AN: Thank you so much for your reviews! I understood that most of you are expecting me to write more chapters to this story, although I didn't plan on doing so (at least not right now), truth is I am lacking inspiration here; but you are all free to write a sequel to this story, just send me a message if you do so I can read what you guys come up with. :)
«Everything is so fucked up.» Rachel said, as both Will and herself were sitting in the choir room. She leaned back into her chair and saw her teacher run his fingers through his hair two rows of seats before her.
«It is.» he simply answered.
Will and the Glee club co-president met up in the first place, to decide on a set list for regionals, but they eventually ended up talking about their lives. How did either of them get there, really? Barely a year ago, he was married, and expecting a child and he liked Emma, and Emma was in love with him. Now he lost his wife, it turned out the baby was Quinn and Puck's and Emma's last name became Pillsbury-Howell. Rachel also had her own set of troubles, dealing with the fact Finn dumped her, and never really understood that she messed up, because the situation was so confusing: the fact Finn had slept with Santana wasn't what hurt her the most: to see how everybody knew about this but her, and how they kept treating her like a dog was definitely worse. As the silence took over the room once again, leaving them abandoned to their thoughts, Will started thinking about how the two of them actually worsened each other's problems with their respective troubles.
«I'm sorry I've been treating you like this, Rachel. I guess I was so pissed because of my own personal life that I've been irritating. I should have paid more attention to you. I know you've been through painful stuff too.», he apologized, still facing the empty room though, not quite ready to face her just yet.
She sighed and a faint smile took the grave look away from her face. «We all have our problems that's true, but you shouldn't pin this on yourself exclusively. I've been a pain in the/ well, you got my point.» He laughed lightly at her last remark, releasing the tension. «So, for this, I'm sorry.» He didn't even need answering, he knew turning around and flashing her a smile -that smile- would get the message across.
«Okay, I think it was necessary to sort these things out, now how about we play a little music. How would you like to sing?» he added a few seconds later, as he stood up and walked to the piano. She followed him and sat right next to him on the piano bench.
The next day was a Saturday and Rachel decided to go for a walk so she could eventually get these thoughts out of her mind. A student in love with her teacher? She already experienced this the previous year, and it didn't work out for the best: she ended up embarrassing him and herself.
The temperature was quite warm for the season, but the dark clouds seemed to settle, she noted. She continued walking for a little while anyway, but soon the sky grew more menacing and the first rain drops came crashing down on the sidewalk. She quickened her pace and entered the first café that she crossed. By the time, though, she was soaking wet. She ordered a warm tea as the owner of the place handed her a towel and, with a compassionate look, pointed to the restroom. She thanked him and grabbed the fabric. Despite all the effort she put into drying her clothes, the hand-dryer didn't do much for her shirt. She figured the main room was warm enough, and since the rain outside wouldn't stop, she had no better option than just sit, and wait, and sip tea in her wet clothes. With this, she exited the restroom.
«Here you go, young lady» said the owner as he handed her a mug of hot tea. «On the house», he added. Rachel smiled and thanked him, then took a long sip, burning her tongue on the way. But it felt so good. The place was cozy and calm; the warm color of the walls and the multiple lamps in the room contrasted with the torn sky and dark atmosphere she could see through the immense window pane on her right. All of a sudden, she didn't care that her clothes were wet, that her tongue stung or that she didn't really have friends. She just felt so peaceful and comfortable, and realized that making such a big deal of high school was plain insane. She wouldn't believe her dads when they told her this, but now, and for no apparent reason, it just struck her. She was going to do so much more, go to university, start a life in a place maybe 1000 miles away from Lima, Ohio; and then, who would care how popular she was in high school...
«Am I interrupting?» said Will Schuester, a smile on his lips. She was so absorbed by her thoughts that she hadn't even seen him, sitting at the other end of the room.