Title: Collide
Author: I'llbeyourhero & dramageek818
Rating: Mature Content due to later chapters
Summary: When teen star Rachel Berry moves to Lima, Ohio a small town girl, who's a little broken catches her attention and captures her heart.
Note: It's been a while, hello :) Let me start by saying I missed Fanfiction also this is collaboration piece that I wrote with dramageek818. This prologue is a little long, to set everything up but hopefully you will enjoy it, and will want to continue reading to see where the story ends up. Also I added some fictional features if you will, to Twitter in the story :) Enjoy!
Prologue
Rachel took in a deep breath as she leaned back in her comfortable chair in the studio. Her chocolate tired eyes shifted up towards the ceiling and she took in a deep breath enjoying the short break she was given. Being a star was difficult at times, especially when she was creating the projects that delivered said stardom. The last time she had recorded an album was a year ago when she was 15 now she was 16 and unlike most people her age who were enjoying the summer before their junior year of high school with parties, friends, romantic interests and even lovers she was cooped up in a studio feeling a little lonely.
Over the years she didn't just focus on music, she was a part of the film industry as well just like her mother. Shelby had been a huge Broadway star when she was young and when she was in her early twenties she and her boyfriend Hiram welcomed a baby girl. Unfortunately for Rachel she experienced a rough parental separation. When she was two her father moved out due to his discovery of his sexual orientation, at that age she didn't understand where her dad was or what was happening. Soon after the split Hiram had settled down with a nice man, Leroy. After Hiram had left, Shelby was quick to pick up a role in a television series and they had relocated to California where they had been living ever since. Her fathers' both remained in New York, which proved to be difficult for the bubbly brunette. Growing up she had always been happy that her dad was happy but occasionally she had wished that her dads and her mom could just all live together. She had lost track of how many times she flew back and forth from California to New York, just to be passed around between her parents.
In the middle of all that family tension was her career, when she was really young she stuck to small guest appearances on television shows and commercial gigs. When she was 8 she landed her first recurring role on a television series for two seasons and when she was 10 she landed a main role in a movie playing the daughter of a famous A-list actor. That had been followed by many other movies and when she was 12 the diva got discovered by a record company and was quickly signed. Her first album was released when she was 13 and since then her music career had been a huge success.
The brunette found it hard to remember a day when she wasn't famous or in the public eye. Even though her career was small when she was younger she was still Shelby's daughter, which meant she received fame regardless. Even if she was a normal teenager in high school, in a small house with friends who were not famous, she'd still be in the bright lights of fame.
The brunette sucked in a deep breath and reached into her pocket for her phone. She decided that she could use a little breather, with the company of her fans.
Rachel Berry OfficialRachelBerry
Time for a quick Q & A before I have to return back to recording :)
The brunette scanned some of the questions that began to pour in; since she had millions of followers it was expected. She still had some trouble comprehending the amount of followers she had and how fast they all responded to one single tweet in the matter of seconds. She replied to a few of the questions which were simple; like what her favorite food was or her choice of book at the moment. One person had even asked her how her time in the studio was going, which she answered with an honest 'I'm working hard...or is it hardly working ;)'. Her eyes scanned a few more questions, and as she was about to click on someones to answer, the tweet underneath theirs caught her attention.
Q Skysplits
OfficialRachelBerry The only person who doesn't know that I'm gay is my mom, any advice on coming out to her?
Those questions were quite common for her seen as she was out and proud but there was something different about this one; she just couldn't put her finger on it.
Rachel Berry OfficialRachelBerry
Skysplits check your direct messages :)
The brunette smiled softly and clicked on the girl's name. She had been one of the only fans who hadn't sent the tweet multiple times to gain her attention; it was a little refreshing. She clicked on the message button and decided it'd be best to keep her response private and it had an added bonus of no word limit.
OfficialRachelBerry: The best advice I have is simply to be very honest with her and let her know that it's who you are and you can't change it. I'll be honest, she may not react well but just remind her that you being gay doesn't change who you are; it only changes what she knows about you. I don't know if this helps but that's truly all you can do. I hope you'll let me know how it goes when you tell her.
The diva exited out of the direct messages and made her way back to the fan's profile. She took in a deep breath as she looked it over. The first thing that caught her eye was the profile picture. It may have been small at first glance but her curiosity took over and she clicked on it, enlarging it. The mysterious girl was sitting on a beach, staring at a sunset and wearing a blue bikini. Her face was hidden in the photo because her back was facing the camera and blonde hair flowed past her shoulders and rested against her back. Rachel suddenly wished that she could see what the girl looked like because as she stared at the photo excitement stirred in her gut and she had no idea why. A part of her always wondered if she got excited at the prospect of meeting new people because she didn't have many real friends. All her friends were famous and the only true friends she ever had was Sean, a boy she grew up with and Kurt. Kurt, even though he was the same age as her became her main stylist and already branched into fashion on the side. He had his own label called Hummel fashions and although Rachel disliked it when people rode someone's coattails into fame, she had brought Kurt into the world of it but she also knew he was a talented designer. Once he became her junior stylist at the age of 13-because even then his fashion knowledge was outstanding-his career path was set. When he turned 16, he wasn't just the assistant to her main stylist anymore; he took over completely. His age be damned, he always knew what he was doing. She continued to look at the photo, wishing she had down to earth friends who weren't just in the business. The last time she attempted that however, they only used her for fifteen minutes of fame and then were quick to ditch her.
