Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have a lot planned for our dear Rachel along with all the characters about to be involved with her. Damon is about to meet someone he didn't expect. How could someone be as high maintenance as Katherine, yet still have a heart?
"I have a question," Rachel laughed, leaning back in her newly installed computer chair the movers had graciously fixed up. Her entire room mirrored hers from Lima, now with purple walls instead of yellow. She absolutely loved it. Her desk was pushed up against the wall opposite her giant window. On her computer screen were several faces of her old teammates, all grinning excitedly at her as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "How the hell are all of you fitting into one screen?"
"The magic of a webcam, my dear," Kurt joked. "I called an emergency Glee club meeting just so we could all see you. Worked like a charm. Even Mr. Shuester showed up oddly...which is weird because I didn't even call him." He turned to look at Brittany suspiciously, since these things usually happened because of her. At first, she didn't appear to understand why he was accusing her of something when it suddenly came to her.
"I have Mr. Shuester on speed dial in case I get lost in the school parking lot again. Remember that time I was there for two days? It was a really hard time for me," she shrugged. Santana smiled sympathetically, placing a hand on her shoulder. Despite the fact that it was Saturday night, the two of them were still wearing Cheerio uniforms. It was like some kind of ongoing gag. Weirdly enough, however, Rachel missed it. Mystic Falls was treating her very well these past two days, but it'd never do her what Lima did.
"Hey, Rachel!" Mr. Shuester greeted off screen. "Kurt told us you got to sing at some charity wash today?"
Rachel playfully scowled at Kurt, who raised his hands up in defense. "It was for a new friend of mine. I really wanted to make a good impression, so I agreed. It was nice...I had to leave early, though, because the person who was working the computer and speakers had to leave. That's when Matt and I went to the Grill to eat and I went home. For my second day here, it's been really productive."
"Matt? Who's Matt?" another voice joined in the mix, making Rachel flinch. She didn't realize Finn was also there. He suddenly appeared on the screen between Kurt and Mercedes.
"He's just a friend, Finn. He's still stuck on Elena because apparently they used to date, but she's seeing Stefan now, and...it was just lunch," Rachel cleared her throat. Finn still looked accusing, but he knew not to say anything. They were broken up. Albeit, they were only broken up for two days, but even still. "You won't believe it, though...apparently after I left there was a fire at the wash! It went out rather quickly, but one of the cheerleader's cars just simply...poof!"
"Sounds scary," Tina shuddered. "I hope everyone was okay. But I've been dying to ask since we have to head back to school for the first time without you tomorrow. What are you gonna do at their high school? Do you know how different it's gonna be over there? Your dad registered you, right?"
"Yeah, right after his first day in the office. He's already so busy, it's infuriating," Rachel grumbled. "All I know is...I'll hopefully be sticking with Elena and her company the entire time because they're the only ones I know as of now. They're all really great, too, so there won't be much tension. I just need to finish out sophomore year..."
"So, are there any hot chicks?" Noah asked eagerly, only to be smacked across the head by Quinn. Rachel snorted.
"There are definitely some...attractive women, but none of them have a hankering for a mohawked boy with an issue of dumping kids in trashcans," Rachel said seriously. "I think I'll be fine here, honestly. Everyone seems so nice and it's really, really normal. No Sue Sylvesters, slushies in the face, or anything like that. In fact-"
She cut herself off quickly, her excellent hearing alarming her someone was outside moving. That was weird. It was late at night. Nobody should be out at this time of day. She slowly arose from her computer chair, looking toward her window.
"Hang on, guys, I think I hear someone," she mumbled, slowly approaching the translucent object, her brown eyes searching. She was thankful there were streetlights on her street. Biting her lip, she saw it wasn't at her home. Instead, it was right next door. Peering, she saw it was Elena, still fully dressed looking as though she murdered her entire family. Rachel frowned. She wanted to open the window and call out to ask her if she was okay. After all, she did disappear from the car wash according to Stefan, but she looked frozen in fear as she crawled into her car and sped off. Deciding to ask her about it tomorrow, Rachel turned back to her computer and slowly sank back down into her chair. For some reason, that event made her uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Quinn asked, noticing her face.
