THE NOTEBOOK (GLEE STYLE)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except this Storyline and plot. Glee (TV Series), I Am Number Four (Movie), Dear John (Movie), The Vow (Movie), The Notebook (Movie), A Walk to Remember (Movie), Touched by An Angel (TV Series), Glee Fan Trailers on Youtube, All Music mentioned all belong to their respective labels and what not.
Rating: M
Warning: Scenes of a somewhat Sexual Nature, Profanity, Bullying. Do Not Read if you're easily offended.
Genre: Drama, Angst, Tragedy
Era: Pre-Post William McKinley High
Ships: Quinn/Rachel, Santana/Brittany
AN: So, just to let you know, when the words are in italics, it will be when the character of Bell narrates to us as the audience.
There will be cut scenes between the present for Bell and the past with Rachel and Quinn; and I will use a page divider for it.
I hope you will enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 1:
October 31st, 2073
Life is what you make it.
It's about the choices in career, in family, in love…everything really.
My friends call me Tinker-Bell. Usually it's just Bell for short. Literally short too I must say, they find it amusing to poke fun at my height, I do not.
I'm almost eighty years old, and I've seen friends come and go, some for a moment in my life and some that pass on to the next life.
I would say that I was no one special, and I suppose in the grand scheme of things I'm probably not.
Sure, I lived a good life, people almost all around the world eventually knew my name due to my career as an actress, but now, in my old age, I'm slowly fading with time. And I'm sure that a few years after I'm long gone, people will eventually forget who I am and I'll just be another name on a page. Or rather, people won't know who I am.
But I am okay with that, it is to be expected. The point is is that I have enjoyed my life for what I did have and I still am enjoying it.
I retired to a lovely lake side retirement home. I have a lovely view that overlooks the lake and I can see the swans, geese and ducks there.
Sunny Oaks really does live up to its name here.
I will say that I married later in life and I had two children who are now fully grown and don't have as much time as they used to for their dear old mother, but they try their best, and I now have three grandchildren who are the apple of my eye.
I do miss seeing them everyday, but there is a reason that I am here at Sunny Oaks; a good medical team for one; but the main reason is that a dear friend of mine lives here too.
Anyway, back to what I was saying earlier, I may just be another person to most people, I may not have a monument named after me, but I do have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (A life long dream come true I must say).
But what it really boils down to, if people were to ask me, and they have; my greatest achievement in life was having someone there to share it with me, that one person I love more than anything else, with all my heart and with all my soul, and if I were to be just another person (and really I am); that would still be enough for me.
Right now though, I'm getting ready to go see a good friend of mine (as I said) who ended up in the same retirement home as I did.
Not that she remembers too much nowadays. It's sad for me, watching her forget things. To see a once brilliant mind that was sought after by many now forgotten by those same people. Dismissed as just another old woman and deteriorating in front of my very eyes; and I know that there is nothing I can do to slow time.
She forgets who I am sometimes; but it can't be helped.
Anyway, what was I saying?
Oh right, I get to go visit her today, I figured perhaps we could just sit together; I'd like to read to her, she always loved listening to good stories so I best get ready.
"Good Morning there Bell," a nurse said to the aging woman walking passed, "You doing well today?"
"Of course, well every day like all days," Bell said with a smile as she waved happily at the staff behind the counter.
As the old woman walked past the dining hall she greeted one of her friends who was in line waiting for his pills.
"Hello Jesse, how are you?" Bell asked as the man turned at her and said in an almost deadpanned and sarcastic tone.
"Well, I keep trying to die but they just won't let me," he said to her.
"I suppose you can't have it all you know,"
He just grunted at her as he took his pills, swallowed them and walked away.
"Big day today," Bell said with a smile as she looked at the nurse behind the counter.
"Oh you say that every day Bell, you're such an optimistic flirt," the nurse said with a smile.
"Don't I know it," Bell laughed as she swallowed her pills and winked at the nurse.
She took the stairwell that would lead her to her friend's room.
"C'mon darling, you'll love to go outside," she could hear a nurse say.
"I, I don't know, no, no, I," her friend stuttered as Bell took a step into the room.
"Hello," she said to the two.
"Oh Bell, I don't know if it's a good day today," the Nurse said to her quietly.
"Hello?" her friend said looking at her.
"Oh, Lu-Lu, this is Bell, she's come to read to you," the Nurse said.
