Chapter 1
With drooping eyes, she stared up at the ceiling. She watched every circular motion in desperation for a distraction from the monstrous exhaustion egging away at her. It was the only thing keeping her from closing her eyes and dozing off once more.
It was five o'clock in the morning, and Rachel Berry's alarm clock had been screaming at her for the past hour.
It'd become a constant pattern for her, she thought. Especially, as the school year dragged on. She'd set a time earlier than normal, and she'd keep shutting it off until she absolutely had to get up. She knew from an early age that it wasn't healthy. But, neither was chocolate, and she'd continued to divulge in that. This morning was no different.
Five o'clock was a very early time to wake up for a school that started at seven, a lot of her friends and family members tried to point out to her. She knew this. But, Rachel was a very productive girl. She had been, from as early as she could remember. There was nothing she hated more than having nothing to do. So, she joined everything she could.
Now, a junior in high school, Rachel was a part of just about everything. Her involvements and commitments included being on the tennis team, becoming president of the student council, president of the recycling squad, lead female vocalist in the Glee club, and a member of the National Honors Society.
Her grades were also through the roof. She had been on the Honor roll since she was in the second grade. She may have slipped here and there with a few B's on her report card, but she easily cleaned it up with a little more studying done. Her IQ was through the roof.
She even took up the liberty of getting a job at the local animal shelter. One of three things, it was to maintain busy when school was finished and summer had approached. The second reason was that she wanted a chance to earn her own money, and not be labeled by the money her family carelessly tossed her when she needed something. The third and final reason was that she absolutely loved animals. She'd gain as many furry friends as she could. In return, they loved her just as much as she loved them. It also left her content with the longing she once held for a pet at home. Her parents never let her because they weren't willing to keep-up the "mess", as they called it.
With all of this being said, it was easily understandable why Rachel couldn't keep her eyes open this morning. She also had to admit to herself that she stayed at the library a little later than she expected to last night. She'd keep a mental note not to do that again. She'd also keep a mental note to stretch a little more before tennis practice after school Wednesday. Her arms were feeling a little stiff as she shifted in bed.
As the final alarm time screamed through the large space that she called her room, she quickly shut it off and got up. She immediately felt regret when the cold air hit her shoulders. Hurried steps below her made their way to the switches on the wall, allowing her to turn off the source of cold.
Stepping in front of her mirror, she gripped the edges of the marble countertop in her bathroom. She examined her projection and immediately remembered she couldn't see. She returned a few seconds later after grabbing her glasses from the night stand beside her tempting bed.
She looked even more tired than she thought she would and she didn't think she could get through the day. These were the normal thoughts she shared with her inner self every day before she grabbed her toothbrush. By the time she was finished with brushing her teeth, the thoughts would routinely be brushed away by the large source of optimism she held deep within her. So, by the time her toothbrush was put back down, she was ready for the day ahead of her.
With it being in the middle of January, it was a bit cold out. So, she decided she'd go with her everyday apparel. She chose her long-sleeved green reindeer sweater, plaid skirt, black stockings, and her black pair of Mary-Janes. Feeling confident about everything except for the few blemishes she had on her face, she kept her long hair down with a red head band and made her way for the staircase.
She knew her mother was already up once she hit the second to last step. The loud chanting about business-related nonsense proved her correct. She also knew she was correct when she visually took in her mother's tall and slim figure. She was wearing a tight-fitted black sheath dress, tall heels, and her long brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.
She hovered over the kitchen's island while examining tons of paper work scattered beneath her. Not even noticing her daughter's presence, as usual. While the conversation got louder on her mother's end, she made her way to the refrigerator and grabbed last night's left-overs.
"I'm sorry," her mother quickly mouthed into the phone. She seemed distracted by something. Rachel soon knew what the answer to that was. "Rachel, honey…" she began. "Put that back in the fridge. I bought you more yogurt cups." She smiled, turning back to her work, or should she say, her life.
She huffed knowing she'd never hear the end of the health and weight lectures if she ate the chicken in front of her. Placing the container back in its neatly assorted spot, she grabbed the small plastic cup that read "blueberry". "Yum", she sighed internally.
As she scooped away at the fruit flavored goo, she listened into her mother's ranting.
"No, I told you those copies were to be delivered to my office by Friday morning." She paused for the other person. "Here I am, Friday morning, and they're nowhere to be found!"
"-Well maybe your assistant needs to be fired if that's the case." All the reasons why Rachel preferred her after-school job than her actual home were coming into play.
Grabbing her backpack from the small hook in the utility closet, she threw away her nutritious breakfast and tried to vie with her mother's job for her attention.
"Shelby," Rachel's voice rang through the hectic air. No answer. "Shelby," she called again. There was a long story behind the fact that she called her mother by her first name. Well, it wasn't really a long story. She just hated to explain it to people because it made her feel bad about her mom.
When Rachel was in the fifth grade, she sat her down and explained to her that she didn't want to be referred to as "mom" anymore. She said the term made her feel too old. So, ever since then, she called her by her first name.
"Shelby," she called for the final time.
"Excuse me-"the brunette held her hand to the small cellular device. "Rachel, I'm on the phone," she warned.
"I was just letting you know that I'm leaving,"she defended herself. "Because I know how concerned you get when you're daughter leaves the house without telling you." She spat with sarcasm.
"Oh," she looked her up and down and smiled. She knew her mother was biting her tongue, trying not to say something about her outfit. Rachel knew that Shelby despised the way she chose to dress. It was a habit of hers. If Rachel had to guess, her mom was a bitch in high school. "Okay," she smiled.
"Peace," she turned, throwing up a peace sign in the air. She knew her mother hated it when she did this as well. She remembered her calling it, "improper".
