It has been three weeks since she had broken up with Noah Puckerman. Her reason for the break-up was a complete lie. She has no feelings, other than friendship, for Finn Hudson. Finn was just a substitute for Noah. You see, Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman used to be best-friends. They hung out together, always laughing and having fun. If she had pin-point when she fell for Noah, she would have to say, when she was 13. It was the summer before they started high school, only about 3 days before.

*Flashback*

Rachel was sitting in the hammock, out on the back porch of her two-story house. She has been lying there for the past 4 hours. Just 4 and half hours ago, she watched her Safta be lowered into a grave. She had cried at the funeral but just couldn't bring herself to cry at home. She was just lying there, looking up at the stars. She could her fathers' crying in the living room. They needed to comfort each other. She heard the glass door, slide open and shut, and then felt someone sit next to her. She turned her head to come face to face, with her best friend/crush, Noah Puckerman. He looked at her with those hazel-green eyes and a worried look on his face. He pulled her into his lap, holding her in his arms. That was when Rachel finally broke down. She cried heart-wrenching sobs. They sat there, for what seemed like hours, but was only about 30 minutes. Puck held her as she cried, his hands running up and down her back comforting her. Soon her sobs turned into sniffles.

"Thank you Noah." She whispered. "I'm sorry about your shirt."

"Rach… It's okay. You know you can come to me for anything."

"I know, Noah. Thank you." She smiled up at him. He hugged her close and laid a kiss upon her head. He stayed over that night and held her while she cried herself to sleep. The second day of school, he had thrown a slushie in her face and called her a freak.

*Flashback*

She still loves him. She had tried so hard not to. She focused all her attention on Finn, but the only feelings she could muster for him were friendship. She had broken up with Noah because; she could see him look at Cheerios when she was looking at him. She knew he tried to be sneaky, you know with having a girlfriend and all, but she could see the longing looks. Every time she saw the looks, her heart hurt just a little more. She again was second fiddle to the beautiful and popular cheerleaders. Rachel felt she was just warming one of their seats until they recognized they wanted him. She couldn't do that. She couldn't be with the love of her life, knowing that he would never feel the same for her and that he was probably using her as a way to make the girls jealous. Finn knew that they were only friends, and he also knew, that Rachel had feelings for his best friend. Quinn was out sick today so, he walked into the choir room alone. When he entered the room, he saw Rachel sitting by the piano, her shoulders where slumped, and he head was resting against one of her arms on top of the piano.

"Hey… " he called softly, while sitting down next to her. "What's the matter" Finn said in a concerned tone.

"The usual, Finn. I was stupid to break up with Noah, because I will never have the chance to have him again. I am never wanted or loved. Many people hate me. What's new?" Rachel said in a dejected tone.

"Hey, not everyone hates you. Santana and I don't hate you. And for Puck, you never know , he could figure out that he loves you too." Finn said, trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah," he said sarcastically, "Noah Puckerman, would pick me over some, skinny, popular, beautiful cheerleader. That would be a day, I would love to see. I mean, what do I have to offer. I am, abrasive, obnoxious, demanding, selfish, ugly, and a freak. I mean why else would I have the names Man-Hands, Treasure trail, Hobbit, Freak, Crazy Berry, or Midget. Yeah, the one and only Noah Puckerman, sex god, would pick me over a cheerleader." She said hating on herself.

"Hey, stop that. You are beautiful." Finn said. Rachel barked out a laugh.

