Rachel Berry was a little bit surprise when Mike Chang put his hand on her shoulder a second after she came out from the library. She didn't want to have lunch with Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, and Tina in the cafeteria, so she spent her time in the library. And she clearly didn't expect to meet Mike after that.
Rachel and Mike were never the closest friend in Glee, but Mike was a dork and he was one of a few people who were actually pretty cool with Rachel's long speech about Broadway – or anything. So she let him dragged her under his arm without bothering to ask. Instead, she put her arm around his waist and asked him about his life in Chicago.
Their walk to wherever Mike wanted to go through the hallway was long enough to make her realized that she should talk to Mike more in high school. She made a mental note to ask his number – if he hadn't changed it – so they could keep in touch after they got back to their lives in Chicago for him and in New York for her. He asked her about her role as Fanny and she happily told him about everything that was going on in New York, which included her feud with Santana Lopez. He just nodded at that, and he stopped walking to open the door in front of them for her. They were in the auditorium, and everyone was there. Kurt and Mercedes were on stage and Mike made her sit on the back side of Quinn and Puck who happily leaned to each other. They were far enough with the other Glee members – she noted that Tina was sitting next to the blonde newbie guy and talking with her happy face – and actually pretty far from Santana's seat in the front.
She should have known that this all was about her feud and Santana. Kurt and Mercedes' speech and song were really good – not that she minded for being shot under the spotlight that their friends set to her and Santana. But then she noticed that Mike only clapped for Kurt and Mercedes from Rachel's side without even standing. Mike never missed the standing ovation for every single performance in Glee – he appreciated them all too much, especially Rachel's or Mercedes'. So she turned to face him and found that he was staring at her expectantly.
"What?" She asked pretending that she didn't know what he was thinking.
"Will you talk to her?" He pleaded and she was surprised she found his face adorable. But still, "Um, no, Michael."
He sighed and moved so he could face her. "Why, Rachel?"
"She stole my part, Mike!" He actually couldn't blame Rachel for that, but Santana wasn't really wrong because she just took any chance she had since she did nothing other than being a singing waiter in Spot Light. "She barely stole your part, she's your understudy. You are Fanny."
"I know, Mike. But I also know that she will do anything – and by anything I mean literally anything included pushing me or making me fall from stage – to make me get out from that stage so that she can replace me, on my stage," She stood up and walked out from the auditorium knowing he would follow her. He did.
They were walking through the hallway when Mike pulled her arm and stopped her in track, "Will you listen to me?"
She just crossed her arms and nodded.
"Look, this is a mess, but you have to fix this. She is your friend, and you are her friend. How the two of you managed that, I wouldn't want to know. But can you just give her a chance or maybe just talk to her? That's what friends do, you messed with each other, but you fixed each other too."
She was silent. She didn't really want to have a fight with Santana. She felt guilty enough by letting Kurt and Elliott involved in this, and now everyone in Glee had known too. Santana was her only girl friend she had in New York, the Latina had a higher tolerance for her rant and the brunette thought she couldn't love the girl more every time they watched musical together. She was actually missing Santana as her friend. She sniffed once and found Mike leaning down so their eyes met, "Talk to her? Please?"
"Okay," She whispered back. He could see Mike's face in relieve.
"Thank you," He hugged her tight which she immediately returned.
They hugged for a while before a voice came startling both of them.
"Hey love birds; did I interrupt you or something?" The very blonde Holly Holiday was standing really close to them and they both wondered when the woman arrived. They both pulled away and it was Mike who answered, "No, Miss Holiday, not at all."
"So, I need your help. Both of you," She said as she walked motioning them to follow her.
"What is it, Holly?" Rachel asked making the blonde woman smirked, "I want to demonstrate some fun things that Glee can do to some kids, and I need a backup for me and Will. Are you in?"
Rachel beamed to the former teacher excitedly making Mike chuckled, "Absolutely, I'm in! And Mike too, of course!"
"Cool. The other couples already agreed too. Can you help with the choreography?" Holly turned and pointed to Mike who just shrugged, "Sure, but who are the other couples?"
"Oh there are Quinn, Kurt, and their boys. You are the last couple I want to include in this project," She answered easily.
"But, Miss Holiday, we aren't a couple and –," Before he could finish it, Holly stopped him and cut, "You are. I'll see you tomorrow in the auditorium at 10 sharp!"
With that, she walked away leaving the confused teenagers in the middle of hallway.
She high-fived Quinn and hugged the blonde over the foam. She was so glad that Holly included her in this project, because it was disco time! She had grown to love disco since Finn made her watched Saturday Night Fever on the disco week in their senior year. She was dancing around and having fun with Kurt, Blaine, Quinn, Puck, and Mike, who was bouncing around Puck making the navy guy laughed at his antic.
