Author's Note: Just a quick note, there is some girl/girl kissing, mostly playful in fun, not serious but I don't want anyone to feel they weren't given warning. Keep in mind that I really do see Lauren as a female Puck and she reacts to Rachel the way Puck does albeit without the depth of feeling Puck has.
7 Love Will Turn You Around
Why they needed a teacher to teach them about sex when they had Noah Puckerman, Quinn and Santana in their glee club Rachel wasn't entirely certain. In addition to that, they all had parents. Someone else talking to them about sex seemed redundant, though if the idea of someone teaching them and not being around after the classes was a good one. Rachel couldn't imagine old Mrs. Albrecht, Mrs. Wilson or Mr. Schuester trying to talk to all of them about sex.
But they could at least ask if the lessons/talks were necessary, after all, Rachel had a very good understanding of her body and its reproductive capabilities. And her dads were really very open about how hormones might just try to take her over, like an old invasion of the body snatchers movie.
Lauren caught her eye and Rachel grinned, the wrestler had been teasing she and Puck about making a sex tape. She wanted to get her inner Kardashian on and Rachel kept giggling and saying that she wasn't going to sabotage her career before it even began.
Of course Holly Holiday had overheard them and pointed out to the three of them that since they were under age making a sex tape was illegal. Rachel had just sighed and attempted to explain that Lauren was joking but apparently Miss Holiday didn't believe that was even possible. Rachel shook her head, how adults could be so dumb was beyond her comprehension.
And Ms. Pillsbury or whatever her married name was, was in charge of the celibacy club, which now Rachel was joining because thinking about sex just got her thinking about Finn and Puck and Lauren and she really didn't need her hormones to mess with her mind any more than they were.
To her surprise Lauren and Puck had joined as well, though on Puck's behalf that was just to support she and Lauren. He did mutter something after the meeting about a newlywed chairing the chastity club and how idiotic that was. Then he found out what Ms. Pillsbury wanted them to sing for the rest of glee and couldn't stop laughing. When he explained the meaning of the song to Rachel, Lauren giggling in her throaty laugh the entire time, Rachel couldn't stop blushing.
"Aw don't worry about it Rache," Puck tugged her hair teasingly. "So we sing, and it'll be stupid but singin's always fun."
"It's idiotic to be singing about a quickie when we're representing the celibacy club," Rachel retorted rolling her eyes.
"Do you want to explain it?" Puck arched an eyebrow and Lauren began practically cackling at the very idea, "'Cause I sure as hell don't. So we sing. Let someone else enlighten her."
Rachel was pretty sure she was going to die of embarrassment when Miss Holiday pointed out what the celibacy club's song was about while they were all still on stage. Exchanging a glance with Lauren they both turned to look at Puck who was manfully trying to control his expression. "Okay, so not the best thought out plan," He pointed out quietly.
"Does anyone seriously believe that the only sexual education we need is being told to stay celibate?" Lauren asked bluntly, "We've got guys who think virgins can't get pregnant, girls who think if they go on the pill it's a sin and nobody bothers to address the actual issue. Sex feels good. That's why people keep having it."
Her words were like a thunderclap to begin the storm as everyone began talking at once. Finally Mr. Schuester put his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply, "Enough!"
Rachel took a deep breath and Lauren wrapped an arm around her for support while Puck came to stand close behind the two of them, "We all did this song for Ms. Pillsbury because she had her heart set on it, and it's a fun song. But Lauren and Puck and I…we've been working on something else," She looked at Puck and he nodded, going to grab his guitar from the wings of the stage. "We think it expresses the conundrum of teenage sexuality a little bit better."
"Even if that ain't really what the song is about," Puck added when he came back on stage. "But it does talk about the heart and the mind pullin' in different directions."
"Oh," Ms. Pillsbury seemed a little surprised but nodded. "Well thank you for singing with me anyway guys."
"We had fun," Lauren assured her. "But me an' Rache an' Artie an' Puck, we all hang out and heard this from an old movie. Thought it was…ya know, appropriate."
"Artie?" Rachel blinked past the stage lights, "Did you want to give us a hand?"
"I'm good Rache," Artie called from the seats. "Remember I didn't like how it sounded with the two guitars."
"Truth," Puck had slung the guitar strap around his neck and gotten his instrument tuned while Rachel and Lauren were talking. "We ready my ladies?"
"Incorrigible," Rachel rolled her eyes and looked at Lauren.
"That means yeah," Lauren grinned and watched Puck's fingers begin to dance over the guitar strings. An old song began to form under his fingertips, drifting through the air.
Rachel grinned and took Lauren's hand, the two of them doing a little two-step as Rachel sang the first four lines.
"You can run
You can hide
Never let it inside
Keep livin' your life in the dark."
