It had been two weeks, two weeks since she choked on the stage, a stage she had been sure she would be on for the rest of her life. Broadway had been her dream since she could sing and dance. She lived, breathed and ate for Broadway. It was her life. And her fiancée didn't seem to understand that. It started about a week after 'The Incident', as she had started to call it; a week of dealing with her moping Finn Hudson had started to talk to her about going to LA with his best friend, Noah Puckerman, instead. He told her that it might be too hard for her to be in New York when she didn't get into NYADA. She knew it would be hard, she knew she would have to work, but she knew she had to be on the stage, with Kurt right next to her. She had to be there, singing her heart out with her best friend.
They seemed to fight more, and each time they did, they seemed to bring up things, things to hurt each other. This time he said that she might not get into Broadway, because if NYADA didn't want her, then why would New York. As soon as he had said that tears formed in her eyes, he stared at her in shock, shock that he had just said that. He opened his mouth, an apology rested on his tongue as he watched the first tear fall, but instead she just turned, her hair flared behind her as she ran out of the room, tears blurred her vision. She ran.
That's what led her to the doors of the auditorium, other than her song at the beginning of the week before; she had refused to go to the place. She just stood in front of the door. The chipped blue paint mocked her as her hand gripped the metal handle tightly, trying to get the courage to open the door to her safe haven. She couldn't move.
That is until she heard music. The sound of a guitar pulled her out of her thoughts. And without any thought, she slowly pushed the doors open, wishing that they would not squeak, and walked in. She moved slowly through the seats, she did not allow herself to be seen. It was not until the last chord was played did she unconsciously start to clap for the performer. He shot up from the stool he had been sitting on and stared at the small girl as she made her way up the path to the stage. She stared back, trying to gouge his reaction. Should she continue forwards? Or should she just run and hide?
"You're really good, Noah," she whispered, and listened it echo towards the male, "I don't understand why you never applied yourself to your work, you have so much potential and I know that you are going to be out there one day. You won't be a lima loser like everyone says." She rambled as he continued to strum at the guitar absentmindedly.
He looked down, like he was disappointed in himself, "You will too, you know," he spoke as he looked straight into her eyes, "you will, it doesn't matter about that Tibimon… whatever, you're a star Rach, and you burn brighter than all of us."
Tears once again filled her eyes as he spoke words of comfort, it allowed her to believe in herself again, even if it was only for a little while. "You're a star as well Noah," she whispered as she stood right in front of him
It was silent, she had so much faith in him, he realised, and she didn't know. "I failed my exam," he blurted out, her eyes remained on his face.
"I know," she said, staring at the guitar he held in his hands, she had always wanted to play.
"What do you mean you know?" he asked incredulously, "I haven't told anyone!"
"Noah," a condescending tone managed to slip past her lips without her consent, "I know you, no matter what you may think. And even though you may deny it, I have known you for a long time. Granted, due to your popularity status, you seem to deny all contact with me, but I see you at the temple every week, without fail. And you may tell your friends that you never talked to me before Glee, but we grew up together Noah. I know you. And I know when you are lying." She concluded with a final huff, as if the long winded ramble she had just produced meant everything.
"Woah, okay then crazy," he ended with a chuckle.
Silence once again settled upon them, but this time, they were grateful for it, for they had nothing to say.
They were brought out of their thoughts as the warning bell rung, echoing throughout the school, but barely heard through the thick doors of the auditorium. They moved slowly out of their bubble, neither wanting to leave, neither of them had felt that comfortable in a while.
"We will get out of here Noah, just you wait and see," Rachel muttered to her companion as they split and left. The boy with the mohawk could not help but stare at the person he once tortured daily until she had disappeared into the sea of students.
A small smile broke out of his face, "Just wait and see."