AN- So I've decided to revamp this story a bit. While parts of this chapter are similar to the original, I've gone and changed a lot of other things. I also added onto the first chapter.
Rachel woke up to darkness. The three year old rubbed her eyes tiredly as she tried to figure out where she was. She remembered being at the park with Linda, but after that everything was a blank.
"Hello?" Her voice conveyed the terror she was experiencing. Tears pooled in the toddler's eyes as no one answered her call. "Mommy?" She cried out. 'Mommy will help'. She thought happily. Her mother was always there when she needed her.
Footsteps sounded outside of the door, and the little girl instantly knew they weren't her mother's. She backed herself into the wall and cowered when the door was thrown open.
A man, not as big as her poppy, but a man appeared in the doorway. Rachel remembered him as the man from the park. He was the one with the white skin. He didn't look as nice as he did when they were at the park though. His eyes were scary like the villains in the princess movies she watched. He looked at her with disgust. "Hello Rachel." His voice littered with dark intent.
The girl pushed herself farther back into the wall. She didn't like this man one bit. He was scary, and she didn't trust him. "How is daddy's little girl?"
Rachel shook her head. "You not my daddy. I want my mommy." She yelled at him angrily. She didn't have a daddy, and he had no right to say that. She had a mommy.
His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched at her proclamation. "Bad little girls spend more time in the closet. When you want to be a good little girl, you may leave." He then closed the door and she heard a click.
Dry, body wracking sobs echoed off the four walls of the small closet. Tears slowly dripped down her face onto the pretty pink dress she wore. Her nose was all stuffy, but she couldn't stop crying. She wanted her mommy. Where was her mommy?
She began to forget her surroundings as the tightness in her chest increased and she began wheezing. At home, her mommy would give her some med-med-whatever it was called, and she would be all better after she spent some time on the neb. Her mommy had it too. She had asthma. Her mommy said it had something to do with the lungs.
She clutched her tummy as she felt pain. She cried out as it continued to hurt.
The door was thrown open once again. "Shit, I think she's having asthma attack." The black doctor said. "Go get my inhaler." The other man ran out. "Fuck, fuck if this kid dies we are so fucked."
Rachel's eyes watched as he paced back and forth in agitation. Her eyes glittered with fright. "I can't believe he would do this. She was supposed to be healthy. God fucking damnit." He screeched.
Rachel shot up in bed covered in sweat. Her heart raced and her breathing was labored. The dream was more vivid than any she remembered ever having. She settled back onto her bed as she calmed down. Fear was still a primary emotion for the young girl. She felt the panic at not knowing where her mom was and not being able to breathe.
The brunette wasn't sure where the part about her mom came from. Her dads told her about a million times that she didn't have a mom. She hated the hollow ache in her chest that accompanied those words. She cared for her fathers, but sometimes she felt as if there was something or someone better. The little girl had the impression that someone was searching for her. She just didn't know who. Those nightmares sucked too.
Almost every night she was wracked with night terrors. She never told either of her dads about it because then they would make her start seeing a therapist again. She wasn't crazy. The therapist only made it worse. She shattered everything she had ever harbored to be true. Rachel hated her- she had never hated anyone before or since.
One glance at her alarm clock, and the little girl knew that she still had several hours before she needed to get ready for school. With a weary sigh, the little girl closed her eyes and hoped for sleep to quickly take over.
"Rachel," a voice playfully called. She felt a gentle nudging.
However, she didn't want to get up. She smiled and rolled back over. "Come on, you're usually awake before this." It was her favorite voice in the entire world. She felt safe and loved.
"No," she whined tiredly. "I sleepy. Five mo minutes." Her arm flapped onto the bed. There was a soft chuckle
The nudging stopped before the blankets were ripped off of her. "Get up." A different voice commanded. She did as was asked of her. She knew the rules. The owner of the voice didn't stand for nonsense.
Beep… beep… beep- her alarm sounded. She reached over and smacked it hard. She really didn't want to get up, but she had to. Today was her first day of fifth grade.
Rachel could feel the anxiousness in her stomach. The dream had not helped in the slightest. She was on edge. It wasn't that it was a new school so much as it represented all that she had left behind. One day it was her school, the next she was in New York with her dad. Her fathers were in the middle of a messy divorce, and LeRoy woke her up one night. He told her to quickly dress and had a suitcase packed of her things in the car. She woke up to the sun rising over the New York skyline.
