Sorry guys for the late update I broke my toe and have been limping like crazy and the story just got away from me I really hope this makes up for it though. Short authors note so ill let u get on with…chapter 6? Im not sure I lost count!

"All righty. Number 2. State Green's theorem as applied to question 1," Rachel said aloud to herself as she tried to complete her homework. Thinking about the question, she tapped her pen lightly on her chin and gazed around her cozy room. The vanilla incense she'd been burning usually helped her to study, but as she was sprawled on the bed with her homework in front of her, she realized that tonight it only made her think of ice cream, and that was not a good thing considering she had to stay in tiptop shape in order to be on the Cheerios. Hearing a growl that she first assumed was her stomach, she looked over to her dog, Jerzi Boy.

"I know, J. Calculus is boring."

Tilting his head in obvious agreement, Jerzi looked up at her as she reached down to scratch behind his furry ears.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she asked continuing to pet her pup.

Unfortunately, Jerzi was far better at listening that giving advice. Turning her attention back to her homework, Rachel realized studying was futile in her current state. She grabbed the closest pillow within her reach. Burying her face, she screamed with all her might until she was completely out of breath. Raising her head she looked at Jerzi, who merely blinked in response. Her frustration not entirely alleviated, she once again dove face first into the pillow. Remarkably, the pillow was quite effective for tension release and Rachel felt more relaxed as she sat upright, red faced her long straight brown locks mussed. She jumped in surprise as she heard her Daddy calling from downstairs.

"Rachel, phone!" her father yelled. Trying to catch her breath and slow her racing heart, Rachel opened the door for her dad to hand her the cell phone that was left downstairs. "I look forward to it too Noah. I haven't seen you for quite some time. see if you can get Rachel to go out and have a little fun for once." Her father said.

"DAD!"

"I'm sorry honey. You kids have a nice chat. Bye." Her father handed her the phone and left.

"You sneaky little suck up!"

"C'mon Rachel I was just making small talk till you picked up your phone."

"How did you get my number any way. I changed it after eighth grade?"

"I have my sources."

"Jew-fro?" Rachel guessed.

"How'd you guess?" Puck responded in a sarcastic tone.

"What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"We have some things to discuss."

Rachel slid off her bed and padded across the room to her walk-in closet. "Like what?" she asked, tilting her head as she surveyed her closet.

"For one, what are we going to tell people?"

"That I was hit on the head with an anvil and suddenly hanging out with you doesn't seem as revolting as it used to?"

"Nice. But seriously Rachel how are we going to convince people that we magically resolved our differences sometime between the end of school today and first period tomorrow?"

Wrinkling her nose in contemplation, she balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder, and reached into her closet. "I suppose we should be civil or something."

"We need to be more than civil. We should start off by walking together in the hallways."

"Not a chance. I don't want to be seen with you in school. Maybe out of school. Besides, what do we talk about." Reaching into the cluttered closet she pulled out a gold star cotton night gown.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter what we talk about. Really your just being difficult. And honestly how else are we gonna convince people that we actually enjoy each other's company?"

After some prolonged searching she finally found her favorite socks; white with little ducks on them, a present from Brittney for her birthday last year. "I haven't a clue. You're the big schemer, you figure it out."

"Ok how about this- I saved you from being mugged?"

Puck, I think someone else has the copyright to the damsel in distress ploy. Besides I carry a rape whistle and pepper spray and all my friends know it." She took off her makeup from the day leaving her natural face out to breathe. "What if my car broke down? Oh wait, that's right! That actually DID happen- only you weren't there to help me out, you actually CAUSED the problem?"

"Oh give me a break… I had nothing to do with the battery thing."

"I don't believe you."

"Well it's true. But you have to admit that if that didn't happen to you it was pretty funny."

"No, Puck having fun at other people's expenses is not my idea of fun. Humiliating people is not something I like to do." There was only silence on the other end of the line. "Okay," she sighed. "What if we both happened to go out to dinner at the same place, and we got to talking. And maybe I helped you with some homework. "

"That's not half bad," Puck admitted. "We played catch- up and realized that, despite outward appearances, we actually like each other." She didn't respond right away, so he added a quick, "Or something like that."

