Warning: I don't own Riverdale or Glee, all rights to it's rightful owners.
Chapter 1: The River's Edge.
Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world... Safe. Decent. Innocent.
Get closer, though and you start seeing the shadows underneath.
The name of our town is Lima.
And our story begins, with what the Fabray twins did this summer.
On the Fourth of July, just after dawn, Sam and Quinn Fabray drove out to Ottawa River for an early morning boat ride.
"Are you scared Sam?" Quinn asked. Thunder crashed and Sam just turned to his sister and shook his head no, smiling.
The next thing we know happened for sure is that Jacob Ben Israel, who was leading Lima's Boy Scout Troop on a bird watching expedition, came upon Quinn, by the river's edge.
"Sam" Quinn whispered, shivering since she was wet all over, her makeup ran and she sat there looking lost.
Lima police dragged Ottawa River for Sam's body, but never found it.
"If he's dead Pierce, I hope in those last moments he suffered. May Sam Fabray rot in hell." Whitney Pierce sneered to her husband.
So a week later, the Fabray family buried an empty casket, and Sam's death was ruled an accident, as the story that Quinn told, made the rounds.
That Quinn dropped a glove in the water, and Sam reached down to get it, and accidentally tipped the boat, and panicked, and drowned.
As for us, we were still talking about the "July Fourth tragedy" on the last day of summer vacation, when a new mystery rolled into town.
"Now, brace yourself. The apartment's small, a pied-a-terre, but quality always." Shelby Berry said as a teen girl got out of the car.
"Quality, always." Rachel repeated as they stared up the building.
"Plus, it's the only piece of property in my name and not your father's" Shelby told her daughter
Rachel and her mom stared at each other and followed her into the building. She stood there quiet as her mother talked on and on about her life in Lima. Rachel just rolled her eyes, looking at her phone.
"Mrs. Berry! Welcome home." a short Indian man said. Rachel looked at him in curiousness while her mom walked up to him.
"Figgins, oh you are sight for sore eyes." Shelby replied. They both gave a brief hug.
"How was the ride?" Mr. Figgins asked Shelby.
"No traffic, thank God." Shelby replied. "Figgins, I'd like to introduce to you my daughter, Rachel."
"It's a pleasure Miss" Figgins told her nicely.
Rachel smiled nicely at the man. "Hi."
"I'll get the bags." Figgins said excusing himself.
"Would you." Shelby asked him. Figgins smiled and headed out.
"Oh and would you like some menus ma'am, so you can order in?" Figgins asked.
"Oh no. I've been craving one of Pop Tate's cheeseburgers since noon." Shelby answered. "Is his Chock'lit Shoppe still open?"
"What is a Chock'lit Shoppe?" Rachel began to ask. "And why does it sell burgers?" she finished off.
Shelby and Figgins both smiled at her.
"Are you excited? Nervous?" Kurt asked excitedly to his pretty ginger friend.
Brittany turned to him after tightening her ginger hair in a ponytail, applying pink lipstick, and mascara, only in her bra. "Both. I haven't seen him all summer." she told him.
Kurt smiled and continued. "Which is why nerves are acceptable, but we agreed Brittany. It's time." Kurt told her. "You like him, he likes you."
"Well, then why, Kurt, hasn't he ever said or done anything?" Brittany retorted back.
"Because. Finn's swell, but like most millennial straight guys, he needs to be told what he wants. So tell him, finally." Kurt told his best friend, as he stood up and walked up to her window.
"Well, we'll see. I mean, it depends." Brittany told him.
Kurt noticed Finn and his eyes opened very wide. "Oh my God!" he exclaimed.
"What?" Brittany asked turning to face him, now getting up to join him.
"Game changer! Finn got hot! He's got abs now! Six more reasons for you to take that blond bull by the horns tonight." Kurt yelled out excitedly. As Brittany shivered a little and checked him out.
They both squealed and Kurt helped Brittany finish getting ready.
Finn and Brittany had met at Pop's Diner and were talking about Brittany's summer.
"So what was the highlight?" Finn asked.
"Of my internship?" Brittany asked. Finn smiled and nodded. "The Toni Morrison book release party I organized, by far. At the end of the night, Toni Morrison, who is as you know, my literary hero, says to me. "Don't rush time Brittany, it goes by so fast at your age. One summer can change everything." Brittany said with so much happiness.
Finn smiled and chuckled a little. "Wow, that's so true."
"How was working for you dad?" Brittany asked Finn, smiling brightly at him.
"It was, pouring concrete, everyday, all day long. To pass time, I would start composing these poems, in my head. And at night I'd go home, I'd write them down." Finn began to say.
"You don't even like to read poetry." Brittany told him a little confused.
Finn shook his head. "They weren't poems, they were song lyrics. And working on them made me feel like." he said, trailing off.
"Like what Finn?" Brittany said, motioning for him to continue.
"It made me feel like I'd finally broken through to something real. About my life and what I should be trying to do with it. Music. Starting this year, tomorrow." Finn explained.
Brittany smiled at Finn brightly. "Amazing. Will you ask Ms. Holiday to tutor you?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe." Finn replied to her feeling a little uncomfortable at the mention of Ms. Holiday.
"What about football? Can you do both?" Brittany continued to ask. Hoping that Finn starts planning out his schedule.
"I'll try out, at least." Finn responded to her.
"Well, have you told your dad?" she asked him.
"No." He sighed out. "Until I've got things more figured out, you're the only person I'm telling, okay?"
Brittany nodded and smiled brightly again. "Well I'd love to hear them sometime. Your songs."
Finn smiled. "Yeah?" he asked.
