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Sylvester's School For Girls

Chapter Ten

Rachel had always been a lonely child; she never had any real friends from kindergarten to middle school. The Berry family had never really been accepted in their neighborhood. They were the first and only same sex couple to live in the small town and for that reason they were met with disapproving looks.

When Rachel started school the prejudices towards her parents were automatically passed onto her. The other students wouldn't be friends with her because they had heard stories about the Berry family from their parents.

Rachel hoped that once the other students got to know her that they would form their own opinions about her, but that never happened. However, the older Rachel got the less she was ignored, but unfortunately for her it wasn't in a good way.

The other children would tease her about anything and everything so much that it started to get to Rachel. When she was twelve her fathers took the decision to take her out of her school and to move away from the small town they lived in.

Rachel wasn't fond of the idea of moving. Although she hated school and the neighborhood they lived in she had found solace at the local community centre where she was enrolled in dance classes and singing lessons.

She was taught by a young teacher called, Miss Simmons who was a warm and friendly person who didn't share the small minded views of the rest of the neighborhood. She taught Rachel ballet and encouraged her to enter competitions, first for ballet and later on for singing.

Rachel thought of the community centre as a refuge and found performing as an outlet for her feelings. When they moved to Miami Rachel lost her safe haven and confidant in Miss Simmons, something Rachel found extremely hard to leave behind.

It was even harder for Rachel to adjust to a new school and for the last few months of eighth grade she still hadn't made any friends, but on the plus side she hadn't been bullied either. The next test for Rachel was starting high school. She hadn't been able to find a new place to continue her singing and dance competitions so Rachel's focus was on starting a new school and finally fitting in.

Things even started to look brighter for Rachel during the third week of freshman year when she came across a group of girls outside of the school.

They were smoking so Rachel decided to inform them not only of the dangers of smoking, but the fact that they were smoking near the principal's car and that he would be arriving soon. The girls appreciated Rachel's warning, even though it wasn't intentional and they asked her to hang out with them.

It was the first offer of friendship for Rachel and she jumped at the chance to finally have some friends. However, it didn't take long for Rachel to realize that these weren't exactly the type of friends that she was hoping for, but since they willingly befriended her she ignored the voice in the back of her mind, telling her that it was a bad idea to be friends with these girls.

Rachel's head might have been wary of her new friends, but her heart had other ideas. It was telling her to give these girls a chance, that way she can get closer to one of the girls in particular. Her name was Gabriela and she was beautiful.

It was the first time that Rachel had ever felt this way about a girl. She thought of it as just a silly school girl crush that would never amount to anything, but she was wrong.

They had been at a party and copious amounts of alcohol were involved. Rachel didn't partake in any drinking but Gabriela had. They found themselves alone in the kitchen; they were talking, laughing and before Rachel knew it Gabriela kissed her. It was her first kiss and she enjoyed it immensely.

That was the one and only time it happened. Rachel wasn't sure that Gabriela remembered it happening, at the very least she never mentioned it happening and she never acted different around Rachel.

Rachel still held on hope that it might happen again and whilst she waited she still hung around with the girls despite their bad influence.

Rachel had never gotten a detention in all her years in school, but since meeting her new friends it started to become a regular thing. She herself didn't do anything wrong per say, but since she was part of the group she always got part of the blame.

Rachel always felt under pressure to join in with her so called friends and this was why she was getting a bad reputation not only in school, but outside of it too. It was well known that her group of friends spent the better part of their free period hanging out and smoking behind the school.

Rachel may have been led into doing some things that she would normally never do, but when one of the girls offered her a cigarette she took it just to be polite. She never had any intention of smoking it; she would never put her throat and lungs at risk even if she no longer competed in singing competitions.

She managed to fake her way through smoking half of the cigarette and then tried to discretely dispose of the rest in the nearby trash can. Unfortunately, the cigarette wasn't fully extinguished and caused the trash can to set on fire.

Rachel was lucky, it could have been classed as arson, but the principal was lenient on her and called it vandalism. Rachel sat in the principal's office and explained that it was an accident, the defeated look in the girls eyes and the look of the remorse made the principal decide to punish her himself rather than get the police involved.

