Last chapter *_*

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 19

Rachel was on her way to the cafeteria. Mercedes texted her that she was sick and wouldn't come to school, and Kurt offered to eat lunch with her. He was already waiting in the cafeteria, so she quickened her pace.

"Rachel Berry, please come to the office of Principal Figgins", the loudspeaker said.

She frowned. The conversation about the gala with Principal Figgins was after lunch break. Why did he want to talk to her now?

Rachel had a feeling that something bad must have happened. The way to his office was longer than usual.

His assistant was looking at her sternly and she entered his office with a bad feeling in her stomach pit. When she was about to greet her principal, she froze.

Hiram Berry was sitting in front of Principal Figgins. Did something happen to her other dad? Was he in hospital?

"Did something happen to dad?", Rachel asked anxiously.

"Your father is fine, Rachel", Hiram answered without looking at her.

"Sit down, Ms. Berry", Principal Figgins told her. Rachel quickly followed orders.

Figgins folded his hands, looking at his student.

"There is nothing more important than the reputation of this school. We stand for intelligence and excellence for years. When someone does something which endangers our reputation, there will be consequences. You should already be aware of that, Ms. Berry."

She gulped. "Principal Figgins, I thought the spring ball had been successful. If something went wrong, I'm really sorry, but…"

Before she could end her sentence, Principal Figgins retrieved photos from his drawer and put them on the desk.

"Those photos had been given to me from a concerned member of the parents-managing committee.", he deadpanned.

Hiram gasped and Rachel looked at the photos. They were dark, but she could see who was on the photo.

It was her.

She wore the green dress she had bought for this year's Back-To-School party. But she was not alone.

Next to her was a man.

Mr. Anderson.

It looked like they were kissing or something.

Rachel remembered when they had talked to each other. But they didn't stand that close to each other. She had no idea who had taken these photos, but it was obvious that this person wanted to harm her – or Mr. Anderson.

"It was a harmless situation. I…"

"Ms. Berry, I don't think you understand", Mr. Figgins cut her off. "These photos had been sent from a worried member of the parents' managing committee, and a student confirmed having seen you and Mr. Anderson together."

"But we just talked!", Rachel said, outraged.

"Rachel, watch your tone", Hiram said sternly. When Rachel looked at him, a cold shiver was running down her spine. He had never looked at her like that before. So... disappointed.

Before she could say anything, Principal Figgins continued talking, and Hiram turned away.

"During the twenty years of my work at this school, I have never seen something like that, Ms. Berry. I won't allow that the reputation of our school will be ruined due to an affair."

"I don't have an affair!", she shouted. She couldn't believe all that was about to happen. It had to be a nightmare.

"I have a boyfriend.", she went on. "I…I don't have an affair with a teacher. I would never do that, I swear."

She couldn't say that Kurt was the one who had been in a relationship with Mr. Anderson. She couldn't tell Figgins that he or Mr. Anderson were gay. Not after everything Kurt went through. She would never abuse his trust like that.

"I doubt you realize how serious this is, Rachel", Principal Figgins went on and lifted one of the pictures. "And I think it would be for the best if you left this school. As from now, you and Mr. Anderson are suspended from McKinley Academy."

Silence.

It felt like someone had just ripped her heart out of her. Time passed slowly, Principal Figgins' mouth was still moving, but she couldn't hear anything.

"You can't do that", she croaked. "I have an acceptance of NYADA and Harvard University."

Principal Figgins didn't answer. He put the photos back into an envelope. It was brown and she could see something on its back.

A black HH.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Impossible.

The both of them would never do it.

They never could have deceived her like that.

"Which student testified against me?", she asked breathlessly.

"That's a confidential piece of information, Ms. Berry. Would you please leave my office, now? Concerning the suspension, you will get a writing. Have a good day."

Figgins turned back to the computer in front of him, signifying her to be dismissed.

No. Way.

"Do you know how much I worked my ass off for that school?", she blurted out.

"Don't force me to call the security, Ms. Berry."

"Just because I have a scholarship and no rich parents who could give you money when there is a rumor about me, you can't just kick me out of school!"

"How dare you, young lady?!"

"You son of a …"

"Rachel!", Hiram said sharply. He took her by the arm and dragged her out of the office.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be.

Shaking her head, Rachel turned to her dad. "Do you believe that? How sick does someone has to be to think of something like that?"

Hiram just shook his head and avoided her glance. "I knew something like that would happen if we sent you to that heinous school."

Rachel flinched and her eyes widened. "W-what?"

He shook his head again. "Rachel, how could you?"