"Read?" Lu-Lu asked as Bell held up the book in her hand, "No, I don't know, I just, not outside, I,"
"But you'll like her, she's funny and quite articulate with her words,"
"We can go to the conservatory," Bell suggested, "It's not quite outside, but has enough light to almost make it seem like it, and the plants are nice too,"
"I guess,"
Bell just smiled.
As the two women entered the conservatory and sat down beside each other on their arm chairs, Bell smiled at Lu-Lu and just said, "Right, so, I have a new book for us today,"
"Today? You say that as if you read to me every day," Lu-Lu said.
"I do, we just finished Alice in Wonderland a few days ago,"
"That's my favourite book,"
"I know, you told me,"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I,"
"It's okay Lu-Lu, I understand,"
"So, I, what story are you reading me today?"
"This is the true story of two young women named Rachel and Quinn," Bell said.
"What kind of story is this?" Lu-Lu asked.
"Kinda like a love story, full of drama,"
"A love story?"
"Yes, it's not going to be one of those romantic ones where they fall in love and rush off to get married, their lives were filled with drama and chaos, and angst too,"
"But, did they love each other?"
"Perhaps, hope you're okay with this tale,"
"It's not usual, and yet, something is so right about it,"
"I'm sure you'll enjoy it, let us begin, the story starts in 1998 at a pre-school in Lima, Ohio, that's where Rachel and Quinn first met each other, it was a meeting like any other really, and yet, it was magical,"
July 21st, 1999
Rachel Barbra Berry was a little girl, literally. She was only four years old (five in December) and excited about starting pre-school. But she was incredibly tiny that sometimes people thought her to be only a toddler.
She resented that.
"Okay baby, slow down," Hiram laughed as he gripped tighter onto Rachel's small hand.
"But Daddy, look, look, we have to go," she said as she pulled her father's hand.
Hiram smiled as he swooped her into his arms and carried her.
"DADDY!" she squealed, "I can walk,"
"I know, but you won't be small forever and I want to hold you for as long as I can," he said as Rachel cuddled into him.
"Oh, okay Daddy,"
"You're going to love pre-school baby girl, you'll meet new friends, have fun,"
"Okay, will they teach me about singing here?"
"No, it's where you'll learn how to read and write, and how to have fun painting,"
"Oh, okay, I like stories,"
"I know you do,"
As the two approached the school, Hiram let Rachel down as she gripped onto his hand, the excitement was all of a sudden gone as she soon realised that soon her Daddy was going to leave her here and she began to feel nervous and scared.
"Hey, I'm right here," he said as he gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Ah, Mr Hiram Berry?" a woman said looking at him.
"Yes, that's me, and this is my daughter Rachel, Rachel, say hi," he said.
"Hi, I'm Rachel Barbra Berry and when I'm big I'm going to be on Broadway," Rachel said confidently.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you future Broadway Star, I'm Miss Calhoun," the woman said as Rachel shook her hand with a smile, "My you have a beautiful smile,"
"Thank you Miss Calhoun, Daddy says that I should smile lots because it's pretty,"
"And he wasn't lying,"
"Okay baby girl, I have to go to work now, okay, your Dad will come and pick you up after school," Hiram said as he knelt down and hugged his daughter.
"Don't forget me Daddy," Rachel said as she hugged her Daddy.
"I will never forget you baby girl,"
"Okay,"
"You be good for Miss Calhoun, okay,"
"Okay,"
Rachel waved her Daddy goodbye as Miss Calhoun held her hand and took her to the play school room.
Rachel put her bag on a hook and made her way to the carpet where the other children were gathered.
"You're tiny," a small Latina girl said to her.
"So are you," Rachel said back.
"Whatever, just so you know, I'm from Lima Heights, so don't try anything,"
"Oh, okay,"
"Santana, behave please," Miss Calhoun said as Santana glared at Rachel and sat down.
"I'm Brittany, I like Unicorns and my baby cat Lord Tubbington, but he's still small, do you like Unicorns?" Brittany asked as she looked at Rachel with her big blue eyes.
"Yeah, I think they're pretty," Rachel said with a smile, "My name is Rachel Barbra Berry it's nice to meet you Brittany,"
"Yay, I like you, you can be my friend, I'm five, how old are you?"
