When something bad happens, everyone knows it immediately. Time seems to pause for a moment. This was one of those times.
Burt had just finished telling Rachel, "Oh you must be new, I didn't meet you at the Glee party Finn and Kurt had a few weeks ago."
We waited for the explosion. Finn and Rachel had still been dating a few weeks ago. But still she hadn't been invited.
"No, sir, I'm not new," Rachel answered polite as always. "I'm sure I just had a dance class or something. It's a pleasure to meet you now, though," and she smiles.
"Oh yes, I do remember you at the wedding. You danced with Finn. He said you were a good friend," Burt continued unintentionally making things worse.
Rachel tightly smiled and then said, "Oh, I think my dads are calling me. But once again pleasure." Everyone was tense as she walked away, waiting for the impending doom. Would she confront Finn or go after Kurt.
But she did neither, instead going over to Hiram, she burrowed into his side and he gently wrapped his arms around her, because they we're listening everyone heard the 'I wanna go home Daddy, please take me home now,' that was in a voice near tears.
Before they could leave, Finn snagged Rachel's elbow pulling her from her father.
"Rach, I'm sor. . ."
"Don't," she interrupted.
But he couldn't seem to help himself, "No, it was wrong of us, I see that now."
Everyone watched the girl's eyes close in response as she took a big gulp, then the words came and their softness made them more potent than the expected explosion, "Yes, well it's not surprising now is it? Why should my boyfriend invite me to a party that's half his when he claims I'm only a friend to his parents. But it's me that cruel. I'm the one that's selfish. I'm the one that needs to give more and learn to be a better team-mate. You think this is the first time I learned of the party? That I didn't hear you all talking about it weeks before? Everyone but me got a written invitation, Kurt. That's not oversight, that's blatent exclusion. And still, it was me who worried about what Kurtofsky was doing to you. Nevermind, the names and pictures that Quinn and Santana still draw of me. Never mind the slushies I still get at least twice a week. Not to mention the many football and hockey players who think it's okay to try and touch me in some way. But no one sees any of that do they? Because I deserve it. So no don't apologize, not when you don't mean it anyway."
"It's gotten that bad?" Kurt asked surprised.
"Baby? This all happens to you?" Rachel father's were asking. And she just shrugged.
It was the next comment that got everyone's attention. They heard it even more than they had heard Rachel.
"Son is this true?" Burt asked.
"Dad, I. . ." Kurt started.
"Yes or or, Kurt," Burt said roughly.
"Yes, but. . ."
"No, Kurt. No excuses. I. . .you know I've always been proud of you. But today I'm not, today I'm disappointed. How could you bully her after experiencing it yourself?"
"It wasn't like that!" Finn replied.
"Wasn't it?"Kurt replied shamed.
"No, we. . .she. . .Rachel isn't a normal teenager. She wouldn't have liked what we like," he yelled missing the girl in question's flinch.
"Well, that's too bad. Because neither of you will be having any 'normal teenagers' over for the next month. Nor with you be allowed to go out with them," Burt pronounced. He then looked over at the shocked father and the girl that the club suddenly realized looked small and vulnerable, "I apologize for both my sons. I don't know how we can make it up to you, but I am open to suggestions."
"Thank you," Hiram spoke. Then cradled his daughter, "You never told us it was bad, baby." It was then that Rachel's tears finally broke loose. "Oh, baby, we'll switch schools first thing in the morning, okay? You won't have to see any of them ever again I promise."
They all wait for a moment that doesn't come. They wait for Rachel to pull back and say no, of course she's not leaving McKinley, not leaving Glee, not leaving them all. But she doesn't. Instead she just nods in her father's arms.
In a last ditch effort, Puck calls out, "Rachel!" It's enough to get her to stop, but it's clear he hasn't thought of what he's going to say next. Instead, she pulls out of her father's arms to look back at them all once and asks only one question.
"Why did you hate me so much? What about me is so terrible that not even one of you could be my friend?" She's looking at Puck, but we're pretty sure the question is for all of us.
Her father manages to whisk the broken girl away before we can say anymore.