Brittany smiled and nodded. "Yes."
"Yeah, I'm finishing a couple of demos tonight." Finn told her, happily.
"Great also..." Brittany began.
But Finn faded her out, because in that moment a very pretty, short raven hair, girl came walking in the diner and started to walk towards them since Pop's was close to their booth. Finn just stared at her beautiful face, Brittany seemed to notice and stopped talking.
"I called in an order, for Berry?" Rachel called out to Pop Tate.
"Two burgers? Yeah, almost ready, but you gotta wait." Pop Tate told Rachel.
Rachel noticed Finn and Brittany and she turned to them. "Hi." she greeted.
"Hey." Finn answered, almost stumbling on his words. Brittany just shrunk a little.
"How are the onion rings here?" Rachel asked them both.
"So good." Finn answered rather quickly.
"Can we get some onion rings too, please?" Rachel called out to Pop Tate. He called back out a yeah and Rachel turned back to the couple smiling.
"My mom, and I just moved here so." Rachel began.
"From where?" Finn asked.
"New York." Rachel answered.
"Wow." Finn replied in awe. Brittany looked at him like if he was okay.
"Do you guys go to Lima High?" Rachel asked.
"We do." Finn answered.
"We do, both of us together." Brittany also answered. Finn and Brittany looked at each other, and then looked back at the raven hair girl.
"Yeah, we're sophomores." Finn answered for both of them. Brittany smiled up at her.
"Me too." Rachel replied smiling. "I'm filled with dread." she said
"Why is that." Finn asked.
"Are you familiar with the works of Truman Capote?" Rachel asked. They both looked confused but Rachel continued. "I'm Breakfast at Tiffany's, but this place is strictly In Cold Blood." she said joking. Finn laughed at Rachel's joke and she laughed too. Brittany just looked at him weirdly.
"Rachel Berry" Rachel introduced herself.
"Finn Hudson." Finn introduced back. Brittany looked at him pointedly. "And uh this is Brittany Pierce."
Rachel looked her and recognized her name. "Wait, are you?"
"Supposed to give you a tour tomorrow? Yes." Brittany replied smiling brightly at Rachel. "I'm you peer mentor." Rachel beamed at her.
"Do you want you to join us? Maybe we can un-fill you with dread." Finn asked.
Rachel smiled gratefully but shook her head no. "My mom is waiting for me. But to be continued." She told them as she grabbed the food from Pop Tate.
Rachel smiled at them once more and left. Finn just sighed out happily and looked at Brittany. "What were you saying?"
Brittany smiled at him "Nothing."
Finn was putting on his shirt as he quickly made his way downstairs. "Hey dad. First day of school and I'm already late." he said as he entered the kitchen. "Hey Vegas." he greeted as he petted the dog.
"Hey you uh stopping by the site later?" Christopher Hudson asked his son.
"Dad, it's my first day." Finn told him.
"Oh we got to get you going in the office, so next summer you're not on the crew." Papa Hudson told him.
Finn just nodded. "Well, I can't. I've got football tryouts. Or is that not okay?"
Christopher Hudson shook his head. "No, it's uh okay. Good luck."
Finn smiled and grabbed his backpack and made his way out the door.
Whitney Pierce was currently sitting on Brittany's bed watching as she gather her things. "Brittany. This coming year is critical, for colleges." she began. "Grades are important, extracurricular, athletics. Maintaining a decent character is hugely important, they do look at that."
"Mom, I'm a sophomore." Brittany told her.
"You've accomplished so much, I don't want anything jeopardizing that. I mean just think of your poor sister. She was a shining star before she let that Fabray boy ruin her." Whitney Pierce told her daughter.
"Mom, I'm not Polly." Brittany told her mom, a little annoyed that once again her mom was comparing her to her older sister.
"You missed curfew last night." Whitney told her.
"By seven minutes. I was with Finn, who has dirty blonde hair, yes. But its nothing like Sam Fabray." Brittany told her mom.
"Oh but sweetie, all boys are like Sam Fabray." Whitney said. Brittany sighed and finished packing her backpack. "I love you so much Brittany Susan." she told her daughter as she stood up walking up to her. "I just need you to be smart okay. And stay focused."
Whitney placed Brittany's pills on her hand and she started to walk out the door. "I refilled your Adderall." she said and paused by her door. "Seems you forgot to pick up your prescription."
Brittany sighed and grabbed her things, and then looked at her medication.
Finn was grabbing his books from his locker when Noah "Puck" Puckerman walked up to him
"Bro, you are ready for football. I'm not kidding you dude. You got ripped." Puck joked. "Dude you're a beast, look at this arm. It's diesel." Finn closed his locker and smirked, as he started to walk away with Noah Puckerman following him.
"How much you benching, like 220? 225? You got to give me some tips man. Romanian dead lifts, right? Taking some T? Ginseng? Maca root? Tribulus terrstris?" Puck joked.
"It's from working construction, Puck." Finn told him, chuckling a little.
"Oh yeah, yeah, that's right." Puck told him. "Yo Mike! Look who grew up over the summer."
"Hey!" Mike said as he caught up with them. Greeting Puck and Finn.
"Yo be honest with me, you work on any houses? Any private homes?" Puck asked Finn.
"Yeah, a couple." Finn replied smiling.
"Did you tap some cougar ass this summer?" Puckerman asked smirking.
"You know what, I think that's more a fantasy for your wank-bank Puck." Finn told him smirking as he left the two teens. "I'll see you guys soon."
"Peace out brother." Puck just laughed and smirked as he turned to Mike. "Totally did it bro. He totally did it." Mike just laughed and they both left to their classes.
