Author's Note: Uh, so, I haven't written anything in awhile and I apologize in advance for how horrible this is because of that.
Pairings: Rachel/Quinn, Brittany/Santana, mild Puck/Quinn, Finn/Sam/Rachel nerd-bromance, etc.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
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I.
Rachel Berry walked through the school hallways with purpose. It was the beginning of the new school year and she was feeling hopeful. In the past few days, she'd only been slushied a total of twenty times so far, no trips to those decrepit dumpsters yet, and so she confidently set forth to complete Phase I of her plan. A plan that has been months, even years in the making.
She ignored the usual snickers and disdainful looks people shot her way- mostly at her outfit, which she personally could never fathom why. There was nothing wrong with looking presentable in pegged chinos accessorized with a leather simple belt, a nice flannel shirt tucked into them, topped off with a bright baby blue bow-tie, and a sensible pair of Sperry top siders.
As she got closer to her destination, she tugged nervously at her collar. She felt like her bow-tie was choking her.
Damn my need to always dress to impress!
But you never know when a potential industry insider was scouting talent and she'll be damned if she were caught dead wearing what her peers considered 'cool' during an impromptu audition.
She literally felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.
What if this didn't work?
What if it ended before it ever really began?
Everything she did this summer would be for nothing. All the nights where she felt like her body would just give up on her because she was over exerting it, all the literal sweat, blood, and tears that she shed just for this.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and took a deep breath.
Am I really about to do this?
Then she thought - for a chance to get to know Quinn Fabray, she'd do anything.
.
If someone asked her to describe Quinn, she'd say that the golden haired girl was a goddess walking amongst the undeserving heathens of Nowhere, Ohio. That her stormy hazel eyes brewed beauty upon Lima's dreary backdrop, that her smile could win Olympic gold, and how Quinn was going to get out Lima and be better than anyone one of them.
Including Rachel herself. The blonde beauty had so much to offer the world and she doesn't even know it, but Rachel could see it.
Liking a girl like Quinn - was like going into battle with the world's strongest army carrying a butter knife. It was hopeless to even fathom the idea of surviving, but the thought that she might take mercy on your pathetic life makes you clutch your weapon tighter and trudge on a little bit steadier.
The idea of even trying to pursue her romantically could make even a studly bad-ass football player drown in his nervous sweat.
The girl has been the object of Rachel's affection since catching sight of the gorgeous blonde at high school freshman orientation. Rachel had come to expect that only her and a few other socially awkward kids she went to middle school would show up, so she was rather awed when a hazel eyed stunner arrived at the auditorium with two frightening looking adults who both wore pompous looks.
Ever since then, she's never been able to take her eyes off of the girl. She wasn't a stalker, it was just hard to miss someone as gorgeous as Quinn.
Prettiest girl she's ever met, by far. No one could even come close.
Rachel stole glances of Quinn whenever she could- it made even her most miserable days of school much more bearable. Quinn, of course, was unaware of what her mere presence could evoke within the dorky wide eyed brunette.
Nor was she aware of Rachel's existence at all.
The blonde was the Captain of the nationally ranked William McKinley Cheerios, listed on the Principal's Honor Roll, President of the Celibacy, and had an off and on romance with self proclaimed sex shark, Noah Puckerman. Who, while admittedly good-looking, was no where near good enough for her. The guy slept with anything that moved and probably had a plethora of STDs that he couldn't just wait to share with Quinn.
Just the thought of the couple being intimate in anyway made her want to rip his stupid Mohawk off and shove it up his man-whore ass.
Focus, Rachel!
Quinn was on top of the pyramid - both figuratively and literally. This shouldn't come as a surprise, with the girl's god-like good looks, natural intelligence, and cold indifference, she was meant to be popular.
Just like how the obsession with all things Broadway, combined with a knack for babbling incoherently when spoken to, and a deep love for bedazzled paraphernalia- placed her so far down the school's ridiculous social hierarchy that the only person remotely close to her on the scale was the school's panty-stealing pervert, Jacob Ben Israel, and her friend, new kid Sam Evans, who had lips as huge as his obsession with Avatar.
Not once has the blonde acknowledged her - Quinn was undoubtedly the school's resident HBIC - Head Bitch (it should be changed to beauty, in her humble opinion) in Charge. She had her lemmings conduct all of the necessary evils one had to do to stay on top, but she never got her own hands dirty. So while Rachel was forced to interact with the school's resident psychotic bitch, Santana Lopez, and Quinn's boy toy, the blonde goddess herself was still oblivious to her dorky charms.