The more Rachel studied the photo, the more she could tell that the girl was gorgeous, without even seeing her face. The diva exited the large view of the picture and went back to the girl's profile. She briefly glanced at the number of followers the girl had, which was a lot for someone who wasn't famous and she wondered if the girl was well liked or maybe even popular where she lived. The pop star shifted her attention and took in the girl's biography.
'16 Year Old Cheerleader, Just trying to find her place in this world.'
Rachel smiled softly at the girl's words. There was something about them; they were so simple yet unique. Rachel felt a pull towards the sentence and she knew 'just trying to find a place in this world' was a popular expression but in the moment it felt like she had never heard it before. In a snap decision the diva followed the mysterious girl in return.
"Ready to get back to work?" Her producer said as she entered the room. "The album has a deadline and it won't record itself."
"Uh yeah." Rachel said, she released a sigh as she turned her phone on silent and shoved it in her purse.
...
Rachel rubbed her tired eyes as she rested in bed. They felt raw and sore from being up at five in the morning until midnight. The brunette glanced at the clock and sighed, her body was drained along with her mind and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep but falling asleep was challenging as of late. Although she was exhausted her mind didn't want to shut off enough to close her eyes and drift off into a pleasant sleep. The diva turned onto her side and pulled the covers over her, allowing the warmth to fill her and comfort her; despite the hot weather of L.A.. A groan filled her throat, releasing from her lips effortlessly as her phone chimed signalling she had a message. Rachel stared at it as it rested on her nightstand and she contemplated ignoring it and just as she was about to shift onto her other side to do just that, it chimed once again.
She rolled her eyes, reached for the device and glared at the screen as she realized that Kurt was responsible for her late night message. The diva quickly responded and noticed that the other notification was caused by the fact that she had an email. Her tired eyes scanned over her emails and she noticed that she had a message on twitter.
Skysplits: Thank you Rachel Berry ;) I'll take your advice into consideration.
The message was short and simple but there was something about it that had her lips shifting into an upward position.
OfficialRachelBerry: You're very welcome, hopefully the advice will help. Good luck in coming out to her, I wish you the best and hope the process isn't too gut wrenching.
It didn't take long for a bubble in her messages to pop up, with a quick response from her mysterious fan.
Skysplits: I'm sure it will be worse than gut wrenching, but it's time for it to happen. I'll make sure to tell you how it goes, since you asked so nicely ;) Talk to you soon :)
...
Rachel was at home eating dinner when she loaded up twitter, hoping she'd have a message. Instead she only had an empty message box. Shelby glanced at her with a raised eyebrow; the older woman wasn't fond of texting or using phones at the dinner table, unless it was business. She viewed it as family time, which they didn't get much of with their very different schedules. Sometimes they didn't even eat dinner together but when they did, Shelby had her rules.
"You've been checking that thing constantly lately," her mother said, curious as to what could be so important. "Are you waiting to hear about something important?"
"Actually yes," Rachel said softly as she pushed her potatoes around on her plate. "I did a Q & A on twitter about a week ago and I met a really sweet fan." She treaded lightly, although Shelby was mellow and down to earth she was iffy when it came to befriending fans or someone who could potentially use her for her money and fame. It had happened before after all.
"Technically you did not meet this fan, it was an interaction over a social network site and this person could be a fifty year old pervert for all you know." Shelby said with a raised eyebrow.
Rachel rolled her eyes, "Mom I highly doubt that and she seems...genuine...but that is beside the point. I was just going to say that she had asked me for some advice on coming out to her mother and when I responded I had asked her to keep me informed on how it goes; she told me she'd let me know so I'm just waiting to hear from her. That is all."
"Well you don't have to check so much. I'm sure you'll be notified when she messages you." Shelby said, glancing at her daughter. "Also you should be careful with who you talk to Rachel, how many times do I have to tell you that?"
"I am being careful mom, trust me. I enjoy helping my fans and getting to know them a little bit."
"Yes but there is a fine line between getting to know them a little bit and getting to know them too much." Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Also Rachel, put the phone away." Shelby added, causing Rachel to sigh yet again.
"Why," Rachel whined, "You have your phone out."
"Because we barely get any family time as is, also my phone is out because I was talking to my agent before we started eating." Shelby glanced at the device which was sitting on the table close by her plate. "The difference though is that I'm not using mine at the dinner table."
"Neither am I," Rachel said before taking a bite of her dinner, "I'm just checking to see if she messaged me. It's not like I was tweeting."