"Nothing, I...I just saw Elena speed off. Maybe she forgot something at the wash. It's just weird to leave at this time of night," Rachel shook her head, "Are you guys going to be working on the Regionals setlist tomorrow? Mercedes, do you have any solos in mind? I actually thought of a few on the plane ride and I was thinking of pitching them to you guys so you could take them into account. You know you have to attack Vocal Adrenaline's weak points. Now, I've done some research. They tend to do numbers that compliment their strongest singer, Jesse St. James. Apparently he's a senior this year, so it's really important that you catch them while they're strong and remain superior the duration of their next two years without him. After some digging, I've come to find they've never done a funk number. Now, Mercedes and Artie, I think you two could collaborate on a duet-"
"Breathe, Rachel, breathe!" Mercedes laughed, "Regionals aren't for another month! We have time! You don't need to worry about us. You need to focus on your time over there. You're acting like you're a mother who's left her kids without a babysitter, damn."
"
I honestly feel like I have," Rachel sighed. "You guys are fantastic, I mean that, but...I just want to be sure we do whatever it takes to win."
"I think you forget I'm here, Rachel!" Mr. Shuester called, also appearing on screen, "We'll be okay. Seriously. We know what to do. I think I have an idea of what to do this week. I just need to put it all together. I think all of you are really gonna like it."
"Did they like your performance, Rach?"
Finn suddenly asked, leaning forward on the table that held Kurt's laptop.
"Yes, they did. I received many compliments. I just hope there's some sort of function at the high school I can join so my talents won't die in vain. I better go, though. Dad's threatened to turn off the internet if I don't get to bed early. I think he's far more excited for school than I am. He's been so worried about me and Daddy...he feels like the move's all his fault," Rachel leaned her head into her open hands. "It sucks because he came home today absolutely excited. Apparently the office is really nice, and he even got introduced to the sheriff since some of her men stay as nightly security there. But as soon as he saw my face he looked guilty. I'm worried the stress will get to him."
"Rachel, you're fine. As long as you show him you're having a good time, he'll stop putting pressure on himself. Let him get a feel of the new job. Just take a step back. Trust me, you do not want to spend your time worrying; it'll only make things worse," Quinn sighed, rubbing at her stomach. "We shouldn't keep you. Skype us again next Sunday, but keep us updated on what's going on, okay?"
Rachel smiled and nodded. "I love you guys...I'll text you." With that, she waved goodbye and ended the Skype call, closing her laptop and walking toward her light switch. She could hear her fathers talking downstairs. They sounded rather anxious. Raising a brow, she skillfully creaked open her door a tad to listen in, hoping they weren't arguing again. She hated it when they fought.
"She said they meet every other night at the Lockwood mansion to discuss certain matters. She wouldn't tell me over what, but she mentioned we would be more than welcome," Hiram insisted. "That lovely woman you met today, Sheriff Forbes, she's there, too. It would appear it's some sort of founding families club."
"We're not a founding family, sweetheart. I can't schedule meetings with them when I have to focus on everything us. What did you tell Carol?" LeRoy replied tiredly. Rachel bit her lip. He did sound rather exhausted.
"I told her I'd talk to you about it. I think it's very lovely they thought of us. We can't pretend Lima was as welcoming as this place seems to be. It would be nice to be somehow included with the community, LeRoy. Our little girl is blossoming on just the second day. I hated coming home everyday in Lima to see you sitting along on our couch watching Desperate Housewives. It's time we branch out a bit. Carol said there'd be excellent wine there," Hiram chuckles. "Just give it a thought. Plus this means we'll be able to check in on Rachel with some subtlety since she's friends with the founding families' kids. Carol's a real gossiper when she's on three tequilas."
