Title: Lost & Found [1/?]

Brittany keeps forgetting that something she was suppose to do. What was it again?


Disclaimer: I own nothing. The only thing I do own is my imagination of things that will probably never ever happen. Still, a girl can dream.


Once again Rachel resisted the urge to slam her locker door close in frustration. Venting out her current state of emotions on an inanimate object wouldn't be a very dignified manner for a soon-to-be rising star, not to mention very crude. Pausing to recollect herself, Rachel let out a deep breath before opting to search through her locker, once again.

It would have been the thirty-sixth time that she'd done so today; each previous search proved fruitless. It was imperative that she found the object that she was looking for. But she will not panic. And she will continue her search in a perfectly calm disposition. Rachel pumped the stress ball that was in her left hand a couple of times more.

Very calm, she thought.

"Hi!"

Rachel almost growled at the interruption. Mentally, she steeled herself to face this untimely intruder and prayed to Streisand that they'd be quick on their way and to leave her be.

Turning towards and facing the sudden greeter, Rachel arched one eyebrow up in curiosity.

"Hello Brittany," she greeted back once she was over her surprise. It wasn't every day, if ever, that a Cheerio would voluntarily come and acknowledge her presence – much less in a friendly, cordial manner. Still, however nice Brittany can be, her sudden presence caused a slight wariness to settle at the pit of her stomach.

If she was lucky maybe the tall cheerleader had simply mistaken her for someone else. It had happened before.

Standing by her locker, Rachel waited as patiently as she could – she had yet to locate her misplaced item. Brittany, on the other hand, just continued to stand there with what seemed to be an everlasting smile. Rachel usually would have given the girl her Berry smile as she does with all who greet her (except never Jacob Israel), but her thoughts and actions were desperately needed elsewhere. And so she took the plunge – she could never achieve her dreams if she wasn't willing to take risks.

"Did you need something?" she prompted the blonde, not too slowly and not too quickly. She didn't want the girl to feel like her appearance was unwanted. Rachel definitely would appreciate steering clear of a beat down via courtesy of one Santana Lopez.

Brittany only shook her head in response as she replied with a 'no thank you'.

Rachel almost flat out demanded why the girl would be here then, but backtracked as she tried to keep from sounding detrimentally rude. Not to mention the wrath Santana would inflict upon her should she learnt of how she had spoken to the blonde.

Those two's relationship – though sketchy and probably rumor filled at best – baffled her sometimes.

Shaking her head at those thoughts – they needn't be too in depth – Rachel decided to question Brittany once again of her presence. Before she could much less part her lips, however, Santana had appeared.

The Latina didn't fail to send a sneer her way. Actually the action's become a sort of habit for girl. It was like an encoded response that had been wired into the girl's consciousness. The day Santana didn't sneer at her would probably be the day Rachel couldn't sing due to the girl's sudden change of demeanor.

Think happy thoughts, Rachel reprimanded herself before pumping the stress ball once again.

"Having a nervous breakdown dwarf?" Santana then spat out as she eyed the various school supplies Rachel had strewed out and about her locker floor. Not to mention the way the girl kept squeezing that little stress ball of hers.

Rachel didn't feel the need to explain herself, much less to a tormenting Cheerio. Nor did Santana felt like listening as she had quickly turned her attention to the other Cheerio in the vicinity.

"Brit, what are you doing here with Man Hands?"

Brittany only scrunched up her eyebrows in response. "I forgot."

"Whatever," Santana easily dismissed – you learn to take whatever Brittany says in strides – before pulling the other girl along. "Lets go before we catch something."

Rachel could only huff in response at the girl's audacity to imply that she was or had some contagious disease. Santana was more likely to carry something than she was.

Then, of course, the bell rang to signal the beginning of another class and the end of Rachel's so far unfruitful searches.

She only huffed once again before shutting her locker (calmly) and storming off (not so calmly). Rachel had already shoved her lingering belongings into her bag during her haste.

This day had not started well but it better darn end well.