"I'm not going to have this argument with you Rachel." Her mother released a deep breath clearly exasperated and as they sat there, dropping the subject, silence began to surround them. They were close, mainly because they worked in the same business, shared the same agent for their film career and were in the lime light together. It also helped that Shelby was Rachel's manager. The diva felt comfortable talking to her mom about anything but lately due to the stress of finishing her album and Shelby's stress about making a deal with a movie that's suppose to start shooting next year, they weren't the nicest people to one another.
Rachel rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her pocket, "There happy now?"
Shelby nodded, "Yes," The older brunette took in a deep breath and sat her fork down on the table. "How are you holding up sweetie?"
Rachel stiffened and looked down at her plate, "Fine."
"Are you sure? You really liked Dawn and I know having the media all over your break-up hasn't been easy..."
"I loved Dawn..." Rachel swallowed thickly, "But yeah I'm fine."
Shelby took in a deep breath, "I thought you told me you weren't in love with her?" the older brunette knew she was treading on thin ice but since her daughters break-up Rachel had been a little closed off from her. She was sure it didn't help that the whole world knew that her daughter had been cheated on and caught her girlfriend in the act.
"I lied..." Rachel whispered.
Shelby sighed heavily, "Well I just want to make sure you're okay but if it's any consolation I never liked that girl."
"That doesn't exactly help mom." Rachel sighed and pushed her plate away, "May I be excused? I'm suddenly not very hungry."
Shelby nodded, "I'm sorry for bringing it up I just-"
"Please just stop talking about it." The singer said as she pushed out her chair and stood up before heading towards the stairs to go up to her room.
Shelby sighed before pushing her own plate away and following her daughter, "I just want to know what's going on sweetheart."
"Nothing, I'm fine." Rachel said as she hurried up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut.
"Obviously not." Shelby said as she leaned against the wall beside her daughter's bedroom.
"Go away!"
Shelby sighed again, "Maybe we should postpone the record and tour. It might be better if you went to go stay with your dads for a while or maybe your grandparents."
"No, I want to do this record..." Rachel took in a deep breath and slowly opened her door, "I need to do this record."
"Then check the attitude," Shelby said softly while pulling her daughter into a hug, "Sweetie, I know being cheated on feels horrible, especially when you love the one that cheated but you can't push me out because of it."
"I know I just..." Rachel took in a deep breath, "I may only be sixteen but I want that passionate love story. I want to be able to look at someone and feel like they're the prettiest girl in the world. I want to feel the pull as if we're magnets and I can't help but shift towards her. I want a girl to make my heart race and my palms sweat. I want the feeling of not being able to breathe or sleep when they aren't there. I want to find someone who's perfect for me who lets me love them and loves me in return." Rachel took in a deep breath, "I was in love with Dawn she's my first love but I knew she wasn't the one I'd spend my life with but that didn't make it hurt any less when she cheated on me. At this rate, I'll never find that special person who makes me weak in the knees with just one look and makes me turn into a puddle with just one kiss." Rachel held back tears which were pricking at her eyes, "She was the closest thing I had to that...and what sucks the most is I actually miss her. I-" Rachel swallowed thickly, "I should want to hate her but I can't."
Shelby rubbed her daughters back and took in a deep breath, "Sweetie you're right you're only sixteen, which means you are young. Don't rush that feeling; it will come when you meet the right person. I know despite how young you are you've always been a romantic. You wear your heart on your sleeve and you've always believed in love being a fairytale but be patient, you'll find the right person."
"What if I don't?" Rachel whispered weakly.
Shelby pulled away from the hug that she had consoled her daughter with and looked into the diva's wet eyes, "You will, just give it time. You'll meet someone who will love you for you, and won't hurt you the way Dawn did."
"How can you be so sure?" Rachel choked out.
"Because I am." Shelby shifted some of Rachel's hair out of her face and smiled softly at her, "Just don't stress too much about falling in love."
"Mom..." Rachel whispered weakly, "How did you get over Daddy?"
Shelby took in a deep breath, "Well one I'm pretty certain you and Dawn aren't like your father and I," Rachel's expression hardened and she sighed, "It just happened with time."
"But how?"
"I coped with the fact that he was gay and then I looked back on my past and realized I should have known. After I blamed myself and realized that it wasn't my fault, I slowly allowed myself to heal."
Rachel opened her mouth for a moment before quickly closing it and nodding, "Ok." she mumbled before walking back into her room.
"If you need anything..." Shelby said softly, allowing her sentence to trail off.
"I know... I can come talk to you." Rachel whispered as she flopped back onto her bed.
Shelby nodded, "Before I let you have some time by yourself, is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"N-no." Rachel quickly answered before shifting so that her back was to her mother.
"Are you sure?"
Rachel bit her bottom lip, "I just...," Rachel began before shaking her head. "Yeah I'm sure."
Shelby raised an eyebrow and walked over to her daughter. "Rachel, it's okay to talk to me." the woman sat down on the edge of Rachel's bed and glanced at the girl with concerned eyes.
Rachel swallowed thickly and shifted so that she was sitting next to her mom, "Dawn cheating is my fault..."
Shelby furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and began to rub her daughter's back again. "I highly doubt it but why would you think that?"
