Hi, people! For those of you who haven't seen Hair, I encourage you to. There is a movie and though I haven't seen it, it would still introduce the characters. Now for those of you who HAVE seen Hair (the musical), this is set before Claude gets his draft card. Just so you know.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. Except the plot.

Hair

Chapter 1

Rachel

"Berger? Berger, where are you?" A blond girl with clouded blue eyes was stumbling around the lot, swaying slightly. "Berger, you promised." Berger came out and silently watched her. "Who is she?" Claude was very quiet and he seemed uncertain. "Berger, please." The girl's voice cracked slightly as she tripped. "I think, I think that's Rachel." Berger's voice was shocked as he watched her. "Berger, you said. You said that you love the world, that love is above war." She fell to the ground and, shaking slightly, pushed herself to her feet. "Help me, Berger. Please!" Her blue eyes seemed like a piece of glass that had shattered and she kept trembling with cold. "What's wrong, Rachel?" Berger stepped in front of her carefully. "Berger..." Rachel collapsed and then he noticed it. Her gray jacket that she had always worn was stained with crimson. Crimson, red, blood.

"CLAUDE! She's bleeding! Get bandages! Quick!" Claude quickly hurried off and returned seconds later with the required items. Berger quickly yanked open the jacket and lifted her t-shirt and gasped. Deep cuts had been made in her torso and she was bleeding heavily. "Who would do this to a human being?" Claude asked in horror. Berger didn't answer, busily binding Rachel's body with bandages. "How do you know her?" Sheila asked. "She went to my high-school. I remember her because she sometimes stood up for me. I told her after one instance where she beat someone up, that she could trust me." Berger glanced up, looking bitter. "Do you know what she said to me?" They shook their heads. "She told me that they all say that, then they turn their back on you." After that, it was silent. What did one say to something like that? Rachel groaned on the floor and trembled. "Come on, lets get her under cover," Sheila said and gently lifted the girl, mindful of her bandages. Berger stepped forward to help and they went under a small cover.

"So what's the girl like?" Claude asked as he watched her, sleeping peacefully. "Rachel," Berger paused and looked at her before laughing mirthlessly. "She always stood up for everyone, always. She beat kids up black and blue but no one ever caught her doing it. She was like a shadow, and it's impossible to catch a shadow. If you wanted to talk to her, you'd have to put a note on her locker and hope she'd read it. You couldn't find her unless she wanted to be found and even then." Berger shook his head. "She was..." He trailed off. "She's impossible to describe because no one knew her well." Claude gazed at the sleeping body for a moment. "What do you know about her?" Sheila asked at last. "Well, let's see," Berger thought for a moment. "She loves music and she's from Switzerland. She has spunk and doesn't care what people think. She never let the world get her down and she always, always, knew exactly what to say to people." Berger gazed at Rachel for a moment. "Like one time, Nicholas called her a bitch. Know what she said back to him?" Sheila and Claude shook their heads. "She told him, 'You know, for a little while, I thought you had a brain the size of a pea. If it's taken you this long to figure that out, then I need to recalculate. Your brain must be the size of a speck of dust.' " Sheila and Claude burst out laughing. "Man," Claude said gasping with laughter. "That girl's got SPUNK!" Berger nodded, grinning like mad.

"Oi! Let me sleep people." Rachel had stirred and she was gazing at them with bleary eyes. "It's kinda hard to sleep among hyenas that are high on one drug or other." The three looked at her for a moment before utterly losing it for the second time. Rachel grinned before pushing herself upright. "You're mad, girl, you know that, right?" Berger said shaking his head with a grin. "If I'm mad, then what the hell are you, Georgie?" She retorted. As Sheila and Claude laughed at Berger's disgruntled look, Rachel watched them with a slightly confused expression. "Who are you guys?" Sheila blinked and quickly introduced herself and Claude. "What happened to you, Rachel?" She looked at her torso for a moment before looking up with a slightly twisted smile, "Nicholas and Justin happened to me. They wanted to teach me a lesson 'cause I said they were stupid airheads that had nothing in their skull." Rachel shrugged. "Wasn't one of my best retorts but it worked." "WORKED?" Sheila sounded stunned. "Well yeah," Rachel looked at her for a moment, and tilted her head. "Today was just a little rough is all. Now they won't beat someone else up since they've had their fill for today." Sheila looked sick and Berger and Claude didn't look much better. "That's why you came back everyday with fresh bruises! You were protecting everyone!" Berger looked ill. Rachel shrugged again and nodded. "Why?" Claude's voice was quiet and revolted. Rachel's lips thinned and she lifted her chin. "The other loners wouldn't band together. If they did, no one would get beat up. Since they couldn't, I had to protect them. They never knew of course." She turned to look at Berger. "Your little rallies about love... I'm sure I saved your skin thirty times after them." Berger shook his head in denial and disbelief. "You've got to be kidding." "Nope. Want to see the scars?" Without waiting for an answer, she bared her forearms. Deep cuts were on her arms and one of them spelled out, Hippie Lover. Claude now looked seriously sick. "I did it 'cause no one else would. I did it cause I was strong enough to take it. I did it cause it felt right." Rachel caught Berger's green eyes in her blue ones. "If you'd tried to stop me I'd have beaten YOU up." She looked at him sternly. "And if you blame yourself for it George Berger then I swear, you'll regret it!" Her eyes flashed at him. "Are. We. Clear." Berger swallowed hard. "Yes ma'am!" "Good!" Immediately she was all smiles again. "Now, where am I exactly?" "Central Park," Sheila answered. "Central Park? You people live here?" "Yep!" Berger said with a puppy-like enthusiasm. "Okay. Central Park." Her hands twisted a bit. "Do either of you mind if I... If I hang around a bit? I don't got no where else to go." Berger blinked and looked over at Claude who looked at Sheila who answered. "Sure." "Thanks." Rachel smiled at them and sank back into the mattress and slept.