Brittany and Rachel were heading out from the office. "So I usually start off my my tours with a little history and context." Brittany began, while they both walked down the hall. "Lima High, first opened its door in 1941 and..."
"And hasn't been redecorated since. Apparently." Rachel said as she looked around the school. "Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town."
"Uh huh." Brittany replied. They both giggled.
"So what are the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" Rachel asked.
Kurt caught up and answered. "A strip club called the Ho Zone, and tragic gay bar called Innuendo. Friday nights, football games and then tailgate parties at the Mallmat parking lot. Saturday nights is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou, and you better get there early, because we don't have reserved seating in Lima. And Sunday nights... Thank God for HBO."
"Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel." Brittany began to introduce. "Rachel's new here, Kurt is.."
"Gay. Thank God. Let's be best friends." Rachel finished off as she shook hands with Kurt.
Kurt smiled "Is is true about your dad?" He asked in all seriousness.
"That's he's the devil incarnate?" Rachel began to get defensive. "I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Kurt and Brittany looked at each other and then looked at Rachel in pity. Rachel began to get mad. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Lima High." She snapped as she walked away.
"What?" Kurt asked a little confused at her remarks.
Finn walked into an auditorium where he heard three girls practicing singing. Mercedes and the Pussycats. Mercedes was the first one to noticed him and she stopped the Santana and Tina.
"Excuse me, this is a closed rehearsal." Mercedes told Finn.
"I'm sorry.. I.. Mercedes right? I was hoping, I could talk to you about some songs I wrote?" Finn began to say.
Mercedes stood up and walked towards him cutting him off. "Let me stop you right there. You're staring at our pussycat ears, which is rude. But let me break it and then down for you. The Pussycats are building a brand, creating a signature look, okay? We're telling a story. Last year we won Lima County's Battle of the Bands."
"That we did." Santana Lopez responded.
Mercedes smiled and pointed her finger back to Santana. "That we did. We'd like to build on that success, continue telling out story with songs we write."
"I get that. It's just.." Finn began.
"Read my glossed lips, Justin Blond-ieber. Not. Gonna. Happen." Mercedes said as she waved goodbye to him.
Finn sighed and nodded and left.
"Oh, and of course there's the Back to School semi formal dance this weekend." Kurt said as him, Brittany and Rachel walked.
Rachel spotted Finn and grabbed Brittany. "Oh, there's the hottie we were with last night. The blonde-headed Ansel Elgort." Rachel said. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"No, he's straight." Kurt answered.
"No, we're just friends." Brittany said. Kurt and Brittany looked at each other and smiled.
"In that case, mind putting in a word. I've tried every flavor of boy but yellow." Rachel said.
"Actually to clarify. Brittany and Finn aren't dating but they are endgame." Kurt informed Rachel.
Rachel smiled at Brittany. "You should ask him to the semiformal then." she told Brittany.
"She should, but I heard it might be cancelled. Because of what happened to Sam. They are going to tell us at the assembly." Kurt informed them
Rachel looked at both of them confused. "Who's Sam and what happened to him?" she asked them.
Brittany and Kurt looked at each other in seriousness and then looked at Rachel.
"Thank you for that moment of silence." Quinn Fabray began. "Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and everyone of you meant the world to Sam." Rachel looked and Brittany and looked back to Quinn. While Artie Abrams looked up from his computer and glared at no one and went back typing to his computer. "I loved my brother. He was and always will be my soul mate. So I speak with the confidence only a twin could have." Finn caught the eyes of the music teacher Holly Holiday and they stared at each other immensely. "Sam wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Sam would want us to move with our lives. Which is why I asked the school board not to cancel the back to school semiformal."
Everyone began to cheer and Quinn continued. "But rather to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you all." she finished.
Everyone cheered but Finn ignored them all and continued to focus on Ms. Holiday as he remembered what they did during the summer. Ms. Holiday was the first one to look away, and when it was time to leave she hurried out the door.
"Ms. Holiday. Hey." Finn said as she stopped her car right next to him.
"Finn." she greeted. "What are you doing walking in this heat?"
"Uhm. Building character." Finn responded as he laughed. Ms. Holiday laughed too.
"Do you want a ride?" Ms. Holiday asked. Later on the night they were making out and doing it.
Finn ran to catch up to Ms. Holiday and he called out for her. "Ms. Holiday! Ms Holiday! Holly." he called out.
That finally got Ms. Holiday attention. "What can I do for you Mr. Hudson?"
"Can we talk Ms. Holiday. Please?" Finn asked.
"It depends. About what?" Ms. Holiday told him.
"You're the music teacher. Can we talk about music?" Finn asked her.
"Of course, make an appointment. During my office hours, my official office hours." Ms. Holiday told him and walked away.
Finn sighed and watched her as she left.
Christopher Hudson walked into his office and noticed Shelby Berry.
"Shelby Berry." Christopher said as he chuckled he walked towards he and putting his construction work hat down and sat on his chair. "Well my day just got a lot more interesting."
"Hello Christopher." Shelby said. "How are you?"
"Surprised. Can I can get you anything? Would you like water?" Christopher began.
"A job." Shelby quickly responded. "I saw on your website that you are looking for a seasonal hire, someone to help with the books?"
"Yeah, my guy's on paternity leave." Christopher responded.
"You know I think my daughter's going to school with your son, isn't that funny? We'll have to tell them that we knew each other that we even dated for a little. Well, at least until I..." Shelby began to say.
"Chose the rich kid." Christopher finished for her. "And now a reversal of fortune."
"How's Carole doing?" Shelby asked, ignoring what he had said.
