Hello Lovely Readers!
I've been feeling inspired lately to write some lighthearted, and humorous chapters, which this chapter is, as well as the next. (Well, I'm only half way through the next chapter, so it may change) hope you all enjoy! Please review!
Chapter 35: Aromatherapy?
It had been two weeks since Rachel had experienced her panic attack. Which lead to a long and meaningful talk with Shelby, on the importance of opening up, and reaching out for help.
Rachel was now actively seeing her therapist on a regular basis, not with much resistance, or at least as much as before. After experiencing a panic attack, and talking with Shelby she realized that she did, in fact, need help.
Shelby had been working with Rachel's therapist, Dr. Robins on ways to help Rachel overcome her emotional trauma, and early symptoms of PTSD. Overall things had been going well.
Rachel had been spending more time with Quinn and enjoying what time she had left as a 'teenager' as Quinn put it. Soon the baby would arrive, and everything was going to change. Quinn had ultimately decided to keep the baby. She felt in her heart that it was the right decision. But that didn't mean it was going to be easy. And she knew that.
Shelby had been busy wrapped up in planning the logistics of Nationals, as well as communicating back and fourth with Will, who was undertaking his final round of chemotherapy. Will's doctors were incredibly pleased with his results, and he had been cleared to attend the Show Choir Nationals, as co-director with Shelby. Which both were thrilled about. Over the past few months, they had made a great team.
Shelby was walking up the driveway, her hands full with shopping bags. She had gone to the grocery store after visiting with Will at the hospital.
"Rachel?" Shelby said with a struggle opening the door, hoping for some help.
"In here!" Rachel called out from the kitchen.
Shelby rolled her eyes, and gently kicked the door shut. Still struggling, she placed the bags on the floor in the front hall.
"Rach, If I wanted to know where you were, I would have asked that, can you please help me with the groceries?" Shelby laughed. She walked into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the sight that was before her.
"How is Mr. Shue?" Rachel asked, not facing her mother, but towards the stove.
"He's fine-" Shelby said with a stutter. "Rachel, what are you doing?" Shelby asked looking at her destroyed kitchen.
"I'm making candles," Rachel smiled turning around.
"Making candles?" Shelby confirmed. Her eyes focused on dripping wax from a pot on the stove, and all over the counter tops.
"Yeah." Rachel said turning back around, "Don't worry, I didn't forget you. There's one for you as well!" She said.
"Why are you making candles?" Shelby asked trying to remain calm.
"Well.." Rachel began. "Dr. Robins said aromatherapy would be a great way to relieve stress," Rachel said. "So I thought I would try it out. Plus I've seen these DIY candles on Pinterest, so I thought, why not." Rachel shrugged.
Shelby let out a sigh.
"And you wouldn't let me come to your little Nationals 'planning' meeting. So I had to find something to do." Rachel smirked.
"Again, Rachel you are not a show choir director," Shelby said quickly at her daughter's comment. "Couldn't we just have bought some candles?" Shelby sighed.
"Mom." Rachel gasped. "Those candles are filled with toxic materials. None of which are good for you to breathe in." Rachel said. "Especially for the vocal cords," Rachel added. "I've done my research." She said proudly.
"I can see that," Shelby said still looking around horrified.
"These candles are all natural," Rachel said proudly. "Bee's wax and essential oils. That's all." She said.
"Wonderful," Shelby said on the verge of being sarcastic but tried to keep it together.
"Rachel, the pot!" Shelby said noticing the wax boiling over, and spilling onto the stove.
Shelby held her breath as she heard some wax sizzle when it dropped onto the element.
Rachel quickly turned back around and turned the stove down, removing the pot from the element.
"Sorry. I got distracted." She said turning back around. "Look! These are my favorite scents, vanilla lavender, and evergreen mint!" Rachel said swinging open the freezer door. She had put three candles in the freezer to cool, after being poured into the glass jars.
"Rachel, be careful!" Shelby called out nervously. But it was too late.
