This chapter is extremely long…I ended up putting more information in here than I originally planned. Stick with it, I promise the read is worth it!
Chapter Five- Maybe This Time I'll Win
The weekend seemed to fly by for Ginny, with homework, cleaning and laundry. Her mom worked 12 hours days nearly every day, and especially on the weekends, leaving almost all of the chores to Ginny. She didn't mind though, because her mother was doing better in Lima than she had in a long time. A job for almost two months, and no signs of any sickness, for Ginny, life was finally good.
Monday morning began the long week known as Homecoming, and Homecoming Madness was definitely present in free period Glee club rehearsal. As excited as the students were about spirit week, the game, and the dance, they were also realizing that their own home Invitational was only two weeks away. Once Mr. Schuster finally calmed them down, they got straight to work on their latest number for sectionals. They were doing three charts, one with mainly girls singing, one with guys, and one all together. By the time the rehearsal was over, the members of the glee club were tired, but still pumped up. Tuesday was the same way, with both the morning rehearsal and the evening rehearsal. Ginny left right after they finished on Tuesday night, and Jack watched her go.
"Dude, have you asked her to the homecoming dance yet?" Artie said, rolling over to his younger friend. Finn was with him, and they had watched Jack as the girl left the room. And poor Jack, the look of panic was there. He had no idea that someone else knew that he liked Ginny, well, except for maybe Finn. And maybe Ginny herself, but of course, he couldn't be sure.
"No, I just don't know if I should. I mean, I like her, a lot. But, we are really good friends and I don't know if she wants anything more…" He stammered, and Finn laughed.
"Then just ask her as a friend. No need to torture yourself. And if it turns into something more, then awesome." He said, clapping his friend on the back. "Just don't worry too much about it; I'm sure she'll say yes." Artie nodded in agreement.
"You think so?" Jack said, and he laughed along with the rest of the guys. Tomorrow, he thought as he drove home, I'll ask her tomorrow.
Ginny's walk to school each morning was becoming chillier now that fall has set in. Luckily her mom had bought her a jacket a few weeks ago. She hugged it to her body as she crossed the street in front of the high school, walking through the parking lot. She nearly fainted when she heard her name.
"Ginny!" he said, "Wait up a sec!" Jack jogged up to her, smiling and trying to be smooth. She smiled back, thankful that it was Jack and not someone else. She had managed to not get slushied since the first week of school, and she hoped it would stay that way.
"You're here early; did you forget to do your Spanish homework again?" Ginny teased, as her eyes met his. She saw a seriousness there, and it caught her by surprise.
"No, I got it done yesterday. I just had something I wanted to ask you," Jack's eyes never left hers as he spoke, and he was nervous now. He cleared his throat, and kept going.
"Will you go to the homecoming dance with me?" Both Jack and Ginny were oblivious to those around them, so neither one saw the disgusted look on Lori's face as she walked past to rehearsal.
Ginny's heart was beating so fast, and it took her a second to answer. Jack broke eye contact then, and took a step back.
"We can go as friends; if you want…I don't want you to do something that you don't want…" He stammered, but Ginny grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"I would love to go with you Jack," Ginny answered, "I'm sure Rachel and I can find something for me to wear on such short notice." She let go of his hand and smiled. Jack smiled back.
"If I know Rachel, she's already got it picked out." He said, looking across the parking lot to see Rachel and Finn watching them. Ginny laughed.
"I'm sure she does. We better get to rehearsal." Ginny replied, walking towards the school.
They walked together and met Rachel and Finn at the door. When they got to the choir room the boys went in, and Rachel walked with Ginny to her locker.
"So, what were you and Jack talking about?" Rachel asked, as if she didn't already know.
"Jack asked me to the homecoming dance, but of course you knew that," She said, laughing as she closed the locker door, "And I said yes." Rachel's eyes lit up.
"Yay! Now we just have to pick out the perfect outfit for you! You can come over tomorrow night after Glee and I am sure we will find something. And you could ask your mom if you can stay with me Friday night. This is going to be so fun!" Rachel replied, practically wearing Ginny out. What Ginny didn't know was that Rachel, despite the many friends she had now, had never had a super close girl friend, one that she could plan outfits and sleepovers with. So Rachel was more than ready to do these things with Ginny. And Ginny was excited that for once, she had a friend. As they went to Glee rehearsal, she silently prayed again that Lima would be home, for good.
