Chapter 36
I couldn't get what happened at homecoming out of my mind. That evening was so perfect I couldn't believe it. Puck and I had been able to pretend for just one night that we were back together. But alas, all dreams eventually do end. I really do feel bad for Cinderella now that I know what she felt like. And let me tell you, it isn't fun.
Mom didn't process the fact that I was homecoming queen. It took her by surprise too much. That wasn't too big of a deal to me though. It was just another label people put up for the popular kids. Ridiculous if you ask me. Seriously, I didn't need to be homecoming queen at all. I would have been better off spending those fifteen minutes with Puck. Oh well. How time flies when you are having fun. Obviously I didn't tell my family or friends about what happened with Puck and I certainly wasn't going to tell Jesse. I would never cheat on Jesse. I just wasn't that type of girl. For real anyway. Puck started it, not the other way around. Jesse was too nice for me to ruin everything with him. I wasn't going to do that to either of us. Especially since who deserves better. What happened that night at homecoming was between me and Puck and I planned on keeping that way.
Groggily I sat up from bed Monday morning and I quickly threw on some super tight jeans and a white tank top that said 'Love Me' that didn't quite reach the top of my jeans and grabbed my leather jacket before rushing out the door. I hated running late. I didn't even know why I slept in. I was used to busy weekends with Jesse and everything but for some reason I was extra tired. It wasn't usually like me to run late because it was my own doing. Oh well. I'd get there eventually.
"Ah crap." My shoulders slumped when I saw I had about no gas left in my motorcycle. I'm going to have to fill it up after school. I assumed that Bianca was already with Sam. I was happy for her truly, just a little envious. Why did I have to make things more difficult than they were? I think I seriously have mental problems sometimes. I sped down the highway a LOT faster than the speed limit making it to school in record timing. Oh yea, I am good. I quickly threw my helmet off and ran through the school so not to be late.
"Go, go, go." I said to myself hoping that a teacher wouldn't see me sprinting down the corridors.
"What's the rush sexy?" I heard a voice behind me. Sexy? It clearly wasn't Puck's voice, or Jesse's voice. Then who was it? I looked back and saw Fuller leaning like Puck always did, against a locker watching me. I turned to him with disgust.
"Eeew. I don't have time for this." I brushed him off and tried to head to class but he gripped my arm pulling me to a stop.
"What are you doing Fuller?" I yelled trying to pull my arm away but it was useless seeing he was about three times my size.
"Make me." He leaned in and I could feel his hot breath hit my face. A shiver of disgust went up my spine.
"See that, I knew you liked me all along." Fuller said pressing me up against lockers and blocking my exits.
"That, was a sign of revulsion. I'm not attracted to you. And I never will be, now let me go." I said trying to kick and pull away now. Panic started to take over. Where was everyone? I thought to myself looking around but no one was in sight.
"I've always wanted you." Carson's head bent down to my neck and I could hear him smell me. I got goose bumps. This was bad. Creepy didn't even begin to describe how bad this was.
"Go. Away." I spoke trying to remain calm despite the flairs going off in my head.
"I don't think so." Carson said moving one hand to my hip sliding it up and down. I pushed his hand away.
"Now, or I will scream. Your choice." I gave him a threatening look but he ignored my words and this time held me tighter.
"Three….two…o-" Before I could finish Fuller pressed himself up against me and kissed me to keep me from screaming. That was it. I didn't fight that hard before but now I was determined to get away. I punched him and kicked but it didn't seem to do anything. Maybe I should have taken those self-defense classes instead of piano. Seeing my back was to the wall I couldn't pull back, heck I could barely move he held me so tightly. No matter how hard I tried there was nothing I could do. He moved/ dragged me along with him towards the direction of the janitor's closet. Oh heck no. I could feel his one hand take both of mine and hold me while the other reached for the door. I fought harder but my only hope was to scream, which was hard because his mouth was making it difficult to even breath. I could feel my hands getting numb they were held so hard. Lord please help. Anyone please help. Fuller thankfully pulled away so I could breath only to cover my mouth with his hand while he shut the door. As each inch of light disappeared another wave of dread and fear grew within me.
"What the hell!" Someone yelled just before the door clicked. In a blink of an eye the door was opened wide and dropped to the ground feeling too weak to keep standing.
"Get away from her Carson!" Jesse's voice was the most intimidating I had ever heard it before. To be honest it was a little scary.