"I said that I didn't do that!", she shouted. If not even her own dad believed her, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't breathe anymore.

"Dad, you need to believe me – I would never kiss a teacher."

"I never would have thought you would lie to us as well to sleep at your boyfriend's, but apparently, things had changed lately."

Rachel stared at him with a mouth wide open. Hiram took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't have anything to say to you anymore, Rachel. I'm so disappointed."

Tears were burning in her eyes. She searched for words, but there were none. Her body felt numb. The only question in her head was who had taken these pictures.

"Dad…"

"I will take the other car. Please drive home by bus.", he cut her off. "I need to talk to your dad, first."

"I didn't do that, dad."

Without another word, Hiram turned around and left.

Rachel stayed back alone.

As from now, you are suspended from McKinley Academy.

Suspended. Now. Before she got the chance to graduate. Although the acceptance letters were on her pin board at home.

If she didn't graduate, she could forget NYADA. And Harvard.

Everything she had worked hard for for the past ten years.

She swayed to the side and held on to the counter next to her. On the hallway, a lot of students were about to head to the cafeteria. But she wasn't allowed to go to the cafeteria. She wasn't allowed to go the event management club. Or to glee.

As from now, you are suspended from McKinley Academy.

Actually, she wasn't even allowed to stand here on the hallway anymore.

"Rachel?", a voice next to her said. Rachel looked up with her tear stained face. Finn.

When he saw how devastated she was, he took her into his arms.

"What happened?", he asked insistently.

She shook her head. Saying these words out loud was…so surreal. The only thing she could do was burying her face further into Finn's jacket.

"Principal Figgins…he just suspended me from school", she said after a while. Finn looked confused.

"Apparently, someone took photos of me and Mr. Anderson kissing."

Finn's hand froze on her cheek. "Wait, what?"

"Someone sent photos to Figgins where it looks like I would be the one who had an affair with Mr. Anderson.", she whispered and wiped her eyes.

People were staring at her, and she recognized a familiar pair of eyes behind glasses.

"That's impossible", Finn said.

"Why not?", Chandler, who just appeared, suddenly said. "You are the one who took the photos, Hudson."

Lightheaded, Rachel looked back and forth between Finn and Chandler. "What?", she whispered.

Finn didn't react. He was just staring at Chandler. The blond boy was standing by his side with a cocked head.

"Come on. Tell her", he told Finn.

"You are talking trash, Chandler", Rachel hissed, burying her fingers into Finn's arm.

Challenging, Chandler cocked his brow. "Ask him, Rachel. Ask him who has taken these photos."

Again, she looked at Finn who was standing there, not moving.

"Finn?", she whispered.

When she said his name, he looked up and gulped.

She looked into his eyes.

And panicked.

That couldn't be.

"Who took the photos?"

Finn's breath quickened. He lifted his hand to touch her, but didn't dare to do it. "It's not…"

"Who, Finn?"

Finn opened his mouth and closed it again. He closed his eyes and gulped a couple of times.

When he reopened them, it felt like someone had just punched her.

"He is right, Rachel."

The floor underneath her shattered into pieces.

"It was me who had taken those photos."

And Rachel fell.

A/N: Whether you take the last sentence literally or figuratively is your choice...

For those who don't remember the scene:

[...]

Finn alarmedly looked up. What if Anderson and Rachel were up to something? He really didn't think about that possibility. Maybe they could do something that could harm Kurt? He couldn't risk it.

After their parents had left them at their grandparents' care to do those endless business trips, Kurt was all he had. He needed to protect him even if Kurt would be pissed. [...]

He was Kurt's big brother, for god's sake; he couldn't help it.

Like on autopilot, Finn retrieved his phone from his suit jacket. He opened the camera app. The corner with Rachel and Mr. Anderson was dark.

He had laid one hand on her shoulder, talking to her really closely. If Finn looked closer, he could see that they were talking about the list on Rachel's clipboard.

That looked harmless in real life.

Finn took some photos. If he cut off the clipboard and made some adjustments, the situation could be interpreted differently on the photos.

You know, less harmless.

"Whatcha doing, Hudson?", Puck asked behind him, looking at his display.

"Make a back-up plan."

Puck frowned. "What has Berry ever done to you?"

Finn sighed deeply.

"Let's say she has seen something she was not supposed to see." Puck just looked at him for a moment, but then, he nodded.

"Okay."

"If she tells someone, Kurt will be in trouble."

Puck looked down to Mr. Anderson and Rachel who were still talking to each other. "I understand."

[...]

That was chapter 6 of High (School) Society, so before Finn and Rachel were even friends...