She high-fived Mike who, according to Rachel, looked really cute with his blue suit and white jeans while Puck made his way to his baby momma. The Asian boy grinned to her and got himself closer to her singing into her ears making her laugh more.
My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time…
That was, for sure, the best dance number she had since graduation.
Puck and Quinn had a dinner at Breadstix after their dance and Rachel beamed brightly when they asked her to come with them. Before she knew it, she already dragged Mike with her, gaining raised eyebrows from both Puck and Quinn. But both didn't say a word about it and just told them to meet them at the restaurant.
Mike went with Rachel of course, since Rachel made him picked her up earlier that day. Mike was a little surprise finding himself talked to Rachel without thinking to roll his eyes even for once. Rachel herself was already determined to make Mike as her new best friend beside Kurt and Santana – as if the Latina still accepted her as a friend.
They arrived at Breadstix and found Puck and Quinn already settling their selves in one table. It didn't take a long conversation before Puck blurted out, "So, are you two dating or what?"
"Ouch!" He added because Quinn just hit the back of his head.
"No, Noah, Michael and I are just friends. And thank you for that, Quinn," Rachel answered. Mike just nodded holding his laugh at Puck who still cringed and glared at the Asian.
The rest of the dinner was comfortable for the four of them, they really missed each other and they talked about many things including Rachel's role in Funny Girl. That was when Mike unconsciously put his arm around Rachel's shoulder and she leaned back to him making Puck and Quinn looked at each other knowingly. When Rachel decided to call it a night, Quinn cut her, "Can I say something before we go home?"
"Sure, go ahead." It was Rachel who shrugged and nodded.
"I know you two are not dating or something, but I think maybe you should consider it since you seemed so comfortable to each other," That made both Rachel and Mike straightened up their bodies. Surprisingly, Mike was the one who said it first, "Quinn –"
"Dude, shut it. Tina has moved on to that Lynn guy and Berry, seriously, Hudson wouldn't want you to stay mopping around. He would want you to be happy with someone else. I'm pretty sure Chang is more than capable of that, and I'm pretty sure that Chang was the only guy that Finn told everything like he was his diary," Puck said.
Rachel and Mike had pulled themselves from each other embrace. Mike was just looking down at his lap while Rachel looked Puck and Quinn sadly at the mention of her ex-boyfriend's name. Quinn sighed, "Mike, what did Finn tell you the last time you see him?"
Mike's body froze. Damn it, he shouldn't tell Quinn earlier, he thought.
"What? What did he tell you?" Rachel turned her head to him. He bit his bottom lip nervously, "He told me, uh, to help him taking care Glee club – or in this case the alumni, which included attending Mercedes' concert one day and having Santana's back every time she needed a friend, uh –"
"And?" Quinn looked at him expectantly. "And being friends with Quinn and talking to her every week."
"And what Mike?" Now Quinn narrowed her eyes.
"Uh, and beingonRachel'ssideifhewasntaround."
"What was that, Michael?" Rachel raised her eyebrows. Puck just rolled his eyes and Quinn was still staring at him. Mike sighed; there was no need to keep it as a secret anymore, "To be on your side if he wasn't around, Rach."
They were silent for a while before the waiter came to take their payment. Puck hurriedly paid for the whole thing and escorted Quinn to get out from the restaurant. They hugged Rachel goodbye in the parking lot and Mike got a peck on the cheek from Quinn.
Mike and Rachel's way to Berry's residence was only filled with the sound from his radio. When he pulled off in her driveway, Rachel turned to face him, "Mike, we are friends, right?"
"Yeah, of course we are, Rach," He nodded hard. She continued, "Friends are honest to each other, so let me break it down to you, okay?"
He nodded again without saying a word.
"I don't know if anything what Quinn and Puck trying to say is right. I really like you, and of course I can't forget Finn that easy, but you are still my friends. Do you think you can come to New York and watch my opening night?" He smiled sweetly at her, "I wouldn't miss it for anything."
"And do you think you can extend your visit as a little vacation and, I don't know, maybe have a coffee with me?"
His smile went wider, but still sweet and adorable, Rachel thought.
"Of course, Rach, why wouldn't I have a coffee with a big Broadway star?"
She laughed at that. After stealing a peck to his cheek, she jumped down the car before Mike could open the door for her. She half-ran to her front door shouting, "That big Broadway star would love it if you call her sometimes soon!"
He just chuckled and pulled his car leaving her house. On his way home, you could hear him humming his new favorite song.
My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time…