Author's Note: Wow! I wasn't expecting to receive responses so quickly, here's my way to thank you. I hope you guys like it. Expect a cliffhanger towards the end.
Thank you to everyone on tumblr who took the time to leave a message and try to cheer me up after what happened here last Sunday. You didn't have to do that, but you still did, and that's was amazing.
As always a little reminder over here; BadassMotherShucker94 is the best Beta Reader ever, and we wouldn't have 33 chapters and counting without her help. Thank you!
Last but not least, Noah's song in this chapter is called "The Girl" and its from City and Colour if anyone wants to check it out (I recommend to do it, it would help to picture the situation) here is a link: watch?v=IqifiXC2kDw
Chapter XXXIII
"Expect more information soon," what does that mean? How soon?" Finn asked sitting on his couch inside his room with a newly-arrived Noah.
"Well…" Puck tried to answer as he quickly read the letter again; which didn't leave anything very clearly. "I guess over the next few days we are going to find out where we're going, for how long and when we're leaving."
They stayed in silence for a brief moment. "Are you scared?" Finn asked.
"A little," Puck laughed. "But at least we're allowed to visit our families before we leave."
"Finally!" Finn celebrated. "What are your plans? Ohio, then New York or New York first and then Ohio?"
"Yeah about that…" Puck started with a straight face. "I was thinking why don't you come with me?" he suggested pretending to be excited.
Finn looked at Noah with a straight face. "I don't know man, I really want to see my mom and Burt, plus don't you think it'll be weird. I mean Rachel will be there and…" he stopped talking and began to laugh all of the sudden. "Wait! I see what's going on here, you're scared of seeing Shelby aren't you?"
Puck shrugged. "Well of course. It's been a while and she's scary when she's angry."
"Look Puck, I get it. You don't know what you're going to say to her and that freaks you out, but remember you'll also be seeing Beth, and I think it's time for you two to resolve things for once and for all. You are my friend, more like my brother and I want you to be happy."
Puck sighed, he knew Finn was right. It was time to stop avoiding her and just tell her how he had been feeling over the last few months without her. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? Times Square, Pizza, Hot dogs?
"Seriously Puck? Are you more afraid of seeing Shelby than being deployed?" Finn teased.
"In my defense, you haven't seen her mad," retorted Noah.
Finn laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I was the lucky one. Look, I'm gonna start packing so I can leave for Ohio tomorrow, I'll see you there in a couple of days, right?"
"If Shelby doesn't kill me first," Puck answered.
As soon as Santana found out Puck was able to leave his post she booked him on the first flight to New York. She was happy she was finally going to see her best friend, but most importantly she couldn't wait to put her plan into action. She was aware that Puck still wasn't very comfortable with it, but in the end she would be able to convince him, just like she always did.
She smiled when she saw Noah crossing the gate; Santana sprinted and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Finally!"
"Aw you missed me that much?" he teased her, laughing.
"Shut up," she snapped before pulling away from him. They walked together over to where Brittany was standing waiting for them. Puck started to laugh when he read the sign she was holding. It said, "We're waiting for our sexy soldier," written in crayons and with a drawing of him in the corner.
When Brittany saw them she immediately ran and hugged Puck. "I missed you so much Britt," he told her lifting her up from the floor.
"Knock it off you two, I'm getting jealous over here," Santana laughed. "Let's go and find a cab, are you hungry Puck?"
He shrugged. "I'm more tired than hungry."
When they arrived at Santana and Brittany's apartment Noah sat down on the floor. They didn't have a lot of furniture, just a small couch, a bean bag and a small table with two chairs, which was covered with papers that Puck assumed were Santana's. He liked it though, it was still cozy and he was more than happy when they let him crash with them.
"Do you want some Lucky Charms?" Brittany offered him smiling. "You can have the cereal I only like the marshmallows."
He grabbed the box and poured some cereal for them in the bowl Brittany had brought with her.
"So Puck we'd love to give you the typical tour, you know Central Park and all that crap, but we know why you're here," Santana told him from the kitchen.
Puck took a deep breath as he laid his body on the cool floor. "She doesn't know I'm here, I couldn't call her."
Brittany smirked. "That's how we planned it." She got up and took out her cellphone from her hoodie. "I'm gonna call Bobby and the guys, I'll tell them to call after rehearsal."
Noah stayed on the floor completely confused, just staring at Brittany who was speaking eagerly on the phone, skipping around the living room. "Sannie, Bobby asks if we would like some food."
She locked eyes with Puck. "Your pick pizza, chinese?"
Puck smiled. "Can we have subs?"
"Sure! No problem," a voice answered from the speaker, Puck imagined it belonged to Bobby.
"Guys I'm not sure about this plan. The easiest thing to do would be to go over and talk to her," sighed Noah.
Santana took a seat in front of him. She stared at him silently, and waited until he was about to open his mouth again to speak before smacking him on the head.
"What was that for?" he whined rubbing his head with his right hand.
"You think you know what's for the best, but I don't think you do. You haven't been around for nine months, nine months! Trust us okay?"
"But just in case we're placing bets to see who can guess Shelby's reaction," Brittany added smiling as she ate some marshmallows.
"Great," he muttered when he heard three knocks on the door. The first person who came through the door was Kurt who immediately hugged him. "Hi Kurt!" Puck yelled. "It's so good to see you!"
"Food's here!" the other two guys chanted making their way to the kitchen. They started to talk with Brittany and Santana but they became quiet when they noticed Puck in the living room.
"You must be Noah! Nice to meet you I'm Sam," one of the guys said.
