Chapter Two
Arriving at school the next day after repeatedly throwing up her breakfast and last night's dinner into the toilet, Rachel walked through the door in another pair of jeans and a top of Quinn's that she had loaned to her from her maternity days. She kept close to the wall, trying to keep out of the way of her fellow peers who would ridicule her if she came into contact with anyone of them. She safely approached her locker without one mean thing said to her and not one drop of a slushy making its way down her face and shirt.
As quietly as possible, Rachel opened her locker to get her books for Math class. After she closed her locker, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Quickly turning around to be met with her fate, she saw that it was only Quinn who had a small smile on her face. After driving Quinn home the night before, Rachel returned home to an empty house. She knew she should tell her dads and Puck, but the way of gathering up the courage to make the words come out of her mouth was her main concern.
"Hello, Quinn," Rachel greeted softly, smiling back at her.
"Hey, Rachel," Quinn asked as they both started to walk down the hallway, not noticing the stares that were directed at the two teenagers. "Before I forget, I set up an appointment with Dr. Wu for you on Friday after school at three fifteen."
Pausing, Rachel looked at Quinn, finally realizing how real this whole thing really was. "Thank you very much, I appreciate this immensely. Can you maybe accompany me to the appointment," She asked Quinn hesitantly. When she got a nod in return to her question, Rachel gave Quinn a tight hug.
Laughing, she said, "You're welcome. I was going to come with you anyway to the appointment." She looked at the poor girl and finally asked the question regarding her unusual paleness, "So, how are you feeling?"
"Thank you and in answer to your question, I am miserable," Rachel answered, rubbing her stomach.
"Yeah and just remember it is not just during the morning, it lasts all day long, usually," She snickered at the look on Rachel's face.
"Terrific, just the piece of advice to brighten my day," She groaned and entered the math classroom with Quinn. Taking her assigned seat, which happened to be right in front of Puck's, but since the last time he came to math class was three years ago, she relished in the fact that he was never there.
Her day continued with going to class to class, leaving the room to puke at least twice, and ignoring everyone except for when Quinn would walk up to her and start talking to her. The worst part of the day came for Rachel, lunch time. She would always sit alone at a table in a corner of the cafeteria or just go to the choir room to practice. Today, the choir room is where she headed to avoid the onslaught of insults and ridicule from the people around her.
Rachel dropped her bag on a plastic chair and then sat down on the piano bench and started to pluck out the chords to the song they had started learning yesterday. After singing the song for what felt like the hundredth time, she heard the choir room door open. She looked over her shoulder to see that Mr. Schuester had entered the room, brown lunch bag in hand.
"Oh, Rachel, I didn't know that you were in here. I was just coming in to work on the new number," He said cheerfully and closed the door behind him. "Were you working on the same song?" She nodded her affirmative to him and continued to play. There was a pliable tension in the room as she stopped playing.
Rachel quickly moved towards her bag to avoid any further tension or questions if she was okay. She had had enough of those lately. But before she could pick her bag up off of the chair, Mr. Schue asked her, "Rachel, can we talk?"
She paused before picking her bag up. Without turning around, she answered, "Mr. Schue, I really have to go, I have class, and lunch is almost over, so I have to leave."
"I can write you a pass, Rach. I just wanted to talk to you," He pleaded slightly. His caring nature made her stop and turn around. She nodded her head and sat back down on the piano bench, facing her teacher.
"What do you want to talk about," She asked, not looking him straight in the eye, which was unlike her.
Sighing, Mr. Schue said, "You have been acting very strangely lately. You keep getting sick during the middle of rehearsals and you don't converse with anyone anymore. Is there something wrong?" Rachel wrung her hands nervously, looking around the room at everything but her inquisitive teacher. The more she thought about the baby inside of her, the more threatening the tears began. The tears finally spilled over the edge of her eyes and fell down her cheeks in trailing rivulets. He leaned forward and whispered, "Rachel, what happened?"
