Later that week, Rachel was sitting in her jeep, waiting for Sam to toss his kit in the back and hop in. It was just after lunch and the two were heading to the first football tryouts of the season.
"Alright superstar, lets go." Sam pulled himself into the jeep, smiling at the brunette driving. "You sure you wanna do this?"
"Positive Sam. Besides, I can't let Noah down now. He's been talking us up at practice all week."
Sam laughed at that and started fiddling with the radio. "We better not let him down then."
Rachel grinned and sang along quietly to the music.
Surprisingly, they were among the last ones there. Hopping out of her jeep, Rachel grabbed her bag and walked across the field to Puck, after doing their handshake she dropped her bag and started dressing.
"Coach should be out in a minute, she's making the whole team tryout again for a spot. Which means Finn shouldn't be handed QB this year and Sam should have a fair shot."
"That's good." Sam surveyed the other players, while Rachel kicked her slides off and tugged cleats on. "Who are they?" The blonde boy nodded at two guys goofing off across the field.
"Oh that's Mike and Matt, they're pretty dope. Good dancers too." Rachel hummed and watched the two for a minute, as she pulled on her gloves.
"Yo heads up, Coach is on her way out." Puck nodded at the school doors, where a woman was stalking across the field.
"Puckerman! These your friends?" Her voice was deep, and commanded respect.
"Yes ma'am, this is Sam Evans, and Rachel Berry." The two offered out their hands and were pulled into bruising shakes.
"You two look like you're about to be tossed into a hog pen with no rope!"
Sam and Rachel exchanged a confused look before the shorter girl spoke up. "No Coach, we're excited to play. Football has been our life since we were kids."
"Good answer Berry. Now instead of fancy words, I want to see your talent. Both on and off the field, a quarterback should be able to create plays on the fly to attack the defense. Think you can do that?" She eyed the tall blonde down.
"I think I can handle that." Sam nodded confidently at the woman staring him down.
"Good! ALRIGHT HUDDLE UP!" Everyone gathered around the woman and took a knee. "We're going to start this practice with some stretches, then we'll hop into some drills, and finally a scrimmage. Sound good?"
"Yes Coach!" Smiling she sent the team to line up across the field and run through stretches.
Twenty minutes later she called them back to her. "Alright listen up, defense, you'll be running your drills on that end." She pointed to the opposite end of the field. "Offense on me. We'll be practicing simple running and passing plays."
Sam grinned and tossed a ball back and forth between his hands, this was his moment.
"Coach, do we really have to try out the quarterback spot? We all know no one else is going to step up." Finn practically whined at the woman in front of him. "And are you really gonna let a girl play with us? She'll get killed out there!"
"Actually Hudson, my boy Sam here wants to try for it, and trust Superstar can hold her own." Puck raised an eyebrow at the giant man child, who was slowly turning red in front of him.
"Fine but if she gets hurt it's on you Puck." Stomping away from them Finn called some of the offense on him to run some plays.
"Alright boys, half of you on Hudson, the other on Evans. You'll run a play with him, then switch lines! Route is at the quarterback's discretion." She blew her whistle and headed down to the other side to give the defense instructions.
The guys ran plays for about thirty minutes, until Coach blew her whistle, calling the players back to her.
"Okay! Quick water break, then we'll run some drills and play a quick match."
Everyone jogged quickly towards the benches, most chugging down water quickly. Sam elbowed Rachel discretely and laughed. "Amateurs. They're all gonna puke."
This caused Puck to snort and choke on his water.
"Alright there Puck?" Finn grinned at the boy and thumped his back hard.
"Fine Finn, thanks. You sure you wanna duke Sam out? No shame in forfeiting."
The man child scowled. "I'm not about to lose my spot on the team to froggy lips over there."
"Alright bro, just don't hold back, because I know Sam won't." Puck patted his shoulder and pulled his helmet back on, heading off to join Rachel and Sam in a huddle.
Coach Beiste moved into the middle of the field, placing a ball down. "Listen up, Hudson's going to run until either a touchdown, or a turnover, then Evans will play. Good?" She blew her whistle and the team huddled up.
"Hudson, I'd recommend a running play first. Figure out their gameplan." Rachel smiled at the taller boy, honestly trying to help him.
"As if I'd take your advice Berry. Alright, were going to do a 12 46 on one. Got it?" Puck raised an eyebrow, knowing full well the two receivers on the left were going to collide. "Break!"
Rachel took her position behind Finn, ready to fake a handoff.
"White sixty-seven, white sixty-seven. Hut!" The giant boy barely caught the ball, as Rachel rushed forward, faking a handoff and diving through the hole in front of her. To her left she heard muffled cursing and a large thump.
"Hudson? What the hell was that!" Coach came storming across the field. "You can't run a play like that!"
"I-uh sorry Coach."
"Evans! Think you can do better than that?"
"Definitely Coach, I've got a plan in mind right now!" The boy nodded eagerly at the woman standing in front of him.
"Good. Reset the field! Hudson on me, Evans on the field!"
"But Coach! I didn't get to show you anything." The giant whined, pouting at the short woman.
"Trust me Hudson, you've shown me plenty." Coach Beiste gritted her teeth, and prayed that the blonde boy was good.
Sam quickly called a huddle and dropped a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Alright, we're gonna run a 32 Blast. Rachel, follow Matt through and get me a touchdown, everyone else block. On two! Break."
