A/N: So sorry for the long long wait but school got in the way so...I had to write on paper while at school. It was so hard to find the time and the energy to type this out. Thank God for the weekend! I hope you enjoy this chapter and the incoming chapters. Thank you for all your reviews and favoriting this story I really appreciate this. Please keep reviewing because I love reviews!

Oh and I changed the event that's going to bring Rachel and Finn together. It's not gonna be a prank because I'm not good at pranks and the one I've been thinking of sounds pretty stupid. But don't worry there will be an event that will bring Rachel and Finn together so don't worry.

-groff-monteithchick94

Chapter 2: How the System Works

Finn and Rachel drive to school in silence with shy glances exchanging between them for the duration of the ride. Each time Rachel catches Finn looking at her, she shifts uncomfortably in her seat and fixes her hair. Each time Finn catches Rachel looking at him, he runs his palms up and down the steering wheel and sighs. This could possibly be the most awkward ride I've ever experienced, Rachel thinks to herself.

Rachel hears Finn sigh in relief as they turn into McKinley High's parking lot. She peers out the window to witness a line of geeks waiting to be thrown into the dumpster by Puck and his gang of imbeciles. Rachel scoffs and turns to Finn, anger and annoyance written on her face.

Finn looks at Rachel, a little wary of her expression. "Finn," she begins, "are you going to punch some sense into your so called friend?" she asks.

Finn looks past Rachel and realizes what she is talking about. "Look, Rach, it's the way things are. Puck dumps geeks into the dumpster and geeks get a free pass out of being bullied for lunch money. It's just the way the system works here," Finn replies.

Rachel rolls her eyes, not liking his statement one bit. "Well the system is not working. It is unfair to those geeks-no people. And I find it idiotic that you just sit there and accept that that is the normal order of things, Finn," she responds.

Finn sighs. "Rachel, don't do anything I wouldn't do, please? Don't embarrass me in front of Puck."

Finn sees a devilish smile appear on Rachel's face. Yep, she's going to tell Puck exactly what is on her mind. Before he could say anything, Rachel races out of the car-forgetting her bag-and walks over to Puck. Finn sighs and mumbles an "Oh shit" before he grabs his and her bag and steps out of the car.

He appears in the midst of Rachel chastising Puck in front of the geeks and football players. She calls his actions deplorable, contemptible, and immoral and other big words Finn can't grasp. What surprises Finn the most is that Puck doesn't seem to care about Rachel's speech, in fact he just has a smirk on his face. Is Puck a robot? Although, the other football players look pretty scared of Rachel. Finn chuckles a little at how powerful a tiny person like Rachel can be. Finally Rachel finishes her speech. Finn relaxes and hands her her bag. She takes it, gives Puck a smug look, and walks towards the school entrance. Finn follows her and hears Puck say, "She wants me" to the football team. Finn rolls his eyes.

Puck notices Finn and runs towards him. "Yo, Hudson," he greets.

Finn nods to Puck. "Sup, Puck, sorry you had to go through that," he says.

Puck scoffs. "Psh, that? Rachel just wants me, it's obvious. She's been drilling dumb speeches into my head since kindergarten," he replies.

Finn chuckles. "Better watch out, man because Rachel is a force to be reckoned with," he states.

Puck scoffs. "Whatever, her hormones scream 'Puck,' she is just too stubborn to admit it," he smugly replies.

Finn rolls his eyes as they enter the school. Puck leaves him to flirt with Santana Lopez, so Finn is left alone to be at his locker. He smiles as he spots Rachel by her locker, fixing her already perfect hair. He loves that their lockers are a few rows apart.

"Hey, Rach," he greets as he opens his locker.

Rachel turns to him. "Hey, Finn," she greets back, fixing her locker.

"So, you really scared Puck earlier," Finn says sarcastically.

Rachel gasps. "I know that is false, he is such a-" she pauses not knowing the accurate term to give Puck.

"An ass?" Finn suggests.

