Who's to say we'll make it through
I'm starting to believe we think is never true
Who's to say the rhymes beside your bed
Will keep you warm when everything is getting colder
And I'm just holding on until it's over
No matter what part of the state you're in or at what time of the day, New York in the fall is beautiful. It's definitely a lot colder than Lima in September, forty degrees colder in fact, but it's forty times more magical. As Rachel took her first steps into the main building of NYADA, she didn't know what she was getting herself into. She imagined stage-bright lighting, boys dressed as fabulously as Blaine or girls dressed as impeccably as herself, and randomly staged musical numbers around the room. Instead, she was greeted by a blue-green flouresent lighting, quietly mingling students dressed lazily in sweatpants and t-shirts, and laptops buzzing with techno music. Rachel silently hid the pink boom box she was carrying in her purse; she suddenly felt overdressed and self-conscience in the presence of talent that could possibly be greater than hers. The students sitting around the room glanced in her direction and either glanced away just as quickly or stared in disgust. Rachel avoided their eyes and made her way over to the table where an older woman with red hair sat under a sign that said "Dorm Room Assignments."
"Hello," Rachel said loudly, finding her confidence again "My name is Rachel Barbra Berry, musical theater major, and-"
The woman cut her off, and Rachel's confidence dropped once again. "The Rose Building," she pointed at a map at the end of the table "Room 363. Your class schedule will be on the desk in your room. Classes start tomorrow. Good luck."
Rachel shyly grabbed a map off the table and nodded a quick thank you to the woman. She left just as fast as she'd come in, hoping to not catch anymore unwanted glances on the way out. She tried to hold it together as she speedily walked to her new building, but she couldn't help but let out a few tears.
This was her dream. Now she was here, alone, and apparently unwanted, and she wondered why she wanted to be here in the first place. But then she remembered why she was there; she was there for Barbra, for all the little Jewish girls with big noses, and for herself. She was there to be a star.
Quinn intentionally walked on the side of the sidewalk with the most leaves, just to hear them crunch under her feet. She didn't know why she did it, or what it was about the sound but it made her feel nostalgic. Maybe it was just a rebellious habit, like when she used to step on leaves on the walk to church every Sunday morning as a child; she would have the dried pieces of leaves stuck to her socks the rest of the day. Her father would get angry and tell her not to step on the leaves again because going to church untidy "made god angry and made the angels sad."
What a joke, she thought. She couldn't for the life of her understand what would compel a person to participate in such a hypocritical religion. Yes, Quinn was Christian, but a liberal one. She loved god, but also believed he was a kind forgiving soul who would never get angry with a child for having dirty socks. Churches and men like Quinn's father used the bible and their hypocritical ways to manipulate innocent people; just like her father used her mother.
Quinn gritted her teeth, and not from the chilly breeze. That man made her unbelievably frustrated. How could someone be so hypocritical as to disown his teenage daughter for being pregnant while having an affair on his wife? It was none of her concern anymore, though. The human brain just amazed Quinn; it was the reason she decided to major in psychology.
She was, as she reminisced, walking to her first class ever at Yale- Human Sexuality. It was one of the requirements for her psychology degree, and it had no perquisite, so she chose to take the course in her first semester. It wasn't just because it was convenient, though; she found the whole idea compelling. Even when she was a young girl, Quinn wondered what attracted people to each other. When she was five she decided that people had big magnets inside of them, and those magnets pulled them together. Each magnet only worked with the magnet it was supposed to be with; if the magnets weren't supposed to be together then the magnetism just looked forced and awkward between the two people, like when two magnets try to be pushed together the wrong way. That was how her parents always looked in her eyes.
During all this daydreaming and theorizing, Quinn didn't realize that not only did she almost pass the building up entirely, but she was also late. She ran through the double doors and down the hallway to the room labeled HS101. She tried to sneak in as quietly as she possibly could, but fate was not on her side. The door slammed and she tripped over a chair, which scrapped across the floor with a dreadful noise. The whole class turned to stare, and Quinn turned red. The teacher looked on disapprovingly as Quinn shuffled to a seat whispering apologies to her classmates.