"She only cheated because I wouldn't put out..." Rachel whispered quietly; hoping her mother wouldn't hear it.
"Then she wasn't worth it. You deserve someone who will wait until you're ready." Shelby said softly as she rubbed circles on the divas back, hoping she would calm down.
"I just..." Rachel curled into her mother's side, "Y-You've always told me that I should respect my body and not just give my virginity away to just anyone." The diva took in a deep shaky breath, "I want my first time to be special and she wanted me to just give it to her like it didn't matter. Like it wasn't a big deal."
"Then I'm glad you didn't, you need to be ready for something like that both physically and emotionally."
Rachel nodded a little and leaned into her mom some more, "I don't want to regret my first time... it's not like trying to make cookies where if you mess up the recipe you can start over from scratch, once you give your virginity to someone that's it. You can't ever have that experience again..." Rachel whispered, "You know?"
Shelby nodded, "I know Rachel and when you find the right girl you'll know."
Rachel sighed, "I hope I find her someday."
"You will sweetie," Shelby glanced at the alarm clock sitting on Rachel's nightstand and noticed that it wasn't too late but the diva was exhausted. "You should get to bed early tonight you've been working hard lately."
The celebrity's eyes slowly closed for a moment and she released a heavy breath, "I'm not tired..." she mumbled.
"I beg to differ, get some sleep sweetie." Shelby said softly as she kissed the top of her daughter's head. She let go of the teenager and slowly got up, sending her a small smile. "Everything will get better, it just takes time."
Rachel groaned and released a heavy sigh, "Hopefully..." Her eyes were heavy as she looked up at her mom and it was obvious that she was going to just fall over and pass out into a world of dreams any minute.
As Shelby walked out of the room after giving her another hug, Rachel quickly changed and then got back into bed. She shifted around in her bed and scurried underneath the blankets, letting the warmth consume her. The diva released a deep breath and a yawn quickly followed. The lack of sleep was finally taking control and she was losing the battle it was attempting to start. As she rested, her eyes slowly closed and she soon allowed herself to drift off into a much needed nap.
...
The diva glanced at the time on the stove as she reached into the cupboard for a glass. It was midnight and she groaned, realizing she had slept a fair amount but would most likely have trouble falling asleep again. She hated having naps for that reason, the fact that she'd fall asleep to early, sleep later than intended and then not be able to have a good night's sleep. The brunette filled her cup with water from the cooler and sat it on the table, usually she'd bring it up to her room but her stomach was begging for a midnight snack and who was she to reject it's request. The diva opened the fridge and pulled out a container of chocolate brownies, which were only in there due to her mother's fondness of the taste of cold chocolate. A couple years ago, Rachel wouldn't have even ate regular chocolate due to the dairy that's in it but with time she shifted from a vegan to a vegetarian. It was hard to keep up her nutrition while she was swamped with work and only eating vegan food, which was hard to find to begin with. However when changing her dietary preferences she refused to consume meat, so settled for dairy and eggs.
She opened the container of sweets, that she knew Shelby had their chef cook. Both Shelby and Rachel enjoyed nursing their sweet tooth, The older woman usually brought them to work and snuck them into her dressing room or trailer where as Rachel didn't mind sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night for a midnight snack to nurse it. She did it quite often due to the messed up hours she slept. The actress sat the container on the table and pulled out a chair; it didn't take long for her to start mindlessly eating away at the chocolaty treats. As she sat there in the quiet house, she reached for her phone which she had grabbed off of her nightstand before going downstairs; she hadn't checked it since before her nap and she wasn't sure if she missed an important message but at the moment all she wanted to do was occupy her tired mind with a round or two of Angry Birds.
She looked for the game on her iPhone and realized that she had an email, according to the mail app. She took in a deep breath and clicked on it, waiting for her messages to load. She released a yawn as she looked over her unread messages, her eyes lit up as she realized she had a email from twitter explaining that she had a message waiting for her. She bit her bottom lip softly as she closed her email, forgetting the other messages waiting for her and opened her twitter app. It didn't take her long to open up her direct messages and she smiled softly as she began to read the message that Skysplits left for her.
Skysplits: Hey Rachel, I did tell you I'd inform you how it went so here goes nothing. It went surprising well; she didn't seem upset in fact she thanked me for being honest with her and reassured me that she still loved me and always would no matter what. I also have a feeling she already knew, it didn't seem to shock her, that and she told me that when I was seven I had a crush on my female teacher and that should have been her first clue. It's pretty funny actually when I think about it. Anyway, thank you for the advice. To be honest I'm shocked you even took the time to talk to me but I appreciate it.
Rachel rubbed her tired eyes and was finding it hard to wipe the smile that had grown throughout the message off of her face.
OfficialRachelBerry: Well I am glad that she took it well. It's always better when they do, it's less pain and heartbreak. Also, the crush on the teacher is quite comical. I myself remember having a crush on my teenage neighbour when I was eight. I thought she was the most amazing person in the world. Apparently despite the fact that I had dated guys my mom always knew, has since that crush took place. It took me a little longer than her to realize it, but look at me now haha. Anyway, I am rambling on about myself which wasn't the point of this conversation, I just wanted to tell you that I'm happy she handled it well and that I always try to make time for my fans. I also know how hard it is to come out; it can be quite frightening so I thought I'd pass on some of my wisdom ;).
