Chapter 11. Jesse's Girl
A.N. I wrote the part of Jesse St. James in the completed story Junior Year based on the casting spoilers but before the back 9 episodes. So please know that not everything matches the show. Most notably, Jesse never egged Rachel. (I wasn't a fan of that part anyway!) This chapter gives me a chance to give some history for Jesse and Rachel (from Jesse's point of view), and here I'll preview how Jesse will be a factor in the sequel Summer in the City. Belated thank you to fresch for also requesting & being so enthusiastic about the Finn chapter (last update). And shouts to LizzayMartini and Maiqu because I'm beta reading Lizzay's St. Puckleberry Finn and Maiqu's St. Berry fic!
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or anything familiar.
…
Rachel Berry was supposed to be Jesse's girl. Maybe he didn't realize it at first, but Jesse St. James knew it now. True, their story had an unusual beginning, but stories worth telling typically do. Theirs was a dramatic tale, and Jesse knew drama. He was going to be on Broadway. He had no doubt. She was going to be on Broadway. That was inevitable.
Would he get the girl?
That remains to be seen.
But in the good stories, the hero gets the girl in the end. Bumps in the road along the journey are expected. Otherwise, it would be a boring story and a boring life.
Jesse St. James did not do boring. He was going to be a star. And he had his leading lady selected.
…
In the beginning, Coach Corcoran was the one who pointed her out and suggested he befriend her. (That's basically what happened.) Vocal Adrenaline took a field trip to watch other Sectionals taking place after their own competition. The group with McKinley, Jane Adams, and the Deaf School didn't seem worth attending, but Corcoran was insistent that they scope them out this year. So that's what they did.
Obviously the Deaf School was no competition. Jane Adams Academy had potential, but there was no way they could keep a group together throughout the competition season—girls got released back into society every day, so there was a high turnover. Besides, they were all 'hairography' and not very professional with their showmanship—or show-womanship(?). New Directions was tiny, only the minimum number of members, so Jesse and the others didn't know why Corco was on the edge of her seat. Then Don't Rain on My Parade started. That's when they heard her…Rachel Berry. Granted, she lacked the emotional depth of Barbra, but she was talented—as he told her when they first met. And Jesse had to admit that he found her very attractive. He always went for beautiful girls with powerful voices and personalities. Why even bother dating someone if you didn't have power-couple-potential? So Jesse was already thinking about her dating potential when Corco made her announcement.
"Jesse, see that girl? That's Rachel Berry. She's the only member who seems to provide any real competition. You'll befriend her, find out about her, find out about their glee club. Then you'll report back to me. Understand?"
"Yes, Coach."
Then the whiny junior Adam spoke up. "Coach Corcoran, is that the only assignment? Jesse's the only one who gets an assignment?" Jesse tried not to roll his eyes. That kid was after his top spot, but it was obvious Jesse was still the favorite.
"Like I said, Adam, she seems to be the only competition in that group. Well, maybe the black girl too... Dedrick, she's your assignment."
"Yes, Coach," said Dedrick dutifully. He was one of the few black guys in Vocal Adrenaline.
That was another thing about Shelby Corcoran—she was blunt to point of being offensive, but usually without her awareness. In this way (and others) she was similar to Jesse. He caught Adam looking on incredulously. Jealous little bastard.
Dedrick elbowed Jesse and leaned over to whisper, "Man, my girl is gonna kill me. Even if this McKinley girl is nowhere near my league, you know, Gina won't care. She's a jealous bitch. She'll take my nuts off. I'm telling you, man, she's so good at draining my nuts—I don't wanna lose 'em."
Jesse smirked at his colorful phrasing and lewd gestures regarding testicles. "Relax, D, I got this. I'll get enough info for the both of us. Just follow your assignment for one day so you have some basic details, then I'll get enough info so that you can confabulate the rest."
"Thanks, J, that's smart. You're the best."
"I know, man."
Dedrick smirked at his reply, and Jesse shrugged back. It didn't bother him that people thought he was cocky or too full of himself. Jesse was brutally honest. It was a quality in which he prided himself. Of course, he would act with the upmost politeness and decorum when the situation required, and he was an excellent actor who could easily play a part. But around the people who knew him, when he could be himself, he was honest to a fault. And in this case, he knew he was smart and was 'the best'. So he answered as such.
Now he had an assignment: get the scoop on Rachel Berry of William McKinley's New Directions. Not only that, Coach said to 'befriend her'. That wasn't something they normally did with their enemies, so this operation seemed special.
He found out just how special it was on Monday when he was called into Coach Corcoran's office.
"Close the door."
He obeyed.
"Have a seat."
He did.
"I've decided to give you a bit more information about your assignment, about Rachel Berry."
"Ok?" He looked at her with an eyebrow raised, expectantly waiting for her to explain.
"It has recently come to my attention that I may be…related to her…"
Jesse's eyes widened, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut.
"So I'm especially interested in her, personally. I want to help you in any way I can to…you know, to find out what she's like. I have her home address for you, so you can start tracking her and figuring out a way to introduce yourself and become her friend." She passed him a slip of paper.
"Thank you for the address. Wow. This news is just…wow." Jesse regretted being so inelegant with words, but his mind was reeling.
"Yes, it is 'wow'. So I appreciate you doing this with upmost discretion. As you must know, this situation is of a highly sensitive nature and must be kept secret. Given our new working relationship, I think you may call me Shelby. But not in front of the other students."
This arrangement pleased Jesse, further cementing his place as the favorite. "Shelby, excuse me for asking, but if you're related to her and you already know where she lives and attends school, why don't you just talk to her yourself to find out what you want to know? I'm not entirely clear on the parameters of my assignment. Am I finding out about her as a person or as a competitor?"
"I've changed my mind," she snapped. "Don't call me Shelby. It doesn't sound right coming from you. You're still the student and I'm still the teacher."
"I'm sorry, Coach," Jesse said, confused by her sudden shift. "But I still don't understand exactly what I should be doing."
"The assignment is the same. Befriend her, Jesse. Find out about her as a person. And if you find out about her as a competitor and the star of New Directions, then that is good too. I have confidence in your abilities to take advantage of your opportunities. But should I give this task to someone else? Adam Jenkins, perhaps?"
Now Jesse knew she was just goading him by mentioning Adam, but he wanted the job anyway. He couldn't imagine grease-ball Adam getting close to the gorgeous songstress Rachel Berry. "No, Coach, that won't be necessary. I accept the assignment."
He extended his hand. She shook it. They had a deal.
…
After school, Jesse drove to Rachel's house and waited. Watched and waited. She seemed to go to school basketball games, but she didn't seem to be popular. She didn't seem to have any real friends. Nobody ever visited. She had glee rehearsals, ballet, various lessons; activities like that. Jesse tried to figure out where he could go to "run into her". But whenever he thought about tailing her, she was always with her dads or an extremely tall guy who must have been the male lead. Jesse wasn't ever close enough to confirm the visual. Still, it was mostly likely the same boy. Jesse recalled how they sang together at their Sectionals and how the energy of Rachel's voice overwhelmed that poor bastard's. And he was quite awkward when contrasted with Rachel's poise.
Finally, Jesse had a chance to follow Rachel when she was alone. She ended up at a music store on the outskirts of Lima—so he was actually closer to Carmel—the trip home wouldn't be too long at all.
He made his move. It was magical, really. She was even more charming up close.
And of course, she was powerless to resist his charms as well. Who could blame her?
…
Once he started spending more time with Rachel, he recognized the resemblance to Shelby—they had very similar mannerisms and flair for the dramatic. But Rachel was kind, not so hardened by whatever Corco was hardened by in life. Rachel was like the best of everything. And she clearly had no idea.
Well, she obviously knew about her talent, but she didn't know how wonderful she was in all of the other ways. It was a little sad, really. Jesse prided himself on being rather self-aware. Fairly early into his spying/courtship of Rachel Berry, he realized he had feelings for her. He acted on his feelings too soon. After their date to The Wiggles concert, he pressured her. She said no. He left.
Jesse St. James did not do rejection.
But immediately and for several days afterward he experienced an unfamiliar unsettled feeling in his stomach. It reminded him of so long ago when he used to feel nervous before performing. Could it be he was feeling regret for pushing her too soon? Yes, he realized that's what it was. Very interesting. He found this insight fascinating.