"Ms. Fabray?" the older gentleman called.
"Yes?" Quinn replied, ashamed.
"You are late." He said and crossed his arms.
"I know!" she said "I was just taking my time enjoying the weather as I walked! And I was just thinking about the leaves and my parents and magnets and…am I in trouble?"
"No," he said and stroked his beard in thought "but I'm intrigued. You'll have to tell me more about your interesting thoughts on the way to this class at a later date. But, for now I can't let you off the hook that easily, so let me ask you what I was asking the class before I was so rudely interrupted." Quinn blushed, and sat up straighter. "Ms. Fabray, what is love to you?"
"Hi Quinn! It's Rachel! How are you?"
Quinn smiled as she saw Rachel's name light up on her phone screen. "I'm great now that I'm talking to you, how are you?"
":P"
Quinn laughed at the awkward tongue face. "Very descriptive, tell me more."
"I'm just stressed, that's all. School is really challenging for me."
The blonde girl frowned, and quickly typed back "But it's performing, there's nothing challenging about that for Rachel Barbra Berry!"
Rachel smiled at this "It's good to know someone thinks so. How's school going for you?"
"Absolutely wonderful :)"
"Oh really? Do tell me more!" Though she was jealous of Quinn's luck in school so far, Rachel was also exceptionally grateful that one of them was enjoying their New York experience.
"Well, I have awesome classes! Like my favorite right now- Human Sexuality- it's so interesting, and I showed up late on the first day but the teacher still loves me! He's really great :)"
"Haha, how'd you manage to show up late and still get the teacher to like you? Only Quinn Fabray, luckiest girl I know ;)"
Quinn giggled and typed out an explanation to Rachel "Well, when I came in he was asking the class what love was to them. And it just so happened that I was thinking of that while I was walking to the class and that's the reason I was late! So it worked out perfectly!"
"Wow. Yep, luckiest girl I know."
"I deserve a trophy." Quinn gloated.
"Yes, you do. Listen, I've gotta go :("
"Aw, no longer luckiest girl on earth :("
"Talk soon?"
"Yes, by Rachel."
"Bye Quinn."
"Step, ball, change. Step, ball, change. Pivot turn, pivot turn, jazz square, aaaaaaaaand JAZZ SLIDE!" the instructor yelled out over the pianist. "Come on, people! This is JAZZ! Let me see some JAZZ HANDS!" she said.
Rachel huffed "Excuse me Mrs. Del Rom, but I think I could demonstrate proper jazz hands if you'd like."
"No, Ms. Berry, I don't think we need your demonstration. In fact, you were one of the poor cases of jazz hands I was referring to."
Rachel gasped "I beg your pardon? I don't think you understand, I won my first dance competition at the age of three months to the song 'All That Jazz' and the entire choreography was structured around jazz hands and the true jazz concept."
Mrs. Del Rom took a step towards Rachel calmly. "Ms. Rachel Berry, and I don't dare say your middle name because I refuse to compare you to the great Barbra; you are out of line. One more outburst from you and you will be out of my class, out of this school, and so far away from Broadway that your dream's dreams will be broken. Do I make myself clear?"
Rachel gulped and nodded "Yes Ma'am."
The other kids in the auditorium laughed and mimicked her. "Kiss ass!" she heard one of them say under their breath, and she flipped around to see which student it was. She couldn't tell, because they were all mocking her.
Rachel choked back her tears for the remaining thirty minutes of the class, and then ran out of the room sobbing as soon as she was released. She reached into her purse to find her phone to call her dads, but she instead found a Metro pass.
Rachel smirked and wiped away some of the tears. "Maybe her luck's starting to rub off on me." Rachel said under her breath.
By the time she reached Yale it was midnight, and Rachel was afraid that Quinn would already be asleep; but she wasn't, and now Rachel was sure that some of Quinn's luck was rubbing off on her.