"yeah, well not beautiful enough. Because the one guy I truly love, likes cheerleaders more than me. My ex best friend, the one I was in love with since I was 13, when he stayed with me and comfort me when my grandmother died. The one that, I haven't been able to get out of my head, even with the slushies, can't stand me. I love him, and I know I broke up with him. But I only did it because, I couldn't handle not being the one girl in his mind, like he is the one guy in mine. And I would love to shout I AM IN LOVE WITH NOAH PUCKERMAN off the rooftops, if I didn't think that I would get teased for it and lose him forever." Rachel said sadly, putting her head back down as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Fin laid a hand on her back and rubbed comforting circled on her back. Little did they know, that a certain Mohawk, badass, had listened to the entire convocation and just walked down the hall, berating himself, for hurting his best friend.

~~~~Glee~~~~

After her talk with Finn, Rachel walked left school. She was too depressed to even continue trying to pay attention. Rachel decided to stay home until Glee Club. She won't let a boy affect her rise to stardom. She sat in her room watching West Side Story and Funny girl until it was 20 minutes till glee. Rachel had already changed into sweats and a tank top, so she grabbed her keys and drove to the school. Once she got to the school, she briskly walked to the choir room. Upon entering the room, 2 pair of eyes turn to her (there was only two people in the choir room).

"God, there you are! Where the fuck where you? Why didn't answer your phone?!" Santana screamed, visibly panicked.

"After my talk with Finn, I skipped the rest of the day." Rachel replied, rather flatly.

"Why? You never skip school!" Finn said.

"Because, I was tired. I was depressed. I just wanted to be alone! Do you need to know everything?!" Rachel said, walking past her friends and plopped down in one of the red, plastic chair.

"No we don't, but we worry about B."

"Yea, well I'm fine." She said before the glee club came in the room, Puck being the last. When Puck came in to the choir room, Rachel felt her heartbreak. She put her head down and stared at her lap. Puck noticed this action, and felt a pang through his heart. He loved her, he did. It's just, he believed he wasn't good enough for her. What could he offer her? A lifetime in Lima. Yeah, no. He wanted her to succeed. Rachel finally took her focus off of her lap, when Mr. Shue walked in, with his usual overly excited grin.

"Does anyone have anything, they want to sing." Rachel raised her hand

"Yeah, I do." Rachel said. Everyone was shocked, not because she was singing, but because of how dejected she sounded and the way she was talking. Rachel got up from her seat and walked over to the band. She whispered her song to them, before walking in front of the Glee Club.

Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's drifting over me
And when I wake you're, you're never there
But when I sleep you're, you're everywhere
You're everywhere
Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
'Cause every time I look
You're never there
And every time I sleep
You're always there
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I recognize the way you make me feel
It's hard to think that
You might not be real
I sense it now, the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me
Away from me
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I am not alone
Whoa, oh, oooh, oh
And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty that's within
It's now that we begin
You always light my way
I hope there never comes a day
No matter where I go
I always feel you so
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I catch my breath
It's you I breathe
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
You're in everyone I see
So tell me
Do you see me?

Once Rachel had finished the song, she ran out of the room crying. She couldn't face him after that. She ran all the way to her car, got in a drove home, all the while big, salty tears streaming down her face. She can't do this anymore. She arrived home to an empty house again, he fathers where on a 9 month business trip. She ran to her room, flung herself on her bed and just cried. How could she have been so stupid to fall in love with Noah Puckerman. She should have known it would only lead to a broken heart. "God. I'm so stupid!" She yelled before getting up. She went down to the garage and grabbed one of the many cardboard boxes that were stored in there. She went back into her room. Rachel took one more look around before grabbing everything he ever gave her. She couldn't sleep in her room if everything she looked at reminded her of him. She walked over to her desk. She grabbed the picture frame that held the pictures of them when they were little. One picture was when they went to the fair. They were 12. In the picture, her and Noah were holding hand. They were walking to the Ferris Wheel. Another picture was them at age 6 cuddled up on the couch sleeping. Another was at 13. They were hugging. Puck had his arms around her waist and she had her arms about his neck. The last picture was when they were 15. He was kissing her. His arms wrapped around her waist pulling her closer. Her hands resting on his shoulders. She threw the picture frame into the box. Next, she grabbed the ceramic elephant. He gave this to her after they went to the zoo. She them looked through the jewelry box that was sitting on her desk. She grabbed the star necklace he gave her for Christmas when they were 10. She then grabbed the ring that said badass. He gave it to her after she kicked some kid. And lastly she grabbed the chain that said Noah. As she held it, she felt tears fill her eyes. She quickly threw it in the box. Next she went to her closet. She grabbed his Bears sweatshirt and threw it in the box. She then there in his little league baseball jersey in the box too. She then moved to her bed. She grabbed the star pillow he gave her on her birthday and threw it in there. After she grabbed all the stuff, she walked across the hall and dumped the box in the guestroom closet. She wanted the stuff out of her room, didn't mean she wanted it out of her life. Rachel went downstairs, into the kitchen, and made herself a nice hot cup of peppermint tea. She settled herself on the couch and began to watch The Lion King (it always made her happy). Halfway through the movie, the doorbell rang. She paused the movie and got up to answer it. She didn't bother to check before opening, it was probably Santana or Finn or both. But she would have never guessed it was Puck. She was about to close the door again, when his hand reach out to stop it.

"Please let me talk." Puck pleaded in a broken tone.

"What?!" Rachel all but barked out. "Fine, you wanna talk? Talk. But you have to stay outside." Puck took a breath and let it out slowly.

"I love you.." Rachel scoffed. "I do. It's jus, I'm no good with word. I love you! I'm just no good for you. What can I offer you besides a lousy job, a lousy house and a life in Lima. Rachel, you deserve so much better than that. You are amazing and you have such an amazing talent. I could keep you here. I'm a Lima Loser, but you are worth so much more. You are going to go to New York and make it your bitch. You are so amazing and I love you. I want to be with you, but you are so much better off without me." Puck said a few tears falling down his face.

"Noah…" Rachel called softly. " You are not a Lima Loser." Now it was Puck turn to scoff "You're not. Sure your grades aren't good now, but we are only sophomores. We have to more years to get your grades up. And you are very talented to. I love you. And if you were a Lima Loser I would have never fallen in love with you." She said softly, now standing in front of him. "So can we please, pretend we didn't break up and go back to what we were before?" Rachel asked

"No." Puck said and Rachel's face fell. She backed up. "No because I don't want to go back to being your asshole boyfriend. We are going to start over from new. So, Rachel Barbra Berry, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked

"Yes." Rachel said before jumping into Pucks arms as Puck smashes their lips together in a passionate kiss.