Of course, she was just very appealing, so it was difficult for him not to want to go farther with her. And he was Jesse St. James. He'd been having sex with his girlfriends for awhile now. That was part of the benefit of agreeing to a relationship. However, he should have realized he needed to behave a bit differently in his relationship with Rachel since it served multiple purposes. The problem was that when he was with her, he'd forget how this all had started because he had an assignment. He suppressed his guilt and steamed forward. He had an assignment to fulfill and he had a girl he truly wanted to keep seeing.
He was relieved that she agreed to meet him—and relieved that she still had the Care Bear she won for him. He was ecstatic when she said she was ready (to have sex!). He lifted her into an enthusiastic hug.
He couldn't have planned that any better—a change of heart immediately? Jesse wasn't going to waste any time, but he wasn't going to push too hard either.
"How about I take you out on a nice dinner, and then we let things unfold naturally?"
Rachel nodded rapidly.
She was so adorable.
…
They entered Breadsticks and stepped to the hostess stand to put in their names for a table. "Two please," Jesse said. The hostess told them they had a table available, so they could follow her to be seated. Then he felt a tugging at his sleeve.
Rachel raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes several times. Then she not-so-subtly jerked her head to the right.
"I see you're trying to communicate with me nonverbally to come with you," Jesse said. "So here I come," he smiled as he turned to follow her. "Please excuse us," he told the hostess.
She gave a cute little huff as she walked toward the exit. She whispered loudly to explain. "I spotted some people I'd rather not see at the moment. I'd prefer it if we choose another restaurant."
"I already suggested Mario's, but you declined that suggestion," Jesse pointed out. He was a little upset that she shot down his idea, especially since there were very few good places to eat in Lima from what he could tell.
"I only declined because that's a special place for me and my dads…and tonight I don't want to think about them…at all." She blushed.
"Understandable, given our plans for the evening," he said with innuendo dripping from his tone. Rachel nodded sheepishly. Jesse stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't think of them at all when I'm with you."
"Jesse!" she admonished. Then she blushed at her volume. "Oh no!" she whispered dramatically. "They heard me! They see us! They're on their way over!"
Jesse knew she was a drama queen (an adorable one), but she was right. He turned to see a rather tall boy lumbering toward them, followed by a beautiful black-haired girl wearing a cheerleading uniform—well, she would certainly be beautiful if she didn't have such a sour look on her face.
"Rachel, is that you?" asked the towering boy. Jesse recognized him as the male lead of New Directions.
Rachel flashed Jesse an angry look, then she smiled, "Yes, Finn, hello. This is Jesse, the one I told you about."
A look passed over Finn's face—maybe it was one of recognition, but it was gone before Jesse could decipher it. The girl with him just looked disinterested.
Jesse extended his hand to Finn. "Jesse St. James, nice to meet you. And you are?"
"I'm Finn Hudson. Rachel and I…uh, we're the leads of New Directions."
Jesse chuckled. "It's ok. Rachel told me all about you; everything about the two of you."
"Huh? She has? Everything?"
"Well, I'm sure she hasn't told me everything. That would hardly be possible, would it?" Like she didn't mention how incredibly stupid and uncultured you are, Jesse thought.
"Uh, yeah. Not possible," Finn muttered.
Jesse noticed Santana shift her weight and rest one hand on her hip. He was about to take it upon himself to finish the introductions when Rachel did the honors.
"Oh, I'm so sorry for my impolite behavior!" she practically squeaked. "Jesse, this is Santana Lopez."
"Sorry," Finn muttered.
Jesse extended his hand to the cheerleader.
"Pleasure," she said with some distaste.
"Yes, I can tell by your tone," Jesse said politely, but the sarcasm was there.
Santana raised her eyebrow and looked impressed for a moment before the same disinterested look returned. "Whatever," she said.
Rachel, next to him, looked mortified. She's so hilarious, he thought fondly, and very entertaining.
"It was very nice to meet you," Jesse said. "But I'm afraid we must cut this short. We were just leaving."
Rachel squeezed his hand—a silent thank-you, perhaps? In that moment, Jesse had an overwhelming feeling telling him that he wanted to protect this girl.