...
Rachel finally got a day off from her busy recording schedule and press in regards to her upcoming album, which would drop in November and would follow with a tour. It felt nice for the brunette to stay in New Port and not have to drive to L.A., it also felt nice that she was able to just relax and do as she wished for the day. The diva giggled as her golden retriever Shadow attempted to jump up and into her arms. For a big dog he thought he was small and he didn't seem to comprehend the fact that he wasn't a puppy anymore.
"Down boy." She said softly and he obeyed with a whine.
The brunette glanced at the water as it made soft waves up to the shore of the beach and she smiled softly at the sight. The sand sunk between her toes as she walked along the beach. Her house wasn't far from it, there was a small path which connected their backyard to a part of the beach. It was their private section seen as it was part of their property. It was nice for the two women to have their privacy but at the same time the no trespassing sign was suffocating; then again so was the neighbourhood gate. There weren't many people who lived on Rachel's street; her mother's house took up a lot of space and so did the neighbour beside them. Two big mansions' and their side was full. Kurt lived in a small house on the opposite side of the street with his father, beside another decent sized house. The streets were small in New Port California, where she resided.
Before people could get onto the street there was a gate they needed to enter, for security reasons due to the wealth in the neighbourhood. It always felt too confined for her liking. She appreciated the lack of paparazzi and press but it created large sums of loneliness.
The brunette shifted, getting closer to the shore line. The cold, gentle water glided onto her feet and she shifted her toes a little bit so the water could wash away the sand. Shadow barked, catching the brunette's attention and a giggle erupted from deep within her as she noticed her dog jumping around in the shallow water.
When the brunette found the perfect spot to relax, she lowered herself onto the sand not caring if it wound up sticking to her shorts or gripping onto her legs. The diva took a deep breath as the water rolled up to the shore line and danced around her toes, tickling them a little bit. She wasn't exactly prepared for Shadow to come running up to her and shake his fur about; flying the water all over her.
"Shadow." The girl mumbled and wiped off her face the best she could with her shirt. The retriever looked at her with innocent eyes before laying down in the sand beside her. She released a sigh because she knew the sand would stick to his fur and she'd have to battle with him through the bathing process when they returned home.
As the diva sat there alone-besides her dog-she felt the pang of loneliness against the walls of her heart once again. The view before her, the way the sunset bounced off the waves was beautiful but it was unsettling to see it alone. She longed to be able to lean her head on a significant others shoulder and take in the beauty of the world. Weather it was the beach, a park, a view from the Eiffel Tower she just wanted something special; someone special. Her most recent girlfriend Dawn had been good company when it came to viewing the world, when she was willing to do so. Dawn had always been the type to hang out under the Hollywood lights, enjoy fame and spend her free time with fellow famous friends that Rachel couldn't stand because they were the type of girls who always complained when they broke their fake nail or when the color was fading from their faux hair. Rachel enjoyed her perks of fame, she enjoyed the Hollywood lights to an extent but she was more the type who enjoyed the relaxation her down time brought and loved to travel to see many aspects of the world. She had been many places, due to her work schedule and her mother's but she craved to visit ALL of Europe and explore it, if only for a couple months. Even when the diva was with Dawn, she didn't receive many moments of enjoying the great view the beach had to offer or cuddling on the sand or sitting on the park bench as the breeze blew over them, or even relaxing in a borrowed sweater which was also something she craved but never received with her ex-girlfriend. All of her partners before her were also more focused on the chaos and life that LA brought them, except for her ex-boyfriend but they didn't last long enough to enjoy the perks of their relationship; they were better as friends which worked out for the best seen as she realized she was gay. It also didn't help Rachel that they had all lived in Los Angeles, while she lived in New Port. It may not have been a far drive, but it was always her that normally made the commute, especially in her relationship with Dawn. Rachel had always given a hundred percent while Dawn gave half of that. The brunette sighed as she circled her arms around herself, her eyes trained on the small waves which were picking up; a perk for surfers.
The singer shifted some of her hair behind her ear before pulling out her phone. She always had it on her, almost always needed to in case an agent or her producer called. It was a must have but right now she was too tired mentally to think of it as a business tool. She also just enjoyed listening to music on it as well as playing games, reading and trolling twitter. She sucked in a deep breath. The fresh air which was crisp with the smell of the water filled her lungs and she slipped her eyes closed for just a moment, attempting to just be for a while. The moment passed after a few seconds and she opened her eyes and glanced down at the piece of technology. Sometimes she just wished that she could throw it in the ocean and rid it. However, instead of doing what she wished she opened up her twitter and decided she would troll it a little bit and see what was going on in everybody else's life.
Before she could control herself the brunette took her loneliness public. She knew she shouldn't open herself up so publicly but sometimes the online world was like a diary to almost everyone in the world; even celebrities. The diva also enjoyed joking around with her fans and acting as if they were friends. In her mind, they kind of were. Without them, she'd be nothing.
