AN: Soooo, I'm not updating two days in a row because of the abundance of reviews I received (thanks to those who reviewed though!), but because I wrote this chapter very quickly and felt like getting it out there. I was inspired by Glease, which I really loved. I love Grease, so how could I not love Glease? Anyway, I really liked Marley and Ryder together. That being said, I like Jake and Marley together too. I see some people might think it's the new Finchel/Puckleberry dynamic, and it is to a degree, but I think it offers something more. I think Ryan Murphey is actually doing a good job making their characters have different elements to past characters. Anyway, enough with my post Glee analysis.
I also forgot to specifically thanks the guest reviewers who left lovely reviews on my author's note, so thanks heaps!
I hope you enjoy this :)
Chapter 37 – Everybody talks
"Are you excited for today Santana?" Rachel asked as she ran a brush through her hair.
"I hate to say it, I will sound like a complete dork, but I am excited," Santana admitted reluctantly.
"Of course you're excited, it's a new beginning, God knows we all need new beginnings from time to time," Kurt chimed in dully.
"Kurt, you sound positively miserable. I thought you were loving working at Vogue?" Rachel asked in concern.
"Oh no, don't mind me. I love it here, I love my job, it's just post break up sadness, still," Kurt replied. "I love New York, and my life here, but I am thinking we could do with a larger apartment, what with the three of us, plus you have a boyfriend Rachel."
"He's right you know, it does make it hard with three of us in an open apartment like this, especially if Kurt and I want to have 'people' over," Santana agreed.
"You're both right, so I guess we'll have to talk more about that soon. I mean, we'll need to figure out if any of us are going home for the summer, then decide what to do about getting a new place. We should be able to get something closer to the city, what with the three of us now, and maybe Brody," Rachel said, voicing her thoughts.
"Wait, what? Maybe Brody?" Kurt asked eagerly.
"Well, when we were away he sort of mentioned that we should live together next year," Rachel said as nonchalantly as possible.
"Why are you only telling us this now?" Santana demanded.
"Because I only got back last night and we've been busy getting ready for today," Rachel retorted tartly. "I'm not hiding things from you guys, I never would, I just haven't had time."
"It's okay Rachel, Santana wasn't really annoyed. Just calm down. I think you're over reacting, maybe because you're sleep deprived," Kurt suggested in a gentle, teasing tone.
"Oh my God you're right. I really am tired, what with all that skiing," Rachel said with a grin. "I'm going to have to make sure I don't react to anything Cassie July says today. Maybe I should get it all out now."
"God, yes. That's an amazing idea. Look, I have this for you," Santana said, presenting Rachel with a largish picture of Cassandra. "Kurt and I developed a new game while you were gone. You print out a picture of whoever you hate, pin it to a dart board, then throw darts at it."
Rachel laughed and accepted the picture. "You're right, it's amazing. But we don't have a dart board?"
"Oh we do, we bought one," Kurt announced cheerfully, procuring the dart board.
"How long do I have? Twenty minutes? That's long enough," Rachel decided, pinning the picture to the dart board. "Okay, hand me the darts."
"I am so videoing this," Santana said gleefully.
Rachel stood a short distance from the dart board, she wanted to be sure she'd hit it.
"I hate her, I hate her poisonous little speeches. I hate that she calls me Schwimmer. I'm broad of the way I look and she just wants to tear me down. I hate the way she insults me and tells me I'm not good enough, I am good enough. I will succeed, and I'll be better than some has been who teaches classes and picks on her students to make her feel better," Rachel ranted. "She won't beat me, after all, I have Santana and Shelby on my side, and Brody."
"And me!" Kurt added indignantly, as the last dart pieced Cassie's picture. "Just because I haven't yelled at her, or promised to, doesn't mean that I don't hate her or want to take her down."
"I know, you've always got my back," Rachel said fondly. "Especially now, seeing as neither of us are in love with Finn anymore."
