A/N: I don't own Glee. I am not Ryan Murphy. I do not own Lea, Mark, Cory, Naya or Heather. They just make appearances in this story.
Thanks to Elainea, who you can find under my favourite authors (LayLayX) for being the first to read this.
Reviews are love, and are greatly appreciated :)
"Break a leg"
"I love you"...
Rachel, for the first time ever, is completely speechless.
It's the start of something. The start of a relationship, because it's impossible for Rachel to turn her back on Finn now that he's said those three little words.
The pair walk through the curtains and sing.
It's like all of the other times they've sung: it's laced with shy, yet flirtatious glances.
She didn't say it back but she thinks it might be possible that she feels the same way about him.
They lose to Vocal Adrenaline and it hurts more than anything else Rachel's ever been through. Jesse's smirking at her and she's about to fall apart. Even remembering that Finn loves her doesn't help.
For the first time ever, Rachel wants to hug Santana. The normally bitchy head cheerleader is staring straight ahead, her eyes glassy. Brittany is standing next to her and it's clear she has no idea what's going on.
Rachel takes two steps to the left so that she's standing in between Santana and Brittany.
"Think of something happy. Don't let them see you cry", she instructs.
"I really wanted to win", the cheerleader replied.
"I know. I did too"
There are no more words to say so Rachel grabs Santana's hand.
Brittany latches onto Rachel's other hand, and the three girls stand there silently as Vocal Adrenaline celebrate their win.
It happens after the glee practice where Mr. Schue tells them that they've been granted another year. Rachel's walking down the corridor and is quickly met by a slushy.
It's the final straw.
She's sick of slushy facials and glee kids that only pretend to be her friends. She's sick of Quinn tearing her down at every opportunity in a last ditch attempt to stay friends with Santana and Brittany. She's sick of Kurt criticising every outfit and sick of Mercedes laughing with him.
She's even sick of Finn and the way she lets him get away with everything (kissing her and then running away – check; using her feelings to his advantage – check; choosing football over glee – check).
Most of all, she's sick of being Rachel Barbra Berry.
She thinks about it over the weekend and it makes sense. Actually, she can't believe she hadn't thought of it before.
She arrives at school early on Monday morning and tracks down Mr. Schue. He thinks that she doesn't notice the way he rolls his eyes as soon as he sees her but she does.
"Mr. Schue, I'm just taking this opportunity to let you know that I am quitting Glee", she announces confidently, just like she practiced in front of the mirror last night.
"Very funny Rachel. You do realize it's not April 1st today right?"
"I am aware of the date. This isn't a joke. I will be at rehearsals this afternoon to tell the group, but after that, I am no longer part of the club", she explains, thankful that she practiced all possible outcomes.
"But you love Glee Rachel"
"Loved", she corrects. "I loved Glee. I will see you this afternoon for my final session".
When Rachel walked away, Mr. Schue stared after her, wondering just when her storm-outs had become effective again.
The last practice wasn't everything she had hoped for, but everything she expected.
After a quick scan of the room (Brittany and Santana holding pinkies, Quinn sitting next to them yet looking like an outsider, Noah sitting next to her, looking even more out of place, Tina sitting on Artie's lap, Kurt and Mercedes whispering to each other, Matthew and Michael sitting quietly in the corner and Finn sitting front and centre), she announced that she was quitting.
It took a few minutes to convince them that she wasn't lying, but after that, everyone lost interest in her.
Kurt and Mercedes immediately started dividing up her solos. Tina and Artie were back in their own world. Matthew and Michael went back to blending in, Quinn attempted to make some snide remark and Brittany went back to staring at the wall...
Finn, Santana and Noah were staring at her disbelievingly.
It was the first time she had seen Noah since Quinn gave birth and then gave their baby up for adoption. She had heard through the grape vine that Shelby had adopted the baby, and she felt like Noah was the only one that understood how much that hurt. He had lost the baby girl who should have loved him unconditionally, and she had lost the woman who was supposed to love her.
Their eyes met, and she wanted to talk to him, but the moment was broken when Quinn elbowed him in the ribs.
She understood why Santana was staring: they had bonded over a love of glee and a hatred of losing, and she knew that the cheerleader thought it was strange to give up before the fight had really begun.
"Rachel, you've got to be joking right? You aren't really quitting Glee", Finn said from behind her, and she spun around. She had been so busy analysing Noah and Santana that she had forgotten all about Finn, the boy who loved her.
