Author's Note: So I lied – I posted this one today too. Consider it a New Year's gift from me to you! I had it mostly done so I decided just to finish it and get it up. Just in time to go celebrate the New Year for a few minutes with my hubby and then collapse into bed. I hope 2010 is a great year for all of you – and a great year for some REAL Puckleberry love courtesy Fox!

Keep the reviews coming. I think you all seem to relate to this story!

By Monday afternoon, Noah Puckerman and Stacey Anderson were McKinley's new official "it" couple. Dating Stacey, who was captain of the Girls Swim Team, co-captain of the Debate Team, and on Honor Roll, seemed to cause an instant jump in Puck's stock. And Stacey was now the most reviled girl at McKinley for landing the hunky football jock while all the other girls Puck had yet to conquer stood on the sidelines, disgusted and sad. Puck couldn't help but be happy – he was back on top! Babygate may have made him stumble but there was simply no keeping a badass down!

After an abysmal weekend in which Rachel barely heard from Noah, not that she was checking her phone for text messages (she only checked it every hour or so), she forced herself back to school. Over the weekend, Rachel's pain had dissolved into a new emotion: numbness, which she supposed was really an emotion at all but since it was replacing the emotion of pain then yes, numbness really had to be considered an emotion, at least in her unique case. Putting on her "let's get this!" face, she smiled broadly as she walked down the halls. She tried to ignore the emptiness that sometimes seemed to take the place of her once-beating heart, reminding herself that Noah was just a boy - just one singular boy in this huge sea of testosterone that was McKinley High. She could deal with that part of it. But then sitting in class, it would hit her that she was losing her grip on the friendship that had been established. And that would smack her between the eyes, taking her breath away. In her heart, she knew that she would always be Noah's friend if he wanted her to be. She loved him too much to walk away from their friendship. She just hoped that eventually, the romantic feelings that had been building for months would subside so that she could really, simply be just a friend.

And then he didn't show up for lunch that day. She kept eying the door as she made her way through her strawberry yogurt and then her grapes. By the time her apple juice bottle had only a few drops left in it, she realized that he wasn't coming. Sadness rushed into her all over again, like a strong wind rushes across a prairie. Sighing sadly, she collected her trash, dropped it into the bin, and headed to her locker a bit earlier than normal. Turning the corner, she saw them: Noah and Stacey. She was leaning against the locker, her hands tucked primly behind her. He had one arm supporting him as he towered over, his body leaning close into hers. They were talking in low tones, unaware of any activity that surrounded them and certainly unaware of Rachel's presence nearby. She wanted to run away, maybe go hide and cry it out in the reference section of the library. She also wanted to kick him and tell him he was the biggest jerk on the planet. She wanted to beg him to love her and forget about Stacey. Instead of doing any of those things, though, she simply stood and watched as the boy she loved slowly leaned down, pushed a tendril of Stacey's strawberry blonde hair back in much the same way he had done Rachel's many times, and kissed her. The stinging in Rachel's body started in her eyes and slowly made its way to her chest. She was surprised she could still manage to feel this intense pain yet it was still there. At that moment, she hated Noah Puckerman more than anything. He had turned her into a sniveling little sad sap. Rachel Berry was no sad weakling. And watching the two of them playing tonsil hockey reminded her that she always survived and she would survive this too. So in typical Rachel style, she stormed ahead to her locker, which was about eight feet from where the two were canoodling in the hallway.

Loudly, she spun her combination and then jerked open the door. She refused to look over at the couple but kept them in her peripheral vision as she jerked her book bag out, threw it on the ground, and then started loading books into it. The two-minute warning bell rang and she heard Stacey say something to Noah before walking away. She could see him approaching him and soon felt the closeness of his large frame.

Turning to him, she said, "Yes?"

He could see that she was angry. Guilt hit him in the gut. He probably should have told her that he wouldn't be at lunch today. "Hey, Rach. Sorry I missed lunch. I was…busy."

Rachel slammed her locked and turned toward him. "Don't apologize to me, Noah Puckerman. In the future, I would just appreciate a heads-up that you aren't coming. Then perhaps I would have taken lunch outside or have gone to the library to get some studying in. After all, THAT is what high school is all about." She slammed her locker closed, glared at him once more, and sauntered off down the hall, dragging her book bag behind her. Puck just stared after her. Now what the hell is her problem? It's just lunch.