That was three years ago-Rachel had loved living in Manhattan. She had managed to convince her father to allow her to audition for a few Broadway shows, never imagining that she would actually get a part. It was the only thing that caught her interest since the move. She did not enjoy socializing with the kids at her private school. They were far too stuck-up for her taste, and she didn't relate well with kids her age.
LeRoy was at first leery of letting her leave his sight, but then he eventually pushed her out. She knew he didn't love her or want her. He took her to punish her other dad. She was nothing more than a mere pawn in a game of chess.
At her first audition, she messed up part of the words. However, the people in charge of casting saw something special in her. She was originally hired as the alternate Cosette until she was eventually the one going out there most nights. The Cosette before her could no longer fit the costume. She adored her time in Les Mis. It helped her learn a lot about the trade. She knew she was meant for the spotlight. She had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand for six shows a week. Her understudy did the other two shows.
Her dad didn't want her to draw too much attention to herself. On the weekends, she did her best to stay out of trouble. She was all to aware of what happened when she got in trouble.
That used to be her life until earlier in the summer when a new judge presided over the custody battle between her two fathers. She was forced to leave the show- her last one was two weeks previous. She had to watch as movers packed all of her belongings into boxes and loaded them into a truck.
Her father placed her on a plane with a minor status. He didn't hug or kiss her, instead he glared at her as if she were the bane of his very existence. His lip curled in disgust, and Rachel remembered cowering in fear. She knew he would never hit her publicly. He was too smart and restrained for that.
Every ten minutes it seemed the flight attendant was asking how she was doing. It wasn't even a long flight, which was the worst part. Getting off the plane was the worst part because it meant she was accepting her fate.
She hated coming to visit her dad in Lima, and now she was expected to live here. She actually had to go back to regular school instead of home school because her dad didn't have the money to hire a tutor or the time stay home with her. It was stupid in her opinion. There was nothing of interest in the town of Lima. She also hated her dad, if LeRoy was bad, Hiram was plain evil.
She sighed as she neared the school, which hadn't changed since the last time she saw it. Everything looked the exact same as if no time had passed at all. This day was going to suck. She knew it. She watched with a bit of jealousy as other kids ran inside the school, as parents dropped off their children. She was envious of the other kids playing with their friends. She coveted their carefree attitude. She wanted to be as happy and bright and shiny as they were.
Rachel wasn't sure if her friends remembered her, let alone wanted to be her friend. LeRoy hadn't given her enough notice to be able to say goodbye to the friends she did have. He dragged her down the stairs in her pajamas and they were gone.
Rachel took a deep breath before she made her way into the school. For her it seemed as if the school was frozen in time. The classrooms looked the same too. It seemed as if nothing had changed during her time away. A few posters were swapped out for newer ones, but otherwise the school remained untouched by the test of time.
The fifth grade classrooms were still on the other side of the building. Passing by the younger kids, she listened to the cries of the kindergarteners as they refused to part with their parents. She snickered a little as she watched one boy cling to his mother's leg, begging her not to leave. She rolled her eyes at the kid and his overdramatic tendencies.
She didn't remember acting like that when her fathers dropped her off. She remembered crying once for someone to come back to her, but she was sure it wasn't an actual memory. Who did she have to cry for?
Maybe it was because they weren't that close. She believed she loved them, but they didn't give her a lot of attention because they always had something else more important to do. She told them she understood when they left her with a nanny. In truth, Rachel didn't understand at all why her fathers never wanted to be in the same room as her. She spent most of her time alone-with her music. The other part of the time, she refused to acknowledge at all in her thoughts. She couldn't say it out loud, let alone think it.
The girl sighed as she picked up her pace. School was starting in five minutes, and she needed to hurry if she was going to get to her class on time. She didn't want to know what her father would do to her if she were late on her first day.
With only seconds to spare she made it to the right classroom, and noticed her classmates staring at her like she didn't belong. She lowered her head under their curious gazes as her cheeks reddened. She may have performed on stage for two years, but she hadn't had any experience with kids her own age in a longtime. It contributed to the anxiousness she was already feeling about the situation.
The teacher noticed her entrance and smiled kindly at her. She walked over to the seemingly nervous girl. "Hello, you must be Rachel Berry, I'm Mrs. Anderson."
"Hi," she greeted. She was terrified-everyone was still staring and the woman was still smiling at her. Her hands were clammy and her stomach hurt. Her body was fraught with tension.
"Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" Rachel's eyes widened as she took in the rest of the class watching their little exchange
She knew the teacher wasn't actually making a suggestion. She wanted her to do it whether she wanted to or not. She cleared her throat and turned to face everyone. She wasn't expecting to feel as apprehensive as she was, but there were so many eyes on her. She stared at the floor to avoid looking at her peers. There was no way she would be able to introduce herself otherwise.
"Hi I am Rachel Berry," she said, her voice softer than normal. She wasn't so shy most of the time, but something about these kids unnerved her. "I recently moved back to Lima to live with my dad. I used to live in Manhattan, which is in New York City. I like singing. I was also homeschooled." By the end of it, her face was completely red. She could feel the heat of everyone's stares- it was making her sweat. She avoided making eye contact with anyone, and instead focused her gaze on a poster at the back of the classroom.
Mrs. Anderson directed her to an available seat in the second row. She sat behind a familiar boy, but for some reason she kept drawing a blank on his name. She drew a blank on most of the other kids' names. Mrs. Anderson started the class with math, and had everyone pull their workbooks out of their desk. Rachel finished the assignment within ten minutes.
The teacher took note of that. Her father informed her that the girl was quite good at math. She was bright, but often lacked the social skills needed to talk with others her own age. Mrs. Anderson noticed that her father didn't seem all that interested in his daughter. It was almost like he was acting for a part because when she had asked him if he had any concerns he shrugged disinterestedly.
The class was let out for their first recess at nine thirty. Rachel followed behind everyone else timidly. She walked onto the playground when suddenly she found her arms linked with two other girls.
"So Rach, don't you know how to say goodbye?" The darker haired girl asked.
Rachel's face fell as shame overwhelmed her. She hung her head as her face reddened. They were her friends. She met them in pre-school, and they had gotten into all sorts of trouble together. She pushed them out of her mind as a way to ease her pain and guilt.
"I'm sorry Santana. My daddy wouldn't let me come to school that day. He said that we were leaving that night. I had five minutes to get what I wanted and get in the car. I didn't know I was moving." She winced at the memory. "I didn't know what was happening."
Santana felt sympathy for her old friend. She was still mad, but she was glad to see the girl again. "You know I was kidding, right?" She bumped her with a hip. She felt protective over Rachel. She just never felt right around Rachel's fathers.
Rachel smiled a little. "I forgot how you used to be. I didn't really spend a lot of time with other kids."
The blonde huffed impatiently from her other side. "Don't you remember me?" She frowned marring the delicate features of her face.
Hazel eyes brightened as she regarded the blonde. "Quinnie, of course I remember you. Who wouldn't remember you?" Rachel smiled fondly. Quinn was her first best friend. She was the first person she was brave enough to talk to.
Quinn scowled at her friend. Everyone knew how much she hated being called that, except her mother. She poked Rachel's arm. "My mom still calls me that." She scowled.
The brunette giggled loudly. "I guessed. I kind of remember how she would always call you that. You would frown and glare, and then go on and on about how much you hated that nickname." She said with a dramatic flourish of her hands. "I missed your mom. I really missed you guys too. I hope you aren't angry." It was a real worry of hers when they moved away.
"Hey you have us now, so did you get the chance to live out the dream you've been telling us about since we were three?" Quinn asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Rachel's jaw dropped. Her cheeks tinged crimson because she had forgotten how much she had jabbered on to Santana and Quinn about Broadway. "Oh you know… I did and it was… amazing." She giggled. "It was strange though. I never saw my daddy. He was too busy for me. I spent a lot of time in the apartment or at the theater." She fibbed and crossed her fingers at her side. They could never know.
Both girls patted her on the back with sympathy written all over their faces. "Well you've got us now." Quinn felt for her friend. She knew that Rachel and her fathers did not have the greatest relationship. They rarely attended any of her dance recitals, so her parents and Santana's always made sure to show up flowers and hugs. It was just their normal. She never liked the Berry men. They gave her the creeps. There seemed to be something wrong with them. She had once heard her parents talking about it as well.
"Thanks, I tried not to think about you guys because it hurt too much. I missed you, but I didn't know your phone numbers so I couldn't call you." Her smile waned as she remembered how lonely she really was over the last three years. The other kids in the show didn't like her. She tried to be their friend, but all they did was laugh and make fun of her- like her fathers.
"Well we are all able to use the phone now," Santana smirked. "I'm sure your memory has gotten better so you can learn our phone numbers. That way you are never without us again."
