I got up extra early in the morning and got ready for a run. For some reason I just couldn't sleep, well I knew the reason but showing up at school a few hours early wouldn't help anything. I heard my mom stir when I was on my way down the stairs and she smiled when she saw me ready for a run.
"Aunt Santana give you a good way to deal with Beth?" She asked and I nodded as I fiddled with my ipod.
"Yeah and I haven't run since I got here..."
"Don't go too far." She said turning back to her bed room and I smiled and then bounded down the stairs and out the front door.
Left or right I thought to myself as I got the the edge of the driveway and I quickly turned to the right as started to run down the street. It was still sort of dark out when I was running so I made sure that I stayed on the sidewalk while I ran which wasn't my favorite thing to do but it was better to be safe than sorry. I had gone a good mile and a half when I saw someone approaching going the opposite direction and I moved to one side of the sidewalk and just kept running. As they got closer I felt my stomach churn as I saw that it was Ms. Corcoran. I was hoping that she would just wave and pass on by but clearly that wasn't her style as she stopped and held out her arm so I had to stop to talk to her. I pulled out my headphones and turned to her.
"Hey." I said shifting slightly knowing that this was cutting out of the milage that I was trying to rack up.
"Wow you're up early and running of all things? I thought that you would have been exhausted after rehearsal yesterday." She started and I rolled my eyes.
"As if." I said regretting my word choice as soon as it left my mouth. Word choice, word choice. I cursed myself in my head as I turned back to her with a smile.
"God you remind me of your father." She stated and I laughed a little bit being as most people said I was like my mother, if only she knew I thought.
"I guess." I stated flatly.
"So we didn't exactly get off to the best start and I just wanted to apologize about that..."
"There is nothing to apologize about." I said and she shook her head.
"But I should apologize for my daughter's behavior..."
"Why would you? I mean you got what you wanted right?" I said and I could have killed myself for not controlling my mouth. I mean what was with me this morning? "I'm sorry..." I stated and she just laughed.
"It's fine. So I will see you in class today right?" She asked and I nodded.
"It's not like I could get away with it not being as I have you for five of my eight classes." I said and she laughed.
"Well I guess I will see you at school." She said and I nodded.
I put my head phones back in and then I started to run off. Why in the world did I decide to go right? Left was just as nice, the road was just as well lit, but no I went right. I thought as the song ended and I looked at the time and sighed. I really should be turning around and heading home but that also meant that I would run the risk of having to pass Ms. Corcoran again. In the end I had to bite the bullet and turn around to head back being as I was going to have to take a shower and get ready. I sighed and then moved to the road to run. I took my headphones out and wrapped it around my arm and set the timer. My mom and I had a competition going to see who could run a mile in the shortest amount of time and being as I was trying to avoid Ms. Corcoran this was a good time to time myself.
I ran as fast as I could down the street and I had good a good distance before I stated to feel slightly winded but I pushed through it. I had already past Ms. Corcoran and I was not wanting to slow down while I was in front of her so I pushed through it and full out ran the entire way home. I stopped the timer as I got up on the porch and was happy with my time. I walked into the house and went up to my room to take a shower being as I was now sweaty and gross.
When I was done with the shower I got out and dried my hair and then got dressed in some jean shorts and a t-shirt and slipped the yearbook into my bag and walked down to the kitchen.
"How was your run?" My dad asked as he brought me a plate with pancakes on it.
"Fine. I saw Ms. Corcoran while I was running, it was strange." I said sitting down and he laughed.
"Of course you would." He said and I shrugged.
"It was fine. So what is with the cooking?" I asked before I took a bite of my breakfast.
"Well I didn't get to have dinner with you last night and I feel like I got cheated out of time with you." He said taking a seat as my mom walked out of the study on her phone.
"Hey I have to go Nicole is here." She said as she hung up the phone and took a seat next to us.
"You want some?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Your dad refused to make vegan pancakes." She said and he shook his head.
"I will support you and your need not to eat animals and stuff but vegan pancakes are disgusting." My dad said and I laughed.
"Do you agree with him?" My mom asked turning to me and I shrugged.
"Hey don't bring me into this, I just like pancakes." I said and she laughed.
