A/N So I"m sorry it's taking me so long to update. I love you guys, I really do :), so please don't hate me for this next chapter, I decided Noah needed some competition, and Rachel needed some more experience so she would know just how great Noah really was in comparison to other guys. Andd I promise that since I've been so mean I'll try to get another chapter up tomorrow, and I strongly suggest you listen to the soundtracks I put with it, because I think It fits perfectly. Yeesh, long authors note, lol, here's the chapter...

Rachel entered the music store with a spring in her step, trying her very best to keep any and all traces of the residual frustration left from her encounter with Noah behind. She was here to find the perfect song, and maybe shop a little. As she browsed through the older cassette tapes, she sighed with remembrance of their kiss. Then she frowned, who was Noah Puckerman to be taking up so much space in her life, no one, that was who.

She pulled out an old Lionel Richie album and grinned at the cover. Hello, was one of her all-time favorite songs. She fingered the worn case and could almost hear the notes flowing through her mind. Then, out of no where, a hand grabbed the case from behind her. She spun around, ready to say something scathing to reprimand whatever hooligan was stealing her record, and came face to face with none other than -

"Lionel Richie huh? Hello, great song."

It was the Jesse St. James. The lead vocalist for vocal adrenaline, and well known womanizer in the show choir circut. This did very little to impress Rachel however, she was just as talented as him on any level, if not more, and had very little respect for womanizers. Even ones with piercing green eyes and sexy smooth voices...or mohawks.

"You're -"

"Jesse St. James. Yeah, and you're Rachel Berry, great voice, I saw you at sectionals, why are you singing with that bunch of losers again?"

Before she could bite out a famous Rachel Berry retort, he had taken her by the hand and was leading her over toward the piano in the middle of the store. He sat down and pulled her down to sit beside him.

"Wha- What do you think you're doing?"

He gave her a roguish grin, nothing close to par with Noah's of course. Damn him! Noah that was...and maybe Jesse too.

"Playing a song for you."

His dimples dances across his cheeks, and Rachel couldn't help but admit he held more than a little appeal...that was, in a strictly professional manner.

"And of course, giving the patrons of this fine establishment a chance to hear real talent."

Wow. Rachel knew she was good, and could be more than a little full of herself...but Jesse was on a whole other level of cocky.

When he started in on the first few notes, Rachel realized this was well deserved. Jesse's voice was even more magnificent in person. It was smooth with perfect pitch and a wonderful sense of rhythm. Without making a conscious choice, Rachel found herself singing along with Jesse, enjoying, Singing along with him.

And who wouldn't be, he was quite literally a perfect duet partner.

Their voiced matched in perfect harmony as Rachel sang the last several lines with him. And it wasn't until the last note dissipated from the air, that she felt a pang of regret that it wasn't her Noah who was sitting here beside her.

"You're good."

Jesse remarked casually. She felt her ire rise up.

"I think I'm a little more than good, that isn't -"

He cut her off

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're great, I didn't mean any disrespect."

She still wasn't placated, Jesse seemed to sense this.

"Fine, you have the voice of a goddess and it was the greatest honor for you to grace me with your voice."

His voice was completely serious, but his blue eyes twinkled with mirth and he seemed to be enjoying her discomfort.

"Of course, I also have a God-like voice. And you happen to be as big of a drama queen as me."

He seemed to take pleasure in that fact, and it almost had Rachel grinning that she had found, in essence, the male version of herself.

"I suppose I may be more dramatic than my other peers, but I have bigger goals and visions than the rest of them so my sense of urgency fits the way I see my life playing out."

Rachel's voice was crisp as she tried to detach herself from this smooth, singing, Lothario. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case, because as soon as Rachel stood to leave, Jesse mimicked the action. Bringing then practically chest to chest, and from Rachel's blush, it was obvious that she was well aware of who she had last been this position with.

"So, you wanna go out for coffee?"

His words might have been phrased like a question, but his tone made it clear he thought the request was anything but.