When she was suspended her fathers weren't angry, they were disappointed. They were disappointed that Rachel had let herself be led into bad behavior all for the sake of friendship.

They knew that sending her back to that school, back to the people that had set her on this downwards spiral would only make things worse. So they both agreed to once again remove Rachel from her school and send her somewhere that would put her back on the right path.

They found that place in Sylvester's School For Girls. The school was well known for its great education, but the thing that drew the Berry's to it was the zero tolerance on bullying and bad behavior.

If there was no bullying and no students that could corrupt their daughter then Hiram and Leroy knew that they would get the old Rachel back.

Santana sat in complete silence as Rachel explained her past. She could see the range of emotions cross Rachel face as she relived the memories of her troubled past.

"So you did all those things just to have friends?" Santana asks, finally finding her voice.

She has been listening to Rachel explain her story for the last twenty minutes and she had a couple of questions.

"I know it was wrong, but I spent most of my life alone, being bullied just for being different. When those girls offered me friendship I couldn't say no. I had craved friendship all of my life" Rachel explains.

"I get it, I do. At least you have a reason for doing the things you did; I just did them for the hell of it."

"I hated myself for being weak and for allowing myself to be pressured into things I didn't want to do, but I got myself into too deep. They weren't the type of girls you can say no to and quite frankly I was scared of them."

"All except one. You seem to like that Gabriela chick a lot."

"Well yes, she was the exception. She wasn't as bad as the others; she was more of a follower. Just along for the ride, just like I was."

"So you said that you've been bullied in the past. You haven't had any problems since you been here, have you?"

"No. Ms. Sylvester runs a no tolerance school. It's one of the reasons my fathers chose to send me here. It helped that we live in dorms because you automatically make friends with the people you share with."

"You mean like we did. Please don't take this the wrong way, but we probably wouldn't have become friends if I wasn't assigned to your room. I'm not the best person to get on with and I think being constantly around you helped me get to know you better."

"Well I for one am hugely grateful that you were assigned to my room. I agree, without that I doubt we would be friends and I would be missing out on a great friendship."

"Santana, I want to apologize to you. I shouldn't have been distant with you over the past few weeks."

"I still don't understand why you did that."

"Please don't think badly of me. It started with the night Sue caught us, I thought I was going to get into trouble and it made me think back to my old life. When you arrived here you didn't care much for authority and when we became friends you got me to sneak out with you. That was the first time that I broke the rules since I've been here and I thought I was going to get sucked back into that lifestyle I had before."

"I would never force you to do something that you didn't want to do."

"I know and I'm sorry, this really isn't about you. It's about me and my insecurities."

"You could have just talked to me about it."

"I didn't want anyone to know about my past. I'm embarrassed about the choices I made."

"I wouldn't have judged you; I'm in no position to judge anyone."

"I know you wouldn't have, but it was a part of me that I felt I had to hide. I have a reputation here, I'm the head girl and I'm supposed to lead by example."

"I understand, but now I know about your past, you have nothing to hide from me. You can talk to me if you ever get overwhelmed."

"Thank you Santana. I think we should signify this moment with a hug."

"Alright, lay one on me" Santana laughs, holding out her arms.

Rachel doesn't hesitate and wraps her arms around Santana's waist in a vice like grip.

"You might need to lighten up a bit, I'm about to stop breathing."

"I'm sorry Santana" Rachel says pulling back slightly.

"So you have a thing for Latina's huh?"

Santana notices Rachel blush, something that Santana finds rather adorable.

"I knew that you wouldn't let that lie."

"I'm just saying first Gabriela and now me."

"I've never said that I have an attraction to you."

"You don't have to say anything. I can tell by the way you look at me. It's the same way I look at you, like I want to hold you and never let go."

Santana tentatively leans in, hesitating only slightly to give Rachel a way out. She didn't want to put their already complicated relationship in any more jeopardy. Fortunately Rachel didn't move away and instead moves closer to Santana so that their lips could meet.

"God, I've wanted to do that since we first snuck out to the movies."

"Then why did you wait so long?" Rachel asks slightly breathless.

"It's hard to kiss someone when they're ignoring you" Santana teases.

"Well I'm not ignoring you now."

"Is this a hint of the old naughty Berry?"