As she swung the freezer door open, two of the candles came crashing down.
They hit the floor and the warm candle wax that had been cooling spread across the kitchen floor. The glass jars shattered on impact. Green and purple wax hardened to the fridge and the surrounded cupboards quickly.
Rachel froze. "Whoops..." She cringed with a nervous smile.
Shelby instantly covered her eyes and held her breath.
"Is it destroyed?" Shelby asked in a panic. "Oh, God. It is isn't it? Everything is covered in wax, isn't it?" She asked again. "I can't look," Shelby said still holding her hand over her eyes.
Rachel gulped looking around at the floors and cabinets.
"Mom, it's not that bad." Rachel lied. Hoping to calm her down, before she saw the inevitable.
"No! It is. It is that bad. Rachel, do you realize how difficult hardened wax is to remove?" Shelby asked. "Please, don't answer that." Shelby cringed. Still holding her hands over her eyes.
"I'll clean it up," Rachel assured. "I'm sorry." She added.
Shelby opened her eyes.
"My hardwood floors." Shelby mourned, looking down at the mess. "My kitchen." She pouted.
"Mom. It's just a kitchen." Rachel chuckled lightly. Her mom was being just a tad bit over-dramatic.
"Just a kitchen?" Shelby snapped looking up at her daughter with a dangerous stare. "Just a kitchen that you are going to be scrubbing for the next week, to even make a dent in cleaning this mess up!" Shelby added.
"It won't take that long," Rachel said rolling her eyes.
"I think I'm going to pass out," Shelby said sitting down on a kitchen stool. "I feel faint." She said fanning herself.
Rachel rolled her eyes. Shelby would never admit it, but everyone knew her mother could out-do even her in the dramatic department.
"I'm going upstairs. When I come back down. This will be cleaned up." Shelby said, turning towards the stairs.
"You aren't even going to help me?" Rachel asked with some shock.
"Ha!" Shelby laughed sarcastically, continuing to walk up the stairs.
"Mom! But how? What am I supposed to use to get the wax out?" Rachel called out.
"You're clearly creative enough to figure that one out Rachel." Shelby mocked. The sound of Shelby's bedroom door closing could be heard from the kitchen.
Rachel sighed looking at the mess around her. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Just another reason that therapy was a bad idea! She thought to herself, rolling her eyes.
****Glee****
Shelby who was still upstairs was googling the best 30 alternatives to murdering your teenager, with another tab open on how to best remove wax stains.
Shelby sighed and looked down at her watch. Rachel at this point had been cleaning for over two hours and Shelby wanted to see how she was doing.
Shelby closed her MacBook and tossed the throw blanket off of her. She was about to head downstairs when she noticed her phone begin to vibrate and answered the call.
"Hey, Sarah," Shelby said noticing the caller ID for her sister.
"Hey," Sarah said. "Just checking that we are still on for dinner tonight?" She asked.
"Right," Shelby said almost forgetting they had dinner plans. "Yes." She said.
"Your place?" Sarah asked.
"Well, that depends on the state of my kitchen." Shelby sighed dramatically.
"Why is that?" Sarah laughed.
"Oh, just your darling niece who thought she would play "Martha-Freaking-Stuart' for the day and make her own 'aromatherapy candles'," Shelby said rolling her eyes.
Sarah burst into laughter.
"Mhm.. laugh it up, Remind me to fire her therapist," Shelby said rolling her eyes once more.
"Let me guess? Wax everywhere?" Sarah laughed.
"Sarah. Everywhere is an understatement." Shelby corrected.
"We couldn't have just gone to the store and bought them like any other human being, no-not Rachel." Shelby huffed.
"Oh, Shelby. I bet it's It's not that bad." Sarah said almost having to wipe her eyes from laughing so hard. Just picturing how that went down. Shelby had always been a clean freak. This would surely tip her over the edge.
"Not that bad? NOT that bad? I almost went into cardiac arrest." Shelby said frantically. "My kitchen is destroyed." She pouted.
