Finn POV
…...
"Oh crap."
My geometry book fell out of my locker, spilling the homework that was due. I forgot to do it. For the fifth day in a row. I bent down to pick up the papers and my book, and paused when a pair of canary yellow flats appeared.
My favorite knee socks.
I stood up, hitting my head on the corner of my locker door. That hurt. AND it was friggin' embarrassing. I straightened up, groaning. Rachel gave a smile before crouching to straighten my homework. She slipped the papers into my book and stood up, handing it to me.
"Are you okay?"
Was I okay? I wanted to wrap my arms around the perfect girl in front of me. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair. I wanted to kiss her, and feel her kiss me back. I wanted to make her smile again, to make her laugh. I wanted to sing with her, because when I did, I felt like we were the only two people in the world.
But I couldn't do any of that, and it was my fault.
Plus, my head still really hurt.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, smiling at her and taking my book. I turned to close my locker, and said, "Do you have a cheese song?"
"A cheesy song?" She asked, laughing a little.
"Yeah, that's what I meant. Cheesy." I turned and returned her laugh, blushing a little. Why did I ever let this go?
"I have a couple things prepared," she answered as we headed towards the choir room, "I'm not sure which one I'm going to choose though. I guess I have to get the feel of my audience first." I laughed, and nodded.
"Very Rachel."
"It's very important for a star to know her audience, Finn," she replied, winking, " I have to base my performance on what will be most popular to them while remaining true to my own voice." She looked up at me and said, "I'm glad you messaged me last night. I know it may not have seemed like it, but I am. It meant a lot."
"It meant a lot to me, too," I stopped her outside the choir room door, "I wish you had let me call you, though. I really want to talk to you. We haven't talked in a long time."
"Wasn't there a reason for that?" She looked up at me, her eyes sad.
"I don't remember the reason," I whispered, once again finding myself lost in her big brown eyes. It would be easy, wouldn't it? To lean down, and press my lips against hers, to hug her? I had done it a million times before.
"I remember all of them," she said, biting her lip. She glanced over her shoulder into the choir room. I looked up and saw Quinn watching us, her arms crossed, "I remember the ones that were my fault, AND the ones that were yours." She reached up and touched the star pendant that had settled at the base of her throat.
She was wearing my necklace.
"I'm starting to believe in myself again, Finn," she said, shifting her books in her arms. She paused to smile at Mercedes as she walked by, and then looked back up at me, "That song helped me express a lot of feelings and thoughts that I had been hiding for far too long. I meant every word I sang. And I AM going to get it right. Right by you, right by us… but right by me, first. I suggest you do the same. I need to believe in everything I can do again."
"I never stopped believing in you, Rachel" I whispered, ducking my head to look more deeply into her eyes, "I was an ass, but that never changed."
"You did always support me," she said, nodding, "even when it wasn't the kind of support I wanted. I was able to perform like that because of you." She smiled at me, sadly, before turning and walking into the choir room. I stood there, blinking for a moment, surprised by the way she had just ended our talk. I followed her into the choir room, and stopped when I saw her sitting on one of the two empty chairs left. She sat between Tina and Mercedes, who winked at her as she sat down. The only other chair was next to Quinn, who raised an eyebrow at me.
Crap, crap, crap.
I fell into the chair, dropping my bag at my side. I didn't look at Quinn, but I could feel her staring at me. She and Rachel had that in common at least. They were scary when they were angry. I pretended to be reading my sheet music when she leaned closer and whispered,
"What was that about?" I looked up at her then, and shrugged.
"I was talking to Rachel," I said, "Why does it matter?" I had told her a hundred times that I didn't want to be with her anymore. These past few weeks were enough misery for a lifetime. I knew Quinn wasn't mean, not really. But when she wanted something, she was. It wasn't that she wasn't a good person, exactly. She just wasn't good for me.
"Who would like to start off our festival of cheesiness?" Mr. Schue asked, turning around from the piano. I glanced back at Rachel with a smile, expecting to see her hand in the air. I was sure she would volunteer to go first. She didn't.
"Mr. Schue, I would like to start with a song that has taught me so much about life and loss," Brittany said, raising her hand. Schue smiled and nodded.
"Well, alright, Brittany! Take it away.""Take what away?"
"Just sing," Mercedes groaned, making everybody laugh. Brittany skipped to the piano and whispered something into Sam's ear. He looked at her strangely before a second, before starting to play.
"On top of spaghetti, all covered with CHEESE, I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed…"
It was nothing compared to what Rachel was going to sing, and I was disappointed that I had to wait to hear her cheesy choice. I hadn't heard her sing since Regionals.
Even though, I have to admit… I do LOVE this song.
And, you know, Spaghetti.
…...
Please R&R! You guys are AMAZING! I also like the suggestions for one shots and such… keep those coming as well! I'm already working on a couple! As always, please suggest my story to your friends!