"You drank tequila in the afternoon?"
"Irrelevant. Just think about it long and hard. C'mon, we need to go to bed. I know you have to get up early."
Rachel frowned and shut the door. Founding family meetings? That sounded oddly traditional, but she was glad her dads were branching out of their own comfort zone. She wasn't the only outcast in Lima. It was a town of homophobic people with awful morals due to either their political agendas or religious tendencies. They didn't have many friends. Here, however, it seemed far more welcoming. Smiling to herself, she shut off the light and wandered toward her bed, welcoming her soft pink comforter.
At the back of her mind, however, she still couldn't help but wonder why Elena left her home in the middle of the night...
Her alarm blared obnoxiously the next morning, startling her to consciousness. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her head. It was a dreamless night, but she felt like her head was exploding. Sunlight bleared in from her window, lighting the room without the need of the one sitting above her. Today was the day. It was her first day of school. This was the one thing she wasn't looking forward to when she heard about the move, but she actually felt pretty good about it. She had Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler. That's far more companions than she had when she first started as a New Direction.
Smiling to herself, she promptly sat up and got right out of bed. Her morning routine consisted of her moisturizing, practicing scales as she fixed her hair, and pulling on her maroon reindeer sweater over a plaid skirt. While it wasn't what girls like Caroline or Elena wore, Rachel felt at home in it. This was who she was. Plus, it was far too late for a sudden wardrobe change. She gazed at herself in the mirror, slowly nodding to herself. She could do this. It was easy!
Grabbing her bag as well as her cellphone, she wished herself luck as she left her room and trotted down the stairs in time to see her father sitting at the counter drinking coffee. He looked exhausted, but happy. Rachel smiled as she approached, pressing a kiss to his head before moving around to fix herself a quick breakfast before she'd leave.
"The car is all gassed up, sweetie, your father made sure of it," he said.
"Thanks, Daddy. I'll text you when I'm coming home. Hopefully I find some form of a choir or Glee club available at the school. I'm really looking forward to using my voice here. Everyone seemed in awe at the wash, which tells me I'll have no competition for my position as a star." Rachel said, pressing a hand over her heart. She quickly finished making herself a small, vegan-friendly, breakfast and rushed to eat it before kissing her father again on the cheek and rushing to the door.
The day felt as beautiful as it looked. It wasn't blistering hot, but it wasn't freezing cold either. The day seemed perfect. Maybe this was a sign on how good it'd be. Biting her lip, she went straight for the Armada and climbed in, quickly starting it and backing out of her driveway. Next door, she could see Elena leaving her house, still looking rather worried about something. Deciding now would be the perfect opportunity to ask what was wrong, she carefully pulled in front of her driveway and rolled the window down.
"Elena!"
The girl was startled; she must be very deep into her own thoughts. She looked up and met Rachel's eyes, looking relieved as she noticed it was just her. Looking around as though she'd be followed, Elena slowly approached the Armada. She smiled up at Rachel, but even she could tell it was extremely fake. Something was obviously wrong.
"Hey, first day, huh?" she asked, "I know you'll probably be stuck with all the sophomores, but if you're able to get B lunch, go find Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler outside at one of the benches. You'll be able to sit with them. You're gonna have lots of fun, I'm sure of it." Rachel frowned, instantly reading between the lines.
"Do you and Stefan not have the same lunch?"
"Well...we do, but neither of us will be going today. He said he wanted to show me something and today's the only day we can do it. You'll see me tomorrow, though, I promise." Elena waved. "Good luck at school, Rachel! Just stick to your schedule and I'm sure you'll be fine!" Rachel took that as her cue to roll up the window and slowly leave Floyd Street. That was very weird.
But there was no time to sit and worry about Elena. She needed to focus on herself. As selfish as that sounded, Rachel just wanted the day to go well. She was used to being the outcast in school, but maybe this meant it would be different. Mystic Falls was a wonderful place, she's coming to find out. Besides, she didn't have to worry about bringing a second set of clothes in case of a slushy attack.
