A/N: Hi! This is just a cute little one-shot that might become a multi-chaptered story. I'm still trying to decide what I want to do! Whoever was reading my first fic (Accepted), I discontinued that for the moment. Sorry! 'The Food Chain Collapses' is gonna have some Fuinn but it's mostly Puckleberry (my favorite pairing EVER!) Read and Review, pretty please! Oh, all mistakes are mine, and I apoligize for those. I'm only human :) XOXO Sarah-Bear
Disclaimer: Dammit…. I don't own Glee. I really wish I did, though. However, I can borrow and manipulate them to do whatever twisted things I please ;) "Lucky" belongs to Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
The Food Chain Collapses
Quinn POV:
Being head-Cheerio had its perks. Unlimited tanning privileges and people practically bowing down to me are just a couple. It's not all fun and games, though, because Coach Sue Sylvester has strict as hell rules that we all must follow, and some seem quite ridiculous to me. Extremely specific diets is usually at the top of my 'Stupid (and most likely Harmful to my Well-Being) Rules' list. One that I remember vividly from my freshman year on the William-McKinley High School Cheerio Squad included nothing more than cayenne pepper, a splash of cranberry juice, and a tablespoon of sand. Sand. Apparently, the grains of beach sand were supposedly to cleanse us of any toxins in our bodies. Like I said, it's most likely harmful to me. Once you get used all the ridiculous regulations, being head-Cheerio is a very good place to be in the high school food chain. Dating the quarterback of the football team isn't a bad thing, either. I know, I know. It sounds completely cliché, but popularity and image are the most important things to a high school student. For example, someone part of a sports team is going to be higher in the food chain. Then, you have the A/V Club. Where do you think they are? Correct! All the way at the bottom. At the very least, high school is a dog-eat-dog experience. You have to claw and fight your way to the top sometimes. For me, it was simple. My mother was captain of the Cheerios when she went to WMHS. It's like a legacy, or something. It doesn't matter how I got here because I'm going to lose it all very soon. I just know it.
Puck POV:
Our football team sucks ass. Enough said. We barely even won two games this season, all thanks to Hudson's "terrific" (Who am I kidding? He's terrible) passing skills. Dude pisses me off way too often, too. He doesn't know how to shut up at the right time. He always has this dopey look on his face, and that's his worst look. Why the hell do I hang out with the guy? Simple, he's on the team with me and we both have absent fathers. Well, mine was absent by choice, but his passed away in Iraq. That's the only thing I've seen him get truly upset about. The rest of the time, he's an egomaniac with his Cheerio girlfriend, and the HBIC of WMHS, Quinn Caroline Fabray. Damn, she's smoking hot. Sadly, she's as Christian as Jesus himself. She won't even let Hudson touch her boobs. Whatever, my spank bank is basically full. I've slept with the majority of the girls here, not including Quinn. There's also this one girl I haven't slept with, and, surprisingly, I wouldn't be able to do it without feeling guilty about it. Rachel Carmen Berry. She's actually more than just "this girl". She's my best friend, and she has been since she moved in across the street just under ten years ago. I remember that day like it was this morning.
*Flashback*
My window was wide open, and I faintly heard the sound of moving truck doors being opened carelessly over my music.
"Noah! Come clean up your mess in the kitchen, young man! You agreed you would help out after Maria was born," my mother yelled up the stairs, projecting her voice so she could be heard over my baby sister's screaming. I ran down the stairs and put all my markers in the designated box, then proceeded to put the paper plate I ate my lunch on in the trash. Mom walked by with a tired smile on her face.
"Mom, I can take Maria for a walk while you relax here. I'll only go around the block a few times." I wanted my mom to chill out for a while. Maria is four months old, and over the course of those four months, she's probably had about ten decent nights of sleep.
"Thank you, honey. Just be careful."
I took Maria and put her in the stroller gently. Once she was properly situated, I walked out the front door and onto the sidewalk. We lived on a street with a dead end, so I went to the end and walked in front of the house across the street. There was a girl standing there, arms crossed with and smirk on her face. The stroller squeaked loudly as I approached, and it caused her to jump slightly and look my direction.
"Sorry I scared you," I said with a smile. She smiled back nervously. "My name's Noah, but everyone calls me Puck. What's yours?"
"Rachel Berry. It's nice to meet you. And who's this little one?" She walked over to see the munchkin.
"This would be Maria, she's four months old. I'm seven, by the way."
"Oh, so am I. Are you attending Lima Elementary this August?" I nodded. "Good, at least I'll know somebody," she murmured. I invited her over to my house for a little while, and her daddy said yes. We walked over to my place, and we instantly became friends.