"So tomorrow you and I are running okay?" She asked and I nodded knowing that there was no arguing with her. At least I knew which way not to go tomorrow.
"Yeah that would be great." I said looking at the time. "Hey can we leave? I want to do something before class starts." I said and my dad nodded getting up carrying our plates into the kitchen.
"Let's go." He said giving my mom a kiss as we walked out the door.
"Don't get in trouble!" My mom called and I laughed.
"I won't!" I said as we walked to the car.
My dad and I didn't really talk on the way to school. I just kept looking out the window counting the seconds until I was at school. When we pulled up I got out and waved before I saw Beth walking towards me with her mother slightly behind her and I smiled as Beth stopped in front of me.
"Hey can we talk?" She asked looking back as her mother who gave her a look and I nodded.
"Yeah I wanted to talk to you anyway." I said clutching my bag closer to my side as we walked down the halls until she pulled me into the choir room and closed the door.
"Look I'm sorry about the fight, I was wrong..." I laughed as she tried to quickly repeat the script that her mother clearly told her she had to tell me.
"Beth I'm not here to make nice I am here to make a proposition with you..."
"What could you possibly offer me?" She asked and I opened my bag and pulled out the yearbook.
"Well what was the name of that team that you told me to join my first day here?" I asked flipping through the pages.
"The Cheerios, why? And what are you doing with that yearbook. You should know that my mother has strictly banned all issues that date before her time as the glee coach..." She started to say as I showed her the picture of her mother.
"You see I don't think that she banned them because she wasn't in them, I think she banned them because she didn't want you to know who your biological parents are." I stated and she snatched the book from me.
"How did you..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over the picture.
"That is my mom's yearbook. When she heard your name she called my aunt who happens to be one of your biological mom's best friends." I said pointing to the picture of Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. "That's my aunt..." I said as she looked up.
"And that is our choreographer. I can't believe this. I have been so close this entire time. You know my mom won't even talk to me about my birth parents. Have you met her?" She asked and I nodded.
"Once or twice when I was little but not recently but I do know your dad pretty well." I said as Beth started crying.
"God do you know what I would give to meet him?" She asked gingerly wiping the tears off of her face being careful not to touch her taped and bruised nose.
"He wants to meet you." I said and she looked at me.
"My mom is going to kill you if she finds out about this." Beth stated and I shrugged.
"It doesn't bother me. So here is the deal, you lay off of me and I will help you with your parents problem. Deal?" I asked and she looked at the picture one last time before she closed the year book and handed it to me.
"You have a deal. Nothing is more important to me than this. You're on St. James." She said getting up. "Oh and if my mom asks I apologized and we are working on our relationship. Oh and this Friday I am spending the night at your house..."
"While you are where?" I asked and she smiled.
"Taking you to a party so we can talk about this whole biological parents thing. Alright?" She asked and I nodded.
"Yeah."
I put the yearbook away and then made my way to Ms. Corcoran's room being as the bell rang. After class I had to go to my new classes and at lunch I ate with Kyle and a few of his friends. After lunch started the classes I was dreading the most. At least when I was in english Ms. Corcoran could not call me out, insult me, or make me do something over and over until it was up to her standards but now she could.
It was funny though because the first class that I had with her was independent study. You would think that when you studied independently you wouldn't have a teacher but nope listed as my teacher was Ms. Corcoran. I made my way into her class room and saw her sitting at the desk.
"You're early." She said not looking up from her papers and I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah like thirty seconds early." I said as the bell rang and she looked up from her papers.
"You know I will forgive a sharp tongue in the morning but not so much when you are in my class." She said getting up while motioning for me to follow her. We walked to the auditorium and then she pointed to the stage and I walked to center stage and she followed me and handed me a pony tail holder and I tied my hair back.
"What do you want?" I asked as I pulled my hair through the pony tail holder one last time.
"Show me something. Mr. Schuester told me that you took dance and a bunch of other things, let me see what you have." She said moving to the side and I turned to her.
"Can I grab my ipod? I dance better with music." I said and she nodded.
"Here you stretch and I will grab it for you. Is it in your bag?" She asked and I nodded.
I started to stretch while she walked over to where I had my things and then she pulled out the year book.
"What is this?" She asked holding it up and I ran off stage to grab it from her.
