Author's Note: Hello! I'm writing this specifically for AnOfficialGleek! She's a huge Finchel fan and a really great friend! She inspires me to write more and has supported me with what I've written so far! So, in a way, this is my 'thank you' to her. I've personally never been the biggest Finchel shipper out there, but she's actually made a huge impact on my opinion of them! This will be a multi-chaptered fic and I hope you all will enjoy it!
Chapter One: "In the hallway"
She sat her empty glass down on the table and let out a long, happy sigh. Throwing her silky brown hair over her shoulder she looked over contently her dad, Hiram, working in the kitchen. It would be her first day at McKinley High School and she had gotten up very early to prepare for the special occasion.
"Thank you for making this wonderful breakfast for me." She smiled. "I'm actually quite nervous about going to school today though."
"Don't worry, sweetheart." Hiram, her dad spoke. "I'm absolutely sure you'll make tons of friends, you're a very bright young talented lady." He smiled. "And be sure you have everything ready, we have to leave in about five minutes!"
Rachel looked over worriedly at the clock, noticing the expression on her face, Hiram became worried.
"Why are you so scared, dearest?" He frowned. "Normally you don't fret over these types of things."
"Yeah, I know. I'm usually so put together." She nodded and looked down at her feet. "I'm just…excited too, I guess."
"Well let's turn that frown upside down, sugar!" He tapped her unique nose lightly and grinned.
"I'll go grab my stuff." She said quickly as she bounced off her stool and up into her bright, colorful room. She grabbed her backpack and looked at herself in the mirror for a short second. She fixed her hair the best she could and made sure she didn't forget to bring her iPod with her. Holding it close to her heart, she went back into the kitchen where her dad was waiting for her.
"All ready to go." She announced and he smiled, looking at her proudly.
"You're such a beautiful young lady." He said. "One boy will be very lucky some day." Rachel blushed. "Now, let's get in the car and head over, shall we?"
"We shall." She chuckled and made her way out of the front door with her dad following shortly behind her.
She closed the passenger door abruptly as her dad got into the car beside her. It was a chilly day in Lima, Ohio and a thin fog was spread out all over the sky, Rachel also spotted some rain clouds. "Dad, do you think it's actually going to rain?" She asked, looking out of her window up into the sky.
"Hm, I don't know, honey… probably!" He turned up the heater and started the engine up. Rachel pulled her iPod out of her pocket and began playing her Broadway playlist. She seemed to have noticed that listening to music when she was stressed out or worried helped calm her emotions. It was a sense of comfort to her.
After a few moments of silence, Rachel's dad tried to strike up a conversation.
"So I heard there's a glee club at your school." He said softly, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Really?" Rachel's face lit up. "That's amazing! Do you think I should audition?"
"Well of course, dear! You're fantastic!"
"What if there's someone there better than me?" She asked shyly. "I'll be devastated."
"Rachel Berry, don't speak like that. I'm sure all the kids in there will be equally talented. And you'd be a great addition to the club I'm sure of it." Her dad replied.
"Thank you."
"Anytime."
They pulled into the McKinley High parking lot right on time, school was just beginning. Rachel unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over to give her dad a hug.
"Bye dad, I love you." She pulled him close.
"Love you too, baby. Have a great day!" He said as she got out of the car. "Be sure to tell me all about it when you get home!"
She simply nodded and walked with her head held high into the entrance of the school. She heard some boys yelling over towards her left and saw a tall, yet slender boy about to be thrown into the trashcan by some football players.
"Stop it! This is a new outfit!" The boy yelled frantically as he was picked up by his shoulders and feet. Rachel became worried for the young looking boy and raced over towards them as fast as she could.
"What is your problem?" She yelled at them, right before they tossed the boy in. "Why are you throwing him in there?"
"Because he's a freaking loser." A boy with a Mohawk replied to her. "And look at the clothes he's wearing!"
"You shouldn't make fun of others for the way they look." She replied bluntly and placed her hands on her hips.
"Can someone please make this annoying chick go away?" One of the other boys said. "Puck just do what you have to do to get rid of her!"
Rachel looked over at the boy named Puck with her best sad face and he sighed deeply. "Such a freaking joy kill." He rolled his eyes and set the pale boy down. "Now run away before I make your face more ugly than it is." The boy nodded and rushed towards the front doors of the school, giving Rachel a small smile as he left.
The bell sounded for everyone to get inside and most of the boys started heading in.
"So you're name is Puck?" Rachel asked the football player beside her.
"Yeah. So?" He replied. "It's probably better than whatever your lousy name is."
"My name is Rachel." She replied and tried her best to smile. "It's Rachel Berry." She extended her hand to him. "Would you like to be my friend?" She asked politely.
"No." He walked away from her, shoving her to the side as he left.
Rachel felt a sting in her heart as she watched him go.
"I knew I wouldn't make any friends." She thought.
After getting her class schedule and locker number, Rachel went into her first English class. So far she hadn't liked her first teacher or any of her classmates. They all looked at her like she was some sort of weird Japanese invention that everyone thought was freaking insane.
After the bell had rung again, she made her way out into the hallways back to her locker to grab her Math books. She walked at a steady pace and held her literature books up by her chest. As she turned the corner, she noticed some more football players, but these weren't the ones she had run into earlier. She had tried her best not to look at any of them directly, but on accident she had made eye contact with one of them. She was sure her heart had stopped beating in her chest. He was handsome, very handsome in fact. He was tall and had light brown chestnut hair. He didn't make eye contact with her right away so she just stared down at the ground and passed by them. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to find out the feeling she had soaring through her body. What was happening? She had never felt that way before. As she kept moving forward, she could have sworn she felt a pair of brown eyes stare back longingly at her.