As Rachel arrived to her next class, she let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was even holding. That actually made her feel better and maybe, hopefully, her little outburst would make him think about his actions. She thought of her favorite musical, Wicked, once again and decided she would take Fiyero's attitude: She was going to dance through life. As the song said, "Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing, when you're dancing through life." Right now, that sounded wonderful! Pulling out her pin with the fluffy pink feather on top, she opened her notebook and commenced paying attention for the first time in nearly a week.

Her resolve still strong by the time Glee practice rolled around, she stormed into the practice room like the little tornado that she was. Puck was already there, getting his guitar out. He watched her rush in and could tell that he was still in the proverbial doghouse.

"You still pissed, Berry?"

She spun on her heel and faced him. "I was never "pissed", Noah. Just disappointed. I thought we were friends, that's all." Turning away from him, she took a quick breath.

He approached her and put his hand on her shoulder. His hand was warm and she could feel the heat through her shirt. Her heart pounded again. She was beginning to think she had a medical condition – she was going to have to get that looked at. Turning her toward him, he smiled down at her. "We are friends, Rach. We're great friends. I'm sorry I blew you off today….this thing with Stacey is new, you know. I have to figure out how to make time for both of you." He looked down at his feet. He really was struggling with that. Rachel was his friend – perhaps his best friend – and he wanted her to remain that way. But Stacey was his girlfriend now. He had to figure out a way to share the time between both girls.

"Please just stick with me, Rach? It'll get easier."

She nodded just as the room started filling up. She was relieved for the added noise because she was afraid he could hear her heart beating a tap-tap-tap against her ribcage as she gazed into his warm eyes.

Dammit.

At lunch on Tuesday, Rachel realized that her little fit about yesterday's lunch blow-off had backfired. Actually, no, it had more than backfired. It had snuck around and bit her on the ass because right as lunch started, Puck plopped his tray down next to Rachel…and Stacey dropped hers down across from his.

"Rachel, Stacey, Stacey, Rachel," Puck said as he took a massive bite into a soyburger posing as a high school cafeteria hamburger.

"We've met," they both said in unison as they stared down at their food.

"How?" Puck asked, jamming a french fry into his already full mouth.

"We were on debate team," Stacey said.

"Cool, so you're friends."

Stacey snorted at his statement but didn't say anything. Rachel just gazed at her banana like she was trying to will it to peel itself. At that moment, Rachel thought the only thing that could possibly be worse than this was if she accidentally saw Jacob Ben-Israel naked. Her life had become a hell-hole in a week.

After an exceptionally awkward lunch during which Puck seemed completely ignorant, Rachel excused herself and slipped into the ladies room. A few seconds behind her, the door opened and Stacey followed.

"Rachel, can I speak with you?"

Rachel turned toward her, noticing the look in Stacey's eye and instantly dreading what she was going to say.

"To what do I owe this honor, Stacey?"

Stacey stepped close to Rachel, whom she towered over by nearly five inches. "I don't know what the story is with you and Puck but I want to make something very, very clear right now. I am his girlfriend. Me. Not you. I think you need to be reminded of that."

Rachel stiffened her spine and looked Stacey square in the eyes. "You may be his girlfriend but I assure you, you're one in a long line of them. I, however, am a close, close friend of his. If you're threatened by me, that's your problem."

"Oh don't give me that shit. You are in love with him. It's so damn obvious that it makes me want to puke. But just so we're clear – he is mine. So back off."

Stacey then turned and stormed out, leaving Rachel standing alone with her mouth gaping over. Stacey knew that Rachel was in love with Noah too? Good grief, did she wear it all over her face or something? Rachel's shoulders dropped, feeling utterly defeated. Her stomach did a flip as the thought occurred to her: did Noah know too? The thought that he did, and had ignored it, was enough to make her want to lose her lunch. She preferred to believe that he didn't notice. And since he wasn't the most observant guy on the planet, because he was, after all, a teenage boy, maybe he really had no clue? That was Rachel's deepest hope because the other option was just entirely too humiliating.