"It's not a joke Finn. I wouldn't joke about something this serious", she reminds him.
"Rach, I told you that I love you. You can't just walk away from that"
"I'm not walking away from that Finn. I'm walking away from the rest of this mess. I just can't be a part of it any longer. I thought that glee was a family, and maybe it is, but it's clear I'm not a valued member", she whispers, her heart breaking as she says the words.
"Rach..."
"If you don't understand that then you aren't the person I thought you were"
"If you walk out of that door Rachel, and turn your back on glee, we're done", he threatens.
She walks out anyway.
A couple of weeks later, Santana approaches her, Brittany trailing behind.
"Look Berry, I know we aren't friends but I respect the decision you made. I just wanted you to know that", the cheerleader says quickly, her eyes darting everywhere but not once focusing on the smaller brunette.
"Santana, I actually had something to ask you. I've been taking dance lessons since I was four years old and now that I'm not in glee and practicing after school in addition to my lessons, I'm worried that I might get rusty. I'll fall behind in my dance lessons if my dancing is rusty", she rambles.
"I'll set something up with Coach Sylvester. Your try-out will be after school today. Don't be late – Coach doesn't give second chances", Santana cuts her off before she even had a chance to get to the point.
Brittany waves cheerily as she and Santana walk away, and Rachel eats her lunch, happier than she's been in a long time.
Her day gets even better when she goes to the try-out after school, and Coach Sylvester practically begs her to join after a two minute routine.
All those years of dancing lessons finally paid off.
The news spreads fast: Rachel Berry, former slushy target, has joined the Cheerio's.
Rachel ignores the disgusted looks Finn sends her throughout the day and the longing looks Quinn graces her with. She and Quinn had switched places, and it's one of the best feelings ever.
Brittany manages to find her before lunch. "Hey Rach, I'm so happy you got onto the squad. S says it's about time we got someone else who could actually keep up, and when I asked her, she said you could hang out with us".
"Easy there B, you'll scare Rachel away". A third voice joined the conversation and without even looking, Rachel knew that Santana had graced them with her presence.
"No I won't. Rachel and I are going to be great friends, and if you give her a chance, you two will be great friends too. I can feel it!" the bubbly blonde practically squealed.
"Rachel, Brittany and I don't just let other people hang around with us. We have everything we need already, and we don't want anyone getting in the way of our friendship. Brittany, however, decided it would be a good idea to ask you to join us at lunch. After all, everyone needs more than one friend, and I just want her to be happy. You make her upset, and you are off the squad faster than you can say sorry, got it?" the bitchy side of Santana reared its head.
"Got it"
"Well, now that's out of the way, let's go to lunch", Santana decided for the three of them, and walked out of the room, just expecting them to follow.
After all, she was head cheerleader.
That weekend, Brittany took her out shopping. Rachel had taken to wearing jeans and shorts instead of skirts to show people that she was different, but Brittany had decided that her limited wardrobe wouldn't do.
"Ok, there are three stores that will have exactly what you need", Brittany talks on and on, and Rachel's smile grows wider and wider. Brittany might not be a genius, but when it comes to shopping, she definitely knows what she's doing.
After they've bought seven pairs of jeans, three pairs of shorts, two new skirts and a dozen new tops and are settled in the food court, Brittany spills something major that makes her day.
"S has never let anyone sit with us before cos she doesn't really like people, but we both think that letting you sit with us was an awesome idea"
"That's really sweet Brittany"
"My friends call me B", the blonde said softly.
"Only Santana calls you B", Rachel reminds her.
"My best friends get to call me B", the blonde rephrases it.
"Well, that's nice Britt"
"You can call me B if you want..." Brittany says quietly, as if she's truly afraid that Rachel will say no.
"I'd love to call you B... if that's ok with you and Santana? I don't want to intrude on a tradition or anything"
"Relax R, Santana and I want you to be a part of this. From now on, we are S, B and R. Doesn't it sound like something really special?" Brittany says cheerfully.
"It does sound special", Rachel whispers to herself, feeling accepted for the first time ever and by the people she thought would never like her.
"Look R, you don't have to throw the slushy yourself, you just have to be there when it's thrown", Brittany said softly, knowing that this was hard for her friend.
"But it's Kurt. We were in Glee together... I can't just throw a slushy at him"
"Because you two were such great friends Rach. You two may have been in Glee together but he has always been a mega bitch to you. Think of it as revenge", Santana chimed in.
