Here's chapter two! Sorry it took so long, it's been a busy summer.
I don't own Glee.
Comment/Review for me!
~~hayleynymphadora
Chapter 2: Achieving Goals? Failing at Life.
Quinn POV~
I've been trying to decide whether I'm going to bust Shelby and Puck before Regionals or after. If I do it before, the whole competition will be thrown off, and everyone in the New Directions has been working so hard to beat the Trouble Tones, I don't want to see all of that hard work go to waste. Especially since this will be the first (and probably the last) performance without Rachel Berry, who is normally the star in charge of every song and every solo.
All of us in Glee have been kicking our own butts in preparation for today, and I think I want to let Tina have her time to shine. Besides, I have a solo part in Control, and I would kind of like to sing it.
But ruining Shelby's career as soon as possible...The idea is intriguing. I might not be able to resist that temptation. I simply can't wait to see her crash and burn. Make her feel the pain I'm suffering because of her...
After Regionals.
I need to exercise some self control.
I'll tell after Regionals.
Will Puck get in trouble for this as well? I guess I never considered the fact that he might have to suffer consequences too. Oh well, I guess. You win some, you lose some. Besides, it's not like he hasn't contributed to ruining my life. He got me pregnant and caused this whole mess in the first place. I don't pity him. He'll get what he deserves, and so will she.
I didn't sleep well last night, due to thinking about the future (something I do a lot),
"But that's nothing a little concealer can't fix," I think out loud while examining myself in the bathroom mirror. I apply the appropriate amount of every day makeup to my face, eyes, and lips before deciding that getting dressed probably won't hurt either. I'll throw on stage makeup later.
As I rummage through my closet, I check the clock. 12:45. I need to be at the school getting ready by 1:30. Competetion startsat 2:30.
Mckinley High is hosting Regionals for the first time in years, according to , so it seems that we have home court advantage. On the other hand, so do the Trouble Tones.
"Not for much longer," I mutter, pulling a navy blue blouse out of my closet and slipping it over my arms. Just because I went back to being the "goody two-shoes" Quinn again, doesn't mean I have to constantly wear white. Dark colors suit my complexion better than white does anyways. As long as my hair is blonde, and I hide my tattoo, no one will know the difference. I've had to stop smoking too, which was a major set back. But it's all for Beth. Everything I ever do is always for Beth.
Because I will get her back, if it's the last thing I do.
. . . . . .
Shelby POV~
"Come on girls, you know this. Focus. We perform in thirty minutes." I instruct as best as I can as my Trouble Tones stand around the piano, crossing their arms in protest.
"We have this in the bag, Ms. C," Santana complains. "Can't we just let the other showchoirs fall as we triumph?" her smile is wicked.
I stop playing and look up at the girls who have worked so hard to beat the New Directions. There's so much potential in this room, and I know they're going to win, but over confidence is overkill, and that's a lesson they all need to learn. Especially Santana, with that smart-remark mouth of hers.
"Fine. Fine." I say, standing up and straightening my skirt. "But don't say I never did anything to help you all," I give them a wide smile and they pile in for a group hug. "Make me proud. That's an order."
"Don't worry, Ms.C. We will," Merecedes grins.
"Okay. Trouble Tones on three. One. Two. Three,"
"TROUBLE TONES!" I can practically feel their excitement radiating through the room. It's inspiring, really, how full of energy they are. This is how Tony Awards are won.
They escape the room in a swarm of hushed giggles and pep talks. How I miss being so innocent.
I turn around and busy myself with my purse, checking my phone to see if I have any missed calls from the babysitter. None. I really shouldn't worry so much. If she wasn't qualified, I wouldn't have hired her. Beth will be fine.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
"Shelby?"
Gasp out.
Puck's voice pulls me into reality.
"Noah," I spin around to face him. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to see how you're holding up, leaving Beth alone for five minutes," his tone is joking, but his words are serious. He makes his way towards me until his hands are at my shoulders, massaging them in slow circles.
"You can relax, Shelby. Beth will be fine."
