Chapter 37:
May 12, 2012
Senior year was coming to an end which meant that with us graduating two weeks before the end of the school year, we would have to take our finals three weeks ahead of time. That didn't do me any good because that meant that I was going to have to study even harder. These finals were the make and break it of my grades. I mean sure I had straight A's but if I were to bomb these finals I could end up with a B as my ending grade. Where would all my hard word be shown at the end of that, nowhere. That is why I am practically living in the library and my nose in the books. My hands even hurt from highlighting and writing notes.
Shuffling through my papers I try to find the ones from psychology. I knew that my psychology test would probably be one of the easier ones because the course was pretty simple. But I knew that I had to spend some time on it, so I chose to start with that today. Opening my text book I settled myself comfortably into the chairs for my next few hours hitting the books.
"If there's a hippo on campus you'll remember it." I mumbled to myself having come up with a few quirky sayings to help me come up with my vocabulary definitions. "Your hippocampus stores your memory."
Mumbling a few more to myself, I was feeling more and more confident about that final. Moving onto my anatomy class, I pulled out all my notes and books for that one. This final was going to be tough, one of the harder ones to study for. My phone vibrated but I chose to ignore it. I was in the same place I've been for the past week. If anyone needed to get a hold of me, they could physically come in here and talk to me. If they didn't, than I guess it really wasn't that important.
Going over my vocabulary words, I felt like I had finally mastered them and than started on all the different diagrams that I were given throughout the semester. Beginning with the cardiovascular system I continued going through most of them.
A book bag startled me as it dropped on the chair in front of me. Peeking up from my papers, Finn was standing there looking down at me.
"You know I'm studying." Dropping my gaze back down to my papers, trying to focus on them yet again.
"You've been studying non stop for the past three weeks."
"You should too Finn, these tests are worth more than anything else. Your whole grade could depend on these finals. Your risking the whole semester, your graduation."
"Babe, it's one night away from the books. I night to come out with your friends and have fun, you know the thing you used to do before all this final drama."
"I would, I really would." Sighing I placed my book on the table "I just have to get a good grade on this anatomy test. Just a little more and I promise you that I will meet you all there."
Giving me a hard look, I raised my pinkie. "I promise"
Hooking it with mine he leaned down placing a kiss on my lips, leaning back a little he looked me square in the eyes.
"I will." I confirmed with him, seeming enough for him Finn proceeded to give me another kiss and grabbed his book bag.
"Don't be too late. I'll see you later."
"Bye." Calling out as I watched him leave. Going back to my books I went onto the muscles. After hours on hours of muscles, bones, tissues anything in the body you name I could probably tell you facts about them. I was a master on the anatomy that I felt like I was ready to go and have a good time. Plus I had the rest of the weekend to study. I would take this night to enjoy the weekend before the last week of school. Shoving my books into my bag, I checked my phone and saw that I had five missed calls and twelve unread txt messages. The time was around eight, I didn't even know I was here this long. Rushing out of the library I got into my car and drove as quickly as I could to Breadstix's. Getting into the driveway I could see Finn's truck, Quinn's car and everyone elses vehicles in the driveway. Really thankful that I didn't miss them, I unbuckled my seat belt and went out to catch up with them. Opening the door, I was crushed to find them all coming out laughing and looking like they were having a great time.
"Rachel!" Quinn ran up to me giving me a hug, not really feeling the mood I wrapped an arm around he waist lightly. Stepping back she kept on smiling "Where have you been? Finn said you were coming to dinner but we figured you were studying so we let you go."
"We're happy your here now." Brittany wrapped an arm in mine "You missed it though, Puck hit on this waitress and she dissed him right in front of all of us."
"Fucking classic" Finn mumbled, chuckling
"Than he was so pissed off that he accidentally spilt the drink all over him." Santana laughed, Quinn running her hand through Puck's mohawk as he held a sour look on his face. Feeling really angry at myself for not paying attention to the time I barely gave them a smile.