"Rachel, wait!" she heard the clicking of heels on the tile behind her before Shelby caught up to her. "There's something that I need to inform you about."
Rachel quickly worried, remembering the last time they shared this conversation. She furrowed her eyebrows, giving a look of confusion.
"Come home straight after work today. We need to talk about a few things. Then, James is going to be coming over and he's bringing a few guests with him for dinner."
The minute she heard the name leave her lips, she internally cringed. Not James Berry, she thought. He was her uncle and her mother's "secret" boy-toy. There was no secret in it. She knew about them since the first time she heard his despicable voice in her mom's room, followed by her loud giggles. The thought alone made her want to projectile vomit.
He was a poor excuse of a man, as well as a pervert, and an asshole. There weren't even enough words in the dictionary that Rachel could use to describe her hatred for this man. Her mother knew this. Yet, they continued to pretend that she didn't know about them. Instead, Shelby referred to him as her "good friend".
"Hey, I know that look. Be nice." Shelby pointed her finger, with a warning in her tone.
"You're giving the wrong pep-talk to the wrong person. Why don't you tell dear Uncle James to behave for once and then maybe we won't have a problem."
"Go to school, Rachel." She shooed her off with a wave of her hand. "And, don't forget to come home right away for that talk." She added before turning back to her phone.
"Love you too, Mommy dearest." She rolled her eyes, shutting the front door behind her.
She wasn't always like this. Yes, she'd always had her bitchy tendencies, and made the younger version of Rachel cry a lot, but she was more motherly and less Miss Hannigan-like. There was a time in her life when she actually gave a damn about what her daughter was doing.
Then, the accident happened. Mayor of Lima, Ohio, John Berry's limo gets hit by a drunk driver. Mayor of Lima, Ohio, involved in fatal limo accident. Mayor of Lima, John Berry, killed by a drunk driver. Rachel remembered seeing all of the headlines in the newspapers that her mother would try so hard to keep from her.
John made Shelby a better person. John made all of them better people. And without him, Rachel assumed that Shelby just fell into a downward spiral. This included pushing back anxiety and depression meds, large sums of alcohol, and an occasional cigarette here and there. She began to take things out on her co-workers, having to take his place in office. But worst of all, she remembered when she'd take things out on her. In a way, Rachel knew she still did.
She huffed, waiting for the sight of her friend's car around the curb. She missed her father, daily. Not a day went by that she never thought of him. Yes, he sometimes got swamped with work and couldn't be the best father that she wanted. But, he still put more effort into being there for her. Rachel smiled remembering the fun times they'd had when they were together. He gave more of a damn than her mother ever did, that was for sure. She wondered where they'd be if he wouldn't have died.
Once the light blue Toyota Prius came into her vision, she instantly felt a wave of relief. Anytime she was able to escape the atmosphere that was her living situation she was happy. Once she fastened her seatbelt, she met the eyes of the black headed girl who she'd come to love in the few years they'd know each other.
"Well, good morning to you too, Miss Sunshine." Santana Lopez, her best friend since freshman year, smiled. She guessed that she could sense her pout from a mile away. Rachel tilted her head towards her in a "not funny" way.
"Remind me why I get up this early every day?" Rachel asked, resting her head against the back of the seat.
"Because you're a bomb ass bitch who dominates every day that passes her by," Santana answered with words of encouragement. She knew there was a reason they were friends.
About halfway through the ride, they pulled into their other friend's driveway and waited for a few moments. With a black leather jacket covering the blue spaghetti strapped shirt, skinny jeans, and tall black heels, the girl energetically wobble out of her front door. Rachel and Santana laughed to themselves when the blonde piled into the backseat.
It was 5:49 by the time they pulled out of her driveway and headed towards the other side of town.
"I swear you guys get up way too early for me," Quinn Fabray, Rachel's best friend since kindergarten, commented from the backseat.
"Quinn, you have your own car and parking spot at school," Santana protested, bringing laughter to Rachel and herself.
"Those girls are mean and they're always by their cars." Quinn defended herself. "Plus, I basically got a death threat and it's too late in the year to request for a new one."
"A death threat?" Rachel asked, amused despite her recent state of exhaustion. Every day with her beloved friends always lifted her bad moods.
"She said she was going to fight me if I hit her car. And it wasn't even my fault. She totally pulled up behind my car while I was already backing out." Quinn told them. "And you guys know me more than anyone… Do I look like a fighter? Because I sure don't think these nails would say so." She held out her shiny new manicure for the two of them to examine.
"Quinn, you don't think she's actually going to fight you, do you?" Rachel chuckled. "She's Sugar Motta. She can't even push a shopping cart without assistance. Plus, your mom's the sheriff."
"Yeah, she was probably just trying to scare you like she does with us every day. And, she doesn't even drive to school anymore. She rides with Finn and his loud music," Santana added. They all cringed in disgust. "You can't give her satisfaction."
"She's a bully, and if you give her the power to push you around then she wins," Rachel told the blonde, instantly pouting again, remembering her earlier discussion with her mom. "Trust me, I live with one."
They all grew quiet, placing hands of support on Rachel's shoulders. "You guys are right. I'm a coward." Quinn admitted.
"You're not a coward, Quinn." Rachel smiled. "Plus, I don't know about Tana, but I love your morning presence. It brings color to my day."
"I think it's impossible not to love hearing Quinn's amusing rants every morning," Santana added.
"Aww thanks you guys." Quinn smiled in a high-pitched voice. Wrapping her arms around them from the backseat, she pulled both of them close. So close that Rachel could smell the minty smell of her mouth, which she assumed was from her toothpaste. She laughed to herself. She had never met a person with such vibrance as Quinn Fabray in her life, and she knew that she never would.
