Title: Unusual Phobia
Author: Ley
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters and the idea =P
Summary: Rachel Berry has Dextrophobia, and it's really starting to piss her cousins off. They have now deemed it their personal business to help rid her off the fear by any means necessary.
A/N: The character that plays Rachel's cousin is actual canon to my own story that I'll be posting after I'm done writing it in its entirety.
A/N 2: The phobia is something I saw online and thought was funny but I have no clue if it's real or not. R&R
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Rachel Berry was nothing if not meticulous in everything she did. Everything in her room was placed accordingly. Mostly everything was according to her insane phobia of anything on the right side of her. It really was weirdest thing about her by far. And it drove her cousins up the wall.
Nobody can sit of the right side of Rachel on the couch, or the dinner table, or in the car, or in school, or in glee. Nobody can be on the right side of Rachel's room. Noah tried once but after he ended up with a bruised rib nobody else felt it was worth the hassle.
Rachel didn't mind, she didn't mind at all. It was much easier if people just stuck to her simple rules. Simple and annoying as hell rules. The only real exception to this rule was one Quinn Fabray who could hang on the right side of Rachel like a baby koala and was met with nothing but love. Anyone else was simply asking for Rachel to catch a case.
But after ten years of the phobia it was really starting to wear on her family, her cousins especially. They'd never admit it but it kind of hurt knowing Rachel could get past her phobia when it involved Quinn but not for her family. So something had to give. Fear of the right made absolutely no sense anyway. Now fear of the far left, that made sense.
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Rachel's POV
I just did this yesterday and yet again my cousins have to be so rude and place everything on the right side of my bathroom. Jerks the whole lot of them.
"Open the damn door Rae!" Noah pounded on my bedroom door. I'm not deaf; he could just knock once like a normal person.
He continued to pound the door until I whipped it open sending him a glare before turning back. "What do you want Noah? I'm kind of busy fixing the mess you and Keagin seemed to find so hilarious" I inquired with exasperation. My cousins can be so very childish at times.
"Well me and Kea just wanted to know if you felt like hanging out today if you're not busy getting it in with Fabray." He answered with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
I think I may have just thrown up a little in my mouth.
"That's so gross Puck, she's our cousin you sick fuck." Keagin moved from behind Noah with a look of utter disgust masking her face.
I nodded in agreement, "You are correct Keagin, but must you both be so crass?" I chastised her lightly. You'd think with her private school education for the past ten years she'd have picked up better grammar skills.
Keagin shrugged before hopping onto the right side of my bed and looking at me incredulously, "Must you be so weird?" she responded with a cheeky grin.
I tipped my head slightly in her direction giving her a hard look. "Touché cousin. Now get off the right side of my bed."
Keagin shook her head, "Nope, and shouldn't you be finishing whatever the hell you were doing so we can at least get out of here before twelve?" she asked watching me with an expectant look.
I throw a hard glare over my shoulder and Keagin and Noah, "I wouldn't have to do a thing if you two infantile ruffians would keep your hands off my sh- stuff." I tossed back at her hoping they wouldn't notice my slip.
No such luck. Noah was the first to laugh before leaning back in the chair he occupied with a proud smirk, "Seems like we're finally rubbing off on you little cousin."
I give him an exasperated look, "We are the same age Noah, and you're only three months older than me."
Keagin shook her head before interrupting, "Okay none of that shit matters. Are we going or not?" she asked with annoyance lacing her voice.
Apparently the look I give lets her know to shut up before she starts, "Once I'm done we can go wherever you two miscreants plan to cart me off too."
Noah immediately jumped up and before I can react I'm over his left shoulder, my right side, with my fist continuously beating against him until I'm switched to his other shoulder with Keagin trailing us making insane faces. These two are really starting to test my patience. And to think they try and claim an elder card over me.
Once we're in the car, me in the back on the driver's side huddled close to the door, I look through the rearview mirror at Noah in anticipation, "So where exactly are we going?" I ask for the third time in five minutes.
Keagin turns around and sends a glare in my direction but I'm unfazed and ask the question again.
Keagin finally hits Noah in the arm signaling for him to tell me so I'll shut up. I smirk triumphantly on the inside. I've won again.
"We're going paintballing so you can finally conquer your stupid phobia of 'the right side'" he says while weaving the car through traffic.
