Ellie's Note: Hey guys, sorry the new chapter took so long. I was stuck on a part at the start with writer's block. I've been reading your reviews and such, they're amazing as usual. Please give it up for Julie for being magnificent as usual. Thank you so much for being amazing and I would like to remind you that you're beautiful and original and don't let anyone tell you anything different. Ever. I mean it. And you can always PM me with any problems and I'll always be there for you.
Julie's Note: Isn't Ellie a sweetie? Sorry for our absence but my Fatherhood muse kicked in earlier this week (thankfully) and I also have classes, gym and a boyfriend. Hope you guys like the chapter!
and I owe it all to you: eleven
With her beautiful, pristine white face still softly lit by the light coming from her computer screen, Quinn's eyes looked without seeing as her brain dealt with what she had just read. Berry in Carmel? What the fuck (God forgive her for the language) was Berry doing in Carmel? Jewfro's blog was full of crap most of the time, but one thing he always got right was everything that had to do with Berry's life.
A fire shone inside Quinn's eyes as she picked up her cell phone and began typing away. I should've known she'd do something to get back at us for not having her precious solos during Sectionals! The blonde seethed in anger, hands shaking as she quickly composed a mass text to the other eleven members of her team.
Glee-mergency! Meeting at my place in ten! No questions, just come! Q. PS: DO NOT warn RuPaul!
With a satisfied nod, she then quickly sent it over to Mercedes, Mike, Tina, Puck, Santana, Lauren, Finn, Sam, Brittany and Artie. As soon as her phone chirped with the sent text, it began chirping with the replies of her teammates, some asking the reasoning behind excluding Rachel, but all of them saying they would be at her house right away.
As she waited for them to come, she printed ten copies of the news from Jewfro's blog, one for each of the gleeks. Quinn smirked as she tried to imagine their reactions. Puck, she considered, would be the only one who would try and talk to ManHands about what the hell she was doing with St. James. The rest of them, she knew, would feel betrayed and kick her out.
Mercedes was the first to arrive, followed closely by Tina and Mike, then Brittany. Sam came next, and Artie immediately after him. Lauren grumbled and glared at her as she walked in her house. Finn, the poor kid, smiled nervously at her mother as Judy came out to check what that commotion on her living room was about. Puck and Santana were the last ones to arrive, and they kept to themselves as they leant side by side on the further wall, while the others spread around the room.
"I call this meeting to order", Quinn said loudly, above the voices. "This emergency meeting is to discuss a matter of extreme importance to Glee club", she added as the others settled, curious eyes (except for Puck's and Santana's) watching her as she rose from her seat and began giving away the printed news. As they began reading, she sat back down and waited for the reactions.
Surprisingly, Puck wasn't the first one to recover. "What the hell is Rachel doing with that bastard?" Finn yelled, eyes narrowed in anger. "He egged her, I can't believe she forgot that!"
"Who cares about what she's doing, I can't believe diva went to Carmel! I bet she ratted us out to the coach, isn't her mama dearest coach to VA?" Mercedes rang agitated, and Quinn firmly ignored the clench of her heart at the fleeting thought of a beautiful baby girl being raised by an older version of Rachel on the next district.
"No", Puck said quietly, and the simple word silenced the loud mutterings in the room. "Her mother quit last year after regionals", he added quietly. "Besides, you guys are fucking stupid? Jewfro's fucking nuts. Half the shit he writes at his waste of cyber space is crap. Why should we buy this?"
"Yeah, and why would St. Jerk be in Ohio? He was a senior last year. I bet he's rolling around in pussy as we speak and you guys are going crazy over some lie a dweeb wrote in his stupid little diary", Santana added.
"Jacob may come up with lies most of the time, but he isn't always wrong", Artie replied quietly to the couple, looking pointedly at Quinn's now flat stomach. He slid his glassed back to their usual place and, with a fleeting glance to the paper on his lap, he seemed to ponder for a minute. "I say we go over to Rachel's tomorrow and give her the chance to defend herself".
The others nodded and muttered their agreement (except for Puck, Santana, Lauren – who looked bored –, Sam and Brittany – who looked lost and confused). Quinn sighed in annoyance. "She'll say Jacob's lying", she interjected with an eye-roll.
"Berry's a good actress but not that good. And especially when you know what you're looking for", Puck said, and Santana glanced surprised at him before rolling her eyes.
"Okay, so we confront her. And what will we do if this", Quinn shook the paper in her hand to make her point, "proves to be true?"
"We give her an ultimatum", Finn spoke decisively.
"Yeah, because that worked so well last time, Finnbecile", Santana replied.
"We kick her out", Mercedes stated firmly. "We kick her out and that's it. No way this year will be a mess when it comes to regionals like it was last year".
"You guys are fucking morons", Puck said as he shoved away from the wall. "St. Jerk was a jackass to Berry but never to any of us. He didn't fucking leak our stupid setlist and left us to come up with a new one on the day of the competition or quit after learning he was fucking stupid. See you pussies later. C'mon, babe", he wrapped an arm around Santana's waist and hauled her away.
Once safely away from the Fabray household, Puck sighed annoyed and ran a hand against his shaven head. "Fuck", he muttered. "Q is a fucking bitch. What the fuck is she thinking?"