Lauren's voice took over the next two lines, her husky voice a contrast to Rachel's sweet one.
"But sooner or later that gentle persuader
Is gonna catch up with your heart,"
Pulling away from each other they sang in unison,
"Make you a dreamer, believer
Believin' in love…"
Puck smiled and stepped forward between the two girls, his voice a clarion call of reason, reminding everyone of how quickly feelings could take over.
"Right when a man's doin' all that he planned
And he thinks he's got just what he needs
Life will deliver a shock that will shiver
And drive him down to his knees,"
Rachel's voice twined around his as Puck kept singing, her soprano a descant to his baritone.
"Make him start givin', livin'
Livin' again…"
And then Rachel was singing the first part of the chorus alone, passion warring with reason.
"Well it's your mind
That tricks you in leavin' every time
Love will turn you around
Turn you around,"
Lauren's alto took over for Rachel as she began the second part of the chorus, Puck's voice merging with hers,
"Well, it's your heart
That talks you into to stayin'
Where you are
Love will turn you around
Turn you around…"
Then Lauren's voice died away and Puck began to sing, the wealth of his experience heavy in his voice,
"Out of the blue she reaches for you
And you tell her you don't have the time
So you move away fast
But you know it won't last
'Cause you can't get her off of your mind,"
Lauren's alto surged into the last two lines, underscoring the importance of the words with their depth as she and Rachel began to dance with each other again, a little two-step winding around Puck.
"Thoughts are burnin', turnin'
They're turnin' around…"
And then Rachel began to sing again, torment and indecision filling her words even as she kept a smile on her face and the tune lighthearted,
"How do you know when to stay or to go
And how do you know when it's real
You don't need a sign to make up your mind
You got your heart at the wheel."
Her eyes met Puck's as his voice rolled in an undertone to hers on the last two lines,
"You wanna start sharin', carin'
Carin' again…"
All three voices soared together on the chorus, each of them filling it with hope, doubt, passion and fear, joy in love found and pain in love betrayed.
"Well it's your mind
That tricks you in leaving' every time
Love will turn you around
Turn you around
Well, it's your heart
That talks you into to stayin'
Where you are
Love will turn you around
Turn you around
Love will turn you around
Turn you around
Love will turn you around
Turn you around
Turn you around…"
Rachel's voice drifted through the air, acapella on the last lines before the music died completely,
"Love will turn you around
Turn you around…"
When her voice faded completely she looked at Lauren who grinned at her and Puck chuckled, kissing Lauren's forehead and then Rachel's. Before he'd let go of one girl the applause started.
"Well, that certainly was an interesting way to express the difficulties you are all going through," Mr. Schuester's voice was best described as diplomatic. "I don't know that I'm familiar with the song though."
"It's from 'Six Pack," Lauren told him as the trio left the stage, Puck exchanging high fives with Artie along the way. "Old Kenny Rogers movie."
"It had Annette Benning when she was a kid…" Puck gave an appreciative whistle.
"And Anthony Michael Hall," Rachel added dreamily.
"When he was like twelve," Lauren poked her. "Way too young to be crushing on."
"He was cute," Rachel objected. "I can appreciate cute. It's not like he isn't way older than me now."
The conversation devolved into bickering until Lauren rolled her eyes and pressed a kiss to Rachel's lips. The stunned silence that followed was broken only by the sound of Rachel's voice, "Honestly Lauren," She giggled.
"What was that?" Several different voices demanded to know. At a quick count, Rachel picked out Finn's voice, Mr. Schuester's and oddly enough Santana's along with Quinn and Mercedes.
Rachel laughed again and shrugged, "Ask Lauren."
When all eyes swiveled to the wrestler Lauren just shrugged, "Hey Puck warned me that sometimes the only way to shut Berry up is to kiss her." Rachel's giggle floated through the air again and Lauren grinned at her fondly, "Ain't like it's a hardship. B kisses damn good."
"So whenever you want her to shut up you just kiss her?" Finn's voice was dangerously squeaky and Rachel rolled her eyes. "That's…that's…slutty."
"Fuck you Hudson," Lauren snapped. "Last I looked you were makin' time with Fabray, no room to talk. And I'm not trying to push her into bed or anything. Just like kissing her."
"I'm hurt, dreadfully hurt," Rachel teased her friend trying to lighten the mood, "Is that all I'm good for to you?"
As she hoped Lauren's face lightened and Puck relaxed behind the bigger girl, the boy chuckling wickedly, "You know that ain't all you're good for Berry." He teased back. Rachel grinned and Puck continued, "She loves your history notes too."
"Wicked evil man," Rachel folded her arms and produced a mock pout that got everyone laughing even Santana. "See if I lend them to you again."