It wasn't difficult to find the high school. Since the wash was held in its parking lot yesterday, Rachel just mimicked the route and pulled the Armada out front, trying to find a good parking spot that wouldn't put anyone else off. Once it was in park, she grabbed her bag and cellphone, before crawling out. The car was a lot bigger than most, so Rachel always struggled to get out without falling because of her poor height.
The school was already packed with students. It wasn't too early in the morning, but she wasn't in the threat of being late either. Smiling confidently, she swung the bag over her shoulder and slowly made her way up to the school. Thankfully, nobody's heads turned to her out of shock. By now, the town knew of the new family in town and their teenage daughter. She was tired of all the looks she received at the Grill. Unfortunately, however, no looks meant no way of getting help in finding the front office to grab her new schedule.
She tried to see if she could find any of the others, but they were nowhere to be found. Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler were not amongst the several faces she saw on the way into the main entrance. One obstacle, that was it. She should be able to find the office by herself. It shouldn't be too hard. She just hoped she got there in time before classes started. She would hate to be late on the first day.
"Hey, Rachel!"
Rachel looked up automatically, surprised to hear her name. She felt sudden relief when she saw it was Jeremy calling her over. He was adorned in rather dark clothes that reminded her of Tina, but it wasn't anything too over the top. Although, the black nail polish on his fingernails did put her off a bit. Nevertheless, she walked up to him with a grin.
"Jeremy! It's good to see you! I was worried I'd be wandering the school all throughout first period. How was that...thing with that Vicki girl yesterday?" she asked, thumbing at the strap of her backpack. Kids wove around behind her, not giving her the slightest bit of a gaze. This meant if she hadn't met Elena when she did, she'd go completely and utterly unnoticed.
"Well, uh...it was fine at first, but it got kinda awkward. Had to turn in early. But, um...I saw you walk in here and I thought I'd help out. I don't think my sister's gonna show up today. She didn't talk to me all morning." Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, still smiling crookedly down at Rachel.
"Oh, yeah! I ran into her this morning when I left the house. She told me her and Stefan would be skipping. Actually, Jeremy, I was hoping someone could help me find the front office. I'll be needing to retrieve my new schedule and all," Rachel requested rather nervously. She didn't want to outright tell him he just had to.
"Yeah, no problem! Since you're in my grade, we'll probably have a few classes together." He sounded a little excited about that. Rachel shook it off and just followed him down the hallway, quietly memorizing the turns so she could get there on her own next time without help. Jeremy was babbling the entire way, pretty much just giving her a heads up on how all the teachers were. All of them seemed fine, but she would definitely start her history class with a substitute because, apparently, the last teacher suffered a brutal animal attack that killed him. That made Rachel stare up at him in shock, but it must be old news because he didn't seem all too bothered by it.
Soon enough, they approached a staircase which was directly across double red doors. Jeremy quickly opened one for her, letting her walk inside. It was obviously the main office by the looks of the dull white walls and the many inspirational posters. There was a huge desk dividing the students from the teachers. It seemed the only way to get to the other side was by going through a door that was to Rachel's right. There were three women inside, but two of them were distracted in the back going through paperwork. The only woman available was one at the front typing away at an old computer. She smacked her gum obnoxiously, not even looking up at Rachel.
Jeremy gently encouraged her with a soft push forward. Rachel cleared her throat loudly, flinching as the woman looked up and met her eyes.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm Rachel Berry. I'm the new student from Ohio; I'll be needing my schedule to get on with the day," she said in a rush. Something about the woman intimidated her. Maybe it was the fact she was just a few years older than she was and was in a position of power. Either that or she was just simply nervous about her first day at a new school. Or both.