"You promise I don't have to throw the slushy myself?"
"Rach, Britt and I love you. We aren't going to force you to throw a slushy on Kurt. We just thought that you would just want to get a bit of payback, to make him hurt the way you hurt", Santana explained.
"I know how bad a slushy to the face feels though", Rachel whispered, her eyes trained on the floor. Brittany quickly stepped forward and tilted her chin upwards.
"Well, then no slushies will be thrown", the blonde said cheerfully.
(A slushy was thrown though. Rachel was walking past when a member of the football team threw a slushy in Kurt's face. The boy glared at Rachel like it was all her fault and she cried herself to sleep that night).
"Rach, Britt told me that you two went shopping on the weekend, and I know that you enjoy wearing the new clothes, but why aren't you wearing your Cheerio skirt? Are you ashamed of us?" Santana cornered her between first and second period.
"The skirt... it's just not me S"
"That makes no sense. You've worn shirts shorter than that before Rach and you've never been embarrassed before, so this is the only possible reason. You're ashamed at being part of the Cheerio's", Santana explained her reasoning.
"I know it doesn't make sense San. It's just... that skirt... it means that I'm a part of something, and I'm scared that if I put it on and acknowledge that I'm one of you, it'll turn out that this was all a dream and I'll lose everything I've grown to love in the last couple of weeks"
"Rach, I know that the way people treated you, especially me, has royally fucked you up, but you have to give us – give me - a chance to be trusted. Please Rach, don't assume that I'm going to hurt you again, just give me a chance. I don't make friends often, and I've let you in, so you can't just walk away from me", Santana said quietly, her eyes trained on Rachel's. For Santana, this was practically begging.
"Do you and Britt want to come over after school and help me decide how I'm going to wear my hair tomorrow? I'll need to have a great hairstyle to pull off the cheerleading uniform I'm planning on wearing", Rachel said cheerfully, knowing that Santana wouldn't be able to stay sweet for too long.
"Well, B and I were planning on inviting you to our Gossip Girl marathon, or at least rewatch season one, but I suppose we could bring the DVD's with us and we could teach you about beauty and culture", Santana laughed.
"Sounds great San. I'll see you and B tonight"
(The Gossip Girl marathon was a success. Santana decided that she would not be called S anymore, because she was not like Serena. She was more like Blair; whereas Brittany was more like Serena – at least the changed Serena in early season one. Brittany agreed that as long as they still called her B, then they could keep Rach and San as nicknames.
And the next day, Rachel rocked her cheerleading outfit, attracting more than a little attention from the opposite sex).
Life was quiet for a while. Finn stopped with the constant, disgusted staring, and Quinn stopped with the pleading looks. Brittany, Santana and Rachel became inseparable, and life was good.
Or it was, until Rachel accidently overheard Noah and Quinn talking to each other in an otherwise deserted corridor.
"Look Quinn, I'm not pretending to be in this relationship anymore. Ever since you gave Beth up for adoption, you've treated me like shit, and that's saying something, because you weren't all that nice before. It's like you hate me or something Quinn."
"I do hate you Puck. You got me pregnant, and kicked off the Cheerio's. You got me thrown out of my house, and then out of Finn's. You ruined everything good in my life, and the only reason I let you hang around after the baby was because I wanted you to suffer like I have", she screeched.
"I thought you'd forgiven me for that. All of it. I said that I loved you."
"I can never forgive you for what you've taken away from me. You are only in my life because everyone else is gone, because Finn doesn't want me, because Santana and Brittany have replaced me... we only exist because you've taken everything else away from me", she hissed.
"Well, let me make this easier for you. You don't have to bother acting around other people anymore. Whatever we are, whatever we had between us... it's over. I'm done with it; I'm done with you and all your lies Quinn. Sleeping you was the biggest mistake of my life" he replied venomously, before storming away.
"How much did you hear Rachel?" Quinn whispered exhaustedly.
"Enough", the brunette spat, "to know that you just ruined the best thing that ever happened to you"
"Rachel please... don't stick your nose in something that isn't your business"
"I care about Noah. That makes it my business Fabray", Rachel replied before turning on her heel and walking away.
The first time Rachel ever threw a slushy at someone was for Puck, which was slightly ironic, as Puck was the first one who ever threw a slushy at her.
Quinn was shooting her a mixture of messages in assorted glares, and she was sick of Quinn thinking that she had any control anymore.