This rehearsal was the worst one they had had all week. Ginny was, admittedly, not the greatest dancer, but she was working hard to keep up. But it seemed like Lori ran into her whenever possible. Towards the end of rehearsal, Lori stomped hard on Ginny's left foot, and she let out a yelp, when caused the whole crew to stop.
"Geez guys, what happened to our focus? Let's call it a day. Come back tomorrow with your head in the game!" Mr. Schuster said, shaking his head and talking with their accompanist.
"Sorry guys." Ginny said, limping over to the chairs and sitting down. Jack was right there beside her.
"You don't have to apologize for anything." Jack said, his eyes looking over a Lori, then back at Ginny. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be okay. I just need to work on the steps more, maybe Brittany can help me." The bell rang as she spoke. Standing up, Ginny limped towards the door.
"I can carry your books, if you need me to." Jack said.
"No, that's okay. See you at lunch." Ginny replied, being rather short with him. She felt bad instantly for sounding so harsh, but she felt a bit overwhelmed, and smothered. She was excited that Jack had asked her to the dance, and that Rachel was going to make sure she had something to wear. On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel that Lori was picking on her and stepping on her on purpose. With glee and her mom and everything else, she was stressed out.
By the time lunch rolled around, the rumors spread that semi-popular sophomore Jack Ryan was taking new, nobody freshman Ginny Gordon to the homecoming dance. Jack knew that the whispers were probably fueled by Lori, and he was already fed up. He met Ginny at the door, and noticed she was still limping.
"Is your foot still bothering you?" He asked, concerned.
"It doesn't hurt that bad anymore. Why is everyone staring at me?" They got in line for lunch, and the stares and whispers continued.
"I think Lori has something to do with this." Jack said, seething, as Mercedes, Kurt and Tina came up behind them.
"Don't let them bother you Ginny. We've got your back." Tina said, and the rest of them nodded. During the rest of the lunch period, they tried to keep both Jack and Ginny distracted so that they didn't notice. When the bell rang, the two headed for Spanish class with Mr. Schue.
The whispers and stares died down for the rest of the day, and for that Ginny was grateful. Her foot didn't hurt that bad and she made it through the day okay. She met up with Jack, Finn and Rachel in the parking lot.
"Do you really think Lori is doing this on purpose?" Finn asked, and then cut it short as Ginny walked up. She noticed the quick silence, and shook her head.
"Really guys, no harm done. My foot is fine, so what if she wants to gossip? It isn't hurting me any. I HAVE a date for the dance." She replied, in a true flash of confidence. Ginny smiled at Jack, who was smiling as well, and blushing.
"Well, I'm glad you are feeling okay, but I'm not going to let you walk home. I'll take you, we have plans to make." Rachel said, smiling, as she got in her car. Ginny followed suit.
"Do you think Lori will calm down before rehearsal tomorrow?" Ginny asked, and Rachel shrugged.
"I don't know, but I would be prepared, if I were you."
Ginny's mom was glad to hear that her daughter had a date for the homecoming dance, and agreed to let Ginny stay over at Rachel's afterwards. Kimberly didn't mind, she was working a double that night anyway. After a 16 hour shift, she wouldn't notice if Virginia were home or not. When Ginny finally went to bed that night, she tried hard to ignore the black and blue spots on her foot.
Ginny slept so well that night, that she apparently didn't hear her alarm. Running late, she frantically found something to wear, and was surprised that her mom was already awake this morning. She kissed her cheek hurriedly.
"See you late tonight Mama, I'm running late!" Ginny said, heading for the door.
"Wait Virginia, let me take you. I'm presentable at least." Kimberly replied, grabbing her keys. Ginny looked a little apprehensive, but smiled. It wouldn't hurt for some of her friends to meet her mom finally.
When the beater old station wagon pulled up in the parking lot, Rachel was surprised to see Ginny get out. She figured her friend was already inside, going over dance moves with Brittany. She walked over to the car, along with Finn and Jack. Ginny walked around the car as Kimberly rolled the window down.
"Hey guys, this is my mom, Mrs. Gordon, mom this is Finn, Rachel," she hesitated for a moment, "and this is Jack." Kimberly smiled at the children she had heard so much about.
