Short and Sweet :)

CHAPTER ELEVEN : DESPITE MY REPUTATION

Rachel couldn't find Puck... again. She tried calling him, texting him, and looked at all of his usual haunts. She was actually starting to get worried. Things had been going well since they had their bleacher moment. There was no reason for him to be avoiding her. She walked through the halls, looking in each room as she passed.

'Ow... ow... ow...' She heard from the Home Ec room and couldn't help but laugh. Found him. She stood in the doorway watching as he pulled what looked like the 5th tray of cupcakes out of the oven. There was a slight haze of smoke so obviously this batch hadn't gone well.

'Need some help?' She asked sweetly, walking up to him and giving him a kiss.

'Oh shit, what time is it?'

'It's 3:50.'

'I'm sorry... I lost track of time... and I think I left my phone in the bathroom again.' He replied, throwing that pan of cupcakes into the sink. It was clearly ruined. 'I was just working on some cupcakes for Artie's bus.' Although, Puck and Artie had made up since the overdose, Rachel had refused to forgive the boy. This whole week they were stuck in wheel chairs to try and empathize with him and his struggles; but all Rachel wanted to do was wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze until he stopped moving. It was dark but she was angry. 'I know you're still pissed at him so I figured I'd do it here.'

'Instead of going to history?' She asked, arms crossing. He rolled his eyes at her and moved to finish loading another batch.

'I got the go-ahead from Mr. Stevenson. His son is handi-capable and goes to school here. He liked that we were trying to raise money for a bus that would be accessible to him.'

'Ugh... I hate this. Now I feel like a total bitch.' She groaned, throwing herself dramatically on one of the clean counters. He just laughed.

'I get it, Babe.'

'I know... but it is really awful of me to keep holding this grudge. He literally apologizes to me every time he sees me.' She replied, lifting herself back up and joining him at his counter. 'I want to forgive him... and then I see his face...'

'I'm not passing judgement.' He held his hands up. 'You stew as long as you need.'

'You have no idea how much that means to me.' She said softly, cherishing the big smile her words gave him. 'How can I help?'

'You don't have to. You can sit over there looking cute and keep me company.' He answered, wagging his eyebrows.

'No, I want to help... you.' She leaned against his back and wrapped her arms around his midsection. He held a spoon with his batter over his shoulder so she stood up on her tip toes to taste it. 'Oh my God, that's so yummy.'

'Nana Connie's recipe.' He grinned. 'I'm gonna tell everyone I put weed in them and watch them freak out.' He added causing Rachel to laugh. 'I'm pretty sure half of the things people claim I did, were things I just made up... like that time I beat up a police horse.'

'That was a lie?'

'Yep!' He laughed.

'Well, that just dropped your badassness level significantly...' She feigned irritation and pinched his stomach where her hands sat.

'Ouch!' He jumped and twisted out of her grip, accidentally hitting her cheek with the spoon full of batter. 'I'm sorry.' He bent over in laughter at the look of shock on her face and the batter that was now splattered across her right eye.

'Oh, you think this is funny?' She asked with her best mock glare. She dipped her finger in the batter on her face and licked it off seductively, catching his eye and making him groan. What he didn't notice was that her other hand had snatched a handful of flour. He didn't see it until his vision was clouded by white powder. In shock he inhaled and ended up getting a lungful. He used the coughing fit and her apologies as the distraction he needed to get a blob of the pink frosting he'd made and rub it onto her boob. Her cry of outrage made him laugh and sent him into another coughing fit. She dipped her hands in the bowl, filling both palms with the frosting and then smothered the sides of his head, successfulling getting it into his ears. He lunged for her, caught her around the waist and rubbed the side of his head against the top of her hair. 'I give!' She screamed, tears running down her face from laughing so hard. He spun her around and lifted her up, allowing her legs to wrap around his waist. She went in for the kiss, both ignoring the flour and frosting they were transferring to the other.

'You play dirty... I like it.' He grinned. She just rolled her eyes and went to pinch his nipple. The attack reignited their little battle and she realized that she was in a very vulnerable position. He seemed to realize it too. His eyes became predatory.

'Noah... please be rational about this...'

'I'm sorry, I can't hear you... someone put frosting in my ear.' He accused moving his hands slowly towards her while only her legs held her up. Just as he was about to reach her sides to tickle the ever living shit out of her, a cough at the door got their attention.

'Sorry to interupt... I was just looking for Quinn.' Finn said awkwardly, looking down and shoving his hands in his pocket.

'No need to lie, dude. Come in.' Puck countered, dropping Rachel to her feet and scooping frosting from his ear. He recognized the look on his friend's face. Immediately, Finn's shoulders dropped and he plopped down in an empty chair.

'It's the baby...'

'Is it okay?' Rachel gasped, afraid of the worst.

'Yeah... the baby is fine... but Quinn's on my ass because all of these bills keep coming in and I don't have a job.'

'Get a job.' Puck said bluntly.

'I know... it's just that... I don't know where to start.' Finn sighed.

'You walk into places and ask for an application.'

'Easy for you to say...' Finn snapped, surprising both teens.

'What's that supposed to mean? Do you know how hard it is for me to get a job after I took the rap for you with the fry machine?' Puck growled. 'Lima's a really small town, everyone heard about it.'