"Still in Chicago. We split up. We're civil." Christopher answered. "How about you? How are you holding up? Really?" he asked her.
Shelby chuckled and looked at Chris. "I have a little money saved. I was praying that someone in Lima, maybe an old friend, would be willing to give me the benefit of the doubt." she told him.
Christopher sighed and looked at her again. "If it were up to me." he began to say.
"Isn't it up to you? It's your company." Shelby told him.
Chris sighed and shook his head. "Well I have clients. I can't very well have Shelby Berry, the wife of Hiram Berry, on trial for fraud and embezzlement, balancing my books. Can I?"
"No, I suppose you can't." Shelby said. She nodded and stood up and left.
Rachel made her way out to the court yard and by the stairs she looked around at the cliques that were formed. She caught Quinn's table. Puck's table and then she spotted everyone looking at her. Rachel sighed and walked towards the table where Kurt, Brittany, and Finn were sitting at. The trio sat that there listening to one of Finn's song. Kurt just looked interested and Brittany looked awed.
"Can I join?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah." Finn answered.
Rachel smiled and set her tray down and sat next to Kurt. "What are we doing?" she asked.
"Listening to one of Finn's song." Brittany answered.
"I thought we were going to have to pretend to like it, but it's actually really good." Kurt admitted. Finn looked at Kurt and nodded.
"Wait that was you singing?" Rachel asked him. "Something you wrote?"
"It's rough." Finn admitted.
"No, it's great." Brittany told him.
"It's incredible, actually, the snippet I heard. Is that your thing? Music? Are you going to do something with that?" Rachel asked. Kurt and Brittany just gave each other a look and then back to their food.
"Yeah, that's the plan." Finn answered. "So how's your first day of school is going? Good?" he asked.
Rachel sighed and turned to them all. "Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought people would be more."
"Obsessed with you?" Kurt finished off for her. "Any other year you'd be trending number one, for sure. This year though, it's all about Quinn trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar role for her role as Lima Highest, bereaved Blonde Widow." he said.
Finn looked up and noticed Quinn walking towards them. He got his stuff together and stood up. "Hey I should go. I got that meeting with Holiday and then football tryouts so." he said as he started to walk away.
"You play football too? What don't you do." Rachel told him. Finn walked away and the three of them faced each other.
"Before you ask, Blue Jasmine, no, she has not invited him to the dance yet." Kurt said.
"Not yet and don't talk about Finn." Brittany said quickly.
"Rachel Berry. I heard whisperings." Quinn came up to their table. Brittany and Kurt shared a looked and then looked at Quinn. "I'm Quinn Fabray. May I sit." she turned to Brittany. "Brittany, would you mind."
Brittany scooted over and ignored Quinn. Quinn smiled to Rachel and continued. "So what are you three hens talking about? Finn's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?"
Rachel looked at Brittany and she shook her head no. Rachel looked at Quinn and smiled. "Extracurriculars, Schuester wants me to sign up for a few." she told Quinn.
"Cheerleading. You must." Quinn told her smiling. " I'm the senior captain of the Cheerios."
"Is cheerleading still a thing?" Kurt retorted.
"Is being the gay best friend still a thing?' Quinn snapped back. She turned to Rachel and smiled brightly. "Some people say it's retro. I say it's eternal and iconic."
"At Spence, I sat at the top of the Elites' pyramid." Rachel began. "I'm in. Britt you're trying out too."
Quinn stared at Brittany's plate and gave a disgusted look. "Of course. Anyone's welcome to try out. But Brittany's already got so much on her plate right now. And being a Cheerio is kind of a full time thing." Quinn looked back up and smiled. "But open to all." She stood and faced Rachel. "Follow me on Twitter and I'll do the same. My handle is QuinnBombshell" she said and walked off.
The trio sat there as they watched Quinn walk away, Rachel rolled her eyes and face Brittany. "Okay. Go ahead, and hate on cheerleading but if Hipster Prince Harry..."
Brittany cut her off smiling. "I'd love to be a cheerleader. It would look great on my college applications. But last year, when I tried out, Quinn said I was too fat." she explained.
"Too season 5 Brittany Draper." Kurt told Rachel. But he looked up at her and bashfully smiled. "It was a great line but not at all true." he told her. Brittany smiled.
"Well, you're a total smoke show now. I mean it." Rachel began to tell Brittany. "As hot and as smart as you are, you should be the Queen Bey for this drab hive." Brittany smiled at Rachel. "Look if you want to be a Cheerio, I'll help you prep. I have moves."
"Okay, you know what? Show me your moves." Brittany told Rachel.
Rachel smiled and Brittany smiled at Kurt.
Finn was currently looking Ms. Holiday as she hearing his song. Ms. Holiday took off his headphones and handed his phone back to him.
"They're, very real. Very personal." Ms. Holiday told Finn.
"I took your advice and wrote them down. Polished them. But I was wondering maybe you can help me." Finn asked.
"With what Finn?" Holiday asked a little nervously.
"You went to Julliard, Ms. Holiday. There is no one else in Lima I can take lessons from, believe me I've looked." Finn asked.
"Well I don't think this is a good idea." she started to whisper. "I don't think we should be alone together." she told him. Finn just sat there staring at her in disbelief. "If this is you trying to restart something that never should've started in the first."
"No, it's not. It's about the music." Finn explained. "But it's also." Finn sighed. "Come on, I need to be able to talk about what happened with someone. We heard what we heard and we didn't do anything. We didn't say anything." he said in a pleading voice. Remembering the gunshot they heard at the Ottawa River.
