DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy :)

A/N: I have been writing so much fanfiction lately, my boyfriend thinks I don't love him anymore.

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Chapter Three: Mean Girl

Rachel walked out of Spanish feeling like a million dollars. She had never felt so liberated before. It felt like she could do anything. She noticed the way people looked at her in school today. Normally they ignored her altogether, but today it felt like all eyes were on her, in a good way, for the first time in her life.

It was the uniform. She didn't know what it was about it, but when she wore it, it was like a new skin. She was able to push away everything about her personality that made her unpopular and focus on the Cheerleader's mentality that Coach imparted on her during practice: "Never let them see you be weak! Weakness is failure! You are a warrior!"

Rachel Berry was now a Cheerleading Warrior and she was going to conquer the battle for popularity once and for all!

She turned around and noticed Finn following her out of the classroom. She could tell that she had piqued his interest before during their confrontation with Karofsky. She knew that as soon as she got the slushie-heads off of her back, her rise to popularity would be smooth and corn-syrup free.

She was a bit short with Finn before at her locker, though. She didn't know why, but she had been in character all day and it was just easier to treat him the way she had been treating everyone else. She was annoyed with him for the moment, though. Didn't he deserve to be punished for everything he had done to her in the past few months? He had lied to her, manipulated her, and took advantage of her kindness. He had ignored her when she wasn't popular and the second she put on a Cheerio uniform, she was suddenly worth his time. She burned with injustice. No way! Finn Hudson was going to have to work for her attention from now on! Make him know how it feels to be ignored by someone more popular than he was.

She was distracted by her plans of emotional justice when she walked right into someone in the hallway. Someone with poor dental hygiene and a large, frizzy, jew-fro. . .

Jacob Ben Israel looked her up and down, his mouth wide open in shock. She saw from the corner of her eyes that Finn was watching them. This was her chance to prove to them both that she was a different. Cheerio Rachel did not have stalker-y gossip mongers following her around!

"Have I died and gone to heaven? Is that really you Rachel?"

"Lift your jaw off the floor Jacob, you'll catch flies."

"Can I interview you for the paper? Rachel Berry and her rise up the popularity food chain?" She scoffed and started to walk away.

"In your dreams. Your wet dreams probably."

She sauntered away from him and towards the gymnasium for her official tryout. She realized that Finn was still following her. She turned around and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Can I help you, Finn?"

"Um, good luck on your tryout." She smirked at him and started to walk away, calling out to him behind her.

"Rachel Berry doesn't need luck."

Finn stared at Rachel in shock as she walked away from him. He felt like he was looking at a stranger.

What the hell was that?

When had Rachel become so mean?

Sure, she was hotter now, but she was acting so cold to him. Part of the reason he liked her so much was because she was always smiling. She always had a nice thing to say, and you could talk to her about anything.

Now she was intimidating and curt. Sure she was popular now, but she lacked the warmth that he had taken for granted for so long.

He knew this all had something to do with him and his drunken conversation with her. He had said things to her that had changed her completely. She had said it herself, "If it wasn't for our conversation, I never would have become a Cheerio. . ." She was like a different person and it was all his fault.

He needed to know what he had said to her so he could find some way to reverse it or something.

He'd created a monster.

A sexy, bitchy monster.

And he was responsible for her and would find some way to fix this.

Rachel strutted into her bedroom and placed her books and pom-poms on the side of her desk. She sat down at her vanity and took a good look at herself in the mirror. She smiled widely and wanted to remember this moment for as long as she lived.

She was no longer Rachel Berry the freak, the gleek and the drama queen.

She was now Rachel Berry, First Lieutenant of the Cheerleading Squad.

There was no way that Rachel had really expected to become Captain of the Cheerleading Squad after one day. It was pure fantasy. Santana was named the new Captain and, for that, Rachel was glad. She did not need the wrath of Santana Lopez to bring down her rise in popularity.

But having her for an ally was a good start.

Santana had approached Rachel after her try-out, and Rachel had initially braced herself for a verbal attack out of habit. Then she remembered that she was now a cheerleader as well, so she remembered to stay in character and tried to be as confident with her as possible. Santana's eyes were guarded, but she didn't look hostile.

"You land a decent back-handspring, Berry." Rachel nodded her head.

"Thanks." Santana gave her a good once-over and looked hesitant, but continued.

"I need another Lieutenant for the Squad. Brittany is my number two, I would have made her my first lieutenant, but I doubt she can even spell it."

"Why me? You used to leave dog biscuits in my cubby in first grade."

"You're smart and I think you have some potential. You're also the only one who believed me when I said I didn't give Sue the set-lists for Sectionals, so I think I might be able to trust you. Don't prove me wrong." She gave Rachel a severe look and Rachel knew this was her ticket in. If she had Santana on her side, she was golden.

"I won't. I accept."

"Good. Meet me and Brit by my locker at 7:45 so we can do our daily walk through the halls. Just the three of us."

Rachel had to hide her shock. They actually did that on purpose? Popularity really was a game to them.

