" I can't believe that my entire high school career is gonna end the exact same way it started….just some sad little Jewish girl watching you get all the attention with the pretty blonde cheerleader."
Rachel ran down the hall in tears, she knew she was being selfish, she knew this was ridiculous, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less. The worst part of all of this? Finn felt the same way. He thought she was being selfish and childish and it tore her heart to pieces. Her thoughts were abruptly cut short when she ran right into Puck. "Berry? Where are you goi. Wait why are you crying," He asked stooping down to look into her eyes. Rachel shook her head roughly covering her face with her hands, "I I am going home if you must Noah." "That doesn't tell me why you're crying," he slid his hand under her chin forcing her eyes to meet his, "Come on Berry, us hot Jews gotta stick together babe." Before Rachel could answer she burst into a fresh batch of tears. How did it make any sense that Noah cared more about her than Finn seemed too? Noah pulled her out of the hallway and into an empty classroom, "Hey what's wrong Rachel really talk to me." She shook her head violently as she wiped her tears away roughly making her face red and sore. Puck shook his head and grabbed her forgotten backpack from the floor, "Let's go." Rachel peaked at him from heavy eyelids, "What do you mean let's go?" "It is pouring rain outside and I am not letting you walk home alone to freeze," Puck said guiding her towards the door with his hand on the small of her back. They walked down the hall in silence and before they opened the exit he slid his jacket off and onto her shoulders. They ran to the car and Puck opened her door for her throwing their bags in the back seat and running to his side of the car. "Okay, come on Berry spill the beans, what's got you so down?" Rachel looked up and wiping the freshest tears from her face and stuttered through her explanation. "Finn agreed to campaign for the stupid prom with Quinn and when I told him I was upset about it he told me I was being selfish. He was mad at me like I was the one who had wronged him. After everything that has happened, with NYADA and the wedding and…this was the last tiny piece of happiness I could hope for and now he wants to take that away from me too all because his REAL dream girl wants him back."
By the end of her explanation she was in tears again and Puck had pulled her across the console and into his lap, "Rachel, Finn is my boy you know that and he has helped me out of shit that no one would ever imagine, but he is nowhere near good enough for you. You think you love him, but you gotta face the fact that it was just an infatuation. You believed that he was perfect and clung to the dream of being that 'perfect' girl for him, so when you actually got him you still couldn't see through his crap. If he wants Quinn let him have her. No matter what happens, no matter who doesn't love you, no matter what Finn chooses you will always be a star and you know it," he pulled Rachel's face up and wiped the pads of his thumbs across her cheeks taking the tears with them, "You don't need him, you are going to go to New York, you are going to get into that school, and you aren't going to look back at this hell hole even once." She sniffled again forcing her eyes to meet his, "Th thank you Noah." He smiled shaking his head, "What?" She asked curiously tilting her head. "Nothing babe. Just you're the only one that sees me as Noah. You're the only one that sees me with any redeemable qualities. My own Mom doesn't look at me like you do. When you look at me it's like you don't see all the fucked up shit. You don't see the cougars or juvie or the slushees or Quinn or Beth," he rambled on, "You look at me like I am just any other person, like I matter and I am just really going to miss that," he half-whispered as he tucked a loose hair behind her ear.
She frowned up at him wrapping her arms around his neck tightly without thinking, "Then don't go to L.A. Noah. You know you deserve better than cleaning pools forever. Kurt and I could definitely use an extra roommate while we are in New York. He'll have classes and we'll be lucky if we can both get decent enough jobs to pay for the bare necessities. And I know Dad and Daddy would be more than glad to help, but I don't want to be a constant burden to them. Plus you could go to any number of schools in New York. You are much more talented and intelligent than you give yourself credit for. You may have to wait until the next semester to apply because well a lot of schools deadlines have already passed, but we would love to have you there. And more importantly I look at you the way I do Noah because that is who you are. You ARE a good guy and yes you have made mistakes, but you always try and fix things and even when you can't you still show signs of remorse. You aren't perfect Noah, but no one is.
'You are," Puck thought as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably letting his eyes drop from her for the first time since they entered the car. "I uh…I'm not graduating Rach. I can't pass my European Geography test. I tried I really did I studied every night and I tried to pay attention in class, but I just can't keep up. I can't learn all of this stuff like everyone else is. So I either have the option of being a drop out like my dad or staying here another year. Neither option is looking to good," Rachel frowned and climbed out of his lap before reaching into the back seat for her bag.
