Graduation Day and Beyond Chapter 1

(Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Part 1 – Commencement

The 2012 Graduation Day at McKinley High School was finally here. It was a day that Finn had looked forward to since he started as a freshman four years ago, but since New Directions and Rachel had come into his life; it'd become a day that he dreaded too.

This little band of twelve and Mr. Schue had become a second family to him, even more than any sports team that he'd played on. New Directions had finished their run with a second national championship in two years. New Directions would go on. Since their first national win in 2011, it was now cool to be a member, and more and more underclassmen had joined.

Finn knew that once the diplomas were handed out, his high school days would be over, and this group of friends would never be the same. Summer would come and go, but when August came, everyone would be heading in different directions to begin the next stage of their lives.

With the help of Mrs. Pillsbury/Howell and Coach Beiste, Finn would be going to Ohio State in Columbus on a partial football scholarship. With the scholarship money and his dad's benefits from the military, he could swing it. Quinn and Sam were also going to Ohio State. Quinn had received a full ride cheerleading scholarship, and Sam was on a partial football scholarship. At least there'd be someone there that he actually knew.

Rachel had been accepted at Juilliard in New York. The news of her acceptance to such a prestigious school had even been on the local news, but no one in New Directions was surprised. Finn knew that Juilliard was inevitable.

Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt would be heading to NYU and were sharing an apartment. Artie and Mike would be the closer to home going to Carnegie/Mellon in Pittsburg. Artie had been shortchanged in the legs department, but his brain power would be taking him places. Everyone was going somewhere except for Brittany, but she didn't seem to mind staying at home and going to community college in Lima.

Finn would've probably joined her at community college if it hadn't been for Coach Beiste and Mrs. P/H. Coach Beiste knew an athletic department scout at OSU and Mrs. P/H had tutored Finn diligently to meet eligibility requirements when OSU had shown an interest in him. Two national championships in show choir hadn't hurt him either.

Now he stood in line in the back of the auditorium that he'd performed in so many times waiting to cross the stage one last time. He was lined up ahead of Kurt who stood directly behind him in his cap and gown along with his Beta Club and academic honors cords and medals. Brittany was a few dozen students behind them, and like Finn had only the red cap and gown. Rachel and Artie were at the head of the line. Rachel was salutatorian and Artie was class valedictorian. The two of them would be giving the class graduation speeches.

The alphabetical graduation line was now complete and they waited for the Graduation March to begin playing as their cue to enter.

As the line entered, Finn and Kurt spotted Burt and Carole who were sitting with Rachel's two dads. They were met with flashing cameras and cheers. The school faculty was seated in the first two rows, and Mr. Schue looked like he was going to cry. Coach Sylvester and Mrs. P/H were seated on either side of him and Coach Beiste was seated beside Mrs. P/H.

Finn took his seat in the auditorium and the graduation proceedings began. His attention quickly drifted and he was remembering the first time that he'd rehearsed with the first five members of New Directions. Rachel really freaked him out when they sang You are the One That I Want, but he knew from the moment that he heard her sing that she was special.

Looking down the row that he was on, he saw Quinn sitting three seats from Sam. Sam and Quinn had dated since he had joined New Directions in their junior year. Sam hadn't known her before, and he saw her harsh exterior as a false façade, a barrier to protect her from a world of hurt.

Quinn had pursued Finn when Coach Tanaka had moved him up to QB1 as a sophomore. She was his first love, or at least he thought it was love. They'd become sort of friends again, but the lies and the baby had left an indelible mark on his life.

Thinking of Beth he looked behind him and saw Puck sitting two rows back. Puck had been his best friend since pre-school. They were tentative friends again, but they would never be as close as they once were. Puck was going to NASCAR Tech in North Carolina and hoped to join one of the racing teams when he graduated. If that didn't work out, he wanted to be a rock star. Finn thought to himself that Puck would probably end up back here in Lima, changing tires at Burt's Tire and Lube.

Near Puck was Brittany. Community college and waiting tables at Breadsticks was on her horizon.

Turning his head, he saw Santana. She taken his virginity when they were sophomores, and it'd almost cost him Rachel.

Remembering Rachel, he snapped out of his reminiscing and turned his attention back to the stage. Artie was just finishing his graduation speech and it would soon be Rachel's turn to speak. Rachel was still not the most popular girl at school. Her odd clothes and blunt way of speaking turned off most people before they had a chance to know her, but he loved her. He knew it was love, and he didn't know how he was going to say goodbye to her in August.

Not really listening to Rachel's speech about the future, he'd heard it a dozen times already, his mind started to wander again.

He remembered their loss at Regionals when they were sophomores. It was the same night that he told her that he loved her for the first time. That was two years ago, and he'd taken her out for dinner for their second anniversary just last week.

Their relationship had started off slowly. Both of them were fresh off of bad breakups. He had confessed to her about Santana, and it had almost been the end of them. Rachel was hurt and felt betrayed, but thanks to Shelby of all people, Rachel had forgiven him.

He had been her first and had taken her virginity, and he hoped that she would never regret it. With her dads gone so much, and his mom working the evening shift at the hospital, they had sex a lot. Usually it was at her house because she had that queen size bed. They would make love, and then spend hours in each others arms talking, sleeping, or just cuddling. Finn's mom had figured out that the two of them were sleeping together, but Hiram and Leroy were totally oblivious to the fact that their little girl was now a woman. Last fall, he and Rachel had even had their own pregnancy scare, but luckily it was a false alarm.