Sarah laughed again.
"Would you like to come over here and help her scrub the floors?" Shelby asked becoming irritated with the laughter in this situation. It was simply too soon for jokes.
Sarah stopped laughing.
"Hmm, that's what I thought," Shelby said as she heard her sister stop laughing.
"Okay, well I'll see you soon? Or maybe we can just go out somewhere?" She asked. "Preferably somewhere without candles?" She asked adding one more dig. She had to in get her quota for the day. It's a sister thing.
"Sarah!" Shelby snapped. "You're not helping." She sighed.
"Okay, okay..." Sarah laughed.
"Goodbye, Sarah." Shelby sighed.
"See you later." She said ending the call.
Shelby decided to head downstairs and see how Rachel was doing cleaning wise. She was also desperately needing a coffee, so it simply couldn't be avoided.
Shelby walked down the stairs and heard some familiar voices coming from the kitchen. She furrowed her eyebrows trying to figure out who they were.
Shelby turned the corner. She was surprised to see Puck, Finn, and two other boys scrubbing down the kitchen while Rachel sat at the breakfast bar on her phone.
"Um, Rachel?"
"Oh. Hey, Mom." Rachel said, not phased by her mother's presence.
"What's going on here?" She asked.
"What up, Ms. C!" Puck said.
"Hello, Noah," Shelby said before turning her attention back to Rachel but was interrupted again.
"We have most of the wax out, this is my cousin Neo, and his brother Luke. They're in the pool cleaning industry with me." He said introducing them.
"Wonderful," Shelby said. "Nice to meet you." She said once again turning her attention to Rachel.
"Why are they cleaning, and not you?" Shelby asked.
"Oh, Ms. C, it's no problem, really. It's actually good business for us, winters are slow." Puck said standing up. "When Rachel called us, we were like, yeah, we can do that. And then I got thinking, how many other people need this service, I mean it probably happens a lot, this could be like our new thing." Puck said. "You got wax, well we got... Uh I've got to work on the title but you get the point." He said.
"Dude you are totally onto something here!" Leo said.
"When Rachel called me and told me what happened, I called puck and now it's practically all cleaned up." Finn said with pride.
Shelby smiled, noticing Finn trying to earn brownie points. She then looked to Rachel, who just shrugged. "You said to be creative." She said with a smirk.
"Mhm, Rachel can I speak with you for a moment." Shelby said.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to pass on that." Rachel said quietly.
"Excuse us for a moment boy's."
Shelby smiled and gently took her daughter's arm and walked with her to the other room.
"Rachel, you cannot be serious." Shelby practically laughed.
"What? You said to be creative." Rachel defended.
Shelby rolled her eyes.
"This isn't their mess." Shelby pointed out. "I asked you to clean it up." She said.
"I tried!" Rachel defended.
"For how long?" Shelby asked, well knowing Rachel hadn't even attempted to clean the wax.
"Like an hour!" Rachel said
"Mhm... Let me see your phone?" Shelby said holding her hand out.
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"Just let me see it." Shelby said.
"Why do you need to see it?" Rachel asked again.
"Do you want to loose it? That can be arranged." Shelby said raising her eyebrow.
Immediately Rachel placed the phone in Shelby's hand who smirked.
Shelby opened the call history.
"Hmm, Finn. 3:05." Shelby said. "A mere 5 minutes after I went upstairs." Shelby pointed out.
Rachel tried to hide her smirk. Caught. Of course, she hadn't attempted to clean. This was cause for reinforcement.
"You really gave that cleaning a valid effort Rachel." She said sarcastically.
"Hey, they needed the business, I had a mess to clean." Rachel said. "I saw and opportunity, and took it." She said. "I am of course. An overachiever." She said with pride.
"You'll show me just how much of an over-achiever you are by cleaning the bathrooms top to bottom for the next two weeks. Since clearly you need to practice your cleaning skills." Shelby smirked.
"Mom!" Rachel whined.
"What? I'm just being creative?" Shelby mocked.
