"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out" Walter Winchell
Chapter 10
It is 6 AM and Rachel hears "Break my stride" by Matthew Wilder playing in her room. She immediately get ups and goes to the kitchen to prepare her shake and bakes the cinnamon swirl snickerdoodle cupcakes she made the night before. Going back to her room, she plays her exercises' set list so she can sync her movements with the music and keep her heart beat between 124-128 BPM to enjoy all the benefits the elliptical can provide. When "Where's your head at?" by Basement Jaxx starts to play Rachel jumps on the elliptical and starts to work out. She is feeling much better today. She had a good night of sleep and school wasn't so bad after all. She got an A on her English report, saw Finn and didn't busted into tears and discovered she wasn't alone, she did have a friend or at least someone who kind of likes her. Sure she didn't have Glee practice so she didn't really spend time with Finn or even talked to him or sang with him, like she will have today, but she is feeling pretty optimist that she can actually survive this broke up. She still misses him, his lips, his touch, his scent, his voice though.
Today she decides to wear this new dress she bought because Finn would like. It has the top brown and the bottom white. He doesn't know it was for him, besides a new outfit will be complementary to my good mood. She chooses black ballet shoes to go with it, leaves her hair down and puts on a light pink lip gloss. As she looks herself at the mirror her lips turn into a satisfied smile as she sees how pretty she looks. Going downstairs she picks two cupcake up in the kitchen and enters her car. She turns the radio on and smiles as she recognizes the song that just starts play, "Hit me with your best shot" by Pat Benatar.
Well you're the real tough cookie with the long history You come on with a come on, you don't fight fair Hit Me With Your Best Shot! Well you're the real tough cookie with the long history Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me
That's O.K., lets see how you do it
Put up your dukes, lets get down to it!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!
But that's O.K., see if I care!
Knock me down, it's all in vain
I'll get right back on my feet again!
Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!
Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me
Before I put another notch in my lipstick case
You better make sure you put me in my place
Come On, Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!
There's nothing else to do than sing it along with full lungs and she just realizes that she hasn't sing since the Glee club caroled at the teachers' lounge.
She is feeling so great that she does her usual path to her locker. She opens it up and picks her books. Today, right before lunch she has Spanish class. This will be her big test, her first class with Finn.
It's time for her Spanish class. She walks confident to it, she is decided to wish him a good morning and that will be it, they'll find a way to be friends again. But he's not there. Puck is sitting alone on their table. She frowns and goes sit on her place. He must be late. The class begins and he's still not there. She keeps think where he is and if he is ok. Is he sick or did Burt have another heart attack? Or maybe something happened to Carole. Should she call him? Just because they're not dating doesn't meaning she can't care for his well-being. They're still co-captains in Glee club and as a co-captain it's her duty to care about the other member, especially her co-captain, right? Her mind is far away from the class right now so she doesn't pay attention to what Mr. Schuester is asking her.
"Rachel, the answer please." He's there in front of the class staring at her. While he waits for her answer the whole class turns and look to her as well, including Puck.
"I'm sorry Mr. Shuester, can you repeat the question?" She says, her face is red. That never happened to her before, she always knew the answers.
"Which verb conjugation fits better the following sentence: Yo _ al cine por la noche. Voy or Vas?" Mr. Shuester says again, a little surprise that Rachel didn't actually volunteer to answer the question like she always did.
"Voy. Yo voy al cine por la noche." She answers his question, relieved that everyone stops look at her. Everyone, but Puck. She feels very self aware right now, why is he staring at her? Just then he shakes his head "no" and looks back at Mr. Schuester.
She wants to ask Puck if he knows where Finn is but after the look he gave her early she is not sure if she should. As soon as the class is over Rachel sees Puck walking toward her. She is apprehensive, not sure what he wants.
"You try too hard, you know?" He says at the same time he motions for her to walk with him. "You have to give him space and time to miss you, to see he rather be with you. Trust me, I'm an expert on relationships." He joins the line to serve his lunch and she follows him.