"We heard fireworks." Ms. Holiday told Finn.
"Who's lighting up fireworks at 6:00 in the morning?" Finn asked her.
"How would we explain why we were together at Ottawa River at 6:00 a.m. on the Fourth of July." She retorted back to him. "And you're right. We didn't say anything. We're both going to have to live with that choice. Do you understand? I think you should pursue your music, but not with me." Ms. Holiday said and left the room.
Finn watched her walk away and sighed out.
"We're Red! And White! We're dynamite! We'll take you down and fight the fight!" Rachel and Brittany cheered.
"Whoo, go Titans!" Rachel cheered.
Quinn sat on her chair with two other Cheerios. "Hmm. Ladies, where the heat? Where's the sizzle?"
"Well you haven't seen our big finish yet." Rachel told her. She turned to Brittany and whispered to her. "Don't freak out. Just trust me."
Brittany looked confused and Rachel leaned in to kiss her. They both kissed, while Quinn rolled her eyes and handed her clip chart to the other Cheerio.
"Check your sell by date ladies. Faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994." Quinn began. "So let's see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition." Quinn turned to Brittany and started to ask her questions. "Brittany, how's your sister doing?"
"Polly's fine. Thanks for asking." Brittany answered. Looking rather uncomfortable.
Quinn turned to Rachel and started again."Rachel, has Brittany told you about her sister yet?"
Rachel faced Brittany and turned back to Quinn. "Uhm no."
"Go ahead Brittany. Tell Rachel about your sister and my dear brother." Quinn demanded her.
"Polly and Sam dated." Brittany began.
"I wouldn't call it dating." Quinn scoffed.
"It didn't end well." Brittany said again.
"In fact, Sam's probably the reason why your sister had a nervous breakdown and now lives in a group home, isn't it?" Quinn sneered.
"That's what my parents think." Brittany interjected.
"What do you have to say about that Brittany? Go ahead the floor is yours. Whatever you've been dying to spew about Sam and how he treated Polly unleash it." Quinn sneered. Brittany began to clench her hands, digging very deep. Rachel took a noticed and paid attention to her hands, while Quinn continued. "Destroy me. Tear me a new one. Rip me to shreds. Annihilate me."
"I just." Brittany began. She un-clenched her hands and Rachel noticed they were bloody. She frowned at that.
"Finally." Quinn said.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened to Sam. I can't even imagine what you and your family are going through." Brittany told her.
"Right." Quinn said. She looked up and smiled. "Rachel, welcome to the Cheerios. Brittany better luck next time." she spat.
"Wait, what? Why?" Rachel said. "Because you couldn't bully Brittany into being a bitch?"
"I need girls with fire on my squad." Quinn told her.
"I know what you need, Quinn, because I know who you are." Rachel began to say, bringing out her ice queen bitch attitude. "You would rather people fear than like you. So you traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you never been held accountable, but I'm living proof! That certainty, that entitlement you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last." Rachel said pointing out facts, as she stalked towards Quinn. "Eventually, there will be reckoning, or maybe that reckoning. Is me.
"Brittany and I come as a matching set. You want one you take us both!" Rachel spat. Brittany looked down biting her lip and gave an amused and looked back up. Rachel now in front of Quinn glaring at her. "You wanted fire? Sorry QuinnBombshell. My specialty is ice." Rachel sneered.
Quinn looked at her, with glassy eyes, and staying quiet. Rachel just glared down at her, daring her to refuse her and Brittany.
The whistle rang loudly, as Finn ran up to the sidelines to get some water, he watched as he heard Coach Adams yelling out the plays to his football players. He was resting for a bit when he got called. "Hudson!"
"What's up Coach?" Finn said as he jogged up to him.
"Here." Coach Adams said throwing him a football jersey. Finn looked at the jersey number and looked shocked.
"This is Sam's number." Finn told her.
"It's yours now." Coach told him as he looked at his team "Usually sophomores they only play JV. This year we've got an open spot in varsity. From what you've been showing us, well I want you to fill it." Coach told him.
"Varsity's got longer practices, More away games." Finn began to say.
"Yeah, bigger commitment, yeah." Coach said.
"Well I need to think about it Coach. I.." Finn began to say.
"Oh? What you got something better to do?" Coach Adams told him.
Finn sighed out. "My dad's company. It's our family business, and he's sort of counting on me to help after school, on weekends." he explained.
"Hold up." Coach said. "Puckerman hold the ball!" He yelled. "You know what, why don't you sleep on it. Let's go. Bring it in guys. Come on."
Finn sighed and followed.
Rachel was helping Brittany zip up her Cheerios uniform. Brittany turned around and they both giggled. The white long sleeve undershirt. With the red and white cheerleading shirt and skirt.
"Perfect. Very Brittany Draper, season 1." Rachel told her, smiling at her.
She turned around and checked her outfit before Brittany tried to get her attention.
"Rachel." Britt began to say. "Why did.. why did you defend me? I know the crowd you ran with in New York. Why are you being so. Nice?"
Rachel and Brittany were walking outside where football practice was going when she finally talked.
Rachel sighed. "When my father got arrested, it was the worst thing ever, all these troll started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and e-mails, saying that my dad was a thief , my mom was a clueless socialite, and that I was the spoiled rich bitch princess" Rachel turned to her and sighed. "And what hurt the most about it was, the things the trolls were writing were true.
"I was like Quinn, I was worse than Quinn. So when my mom said were moving to Lima, I made a pact with myself to use this as an opportunity to become maybe, hopefully a better version of my self." Rachel finished explaining.