Santana burst out laughed, while Kurt just grimaced.
"It just seems so wrong now, such a foreign, gross idea," Kurt said, clearly creeped out by Rachel's memory.
Rachel laughed and said, "Well, I'd better grab my things and get out of here."
"I've got to go too," Santana agreed.
"And me, someone's got to keep the fridge stocked," Kurt added. "Have a good first day Satan."
"Very funny Porcelain," Santana retorted. "But thanks."
"Break a leg Santana," Rachel called. "You'll be fabulous and frighten everyone into awe."
"You're damn right, Berry," Santana said firmly. "Bye!"
With that the three of them left the house in quick succession.
To start off the new semester Rachel went straight to a dance class, and as luck would have it, or perhaps as bad luck would have it, Rachel was still under the instruction of Cassandra July.
"As if Monday's aren't hard enough with having to face her first thing," Rachel muttered to herself.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," the girl next to her remarked.
Rachel looked over at her in surprise, she was use to being ignored by most other students.
Rachel smiled tentatively at her and said, "Seeing as we both hate her, I guess an introduction would be appropriate. I'm Rachel Berry."
"I know," the girl replied. "I mean, you played Eva, you were great by the way. I'm Natalie Sheridan."
"Well, it's nice to meet you," Rachel returned with a smile. Praise was always welcome in Rachel's book, and it seemed that her efforts in Evita had paid off. She wasn't been shunned anymore, at least by one person.
"Do you want help stretching before she gets here?" Natalie offered.
"That would be nice," Rachel accepted gratefully. Having someone to talk to before the class was proving to be a very nice addition to her day.
The girls, and the other students, started stretching, engaging in small talk as they went.
Natalie was from Virginia, was concentrating on dancing in her training, was single and liked Chinese food.
"Alright students, welcome back for the second semester," Cassandra said as she stalked into the room. "Let's hope you're not as big a bunch of blithering idiots as I was stuck with last semester. Oh look, it's you Schwimmer. Guess my wish is already shattered."
Rachel grimaced and set her teeth, determined not to rise to the bait.
"You are all in this class because you're at the stage of learning more advanced ballet and ballroom techniques. Just because you're here doesn't mean you won't need to work your asses off to stay here though," Cassandra warned them. "You, there!"
"Me? I'm Alissa Warner," a buxom, red haired girl answered.
"Interesting. Actually no, it's not really. Well, King Louie, your hair is a God awful colour, dye it or something. And your posture is awful and you ate a few too many puddings over Christmas," Cassandra said harshly.
Alissa stood there quavering, but taking the heat in silence.
"See Schwimmer? King Louie knows how to take criticism, learn from her," Cassandra taunted.
Rachel merely stayed silent and Cassandra stared her down.
When she realised that Rachel was not going to engage, she moved on, "Okay, this is what we're doing today…"
"And welcome to dance class with Cassandra July, Alissa," Rachel said in a whisper to Natalie.
"And thanks for ruining The Lion King for me," Natalie added sadly. "That poor girl. I want to run away and it wasn't even me being demoralised."
"Don't worry, you'll get your turn," Rachel replied wryly.
Natalie shuddered before both girls focused their attention on learning.
After her dance class Rachel went to her History of Musical Theatre class, then finally had a break for lunch in which she was able to see Brody as well.
They met outside in the crisp air by the fountain.
Brody kissed Rachel tenderly before saying, "So, how are you surviving?"
"Surviving is the word," Rachel replied with chagrin. "Cassandra is as awful as ever, and I miss it just being us, away in the Catskills. However, I think I made a friend."
"A friend?" Brody asked in amusement.
"Don't laugh! I don't have any friends here. I mean, I have you, but a friend is different," Rachel replied. "Cassie may still think I'm worthless after the musical, but my classmates seem to be warming up to me."
"I'm sure she couldn't have been all that bad, not after the smack down Santana gave her, and I spoke to her too," Brody said.