"Are you done? Can I have my phone back, now?" Rachel said reaching for it, but Shelby held it higher.
"No." She said simply. "But you can get your butt in there and help them clean up your mess." Shelby said.
Rachel rolled her eyes.
Rachel huffed and walked into the kitchen, but everything was finished and there wasn't a sign of a wax anywhere. Other than a small splash of green wax above the fridge.
"We're all done here." Puck said with pride looking around at the spotless kitchen.
"Well done boys." Shelby said walking up behind Rachel.
Shelby reached for her purse to pay the boys for their hard work on removing the wax-disaster that once was.
"Thanks, Ms. C" puck said gathering his things.
Once everyone had left, it was just Shelby and Rachel left sitting in the living room.
"I was going to pay them, you didn't have too." Rachel said.
"Don't worry about it, save your money. Plus, my kitchen has never been cleaner." She said with a relieved sigh.
"See." Rachel said. "I knew you would appreciate it." She added.
"Mhm.." Shelby said giving her a look.
"Can I have my phone now?" Rachel asked.
"After your finished cleaning the bathrooms." Shelby said not missing a beat.
"Mooom..." Rachel groaned.
"I know. Life is so unfair." Shelby smirked.
"Can I at least have it for music while I clean?" Rachel asked, hoping Shelby would cave.
"You can make all of the music you want with your beautiful voice." Shelby said with a smile.
Rachel huffed.
"This is beyond unfair. I have your precious kitchen cleaned, and this is how you repay me..." Rachel sighed.
"I know Rachel, it's a tough life. And I truly appreciate..." Shelby began. "All of the sacrifices, you make for us." She said holding her hand over her heart in appreciation.
"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, mother." Rachel said rolling her eyes and stalking off to the downstairs bathroom.
"A clean kitchen, and bathroom in one morning. Not bad Shelby. Not bad." She said to herself tossing Rachel's phone in the air, and back into her hand with a smirk.
"Rachel, maybe you should make candles more often?" Shelby mocked with a smirk.
"I heard that!" Rachel yelled.
Shelby laughed.
****Glee****
Sarah hung her coat on one of the hooks in the front hallway and walked into Shelby's kitchen. Rachel was curled up on a kitchen barstool reading a book. While Shelby was cooking dinner.
"How is my favorite candle maker?" Sarah laughed as she wrapped her arms around her niece.
Shelby smirked at the greeting.
"Did this really have to make headline news, mother?" Rachel said closing the book and sending a glare towards Shelby who just shrugged.
"Don't worry Rachel." Sarah laughed. "Your mom once spray painted the side of your Nana's car in our garage." She chuckled remembering that eventful evening.
Shelby glared in Sarah's direction.
"Mom!" Rachel gasped.
"I'll have you know, that can was clearly faulty. It sprayed in the complete opposite direction." Shelby insisted.
"Mhm.." Sarah said with a smirk and looked back to Rachel. "Your mom insisted on preparing not only the set lists but the sets as well." She explained. Rachel eager to listen to the story was all ears.
"So of course, for their junior show choir competition. Your mom spent weeks painting and designing sets." Sarah explained. "Even though that was the art's department's job." She added.
"Hey. They were unable to capture our vision. Therefore, I was forced to take matters into my own hands." Shelby defended. "If you want something done right, you simply must do it yourself."
"Exactly." Rachel nodded with pride. "Hey, at least I didn't spray paint your car." Rachel smirked. "Thanks, Aunt Sarah." She said with gratitude that she now had leverage.
"Hush, you. You did enough." Shelby said pointing in Rachel's direction.
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes." Shelby said checking the oven. "Sarah, can you text mom and dad and see where they are?" She asked.
But before Sarah had the chance to unlock her phone, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Rachel said hoping off her stool, leaving her mother and aunt in the kitchen.
"Nana! Papa!" Rachel said with a smile opening the front door.
"Hello, Sweetheart!" Susan said wrapping her arms around her granddaughter. "My, have you grown an inch!?" She asked taking a look at her.
