Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Sorry it's been forever, I had a bit of writers block and no time to surpass it. Speaking of passing, anybody good at Chemistry? Because I SUCK. Haha, well, enjoy and remember to review!
"We're not getting a yearbook picture."
That's the first thing Rachel heard as soon as she'd walked into the choir room. The rest of the club members stood around the grand piano, a previous Thunderclap in hand. Shock coursed through her veins- not because they weren't getting a picture- but because some of them actually looked relieved.
"What?" she screeched, pushing past Mercedes and Artie, staring intently at Kurt's baby face. "What are you talking about?"
He pursed his lips. "Principal Figgins declared we wouldn't get a Glee Club photo this year-"
"That's completely unfair! We're a legit club and we need to be shown appreciation."
Santana snickered. "The only recognition you'll get Tubs is having a Hitler mustache drawn on your photo."
"I think this is a good thing." Finn mumbled. Rachel's jaw dropped.
She began to storm through the door. "This is not staying this way!"
Her petite kitten anger stormed through the halls and she had every intent to show Principal Figgins just how wrong it was to deprive her of her glory. Her moment. Her picture. The one that would pave its way through history.
"Mr. Schuester, I'm very sorry to interrupt." her eyes looked at the man sitting behind the desk. "Principal Figgins, as you very well know this is my first year in Glee Club and I've just been informed that New Directions will not be offered a yearbook photo. As you might expect, my two gay dads have a very close relationship with the local branch of the ACLU and if it was up to me-"
Mr. Schue placed his hand on her shoulder, cutting her off from her ranting. "It's okay Rachel; it's all good." he smiled. "We've got a spot in the yearbook now."
Rachel beamed. "Fantastic!" She turned to Figgins. "I apologize- thank you so much."
School pictures were everything to her. They were great practice when getting photographed by paparazzi. And as invasive as the press might be, stars depended on them. In general terms, she felt like she needed to be prepared for such stardom that was... Well, impossible not to get.
But in order to accomplish getting covered- Rachel had to try and get into practically every club the school had to offer- it was all for the feeling of people knowing she had to exist... Glee, however, felt different. Rachel loved to sing- it was her passion and she believed in what they stood for. They came from the bottom of the social status: ridiculed and ignored. But now they'd made something of themselves, something that made her heart ache for the need to keep doing it and improving.
Proud. I'm proud to be in Glee. And I will be remembered for it even if it's the last Club photo I ever take.
"So? What do you think?" Rachel's voice rang in Jesse's ears, causing him to snap out of his dazed state. His pale eyes looked at her, blinking slowly.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
She smiled and shook her head. "About Glee's photo in the Thunderclap. Mr. Schue gave me the task of finding a Co- Captain."
"Co- Captain? I thought everybody had voted for just you."
She frowned. "They did... But he wanted two people representing the club." Rachel rolled her eyes in disapproval. "I guess the sad part is that no one else wants to take the picture. They're all too afraid of being de-faced."
His hand found hers, pulling Rachel from her spot on the couch to lay beside him. It was Thursday, their usual date night, except for the fact that it'd been a stressful week for him.
Rachel seemed to notice because her soft hand caressed the side of his face gently. "What's wrong?"
Jesse looked at her. "Just tired, nothing major."
She straightened herself. "Everything that pertains to you it major. Now tell me what's wrong."
"It's a week from Vocal Adrenaline's sectional and Shelby keeps us rehearsing 'till two in the morning." he licked his lips. "But I guess that's the price I pay to be the best of the best."
She smiled. "You're such a miva."
He opened one eye curiously. "Miva?"
Rachel giggled and nodded. "Yes, Jesse. Miva. M-I-V-A."
"What in the world is a MIVA?"
"Male diva."
His eyes glanced at her amused expression. "Rachel?"
"Yes?"
"Can I offer some advice?"
She kissed his cheek. "Yes, you can."
"Why don't you ask the male lead from your group? Maybe he'll come around."
Her pearly white teeth contrasted with her pink lips as she bit her lip. "Okay, I'll give it a try if..."
He raised a brow.
"If you kiss me senseless."
He smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."
She caught Finn on the way to lunch. He'd been talking with his football buddies when she approached him quickly.
His eyes widened and briefly excused himself from them, turning around as fast as he could and walking off.
"Finn! I'm desperate." she huffed a bit, keeping pace. "Glee club needs you."
"Look: I'm totally honored you asked me but don't you think you need someone who cares?" he halted for a bit, "I mean, not that I don't care but..."
Rachel's hands started to flail."Glee club only started working when you joined. Face it; we wouldn't have all of the cheerleaders and football players if it weren't for you!"
He sighed. "You know I love Glee- but I just don't see why I have to represent it."
She groaned and forcefully clutched the sides of his jacket, turning him around fast and glaring into his eyes in complete seriousness. "Because you're a leader Finn. And that's what leaders do. They stick their necks out for the people that they care about." she paused, letting it all sink in before continuing. "There are stakes here. If we don't try to lead then we don't win Sectionals and if we don't win Sectionals the club is over. I- I can't do this all by myself."