"That's a lot of pressure." Brittany told her. Rachel stared at her and Britt sighed. "When Polly and Sam got together, it mean everything to her and nothing to him and, things got super intense and toxic and my mom turned on Polly. Said that Polly wasn't her daughter anymore, said all these awful things to her. Sam hurt Polly but it's my mom who broke her."
Rachel spotted Finn and decided to make change the topic. "Finn." She called out.
Brittany stood there trying to formulate words. "What are you doing?" she whispered.
"Slaying your dragons Brittany Pierce. One by one." Rachel told her. Finn jogged up to them. "Hey there Titian." she told him.
"Hey, nice outfits." Finn said complimenting the cheerleading outfits.
Rachel smiled widely. "Brittany here has something she wants to ask you about the back to school dance." she turned to Brittany. "Go on Brittany ask."
"I was wondering if you wanted to come with." Brittany said turning back to Finn. "Both of us."
"Huh?" Rachel asked.
"What?" Finn said.
"It's your first dance at Lima." Brittany began to explain to Rachel. "You should have someone to go with even if it's just a friend."
"I mean, I'd love to." Rachel said.
"I'm not really in the head space for a dance." Finn told Brittany.
"Oh. That's okay" Brittany told him softly, a little disappointed.
"Totally unacceptable Finny, We need an escort." Rachel began to say. They both turned to face her. "Take a break from being a musical genius and come spend a blissful evening with not one, but two newly-minted Lima Cheerios. We'll text to you time and place."
Finn just smiled and laughed a little. "Okay, yeah. Okay."
Brittany and Rachel said bye to Finn and took off. The girls watched him go, and then turned to each other and giggled and left to their own home.
Brittany had her music in her room and she was dancing around, going from mirror to mirror.
Whitney appeared by her daughter's room and turned off her music. "What is that?"
"I made the cheerleading squad." Brittany told her.
Whitney gave a disapproved look. "Quinn Fabray's cheerleading squad? After what Sam did to Polly? No. I'm sorry. I won't allow it. Take that off right now."
"No." Brittany told her mother.
"What did you say to me?" Whitney asked her daughter.
"I do everything for everyone. Everything! To be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect student. Can't I do this one thing just for me?" Brittany told her mom as she walked around her.
"Wait." She began to tell her daughter. "Where are you going?"
"To buy a dress. Because guess what? I'm also going to the dance with Finn. And Rachel." Brittany stated.
"Wait. Shelby Berry's daughter?" Whitney asked.
"She's actually really nice. And trying to be a good person." Brittany said.
"You think so?" Whitney began to say. "You think she's going to be your friend? Let me tell you about something. Girls like Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry, they don't like girls like us."
"I don't want to hear it mom." Brittany snapped at her. "It's happening. I'm going" She grabbed her purse and took off, almost storming off.
Shelby had walked in to her apartment looking devastated with Figgins helping her out.
"Thank you Figgins. As always, you're a godsend." Shelby told him.
"Happy to help, Mrs. Berry." Figgins told her smiling.
"Unlike the rest of Lima." Shelby said under her breathe.
"Hmm, what was that Ms?" Figgins asked. Shelby waved him off and smiled at him. Figgins nodded and began to leave. "Oh. A spot of good news. The car service found and dropped off your missing bag." he told her and left.
"Missing bag?" Shelby asked to herself confused. She walked up to the bag and opened it and saw the big amounts of cash. "Oh Hiram. What have you done." Shelby whispered.
Finn was sitting out on his porch, strumming his guitar, thinking of what more songs he can write.
Christopher walked out to the porch and Finn turned to him and put his guitar down.
"I, uh. I got a call from your coach today." Chris began. "He's under the impression that you can't play varsity football, because I'm making you work for me. Which is odd, because you made it seem like you couldn't work for me because you were playing football."
Finn looked down and his dad continued talking "So my first question. Who are you lying to? Me or your coach?"
"Neither." Finn responded. Chris looked at him and he sighed. "Both. Dad. I want to study music, I want to write music."
"Football takes you to college. College take you to business school. Business school." Christopher began to say.
"Takes me back here. To work for you in Lima." Finn finished off for him.
"Not for me. With me. And eventually for yourself son. The company will be yours." Chris told his son.
"No disrespect dad. But I don't want it." Finn admitted.
"Three months ago, you did. What happened?" Chris asked
"I've changed. Everything changed. This summer." Finn began to admit.
"This summer what?" Christopher asked his son. Finn sighed and shook head. "That's it? We don't talk anymore?" He told his son.
"Dad." Finn began to say.
"I would never force you to play football. I don't care if you play football. And you don't have to work with me or for me, ever again. But advice man to man? These decisions that you're making now, son, they have consequences. They go on to form who you are. And who'll you become. Whatever you decide, be confident enough in it that you don't have to lie about it." Chris told his son.
Finn dropped his head as he heard his dad go back inside. He sighed and looked up at nothing.
Rachel, Finn and Brittany walked up the gym of the school looking around at the decoration. Rachel let go of Finn's arm and took a step ahead and turned to them. "Well it's not the Met Ball." she said.
"Hey, when do you have to let Coach Adams know about football?" Brittany asked.
"This weekend." Finn answered her.
"Guys, can't we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/artist? Can't we in this, post James Franco world, be all things at once?" Rachel asked. Finn and Brittany looked at each other and back at her.
"I've been working on it Rachel." Finn told her.
Rachel smiled. "Work faster. I'm getting punch." she leaned a little closer to Brittany and whispered. "You got this."
They watched at Rachel took off. Brittany turned to Finn stood in front of him. "It's about following your heart. right? What does your heart say? Music or football?"