Glee practice went by smoothly because Rachel had decided it was easiest to pretend Noah wasn't there. While she didn't ignore him, she certainly didn't pay him any attention. Used to having her by his side in Glee, the cold shoulder did not go unnoticed by Puck. He tried to meet her eyes several times just to roll his eyes at Mr. Schue or Mercedes but she never gave him the chance. She'd never seemed more interested in what Artie was saying. What the hell? was all Puck could think.

As practice ended, Rachel gathered her things quickly so she could slip out the door before Noah noticed she was gone. Her plan was almost successful until he called after her just as she was about to leave.

"Rach, where you going?"

"Home, Noah."

"Aren't you coming over? It's Tuesday." He said it like she was stupid because they always spent Tuesday afternoons together.

Rachel sighed. There was no way she could get out of this without setting off warning bells. Resigned to spending an afternoon with the boy who didn't love her, she smiled and said, "Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot."

"Sweet," he said, slinging his guitar case over his shoulder. "Let's go."

They walked to his truck and she climbed in. At least she would have an afternoon alone with him.

Driving to Noah's house, she actually felt relaxed. The smell of him in his truck, a mixture of skin and deodorant and cologne, was comforting. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back and for a moment, almost forgot that her life had been so turned upside down lately.

She was pleased when they arrived at his house and she saw Dinah's car in the driveway. She adored Dinah…even if she was totally on to the whole "in love with her son" thing.

Walking inside, Rachel was greeted with a huge hug by Dinah. Just as Rachel and Puck settled at the dining room to dive into the cherry pie Dinah had made, there was a knock on the door.

Puck hopped up. "That's Stacey."

Rachel dropped her fork. For the first time in her life, she said the "f" word under her breath. Her reaction was not unnoticed by Dinah, who was leaning against the kitchen cabinet, watching the scene unfold. She also didn't miss the look of complete disgust that flashed across Stacey's face when she stepped into the kitchen and saw Rachel sitting at Puck's table. Sitting down next to Puck, who was now in between the two girls, she glared at Rachel. Dinah served her a piece of pie and she and Puck began whispering to one another. Puck's body was turned toward Stacey so that his back was almost completely to Rachel. She couldn't hear what they were saying, only hear the lowness of his voice. Stacey giggled at something he said. Rachel had never been so miserable. Her quiet afternoon with Noah was now destroyed. And then that's when it hit her: this was how it was going to be from now on. The thought made her sick. She couldn't come to Noah's house and become a third-wheel here too. It was bad enough at school.

After being alone with her thoughts for a few minutes, since Puck seemed to have forgotten she was in the room, Rachel stood up and quietly excused herself. Once she was out of the room, Dinah sat her coffee cup down silently and followed. She found Rachel standing in the half-bath, wiping tears from her eyes. Dinah squeezed her shoulder and Rachel turned to face her.

"I'm not going to be around much anymore, Dinah," Rachel whispered quietly, afraid Puck would hear her. Dinah snapped the door closed behind her and shook her head.

"I understand, Rachel…but even though my son is obviously an idiot, please remember that I am always here for you. "

Rachel nodded and Dinah continued. "You've become like a daughter to me. In all honesty, I want him with you. Stacey's not even Jewish and I can already tell that she's a little snob."

Rachel laughed through her tears. Noah was so much like his opinionated mother.

Dinah put her hands on Rachel's shoulders and said, "Just remember that you can talk to me whenever. Call me, email me, stop by…whatever. Can you promise me that?"

Rachel nodded silently. She folded herself into Dinah's embrace for a moment and then the two women broke apart. With a nod, Rachel opened the door, slipped out into the hallway, grabbed her stuff, and was gone.

Dinah walked back into the kitchen to find Noah and Stacey in much the same position she had left him. To grab her son's attention, she clanged her coffee cup against the countertop. He took the bait and turned around, first looking at his mother and then noticing that Rachel's seat was empty.

"Wait…where's Rach?" he asked, looking around the room.

Dinah answered curtly, "She had to leave."

"Oh, okay," was Puck's reply.

She heard Stacey whisper "Good" before dragging Puck's attention back towards her.

At that moment, staring at her mohawked, obviously dense son and his strawberry blonde Gentile girlfriend, Dinah decided that she was going to stir things up a bit. Realizing that she knew exactly what she needed to do, she smiled into her cup of coffee. Her son may be blinded right now…but he wouldn't know what hit him when she was done.