"Yeah, we're leaving too," Finn said.
"Shall we walk you out?" Jesse asked.
"You haven't paid yet," Santana said, rolling her eyes and nudging Finn.
"Oh, right. Well, have a good evening, you two." Then he looked at Rachel in a way that displeased Jesse. "Don't do anything…I wouldn't do," Finn finished.
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Rachel huffed and squeezed Jesse's hand again. He felt the moisture of her sweaty palm. He gave a squeeze then let go of her hand to guide her by the small of her back, leading her through the doors out of the restaurant.
"I'm certain we'll meet again some other time," Jesse told them before he turned his head away, clearly indicating that their interactions were over. Once they were through the doors, he threw his arm over Rachel's shoulder and pulled her close as they walked to his car. "I'm sorry I didn't leave with you immediately. That was rather awkward. We'll have to work on our nonverbal communication, don't you agree?" He smiled down at her.
She released a musical little giggle. "Yes, we should. And thank you for that…for the way you handled them."
"That was easy. You should meet the characters in Vocal Adrenaline. Your Finn and what's-her-name have nothing on them," he joked. He felt like he was on top of the world when that elicited a giggle from Rachel. All he wanted to do was protect her and make her realize her greatness. He looked at her solemnly. "But seriously, I'd do anything for you, Rachel," he said earnestly.
She beamed at him beautifully and turned into his arms. Jesse pushed down the strange feeling in his stomach. He wanted to enjoy this moment…and the moments to come when they got back to her house. He did not want to feel guilty about the unusual circumstances of their relationship.
Of course, when they had their dinner and got back to Rachel's house, Jesse could not wait for her to emerge from her bathroom.
And of course, Rachel announced that she couldn't give herself to him. Because of her teammates. Jesse was fairly certain she really meant because she had feelings for that ridiculous Finn character. How was that even possible?
…
Jesse had the displeasure of reporting his setback to Coach Corcoran, leaving out a few details. She didn't need to know that he'd asked for sex a few times and been turned down, but he did tell her that things weren't going as well with Rachel as he'd hoped. Corco took it surprisingly well. She brushed it off, saying she didn't need any more information from him. She suddenly did a 180 and said she made a mistake—she wasn't supposed to have contact with Rachel and didn't want to know more. She said Jesse should focus on Vocal Adrenaline—no more excused absences from practice while he befriended Rachel and checked out New Directions.
That pissed Jesse off since he had put in all that work for nothing. But he was also relieved. Maybe he could have a real relationship with Rachel, and she'd never have to know about the weird deal he made with Shelby.
…
Unfortunately, that was the beginning of the end of their dating relationship. They tried to date secretly for a while longer, with Jesse pledging his devotion and willingness to wait to win Rachel's trust and affection. But Rachel's glee club gave her an ultimatum to stop dating him, and she called it off. Jesse knew another male lead had her heart—though for the life of him, he could not understand why. And secretly, she had broken his heart when she ended it. Not that he would admit it.
When Vocal Adrenaline won Regionals that year, devastating New Directions, Jesse felt some satisfaction. But then he looked at her face. Her beautiful, sad face.
No.
He did not do rejection. He did not do jealousy. He did not beg for attention and affection.
He would not do this.
So he pushed thoughts of Rachel Berry aside. He was Jesse St. James.
…
It wasn't until Regionals of his second (and final) senior year at Carmel when he actually saw her again (when she saw him too). It had been nearly a year. He was so pleased when she called out to him during the intermission while he was in line at the juice bar.
"Rachel!" Jesse exclaimed. "I thought that was you."
"Hello, Jesse!" Rachel exclaimed with equal enthusiasm. "I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Noah Puckerman." Jesse felt a hint of disappointment at this news and the appearance of the well-muscled boy with a Mohawk stepping out from behind her.
"Oh, that's not the one I'd expected you'd be introducing as your boyfriend," stated Jesse bluntly. Then he shook his head as if to erase his error from the Etch-a-Sketch transcript in his mind. "I'm sorry. I'm still a little buzzed from the performance, I suppose. I mean to say, it's good to meet you, Noah."
"Uh…Thanks. Same here," said Puck as he shook the outstretched hand. "And people call me Puck," he said gruffly.