"Susan. You saw her less than two weeks ago." Paul laughed. Only reviving a glare from his wife. "Hi, Honey." He said kissing Rachel's head and walking into the home.
"How are my beautiful daughters?" Paul asked joining Shelby and Sarah in the kitchen.
"Good." Shelby and Sarah said in unison.
"Isn't this nice." Susan said walking into the kitchen with Rachel. "A lovely family dinner." She smiled.
"Here she goes." Sarah mumbled.
Shelby smirked at her sister's comment. Their mother took every opportunity to get sentimental. Maybe it came with age.
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, Rachel, can you set the table?" Shelby asked.
Rachel nodded, and Sarah helped her in the dining room .
****Glee****
"Everyone, I have an announcement." Susan said as the family finished up their dinner.
"Suzzy, I thought we were going to wait until after desert?" Paul asked.
"Oh, hush." Susan said waving his comment off.
"Okay, so you all know that we have been looking into buying an RV?" Susan began. The two recent retirees had been talking about taking a trip across the country for as long as anyone could remember.
"Well, we've found the one!" Susan said with a smile.
"That's great, Mom." Shelby smiled. "When are you leaving?" She asked referring to the trip they had been planning for ages.
"Well. We've been thinking, and while we are still planning our cross country adventure, we are also going to be taking..." Susan said.
Shelby felt her palms begin to sweat. She could see where this is going. She subtlety held her breath and nudged Sarah under the table, who was thinking the same thing.
Sarah smirked at Shelby's 'subtle' reaction. She knew exactly where this was going.
One million horrific thoughts rushed through Shelby's head before she heard the enviable announcement...
"Family Camping!" Paul announced with excitement.
Oh god. There it was. Shelby nearly died inside at the statement. Camping. Shelby Corcoran didn't camp, not as a child, and certainly not now. The bugs, the dirt, the smell. No. This wasn't happening.
"Awesome!" Sarah smiled. She couldn't pretend she wasn't excited about the trip. She loved the outdoors. Being the polar opposite of her sister, that is.
"Camping?" Rachel said. "I've never been camping!" She smiled. "Well, I went once, but it was a theater camp, more of a resort, really." Rachel shrugged.
"Well, you're in for a treat." Susan smiled.
"Mom... Listen. I would love to, uh, we would love to. But with my work schedule, show choir, and Rachel's schedule. I don't see how we will be able to find a manageable date in the near future.." Shelby quickly explained. Hoping to get out of this as easily as possible.
"Well, it's a good thing I took the liberty of clearing your schedules for you." Susan said with pride.
Shelby looked perplexed.
"Rachel isn't the only one that knows how to hack into your emails." Susan smirked.
"Mom!" Shelby gasped.
Rachel smirked. Well played Nana, well played.
"We leave Friday morning!" Susan smiled.
"Friday, as in... This Friday? As in tomorrow?" Shelby confirmed. This was all happening too fast.
"That is correct Shelby." Susan said.
"This is going to be fun!" Rachel said. Paul smiled at his granddaughter's happiness.
"For how long?" Sarah asked.
"Four days." Susan said. "Two days RV, two days tenting!" She smiled.
"Excuse me? Tenting?" Shelby asked. Shelby Corcoran does not tent.
"Yes. As in, sleeping in tents, in the great outdoors." Paul laughed.
"Shelby, the outdoors are good for you, the fresh air, the birds on the lake, the smell of fresh burning wood." Paul said taking a deep breath.
"It is also good to disconnect and let go, truly be one in nature." Susan added. "It's going to be good, especially for you." She noted.
"Have you been watching Oprah or something?" Shelby asked. 'be one with nature' who did her mother think she was, the new Gandhi? This could not be happening.
Both Susan and Paul anticipated this reaction from Shelby as they practically had to promise Shelby a backstage tour of Barbra's Broadway dressing room to get her on the bus for camp every summer. Whereas Sarah always had her bags packed weeks in advance. They had hoped it was just a childhood phase. Clearly not.