"Q, driving here!" Santana laughed, as the blonde pulled them closer. They all started laughing, diving into positive vibes for the day ahead of them.
They arrived to the library at around 6:02 am. Once they were inside, they all grabbed their items of preference. For Rachel it was her English reading assignment, "The Great Gatsby". For Santana it was an adventurous novel with a title she'd never seen before. Lastly, for Quinn, it was the most recent issue of People's Magazine. This was the reason they usually woke up so early. She loved the quiet space to read, study, or just think. It also gave her an excuse to get out of her house. And it made life one hundred percent better that her friends were always up to join her. She knew that normal friends would choose to sleep later and just go straight to school, choosing not to be up earlier than they needed to be.
But, then again, she didn't have normal friends. She learned that long ago. These people in her life were more than just friends. They were her sisters, her family.
She knew that some people had unfortunate stories of getting stabbed in the back by people they thought were friends. Maybe she feared that this would be her in a few years from now in the past. But, all those fears left her when her father died. Despite the enormous amounts of reporters standing in her front yard freshman year on that terrible morning after the accident, Quinn and Santana were in front of all of them, continuously pounding on her front door. She'd never doubt their loyalty and she didn't know if she could survive the life she had without them. She was beyond thankful.
After her train of thought left her, she became wrapped up in her book. Gosh, how she loved the "Great Gatsby". It got to the point where her English teacher usually became annoyed with her spatting out unimportant details about the book's background and the author. It was the same thing every year.
She found out about a historical event in class and she clung to it. Then, she'd go through certain phases where she'd learn everything she could on it, watching documentaries, reading centered books, even internet articles kept her up all night in interest. She remembered her most recent phases. First, she'd become obsessed with the Titanic, and then Bonnie and Clyde ripped her from that. Now, F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel was the center of her extracurricular attention. It didn't hurt her grades; just her non-existent social life.
In the midst of taking in every word her eyes examined, she began to feel a swift series of poking to her left arm. Looking up, Santana was silently laughing and pointing to the blonde. Turning her head, Rachel saw Quinn, whose face was buried into the magazine she was reading. It wasn't that she was interestedly reading. She was trying to hide the fact that she was sleeping; a logic that was absolutely failing.
Laughing with Santana, they pulled out their phones and began taking pictures of her.
"She's going to hate us for this," Santana chuckled.
"She'll get over it," Rachel replied. By the time they had enough pictures to last a life time, they resorted back to their recent activities. Once it became close to school starting, the two woke up the blonde and headed out. Before the trio could get out, the librarian greeted Rachel quickly.
"Will we be seeing you again tonight, Rachel?" Mrs. Puckerman asked.
"No ma'am," she replied with a smile. "But I'll make sure to come Thursday before that Chemistry test on Friday."
"I should get Noah to join you. It might do us all some justice," she flashed her pearly whites in laughter. "You girls have a great day at school, today. "
They both replied back with "you too". Mrs. Puckerman was one of those women who didn't know how her child acted when he wasn't in her view. Rachel assumed this must be true, because if she ever found out the way that Noah Puckerman acted alongside Finn Hudson, Sugar Motta, and Brody Weston, she'd probably have a heart attack.
Getting to the parking lot of school, Quinn began speaking up. "I swear that woman thinks we're friends with her son." A round laughter fell over the group of girls.
"If only she knew about that time he hit that bump on purpose to splatter all of us with mud." Santana reminisced.
"That was terrible," Rachel laughed, remembering. "I had to wait till gym to change out of those yucky clothes."
"I didn't have gym that day!" Quinn exclaimed. "I smelled like a dog."
"Well, at least you were a cute smelling dog." Rachel joked causing Santana to chuckle and Quinn to hit her with her bag.
Once they got to their lockers, they began to assort the books they'd need for the day. This was the moment when Rachel realized she couldn't keep this morning's conversation from them any longer. She told her friends everything, and keeping this in was eating away at her. It also helped her to know that the two hated James Berry just as much as she had. Putting her bag on her shoulder, she stalled for a moment before closing the metal compartment and facing the two.
"James is coming to dinner tonight," Rachel admitted. "And this time he's bringing guests." Rachel imitated her mother's high-pitched voice. "You better be on your best behavior, Rachel." She mocked.
She watched as both of her friends cringed.
"That's so not fair!" Quinn exclaimed in a high voice. "What about last time when she told us that we couldn't come over for dinner because she wanted the three of you to spend quality time?"
"The only quality time that I got to spend was with my book. Just a few moments after my mom sent me to my room because I was somehow being rude to a "dear friend" of hers." Rachel replied.
"What were you doing?" Santana asked.
"He kept looking down my shirt." Rachel told them, watching their faces light up in disgust at the same time. "I brought it out into the light and told him to stop, hoping my mother would see what was going on." "But figures, she was oblivious the whole night and James played it off to where he had no idea what I was talking about."
"That's disgusting." Quinn commented, with Santana joining in. "Yeah Rachel. You shouldn't have to deal with that pervert."
"It's not like there's anything that I can do about it," she told them. "Unfortunately, Superman's a fictional character."
"Skip it." Santana suggested.
"I don't know," Rachel answered. "She says she has something that she needs to talk to me about."
"Don't you think if it was serious enough, it would just be the two of you?" Santana asked.
"Yeah, maybe you're right."
"C'mon, it's Friday night." Santana smiled.
"We need to have another girl's night; just us three. So, that way you can get away from your witch of a mom and pervert of an uncle, Tana can get a better hair-do, and I can finally tell you both the juicy details of that guy I met on Instagram."
"Thanks Q." Santana smiled, brushing off the fact that she'd just insulted her hair in a way.
