcome her back into the club with open arms. First to throw her arms around her, Tessa swayed her from side to side, "as hot as the pink hair was, I'm glad to have you back." She grinned, holding her at arms length, "you've been missed."