"She's not", Santana replied coldly. "She's out for Berry's blood. We have to find out who ratted Rachel out to Jewfro. But, before, we have to tell Berry and St. James of what they're planning to do. A huge blowout with those self-righteous pricks won't do Rachel any good in her state of mind", the Latina said seriously, and Puck nodded. Plucking his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled down his contacts and pressed the green button once he found St. James' number.
Completely unaware to the storm brewing in the McKinley High School Glee Club, Rachel and Jesse sat next to each other in a secluded booth in Breadstix. Jesse had insisted that Rachel eat something after the long day and took her to the restaurant. Rachel fiddled with her utensils nervously as Jesse watched her from over the top of his menu. She looked sad for some reason, not upset or miserable, that content sadness that meant something was seriously playing on your mind, when you're completely comfortable with feeling like crap. Rachel's eyes shone with dampness, like she was wasting all her energy on not letting the floodgates open, letting people see her as weak.
Rachel was not the kind of person that would make a spectacle of weakness, and neither was Jesse. To people like them, letting anyone see you as weak or anything like than invincible was worse than anything in the world. It could cost you your career, if you're really unlucky, or your solo, your reputation, anything. If they ever felt weak, then they would deal with it behind closed doors, away from anyone and anything that reminded them of reality. So, as Jesse watched the tears glisten in Rachel's eyes as she played with a loose strand of her hair, staring into space, he didn't see her as weak, and he didn't see her as damaged. He saw her as exquisite.
Rachel flinched when Jesse reached over and took her hand, which had been lying across the table casually, softly in both his. Their hands slotted together so naturally, it was as if they were two parts of a jigsaw. Jesse rubbed circles soothingly into the back of Rachel's hand with the pad of his thumb, just as he had when they'd been together, feeling her soft, milky white skin under his once again. She kept her eyes down as this happened, pretending to study the napkin in her lap.
"What are you thinking?" He asked softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her lips twitched into a half smile once more, a sight that was pretty common in this Rachel and she began to speak.
"About the offer", she replied in a hushed whisper, still avoiding looking him in the eyes. "McKinley's my home", she added after a few seconds silence between them. "I can't just walk away from that place like it didn't ever matter to me", she added softly. "Because it did".
Jesse sucked his teeth in thought as Rachel spoke. "I know how you feel", he said a few seconds later. She looked up in shock at his statement, furrowing her brow in confusion. "When I decided to transfer from Carmel, I was leaving the High School where I was top of the pyramid. A glee club I helped grow and develop and led to three consecutive victories in Nationals and powerful connections", Jesse told her softly, stroking the side of her face as he did. She looked at him incredulously as if to say 'And this is meant to make me feel better how?'
Jesse chuckled gently and tucked a coupleof tresses of dark hair behind Rachel's ear before continuing. "But, when I decided to transfer, I didn't see what I was leaving behind. I focused on what I was gaining. You". He whispered. Rachel smiled. "The gain far outweighedthe losses, in the situation. You have to decide in which school you'll bebetter off in. Focus on what you'll gain by transferring, not on what you will lose", he explained to a thoughtful looking Rachel as she fiddled with her hair.
"It's completely your choice; take as much time as you need", he continued. "Goolsby said the spot'll always be open to you and I think he spoke the truth. And one thing you can trust him, is that he doesn't change his mind and he has no hidden agenda. It's not some big scheme that will end up hurting you. He's a good teacher and he wants what's best for every pupil. And he already sees you as his pupil. He knows Vocal Adrenaline is best to you. And, deep down, I know you know that too. But, no matter what you choose, I'll be there behind you every step of the way. You're not alone, Rachel. Never will be again".
Their eyes met once more as Rachel peered up at him in surprise at what he was telling her. "What? There's no getting rid of me now". Jesse added with a smirk, knitting his fingers with hers tightly.
"I wouldn't want to", she told him warmly. They kept their gazes attached for as long as possible, Jesse breathed a smile at the hope in Rachel's chocolate brown eyes, his smile getting wider by the second as the couple stared at each other.
Jesse's phone buzzed in his pocket, the moment between them broken by the irritating buzz. He whipped the device out his pocket, sighing angrily as he checked the caller ID and brought it to his ear. "What, Puckerman?" He bit out, and Rachel raised an eyebrow at his tone, smirking.
Jesse caught the smirk and rolled his eyes at her as Puck's voice filled his ear. However, what he heard made his blood freeze. His smile faltered and he barely murmured out a reply before hanging out.
"What is it?" Rachel inquired, her voice colored with worry.
"They know", he replied simply, knowing she would understand what he meant.
She caught on at once, her face a picture of panic. "They do? But how?" The brunette asked, frantic. Jesse slipped out the booth, pulling Rachel with him. Throwing down some money onto the table, he began to lead Rachel out.
"I don't know, but Quinn put a meeting together with all the gleeks. Puck was there and so was Lopez. As soon as they left, he called. He wanted to give us fair warning so you wouldn't be surprised".
"What are we gonna do?" She asked numbly.
"I don't know, Rachel, I really don't".