While Puck and Finn were having their guy moment in the auditorium, Kurt and Rachel made their way out to the hallway only to find Santana Lopez turned away from them, hesitantly waiting by the doors. At the sound of opening doors Santana turned around to face the two.
"I need to talk to you," she said, looking directly at Rachel, "Alone." Kurt told Rachel he'd be by the water fountains when she was done.
"Alright, Santana, what did you need?" Rachel's clipped town let the Latina know the short brunette was not actually interested in speaking with her nor was she going to make attempts to feign civility during the conversation. After Rachel's Barbra-vention the two girls had given each other wide berth. Santana realized that she was not happy the Latina was breaking their silent agreement to avoid speaking to one another.
"It's about what was on your locker this morning."
"What about it?"
"Look, I know I give you a hard time." At Rachel's raised eyebrow, she added, "A really hard time."
"But even though I call you Yentl and I once made that comment about you moving back to Israel. I wanted you to know that I would never do something like that." Impressed that Santana would stay around just to reassure her that even her bullying had standards, Rachel decided that she wouldn't make this more torturous for the girl.
"I know, Santana. I never suspected you."
"Good. So, yeah that's all I really wanted to say."
"Okay, Santana. I'll see you tomorrow at school." With that Rachel began to turn in order to join Kurt. However, before she could walk away, Santana reached out to stop her.
"Wait. Um, if it happens again or if you find out who did it, I want to know."
"Why?"
"To kick their ass," Santana stated as if it was obvious. Rachel found it amusing how alike Santana and Puck were. She tried to hold in her laughter, but a little chuckle managed to escape.
"What?" the Cherrio said, voice hard. Santana didn't like being laughed at.
"I'm sorry. It's just sometimes you and Noah are so similar that it's uncanny." Realizing the petite diva wasn't trying to insult her, Santana relaxed.
"Here I am trying to apologize and you're insulting me."
Afraid that she had already squandered Santana's extension of amicability – Rachel really didn't know if that description fit, but she was going to "roll with it" – she immediately began to apologize.
"No! No! I'm sorry. That's not what I was trying to do at all. I just meant that…" she trailed off when she realized Santana was smiling.
"I'm joking Ru-Rachel." Ignoring the squelched jibe, Rachel smiled at the cheerleader.
"Listen, I have to go; Britney's waiting for me in the car, but I'll talk to you tomorrow, Rachel."
"Alright, Santana, I hope the rest of your evening is enjoyable."
"Uh yeah you too." With that the Cheerio made her exit. Rachel began walking towards the fountains. As she turned the corner she bumped into Kurt, who had been eavesdropping the whole time.
"Kurt!" Rachel exclaimed, realizing immediately why the boy was there.
"What? Did you really think I was not going to listen in on that conversation?" Seeing that Rachel was not amused, he continued, "I was there for your protection. I wasn't sure whether or not the claws were going to come out. Think of it as a sign of my love for you."
"You mean your love of gossip."
"Can't I love you both equally?"
Before Rachel could respond, she heard Finn and Puck close the door of the auditorium. Rachel just shook her head at Kurt, but let him see her smile so that he would know she wasn't upset. The divas headed back to meet their "chauffeurs."
"Puck's coming over after he drops Rachel off," Finn said to Kurt so that the shorter boy would know that the living room would be occupied that night.
"Actually, why don't they both come over now," Kurt suggested.
"I still haven't had a chance to talk to you," he told Rachel.
"We were gone like ten minutes," said Puck.
"Yes, but my impromptu discussion with Santana took up most of my time," explained Rachel.
"What did Satan want?"
"She just wanted to assure me that while we have had our differences, she did not condone what was done to my locker, and I'm sure yours as well, and that she'd like to be kept informed if any other antisemitic episodes occur as well as if the unknown perpetrator is unmasked so that she could, and I quote, 'kick his ass'"
Puck and Finn looked at Rachel like she was crazy.
"First off, Berry, you need to breath when you talk and second, Satan said what?"