Taking in a deep breath, Rachel whispered softly, "I am pregnant." At these words, Mr. Schue sat up straight in his chair and breathed in sharply.
"You're pregnant," He repeated, rubbing his hand over his face and through his short, curly hair. Rachel watched him carefully as the tears kept streaming down her face.
"I don't know what to do," She whispered, looking around the room for something to focus on or grab onto for support.
"When …how…why," He asked, looking at his star singer, desperate for answers.
"The occurrence took place about three months ago," Rachel sniffled, taking the offered Kleenex from Mr. Schue.
He sighed again and rested his head in his hands. After taking a few moments to collect himself from the shock of the news, he looked up again. "Now, first off, did you tell the father or your fathers about any of this?"
"No," She whispered, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt.
"Wait, Rachel, who is the father," He asked her, looking at her fiercely as she squirmed under his gaze and question. "Was it Finn?" She shook her head. "Who was it then?"
"Noah," She whispered so softly he didn't hear her.
"Who?" He asked, leaning forward, trying to hear her better.
"Noah," She said the name louder and immediately retreated back against the piano when she saw the look on his face. The emotions that flickered across his face were surprise, anger, and bewilderment.
"Noah as in Puck," Mr. Schue inquired, looking at her for confirmation.
"Yes, that is correct," She affirmed his questions.
"He got Quinn pregnant and now you're pregnant. This boy has a bad track record," He said, giving the scared teenager across from him a small smile. When he didn't receive a smile in return, he exhaled and looked around the room for some help. "What are you going to do," Mr. Schue asked, looking at Rachel. "Are you giving it up for adoption or are you going to have a…"
"No!" She exclaimed. "I am keeping the baby that much I know. He or she needs their biological parent or parents in order to be in knowledge of where they originate from." She rubbed her hand over her stomach, wondering what the baby was doing in there, if it was really growing in there.
"Have you been to a doctor," He asked her, wondering out loud.
"No, I have not. I am going on Friday to see the doctor."
"When are you going to tell Puck," He asked her, watching her look go far off when he mentioned his name.
"I don't know," She whispered and at that moment, the bell rang for the end of lunch. "Mr. Schue, I have to go, I have English." Both of them got up at the same time, heading for the door, bags in hand.
"Before you leave, Rach, just so you know, you can always come to me about anything. Okay?" He said as he put his hand on her shoulder. She nodded her head and left the room, leaving her teacher in surprise at her predicament.
The rest of the day came and went with no interactions of any kind with Glee members or other students of the school. As she entered the choir room for Glee practice that day, she felt like something would be different at this practice, but threw it off. She made her way up to her now usual spot and sat down. As everyone trickled in, she finally watched them instead of distracting herself with sheet music.
When half of the members of New Directions were in the room, she noticed that Noah was entering the choir space. He walked in with his usual strut and smirk, raising his hand in greeting to Matt and Mike. Before he sat down, his eyes met hers in briefest of moments. Before he could see anything suspicious, she averted her eyes to the doorway again as Quinn came in the room.
Quinn looked around the room and when her eyes landed on Rachel, she made her way up the steps and sat down next to her. Rachel turned towards her and gave her a surprised look and Quinn just shrugged her off and turned towards the front of the room, waiting for Mr. Schue to arrive.
After a few moments, the first comment came. "Quinn, girl, what do you think you're doing sitting next to Miss. Diva over there," Mercedes barked. At the comment, Rachel withdrew within herself and tucked herself further into the corner to protect herself from anymore comments.
"I am sitting here, Mercedes, because I want to. Rachel is my friend and I sit with my friends wherever I go. Remember, I sat with you yesterday and today I am sitting with Rachel. If you have a problem with it, please let me know," Quinn snapped at Mercedes. The girl fell silent and turned back towards Kurt to gossip about the new friendship.
