A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first fanfic so please be kind. I'm following a tumblr prompt centered around the idea of a high school project, and I literally ship Blainchel so hard and wish Ryan Murphy would make it canon. It's not really AU, but I guess it doesn't really fit in anywhere on the Glee timeline, so just go with it and see what happens. Please enjoy and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my thoughts.
Part One
It wasn't that Rachel detested school, in fact she thrived under the pressure of academic testing. It was just simply that she didn't feel the need to attend. She was less than stellar in the friends department, and she could't think of anything worse than sitting in a classroom full of ignorant lunatics and listen to a teacher constantly patronize her. It wasn't like she went to school to learn, there was literally no academic benefit from attending McKinley. After all, she spent her entire summer break rote learning the year's syllabus. But her dads insisted, they said that she needed some sort of structure in her life. A place where she could interact with kids her own age and find somewhere to fit in. Frankly, in her opinion, that was bullshit.
Today was no different, as she reluctantly entered the buzzing halls of McKinley High. First up was English, one of her only classes with a seating plan. Rachel didn't mind in the slightest, because being assigned someone to sit next to is always easier than picking from the small pool of leftovers, especially when she was alphabetically sat beside Blaine Anderson. If she was being honest with herself, Rachel had been fantasizing about the ex warbler for months now. He was just so damn charming, and the fact that he was devilishly handsome didn't hurt either. Of course, she couldn't ever act on this little crush she'd developed, given his relationship with Kurt, one of her only friends, and the small matter of his sexual orientation.
"Hey Rach".
Even the sound of his voice made her melt as she took the spot beside him. She really needed to maintain her composure she decided, turning her attention to the teacher positioned at the front of the class.
"Good morning guys" Mrs Jenkins bellowed cheerily, however few had the energy to respond with such vigor. This didn't seem to faze her, as she continued on with the lesson unperturbed.
"Today, you are being given a project which you will have the next few weeks to complete in partners. You will be required to analyse the novel 'Catcher in the Rye' and submit your findings to the class in the form of a formal presentation."
"Are we allowed to choose our partners?" asked Santana Lopez from her position in the fourth row.
"Look beside you. That's who you'll be working with."
Rachel didn't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, she was thrilled to be given a legitimate excuse to spend more time with Blaine, however at the same time, she didn't want to set herself up for ultimate heartbreak.
"I'm assuming you've read this." he stated cheekily, breaking Rachel from her reverie.
"I might have flicked through it once or twice when I found out it was on our summer reading list."
"Isn't it great? Holden is just so damn relatable, and the writing itself? Genius."
"You read?" Rachel asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"All the time. There's nothing better than getting lost in a good book."
"Finding this out didn't exactly lessen Rachel's growing infatuation. She made a mental note to add both intelligent and well-read onto her list of desirable qualities in a man.
"That's certainly a rarity around here." she added.
"Tell me about it. I've been trying to introduce Kurt to the wonders of literature for months now, but he doesn't seem to be easily persuaded."
At the mention of Kurt's name, Rachel went rigid. She knew she needed to keep her distance from him, because investing in Blaine would only lead to eventual heartache for all parties involved. She couldn't hurt Kurt, he'd been so loyal to her. He was her only friend, and she wasn't going to jeopardize that for an illusory relationship.
"So how are going to do this?" she asked, effectively setting their conversation on a path of professionalism.
"You can come over to my house after school on one of the days our respective clubs aren't meeting."
"That sounds lovely, does Thursday work?"
"Sounds like a date Miss Berry."/span/p
A/N: That's the end of my pretty short chapter, sorry about that. If I get enough reviews, the next chapter will be up in no time. I urge you to review! I love to hear your feedback and constructive criticism! Thanks for reading.