So she bought a cherry slushy – Puck's favourite, which she thought was a hidden message that only Puck would be able to decode – and walked up to Quinn.
"Rachel, I'm so glad you decided to talk to me", the blonde ex-cheerleader said thankfully.
At that, Rachel upended the slushy into Quinn's face.
"That was for Puck. All he ever did was be there for you, and you hurt him more than anyone else ever has", she explained, before turning her back on the blonde girl who she had always wanted to be her friend.
(That was the day that Rachel changed. When she started worrying about how she looked in a cheerleading uniform, and stopped worrying about getting hit with frozen drinks. When she threw out her plaid, her argyle and all her other bulky, misshaped clothing. When she stopped calling Noah Noah, and started calling him Puck. That was the day that Rachel Barbra Berry died).
"Rach, I want to thank you for standing up for me against Quinn yesterday", Puck's voice emerged from nowhere, and an extremely startled Rachel dropped her books to the ground.
"Don't mention it Puck", she replied as the mohawked boy knelt down in front of her and picked up her books.
"No, it meant a lot to me Rach. No one has ever been on my side before, and I just wanted you to know how grateful I am that you defended me. Thanks for believing in me when no one else would Rach"
"Seriously Puck, don't mention it. Quinn was wrong, and she needed to know that. That's the only reason I threw the slushy at her: she needed to be put in her place. She's not the queen of the school anymore; she doesn't have the right to treat other people like complete rubbish", Rachel said harshly.
"Whatever the reasons, thank you"
"Thank you for taking a slushy to the face for me all that time ago", she whispered quietly.
"What did you say Rach?"
"I said you're welcome Puck. This is the last time we'll speak of this event again OK?" Rachel hissed.
"OK" he whispered as she practically sprinted away from him.
"Hey Berry, you want to see my hidden treasure tonight after the football game?" a jock yelled on his way to class. Santana turned to give him the finger, only to see him being slammed into a locker.
"Rach, you've got to see this", she informed her friend. The two of them stood there and watched as Puck threw the guy into the locker.
"Why is Puck hitting that guy's head into the locker?" Brittany asked as she joined the pair.
"We don't know B", Santana replied, once realizing that Rachel was too busy watching Puck to answer.
"Well, I think he has a crush on R here", Brittany exclaimed.
"I thought we decided that initials as nicknames were too Gossip Girl Britt", Santana reminded her friend.
"But this is a Gossip Girl moment S. It's like Chuck Bass finally showing that he has feelings, but an Ohio version with Puck as Chuck. Hey, that rhymed. We should totally make our own version of Gossip Girl", Brittany babbled.
Rachel, as usual, was the one to step in and calm Santana down before she accidently said something mean and hurtful to Brittany. "Looks like we don't have to wonder about Puck anymore... he's coming this way"
Brittany immediately stopped talking and looked in the opposite direction.
"Britt, what are you doing?" Santana asked; confusion clear in her tone.
"In TV shows, if someone walks towards you and you've just been talking about them or thinking about them, you look in the other direction to get them off your case", Brittany explained.
"Hey Rach, I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight after the football game. And Santana, before you ask, yes, this is a date, and no, I won't take advantage of Rachel. Brittany, I won't be taking her to the parks to feed the ducks and no, you can't come", Puck asked, interrupting the tangent before Brittany had begun.
"But Puck, it'd be so much fun if I came too", Brittany begged, in a pitiful attempt to use her powers of persuasion.
"But then it wouldn't be romantic, would it Britt?" Puck asked her.
"Oh... well I suppose I won't come. You need it to be really romantic for Rachel or she won't let you go on a second date. She's not just some girl: you can't buy her a slushy and then expect her to make-out with you. Rachel is classy", Brittany informed the boy, ignoring the blush that was spreading across Rachel's cheeks.
"Look, the cat seems to have gotten her tongue, so I'll just answer for her. You can pick her up from my house at 10pm, and I want her home by 2am. She's sleeping at mine tonight, and I'll be waiting up. If she's even a minute late, I'll set Brittany on you, and after she's done badgering you for details, I'll make sure you'll never see Rachel again. Got it Puckerman?" Santana chimed in.
"I'll see you at 10 Rach", he said softly before stepping in to kiss Rachel on the cheek. Before he even managed to brush his lips against the still pink skin, Santana had pushed him away.
