(A/N Fist ever fan fic so sorry if its crap! Hehehe)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the laptop I'm writing on :D
Rachel walked quickly down the hallway with her head down and her books pressed to her chest just hoping to get to her locker and first period before anyone from Glee saw her. It was the first week back from Sectionals and she was waiting for the fallout for her announcement to Finn about the paternity of Quinn's child, knowing it wasn't going to be good she had deliberately dressed in her oldest and worst clothes in preparation for the slushie showers that were on their way.
Stopping in front of her locker she had it open in seconds her needed books in her arms in less than a minute and shut, all before Finn who was standing next to his locker could turn around. Whipping around causing her hair to fan out she stopped short as she came face to face with Santana,
"Thank you" the Latino Cheerio said openly and defiantly
"Um... ok? Wait huh?" Rachel rambled her epic vocabulary failing her for once, Santana laughed at the flustered Diva, but for once not with malice but a true laugh.
"look you were the only one to stick up for me in that damn room, I never thought Quinn would turn on me that way and to be honest it kind of sucked that everyone was having this huge go at me without, you know actually knowing all the facts, and the I kind of realised that we do that to you all the time, so I wanted to thank you for believing me"
"oh well there really is no need Santana, it has been obvious to me since you joined Glee that despite your original reasons for joining you did actually enjoy your time spent performing with us, and also that you were an extremely confident and strong person who would not allow herself to be pressured and coerced into participating in something she did not feel comfortable doing" Rachel assured the cheerleader smiling her 1000-mega-watt smile, which Santana thankfully returned
"You're in my homeroom right?" she asked, Rachel nodded, her smile now disappearing as she saw Kurt marching towards them "me too, come on Miss Franks will have a cow if we are late" Santana added tucking her arm through Rachel's and pulling her towards the classroom. Flipping Kurt the bird behind Rachel's back, she hurried Rachel to homeroom and then first period. Rachel managed to make it to lunch without seeing any of the original Gleeks, though this she admitted did have a lot to do with Santana who managed to always know when to whisk her into the bathroom quoting girl code when she asked why she was required to wait for Santana.
They left the bathroom at the same time and without even talking Rachel moved to walk to the auditorium, very sure that her presence at the Glee Club lunch table would not be appreciated, sighing Santana grabbed Rachel's elbow jerking her up short as she walked away.
"are you dumb or something?" she asked viciously "I'm obviously trying to be your friend here so come to lunch and be my friend, ignore the Gleeks and sit with me and Britt" seeing she was about to protest, she gripped a little tighter "yeah yeah I know only cheerleaders and jocks blah blah blah, but that's a rule we created so its up to us to break it and I'm breaking it for the only other person I actually consider a friend other than Brit" shocked Rachel snapped her mouth shut, smiling at her victory Santana pulled Rachel to the cafeteria.
The room was full of loud yelling teenagers as usual, having brought her own lunch to school Rachel waited with Santana as she bought hers, but kept her eyes firmly locked on the ground, sighing deeply again Santana turned on her again "stop looking so bloody guilty! You just did what everyone else should have done, Finn didn't deserve to be lied to, and I know you told him because you like him, but please tell me you're not going to run to him after what he did on Saturday"
"What did he do on Saturday?" Rachel asked confused, whipping around to look her in the face Santana checked that she wasn't lying
"Oh crap well he kind of made out with like three girls in front of Quinn, you know to punish her and then said he'd take her back, which the idiot agreed to in front of Puck, who was then told he wasn't going to be part of the kids' life"
Stunned Rachel said nothing when she realised that yet again she wasn't Finn's choice, why do I do this to myself? And the funny thing is I'm not even surprised this time, it's happened so many times in the last few months where he had the choice to pick me and he didn't. Wait does this mean? Yes it does! It means I don't like Finn anymore, I don't know why I didn't realise it! To borrow a phrase of Puck he's a douche bag smiling suddenly Rachel impulsively leaned over and hugged Santana, who surprisingly hugged back.