"If I remember well Noah, the last time I used your expertise it ended my relationship." She responds him with a bit of know-it-all tone, trying to pretend she doesn't understand what he's insinuating.
"Yeah, but last time I specifically told that I knew all about boyfriends problems because usually I was the cause of it." He says it at the same time he is picking some grease unidentifiable food.
"I guess I should have told you that I wanted to solve the problem and not create a new one." She says full of irony while picking a green salad for herself. "By the way that thing will clog your arteries".
They start to look for a table to sit on. When they find one he tells her. "Look, I'm still on debt with God since my first attempt to pay him wasn't very successful so I'll give you this advice." He takes a bite first and makes a disgusting face, the food is really bad. "Every man like to chase a girl, it's some cave man instinct or whatever."
"If Finn wants me back he'll make it happen". Puck nods. Rachel was surprise by his comment but it makes sense. "Like Alex and Gigi on the movie "He's just not that into you", Gigi thinks Alex likes her and he is shy to make a move so she kisses him but Alex tells her that if he wanted kiss her he would just had, after that they felt apart and he realizes that he really likes her and calls Gigi but she doesn't answers him so he has to do something big, something really romantic to prove to her that he really loves her". After saying all that she takes a bite on her salad.
"Whatever…I only pretend to watch chicks' movies when I want to make out with some girl so I don't really pay attention to it. What I meant was don't you remember what happened last year when you dated that douche? Finn wanted you because he couldn't have you then. See? Cave man instinct." At that point he gives up try to eat his food and drinks his coke instead.
She was astonished. Was Noah Puckerman really giving her an advice that actually makes sense and it doesn't involve sex or commits a crime? But wait, she wasn't trying to win Finn's back. "Thanks Noah. That really is a good advice but I'm not trying to get Finn to be my boyfriend. I'm an independent woman and I don't need a man to be happy". She says it with a serious look on her face and takes a zip of her apple juice.
"So you don't care Finn wasn't in the class today and wasn't thinking of all the tragedies that must have happened. Fine then. Good to you." Puck says sarcastically.
"Of course I care. I'm co-captain of Glee club. It's my job to know how is everyone on the club and if they're coming to practice and…"
Puck interrupts her, he is not buying anything she is saying. "So you didn't make the AV club to set a stage full of artificial Christmas' tree and snow at the auditorium?"
Rachel faces is completely red "Oh…well…I did it but…"
Puck doesn't let her finishes. "See, that's too much Rachel" He says it triumphant.
Rachel stares to her tray for a little bit before talks to him again. "I did that before I realized that he needs to apologize to me too. Today I was worried for not see him in class but not as his girlfriend or even as a girl who wants to be his girlfriend again. It's just I still care for him" She wasn't sure what was hardest for her to admit: if she wasn't expecting to be Finn's girlfriend anymore or if she still cares for him. Then something hits her "How do you know about my winter wonderland?"
"Lauren told me". After telling her that Puck sees she is looking at him interrogatively. "She is the president of the AV club, remember?" The only difference on her face now is that she is laughing too. "I told you Berry, that girl rocked my world."
They both laughed for a while and she felt relax. Right at this moment she remembers of the cupcakes on her bag. She reaches them and gives one to Puck. "Here, I bought it for you. It will take to bad taste of the cafeteria's food out of your tongue and since I'm an excellent cooker it will make you stops wishes get back at juves too." She smiles and bites her own cupcake.
The cinnamon' smell is irresistible and Pucks immediately bites his cupcakes. The taste is as good as its smells. "You did this?" He asks her amazed and Rachel just nods yes. "Wow, it's tastes really good and by the way, Finn was with coach Beiste studying some plays for our big game."
She smiles proud of herself. "And it's healthy. It's an old vegan cake receipt that I have". It seems like they both learned something today.