Rachel laughs. "Yes that," she closes her locker, "I better head to glee club, see you in English, Finn." She taps on the shoulder as she passes him to go to the choir room. Finn sighs as he watches her strut down the hall, loving how her butt moves to the rhythm of her feet; he shakes that thought out of his head, closes his locker, and heads to the locker room for morning plays.

Rachel settles into her seat as she waits for Mr. Schuester and the rest of the club enter. She sees Tina walk in while rolling Arrie in, she exchanges smiles to them both as Tina takes her seat and Artie settles his chair next to her.

"Good morning Tina, good morning Artie," she greets to them both.

"Morning, Rachel," Artie and Tina greet simultaneously.

Then Kurt and Mercedes enter, talking about Vogue's latest issue. Rachel greets both of them a "good morning", and they greet her back. All five kids wait for their director, Mr. William Schuester to enter. A few minutes later he comes in a little flustered, he places his bag on the piano and takes out a few papers. Rachel kind of peeks over to see if it's sheet music, it isn't.

"All right, let's start," Will says going to the board. He writes a word on the board and it's "love". The kids exchange looks of confusion and anxiety. Will wants tem to sing love songs.

"Who wants to tell me what 'love' means?" Will asks the club.

Kurt raises his hand, Will motions to him. "'Love' is how you feel when that person is on your mind all the time and you care about them," he answers.

Will nods. "That's one definition, anyone else?" Rachel raises her hand. "Rachel."

Rachel takes a deep breath. "'Love' is when you care about someone, you love them unconditionally and you accept them as if they were flawless," she answers, her heart aching at how accurate she was and how it applies to a certain boy.

Will smiles. "That's good, Rachel. Anyway, I want all of you to find a song that expresses your true feelings for someone and present it on Monday or tomorrow." Tina and Artie look and smile each other.

The bell rings and the glee kids exit, except for Rachel who has already compiled a list of songs. What she is uncertain of is whom will the song be dedicated to?

"Rachel, can I ask you something?" Will asks before she could leave.

"Yes, Mr. Schuester, how may I be of service?" she asks walking to him.

"Can you ask Finn if he would like to audition for glee club?" Will answers.

Rachel nods, although she doesn't understand why he would want Finn. Rachel has heard him sing, but only by accident. The places Finn will belt out a tune is in the car, the shower, and in the locker room after everyone has left. "Yes, I'll ask him, but why?"

Will shrugs. "Glee needs guys," was all he tells her. Rachel walks out of the choir room, a little confused about Mr. Schuester's request. Unbeknownst to Rachel, Will had overheard Finn sing in the locker room showers after picking up the vandalized sign-up sheet for glee club. Maybe she could convince him Finn to join. Rachel walks into English a minute later and spies Finn in the second row of tables. Almost sensing-no-feeling her presence, he turns around and takes her away with his adorable crooked smile. Rachel feels the heat rush to her cheeks as she walks to her place next to him. Maybe her song should be in honor of him.

Rachel sits next to Finn and they smile at each other. Finn takes in a deep breath, tapping his pencil against his notebook he contemplates on whether he should ask her how glee club was. After all, he is a little curious as to what really goes on in there. Yes he has heard her talk excessively about the club, but there is always something new. He glances her way and finds her writing on a sheet music.

"What's that for, Rach?" Finn asks. Rachel flinches a little at the sound of his voice.

She composes herself. "It's for glee club. I found a song that I must present to Mr. Schuester. I'm arranging it to compliment my voice," Rachel answers.

Finn nods, not really comprehending why she has to change the song. "Oh ok, that sounds difficult," he replies.

Rachel giggles a little. 'With my training it becomes an instinct. Not many people can do it, but it's not a vital survival skill," she explains.

Finn nods again. Rachel waits for him. "Finn," he looks at her, "Mr. Schuester has asked me if I could encourage you to join the glee club."

Finn forwards his brow. How does Mr. Schue know he can sing? Finn sings in the shower and in the car and whenever he is alone. The only person who knows he can sing is Rachel and she caught him when he was in his bedroom. She had paid a surprise visit and completely caught him off guard.