Rachel Berry OfficialRachelBerry
Feeling a little bit lonely, who wants to keep me company? :) :P
Q Skysplits
OfficialRachelBerry company's not always all it's cracked up to be...
The brunette scrunched up her eyebrows as she read over the reply that she managed to single out through all of her numerous tweets from other fans attempting to befriend her, keep her company and just get her to notice them. As she glanced over the words Q sent her way, she could practically feel the pain behind them. The girl had a story and she wanted to know it and wished to figure it out one day. The diva began to type out a response, but decided to send it in a private message instead; it created more privacy for her and her "friend" which she preferred.
OfficialRachelBerry: Well, company may not always be best but I've always thought it was better than loneliness.
Skysplits: Even when you're surrounded by company, you can feel completely alone. My best friend's are throwing me a birthday bash which consists of music blasting, half of my school dancing like their in heat and people getting drunk to the point where they won't even remember why they woke up next to a person they barely know the next morning. I have all my friends, my girlfriend, a kick ass party that is supposed to be fun and am newly seventeen, yet I feel like I'm alone. It may be my party but I feel like I'm not here. I'm sitting all alone in my best friend's bedroom, my friends are focused on conquests and booze and who the fuck knows where my girlfriend wound up. The turn of events caused me to pointlessly explore twitter. I saw your message and decided, why not be alone together?
Rachel swallowed thickly, the girl was deep and she could tell just by her simple words that seemed to shine on the iPhone screen. The brunette wasn't sure what got to her the most, the fact that the mysterious girl was feeling that way on her birthday or that she had all of those people around but felt so alone.
Before the diva had a chance to respond, the thread filled with another message bubble from the girl.
Skysplits:I didn't mean to sound so depressing, to be honest I don't even know why I opened up to you like that; famous or not, I've never been good at that and we barely know each other. Maybe it's just the vodka I'm burning through.
Rachel bit her bottom lip and took in a deep breath.
OfficialRachelBerry:It's your birthday! Well happy birthday, it's a shame you're not enjoying it but you should at least try to. Also, I suppose you have a point, I understand completely. I work with a crowd of people constantly, an agent, manager, producers, co-stars, stylists and yet sometimes I can feel like nobody is truly paying attention to me. They see Rachel Berry but they never SEE me. It's true what they say, it's lonely at the top. As for your other topic of conversation, I find that it can be easy to open up to people when you don't have to see their facial expressions. Maybe a stranger is the easiest person to open up to, they don't know you which means they won't judge you as much as your friends might. Maybe in our case, it helps that we're behind a screen, if I were there right now would you have shared the things you did?
Skysplits: Honestly, no.
Her response was simple, and Rachel although she had written a large response and would have hoped to gain a reasonable amount in return, the simple two words were all she needed. The diva took in a deep breath, she knew talking so openly with a mysterious fan could bring certain trouble, like them going to the media with deep dark secrets, or similar things like that but for some reason, she felt reckless. The brunette felt like it was okay to let her guard down for a moment, let someone see her beyond the famous aspect. She wondered if it was pathetic that the one friend she could potentially make, without involving her fame, was a random girl that she met online. She met her due to her fame, but Rachel felt like the mysterious girl talked to her, not because she was famous, but maybe because she too needed a friend.
The diva took in a deep breath, and glanced over at Shadow, who was still laying down in the sand beside her. She stretched out one of her hands and pet him on the head for a brief moment, before returning to the virtual conversation she was involved in.
OfficialRachelBerry: Precisely, so how was your birthday despite the disappointing party?
Skysplits: It was going good actually until this stupid party started. My girlfriend decided she'd pick a fight with me and then take off to god knows where, then my friends ditched me to get a room and now I'm in a room alone, getting wasted. Definitely the way I wanted to spend my birthday -_- However, I didn't expect I'd be talking to you on my birthday, which is a nice surprise and definitely made the night better.
Skysplits: Anyway, enough about my personal hell, what are you up to superstar?
Rachel frowned as she read over the messages, she glanced away from the phone and looked out at the sunset before her. The diva knew it would be fading soon but she took in the way the shade of orange met the yellow and created a light red that bounced off of the ocean water. The brunette got her camera ready, and slowly raised her IPhone, it didn't take her long to capture a quick shot of her view. She smiled and quickly uploaded it to her instgram, deciding not to write a caption underneath it. Rachel copied the link for the picture and pasted it into her conversation with her mysterious fan.
OfficialRachelBerry: I'm sorry about your fight with your girlfriend and the bad night you're having but I will say that I am glad that I could make the night better. See sometimes company can be a good thing, I think it may just depend on the kind of company you receive ;). Also that link I sent you will answer your question as to what I am currently doing :).
Quinn took in a deep breath as she sat on the messy bed, the bottle of vodka in one hand and her phone in the other. The blonde took in a deep breath and followed the link. She looked over the photo and her lips shifted upward into a soft smile. The sunset was beautiful and suddenly Quinn wished that she was there staring into the gorgeous imagery and far from where she actually was. Sometimes she wished she could escape to places like that. Even though they didn't know each other well, she wished she was sitting beside her on the beach enjoying her company in person. She longed for a companion who could connect with her on those levels.