'Finn is the one that peed in it?' Rachel asked, surprised by the revelation. Both boys ignored her.

'I made a mistake... I shouldn't have bothered you.' Finn said, standing up and bolting out of the room. Puck rolled his eyes and slammed his hand on the counter.

'This is so fucked up.' He groaned. 'I hate that he's freaking out and it's not even his kid to worry about... but then I feel bad for Q because she's strapped down with a guy who can seriously be one of the stupidest people on the planet. I mean come on... he drops his soda in the fry machine on his way to break and almost blows up the damn restaurant. I covered for his ass because I knew it was an accident and his mom needed the money. Now he claims he has a hard time getting a job? I bet the asshat hasn't even looked.' Puck rambled. Rachel just watched him in awe. She knew that he was a totally different person from the boy that used to be feared by most of Lima... but she never really understood how misunderstood he was. He marred his record and reputation so that his friend didn't lose his job. That was both idiotic and heroic. 'I know this is going to sound crazy... but... do you think there's any way to help them out?'

'Absolutely.' Rachel smiled softly and ran her hand over his back.

'I have some pool cleaning money that I was saving for dip...' he chuckled, 'do you think we should give it to Quinn to pay the medical bills?'

'It's your money, Noah... if you want to give it to them, that's absolutely your choice.' She replied.

'No... we're engaged... anything that is mine, is yours and always will be. Should we give it to them?' All Rachel could do was nod at his question, blindsided by his devotion to them as a couple. 'It's about $2000...'

'What?! How did you manage to save that much?'

'Pool cleaning is lucrative.' He chuckled. 'And no, I wasn't some kind of male prostitute. I never slept with my clients.'

'Are you sure you want to give her that much? I mean, she is blackmailing you...'

'I know, that's why I need your help deciding. The kid in me that watched my Ma struggle for money has already agreed to give her the money... but the other part of me, the one that's being treated like shit... that side of me wants to forget I even said anything.'

'Well... I'm a big fan of that momma's boy so why don't we go with him.' She said, smiling when he grinned at her. 'You give Quinn the money and I'll help Finn find a job. Deal?'

'Deal.' He smiled and pulled her into a kiss.

.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

'Hey, you... girl...' Sue called out. Rachel froze and looked around. Nope, there was no one else in the hallway.

'Yes, Coach Sylvester?'

'How much do you weigh?

'Excuse me?'

'I said, how much do you weigh?' Sue asked again, looking irritated.

'I currently weigh 117 lbs but it's mostly muscle.'

'How tall are you?'

'I'm 5'2.'

'How much can you lift?'

'140... I love fitness and training.'

'Do you want to be a flyer?'

'A Cheerio?'

'No... a bird.' Sue snapped. 'Of course a Cheerio.'

'No.'

'No?!'

'No.' Rachel countered. 'I was a gymnast for years and would be an asset to your team but despite my reputation... I don't put up with bullies.' She turned to walk away but Sue stopped her.

'Have you ever had to get people to do things?'

'Of course, I'm in Glee.' Rachel chuckled.

'Well, imagine having to get Brittany to pay attention long enough to catch a girl falling from the sky... and multiply that by 20.'

'Oh...'

'Why do you think Santana Lopez has lasted so long under my tutilage? She understands that I'm doing it for the dense ones.'

'Will you be planning on using me to compromise the Glee club or my position on the Glee Club?'

'No. That's what Brittany is for.'

'Fine, then you have a deal... Coach.' Rachel smiled and held out her hand. Sue looked impressed by her resolve and shook it.

'Let's go get you suited up.' Sue motioned for Rachel to follow and soon she was walking down the hallway in a red and white Cheerios uniform and white sneakers. Sue had ordered her to put her hair up in a slicked back pony tail but Rachel politely declined, offering instead a pony tail with a nice bump in the front. Sue looked like she wanted to throw something at her but let it be. She would pick her battles against the strong willed girl.

Everyone in the hallway froze when Rachel walked out in her new uniform. Not a word was spoken as the once social outcast, walked down the hall with the school's highest honor, Cheerio. There was only one person whose reaction she wanted to see and he'd be walking around the corner in 5...4...3...2...1...

'Holy fucking shit!' His voice boomed around the silent hallway. 'Wait... I've had this dream before.' He closed his eyes tightly and reopened them, apparently trying to wake up. Rachel just smiled.

'It's not a dream, Noah.'

'Yeah... you said that last time, right before you sucked -' He was interupted by Rachel's hand over his mouth. For good measure, she pinched his arm. His eyes grew even wider. When she removed her hand, his mouth stayed hanging open. She was afraid he would start drooling if he didn't get ahold of himself.

'Noah...'

'You're a Cheerio?' He asked, his voice a few octaves higher than she'd ever heard before. She nodded slowly, afraid to startle him.

'Is that okay?'

'Is that okay? Of course it's okay!' He yelled, breaking from his trance and picking her up to spin her around in circles. 'You look sexy.'

'Thanks.' She chirped with a wide smile. He set her down and draped his arm across her shoulder.

'Wait...' He stopped them. 'You're doing this for you, right? Like, you didn't think this was something that I'd want?'

'It's all for me.' She shrugged.

'Even better! Now, about my cheerleader fantasies...'