Hello everyone! Enjoy!
Chapter 9
That night, Rachel couldn't stop smiling to herself. Puck had finally agreed to take their friendship to the next level and she couldn't contain her happiness. She tried to walk in normally so her dads wouldn't notice anything.
Before she got to the kitchen, she heard her fathers' voices in the kitchen so she stood by the stairs to listen.
"Honestly Leroy, I don't know what else you want from me. I told you I would try to be more attentive," Hiram said.
"I want us to go to counseling. All of this fighting isn't healthy and it isn't setting a good example for Rachel. She shouldn't have to be afraid of starting an argument between us. Can't you see how this is affecting her?"
"Don't be so dramatic."
"She avoids coming home and when she does come home she hardly says a word. It's like she's afraid to talk to us at all."
"That's ridiculous, Rachel knows she can come to us. Stop using her as an excuse for your ludicrous requests."
Leroy paused and sighed, clearly seeing he wasn't getting anywhere. "I think I'm going to sleep in my study tonight." Without another word, he walked away but froze when he saw Rachel. "Hey sweetheart, your dad told me that you wanted him to let you stay at the dance a little longer. How was it?"
"It was fine. I'm more worried about how things are with you and Dad."
"We're fine, we're just having a little disagreement that's all."
"That looked like more than a little disagreement," she frowned.
"We're fine baby, I promise. Why don't you go get some rest?"
Hesitantly, Rachel nodded and went upstairs. Now that things were official between her and Puck, she had a distraction from her fathers' marital drama. As long as they weren't talking to her about what was going on, she would do what they're doing and pretend nothing was happening.
Meanwhile, Puck was putting Sara to bed but couldn't stop thinking about Rachel.
"Did you have fun tonight?" Sara asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah I did. A lot actually."
She raised an eyebrow. "Something happened didn't it? Tell me."
He shook his head. "You're too young to understand."
"I'm ten," she rolled her eyes. "You'd be surprised at the things fifth graders talk about."
Seeing that he couldn't hide it from her, Puck nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Rachel and I are…a thing."
"Like dating?"
"I guess so, yeah."
"That's cool. Is she still going to teach me piano?"
"Yes she is," he nodded.
"Okay so what's so hard to understand about that?"
"Well I'm not exactly supposed to be dating her. You know, since she's the headmaster's daughter."
"So why are you?" she asked, confused.
Puck hesitated. "Because…sometimes you can't control your feelings for someone. Sometimes you have to take the risk because you like that person too much not to."
"Sounds complicated."
"It is. Which is why I said that you're too young to understand."
As he started to get up to turn her light off, Sara stopped him. "If you're going to take the risk, don't get caught."
"Trust me I don't plan to," he replied as he turned the light off and walked out.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next afternoon, Rachel smiled to herself as she heard the doorbell ring. Puck and Sara were coming for Sara's piano lessons and thankfully her fathers were both out for the day.
She smiled as she opened the door and saw them. "Hey come on in."
As Sara walked in, Puck stopped and looked at Rachel. "You sure it's okay that we do this at your place?"
"Yeah it's fine. My dads are out and even if they do come back, this looks completely innocent. Just me giving Sara piano lessons as friends."
"You're right, sorry just having a bad day."
"You want to talk about it?"
Puck hesitated. The last thing he wanted to talk about was how he found an empty bottle of Jack Daniels in the living room that he knew belonged to his mother. "No I'll be fine. Besides I know Sara is dying to start her lesson."
They walked into the living room where Sara was staring at the piano. "I can't believe you have a grand piano in your house. I would play this all the time."
"I try not to play when I'm at home," Rachel shook her head. "Then my dad won't be able to give his critiques."
"I thought you liked getting critiques?" Puck asked.
"I do but my dad can go a little overboard. But enough about me, let's get to the lesson."
For the next hour, Rachel, Sara and Puck had fun at the piano with Rachel teaching the basics. When she got a call that her dads would be home soon, she frowned at them.
"Well looks like we'll have to start wrapping things up."
"We don't have to," Sara said. "You should come over for dinner. It's Saturday and Puck always makes us these fish tacos."
"Sara I doubt Rachel would be interested in that," Puck told her.
Rachel shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in the house with her fathers. Leroy was right, she was taking any opportunity she had to not be home. "No I would love that actually. But I'm a vegan so we'd have to stop by the door so I can get some stuff to make it more vegan friendly."
"You sure?" he asked. Part of him wanted her to say no so he wouldn't have to introduce her to his home life yet but he also wanted to keep spending time with her.