Skysplits: That's a gorgeous view. Jealous.
Quinn brought the bottle up to her lips and took a gentle swig as she waited for a response from the singer. She closed her hazel eyes for a brief moment and took in a deep breath as she felt her throat react to the alcohol that slid down. Her ears picked up the noises of people yelling at each other outside the room she was in. The blonde could also hear a lot of laughing and stupid guys attempting to act cool in front of one another but most of all she heard the music. The loud, obnoxious type of music that in Quinn's mind wasn't music just beats and words thrown together so people would dance aimlessly and feel like getting wasted. The music she enjoyed was deep, it had lyrics that could touch the heart and soul; it was music that could make her drift into sleep, or music that could make her heart break or heal. Sure she loved some songs from Lady Gaga or Ke$ha but their songs never truly spoke to her.
OfficialRachelBerry: I'm sorry you couldn't see it in person, I love just sitting here looking out at it. It lets me escape and sit down and just...breathe.
Skysplits: The park is my escape, there's this hill that I like to go to. I usually sit under one of the trees with a book or my iPod and just be...
OfficialRachelBerry: That sounds nice actually...I have a question for you.
Skysplits: Okay...
OfficialRachelBerry: What's your name?
Skysplits: Quinn
...
"Who do you keep texting? Every time we hang out, you're always texting at some point." Chelsea, Quinn's girlfriend said as they rested on her bed watching a movie together.
"I'm just messaging a friend..." Quinn said as she looked up from her message thread with Rachel. The girls had been talking quite a bit since the first time they ever exchanged a message. Quinn was still normally guarded but there were times she'd tell Rachel a few personal things. The blonde found that talking to the celebrity was a little addictive, their talks weren't heavy and were usually light hearted. It was definitely something the cheerleader enjoyed.
"A girl?" Chelsea asked, her jaw clenched slightly at the thought of her girlfriend messing around with someone else.
"Yes..." Quinn mumbled with a roll of her eyes.
OfficialRachelBerry: I'm happy the albums done, it'll be nice to have a little time off until it comes out in November but I'm a little nervous for everyone to hear it.
Quinn raised an eyebrow at what Rachel had said; from what she saw of the girl on TV or interviews, the diva always seemed so confident when it came to her music. Chelsea watched her girlfriend and released a heavy sigh wanting all of the blonde's attention on her like she normally did.
Skysplits: I'm sure it will be great, all of your albums are :)
"You know, it'd be nice if you'd put the phone down and pay attention to me while we're hanging out." Chelsea shifted closer to her girlfriend and kissed her neck softly, "I'm sure there are better things to do than text some chick."
Quinn released a sigh, "Chels, I'm not in the mood."
"Come on Quinn, it's been a while..." The brunette whispered in a pleading tone.
"It's been a few days, I'm allowed to not be in the mood Chelsea..." Quinn sat down her phone and shifted to face her girlfriend. "Spending time together doesn't always have to wind up with us having sex, sometimes I just like spending time with you."
"Well you're doing a shitty job of spending time with me. You have your nose in your damn phone talking to some slut," Chelsea released a deep breath and glared at her girlfriend. "Who is she anyway?"
"She's not a slut!" The blonde glanced down at her phone and then back up at her girlfriend "She's my friend." Quinn said with a soft smile. She couldn't believe that she could actually say that about Rachel Berry. In a way that's what they had become, despite that they had never met or really delved into deep conversations.
"You're friend..." The brunette bit her bottom lip as she stared at Quinn with questioning eyes.
"Yes..." The cheerleader raised her eyebrow, "Where exactly are you going with this?"
"Are you fucking her?"
"What!? Do you know how stupid you sound right now? Just because I'm talking to a girl doesn't mean I'm sleeping with her." Quinn said honestly, hiding the fact that she wouldn't be opposed to being intimate with the celebrity.
"Well you can't exactly blame me for wondering, you spend a lot of time talking to this girl." The brunette snapped as she pried herself up off her bed and stood in front of Quinn, staring down at her.
The blonde took in a deep breath and quickly stood up, she hated being in that position. She hated feeling powerless. It was Chelsea's way of showing that she was in charge of the conversation but Quinn wasn't about to let that happen, nor was she going to let her girlfriend intimidate her.
"I'm allowed to talk to my friend Chelsea." Quinn ran a hand through her hair, "You're always talking to different girls, yet I haven't once accused you of cheating on me." The cheerleader released a deep breath and looked at her girlfriend intently, "Relationships need trust Chelsea..."
"It's hard not to think you're sleeping around, when as I said you're always talking to her."
"I'm not always talking to her but yes when I get the chance I enjoy doing so and there is nothing wrong with that because she and I are just friends." Quinn sighed as she side stepped her girlfriend and walked towards the bedroom door. "It's nice to know that you don't trust me even though I've never given you a reason not to." The blonde gave her girlfriend one last glance before exiting the room; leaving the fight behind her.
