AN: During Sophmore year...
Five Days in the Fish Tank
"Mr. Puckerman!" The teacher calls out to me.
"What?" I look up to the teacher annoyed as hell.
"Will you pay attention to what I'm trying to teach to you!" He says giving me a glare. The overheads on, so you can see the light and dark spots on his face. And a overhead? Those are like old right? Ancient even. But this is Lima, Ohio.
"I am!" I snap back!
"Well come up and show the class how to do this problem," he says with a smile, knowing I will make a fool out of myself. Asshole.
I stand to my feet and walk down my aisle. I knock over some high achievers books. I mean it's Pre-Algebra what's there to achieve? He's only a freshman so he must be really smart or something. I look over the students in their desks when I reach the front of the class room. Nothing but Puck heads, all Hockey players.
"Well?" the teacher says shoving me to the overhead.
I look on the clear sheet of plastic that's placed over the light that make's it reflect it onto the board so everybody can see. I see the question, simple really. But I act like I'm thinking really hard, even scratching my head with the erasable marker. Then I act like I got the answer and scribble down a answer. I first write down a eight like a snowman without a head in big letter. Then put a equal sign next to the eight. Last I write down a three next to it.
"There!" I says.
The teacher watches from the back of the class looking closely. Finally they get what I'm going for and crack up laughing. If you look enough you'll see a Penis drawn sideways. It doesn't really look like a Penis but for the teacher is does because he sends me into the fish tank.
Fish tank- is a windowed office where two classrooms connect. So there is a door on each side of the glass office.
The teacher tells me to gather my things and go to the windowed office. I march to my desk proudly and pick up my things and turn around to the office. Some of the hockey players even high five me. I smirk at all of them and enter the fish tank. I drop my books on the desk that faces the classroom it runs across the office. My chair is quite comfortable so I slump into my chair and fall asleep.
When I wake up nothings changed, it even seems that the clock hand didn't even move a inch. But I feel someone else in the room. I turn my head to the right and see a girl and not just any girl, Rachel Berry.
"where you come from?" I ask roughly, looking at the girl.
She turns from whatever she was doing and looks at me. She see's my face and returns to her work. "I came from my mother and father? Where did you come from? A pig? Because your lack of manner's suggest that you are," she comebacks right away while doing some kind of work. She works under a desk lamp because I turned of the light in the office right when I sat down.
"Why are you in here? You don't look like the kind of person who would even interrupt a lesson to go to the restroom?" I ask looking at her ridiculous skirt and sweater that has a colorful owl.
"I have teacher aid this hour. So I am simply grading these paper's for Mr. Schuester," She sighs out while she makes little check marks on every question. "Aren't you friends with Finn Hudson?" she looks up at me.
"Yeah," I say unsure what she's trying to do.
"Well I was right." She puts a forty percent on top of the paper and pulls out another test.
"proves what?" I lift both my feet on the desk and put my arms behind my head.
She lifts her head to see why the desk shook and see's my foot on the table. Her eyes roll and looks back down to the sheets. "It proves that all jocks are dumb as they seem. Finn's a good singer and he's chivalrous and all but not the sharpest." Her red pen writes out a ten percent on the top and 'Nice try Brittney' she adds a smiley face on it. "But I'm still stuck on Mike Chang. He has all A's in every single class," she continues.
"Well you haven't graded my test yet." I smirk.
She digs around in the basket that has the ungraded tests and pulls out a ball of paper. She opens the white paper up and on the top it says Puck!
She quickly goes through the paper and by the time she has finished grading the paper, every question is marked wrong. She takes the red pen to the top and rights zero percent. "You got a lower grade then Brittney. You didn't even get your name right."
My eyes flicker to the top where the typed letters say 'Name' and my name is clearly written there. "My name is spelled right!"
"Okay are you really this bad at spelling too? That reads Puck not Noah," She gathers her papers and walks out the door.
"Wait!" I say trying to stop her but instead I fall out of my chair.
Day two
It's 1:00 and it feels as if I can hear every tick to the tock from the clock above me. The whole room seems it's in slow motion from my eyes. Paper balls fly across the room, spit balls hang from the ceiling, and gum is stuck under the desks. Most of those are my doing but after doing all of that I'm still bored to shit. I place my head on the desk, letting my mind drift to where it wants. My brain goes to Football to somehow thinking about Rachel. My eye lids begin to become heaver til I can't take it and eventually fall asleep. Before My eye lids drop I see Rachel enter the Fish tank with another stack of papers of whatever.