"Aww…don't be like that baby," Puck sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "You know I'd do anything for you."
"Anything?" Rachel's voice was innocent enough but Lauren could see the gleam in her eyes.
"You know it," Puck promised recklessly.
"It's a lot to ask," Rachel mused catching Lauren's eye. The girl wrestler looked as if she was going to crack up any minute.
"Anything you want," Puck didn't seem to realize how deep he was digging his own grave.
"Well," Rachel took a deep breath. "Could you… teach me… about sports?" She turned so he could see her face with its mischievous grin and was completely unprepared for the heat in his eyes.
"Yeah Rache," Puck nodded slowly and she felt the tension slowly leave his frame. "Teach you everything I know." He kissed her cheek affectionately and tugged her hair before unwrapping his arms.
"Oh my god," Finn's voice was like a bucket of ice water. "Could you two be any more…obvious?"
Rachel turned and stared at her ex-boyfriend, "Do you remember when I played that song for you the other day? And you told me you'd be honest with me about it?" She nearly snarled the words out, "I took your criticism in the hopes of improving. That is the only type of input I wish to hear from you regarding my personal life Finn Hudson."
"You're practically eye fucking him," Finn snapped back at her. "And just a minute ago you were kissing Lauren. That isn't you Rachel."
"How dare you," Rachel cried. "How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do. I don't belong to you Finn." She stood and Lauren moved so Rachel could pace back and forth in the aisle, arms wrapped tightly to her stomach as she tried to get control over her emotions. "There wasn't one minute we were together that you didn't look over my shoulder for Quinn. Not one day that you weren't uncomfortable in my company."
"But that's because—"
Rachel didn't let Finn finish his sentence, "I don't care why. That's how it was and you just admitted it." She scowled at him, "But you're not my boyfriend and you don't have any right to comment on what I do, who I kiss, or who I'm friends with. Even when you were my boyfriend you didn't have the right to tell me who I could be friends with."
"All right, let's settle down," Mr. Schuester tried to interject but his voice was lost as Finn began nearly shouting at Rachel.
"I do so have the right, you love me, you said you'd always love me, and that means I gotta make sure you don't screw up your life with him," Finn pointed at Puck who'd relaxed back in his seat, plainly believing Rachel could speak for herself.
Rachel took a deep breath and let it out in a quiet exhale of fury her eyes moving from Finn, towering over everyone including her in his anger and Puck, at ease in his seat, simply waiting for the battle to be over so he could help her in whatever way she needed. She could see Artie, tense in his chair, his face trying to calculate how badly this would go wrong and what he could do to help. Quinn was looking from her boyfriend to Rachel, plainly worried that Finn was far too involved with the diva to be emotionally unmoved. Lauren was just leaning against the chairs opposite the aisle, waiting like Puck. And the rest of the gleeks looked simultaneously worried and fascinated.
"I might still love you Finn," She spoke as quietly and clearly as she could. "But that doesn't mean I like you very much. And it certainly doesn't mean I condone your behavior. My emotions are my problem. You've made it very clear that you don't want anything to do with me because you say you can't trust me. And I don't trust you to want what's best for me anymore." Rachel pressed her folded arms to her stomach and wished it would stop aching, "So unless you have something you need to talk to me about for Glee… just stay away from me." With as much dignity as she could gather Rachel walked slowly and quietly out of the auditorium.
Puck knew that Rachel didn't want anyone to see her crying over Finn again, especially after she'd just made her exit. But he also knew there was no way he was letting her wander around alone and upset. "Lauren?" He tilted his head and she sighed shaking her head before he remembered she had wrestling practice after glee today. "Right, see you tomorrow?"
"You know it," Lauren grinned like she hadn't just outed herself to the glee club ten minutes ago. "I gotta get movin' anyway."
"Yeah me too," Puck shrugged. "So I'll see ya'll tomorrow," He pushed himself up and out of his seat, grabbed his guitar and backpack and followed Rachel's path out of the auditorium. She wasn't too hard to find, she'd gone to her locker, pulling books out and putting a few back in, taking the deep breaths he knew meant she was holding back tears. "Hey Rache," He put a hand on her shoulder. "Can I give ya a ride home?"
"Please," Rachel took another deep breath. "I just don't want to fall apart at school. Not again, not over him," She admitted quietly.
"We're outa here as soon's you got your stuff," Puck told her firmly. "Gimme your case an' we'll get goin'." He waited as she grabbed one more book and her coat, taking the handle of her case while she put the coat on. It didn't take long but it seemed like an hour before they were out in the parking lot with the cold air around them and the crunch of snow underfoot.
"Noah," Rachel hadn't spoken until they'd gotten into the cab of his truck and he'd pulled carefully out of the icy parking lot. "Do you think I'm selfish?"