...
Rachel sighed as she heard a light knock on her bedroom door. Summer was coming to an end and September was just around the corner in a couple days and all the diva had been talking about lately was her album release, which was scheduled for November. It had been a huge project for her because it was her first time releasing a two album set. The collection contained 40 songs on two discs, and a third DVD disc of behind the scenes footage of her making said albums, and all of her music videos that had been released to date, plus a few bonus ones for some of the songs off her new album. Some of which hadn't been released yet. Her manager, and publicist had been working hard to schedule interviews, and other press activities to promote her new album. All she wanted was a day to relax, and have one moment to herself, and her thoughts. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.
" Come in."
The door creaked lightly as it opened. Rachel glanced up at the sound and saw her mom standing in the door way, cautiously leaning against the frame. "Can we talk sweetie?" The woman asked softly.
The diva looked at her mother with concern, "Is something wrong?" Rachel shifted, and sat up from her laying positing into a sitting one, resting her back against her headboard.
"No, but we need to discuss something," Shelby began as she shifted away from the door frame, and walked towards the bed. The older woman sat down on the foot of the bed, and faced her daughter. "Do you remember that TV miniseries I auditioned for a few weeks ago?"
"Yes..."
"Well I got the part," Shelby said with a smile, "The only downfall is that their filming on location."
"How long will you be gone this time?" The sad tone was evident in the girl's voice.
"For a year, but I won't be going alone." Shelby ran her fingers through her hair, "You'll be coming with me. Your tour ends in August and filming for my series doesn't start until September, so you won't have many commitments when we relocate." Shelby looked at her daughter, who just kept staring at her with shocked eyes. "The move may be a year away, but I wanted to tell you in advance. Filming would have started sooner but the director they wanted had a prior project, so it got pushed back."
"Why do I have to come with you? Can't I stay here, or with dads?"
"Rachel, I'm not going to leave you here all alone for a year," Shelby inhaled sharply. "Also, I talked to your father's and they can't-"
"Of course they can't. What is it this time? A vacation, business, personal matters, or did they come up with a new excuse?"
Shelby sighed, "Your father's business is expanding, and he has a lot of meetings and traveling to do, they also have a vacation scheduled sometime next year, most likely over Christmas break. I'm sorry sweetie but you have to come with me."
"I don't want to go Mom, every time you go somewhere for longer than a couple weeks I always get dragged with you. I recorded my whole second album in Europe!"
"But you loved Europe, and Rachel I don't care if you don't want to go. I am not going to let my sixteen year old have the house all to herself for a year." The older woman took a deep breath, "I care too much about you to just leave you on your own." She added softly.
"By the time you start filming I'll almost be eighteen," Rachel pouted, "you've left me with Burt for a week or two occasionally, can't I just stay with them again?"
"If it was just for a week or two I would consider it but since it's for a year you will be coming with me."
"But mom, after my tour I wanted to look for more acting jobs." Rachel crossed her arms across her chest, "This is not fair!"
"I know it's not sweetheart but it's life." Shelby said gently. "Honestly Rachel going away for a year can do you some good. You've been rushing this album out, and while I admit that's a good thing because you've been through a rough heartbreak and it's very therapeutic, you're overworking yourself. Add your tour to that, which starts only a month after the album release, it will be nice to just relax and take a breather. It's just a year sweetie." The older woman added.
"But I want to be here in L.A. with my friends, or in New York with dad but of course he's too busy for me as always and you won't let me stay here."
"I'm sure Lima won't be that bad Rachel."
Rachel narrowed her eyes at her mother, before grabbing her cell off of her nightstand, determined to look the place up. As she searched through Google, and found information on the small town her eyebrows furrowed and she released a small diva like whine.
"It's a cow town mom!"
"It will be fine," Shelby said softly. "Try not to dwell on it, try to look forward to it instead. You'll be able to experience new things, and meet new people. I was also planning on enrolling you in one of the high schools so you will be able to complete your senior year."
Rachel pouted, "Why can't I just continue my education with my tutor?" she wasn't against the idea of attending a public school, in fact the idea had always appealed to her, she was just curious as to why her mom suddenly wanted her to attend a normal high school. The last time she attempted to do so in her freshman year, her mother pulled her out because the students were a little crazy over having a celebrity in their presence and some people who weren't fans of her, picked on her because they thought that she viewed herself as better than them. Shelby had always viewed it too dangerous for someone of her fame level to attend a public, everyday school.
"You will start your junior year with her, and complete it but I think it would be good for you to attend an actual high school. A school in a small town may work out better than a school in California."
Rachel shrugged off the conversation about school, and her mind shifted back to the original reason for the conversation. "Please tell me that you're not doing this to me."
"Rachel, I'm sure the school won't-"
"I'm not upset about attending school, to be honest that actually excites me a little bit. What's upsetting me is that you're moving me 3000 miles away, into a cow town!"
Shelby released a deep breath, "Get over it sweetie, it won't be as bad as you think."