"Rachel!" Rachel spun around and came face to face with a very angry Noah Puckerman.
"Hello Noah, how are you? Isn't it a lovely day today, how was Maths, Quinn told me you have started attending I really hope you don't miss your afternoon-"
"Berry." He growled taking her hand in his and pulling her with him as he marched towards the school doors.
"Is something wrong Noah, you seem quite tense. Has something happened? I knew you'd be a bit grumpy without your nap. I suppose you can always lie down when you go home, there's nothing wrong with a power nap, I remember when I was playing Dorothy in community theatre. We did eight shows one week, it was exhausting so dad suggested that I take a small power nap the Saturday of the last performance between performances and I actually found it surprisingly refreshing."
Noah remained silent as he led them to his truck and thrust her door open, lifting her into her seat when she fumbled, slamming the door behind him and storming to his side. Rachel let out a small cry of surprise when his door slammed behind him as well.
"Noah, I, I understand you're angry-"
"Don't."
He said nothing else and merely grasped the steering wheel tighter, eyes focused on the road ahead as he sped through the streets of Lima towards her house. She felt the tears well up in her eyes as he remained stoic. Never in all the months they had been dating had she seen him this angry.
She knew she shouldn't have listened to Kurt and that she looked awful, it was just that it was Puck's birthday soon and when Kurt had suggested he give her a make over, make her more Noah's type she had thought he would have liked the surprise but when she had explained this morning that she had just wanted to make herself look better, for him, he had looked, well disgusted.
And then he had stormed off and she hadn't seen him since this morning and now, now he had surely confirmed what he must have been thinking for months. They didn't fit, Kurt was right old Rachel hadn't been suited to Puck and apparently he didn't like new Rachel at all either. She thought suddenly of Santana Lopez, in her tight cheerio's uniform and perfect body. That's all she had wanted to give Noah and now she'd pushed him over the edge, reminded him of their leagues and how she was so far out of hers dating him. She'd ruined everything. Again.
She sighed and bit her lip, staring out at Lima passing her by quickly as Noah took her home for probably the last time. She took a deep breath and resolved to the inevitable. She knew she'd cry, would she beg, she thought? Beg him to reconsider, all the time promising to change? She was terrified by the thought she might. That she might be so desperate for him to stay with her that she would be reduced to a crying mess.
All too soon they pulled up outside her front door and he still wouldn't look at her, she clutched the strap of her satchel desperately.
"I'll see you tomorrow Rach, eh I won't be picking you up. Mom's working so I've to get Sarah to school." He gave her a small smile, not quite reaching his eyes. A pity smile, a mercy smile, a your-so-weird-I'm-going-to-dump-you-but-don't-feel-bad smile. The last smile she'd ever see.
"Are," she wavered slightly "Are you not coming in?" Noah bit shrugged.
"Not tonight, I've stuff I've got to do. I'm going to maths now and I have a shit-load of homework to catch up on, turns out they actually do stuff when I'm sleeping."
She couldn't hold it in any more, she let out a huge, heart wrenching sob. "Just do it Noah," She wailed helplessly.
"What?" He turned towards her suddenly, the anger slipping away and being replaced by confusion, "Do what?" He reached out to her and she flinched away. It would be better, she decided resolutely, if he didn't touch her just now.
"I know you've got something to say to me and I'd rather," She wavered slightly "I'd rather you just said what you were going to say right now rather than waiting until tomorrow. I find pain is best to be taken in the good old fashioned rip off the band-aid way."
Puck frowned and scratched his Mohawk confused, he hated crying girls. "Right, shit Rach, I didn't think you'd get upset. It just annoys me that, I mean do I look like the sort of guy who'd date a looser? I'm a fucking stud, simple as and then Kurt gave you this new look and, I just got really angry cause it made me think about what you're really like you know?"
"I said quickly Noah!" Rachel screeched hysterically "I said remove the band-aid quickly!"
Puck jumped back slightly at her sudden outburst. "The hell Rach? You want to give a guy some warning? What is with you today it's like you've cranked the crazy up to full volume, what has got you so...em...emotional?"
"Emotional?" She wailed moving away from him once more "I've never experienced a break up this intense or after having dated someone so long, I'm sorry if I'm not behaving in the correct manner for you Noah Puckerman?"
"Break up?" Puck growled leaning towards her "You're breaking the fuck up with me, again?"
"No Noah, don't be ridiculous," She sobbed reaching for a pink handkerchief from her bag and blowing her nose into it loudly "You find me hideously unattractive and are attempting to break up with me, when, might I add, we are only weeks away from Prom and I am now, thanks to you, going to have to go alone!"
"No I'm fucking not!" He bellowed, outraged "Why the hell would I be breaking up with you?"
"As I have already mentioned because Noah you find me hideously attractive! Stop trying to be gentlemanly and just do it please!"
"No I fucking won't"
"Yes you will, must you prolong the torture?"
"I don't want to break up with you!"
"Well I'm sorry but it's your own choice, I have no say in the matter, now if you'll excuse me," Rachel said moving towards the door composing herself slightly "I will see you in Glee tomorrow, don't worry, I'll sit with Finn."
And before Puck knew it Rachel Berry was walking up her path, head held high, blowing him a dramatic farewell kiss. What. The. Hell? Did she seriously just break up with herself for him. He reeled in confusion, brows furrowed and shaking his head as he too reached for the handle. And just when he thought this day couldn't get any more weird, she goes and unleashes that little ball of Crazy on him.
He caught her on her porch, "All right crazy lady, where in the hell do you think you're going?"
"Noah, I'm trying to leave this break up with a little dignity if you don't mind." He refused to let go of her wrist as he waved his other hand exasperated.
"What break up? I was never going to break up with you!"
"Then why did you Noah Puckerman, just to toy with my emotions?" She said gasping. He let go of her wrist and moved his hands to either side of her face.
"Listen up Crazy," He rolled her eyes when she huffed "I didn't break up with you. You just entered some sort of fucking crazy-off with yourself and broke up with yourself there, all I was trying to say is I like you all right as you are, were, and that you shouldn't listen to fucking Kurt fucking Hummel!"
"What?" She said voice wavering "You weren't going to terminate our relationship?"
Puck let out a laugh "No," he said with a smirk "Now do you want to tell me what all that hideously ugly stuff was about?"
"Not really thank you Noah. I believe you had things to do." She said putting on her show smile and turning towards her door. Noah barked out another laugh, grabbing Rachel's wrist again and spinning her around.
"I don't think so. First you turn up today dressed like fucking Brittany and then you go all hideously fugly on me? A little explanation would be nice-just so I don't unleash the crazy again!"
"It's just, well it's your birthday!"
"You already told me that this morning. I want to know where all this self-hatred stuff came from!"
"I'm just, I'm just not your type! You like well you like Santana!"
"You wanna stop telling me what's my type? And believe me when I tell you that I like every single crazy fucking inch of you!" He smirked leaning down for a kiss "And you better stop talking smack about my girl or I'm gonna have to take you out."
Rachel let the smile creep onto her face "You know Noah Puckerman, underneath all that badass you are very sweet." She leaned up to kiss him "and very cute." she kissed him again but this time he pulled away.
"What was that?" He said with a grin matching Rachel's own.
"Oh I was just saying how manly and badass you were." Puck grinned leaning down to capture her lips again.
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
"I can't believe you were going to break up with me!" Puck rolled his eyes and laughed with Rachel as he led her into her house, with a promise to himself that he and Hummel would be having words, no one upsets Rachel-fucking-Berry.