"No, she's right. We haven't had one of those in a month." Rachel smiled. "And I could really use that escape tonight."
"My parents wouldn't have a problem with it." Santana commented.
Quinn smiled and winked before looking further down the hall. Her face dropped. "Incoming." Both Santana and Rachel turned to spot Sugar making her way down the hall in her normal swift pace. As normal, she stopped.
Rachel never really understood this. She was always bitching about how she hated seeing Rachel's "ugly" face, but somehow she was always the one who greeted them. She wouldn't express her thoughts, though. She'd spare herself from more of the useless, harmful comments the tan beauty assumed held an effect on Rachel and her friends.
Bullies were going to be bullies, and there was really nothing you could do to change it. This was a life lesson that Rachel had learned at an earlier age. The same ideologies applied to her now. So, when Sugar greeted them Rachel smiled and waited for the banter to begin.
"Can we help you?" Santana was the first to speak up. She usually was. She wasn't intimidated by her at all. Rachel never really knew why. But, with personal opinion, she assumed it was because Santana was very confident with herself and very beautiful as well. So was Quinn. If she was being honest, she was the only one who never really presented attractiveness out of her group of friends. She had the physical appeal of a twelve-year-old boy. Keep in mind; these were her mother's words, not hers.
"Just greeting my fans," she smiled. "I know for a fact that Santana, over here, knows the right answers to that test today and she's goings to help me cheat. And Quinny, I'm still waiting for that fight." She winked at the tall blonde.
"Isn't the daily chit-chat getting a little old?" Santana, crossed her arms and sighed out of annoyance.
"And you're going to keep waiting, you petty little bitch." Quinn's said.
Sugar replied with some poor excuse of a threat, but Rachel didn't pick up on it. Instead, she became disinterested, staring off into space.
At this moment, she wondered what was so important that her mom had to talk to her about. It was probably just a chat about her behavior, or how her mom was disappointed by the way she'd been acting towards James. She'd probably just sit her down and lecture her about how, although Rachel didn't like him, he was still a grown-up and an authoritive figure. That's usually what she did every time, before the reprehensible man showed up with a sickening smile on his face and a newly bought bottle of wine for her mother. That's probably all it was.
But, then again, something in her gut told her she was wrong. That this would be like the last time her mom sat her down and told her that she'd never see her father again.
She was ripped back to reality by Sugar's voice in her direction. She knew this because Sugar used her favorite nickname for Rachel.
"What are you staring at, Unibrow?" She really wasn't good at defending herself when she was put on the spot. She was one of those people who needed time to think of comebacks.
So, desperately, her eyes wondered down the hall to think of something quick. Before losing hope, she spotted the tall figure in his letterman jacket leaning against a locker, talking to Stephanie Williams with a smirk on his face.
"Your boyfriend trying to flirt with the school's hugest slut, over there." She pointed, gaining laughter from her two friends.
All three girls watched as the brunette's facial features dropped in anger and embarrassment. In a hurried pace, she left them alone. A loud sigh of relief left Santana.
"Way to play it, Berry." Quinn complimented her friend. "And you do not have a unibrow. Do not listen to her. You are beautiful. You both are."
"Thanks, Q." They both replied and smiled simultaneously. "So are you."
Clapping her hands together, she decided that she should head off to the student council area to pick up her duties for the day.
"I've got to get going so I can make it to student council before classes start," Rachel commented. "But Q, seriously, text me the details on that sleepover tonight. It might actually save my life depending on what my mom needs to tell me when I get home."
"Okay!" she called. "See you later."
Hurrying over to the little office, she was defeated when she found a boy standing in front of the copy machine talking to Emma Pilsbury. As she entered, she was greeted by the two.
"He beat you again, Rachel." The ginger woman smiled. "I'm sorry."
"Seriously?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "I thought I was earlier today."
"I really love this enthusiasm from the two of you," Emma smiled. "Keep it up." Heading off into her office, she left the two of them to face each other.
Sam Hudson smiled and greeted Rachel as she made her way over to the newly written daily chores for the student council members. It was already obvious that he was after her rank as president.
"You have pencil and eraser duty," he smiled at her.
"Dude, what's with you?" she joked. "Next thing I know, you're going to beat me to bathing the dogs today and I'm going to be stuck with the pooper-scooper." She forgot to mention that they also worked together at the animal shelter. They'd met last summer when she first got the job. Since then, they'd become really good friends.
"You're the one putting these ideas in my head," he held up his hands in protest.
She laughed, writing her name on the sign-in sheet. "Did you study for that History test today?"
"You mean naming all the states that I should know already?" he asked, with an amused look on his face. "Only idiots have to actually study for that."
"Quinn was on the phone with me all night asking me how to spell Mississippi," Rachel laughed, until she saw Sam's face fall and wonder to the wall. The air got tense and the silence became awkward.
"She's not Medusa, Sam." Rachel commented. "You don't have to get nervous every time I mention her name. I can set you up with her if you want me to."
"No!" Sam somewhat exclaimed. They were standing in a quiet office, so he was quiet about it. Then, running a hand through his blonde hair, he tried to play off the obvious crush he'd been holding since he first met Quinn. This was about a year ago when Rachel and Sam were new friends, running into each other in the hallways. "I mean, she doesn't even like me like that. Mike told me she was talking to someone on Instagram, so…"
"You don't know that," she assured him. "She doesn't even know that you're madly in love with her."
"Okay," Sam said, throwing his hands up in defense. "I wouldn't exactly call it that…"
"Oh please, you basically got more excited than the dogs when she dropped by the shelter that day."
"Why would she like me?" Sam asked, gathering the papers he needed to drop off to the office. "I'm nothing like the guy she's probably talking to now."
