Rachel
"Rachel! Come on let's go!"
"Coming!" I call to Kurt as I smooth out my bangs once again, making sure that my forehead is fully covered. I bite my lower lip as I stare at my reflection in the mirror, letting my eyes linger on my nose for a couple of seconds too long.
Suddenly Kurt's head pops around the corner. "If your highness is ready then I would love to get a move on."
I meet Kurt's eyes in the mirror and give him a weak smile before looking at myself once again.
"I know that look," Kurt takes a seat next to me and continues to stare at me through the mirror. "What's wrong, Rachel Berry?"
"Nothing," I state as I look down at my skirt, smoothing out a few wrinkles along the fabric.
Kurt bumps his shoulder into mine. "Oh, come on. I know you too well to know that you're not one of those girls who keeps her feelings to herself. So out with it."
I look up at Kurt slightly, knowing fully well that he's right. I shrug, "Do you think that Quinn Fabray is prettier than me?"
"Rachel…" Kurt groans.
I touch Kurt's arm. "I'm serious! Here I am trying to make myself look perfect because I'm going to see Finn tonight, but in reality he's probably not even going to notice me whatsoever with her around."
Kurt puts his hand over mine and gives me a serious look. "Rachel, we've been over this. Quinn Fabray may be blonde and have a perfect nose, but that's all she is. She peeked in high school and even during that time Finn didn't even notice her. He was dating you."
"Yeah, but then he broke up with me," I say sourly.
"Watch it."
"But he's dating her now, Kurt. They run into each other on the streets of New York, go out for coffee, and now they're dating? It's just…"
"Normal," Kurt offers.
I glare at him before letting out a defeated sigh. "You're right," I shake my head in an attempt to clear away my ridiculous thoughts. "Finn and I have been over for years and the best thing for me to do is just be happy for him and Quinn…I mean this could be the girl that he marries. You know…his soul mate." I smile weakly at Kurt again, trying to act like I'm okay.
"I don't think so, Berry. But none of that matters. We're just going to have some drinks with them tonight and sing some karaoke. So get your beautiful diva butt up and let's plan what song we're going to sing while we walk to Champs."
I smile at Kurt as I stand from my stool, leaving my mocking mirror behind me.
Finn
"Finn?"
I tear my eyes away from the door and look over at Quinn, noticing how she looks slightly annoyed with me.
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear anything that I just said?" She asks, fully aware that I didn't. She loves to play little mind games with me like that. It's as if she tries to get in fights with me.
"No, sorry. I was just distracted," I say with a small laugh, trying to ease the situation.
Quinn purses her lips before gently clearing her throat. "My parents are coming in next Friday and they want to meet you. I told them we could all have dinner at Malloy's."
We've been dating a month and you already want me to meet your parents?
The only girl's parents I have ever met were Rachel's and that wasn't even until we were broken up and had started hanging out again as friends.
Rachel.
I look towards the door once again, anticipating the moment when she'll walk in.
"Finn!" Quinn snaps my attention back to her again and I feel a rush of panic run through me, realizing I have left her hanging once again.
"Sorry. Yeah…that sounds great. Saturday at Malloy's."
"Friday," she corrects me, disapproval obviously coating her voice.
"Right," I nod as I take a quick swig of my beer.
"What is with you tonight? You seem so distant…" She trails off as she studies me up and down.
Before I have time to answer I hear the door to the bar open, causing my head to snap over again. I feel my heart begin to race as I spot Rachel and Kurt walking, a large smile spread across Rachel's face as she begins to slip her coat from her shoulders. The same smile that had managed to light up a room from the day I first met her.
"Oh, yay. They're here," Quinn says flatly as she takes a drink of her own alcohol.
I look over at her and press my lips into a line. "Will you be nice?"
I know that Quinn doesn't like Rachel despite what she says or how sweet she tries to act towards her in front of me. She never even gave Rachel much a chance, which has always annoyed me.
"I'm always nice."
I'm about to reply to her when I feel someone's hand on my shoulder and look up to find Kurt smiling down at me.
"Nice haircut, Finn. It looks more grown up," Kurt states.
"I think so too," Quinn smiles and runs a gentle hand through the back of my hair. Her sudden sweetness takes me off guard and I can't help but think that it has something to do with the fact that Rachel is now here.
"Thanks, buddy," I say as I choose not to acknowledge Quinn's hand.
I turn my eyes from Kurt to Rachel and instantly feel my smile grow wider.
"Hey, Rach."
She smiles brightly at me and nods as she sits down in the stool next to me.
"Hey, Finn. What are you drinking?"
"Just a Blue Moon," I answer her, trying to keep my eyes from wandering down to her tanned legs.
"I'll take one of those," Rachel says to the bartender as she gets comfortable.
"I'll take a grey goose martini," Kurt says as he pulls out his phone, no doubt texting Blaine to give him an update on his whereabouts.
"Rachel Berry, you're drinking? I'm surprised," I tease her as I take a sip of my own beer.
Rachel shrugs, but her wide smile doesn't falter. "I drink, Finn! Plus, I have to start preparing for an upcoming audition tomorrow, so I figured I should have a drink while I still can."
"For the last time, drinking does not burn off your vocal chords," Kurt comments behind Rachel as he takes a long sip of his own drink.
"You have an audition? Would this be a Broadway audition?" I ask, feeling hopeful that Rachel has finally decided to take her leap for the big stage.
However, she looks down for a moment and shakes her head. "No, it's at the Pasadena Playhouse for Sweeney Todd. I don't think I'm ready for Broadway still, but I think that this show will get me where I need to be."