After three knocks on the door, a hazel eye peaked out from the other side. Quinn squealed and undid the chain on the door. Once it was fully open, Quinn grabbed Rachel around the waist and picked her up off the ground.
"I never realized how much I've missed you until now!" Quinn squealed.
"I've missed you too, Quinn." Rachel said through teary eyes.
Quinn set the smaller girl down, "Why are you crying?" she asked.
"I'm just…so happy to see you…and…I hate school!" Rachel broke down and threw herself around Quinn. The blonde shushed and coddled Rachel as she closed the door.
"Come here, sweetie." Quinn said guiding her to the bed and turning on a desk lamp.
"I don't want to wake up your roommate." Rachel said through sobs.
"Don't worry," Quinn chuckled "Angelina doesn't get home until about three o'clock in the morning usually. She's a bit of a party girl. But hey, when you look like Barbie and drink like a fish you gotta do what you gotta do."
Rachel sniffled and sat on the bed beside Quinn, putting her head on the taller girls shoulder.
"Quinn, I don't understand." Rachel said sadly "I was so good back in Lima, now I'm in New York and I'm nothing. It's like Talentception. What happened between then and now?"
Quinn laughed, "Talentception?" she said skeptically "Nothing happened between then and now, you're just psyching yourself out. You're the most talented person I've ever met, and I met Katy Perry."
Rachel's head shot up, "Do you really mean that?" she asked "Because I worship Katy Perry as an artist, don't put me at that level if you don't mean it, Quinn!"
Quinn giggled and kissed Rachel's temple "You're above Katy Perry in my book."
Rachel contently laid back on the bed and snuggled into Quinn's sheets, "When did you get so good at making me feel beautiful instead of making me feel worthless?"
Quinn thought about it, "When I just gave in to the magnets pull." She said.
"What?" Rachel asked tiredly as she closed her eyes.
"Nothing," Quinn said and joined her laying on the mattress, wrapping her arms around her "nothing at all Rach."
"Quinn?" Rachel asked sleepily.
"Yeah?" Quinn said equally as sleepy.
"I love you, best friend."
Quinn hesitated "I love you."
"Hey, lesbians! Wake up!"
Rachel groaned and rolled away from Quinn on the bed. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"Um, 10:32." The bubbly, unfamiliar voice said.
"No!" Rachel popped up out of the bed "I'm going to be late for my classes today! And all my teachers already hate me!"
"Do what Quinn does, just be late and the teacher will love you!" The voice said.
Quinn chuckled, laughter muffled by her face against the pillow "Shut up!"
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Rachel asked snottily to the voice coming from across the other side of the room. She hadn't yet seen the face the voice was coming from because her face was still hidden under the blankets.
"I should really be the one asking that, considering I live here and you're just a stranger in my roommates bed." She said.
"Hey!" Quinn said defensively and sat up "You bring people you just met home with you and I don't say a word!"
Rachel uncovered her face and gasped for air. Quinn wasn't kidding when she said her roommate looked like Barbie. She was beautiful, with tan flawless skin, silver-blue eyes, and natural bright blonde hair.
"Yeah," she said "and I brought another stranger home last night! I'm surprised we didn't wake you two up! He was sexy, a Channing Tatum looking mother fucker! And he was awesome with his-"
"Yeah, we get it." Rachel stopped her, and the tall blonde shot a cross look at her on the bed.
"You're sassy! Jesus, take a chill pill!" she said "If you weren't super-hot, I'd be totally kicking your ass right now!"
Rachel sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Quinn, how come you didn't tell me your girlfriend was so cute?" She asked.
"She's not my girlfriend. She's my friend from back in Ohio. We've just been through a lot together."
"Okay, well introduce us then!"
Quinn rolled her eyes and pointed to the blonde "Rach, this is Angelina but we just call her Angie. Angie, this is Rachel, and no, you can't call her Rach; only I call her Rach."
Rachel smiled at her best friend's possessiveness over the nickname and waved to Angelina.