Rachel beamed at her. "Yes, we can. It has. I had to remember lines and a song. Do you remember that one time in pre-school when we got in trouble for using the phone?" She covered her mouth to hide her giggling. They were all scolded for their actions, but even then they still thought it was funny. Rachel didn't think it was funny when she was punished by her fathers afterward. At least neither one of them was there.
The two girls chuckled in remembrance. "I thought Ms. James was going to die of humiliation when she realized that we called nine-one-one. The cops had showed up and everything. She then put us all in timeout after she had settled matters with them."
"I hated that old bat. She always made Rach feel bad about having two dads. Then she always talked about your mom, Quinn. She was really mean." Santana scowled-out of the three of them she despised their former teacher the most.
Quinn and Rachel nodded their heads in unison. The feeling was very mutual among the girls. They had purposely called 911 on their teacher because that's what they heard people did when they needed help.
When recess was over, Rachel felt a million times better. She had two of her best friends back. It cheered her up more than she thought it could. There was still a touch of anxiousness in the back of her mind- the worry was getting to her. She still had to find her other friend later to explain.
Mrs. Anderson spent the time before lunch teaching the kids grammar and social studies. Rachel could barely concentrate throughout the lesson-her eyes never left the ticking clock. The minutes passed by too slowly for her liking.
Finally at noon, they were released for lunch, and told to report to music class after recess. Rachel was glad to have friends in the same class because she couldn't remember where the music classroom was. She was also nervous about meeting the music teacher. These days a lot of things made her nervous.
Instead of eating lunch though, Rachel, Quinn, and Santana decided to go to recess. This was something they always did because they liked being on the playground for fifteen extra minutes. They knew that this was their last year where they were able to have recess, and besides they figured they were at the top of the food chain now. They had to enjoy it because they would be back on the bottom again soon.
Rachel finally caught a glimpse of one of her other best friends and excused herself from Quinn and Santana. She wanted this to be a private moment. They were all friends, but she wanted this to be special like how it was with Quinn and Santana.
"Kurt," she called out in sheer excitement as she ran towards him.
Kurt froze-not because he didn't recognize the voice; he was shocked into silence. He hadn't seen Rachel since the day before she left without a word. He had no idea she was moving, and he was hurt that she didn't tell him.
He sniffed, disinterestedly at her. Rachel paid no attention to his attitude because she knew how he could be. He came off as a bit stuck up at times. "Aw come on, at least Santana and Quinn gave me the benefit of doubt. And we both know how unforgiving they can be."
Kurt smiled wryly. He had crossed them once, and it took a lot of begging and pleading on his part for them to even consider the possibility of forgiving him.
He crossed his arms and fixed her with a stern look. "Explain then."
And she did. She told him about the divorce, her dad leaving town, and she mentioned a little about her time on Broadway. Kurt was enraged on the behalf of his friend. No one should have to live like she did, questioning why she was all alone. He knew her fathers were never home, and that she had a nanny who looked after her. He felt horrible because even though he lost his mom, he still had his dad.
"I wasn't mad just so you know. It hurt because I thought you knew about the move." He explained with a melancholy smile.
Rachel shook her head sadly, but accepted his version of an apology. She hooked her arm with Kurt's and led him over to where Quinn and Santana watched the duo nervously. They spent the rest of recess gossiping about the whole fifth grade. Rachel had missed a lot, and was glad her friends were more than happy to regale her with some of the more embarrassing stories of her classmates.
"You totally missed when Henry Peters peed his pants in front of everyone at the Christmas pageant last year. He didn't come to school for a week." All the kids laughed. Henry Peters formally had a crush on Rachel- he followed her everywhere for two months. He pulled her pigtails and pushed her in the mud. He put a tarantula in her backpack. He did everything so that she would notice him.
Recess ended all too soon for the kids, and Rachel soon found herself outside the music room. She remembered the old music teacher was old and deaf. Her idea of good music something from the fifties. She called them classics. The kids complained about it because none of them liked the music. Heck, they weren't even born yet. Most of them were positive their parents weren't alive either.
The music room had a different set up. There were posters of Beethoven and Mozart, but there was also a few from Broadway like Hairspray and Wicked. There was a diagram of a music scale and the different clefs. A music stand was in front of every seat with music sheets already in place. The piano was Rachel's favorite. Their former teacher didn't have one.