"She said-"
"No, I heard you, I'm just having trouble believing you."
Eventually, the four teens were able to make their way outside and over to the Hummel-Hudson (Hudson-Hummel?) residence. While Finn and Puck focused on getting out of Omaha Beach alive, Kurt took Rachel to his room.
"Finally," he let out, "I haven't been able to talk to you all day."
"How have you been? The last time I saw you, you were sporting red eyes and while I know you told us that you were fine, I don't believe that for a second." Rachel sighed, she was so tired of talking about what had happened, but she knew Kurt meant well and he was just worried about her so she answered him honestly.
"I had hoped that it was just a fluke. I thought one of McKinley's notorious neanderthal's put it on my locker because they were bored of the usual catalog of insults, but now, knowing that I was not the only one targeted, now I'm actually a bit on edge. I'm afraid it's going to escalate."
"I understand," Kurt let her know that he empathized with her situation, "back when Karofsky was at his worst, I felt sick to my stomach every day. Not knowing what he would do next."
"I remember, Kurt, and, I am so sorry that the school didn't respond to your situation with the same seriousness and haste that they seem to be taking with mine." Rachel saw no distinction in attacks aimed at one's religion or sexual orientation. Any assault on a person's being was utterly despicable. Kurt grabbed her and gave it a tight squeeze to show his appreciation
"Lets be grateful that they seem to have learned something from my experience. Do they have any suspects?"
"Not yet I'm afraid." Rachel went on to tell him everything that had been said and shown to her and the other students when they had met with the police. Although she remembered the detectives' request to limit discussing the case, Rachel trusted Kurt wholeheartedly.
When Rachel walked into McKinley the following Monday with Puck, who had driven her to and from school everyday last week, she walk towards her locker cautiously. Even though nothing had happened to any Jewish student since then, she was still a bit nervous every time she approached her locker. However, upon reaching it, she saw that once again she had nothing to worry about. The outside door was spotless. After Puck saw that her locker was untouched he told her he'd see her at lunch and headed off to change his own books.
Once Rachel had gathered the books she would need for AP European History she went to meet Santana by her locker. The two had developed a new morning routine last week: Rachel would meet Santana by her locker; they'd try their hand at polite and friendly girl talk; then they would grab seats next to one another in AP Euro, as well as AP Chemistry second period; after that, they said their goodbyes. So far, so the pattern seemed to be going well since neither girl had snapped and maimed the other. As Rachel made her way through the crowded hallway someone's backpack accidentally sent her into another student.
"I'm so sorry," she said, trying to get her footing.
"Watch it, hymie," the person stated in a low voice. Before she could get a good look at the student, he was gone, disappearing into the crowd.
Rachel stood frozen, unsure of what to do. She knew that that had been him. That was the student who had shaken her to the core last week. She knew it; problem was she still really wasn't too sure of what he looked like. What do I do, she thought. Obviously, you follow him, her mind answered. Rachel took off into the crowd. Knowing the boy was wearing dark checkered green polo and khakis, Rachel kept her eyes peeled. As she gave chase, Rachel tried to avoid her peers and their school bags. When she reached the end of the hall Rachel was unsure if she should take a left or a right; she chose left, and her guess paid off. She spotted him just before he slipped into a classroom. It was Thomas Harding, a senior who transferred to Lima last August, from California, if she remembered correctly.
Now that she had this information Rachel wanted to run to the Principal's office, but she realized all she had was her word that Thomas had said called her an offensive word. No one else gave any indication that that had heard him. She decided that her word would have to be enough. However, she really didn't want to miss another class – she was an A student after all. So, she told herself that she would notify the Principal during her lunch period.
Less than a minute to get to class, Rachel quickly made her way to AP Euro. Beating the bell, Rachel entered the room and saw that Santana had saved her a seat. As she hastily prepared for the day's lesson, removing her textbook, notebook, pen, spare pen, recorder, and emergency double A batteries, Santana asked her where she had been. At first, Rachel was just going to brush off the Cheerio's question, but then she remembered what Santana had asked her last week. Deciding that if their friendship was actually going to last, Rachel decided that she would be honest with the Latina.
