A/N: Sorry this is so late, busy day. Last part will be up sometime tomorrow (actually later today on EST).

Disclaimer: I don't own GLEE or the characters.

Part 2

"Not talking to you huh?" I sigh at the voice and glance over my shoulder. Puck is leaning next to my locker with a smirk. I watch him glance over my shoulder at the blonde down the hall then back to me.

"No. I've been trying all day but she's been avoiding me." I admit, glancing back at Quinn who is standing at her locker talking to Mercedes.

"Well the whole school did find out about you and Q sucking face last weekend. People have been asking me about it all day, what did you expect?" he asks as I sighed and turn back to my locker to take out my history book. I glare at him.

"It's not like I meant for it to happen! I told her that no one would find out before we... you know."

"Well you did get caught by me, S and Kurt. You know I didn't say anything and I doubt Santana would but Kurt? Letting him find out is like announcing it over the loudspeaker. Adding Mercedes in is like playing that stupid game... telephone? Where people just keep adding on lies? Azimio asked me this morning if I really caught you with your head between Quinn's legs."

I scoff and roll my eyes at the vulgarity of the statement as I slam my locker closed and walk away, Noah quickly follows and falls into step beside me.

"What? I'm just relaying the information, S overheard and turned so red I could have sworn she was going to explode." Noah says shrugging and I frown, realization hitting me.

"That's another thing, Santana has been avoiding me as well, and I'm not sure why." I say, walking into my history class as Noah follows and takes a seat beside me. "What are you doing? Don't you have Algebra 2 this hour?"

"I don't know she looked pretty pissed at the party when she left with Quinn and yeah... your point?"

"Noah! I do not condone skipping class, especially one as important as math. It's vital information that you will very well need-"

"Okay okay! Geez Rach, I'm leaving." he said cutting me off mid-sentence and standing up. I swallow my annoyance at being interrupted and shoot him a hard glare.

"You're going to your algebra class right?" I demand/ask. He grins and throws me a shrug before he heads for the door. "Noah!"

"Walking away, can't hear you!" he yells over his shoulder as he disappears into the hall. I watch him take a right down the hallway instead of a left, the direction of his class, and sigh. He will be dealt with later.

I open my notebook then change my mind and close it. It's the first day of the school year; we won't be doing anything but going over the student handbook and receiving the syllabi, like every other class I had attended today. You would think the teachers realize that you don't need to read the same thing for every class. The door opens just as the bell rings and I raise my eyebrows in surprise as Santana walks inside, arms crossed over the front of her cheerio's uniform. She scans the room for a minute then realizes the only empty seat is next to me. I see her face harden a little as she struts over and drops into the empty desk, avoiding my eyes.

"Good morning class. As some of you already know, I'm Mrs. Johnson and this is American History." the teacher announces and I pull my gaze away from Santana, biting on my lower lip. I ignore the teacher explaining to a random student why it's called American History and not US History as I try to think about what I could have done to make the girl next to me want to avoid me.

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I was kissing another girl; her best friend is Brittany after all. While I don't know if it's true or not, I had heard through the grapevine that they had participated in sexual activities together before and Brittany did happen to be a very affectionate person. Mike had even had to explain to the blonde that a lingering kiss on his mouth in front of Tina and Artie wasn't a proper way to say 'thank you' after he taught her to pop-and-lock last year.

Maybe it was the fact that I had kissed Quinn, who was the girl's other best friend, even if they did share a strange relationship with each other. I had asked Noah about it one day last year as I watched Santana walk up to Quinn in the hallway and rub her stomach, saying she had put on some weight and asking if she got herself knocked up again. Quinn had shoved her away and called her a bitch then walked away as Santana laughed. Noah simply shrugged and said that was the way they worked and Santana was like that with everyone she loved, except Brittany.

I snap out of my daydream and send Santana a questioning look for nudging me. She rolls her eyes with a smirk and points to the teacher who is glancing around the room awkwardly.