And now she held all the cards.

Rachel snapped out of her daydream and got up from her vanity. She started to take off her uniform to change into something more comfortable. When she got the uniform off, she felt like herself again. She looked in the mirror and really thought about her day. It was such a whirlwind of events.

She'd become a cheerleader, finally gotten Finn's attention, and rose to the top of the Popularity Penthouse faster than she ever thought could happen.

How come it didn't make her as happy as she thought she would be?

Finn walked into school the next day, anxious to see Rachel. He had made sure he was there on time to see her. He wanted to make sure she wasn't lost underneath the Cheerleading facade she had created after his drunken confessions that he couldn't recall. He needed to make sure she was okay.

He stood by her locker and waited for her to show up, but she never did. All of a sudden he saw Santana flocked by her Cheerios walking down the hallway in their trademark strut; Santana leading and her lieutenants following behind her on both sides. He didn't realize until they had walked right in front of his face that one of them was Rachel.

He did a double-take. She didn't even notice him.

She was like a Cheerleading Zombie.

He reached out for her and pulled her away from Santana and Brittany. They continued their walk down the hallway, while Rachel turned to Finn with an insolent look in her eyes.

"Yes, Finn?"

"What do you think you're doing Rachel? When did you become BFF's with Santana? I thought you hated her." Her tone was mocking.

"Oh Finn, hate is such a strong word. Now that I'm her First Lieutenant, Santana and I will be getting much closer. I can't wait." Finn started to shake his head.

"Rachel, something is different about you."

"Yeah, you're right Finn. I am different. I'm tired of people thinking I'm a freak. Now they think I'm sexy and popular. It's everything I always wanted, and it was what you had wanted on Saturday night."

"Rachel, I was drunk on Saturday night! I don't even know what I said to you!"

"You said enough, Finn. I owe all my newfound popularity to you." With that she turned around and caught up with Santana and Brittany. She flanked them as they turned down the hallway, and Finn was left staring after them as they walked away.

He had fucked things up so badly.

He wanted his Rachel back.

Finn was sure that Rachel was punishing him. She had to be. This was his punishment for everything he had put her through since they met in September. He knew he deserved it.

But it still hurt like hell to see her flirting with other guys.

Ever since Tuesday when she became Santana's lieutenant, she hadn't given him the time of day. He tried to wait around for her after classes and glee, but she was constantly with Santana and Brittany and he never had a chance to be alone with her. When she was apart from the other Cheerios, she was always mingling and lightly flirting with other guys. He never saw her making out with anyone, but he could tell what was flirting and what wasn't.

And she was definitely flirting.

He guessed he knew how it felt to be her a little bit. She was now too popular for him these days.

He could barely wrap his head around the concept.

It was already Friday. She had been a cheerleader for almost the whole week and it was like the old Rachel didn't even exist anymore. Her once pure and honest voice was always bitter and mocking. Her bright smile was replaced with a judging smirk. Her warm eyes were now cold as ice.

And it was all his fault.

He didn't even care what he had said to her anymore, he just wanted to find a way to take it back and get his Rachel back to normal.

During Spanish that day, he got a little desperate. He wrote her a note to hang around after class and talk to him. They both had to be in the gym right after school for the basketball game, but he needed a second alone with her. He was afraid she would say no, but she agreed and hung around after class.

"What's up, Hudson? We both have a game to get to." He didn't like the way she'd called him Hudson. Too impersonal.

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"About you, Rachel."

"What about me? I'm fine. Perfect." She didn't sound convinced.

"No, you're not. I can barely recognize you these days; you're like a completely different person."

"I think it's a good thing. No one liked Rachel Berry the freak."

"I did." At this, her eyes got a fierce look in them and she started to get hostile.

"Well you sure had a real fucked-up way of showing it Finn!" He was shocked. She never cursed! "You treated me like crap and expected me to just keep taking it. Well I'm done waiting for you to remember I exist."

"Well I sure as hell liked you better before! You're acting like a total bitch now." With this she looked a little deflated. He saw some of the vulnerability in her eyes that she had been hiding from everyone all week. She looked more like her old self again. He knew that she was still in there somewhere. He thought he could see tears in her eyes.

"What do I have to do, Finn? Honestly, tell me. I keep trying to change for you and it's never good enough. What else do I have to do?" She covered her eyes with her hands and ran out of the classroom.

Finn stood alone in the classroom, wanting to run after her. His feet wouldn't let him.

He knew a part of the old Rachel was still buried deep beneath her cheerleading facade. If he could break through to her, and let her know that she had never needed to change in the first place, maybe he could bring her back to the good side.

"I keep trying to change for you and it's never good enough. . ."

He thought of nothing but their conversation while he dragged himself to the Basketball game.

He had really messed up Rachel's life.

He was afraid he couldn't fix this.

Salut Mes Amis!

The next chapter is going to be a doozy, be prepared for ANGST!

Until Next Time . . . *sings* Don't Stop . . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk