After Nationals, Rachel went through her summer with her relationship with Finn. He was nicer now. He became this incredible boyfriend that she never knew. Her single friends and some of the cheerleaders were jealous of her. He also stopped his back-handed compliments and started saying everything she needed to hear. He also started opening her door whenever she gets into his car and always said she looked beautiful every day. She always felt perfectly fine whenever he complimented her like that.
Whenever Finn went into her house and her fathers were there, they always talk about sports and cars. They often invite him for dinner. Her fathers and Finn were becoming pretty close. He's also always charming and endearing and it makes her comfortable.
Of course, every relationship with Finn always has its cons. One of those is that he can't see the smile she always fakes. Her fake smiles were seen more often than her real smiles whenever she's with Finn. She can't remember the last time she truly smiled or laughed with Finn. She doesn't understand why. She's with Finn. She should be happy, right? That's what she really wanted before and now she has him. Her heart was not breaking because she didn't even feel anything. With all the nice things that Finn had done, she couldn't ask for anything better but why does she feel like she's missing something, or to be exact, someone?
Whenever she thinks of who was missing, Rachel's mind wanders to Noah. They formed a friendship after she asked him to do a duet with her to make Finn jealous. Ever since that day, their friendship developed. She gave him the idea of buying Lauren a ring-pop. He charmed her to have a party at her house while her fathers were away. He replaced the all the liquors used in her dads' liquor cabinet after said party. He helped her write an original song for Regionals. He searched for a Pomeranian puppy to help her win Mercedes.
Their friendship grew stronger than ever when he organized the Barbravention for her. She truly appreciated it and it made her stop from having a nose job. From that day, she might or might not have more than friendly feelings for him. She pushed those feelings away because of Finn.
When she and Finn got back together, she noticed Noah pulling away from her. She tried to confront him but he just kept on avoiding her. She asked Finn once about it.
"Finn, do you have any idea why Noah is avoiding me?" she asked him one day.
"Yeah. I asked him to stay away from you. He broke us up, Rach." he replied.
She wanted to correct him, to tell him that he lying about Santana broke them u, but she was too blinded by her love for him.
Throughout summer, she heard little news about Noah. She heard that he and Lauren broke up because Lauren met another guy but they remained friends. Some were same old stuff about him cleaning pools but now he's not sleeping with cougars. While she was away from him, her more than friendly feelings for him grew stronger and she had no idea why. She always thought about him even if she's with Finn. She even thought that she's in love with Noah but she can't be, can she?
Thinking that she might be in love with Noah, her mind wandered to the week they dated. When they dated, she felt like her and Noah were the only two people in the world. She forgot about her problems and Finn whenever she's with Noah. She remembered when the first time they fought, they ended up making out in the rain.
Rachel parked her car in the school parking lot. She looked up and noticed the sky getting darker. She walked towards the school when she stopped. She saw her boyfriend, Noah Puckerman, throwing a beaten up Jacob Ben Israel at the dumpster. She walked towards him, the jocks surrounding him heading to school.
"Noah!" Noah turned around, his smirk disappearing.
"Shit, Rachel, have you seen that?" he asked, walking closer to her. He knew that Rachel didn't like it when he bullies people.
"Obviously, yes." She answered as a drop of water fell into her head. "Why did you beat up throw Jacob in the dumpster?" she asked. The rain began to fall but she didn't care. She needed an answer from Noah.
"He did something I didn't like so he just got his punishment from the Puckster." He shrugged while carefully at her. He also didn't care about the rain. He needed to say he's sorry.
"You know that bullying your classmates will result to nothing." She said, her clothes and hair already wet. "That's very immature, Noah!" she screamed, getting frustrated. "Again, will you tell me the true reason why did you do it?" she asked again, looking him straight in the eyes.
"You don't have to know, Rachel!" he yelled back. He was also getting frustrated. "Like I said, he deserved it." He said quieter now.
"Well, I guess I have to find it my own way." She said walking towards the school. She was stopped by Noah's hand grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "Release me this instant, Noah Puckerman!" she yelled.
"Don't." he said, turning her around, with a blank expression on his face.
"Then for the last time, tell me the reason why!" Rachel screamed, her hands rising up in the air because of frustration. She looked at his face, searching for any signs that he would tell her why but she found nothing. "I thought you will stop bullying people when David threw you that slushy. I guess I was wrong." She pulled away from his hold and started walking towards the direction of her car. She decided that she will just go home. Her mood for school was gone. She heard Noah's footsteps from behind her but she ignored it.
