"Special delivery Manhands!" a cruel voice called out as Rachel's vision turned into a sea of green. "Definite improvement," the condescending tone of Quinn Fabray intoned cruelly, "you should be thanking me freak."
Rachel bit back a frustrated sigh, knowing she'd never be left in peace unless she uttered the words the blonde Head Cheerleader wanted to hear.
"Thank you Quinn." She murmured dryly, the ice cold slushy beginning to drip down her shirt and into her jeans as humiliation washed over her in waves. The sound of an entire hallway of her peers laughing at her hit Rachel square in the chest as she wiped slushy pathetically out of her eyes. Her eyes burned and her albeit blurry vision returned before she was unceremoniously shoved into the lockers as Quinn Fabray and her posse of freshman Cheerios walked past.
Clenching her jaw, the small diva held her head up high and walked a small distance up the hallway to her locker, oblivious to the Head Cheerleader's fleeting glance back down the hallway – hazel eyes flashing briefly with what looked like regret before hardening once more.
Rachel hastily exchanged her backpack for her slushy kit – sighing as she took notice of her depleted supplies. Being slushied wasn't a new experience for the brunette. It had happened to her since her first day at McKinley - as the daughter of two gay men Rachel had been destined for loserdom, at which a slushy facial could have only been expected fortnightly at least. However due to her very vocalised obsession with Broadway and obvious vocal talent Rachel had been targeted at least once a week. Things had only gotten worse for the diva after sophomore year – the year in which Finn Hudson had discovered her 'abnormalities'. Now – thanks to the jock's douchebag personality and insecurity – she was slushied nearly every day.
Why?
Because she had a penis.
Not that she'd told anyone. No, Hudson had kindly done that for her. In the beginning of sophomore year – despite having the luxury of Head Cheerleader Quinn Fabray hanging off his arm – Hudson had made his interest in the brunette singer clear. Rachel had been flattered but uninterested – something which may or may not have been due to her little 'friend' and her small *yeah right, who was she kidding?* crush on Quinn Fabray – and politely declined. After months of fruitless pursuit (in which Quinn went from being the only Cheerleader who tolerated her to absolutely hating her) Hudson decided to approach when she was most vulnerable and likely to say yes.
In the god-damn shower after a slushy attack.
Yes, because Finn Hudson was just that classy. Not only had he co-ordinated the slushy attack with his meathead buddies, but he'd timed it perfectly so that no teacher was lurking in the hallways as he brazenly stripped and strode into the girl's shower. Imagine the shock and surprise when he stumbled across a very naked Rachel Berry. Needless to say the fact that Rachel was significantly more endowed than him certainly didn't help.
Rachel sighed as she remembered a fumbling, panicked Finn Hudson as he scrambled to escape the locker room – leaving poor Rachel behind to cry alone at what she knew would be the ultimate nail in the proverbial coffin that was her social status.
She'd managed to get her own back at Hudson, marginally however. Once Quinn uncovered the details regarding the incident – Hudson's dogged pursuit of Rachel and his intention to have sex with her, despite still being with Quinn- she dumped him faster than Rachel could say 'Barbra'. Finn's obsession with the 'freak she-male' had knocked his status considerably, only made worse by the introduction of the new transfer student Sam Evans. Sam stole Finn's starting Quarterback position and then Quinn's heart. Although Hudson was still on the team his position on the school's totem pole was drastically altered and Rachel took great pleasure in watching him suffer.
Unfortunately it was never as much as her.
Shaking her head clear Rachel made her way to the small girl's locker room on the second floor, right round the corner from the science lab. Rachel never understood the reason for its existence – the gym was a separate building from the school and the sports locker rooms were on the first floor near the English department – at the other end of the building. Still she was grateful for it as it was almost never used by anyone else, meaning that she was able to clean herself up without interruption.
It was only was she was safely behind the closed locker door that she allowed the tears to fall. Every day was just so damn hard. She fumbled with her now soaked clothes, shivers wracking her body as she did so. The second she was naked she grabbed her toiletries and towel and whipped 'round the barrier to the showers, eager to rid herself of the sticky coating on her skin.
She cleaned herself briskly, always keeping an ear out for approaching footsteps. The lockers may only be rarely used but she still ran the risk of someone deciding to humiliate her further and steal her clothes. As she massaged her dwindling Mango shampoo into her hair the rapid sound of footfalls reached her ears. She hastily rinsed her hair before turning off the shower and winding her towel tight around her body, stepping towards the barrier - the door slammed and the thud of a body hitting the metal bench followed almost instantaneously.
