A.N: I know, I know. Wth am I doing starting another fic when I already have two on my plate? I'm not crazy guys lmao. The idea just would not leave my mind, so I decided to try and post the first chapter. I honestly don't know when this fic will be updated, probably sometime after SFTD reaches chapter 10? Idk it all depends really. Anyways, this fic should be fairly normal...in regards to the fact that the other two stories I'm writing are pretty unconventional. Haha, I hope you guys like this
Summary: Willing to do anything to prove that she's a team player and worthy of acceptance, Rachel joins the football team. What could possibly go wrong?
Rachel didn't know what to do. Not only had she had lost her boyfriend, she had lost her only true friend and it was all over a kiss.
Finn didn't want anything to do with her. She'd had tried talking to him, tried to handle the situation like an adult, only to be repeatedly snubbed by the boy whom she thought she was going to spend the rest of her High School career with. And when he wasn't snubbing her, he was glaring daggers at her from across the room.
She couldn't believe that out of all the crappy things he'd done to her, that out of all the times she would forgive and take him back, that he would shun her over one mistake! Kissing Noah doesn't even compare to sleeping with Santana and then lying to her about it.
Finn had made it clear that he was done with her, and if she was to be perfectly honest with herself, she was equally done with him. She was done with boys in general. She was sick of putting her heart on the line only to have it excessively stomped on. First Finn, then Jesse, then Finn again.
Rachel wanted to be strong and make it by herself but she didn't know if she could when she was constantly being attacked. She could deal with the general population of the student body hating her, but to be despised to by her own team, her own family? She couldn't deal with it anymore.
Why did everyone hate her? Was it because she was obnoxious, because she complained about not getting enough solo's, because she wasn't a "team" player? Cause if that's why people coudlnt' stand her, then everyone should hate each other.
They had all been like that one time or another, even more so than herself. And when she actually tried to stand up for her self, Mr. Shue would tell her to shut up and say that she wasn't acting like a team player, ignoring the fact that Santana and Mercedes just spent 10 minutes insulting her.
Wasn't a team player? Without Rachel, there would be no Glee club. Just because they had tied (tied! If she had sang they would have fricking won. She didn't get a standing ovation last year because people were tried of sitting down.) at sectionals this year, everyone thought that she was useless and they'd be just fine without her on the team.
Rachel was tired of it. She just wanted to be able to go through one day without being told to shut up and being called annoying.
All she had ever wanted was to have friends. Real friends, not just people who used her for her talent, like the Glee kids did everyday, only to turn around and insult her a second later. She was tired of being alone and as of right now was going to prove to everyone, not just the Gleek's that she wasn't just the annoying queen diva of Glee.
She swore she was going to prove them all wrong, or her name wasn't Rachel Barbara Berry.
All throughout the day Rachel stayed silent in each of her classes, brainstorming ideas on what exactly she could do to help people see through her facade, without having any luck. She just couldn't think of anything she could do, minus quitting Glee and watching them fail at regionals without her talent...but that wouldn't show them that she was team player, they'd probably just think she was being selfish even though she had thrown her whole damn being into that club.
As 4th period rolled around, Rachel hope was starting to deflate. She still hadn't figured anything out. However, just as she was about to give up, she passed by a poster on the bulletin board in the hallway.
McKinely needs football players! Are you ready to be all you can be for your school?
Try-out required, See Coach Beiste Monday after school at 3
An idea starting to form in her mind as she read the words over and over again until she had them memorized.
She couldn't...it was just almost crazy...no it was pure lunacy! She wasn't actually thinking of trying out for the football team. She would get laughed out of the building, and then she'd be laughed at some more. Also, there was the fact that Finn was on the team, and he was probably going to see it as another attempt for her to try and get close to him.
Plus, there was this little fact, almost insignificant really, except it was! She was a girl. There was no way Sylvester and Figgins would even let her entertain the idea of trying out for the football team, let alone actually joining...but then again, Artie was on the team and he was in a wheelchair.
Rachel felt herself break a bit out of her melancholy. Even though the football team at McKinely sucked, every player on the team was popular.
Also if she joined, she could show them all that she could be a team player. She wouldn't even have to play a major role. Just being on the team would help her out. With determination, Rachel turned from the poster and stalked off in the direction of the boy's locker room.
"You want to what!" Coach Beiste asked, eying Rachel skeptically. Rachel recoiled slightly at the tone before resolving herself and taking a deep breath,
"Coach Beiste, though I know that my request in highly unusual and perhaps a bit unorthodox, what I am asking you is simply for a chance to try out. Surely you can give me some leeway on my request. After all, I believe you have a player on your team who's in a wheelchair who is highly beneficial in your games. A new player of smaller stature could help you out a lot. Also, if I were to make it, I could perhaps be the-" Rachel looked down at her notes, before looking back up with a smile, "Punter? That seems to be the safest position in football, and the chances of myself getting hurt are fairly slim."
Rachel finished off, with a hint of desperation in her voice. Coach Beiste couldn't reject her. This was the only idea that she had after three hours of planning. She couldn't want to go back to square one.
Coach Beiste continued to stare at her before clearing her throat, "Look Rachel, I don't really know what's going on in your head, but joining the boys football team? It's only calling for trouble. The guys here would never go for it and even if they did, you'd have to change in here with them."
Rachel just looked at her in confusion. Coach Beiste just sighed, "What I'm saying Rachel is...well you're a fairly attractive girl. They wouldn't be able to focus on the upcoming game if they're too busy hiding their natural male reaction to your ahm...unclothed body."
Rachel's face erupted in red, "Oh, oh."she started, before clearing her own suddenly dry throat, "We-well, I've already thought of a solution for that Coach. I'll just simply get changed in the bathroom before practice and after. And I can shower after all the um boys go home." she said with so much determination in her voice that it physically hurt Shannon to force out the words she says next.
"Look, Rachel...you just can't join..." Shannon's heart broke slightly, when she saw the brunette's hopeful look in her eye fade into emptiness. Rachel looked down at her lap, willing herself not to cry as she and Shannon sat in silence for a few minutes.
"I-I don't have a lot of friends Coach...no...I don't have any friends. I get made fun of every day because I'm different, people throw slushy's in my face because I speak my mind. Joining football...joining any team that could possibly accept me for who I am after I prove to them I'm more than just a girl...it's all I want Coach...I just-I just don't want to be alone anymore. Please, please let me at least try out."Rachel pleaded desperately.
Shannon's eyes widened at the conviction in the girl's voice. A slight smile started to form on her face, because no longer did she see Rachel Berry. She saw a young Shannon Beiste, desperate for someone to just accept her. It was at this moment that Shannon decided to fuck the consequences, she would deal with the results of letting a girl join the foot ball team later.
Rachel sat trembling, clutching her skirt and holding in her tears as she waited for Coach Beiste's final no. However, she felt a wide smiles break out on her face when she saw the Coach nod her head and grin lightly at her.
"Ok Berry, you've got yourself a try-out."