Disclaimer: I own nothing but the GLEE Season 1 (or, well half of it) DVD. I so wished I owned it though. So sad.
Author's note: Thank you so much to all those who read, and reviewed, and put it on their favorites. You're all MY favorite! But, anyway, Chapter 2. Yay. There isn't too much actual GLEE club interaction in this chapter, but lots of little bits and pieces to Fin and Rachel, and Cali, and a little one sided Puck and Quinn. Cali is way violent in this, and the other four main one in this chapter may be a bit OOC, but, time will correct these purposeful actions.
It may seem like I hate Quinn… the way I write her from Rachel and Cali's POVs, but I don't. I'm just kind of mad at all the shit she pulled, and then when you know he's not the baby daddy and you re-watch all the stuff she put him through. Dude. But, I promise next chapter more GLEE interaction, a little less Cali, and more couplie type moments. I love the Kurt and Rachel Frenemies (leaning closer to friends) relationship, just to point that out.
Yes, rambling, very sorry! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and Thank You so much. Happy Readings!!
He woke up to someone banging around in the bathroom. It was too early to get up. It was that simple. Rolling over he looked at his alarm clock, growling as his brain recognized the number six. It was way too early in his book.
Slowly, very slowly, he maneuvered himself to allow his feet to hit the floor and his body to become steady. A large yawn expanded his lips, his head feeling fuzzy with each blink of the eye. School didn't start for the better part of an hour. The better part of the hour he could have slept.
He was going to kill her.
Swinging his door open he stopped short, staring at the tiny girl flitting about the hallway. She was pretty much dressed, her hair already done, with various things in her hands.
"Cali, what the hell are you doing?" His voice was almost unrecognizable from sleep.
"I'm getting ready. I want to look my best for my first day of school. And I had to find a song to sing for my audition."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Finn leaned against his door frame, his hands rubbing his eyes.
"You know, my Glee audition. I'm thinking of singing Kiss the Girl or Once Upon a Dream." He had stopping rubbing, his fists simply covering his eyes at this point.
"You're trying out for Glee? You're only going to be here for a few weeks!" The echo of his voice traveled up and down the hallway. He was grateful that his mother left for work at five fifty and she would not be disturbed as he murdered his best friend.
"You expect me to sit idly by, everyday, while being surrounded by Puck, and the Quinn girl, and Rachel, and not say a damn word." Cali scoffed. "You're obviously still dreaming Finn."
He opened his eyes and stared at her, finally taken in her groomed presence. "You're not auditioning Twinkle toes. I forbid it." If looks could kill, Finn knew that he'd be laying on the ground. Not only was she going to audition, she was going to get in. He knew it and she knew it.
It wasn't that he didn't want her around, because she was going to end up going to rehearsals or practices or anything really with him. There was no way around it. And whether she was in the club or not, he knew Calista had a big mouth and would make her opinion known. There was nothing he could do about it.
He just wasn't too sure what his fellow glee members were going to think. Cali was a hard pill to swallow on her good days.
"Cal, I'm just looking out for you."
"And I'm looking out for you. These people are your friends. You're in freakin' Glee club! Do you know how many times I've tried getting you to do karaoke with me?!" Cali's face was a mix of happiness and thoughtfulness. "And I don't know who or what got into you to join Glee, but you need to be a little more appreciative!"
Finn stared at her blankly, barely acknowledging her 'hmphrf' noise as she walked away from him, slamming the bathroom door.
"Wait? What?"
---
"What the hell is this?" Rachel turned to look at Kurt and Mercedes. She looked down at her outfit and then back at her friend.
"A dress?"
"Lord have mercy." Kurt lowered his head, covering his eyes. Rachel once again looked down at her deep purple dress, that had black flowers printed over it, with a black belt and her black ballet flats. "I just wish I had the time to come over and situate you."
Rachel closed her mouth and gave the stylish boy a heated look. Mercedes was shaking her head, hoping the two would not get into a large fight right before the morning bell.
"This is not a dress. This is something Nana Doris would wear. And she's half blind Rachel." Kurt sucked his lips in, his head shaking. "Half blind."