"Make me pretty boy." Fuller said grabbing my arm and trying to pull me to my feet but I wasn't going to go anywhere. Jesse flung into action grabbing Fuller's shirt and ripping him away from me and literally slamming him to the hall floor but making me hit my head against the corner of the wood. In half a second Fuller was getting his face pounded in by Jesse. I tried to move but I felt too drained. How lame was that? I started to crawl towards them wanting to help Jesse who just got one in the face. I wasn't sure how long the fight when on. All I knew was that there was blood on the floor and that Jesse was winning. I tried to find my strength knowing I needed to get help. Feebly I found my footing and used the doorframe to help me up.
"Help…" I attempted to scream but couldn't manage more than a whisper. Come on Savannah, snap out of it. My head was throbbing but I stumbled out of the closet and rushed down the hall to the closest classroom I could find which was Mr. Schuester's Spanish class.
"Please, Mr. Schue. Fuller and Jesse are fighting. Help him." I burst through the door and Mr. Schuester didn't even take two seconds hesitation before running out the door and the rest of the class followed. My job was done so I slumped down against the wall and watched as Mr. Schuester and a couple of the bigger kids from his class drug the two apart, Fuller being the worse off as far as injuries go. As my eyesight dimmed and my eyelids started to close I saw Jesse was looking as if he was knocked out with one last swing from Fuller who had pulled away from his
so-called restraints.
"Jesse…" I trailed off losing my grip of consciousness.
"Savannah? Savannah, are you awake?" Someone asked and I strained myself to open my eyes. Puck was over me concern clearly written all over his face. As a matter of fact, I hadn't seen him so panicked looking before.
"Puck…" I breathed out still trying to get back to reality. I felt a warm hand brush the hair out of my face.
"Yea, it's me. I'm so glad you are ok." Puck said picking me up and hugging me tightly.
"Where am I? What happened?" I asked barely even being able to see past Puck's face.
"You're outside the nurse's office. You hit you're head on a doorframe." Puck answered looking hurt when I winced and touched my now bandaged head.
"Did you bring me here?" I asked despite the dryness in my throat. My head hurt like a son of a gun but I knew I had to come back to it.
"Yes." Puck nodded once not letting me go as I tried to sit up some.
"Careful."
"I'm good Puck. Honestly. But you seriously carried me half way across school to the nurse's office? Wow, you're strong."
"Well, you don't weigh much more than a paper clip so it wasn't hard." Puck joked around holding my arms to steady me while I tried to stand from the chairs I had been resting on while I laid on Puck's lap.
"How rude. I weigh 120 pounds. That is way more than a paper clip."
"Please, I bench press one and a half of you in gym."
"Oh shut it." I smiled shaking my head. I was getting flashes of what actually happened but with Puck's constant talking it was hard to concentrate.
"Puck," I interrupted before he went off on something else. "What happened with Fuller?" I gave him a serious look. His eyes darkened and he sobered quickly.
"He tried to hurt you."
"You mean… rape me?" It all was clear to me now. I remembered. The closet, the pain in my wrists to which I looked down and saw bruises beginning to form.
"Yes." Was Puck's injured reply. His fists clenched and jaw tightened.
"I swear to you Savannah. I will kill him. I promise, once my parole is over I'll take care of him."
Puck swore to me but my mind was on Jesse.
"Where is Jesse? He was hurt. Is he ok?" I started to freak out a little remembering how bad he looked. Puck's face fell even further than it was at the moment before answering.
"He's in the room right now. He has a broken nose but other than that and the fact he was knocked out, he'll be fine. I… can take you to see him if you want." Puck spoke slowly almost like he didn't want to say the last part.
"Please! He saved me, I have to go." I pleaded with Puck who nodded kind of sadly and picked me up because my equilibrium was still off carrying me back into the office. I saw Jesse holding an ice pack to his head wincing every now and then when the nurse touched a sensitive area on his stomach.
"Jesse!" I called out and Puck carefully put me down so I could go to him.
"Savannah! You are ok!" Jesse exclaimed going to stand but clutching his side and sitting back down with a pain stricken face.
"I'm here. Don't worry, I've got you." I said pulling him close into a hug. The sense of gratitude I felt towards Jesse went beyond anything I ever felt for him before. He saved me from something horrible.
"Thank you so much." I cried into his shoulder never wanting to let him go. I finally saw how much he truly did care for me. How much he was willing to do for me. Jesse was half of Fuller's size and yet he still went and took him on like that because of me. I owed him everything and there was no way I could do anything to ruin what we had.
