AN: So here's the next chapter, the first bit is a flashback to earlier in the year just to be 100% clear and then it goes back to curent time at the end. :)
Quinn
3:30
August 15th 2011
First day of senior year
Running through the dreary halls of McKinley, I was starting to get impatient on my way to Rachel's locker where no doubt she would be waiting for me, we had become best friends after Finn broke up with her last Christmas, neither of us had really talked to him after that, it had been a group decision that Finn was not worth hurting ourselves over anymore.
Just as I had thought Rachel was there waiting patiently for me with that beautiful smile etched on her face when she saw me heading towards her, she engulfed me in a hug and I noted that her overly peppy personality was one of the things that I loved about her. She just lit up the room where ever she went and no one could ever compare to her. I had realised that I loved her about six months earlier, when we were in her room having a girl's night with Mercedes and Tina. She looked at me with those deep brown eyes and it had just clicked in my head, I had strong feelings for this girl, a lot stronger than feeling you had for a friend. I didn't have much hope that she returned these feelings as she had never shown any inclination that she liked girls.
"Come on or we'll be late for glee club!" She practically squealed at me as she released me and took my hand instead pulling me towards the choir room, snapping me out of my inner rant. The number of students in the halls was thinning as school ended and we didn't need to worry about slushies being thrown at us by the jocks which were always a constant threat for the members of glee club, so we could be ourselves within the school grounds for once.
As we ran into glee club we realised that there were still a few people missing as we sat down at the front, Rachel always sat at the front, something about her wanting people to always be able to see her, I preferred the back as you could drift off in your own thoughts but every time I sat right next to my best friend not wanting to be away from her. Rachel was engrossed in conversation with Mercedes, probably about Broadway or what their favourite stars were up to this week. I turned my head and zoned out of their conversation, and that's when I noticed Kurt's walking in, but he wasn't alone.
Walking hand in hand into the room was Kurt and Blaine... He must have transferred here for Kurt. That was singlehandedly the sweetest thing I had seen, I mean by coming to McKinley he was setting himself up for ridicule and constant verbal abuse being thrown his way, this school was definitely not the safe haven that we knew Dalton was.
It was amazing what Blaine was willing to do for love and for Kurt, that's when I came to a sudden realisation, if Blaine was willing to stand up for himself and Kurt, then why was I hiding who I was in fear of what others would say and think about me. I had to let Rachel know how I felt, even if it ruined our friendship I had to let her know, I told myself I would make the most of this year and not screw it up, which meant that I had to get this out in the open before it ate me from the inside out.
"Alright guys, welcome back for another year here!" Mr Schuester came through the door with a smile fixed on his face. He seemed genuinely happy to see us all again. "Now we came twelfth at nationals last year but this year I think we can definitely do better which brings us straight to this week's assignment." Announced the curly haired man as he wrote down on the small white board at the front. "The future."
It made sense as to why he picked it, over half of us were graduating McKinley this school year and most of the glee club already knew what they were going to do, I on the other hand wasn't sure I was just going on the fact that being pretty would get me somewhere for most of my high school life, but now I knew that the real world didn't work that way and I needed a plan and maybe the week's assignment could help me.
There wasn't much more for Mr Schuester to say at that point so glee club was
dismissed, everyone was making their way out of the snug room and out into the desolate halls. Just as Rachel was getting up I had a thought that maybe right then was the perfect time to tell her. Standing up out of my seat I called out to her.
"Hey Rach can you stay behind for a second, I kind of want to talk to you." Rachel stopped and turned around to face me. There was slight confusion and worry in her expression but to anyone else she'd just look normal, Rachel and I had an amazing read on each other's emotions and sometimes it got disturbingly accurate when we thought we were hiding our feelings so well.
"Yeah, sure. If it's about the assignment then don't worry, I've already picked out a few songs I'm sure some of them could fit you perfectly, there's..."
"It's not about the assignment." I cut her off midway through her ramble but if I waited any longer then I might have somehow talked myself out of it. Reaching over I placed my hand on hers. "But thank you." I smiled gently at her and took a deep breath.
"What I'm about to say is important so please don't interrupt me because if you do then I might not be able to continue..."Rachel we've been friends for a year now and all the times we've spent together hanging out have been the best times of my life and some point during that time my feelings changed into something more than what they were originally, and I wish there was another way for me to tell you as you're perfect and you deserve better than me telling you in the schools choir room but this is where our friendship started so I thought it was perfect, what I'm trying to say Rachel is that I like you more than a friend, and you probably don't feel the same way but..."
"I do." Rachel went against my wish and interrupted me, but I couldn't be happier as she stopped me from rambling, that's when I realised what she could mean. She could mean she felt the same way or that she deserved better, but she wouldn't do that to me. Would she? I stared at her waiting for clarification. She was smiling so I was hoping for the best. "I do feel the same way I mean." I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding and pulled her into a hug, I wasn't going to kiss her straight away as I wanted her to make that move when she was ready, Rachel had always been a bit apprehensive when it came to relationships and love, but when I saw her closing her eyes and leaning in towards me I couldn't have been more ecstatic and when our lips connected it felt so right and then I felt it, the spark that I thought only existed in movies. This was the best kiss I had ever had.
It had been brief and when we pulled away we had matching smiles etched on our faces and as I slipped my hand into hers and walked out the choir room we both knew that this was just the beginning of something special.
6:30pm
Friday 16th December 2011
It had been about seven hours since Rachel had been hit by a car and been in a coma. All I could think about was that day when I had finally gotten the courage to tell her how I felt, four months yesterday. I couldn't believe it had been four months already and look where they had been, she had to admit it hadn't been the smoothest ride but having Rachel there made it all seem worthwhile, she was in all of my good memories and I couldn't think of leaving here without her.
I ran a hand through my short messy hair and sighed slipping my hand back into Rachel's unmoving still one. Rachel's dad had shown up about an hour after we arrived here and the doctor had finally told us the injuries that Rachel had sustained. Seeing as I wasn't blood related then they couldn't release any information until her dads got here. It had been the longest hour of my life and once he had finally told Hiram, Leroy and me, I truly regretted what had happened this morning.
She had sustained severe head trauma and could be in a coma for anything from a day to a few years.
I lay my head down on the side of Rachel's bed inhaling the mixture of what smelt like strong disinfectant and something that was distinctly Rachel, those words kept replaying over and over again in my head, it was my fault Rachel was in a coma and I couldn't get over that fact, anything that happened to Rachel now would be completely on my head, everyone would blame me and I would blame myself, Damn Finn and his stupid need to flirt unnecessarily, we weren't together and Rachel might never know that.
"They say coma patients can sometimes hear what people say you know." Hiram explained as he edged through the door with a cup of coffee in each of his hands, he handed one to me and then fell back into his seat. "You could try it and see if it helps." He was being strangely nice to me considering this was technically my fault.
"okay." moving my eyes from the man sat on the other side of Rachel's hospital bed to our entwined hands, using my free hand to run it through my hair again, something Rachel knew I did when afraid or stressed. "Rachel, I want you to know I love you so much and would never do anything to hurt you, I want you to know why Finn sent me that message, because it really wasn't as bad as it seemed I wasn't cheating on you." Hiram looked up from his coffee at this point. Staring directly at me but I didn't move my gaze from Rachel. "I admit I was keeping a secret from you but you'll understand when I explain it fully."
Sighing, I thought to myself, here goes nothing.
AN: Love it? Hate it? I'll try tyo update as soon as i can :)
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