My look is doubtful and I try to explain my worries. "She was running a high temperature last night, and I just...I'm concerned..."
Puck silences me with a kiss on the neck. "What was the "high temperature", 99?" he mocks.
"101," I say condescendingly.
He shrugs. "Not normal, but not fatal-"
"For a toddler? It's dangerous."
"She's in good hands. All you need to focus on, is your girls winning Regionals."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "This coming from a New Directions member? I can't help but admit, I'm shocked."
The smile he gives me shows off that one charming dimple of his, and I try to remember why I wanted to end this. "No, you're not." he laughs. "You know I'm always putting you first-"
"Caught in the act," a girl's voice is loud and accusing, coming from the direction of the doorway.
I freeze, and shove Noah's hands off of my neck; he steps back a couple of feet.
"Quinn, aren't you supposed to be rehearsing with the New Directions?" I demand to know, wishing to distract her, though I know it's not going to work.
"Funny," she says, not sounding like she finds it funny at all. "I don't see you saying that to Puck."
She's obviously had us figured out for a while now. I can't say I'm surprised, really: Quinn has always played the Damsel in Distress, but was really just the "hero" in disguise.
"Why are you here?" Puck asks, through clenched teeth.
It just now dawns on me how pathetically stupid I've been acting. Quinn didn't find out on her own, Noah obviously told her what was going on between us. Now I don't find it hard to remember why I was going to end this. It's not hard to remember at all. It's right in front of me, in black and white.
This. Is. Wrong.
"I'm here to give Shelby a heads up," she admits. "After Regionals, I'm telling Figgins about your "secret" love for a student."
"It's not love," I say to her, harshly.
Noah's eyes dart to mine, clearly hurt, but not entirely shocked. He knew this would come eventually, didn't he? Especially after telling Quinn Fabray, of all people. He must have known he was just fueling her, and looking back, that was probably his plan all along-set me up just to knock me down on my ass so Quinn can get Beth back.
There's a flaw in your plan, honey.
They aren't just going to give my baby to you, even if they do take her away from me for this. It won't be that easy, and there's no way in hell I'm EVER letting you get close to Beth EVER again. You've used your last get-out-of-jail-free-card.
"Whether it's love or not is irrelevant," Quinn says, standing her ground. "You sleep with a student, you're going to get punished."
"I'm an adult by law," Noah points out. "They can't do anything to-"
"So she won't get arrested," Quinn throws her hands in the air. "But she'll be out of a job, and out of my hair."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like I'm not in the room," I say icily.
Quinn's eyes bore into mine, coldly. "I'd appreciate it if you'd drop dead, but neither thing is going to happen, so I guess we're both screwed." she starts to walk out the door, but I stop her with my words.
"You're so young, Quinn. That beauty of yours will never go away, but your years? Gone. You're sixteen, you aren't twenty five. Live your teenage years while you can, stop trying to act so adult. You don't have to-"
She walks up to me, crisply, and smacks me in the face. "Don't you DARE talk down to me, Shelby. I've had to act adult ever since Noah got me pregnant. I'm not a child anymore. I don't get to be a teenager."
I don't let my anger get the best of me. All it will do is get me into more trouble. Besides, I can't hit a minor. "But you DO. You have two more years to be a fun loving teenage girl, Quinn."
"I'm done here. And soon, you will be too." she exits the room before I have a chance to change her mind.
It's hard to wrap my head around idea that two minutes ago I was excited. Two minutes ago, I had a thriving show choir of eager girls who were ready to win. Ready to prove themselves.
Two minutes ago, I had the potential to end a relationship before things got bad.
But a lot can happen in two minutes.
Now, I'm without a job. I'm without a way to pay for my child's needs, and I've lost all excitement I could've possibly had for the Trouble Tones. I'm hoping the performance lasts forever, so I can put off having to deal with Figgins for a little while.
Only for a little while.
I look up from my shaking hands, and find Noah, his eyes pleading.
