Rain and My Name

''Hmm… statistics… you say.'' Rachel went through her notes while already sitting on the chair opposite Puck in the school's library. The huge room was silent and just a few students were there.

''Yeah… I know it's not really that hard. Just some formulas and a bit of logic, but I kind of don't get it how we got there – I didn't pay attention the first half of the year.'' He laughed and Rachel just smiled amused at his kind-of-joke.

She knew Puck often went somewhere else than to class, especially when it came to Math. Actually, she was asking herself if he was there even once.

It was a dark day today; it seemed as if it is going to rain any minute. Huge, fat and grey clouds were swarming over the sky and a strong wind was blowing the leafs away, making a loud wailing sound. It was quite strange, Puck thought. Two hours before, he and his team were running outside, playing with the ball and now the sky was black.

It is a pity actually…

He loves running in the rain.

His friends do not.

It really is a pity.

Puck did not realize that he was staring through the window next to their table and sighing to himself. His look was lost in the tree crowns and his ears were savouring the strong sound of the wind, almost lullabying him into daydreaming.

There was a strange feeling in his chest.

It was warm and gentle.

It was soft and made him smile.

He felt so peaceful.

And content.

''It's nice outside, isn't it?'' he heard a soft whisper opposite him and it brought his thoughts back to earth. He slowly turned his head to Rachel and saw her looking outside as well. It seemed she lost herself in the view and sound the same way he did. And it looked like she still did not come out of it.

He smiled at that.

''Yeah, would be great going against the wind.'' He commented, thinking she would not understand.

But Rachel just nodded and sighed: ''Yeah, I love to run in that kind of weather. The wind and the rain make it very… exciting.'' She concluded and looked at him with a smile.

Puck gaped at her: ''You do jogging?''

Rachel, leaning her chin on her palm, nodded and giggled: ''What? Am I not allowed to do sports?''

Puck shook his head: ''Well, you're a girl. Chicks usually don't like jogging; especially not in the rain.''

Rachel just shrugged her shoulders and looked outside again: ''I like it. It relaxes me.''

''And gives you a feeling like you can fly, right?'' he said, just to make sure.

''It makes you feel free.'' She whispered and breathed in.

Ok.

Wou.

She seriously does run.

No one knows how it really feels like, except those who do it.

The girl really does jogging.

She likes it.

Just.

Wou.

''Music…'' she whispered again, but shook her head and finally turned back to the book on the table.

The boy looked at her in confusion: ''Huh?''

Rachel looked at him in embarrassment and tried to hide a giggle: ''Sorry about that. I lost myself in thoughts. So where were we?'' she turned over few leaves of the book and nodded her head: ''Oh yeah. Statistics. Hm… Ok. We will take a look at some equations and then do some exercises.'' She told him and pushed the open book to him, still holding it.

''See these equations? Write them down on a paper and I will explain them.''

Puck did not question her anymore, but did what she told him.

Then she started talking about money interest and how these equations can be related to them. Yeah…

He knew about money business.

Then she talked about some more complicated things; draw some circles and wrote numbers in and explained forward.

He kind of understood.

He kind of really got it.

He made some exercises, asking her here and there something he did not understand and listened to her soft voice, while making sure he got everything right.

Her voice was in unison with the sound of the wind and the sound of leafs dancing through the air. He suddenly heard it all. The harmony of all these sounds and it made him calm.

Music… He thought.

He blinked confused and looked up.

He stared at her for a couple of moments and she looked at him, not understanding his sudden wonder. She was about to ask him what is wrong, but he was faster.

''Music.'' He stated.

''Huh?'' Rachel did not catch on that.

Puck shook his head: ''That was what you said before. Music. You said music. You meant the sounds outside, didn't you?''

Rachel gasped at him in surprise and was silent for a second. Then she smiled and nodded: ''Yeah, that was what I meant. Listening to the wind and other sounds creates music in my mind – I know, it's weird; but I'm an artist – don't blame me.'' She giggled at that and Puck had to laugh too.

''Yeah, I noticed it too. I'm a musician too, you know? I can hear a melody, you're not the only one.'' He playfully waved his hand and Rachel just had to laugh out loud.

Puck smirked.

Telling the truth about himself makes her trust him more than making things up.

''Well, young boy; what kind of a musician are you? Oh! I know! I remember! Guitar! Am I right?'' she exclaimed and smiled at him.

''Yep, I'm a professional.'' He laughed and shook his head. ''How do you know it's the guitar?''

Rachel looked at him amused: ''Well, you have been a fan of them, when you were younger.'' She stated simply and looked down at his notes he gave her few minutes before.

She should have not said that, she thought.

It was years ago, when they talked about things they liked. He most probably did not remember.

''Yeah, I have always been a fan.'' He said and looked at her awkward expression.

He knew what she was thinking. Yeah, he knew that she remembered their childhood. He would have thought she forgot all about it.

It seems like she did not.

''Did you solve the problem?'' she changed the topic as fast as she could and Puck just went with the flow.

''Yep!'' he smirked proudly and taped with his finger on the numbers he wrote on the paper she was currently looking at. Rachel nodded, already calculating and not noticing anything around her. She was deep in thoughts, when Puck watched her.

Rachel Berry.

The girl he is leading on and is about to humiliate her in front of the whole school. The girl who is an excellent artist and an organized person with a life plan already in mind. The girl who talks and helps him, although he spent his free time making her high-school life a living hell.

And she still makes it that easy.

Is she so naive?

Is she just glad that someone just talks to her?

Or is she doing all this for her own benefit?

…Yeah right….

Not Berry.

No, not her. She is not that kind of a person. Not like him.

''It's correct.'' She interrupted his thoughts and smiled at him with gladness.

''Yeah?'' he smiled back. ''Don't tell me you were having doubts.'' He laughed and took the peace of paper from her hand.

Rachel giggled: ''Not at all. I knew you knew it. You just needed someone to show it.''

Yeah, he needed someone to show his knowledge. He was smart. He did study. Just that his friends did not need to know that.

''Ok, I think we can stop for today. You are very good in maths. I don't understand why you don't like to attend it.'' She said and started to pack her things up. Then she stood up and put the books into a neat pile, leaving them on the table for the librarians putting them back later.

''Yeah, well… I'm a lazy person. I like to do other things too. Math is just at the wrong time in the wrong class.'' They both laughed at that and slowly made their way out of the library. They walked through the halls and noticed that they were alone. It was not that late like the last time, but it was even darker outside because it already started to rain.

The sounds of raindrops falling on the ground made them calm and they suddenly both sighed at the same time. When they noticed that, they looked at each other in surprise and laughed.

''You got all you stuff?'' he asked after they calmed down.

Rachel nodded her head and looked through the window on the left side of the hall. ''Yeah, I have. I checked it twice, before we went to the library.''

''Yoe need a ride?'' he asked; he will not let her walk in the rain.

Rachel blinked at him and finally smiled: ''Yeah, that would be nice.''

The came to the exit of the school and looked at each other. They opened the door, grinned and shouted at the same time: ''Run!''.

They both jumped out into the pouring rain, laughing their heads off and running into the parking lot to Puck's truck. The water was splashing under their fast steps and their clothes became wetter with each second.

When they finally came to the vehicle, Puck unlocked it by pressing the knob on his car-key and they both sprang into the car, shutting the door on each side. They still laughed when they sat in there and watched the water flow down car's glass.

The boy started the engine and drove them into the direction of Rachel's home. He knew where she lived of course. It was just a few houses from his home.

They were both silent for a moment, but then Puck came up with an idea. Actually with something he noticed, while he talked to her during these weeks.

''You know what I noticed?'' he started and she looked at him curiously. ''You never say my name. Or any other name actually.'' He watched her expression change from surprised to thoughtful and then into a soft but sour smile. It seemed as if it was kind of painful.

''Well, you must now that a name is something very personal.'' she started and looked at him with big eyes. He was not quite sure what she meant and she seemed to notice his confusion.

The rain became very loud and a thunder was heard nearby. Rachel did not flinch at the noise. She even seemed more relaxed. She leaned back into her seat and looked in front of her, taking a deep breath.

''Someone calling your name has to mean that that person is in a way related to you; it can be any kind of a relationship, friendship or acquaintance – in which way you see it, there is a relation. I think that through these years I cannot relate to any of those relations towards people in this school; that is why I tend to not call anyone by his name and stay objective. People in this school- I do not believe that they would call themselves my friends or acquaintances. I actually do not even remember talking to any of them the same way as one would talk to schoolmates. If you know what I mean.''

Oh, yes. He did all too well. It was actually his fault this all started. And obviously she had to pay the consequences.

''What about teachers?'' he asked.

''Seeing them watch me, while being slushied and doing nothing to help me – I think I cannot relate to that.''

''What do you mean? Teachers didn't help you? Not even once? Did you tell Mr Figgins? Berry, you can't be serious.''

''Actually, I went to his office a couple of times, ''complaining'' about slushy-facials. However, because I am a teenager, I tend to make up things and without evidences they are unable to do something. But I do remember that I was standing in front of his desk with a colourful T-Shirt that was dripping wet because of the thrown slushy a couple of minutes ago.''

She pressed her lips together and cleared her throat: ''You know, people usually find a person who they do not like and try to show their feelings as much as possible. I think I can understand them – I do talk a lot and I do have plans for my future and I am not embarrassed to talk about them; however, it seems that this is something what this school does not like and I realized that there is no other way but to just live with it.'' She concluded, still wearing that hurt smile, but trying to sound playful.

But Noah did not find this amusing. He actually felt bad for a moment. He felt really bad. And it gave him stuff to think. The girl was not a bad person. But people judge her very negatively.

Well, he did it too. Still does, kind of...

Right now, she is not that bad.

She is actually pretty nice.

''This isn't fair. Have you ever tried to scream really loudly or make a fuss about it, so that there would be no possibility to ignore what someone has done to you? I mean, you can't just let them do what they want.'' he told her a bit angry at her passiveness.

Rachel looked at him a bit confused: ''Well yes. I already did that, I told you. But teachers ignore me, or them, depends on how you look at it. But it seems that I really must have done something wrong that this was happening to me.'' she looked away, hiding her face behind her hair curtain.

It was silent for a moment, Puck not knowing what he should say or do.

He thought she might cry, but not a single sound of self-pity came from Rachel. That was something he admired her for.

''What do you mean?'' he finally asked her, waiting for her answer. Rachel did not turn her head, as she answered: ''I am loud. I know that. And I know that it seems I talk all high and mighty – but it's just the way I talk – watching musicals and documentaries for your whole life can do things to your vocabulary, you know. And I have two dads. Two! Both lawyers. Of course people might think I can achieve whatever I want. No one asks me if that is true... So yeah, I kind of understand where this hate comes from...''

Yeah, she told him everything, he already knew. And all these things were the ones, he was hating her for. Especially her fathers. She had two! And he did not even have one. That was not fair.

But of course, she on the other hand had no mother. No woman who could teach her girly things. She was kind of on her own.

And it seems she really does not trust people. How can she? She knows why they do not like her. And she even accepts it.

So, yeah...

He wants her to trust him.

He wants her to believe him.

If only for the bet, for this stupid game - he will make her trust him. She will trust him dammit.

But first – the name. It seems very important.

''I want you to calm me by my name.'' He suddenly said very seriously. Rachel looked at him and smiled after a couple of moments: ''All right. But you have to call me Rachel then. I like my surname, but I like my name even more.'' They both laughed when he parked in front of her house. It was a big house with a neat garden. But it seemed that no one was home.

''Ok, see ya then in school.'' He smirked and almost ruffled her hair. He wanted to, but he stopped himself, because- well, wasn't that a bit too friendly?

''Yeah. Have a nice evening ... Noah.'' She replied softly, smiled and turned away, opened the door and run as fast as she could to the front door of her home. She unlocked it, turned around to wave and finally disappeared inside.

For a moment Noah's heart stopped and his face flushed. He watched her leave and his thoughts were lost somewhere. Just her saying his name was kind of- he did not even know how to name it. It was nothing special actually.

But her voice...

It was sincere and soft.

It was as if she really thought that a name is something personal.

So she said it in this way too, with emotions and a feeling in the word.

He drove away after few seconds and went with his hand over his mohawk, trying to come to himself. This was not the time to become sentimental.