"No funny business Puckerman. I'll be watching you"
McKinley High lost the football game. Brittany, Santana and Rachel were there, doing their job and supporting the team, and Finn and Puck played well. The rest of the team, however, was a complete and utter mess.
Puck didn't look upset when Rachel saw him leaving the locker rooms after the game. In fact, he smirked at her and winked. "Hey Berry, I'll be seeing you at 9.59 sharp" he called after her as she made her way off the school grounds and to Santana's car.
"What took you so long R?" Brittany asked as soon as she arrived. Both Santana and Rachel had given up trying to cure Brittany's obsession with Gossip Girl and had embraced the fact that their best friend cared enough to give them nicknames.
"I was distracted after the game"
"Which we lost. Again", Santana chimed in from her spot in the driver's seat.
"Well duh! The McKinley team sucks S, I thought you would have realized that by now", Brittany said softly, scared of embarrassing her friend. Neither Santana nor Rachel attempted to explain that Santana had been using sarcasm: they had had that discussion before and Brittany had not been able to get a grasp on it.
"Anyway Rach, we better hurry. Brittany and I have your outfit already planned, but you still need to take a shower and let us do your hair and make-up", Santana quickly changed the topic of conversation. "Brittany already called dibs on the passenger seat".
The ten minute journey to Santana's house passed quickly with Brittany changing the radio station continuously and Santana trying extremely hard not to slap the blonde's hand away.
Brittany was the first out of the car; racing straight into the house and leaving Rachel and Santana trailing behind her. When they got to Santana's room, Brittany was clearly in charge.
"R, into the shower now. There's a towel in there waiting for you, as well as your favourite shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Towel dry your hair before coming out", she ordered as she pushed Rachel into the bathroom and shut the door. "Now S, you're going to blow dry her hair and I'm going to do her make-up, and then we're going to let her step into the dress so she doesn't ruin the look. There's some boots next to the bed that are her size, and we should be done by the time Puck comes to pick her up"
Santana just nodded and followed the blonde's orders, and in less than forty minutes, Rachel was ready.
"Wow Rach, you look gorgeous", Santana complimented.
"Are you sure I can't come too R?" Brittany asked, putting on her best puppy dog eyes.
Smiling at her two best friends, Rachel made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, calling a cheerful thanks over her shoulder.
"Puck's not going to know what hit him", Santana yelled down the staircase.
"I totally agree", a male voice came from the doorway, and Rachel lifted her eyes, shocked to see Puck already in the house. "Ready to go Rach?"
The date wasn't anything like the old Rachel would have liked. They didn't go to the fanciest restaurant in town, and he didn't present her with flowers and chocolate. He didn't hold her hand to walk her to the car.
But the diner they went to had the nicest iced coffee Rachel had ever tasted, and every now and then, she'd lift her head and see Puck staring at her with a small smile on his face.
When he jokingly asked if she wanted to make out, she practically threw herself at him. It had been a long time since she had kissed Puck, and this time was even better than the last because she wasn't thinking of Finn.
It was the perfect first date for the new Rachel Berry.
Things don't fall magically into place after their date. Puck doesn't call straight after their date, or leave a message on her answer phone before she even gets home. In fact, he doesn't call on Saturday, or Sunday. On Monday at school, he walks straight past her without even looking at her.
"I thought he liked me", Rachel admitted as the three cheerleaders sat on the bleachers eating lunch.
"It doesn't make sense Rach. Me and Britt thought he liked you, and we're never wrong about these things", Santana inserted her opinion, before looking at Brittany to add something comforting. The blonde, however, was looking away from both her friends.
"B, you know something. Spill", Santana ordered.
"Even if I knew something, which I don't, it would have nothing to do with Puck", Brittany attempted to assure her friends.
"Chicks before dicks Britt", Santana reminded her, while Rachel bit back a smile.
"S, R... I want to tell you guys but I really, really can't", Brittany said softly, but caved as soon as she saw Rachel's puppy dog eyes. "Oh fine. Puck's just embarrassed because he actually likes Rachel"
"That makes no sense", Rachel was the first to recover from the shock of Brittany's words.
"Yeah B, if a guy likes a girl, he'll call her, not ignore her", Santana informed her.
"But it's Puck. The last girl – actually the only girl – he loved was horrible to him. He already likes Rachel more than he was expecting to, and it's really freaked him out", Brittany explained.
"When did you get so smart B?" Rachel and Santana asked in unison, something that was happening more and more often now that they were so close.