"Is she going to be around often?" Angelina asked and Rachel nodded a yes in reply. "Are you straight?" the tall blonde asked. Rachel tilted her head inquisitively.
"Um, yes?" She said confused.
"Damn," Angelina said and shook her head "that's a shame. I really wanted to tap that."
She walked out of the room and Rachel gawked at her. Quinn took her pillow and chucked it down the hallway after her. The pillow was promptly thrown back into the room and Quinn chuckled.
"See you love birds later," Angelina said as she walked further away "I'm going to hit up brunch with Mr. Tatum from last night."
"Okay, see ya!" Quinn said.
"Nice to meet you!" Rachel yelled to her.
"Oh no Rachel," Angelina yelled back "it was all my pleasure, trust me."
Quinn rolled her eyes and flopped back on the bed. Rachel scooted to the blondes side and snuggled back in.
"I really should go back to school." She pouted.
"Do you have to?" Quinn wined, and Rachel nodded yes.
"Alright," Quinn said, defeated "let's get dressed. I'll take you out for coffee before you leave."
Fifteen minutes later the girls sat in a small café on the edge of the campus. Quinn said it was her favorite because it reminded her of the Lima Bean back home, and because it was located fairly close to the train station, so when she felt lonely she could go there and remember that Rachel was only a train ride away.
"It reminds me of the Lima Bean, too." Rachel said contently as she sipped her mug of steaming coffee. Quinn couldn't help but smile at the girl who was practically swimming in her over-sized Yale sweatshirt. Her long brown hair was tousled around her face and hanging over one shoulder; her brown eyes were glossy from lack of sleep, and Quinn could see she'd been biting her lip, out of stress probably, because her bottom lip was thicker than usual.
"You miss everyone too, don't you?" Quinn asked.
Rachel sighed "More than you could imagine. You were always very independent Miss Fabray. But I always need approval, and a hand to hold. Now that they're all gone I just feel empty inside."
Quinn looked at her apologetically for bringing it up "They aren't all gone, you know." The blonde said and reached across the table to grab the other girl's hand, "I'm still here."
"Oh, I know you are Quinn." Rachel said, squeezing Quinn's hand back. "It's just…different now. We're both so mature now. You're like my confidant. I can tell you anything and I do tell you everything. So I'm being completely honest when I tell you this, you aren't enough." Quinn cringed at the comment and Rachel backpedaled. "No no no! Not like that Quinn, you are perfect. It's just, I need other friends. You are my best friend. But I need more than just one best friend, I need to socialize! But everyone in my school…they all hate me. Do you know how many times I've been called a kiss ass or a diva or a psychopath?"
Quinn shook her head "Don't listen to them, Rachel! Prove them wrong! You are at NYADA for YOU, not for them. Don't let them control your future, Rach. I'm telling you, if you get back up when they push you down, someone will notice. Someone will come around and talk to you because you are stronger than the herd. That's why I came around and talked to you, because you were stronger than everyone. You were strong enough to forgive me, who was basically the leader of your lynch mob, and now look at this. Best friends for nearly two years now, and I'm not afraid to admit I love you now!"
Rachel began to tear up, and she smiled across the table at Quinn. "I love you, too." She dropped Quinn's hand, stood, and walked around the table to hug the blonde girl.
The girls made their way to the train station slowly, not wanting their time together to end.
"I don't want to go." Rachel said as they lingered in front of the train that was now boarding.
"I know." Quinn said.
"But I have to." Rachel sighed.
Quinn laughed. "Yeah, I know."
Rachel threw her arms around Quinn's neck and squeezed her tight. "Promise we can have visits like this more often. I miss you so much and I feel so much better about myself, now."
"Of course," Quinn said. "I promise."
Rachel let go, content with Quinn's response and began walking away. "Bye, Quinn."
"Bye, Rach." Quinn said quietly. She watched as Rachel got on the train, never taking her eyes off her. Rachel took her seat by the window and waved back to Quinn. The train doors sealed shut, and Quinn felt like her lungs did the same. She waved back to Rachel as she sped away, until she was out of sight.