Rachel made sure to blend in with her classmates as she entered the room. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself. She noticed the new music teacher-well new to her. She was really young compared to the last one. Rachel couldn't help but think she had seen the brunette woman before. She just couldn't place the face. The little girl couldn't help but admire the woman's beauty though. She had large green eyes and silky brown hair. She wore a simply black dress with black high heels. The only jewelry she wore was a silver locket and diamond studs.
Shelby Corcoran sighed as Mrs. Anderson's fifth grade class strolled in. They were a rowdy bunch. She had all of them the year before, and groaned in frustration when she saw the class roster. All of the kids that annoyed her the most were placed in the same class. None of them ever listened, and one little punk always threw paper balls at her. She supposed that was better than spitballs.
After each of them settled in their seats, she spotted the new girl sitting between the Fabray and Lopez girls. She seemed oddly comfortable with them with it only being her first day. The woman new that children were resilient and had an easier time making friends than adults. Shelby had heard Mrs. Anderson say there was a new student in the teacher's lounge that morning. This was the second week of school, and the kids' first music class of the school year. She hoped this new girl behaved better than her classmates.
"Okay class, I am going to call your names to make sure you are all here." The kids nodded. "Abbott, Jane," she called. She then reached what she assumed to be the new girl's name as it was the only one she wasn't familiar with. "Berry, Rachel," she bit back a sob at the name. Rachel had been the name of her daughter. This year was going to be hard, but she would push through like she always did. If the kids noticed her hesitance, they didn't comment on it. Her Rachel would be about the same age as these kids if only a few months younger.
Her own inner heartbreak wasn't as important as her job. She enjoyed spending time around children, if only because it allowed her a reprieve from thinking about her own lost child. They made her day brighter, and banished the dark thoughts that often crept in and settled in her head.
As it was their first day back in music class, she informed them of what they were going to be doing that year. She had told them that the school musical would be Annie, and watched in amusement as Rachel sat up in interest in her seat. Her own daughter had adored Annie as well.
By the end of the lesson, Rachel loved Ms. Corcoran. She was sweet and pretty. The little girl was positive they had met before, but the circumstances under which they had were fuzzy. She shrugged her shoulders and left it for later. She would figure it out eventually.
Rachel walked home from school that day after saying goodbye to her friends. It was kind of a long walk, but she forgot to ask her teacher what bus she was supposed to get on. Besides her dad would never pick her up. He worked. He didn't have time to take her home when she could walk or take the bus. It meant bad news for her if he was picking her up at school.
By the time Shelby exited the school, she was beyond exhausted. She was happy that weren't too many incidents with Mrs. Anderson's class. She was also glad that she wouldn't have to deal with Mrs. Anderson's class again until Friday. It was on her drive home that she noticed one of her students walking. Shelby figured the girl had to have been walking for at least fifteen minutes at this point. She stopped her car next to the girl when she realized it was Rachel Berry-her newest and brightest pupil.
Fifteen minutes passed and sweat glistened on her forehead causing her bangs to stick to her skin. Rachel had forgotten how long this walk could be. She had only walked it five times before when she had stayed behind at school. Normally Quinn or Santana's parents would give her a ride home. On one occasion both Quinn and Santana were out sick. Rachel's fathers made her go to school unless she was vomiting. She could have a raging fever, but they only cared if she had any visible symptoms. Her fathers never wanted her to miss school, because they wanted to keep up appearances. Rachel had no idea what that meant exactly. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed homeschooling.
She sighed tiredly as she felt the heat from the sun beat down on her head. She hadn't exactly thought her wardrobe choice through this morning as she dressed for school. She was wearing dark blue jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. She knew that schools could get cold, and she was right about the cold part. Her classroom was freezing. She was regretting her choice not to wear shorts- the jean material stuck to her legs. It was going to be a pain to take them off.
Rachel was too busy pouting over her misfortune to notice the black Range Rover pull up beside her. She however, did hear when Ms. Corcoran called her name. Her head swiveled towards the teacher resulting in her hair smacking her in the face.
"Rachel, " Ms. Corcoran addressed the girl, slightly wincing. She needed to get over the fact that this girl shared a name with her daughter. They were going to be student and teacher all year. She would probably have other kids name Rachel in the future.
Rachel tried to smile innocently. She didn't want to get in trouble-her father wouldn't be happy if she drew attention to herself. "Yes?" She asked with wide eyes.
