Noah Puckerman was never responsible. This irresponsibility could be traced back all the way to when he was in elementary school. He was eight and in Mrs. Somerville's class. They had a pet mouse named Lola. Every Friday, one student would be selected to take home Lola for the weekend and take care of her. This student would be picked based on who Mrs. Somerville had thought had acted the most responsible that week. Every kid in the class had taken Lola home once. Some kids had been able to bring her home twice. Quinn Fabray had been chosen three times. Everyone had brought Lola home for the weekend… except for Noah Puckerman.

One day, when Mrs. Puckerman was driving Noah home from school, he casually mentioned this fact. His mom looked at him and asked him why he had never been chosen. He told her the teacher's standard reason: He misbehaved too much to be given the opportunity to take care of Lola. His mom seemed angry at that response. So angry, that she turned the car around and drove back to the school. She excited the car, told Noah to stay put, and headed inside the school. She came back out to the car about seven minutes later. She remained silent as they drove home.

The next day, a Friday, Mrs. Somerville called the kids to the magic carpet so she could announce who had won the privilege to bring Lola home. All the kids sat down, Noah sat beside his best friend Matt Rutherford, and waited to hear that Quinn Fabray would be taking home Lola for the fourth time. She had brought cupcakes for the whole class on Tuesday, which she had done a month ago, and was thus given the opportunity to bring the pet mouse home. Noah expected everything to go the same route. He just hoped that the announcement would go by fast so that he could go back to playing Lego with Matt. He hated sitting on the magic carpet, as it meant that he had to sit still. He wasn't very good at doing that.

"Girls and boys, I am very proud of your behaviour this week. You have been very good. This week Lola will be going to a new home, one that she hasn't seen before. That's because Noah will be taking her home."

Noah could not believe it. He was going to take home Lola! He was going to prove to Mrs. Somerville and the rest of the kids that he was responsible. He couldn't contain his excitement, and he put a huge smile on his face.

His good thoughts were crushed pretty quickly though. Quinn Fabray stood up when Mrs. Somerville made her announcement and said, "That's not fair! I brought in cupcakes! Noah's a bad kid! He put a worm in Samantha's shoe yesterday!"

Noah was angry at Quinn. She was such a goody-goody, and a tattletale. He wished that she wouldn't be so mean. She had brought Lola home three times. It was his turn. He deserved it. He was about to walk over to the other side of the carpet and push Quinn, but Mrs. Somerville started talking again.

"This week, Noah is taking it home so he can be given an opportunity to be responsible. I'm sure he will make us all proud of him. Be nicer Quinn."

Quinn was embarrassed that the teacher had chastised her in front of everyone. Her parents would be very mad if they found out. They wouldn't though, because Quinn would leave out that detail. However, she would make Noah feel bad because he deserved it. Lola was rightfully hers to take home, but Noah was bringing her home instead. It wasn't fair, which meant that Quinn had to get back at Noah. That was the natural order of things.

After Mrs. Somerville dismissed them from the magic carpet, they were sent off to play in groups again. Noah and Matt headed back to their favourite area of the room, beside the floor length window, and started playing with their Lego again. However, Quinn followed them to their play area and stood in front of them, watching them build. Noah tried to ignore her. Quinn always made him so frustrated. She acted so perfect, and always was trying to make the other kids feel like they weren't good enough to wipe her shoes. But she kept standing there, watching him and Matt play, and soon Noah became fed up. Enough was enough.

"What are you looking at?" He sneered, and stood up so he could tower over Quinn. Well, not really tower over, but at 4'4, he was two inches taller than Quinn, and at eight years old, that was all that mattered.

Quinn, even as a child, knew that she would come across best if she didn't let her emotions come across. Ice Queen Fabray would be a nickname she would earn later on in life, but it still rang true when Quinn was in the second grade. So, she kept her emotions in check when she said, "You better not kill Lola this weekend."