I probably look insane but I can't stop the panic that takes over my brain as soon as Noah finishes that sentence. I move my hand to the door handle before looking up at Keagin who has watched my movement and let out a snort in amusement.
"You can try that all you want Rae-bear but the child lock is on so it would be futile." Keagin ribbed before leaning back into her chair. "You might as well just relax and go with the flow." She added as I silently fumed in the backseat.
It is official paintballing hurts. Really bad. Not to mention everyone from glee club is taking this game way to seriously. And I probably wouldn't be so on edge if I wasn't looking to my right every five seconds to see Keagin getting more and more irritated with my constant looks.
"You want to focus on the match Rae." Keagin gritted out as we ducked behind a barrel. I looked at her again and couldn't stop the images my mind continued to conjure up. I know it may seem ridiculous but in my mind it isn't.
"Maybe if you weren't on my right side I'd be able to." I respond back just as tersely.
Keagin just shook her head trying to get rid of the frustration. She turned her gaze back to me as she placed her mouthpiece back in. "Cover my right side Rae." She said before grabbing my hand and pulling me up as we moved from behind the barrel.
It is at this point that everything starts to go to hell because I see something gleam on the right side of her head and immediately shriek and fall back behind the barrel.
Keagin lifts her mask and looks at me incredulously, "What the hell Rae, I said cover my r-" she never really got much further than that because she was immediately on the ground beside me letting out a load groan and string of obscenities while clutching the right side of her face.
I immediately shout stop. The game ends as quickly as it started and soon enough everyone is over near us while Keagin is now leaning against a tire trying her hardest not to cry from the sting of the pain. I look up and see Finn wearing a guilty look and immediately get the urge to punch him.
He's at Keagin's side as soon as he sees the bruise forming muttering as many apologies as I've ever heard in a two minute span. She waves him off and looks up at me with a cold glare. And the guilt is immediate. It's because of my stupid phobia that my cousin's face is covered in red paint starting to swell.
"Thanks a fucking lot Rae!" she yells before getting up swatting away hands as she stalked off to the changing rooms. I stare down at the ground. I feel like the biggest coward and really don't feel like seeing all the pitiful sympathetic gazes when it's really Keagin who should be getting them.
I feel soft hands gripping my face and soon enough I'm looking directly into hazel eyes that never fail to calm me. "Go talk to her." She whispers placing a chaste kiss on my lips before pushing in the same direction my cousin went.
I walk in to find Keagin with an icepack placed against her cheek trying to combat the swelling. And the guilt is back. Ten fold.
Keagin looked up at me briefly before turning her attention back to her reflection; she continued to survey the damage done to her face while I awkwardly scoffed my foot against the linoleum floor.
"I'm s-" I didn't get far before she waved her hand dismissing my words.
"It's whatever Rae." She uttered nonchalantly, but I could see the hurt passing through her eyes.
I decide then and there to do something that's going to test me in the worst way. I moved to the right side of her and sit down on the bench. She sent me a questioning look before blinking it away. I place my hand over hers and move the pack from her cheek to see how bad it is. And it's pretty bad.
"I'm really sorry Keagin." I whispered remorsefully. The last thing I want is for the people I care about to get hurt because I'm a big wuss.
She grabs the pack out of my hand and starts to gather her things while I sit there patiently. It's not 'til she grabs her bag off the bench that I notice the tears that are rolling down her cheek. And now I feel like the biggest pile of crap to ever walk the planet.
It's not until Keagin's at the door that she even attempts to address me. "You know what hurts more than anything is that I'm your cousin, and you know I'd never do anything to hurt and everything to protect you. But while we were out there you were looking at me like you thought I was going to ambush you or something."
I move off the bench and make my way over to her. I moved to grab her arm but she backs away from my touch like I'd burn her. I can't lie. That really hurt. I keep my tears at bay knowing I have absolutely no right to cry.
"And that hurts a whole hell of a lot Rae. I'd do anything to keep you safe. Hell I even took shots for you out there. And the one time I need you to just have my back you couldn't do it." She ends with nothing but sadness lacing her voice.
Shaking her head Keagin reaches for the door and opens it. She looks back one last time but doesn't voice a single word. She just sighs and walks out the door. To be honest that's leaving me more unsettled than anything she could have ever said.
FIN