Author's note: First of all, no. I'm not neglecting Not Mine. I just seem to have a writer's block and i just cant bring myself to edit the chapters ive already written for it. I promise it'll all be worth it. Have fun with this story! R&R, AITES?
Glee had never been so boring before. Mr. Shue was still going on and on about the purple pianos and how they'd help recruit new members. Well, Sugar Motta, the one who tried out for Glee, didn't cut it. She barely even let the current glee club members survive through her horrendous audition. It was foul and oddly disturbing to know that someone like her whose personality parallels last year's MVP of Glee, Rachel Berry, couldn't sing a single note.
The pianos won't recruit anyone; they'd just annoy a whole lot of people. Just imagine you had a rough morning, then, the freaking Glee club appears out of nowhere and start singing show tunes, about how the future is going to be splendid. What the club needs, really need, apart from new members, was to get their old members back and Puck had been wrecking his brain for a plan to do exactly so.
So, Sam Evans was definitely out of the picture. He left without telling anyone. What a surprise. Puck thought they were buds but apparently, they clearly aren't, not even bros for that matter. While staring at Mr Shue's hideous vest, Puck got his brain working. He needs Quinn Fabray back, in the glee club of course. With Santana banned from Glee, Brittany has gotten a little out of control, literally. Who else to tame her down but Santana herself? But with her banned from the choir room, Puck realises that Quinn is the immediate fall-back plan. Besides, seeing Finn and Rachel macking on each other, Kurt and Blaine macking on each other, Tina and Mike macking on each other, Mercedes and that other dude from the football team macking on each other right before and after glee, was, well, a little disturbing. Quinn needs in this club to set the club straight by glaring at them or something even worse and Quinn needs to be in this club now!
Sensing a pause in Mr Shue's speech on freedom of speech or something, Puck stood up abruptly, causing his chair to drag against the floorboards and screech its way into everyone's ear. Immediately, every head in that choir room was turned to him.
Clearing his throat, he says, "Erm, I got something to say".
Mr Shue clearly loving the enthusiasm Puck expressed, raised both his brows in excitement and let Puck have the floor.
"That's unfair, I want the floor too!" exclaimed Brittany.
Tina sitting in the front row beside the girl, head-palmed herself.
Ignoring the cheerleader's sudden outburst, Puck continued his path down the steps to the front of the room. He faced everyone, smirked and said, "We all know what the pianos have done to us. They got us into a food fight, caused a fire and well, destruction really but were this all worth it for new members who don't have the guts to turn up and frankly, we don't even know if there are any? Except Sugar, she sucked"
All of a sudden, the club became possessed and the energy level in that room heightened. Everyone, suddenly, had an opinion. It was total chaos and if not controlled, might turn out into another food fight, well, without the involvement of food. Other things, like bottles and music sheets would be the replacement. Mr Shue's brows narrowed, wondering exactly where this speech was heading to.
"I second that!" Rachel screamed.
Kurt rose to his feet and exclaimed, "True! True!"
"Guys, be polite." Mr Shue warned.
"As I was saying, new members are not appearing and since we got Blaine, all we need is one more member."
Everyone nods, even Mr Shue.
"So, how about we forget about them new members and get Quinn back?" Puck suggested.
From his point of view from the front of the class, Puck could see everyone's head bobbled up and down, Brittany sharing a high-five with Tina, Mercedes agreeing with Kurt and Blaine, Finn and Artie smiling triumphantly. Well, everyone was excited, knowing Puck's plan now. Everyone except Rachel. Puck stared at the girl whose head kept moving from side to side, clearly not agreeing with his idea. That's weird. Just last week, the brunette told Puck himself that she did try talking Quinn into returning to Glee. What happened then?
He locked eyes with Rachel and continued, "I mean like, see it from my point of view, if we get Quinn back then we're back to being us. If we don't, we still can get new members, but if we get both, it's definitely our gain, you know?"
"And how do we do that?" Artie spoke up.
Smirking, he suggested, "Use these delinquent excuse of pianos and sing a song for Quinn. In public. In front of the Skanks and everyone else."