"It was my dad's." I lied trying to snatch it from her but she pulled it away from me.
"Your dad didn't go here, he went to Carmel." She said flipping through it and I tried to think of a good lie.
"He got it from his girlfriend Rachel Berry." I said and she closed the book and put it down and I could tell that I struck a chord.
"This isn't allowed on campus. Please don't bring it back." She said placing it back in my bag and I could help but question her.
"Why?" I asked and she handed me my ipod and stood up.
"It just isn't. Now go show me the routine." She said pointing to the stage and I just looked her in the eyes.
"Santana told me about Beth's parents, she deserves to know." I said and her eyes grew cold.
"Beth knows what she needs to know. She isn't interested in her biological parents now leave it alone and go dance." She said and I turned and walked to the stage.
I turned my ipod on and flipped through a few songs before I settled on a lyrical piece and then started to dance. It wasn't until I was halfway done that I noticed Ms. Corcoran seemed distracted and Beth was sitting behind her. I finished the dance and then I turned off my ipod and turned to her.
"Do you want me to leave?" I asked and she shook her head.
"No this is also Beth's independent study which is why she is here. The dance was good, a little rough around the edges but better than what I usually work with." She said and I gave her a look.
"Rough around the edges?" I stated and she nodded.
"You were into the dance but you got distracted and distant halfway through I couldn't get into you dancing." She stated and I rolled my eyes.
"Hey check the attitude. If you can't take constructive criticism you aren't going to make it on broadway..." She started and I gave her a look.
"Do you have any idea where I went to school before I transferred here?" She shook her head as I continued. "I was at Juilliard studying with some of the best dancers and singers in the world. Who do you think you are to tell me that my dance was rough around the edges?" I spat and she turned and said something to Beth before Beth got up and left and she slowly made her way to the stage.
"What did I tell you about your attitude yesterday?" She said in a low harsh voice and I rolled my eyes getting tired of the way she was treating me.
"I don't know why don't you remind me?" I snapped and her eyes locked with mine and I could tell that this was turning into a battle of the wills.
"Are you really going to do this?" She spat and I laughed.
"What do you think?" I said cocking my head to the side slightly and she nodded and backed away.
"Don't be late to rehearsal. I think you will benefit from some one on one time." She said grabbing the yearbook before she left. "And this is coming with me." She said as she left the auditorium.
The rest of my classes with her were, terrible. Apparently no one talked back to Ms. Corcoran very often and when they did she made them pay dearly. At rehearsal she made everyone else go run laps while she left me in the auditorium with just her.
"On stage now." She said and I got up from where I was seated and got on stage.
"What now?" I said and she took a few steps towards me.
"Round off back handspring back tuck." She said and I smiled as I completed the simple pass.
"Is that it?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Front hand spring, layout." She said and I did the next pass.
"You know she belongs on the Cheerios not in your loser club." A tall woman called walking towards Ms. Corcoran but she didn't even turn to face the woman.
"Back handspring, back tuck, layout." She called taking another step towards me. I completed the pass as the tall blonde woman watched and walked over to the stage where I was by passing Ms. Corcoran.
"What in the world are you doing on a team like this with talent like that?" She asked and I shrugged.
"She isn't up for taking." Ms. Corcoran said. "Again with the same pass." She said and I turned and did the pass for her again.
"It's still a free country Shelby and I believe that she is up for the taking." The blonde said irritating Shelby again.
"Sue you have three seconds to get off of my stage and out of my rehearsal and if you even look at one of my glee club members again I will wipe your Cheerios off the face of this school." Ms. Corcoran said and the tall blonde flinched and then left without saying another word. "Now back to you." She said turning to me. "Let me see that pass again and add an extra back handspring to it." She said and I went to do the pass but landed funny and she noticed.
"What was that?" She asked as I tried to play it off as if I was fine.
"Nothing, what else?" I asked walking away from her while trying to hide the pain on my face.
"Lying about being hurt is only going to make it worse." She said and I turned to face her.
"I'm fine, what else." I snapped and she walked over to where I was.
"Stand on your right leg and look me in the eyes." She said and I knew I was screwed.
I stood on right foot and was able to mask the pain for a few seconds before I couldn't hide it any longer and I put my left foot down and then sat on the stage. She came over to me and took my shoe off and moved my foot around slightly noting when it hurt.