"Shelby, I'm sorry. If I had known she was going to go to Figgins, I wouldn't have-"
"Noah, it's my fault. I should'nt have let this happen to begin with. I guess I thought that being with a younger man would make me feel younger too, but really it just made me feel older. Older, and with nothing to show for it, because I was nowhere near wise about any of my decisions. This, whatever it was, is over. Get out of this classroom."
"Shell, please, just let me explain-"
"There is NOTHING you could possibly say to me that would make me change my mind. Now GET OUT before I let my anger take over my actions, because I couldn't hit Quinn, but there's no law against me taking your ass down."
He casts me a final, furtive, guilty glance, and leaves as I instructed, looking defeated.
My head falls down into my hands and I pull at my hair in anger. What have I gotten myself into?!
Puck POV~
I guess I should've assumed Quinn was going to turn us in, but I didn't think she was that heartless. I thought she was finally starting to realize that Beth has a good home, and a good mother, and why should we take that away from her?
But now her mom has no way to pay for her, and it's all my fault.
It's hard to focus on singing and dancing when you have all of this going through your mind, but I somehow manage to remember the words-thankfully, I really don't have that many to sing anyways.
As Quinn takes over and starts singing "Control," I realize our set is almost over with. I couldn't be happier: I just want all of this to be over so I can try to get Shelby back.
I've screwed everything up with her, and that's freaking irritating. Because she thinks I was Quinn's robot. She thinks I did this on purpose. But I was really hot for her. I lied when we were in Glee: when I sang "Hot For Teacher", it wasn't just because I dig Van Halen. That song had real feelings behind it and everything, and I just totally screwed everything up.
Nothing good ever comes from trusting Quinn Fabray.
That blonde dye did nothing for her demon attitude.
Shelby POV~
The girls were absolutely incredible to anyone's standards. However, even without Rachel, the New Directions were better. Now Quinn has won twice in the same day. I'm hope she's happy with herself. Now that she's finally gotten what she wanted, maybe she'll stop playing the victim card and start acting like the adult she wants to be. She needs to realize just how unfair life can be, whether your a teen mom, or the adopted mother of a child who's teen mother hates you.
As Figgins yells at Noah and me for being "completely innappropriate" and "a disgrace to the McKinley name", all I can do is nod and hold back tears. I'm failing Beth as a mother, and I can't just blame Quinn for it, no matter how much I want to. This particular fiasco was all my doing. I let Noah get to me, I let him make me feel special, for a little while, and now Beth will be the one to suffer for it.
So now all I have to do is calculate my next move. I know I can't stay in Lima...and I'll be lucky to find another job in Ohio at all. Just as I was getting settled into my apartment, I'm going to have to move out of state? Wonderful.
As I'm escorted out of the office and away from WilliamMcKinleyHigh School forever, Noah attempts a final apology. I tell him to save it, and slam the car door before he can say anything else.
The rest of my day is a giant blurr.
All I know, is I have to get back home to Beth.
Noah POV~
"So you've accomplished your goal, Quinn, are you happy now?!" I demand, yelling down the hallway. People stare, but they can go to hell. This is between me, Quinn, and Shelby.
"Yes, actually," she turns to face me, but doesn't come any closer. "I am. Shelby's out of this school, and out of my way. Now I can get my baby back."
"You are so BLIND. How many times do people have to tell you? You will NEVER get Beth back! She doesn't belong to you! The only thing you've accomplished, is getting Shelby fired. So what? Now she gets to find a new job in a new state, and Beth will be farther away from you. Congratulations on getting what you wanted, I'm sure it feels fantastic."
I storm away, leaving the other people in the hallway wide-mouthed and confused, and leaving Quinn at a loss for words. Anger rages inside me, and it's all I can do not to torch the place right here, right now.
But I hear Shelby's voice in the back of my head, and it stops me.
"Where would setting the school on fire really get you, Noah? You wouldn't be achieving anything more than Quinn just did."
My guardian angel, giving me instructions as if she's still here with me. As if she didn't leave in fury, refusing to forgive me or even listen to a word I have to say.
Quinn will pay for this.