"MS. BERRY." The instructor scolded as Rachel walked into her third class of the day at one thirty. "Class began forty-five minutes ago, and my records show that you didn't even attend your first two classes today! Are you trying to get yourself kicked out of this school? Is this all a joke to you?"
Rachel calmly walked past her furious vocal teacher and took her place on stage between her classmates who looked at her in awe. "Honestly," Rachel said sassily "I don't really care" she shrugged. "I'm here to sing. I'm here to perform. I'm not perfect, I'm just Rachel goddamn Berry, so stop trying to turn me into something I'm not."
The student's suppressed laughter as the instructor turned red. "Take your places, everyone! Get ready for our second number! We're going to run through Dance 10, Looks 3. MS. BERRY; since you seem to be feeling oh-so confident today, how about you take the lead!"
Rachel smirked and casually walked around her classmates, shuffling into their "A Chorus Line" positions.
The conductor waved his hands, initiating the band. Rachel took a step forward and began the sassy intro to the song.
"But after a while I caught on. I mean, I saw what they were hiring. I also swiped my dance card once after an audition. And on a scale of one to ten, they gave me, for dance- 10. For looks- 3." The instructor looked on from the audience silently as Rachel flipped her hair as the music picked up.
"WELL. Dance: ten; Looks; three.
And I' still on unemployment,
Dancing for my own enjoyment.
That ain't it, kid! That ain't it, kid!" Rachel flung herself around the stage, really putting herself into the Val character. She stripped herself of Quinn's Yale sweatshirt which she was still sporting, and flipped it over her shoulder as she continued singing.
"Dance: ten; Looks; three,
It's like to die!
Left the theatre and
Called the doctor for
My appointment to buy, tits and ass!" Rachel grabbed her chest and backside as she sang the lyrics, making the rest of the students giggle as they danced in the background. This only encouraged Rachel's theatrical behavior.
"Bought myself a fancy pair!
Tightened up the derriere!
Did the nose with it!
All that goes with it!
Tits and ass!
Had the bingo-bongos done.
Suddenly I'm getting national tours!
Tits and ass won't get you jobs
Unless they're yours!" She ran around the stage to settle herself between a random boy and girl.
"Didn't cost a fortune neither." She sang and nudged the girl to her right.
"Didn't hurt my sex life either." She winked and smacked the boy to her left on the ass.
"Flat and sassy,
I would get the strays and losers!
Beggars really can't be choosers!
That ain't it, kid! That ain't it, kid!"
"Fixed the chassis, 'How do you do!'" she ran up to the front of the stage and waved flirtatiously to the instructor who shook his head but couldn't help but laugh.
"Life turned into and
Endless medley of
"Gee it had to be you!"
Why?
Tits and ass!
Where the cupboard once was bare
Now you knock and someone's there.
You have got 'em, hey.
Top to bottom, hey.
It's a gas!
Just a dash of silicone.
Shake your new maracas and you fine!
Tits and ass can change your life.
They sure changed mine."
Rachel prepared herself for the epic notes she knew were coming, took center stage, and belted out. "Have it all done!
Honey, take my word,
Grab a cab, c'mon,
See the wizard on
Park and Seventy-Third!
For tits and ass!
Orchestra or balcony,
What they want is whatcha see!
Keep the best of you,
Do the rest of you!
Pits or class!
I have never seen it fail!
Debutante or chorus girl or wife!
Tits and ass,
Yes, tits and ass
Have changed my life!"
Rachel took a bow as the class, orchestra, conductor, and instructor as well all burst into applause.
"Ms. Berry!" the instructor stood and said, "Fabulous performance. After all this time, I never thought you had this in you. You always seemed like you weren't willing to take risks or go outside the box. I suppose I was wrong."
Rachel smiled brightly and took another bow, "Thank you, sir! That means a lot coming from you!" she said breathlessly, still trying to recover from the performance.