"Nice to meet you all, Virginia has told me so much about you. I'll see you tonight." She said to Ginny, before rolling up the window and driving away. They walked into glee rehearsal, and Ginny managed to keep questions about her mom to a minimum. They had more important things to worry about, like the wrath of Lori.
Lucky for Ginny, Lori didn't seem to even notice she existed anymore. The day went by smoothly, and then it was time for glee rehearsal again. Mr. Schue had managed to book the auditorium so that they could do a straight run-through of all three sets for the Invitational. The run through went surprisingly well, although they were all tired when they finished. Mr. Schue looked pleased.
"That was great guys! Awesome first run through, I think we will be great at the Invitational! Tomorrow we will do another run through in the choir room, and then we will work hard on cleaning everything next week. See you tomorrow!"
Everyone gathered their things, chatting excitedly. Most of the chatter was about the homecoming dance the next day, and Ginny found herself getting just as excited as the other girls. For once she felt like she belonged and that was a great feeling. Rachel walked over and the two girls headed for her car.
"I really appreciate this, you taking out the time to help me find something to wear to the dance. I really don't have anything nice at home." Ginny said, feeling embarrassed as she admitted this to her new friend.
"It's okay; I actually don't mind sharing clothes with a friend. I've never had any siblings to share with, so it's fun for me!" Rachel said, heading to her house.
The girls chatted on the short drive to Rachel's, but nothing prepared her for the house she was about to see. It wasn't like Rachel's parents were rich or anything (like Quinn's, for example) but Rachel's house might as well have been a mansion to Ginny. She grabbed her book bag and followed Rachel in.
"My dads will be home in about an hour. They already said its okay if you stay for supper, Thursday night is Chinese take-out. You like Chinese right?" Rachel asked, chattering away as they went up the stairs.
"Sure, sounds great." Ginny said, taking time to look at all of the pictures of Rachel and her dads in the stairway. When they entered Rachel's room, however, it was exactly like Ginny expected it would be, very girly, with yellow and pink, and stars. Gold stars, the ones Rachel liked the most. Ginny smiled.
"You have a beautiful house Rach, although I expected your room to be a little girlier, I mean, it's just so tom-boyish." She said, laughing.
"Ha ha, you're so funny! Well, let's get to work. Go ahead and take off your shoes so it will be easier to change." As Ginny did so, Rachel saw how purple and blue Ginny's foot was from Lori stepping on it.
"Wow Ginny! Are you sure she didn't break it? It looks pretty bad."
"Rachel, its fine, really. I doesn't hurt that bad, it looks worse than it is." Rachel shook her head.
"Whatever you say."
An hour and one hundred outfits later, they had found the one. This outfit consisted of a cute mid-length black skirt with knee-long red leggings underneath, a red peasant top and some cute black flats.
"Do you really think I look all right?" Ginny asked for the 100th time.
"You look awesome! Tomorrow night after the game we will come back here and change, and then Jack and Finn will pick us up. I can't wait to see the look on Jack's face!" Rachel said, clapping her hands together with pure joy. Ginny still wasn't sure; she had never even tried on anything like this outfit before. They put the outfit back in Rachel's closet and headed downstairs to have Chinese with Rachel's dads, which went well. Afterwards, they headed for the car so Rachel could take Ginny home.
"So, where exactly DO you live? I mean, we've been dropping you off at the corner this whole time. I don't want to you walking too far with your foot all bruised up." Rachel asked as they put their seatbelts on.
Ginny froze, unsure of what to do. She knew that Rachel was her friend, and that she was one of the most non-judgmental people Ginny had ever met, but she didn't know what to do. The silence dragged on, and Rachel picked up on it.
"You don't have to be embarrassed Ginny. It doesn't matter where you live, you're still my friend. And I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Finn."
Ginny nodded, and gave Rachel the directions to the trailer park, and finally, to the small trailer she and her mom shared. Rachel's eyes were wide, but she didn't say anything as they pulled up.
"I guess you didn't think I lived in a place like THIS, huh? Ginny said, getting out of the car slowly. Silence was the worst thing Rachel could have done, and the tears welled up in Ginny's eyes. Rachel saw it, and got out of the car.