"How does Mr. Schue know I can sing?" he asks.

Rachel shrugs. "I don't know, I didn't tell him you could even though he had asked the club to search for singers. I find it ludicrous that the theater group doesn't want to lend their talents to the club. They are so egocentric," she answers.

Before Finn could reply, the bell rings, throwing Rachel and he out of their own little bubble; they hadn't realized that other students were already in the class. Some of the football players were eyeing Finn suspiciously; some of them were unaware of Finn's complex relationship with Rachel, whom they still deem as the "Theater freak". Finn turns around, facing the board, hating the looks they were giving him. Their English teacher, Mr. Brookes, walks in. As the class goes by, Finn couldn't stop glancing over to Rachel, who in return couldn't stop glancing over at him.

Rachel Berry always knew how to control herself, but when it comes to Finn Hudson, she is left defenseless. She always knew that Finn would always be a part of her life, she even knew when they started to find themselves in middle school; her finding herself in theater and music and him in sports. She even knew when he joined the football team in middle school that he would be the constant in her life. There was always something that pulled them together, she finally realized that the field they frequently visited was that force. She recalls him carving their names into that tree with his father's army knife, he carved "Finn + Rachel" without a heart or anything enclosing their names. She had read somewhere that "If you love someone put their name in a circle not a heart, a heart can be broken but a circle goes on forever". She doesn't know if she should encircle their names into a circle, does she love Finn. She definitely cares about him and enjoys his company. Suddenly, Rachel remembers that she needs to prepare something for glee club. After class, Finn and she walk to history together.

"Finn may I borrow you car after school?" Rachel asks.

"Yeah sure, Rach, just pick me up after football," Finn answers.

"What time does it end?"

Finn thinks for a second. "Usually around six or six-thirty, it depends on if we piss off Coach Tanaka," he explains.

Rachel giggles, o how Finn loves it when she giggles. "Why don't you call me and I'll be there. I know you are going to piss-off Coach Tanaka, you have Noah Puckerman and Dave Karofsky on your team; it's inevitable."

Finn laughs along with her and nods. "Good idea because he'll make us run laps before we hit the showers."

"And I know you enjoy singing in the shower." Rachel looks up at Finn and Finn looks down at Rachel.

"How do you know that?"

Rachel playfully shrugs. "I can hear you from your bedroom, Finn."

Before Finn could retaliate, they enter Mr. Hobbs classroom with several of the cheerios and jocks giving Finn the look. Rachel doesn't notice, but she is aware, Finn cringes as he sees Azimio' face. He takes his seat cautiously and thinks, I'm gonna get tortured today. Rachel turns around to face him (her seat is in front of him) and gives a smile. Finn gives her a smile and averts his attention to his binder. Rachel frowns and sees Azimio giving her a threatening look, she turns around not caring about him.

At lunch, Finn and Rachel are in the lunch lines. Finn is bruised from being smashed into a locker by Karofsky and Azimio, he had been receiving those on a weekly basis.

"Screw you, Karofsky," Finn would say after his back collides with some lockers.

"Shut up, Hudson. You know why we keep doing this?" Dave Karofsky asks in a teasing tone.

Finn huffs and rolls his eyes. He may not be the smartest person, but he knows that they bully him because of his friendship with Rachel. "Yes I know why," he answers.

"Good," Azimio says.

"Finn may I have your keys?" Rachel asks, bringing him back to reality. He hadn't realized that they were almost at the end of the line.

"Huh?" Finn asks.

"May I borrow you keys?" Rachel asks again. She takes a bowl of fruits and puts it on her tray.

Finn takes a carton of milk and a small box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and puts them on his tray. "I'll give them to you after school. You're going to your locker right?"

"Hmm," Rachel thinks it over as she takes a salad bowl with chicken and places it on her tray. "I'll probably stop by," she answers.

Finn nods. After they pay for their lunches, they separate into their respective tables, both unwilling to leave the other but that's how the system works.

So...how'd you like the chapter?