I was going to have this as a one shot but some people put it on story alert and I took that to mean they wanted more. So I edited it.
Rachel walks into the diner at 12:30 am. She knows this because of the large clock on the wall behind the counter. It's one on those 24-hour diners. A lot of places seemed to be 24-hour places and she had to wonder whether it was because there were a lot of people like her. People who'd given up on everything. Including sleep. Because not everyone makes it. No matter how hard you try. Sometimes everything just become fucking messed up.
She didn't expect anyone to be in the diner at this time. But there was. There was one man sitting in the corner with three empty coffee cups in front of him and he was making his way through his fourth. He was looking down at a sheet of paper with a frown etched on his face. Rachel walked up to the counter and sat on a chair in front of it. There was a woman who kept yawning as she filled in a crossword puzzle. Her name tag read 'Linda- I'm here to help'.
Rachel didn't even glance at the menu. Knowing that she'd only be able to order a coffee because she literally had no money. She rubbed her eyes, sleepily. She hadn't slept in 2 days now. Her record was 5 days without sleep. So far. When she did sleep she only slept for a couple of hours. She ordered her coffee before running a hand through her messy hair.
Rachel had moved to New York in the hopes of making it to Broadway. She'd got accepted into NYU and things seemed to be working out. But then everything went downhill after she'd left the university. Her dad and daddy died in a car accident. Then all the theatres in the area rejected her. As did everyone else. She started dating this guy from her university in hope of becoming happy. But he cheated on her and she was more broken than before. That's when she started to cut herself. Because she felt like it was all her fault and she deserved it.
Basically all in all, she was completely screwed up.
"Rachel?" She heard a voice and when she turned she saw the guy who'd been drinking all the coffee was standing behind her. The guy she now realised was Noah Puckerman. He was dressed in a suit and looked very smart. He looked totally out of place in the diner. He looked like he'd belong more in one of those posh bars all the business men went to. He'd picked up his newest coffee and placed it on the counter next to Rachel. He had the sheet of paper in his hand and was smiling at her. He looked so different than how he'd looked at high school. His hair was longer and he looked so much more mature.
She thought that she must look different to him as well. Her hair was all messy and hanging down her back and it nearly reached her bottom. She had black rings under her eyes and she was wearing a pair of messy jeans with mud stains on them and a long sleeved black t-shirt.
If you looked at them now they must of looked like complete opposites.
"Puck," She nodded and turned back round as the woman placed down her coffee. Puck took a seat next to her and stuffed the sheet of paper into his briefcase which he then put onto the floor.
"How've you been?" He asked as he finished his coffee and ordered another.
"Shit. You?" She replied as she took a small sip of her own coffee.
"Great, actually," He bit his lip.
"Well that's just wonderful," She drawled. He sighed.
"What happened?" He smiled a small smile but she wasn't looking at him.
"Both of my dad's died. My boyfriend cheated on me. And I became nothing. How about you? What happened?" She shrugged as if to say it was no big deal. She took another sip of her coffee.
"Oh... I'm really, really sorry Rach. Believe me," He ignored her question as he placed a hand on her arm. She pulled away from him.
"I don't need your sympathy. I'm perfectly fine," She lied as she pulled the sleeves of her top over her hands to make sure he wouldn't be able to see any of the cuts that lay there.
"Sure you are," He raised an eyebrow as he clearly didn't believe that she was fine.
"So what happened with you?" She asked him to change the subject.
"I got a job in a hospital. I work with all the folders and things. In the office. It's pretty boring. But it's a great pay. I finished about an hour ago now," He nodded and took a huge sip of the coffee the lady had just placed infront of him.
"Good for you," She commented.
"Do you know what I like about the hospital Rachel?" He asked her as he studied her carefully.
"No. But I'm sure you're going to tell me," She said as she rolled her eyes.
"That it's constantly there. Never closing. Never leaving you," He told her as he rested his elbow on the counter and placed his head on the palm of his hand.
"Most placed in NYC are like that. No big deal," She shrugged.
"Things never change y'know?" He carried on as if she hadn't spoken, "People still try to help. Rushing around doing everything they can. It's constant. Not many places are like that nowadays. Everything else in the world can change but the hospitals still there. Trying to help anyone it can. It's always there when your hurt," He sighed as he stared off into the distance.
"Your point is?" She raised an eyebrow at him, showing obviously that she really didn't care.
"Lots of things change. Most things change," He told her as he turned to look at her.
"And? So what?" She asked and muttered under her breath, "Why do I care about that?"
"You've changed Rachel," He stated and she just rolled her eyes again and turned away.
"I know. That's hardly rocket science," She took another sip of her coffee.
"I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you Rach," He put a hand on her wrist, holding on tightly so she couldn't pull away again. This time though she flinched and squeezed her eyes closed like she was in pain, "Rach?"
"Stop it. Stop being so nice to me," She snapped and he pulled his hand off of her.
"Rachel?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Leave me alone, okay?" She told him and turned away from him.
"I'm trying to help," He told her.
"I don't need your help. I don't need anyones help," She drank the rest of her coffee quickly and she was about to get up when he pulled her back down by her wrist which made her react the same as last time.
"Show me your wrist Rach," He ordered her in a soft voice.
"No. Why would I do that?" She was glaring at him now.
"If you don't have anything to hide then you'd show me your wrist," He was looking at her now in such a way that she started to squirm. The woman had put her crossword down now and she was looking at them with interest but they ignored her. Rachel didn't say anything so Puck moved to pull up her sleeve. She couldn't move away fast enough and he'd pulled up the sleeve. He gasped quietly at the big, red gashes on her arms. They were obviously deep and would take ages to heal. There were a lot of old scars to. Healed but you could see them.
"Don't say anything. Please," She pleaded and he knew just what she meant. She didn't want him commenting because that'd make it worse.
"God. Rach look what happened to you," He shook his head sadly. Her eyes were filling with tears but she was determined not to let them fall.
"Stop it. Just stop it," She scowled at him and stood up.
"I want to help," He told her.
"I thought I told you that I didn't need help," She started to walk away but his voice stopped her.
"But you do, Rachel. We both know that," He turned around in his chair and stared at the clock behind the counter.
"I can't be saved, alright? I'm too far gone. No one can help now," She said as she turned to look at him.
"You can always be saved. If you want to be," He turned and looked right back at her.
"Maybe I don't want to be saved," She stared at him without blinking and he nodded.
"Okay," He swivelled back round in his chair.
"Why are you trying to help anyway?" She asked as she took a step closer to him, "Feel guilty that you were such a huge dick in high school? It's not like you actually care about me. You just want to feel better about yourself. Now that you're a big shot you just want to wipe your slate clean. You don't give a shit."
"I do though," He didn't look at her this time, "I care." She started to laugh.
"Now that's the most funny thing I've heard in awhile," She smiled at him but it showed no humour.
"Look at yourself. You're a mess," He said. She rolled her eyes once more.
"Wow. You're so clever. I never knew that," She said and took another step towards him, "Do you want a medal? You're just so fucking clever."
"Rachel," He said simply and she shook her head and walked away.
This story is soooo bad. Sorry. I think it'll only be about 3 chapters.