"Ginny, wait! I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I just didn't want to say the wrong thing. It doesn't matter to me, I promise!" Ginny turned to face her, and saw the sincerity on Rachel's face.
"My mom and I had to start over in Lima. We didn't have much to start with, but things are getting better." She said, grabbing her book bag from the back seat. Rachel nodded, and wrapped her younger friend in a hug.
"You don't have to be embarrassed. You are still the same Ginny to me."
"Thanks Rachel, thanks for everything. I'll see you tomorrow."
Rachel watched as Ginny walked up the stairs and into the trailer. She knew that her new friend wasn't the wealthiest, but now she saw that Ginny was dealing with much more than not having enough money for a new outfit. She secretly thanked God for the blessings in her life, and vowed to help Ginny in any way possible.
The next morning Ginny got up and got dressed, running early rather than late. She checked in on Kimberly, who was still fast asleep, and packed her small bag for the sleepover at Rachel's. On the walk to school, Ginny's thoughts lingered on the next 24 hours. For the first time since Jack had asked her to the dance, she felt nervous. She met up with Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and a few others in the parking lot. Jack pulled up, and that nervous feeling came back. Ginny watched him walk up, and she got sick to her stomach with butterflies. She tried not to meet his gaze as they headed to rehearsal, and successfully avoided him during that morning's run-through. He caught up with her, though, during lunch.
"Hey Ginny, how was dinner at Rachel's last night?" He asked, hoping she would relax.
"It was good. We had a great time finding an outfit for tonight." She replied, smiling at him. Their eyes locked and she looked away again.
"Ginny, you don't have to be nervous. It's just me, just the same Jack who is awful at Spanish, and at singing." He laughed a little as they sat down. They were the first glee members to their usual table. She looked at him again.
"You are a great singer, but you are pretty awful at Spanish." They laughed together, as Artie and Tina joined them. The tension broken, they were able to enjoy each other's company for the rest of lunch and Spanish class. After school, Jack met her at her locker. She smiled, facing him.
"So, Finn tells me that we are picking you guys up at Rachel's for the dance. Is it okay if I sit with you and Rachel at the game?" He asked, smiling back at her.
"Sure, that is fine with me. See you there?"
"Yep, can't wait." He smiled again as he walked away. That smile made Ginny feel nervous all over again.
The game was all tied up in the fourth quarter. The Titans had had a rough night, despite the Homecoming excitement, and already had two injured players. The pressure was on Finn again, after throwing two interceptions early in the game.
"C'mon Finn! You can do this!" Rachel whispered under her breath, and Ginny heard her.
"He's got it Rachel, no problem. Relax!" Ginny said, and both she and Jack laughed.
"I want to relax, but if he loses he'll be in an awful mood at the dance, and I want to have a good time!" Rachel said, smiling with both of them.
Just the mention of the dance made Ginny completely terrified. So far at the game Jack had been his normal self. He hadn't made any moves to hold her hand or anything, and Ginny was grateful. She didn't want to get so nervous that she decided not to go, and any sudden movements on Jack's part would have put her over the edge.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by the cheers of the crowd, and of Rachel. Touchdown Titans! The clock ran out as they scored the field goal, and McKinley was victorious once again! Rachel and Ginny cheered, hugging and jumping up and down, and Jack just laughed.
"What? We're excited! Where is your McKinley high spirit?" Rachel said, looking at him.
"I have plenty of spirit, but you two are over the top!" The smile he flashed Ginny made her heart melt. He had a way of doing just exactly that every time he looked at her. Laughing, the three headed for the exit.
"I guess I'll see you guys in a bit. Be careful getting out of here!" Jack said, walking over to wait for Finn outside the locker room.
"We will!" Rachel answered, and they headed to her car. She noticed how quiet Ginny had gotten, and she smiled.
"Getting nervous?" She teased.
"A little. I've never been to a dance before, let alone with a date. Jack is so nice, and I…I don't want to mess things up." Ginny replied, as they pulled into Rachel's driveway.
"You won't mess things up. Jack likes you for you, and I know you guys will have a great time. Just wait and see." Ginny hoped that Rachel was right.
An hour later both girls were dressed, and Rachel had already fixed her own hair and light make-up. She was working on fixing Ginny's hair when her phone rang.