"Well, she was that bad," Rachel retorted. "She's always going to be that bad."
"Well, I have a class with her next. I guess I'll get to see the fur fly then," Brody predicted. "How about I come and see you afterwards?"
"Sure, sounds good. I'm going to be in a practice room, just working on my dancing, like always. I'm thinking of preparing to audition for an off Broadway role later in the semester," Rachel informed him.
"That sounds great! Depending on what you find to audition for, I might try for something in it too," Brody said enthusiastically.
The couple finished their lunch, then headed their respective ways.
About an hour later, Rachel was still working on her dancing by herself. She had been singing while she danced as well, for it was an important fitness skill for any Broadway actress to have.
"Hey babe," Brody greeted her, walking into the room. "You're looking very studious."
"I should hope so, I feel very studious," Rachel replied, stopping mid dance. "How was your class?"
"Great, actually. Cassie seems to have dispensed with the name calling, and she was actually quite nice to me, and everyone else," Brody replied.
"Brody she's always nice to you, and if she was nice to the others she was probably just trying to convince you she's still not being a bitch to me," Rachel retorted hotly.
"Maybe Rachel, but maybe you're just blinded by hate," Brody suggested.
Rachel looked like she'd been slapped.
"That came out wrong, what I mean is, I believe you that you think she was being unfair to you, and your class, but maybe her behaviour isn't as bad and was just magnified to you because of your past with her," Brody reasoned.
Rachel was still looking at Brody with a hurt expression when a little patter of feet clattered into the room.
"Wach!" Beth squealed, running towards her sister and wrapped her arms around her legs.
"Beth! Where did you come from?" Rachel asked happily, swinging the little girl into her arms.
"Mommy!" Beth cried, pointing to the doorway.
Both Rachel and Brody looked at the doorway to see Shelby, and surprisingly, Cassandra.
Shelby wasn't aware of Cassandra's presence as Cassandra was standing behind her, quietly, just watching the scene in front of her.
She saw Rachel holding a little blonde girl, and Brody, looking lovingly at them both.
"Well, isn't that just sickening. It's like they're playing some version of happy families," Cassandra muttered darkly.
Shelby heard her words and swung around and said, "Why Cassandra July, I thought I heard your petulant tones."
"Shelby Corcoran, what are you doing here?" Cassandra sneered.
"Visiting my daughter, not snooping out the competition," Shelby answered shortly.
"I didn't know Schwimmer was a babysitter, that can only explain why she has your daughter here," Cassandra replied.
"The little girl is my daughter, but the daughter I was referring to was Rachel Berry. Who is Schwimmer?" Shelby asked, her eyes blazing. Shelby of course knew who Cassandra was referring to, she just wanted to make her squirm.
"You're Schwimmer, I mean, Rachel's mother?" Cassandra asked, actually visibly startled.
"Yes," Shelby replied dangerously. She looked over at her daughters and Brody and as the three of them were very focused on one another, dancing in the mirrors, she decided it was safe to continue. "I was here to see Rachel, but I'm glad I ran into you. I've been meaning to talk to you."
"Of course Rachel came running to her mommy," Cassandra said provokingly.
"Not that it's any of your business, but Rachel has never come running to me. I've never been much of a mother to her before now, but that's all changing. I am her mother, and I'm going to make very sure that you're treating her fairly. I have many connections in this world and I will use them all to destroy you if you cross me, ever, and that specifically includes targeting my daughter with your crap," Shelby said warningly.
"Fine," Cassandra agreed shortly. "Fine. Always a pleasure Shelby."
Cassandra turned and walked off down the corridor, her heels clicking.
"Can't say the same," Shelby muttered to Cassandra's retreating figure.
With that Shelby walked into the dance room to join her daughters and Brody, very much satisfied with her words to Cassandra.
AN: Thanks for reading! I'll update after I have at least 9 reviews :)