"Ok?" Jesse looked at him quizzically and gave Rachel an equally questioning look. First a guy named something ridiculous…Finn, was it? Now a guy called Puck?
"Well, we had better get back to our places for the announcement of the awards!" chirped Rachel. "Best of luck to you, Jesse!"
"Same to you, Rach!" Jesse called. He watched her go, watching her dress sway above those beautifully sculpted legs.
Maybe he had made a mistake by letting her go so easily.
Her performance at Regionals only confirmed this idea.
He'd already made his way through the viable candidates in Vocal Adrenaline. None were up to his standards. And she was clearly better than these clowns at McKinley she insisted on dating, although he seemed to be the only one to realize it.
The answer was obvious.
It was time for Jesse St. James to win back Rachel Berry.
…
After the competition (in which Vocal Adrenaline had the misfortune of tying with New Directions), Jesse was surprised when this Puck fellow addressed him, with Rachel nowhere in sight.
"So, when you said I wasn't the one you were expecting, what'd you mean?" Puck asked with his eyes narrowed.
Jesse didn't know why he was bothering to talk to Rachel's new boyfriend, but he did try to conduct himself professionally in all situations. He spoke carefully, "Last year, there seemed to be another member of your choir that she expressed an interest in dating."
"Oh, yeah. You mean Finn," Puck pointed him out to Jesse.
Jesse took his time with his answer. "Yes, I believe he is the one. I hope you don't take offense. It sounds as though you already know about the situation."
"Yeah, I was just making sure. So how long did you date Rachel?"
Jesse smirked to see how threatened this brute of a boy was around him. In spite of that guy's looks and his biceps, he was smart enough to consider Jesse as a threat. And he was. Jesse was a triple threat, for sure. He had the classic charming good looks that weren't so overwhelming that he couldn't play most male leads on Broadway and off. His muscular but slender physique was also the ideal size. Unlike this Puckerman boy who looked like he would end up guarding a door as a bouncer one day. Jesse chuckled to himself. Well, maybe Rachel's new boyfriend wasn't as big as a bouncer, but Puck certainly was not a good match like Jesse was for the sensitive and savvy leading lady Rachel Berry.
"Well?" Puck prompted, breaking Jesse from his thoughts.
Jesse was about to respond when Rachel suddenly made her entrance—as if she didn't want Jesse to answer the question about their relationship. "There you are, Noah," she smiled. "Hello, Jesse. Congratulations on your win. I really enjoyed your performance."
"Congrats to you too, Rachel. You were fantastic as always," beamed Jesse. Puck rolled his eyes.
"So it was nice talkin' to you. I guess we'll see you at Nationals," Puck rudely interrupted, pulling Rachel towards him.
"Yes, it was nice meeting you as well," he lied. "And good to see you again, Rachel."
"Good to see you, Jesse. I look forward to seeing you at Nationals," Rachel smiled.
Jesse watched Puck wrap his arm around Rachel's waist as they walked away. He thought he handled the situation quite well—with politeness and professionalism. But he hoped they killed New Directions at Nationals.
…
And they did. Even though Vocal Adrenaline didn't win first place, they still crushed New Directions. Victory was sweet. But not as sweet as Rachel's body—which he had his first real glimpse of at the pool the day before the results were announced.
Vocal Adrenaline and New Directions were staying at the same hotel in Orlando, and they both ditched one day of the competition after they'd already performed to take advantage of some time to relax. Jesse was sitting poolside in a lounge chair when Rachel emerged from the pool, dripping wet in a tiny bikini. And holy hell, she was hot. Like perfection. He waved her over, and she smiled, returning with her towel and a colorful beach bag. They started with small talk as she toweled off. Then she settled into the chair next to him and began rubbing suntan lotion on her legs. Jesse didn't even try to hide his staring. The smell of coconut and the sight of her dancer's legs as her hands methodically applied the lotion were mesmerizing. Her tanned skin was shining in the sun…taunting him. She looked…delicious. "Do you need any help?" he asked as innocently as he could muster. "I could do your back for you," he offered.
Rachel appeared startled. "Oh, no thank you. But thank you for the offer. I'll just sit upright in the chair. I'll wait to turn over when my boyfriend is available to help me with my back."
