Disclaimer – I own nothing of Glee or the song Concrete Angel. They belong to their respected owners. I do own my original character and the plot. 'Nuff said.
Italics are song lyrics
A/N: Hey – this is my SECOND Glee story! I feel somewhat accomplished. By the year is up, I wanna try to have at least 20 written – either short stories or song-fics.
Summary: AU: Young Finn friends a girl who has been abused her whole life. Based on the song Concrete Angel by Martina McBride. Rated T for mentions of abuse and because I'm paranoid.
Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Rating: T
Six-year-old Sara Adams cried as her parents continued to hit her. She didn't understand why her parents hit and yelled at her all the time.
Sara cried as she made her lunch and put on the same dress she wore yesterday. It was the only clean thing she had – her parents refused to do her laundry – she did it herself. She felt like young Cosette from the story Les Miserables her older sister used to read to her before she was killed in a car accident.
She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holding back
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace
Ms. Maggie – the teacher – has always wondered about Sara's injuries, but she doesn't ask. It's hard to see the pain behind the mask that Sara wears everyday.
"Sara, why don't you sit next to Finn?" Ms. Maggie suggested one day in class. She thought that maybe if Sara had a friend, she would open up a little more.
"Okay." Sara said, moving her things and sat next to a boy who had short brown hair and kind brown eyes.
"I'm Finn." The boy introduced himself.
"Sara." Sara introduced herself.
The two of them vowed to be best friends until the end.
One day, Sara came into class, crying. Finn looked up from drawing and went over to his friend. He hugged her as she cried.
"I wish I was never born!" Sara wailed.
Finn held Sara until she calmed down then the two of them went to color.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Finn asked Sara as he drew himself in a red and white football outfit.
"A ballerina – I love dancing." Sara answered. She looked at Finn's drawing. "Do you want to be a football player?"
"Yeah – I love football."
Sara smiled at her friend and went back to her drawing.
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born
Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved
Concrete angel
"NO DADDY! MOMMY! PLEASE STOP!" Sara's yells pierced the night. Nobody heard the gun go off.
When morning came, Sara was dead.
Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear but they turn off the light
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it will be too late
Through the wind and the rain she stands as hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to
A place where she's loved
Concrete angel
Finn cried as he and his mom, along with the rest of Ms. Maggie's kindergarten class, went to the cemetery for Sara's funeral.
When the funeral was over, Finn got a closer look of the statue. It was in a shady place. The statue had an upturned face and angel wings. Finn looked down and saw her name written on a polished rock:
SARA MICHELLE ADAMS
1985-1991
Finn placed a rose where Sara's name was and exited the cemetery with his mother.
A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot
"Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies
To a place where she's loved
Concrete angel." Sixteen-year-old Finn Hudson sang, feeling tears in his eyes. He was standing in front of the Glee club, singing a song from his heart. Everyone applauded as Finn headed back to his seat.
"Finn, that was beautiful. Was that for anyone in particular?" Mr. Schue inquired.
"Yeah – it was for my best friend growing up. She died when we were in kindergarten." Finn said, feeling his throat close. Everyone, except Puck and Santana, rushed over to hug Finn.
"You didn't tell me about your friend." Rachel confronted Finn after Glee club. Finn was in the parking lot, readying himself to visit Sara's grave – today would've been her sixteenth birthday.
"She died before I knew you." Finn told her, getting into his car. "Hey Rachel, would you want to come with me to the cemetery?"
"Sure." Rachel said, getting into Finn's car.
"She's right over here." Finn told Rachel, guiding her over to where Sara's grave was.
"This is her?" Rachel inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Finn stood in front of the concrete angel and placed a rose on her grave. Rachel watched in silence, knowing that this was an important moment in her boyfriend's life.
"Happy birthday, Sara." Finn whispered as he stood up and took Rachel's hand in his. Rachel stopped and got a piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it at the statue's feet, holding it securely with a rock.
"It's the lyrics to the song that you sang at Glee club." Rachel told Finn as the two of them exited the cemetery.
Finn knew that Sara was somewhere safe, happy and free from harm.
As he drove Rachel home, he could hear his and Sara's first exchange of words as she sat next to him that day in kindergarten.
"I'm Finn"
"Sara."