"It's a nice dress Kurt!" Rachel shook her head, turning back to her locker. "I think I look wonderful."
"That is not a dress. That is a fashion emergency. Where is Tim Gunn?" Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Kurt, shut up." Mercedes stated, shaking her head. She gave a small smile to Rachel. "It's a nice dress Rachel." The brunette gave her a smile in return as Kurt sent her a disgusted look. "I am not in the mood for you two fighting."
Kurt shook his head, face full of disgust, before turning back to Rachel. "Did you get any info on that girl?"
Rachel shook her head. "I'm not talking to Finn and I have no actual pull with Puck. What information did you want me to gather?"
"I think you need to talk to Finn." Kurt demanded.
"You go talk to Finn!" The two stared at each other as Mercedes placed a hand over her head.
"Hummel, Berry, Jones." The three looked up to see Puck passing them, his hands shoved in his jacket and his eyes ahead of him. Mercedes stuck her hand out and grabbed him, swinging him around into their little group. "What the hell?"
"Will you please tell these fools that California is not here to steal Finn from Glee. Or their happy asses." Puck looked at her, his eye brows coming together. His glance then shifted to Kurt and Rachel.
"California? She was born here, you know, and she lives in Seattle now. That's not California. And, no, Cali has no interest in Finn like that." Puck shook his head and laughed. "You two are so pathetic."
Kurt huffed while Rachel simply glared at the mohawked boy.
"I'm assuming then that the harlot and you had a thing." Puck turned completely to Kurt, his lips turning up into a smirk.
"Hummel, I have known that girl since we were six. She use to sit on my head and make me eat mud. I couldn't kick her ass because she was a girl. When I turned eight I got hit in the head with a hockey puck while some of the older kids were playing street hockey. Cali still calls me Puckhead. And if she's still calling me that, then she's still calling Finn, Fish-Finn. Neither me or Finn, is going to date someone who has known us since we were five and six. There is way too much knowledge in that whole mess."
"That's sickeningly adorable." Kurt stated bluntly. Rachel and Mercedes simply looked at him.
"So, she's not after Finn?" Rachel clarified.
"Uh, no." Puck shook his head. "Why would you care though? You're ignoring him."
Rachel opened her mouth but no words came out. Kurt turned so that he was facing her.
"I told you everyone had noticed."
"Shut up." Rachel mumbled. Puck shook his head.
"All I'm saying--" Kurt, Rachel, and Mercedes widened their eyes as the petite girl passed them, yanking on Puck's jacket collar. "Ow! Cali!"
"You just wait Noah Jeremy Puckerman!" They watched as she dragged him down the hall. "You better be thanking Moses I haven't called your mother yet! You stupid moron!"
"What was that?" Rachel questioned as Cali continued shouting and yelling, Puck trying to squirm from her tight grasp.
"That would be the result of Finn telling California about Puck and Quinn." Mercedes mumbled, flinching as Puck finally maneuvered out of Cali's hold at the end of the hall, only to get smacked in the back of the head.
"I wish I could be a fly on that wall." Kurt stated a smirk appearing over his features. "I think she might do actual damage to him."
"And that's a good thing?" Rachel and Mercedes asked, staring at the mad-clown expression across Kurt's brow.
"Payback is a beautiful thing, my dear friends."
---
Finn was not in a good mood. He had not gone back to sleep after Cali's noise festival and had then almost gotten ran over by her rent-a-car. He had decided to skip first period and crash in the auditorium, only to be rudely awaken by the Jazz club performing Sweet Home Alabama. Which, Finn had decided as he stomped from the cushioned seats, Alabama was not that sweet.
His stomach twisted, as it always did come third period. He sat at his lab table, staring at the table parallel to his on the other aisle. It was the one class where both Quinn and Rachel shared it with him. It was easy to ignore Quinn in Spanish because he had switched seats to the far end of the room. And Rachel avoided him during gym. Chemistry, however, well it was just his burden to bare.
"Do you not know how to answer your phone?" He looked up, chocolate eyes crashing with honey eyes.
"What?"
"I've been texting you since first period." Cali walked around the lab table, plopping down next to him.