"Okay, yeah, umm hmm, I'll see you soon. Love you too, bye." Rachel hung up the phone and continued working on Ginny's hair.
"Are they on their way?" She said nervously.
"Yes, they are, but don't worry your pretty little head. They need to stop at Finn's real quick first, we have plenty of time." Rachel finished with the straightener, and then let Ginny see herself in the mirror as she got out her makeup. The girl Ginny saw in the mirror was one she never would have recognized. Her eyes welled up as Rachel came back.
"Oh Ginny don't cry, you look beautiful! We'll just add a little bit of makeup and then you'll be perfect." She wrapped her arms around the young girls' shoulders, looking in the mirror with her.
"Thank you Rachel, this would have been impossible without you. I've never had…" she stopped, not wanting to sound stupid, but then went on, "I've never had a friend before." Rachel smiled, wiping the tears off of Ginny's cheeks.
"Well, now you've got one. And a best friend at that." She said, and began working on the makeup. In a few minutes she was finished, and she heard the doorbell ring.
"Here goes nothing!" She said excitedly, as the girls grabbed their purses.
"Rachel! Ginny! Finn and Jack are here!" Rachel's dad, Hiram, called out.
"Coming!" Rachel said, squeezing Ginny's hand before they went down the stairs.
Finn was prepared for Rachel to look gorgeous, as always, and he wasn't disappointed. She was wearing a darling yellow and black dress, with her hair pulled back, she was beautiful. But he wasn't expecting Ginny to look the way she did. And judging by the look on Jack's face, he didn't either.
She was beautiful, absolutely stunning. He couldn't speak, he couldn't even move. Ginny was like an angel straight out of his dreams, and Jack blushed for even thinking those things about her. Rachel watched the boy's reactions, and decided to break the silence.
"You two look very dashing tonight. Did Carol have to tie your ties?" Rachel asked, smiling as she took Finn's hand.
"Guilty." Finn said, watching as Ginny stepped in front of Jack.
"You look amazing." Jack said, blushing, his eyes meeting Ginny's.
"Thank you. And you look dashing, Rachel had the right word." Ginny said, meeting his gaze. Although she was still beyond nervous, having Jack look at her that way made her feel special, and she knew that saying yes to him was the right move.
"You all look great. Let me take a few pictures before you go," Hiram said, pulling out the camera.
"Okay Daddy, but just a few," Rachel added, as they posed for him. As the pictures went on, Ginny got less and less nervous. They walked out, and got to the cars.
"See you guys there!" Finn called out, opening the door for Rachel. Jack did the same for Ginny, and they were off. An awkward silence ensued, until Jack spoke up.
"Ginny, you really look beautiful tonight," he said, sneaking a peak at Ginny, and then blushing, he added, "I mean, you are always beautiful, but now…" His voice trailed off.
"Thank you Jack, you really don't have to say that. Rachel did a good job putting a nice bow on an ordinary package." She said, looking out the window as they pulled up to the school. Jack looked at her, taking her hand to stop her from continuing.
"You are anything but ordinary Virginia. You are one of the most amazing people I know, inside and out." He said, his eyes meeting hers. The use of her full name got her attention, and she blushed as well, without breaking eye contact.
"Thank you," she said softly, smiling. "We should head inside." Jack nodded and got out, opening the door for her.
"Shall we?" He said, extending his arm to her.
"We shall." Ginny replied, smiling and taking his arm. They entered the gym, which was decorated and packed with students, and headed over to the table of glee club members, where Rachel and Finn had just arrived. As Ginny walked up, she heard the ooohhs and aaahhs of her friends.
"You look fabulous Ginny, Rachel did a great job." Kurt commented, and the rest of the crew nodded.
"Thanks you guys, she's the best." Ginny commented, smiling.
Ginny wasn't really one for dancing, but with the encouragement of Rachel, Tina, and even Jack, she was having a great time. After staying out on the floor for 3 straight songs, she and Rachel took a seat while Finn and Jack went to go get them some punch.
"I'm having an awesome time, even if I can't dance!" Ginny said, semi-yelling over the music.
"I knew you would! And you aren't that bad, Finn is the one who can't dance." Both of the girls laughed as she added, "But he still has fun!"
Ginny's eyes searched for Jack, and she saw him standing near the punch table, with none other than Lori Gaines. Ginny's blood boiled, and Rachel saw it too.