"I was searching for the person who drew the swastika on my locker."
"What?" Luckily, Santana's outburst didn't draw too much attention seeing as the bell drowned her out.
"I found him," Rachel continued, because their teacher had yet to enter the room. Santana's eyes could rival Rachel's at that point.
"What? How? Who is it?" The cheerleader's voice was lower now.
"Thomas Harding." But before she could go into more detail Mr. Peterson walked into the room. Rachel had no problem ending their conversation and instead focusing on Russia's decision to construct the Berlin wall, Santana however was useless the rest of class; she was definitely going to have to borrow Rachel's tape recorder.
When fourth period let out, Rachel made her way to the school office. She told Ms. Garcia that, if possible, she needed to talk to Principal Figgins about last week's incident. Jenny nodded and phoned the man, informing him that Ms. Berry was here to speak with him. Jenny let her know that she could head right on in. When Rachel opened the door to Figgins' office she saw that he was not alone. Sue Sylvester was standing out of her chair, holding a scrunched up piece of paper in the man's face.
"I'm sorry, Principal Figgens. I didn't know you were busy" Rachel started, "But, Ms. Garcia, said I could come in. I could come back if this isn't a good time."
"No, no, Ms. Berry now's fine. Coach Sylvester here was just telling me about a list of possible suspects."
"Really? Is, um, is…" Rachel suddenly wasn't so sure she wanted to out Thomas. What if she had heard wrong? What if he said tiny? She knew he hadn't said tiny, but accusing someone of drawing a swastika on a locker and writing the word 'kike' all over school was serious and she didn't want to be responsible for getting the wrong person in trouble, especially if that person was a popular senior who was the starting goalie on the hockey team.
"Spit it out, Berry," demanded Sue.
"Actually, I'm sorry. It's not important, I was just curious to see if you or the police had any new information to offer." Cue the rambling.
"My fathers keep threatening to storm into the station and 'light a fire', and after I let know that such action would be ill advised and would probably only distract attention away from the case, I told them that I would go to you for answers." Please buy this she thought.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Berry. But aside from Coach Sylvester's list, which she still hasn't told me how she came up with, nothing more has been uncovered."
"I'll let my fathers know. Thank you for your time." As she left, Rachel could feel Sue Sylvester's eyes on her. The woman thought Rachel was hiding something and she was going to find out what.
Rachel's stop had taken less than ten minutes, so she still had plenty of time to sit down for lunch. Rachel found Noah, Finn, Artie, and Santana – that was a change in the routine - sitting off to the side. When he spotted her, Puck lifted his chin in a gesture signaling her to join them.
When she sat down, Puck asked her where she had been.
"Oh, nowhere, I was just a little behind schedule."
"Did you tell Figgins?" Santana asked. This is why Rachel hated when people changed their routines on her.
"No, I decided to wait," she replied, hoping none of the boys would inquire as to what she and Santana were talking about.
"Tell Figgins' what?" Apparently Finn couldn't read her mind.
"Rachel knows who spray painted her locker," Santana answered for her, "It was Thomas Harding."
"The hockey player?" Questioned Artie.
"I not one hundred percent certain," Rachel tried to gain control of the conversation, "There was an incident this morning in the hall-" Puck was out of his chair before she could finish. This is why she didn't want to say where she had been at the start of lunch.
"Noah, where are you going?"
"To find Tom," he said, voice cold. At that Santana stood up as well.
"Noah, sit down," Rachel lectured, "You too, Santana. First off, I said I'm not sure and secondly, Noah, you are on pronation, therefore even if Thomas was the one responsible, you could not, as I suspect you want to, confront him with violence. Puck wanted to just storm out of the cafeteria anyways, but once he heard a soft 'please' come out of Rachel's mouth followed by her tiny hand over his clenched fist, he finally sat back down, as did Santana.
"Fine, but tell me what happened in the hallway this morning."