Everyone's mouth hanged open.
"What? Are you crazy?" Kurt shouted from his seat. Blaine sensing something wrong with his boyfriend, wrapped an arm around his shoulder trying to calm the boy down.
"The Skanks will skin us alive!" Finn cried.
Shaking her head still, Rachel blurted, "Quinn wouldn't appreciate that."
"I don't think so though. Quinn is a romantic," Blaine said.
"Puck, you're forgetting the fact that Santana got banned," Brittany yelled, clearly not following the conversation thread.
"How do you know Quinn's a romantic?" Mike asked.
Tina turned to look at him and replied, "Who isn't?"
"Touche. She is a romantic then and she'll love grand gestures!" Artie replied.
Mike and Tina turned to look at each other and smiled sweetly. Mercedes, who were sitting directly behind them, made a gagging sound. She turned to her left to whisper something in Kurt's ear and saw the boy smiling the same way as the Asian couple with Blaine. She huffed and turned to her right but decided not too as she predicted that Rachel and Finn would be doing the same to one another, except they weren't. Rachel was still shaking her head, faster now.
Puck saw all this though and he couldn't, for the life of him, know why Rachel was acting this way. Looking back to the whole club, he clears his throat and mentioned, "Look, I don't care if the Skanks will skin us alive. They'll go to juvie, not me. Besides what other chances we have other than getting Quinn back?"
"I've recently talked to her. She said she's never coming back," Rachel said, finally stop shaking her head.
"I know the perfect song to address that. The Script- if you ever come back." Mr Shue suggested despite Rachel's confession.
"Exactly what I was thinking, Mr Shue. Although I only sing songs by jews but that song is perfect for this." Puck replied.
Slumped for being ignored, Rachel sunk deeper into her chair, glanced at Finn staring at her with a worried expression.
"I want Quinn back" Artie exclaimed, capturing back Finn's attention.
"Me too!" Mercedes hollered.
"I want to be friends with her again," Brittany slurred.
Everyone nodded. Rachel whispered "Me too" and thought that no one heard her. She failed to see Puck examining her, catching the movements of her lips. However, he didn't want to be a mood-kill so he smirked and said, "Then it's settled then, we'll sing for her to return. Mission Get-Quinn-Back is a go."
One week later, after all the rehearsing and the sweat and tears, the Glee club was finally ready to perform their number. They crowded around the purple piano they have placed outside of the school campus, on the foot of the stairs that leads them to the eating grounds. Many performances were held there by them and they hoped that this performance will be a memorable one.
"O.M.G, you're nervous," Kurt stated to Rachel. He meant to say it to her but the volume of his voice were a little too loud and now everyone in Glee was looking at the brunette.
"No way." Tina whispered, shocked as this was a first for Rachel. Rachel never gets them butterflies before a performance. This is definitely a weird behavior.
"I'm not!" Rachel retaliates but continues tapping her fingers on the piano.
"Then, why the jittery fingers?" Blaine pointed out.
Rachel looked down at her fingers and saw them tapping relentlessly without her knowing. She then looked down at her own feet and realised that she had been bobbing up and down by tip-toeing every few seconds. Forcing herself still, she looked up to see the whole club looking at her expectantly, for an explanation. She took a deep breath, counted to ten before uttering, "I just seriously don't think she'll appreciate this. I mean look at her. I've never seen her smile like that before."
"Come on, you and I clearly know she'll be happy here, in glee with us," Finn revealed.
All she wanted to do was nod and believe that that boyfriend of hers was right but for the life of her, she just couldn't do so. Quinn said she'll never come back, so why would she? Why would she come back if Glee didn't make her happy? "But she's happy with her friends."
"Rachel come with me for a while," Kurt suggested. he decided that since he is Rachel's best friend that he should at least calm the other diva down. This is absolutely not like her at all to be nervous. She had never been nervous before any performance, why would she now?
"No. I'm perfectly fine the way I am here. I don't need you to give me a pep talk, Kurt. I should be the one giving one to you guys. Not the other way round," Rachel retorted.