"Let me tell you something about Q, Sam." Rachel began, "The guys she talks to on the internet are complete assholes and they don't even last a week. The only reason she talks to them are because she can't find anyone in real life to like her for her and not just her looks."
"She's Quinn Fabray," Sam smiled, trying to make a point.
"And you're Samuel Hudson..." Rachel smiled. "You're sweet, caring, funny, sometimes annoyingly over ambitious in stealing my presidential rank, but you love animals, and you're nothing like your ass hat of a brother. So, please let me set the two of you up. This has been going on for too long and I know that you would be perfect for each other!"
"Plus, I'm going over there tonight so it's the perfect set-up," Rachel added. Confusion spread over Sam's impossibly glorious features. She wasn't implying that she was in love with Sam or even thought of him in that way, because the mere thought of it made her want to cry. He was more of a brotherly figure to her.
She knew that this was the point in the show where all of the fangirls would become disappointed, because the whole girl-next-door and animal-loving guy best friend were total "ship" bait, but back to what she was saying.
She was just trying to point out that the Hudson family possessed angelic features and looks. Hell, even Finn Hudson looked like he was an angel. This made her want to throw up, because she hated him with every fiber of her being. But, she remembered having a slight crush at an earlier age.
It always seemed to be his eyes that pulled her in. He possessed these irises that projected such a color that confused her. They seemed to change every day, but stayed beautiful all the same. It was like an overlapping background computer screen of light brown, dark amber, and even a shade of dark gold at the same time. It depended on how the light hit him each day. This put together with his skin tone, developing muscular build as he got older, and his dark brown hair, made him physically beautiful.
But, she had to instantly get over it. This was because, she, on the other hand, never gained any good genes from her parents. Yes, her father always told her that she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, but she could always tell there was something off about her mother's opinion. Her mom wanted a Miss America and got a Honey Booboo.
The only time she ever considered herself beautiful was when Quinn playfully took her glasses off, and drowned her face in foundation. But even then, she still had her braces and she didn't feel like herself. She would never stand a chance with a guy like Finn Hudson and the sad part was that he and she both knew it; as well as her mother. The only difference was that Shelby Corcoran Berry was a master at the art of holding her tongue.
With all of this being said, the mere thought of her holding any romantic feelings for Finn Hudson right now gave her the same effect of nails against a chalkboard. She'd learned this the minute she was introduced to his personality. Ever since, she'd forgotten all about his looks as well as her liking of him. He now had the appeal of a raw carrot to her and that would never change.
"Why are you looking at me like I just read the entire Declaration of Independence in Spanish?" Rachel joked.
"Because your mom and James invited us to your house tonight for dinner," Sam explained.
"Wait, what?" Rachel asked, confused as hell because up until now she had no idea her mother even knew the Hudson's. This was, except for the fact that in previous local history lessons explained, the Berry's and Hudson's were allies as two of the many founding families of Lima, Ohio. "You're the guests? I thought James was referring to his drunken poker friends."
"No, my dad just told us this morning." Sam replied.
"Wait, us?" Rachel asked again. "You mean like all three of you?"
Sam looked at her apologetically.
"No way, Sam," Rachel looked at her friend. "I'm sorry to leave you alone in that situation. I mean, I'd invite you to Quinn's with me if I could, "his face playfully lit up. "But, I cannot be in the same perimeter as Finn Hudson or whatever trashy guest he decides to bring. Side note, see Sugar Motta for example." She added in for comic relief in this awkward situation.
"I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all, Rachel, but I don't necessarily think your mom's going to let you skip out on this dinner." Sam answered.
"What do you mean?" She asked, her heart pounding with annoyance. So much so, that her face was starting to heat up.
"My dad didn't really explain why we're going over, but all he told us was that it has something to do with you. And apparently it's really important, because my dad told Finn he couldn't bring anyone with him. You should've seen his face, Rachel. He was pissed."
Her heart started pounding faster. She wondered if this had anything to do with her mom's waiting talk with her once she gets home. She was feeling sick. All of the possibilities started flying to her head and then it was official. There was only one conclusion in her brain and she was sticking with it. Her mother was selling her like a slave, over to the Hudson family for more money and a happy life with James Berry. She swallowed the gulp in her throat.
"I've got to go," Rachel said. Sam could tell it was because of what he told her, but she ignored his sorrowful glance. "These pencils aren't going to sharpen themselves. I'll see you this afternoon."
"I'll give you playtime with the dogs and I'll take the pooper-scooper. How's that?" he asked, heading for the door but never loosing eye contact.
She smiled at him, internally thankful that he was a nice enough person to help her feel better when he knew she physically wasn't. She had no idea what she did to deserve such great friends. Watching him return to his work, she smiled to herself and headed over to the supply closet to get started on her own duties.
Then, Emma Pilsbury, her favorite teacher of all time, came back out from where she was hiding. Rachel sighed with relief when the young woman began to help her sharpen the pencils.
"What's got you so upset, Rach?" she asked. "Rach" was her nickname for her from day one. Emma gained amusement at how annoyed Rachel would get when she'd leave out the "el". Then, it just stuck.
It sucked that she only had two years left at this school. Rachel knew she'd truly miss her. If her opinion came into play, she was the best mother figure she had in her life. She could tell her anything. Better yet, Emma always knew just what to say.
"Have you ever known that something was about to happen, but you didn't exactly know what it was? So, you're stuck the whole day worrying about it?" Rachel asked. She watched her think for a few moments before clapping her hands together and saying "got it".
"I had this old boyfriend in college that I was absolutely obsessed with, okay?" she asked, waiting for Rachel's nod of understanding. "Well, one day he called me and said, Emma we need to talk about something. Meet me after your classes are finished." she continued. "I remember being literally so scared because I was in this huge bubble in that relationship and I didn't want to pop it. I was on cloud 9. So, after school I met him at his dorm and it turned out that he wanted to know if I wanted take out for our next date or if I wanted him to cook for me." She laughed, watching Rachel's face drop.