Finn stared at her, breathing roughly. "You won't have to. I'll take the picture with you- for Glee."
Rachel smiled. "You won't regret this Finn. I promise."
"I sure hope not..." he mumbled, smiling before walking away. Rachel watched him leave, completely satisfied with her results. She finally had a Co- Captain.
In the midst of her triumphant moment, she didn't notice that Jesse was waiting in the parking lot for her. In fact, he had to walk over to her, trying not to laugh as she smiled her dopey smile.
"If I didn't know you I'd be worried about the way you're smiling there." he commented, wrapping his arms around her. "Ready to go?"
She turned around and pecked his lips before shaking her head. "Walk me to the choir room. I need to get a few things."
"Your wish is my command."
The choir room was empty but unlocked. Rachel walked toward the piano and collected her sheet music. There was a faint click as the door shut behind Jesse.
"It won't lock, will it?" he asked, sitting down in a chair.
Rachel shook her head again. "Doubt it. It's never locked." Suddenly she dropped what she was doing and swerved to face him. "Jesse?"
"Yeah?"
"This might sound silly but do you ever practice smiling for the paparazzi?"
He threw his head back and laughed. "If you promise not to tell- yes. Sometimes I do."
She let out a breath. "Okay good. I thought it was just me."
"Sometimes we just have to smile." he whispered. This seemed to trigger something in Rachel because she smiled brightly again, picking up a packet of sheet music. She handed him a sheet and quickly turned on the stereo. The opening chords to Lily Allen's "Smile" started.
When you first left me,
I was wanting more.
You were kissing that girl next door
What you do that for?
Jesse smiled, backing up the song with soft vocals. (What you do that for?)
When you first left me,
I didn't know what to say.
I have never been on my own that way,
Just sat by myself all day
Rachel let her hands graze his arms teasingly. His reaction was awe and she saw his eyes sparkle in amusement.
I was so lost back then,
But with a little help from my friends,
I found a light in the tunnel at the end
And now you're calling me up on the phone.
So you can have a little whine and a moan.
Her lips kissed his neck briefly and she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jesse smiled, holding onto her waist with his hands.
And its only because you're feeling alone.
At first, when I see you cry, yeah it makes me smile, yeah it makes me smile
At worst, I feel bad for awhile, but then I just smile, I go ahead and smile
Whenever you see me,
You say that you want me back.(want me back)
And I tell you it don't mean jack,(don't mean jack)
No it don't mean jack (no it don't mean jack)
I couldn't stop laughing,
No I just couldn't help myself,
He placed a kiss on her neck and she responded by jumping up, playfully slapping the back of his hand.
See, you messed up my mental health,
I was quite unwell
I was so lost back then,
But with a little help from my friends,
I found a light in the tunnel at the end
Now you're calling me up on the phone,
So you can have a little whine and a moan,
And its only because you're feeling alone
If Jesse didn't know any better, it was like song- foreplay. Rachel swayed her hips teasingly, knowing very well that he wouldn't surpass his boundaries- at least not right this second. And it only made him want her all the more.
At first,
When I see you cry,
Yeah it makes me smile,
Yeah it makes me smile
At worst, I feel bad for awhile,
but then i just smile,
I go ahead and smile
[lalalalala] They both sang, voices meshing and harmonizing together perfectly. It was meant to be.
At first,
When I see you cry,(see you cry)
Yeah it makes me smile,(makes me smile)
Yeah it makes me smile (makes me smile)
At worst, I feel bad for awhile, (feel bad for awhile)
But then I just smile (but then i just smile),
I go ahead and smile(go ahead and smile)
He pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, causing her to giggle. No matter how much time they spent together, Rachel ceased to surprise him. She kissed him again just as softly and he smiled. Yeah, they definitely had their smiles down.
When she'd woken up that morning, Rachel felt great. Her skin was (thankfully) flawless after last night's facial and her hair looked fantastic. It was until she arrived to school to take the photos when the uneasiness kicked in.
He wouldn't ditch me, right? her internal voice asked as she made her way to the assigned room. She knew that Finn cared about his reputation and the fact that taking this picture with her meant hurting it... But was he capable of literally ditching her after he'd already promised to do it?
She shook her head. Stop it- he'll be here. Clearing her throat to get the photographers attention, she smoothed out her outfit.
"Can we wait a few minutes for my co- captain? I'm sure he's just running a bit late."
The man nodded. "Sure."
A few minutes soon grew to half an hour and finally the guy sighed, standing up, causing her to grow suddenly nervous.
"Could you please take your seat now?" he asked her.
Rachel blinked. "He-He'll be here."
The guy looked at his watch. "Look, I've got somewhere to be so please, can we get this done?"
"Just a few more minutes, please?" Rachel begged.
He sighed. "Just five."
When the five minutes were finally up, he looked at her with a certain annoyance. "Can we shake a leg here?"
Rachel quit playing with her hair- a nervous habit- and nodded. "Fine. I'm ready... I guess I'll do it by myself." she was still situating herself on the chair when the camera clicked, panic flooding her. "Wait wait!" she said. "I insist on only being photographed from the left side." He gave her a look and she turned, sitting up straight. She tried to look happy but it wasn't working. The disappointment in Finn was more potent than her want for this picture.