Mr. Schuester entered the room a few minutes later with a new stack of sheet music in his hands. As he passed them out, he said, "Now, I know we are still working on the song with Tina and Matt, but I got inspired this afternoon." He looked at Rachel when he said the last half of his sentence.
The song that was passed out was If No One Will Listen by Kelly Clarkson and was, for the first time since Regionals, in Rachel's key and meant for her as a solo and the others as background singers. She smiled as she saw the words and that it was for her.
"Now, I want Rachel to have this as a solo with all of you backing her up," Mr. Schue said, giving Rachel a small nod and a smile.
As soon as Mercedes heard that Rachel had gotten yet another solo, she flipped her lid. "Oh hell to the no! I cannot believe that you gave her another solo, Mr. Schue! We all should get the chance to sing!"
"Mercedes, it has been two months since Regionals and everyone, including you numerous times, has gotten numerous solos and Rachel has gotten none. Now, please, calm down so we can start on our new song," Mr. Schue lectured.
"You can have the solo if you want, Mercedes," Rachel whispered, trying to hand the sheet music to Mercedes. "I'll sing in the background, you should really get the opportunity to showcase your talent."
Mercedes stared at Rachel dumbstruck, never had she thought she would see the day where Rachel Berry would willingly give up a solo. The whole Glee club stared at the girl in amazement. She did not reply to the generous and surprising offer of Rachel Berry. This had never happened before in the numerous times that Mercedes had complained about a solo she had not been given and Rachel had.
"I don't need the solo; I am not very good at Kelly Clarkson, anyway. You might as well take it because no one else here could pull it off well enough," Mercedes said, trying to be snotty, but had a small smile on her face instead of a scowl.
Mr. Schuester smiled brightly and motioned Rachel to come down at the piano to practice her solo. She hesitated, but finally made her way down the risers due to Quinn's hand pushing her down the stairs. Brad, their pianist, started playing the song and Rachel came in on the correct part.
Maybe no one told you there is strength in your tears
And so you fight to keep from pouring out
But what if you unlock the gate that keeps your secret soul
Do you think that there's enough that you would drown?
Rachel started fidgeting and thinking of the baby that was growing inside of her and she made the mistake of looking at Noah. His eyes were dead locked on hers and when she met his eyes dead on, she averted them as quickly was when she looked at him.
If no one will listen
If you decide to speak
If no one's left standing after the bombs explode
If no one wants to look at you
For what you really are
I will be here still
No one can tell you where you alone must go
There's no telling what you will find there
And, God, I know the fear that eats away at your bones
Screaming every step, "Just stay here"
She believed in the lyrics so much by this much because she just wanted to stay in one place for as long as she could right now because she did not want anyone to find out about her little baby. But she knew she would have to make sure that people would listen. The tears that had finally stopped from previously were creeping up again.
If no one will listen
If you decide to speak
If no one's left standing after the bombs explode
If no one wants to look at you
For what you really are
I will be here still
If you find your fists are raw and red from beating yourself down
If your legs have given out under the weight
If you find you've been settling for a world of gray
So you wouldn't have to face down your own hate
By this time, the tears had started over-pouring and now she was barely making the words come out clearly. Everyone was staring at Rachel, surprised of the intense emotion through the song and from the usually stoic girl they knew so well. The last chorus was coming and she knew she would have to answer questions soon. But know, all she could do was sing and cry.
If no one will listen
If you decide to speak
If no one's left standing after the bombs explode
If no one wants to look at you
For what you really are
I will be here still
If no one will listen
If you decide to speak
If no one's left standing after the bombs explode
If no one wants to look at you
For what you really are
I will be here still
I will be here still
The first thing that happened when the song ended, she felt strong arms around her that belonged to Will Schuester. The next set of arms that appeared around her was a gentle set that she knew were Quinn's. Soon after she felt the arms, she felt another set of eleven pairs of arms encase her in a tight group hug. All she could do at this moment, besides receive the hugs, was to cry.
Well, here is the second chapter! Hope you love it!
Kay