Kurt rolled his eyes at the brunette's moment of retaliation. That behaviour of hers really does prove that she is their very own diva. Her foot stomped on the ground, her hands balled up in fists, carefully placed at her sides and that determination in her eyes outshone the fact that she was actually nervous just a second ago and for a moment there, Puck believed her. Puck believed that she was okay until he saw her eyes flicker over to Quinn, who was sitting with her newly-found friends. That determination in her eyes was gone the instant her eyes landed back on Quinn and was replaced by hurt? Anger? Sadness? Sadness. Just plain sadness.
"Answer this for me, are you happy seeing her here?" Kurt asked persistently.
As though caught off guard, Rachel stuttered through her words, clearly knowing that every pair of eyes of the member of Glee club was staring down on her. "Of-of course I am. It- it's good to know that, erm that she's eating. I mean, with all that smoking, it's, erm, good to know that she's... not gagging herself too."
Mercedes nodded, "True, you're definitely right about that."
Kurt folded his arms and huffed, "Well, I don't think you're happy. You'll be happier with her back in Glee."
"Oh, erm, yes, who wouldn't, right?" Rachel said as-a-matter-of-factly.
Mike raised hi hand and stated, "Not me."
Tina looked over to him and smiled before returning her gaze to the rest of the club, "Not me either."
"Well, I don't know her well-enough but I must say, she does seem happier with the Skanks," said Blaine while peering over at Quinn.
"Livelier too," Mercedes whose sight has not left Quinn ever since they arrived there, couldn't help but admit that, maybe, in this parallel universe, Quinn might just be better off without them.
Appalled at the fact that the club was agreeing with Mercedes, Puck hissed out, "Are you guys backing out now? Come on!"
Mercedes' eyes widened at the thought and almost immediately her finger shot up, "Hold up, that doesn't mean that I like her being with them."
"I second that," Artie shouted.
"I don't want to be second," Brittany mumbled.
Before anyone could respond to Brittany's comment, guitar chords were heard. The band had finally set up. At the sound of those chords, the faces of the members of Glee lit up. It was of no doubt how music takes a hold on them.
"Let's do this then!" Puck hollered at them.
As the music starts, the Glee club started swaying, taking their positions at the foot of the steps of the eating grounds outside of school campus. All their eyes were on Quinn. Rachel flashed a smile towards Puck and grabbed Finn's hand. Puck, eyeing her movements, narrowed his eyes on their hands and then, looked up at Rachel. If he were to batt his eyelashes away from her, he would have missed that split second where Rachel's gaze fell carelessly over to Quinn as if demanding Quinn's attention on her. The moment when Rachel looked away and surrendered herself to the music, all the while keeping her hand locked with Finn's, was the moment Quinn looked up away from her food to their performance. Bracing himself, Puck rolled his shoulders and subsequently, losses himself into the rhythm. Quinn senses exactly what is going to happen, stopped eating, pushed her tray away from her and stood up, getting ready to leave.
Finn: 'If you're standing with your suitcase
But you can't step on the train'
Just the moment she stood up, Finn sang his line. Quinn locked eyes with Finn, wondering exactly why he's taking the lead. Well, there's Blaine now, right? Shouldn't he take the lead? And there's absolutely no way this performance is Finn's idea but he is a nice boy, so maybe he'd be the one initiating this? Quinn shook her head. there is no way this was Finn's idea no matter how nice of a boy he is.
Blaine: 'Everything's the way that you left it. I still haven't slept yet.'
Oh, so Finn isn't taking the lead, she smirked. Sitting back down, smilling softly to the Skanks who were glaring at the Glee club presently. Maybe, just maybe, this isn't a performance for her. She locked eyes with Mack for a second but turned to look away; away from Mack and the Skanks, away from the Glee club as well.