It was during that time that Finn began to think about what he was going to do when the two of them graduated and went their separate ways. He knew that she was destined for New York and he wasn't. He also knew that it didn't make any difference how many miles were between them, she was the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

There was no doubt that Rachel would be a star, a big star. Would she out grow him? By the grace of God and Ms. P/H, and Coach Beiste, he was going to a big name school to play football, but he was still going to be a little fish in a big pond.

Rachel concluded her speech, and Principal Figgins stood up to pass out the diplomas. When this was done, they turned their tassels and tossed their mortar boards in the air.

Lunch was a celebration at Breadsticks for the Hummel's, Hudson's, and Berry's. Kurt and Rachel were so proud of their diplomas and all of their honors and academic awards. Finn was just proud of Rachel. He watched her and held her hand all through lunch and wondered how he'd ever gotten to be so lucky.

Finn had two weeks of summer vacation to enjoy until he had to be in Columbus for summer school and football camp. He was academically eligible to play football, but OSU had insisted on summer school and preparatory class work. He would also have grad students as tutors for as long as he needed.

The two weeks of summer vacation that were his to enjoy were spent with Rachel. He spent every moment that he could with her. She helped him pack and shop and get ready for his move to the big time.

-/-

Finn arrived at the OSU campus in Columbus, Ohio and reported first to the athletics department and then he found his room assignment in the jock dorm. The jock dorm was conveniently located near the grad dorm for jocks that need academic help. Finn had hoped that Sam would be his roommate and was happy when he entered his dorm room and saw a McKinley High School gym bag sitting on the other bed.

Sam was no where to be found, but later he learned that Sam had been exploring the campus with Quinn. Quinn had been assigned to one of the freshmen dorms, but planned on pledging a sorority in September. For now she was attending the Buckeyes cheerleading camp and learning their routines.

Finn was just settling in when he received a call from the desk downstairs, his grad student tutor was here and wanted to go over his schedule. "Couldn't this wait?" he thought to himself. "I bet that he is some hard ass jerk who thinks he's too good to tutor a freshman jock." He would be taking two classes this summer and neither one of them counted toward graduation. One was Introduction to Basic Study Skills and the other one was Introduction to Basic Writing. Finn was better at math than he was at writing so he was glad that he wouldn't have to take kiddy math too.

He stepped out of the elevators and the RA at the desk pointed him to a petite red-head.

"Hello, my name is Jillian O'Malley, you must be Finn Hudson. I am your assigned tutor this summer," she said brightly as she held out her hand to greet him. Jillian was a first year grad student majoring in journalism. She was at least six inches taller than Rachel and couldn't have weighed much more. Her hair was a chestnut reddish brown and her eyes were a striking shade of green. Freckles dappled the bridge of her nose. She was a native New Yorker and of Irish descent. Her family owned a pub near the theater district, and they lived over the pub with her grandparents who were from the old country.

Finn couldn't believe his luck; he also couldn't wait to introduce Rachel to Jillian. Rachel had made many trips to New York, but meeting someone who actually grew up there would be all gravy. Finn told her about Rachel and how she would be going to Juilliard in the fall to study musical theater.

Later that afternoon Finn was unpacking when Sam and Quinn came in after exploring the campus.

"Hey lover boy," Finn said to Sam. "While you were gone your grad student tutor came by to see you. I tried to call you, but you had your phone cut off."

"Well, I was busy," Sam said as he gave Quinn a soft kiss. "Tell me what she was like."

"Your she is a he," Finn said to Sam trying not to laugh. "He left his phone number and your class schedule on your desk"

"What was he like?" Sam asked.

By now Finn was holding his sides trying not to laugh. "Imagine a cross between Jacob Ben Israel and Krofsky and you would be pretty close. His name is Walter S. Drake the third."

"Did you meet your tutor?" Sam asked trying not to sound upset.

"I sure did, and maybe if you'd been here, you could've met HER too." Finn said trying to rub it in. "She's a petite red head from New York City. He grandparents emigrated here from Ireland and her parents own a pub in the theater district. She looks like a younger version of Mrs. P/H except she has green eyes. Her name is Jillian O'Malley."

Finn was dancing around the room while Sam sat down on his bed totally overwhelmed. Quinn just stood there looking at Finn like he'd just lost his mind.

"Have you told Rachel about your new study buddy," asked Quinn coolly. "She almost freaked when she found out that you and I were going to be at the school, but calmed down when Sam was accepted here too."

"What're you taking about?" Finn asked Quinn. "Jillian's four years older than I am. I'm not like Puck going after cougars."

"I wouldn't exactly call a twenty two year old a cougar, you idiot," Quinn said to Finn sarcastically. "She is just like us except with four years of college life under her belt. And being your tutor, she can be in your room or you in hers after visitor hours."

"You're right," Finn said as his joy turned to worry. "Rachel's going to kill me."

"Would you like to trade tutors?" Sam laughed to Finn. I will trade my Walter S. Drake the third for your green eyed Irish babe."

Quinn quickly gave Sam an elbow in the ribs. "I'll tutor you myself if I have too. You're keeping Walter and that's that."

Finn's mind raced, "Well it's only for the summer session. I can request another tutor in August. I just have to find a way to keep the two from ever meeting, but it's going to be hard since I've already told her about Rachel and Juilliard. Rachel's driving down this weekend to see me."

"Is Rachel the jealous type?" Sam asked enjoying watching Finn dangle.

"Yeah, you don't know the half of it," Finn sighed. "Quinn, you've always been smarter than me. You and Sam are going to have to help me find a way to keep Rachel for meeting Jillian this weekend."

-/-

Chapter 2 is on the way. Please keep reviewing. Thank you, Whister Nights