"As for the rest of you, wonderful job. Class dismissed. See you all tomorrow! Oh and Rachel," he added.
"Yes sir?" she replied as she began gathering her things and the rest of the class began to disperse.
"Don't be late tomorrow." She nodded yes rapidly. "Good." He said and smiled, picking up his notes and leaving the auditorium.
"Hey Rachel!" One of the girls called out after her. A few others followed the girl who called out to Rachel.
"Hi," Rachel said back "you guys aren't going to beat me up or throw anything on me for being late today, are you?"
They laughed, "No," the girl said "we just wanted to say we thought that was spectacular. And we're sorry we've been kind of mean to you because we assumed you were just some weird control freak. Do you want to go with us to grab a bite to eat?"
Rachel couldn't believe it, she was finally being asked to join in on a social gathering. "Yeah, of course." She said, "I'd love to."
"Great!" One of the boys said, who was very obviously gay, "We're all just going to run back to the dorms and hit the showers and get ready, then we'll all meet at Visconti's around 4:00! Is that alright for you?"
"Perfect!" Rachel said, that would give her plenty of time to call Quinn and tell her how she was absolutely right.
Rachel ran the few blocks from the school to the Rose Building, again wearing Quinn's Yale sweatshirt. She ran up the stairs rather than taking the elevators, danced down the hallway, and burst through the door. Her roommate sat at her desk quietly studying, and Rachel felt guilty for interrupting her, but she couldn't contain her joy.
Her roommate was nothing like Quinn's gorgeous bombshell Angelina, but she was a sweet quiet girl. The Rose Building was shared by students from many art schools around the area, including Juilliard. Her roommate was Sara. A large girl, 5-foot-8 and easily 200 pounds with frizzy auburn hair; she played tuba at Juilliard for their concert orchestra program, and also sang opera. Sara was too shy to sing in front of Rachel, but she did show her YouTube videos of her opera performances, and Rachel thought she was wonderful. They didn't talk often or animatedly, but their room had a respectful silence. They didn't refrain from talking because they didn't get along or because they had different interests, but because one of them was almost always busy doing something and neither wanted to interrupt the other. They talked casually every so often about school and the weather, but other than that their shared space was a peaceful sanctuary for them both. Rachel felt lucky that she didn't get stuck with a partier, or someone that was more of a diva than she was. So when she came into her room that day, she quieted down her mini-party about her performance, quickly threw on a pair of Pink sweatpants with Quinn's Yale sweatshirt, and was back out the door. She fumbled through her purse for her phone and sat down in the hallway, since it was only 3:00 and she still had an hour.
After only a few rings, Quinn picked up the other line. "Hello?" she said.
"Hi!" Rachel said ecstatically, and Quinn could practically see her wide smile through the phone.
"So, how was being late?" Quinn asked playfully.
"GREAT!" Rachel squealed and giggled, and Quinn's stomach fluttered from the sound.
"Oh really, so I was right?" Quinn said.
"Absolutely!" Rachel replied, "At first my instructor was like, screaming at me! But then I told him exactly how I felt and basically kindly told him to shove it up his ass! And he replied by giving me the lead in Dance 10, Looks 3!"
"That's the one about tits and ass, right?" Quinn asked.
Rachel laughed, "Yes! Exactly!" she said "We ran the number, and I killed it! Everyone told me how great it was, and now I'm on my way to go get some food with some of the other people from the class! One of them, oh he was really sassy! He kind of reminds me of Kurt! They're all just…so cool!"
Quinn giggled, "Well, I'm glad you're happy now." She said, "that's what I want you to be."
"Thank you, Quinn." Rachel said sincerely. "I've gotta go meet everyone soon, so I'd better go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay," Quinn agreed, "bye Rach."
"Bye Quinn!" Rachel said, "I love you!"
"Rachel wait," Quinn stalled, "I have a question."
"Of course Quinn, anything." Rachel said patiently.
"Since when did we start saying I love you so much?" Quinn asked quietly.
