Disclaimer: No ownership. None at all.
Rachel expected the worst day of her life when she arrived at school Monday morning. And she wasn't far off. Everywhere she went that day, boys were staring at her, and yelling appalling things after her in the hallways. Rachel just hung her head, and marched on. She noticed, as the day went on, however, the catcalls and staring had dissipated some. Even if she didn't know why, Rachel was appreciative to whoever it was that made it so. She wasn't sure how much more of it she would have been able to stand.
But even with the lessening of harassment, the knot in Rachel's stomach grew larger as the time for Glee Club approached. She was scared to see Noah, and she absolutely did NOT want to be in the same room as Santana. She even considered skipping practice, but the thought that Mr. Shue might hand out parts for Regionals, and she wouldn't be able to get a solo made her dismiss that thought. They could ruin her day, but not her career.
As usual, Rachel was the first person to arrive at Glee. She sat front row, center, thinking that if she didn't look ashamed, then no one would question her. The room slowly filled up, and not one person said anything to her. 'Maybe this was a bad idea.' Rachel thought to herself. She had just gathered her things to leave when Mr. Shue showed up.
"Are you going somewhere?" He asked her. Rachel shook her head and retook her seat. Mr. Shue passed out a song, and smiled quickly at her as he handed Rachel her paper. She looked down, and wasn't really sure what to think.
"Mr. Shue? What is this?" Mercedes asked.
"A duet." He responded. "Finn, take the first verse, and Rachel, you can jump in anytime. Everyone else… just… listen." Rachel saw Finn walk by her, and stand up by the piano. She heard the tinkling of the keys start, and Rachel saw that Finn had put his sheet music down. He was staring right as her as he began.
"In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun.
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
This world you must've crossed. You said..."
Rachel joined in, and harmonized with him perfectly.
"You don't know me; you don't even care, oh yeah.
She said: You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah."
Finn picked back up alone on the second verse.
"Essential yet appealed, carry all your thoughts across an open field,
When flowers gaze at you, they're not the only ones who cry when they see you
You said..."
Finn smiled at her as she stood up to sing her part. Rachel looked right at Santana as she began the second chorus alone.
"You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
I said: you don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah"
Rachel nodded to Finn, and he went and sat in her chair. Putting her whole heart into the words, she belted,
"I think I'll go to Boston, I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out to California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly them out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston, I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,
Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...
Yeah Boston... where no one knows my name."
Rachel heard the clapping before she was able to open her eyes completely. When she did, she saw that everyone, excluding Santana and Brittney, was applauding for her. Kurt was standing up, and Finn had an ear to ear grin. She smiled shyly, and Mr. Shue came down the risers to put his hand on her shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze before turning back to the class.
"Well I don't think the original artists could have done it better." Rachel blushed and retook her seat, getting a pat on the shoulder from Kurt, and a nod from Mercedes. Too soon, practice came to an end, and Rachel felt the knot in her stomach grow larger than even she thought was possible. She stuck her courage to the sticking place, as much as she could, and decided that the sooner she got this over with, the better.
"Noah?" She called out before he could reach the door.
"Yeah?" God, this was going to be so horrible. But she knew that it had to be done.
"Could we… talk? Maybe?" He nodded, and motioned to the empty choir room. Well, this was as good as anything, and Rachel began just like she had rehearsed in her mirror.
"I was wondering, if you had anything you wanted to admit, before the court proceedings begin." His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Court? What?" Rachel looked down at her shoes, afraid to look him in the eyes.
"I went to the hospital after you dropped me off, and I just… usually if you admit to it, the consequences aren't as harsh. At least that's what I've heard."
"Consequences?" Rachel knew that he was staring her down, and she forced herself to look up at him before continuing.
"Sexual molestation." Puck took two steps backwards, and sat down on the piano bench. He looked all around the room, almost as if he was trying to find something. Rachel wondered what it was he was looking for, and why he didn't respond.
"You think I… did that to you?" Rachel took a step towards him.
"What else should I think? I don't remember what happened, but I woke up without clothes on in your bed. I hate to say this, Noah, but your reputation precedes you on these matters, and…"
"Don't." He said, and his voice was dangerous. "What you think happened… is the most stupid thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth. And that is saying a lot." Rachel was stunned, but he continued, "That night, I brought you back to my house so that… so that if you got sick, you wouldn't be alone. That's it. I kissed you, yeah; I'm not going to lie to you, Rachel. But you fell asleep. YOU FELL ASLEEP. And I laid down next to you because it was my fucking bed. But that's it."
"How do I know you're not lying to me? That this isn't a ruse to get yourself out of trouble?" He laughed.
"You talk in your sleep." Rachel was taken aback, only because she had never told a soul that particular secret. He continued, "And you snore. Softly, sweetly, but a snore all the same." This was not at all what she had expected, and her carefully practiced speech went right out the window.
"But… you… why were my clothes on the floor by the bed, then, if all we did is kiss?"
"I dunno, you got too hot during the night? I don't pretend to understand why you do things. Like just assume that I did this, instead of asking me."
"I'm asking you now." She said. "Tell me the truth of what happened, and if it makes sense, then… then we'll see."
"The truth? You fell off the table, I caught you, took you outside."
"I remember that part." She said quietly.
"Then where does your memory stop, Princess? Just so that I have an idea of where to begin." His voice was full of poison, and it scared her.
"After you put me in your truck. You asked me if my dad's were home, and I said no. Then… everything goes black until the next morning."
"Well then, let's think about this. You know that I told the truth about not wanting you to be alone, because you would have been if I had dropped you off at your house. Right?" She nodded. "And you know, even though you didn't say anything about it, that I know you talk in your sleep. So you must have been asleep while you were there. Asleep enough to dream anyway. So that part's the truth. What else? Oh, your clothes. Well, you already had your shirt off. I took your shoes off before I put you in my bed." He paused. Rachel noticed just then that she was crying, and she turned her face away from him. What he was saying… it all made perfect sense. Hadn't she wondered that morning why her fan wasn't on? The fan she needed to keep her cool during the night? She didn't notice him get up, but then he was there, in front of her. Her breath stuttered when she turned back to him, and she saw that his eyes were about to brim over. He was upset? Why would he be? Rachel reached up to wipe his tears, but he grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"I've been called a lot of things, Berry, and most of them I deserve. But what you just called me – a rapist – I don't deserve that. Not after saving you from yourself that night." And he left, slamming the door on his way out. Rachel put her head in her hands and wept, hoping that he could forgive her for being such a fool.
A/N: Song is Augustana's "Boston". I took some liberties with the lyrics, but that's not unheard of in the Glee-verse.