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"Okay, how about this?" Emma asked, coming up with another story. "I remember during my senior year of college I went to Nevada for my spring break." Rachel looked at her confused. "Don't ask me why I went. One of my friends was going and I heard that there were a lot of parties and good alcohol so I went with her." She explained herself. "About halfway through my trip, I got a frantic call from my mom. She didn't want to scare me, but she told me that I needed to get on the nearest flight back. So, I spent all my spending money on a plane ticket and got back as soon as possible. But, I remember being on that plane and worrying why my mother was being so weird. I asked her, but she never told me so I was scared to see her again because I didn't know what she had to say."
"What happened?" Rachel asked.
"I came home to find out that my sister had been in a car accident and was killed." Emma answered. Rachel looked at her teacher with a feeling of understanding and empathy.
"What was her name?" she asked.
"Taylor." Emma smiled, remembering her sister.
"I'm so sorry," she replied. "I know how it feels. My dad died in a car accident a few years ago."
"Yeah, I heard about that. I'm sorry as well. It sucks." She smiled, apologetically. "What I'm trying to say is that while whatever's waiting for you may suck, it's important to take the time of ignorance and take advantage of it. Because you don't know what's going to happen from the time you get to the person who needed to tell you something. You don't know what they're going to say or whether or not it's going to change your life for the worst or better."
"Thanks, Emma." Rachel smiled. "That really helped."
"I'm glad I could, pumpkin." She chuckled. "But, while I would love to stay here and sharpen these pencils away with you, I have a little coffee date with Mr. Schuester."
Rachel's face lit up. "Shut up."
"No, I'm seriously convinced that he's desperate for someone, because there is no way that a guy like him could actually like someone like me. I'm a hot mess who can't even take care of a plant without killing it. Where's the appeal in that?" she asked, grabbing her coat from the rack by the door.
"Oh, shut up. He's a lucky guy, Emma." Then, her substitute for the hour, Mrs. Parker, walked in causing Rachel to clean up her relaxed act. If there was a teacher with a stick shoved so far up her ass, it would be Mrs. Parker. Emma knew this as well, which made the situation awkwardly comical.
"Good luck!" Rachel called, immediately catching the old woman's eye and Emma's silent laughter face. Rachel knew she was on the brink of laughter. She tried to clean up the mess that was the two's habitual conversation techniques. Emma was the only teacher whom she didn't call by her last name. "Ms. Pilsbury".
"Thank you, Rachel. Good luck to you as well" She replied, sincerely turning the knob and exiting the scene. Rachel smiled to herself hearing her laughter behind the door. Catching the eye of the woman again, she quickly turned back to her duties.
The rest of the day went by with a bit of a blur. Yes, there were some ups and yes, there were some downs; all the routines of a regular school day for Rachel.
Then, it was 5 pm, and Rachel and Sam were finally getting out of the shelter. With the dogs and cats being bathed, cleaned up after, and played with, the two of them were exhausted.
Once Sam's car pulled up to her driveway, he stopped her before climbing so quickly out of his car.
"I'm sorry about earlier." He said.
Shaking her head, she looked at him as if he were spewing nonsense. "Why are you sorry? There's nothing to be sorry for."
"I know I scared you earlier, with all the talk about tonight and all." He answered.
"You didn't scare me, Sam." She chuckled.
"I saw your face, Rachel." He pushed. "Yes, I did."
"It's my mom. She scares me every day. You have nothing to do with it."
"I'm sure I blew things out of proportion when I told you how my dad said the dinner had something to do with you. You're mom's probably just celebrating something for you like a good grade or something."
"Not to sound like Sad Sally or anything, but my mom doesn't give a rat's ass about any of my achievements." Rachel replied.
"Maybe they're announcing that James and your mom are getting married and he's adopting you," Sam suggested jokingly, gaining a look of annoyance from Rachel. Just about anyone that knew Rachel knew that she despised her uncle.
"I feel like that would actually make things a lot better. Maybe my mom could divert all of her attention to James, and she'd leave me alone." She laughed.
"See, Positive Polly is back in control." Sam laughed.
"Yeah, either that or she's signing the papers to sell me to the circus. It's a win-win" She laughed, gaining an eye roll from Sam. "Thanks for listening, Sam. I'm sure I'll survive whatever's waiting for me in that house. I always seem to."
Turning to get her bag, Sam stopped her again before she could open the door. "You're going to be okay. And remember that I'm a call away if you're not."
"I've known that from the moment I met you, Samerina." He hated the name and somehow she loved torturing him. "And so will Quinn, "she called once she was standing outside of the car. "Because I'm totally setting the two of you up and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Yeah, okay" he rolled his eyes, beginning to pull out of the driveway. "See you later, Rach." He retaliated, knowing that she hated when Emma called her that.
Rachel laughed, watching him pull out and drive away from her house. The moment had finally come. This was it. For some reason she knew she was being over-dramatic, but at the same time she felt like she was about to walk into her own funeral.
Closing the front door behind her, she was greeted by an empty house. But it didn't feel empty because the sound of her loud, beating heart was filling her ears.
"Shelby?" she called. She figured she'd let her know when she wanted to speak, so she threw her bag back into the utility closet and climbed the stairs. Walking into her room, she nearly fainted when she spotted her mother digging through her closet. Instead, she screamed loudly causing Shelby to swiftly turn around.
"Oh, hey Rachel." She smiled, returning to her previous actions.
"What are you doing in my room?" she asked, examining to see what was different.