Finn looked at her and then up and caught Ms. Holiday's gaze. "Britt, will you give me a minute? And I promise when I get back, I'll be much better date, okay? I got a plan." Finn said taking off.
Before Britt can react Kurt came up to her. "Britt, you will not believe who just propositioned me in the bathroom. Give you a hint. His name may be Mike, but I'd describe a certain appendage of his as horse like." Kurt told her.
Brittany looked at him like if he was mental, while Kurt looked amused.
Finn walked up next to the snack table and turned to Ms. Holiday. "Don't panic, I'm not stalking you."
"Finn, didn't we have a deal?" Ms. Holiday asked him.
Finn let out a small snort and went to sit next to her. "No, Holly. We have a secret. Multiple secrets, actually. And maybe we could've done something to help Sam that morning, or maybe we couldn't have. And I won't tell anyone anything, but you need to help me." he explained to her. "This summer, the only thing that kept me sane was writing these songs. So here's my not so indecent proposal. I want to do an independent study with you, as you can spare, and I swear that's all it'll be. And I won't tell anyone about July Fourth ever. Deal?" he asked her.
"Monday, Wednesdays, Friday, 7:30 a.m before first period. I'll set it up and see about getting you credit." Ms Holiday said as she left Finn.
Finn smiled and walked his way back to where he left Britt. He made his way back when Quinn came up, and Mercedes and the Pussycats were setting up their set.
"Good evening friends. As honorary chairperson and de facto queen of tonight's semiformal. It is my great pleasure, to introduce this evening's entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night Sam and I were conceived. This one's for you Sammy." Quinn finished off. Kurt was being dragged off by Rachel, and waved at Mike who was spiking the punch with Puck.
Finn caught up with Britt and smiled. "Sorry about that."
"I give you Mercedes and the Pussycats." Quinn introduced. Everyone cheered and began to pair off to dance.
"Wanna dance?" Finn asked. Britt smiled and nodded. Finn wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck
"Yeah." she replied. "Did that go okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, yes. I'll study music with Ms. Holiday before school, football practice after school, and work with my dad on the weekends." Finn told her. Britt smiled. "It's going to be nuts"
"So long as you don't give up your passion." She laughed. Finn smiled and they continued to dance. Brittany turned her head and saw Kurt and Rachel dancing, motioning her to ask him out. She smiled and turned back to Finn. "Uhm, now that I am a Cheerio, and you're going be on the varsity football, I have this fantasy of us being a power couple. Or maybe even just a couple."
Finn stopped dancing and stared at her. "Britt."
"Is that so impossible to imagine." Britt told him as she let him go. Finn just stared at her in disbelief and looked back up to Ms. Holiday. She just looked away from him. They separated and joined in applauding the band.
Quinn noticed the couple and started to smirk. "Make sure those two turtledoves come to my after party. Rachel too." she told her two minions. "I'm in the mood chaos"
Rachel, and Britt were sitting in the couch at Quinn's place. Puckerman was there shouting things a little drunk already. Finn was standing up, and just staring at everyone. Quinn came in, with a bottle in her hand.
"It's game time at Chez Fabray, kiddies." Quinn said. "We're going old school tonight. Seven Minutes in Heaven. Who wants to tryst in the Closet of Love first? My vote is "F" for "Finn" Anyone care to second it?"
"Wait actually." Finn began to say.
"Yes, Hudson! Yes!" Puck yelled out. He laughed and turned back to face Rachel and winked at her. Rachel just rolled her eyes.
"All right. Gather round kids. Let's see who's riding the blonde stallion tonight." Quinn said smirking. She spun the bottle and it landed on Rachel. Rachel looked up at Finn and at Britt and frowned.
"Oh! No way." Puckerman laughed out a little drunk.
"It's clearly pointing to, the new girl. This should be fun." Quinn said smirking at Rachel.
Rachel glared at her. "I'm not doing this."
"That's up to you. But if you don't, house rules decree the hostess gets to take your turn." Quinn said. Rachel looked at Britt with so much regret. Britt just looked at Finn and looked back down.
Rachel and Finn were in the closet and they both sighed.
"I know her brother died and everything but. Quinn Fabray truly is the antichrist." Rachel told Finn.
They both laughed.
"So uh, do you miss New York?" Finn asked.
"It's been less than a week. But yes." Rachel told him.
"Six minutes, twenty seconds." Finn reminded. "Okay, Your turn. Ask me a deep, probing question to kill time." he told her.
Rachel laughed and nodded. "It looked like you and Britt were having fun at the dance." Rachel began to say.
"Definitely. We've been best friends forever." Finn responded. "My turn."
"I didn't ask my question yet." Rachel cut him off. "Is that all it is? Just friends?"
"We're not just friends, we're best friends." Finn corrected her. Rachel just chuckled and nodded. "My turn. Did you have a boyfriend in New York?"
"No. My turn." Rachel answered. "Could it ever possibly become something more?"
Finn looked at her confused. "Are you asking for Brittany or yourself?" he asked her.
"For Brittany, and you didn't my question." Rachel answered.
"I have never felt, whatever it is I'm supposed to feel with Britt." Finn admitted.
"Have you felt it, though? With anyone?" Rachel began to whisper and took a little step closer.
"Yeah. This summer. Have you?" Finn asked her back.
"Maybe once." Rachel admitted. She smiled and pointed his chest. "You are a little more dangerous than you look, aren't you? All boy next doorish." she told him.
"You have no idea." Finn told her stepping closer to her.
Rachel looked up and looked at his lips and back into his eyes. "Your turn. Ask me a question Finn." she whispered. "Ask me anything you want. We shouldn't do this."