The bell rings which stirs me awake from my dream. Everyone has drained out of the room and are now in the crowded hall way. I gather my stuff and shuffle out of the room, still half asleep. I pass the glass office, and see nothing left except a red grading pen.
Day Three
The school day has been okay, I suppose. I didn't even slushy Rachel today but that's because my Ma cut me off of my allowance and it's the winter so no Pool's to clean. By the time I enter my Pre-Algebra I see everyone in their usual places. The Hockey players in the back and the normal dumb people in the front. I take my spot in the way back, behind a player who has a mullet. I chew my gum as loud as I can annoying the guys that surround me. The bell rings and the rest of the students filter into the room.
The teacher runs in with a book in hand. His glasses are on the tip of his nose; the class gets louder when he enters. "Okay class settle down now," He says trying to motion us to do so. I just laugh and blow a bubble.
Class is half way through and I'm completely and utterly bored. I'm so bored I even talk to one of the hockey players and actually have a conversation with him. Then I look up at as the fish tank room lights up. I look through the posters that hang from the glass walls and see Rachel sitting there by the desk lamp. I try to think of a way to get me in trouble so I can sit in the room with Rachel, Rachel Berry. Then I spit my gum out and in to the guy's mullet who sits in front of me.
"The fuck!" He yells when he feel the spit splatter on his head. I see him reach his head behind him and search for what ever I spit in his hair.
The whole class is looking back at the two of us trying to see what happened. And the nerdy guy in front, the teacher, just stands thinking what to do with me.
I just hope he'll send me to the fish bowl with Rachel. By the time I gather my school papers he has moved from behind the overhead to the entrance of the windowed office holding a referral for me to fill out. I move along the desks, finding my way to the Rachel and the fish tank.
"Mr. Puckerman I thought you were trying today." He shakes his head, full of disappointment.
"Well I did come to this class, that's trying."
"Not enough. Not enough, Puck." The teacher closes the door behind me. I watch him when he leaves me in the office and attends to the class.
"There you go, again." The other person speaks, from behind Puck.
"There you go, What?" Puck asks.
"That Jocks are dumb." She turns her whole body revealing another sweater and a plaid skirt that looks even shorter from her regular skirts.
"We're not all dumb; I'm street smart."
I think she snorts but it sounds more of a squeak. "Yes, that's what college's are going to be impressed with," she says.
"What are you grading today, Berry?" I plop down in the seat next to her.
"Rachel. And I'm doing my homework, today. So if you could can you not ask me so much questions?"
"Sure. I was just going to sext Santana anyways," I lie. I pull out my phone and toy with my phone's settings. I groan when I lose my game of black jack on my phone.
"Gross," Rachel mumbles, but I know she meant me to hear.
I crack a laugh, and let a moan escape my lips. Rachel uses her fingers and plugs her ears, obviously annoyed by me.
"I know you love the sound of me moaning, Berry! Don't deny it!"I yell. I'm sure the whole class is now staring at us. But I don't care and by what Rachel wears I'm sure she doesn't care being stared at.
"Noah! Please that's disgusting and inappropriate," she scoots her chair as far as away from me as possible.
"Rachel! Rachel!" I keep going, and she keeps scooting away. I just laugh in the end, bugging Rachel.
"Please Noah grow up," She fixes her hair and repositions her chair. Her pencil immediately starts scribbling down notes on the lined paper. I keep quiet for a couple minutes playing with Rachel's pencil bag.
"Rachel!" I scream out. This time her lips hint to a smile.
Day four.
My heads pounding and my palms are sweating. What does that mean? I have no idea in heck. But I freak out and head to the nurses office. I begin to realize that Rachel might be the cause of this feeling. Which only makes me even more confused. I mean Rachel Berry?
Rachel Berry.
I calm down and decide that I should skip Math and let my head rest. Because I actually know what I'm going to do tomorrow.
Day Five.