"Come help me, I'm trying to pick out a dress for you to wear tonight." She told her.
"A what?" Rachel asked, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not wearing a dress."
"It can't be any worse than what you're wearing now." She commented, leaving Rachel with a little offense. "Oh, what about this one?" she asked, pulling out a royal blue long-sleeved lace dress. It was a Christmas present from her mother that she shoved in the back of her closet the first moment she could. "You're definitely wearing this one." She smiled, placing the hanger on her door. "Go shower, I can smell you from here."
"That's it? Go shower? I thought you had something urgent to tell me? You did tell me to hurry home so we could talk."
"Did I say talk? I'm sorry, you know me. I mix up my words a lot…I meant to talk at dinner once James and his guests get here. Plus, I was dealing with a frustrating coworker, who no longer works with me anymore. I may have gotten a little distracted." Shelby explained. "Now, go shower." She clapped her hands and shoved her daughter into her bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Rachel could only laugh at how much of a joke she thought this was. She would definitely have whatever drugs her mother was having at the moment.
Climbing into the steaming water, she let it run over her. She wished the pleasure would stay for the rest of the night, so she could easily get over what mess she was about to walk into, but she knew that this was only temporary. She also knew that her mother would not let her skip out on this dinner. Especially since she stressed exactly how important it was. There was no point in asking to skip. She knew the answer. With that fact, she took in the feeling of the water while she still could.
Once she was cleaned, and not smelling like a dog, she decided not to put up a fight. Her mom wanted her to put on an ugly dress, so she did. Walking down the stairs with soggy hair, and the back of her dress unzipped she met her mother in the kitchen.
"Look at you," she smiled, turning Rachel to zip the back of her dress. Doing so in a quick fashion, Rachel inhaled sharply. She forgot just how slim-fitting this dress was. James would have a field day. She sighed, internally cursing herself for even thinking that way.
"Now let's figure out what we're going to do with that hair." That's when Rachel turned and looked at her mother as if she had crossed the line; which in a way, she had.
People who weren't Rachel touching Rachel's hair, was her largest pet-peeve. So, for her mother to say that, made her want to turn and slap her across the face. "I'm feeling the curling iron. What about you?" Shelby asked.
"Whatever you want, mom," she replied. Rachel earned a glare from the woman.
"Be upstairs in a few minutes, James said they would be here by 6. You need to be ready before then." Rachel nodded, going to the fridge to grab something to drink.
By the time the doorbell rang, Rachel was stuck in front of her mirror, wishing she could hide in her closet like she did when she was younger. She laughed knowing that Shelby would have her head for it. So, instead, she sat there waiting for the woman's voice to interrupt her inner thoughts.
She almost died of disgust when she heard James' annoying voice playing through the house like an actor's on stage in front of a large crowd. Why did he have to speak so loudly? It's not like people wanted to listen to him in the first place. This was all based on Rachel's opinion.
"Shelby, you look divine." Who the hell said that anyways? Rachel swore it was the corniest thing her ears had ever taken in. She hoped that Sam would be her saving grace to help this night not turn into an absolute snooze-fest.
"Ah, Sam and Finn, you boys have really grown into fine young men!" her mother greeted. "Come in, please! It's freezing out there!" She shook her head. Her mom was putting on a show. This was normally expected when strangers entered their home. Rachel even held a theory that that was how her mom got her father to marry her. Her dad wasn't alive to prove it, but you get the point.
"Thank you, Mrs. Berry. You have a lovely home." She recognized Finn's dark voice. How freaking charming, she sarcastically thought.
"Thank you, Finn. And please, call me Shelby!" she insisted. "Nice to see you again, Christopher. One moment, Rachel should be down in a bit. In the meantime, how about we all move into the dining room?"
Her eyes widened when her mom mentioned her. That meant she wouldn't be allowed to hide away for much longer. She was correct. "Rachel!" she heard her mother's loud voice getting closer. A minute later, the door to her room flew open. "Rachel, you didn't hear me calling you?"
"Oh, I heard you. I was wondering whether or not I would actually listen." She replied, tossing back the loose curls flowing down her back and straightening out the white pearls hanging around her neck.
Once Shelby closed the door behind her, Rachel knew she was in for it. "You will not embarrass me in front of all of these people, do you understand me? Drop the attitude, before I drop it for you." Rachel shook her head, straightening out her glasses in the mirror while ignoring her mom.
Being completely taken off-guard, Shelby harshly grabbed the bottom of Rachel's chin and forced her daughter to look at her. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes!" Rachel exclaimed, standing up and ripping herself from her grip. Rubbing her hands over her chin where she was grabbed, she looked at her mother. "After you, Miss Hannigan."
Her mother huffed as Rachel followed her slowly down the wooden stairs. It wasn't so much for a lack of effort; Rachel generally just couldn't go any faster due to the fact that she was wearing a pair of her mom's sky-high heels.
Once they both got to the part of the house where the kitchen met the dining room, she took the time to embrace the last few moments she had out of everyone else's view. Then, Shelby spoke and all of the men stood up from the set table.
Walking in, the first sights she took in were James looking at her with a weird glance and an older man she'd only seen once in her life smiling at her. It took her a little while to place this man's face, before she realized she'd seen him in one of her father's pictures. It was later known that night that his name was Christopher Hudson, and he was John's former best friend.
Turning her attention away from them, she then found Sam standing next to his father with a friendly smile on his face. All men in the room were dressed to the nines, making Rachel feel like they were about to dine at a French restaurant. That was when she met eyes with the one and only, Finn Hudson.
She was immediately appalled. Not only did he hold a sarcastic smile in her direction, he also looked like he was ready to run a multi-location corporal business. He adjusted the sleeves to his suit, as he checked his watch. Everything about him screamed elegant, which was odd because Rachel knew he was everything but.