Finn: 'And if you're covering your face now but you just can't hide the pain'
Furrows her brows, she glances a look back at Mack and noticed that one of her friend's eyebrows were raised. Quinn raises hers too and looks at Glee club again. The club members are now moving around, spreading themselves, taking as much area as they can cover. Were those words directed to her? Of course, it is, but the timing and the fact that she was trying to hide her face was starting to creep her out.
Blaine: 'Still setting two plates on the counter but eating without 'cha'
With that line being sang, Mike slipped into the seat beside Quinn, mouthing the words to her. Quinn rolled her eyes and stood up. Well, she tried because the instant she did that, Mercedes appeared behind her, pushes her back into her seat.
Mercedes: 'If the truth is you're a liar when you say that you're okay'
Mercedes peered down to the pink-haired girl, singing the words to her with so much emotion, it felt as though those words stabbed her heart. Quinn had the urge to let a tear slip down her cheek but no. No, she will not cry.
Puck: 'I'm sleeping on your side of the bed going out of my head now'
Puck from the other side of the area, sang those words directly to Quinn. If Mercedes didn't make her cry, it hurt her more when Puck sang that line. It hurt her so much to see Puck in such a state; he was so vulnerable and he had never been so vulnerable before, well, except for the time he first saw Beth.
Mercedes: 'And if you're out there try'na move on but something pulls you back again'
With that Mercedes hugged her from behind before she and Mike ran off back to their original positions at the foot of the stairs.
Puck: 'I'm sitting here trying to persuade you like you're in the same room'
Puck sang while running back, glancing at Quinn, trying to get the pink-haired girl to understand everything that he's trying to convey.
Tina: 'And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder'
Tina took a step forward towards Quinn, looked at Quinn with a reassuring smile on her lips. Quinn couldn't take it anymore. There were way too many emotions taking over her body at this instant. She needs to get out of this place before those emotions take over her completely.
Kurt: 'And I wish you could still give me a hard time'
Kurt stepped out of the group as they were swaying at the foot of the stairs. He looks over to Quinn, hoping Quinn would laugh and reminisce of the moments they had together but Quinn didn't do that. She just smirked at Sheila and shook her head from side to side.
Brittany: 'And I wish I could still wish it was over'
Brittany sang those words to Quinn and Quinn for first time during the whole number, smiled. She looked over to the blonde cheerleader and gave her a tiny, tiny smile which made Brittany smile even wider.
Rachel: 'But even if wishing is a waste of time, even if I never cross your mind'
There she was from the back of the group, Rachel emerged singing those words to Quinn. The smile on Quinn's face disappeared instantly. She knew the brunette would be singing but she just was not ready for it.
Glee: 'I'll leave the door on the latch if you ever come back if you ever come back'
Quinn stood up; this time more determined to leave the courtyard.
Glee: 'There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back'
The pink-haired girl slung her bag over her shoulder and smiled at the Skanks, mouthing her goodbye before grabbing the apple she haven't eaten.
Glee: 'There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone'
She turned around and started walking. The only destination she had in mind was in the buildings because her only escape from that courtyard was to enter the campus. She wanted to palm herself in the face. How could she escape the Glee club and Rachel if the only way she can is to actually walk towards them? Shaking her head, she willed herself to just walk out of there without even looking over to the Glee club.
Glee: 'There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back if you ever come back now'
Just as she took two steps towards the Glee club, they dispersed like seeds from a flower, all running either away or towards her. She took a deep breath when she realised that they were all looking at her.
Glee: 'Oh if you ever come back if you ever come back now'
They were all skipping and singing and looking at her. And just as she thought that that was the worst part of the performance, she saw Artie nudging a certain brunette her way. Rachel was hesitating. She could not bring her feet to move. She knew it was her part to sing; it was time for her part in the song. She knew she had to look at Quinn when she sings her the lyrics but her feet just would not budge. Artie, who senses this, pushed Rachel from her fixed position again and the next thing she knew was that she was directly in front of Quinn.
Rachel: 'Now they say I'm wasting my time
'Cause you're never coming home'
The words flowed out of her mouth. Her eyes were locked on Quinn and she could not take them off of hers. Quinn, who was mentally kicking herself, wanted to move, wanted to just LEAVE but she was stuck there, stuck in front of Rachel. When Rachel sang that last word, the apple she was holding slipped from her fingers onto the floor.