"Sure, sweetie," the woman replied, popping her gum and opening a cabinet off to the side. She flipped through many papers before she finally pulled an orange folder out and opened it. After thumbing through that for a good two minutes, the woman pulled out another paper and handed it to Rachel. "Have a nice day, honey. Try to find those classes okay."
"Yes, ma'am, thank you," Rachel nodded, before turning back to Jeremy and following him out. "Okay...I have no idea where any of these classes are."
"Let me see," he mumbled, taking the paper carefully from her and reading it over. "Looks like we've got , fifth, sixth, and eighth together. You also got B lunch, so you'll be heading to the cafeteria after your fifth period. I have it, too, which is...pretty cool." He smiled happily as he handed the paper back to her. "I do happen to know where your first period is, though, let me take you there."
Rachel nodded, smiling, not having the heart to tell him she was planning to spend her lunch with Elena and the others. Maybe she could convince him to sit with them, too. Jeremy carefully led her throughout the many hallways, trying to find the quickest way there. They ended up on the furthest end from the main office.
"Chemistry," Jeremy sang. "This'll be your first period, obviously. Your next one is P.E.. Lucky for you, P.E. is shared by all the grades, so you'll be able to spend it with Caroline and Bonnie. I'll see you in fifth, okay?" Waving to her, he quickly sped off. Rachel smiled. He was a really sweet guy. Still grinning, she walked inside the classroom with her head held high. The teacher was a younger black woman with a long, thin face and a gangly figure.
"You must be the new girl," she said as she approached. "Rachel Berry, right?"
"Yes, ma'am," Rachel nodded.
"Sit wherever you like. We'll be going over acids and bases today. I hope Ohio taught you a little bit of it."
Rachel nodded slowly, before she turned and walked to the far right of the row of desks, taking a seat at the third one from the front. Kids continued to arrive, all chancing a glance Rachel's way as they did so. It was expected. While the students outside paid her no mind, it was a completely different thing having her as a personal classmate. Whatever the feeling, she knew this was about her education. She didn't need friends in the classroom. She needed to learn.
And so she did. It was hard at first, the stares, but she got used to it, By the time the bell rang for second period, her notebook had its first several pages filled with her neat notes. Smiling, she quickly grabbed all of her things and trotted out the door. P.E. was next, which meant she'd be able to see Bonnie and Caroline if they were here today unlike Elena and Stefan. Rachel smiled as she wandered off to try and find it.
Thankfully, most of the girls were heading that way, anyway, so all she had to do was fall in step behind them. So far, the day was going by pretty well. She hadn't stepped on any feet, her and Jeremy were going on good terms, and she was discovering how the school worked with its many twists and turns. Hopefully tomorrow she wouldn't require aid to find her classes.
Soon enough, the girls led her into the locker room, which also had a door that led into the gym. Many were inside getting changed into their athletic clothes, leaving Rachel to stand awkwardly at the doorway, staring. She didn't have any athletic clothes with her. As if answering her prayers, she suddenly heard her name. Whipping around, she saw a happy Caroline waving her over. Bonnie was bent over on the bench beside her, tying her shoes. She didn't look up until Rachel got there.
"Oh! Rachel," she said, looking into her eyes before glancing at Caroline, "I didn't know you had P.E.!"
"Unfortunately, it's requires. I usually manage to burn my calories in the morning on my elliptical, but I haven't been able to set it up. Plus, every high school requires at least one year of physical education in order to graduate. I'm somewhat being forced here. I'm not much of a sports girl. Who do I speak to in order to receive athletic clothes?" Rachel looked at Caroline specifically, already feeling the uncomfortableness seep into the conversation between herself and Bonnie. What was that girl's problem?
"Just see the coach outside. How's the first day going? Have you talked to Elena?"
"Unfortunately, no. I ran into her this morning and she explained she wasn't attending today. But, otherwise, I'm having an awesome time. While the staring with everyone is growing a tad bit annoying, I'm willing to overlook it in the hope of getting my education back on track. I have to ask, though...um...does this school happen to have a Glee club of some sort? Or a choir?"