"Wait!" she heard Noah yell. She felt his hand on her shoulder, turning her around. "You really wanna know why?" he asked.
She nodded and looked him in the eye. "Yes, Noah. I want to know why. "She wrapped her arms around herself as she felt cold.
"It's about you, ok!" he exclaimed. "I saw him this morning all horny and sweaty carrying a pair of granny-panties. I heard some of the cheerleaders saying that those were yours." He looked at her. "I just gave him what he deserved 'cause no one messes with my girl." He said quietly, watching the rain drops fall on the floor.
Rachel was speechless. She didn't expect Noah to punish her classmates who bullied her. She expected him to just ignore them, or worse, join them while they were in a relationship. She was obviously wrong. She snapped out of her mind to see Noah walking away to his car. She ran after him and when she finally reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with passion. She felt one of his arms wrapping around her back and his hand cupping her face. She felt his tongue licking her lips, asking for entrance. She gladly opened her lips. Their tongues danced with each other. They both felt the water from the rain while making out. Air became necessary for both of them so Rachel pulled back.
"I'm sorry." She apologized, cupping his face while their foreheads were touching. "I didn't trust you enough." She continued.
"It's okay." Noah said while caressing her face.
"No, it isn't." she said. "I should have believed in you when you said that he deserved it though I still not condone violence for an answer."
"Really, Berry?" Noah chuckled. "We're standing in the middle of the rain and you're still lecturing me?"
"Noah, I believe that there are many ways-"she was cut off by Noah's lips on her.
Rachel smiled as she remembered that day. They both went to her house after they kissed to warm themselves and had a hot make-out session after. For her, even if their relationship was only one week, she felt like she was in a rollercoaster ride. In that one week, they had their ups and downs. She really never thought that she could feel that much when she was in that relationship with Noah.
Rachel couldn't sleep. It's the night before the first day of their senior year and all of those thoughts just came to her mind while trying to sleep. She thought about what she will do now that she realized she's in love with Noah Puckerman. With a sigh, she grabbed her laptop and searched for the music sheet of the perfect song she just thought she will sing to him tomorrow at glee club.
At the first day of school, she walked hand in hand with Finn. Last night, she felt guilty thinking what will be his reaction. She finally dismissed it by remembering that what she will do is worth it.
At lunch, she sat at the glee table. They talked about what they did last summer. She told them what she had been up to last summer. It distracted her from feeling nervous. When Noah sat at their table, she noticed that he's still ignoring her.
Time passed by too fast for Rachel's liking. 3:30 came which means time for glee. She arrived at the choir room to see that she was the first one to arrive. A couple of minutes passed, the gleeks entered one by one. Finn sat by her side, putting his arm around her chair. Noah was the last to enter, sitting at the back row.
As Mr. Schue entered the choir room, Rachel raised her hand.
"Yes, Rachel?" Mr. Schue asked, rolling his eyes.
"I would like to sing something," she ignored Mr. Schue as he rolled his eyes. She noticed Finn smiling like an idiot and looking at her expectantly. She guessed that will be the opposite of his reaction after he realized what the song was about.
"Okay. Let's hear it." Mr. Schue took a seat.
Rachel stood up from her seat and walked towards the middle of the choir room. "This song is for someone special." She said, looking at no one in particular until she said special and looked at Noah.
She looked at Finn as she started the song. He was still smiling.
He is sensible and so incredible
And all my single friends are jealous
He says everything I need to hear and it's like
I couldn't ask for anything better
He opens up my door and I get into his car
And he says, you look beautiful tonight
And I feel perfectly fine
Then, she fixed her eyes on Noah. His brows furrowed in confusion.
But I've been screamin' and fightin'
And kissin' in the rain
And it's two a.m. and I'm cursin' your name
You're so in love that you act insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and comin' undone
It's a roller-coaster kinda rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
She looked at Finn again, this time; she saw that he had a confused expression.
He respects my space and never makes me wait
And he calls exactly when he says he will
He's close to my mother
Talks business with my father
He's charming and endearing, and I'm comfortable
She looked back at Noah. He had a blank expression. It looked like he already knows what the song was about.
But I've been screamin' and fightin'
And kissin' in the rain
And it's two a.m. and I'm cursin' your name
You're so in love that you act insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and comin' undone
It's a roller-coaster kinda rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
She looked at Finn and knew that realization hit him because of his pissed expression.
