Never Knew,

I could feel like this...

The night went on like it always did but for some reason Puck could not find sleep. He remembered how harsh he had been with Rachel when she was here, 'you are just the girl guys go to get too to get their rocks off… so yes I guess that is the reason…' He wondered if that was really called for. He tossed and turned thinking about the whole situation. Like most of his life he spoke before ever thinking something out. While he stared at his ceiling he realized that he actually felt sorry for Rachel, which was strange on its own because he was sure he didn't even like her all that much. It had been a long time since he actually felt sympathy for someone else, he had gotten so used to his role in the high school arena that it was who he was now. "Damnit…" He proclaimed to himself as he continued staring up at his plain boring ceiling. Now he knew that he had to do something about all of this so he could get back to sleeping. He planned secretly to talk to her tomorrow, not really knowing what he was say. Just knowing that if he didn't something worse would happen.

The high school, a place as cruel and as violent as the jungle. Each creature who wandered the halls were oblivious to the feelings of their pray. High school was a clear sigh of the strongest on the food chain toying with the weakest. As Rachel stood facing her locker she was blind to what was going to happen next. She had not spoken to any one and was clearly not her cheery self. So when a cold cherry slushie hit the side of her face and her body she was blind to it. She didn't even seem to reaction with tears or angry words. She stood frozen staring at her locker, face like a statue. Some Neanderthal football player stood there like a hyena laughing at the whole thing. Rachel lowered her head and shut the door to her locker and then pushed her way past the now laughing group of people. She didn't look up to see faces, she didn't care. Without a word she hid away in the girls washroom. Had she looked up or stayed just a little longer she would have noticed Noah standing just down the hallway looking angry. But unlike Finn who said he would do something about it and never did Noah went over to his team mate.

Grabbing the still laughing football player by the collar of his foots jacket, Noah slammed him forcefully in to the nearest lockets. Using enough force for the football player to squint in pain, and denting the locket behind him. "Do you think that is fuckin' funny? DO YA!" Sure Noah was shorter than the guys but clearly that was not a facture.

"Come on man… you used to do it all the time to… you don't care about these freaks do you. Or has joining gay parade made you weak…?" These seemed just the words to send Puck over the edge. No one saw what happened next coming. Puck punched his teammate in his stomach, and it was so hard it made the man whimper a little as he slid down the lockers now holding on to his stomach.

Everything happened so fast no one saw Noah slip in to the girl's washroom. He didn't know what was going on. Had the glee club changed him, or were these people actually becoming his friends. After seeing Puck in the washroom two or three girls left leaving only Rachel and him standing. Rachel had been hovering over a sink trying to clean herself off, she paid no attention to her surroundings and this was why she did not notice Noah standing just behind her. He had a strange look on his face; at least it was strange for him, almost softer, like he knew what his words had done. And when he heard a sniff came from Rachel he could tell she was crying. 'Why do I care…?' He had to ask himself.

"You alright…?" Seemed to be the only thing he could ask.

Rachel then stopped crying and looked up to the mirror and saw in the reflection Noah standing there. "Why wouldn't I be Puck?" This was the first time since they started talking that she referred to him by his nickname instead of his real name. Her eyes were red, both from the crying and the cherry slushie. She just continued to stare at him throw the mirror, never actually turning around to face him.

"Well I don't know… you are crying…"

Lowering her eyes once again she replied, "Just the slushie that's all…"

"Those jerks have no right to do that to you…"

"Slushie washes off Puck… unlike some of the colorful words you use to describe me…" She stared at him throw their reflections.

Nothing came after that, it was as though Puck was trying to figure out if he should stay or if he should go. He knew that his words had been harsh, but he thought that Rachel was so strong that nothing a guy like him would say could ever faze her. "Listen… I…" His voice was sweet almost like it was when he started singing the song yesterday.

Finally turning to him Rachel seemed to burn with passion, "No you listen Puck… you are not allowed to be nice to me one day and then cruel to me the next. I can't handle it. You are only allowed to be one or the other. And frankly I don't think you have it in you to be nice all the time… so why don't you just leave me alone…" As Rachel was about to storm out of the girl's washroom she was stopped by Noah putting a hand on her arm.

"I came here to apologize…" And before the rest could be finished there was a banging on the door. "NOAH PUCKERMAN… principal's office now…!" Rachel then left the room where the football player who threw the slushie in her face stood holding on to his stomach in pain, and next to him was the principal. Rachel turned to look in to Puck's face. That's when he slipped his hands in to his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have to explain for Rachel to understand and before anything else happened Noah and the other football player were being led to the office. Rachel was frozen in the hallway… not understanding anything.