"I'm sure she's just making small talk. Don't worry about it." Rachel said, and sure enough, Jack left her and headed back to the table. He handed Ginny her drink, and saw the look on her face.
"I'm sorry Ginny, she stopped me. I am here with you; I only want to be here with you." He said, taking her hand. The first slow song of the evening started, and he pulled her up. "Dance with me?"
Ginny nodded as they made their way to the floor. She saw Rachel and Finn on the floor as well, but when Jack put his arms around her, everything else disappeared. She couldn't speak; the lump in her throat was massive. Her only hope was that Jack couldn't hear how fast her heart was beating.
Jack was blown away by the fact that Ginny was standing here in his arms. Just a few months ago he never would have guessed how much he cared about her. She was smart, funny, and beautiful without even realizing it. And she was mysterious. He hoped that she would trust him with more of her; he wanted to know so much more.
Ginny looked up, and their eyes met. She smiled, "Thank you for asking me. I've having a great time." Her voice shook as she spoke, and Jack smiled.
"I'm glad you are having as much fun as I am. Maybe we can go out again sometime soon, just you and me?" He asked, feeling brave.
"I'd like that." She answered, and they held each other as the song ended. Rachel walked over, smiling.
"I'm heading to the little girls room, wanna come?" She asked Ginny.
"Sure," she replied, turning to Jack, "I'll be right back."
The girls giggled and talked all the way to the bathroom. Mercedes and Tina were there as well.
"Looks like somebody is having a great first homecoming." Mercedes said, smiling at Ginny, "No one else exists when you guys are on the dance floor." Ginny blushed, looking at the three older girls.
"Lori seems to be pretty steamed, serves her right for messing with you this week." Tina added, as she and Mercedes headed back to the dance floor. Rachel and Ginny's eyes met, and they both smiled.
"Thank you so much for everything Rachel. This night is turning out to be one of the best nights of my life." Ginny said, her eyes beaming.
"You are very welcome. I'm glad you are having a good time, and that Jack is too." Rachel replied, smiling as they headed back out.
Mercedes and Tina were walking towards them, along with Finn, trying desperately to stop Ginny from seeing the dance floor, but they were too late.
Finn, Jack and Artie had decided to head out and dance by themselves while the girls were in the bathroom, and Lori had decided to join them. All night she had been waiting for the chance to get Jack alone, and now she had it. They had been dancing together as a group, and Lori had signaled Jack out. The dance had turned slightly inappropriate, and Lori had taken that chance to make her move. When Ginny walked out, she saw Jack and Lori, dancing and grinding close to each other. Although Jack wasn't touching the other girl, in Ginny's mind, he might as well have.
Finn saw the look of terror on her face, and tried to comfort her. "They're just dancing. We all were." He sounded weak, and he knew it.
Ginny's eyes welled up with tears. She felt defeated, used, and broken. At that exact moment, something made Jack look up, suddenly wondering what was taking his date so long. His eyes met Ginny's across the room, and what he was doing immediately registered. He pushed Lori away.
"Hey, what's your problem? You were having a LOT more fun dancing with me than with her." She said, with venom in her words, as she reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Don't touch me," He seethed, heading for the hallway where Ginny was standing. Ginny watched this interaction, and the realization on his face, but she was numb. Why had she let herself care about someone, especially a boy? After years of watching her mother's heart break she should have known better.
"I need to get some air." She gulped, almost in a whisper. She turned and headed out the door, and when Rachel tried to follow her, Finn grabbed her arm.
"Give her a minute, here comes Jack." He said softly, as Jack walked up to them.
"Where is she? I honestly didn't mean anything by it, I didn't even realize what that would look like to her, oh God I've messed it all up." He said, shaking his head and looking defeated. Rachel was livid, not at Jack, but at Lori.
"Lori did this on purpose; she knew what it would look like to Ginny." Rachel said, clenching her fists in anger.
"That girl is going to get some serious smack down when I get a hold of her." Mercedes said, and Jack shook his head.
"No guys, she isn't worth it. I need to go find Ginny." He said, hurrying for the exit.
It felt good to feel the cool late October air on her face, even as the wet tears fell. Ginny felt incredibly stupid for falling for Jack's charms. She had honestly thought that he cared for her, and felt used. When she heard the door open, Ginny didn't even look to see who it was.