"Yeah, where have you been?" He raised an eyebrow. She had disappeared almost immediately after parking the car.
"I have first and second period with Puck, then third and fourth with you, and then lunch with both of you, then the rest of the day with you. Other then sixth period."
Finn rolled his eyes. "Why do you have classes with him?"
"Uh, because I needed to be in certain classes to keep up with my own scholastics. I don't need Spanish or Algebra. But I do need Advanced English, hence why I get my own sixth period."
"Yeah. Hence." Finn shook his head, his eyes darting to the lab table.
"Who sits there?" He looked at her, growling internally by how perceptive she was.
"Rachel."
"Go sit there then."
"She's not," Finn looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "She's not talking to me. We discussed this already."
"Then make her talk to you. You told me that she was the one who made you think twice. The one who always made you feel something. Whether it be confusion or happiness. You said that she was worth it."
"I also told you that I have no clue as to why she's not talking to me." He stated, his voice a dangerous whisper.
"Then find out." Before Finn could say anything else, Cali shot up and lunged across the lab table, grabbing Tina's hand and slamming her into a seat at the table in the other aisle.
Finn stared at her victorious smile, shifting to look at the door as she bent her head to the side. Rachel was walking in, oddly close to the sound of the bell. He watched as her eyes floated over the room, looking at her usual table and then at his table. A knot tied in his stomach as he saw her eyes widen.
Darting a quick look to Cali who was busy talking to Tina, he sighed to himself, realizing that he was alone on this one.
"Hey Rach." His voice was octaves lower.
"Hey." She threw him a half smile, gently resting her books next to him. She looked at him, nodded for a bit, and then turned to face the board.
"How are you?" He leaned up a bit, tilting his head to watch her. She glanced at him and then back at the board.
"Fine, thank you." Another inward sigh echoed in his chest, and he ended up leaning back down with his chin in his hand. His eyes moved to see Tina and Cali both staring at him, their eyes telling him to continue acting like a fool. At least he knew what they had been talking about so animatedly.
"Rachel. How long are you going to ignore me?" Using his ESP, which he was well aware he didn't have, he prayed to some higher being that she would look at him. Smile at him. Anything at him. He missed having her as his friend; as his more then friend; whatever she was to him.
"I'm not ignoring you." Her eyes stayed on the board, her hands folding over her notebook.
"Well, I mean, I think you are. You haven't been talking to me, you barely look at me, hell, I even miss the time where all you did was yell at me." At least he got to hear her voice. At least when she was yelling at him it proved that she still cared for him.
He shifted and shot a quick glance at Tina and Cali who were watching as the teacher began his lecture, but still tried to maintain a visual contact on his table. It was hard not to start shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
"Finn, I am not ignoring you." Rachel stated lowly. She was looking down at her notebook, her pen sitting against the paper, unmoving.
"Then what would you call what you are doing?" It was probably the first fight they had ever had. Sure, there were times where he had been mad at her and times when she was pissed at him, but it never had led to an argument.
"I'm not doing anything." She shifted to look at him so fast he almost fell off his chair. Her eyebrows were link together, her lips an angry line. "I am just giving you space to figure out what you want and who you want it with." Before he could say something, her hand had flown into the air.
"Uh, Ms. Berry?" Finn looked to the front of the room to where their teacher had the piece of chalk in mid air.
"I'm feeling unwell, may I please go to the nurse?"
"Of course, of course. You can collect the notes from Mr. Hudson later I suppose." Rachel nodded her head, grabbed her books, and headed out of the room at lightening speed.
Finn's jaw was just about touching the table, his eyes glued to the hast escape of Rachel. He caught Tina and Cali looking at him with their own wide eyes and slacked jaws. He could hear their words in his head.
'What did you do?'
---
Kurt sat down next to Rachel, turning his body to face her completely. Rachel, who had been snacking on her fruit bowl and looking over one of her free-time books, glanced at the soprano.
"Tina told me what happened in chemistry." Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Nothing happened in chemistry."
"I heard that Finn tried to talk to you and you shot him down."
"I did not shoot him down."