"I may have heard Puck muttering about it in the corridor", the blonde admitted as an embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks.
Both Santana and Rachel burst into laughter, only stopping when Brittany's eyes well up with tears.
"Britt, what's wrong?" Rachel asks. She's the first to notice that Brittany's eyes are wet. Santana instinctively knows that her friend is upset, and her arms are around Brittany as Rachel is asking the question.
"I know I'm not smart, but –". She doesn't get any further because Santana's arms tighten, and Rachel joins the hug.
"Hey, no feeling bad about yourself B. You are the only one who can speak boy and that's a language S and I need a lot of help in", Rachel whispers in the blonde's ear.
"He will call Rach. He'll be insane not too", Brittany whispered back.
(He calls that night. He doesn't apologise for not calling earlier, and when Rachel realizes that he isn't planning on saying 'sorry' she hangs up the phone. He calls back six times before she picks up and tells him that she understands that he doesn't want to go out again. He laughs and says that he wants her to be his girlfriend).
"I'm stepping down as cheerleading captain", Santana informed her two best friends: Rachel, who was attempting to fit seven more gummy bears in her mouth to break her own record, and Brittany who was flipping through yet another magazine.
Both girls dropped what they were doing. Rachel sprayed lolly goo across the room, and Brittany's magazine dropped straight onto Santana's head.
"Classy Berry, really classy", Santana said sarcastically.
"Well, it's not every day the head bitch declares she's giving up her crown", Rachel retorted before childishly poking out her tongue.
"Rachel! Santana's not a bitch. She's our best friend and that was really mean", Brittany hissed.
"I'm sorry", Rachel apologised while Santana sniggered. Brittany still didn't understand the concept of sarcasm, and since Santana was usually the one that was reprimanded, it made a nice change for Rachel to get into trouble.
"So which one of you girls will be taking over my role?" Santana asked her friends after she picked up the magazine Brittany had dropped.
"Why are you stepping down S?" Brittany asked, her eyebrows knitted together – a typical sign of confusion.
"I'm sick of leading the squad. All of them are idiots", Santana explained. "Except you two", she added when she saw Brittany's eyes well with tears.
"Well, Brittany was on the squad before me so the position should go to her", Rachel stated.
"Yesterday Couch Sylvester told me that even the special education children are smarter than me, and that she refused to have idiots leading her squad", Brittany said conversationally.
"That's horrible Britt!" Rachel and Santana said in unison, something that happened frequently when it came to defending Brittany.
"It's ok. I didn't know what she meant by most of it, so I just blocked it out. I don't think she wants me as the cheer captain though. Rachel should go for it".
(That's how Rachel Berry was convinced to ask Coach Sylvester about becoming the Captain of the Cheerio's).
They'd been dating for three months, and it had been amazing. He hadn't pressured her into anything, and he had started numerous traditions, like bringing her a grape slushy every week.
On Friday night, which had quickly turned into date night, his lips were pressed against hers, his body moving with hers. If he asked her to go further, she would have said yes even though she wasn't ready, because Cheerio Captain Rachel Berry didn't say no.
His mouth pulled away from hers, and she mentally prepared herself for sex.
"I had a really great time tonight Rach. I'll see you on Sunday", he whispered softly, before pushing his body off of her and walking out of her house with a small wave.
She hadn't been forced to say yes.
Rachel and Puck had been dating for six months when Santana and Brittany finally convinced Rachel to invite Puck round to Santana's house for their Saturday night drink and gossip session.
After Brittany had had three beers, and was more than a little tipsy, Santana decided it was time for truth and dare: Pick on Puck edition, where they basically took turns in pressuring Puck to admit things he wouldn't normally do.
"Hey Puck, who was the first girl you had sex with?" Santana asked.
"Hey Puck, why did you sleep with cougars?" Brittany chimed in.
"Hey Puck, who's better in bed: high school girls or cougars?" Santana added before collapsing into a fit of giggles. Brittany may have had three beers but Santana had been doing tequila shots for most of the night.
"Just ignore them Puck. They'll be past talkative drunk in about ten minutes and then Brittany will reach passed-out drunk, and Santana will fall asleep and start sleep talking", Rachel reassured her boyfriend, who was starting to look a little embarrassed.
Rachel's prediction was right and she and Puck spent the rest of the night making out on Santana's bed, a secret that they'd never share with the former head cheerleader.
"I love you Rachel Barbra Berry", Puck whispered softly.