But that's all about to change. She was a Junior now and high school's practically half way over. She wasn't going to waste another year pining over her dream girl from afar.
This was the year she was going to get Quinn Fabray to notice her.
.
Oh, god.
She was going to throw up. And it wasn't just because of the horrid stench that emitted from the walls of the small room.
This was a stupid idea.
Her fathers were right.
She should of just stuck to serenading the girl with a love song at a school assembly, or possibly an impromptu dance number performance in the cafeteria.
'No, Berry. You want Quinn to notice you, not get her to sic Santana on you,' she thought to herself fiercely.
She's been performing with her school's glee club since freshman year, proud Captain since sophomore year, and besides becoming an even bigger slushy target, it didn't bring her any closer to getting the hazel eyed beauty to pay attention to her existence. The glee club has performed at school assemblies and last year, they even did a local commercial for a mattress company, not to mention making it to Regionals.
But not once has single glance from those unsettling hazel eyes ever met her way.
This was the only sure way to get her girl to see her.
She approached the hulking figure, sitting on their desk devouring a grotesque looking meat lover's sandwich, cautiously - like a hunter approaching its chosen prey.
"Coach Beiste?"
Oh, shit. I've startled my prey.
The older woman looked practically murderous from being interrupted from her lunch.
Oh, geez, abort mission!
No, Rachel, no. Calm down. Remember Quinn!
Quinn?
Yes, Quinn Fabray.
She's pretty.
The prettiest and you're doing this for her.
She's so worth it.
Yup, she sure is. Be brave.
Right. She was doing this for Quinn. All for her.
"Who hell are you?" A piece of chewed up meat went sailing past her head, as the woman practically growled at her.
"Rachel Barbra Berry." She held her hand out politely and gave the woman a nervous wide grin. "I'm Captain of McKinley high's glee club-"
"What do yah want?"
"Well-," she gulped. "This summer I devoted every minute of the day to getting in tiptop physical shape. I can run a mile in less than six minutes. I can do any number of pushups and situps, or anything else you could give me. I've been doing an extensive amount of yoga to strengthen my core. I've also increased my vitamin intake to maintain the highest amount of energy possible during any type of physical endurance-"
"Get to the point, Kid. You're keeping me from my food, and it makes me wanna kick your ass."
"I completely understand. Many people have informed me that a conversation with me makes them want to commit homicide." She said only slightly joking. The coach's lips didn't even twitch. Rachel cleared her throat before awkwardly continuing, "Right, of course, getting to the point now. I- I was hoping to discuss with you the possibility of perhaps being able to try out for the football team."
Silence. Then a snort.
"Look, uh, kid-"
"It's Rachel, or perhaps Berry, if you'd prefer that."
"Right, sure. Look, I appreciate all the work you've put into this, I seriously do." Rachel smiled at the sincerity of the woman's words. "You seem like you've got some balls, but I'm gonna have to say no."
"If you're unwillingly to approve my request for an audition simply because I'm a girl, then-"
"It ain't just cuz of the fact that you're a chick, Berry. It's the fact that you're - well-," Shannon trails off and gestures vaguely in the girl's direction.
"You just gestured to all of me." She frowned miserably when the all she got was an unapologetic shrug.
But she wasn't just going to give up.
Not without a fight.
She had to do this.
"Look, I know that even though you're new here, that you already know how this school works." She pauses and gives the woman a sad smile. "I know that everyone, including the teachers, just sees me as the dorky kid who gets picked on, as the socially inept geek who can't even fake not being weird, as the nerd who manages to blow up every science experiment - and I am. I'm all those things and I'm not ashamed to admit that. But there's more to me than sweater vests, unfortunate luck, and perfect pitch."
"Why not join the Cheerios?"
She gave the coach a bemused look. "Besides the fact that Coach Sylvester would probably have me dragged through a pile of broken glass for even thinking of joining her precious squad, I simply do not posses the kind of evil bitchiness it takes to be a cheerleader at this school."
"You could get hurt."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take."
For Quinn.
"All this for what? To prove a point?"
"Partly. And because I want to be part of something that people at this school actually care about. I don't wanna be just a wallflower anymore."
'And I want Quinn to look at me and shoot me that smile, and tell everyone how proud she is of me,' she added silently to herself.
"One chance. That's all I ask."
For Quinn Fabray.
"Alright."
Rachel grinned goofily. Phase I of operation get Quinn Fabray to fall for her geeky charms: complete!
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