"So there's no Rachel Berry here?" she asks and I quickly raise my hand.

"Right here. I apologize for being distracted." I say with a smile. The teacher simply nods and moves on to another name as I turn to the chuckling girl next to me. "What's so funny?"

"Whats wrong with you Berry? You totally spaced out. She called your name twice."

"Yes, I was just thinking and hadn't realized." I said sighing.

"About what? How to suck up to the teacher so you can get another A to keep your spotless, detention-less record perfect?" she muses with a smirk, letting me know she's just teasing. I blush and look away as she laughs again easily.

"No, if you must know, I was wondering why you've been avoiding me all day. Quinn I understand, but you?" I question looking back at her. Something in her eyes hardens and her jaw clenches, the smile immediately disappearing.

"I'm not." She simply replies and turns back to the teacher. I sigh, knowing I had messed up again and probably wouldn't be talking to her for the rest of the class. I turn back to the teacher and slouch a little in my chair, doing my best to pay attention to what is being said.

-o-

"What's going on?" I ask frowning as I walk up behind Mercedes and Kurt with a frown. They both turn to me quickly then return their gaze back down the hall as mine follows. Noah stands a few feet away talking to Santana against the lockers. It looks like whatever is being said is serious. Noah is frowning and pointing while Santana stands with her arms crossed, glaring at him.

"We don't know. We were talking to Santana when Puck walked up and told us to get lost." Kurt says frowning.

"Get lost?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. Noah hadn't been hostile to any of the Glee Club members since the end of sophomore year, especially Kurt after he had transferred to Dalton the year before. Everyone was happy to have him back at McKinley this year.

"Yeah we know. We were taken back too but we thought better than to question it." Mercedes says shrugging.

"They've been talking for about a minute now. Whatever he's saying seems like it's making Santana mad."

I frown at Kurt as I watch the exchange. Santana says something to Noah and rolls her eyes. Noah scowls and says something back before turning to walk away but Santana snatches him back by the arm.

"Maybe it's about the party last weekend. Noah was all over Amy Emerson before Rachel showed up." Kurt suggests.

"No way. Those two haven't been together for months and speaking of the party..." Mercedes turns to me and I sigh. I already know what's coming. "What's up with you and Quinn? Heard you guys had a good time together, sorry I missed it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I say frowning, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Oh really? So Kurt, Puck and Santana didn't catch you and Quinn practically molesting each other in Puck's den?" Mercedes says. I gasp and turn to reprimand her for even thinking such a thing. I open my mouth but a hand on my arm stops me and I swing around to meet Noah's eyes.

"Rach. We need to talk." I nod and notice Santana is standing beside him, his other hand on her arm as she scowls at the floor.

"Okay? About what?" I ask. Noah glances up at Mercedes and Kurt. They take the hint and walk away before he looks back down at me.

"About why S has been avoiding you. It's getting on my fucking nerves. Come on lets go outside or something so we won't be heard." He suggests and leads both of us towards the door. I pull against him and he stops.

"Noah! We are still in school and I have already told you once that I don't condone skipping class so I think-"

"Rach who cares? It's the first day of school. We're going over the stupid conduct book. Besides it's lunch right now so it's not like you're missing anything important."

"Except eating." Santana mumbles and Noah glares at her. She matches it.

"This shouldn't take long." he says to me but his eyes are still on Santana as he pulls us both to the door and out into the parking lot. I let him practically drag me over to his truck before he lets us both go and we turn to face him, standing side by side.

"What is this about?" I ask and glance between Noah and Santana. Santana avoids my eyes as Noah glares at her.

"Go ahead S, tell her." he demands and my eyes shift to her. I watch her jaw clench and I frown. I have no idea what's going on and I don't like it.

"Tell me what?" I ask looking at her. There's an awkward silence for a minute before Santana opens her mouth then closes it again, looking at Noah.

Noah scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Yeah whatever." I watch him turn around and walk away. I assume he's going back inside but then he takes a seat on the stairs leading to the doors and stares at us.