"You've already been where you need to be for years now. Rachel, Broadway is dying to have you on their stage and pretty soon you're going to have to just give in." I try to keep my tone encouraging, but Rachel still only shrugs. I know that she is having a hard time gaining the courage to try out for Broadway, something we all would have never expected from her during high school.
"You don't want all of those years in Glee club to go to waste," I hear Quinn say, causing me to turn my head in her direction. Her expression is sweet, but I can tell that she meant it as more of an insult.
Rachel laughs and she wipes away some of the condensation on her beer. "Well, Mr. Schue did always say I was going to be a star."
"You already are one," I remind her.
She gives me a thankful smile before taking a small sip from her own beer.
"Okay, enough about business. Let's get some shots running through Ms. Berry's system before she drinks anymore of that disgusting beer," Kurt offers as he lifts his drink in the air, quickly knocking it back.
After many shots and beers later, I can feel a nice buzz running through my system as we all still sit at the bar. Rachel is throwing her head back in laughter and leaning gently into Kurt as he continues to tell us some story about Blaine. Rachel has always been a lightweight, but it is something that I find completely adorable. Quinn's hand is resting on my knee, slowly creeping up every so often. I can definitely tell what she has on her mind.
Suddenly, Rachel stops laughing and sits up straight. "Karaoke! Let's do karaoke!" She cheers as she looks excitedly at all of us.
Kurt quickly drinks the remaining alcohol in his glass before nodding and standing up.
"Alright, hun. Let's do this!" He says as he holds out his hand for her to take.
Rachel instantly takes it and stands up, stumbling up to the stage with him.
I can't help but laugh at how clumsy she looks as she makes her way up the stage and walks up to her microphone, smiling and waving at me as she waits for Kurt to pick the song.
I give her a small wave back, seeing Quinn stand up from her stool from the corner of my eye. She says something about going to the bathroom and I nod to her before bringing my attention back up to the stage.
Kurt steps in front of his microphone and runs a hand through his hair as him and Rachel wait for the music to start. As soon as it starts I instantly recognize the song.
Kurt (Rachel):
Forget your troubles. (Happy days)
Come on get happy. (Are here again)
You better chase all your cares away. (The skies above are clear again)
Shout hallelujah. (So let's sing a song)
Come on get happy. (Of cheer again)
Get ready for the judgment day. (Happy days are here again)
The sun is shining. Come on get happy. (Shout it now)
The lord is waiting to take your hand. (There is no one who can doubt it now)
Shout hallelujah. (So lets tell the world)
And just get happy. (About it now)
We are going to the promise land. (Happy days are here again)
We're heading across the river, soon your cares will all be gone. (There'll be no more from now on)Rachel and Kurt:
From now on!Kurt (Rachel):
Forget your troubles. (Oh, happy days)
And just get happy. (Are here again)
You better chase all your blues away. (The skies above are clear again)
Shout Hallelujah. (So lets sing a song)
And just get happy. (Of cheer again)Rachel:
Happy times! (Kurt: Happy times!)
Happy nights! (Kurt: Happy nights!)Rachel and Kurt:
Happy days! Are. Here. Again!
When the song ends I can't help but sit there for a moment, feeling completely dumbfounded. Rachel and Kurt are the only two I know who can be disgustingly drunk, but still sing like angels.
My ears are numb as everyone else in the bar erupts in cheering and applause. I swallow hard, trying to come back to my senses, but all I can think about is Rachel's voice. The same voice that had made me fall for her all those years ago. I knew that I had never heard such a beautiful voice in my entire life, and I never would hear anything more beautiful in my entire life.
I finally shake myself from my lost state and clap along with everyone else. Watching Rachel as she manages to bow and then clap for Kurt. She has always been so classy and admirable that way.
Rachel's eyes suddenly meet mine and she jumps up and down as she cheers a little, obviously proud of herself.
Rachel and Kurt run down from the stage and I smile at them as they make their way back to our seats.
"You guys did-" before I can finish my sentence I suddenly feel Rachel's hands on both sides of my face and her lips pressed firmly against mine. I swear my heart begins to beat faster than I have ever felt, but soon the loud beating drifts from my ears and I am lost in our kiss.
The kiss only lasts for a few seconds before Rachel pulls away and her hands fall from my face. I open my eyes slowly and look up at her.
"Oh my God," she whispers, obviously coming to her senses.
"Oh my God!" Kurt says, standing wide eyed next to Rachel. He grabs my beer from the bar and begins to chug it.
I stare at Rachel, studying the way her eyes are searching mine. She looks completely horrified, like a deer in the headlights. I'm thanking God that Quinn wasn't here to see the kiss, but there's still no ignoring the fact that the kiss just happened and there's no taking it back.
I still say nothing and look up at Rachel when Quinn is finally at my side again.
"Oh, shoot. I missed your performance. Well, how about I make it up to you with another beer?"
Rachel's eyes suddenly snap away from mine and she meets Quinn's gaze.
"No! I mean…Kurt and I should really be going. He has a late night Skype call with Blaine planned." Rachel quickly grabs her coat from her bar stool and throws it on. Kurt obviously has caught on to her desire to leave and throws some money on the bar counter before giving us a fast wave.
"I'll see you on Wednesday for dinner with our parents, Finn. Have a good night, you two." Kurt takes Rachel's hand and she waves behind her as they rush out of the bar.
Once they're gone I blink a few times as I try to register what just happened. It all happened so fast that I have no idea what to think.
"Well they sure sobered up fast. Did I miss something while I was in the bathroom?"
I look over at Quinn, whose eyes are currently shining in a way that means that she wants me.
"No…not at all." I clear my throat. "Shall we get out of here?