Shattering Secrets
Chapter 10
Three days later:
Puck was worried about Rachel after her confession to the glee club. She became even more closed off, and he had hoped that telling everyone what happened would help her begin to heal.
Puck thought back to what brought on Rachel's self-imposed exile.
*flashback*
It was Monday after glee practice when Mr. Schuester asked to speak with them.
"Sure, Mr. Schue."
Rachel had a feeling what this was about, but she was hoping Mr. Schuester was able to make her fathers see reason and come home, although she was probably hoping against hope.
"As you know, I tried to contact Rachel's fathers. Unfortunately, Rachel was right. They're not returning from their trip. I'm sorry guys."
Mr. Schuester turned to Rachel and saw the heartbreak in her eyes. But before he could offer any comfort, she turned and fled the classroom. Puck, with one final wave at Mr. Schuester, left to find the girl he loved. He found her by his truck.
The ride home was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop; Rachel just put her head on the cool glass window and silently cried. When Puck turned into the driveway, Rachel leaped from the car and ran up into her room, slamming the door. Puck tried for hours to get her to open the door, but she wouldn't let him in.
*End of flashback*
Puck knew she felt abandoned by her fathers. He couldn't get the look on her face out of his head. He knew what it was like to have a parent to walk out of your life, and he wished that he could have spared her that her pain not only once, but twice.
He knew that Rachel's mother had rejected her two years ago, and that Rachel tried to convince her at regional's to teach at McKinley. However, she was rejected again and then her mother did the worst thing she could do to Rachel: she adopted Beth. Once again, Rachel felt abandoned by the mother she just wanted to get to know.
Puck was at a loss for what to do for Rachel. He knew she needed an adult to help her through what was ahead of her. He knew that he and the glee club could only do so much for her, but he wasn't sure Shelby Cochran was the best choice. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't watch Rachel forever. He had to go home at some point. Against his better judgment, Puck decided to try to get in contact with Shelby.
Meanwhile, Rachel was in her bedroom trying to figure out why her family kept rejecting her. Was she really that person that no one wanted to be around? She knew she could be abrasive and bossy, but she was just trying to help everyone improve and when it came to her fathers, she tried to be the perfect daughter: straight A's, extracurricular activities, and glee club. But none of it seemed good enough for them.
Rachel got up off the bed, went to the mirror, and looked at herself closely. Was she not pretty enough? Nice enough? Did she not put up with the bullying and name-calling and the slushy attacks? She felt as if she was at the end of her rope. She could no longer express how she was feeling through music. She felt as if her life was over.