The team quickly rushed into their positions. Sam eyed the defense before crouching. "Red forty-two. Red forty-two. Hut!" He paused a minute, looking up briefly. "Hut!" The ball was snapped into his hands, and immediately Sam swung around dropping the ball into Rachel's arms.
Rachel eyed the rapidly collapsing offensive line in front of her. Finally seeing a hole, she dove through it, shaking off a linebacker she kept her feet moving. She was pulled down after 10 yards. Smirking, she tossed the ball to the middle and went back to the huddle.
"Alright 16 57. On one. Break!" Sam lined up and watched the defense prepare for another run play. "Red forty-two. Red forty-two. Hut!" The ball was tossed into his hands, and he took three steps back. Eying Puck, racing across the middle, Sam threw a bullet pass right into his hands. The mohawked boy quickly turned and ran up the field, until the safety pulled him down.
"Alright Evans! Last play, make it a good one." Coach Beiste called across the field, impressed with the players in front of her.
"Okay, listen up, this is a little harder. Rachel you're going to line up between Puck and Mike. Heads up for the pass. 47 5 74. On three, on three. Break!"
Rachel dug her toes in, eyes slipping closed as Sam got ready to start his cadence. "Red forty-two. Red forty-two. Hut! Hut!" Time seemed to slow for Rachel, her eyes snapped open as Sam yelled the third, "Hut!"
Taking off, she ran ten yards, turning to the corner of the field she watched Sam drop back and toss the ball towards her. Grunting she jumped, catching the ball in her left hand and stiff arming the safety with her right. Rachel landed a bit wobbly, but took off down the field as fast as she could, ending up in the endzone.
The Coach blew her whistle as Sam and Puck engulfed Rachel in massive hugs. "Bro if she doesn't pick you guys after that, I'll be amazed." Rachel and Sam grinned at the jewish boy, as Coach Beiste walked up to them.
"Well steal my pants and call me Nancy. That was amazing, I won't be posting the list until next week, however you three are definitely in. Congratulations."
"Thanks Coach!" The three teens called at the retreating woman's back. "We better get out of here before Coach Sue and her minions show up."
"Too late Puckerman. Sue's 'minions' are already here." The voice was chillingly familiar and Rachel felt a blush rising on her cheeks before she even turned around. "Well, are you going to introduce us to your friends?"
Rachel turned around, trapped between Sam and Puck, she felt Santana's stare settle on her heavily. "Satan. This is Sam and Rachel, bros this is Santana, Brittany, and the ever beautiful, Quinn." Quinn flushed a little at Puck's compliment, sending him a shy smile.
"Alright, alright, alright. Duckie!" Sam grinned at the tallest blonde, oblivious to the staring contest the two brunettes were in, and being completely ignored by everyone else, he slipped her his new number.
"Rachel. Funny seeing you here. I thought the Titans were below you?"
"Well… Crazy story. I was accosted in the park, and tricked into joining."
"Wild, how that works."
Rachel hummed and shot a sly smile at the shorter girl. "So Rachel, you gonna tell me which guy you stole the shirts from?" Santana nodded at the Spartan athletics shirt the taller girl was wearing.
"Well, I mean, it was in my closet… Funny the amount of shirts you get after years of playing for a team." Santana raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"Whatevers, we gots to go, before Sue tries to waterboard us." The three cheerleaders waved goodbye and headed across the field. The boys and Rachel slowly swinging around, watching swaying hips with dazed looks.
"God, we're all dead." Rachel hummed in agreement. The three of them stood there staring, until a ball collided with the side of Pucks face.
"Puck! Let's go, you said you'd drive us home!" Matt and Mike grinned as Puck whipped around to glare at them.
"Yeah, yeah, toss your kit in the back I'll be there in a second. I gotta go guys. I'll see you tomorrow for brunch?"
"For sure, Sam we better get going too."
Together the five of them walked off the field, and after tossing her kit in the back, Rachel cast one final look at Santana, catching the other girl looking back at her. She waved lazily and winked, causing Santana to whip around and focus back on her coach.
"Rach you coming?" Sam called from the front.
"Yeah sorry Sam, I got distracted. Burgers then home?"
"Sounds like a plan." Rachel started the jeep, and tore out of the parking lot, trying to shake the latina out of her mind.
Rachel pulled into the parking lot and hopped out.
"Burgers n' Fries Forever? Bro I haven't been here in years." Sam got out and stretched his back, popping the vertebrae. The two headed inside and ordered their meals, heading outside to the patio once it was ready. Rachel waited while Sam grabbed them napkins, and once they were both seated, dug in.
"God this is good." Rachel moaned, and the boy across from her nodded.
Swallowing his food Sam, leant back in his chair. "Dude, why did no one tell me duckie had gotten so damn hot?"
"Because neither of us see her that way… She's absolutely gorgeous though." Sam nodded his agreement and sighed. "What's wrong bro?"
"Do you think I'd have a shot?"
"Well I think duckie absolutely loves you so, yes." Sam grinned at the girl. "You done bro?"
"Yeah superstar, I'll toss the garbage away, you go start the car." As she was walking over Rachel felt her phone go off in her pocket. Pulling it out she saw a text from an unknown number.
From: Unknown
Hey superstar. I figured if ur faking football just for me, u should probs have my number.
To: Unknown
While I'm sure I know who this is, I'm going to need you to clarify.
Rachel tucked her phone back in her pocket as Sam slid into his seat. "Alright superstar, let's go." Nodding, the brunette took off towards Sam's house. After she dropped him off, she headed to her place, and dove into her bed. Letting the blankets and pillows lull her into a much needed sleep.