"And I'm not saying he might have tried to apologize for something he doesn't know he did, but I'm just saying that I heard what happened." Kurt's voice was getting lower and faster, forcing Rachel to give him her full attention.
"Kurt. Nothing happened in chemistry."
"But you did talk to him."
"For all that is good and pure." Rachel shook her head. "Yes, ok, yes. He asked why I was ignoring him and I told him I wasn't and now I am trying to read. Because every well rounded woman should try to read a non-school or work related book each week."
Kurt sat in silence looking at her and then at the book in front of her. He shifted so that he could prop his elbows on the table and gently fix his hair.
"What happened?"
"Do you honestly need me to repeat myself?" Rachel had gone back to looking at her book, even though Kurt could take a shot in the dark and assume she wasn't actually reading it.
"I mean that Monday. When I found you in a ball in your car." He cleared his throat, looking around the cafeteria.
"Nothing happened." Her voice had taken on a heart breaking tone, making him drag his eyes away from the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria to the sad little girl in the "ugly" purple dress.
"Oh, honey, I may not be your biggest personal fan, because, come on now." Kurt shook his head. "But you're my friend and that voice of yours hasn't been getting the proper amount of usage since you're little Berry cry fest." Rachel laughed, or well, Kurt thought she laughed, it could have been a half sob, but he went with it. "What happened?"
He had never seen Rachel Berry look so, well, defeated. Her eyes were dark pools, rippling with no emotion. Her lips were set into a frown, pulling the length of her face dangerous low.
"You know how we all left, or well I thought we had all left, after Mr. Schuester excused himself. I forgot a notebook and I had assured myself that I could just get it in the morning. With every step to my car I swore that I would end up needing it, so, needless to say, I turned around to get it." Rachel shook her head, chuckling to herself. "Finn and Quinn were in the choir room." Kurt gasped a little, apologizing almost immediately when Rachel gave him a tired look. "Quinn was talking and crying, and Finn was just, kind of crying. I'm not really sure. I couldn't really hear anything until Finn started yelling about all the things he had done and all of crap he had put up with."
"You had a breakdown because Finn yelled at her?" Kurt's look of compassion was slowly transforming to that of a look of confusion.
"She kissed him, and he kissed back, for a minute or so, and then he shook his head and said he was too hurt to deal with her, or the baby, or most importantly," Rachel laughed. "Them." She laughed again. "I thought a 'them' had been completely destroyed."
"He probably didn't mean it that way." Kurt shook his head, but Rachel wasn't looking at him.
"It doesn't matter, she ran out crying, and then he started crying, again, and next thing I knew I was in my car crying." She shook her head, leaning back into her chair. Her voice had a distant tone to it, as if the story she was telling was not her own. "There was lots of crying."
"Rachel, I," Kurt took a deep breath, his hand reaching over to pat her shoulder. "I know he likes you."
"I don't know if that's enough. And it's too soon for him to even consider me. And I refuse to play second fiddle to Quinn Perfection Fabray." Rachel laughed again. "I really do hate her."
Kurt sighed. "I know you do. I hate her because of those perfect highlights. She says they're real. But I know the truth." He sent her sideways look and she laughed.
---
Puck was staring at Kurt and Rachel's table. He knew something was up. They looked to be having an intense discussion, right before Kurt flipped his hair, said something, and Rachel started busting out laughing.
Not that he cared or anything. It was just weird seeing Kurt and Rachel hanging out, especially after that diva-off thing a few weeks ago. Then again, what with Rachel ignoring everyone and giving her solos away like candy, anything she did was now considered weird, even for her.
"Stupid, moron, jackass." He rolled his eyes, turning to look over his shoulder as Cali made her way from the lunch line.
"I heard this song earlier, sister, so shut your pie-hole." He flinched as she slammed her tray down, hitting his arm. Mike and Matt, who were sitting on the other side of the table laughed.
"I'm not talking about you, you pig. I'm talking about the over-sized bonsai tree."
"What did the all and powerful Finn Hudson do now?" Puck asked, not even trying to hide his annoyance.