The bell has ran signaling my Algebra class. But I'm still in the locker room getting ready. I have just agreed to sing. Sing in front of people. Any hopefully Rachel, if I can. So I book it out of the locker room as soon as I have got dress. I enter the room with my eyes blood shot, because I got soap in it while trying to hurry up and wash my hair. Everyone stops and drops their pencils staring me down. I see the lights bright up the room beside me. I look and see Rachel sitting down.
"AAA!" I scream while jumping on a desk. "Can I?" I motion to the room.
All the teacher does is nod his head with disappointment. When I enter the room I have a small smile on my face. Rachel's staring at me as if I'm going crazy.
"Why are you acting like a mad person?" She questions.
"I have-" I try to huff out. I'm still tired from running clear across the school. "I- I-"
"You? You, what?"
"Come watch me," I finally say. "Come watch me at the acafella's performance tonight."
"You're singing?" She raises her eyebrow,unsure if I'm telling the truth.
"Yes." I sit next to her. She's wearing shorts and a pink jacket. I smile at the sight of her smooth legs.
"Can you even sing?"
"Yes. I wouldn't if I couldn't"
"Tonight?" She turns her whole attention to me. And all I can think about is her pink plush lips... "Noah!" She snaps her fingers.
"What!" I yell back. "Are you coming are not?"
"Yes!" She smiles.
"Okay," I can't but smile back at her.
I feel the energy from the crowd behind the curtains and I can't help but think Rachel is one of the people seated. I shake my dress shirt, trying to make air between the two.
"O.K boys lets get you to the stage, eh?" the stage manager leads us to the stage. I stand beside Finn while he goes through the dance steps.
"I think I saw Rachel out there. I wonder why she's here? I though this was for the teachers or something," Finn says as he counts off and tries to dance.
"I invited her." I smirk at Finn. He stops and looks at me with a big dopey look.
"Wait why? I'm dating Quinn!" He says getting frantic. I stare at the big oaf and shake my head. "Quinn's going to freak when-
"Okay we are staring in three, two," The stage manager signals us to get into ready position as he counts down. "One." He whispers.
Sandy starts off with his weird ass voice.
Come inside, take off your coat,
I'll make you feel at home
Now let's pour a glass of wine
'cause now we're all alone
I've been waiting all night,
so just let me hold you close to me
'Cause I've been dyin' for you girl,
to make love to me
I find Rachel in the crowd. Her little frame is in the middle of the row. She's covering her mouth with her hand, but I know she's smiling. I find my place and move forward for my part of the song.
Let me take off all your clothes
Disconnect the phone so nobody knows
I point to Rachel. Who still has her hand covering her mouth.
Let me light a candle,
So that we can make it better
Makin' love until we drown
Girl, you make me feel real good
We can do it 'til we both wake up
Girl, you know I'm hooked on you,
And this is what I'll do...
I wanna sex you up
OOO
By the time I get ready and come and see everybody in the audience, Rachel's gone. Everyone come's to me saying how I did an incredible job. And all I'm thinking is get going I need to go see Rachel. I move through the crowd slowly knowing Rachel has left the building already. Eventually I make it out side exhausted by all the singing, dancing, and the small talk with the staff people. I twirl my keys around my index finger and whistle while I walk to my truck which is clear across the parking lot.
"Wow! He can even whistle the song," a voice speaks from behind me. I turn seeing Rachel standing in front of me. I stop the spinning of the keys and the whistle. "You have a nice voice Noah," Rachel says.
"I told you I could sing" I grin showing off my teeth.
"Don't forget those dance moves." she adds smiling.
"Yeah. So how did you like the performance?" I ask looking over to her.
"I liked it. And so did everyone else," she says.
We reach my truck and I stop and look at Rachel. "You know Finn thought you came for him," I say looking at her. I wait for her answer.
"Really?" she says, clearly not believing me.
"Yeah, he was going all crazy on me about Quinn finding out." I chuckle out.
"Well did you tell him that I came here for you, not him?"
"No." I simply say.
"Well you should."
"Rachel that performance and the dance-all of it was for you. You do know that right?" I say suddenly. It surprises her and me.
"Noah if this a joke, I'll...
"No! It's not! I swear, honest." I duck down coming face to face with Rachel.
"Noah-
"Rachel will you just shut up." I say before lowering my head to meet her lips with my own.
Just a little one shot. Hope you liked it :)