"Rachel..." The ways she says my name makes me turn my attention back to the latina and I feel my stomach flutter. The way she's looking at me, so vulnerable, makes me nervous. I've never seen her look at anyone this way, not even Brittany.

"Santana?" I say, noticing my voice quivers a little.

"Rach... there's a reason that I've been avoiding you today." she says.

"I would hope so." I muse and her stare hardens a little. I shrink back. "Sorry... please continue."

"It's about the party and that kiss you had with Quinn." she says and I notice the hardness is still in her eyes. I nod for her to continue. "I really need you to give me a straight answer when I ask this next question okay? I really need to know before I farther explain myself." I nod again. "Do you..." she stops to take a deep breath. "Do you have feelings for Quinn?"

I blink in surprise, wondering where the question came from. Well then again she did catch us in a compromising position so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. "N-no!" I stutter a little and she traps her lips between her teeth for a second.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." I say, making sure more confidence is in my voice this time. "Santana I have no romantic ulterior motives towards Quinn. I kissed her at the party for exploration purposes only. It was a one-time thing, I assure you."

I stand silently as she seems to study me. After a few seconds she nods and a small smile appears on her face. Not a grin, but not a smirk either. I haven't seen that smile that I enjoy so much all day and it brings the flutters back to my stomach and my heart begins to beat faster.

"Good." is all she says and I raise my eyebrow in question.

"Why is that good?" I ask and she smiles as she reaches over and tucks a few strands of my hair behind my ear and I swear I stop breathing for a second.

"Because it would be suck if I liked someone who liked someone else." she says softly then looks down. Wait... is Santana Lopez blushing? I stare at her with wide eyes and gaping for a few seconds in shock, unsure if I heard correctly. She looks at me through her eyelashes and I feel myself melt just a little. It's a little weird seeing Santana, the girl that had ridiculed me for so long, like this.

"You like me?" I ask, shock still apparent on my face and she smiles again and nods with a blush that travels down her neck and into the top of her cheerio's uniform.

"Yes. I have for a while." she admits then lifts her head to look me in the eye. "That's why I've been avoiding you all day. Seeing you kiss Quinn pissed me off, especially when I convinced myself that you had feelings for her. I knew I wouldn't stand a chance."

"Don't put yourself down like that Santana. I've told you on more than one occasion that you are an amazing person, even before we really became friends... or acquaintances, or whatever we are."

Santana's smile disappeared and she ducks her head, nervously running her hand over the back of her neck. "Yeah well... I want us to be more than that. You know... more than friends? That is, if you'll give me a chance." she admits and I smile.

"I don't think we've ever really been friends Santana." I say with an easy smile, hoping not to hurt her feelings. She returns it with a nod.

"I guess you're right."

"But how about this... let's be friends, real friends for a while and see what comes of it?" I suggest. I had practically jumped into a relationship with both Noah and Jesse before without being friends first and I had grown to regret both, especially Jesse. Even with Finn, we had never really been friends before we had gotten together and while it did last longer than the others, not long enough.

"Sounds good." Santana says nodding quickly with a small smile. I can tell she's a little hurt but I don't want to rush into something without getting to know the person so I just return the smile and place a hand on her shoulder. She smiles again and motions over to Noah who is walking towards us.

"So? I'm thinking a threesome?" he says with a grin as he reaches us. Santana reaches over to smack him in the back of the head as I scoff and shake my head.

"Santana and I are just friends Noah, and even when we become more there is no absolute way that I will ever agree to have intercourse with you in any shape or form, Santana involved or not." I reprimand and I don't miss the way Santana's smile widens when I say 'when' instead of 'if.'

"Yeah asshole. I don't share." Santana says crossing her arms.

"Language Santana." I say frowning at her and she nods with a small frown.

"Sorry." she mutters and Noah laughs.

"Welcome to Berry world S, where its Rach's world and we just live in it."