"No this is the Rachel Berry that has slowly started to fall for her best friend."

"You're in love with Kurt?"

"Stop trying to be funny and kiss me again."

Santana doesn't need to be told twice and for the second time that night she leans in and captures Rachel's lips with her own. It's more heated and rushed this time, no longer hesitant as they both know that it's what each of them wants.

Santana is surprised when Rachel starts to take control, although she really shouldn't be as Rachel is determined to get what she wants and what Rachel seems to want at this moment in time is Santana underneath her.

Rachel pushes Santana down so that she's is lying on the bed and maneuvers herself on top of the slightly taller girl, their lips never parting.

Santana's hands find purchase on Rachel's waist just above her hips. She doesn't mind letting Rachel take charge of things, for the moment at least.

Rachel seems content in charge and starts to get a little more adventurous with her hands. They find themselves under the bottom of Santana's shirt, gliding up the smooth skins she finds there.

Rachel decides that she wants to see what she can feel and removes her hands from Santana's body and instead reaches for the hem of her t-shirt, but before she can pull at it Santana softly grabs her wrists.

"Wait! Are you sure about this?" she asks.

"I've never more sure of anything in my life. All I've ever wanted is to be happy and you make me happy. I was scared before of letting you in but now I realize that I should have been doing the opposite and opening up my heart to you."

"I've never opened up my heart to anyone either but maybe it's time I should."

Rachel smiles at Santana's words before leaning down and brining their lips back together again, picking up where they left off after Santana had stopped them.

As Quinn takes another sip from the cup she was holding, she can't help but wish that it had some form of alcohol in it.

Troy, the cute blonde that had been smiling at her earlier may be attractive, but god he has no personality. If she had some alcohol it might at least dull the ache of complete boredom.

"Quinn is that you?" a voice asks.

Quinn looks up from the cup she's been staring into and sees a face she never thought she's see again.

"Eton? Oh my god!" Quinn says as she wraps her arms around the boy.

She can't help the tears that slip from her eyes. She can hardly believe that this is real; she's almost tempted to pinch herself.

"Look at you, you look so different" Eton says as she slightly pulls away from Quinn so he can look at her properly.

"I like the pink hair."

"God I missed you" Quinn breathes before trying to compose herself.

"I missed you too" Eton says as he wipes away a stray tear from Quinn's cheek.

Quinn reluctantly releases herself from Eton's grip much to the boy's displeasure.

"Let's talk somewhere private" Quinn says.

"Won't your date mind?"

"I don't have a date" Quinn says as she takes Eton's hand and leads him out of the hall and over to a secluded hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asks.

"My father moved to a new church that's the area, so I had to move schools again. I'm at Westbrook Academy now. I have been for the past eight months" Eton explains.

"I can't believe you've been so close to me for so long and neither of us knew."

"I know. Quinn I know it's hard but I have to ask, what happened to our baby?"

"She was adopted."

"She? You mean we had a daughter" Eton smiles.

"I wish I could have met her."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault" Eton says, reaching out for Quinn's hand so he can hold it in his own.

"I bet she was as beautiful as you."

"I didn't get to see her properly; they took her away from me so fast. I wish that I got to hold her at least once, but maybe it was better that I didn't, I might not have been able to let her go" Quinn explains.

"I'm sorry that things couldn't be different. I should have tried harder to keep you and our baby safe."

"Please don't blame yourself. It took me a while to get over what happened, but I've managed to move on from it so I would really like to not drag up the past."

"I'm sorry if seeing me again has caused the pain from the past to resurface."

"I feel the opposite actually. I might have been able to bury the past, but that doesn't mean I ever stopped thinking about you. I always wondered what had happened to you and where you were."

"We moved around a lot until my dad finally secured a parish here, hopefully we won't be moving for a while."

"So you're staying here?"

"I hope so. If I do can we get to know each other again?"

"I'd really like that."

"I know that seeing each other is a big surprise and quite confusing for the both of us, but can we just go back to the prom and enjoy being together for the rest of the night?"

"That sounds nice."

Eton let go of Quinn's hand and instead offers her an arm so they can walk back to the prom together. They both know that they have a lot to catch up on and reconnecting their relationship might not be easy but they're finally back together and that's a start.