"Ginny, I'm so sorry. I know how that must have looked…" She cut him off.
"It looked like you two needed a room, and you can go get one if that's what you want." Ginny snapped back, instantly feeling awful for being so cold, despite the situation. The tenderness in Jack's voice as he replied startled her.
"That is not what I want. I was dancing with the guys and she came up and started dancing with us. I was having a good time; I wasn't even paying attention to who was dancing with me, because it meant nothing. I know it looked like it did, but it didn't." Ginny turned and faced him, with tears still in her eyes. It broke his heart to see her that way. He took a step forward, wanting to hold her, comfort her, but she stepped back. Ginny wanted to believe him, and he continued.
"I care about YOU Ginny, not about Lori. I should have known what she was trying to do when she came up to me. Please don't cry, it's killing me. Let me make it right." This time when he got closer, she gave in. Jack wrapped his arms around her, and she wept.
"I'm sorry, I just…no one has ever cared about me like you do. I was so afraid that I had been led on, and I just can't take that kind of heartbreak…" Ginny whispered into his shoulder.
"Shhh, it's okay Ginny. I'm so sorry, I do care about you. You have the most beautiful heart I've ever known." He whispered, as he held her close.
Things outside McKinley High's homecoming were being made right, but inside it was all that Finn, Artie, Mike and Kurt could do to keep Tina, Mercedes, and especially Rachel, from attacking Lori on sight. They were angry that their friend had been hurt, and Rachel already knew how much Ginny was going through outside of school. She wanted her new friend to be able to trust people, and now Lori had made Ginny question her trust for Jack. When the group saw the two come back into the hall holding hands, they were both shocked and grateful.
"I'm sorry you guys had to see that." Jack said, apologizing to his friends. He turned to Rachel, "She did do it on purpose. I thought maybe Lori would back off, but she didn't." At that moment the whole group saw Lori approaching them. She had gotten brave, especially after she saw Ginny run off in tears. When she saw the couple reenter the dance hand in hand, she decided to go and make sure that Ginny had gotten the hint. A slow song started to play as she walked up to the couple.
"C'mon Jack, let's go dance." Lori said, boldly locking eyes with Ginny as she spoke.
"I don't want to dance with you; I want to dance with my DATE." Jack said, squeezing Ginny's hand.
"It didn't seem like you cared too much about HER a few minutes ago." Lori commented, stepping in between the couple.
"Back off Lori, just give it a rest already." Ginny said bravely.
"Or what Virginia," she began, stretching her full name, "what would Jack want with a white-trash loser like you?" Lori smiled, moving closer to Ginny, pushing her back a step. At this comment Rachel lunged, seething, and Finn pulled her back. Ginny didn't say anything, but her eyes never left Lori's.
"Back off," Jack warned, but Lori just kept at it.
"C'mon baby," Lori crooned, stepping to the side and getting in Jack's face, "Let's go."
Ginny couldn't handle this anymore. If she had learned one thing from her mother over the years, it was to defend herself when she KNEW she could win. She stepped in between Jack and Lori.
"Get out of here Lori. You are embarrassing yourself. Just go." Ginny said, her gaze locked with the older girl.
"Or what? Geez, take a hint," Lori said, shoving Ginny hard, hard enough to make her stumble backwards. Before any of her friends could help her, Ginny was back up. Her hard right hook landed squarely on Lori's nose, and the whole group heard the crack. Even though her nose was broken, that didn't stop Lori from lunging at Ginny, knocking her to the ground as she began punching. Between Jack, Finn, and Mike they pulled them apart, but not before Principal Figgins and Mr. Schuster, who were both chaperones, came rushing over.
"What is going on here?" Principal Figgins asked, seeing Lori's face turning purple and Ginny on the ground, with Rachel at her side.
"Just a misunderstanding, that's all. It's over." Finn said, and the rest of them nodded.
"Over or not, I will need to see both girls in my office first thing Monday morning. And you all need to leave the dance, now." He continued, and walked away. When Ginny looked up, Lori was gone. Mr. Schue spoke up.
"What happened? Is this a continuation of what was going on in rehearsal this week?"
"Lori kept antagonizing Ginny Mr. Schue, she finally got tired of it and defended herself. You should see the bruises from the other day!" Rachel said, as she and Jack helped Ginny to her feet.
