Hey Guys! Here's another chapter for you! I hope you all like it. I sort of have the next chapter written out but I still need to know what you'd like to see so that I can incorporate some of the things you'd like in here. I'd like to thank everyone who has given me an idea and I hope I have done justice with them. Also, I'd like to thank Gleek1990 for putting up with my crazy mistakes when I'm typing it to her. (Yes, I still use pen and paper. So much more fresh.) Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!
Quinn takes a cautious step towards Rachel, afraid of scaring the small girl. "Rach, I know you don't trust her and you don't want to live with her but what if they take you away? What if they make you move halfway around the county or something? I don't even have you yet but I can't lose you, please Rach."
Some of the anger leaves Rachel's body at the desperation in the blonde's voice, though she doesn't let it show. Letting Shelby get the upper hand just is not an option, and her weakness for Quinn would totally tip the scale. Rachel directs her glare towards Shelby.
"I have a few stipulations." Rachel pauses and awaits Shelby's approval. At her nod, she continues. "I will not transfer schools, I value privacy so I will require a bedroom with a lock on the door, and you will not treat me as if I am your daughter. I do recognize that technically you only abandoned me once, but I am not your daughter. I don't care how much your guilt and pity tells you that you want me, because you gave that responsibility up. Also, do not expect me to speak to you unless it is life or death."
Clearly fighting back tears, Shelby nods her acceptance nearly making Rachel blow her act and frown. She'd been cruel in hopes Shelby would refuse and just disappear again, leaving her to live in her own home again. That clearly wasn't happening. She'd have to live with her mother.
"Well then, lets get this show on the road." Rachel says with fake enthusiasm and strolls out of the room humming Highway To Hell.
Rachel stares up at Shelby's two-story home with a scowl as she waits for Shelby to unlock the door. The house seems it be mocking her. It is a typical family home, painted a soft blue with white shutters and a porch running along the entire front part of it. On one side is an old porch swing, the paint looks like it had been chipped off in some places and peeling in others but it made it charming. Despite hating everything that had to do with Shelby, she adores this house.
Sitting on the other end of the porch is an old, worn rocking chair. Rachel clears her throat in a failed attempt at clearing images of her and her mother on this porch throughout her life as she walks into the house. Those things never happened and never would.
"This is the living room and through there," She points to her left, "is the kitchen. I didn't know what you eat so I bought a bunch of different vegan things. We can go shopping later. Also in the kitchen is the door to the basement. The basement doubles as the music room. There are various instruments down there and I'm sure you're familiar with most of the sheet music in there as well. The room is soundproof so don't worry about being too loud. Down the hall is a bathroom, guest rooms, and my office so..."
Rachel smirks at Shelby's awkward trail off. She'd been counting on the tension of her silence and just prayed it would either make Shelby reject her or give her peace. Rachel slowly trails behind Shelby up the stairs and takes in the pictures as they go. The first one is a family portrait containing Shelby, an older couple, which Rachel assumes is her parents, and a pair of college-age kids that look to be twins. The picture makes her sad, that would be her family if her mother hadn't been a surrogate.
The second isn't much better. It's the exact same photo just a few years in the past. Shelby looks to be college age this time, the twins are nearing in their teens but not quite there yet, and her parents only had hints of gray in their hair.
The third contained a ten-year-old Shelby and baby twins. They were posed the same way but this time Shelby wasn't looking at the camera. Instead she was staring at her baby siblings. The love and adoration in those tiny eyes is physically painful to Rachel. That was how Shelby is supposed to look at her and now there's only pity and disgust.
Rachel takes a deep breath and continues up the rest of the stairs, only glimpsing the last picture of a baby Shelby. She couldn't stand seeing the family she never had. One look at Shelby told her that the woman wants to explain but she shakes her head, silently asking her not to try.
When she steps into her new room, she's actually surprised. She'd been expecting a typical guest room: bed, closet, end table, and TV. Though those things are in there, there is also a desk, and a wooden chest at the end of the bed. "I didn't know what you would want, so I just got a desk. I figured you could decorate later, if you wanted too." Rachel shrugs, she doesn't want to be there at all so why would she bother to decorate? "Well, I'll leave you to unpack. Dinner will be ready soon."
Rachel breathes a sigh of relief when Shelby finally leaves and quickly shuts and locks her door. Going over to the bed she finds a hospital bag containing her belongings. She'd been in such a rush to leave she didn't grab her phone or keys and to finally have them back is fantastic. As she scrolls through her missed calls she reclines against the pillows on her bed. 10 calls were from Quinn, 8 were from Shelby, and there was at least one for every glee member. Next, she decides to go through her missed texts first.
Tuesday Nov, 6th 6:05pm Noah: Jew babe, you okay?
Rachel rolls her eyes at the question. Of course she's not okay.
Tuesday Nov, 6th 4:45pm Santana: Berry, you best be okay.
Tuesday Nov, 6th 4:43pm Brittany: Get better Rachie. Miss you!
She smiles slightly at that, she'd always had a soft spot for Brittany; everyone has a soft spot for Brittany. There were a few others from the Gleeks but one really caught her eye.
Tuesday Nov, 6th 3:05pm Mercedes: Stop being such a drama queen and get over it! Stop being so damn selfish and think of the team.
Before she'd opened the message, she'd had a bad feeling about it but decided to press on. By the time she was halfway through reading the message, she was livid and utterly depressed creating a dangerous as if purposely adding fuel to the fire her mind starts to take her back to the pictures on the stairs and the unlikely scenarios from the front porch. The next thing she knows she is smashing the desk chair against the desk, causing them both to break into pieces.
Stomping over to the window she forcefully pushes it up and starts shoving the broken pieces out of it. Ripping the sheets from her bed she throws them out of the window and moves onto bedside table and chest. They were easy to toss and she made quick work of them. Being in a room full of things Shelby bought just isn't an option for her. It was pity money and completely suffocating.
She stands by the window psyching herself up for the next thing that is to go out of the window, her. Well, it would have been if Shelby hadn't chosen that moment to break down the door. Knowing her window of opportunity is closing she scrambles to make it out but is yanked back inside by a strong hand. Shelby sets her on the bed and disappears for a moment before coming back with nails, a hammer, and a screwdriver.
Rachel glares at her back as she pounds four nails into the window frame. Rachel's glare intensifies as Shelby turns and starts unhinging the door.
"This is for your own good Rachel." Immediately face palming at the corny line Rachel mumbles into her hands,
"The hell it is."