'Fuck she's pissed. She's the only one that ever thought I could be anything more than a Lima Loser and I fucking proved her wrong and everyone else right,' Puck thought putting his hands on the wheel. "Look I know you're disappointed, but c'mon please let me drive you home it's still pouring out." Rachel put her hand up to stop him from talking; she grabbed her phone and umbrella before tossing her bag into the back again. "I have to go back into the school, I want you to meet me in the front entrance in 30 minutes," she said, and before he could answer she had already climbed out of his truck and was racing for the school under her umbrella. 'What the hell is going on,' Puck thought to himself and watched her run, he set an alarm on his phone for 30 minutes and reclined back in the front seat. Whatever it was it couldn't mess things up worse than they already were for him.
Inside McKinley High School
Rachel walked in the choir room, set her umbrella on the piano, and walked up to Finn who was sitting behind the drums, idly playing with the drumsticks. "I have one question for you Finn and you have to be completely honest with me," Rachel said as she pulled up a chair next to him. She grabbed his hand in both of hers and looked into his eyes, "If you can tell me right now that you don't and will never have more feelings for Quinn for the rest of our lives together then I will let this prom thing go. But if you can't say that I can't marry you Finn. I can't spend my entire life wondering if you just settled for me, worrying that if she ever truly did ask you, you would run to her in seconds. I have to know I am your one and only…your soul mate. Finn…do you still love her?" Finn dropped his eyes to their joined hands and sighed shaking his head, "I…I can't promise you that Rachel. I love you I do and I will always love you, but I will always love Quinn just a tiny bit more. She was my first love. I don't want you to think I was using you, or that I never truly wanted you," He looked into Rachel's eyes and continued hoping she could understand, "This…us…it meant something to me I will also always love you so much, but I….I know you deserve better. You deserve someone you can give you their heart totally and completely and I just….don't think that's me Rachel." Rachel smiled wiping the slow tears from his cheeks, "I will always love you too Finn, but you want her and you deserve her," she turned Finn's head slowly towards choir door where Quinn sat in her chair tears in her eyes. Rachel stood up and smiled at them both, "I think you two need some time to talk…alone," she walked out of the room and headed down the hallway to Ms. Doosenbury's classroom. She pulled out her phone and dialed her Daddy's number and crossed her fingers. Hiram picked up on the second ring:
Hiram: Hey sweetheart. What's up?
Rachel: Hi daddy. I um well when you and Dad get home tonight we have a lot to talk about.
H: Rachel are you okay? What happened? Where are you?
R: I am at school Daddy, but well…I am okay really Daddy, but I just…I broke off the engagement with Finn.
H: Oh Rachel. My sweet girl, I'll be there as soon as I can. I am so sorry, I hope you didn't do this for me and your father. I know we don't essentially approve of you two rushing into this, but I would rather you be happy than just going along with
R: Daddy I didn't do it for you. I did it for me….listen it's a long story and I promise we can talk all about it, but I was actually calling to see if Noah could come over today. He needs help studying for his last final and if he doesn't pass he doesn't graduate and I just really want to help him Daddy.
H: Oh dear is that why you broke it off with Finn? Do you…you still have feelings for that nice Puckerman boy?
R: What n no of course not Daddy! I just…I want to help him.
H: You know Rachel I think after all this time you have forgotten how close you and Noah used to be…what a cute little couple of kids you made when you were growing up. Of course he is allowed to come over Rachel, and he is more than welcomed to stay for dinner.
Before Rachel could reply Hiram had hung up and she was standing right outside Ms. Doosenbury's classroom. She opened the door slowly and walked into the classroom and walked straight to her desk as Ms. Doosenbury gave her a questioning look, "Can I help you with something Ms. Berry?" Rachel smiled sweetly and nodded as she whispered, "Noah told me that this is the last class that he has a final for. I know you may think he doesn't really care, but he came right to me and asked me to help him study when he realized that he was in over his head, but unfortunately his notes aren't the best. I was just wondering if you have any study guides or anything to help guide me in the direction of how to help him." She smiled up at Rachel and reached in her drawer and pulled out three packets, "I gave these to all the students periodically through the year to fill in; it's the best I can do to help you out. I am glad he went to you for help Rachel. I know he can do better, he just doesn't have the support he needs." Rachel nodded as she grabbed the papers from her hands, "Thank you so much! I assure you Noah will prove his full potential this time around." Rachel turned and exited the classroom walking towards the front entrance as she flipped through the study guides, 'This is perfect, cramming never works, but I know he can do I believe in him. This is going to be a long night," she thought to herself.