He stopped taking pictures, grimacing slightly. "I kind of need to see your smile."
Rachel let out an exasperated breath. "I'm sorry- it's just that my colleague was supposed to be here and he bailed and I just... I just need a minute." she said, walking desperately to the mirror. Her reflection was sad and it only made her feel more crappy.
Great. You look like crap. there was a moment of silence before she thought inwardly again. Snap out of this. Stop caring about what other people think of you... Or how much they disappoint you. Life sucks sometimes- you know that. she thought pessimistically. What's that song about overcoming professional and personal disappointments? another pause before a light bulb when off in her head. Oh yeah!
"When you're smiling, when you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you."
Although the song normally made her happy, this current situation only made the effect fall flat. But nevertheless, she had to go forth with it.
"I'm ready." she stated, taking her place once more and smiling bright, burying her previous disappointment.
After a few more shots, he nodded.
"Done."
She frowned. "Wait, that's it? I have 17 more poses!" she exclaimed. "I haven't even shown you my over-the-shoulder pose!"
He shrugged, packing up. "Sorry kid- I've got a casting session in half an hour."
She froze. Casting session? That's an opportunity to show off my acting talents. "For what?" she asked excitedly.
"My brother in law is shooting a commercial for his store, I'm directing it." he smiled to himself like it was a compliment. "I just do these school photos for the money."
Her mouth opened. Now's the perfect time! Suddenly she feigned sadness, even throwing in a sob. His eyes widened and he looked worried. Good. she thought.
"Oh, okay don't do that. I can take a couple more pictures of you if you want."
She smiled in satisfaction. Her head looking up. "I can cry on demand. It's one of my many talents. I'm very versatile." she stood up, hands on her hips, letting her diva qualities show. "And aside from nudity and animal exploitation, I'm willing to do anything to break into the business."
He scrambled for an excuse. "Well, you seem very talented and all but I need- there's other speaking parts too. I need like, a bunch of other actors too."
She nodded, thrilled to have the resources to get this going. "I can help with that."
When she'd explained it all the the club, they were thrilled and willing. Even Finn- not that it mattered, she was still pretty upset by the fact that he cared more about his own face than the actual club. But when the day to shoot finally came around and Rachel held an actual script in her hand, she found it disappointing.
As did everyone else. The guy who'd taken her school pictures said it was just because they couldn't see the 'brilliancy' of it, but Rachel smelled a stinker. It wasn't until Noah had suggested singing a song for the commercial that her mood lightened up.
Rachel wasn't one to have fun with a whole group but singing "Jump" whilst jumping on large towers of mattresses gave her an adrenaline rush. She was smiling, genuinely smiling, and having a good time with her peers. It was a nice change from the usual scowls they gave her. And after the shoot, she skipped out to the parking lot to meet up with Jesse whom had offered to pick her up despite his busy schedule.
"So? How was it?" he asked her, pulling into the street.
Rachel beamed. "It was so cool! We got a crappy script but we, being an actual working team, managed to make it interesting with a song." she breathed. "I think that's the first time I've jumped on a mattress tower. It was nice."
He smiled, looking from the road to his girlfriend. His eyes twinkled as he watched her finally being happy after hanging out with her 'friends.' "You really had fun, didn't you?"
She toned down the smile and looked at him. She felt like she was radiating happiness. "Very much so." she leaned over and pecked his cheek. "Thanks for picking me up, by the way."
"That's what any knight would do for his lady." he added, switching hands so he steered with his left and held Rachel's small hand with his right. He felt her squeeze his hand lightly and made his heart skip a beat.
"But we don't want to go to Sectionals without you." Artie said as Mr. Schue propped up the used mattress against the rest of them. The whole group looked disappointed by the fact that their director was getting punished for something that was all Rachel's doing.
He sighed. "It's without me or not at all. Look, I slept on the mattress which means I accepted them, not you guys." He stepped forward. "Which means I'm disqualified."
"He's taking the bullet for us." Puck summarized and Rachel looked sadly at the floor. Guilt made her skin itch and she sighed.
"We've worked too hard for you guys not to get your shot."
Finn broke the silence. "We can't do this without you, Mr. Schue. We probably can't do it even if you were going."
The director's eyes narrowed a bit. "That's not true! You guys are good. Really good. You did that commercial without me, right? It proves you can." he spanned the classroom. "The best teachers don't give you the answers, they point the way and let the students figure it out. That way, you get all the glory. And you deserve it." he paused and let it all sink in before continuing his spiel. "If you can't win without me then that means I didn't do my job. "
Rachel cleared her throat. "We're really sorry, Mr. Schue."
He smiled sadly. "I know... I want you guys to get gussied up. I want to see you take that Glee Club photo with pride."
They nodded and after half an hour, stood together, as a group, and posed as the photographer snapped shot after shot. Like a real team. Like a family. And to Rachel, for that one moment, it seemed like maybe, just maybe they'd be able to do this
It was a bit more Rachel- centric. There's a steamy St. Berry moment in the next chapter ;)
Don't forget to review!
-Fanatic4Fiction