"Lord help me." Shelby said quietly looking up at the ceiling. Praying for a miracle.
"Pack your bags ladies! It's a Corcoran Camping Adventure Extravaganza!" Susan announced with excitement. The family, all but Shelby cheered along.
"Yay..." Shelby said attempting to play along. "Can't wait." She smiled.
This should be good. Sarah thought to herself, watching her sister with a grin.
****Glee****
"Bags packed?" Shelby asked walking into Rachel's bedroom.
Rachel who was drying her hair with a towel, sitting on the end of her bed.
"I think so." Rachel smiled.
Shelby looked over to her daughter's bags.
"That's it? That's all you're bringing?" She asked. Shelby had at least double.
"Well, it's only four days." Rachel laughed. "Aunt Sarah helped me pack, I wasn't sure exactly what to bring." She said.
"I see." Shelby said sitting on the side of her daughter's bed as Rachel slid under the covers.
"Are you feeling okay?" Shelby asked. Hoping to find at least some excuse to get out of this camping trip, at any cost.
"Uh, yes." Rachel laughed.
"Are you sure?" Shelby said placing her hand on her forehead. "You look a little pale." She said. "And I noticed early that you were a little sniffily." She added.
"Mom. I'm fine." Rachel insisted.
"You're sure? Because, if not. We can stay home you know." Shelby offered.
"Mom." Rachel said with a look. "Why aren't you excited! This is going to be so much fun!" Rachel said.
"I wouldn't say 'fun' would be my first word of choice." Shelby said.
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Mom. Don't spoil the fun. You have to be open to new experiences! Let your wings fly!" Rachel said looking up at her mom, who was still sitting on the side of her bed.
"You've been hanging around Sarah too much." Shelby noted.
"Mom. This is going to be great! It's a family camping trip, just like in the movies." Rachel fantasized.
"Are you sure you're my child?" Shelby confirmed.
Rachel laughed.
"Alright. Goodnight my love." Shelby said kissing her forehead. "I'll see you bright and early." She said standing up.
Just before Shelby left the room she noticed a bag filled with Rachel's laptop, music dock, and power cords.
"Rachel, you do realize there are no outlets in 'nature' right?" Shelby asked.
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.
"Where are you going to plug all of this in?" She asked.
"Into the outlets?" Rachel said obviously.
"What outlets?" Shelby smirked.
"Wait..." Rachel said beginning to think about this more. "There's no outlets." Rachel said.
"No outlets, no wifi." Shelby said.
"NO WIFI!?" Rachel gasped.
"Well, where did you think it was going to come from the tree's?" Shelby laughed.
Rachel sat speechlessly
"Ah, there's my daughter.." Shelby smirked. She said. "Welcome to the Corcoran Camping Extravaganza!" Shelby laughed
Rachel sat speechless in her bed, now rethinking this entire trip. Where was she going to record her nightly MySpace song updates? She would find a way, she thought. Her mother was surely joking.
Shelby left Rachel's room and headed into her own, to finish packing.
She looked over at the two full suitcases she had started and sighed.
"This is going to be a nightmare." She sighed dramatically. And continued to pack.
T-24 hours to Camp.
****Glee****
Yay! A Family Camping Adventure! Well, Shelby doesn't seem to be too enthused about the situation, but nonetheless, exciting!
Guys! I need your ideas! I'm really looking forward to posing the next update as it will be all about the camping trip! I need some creative storyline suggestions! I'm about half way through but I would love to get some ideas! Shelby scenes maybe? Keep in mind she hates camping! Will Rachel enjoy the trip as much as she thinks she will? Or has the apple not fallen too far from the tree?
Side note: I actually made candles a few weeks ago, and 90% of that scene was my poor kitchen's reality. Including the freezer door fail. Tragic. The wax is still not completely gone. Hence the inspiration.
Anyways! I hope you all enjoyed! I need ideas! Please review, and I will update soon!