Artie: 'But they used to say the world was flat but how wrong was that now'
Quinn wanted so much to move but she could not. It was as though her eyes were roped by Rachel's and if they break contact, the world would explode. It was stupid logic and it was stupid of her for dropping her apple because she could just sense it rolling away out of sight; just like how everything else was fading away out of sight, leaving just her and Rachel in this bubble of theirs.
Rachel: 'And by leaving my door open
I'm risking everything I own'
Rachel's eyes were tearing up. Rachel wanted to wipe at them but she knew she had to close her eyes to wipe them tears away and she did not want to do that. Wiping her tears away would mean breaking eye-contact with Quinn. She could see through her tears Quinn's eyes widening and she hoped Quinn does not see the tears rolling down her cheek.
Artie: 'There's nothing I can lose in a break-in that you haven't taken'
Artie's voice was barely heard. All Quinn heard was the sound of Rachel's tears falling ever-so-slowly down her cheeks.
Puck: 'And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder'
She could not hear Puck. All her senses seemed to not work except for her sight for they were so strained on Rachel's eyes. She restricted her hands from wiping Rachel's tears away.
Brittany: 'And I wish you can still give me a hard time'
Brittany dances over to Santana, singing those words to her. They are adorable, they really are and all Quinn wants was to see that moment of adorableness but she was just, stuck. and she wished she mind but she did not.
Finn: 'And I wish I could still wish it was over'
They finally broke eye-contact. Finn picked up that apple and went to Quinn's right side, offering her the apple in his hands. The sudden presence of Finn in that bubble of theirs knocked Quinn in the head. She looked at the apple and grabbed it but as soon as she did, she looked back over to Rachel, as though apologizing for breaking eye-contact.
Rachel: 'But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind'
And with that, they were back in their own little bubble again.
Glee: 'I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back'
They ignored the rest of Glee club who were rushing back to the stairs. They ignored the throngs of students looking on at the performance. They ignored everything that did not mattered.
Glee: 'There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone'
All of sudden, Rachel was pushed away from her spot by Kurt. Quinn watches on as the brunette was pushed all the way to the top of the stairs, joining the rest of Glee. They still have not broken eye-contact.
Glee: 'There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back if you ever come back now
Oh if you ever come back if you ever come back now'
Eye-contact was still not broken.
Rachel: 'If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
I know you're out there somewhere so just remember this
If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
Oh just remember this, oh just remember this'
Rachel hit a high long note at the end, closing her eyes while doing so. The Glee members looked over to her, narrowing their eyes for a little while. Quinn realised all of this; she realised that that note was not planned. The rest of Glee shrugged it off and some even had that sparkle in their eyes, stating that they liked this improvisation. However, Puck realises something more. He looked over to Quinn and knew something was going on.
Rachel: 'I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back. (If you ever come back)'
Rachel was taking the lead. After hitting that high note, her eyes settled back on Quinn's almost instantly.
Rachel: 'There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
(If you ever come back)'
Rachel's gaze bore into Quinn, more tears were welling up in her eyes. Unbeknown-st to them, Puck saw the exchange.
Rachel: 'There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back if you ever come back now
Oh if you ever come back if you ever come back now'
This was it. She had to move and she had to move at this instant. She tore her eyes off of Rachel's, shook her head twice, took a deep breath before placing the apple in her hand on the table near her.
Glee: 'And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
If you ever come back if you ever come back now'
She counted to three, turned her heels and walked towards the school building. Once she was almost out of the courtyard, Rachel ran down the stairs, leaving the club at the top. The song wasn't even finished yet but she did not care.
"Quinn! Wait! Please!" Rachel shouted as she pushed through the front doors, sprinting down the halls to catch up with the former HBIC.
"Berry, I'm never going back to glee" was the immediate response from Quinn.
Song featured: The Script - If You Ever Come Back