"Sorry I got here so late." I mumbled grabbing my keys from my pocket prepared to go home and just spend the rest of my night alone, since my fathers were at a meeting.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked me, turning around Finn came up wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
"We're going down to the lake, Puck and Sam scored a few things of beer. You're coming right?" He asked me
"I wouldn't miss it." Smiling as I ran to Finn's truck jumping in it, Finn hopped in starting his engine and backing out. Honking the horn, I screamed out the window waving at my friends as we passed them. Laughing, I sat back in my seat pushing my hair out of my face.
"We tried calling you, you know."
"I had my phone on vibrate, I must of not heard it. It's not your fault."
"Let's have fun tonight and not worry about all that final shit." He suggested and I jumped at the horn blowing off next to me. It was the girls in the car next to us. Waving, I watched in confusion to see what in the world she was doing.
"What the hell..." Finn mumbled the car jolting to the right a little to try and see what she was doing. Finn gasped a little, that's when I knew what she was doing.
"Oh, my god!" I screamed, laughing hysterically "Put that ass away!"
Finn's eyes were back on the road laughing, running a hand through his hair.
Brittany sat back in her seat, Quinn speeding up swerving in front of us and the boys who had just pulled up while honking their horn taking the lead. Finn took a sharp right following them down the dirt road into between the trees. Noticing some smoke and more cars, I was really confused.
"The seniors are having a bonfire tonight down here." Finn explained "You don't care right, if we come here."
"No" Shaking my head as we slowed down parking next to the girls, unbuckling my seat belt I watch Brittany stumble out "Has she been drinking already?"
"Uh.. well Puck brought some things that Santana, Brittany and Sam had some."
"Oh" Jumping out of the truck, Brittany looked back at me just as she started laughing "Loved the show Britt."
"Thought you would." Nearly tripping over her own shoes she ran up to the rest of the senior class. Quinn came over holding Sam's hand as he held a beer bottle in his hand giving it to Finn.
"No" Finn shook his head towards me "I've got to drive Rach home tonight."
"Go ahead, I'll drive the truck." Making sure that I was okay with it, I grabbed the beer from Sam's hand and put it in his "Have fun, like you said 'let's not worry about this final shit'"
Chuckling, Finn nodded
"Now go have fun with them, I'm going to go off with Quinn and try to see where Brittany and Santana ran of to." Quinn grabbed my hand lightly pulling me away, waving as we walked away we broke out into a light jog catching a glimpse of Santana. Just as I saw Santana I saw Ava hanging with some of the other girls. Ava may have been expelled but she still was around sometimes. But this was the first time that I've seen her around with Santana and Brittany. I didn't want any drama and I wanted this to be a good time. Quinn catching my drift we quickly went up and grabbed the two dragging them off away from the fire.
"Where are we going" Brittany grabbed my hand swinging it between the two of us
"Let's go for a swim" Quinn suggested as we reached the lake shore, illuminated by the moon. Brittany sure wasn't shy when it came to being the first one to take off her shirt, shorts and boots. Leaving them on the grass, Brittany ran into the water with Santana and Quinn following in soon after.
"Let's go Berry!" Santana yelled
Unzipping my dress from the back, I slipped out of my wedges kicking them off and letting my dress fall to the ground. Stepping to the water, it was actually pretty warm considering the fact that the sun wasn't out to warm in.
"Get in!" Quinn yelled at me too
Ignoring them, I slowly walked into the water until it was up to my waist.
"Cute underwear and bra." Santana snorted as everyone brought attention to my black bra and black boy shorts that had gold stars all over them "Is that what you use to get frankenteen in bed?"
"I don't base my undergarments on whether or not Finn and I are going to be intimate that day."
"Ten bucks!" Santana screamed in happiness "You each owe me ten bucks."
"You owe her ten bucks?" I asked confused as I dipped farther into the water, getting my hair wet
"We had a bet going on whether you and Hudson were banging, you are and I win the money which I will need in my hand by tomorrow!"
"Gross."