"Excuse me, I don't think-"

He cut her off...again, it was starting to get annoying.

"Who am I kidding! Of course you do!"

Was he serious. Rachel opened her mouth, but for once, someone was faster than her.

"I'll pick you up this friday. I know where Mckinley high is, I'll meet you out in front."

He was already talking like they had agreed, like she had actually- Wait! A picture of Puck's smug, over confident face flashed through Rachel's mind, and she imagined just how different that face would look when it saw her getting in Jesse's car. It was too much to resist, and even though she knew it was immature and childish to use a date with Jesse to get back at Puck, she couldn't help but think of how deliciously Jealous Puck would be.

Rachel paused a moment.

Was she really that kind of girl? The kind that used boys to put themselves on top. Just then a rather less pleasant picture of Noah on top of whatever girl he was using this week to fufill his well known carnal needs, flashed behind her eyes, and it was decided.

"Sure Jesse, I'll see you then."

Jesse flashed a quick grin and leaned down for a quick peck on the cheek before striding towards the door of the record store, jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Yes. You sure will Rachel Berry."

She wasn't sure whether or not he meant for her to hear that, but it gave her a warm, jittery feeling inside. She lifted her hand to her cheek and left it there for a moment, mentally comparing the two men in her life where, just a few weeks ago, there had been none.

Noah, with his Alpha male, Caveman, Overly violent, Smug, Womanizing, and all around badassness.

.v.s.

Jesse, with his Diva tendancies, Overly dramatic attitude, Overly confident demeanor, and all around Play boy-ness.

And for a moment, she couldn't decide if she hated them both, or loved them both.

Well, Tomorrow she would find out, and maybe she would find out if Puck really cared about her, or just wanted to claim her and throw her away like he had with the rest of the female population of Mckinley high school.

Noah Puckerman entered school on Friday in a bad mood. He had woken up to his little sister screaming/sobbing her apologies over spilling her cup of purple kool aid all over his Letterman jacket. Then, to make things worse, his mother had started in on her weekly "Why, Why Noah can't you date a nice Jewish girl? There are plenty of good girls at temple who would love to marry a handsome man like you and make beautiful Jewish babies."

To which he replied that none of the girls in temple were even near the level of attractiveness that Puck deemed acceptable for a female, and this inevitablly led to thoughts of Rachel Berry with her spit fuck temper and her tiny skirts. This, in turn, led to the even less palatable remembrance that she had rejected him...again.

So it was safe to say that when Rachel approached him this morning, starting to say God knows what, he shut her down pretty fast.

"Noah, I was think-"

His voice was harsh, harsher than he realized as it came out of his mouth.

"Listen Berry. I'm not in the mood for this. It's humiliating enough that even after I made it clear that I liked you, you still treated me like scum on the bottom of your mary janes, but giving me another lecture on why you would never go out with me, is going a bit far. So just save it for a day when I'm not already pissed off."

And with that, Puck kept walked off down the hallway, trying hard to keep the unpleasant taste of guilt off his tongue.

Rachel stood in the hallway for another good minute before she remembered she was supposed to be going somewhere. She blinked rapidly as she walked quickly down the hallway to get to her first class. She had been about to tell Puck about Jesse, to tell him that she had changed her mind and wanted him to pretend to be her boyfriend so she wouldn't have to go out with him. She was about to tell Noah that she liked him.

A hoarse, slightly choked sob escaped her lips, and she realized just how attached she'd gotten to Noah.

Stupid! Stupid girl!

She bereted herself mentally for letting her guard down. How dumb could she possibly be? There was a reason she hadn't had many friends in her life, and it was her own damn fault. But that didn't mean she was gonna change herself. She was who she was, vicious cheerleaders and Jocks wouldn't change that...nothing would.

Jesse was different. Sure he was cocky and a bit of a asshole, but he was like her. He had big dreams, he didn't let others change him or make him more mainstream. She sniffed and wiped under her eyes. They were dry, but she was just checking, she wouldn't give any of them the satisfaction of knowing they got to her, even if she didn't really know who they were.