Rachel hesitated, her own fear and panic rushing up in her chest as she froze. Then the sound of sobbing hit her ears. A pitiful whimper followed by a small keening groan of pain and continuous weeping. The sound of it was heart-wrenchingly painful and Rachel couldn't help but empathise with this unknown girl.
Rachel was trapped, if she revealed herself she ran the risk of the girl bolting with her clothes. Still the possibility of being forced to listen to this soundtrack of pain through to the end wasn't much better. Plus this girl would probably take her stuff anyway, especially if they figured who it was - which was easy, barely anyone else got slushied mid-way through a school day- and then Rachel would be stuck regardless.
Swallowing her fear Rachel crept out from behind the barrier. The girl, clad in a form fitting Cheerio uniform was sat on the bench nearest to the door curled into herself, with her back to Rachel. Trying to be as stealthy as possible Rachel grabbed her clean clothes, about to turn back to the showers when the cheerleader turned abruptly, forcing Rachel to face with a red eyed Santana Lopez.
It was an intriguing sight at the least. Here was Quinn Fabray's right hand woman – the terrifying 'Satan' Lopez from Lima Heights Adjacent bitch, red-eyed and vulnerable before the school's freak. Rachel swallowed, trying to harden her heart, knowing that this girl would do nothing but hurt her. But as the Latina breathed shakily, seemingly shocked enough to be unable to deliver one of her stinging barbs, Rachel found sympathy welling in her chest.
She could easily guess what this was about. Brittany Pierce's new relationship with the crippled Artie Abrams had stirred a lot of controversy within the school. Artie was a Gleek and the bubbly blonde was a Cheerleader – not to mention the third member of the Unholy Trinity, as Quinn, Santana and Brittany were otherwise known.
If it was any other Cheerleader then an ice cold slushy would have been dispensed and the hierarchy returned to normal. But as the 11th amendment stated, no one was allowed to hurt Brittany S. Pierce. Of course the only reason said amendment existed was due to the blonde's protective best friend/something else Santana Lopez.
Rachel had always suspected that there was something more than 'best friends that make out/have sex' to their relationship and the very obvious tension and distance between the two lately had only confirmed her suspicions.
And here before was almost sure-fire confirmation; a sobbing Santana Lopez.
"What are you looking at freak?" the Latina's harsh words lacked their usual bite as the cheerleader struggled to compose herself. Rachel said nothing, silently staring at the girl.
Santana breathed in shakily, perturbed by the smaller girl's silence. Rachel's gaze was penetrating, almost as if the diva could see right through her. Santana felt her lip tremble as they stared at each other, she didn't have the energy to bitch. Choking back a sob she whirled around, getting up abruptly, about to reach the door – "Wait!"
Chest heaving with the force of her sobs she turned around.
"What?" the cheerleader croaked in reply, struggling to collect herself. She sensed rather than heard the other girl take a step towards her then halt, hesitant to approach.
"I won't take long to get changed."
"And?" the Latina retorted, whirling around to face the freak of nature that was Manhands Berry. The smaller girl seemed unperturbed by the cheerio's attitude.
"And then I could leave you alone in here-" the smaller brunette paused, seeming to try and take a deep breath.
"Or?" Santana questioned abruptly.
"Or we could talk?" Rachel blurted out in a flurry. "Or maybe you could just talk. I can be a rather attentive listener you know-,"
"Why would I want to talk to you Manhands?" Santana said with derision, "you're nothing but a freak."
Rachel felt anger surge through her, "and you're nothing but a friendless bitch, unable to be honest with herself let alone anyone else!"
Silence. The anger and slap that Rachel immediately expected never came. The Latina cheerleader stared at her, seemingly dumbfounded by her gall. Then surprisingly, the raven haired girl chuckled.
"My, my, you sure have balls Berry." She said with ire, an eyebrow raised as her gaze flicked down to Rachel's crotch briefly. Rachel swallowed, shaking her head as her cheeks coloured.
"Either way BallsyBerry," the Latina stated, sobering up, "I don't need to cry on anyone's shoulder. Got it?" She took a menacing step towards the brunette, who nodded. "This never happened, comprende?" Again the diva nodded, swallowing as the Latina looked her in the eye.
Seemingly satisfied with Rachel's reaction she turned and walked out the door, leaving Rachel alone once more.