Standing backstage at the homecoming assembly, Rachel was amazed at how quickly time had passed. She realized that since she was a senior, this was the last time she would ever perform at the homecoming assembly with The New Directions. She heard a throat clear to her left and saw that her ex-boyfriend had come to stand next to her.
"Break a leg." Finn awkwardly stated.
"You too." She replied, smiling in the friendliest way she could muster. Things had been a bit weird between them since they had broken up a few weeks ago, but she knew in time, they would be friends again. He understood her when she told him that after everything that had happened last year, she just didn't feel the same way about him as she thought she would, and that she was developing feelings for someone else. They had parted amicably, and he had even been keeping her secret about who that someone was.
At the thought of the boy who currently held her romantic interest, she turned to her right where she could just sense he was. Puck and her had become closer since she started tutoring him for his SATs over the summer. There had always been an undeniable physical attraction, but spending time with him, she had realized that he the ability to leave her in stitches laughing or to say a very short sentence that could get her thinking about something in a whole new light. While spending time at his house, she had observed that the way he treated his mother and sister were proof of the man he was becoming.
Of course, she wasn't stupid enough to think he would ever be interested in her, and she was content just to watch his emotional growth from a friend-zone distance. The closest she had gotten to revealing her feelings was when Mr. Shuester announced that because of their success the previous year, the principal was allowing them to sing two songs at the assembly, and Puck had then asked if he could sing one of them by himself to try and inspire some more of the macho jocks to join. She had eagerly bounced over and told him how proud of him she was, and had almost slipped up and said "that's why you fascinate me", but as the great actress she was, she had managed to hold back and keep her poker face up.
As if he could tell she was looking at him, he looked over and caught her eye. He then made his way over to her just as Mr. Shuester was telling the kids to get ready to go on.
"Kick some ass out there, Berry. I hope you like my song." He winked at her and walked away to get in position. Rachel nodded and tried to focus on the words she was about to sing rather than wonder what his mystery song was. He hadn't told anybody except Brad, who was playing piano for it.
The whole group was flawless in their rendition of "Loser Like Me". They had unanimously agreed it would be the best number to showcase what the club was capable of. After the song finished (to thunderous applause, surprisingly), the majority of the group bowed and stepped off the makeshift stage to sit on the gymnasium floor to watch Puck's performance. Brad set-up his keyboard, and then Puck walked up to the microphone.
"So since I know you all love an excuse to get out of more class-time, I thought I'd let you hear the Puckzilla sing his own little diddy." Puck's beginning statement was met with hoots and hollers from the crowd. There was nothing the student population liked more than missing class. "I'm singing to show you all that Glee club can be super badass like me, but I also have another reason for performing today, and it's another reason Glee club can be super awesome…it can help you bag chicks!" This statement was met by more enthusiastic applause from the male population, but Rachel was a bit confused by the turn this was taking.
"Now, bear with me, because for the next few minutes, I may sound like a pansy, but I can still dump all of your asses in the dumpster, so keep your mouth shut. There's this girl. She's kind of like the best fucking girl ever." Rachel cringed, both at his language (which she was surprised the principal didn't comment on, until she looked over and saw he had fallen asleep during their performance) and what he was saying. She looked over at Lauren, who he was obviously talking about. She had told Puck over the summer she was into some other wrestler guy, and Rachel had thought Puck had gotten over her, but apparently not. Apparently he was still trying to get her back, and as much as Rachel tried not to let it bother her, it did. She saw Finn look over at her sympathetically.
"I'm telling all of you this, instead of just her, because I want all of you, especially you slutty Cheerios, no offense, to know that even if she can resist the Puck-man charm and doesn't want me back, that I am taken, so leave me the hell alone." Rachel looked around and saw the shocked and disappointed looks on the faces of most of the female population of Mckinley High. She didn't blame them. She was feeling pretty much the same way.
"I used a song to win her over before, a long time ago, but like, honestly, it didn't really mean anything, because I didn't know her as well then as I do now. I wanted the song I sang this time to mean something, because she means everything, and it is so not badass to do anything halfway. I had to go all out with this or not even bother, so I've been searching for the perfect song for weeks. None of them were good enough for her, and I tried to write my own, but apparently I'm not as good at the gushy emotional shit as everyone else in the club is, and I figured if I asked any one of them for help, they would run and tell her and the whole thing would be ruined, so I kept looking, and then Becca, my little sister was playing her girly garbage way too loud one day, and I heard this, and yeah…it fit and it was all true." Rachel looked over at Lauren and hoped the girl knew how lucky she was. She hoped one day a guy would care about her enough to do something like this.
"I know she will always be too good for me, but if she'd give me the chance, I'd do anything I could to make her feel like the star she is." Wait what? "So Rachel Barbara Berry, this one is for you." WAIT WHAT? Rachel couldn't even think straight as Puck's eyes found hers and sang directly to her.
It's her hair and her eyes today
That just simply take me away
And the feeling that I'm falling further in love
Makes me shiver but in a good way
All the times I have sat and stared
As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
And she purses her lips, bats her eyes and she plays,
With me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say
'Cause I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
Cause she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again
It's a masterful melody when she calls out my name to me
As the world spins around her she laughs,
Rolls her eyes and I feel like I'm falling
But it's no surprise
[
'Cause I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
'Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
But I'd rather be here than on land
Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again.
It's her hair and her eyes today
That just simply take me away
And the feeling that I'm falling further in love makes me shiver, but in a good way
All the times I have sat and stared
As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
As she purses her lips, bats her eyes
And she plays with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say
'Cause I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
'Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
But I'd rather be here than on land
Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again
As he finished, and the crowd clapped, and he began to make his way over to her, all she could think about was how she really needed to thank Becca the next time she saw her. Although, on second thought, maybe she should thank Becca's big brother first.
It's a little cheesy, but I was inspired by the very pretty, very cheesy song. All credit to Glee and Stephen Speaks.
Song Link (take a listen):
http:/wwwdotyoutubedotcom/watch?v=mhI_NY5Z5Ps