He can't see the smile I'm fakin'
And my heart's not breakin'
'Cause I'm not feelin' anything at all
She looked back at Noah, looking him straight in his eyes, daring him to look away.
And you were wild and crazy
Just so frustrating, intoxicating, complicated
Got away by some mistake and now
After that, she focused at no one in particular. She just scanned the room with her eyes. She noticed Santana and Kurt smirking, Tina, Mike, Artie, Mercedes and Sam have shocked faces, Brittany looking confused, and Lauren and Quinn bored while Noah's expression softened.
I'll be screamin' and fightin'
And kissin' in the rain
It's two a.m. and I'm cursin' your name
I'm so in love that I acted insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and comin' undone
It's a roller-coaster kinda rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
And that's the way I loved you
I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
She finished singing and saw Finn walking towards her.
"What the hell was that about, Rachel?" he asked, pissed.
"Well, the song explained it all. If you listened carefully, maybe you have gotten the meaning of it by now." She replied while noticing Santana's smirk growing bigger and the other gleeks' more shocked faces.
"We're over!" Finn pointed at her. "I should've known that you would cheat on me again." He said, clearly not understanding the meaning of the song.
She was about to say something when she heard Noah's voice.
"Hold the fuck up, Hudson!" Noah yelled, walking to Finn. He was clearly not intimidated by the other boy's height. "Don't blame Rachel on cheating on you!" He pointed a finger at Finn. "Maybe she cheated on you once, but I think, no, know, that she will never do that again." No one noticed the said brunette walking out of the room.
"So why did she sing that song? I noticed her looking at you every time she sang the chorus." Finn accused.
Noah, frustrated with Finn, just punched him on the face. He doesn't want any of Finn's bullshit right now that he noticed Rachel was out of the room. He ran out, hoping to find her. He heard Finn calling after him but he ignored him. He needed to find Rachel.
Rachel ran out to her car. She entered her car and cried. She expected that to happen but she never expected Finn accusing her of being a cheater. It hurts, not because of Finn, but because of his accusation. Is she really a cheater? She cheated on him once, only once. Did that make her a cheater?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the passenger's door opening.
"Hey." Noah said. He noticed her flushed face and her tears. He leaned forward and wiped them. "You know that you shouldn't let what Finn said get into you, right?"
Rachel smiled. This is one of the things she loves about Noah.
"He's just being an asshole." He cupped her face with his hands.
"Thanks, Noah." She leaned into his hands.
"No problem. He's really an asshole." He shrugged.
"I thought he was your best friend?" she asked.
""Was" is the keyword, babe." He smirked. She noticed the term of endearment. She decided to tell him what she really feels.
"I miss our one week relationship and our friendship before Finn and I got back together." She said quietly.
"That douche you called boyfriend told me to stay away from you. I just did what he told me to. I didn't want to ruin your relationship with him." He said bringing his hands down from her face and looking away.
"I know." She whispered.
"Why'd you sing that song?" he asked. "I thought that when we dated you only used me to make Finn jealous." He looked back at her.
"I lied." She admitted. "Actually, that was the best week of my life." She smiled.
"Well, I lied, too." Noah chuckled. "I'd never break up with you." He looked at her with a hopeful expression. "How'd you say we give us another try?"
Rachel nodded. "I guess Puckleberry 2.0 will be better." She smiled.
"Puckleberry?" he asked, chuckling.
"Why are you chuckling? That was what the school called us when we dated, right?" she raised one eyebrow.
"Yeah, I know, babe. I thought that was cool." He grinned as he cupped her face with his hand and started leaning forward. "How'd you say we start this relationship now?" he whispered, his lips inches away from hers.
"Sure." She smiled, leaning forward and crashing her lips against his.
He pulled back a couple of minutes later and looked at her with a serious expression. "I love you." He said, looking her straight in the eyes.
She smiled and said, "I love you, too." She leaned forward and captured his lips again.
The next day, Noah and Rachel walked hand in hand through the doors of WMHS. They noticed Finn fuming in the corner, sporting a black eye. Rachel looked at Noah but he just shrugged. They ignored him as they continued walking towards Rachel's locker, not noticing the Gleeks standing by Kurt's locker as they passed.
"Pay up, bitches!" Santana smirked, holding out her hand.
Tina, Mike, Artie, Mercedes, and Sam all groaned while reaching for their wallets.
"I always knew there will be Puckleberry 2.0 this year." Kurt smirked. "I just never expected them to get together at the second day of school." He said as he counted the money on his hands.