Rachel's day went slowly, by the time glee club came around, she was ready to leave. When Mr. Schu called for her to sing (she had requested that she go last), she explained in a quiet voice.

"I don't feel very well today Mr. Schu,"

She added some fake raspy-ness to her voice.

"I don't think I'm up to singing. "

The entire class was silent, and there was almost literal 'cricket cricket' noises were ricoching off the walls. Even the usually smooth Mr. Schuester was throw off his game by this unexpected comment. He regained his composure though, just in time to clear his throat and excuse them early for the day.

Rachel hung back, hoping she could slip out un-noticed and with as little questiones as possible. She probably should of realized that even since Noah had entered the equation, there was no 'un-noticed' anymore.

He grabbed her arm, his grasp unexpectedly gentle. He pulled her around slowly and lifted his face gentely with his fingers. She almost flinched when she met his mossy green eyes, she definitly couldn't take this right now.

"Rachel I'm so-"

She cut him off, her voice quiet and small...for once.

"Don't Puck. You're right, I'm a bi-"

He cut her off with a rough growl.

"Fuck no! Don't say things like that. Sure, you're crazy berry."

She tried to hide her flinch at his cruel nickname for her, but he caught her gaze and held it firmly.

"But I like you that way...I like you-"

"Don't Noah."

Rachel's voice was hard, her previous sense of self protection slipping back into place.

"You were right. Either way we are two completely opposite people, and this sexual tension is frusterating certainly-"

She couldn't believe her own lies, so she didn't expect any more from Noah, but it was all she had.

"But nothing we can't handle."

She choked back the infuriating tears that simply wouldn't vacate the lower rims of her eyes.

"Either way, I'm trying my best to get along without any more thought to our...dillema"

Noah sucked in a sharp breath, his jaw hardening at her implied suggestion

"And I suggest you do the same."

And before he could stop her, she was, once again out the door. But this time he followed. He sure as fuck wasn't letting her get away this easy, he had been mentally kicking himself all day for what he'd said to her that morning. He hadn't even heard her out, and the broken, vulnerable look in her huge liquid brown eyes had almost made him want to puke with how sick he had been with himself.

As he jogged down the hall, sure his long legs would carry him faster than her short stature would allow her. He caught a glimpse of her skirt, red that day, and she exited out the front doors of the school. He made it to them, and flung them open, just in time to see Rachel get into a car.

Not just any car.

I midnight blue mustang convertible. Noah blinked once...twice...three times before he registered who else was in the car.

It was a guy, and not just any guy, some fucker with a shiny leather jacket and his arm tossed carelessly around His girl.

Before Puck (because that's who he felt like right then) could stride over to the car and rip the little shits arm out of his socket, the car was already taking off down the street, and he only caught one glimple of Rachel's hair, flying around her fact as she turned for a fleeting second to look back at him, and them they were gone.

Puck stood in the parking lot for a good 5 minutes before he shook himself back to reality. A reality he found himself despising at the moment.

Puck had never been the jealous sort of guy, or maybe he's just never had the opportunity. Usually, he was the guy girls cheated with, not on. But ever since he had first kissed Berry in that hallway, or maybe even before that, the bitter, metallic taste of jealously had taken up permenent residence on Puck's tongue. From the way he saw Finn looking at Rachel, to Mike Chang holding her a second too long in a choreagraphed dance, it seemed like until Rachel was HIS...officially that was...he couldn't bear the sight of her with other guys.

When had things gotten so fucking complicated?

Remember what I said! please don't hate me lol, it's really going some where good I promise, :) anddd I promise that if you REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I'll speed things along a little bit, maybe throw in some lemon covered puckleberry? Lol, it's up to you guys, all I want is reviews for the little pieces of my soul I hand out to you on a semi-weekly basis *dramatic sigh* (if you can't tell, I totally get into character when I write Rachel :)