"Of course," replied Jesse smoothly. Not only did he get to gaze at her bikini-clad body, he even got to talk to her by the pool. He told her about his plans for New York after graduation. Jesse told her that he could help her get there too—by following in his footsteps and getting into all of the right programs. Her eyes lit up with interest. Jesse knew that was his way in—their mutual love for the performing arts would bring them together.
"Actually, I have been accepted—" she started.
Suddenly, there was a commotion as Rachel's boyfriend shoved some of his Vocal Adrenaline peers.
"Excuse me. What the fuck did you just say?" he bellowed.
Rachel jumped at the sound and turned to look at Puck. "What's going on, Noah?"
"I'm asking these guys what they just said. Do you care to repeat it?" he asked through clenched teeth, glaring at two guys Jesse recognized as Bradford and Geoffrey.
"No. Not really," said Bradford, who was known for his triple-flip and for his cockiness.
Jesse stood up and walked toward his teammates. "Really, what's going on?"
"These guys have some things to apologize for, don't you?" Puck asked with a menacing glare. "You said some things about my girlfriend and your friend Jesse here that you need to take back."
Jesse and Rachel both narrowed their eyes at the boys in question.
"Yeah, alright, fine. I'm sorry," said Bradford.
"I'm sorry," said Geoffrey.
They should work on their acting, Jesse thought. They didn't sound very convincing with their apologies.
Rachel stood up. "I think I've had enough of the pool." Puck nodded.
Jesse apologized to Rachel and Puck on behalf of his teammates, but the couple left the pool anyway. So he took the opportunity to question Brad and Geoff about what exactly Puck heard them say.
He was not pleased.
…
He wasn't entirely surprised to see Puck outside of his house a month later. He figured it was just a matter of time before the boyfriend came to defend the club and Rachel's honor—or whatever his pea-brain had come up with after overhearing some remarks about what Shelby had arranged. But he had also recently placed a phone call to Rachel, so that may have prompted his appearance.
"Hey, Jesse, over here," Puck called from his truck.
No sense in avoiding it really. Jesse sauntered over to meet him on the sidewalk. Puck looked a bit surprised that he approached so willingly. "Puck, right?" Jesse asked. "What can I do for you? Are you upset that I called Rachel? I just wanted to tell her that I'm moving to New York after graduation."
"I want to talk about what I overheard at Nationals. About how Shelby made you try to get with Rachel."
"Coach Corcoran didn't really make me do anything. But your Coach Sylvester got to her, and she suggested that I could be of help. And I wanted to be a team player, you know? But then, I started to really like Rachel. She's one in a million. Really talented." Most of what he said was the truth.
"And does Rachel know all this? About the spying?" Puck asked.
"I doubt it. But I'd be happy to explain the situation, if that's what you came here to ask. What did you come here for, specifically?"
"Specifically? To ask you that and to tell you that Rachel is with me, so give it up. I don't trust you, so I want you to stop calling her, stop messing with her head."
"I think Rachel can make her own decisions. I'm pretty sure she'll want to talk to me about certain music-related topics. Especially now that I'll be heading off to the Great White Way. Face it, you're not Broadway material," said Jesse.
"No shit, Sherlock. I'm not planning on being a gay Broadway star." Puck said sourly.
"Exactly. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just stating facts."
"I guess being a jerk just comes naturally," Puck sneered.
"I suppose you're right," Jesse replied thoughtfully. "Look, this is my senior year," he started.
Puck interrupted. "I thought you were a senior last year."
"Yeah, it's the Carmel High five-year plan for Vocal Adrenaline. Anyway, this is my last month here, then I'll be going off to New York to make it big. You can have Rachel for one more year. But then she'll be following me to Broadway, and you'll be left in Ohio."
"I'll go to New York with her—there's more than Broadway in New York."
"Of course there is," Jesse said condescendingly. "But something will happen. You'll get that football scholarship to OSU. No wait, that's ridiculous." Jesse ignored Puck's scowl. "Still, even if you do follow Rachel to New York, you'll be powerless to stop the inevitable. I'll be the hot male lead. She'll be the stunning young starlet. Everyone will root for us to become a couple. We'll share an onstage kiss. You'll get jealous. Question her. She'll get upset. And she'll come to me for comfort. And then, I'll be the one she chooses." Jesse was very satisfied with his tale of the future.
