"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. She could tell he didn't want to, so she paused. She shook her head slightly. He sighed in relief and made a move for his coat.
"Remember?" she started and he looked back over at Rachel. Her eyes were wide and glassy with tears. "Remember when you told me I'd find someone who'd love me," she stuttered and cleared her throat, "because of all my faults?" She stared at him unblinkingly. Will sighed again, tilting his head to look at her.
"I remember, Rachel. And what I said is still true."
"Then where is he?" she demanded loudly. A tear fell onto her cheek. Another followed. His office was silent. Rachel savagely wiped her face. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice turning to a whisper. She looked up at Will, who was looking intently at her, with a gaze both distressed and conflicted.
"Come on, I'll give you a ride home," he said carefully. She wanted to make a joke about having to sit in the backseat, but she knew her voice was too shaky for joking. Rachel found it odd that Will didn't hug her, or try to comfort her at all. But she walked in stride with him to the faculty parking lot. They didn't speak, except when Rachel thanked him for opening the passenger door for her. Rachel was lost in her own thoughts until the car stopped at a coffeehouse.
"Mr. Shue?" she asked.
"You wait here, I'm going to get us some hot chocolate," he said, smiling. To be honest, Will had no idea what to do with someone crying. He used to always make hot tea for Terri. He figured hot chocolate would have to do. Rachel sat in the car, smiling to herself, feeling safe in the confines of a car that smelled like Mr. Shuester's cologne and coffee.
"They made it with soy milk with extra marshmallows," Mr. Shue said, handing her a large cup before sitting back down with his own.
"It's perfect," Rachel purred, putting her mouth to the lid. Will attended to his own cup but paused before putting the key back in the ignition.
"I care about you a lot, Rachel," he was staring straight ahead as he said this. She sipped her drink soundlessly. "I hate seeing you like this. I hate that the guys you chose keep making you cry. All I can say is that...they're wrong for you." He looked at her this time. "And I'm..." he swallowed. He shook his head. "Sorry," he started the car. Rachel was confused, but touched. She reached over to him and touched his arm.
"Thank you." Their eyes met. Will looked back to the road, and they didn't say anything else the rest of the trip.
"So, I have some bad news guys," Mr. Shue said as he walked into glee club rehearsal. He wasn't surprised to see that Rachel was now sitting next to Kurt and that the seat next to Finn was unoccupied. He wasn't surprised, but it made him happy that at least Rachel wasn't the one sitting alone. "I have to cancel pizza party at my place."
"Oh damn," said Mercedes sarcastically. "And I was really looking forward to spending my Saturday night listening to Rachel bleat." Rachel glared over at Mercedes, who was high fiving Artie.
"My place is kind of flooded from last night's storm. So we'll just have to get together another week." He said, before disappearing into his office
"Not a problem, Mr. Shuester," said Rachel, raising her hand and standing up from her chair. "I have a substantial amount of musicals, and though vegan, I have nothing against ordering pizzas for everyone at my place Saturday."
"Wow...I'd prefer pizza in Mr. Shue's flooded basement," Quinn said, filing her nails.
"Don't your dads usually make you play scrabble on Saturday?" Finn piped up. "Not that I've ever played," he mumbled when Puck raised an eyebrow. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"My dads are away for the weekend actually." Quinn nudged Puck, who nodded at her. Even Kurt caught on to the significance of a weekend parent-free, even if it was at Rachel Berry's household.
"Away?" he said, attempting and failing at hiding his interest.
"Guys, let's focus," Mr. Shue said, reemerging from his office with sheet music. "Whoever wants to go to Rachel's Saturday can, alright? Now let's get started.
"Rachel," she heard a voice in her ear and felt Santana's arm snake around her neck.
"This is the middle of the day, people will see you talking to me," Rachel told the Latina as she shrugged her arm off her shoulders.
"Why should I care when we're friends?" Santana grinned but had an evil glint in her eye. Rachel rolled her eyes but continued walking.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"So…your dads are away for the weekend?" she asked.
"Look, you don't have to come to the glee club thing Saturday, it's fine," Rachel said, who was now working on her locker combination.
"No, listen," Santana's voice lowered and Rachel turned her attention away from the mirror in her locker. "I know how much break ups suck," she was looking past Rachel now, and Rachel looked behind to her to see what Santana was gazing at. She saw Brittany leaning down to drink from the water fountain, Artie pushing the button for her and spraying her in the face. The duo dissolved in giggles. Rachel turned back around. "Sometimes, you just need to party. With your friends."
"So…you're coming?"
"Of course. But I have something a little different in mind than pizza and movies." She offered Rachel her pinkie. Rachel looked around the hallway. It was still full of students. She hesitated, but wrapped her pinkie around Santana's, who grinned.
"Now, let's talk about what you'll wear Saturday," she was saying when they passed Finn. Rachel blatantly ignored his stare, but Santana made eye contact and smirked at him as they passed.
"What's your deal?" Finn hissed at Santana during Spanish class. Rolling her eyes, Santana turned to him.
"What are you talking about, frankenteen?"
"I break up with Rachel, and now you're like, befriending her? Why?" Santana glanced at Mr. Shue, who was chalking up the board with Spanish verbs. She twirled her ponytail coolly before replying to Finn.
"Your little breakup has nothing to do with it. Rachel may dress like a polly pocket, but she's not that bad." Santana looked down at her nails and studied her cuticles. "This conversation is boring me." Finn kept staring at her, so she sighed and added, "Didn't you spend weeks trying to convince glee club that Rachel's cool? Maybe you were right."
"Santana!" Mr. Shue commanded from the front of the classroom. "Eyes up here." Santana shrugged at Finn and turned back to the board.