"Did you miss the bus? I'm pretty sure they don't let kids walk if they live father than ten minutes from school." Shelby smiled kindly at the seemingly nervous child.
Rachel didn't know how to reply to that. She was caught. "Uh yeah I missed the bus. I didn't have any other way to get home so I started walking. It's fine. I've had to walk home before. It's not that long of a walk." She grimaced. She hadn't meant to reveal that much. She hoped her dad didn't find out she had told someone.
Shelby frowned at the girl. What kind of parent let their child walk home by their self? "Rachel, I don't feel comfortable letting you walk home by yourself. Do you think I could give you a ride home?" She wasn't actually giving the girl an option, but Shelby had spent a lot of time around children. She knew that they liked to think they had a choice when really they didn't. They were going to do something whether they wanted to or not. It was all about how it was presented to them.
Rachel bit her lip. It was hot. She still had at least another fifteen minutes until she was at her house. A ride would be nice, and she liked Ms. Corcoran. She knew her dad wasn't home, so there was no chance of him knowing about this. It wasn't like her teacher was a stranger.
"Uh yeah, I guess that is okay." Shelby unlocked the door for the girl, and Rachel climbed into the front seat. She was nervous, and it showed as she twiddled her thumbs silently.
"Where do you live?" She asked-glancing over at the petite girl.
"Over on Oak Street," the girl answered, her eyes dropped to her lap. She could tell Ms. Corcoran was upset. Rachel wasn't sure why. She didn't think it was that big of a deal.
She nodded her head to let Rachel know that she heard her. "What do you mean you've walked it before?" As far as Shelby knew, it was the girl's first day.
"Oh, well I used to live here when I was younger. I lived in New York City for a while with my other dad, but the one I currently live with got custody of me. So I had to move back." Her voice was soft- barely more than a whisper.
"Do you not have a mother?" Something seemed off to her. She couldn't put her finger on it.
Tears formed in Rachel's eyes. Shelby looked over when the girl didn't respond, and felt horrible for asking such a personal question. "You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry." She didn't mean to make the girl cry.
Rachel waved away her apologies and blinked back the tears. "My dads told me she didn't want me. It's just… " she shook her head. She was being stupid. She never had a mother. That's what her dads told her when she was younger. If she did, she would've saved her by now.
"It's just what?" Shelby asked.
"You promise you won't think it's stupid?" Rachel asked timidly.
"I promise." She crossed her heart.
"My dads told me I never knew my mother, but sometimes when I dream I can see her as clear as day. I can hear her singing to me as she tucks me into bed. I sometimes feel like I remember her arms around me as she held me when I had bad dreams. I remember once dreaming how she sang and held me after I freaked out because I thought there were monsters in my room." Rachel chuckled nervously. "Sounds stupid, doesn't it?"
Shelby shook her head as tears swam in her eyes. "No it doesn't." She used to do those same things with her daughter. She remembered when her Rachel had gotten a new bed, and she believed that monsters were hiding underneath, waiting to get her once her mommy left. It was moments like that, that she held on to when it sometimes became too much for her to deal with. Sometimes she wondered if it was all made up.
"I just wish they were real. They feel real. I can feel the brush as she ran it through my hair. I remember I dreamed once that she rocked me after I had been bad and she spanked me. When I told my dads about my dreams they got angry at me. They told me point blank that I never had a mother. That my dreams were just in my head." Her dads were always angry at her when she mentioned a mother. They punished her a lot whenever she inquired about the woman who gave birth to her.
Shelby felt for the poor girl, and she sighed in relief when they arrived at the girl's house. She didn't know much more she could handle. It hurt to know that she had lost her own child, and another child who reminded her so much of her own, didn't have a mother-or parents who cared about her.
"Bye Rachel," Shelby told her as she got out of the car.
"Bye Ms. Corcoran, thank you for the ride." Rachel gently closed the door, and walked up the path to her dad's house. She hated this house. She turned around as she reached the door to see her music teacher watching her. She waved again as she unlocked the door and entered the house. She closed the door, and slid down the door to the floor. She hadn't meant to reveal so much about herself. She just trusted the woman more than any adult she had met-it was an unusual feeling for the young girl. She was taught through life experiences to be wary of adults, but somehow she knew Ms. Corcoran was different.
Shelby waited until Rachel was safely in her home before pulling away. She pondered everything the girl said, and decided she would watch out for her this year. She could tell that she had been through a lot. There was something about Rachel Berry that screamed something wasn't right.