He didn't even register Puck's fist flying at his face until it was too late. Jesse heard the sound of flesh and bone, and absently thought that the movie sound effects were fairly accurate. Then the pain flared across his face and his thoughts were muddled for a few seconds.
"You stay the fuck away from Rachel," Puck growled.
"Did you have to go for the face?" Jesse yelped, nursing his jaw. His head was beginning to clear even though his whole head felt like it was pulsing with pain. He thought he could feel the swelling start already.
"Yep. You fucking deserve it."
"Well, let's call a truce. I'll leave Rachel alone for now. I'm confident I'll catch up with her in New York. And after what I saw of her in Florida, I can tell that ass is worth the wait." Ok, maybe Jesse's head wasn't completely clear because after the words left his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have said them.
Puck punched him again, twice in the gut, then another blow that glanced off Jesse's ribs as he went down. "You asked for it, but I spared your face, fuckwad." Jesse crumpled in pain on the sidewalk. Puck continued. "And if you don't stay away from Rachel, I won't be so generous."
…
Jaw throbbing, wincing as every breath accentuated the stabbing pain in his ribs, Jesse slowly made his way across the street and into his house. His parents were away in Bali again, so he didn't have to explain what had happened. But he didn't have anyone to nurse his wounds.
His phone alerted him to an incoming text. In spite of his pain, Jesse smiled. It was from Rachel, warning him that Noah may be on his way.
"Too late," he texted her.
"He found me," he sent in his second text.
He smiled again when his phone rang.
"What happened?" Rachel asked Jesse on the phone. He could hear the concern in her voice.
He told her about the beating he received—he wasn't too proud to admit that he was badly bruised and did not put up a fight. He actually thought that honesty might work in his favor. He also admitted to the reason why Puck had delivered this beating, and explained a bit of his side of the story. He promised to tell her more, if she was still willing to talk to him, after he healed.
Rachel agreed.
When they ended the call, Jesse was elated. It was an odd mixture of emotions and physical sensations he was experiencing simultaneously. But truthfully it couldn't have gone any better if he'd planned it. He did have a swollen jaw and bruised ribs out of the deal, but otherwise, the outcome was pretty good. Puck may have won the battle, but he was definitely going to win the war, Jesse decided.
He prepared some ice packs. He was starting to feel better already.
…
By early June, Jesse was finished with Carmel, Ohio and the dullness of the Midwest. He was moving on to bigger and better things. He was moving to New York, the heart of the city. He'd been accepted into the Tisch School at NYU. Everything he'd ever wanted was closer than a less-confident person would have dreamed possible. But Jesse St. James was confident in his talent and his drive. He would succeed.
He also knew that Rachel Berry would be in the city soon too. Not permanently, but she was coming for two different camps in June and July. Jesse was so close to his dreams, he could taste them. He could taste her. He imagined she'd taste like coconut oil.
He could have it all, he reasoned. Rachel Berry was too good for the likes of "Finn Something" and "I Wanna Be Called Puck". She was too full of grace and beauty, combined with talent and drive resembling his own. She could also be socially awkward, Jesse admitted to himself. But he also admitted that he found every aspect of her utterly charming. Clearly, the two of them were destined for each other.
He would find her when she arrived in New York. They would connect. Granted, their relationship would have to be maintained long distance while she finished her senior year in Nowheresville, Ohio. Perhaps just a close friendship would be established during that year…leaving Jesse free to date without guilt…and keeping his word to Puckerman. Jesse winced at the memory of his last encounter with Rachel's current boyfriend. But he wouldn't be her boyfriend forever.
Sure, there would be twists and turns in the road (for dramatic effect, of course), but ultimately Rachel would realize what he already knew. They were meant for each other. They belonged together.
Jesse felt certain.
It would make a great story.
…
A.N. One chapter to go for this story…it will be from Puck and Rachel. And then look for the sequel Summer in the City. Have I worked up your interest for it yet? I hope so! Thanks so much!
Disclaimer: One line was inspired by the show My Boys.