Help Her

The school halls were crowded the next day like they were every day. There were girls chatting loudly; some boys playing around and kicking some soda tins as if it was a football; there were cheerleaders flirting with other sportsmen and jocks fooling around. Many students were walking to their classes, sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall and reading books or just listening to their MP3s, dancing some random moves. It was the usual happening in high school and Rachel Berry was in the middle of it all.

The brown-haired girl walked with high speed through the crowd, trying to prevent to be smashed and made her way to her locker. She was wearing a jeans skirt that reached her knees and a pink T-Shirt that hugged her perfectly. Before she reached her locker, she was spotted by the football players who were standing and talking a few feet away from her. They all checked her out, before they smirked to each other and nodded their heads in signal to Puck, who nodded back.

He knew what he had to do.

So did Karofsky who had a big slushy prepared in his hand, slowly walking towards Rachel.

The moment the boy threw the slushy at her, Rachel looked up, heard a ''watch out'' from somewhere near her and got the slushy right in her face.

The cold hit her hard and she shivered vividly. For a moment she did not hear a thing around her, but then she slowly wiped the liquid from her eyes and opened them.

''Hahaha! Loser!'' laughed the football players as well as the cheerleaders and some other students that were watching the action.

The hall erupted in loud cheering and whistling; all of them pointing at the short girl, drenched in the colourful slushy; and laughed their asses off.

Puck who watched, as so often, from the side, smirked to himself for a moment, but put on a serious expression, as soon as he saw Rachel looking around. When she turned around for a second and showed him her back, he thought he saw her shacking – but he must have imagined that.

She really was small.

And standing there, in the middle of the hall, surrounded by giant and laughing teenagers, she seemed fragile like a child. Puck got a feeling that, at this particular moment, she really must feel this way.

Ok.

Enough…

The show must begin.

Rachel blinked a couple of times and for a moment looked around. A lot of people were watching her with laughing expression, but- There was Puckermann. He did not laugh. He looked at her with a shocked expression.

Rachel shook her head, turned away, and made her way to the showers.

It is not as if she did not expect it. She did. It happened almost every day.

But there was this slight hope that because she talked to Puck… that things might change…

Whatever…

Rachel opened the door of the school's bathroom with force and slammed it behind her. The bathroom was empty as always when she was slushied. No one dared to come near her, after this happened – of course they did not; someone might think that they may have helped her or something, and then Rachel would not be the only slushy victim.

She threw her school bag on the floor under the washbowl and leaned with both hands on its edge, looking into the mirror.

It was horrible.

Her T-Shirt was now a strange violet-green colour, but her skirt was not affected. Her hair was a mess; the liquid was dripping down her face; and it was cold.

But Rachel did not feel cold. The swallowed anger in her made her feel hot and if her face was not splashed blue, it might have looked red.

She furiously washed her face, when she heard the door open. She did not turn around to see who it was – it did not really matter. If they plan to throw another slushy in her face, she will call the police. Really, it's enough.

No one from school wants to help her. That is ok – she will help herself. She does not need others.

Rachel felt someone standing behind her and she finally looked up into the mirror with her face now clean. She was quite surprised when she saw who was standing behind her.

She did not say anything for a moment, just wiped up her face and turned around.

Noah Puckermann was holding her paper bag with her spare clothes. He watched her with sorry eyes, but Rachel did not want to see him pitying her so she looked around the room: ''Um, thank you for bringing me my spare clothes. I must have forgotten them in the hall.''

She reached for her paper bag and grabbed it. She wanted to pull it to her, but Puck did not let go immediately. He looked her in the eye: ''Are you ok?'' he asked.

Rachel got angry – of course she was not ok? Did she look ok? These stupid stupid hormonal teenagers!

But she did not show her furry. She calmly pulled her clothes out of his grasp and sighed: ''As far as I can be.'' She turned around and put the bag on the floor.

''What are you doing here?'' she asked without turning around.

Puck was surprised, when she unashamedly stripped out of her T-Shirt and threw it into the sink. She was standing in front of him in her bra and skirt only, and all he could do was watch her with flushed cheeks and admired her perfect body.

She was short, but she had perfect curves and muscles on her stomach. She had every girl's dream figure.

Rachel did not seem to notice his gaze and calmly took out of her bag her shampoo and soap. When she finally caught him checking her eyes in the mirror, she blushed and held her towel in front of her chest: ''Don't be so surprised. You can watch girls in bikinis all the time – and this is almost the same.'' She tried to excuse herself and stepped into the shower.

When she closed the oscillating door behind her, Puck could finally breathe. His heart almost stopped, when he saw her strip and if she stayed a second longer in front of him, he might have done something unexpectable.