Puck's POV
And just like that, I lost the greatest thing in my life. Savannah was now missing completely. For a while there I could see she still felt for me. But now that Jesse saved her from getting raped, she is gone. There is no way in the world that she would go with me now that Jesse did what he did. Which completely sucked. Savannah was loyal to the death. That was one of her horrible and amazing traits and yet I loved her. Yes it is true. I love Savannah more than anything. More than any girl, magazine, sex, money and the list could go on forever. If it weren't weird and illegal I'd marry her today but now that I stand here seeing her holding Jesse with the same loving touch she used to do with me… I can see that it isn't going to be. Her heart doesn't belong to me anymore. But did it ever? Sure she acted like she was in love, and said it time and time again but how could she love me like I love her when here she is apparently forgotten about how good we were? Part of me believed she never truly loved me. Perhaps this was payment for all the hearts that I had broken in the past. I deserve it I guess. How could a hopeless, poor, Jewish guy like me ever hope to win the love of a girl like Savannah? I didn't have a prayer. I guess it see clearly now. She needs someone better than me but it doesn't mean I won't stop loving her. I don't care what anyone says. Savannah is the greatest girl in the world and no matter how old I get no one will replace her. She's the fuel to my flame, the engine for my truck, and most certainly the best thing to ever happen to me. She may forget what we were but I won't. Not until I die. I couldn't take it much longer as I realized I was still here watching them wrapped in each other's arms. Jealousy was one of my faults I will admit and now that I see her in the arms of another man the thing people call my heart nearly stopped beating. I started to back away slowly so not to draw attention to myself. The last thing I wanted was to become a third wheel or something. I never though I would play second fiddle to Jesse. Never. Especially after what happened at homecoming. Did that mean nothing to her? It meant something to me that's all I know.
I wasn't exactly sure what that Jesse kid did, all I knew was that Fuller had tried to touch much less look at Savannah and Jesse supposedly played the hero and saved her. The situation sounded more than a little false to me. Fuller hadn't tried to do that to Savannah before, what made him do it now? Sure she was popular now, more popular than me or Quinn Fabray or anyone but I didn't hink Fuller was attracted to her like that. I thought he just hated her. Something wasn't right about this situation. Whatever it was, it was ruining the hopes I had with Savannah and I wasn't going to sit down and take it like a sissy. As I reached for the door I looked back one last time not even bothering to hide the hurt I felt consuming me. Savannah's back to me thankfully so she couldn't see what she was doing to me but Jesse did see me. As a matter of fact he was me quite well and the look of triumph on his face nearly drove me over the edge. Something wasn't right with that Jesse kid. But I couldn't do anything to him in fear of hurting Savannah. Oh man. Why do I feel so strongly about her? How is she doing this to me? I had heard tales of love before but never thought I, the player, the bad boy would feel it. And much less by myself. Why was life so cruel? I pushed my way through the doors and out of school. I didn't care if I was ditching. I couldn't stand to be here anymore. Not while she was. There was no way I could get over her. Her touch was too deep to pry out. I drove like mad down the road not caring about the fact that it was getting colder and colder by the day thanks to it being fall. The rain had fallen earlier this morning and made the roads slippery but I was too far out in La-La Land to care. I pulled into the park and parked my truck gripping my steering wheel tightly. Savannah was with Jesse and Jesse wasn't what she thought he was. What could I do? Nothing. If I tried it might ruin any remainder of feelings she might still have. I sighed and pulled my guitar out. If I couldn't say what I felt I could sing it.
(When is says 'both' it's Puck imagining Savannah singing with him)
{Puck}
All the things I felt and I never shared
All the times that she was lonely with me there
Tears I wouldn't let fall from my eyes
And how I let her go without a fight…
{Both}
The reasons I'm alone I know by heart
But I don't wanna second forever in the dark
I swear next time I'll hang on for dear life
If love ever gives me another try
{Puck}
There's no changing things that we regret
The best that we can hope for is one more chance
If the hands of time could just move in reverse
I wouldn't make the same mistake again with her
{Both}
The reasons I'm alone I know by heart
But I don't wanna spend forever in the dark
I swear next time I'll hang on for dear life
If love ever gives me another try
Oh the reasons I'm alone I know by heart
But I don't wanna spend forever in the dark
I swear next time I'll hang on for dear
If love ever gives me another try
Oh, if love ever gives me another try
{Me}
Ooooh
{Puck}
Hmmm
I stopped playing and looked out into the now light rain remembering the times when Savannah and I would play at this very park and how happy we seemed to be. And just like that I felt something I rarely felt. Something that only her memory brought on. A tear.