"When did you start?" Brittany asked
I looked to Quinn for support but she was just as interested as the rest of them.
"A few months ago." I mumbled, my feet playing with some dirt at the bottom of the lake "When I found out that I wasn't going to Juilliard and the same time he told me he got into Columbia."
"Sam and I didn't go it until our one year anniversary."
"Does that make me easy?"
"Please." Santana rolled her eyes playing with the water in front of her "Quinn just likes to tease Sam. We all thought she was going to be a nun until she came out with it and finally gave up her V card."
"There's nothing wrong with waiting" I backed Quinn up
"Men have needs and it's our duty to fulfill these needs."
"I'm sorry but if I'm not in love with a man I'm not going to give him my heart and soul." Quinn directed at the latino
"What are you calling me a whore because I like to have sex?" Santana was really offended by her statement.
"No I'm calling you a sex addict because you like to have sex with everyone that you know."
"Whatever" Santana blew off the insult swimming through the water "So Britt and I got our tickets for graduation we'll be in the stands being the embarrassing bitches yelling your names. Than we got our dresses for the after parties. There will be no way for us to miss Berry getting drunk or missing her first and last high school party."
"Once you go you'll wonder why you never went to one before." Quinn smirked "Rachel doesn't think she is going to have fun."
"They're the best." Brittany commented "You'll get wasted, you'll dance, you'll embarrass yourself, and you'll probably barf in the morning but it's one of the best nights you will ever have."
"True that." Looking behind me Noah smirked kicking his boots off
"Oh hell no!" Santana yelled across the water, Puck ignored her taking his shirt off as the boys came out of the trees beers in hands. "What the hell do you all think you all are doing?"
"Shut up" Noah said wiggling out of his pants leaving him in his boxer briefs and walking in the water "We're getting in."
"I'm in my underwear" I mumble to Quinn backing up when Noah got to close
"Oh damn!" Noah laughed "Hey boys, the girls stripped down. They've been getting dirty behind our backs."
"You are a pig!" Putting my arms over my chest, feeling exposed all of a sudden. Sinking deeper in the water, I was mortified for Noah or Sam to see me in my underwear.
"Go away" Quinn complained "This is girl time and your ruining it with your penis."
"I have every right to be here as much as the next guy." Noah started floating on his back
"We're out." Brittany grabbed Santana's hand pulling her out of the water with Quinn and I following.
"Oh damn" Noah wolf whistled "Look at you fine asses, especially Berry's. Who knew she had such a round piece of ass."
Glaring at him as I hurried out of the water, Finn handed me my dress putting it back on. I had only witness Noah drunk once and he seemed to repeat the same attitude. He was horny drunk and tried to get with anything.
"Don't hide them breasts baby's" Noah was still floating in the water as he watched up get dressed.
"Shut up dude" Sam stood in front of Quinn as she put on her clothes
"Not cool." Finn added in while zipping up my dress from the back
"Oh well fuck, now all the good views are gone." Not in the mood to listen to anymore of his rude comments I walked slipped on my shoes and followed Sam with Quinn back up to the bonfire. Brittany and Santana had gone off farther down the lake and I knew that they were going to be fine and stay out of trouble. Getting closer to the fire, I could feel myself getting warmer from the slight breeze hitting my wet body.
"He's such an asshole." Finn said to Sam as he drank from his beer, Quinn and I taking a seat on a log that had been set there.
"Puck's a prick when he gets drunk." Quinn looked up addressing the boys "He always has been."
"Yeah well he can stay down there and get laid by the next girls he sees" Finn said pointing to a pair of girls walking down the trees "Look there we go, perfect timing"
Looping my arm through Quinn's we sat there for just about the whole night just talking about the whole year.
"I'm going to miss you so much when we end up splitting up." Quinn mumbled, watching the fire the boys were off doing their own thing once again and we were still talking.
"I'm going to miss you too" Squeezing her arm "I'm really glad that I got my shirt ruined or else we would have never talked that day."
