A.N: Another chapter by my wonderful beta! Hope you guys enjoy :) And to all those who read ETIW, I'll be posting the rest of the chapters at my journal: .com
A/N: Sio the Beta up to bat again. Sorry that the tryouts got glossed, but I didn't think I had enough familiarity without tryouts worked to give it enough credit. Hopefully this chapter will make up for that.
"Seriously, Rach, you've got to learn to catch better."
"It's not my fault the ball bounced up into my face and I kept hold of it, didn't I?" Rachel's voice was muffled by the big ice pack Puck was helping her hold to the side of her face. She pulled it away revealing a rapidly swelling bruise on the side of her face, making her keep her eye partially closed. "It didn't hit my nose at all, did it?"
"No, your nose is still Jewishly fine." Puck smirked, a brow raising at her being more concerned with the condition of her nose then the mega-bruise and black eye. "And you've gotta leave that on there or you'll swell up like a balloon." He pushed the ice pack back up to her face.
"Do you think I messed it up? The tryout I mean. I didn't catch the ball like my Daddy taught me."
"Nah, that was pretty cool how you kept control of it out there. Even I probably would have dropped after catching it with my eye."
Rachel reached out and patted him lightly on the forearm. "That's just because you lack my amazing dedication to success, Noah. Perhaps we could work on improving that. I'm sure that with regular practice you'd be able to pull it off on any occasion."
Puck barked a laugh at the idea. "Thanks, Rachel, but I think I'll pass. Not really feeling the whole 'getting footballs chucked at my face by Finn' part of that idea. Besides, that's why we wear helmets out there." He paused, remembering just how Rachel had managed to acquire the bruise they were trying to ice down, "Say, where was your helmet anyway?"
"It didn't fit right." Rachel blushed, glancing away, "It was too big and kept slipping around so I couldn't see."
"Rach, for a smart, hot, totally doable Jewish girl, you can be really dumb sometimes. That's why we kept asking you if it fit right!"
"I didn't want to be a bother and Coach Beiste said it was the smallest one they had." She looked down, not wanting to see the disappointment in her one supporter's eyes.
Puck sighed, frowning darkly, "It's important that the padding fits properly, Rach. It keeps you safe. You can't just accept 'it'll do', it's gotta fit, okay? And, seriously, there's like pads and stuff we coulda put in there if you'd just said something."
"I'm sorry." Her big brown eyes welled up with tears.
"Aw, hell. No, look, it's not a big deal. Really. Please don't cry. Come on." He pulled her into a hug, feeling entirely stupid, "Just, you know, remember it for the future, 'kay? I don't want to see you getting carried off the field on a stretcher cause your gear didn't fit right,"
"Okay." Her voice was subdued, but she sat back, breaking away from the impromptu embrace just as Coach Bieste pushed open the door to the trainer's office.
"Hey," the older woman's voice was kind as she crossed the room to stand by the cot Rachel was perched on, "how's it look?"
Rachel lowered the ice pack, letting the coach get a good look at the livid skin on the side of her face and the swelling black eye. "Like I caught a football with my face."
"Ouch, but that's why we wear our pads and helmets out there."
"I know. Noah was just reminding me of that."
"He has his moments. You listen to him." Coach Beiste raised an eyebrow at the boy's dramatic 'why me?' face, "Besides, we need to keep our newest running back in shape."
"Newest...?" Rachel's head popped up, the ice pack falling forgotten to the ground, eyes bright with excitement, "You mean...?"
Shannon smiled, patting her lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, you're on the team as of now, Rachel. We'll need to work on your catching so we don't have any more," she gestured at the bruise on Rachel's face, "incidents, but I haven't seen anyone move that fast down a field yet and I'm not about to risk losing you to the track and fielders."
She turned to the boy, now nodding in approval, "Puckerman, make sure she's kitted out and give her the schedules." She looked back to the grinning girl, "I'll see you on Friday, Berry. Be sure to bring your A-game."
"Yes, Coach Beiste! I won't let you regret it!" She jumped up, throwing her arms around the stunned football coach and giving the older woman a big Rachel Berry style bear hug.
Her locker slammed shut in front of her face, causing her to jump back, just barely missing getting her fingers caught in the steel door.
"What," a pale hand slammed into the locker in front of her before she had time to turn and face her assailant, "is up with your face, Manhands? You letting that overgrown child your so obsessed with use you as a punching bag now or something?"
The attack had come from the side of her face that was still swollen from the mishap on the football field, so she couldn't see her attacker, but she certainly recognized the voice. "Hello to you too, Quinn." She turned and faced the glowering blonde. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Hello? Have you looked in a mirror today?" The blonde scowled, gesturing at the smaller girl's battered face. "You're like the poster child for abuse victims."
Rachel's good eye narrowed slightly. "And why should you care?"
If anything, the cheerleader's scowl deepened. "I don't. But I really don't like guys who get their kicks smacking girls around, so if some jerk is hitting you or any other girl in this school, I want to know!"
"Not that it is any of your business, Quinn," Rachel stepped to the side, preparing to walk around the seething cheerleader and away, "but this was entirely the result of an accident, the injury part of which was entirely my fault for being foolish."
"God! Are you even listening to yourself? You freaking sound like a battered wife!" Quinn threw up her hands, trying to keep herself from reaching out and grabbing the girl's shoulders. "What'd you do, walk in to a freaking door?"
The brunette scowled. "I did nothing of the sort! And I take offense at your assuming that I would remain in a relationship with someone who abused me. I have too much respect for myself to remain with any person who would do such a thing."
She stepped to the side, attempting to get away but Quinn reached out and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around. "Oh, no, you don't! You don't get to walk away until you tell me what the hell happened!"
"Again, not that it is your business, but I got this because I was trying to catch a football without my helmet on. It hit me in the face. It's rather embarrassing, so if you don't mind, I would rather not talk about it."
With that, she stepped past the cheerleader again and this time managed to make good her escape. The blonde just stared at her back as she walked away.
Trying to catch a football?