Noah was surprised. He didn't think Quinn was going to say that, and the thought of being able to kill the pet mouse had never crossed his mind before. But now that it had, he started worrying. He had killed the plant his mother had elected him to water in the summer, and that was just a plant! Maybe he would kill Lola! Noah couldn't let that happen though, because it would prove that all the things that people said about him were right. He would be irresponsible, and a bad kid, and immature. Noah shook those feelings out of his head, he wouldn't kill Lola. He would be careful, and be the best pet taker-carer there was in the whole class!

"I'm not going to kill her. I'm going to take care of her."

Quinn sighed. "All I know is that my mom told me that killers burn in hell."

Noah and Matt gasped that Quinn had used the h-word. Even they were told not to use those words, and they were the bad boys of the class. Quinn was the good girl, so she should defiantly not be using that type of language.

Quinn was satisfied with herself so she smoothed out her white cotton dress and walked away from the boys, so she could go back to playing with the ponies with her best friend, Santana.

Noah started to worry throughout the day. What if he did kill Lola? He had done a lot of stupid things in his eight years of existence, so he didn't put it past himself. No, he told himself, he was not going to be dumb. He would be very careful, and take care of Lola, and Quinn would be jealous that Mrs. Somerville liked him more than her. Then, Noah wouldn't have to worry about burning in hell. He would be able to have fun, ride his bike around town, become a firefighter, marry and have a kid, and then die in his sleep and go up to heaven to be with his grandfather. That's what good kids do, and Noah wanted to be a good kid. It wasn't his fault that being bad was just much more fun!

At the end of the day, Noah's mom came to pick him up. She walked into the class so she could carry the materials that Lola needed out to the car. She told Noah that he would have to hold Lola, and that he better not let her escape, because if she found Lola in her bed when she was trying to sleep, she would hit him across the head with the broom. Noah didn't mind, he thought that mice were cool anyways.

Noah noticed that Quinn was staring at him when he was walking out the door with his mother. She was waiting with her mother, the woman Noah always thought looked like a clown, and gave him a very jealous look. It was obvious that she was mad Lola wasn't coming home with her. Noah smiled, she shouldn't expect to be perfect and always be picked. Sometimes she had to learn that things don't always go her way. So, to make her even more angry, as Noah was walking out the door, he turned around, made sure that Quinn was looking at him, and stuck his tongue out at her, held Lola up high, and then turned around and walked back out the door. This weekend was going to redeem his reputation in Mrs. Somerville's eyes, not to mention the other students, well maybe not Quinn, but that wasn't expected anyways.

So Noah held onto Lola the entire ride home. He stroked her fur, and set her cage up in his bedroom once he got home. His mom reminded him what times he would have to feed Lola, and told him not to forget to keep the cage closed at all times. Noah nodded. She didn't even need to tell him all of that, because he had promised himself that he was going to be responsible, and he wasn't going to screw it all up.

Noah was so good with Lola. He fed her when he was supposed to, he played with her gently and nicely, and made sure her cage was always kept locked up. His mom even told him that he was such a good boy, and was being so amazing. She told him that he was going to be a great big brother in six months when his little brother or sister would be born. Noah loved being complimented. It didn't happen often, except when Matt would tell him he was so cool for pushing Santana in the mud, or stealing all the class cookies for them both to sneak away and eat together. Regardless, Noah loved to be highlighted for being good. It made him feel special inside.

But on Sunday night things took a turn for the worse. Noah's step-father, Ian, had come home from a business trip and as usual, he started fighting with Noah's mother during dinnertime. Noah didn't understand much of what they were arguing about, but he knew that it had something to do with the baby. Puck couldn't take the yelling anymore so he walked away from the table, went to his room to grab Lola, and walked outside to sit on the steps outside.

He pet Lola as he muttered, "Why do they always yell at each other? They're supposed to love each other."

At least he had Lola. Maybe tonight would be a night of fighting and yelling, but tomorrow he would go to class and everyone would be so impressed that he had been able to take care of Lola for the whole weekend! Without any help either! He had done it all by himself, and he knew that would make Mrs. Somerville proud… and it would make Quinn Fabray extremely jealous. Noah smirked. Quinn was pretty when she was mad… he didn't mean that. Girls had cooties, especially goodie-two-shoe girls like Quinn Fabray.

At that moment, Noah felt Lola start to squirm in his hands. He tried to hold on tighter, but she had slipped away at that second. She had escaped his grasp, and was scurrying away. Noah started running after her. She was running around in circles, and Noah was getting dizzy. He slid into the ground, hoping to grab Lola, but she was an inch too far away when he reached out, and all he managed on doing was sliding in a puddle of mud. He saw Lola darting out onto the street, and that is when Noah Puckerman saw one of the most horrifying sights he would ever see in his entire life.

A car was passing by the house just as Lola had ran out onto the street. There was nothing that Noah could do. He saw the car pass right by, and he saw it run over the mouse. Noah knew she was dead. He immediately started crying. He had ruined everything! He was doing so well too! His mom was so proud of him for once, and Mrs. Somerville would have been as well. Quinn would have been envious of his great pet-keeping skills, and he might have even been able to bring Lola home another weekend. But obviously that plan was ruined. Now everyone was going to be so disappointed. Not only that, they were going to be extremely angry at him! He had killed the beloved pet mouse! Noah remembered Quinn's words. 'Killers burn in hell.' He shuddered. Maybe she was right… after all she did attend church every Sunday, and she was a good Christian. A much better Christian than he was a Jew.

Puck buried his face in his hands and cried all of the tears he could muster out of himself. But the sadness soon wore off and the frustration began. He started slaming, pounding his fists into the ground. He ran around the front yard screaming, and cursing. Then, he heard the front door open and Ian yell, "What the hell are you doing out here Noah? Get your ass inside immediately before I have to drag you in!"

Noah knew that Ian would hold true to his threat but he was too angry with himself to go inside. He fell down on the ground and started rolling in the mud. He just wanted to disappear. He didn't want to go back to the school and show people how much of a screw-up he actually was. Next, Noah felt hands on both his shoulders pulling him up from off the ground. Ian stood him up, held him in place, and looked him right in the eye.

"You better start listening to me Noah or I'll have to smack you upside the head! You got it?"

Noah was still angry but he didn't want to be hit, so he took a deep breath to try and calm down, and nodded. Ian's face softened and he spoke quieter.

"Geeze Noah, why are you so upset?"

Noah started whimpering and pointed to the street. Ian looked over and saw the dead mouse. He raised his eyebrows. "A dead mouse? Animals die all the time son, it's the circle of life. You should know that, we just watched The Lion King together last week."

Noah shook his head. He tried to be coherent when he explained, "That was the class pet! Lola! Everyone in the class has brought her home except for me, and Mrs. Somerville finally let me have a turn and I was being so good with her! But then you and mom were fighting so I had to go outside! I was just holding her but she got away and I killed her! I killed her!"

Ian sighed. He knew how upset the boy was. He wanted to hug him, but saw the mud that was all over his clothes and decided against it. Instead he replied, "Noah, it's going to be fine. You didn't mean to do it. I'm sure your mom can explain it to the teacher."

"No. No one will believe that. I'm a bad kid."

Ian frowned, and he led Noah back inside. He told Noah to stay at the front door until he got him a towel to wipe some of the mud off with. He heard Ian talking to his mom while he was waiting and then he heard footsteps. Someone was running. He saw his mom and she quickly wrapped him up into a hug, ignoring all the mud that was getting on her. She stroked his back and said, "Noah don't worry. I'll explain it to your teacher. You didn't do anything wrong."

Noah wished he could believe her but he knew that Mrs. Somerville would just think that it figured that the one time she trusted him to take care of Lola is the time where she would come back dead. He didn't even want to think what Quinn would say. So in the morning he told his mom that he was feeling terrible. His stomach was twisting and turning, and he thought that he was going to throw up. Of course, Mrs. Puckerman knew that he was faking, but she knew how upset her son was and thought that missing one day of first grade wouldn't do him any harm.

But the next day was a different story. Noah tried to fake sick again, but his mom wasn't going to allow it this time. She knew that he had to face his fears, and so she made him go to school. When she was dropping him off, she got out of the car as well.

"You go play with your friends honey until the bell rings. I'm going to go in and hand Mrs. Somerville all of Lola's supplies and explain to her what happened."