"No, I'm sorry. But...we do have sponsored musicals, if that helps. Yeah, Mrs. Lockwood gets a kick out of that stuff. Not a lot of people audition. They usually have to bribe people with class credits just to go. Just go talk to Tyler to talk to her. I'm sure she'd love for you to join. Just to warn you, most of our plays are on the histories of Mystic Falls, so they can get a tad boring, but the music genres vary." Caroline babbled happily as she finished changing before leading her into the gymnasium.
The coach was a taller female with bulky shoulders and long blonde hair. She was taking roll with a brown clipboard as Rachel approached, not acknowledging her until she was only a few feet away. She barked, "You are Rachel Berry, new student, a sophomore, daughter to LeRoy and Hiram Berry, yes? I was aware I was receiving you today. You're the talk of the town lately. I keep all athletic clothes in my office. You'll find it behind the red door to my right. Go inside, get your size, then change. Hurry up, I don't like slackers."
She tossed a ring of keys into Rachel's surprised hands, before she pushed her toward the red door. Rachel practically fell into it, her flats digging into the gym floor and making her slip. Blushing in embarrassment, she grabbed the doorknob and jerked it. Locked. Of course. Staring down at the ring of keys, she tried to decipher which one would open the door. Trying them all would waste her time. The correct key had a red splotch of paint toward the tip, as if it chipped some of the door on its way into the keyhole before. That was the right one.
Turning the key and opening the door, Rachel carefully walked inside the tiny room, shutting the door behind her and looking around for the bin that held her clothes. The room was painted in the high school's colors, lines of trophies taking up most of the shelf space, ranging from football to tennis to baseball. Finding the bin, she quickly got the correct size and ran back out into the gym in order to get to the locker room. She realized she could've changed in the office, but she couldn't risk it with her paranoia about a security camera being in there that she didn't know about. The locker room was empty. Thank God.
Rachel rushed to take off her clothes and pull on her athletic ones, not wanting to be late and have this coach hate her probably more than she already did. Just before she could slip on the red sneakers, a smash from one of the gym locker aisles made her head snap up in a hurry, practically cracking her neck in the process.
"Hello?" she called out uselessly. Stereotypical girls in horror movies always had to cry out that one word, which more times than not got them killed by the movie villain because they gave away their own position. Rachel shook her head and went back to tying her shoes, deciding it wasn't something she needed to worry about. Something probably fell from someone's locker. As she went to grab the keys to return to Coach, she heard another slam, making her head whip around again. Someone was there in the locker room with her, and they wanted to make their presence known.
Instead of calling out again, Rachel shifted the ring of keys so each laid protruding outwards between each finger kind of like that fictional character Wolverine. It was foolish to take such a precaution, but you never knew. Rachel didn't know what the crime ratio was in this jurisdiction. Making her way to the specific aisle the noise had come from, she called out as confidently as she could, "It is most definitely not funny if someone is trying to pull a joke! I really must get to P.E.! You should really be attending your own class as well! Skipping can earn yourself a..."
She trailed off as she got to the aisle, not a figure of life standing within it. Instead, all she saw on the floor was a pair of athletic shoes that had slipped from an open locker door. Snorting to herself, Rachel walked over and bent to pick them up. She really was being paranoid. What was wrong with her? Smiling to herself, she placed them carefully back in their locker and turned to leave just before she let out a blood curdling scream.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's just me!" Bonnie yelled over her, holding her hands up.
"Why would you sneak up on me like that?" Rachel asked breathlessly, holding a hand over her heart.
"Well, you were taking so long, Coach asked me to come get you. You alright?"
"Yes...yes, I'm fine. C'mon, we should go," Rachel said, shaking her head as she walked past her. Since she turned her back, she wasn't the one to notice Bonnie stare down the aisle Rachel was just in with a look of worry and knowing.