Her shirt hit the floor, crumpling into a pile as she shrugged into her pajamas. "Sounds good to me," Rachel mumbled as she fumbles with the buttons of her shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Puck, language. And for your information I'm getting undressed." She responded defensively slightly caught off guard by his question. He didn't say anything for a few moments. "Hello?"

Puck cleared his throat. "Okay we've come up with an explanation of how we started talking. So, I'm thinking we should probably eat lunch together," he stated apprehensively.

"Umm I don't think so."

"Rachel please I'm begging you."

"Only if we sit with my friends."

"But your friends hate me."

"I wonder why?" she said sarcastically.

"Can't we sit by ourselves?" he pleaded.

Rachel flopped down onto her bed, and Jerzi followed her lead, jumping up and licking her hand as Rachel shifted the phone into a different position. "My friends only hate you because I hate you. If I tell them you're decent, they'll get over it… eventually."

"All right, I guess. Oh hey my pizzas here. I gotta run. I'll see you tomorrow," Puck said abruptly. Before she could respond the line went dead in her ear and she growled in exasperation. She tossed her phone onto her laundry pile in the corner of her room.

"Guess what J?" she asked her dog. "I'm fake- dating a total loser." The dog yawned, which Rachel took as a complete agreement. With a sigh she gave into her sensible instincts and returned to her calculus homework.

The metallic clang of a locker door being thrust shut resounded in the hallway, following by the familiar sound of a lock sliding through the steel loop. Rachel turned and leaned against her locker, lost in thought about how to deal with Puck and his crazy scheme.

"Morning sunshine," Quinn called interrupting her ideas.

"Hi, Quinn." Rachel replied, adding teasingly, "Did you do all your homework last night?"

"Absolutely!" Quinn replied as if Rachel had been asking a serious question. Quinn shifted the books in her arms, balancing them on her hip. "So, what was the deal with you disappearing after class yesterday? I wanted to talk to you about Prom Campaigning! Prom will be here before you know it, and we've got to get busy!"

"Sorry but I had something to do." Rachel replied.

"What something?"

"Hello ladies!" Puck's voice came from behind the two girls. Before Rachel could turn around, she felt two arms wrap around her waist, and she grimaced, remembering they were a 'dating'.

"This something," Rachel said cocking her head in Puck's direction.

Quinn's jaw dropped, her eyes widened and she stuttered, "That's Puck, and he's touching you, and you're LETTING HIM!" she pointed at Puck as if Rachel were unaware of his presence.

"Very observant of you, Quinn," Puck murmured, resting his chin on Rachel's shoulder. Her body slim body tensed and she thought about applying a swift elbow to his ribs.

"When did this happen?" Quinn asked with a look of bewilderment.

"Last night. I decided to swing by Bread Sticks to get a salad on my way home and Puck was there too. He needed some help with his calculus homework and we got to talking and…"

"And WHAT? And now you let him grope you in the hallway?"

"He's hardly groping, Q, please. He's actually tolerable."

"I'm still here ya know," Puck said a slightly amused look crossing his features. Both girls ignored him.

"So, now what? You're dating?" Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"Umm sort of I guess," Rachel confirmed, nodding. After an awkward pause she spoke again. "Do you mind if he eats lunch with us?"

"What? Yes I mind!"

"Quinnie please?"

Hesitating Quinn eyed Puck suspiciously. "I suppose. But only if he's civil."

He straightened up, saluting her. "Yes, ma'am."

Rachel turned to face him. "Q and I have to get to class now," she stated firmly making it clear that he was not to follow. He kissed her cheek and she blushed and the two girls walked away. When they were out of hearing range Quinn turned to face Rachel.

"Honestly Rach. Him? The whole school would grovel at your feet to date you and of all people you want to date Noah Puckerman?"

In response Rachel shrugged and nodded. "I don't think he's as horrible as I thought he was all these years. Maybe there's still some trace of the guy who was my best friend hiding in there somewhere."

Quinn sighed and pushed open the door to their next class. "You know I trust your judgement, but are you sure?"

"Definitely." Rachel hoped she sounded confident.

Rachel turned before she could see Quinn's worried expression.

"She was with Noah Puckerman?" Sam was stunned. In fact, so was everyone else at the table. Not a single one of Rachel's friends could comprehend the fact that she was dating Puck.

