I do not own Glee.
They filed back into the library and settled back into their seats. This was the part of the day Puck had been looking forward too.
"Now you children have been so good today. I'm just going to make a phone call, and I'll be right back." The librarian smiled at them all and wandered out of the room. Puck, however, knew that what she was really going to do was go down to the teacher's lounge and watch soap operas until it was time to come send them home. He told everyone else she wouldn't be back and then slipped on his earbuds to tune them out.
Finn didn't know what had gotten into Rachel, but she was driving him crazy. She had moved to his table, to help with his spanish homework, she said, but she was making it impossible to concentrate. First, she sat really close and he knew it wasnt her fault that just her shampoo made it hard to concentrate. He slid away a little.
Then she grabbed his hand and the way she was stroking his finger, well, he could easily imagine her stroking something else, and he had to pull his hand away. But when he looked at her, his gaze met with tear filled eyes. He really didn't understand her sometimes.
"Rachel, can you help me find a book on, uh...Mexico?" He said, loudly. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the furthest corner of the library. He sat on the floor and patted the space beside him, so she'd sit too. "Whats going on, babe?" He asked curiously. He was a little shocked when she burst into tears. He pulled her into his lap and rubbed her back, until she calmed down.
"It's just...I know we've only been back together a week, but I just thought things would go right back to the way they were. And they haven't. You keep pulling away from me and you fell asleep instead of kissing me last night and I keep thinking that now that you have me back, you'll realize you don't want me at all."
Finn sighed. He didn't even know where to begin. "Rachel, you asked me to be careful with you. I thought you meant take things slow, and not pressure you for more. I want you, Rachel. I chose to be with you. When we broke up, I regretted every second I spent without you. But here's the thing, I can't control what other people think of you and more importantly, I can't change the way you think about yourself. You have to believe I love you." He looked at her intently, he didn't understand how she couldn't believe him.
"I know you love me, I do, I'm just so afraid. I'm afraid I'm not good enough or pretty enough or popular enough. I don't want to get hurt again. I don't want to lose you again." Rachel was perilously close to tears again. She buried her face in Finn's shoulder. She hated admitting this stuff. Finn kissed the top of her head and held her closer. He just needed to make her see how special she was.
"Rach, what were you going to write in your essay?"
"What essay?"
"The one you were hoping they'd make us write, from the movie? The one about who you are."
"Oh." Rachel frowned. "Well, in the movie, they only write one essay. We were all supposed to have an emotional discussion and realize we're all the same. But I know who I am Finn, I'm Rachel Barbra Berry, future Tony award winner and Broadway star."
"No, not who will you be. Who are you now?"
"You know who I am Finn, I'm nobody. I'm a Glee club loser. I'm a good singer. I'm under appreciated. I'm loud and annoying and selfish and mean. I'm awful, Finn." She gave him a water-y smile. "Sometimes, I'm Finn Hudson's girlfriend."
"That's the problem, Rachel. You're almost none of those things. You're brave. You stood up for Kurt, when I couldn't. You sing your heart out in front a group of people who don't always appreciate you. You admit when you're wrong and you try to make things right. You're smart. I couldn't pass Spanish without you. You care about other people. You helped Kurt prepare for his solo, a solo to compete against you. You joined the football team, so the Glee club wouldn't be losers. You're determined. You know where you want to go and how you'll get there. You're more than your voice. A lot more. I love your talent, but if you could never sing again, I'd still love you."
She smiled at him for real this time. "Thank you, Finn. I love you too." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. He pulled her closer and kissed back, suddenly all too aware that she was sitting in his lap. And wiggling. And MAILMAN! He pushed her back a little.
"Rachel, there's something else I need to explain to you..."
*Glee*
Puck didn't know what made him do it. One minute, he was doing a great job of ignoring Sam hanging all over Quinn, and the next minute, he was sitting on the other side of their table acting like a jerk.
"So...did you two do it yet?" He asks with a sneer. "Or is princess still playing the tease?" He hates himself when Quinn's face turns red with embarrassment. Why does he do this stuff?
"It's none of your business, man." Sam says firmly, putting a supportive arm around Quinn. She lets him leave it there, she can deal with Puck's hurtful words, but she needs all the protection she can get from the pain in his eyes.
"So that's a no. You need some tips from the Puckmeister? I don't seem to have any trouble at all getting into her panties." He grins lasciviously, all the while his brain is screaming, stop it, stop it...
"Stop it, Puck!" Quinn shouts. "Just stop it. Go back and sit down and leave me alone." She glares at him. He feels like shit. He knocks Sam's books off the desk out of spite. Sam jumps up and starts at him menacingly. Just do it, just do it, just hit me, Puck thinks. He just wants to feel the pain, he wants to feel anything that will knock him out of the funk he's been in for the last year. But then Quinn is pulling Sam back and Rachel and Finn are coming out from the shelves and it's just not worth it, so he sits down in the corner again. The minutes are passing so slowly and he knows that they are all just talking about him and he hates it, but he can't do anything about it now.
He turns his music up. He doesn't even know how this song got on here, but it definitely fits his mood.
Don't You Forget About Me
Don't Don't Don't Don't
Don't You Forget About Me
Will you stand above me?
Look my way, never love me
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down
Will you recognise me?
Call my name or walk on by
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down, down
The librarian dismisses them. He hopes they are all gone when he finally leaves the library. But no, Quinn is standing in the hall. She's so beautiful, it hurts to look at her. And he's walking toward her and before he can make himself stop he's standing in front of her. He tries to look at the ground or her locker or anything but her sad, sad eyes, but it doesn't work.
"I'm sorry." He whispers. "I'm so, so sorry."
She nods. "I know." And he reaches out to touch her cheek and run his thumb across her lips, he wants to kiss her, to feel her respond to him, like they both know she will. But she stops him. "I can't." And he knows. She walks away.
Don't you forget about me
I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby
Going to take you apart
I'll put us back together at heart, baby
Don't You Forget About Me
Don't Don't Don't Don't
Don't You Forget About Me
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
When you walk away
Or will you walk away?
Will you walk on by?
Come on - call my name
Will you call my name?
A/N: The song is "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds. It's the theme song for The Breakfast Club.