"You?" Puck blinked and pulled his gaze from the road a half second to look at her before he gave driving his eyes if not all of his attention. "Angel, you're…you're way too giving to be selfish." He shook his head adamantly.
"I couldn't give Finn what he wanted," Rachel pointed out. "I want all the solos in glee club. I sent Sunshine to a crack house."
"Okay first, Sunshine woulda horned in on all the other girls' solos not yours, so really you did alla them a favor, but it wasn't the nicest thing to do," Puck shook his head. "And singin's like your wheelhouse so wanting every solo is kinda expected. That's why we got Mr. Schue. Because everyone is the same way. We all want all the solos, even the ones we can't sing." He took another look at her, "Besides, you an' me an' Lauren sang a whole song, not just you. You share with us just fine."
"Because you're my friends," Rachel told him. "And I like to sing with you."
"Goes to show, you ain't selfish Rache, 'cause if you were, you wouldn't sing with us. Just means you're nice to people when they're nice to you," Puck smiled slightly, "I heard you even were helpin' Kurt with his audition song for the Warblers."
"He's not here to compete with me," Rachel said drily. "Everyone else is."
"Well competition is good, they can't expect to get solos if they don't work for them, you work hard Rache, and you're packed fulla talent in that tiny body," Puck wondered who'd been giving her shit besides Finn. Chocolate Thunder he bet, that girl was a shit stirrer like no one else, gossipy and more than a little mean. "Mercedes givin' you a hard time?"
"Just a bit, she misses Kurt so sometimes she hangs out with me, but not very often," Rachel shrugged. "We're sort of friends, but we're not super close…it's hard for me to let people in."
"Yeah because whenever you do they turn around and hurt you or use you," Puck growled. "And as for not giving Finn what he wanted? That ain't your job an' it shouldn't a ever been your job. Boy's gotta right hand if he wants a fuckin' orgasm."
"Noah Abram Puckerman," Rachel's voice was a blend of appalled and humorous. "Don't be crude."
"Born this way baby," Puck grinned as they pulled up to her house. "But hey Rache? Seriously," He waited until she was looking at him rather than her purse. "Screw Hudson."
"The problem was I wouldn't," Her expression was a mix of sad and smiling, her mouth quirking in one corner wryly.
"Well that's his problem, it ain't yours," Puck shook his head at her. "Until you're ready there ain't a guy in the world worth your time. We're all assholes angel, we all want sex, we all whine when we don't get it. We all learn to make do with our hands and be grateful when a girl gives us any attention," He smirked at her teasingly. "And contrary to what we'd have you think, we won't die if we don't get it."
"I had surmised from Finn's regrettable continued existence," Rachel sighed. "Most of the other girls in my class have had sex by now. Sometimes I feel like I'm the freak because I haven't."
"Are you ready to have sex Rachel?" Puck asked bluntly, "I mean, you feel ready to trust someone to put part of himself inside you? Knowing it'll probably be uncomfortable as hell at first and it might get better if he knows what he's doing? You ready to open yourself up like that? Because that's what it is." He shook his head, "I know a lotta those girls, hell half the time I was rebound guy who showed 'em sex wasn't all mess and pain. And I can tell you, I know which ones did it before they were ready and which ones wanted to. And the guys who pressured those girls? They're all bastards, every single one of 'em."
"Put like that," Rachel shook her head. "I still feel like a freak but at least I'm an intact freak," She offered him a little smile and Puck sighed, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her again.
"You're not a freak Rachel, you're fuckin' awesome," He put his chin on the top of her head and tucked her into his neck. "An' whoever you pick, that guy should be fuckin' honored, because you're worth waitin' for. And if a guy really cares about you, he wants you to be ready." Puck grinned, "He might beg for a blowjob or a hand job now and then but if he's smart he'll wait for you."
"Noah you can be so sweet and then you're just so vile," Rachel's hard little gloved fist hit his bicep and he laughed.
"You get the gist though right angel?" He slid her back to her spot. "You don't owe Finn anything." Puck looked at her, "And if you want, I'll listen to your music, I mean I'm not a genius or anything but I can tell you if I like something, an' where I think it'd be better."
"I'd appreciate that," Rachel nodded. "I'd better get in," She grabbed her bag and opened the door, hopping down from the truck. "Thank you Noah."
"Anytime Berry," He waited until she'd opened her front door, turned and waved before taking off for work.
TBC
Author's Note: So what do we think? Reviews are better than Christmas presents. Seriously I really do like the feedback I get from you guys, it makes me rethink things, makes me figure out why I've done something, so I have a good solid foundation for this, not just 'it sounded cool in my head'.
And if I don't hear from ya'll before Christmas I hope you all have a Merry one and a Happy Hannukah.