Rachel clutched the stress ball just a bit harder.


It was now Friday; almost four days has passed since the fateful (and disastrous) incident.

In the beginning, Rachel deduced that she must have simply forgotten her item back in her locker when she was in a rush that crazy Monday afternoon. This was the most logical explanation although Rachel prided herself on being sufficiently and excessively prepared for each and every day. But she was willing to believe this because it was better than the alternative: she had lost Barry. And there was no way she was going to believe that she had lost him.

Losing Barry was not an option. The idea wasn't even feasible. Barry Berry the Bear was not missing. He couldn't be. She'd be lost without him!

Sure gold stars were her trademark signature, a symbolism for her identity. But Barry was her friend especially when no one else would be; Dad and Daddy don't count. Barry was always there and always will be – she refused to believe he was to be lost forever and never by her side again. Rachel and Barry first became inseparable when her grandmamma on her Daddy's side gave him to her as a gift for starting kindergarten. She had said that the little bear made her think of Rachel, to which Rachel then promptly named him Barry Berry the Bear.

She thought the name was ingenious and sounded very cute.

Okay, she was a bit of a dork but who could blame her? Certainly not Barry because he absolutely adores the name she had given him.

Since then Rachel never quite grew up without him, and she proceeded to secretly carry him with her well into high school. This was easily accomplished as Barry was only the size of her hand, which made him compact and accessible even from the prying eyes of juveniles. No one knew that she carried Barry with her; Dad and Daddy never saw since Barry remained carefully hidden in her school bag.

Rachel almost broke into the school that night of Barry's discovered disappearance, but the thought of such a shameful mark on her academic records stopped her. And so she managed to convince herself that Barry was going to be perfectly fine without her. Then by tomorrow morning they would be reunited. She just merely had to wait till the school reopened the next day. She will persevere through this brief and unexpected time of turbulence because by tomorrow it was all going to be okay again.

Then it was the next day and it was not okay. She had opened her locker door expecting to see Barry's ever-present smile awaiting her from behind. What she had gotten was no smile and no Barry.

Rachel almost shouted a profanity really loudly that morning. And she was desperately tempted to forgo school and continue with her search regardless of the academic consequences. She wanted Barry back gosh darn it!

But no, she will not let others see her unravel. She promised Barry she wouldn't let anyone see that side of herself.

She just needed to retrace her steps and she will find Barry.

Practically four days later and Rachel was conducting her nine hundred forty-fifth search through her locker. And once again she was dumping the entire contents of her locker as well as her backpack out. In conclusion, she had found absolutely nothing that would suffice in determining the precise location of one Barry Berry the Bear.

Rachel quickly summarized that now was not the time to panic, although she probably had long ago. It would be completely irrational to start pointing fingers, especially given that she had no evidence whatsoever that someone might have taken what was rightfully hers. Unfortunately for Karofsky he chose that very moment to appear by the certainly-not-freaking-out girl with a slushie in hand. Before he could toss the sugar high inducing drink Karofsky was startled when the girl did a sudden turn about and faced him. His grip on the cup slackened.

Whatever comment he had on her disheveled appearance died in his throat before it could even bubble out, and Karofsky found himself nonchalantly back on his way down the school hallway. His change of course had nothing to do with the crazed look sported by the usually annoying but harmless girl. Nor was it how he noticed for a split second the way her right hand slightly twitched before her eyes narrowed almost to slits at him. He only left to save himself from the barrage of word vomit that looked to spew forth from her lips. And he was pretty sure that the girl had not just growled the moment her eyes met his.

Some distance away Brittany could only look on in surprise as Santana scoffs. "Looks like Man Hands has finally lost it. Can't believe Karofsky felt intimidated by the midget."

And some distance even further away one Sue Sylvester couldn't help by raise an eyebrow at the unexpected scene.

"Interesting."

-End Chapter One-


A/N: I want a Barry Berry the Bear. I would also like to meet Barry Berry the Bear.