Noah shook his head and grabbed the cage from his mom. "No, I killed her! I want to be the one to explain it!"

Mrs. Puckerman sighed but gave her son a kiss goodbye and told him that if eh got upset during the day that he should call her immediately.

When the bell rang and Noah walked into class, he walked up to Mrs. Somerville first. He gulped as he handed her the cage. She looked confused and lifted the cage above her head to try and find Lola.

"She's not in there." Noah whispered.

Mrs. Somerville frowned. "Noah, you better not have let her escape in the classroom! You know the other kids are going to be frightened."

Noah shook his head. He felt tears forming in his eyes, but he was a boy and boys were not supposed to cry. Ian told him that a lot, so he held back his tears. He clenched his hands into fists to try and stop from letting the tears fall. He was afraid that his teacher would yell at him, or tell the whole class that he was a murderer. He took a deep breath and said, "I was holding her outside last night but she slipped out of my hands. She ran out on the street and a car… a car ran over her. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to kill her!"

Mrs. Somerville looked at Noah, and he was sure that she was going to yell at him, but instead, she bent down and put her hand on his shoulder. She told him, "Life goes on Noah, things will be okay. Lola is gone, but tomorrow is a brand new day. Everyone makes a couple mistakes somewhere along the way."

Noah smiled. That made him feel better, because it really was a mistake. He watched as Mrs. Somerville went to the front of the class, quieted the kids down and announced, "Children, Noah did an excellent job taking care of Lola over the weekend, but she cannot come back and visit us anymore, because she is in a better place. That place is called heaven."

Quinn gasped. "That's where the dead go! Noah killed Lola!"

The whole class started to tear up and complain but Mrs. Somerville yelled at them to be quiet. "Noah did not kill Lola! He was an excellent pet-sitter, but Lola wanted to be with her family again so she made the decision to go to heaven. Quinn, please do not accuse any of your classmates of being killers again."

Soon after that day people forgot about the Lola incident. A new pet was brought to the classroom. A bunny named Mary, courtesy of Quinn Fabray and her parents. Noah was never chosen to take Mary home. One day he decided to ask Quinn why, as she seemed to be the one that knew everything all of the time.

"Why doesn't Mrs. Somerville ever let me take Mary home? I was really good with Lola."

Quinn looked up from her colouring and stared at Noah. She debated whether or not to tell Noah the truth. She was only six, but she knew that it would hurt his feelings to tell him the truth, and her parents always told her not to do such a thing. But, they also told her to be honest, so she said, "My parents bought the bunny and said everyone can bring her home, but then they told Mrs. Somerville that everyone could but you. They don't like what happened to Lola."

Noah hated the Fabrays from that point on. If only they had known how well he had taken care of the mouse before she ran on to the street! If only they knew how hard he had chased after her trying to get her back! If only they knew how much he had cried, even though he was a boy, when she had died! But they didn't. All they thought was that he was a bad kid who had killed the pet mouse. So Noah swore to himself that he would never be nice to Mr. and Mrs. Fabray. He would be a bad kid, because that's what they thought of him anyways.

So, everyone moved on and forgot about Lola's passing. Everyone that is except Noah. He would always remember that incident. It was the first time he could remember making a mistake so vividly, and it would be an example he would come back to in his life, time and time again. One other person in the class wouldn't forget either, but that's only because she felt sorry that he couldn't take the bunny home because of it. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she thought Noah was good boy who was just prone to making mistakes. He was also funny… but she wouldn't admit that either! Boys have cooties, don't you know.

I hope you all like this chapter! This story will have events from Puck's childhood, and will have plenty of Puck/Quinn goodness! =)

This story is loosely based on the song Along the Way from the musical Edges. If I were you, I wouldn't listen to it until a few chapters down the line because it would reveal some things that will come up in the plot.

I cannot believe we have to wait until April for new episodes! It will probably drive me mad, but maybe writing will help me get through it! I guess you all should expect many Puck/Quinn stories from me until April.

If you have the time, I would really appreciate it if you could leave me a review! Writers love feedback!

Thanks for reading, and until next time,

Happy Reading