"He left me. He stood up at the end of fourth period and left me. He better be thanking jesus that this dress is a good way to get guys to help a damsel in distress." Cali sat down, ignoring the fact that Puck, Mike, and Matt's eyes all ran from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, admiring her sun dress and jean jacket; all for reasons that had nothing to do with fashion.
"I heard you got him into trouble with Berry." Puck smirked as Cali mimicked him. "Ah-ha, the rumor mill got it right for once."
"I did no such thing." Cali shook her head, stabbing her fork hard into the pasta on her plate. "Who told you that?"
Puck smirked, looking over to Quinn's table.
"Pregnant Barbie, gotcha."
"Don't call her that." Puck stated, lightly nudging her shoulder.
"You all need to stop defending her. First she cheated on Finn, then lied to him, then called you a loser, then told you that she didn't need you." Cali gave him a nasty look. "Let me go and hand her the Nobel Peace Prize."
"She's giving me a chance." Puck said, his tone darker and lower. Mike shook his head.
"Quinn said that if Puck proved to her he was worthy of her love, she would consider raising the baby with him."
"Wow, what a saint." Puck slammed his hand hard down on the table near her tray, causing both Mike and Matt, as well has a few neighboring tables to jump slightly and look at him. Cali seemed to be unfazed.
"Stop it." Cali shrugged, but whatever telepathic answer she was sending to Puck seemed to be enough. He leaned back, his eyes darting to Quinn and then to Kurt and Rachel's table.
"You like her too?" He rolled his eyes, moving to look over at Quinn's table.
"Contrary to whatever is circling your head. I'm not interested in all the girls who are in Finn's line of sight." He grunted slightly.
"You did kind of date Rachel though." Matt spoke up, grinning in fear as Puck's head swiveled to stare at him, his eyes wide.
"That fabulous. That is just," Cali smacked Puck's shoulder. "Freakin'," another smack, "fabulous!"
"Will you stop hitting me!" Puck reached out and snapped his wrist against her hand, knowing it wouldn't do any real damage or cause any great pain. "When did you become so violent?"
"Lima does that to people. Wouldn't you say?" She stated pointedly, but shifted her seat away from him none-the-less. "You dated the girl Finn was attracted too. Please tell me you didn't know he liked her."
"No, he totally did. You should have seen the way Finn was staring at the two when Puck serenaded Rachel." Mike chirped.
"Dude, seriously?"
"What?" The Asian boy looked in confusion as Matt shook his head and Cali stared at Puck with an open mouth and squinted eyes.
"I am so calling your mother Puckhead. You wait. You just wait. First pregnant Barbie and then Raspberry."
"What are you, ten? Stop calling Quinn Barbie!" He stood up abruptly, only to get pulled back down.
"I will stop calling her Barbie." Cali stated, her fork going back to stabbing the food in front of her. "So you really like her, huh?"
"Yes." Puck stated, rolling his eyes. Mike and Matt started laughing only to stop as Puck looked up at them. "Why did you have to come to Lima, again? There are fifty states and you just had to come waltzing on home."
"Pf." Cali shook her head. "Thank god I came back home. You knocked up Finn's girlfriend who doesn't want to be with you and he got the girl he really likes to swear off conversing with him. The two of you are your own antagonists."
Puck stuck out his tongue and folded his arms in a threatening manner. "I hate you."
"Sticks and stones, love." Cali quoted, shaking her head. "Do either of you have Advanced English next period?"
Matt shook his head while Mike smiled. Puck raised an eyebrow.
"I don't. But I know someone who does." Cali urged him to continue, only getting his head and eyes moving to a table far off to the side of the cafeteria.
"Hummel or Berry?" Puck stated, looking at the pair who were now doing whatever they 'normally' did.
"Rachel Berry has Advanced English sixth period with Mrs. Redon." Cali's eyes widened a bit.
"The girl who is probably blaming me for stealing her table to force her to sit with Finn, who she's not talking too. Fun." She sighed and then hit Puck's shoulder for the umpteenth time.
"Ow! Seriously Calista? Seriously?"
"One day with you and Finn, and suddenly I'm turning into my own damn antagonist. Wonderful."