"Rachel, you look absolutely stunning, " Christopher commented, pulling her out of thought. She knew that Christopher Hudson was lying to suck up to her mom. And, by the awkwardness on her side of the situation, she almost couldn't form the correct words. "Thank you, Mr. Hudson." She felt extremely intimidated by the fact that everyone was still standing and looking at her. Shelby sensed this, so she nudged her forward to take a place at the table. Of all the places, her mom put her next to Sam and straight across from yours truly…
"So, let's get started with this shall we?" Shelby clapped, looking like she was about to begin a meeting. Rachel gave her a look. She brushed it off, as usual.
"That sounds like a great idea, Shelby." Christopher smiled. Was there something going on? Rachel guessed this was the part where her mother was signing her over to the circus. She glanced at Sam who watched the grownups closely, along with Finn across the table.
Looking over to James, Rachel watched him sip on a glass of bourbon. Something within her felt suspicion. There was no way he could stay this quiet all night. Something really fishy was going on.
Lastly, Rachel looked forward at Finn. If he was nervous, she couldn't tell. He sure did put up a good act. You'd look at this guy right now, and never suspect that he did the things that he normally did with his girlfriend and friends. He caught her eye in mid stare, and immediately gave her a "what are you looking at" glare? She dropped her gaze, already becoming insulted.
Just then, the hired waiters walked into the room with pitchers of water, wine, and trays of food. This pushed Shelby to begin her rambling again.
"So, we've come up with this idea long ago," she paused to look at Christopher. "long before the tragic loss of my husband and Rachel's father. With that being said, we never thought this day would come so quickly, nor have we wanted it to, but here we are."
"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked, becoming fed up by how bored she was getting already. She felt like she was sitting in on one of Mr. Schuester's history lessons. The only difference was that she liked Mr. Schuester a lot better than some of the people in this room.
Christopher took over for Shelby who began sipping at her newly poured glass of wine. "There's a law in town that once an official has passed away, there's only a certain amount of time his widow can take office before the next elections. But, John, being the amazing man that he was, did not want another election. So, in his will, he has instead requested the new Mayor of Lima; affective immediately on the recipient's 23rd birthday."
Rachel immediately looked to Sam, who met her glance.
"So, you all want me to become the Mayor of Lima?" Rachel asked, gaining laughter from the grownups.
"Not you, dear," Shelby smiled at Rachel's confused expression, somehow trying to apologize for her daughter's supposed stupidity. It was as if Shelby thought Rachel was supposed to know better. The sound of her mother's laughter gave her nothing but that impression.
"It's hard for you to be able to understand because you were just a few weeks old when Carol passed away, dear." Shelby continued, grabbing Christopher's hand to offer support. "You both were." She was referring to Sam on the side of her as well. "But it was such a hard time for Christopher and his children." Rachel became annoyed by how her mother was speaking. It sounded so arrogant. It was like she was failing so miserably at talking for him. Thank goodness he spoke for himself.
"Your father helped me majorly. My whole world was flipped upside down and to make things worst I was too mentally unstable to take care of two screaming children at once. So, your father, being Finn's legal Godfather, offered to take him in for a few weeks."
"Even though we were completely swamped with you, your father developed a deep connection with Finn. Plus, he'd always wanted a son for himself. He also felt terrible about everything that happened to Chris, so he decided to give him something in return for all of the times he'd helped us in the past." This was all odd to Rachel, considering the fact that she didn't know there was a Sam or Finn until she'd gotten to high school.
"Your father decided to name Finn as the rightful replacement if anything were to ever happen to him before his term in office ended."
The loud sound of a fork dropping on a glass plate broke the attention from the two grownups at the table. Rachel looked forward to see Finn looking at them as if he'd seen a ghost.
"What does this have to do with me?" Rachel asked, remembering Sam telling her that this dinner was about her.
"We were getting to that, Rachel." Shelby smiled.
"It would be illogical to just shift all of the Berry's well earned family money over to the Hudson's. History itself proves that the Berry's and Hudson's have been allied since the beginning of time as the top two founding families of Lima." Christopher added.
"So, we came up with a plan for it." Shelby's smile hadn't left yet.
"In order to keep the two families tied together, an heir or an heiress has to be produced with both bloodlines." Christopher exclaimed, like he couldn't wait to unleash the news.
For the second time in her life, she looked at Finn with an expression that wasn't hate or disgust. This time, she looked to him with complete and utter shock. Instead, when his dark amber eyes met her brown ones, she gathered confusion. Was he really that dumb as to not understand what was going on? Or, had Rachel watched too many episodes of "Reign"? Either way, Lima was in for a real treat if the two grownups were actually saying what she thought they were.
She became distracted when a waiter began filling a glass with red liquid, placing it in front of her. Taking the glass, she inhaled the strong fumes of wine in front of her.
Shelby banged against the side of her cup with the tip of her fork. Rachel thought this was so unnecessary, seeing as though the room was already completely silenced. Raising her glass, she smiled at the two grown men on the side of her than the three teenagers at the end of the table. "So, cheers, to Finn and Rachel!"
"I'm so confused right now," Finn admitted.
"What are you saying?" Rachel asked the two.
"Before Finn takes office on his 23rd birthday, the two of you will be married."
All breath fell from Rachel's mouth, before her glass of wine splattered all over the wooden floor and her sight turned pitch black.
Hey Guys! So, I've decided to try something new. I want to apologize to those of you who loved "This Love is Eternal" and was waiting for new chapters. I decided to put it on the back burner, because i wasn't truly satisfied with the outcome and I came to a complete writer's block. In the midst, however, i came up with this story! I really hope you all enjoy!