"I'm four, but I'll be five soon,"
"You're tiny,"
"I know, but I'll get bigger,"
"Me too, I hope I'll real tall like my Daddy,"
"Britts, you shouldn't talk to her," Santana said as she folded her arms.
"Why not? She's nice," Brittany said.
"I don't know, but my Daddy and Quinn's Daddy says that we should avoid people like her, the Berry people aren't good,"
"My Daddy said I could be friends with whoever I want and that people are people and you should love them always,"
"Fine, fine, but I wants to look out for you,"
"I know," Brittany said as she linked pinkies with Santana.
As the day went on, it was finally time for recess.
Rachel got up and looked around, most of the kids were together in their little groups, she couldn't see Noah Puckerman anywhere, she wondered where he was.
As she walked slowly around she saw a little blonde girl sitting on her own, she wore glasses and was wearing a sun dress. The girl was looking at a book in her lap as she sat peacefully under the tree, and yet she looked incredibly lonely. So Rachel decided that she'd make her way there.
"Hi, I'm Rachel, what's your name?" Rachel asked the little girl.
"Hi, my name is Lucy, but I like to be called Quinn," the little girl said as she pushed her glasses up her face and looked at Rachel.
"Why are you sitting here by yourself?"
"No one wants to sit with me, they say I'm chubby and weird,"
"I don't think you're chubby and weird,"
"You don't?"
"No,"
"Cool,"
"Are you reading? I like stories, can you read?"
"I'm learning, this is my favourite book too,"
"It has a Dodo on the front,"
"Yeah, he's cool, do you want to read the book with me?"
"Yeah, but I can't read yet, will you read to me?"
"Okay,"
So began that small little friendship.
Every day Rachel would come to pre-school and stay with her friend. They would share each others lunches, Rachel wasn't a Vegan at that age. They would play together almost every day, even after school.
Sure, Russel Fabray did not like the fact that Quinn was friends with Rachel and would closely watch the small brunette when they had play dates; but Judy insisted that she would be fine to hang out with the girl and that perhaps Quinn would influence Rachel well.
She'd never tell her husband that she found Rachel to be a polite and happy little girl and she liked having her around since every time she was, Quinn would light up more than usual.
One day, Rachel gave Quinn a friendship bracelet (that Quinn kept for the rest of her life, not that many people know that); she had spent hours trying to make it for her friend and her Dad, LeRoy, had to help her, Hiram was busy giggling at the two as in their concentration they both had their tongues sticking out as they weaved the colours. Quinn loved the bracelet and would wear it until one day she decided that she'd use it for a bookmark.
And so the days went by, the two friends grew closer, as many friendships do with care, and they were blissfully unaware of what the future held for them. Of course even if they did know about what would happen, they probably wouldn't have cared, they are after all only children. And children have a way of seeing the world that we forget once we reach adulthood.
The long journey ahead was not one they would think about for a few years to come.
Nor were the signs of sadness, pain and betrayal obvious on this road of life.
Rachel was Quinn's only friend for most of Elementary School, but that all changed the day they would enter William McKinley High School as young junior high school students, sophomores if you wanted to be technical, but for the seniors they'd be known as fresh meat. A time when it was "right" to separate the losers from the winners, a time to break apart friendships; to conform the young into a hierarchy system that no one really remembers how it even came into place. It just always was and no one questioned it.
That first day at William McKinley High School was the day that Rachel lost her childhood friend.
October 31st, 2073
"This sounds like a good story," Lu-Lu said to Bell, "But it sounds like it'll be sad too,"
"It will be sad, but there will be times when it is happy," Bell said as she closed the book.
"I'm glad you came to see me Bell, I've been wondering if I have any friends,"
"You'll always have a friend in me,"
Lu-Lu smiled as she and Bell got up and went to have dinner.
"Do Rachel and Quinn fall in love with each other?" she asked, "I mean, I know they're the focus of the story, but you never really said if they do,"
"You'll see," Bell said.
"Please tell me,"
"Well, they started to, but for now, why don't we eat our meal, perhaps we can spend some more time reading after dinner if you are up for it,"
"I would like that,"
"Good, the next part of the story, I guess we can dive right into High School,"
"You won't read me the parts of the Middle School years?"
"Well, the writer of this book left that part out, I guess she wanted to create a bit of a set up, start out cute, then dive right into it,"
Lu-Lu laughed a bit as she began to eat slowly.
Bell just smiled as she began to eat her meal too.