"Positive. Let's go," she told them.
They left and went to the store before going back to the Puckerman house. As Puck pulled up in his driveway, he hoped that Rachel would overlook the fact that his life wasn't as glamorous as hers. Once he was sure that his mother was gone, he relaxed and started cooking with Sara and Rachel.
Throughout the night, Puck felt himself enjoying having Rachel with him. He saw more of her sense of humor and how great she was with Sara which made him like her even more. As big of a risk it was to be with her, he was starting to feel like the risk was worth it.
As Sara went upstairs to get ready for bed, Puck and Rachel stayed in the kitchen to do dishes.
"You really don't have to help," Puck said. "You're a guest after all."
"Please, I'm not going to let you clean this up yourself." She paused. "I had fun with you and Sara today. Seeing how you guys are really makes me wish I had a brother or sister."
"Well you're free to borrow Sara anytime you want," he smirked. "I'm just glad you didn't mind being here instead your place."
"Why would I mind?"
"Well my place isn't as…fancy as yours. We don't have a grand piano or fancy paintings or anything."
"That's exactly why I like being here. This feels real unlike my house."
Before he could question her, the front door opened and Maria stumbled in. "Puck you home? I see your car outside."
Puck closed his eyes and cursed to himself. He was hoping he could get Rachel out before Maria came home but clearly that wasn't happening.
"Puck?" he heard Rachel question.
"Stay here," he told her before walking to greet Maria. "Didn't get enough last night with the Jack Daniels?"
"That was your dad's favorite. We actually had a lot of it the night we made you," she laughed. "Just wanted to show that he couldn't ruin that for me."
"Mom?" Sara said from the top of the stairs.
"Hey honey. Maybe I can come read you a story since your brother seems to think I don't spend enough time with you." She looked in the kitchen and smiled when she saw Rachel. "Hey you got a friend. You never bring friends home."
"Sara go to your room," Puck told her. She shook her head and obeyed as he turned back to Maria. "Stop embarrassing yourself and go to bed."
"I'm the mother, I tell you when to get to bed." She glanced at Rachel once more. "Looks like you're just like your dad after all."
As she went upstairs, Puck sighed before following and going to Sara's room. When he found her, she was wrapped up in her blankets holding her stuffed animal.
"You okay?" he asked. She shook her head and he sighed before handing her shoes. "Get your coat."
When she was ready he took her downstairs and took a deep breath before finally facing Rachel.
"Puck-" she started.
"Want to go for a drive?" he asked.
Seeing that he was clearly hanging by a thread, Rachel nodded and they walked out. As they got in his truck and drove around in silence, Puck tried to figure out how he was going to explain this to Rachel. Now that she had seen what his life was, he knew there was a chance she would run. He just hoped she would at least give him a chance first.
He finally stopped a few blocks away from Rachel's house and she looked at him, unsure of what to say.
Instead, she looked down and smiled softly at Sara laid across her lap asleep. "Does she always fall asleep when you do this?"
He paused before nodding. "Yeah. It used to be the only way I could get her to sleep after…an episode."
Rachel frowned. "How long has this been going on?"
"About a year and a half now," he replied still looking away from her.
She thought for a moment. "This is why you don't like drinking."
"Pretty much," he nodded.
"You should tell someone, I'm sure they'd help you."
"Who am I going to tell? Sara's teachers who are already threatening to call social services? Sara would get taken away to a foster home in a heartbeat."
"It's not fair that you have to live like this." She paused. "Is this why you didn't want me to come over?"
"Among other things," he mumbled before sighing. "Look my life isn't as put together as yours. I don't have parents to take care of me, I don't even have an actual family for that matter. Sara's all I've got left and I can't let her get taken away."
"My life isn't as put together as you think. My dads do a great job of putting on a show but their marriage is falling apart and I feel like I'm part of the reason why. Most of their fights are about me and I'm just waiting for that day when they tell me they're splitting up. It's gotten so bad that I don't want to be home anymore. It's nothing like you're going through but it's far from perfect."
Puck frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. Guess we both have shitty home lives."
"I guess so." She made him look at her. "But I'm glad I have you now."
"Same," he replied before leaning in and kissing her. "Please don't tell anyone about my mom."
"Puck-"
"I can handle it. Please Rachel."
She sighed and nodded. "Okay I won't tell. Just come to me when it gets like this."
"Deal," he promised before kissing her again and driving a little closer to drop her off at home.
Let me know your thoughts! Bye for now :)