Puck got up and shook his hand. "How do you know who I am?"
"Oh we all know who you are!" the other guy interrupted. "I'm Bobby by the way," he chuckled when he saw Puck's panicked expression. "And I just realized that made us look like a bunch of creepers," Bobby gasped.
"I'm gonna start all over again, I'm Bobby and Sam and I are part of the ensemble of Bombshell, and no, we don't know who you are because Shelby complains about you in front of everybody. We're friends with Britt and Santana, but we first met Britt when she joined our dance class. Who would have guessed they're friends with Jesse and Rachel?"
"Turns out New York isn't that big," Sam laughed as he unpacked the food.
Puck and the girls joined him, while Bobby set some music on Brittany's iPod speakers. "So, Shelby is like your boss" Noah asked.
Bobby smiled as he sat down and grabbed his plate. "Sort off, our real boss is Derek but Shelby, she helps us with the songs; she's the one who makes sure we won't sound horrible," he paused to take a bite from his sandwich. "Did you choose a song?"
Noah rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I'm very rusted and I don't know…"
"C'mon are you trying to tell me that you sang to her in front of your classmates knowing that someone could suspect something, but you're afraid of singing in front of her now? I thought you were a badass?" Bobby teased him covering his mouth with his hand.
Puck raised one of his eyebrows and got up to pick up his guitar. "I'm not a badass I'm the badass, are you guys going to help me or not?"
Sam raised a hand to stop Noah from speaking. "Hold up! First we need to hear the song, and then we'll decide."
"Is everything ready?" Jesse asked, peeking his head inside the rehearsal room.
Bobby walked towards him and nodded. "Yeah, and Rachel?"
"She's been with Shelby for about forty minutes so I doubt she'll suspect anything," Jesse closed the door and pulled out his cellphone. "Hey Shelby are you busy?"
"No, not really, why?" she asked him.
He chuckled nervously as he ran his hands through his hair; he needed to sound believable. "Well you see I left some important things inside the rehearsal room and everybody already left, and I'm really, really sorry to bother you, but could you come over and open the room? I'm very sorry Shelby."
Shelby looked around for her keys and grabbed them with her purse. "Don't worry Rachel is here, she can take care of Beth for a while."
"Thanks Shelby, and sorry again!"
Jesse went inside the room one last time; he wanted to talk with Noah. He walked over to where he was siting and patted him on the shoulder. "Nervous?"
"I don't know, more excited than nervous, I haven't see her in so long, it's like… I don't know," he laughed, embarrassed.
"A part of me wants to punch you in the face right now, but you two have done so much for the each other, I just want you guys to be happy and…" Jesse's phone started to ring.
"Shit," he yelled. "Take your places everybody!" He ran to other side of the room and hid with the rest of the group.
Shelby walked inside the room, cellphone in her left ear, frowning and grunting. "Jesse, where the fuck…" she started but she almost dropped her phone when she saw Noah entering the place and taking a seat in a lonely chair in the middle of the room.
"Noah," she managed to say, walking slowly to where he was. She was unsure of how she to feel; she almost pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "What are you doing here?"
But he didn't respond, he just gave her an intense look and started to play the chords.
I wish I could do better by you,
'cause that's what you deserve
You sacrifice so much of your life
In order for this to work.
While I'm off chasing my own dreams
Sailing around the world
Please know that I'm yours to keep
My beautiful girl
When you cry a piece of my heart dies
Knowing that I may have been the cause
If you were to leave
Fulfill someone else's dreams
I think I might totally be lost
You don't ask for no diamond rings, no delicate string of pearls
That's why I wrote this song to sing
My beautiful girl
The room elapsed into a petrifying silence, with the exception of Shelby's sniffles. She was about to speak but Noah started to play the song again, although this time the rhythm of the music had changed. Out of nowhere Sam, Jesse and Bobby appeared dancing. Shelby started to giggle when they stood up next to her.
"While I'm off chasing my own dreams… guys!" Noah yelled at the end.
"My own dreams," the choir serenaded Shelby.
"Sailing around the world, please know that I'm yours too keep my beautiful girl" Noah sang, smiling at Shelby who had her face buried in her hands.
"You don't ask for no diamond rings, no delicate string of pearls, that's why I wrote this song to sing. My beautiful girl"
Bobby, Jesse and Sam dropped themselves of the floor. "My beautiful girl!" they chanted in a high tone.
Shelby stayed quiet for a few seconds; she cleared her face up before walking towards Noah wearing an expression which was very hard for him to read. Meanwhile Bobby, Sam, Jesse, Santana and Brittany were watching the whole situation from outside.
"You guys think it worked?" Sam asked.
Jesse frowned. "Yeah, I mean she looked happy, right?"
"I don't know, remember the show face," Santana reminded them unsure.
Brittany shushed them. "Look! She's in front of him!"
Puck could feel his own heart beating. He needed to know if the plan had worked, and it seemed like Shelby was taking all the time in the world to say something to him, and it was slowly killing him. He smiled goofily at her. "Shelby," he started, but he couldn't finish because she was slapping him.
"Leave Noah," she ordered with a look in her eyes that could've killed anyone in that room.
"But," he tried one last time…
"I said leave!" she yelled at him.
Outside the guys were looking at the scene with their jaws dropped. "Cough up guys," Bobby whispered.
"Um, guys? I think we can arrange this outside we should go!" Sam said noticing Shelby was approaching the door.
I promise I PROMISE, you won't regret choosing the split once you read the other half on my next update. But until then you can all hate me!
Take care everybody, have a nice week!