In response, Quinn nodded slowly. "Yep. THE Noah Puckerman. Bad- boy, short brown hair, to die for brown eyes, athletic body," she said. Sam looked a little nauseated at Quinn's description.

Kurt stumbled towards the table, attempting to balance his beloved Alexander McClain jacket and his lunch tray. "Who was with Puckerman? That Santana chick again? I never liked her."

"Not Santana," Quinn said slowly. She leaned over the table toward him, creating an air of suspense. Kurt calmly sipped from his Lima Bean coffee. "The girl with Puck was Rachel." The iced coffee went spraying across the table and Sam laughed out loud at Kurt's response.

"Are you serious?" Kurt asked, after apologizing and handing Quinn a bundle of napkins.

Sam nodded, picking up a napkin and trying to wipe Quinn's Cheerios uniform clean.

"When did this happen? Did I sleep through two millennia? Are their pigs outside taking flight?" Kurt pushed dramatically away from the table as if to look out the window to see the phenomenon.

"Relax. Rach seemed okay with it. I think she really likes him," Quinn said chuckling at Kurt's reaction.

"Are you sure? Was she coerced in any way? Did Puck have a taser to her throat?"

"No tasers. Completely her own decision, so she says, but it still seems really weird to me." As Quinn continued talking, she was unaware that Kurt's eyes were growing larger as he watched Rachel and Puck approach behind her. "If you ask me, Puck is a total loser, not worth her time," she stated emphatically and continued wiping her uniform. She didn't see Kurt making a slicing motion across his throat. So engrossed was she in the task, that she also missed Kurt anxiously clearing his throat in an attempt to attract her attention. "She could have any guy she wants, yet for some reason…"

"Hello FRIENDS of mine," Rachel stated firmly, glaring down at the top of Quinn's head. Quinn and Sam turned in unison to look at the new couple with large smiles plastered to their faces.

"Hey," Quinn said sheepishly, and made a little wave at them with her hand.

"You all know Puck. He's going to be sitting with us today if you don't mind."

"Hey." Puck raised his hand in response obviously as uncomfortable with the situation as they were.

Kurt nodded politely and Quinn did her best to not give him the HBIC death glare, but Sam, taking a large bite from a gooey chocolate donut with his big lips, only eyed him suspiciously. Rachel and Puck took their seats beside Kurt on the bench across from Quinn and Sam.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Rachel inquired sarcasm barely concealed as it dripped from her tongue. Her friends immediately looked guilty.

"Penguins," Kurt announced sipping his iced coffee, or what was left of it.

Puck gave the other young man a crooked grin. "Sounds intriguing."

"I like penguins," Quinn insisted daring Puck to disagree with her impending stare.

"All right. Sure. Nothing wrong with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The hockey team right?" Puck asked her trying to ease the tension at the table. "I'm a big fan of them myself," he added with a smile.

"So are you two doing anything tonight?" Quinn asked with a sigh, giving up on the penguin storyline.

Turning to Puck, Rachel looked at him anxiously. "Hadn't really thought about it. I have Cheerios practice tonight and studying and…"

"Oh come on Rach," Puck said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "You can take one night off from studying. How 'bout I pick you up at 'round seven and we can go hang out?"

Rachel's friends looked at one another in sheer disbelief, shocked that she might be contemplating 'hanging out' with Noah Puckerman instead of studying. Aside from extracurricular activities infringing on her time, Rachel rarely gave up studying, especially for pleasure. Stunned into silence, Rachel smiled falsely and turned to see her friends still watching. She hoped they didn't notice her apprehension as she tried to think of a response worthy of a girlfriend.

"Hmm. Maybe we could do that," she said nodding and talking at the same time, as she looked into Puck's glimmering brown eyes. Feeling an immediate need to retreat from the tension-filled table she briefly glanced down at her watch, and then did a double take. "Oh my goodness. LOOK at the time! I really have to go. I need to talk to Ms. Washington about the physics homework," she swiftly lied.

"But… but I" Puck stuttered, looking panicked as Rachel rose from her seat.

"You'll be fine. They won't bite," Rachel said and she gathered her things. Puck gave her a departing kiss on the cheek and watched her go. Leaving him to fend for himself.

Watching as she exited the café, Puck glared at Rachel's back, then turned hesitantly to face her group of friends.