They had been dating for a whole year, and Rachel could tell that it was hard for Puck to say those three words. The last time he had let someone in was Quinn, and that had turned into a huge mess.
The truth was, Rachel loved Puck. She did. He was one of the best parts of her life and she was already dreaming of a future with him.
But it wasn't fair for Puck.
Puck had fallen in love with the Rachel that was Captain of the Cheerio's. The Rachel that was confident, and popular. The Rachel that wasn't bullied or crushed every day.
He had fallen in love with a person that wasn't her.
So instead of saying those three words back (which she really, really wanted to do), she ran.
"There are things that we will remember for a lifetime, and there are things that seem important now, but won't mean anything in a few years. There will be some of us that will keep in touch, and others will just drift away. This is the time for us to make mistakes; to realize we were wrong and grow up. This is the time for us to learn who our true friends are, to realize just who we are supposed to be. This is the time to change what we don't like and become the person we want to be", Rachel finished her valedictorian speech to a massive round of applause.
That was it... the years of hell finished, the years of sloppy first kisses, hot make-out sessions and shy, flirtatious smiles come to an end.
Rachel looked out into the audience, her smile widening when she saw her best friend Brittany jumping up and down, and her other best friend Santana trying to hide the fact that she was crying.
Her smile faded away when she saw Puck next to Santana and Brittany. It had been a week since she ran away, and they hadn't spoken in all that time.
After the ceremony, Santana pulled her aside while Brittany was hugging anyone who stood still long enough.
"Look Rach, I understand why you couldn't say I love you back to Puck, even though it's obvious that you do"
"S, I know you are trying to help me, but talking about it is just making it worse. It hurts to think about it", Rachel said softly, her eyes trained on the floor.
"Britt and I know that although you changed and became a different person, there is still part of the old Rachel in there. The Rachel who wore short skirts and knee socks, the Rachel who was slightly too bossy and arrogant, the Rachel who had a huge heart... that Rachel didn't just disappear. And I know that you didn't say I love you back to Puck because you are terrified he only loves the mask you've been wearing for so long", Santana whispered as she grabbed Rachel's hand. "Now, you need to go and talk to him. You need to explain"
"Thank you S", Rachel replied before rushing off into the crowd.
"You tell anyone this conversation took place and I will kill you Berry", Santana screamed back.
"Nice speech Rach", Puck's voice came from behind her.
"Noah, I was looking for you", she said breathlessly. "And thanks"
"Welcome. Why were you looking for me?"
"I'm sorry I didn't say I love you, because I do. I really do love you. I'm just terrified", Rachel whispered.
"Well, saying it first wasn't exactly easy, especially when you ran away after and didn't talk to me for a week. God Rach, you should have just talked to me"
"I want to talk to you now"
"Well then spill", he retorted, his eyes purposely avoiding hers.
"After we lost Regionals to Jesse St. James, I decided that I needed to change. I quit Glee and became a Cheerio. I became friends with Santana and Brittany: I reinvented myself. There were still parts of that old Rachel that existed inside of me, and I hated that. I wanted to be an entirely different person, so I tried my best to rid myself of those parts. And then you said that you love me, and I freaked out, because I love you too. But you don't really love me; you love the mask I've been wearing, and I don't know if I can pretend anymore", she explained.
"The reason I first asked you out, Rach, was because I was worried about you. I could see you changing and I was terrified that you were going to let some guy take advantage of you, so I asked you out. Rach, I like both sides of you. Hell, I love both of them. I love the Rachel who used to boss us around in Glee and I love the Rachel who lets loose with Santana and Brittany. I see both sides of you Rachel, and that's why I love you. You can't escape those things that made you Rachel Barbra Berry, and you can't erase those things that made you R", he replied. "Now, I'm going to kiss you"
"I love you Noah", she whispered as soon as he pulled his lips away.
"I love you too Rach"
They all learnt a lesson that day.
No matter what happens, you can't change who you are. There will always be parts of you that stay the same, and one day, you'll find someone who loves every part of you, whether it's a hidden part or an obvious part.
Brittany would become a ballerina one day, Santana a lawyer, Puck a construction worker and Rachel a publicist.
Brittany still believed that a ballad was a male duck, and Santana still believed that fear was the best way to motivate people. Puck still believed that he had to be a "badass" around his work friends. Rachel still sung show tunes in the shower.
They all grew up. They all moved on. They all became the people they were supposed to be.
Not one of them forgot who they used to be.