"Me too"
"I remember Kurt telling me to stay away from all of you all though." Giggling a little "He told me you all were sketchy and I shouldn't really put too much faith into being friends with you all."
"They are sketchy of us because we were cheerios and the boys were football players, we were automatically assumed to be bitches and assholes like the other ones."
"If someone ever told me I would be dating the quarterback of the football team over a year ago, I would had laughed in their face. I would have never been associated with the jocks and cheerleaders in New York. But come to find out, you all are like the greatest people I have ever met."
"I would have never thought I would have been friends with a drama nerd or joined a glee club, even if we didn't make it all the way to New York for nationals."
"We'll get it back next week when we show him what he was missing."
"Next week..." Quinn mumbled "Holy crap we're graduating next week!"
"I know, twelve years and it's finally over."
"College and than starting a life. We're going to have to get jobs and have families then our kids will be in the same exact place that we are in."
"I'll be thankful just to make it onto Broadway."
"Don't you want a family of your own?"
"Of course, but Broadway is my calling once I'm established in that I will be more than willing to start a family."
"I think that's the only thing that has me willing to go through college, just knowing that I'm going to get something so big out of it."
"Can you see yourself with Sam?" Quinn hesitated as she looked into the fire, thinking about her answer.
"I honestly couldn't think of anyone else who I would be with."
"Not even Noah?"
"Noah and I had our chance. He and I are just so different, I love him but I'm not in love with him. Sam and I just have this connection that's been there from the beginning, I don't think that's going to even go away."
"I can see it now" Laughing a little "Your little blonde babies running around cheering or playing football."
"What about you?' Quinn asked glancing over at me
"What about me?"
"Can you see yourself with Finn in the future?"
"He's willing to go all the way to New York to be with me and so that we are able to be together while I follow my dream. Not many guys would do that for their high school sweetheart. I love Finn and I can see us together for possibly the rest of my life. He has an amazing heart and we compliment each other very well."
Quinn smiled, not saying much else as we held onto each others. Quinn was one of the greater things that came out of this move. I can sit here right now in this very moment and say that she will always be my best friend. That someone I can call in the middle of the night and talk things to. She'll be my rock in life. Nobody will understand me like she has, I didn't have to do anything for her to want to be my friend. I just had to be myself for her to see how good of a friend I was. Once she saw that, things were easier because things with Quinn were easier.
Holding onto her hand as we walked back to the cars, Finn handed me the keys and got into his truck.
"I'll call you tomorrow after I'm finished studying for my final." Hugging Quinn we broke apart and went to the drivers sides of the vehicles. Finn had just finished putting on his seat belt and laid his seat back.
"Just come to my house to spend the night." Finn yawned "Burt and my mom are probably passed out or taking care of Kailey. She doesn't sleep through most of the night and they're always focused on her that they don't pay much attention anyway."
"Okay" Smiling, Finn grabbed for my hand while laying his head back down closing his eyes.
The truck ride home was quiet until we got to his house. Sitting up, Finn got out of the truck meeting me and taking me up to his house. The lights were all off and we walked in quietly not to catch any ones attention or to wake his baby sister. Stumbling up the stairs a little was just about the only noise we made. Getting into his room, I shut the door and went to turn the light on only to find Finn kicking off his shoes, shirt and pants before climbing into his bed under the covers.
Chuckling a little at how he was going to pass out any minute, I grabbed a large shirt of his, changed out of my clothes putting that on. Switching the light off, my feet padded over to his bed and I lifted the blankets on my side up while climbing in them. Snuggling into his side, he groaned before pulling me tighter to his chest as if it was a reflex.
This is what I looked forward to the most when living in New York, being able to fall asleep in his arms every night. Twisting our legs together, I was comfortable enough. Hearing Kailey's cries come from the room next to his, I found it oddly comforting and found myself falling to sleep almost immediately.
Thanks for the support! Love every single one of you! I hope my spelling and grammar was better in this one. I truly took what you said to heart and tried to pay more attention. Graduation chapter is next, mixed with some drama and than an epilogue!
5 review please until next chapter!