"What is your parent's phone number?" She asked pulling out her cell phone and I told her my dad's number and she tried to call him but he didn't answer.
"What is your mom's number? She asked and I shook my head.
"I'm fine..." I said trying to get up and she pushed me back down.
"You have a sprained ankle from what I can tell. You aren't going anywhere until a parent comes to get you. What is your mother's number?" She asked and I sighed.
"Let me call her." I said and she sighed and handed me her phone.
It rang twice before she answered.
"Rachel Berry speaking who is this?" As soon as she answered I was glad that she let me call her.
"Mom it's me. I need you to come get me, I hurt my ankle and I can't leave until..."
"I will be right there." That was all she said before she hung up and I handed the phone back to Ms. Corcoran.
"She is on her way." This was not going end well.
I sped to McKinley. I knew that nothing good would come of Nicole joining that club as long as that woman was in charge. I threw my car into park in the visitor parking spot and then stormed down the hallway.
A lot of things had changed since I last walked down these halls. My hair was usually worn curly and down around my face, I wore solid patterns and more flattering clothes, and my shoes were now design heels instead of the ballet flats that I wore in high school. A lot of things had changed about me but a lot of things didn't. I still had my bangs, I was still friends with a lot of the glee club members, and I still hated it when people hurt the people I loved. As I tore into the auditorium I had my cell phone still clutched in my hand and I was waiting for Jesse to text me back. He was in the hospital when Shelby called so he couldn't answer but he was on his way now and we were going to let her have it if she ruined Nicole's chances at performing.
I walked past Shelby and onto the stage and bent down next to Nicole and pushed her bangs out of her face and then I looked her over and noticed that he right shoe was off and there were a few ice packs taped to her ankle.
"Are you okay?" I asked and she nodded.
"I landed funny, it's nothing I haven't been through before." She said and I shook my head and then stood up and faced Shelby.
"What happened?" I snapped as she looked from Nicole to me speechless before she held back her surprise and spoke to me.
"She was doing a few tumbling passes when she landed funny and rolled her ankle. She seems like she is fine though. What is going on?" Shelby spat back and I was not in the mood for her right now.
"Nicole is my daughter, that is what is going on." I stated as I helped Nicole up and I got her off the stage and into a seat in the auditorium.
"Rachel I think that we should talk." Shelby said trying to get me to walk away from Nicole.
"She knows Shelby. I told her as soon as she told me about you. I can't keep things from my daughter, it isn't right." I stated and Shelby took a few steps towards me.
"I know that we weren't on great terms but you couldn't call me and tell me about Nicole?" She asked and I rolled my eyes.
"You made it clear to me the last time you left that you wanted nothing to do with my life and well Nicole is a major part of my life so no I couldn't just call you and let you know." I said and she nodded.
"You know I wanted to call you so many times..."
"Please just save it. Maybe when I was in high school you could manipulate me and how I feel but not anymore. You made a decision to walk out of my life and I made the choice to cut you out of mine which meant Nicole too. You have Beth and I moved on with my life you are just going to have to deal with that." I stated turning back to Nicole as I heard Jesse walked in.
"What happened?" He asked running over to where we were.
"It's nothing serious. Can you help her out?" I asked and Jesse quickly lifted Nicole into his arms and I grabbed her things.
"Rachel..." Shelby called and I turned to face her once more.
"Shelby I think it would be best if we keep our relationship professional. You are my daughter's coach and nothing more. I wanted to have a relationship where you would be something more to me but honestly you were right. You may be my mother but you will never be my mom." I stated before I turned and followed Jesse out of the auditorium over to where our cars were parked. I was furious with what had happened today but at least I didn't have to hide anymore and Shelby could bet that I was going to make my presence known in her rehearsals until I felt safe leaving Nicole there alone again.
A/n: I did it! I wrote another chapter which I hope you like because I do. Oh and this is not the last you will see of their fighting this my readers is just the tip of the iceberg...so yeah I will try to post again tomorrow! So please review and let me know what you would like to see and like I promised and have upheld I will try to add it into the story somehow! (even if it is just pulling in an old glee character for an appearance!)
-Katie :)