"Come on your going to ruin my bitchy reputation if we keep hugging" she said pulling back, but still smiling "and trust me, I may be nice to you now Manhands, but I'm still the bitch of McKinley" she laughed grabbing her tray, smiling Rachel followed her new found friend to her dinner table ignoring the stares of the student body and the cheerleaders as she slipped into a seat between Britney and Santana, squealing with happiness Brit leaned over and gave Rachel a hug, who gratefully returned the hug. Shrugging of the fact that the Queen of the Gleeks was sitting at their table the Cheerio's continued with their conversation
"That would look awful Kat!" Amber insisted flipping her ponytail back over her shoulder
"I don't see anyone else with any suggestions do you Amber?" Kat hissed back viciously "we need a new routine and doing a pyramid is a classic"
"That's my point everyone does them we need something new for that part of the routine" snapped Amber
"Well how about doing different forms of pyramids in tandem?" asked Rachel timidly, the girls eyes swivelled towards Rachel, hesitantly she continued "split from a K pyramid into a split pyramid and then a victory pyramid before the top layer flips of in to a tumble routine"
"That's an amazing idea Rach" said Brit happily, hugging her friend again smiling, smiling back Rachel continued with her lunch munching her sandwich with relish, only to almost choke when Finn dropped into the seat Santana had vacated moments before to get a drink.
"Hey Rach" he said
"Hello Finn" she replied continuing with her sandwich, and out of the corner of her eye seeing Finn's face drop that she wasn't hanging of his every word for once
"So what..." he started
"You're in my seat Finn" Santana told him icily coming up behind them
Grinning his patent pending goofy smile he looked up at Santana, with his aw-shucks-I'm-a-good-guy-smile.
"She's right Finn you are" Rachel noted watching again as the smile dropped off his face and he shuffled out of the seat to the other side of the table. Smiling herself Rachel looked up and saw Puck staring at her intently.
"Ok so now that I have officially announced you as a friend of the Cheerio's Rach I got to ask. What. Are. You. Wearing!" Santana announced loudly making Rachel drag her gaze from Puck to her new friend, shifting uncomfortably as everyone at the table looked at her.
"Well I assumed I would spend the day dripping in ice and processed sugar to be honest Santana and due to my already high dry cleaning bills" the jocks shifted guiltily and even Puck dropped his gaze at that point "I found it prudent to wear clothes I didn't like to school today, hence my rather awful outfit" Rachel said holding her head up high.
"Ok, that's a good reason but I won't let you continue the day in that ugly skirt much longer" Brit declared dragging Rachel up as she got up, frog marching her out of the cafeteria.
Puck continued to eat his lunch, laughing inside at Rachel's dismissal of Finn, who glancing at him was still put out that the brunette girl had dismissed him so casually. Laughing again, he looked at Santana who was looking at him curiously, having spotted him staring at Rachel earlier.
"What?" he demanded
"Nothing" she said smirking "see you in Glee?" he nodded in response, watching as she flounced out in her short skirt, staring at the back of her head rather than then her legs for once though. Entering Glee with Matt and Mike, who thankfully had decided not to choose sides over BabyGate, Puck stopped dead when he saw the skin tight jeans Rachel was wearing. Vaguely felling something bounce off him he turned to find Mike rubbing his nose,
"Dude what the hell?" he swore
"Sorry" Puck said shortly walking the rest of the way into the room, Rachel was wearing a pair of skin tight jeans that hugged her small dancer's figure with her flats and a small tank top, her hair was curling lightly against her shoulders. Fuck, she looks hot! Then again I always thought she did, but the catholic school girl look is one thing, this is like nothing before Puck thought, glancing over at Mike and Matt he knew he was right, feeling the now common rise of jealously at their gaze on Rachel's backside. What no-one knew and what he barely liked to admit to himself was that Rachel was hot and he liked her, crazy ass Berry a nobody in school and he was in serious like with her.