*End of Flashback*
Speaking of Rachel, I have dinner plans with her family tonight. I have this feeling; tonight's going to be a fucking good night.
Rachel POV:
I can't wait for dinner tonight. We haven't had a sit-down dinner in God only knows how long. Noah and his family will also be in attendance, which elevates my mood even more. Daddy is making salmon cakes with slices of fried potatoes and mixed greens, Noah's favorite. He has a special performance for our parents tonight that he said I will be helping with. He just refuses to tell me what will be sang and that it's a surprise, but he promised we both know and love the song. I'm seriously curious about his choice because we both know and love several songs, and some aren't very appropriate. I need to shower and prepare for our duet tonight. Noah has even picked one of my nicer dresses to wear, so I know this is probably going to be an important message to get across through music. I can't help but think about the selection while showering, but I'm coming up blank. I have no idea what I've agreed to. As I did my hair and makeup, I came to the conclusion it has to be acoustic. That's Noah's specialty, of course. Right as I pulled the zipper of my dress all the way up, the doorbell rang. I slipped on my favorite black stilettos and rushed down the stairs to find Noah holding a bright pink rose. My smile widened even further as I took it from his extended hand and hugged his waist. I pulled away from him and he pressed a kiss to my cheek. Rita, Noah's mother, and my fathers walked out of the kitchen to announce dinner was ready. I led the way to the dining room, even though he has been here thousands of times.
"What would you like to drink, Noah?"
He smirked then said, "Rach, you don't have to serve me." I opened my mouth to speak, but he put a hand up to stop me. "I know, I know, I'm a guest in your home or something like that. You say it every time I come over. I'm basically family, I know where everything is. Stop trying to be a good hostess to someone you know doesn't care," he finished with a smile. I sighed and smiled slightly in return. He strolled into the kitchen and grabbed a can of Cherry Coke for both of us.
I was already seated at the table, trying to adjust my napkin in my lap so I don't destroy my dress. We ate in a comfortable silence before Raphael (Dad) groaned from what Noah and I would call a "Food-gasm". He then stated this was the best he's ever made with his mouth full
Darin (Daddy) rolled his eyes and said, "Honey, I've made this a thousand times before. It's never any better than it was the last time." We carried on conversation about school, our families, our temple, and other things that just filled the silence that would have turned awkward after Dad's little moment of food ecstasy. Once everyone had cleared their plates, Noah tapped my knee twice, warning me of the upcoming announcement of our impromptu performance.
"We have something we need you guys to see." I saw Rita start praying that it wasn't a sonogram of Puckerman Baby Number 2. He picked up his acoustic guitar and carried it to the family room, waving for everyone to follow him. I hurried in and we stood beside each other in front of the fireplace. A smile appeared on everybody's face in our miniature audience. A feeling of what seems like nervousness lodged itself in my abdomen, which was strange for me; I never get stage-fright. Besides, it's my family and Noah. I have nothing to be scared about, right?
He began strumming the beginning chords quietly, and as he got louder I immediately recognized the only duet that's on the "Noah-Boo & Berry-Pants" playlist for my iPod.
(Noah's parts have "-" before the lines, Rachel has "*", together is Bold)
-Do you hear me?
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
*Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
-And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
*Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
We ended the song, he was a little winded, and I was wide-eyed. Out of nowhere, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to my slightly parted lips. A loud gasp escaped my open mouth, and he took that as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. I lightly placed my hand on the side of his face, and we went at it until my Dad cleared his throat loudly.
"Okay, that's quite enough, Honey. Thank you for displaying your, um, multiple talents." Daddy just chuckled along with Rita at Raphael's description of our little risqué moment. Dad narrowed his eyes then said, "I think it's about time to say goodnight. Thank you, Rita, Noah, for joining us for supper. We hope to see you soon," he finished with a smile. I offered to walk them outside.
"Noah, what the hell was that? Not that I didn't enjoy it, but I wish you had just told me how you felt before you pulled that stunt in front of my fathers."
"Sorry, Berry-Pants," he used my nickname in his way of begging forgiveness.
I just pressed a kiss to his cheek and said, "Don't say sorry. I was just surprised by the affection in front of our parents. Goodnight, Noah-Boo, love you."
"Goodnight, Rach, love you. Oh, and you have got to stop using fifteen words when you could just use five," he finished with a smile.
I watched him walk to his truck, waved goodbye as he drove away, and retreated back into my home, avoiding my fathers on the way up to my bedroom.