"We definitely shouldn't be do this." Finn said.
They both leaned closer and kissed for the next minutes.
When they both got out the closet everyone was there except Brittany. Rachel gasped and got mad at herself for doing a bitchy move. Puck whistled at them both and smirked.
"Nailed it." Puckerman said.
"Where's Britt?" Rachel asked.
"She spiraled and fled. Between us, she's a lot more high strung that she looks." Quinn said smirking.
Rachel glared at her and took a step forward. Finn grabbed her by he wrist. Rachel glared at her once again.
"You shady bitch." Rachel sneered and walked away, with Finn following behind her.
Quinn just gave a puppy look and then smirked turning back to her guests. Finn tried to catch up with Rachel by the stairs. She called Brittany and she didn't answer, angrily hung up and put it in her bag
"Crap. Brittany's cell is off." Finn told her.
"I'm getting an Uber." Rachel told him.
"Can I come with you? We should probably try to find her." Finn asked her.
Rachel stopped and turned to face him. "Believe me. The last thing Brittany wants is us tracking her down together." She groaned. "We messed up." she took off and Finn just stared at her.
Rachel walked into her home and walked up to where her mom was sitting at. Shelby looked up at her daughter. "Hey, you're home early. How was the dance?"
Rachel just smiled a little. "It was fine. I mean it's not the Met Ball or anything." Rachel admitted. She sat next to her mom and laid her head on her mother's lap.
"Tell me about it. You can cheer me up." Shelby told her.
"I'm super tired Mom." Rachel told her in a weak voice.
Shelby noticed and frowned at her daughter. "Is everything okay?" Rachel said nothing and stared blankly ahead. "Rach, what is it?" Shelby asked. She just played with her hair and left it like that.
It was midnight, and my old friend Finn Hudson, arrived at the one place in town that was still open.
He was looking for the girl next door.
Instead he found me
Finn walked in Pop's Diner and looked everywhere for Brittany and instead found Artie Abrams. Finn turned and walked up the counter to Pop.
"Hey Pop, Britt hasn't come in tonight hasn't she?" Finn asked Pop Tate.
Pop Tate shook his head no and nodded towards Artie. "Nope. Just the night hawks in tonight." he told him.
"Thanks." Finn said. He went to walk where Artie was sitting at. "Hey, can I sit, Artie?" Finn asked.
"If you want." Artie replied.
"What are you working on?" Finn asked as he sat down.
"My novel." Artie replied. "It's about this summer, and Samuel Fabray."
"Seventeen years old and how will he be remembered? A captain of the water polo team?" Finn asked him.
"The Aquaholics? Considering how he died. Probably not." Artie replied to him giving him his usual glare.
"No what I mean is." Finn began. He played with his hand and then looked up at Artie. "Was he supposed to do, everything he wanted, I mean did he even know what that was?"
Artie just stared at him and changed the subject "Coach Adams was in here talking to Pop Tate. Varsity. Does that make you, what, Mr. Popular Football God now?" he teased him.
Finn chuckled a little and then became seriousness. "No, in fact, I'm kind of terrified. I lost my best friend tonight."
"If you mean Brittany, whatever happened, just talk to her." Artie told him, looking out the window glaring. "You know it'd go a long way." He looked back at Finn. "Would've gone a long way with me."
Finn stared at him guiltily and nodded.
Finn arrived to Britt's house and paused a little and stared at the house. Britt, opened her door and walked out. Finn took that as a sign and made his way towards her.
"I'm not going to ask what you did with Rachel at Quinn's" Britt began. Finn paused. "But what I'm asking you now, right now, if you love me, Finn. Or even like me?" she asked with tears in her eyes.
"Of course I love you Britt." Finn said taking a step forward. "But I can't give you the answer you want."
"Why?" Britt asked getting annoyed.
Finn sighed. "You are so perfect." he admitted to her. Britt just huffed and a tear ran down her face. "I've never been good enough for you. I'll never be good enough for you."
Britt just stared at him and nodded. She turned around and walked back into her house.
And so, it wasn't one heart that broke that night.
It was two.
And the night was far from over.
Kurt and Mike arrived at the river's edge and got off the car. Kurt was ahead of Mike and was already unbuttoning his shirt.
"For the record I'm not gay." Mike told Kurt following him.
Kurt started to chuckle. "Obviously not Mike, you're on the football team. But if you were gay, what would you like to do?"
"Everything but kiss." Mike answered.
Kurt laughed and nodded. "I love a good closet case." Kurt finally unbutton his shirt and took it off and tried to untuck his undershirt. He turned to Mike and continued on "So, let's start with skinny-dipping and then see what happens?"
Kurt took a step back and tripped and fell. Mike laughed a little.
"Dude are you okay?" Mike asked.
Kurt swallowed deeply and stared at the dead body in front of him. Mike's smile fell at what Kurt was staring at.
"Oh my God it's Sam." Kurt said. "He was shot."
The two teens just stared at the moldy, zombie like body of Sam Fabray and noticed the bullet hole on his head.
By next morning, everyone would be talking, texting and posting about it.
Finn and his dad stared at the body that was currently being taken away, he turned and saw Quinn crying, and then noticed Brittany, with her mom and dad besides her. Finn looked back and saw Rachel with her mom and then he looked at Artie who took off.
We'd be all feeling it.
That the world around us had changed. Maybe forever.
That Lima wasn't the same town as before.
That is was a town of shadows and secrets now.
On Monday, the autopsy on Sam's body would take place.
And on Tuesday, halfway through fifth period, the first arrest would be made.