"I shouldn't have hit her Mr. Schue, but she put her hands on me first. I got carried away, but I was defending myself." Ginny said, as tears of pain threatened to fall.
"Lori is obsessed with me Mr. Schue, she tried to make Ginny mad so that she would leave the dance." Jack added, with concern for Ginny on his face. Mr. Schuster looked at his students and sighed.
"Okay guys. We will get this straightened out on Monday. Make sure Ginny is okay. You better get going." He replied.
"We will Mr. Schue," Finn replied, and the rest of the glee clubbers headed for the parking lot. They gathered around Finn and Jack's cars.
"That was an awesome punch! I'm sure she will look awful by Monday." Mike said, trying to lighten the mood. Ginny smiled.
"I bet she will, but I still wish I hadn't hit her. My ribs wish I hadn't either." Ginny said, laughing, and then wincing.
"We'll look at them when we get to my house. Meet you guys there?" Rachel said, looking at Jack and Ginny. Jack nodded. They said goodbye to the rest of the group, and Rachel promised to call if Ginny needed anything. Ginny and Jack got in his car and began to follow Finn.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked, concern for Ginny showing on his face. He held her hand.
"I will be. My right hand hurts pretty bad, and my ribs hurt. I really should have just walked away. Now I'm going to be in trouble, I'll probably get kicked out of school, and Glee," She rambled on, and he stopped her.
"Mr. Schue will help, he saw how Lori has been treating you this week. You will still be in Glee, I promise." He said, bringing her fingers to his lips and kissing gently. Despite the pain she was in, the feel of his lips on her skin sent shivers down her spine. Jack felt it too; the feeling of his lips gently touching her fingers sent sparks through his body. Jack held her hand until they pulled into Rachel's driveway.
The house was dark, and Rachel was grateful for that. She didn't want to explain the night's events to her fathers just yet. Jack helped Ginny out of the car, and she walked gingerly up to where Rachel and Finn were standing.
"Make sure you take good care of her Rach, she's in a lot of pain, even if she won't say so." Jack said, looking at Ginny and then back at Rachel.
"She is in excellent hands; Rachel always patches me up after a rough day of football." Finn said, trying to lighten the mood. Rachel and Ginny both smiled. Ginny saw the look that Finn and Rachel exchanged, and she looked away.
"Jack, would you help me inside?" She said softly, gesturing to Finn and Rachel, who were talking quietly. Jack nodded, blushing. He helped Ginny inside, being careful not to wake anyone in the house.
Ginny looked up at Jack, and their eyes met in the dim light. The electric pulse was there again, between them. It was like time stood still.
"I had a really great time tonight Jack, despite everything that happened." She said softly.
"Me too," he replied, "I'm glad Lori didn't ruin the evening for you." He said, his face moving closer to hers.
"She didn't." Ginny said, her head spinning. As much as she wanted him to kiss her, she knew it wasn't the right time. Ginny stepped back slightly, blushing.
Jack had wanted to kiss her so bad, he wasn't paying attention to the signals she was sending back, and now he felt foolish. "I'm sorry Ginny, I didn't mean too…" She stopped him.
"It's okay. I've…I've never been kissed before. I just don't think I'm ready yet." She felt her face getting hot, and she looked away, embarrassed.
Jack pulled her face to his again, and gently kissed her forehead. "It's all right. No rush," he paused, "It doesn't change how I feel about you." They both smiled, and pulled away.
"I should get going. Call me if you need anything." Jack said, walking towards the door. They could see Rachel walking up the drive as well, he opened it.
"Goodnight ladies." He said, smiling, and turned to Rachel, "Call me if you guys need anything." Rachel's face was flushed, and she smiled back.
"Don't worry; I'll take good care of her." Jack nodded, and Rachel came inside, closing the door. When Ginny saw the look on her face, she laughed.
"What?" Rachel said, looking defensive.
"Looks like you and Finn had a nice talk," She replied, and laughed again, then winced from the pain. Rachel laughed too.
"We have plenty of time to gossip about THAT, let's go take a look at your battle scars." Rachel said, as they climbed the stairs together.
What did you guys think? I know it was long, but if you read this far, please review! I would love any comments from you!