He leaned his back on the wall with his eyes firmly on the shower door. He heard Rachel strip her other clothes and saw them hanging over the oscillating door. If he was an even bigger ass as usual, he would have stolen her clothes and left her suffer the consequences. Or he might have walked in to her, seduce her and do things to her that would send her to heaven.

But Rachel Berry was not like that. He knew that for a fact. He knows her since long ago.

So he just waited.

Rachel took a warm shower and tried to clean the liquid off her hair. There was no problem in doing that – she was an expert. But what bothered her was that someone was just a couple of meters away from her, while she was naked under the water.

She blushed at the thought of Noah Puckermann standing near her. She knew about his reputation – but she had a feeling, he will not do anything to her. Why would he? And even if – she would not let that happen.

The other thing also was that she knew him. She knew he would not do anything to her. She knows who he is.

''You're sure you're ok?'' he asked again and waited for her to come out of the shower. He heard the water stop, then some noises of towels and clothes and then she finally opened the door and stepped out.

Puck did not know what made him speechless; was it the look in her eyes, or was it her look? Rachel same out of the shower, her long brown hair wet and curly; her face clean and somehow it seemed fresh; she still wore her blue jeans skirt and a blue T-Shirt that perfectly hugged her curves. She actually looked almost the same as 15 minutes ago, but there was something- something different.

Puck stared at with open mouth and blinked as if he saw something new. ''I assure you. I am alright. It is not the first time and most probably not the last time this happens, so you do not have to worry.'' she told him, not even looking at him, stepped in front of the mirror and combed her hair.

Puck was watching her reflection and now knew what was different. Yeah, she did look a bit hurt, but not as much he would expect. However, there was this expression on her face – relief, maybe gladness.

Why was she glad?

He put his hand on her shoulder and started to play his part – not really playing, because he actually really meant what he was about to say: ''No one is going to slushy you from now on. Never. And if there would be someone who would be brave enough to do it again, just mention it or give me a hint, because I know that you wouldn't tell – that's how you are. So, really. It won't happen.'' his voice was deep and serious, as well as his face, but there was a voice in his head that screamed that he was a liar.

Rachel looked at him innocently, her eyes shining with curiosity. ''I really appreciate it.'' she started formally, but then smiled with content and happiness written all over her face: ''I really am happy that you are a bit concerned. I know it is most probably pity or something in that way, but I really am glad that you are here.''

Puck was taken aback. He just blinked at her and smirked: ''You won't get rid of me now, princess.'' She laughed at that and he gave her her bag and jacket, which he was holding till now. While Rachel still put herself together, he slightly opened the door and peeked out. The hall was empty and silent – the class has already begun.

''Won't you be late for class?'' he asked her, when he fully opened the door and waited for her. She looked at him from the side, smiled and shook her head: ''No. I have a free period. I- um-'' she gulped a bit unsure. ''I usually come an hour earlier, before my classes start.''

Puck scratched his neck: ''Why is that? You could sleep longer at home?'' he asked and before he went silent again, he already knew the answer. He kind of gasped and hissed to himself: ''Don't tell me-''

Rachel blushed and did not look at him: ''Well, I need time to clean myself off. And usually it is always in the morning, when I get slushied, so-''

Puck watched her with a funny expression and she had an urge to blush even more or hide herself. ''Don't look at me like that.'' she said unsure, but smiled afterwards. Puck laughed and pushed her out of the room into the hall: ''Berry, you really are a bit crazy. Smart, I admit, but crazy.''

Rachel smiled shyly: ''I'll take that as a compliment.'' Puck snorted; Rachel did not know if he noticed or if it was on purpose, but he still had his hand on the small of her back, leading her through the hall to her locker. She did not say a word about it.

When they came to her locker, she opened it and showed her dirty clothes in the plastic bag in and took some books out. Then she looked at him again and smiled: ''Again thank you. I am very happy that you helped me. I own you again.''

Puck smirked: ''Don't mention it. But I will think of something for you to do for me.'' She laughed and half turned away. ''Go to class, I know you are ditching.'' then she waved her hand and made her way to the library. Puck called behind her that she's still crazy, but heard her laugh again.

When he made his way to class, he knew what the gladness and happiness in her eyes meant – she was happy that she was not alone; that he was there for her; that he helped her. It seemed that he was the first person to do that.

Feeling guilty about it, he tried to make a plan for his next step. He mustn't pity her; that will only bring unnecessary thoughts about her and her miserable state in this school.

Yeah, he is going to get closer to her.

He knows it.

He is a stud.

His slow steps echoed through the empty hall, as he smirked: ''This is going to be easy.''