Rachel thought for a minute before replying. "Since I realized what a truly amazing best friend you really are."
"So, I said, 'What do you MEAN this isn't Burberry? I paid a hundred dollars for this hat! Since then, I have never bought anything from any man in Greenwich Village just because he was incredibly hansom!" Adrian said, and the whole group laughed.
Rachel laughed too. She loved her new gay friend Adrian, and his Asian-dance-crew-boy demeanor. She loved Lisa, the girl who initially talked to her in the theater that day, who reminded her of a young, hipster Marilyn Monroe with her curly bob, red lipstick and black hipster glasses. Rachel adored Tyler, Adrian's twin sister, who was shorter than her and looked like a cartoon character with her bright green and pink hair, highlighter-yellow skinny jeans, Hello Kitty backpack, and plastic purple heels. Gregory was a tall, lanky Star Wars geek with a lightsaber necklace; but he was absolutely sweet as pie, and treated Rachel like his princess Leia from the beginning when he bent down to one knee and kissed her hand. Though he was sweet, his coke-bottle thick classes and messy black hair didn't catch Rachel's attention; especially after she was introduced to Jason.
Jason Howe was tall and muscular, and as hansom as the day is long. He had tattoo sleeves on both arms, which on any other person would have been a turn off for Rachel. His abs were so defined they were visible through his tight fitting v-neck. His light brown hair was buzzed short on the sides, and long on top, styled into a neat wave on top of his head. He wore a cross around his neck; just like the one Quinn wore, Rachel thought. He wore tan slacks and black dress shoes, and looked quite spiffy and irresistible from the get-go to Rachel. They hit it off right away, and spent the night in the corner of the restaurant booth talking about their favorite parts of the city.
Like Rachel, Jason was from a small town as well. He told her about his small town of Placerville, California, and his youth spent in local theater productions of Disney movies. Rachel fawned over his smooth talk, sweet personality, and his muscle tone.
Around 11 o'clock that night the group split, either heading to bars, coffee shops, or thrift stores. But Rachel chose to walk back to the dorm and catch some sleep before her classes the next day, where she planned to be just as ambitious and jet-setting as the day prior.
She walked down the block towards Lincoln Center in her own little world, thinking about Jason and thinking about all the wonderful things she had to tell Quinn about him. She was in the middle of spinning around a light pole, singing in the rain style, when a strong arm caught her mid-spin. Rachel squealed in surprise, but giggled when she realized who it was.
"Singing in the rain, huh beautiful?" He asked.
"It's a classic, you know." Rachel said.
"But it's not raining." He said.
"Hey, I was having fun! Don't rain on my parade!" Rachel pouted.
"No, that's Funny Girl, not singing in the rain." Jason corrected, and Rachel rolled her eyes.
"You know what I meant." Rachel said.
"Where are you going, anyway?" he asked as he followed her down the sidewalk.
"Home. I've gotta get some sleep or I'll be late to all my classes again."
"If you perform like you did today when you're late, you should be late every day. That was amazing, Rachel. You're wonderful."
Rachel blushed. "Well," she said bashfully, "your background dancing was pretty great, too."
"Yeah," he agreed, "especially the part where you smacked my ass. That was pretty great."
Rachel gasped. "That was you?" she said terrified, "That's so embarrassing! I'm so sorry I was just so into the roll I didn't realize-"
"Hey," he interrupted, "it's cool. I dug it."
Rachel smiled, relieved that he wasn't offended by her obscene gesture. "You're pretty smooth, you know. You're making it really hard for me to not flirt with you."
"Maybe I'm doing it because I want you to flirt with me." He said and stepped in front of her on the sidewalk, stopping her in her tracks.
"Oh really?" Rachel said and smirked.
"Really." He said, and bent down to kiss her. Their lips met and Rachel felt sparks. It was spontaneous, beautiful, and far better than any of the other kisses she'd had in the past.
"So," he asked as he pulled away and grabbed her hand, "can I walk you to the building?"
"I'd love that." Rachel said as she squeezed his hand back.