Author's note. I don't even have an excuse. But I hope the length of this chapter makes up for the lack of updates! Thank you so much for checking this out, and as always, sorry for all the mistakes! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
I.
"Everyone's staring."
Rachel surveyed the hallways and concluded that Sam was right. All eyes were on them - or more specifically, on her. Her brows wrinkled in befuddlement as she pulled the straps of her backpack tighter against her body. As they walked by a group of freshman cheerios, her and Sam glanced at each other in amazement when not a single insult was hurled at them.
"That was amazing." Rachel blurted out in awe.
"Dude, I'm pretty sure that cheerio just swooned," the big lipped blonde muttered as they came to a stop at her locker.
"At whom?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe at the hotshot halfback who just walked past them? Duh, bro."
"...Hotshot halfback?"The halfback frowned. "That's preposterous, Sam. I sincerely doubt-" her words were cut off when a brigade of envelopes flowed out from her newly opened locker.
Sam bent over and picked up one of the envelopes. "It's scented!" He stated in awe, sniffing the note in his hand.
"Stop sniffing it! Help me pick these up."
Ignoring her request, he opened the letter in his hand, his eyes nearly falling out of their sockets as he pulled out the stationary and read its contents. "Sweet baby Jesus..."
"What does it say?" Rachel asked as she hastily picked up the other fallen envelopes, shoving them into her backpack with a flush on her face.
"Uh, I'm not exactly sure I can read it out loud," Sam glanced around the hallway hesitantly. A flurry of girls were glancing over at them with hopeful looks on their faces, hopelessly failing the art of being subtle. "It's kind of, uh, inappropriate-"
"Is it a threatening note?"
"Not threatening, but, uh, it's definitely...here-" he handed her the letter. "Read it for yourself," the blonde boy placed the note in her hand and watched in amusement as the tiny brunette turned as red as her Letterman jacket.
"...wet kisses and soft strokes, your hot tongue trailing up my chest, rough bites as we join together in the peaceful darkness. The heat travels lazily but oh so sharp, and with dripping fingers you go, inside my tavern thoroughly like you know..." Rachel cleared her throat as the paper crumbled beneath her hands. "Well- that was certainly descriptive."
"That's one way to describe it," Sam sniggered, waggling his brows suggestively. "Hey, they left a number and an address! Bro, can I just say that If I wasn't homeless I'd totally hop on that shi-"
"Sam Evans-"
"Dudes!" Finn stumbled his way to a stop in front of them, carrying what looked to be a ton of assorted flowers and stuffed animals.
"Oh, dear Barbra, you too?"
The towering boy shook his head widely. "Nah, man, I was in the locker room taking a shower-"
"Couldn't you have done that at home?" Sam asked in confusion.
Finn shrugged. "Sometimes I forget." Ignoring the mutual looks of disgust sent his way, he continued. "Anyways- I was walking to my locker and on my way there I noticed that Rachel's was kinda opened so I went to check what the deal was, see if Karofsky booby-trapped it or something...Instead, I found these!" He shoved the gifts closer to their faces with a grin. "Dude, you are like a freakin' rockstar!"
Sam practically started convulsing in laughter. "Looks like Quinn's got some competition," he cackled to Finn conspiratorially.
"She does not!" Rachel argued, flushing at the mere mention of the girl's name.
"Rach, that's not a bad thing." Finn stated with a grin. "Maybe if she sees that other girls want some of that-"
"Some of what?" the halfback piped in, confused.
"Some of you." Sam grinned.
Finn nodded. "-Yeah. Maybe when she sees that other chicks dig you now, then it might make her realize how totally gay she is for you."
"W-would that really work?"
"Girls always want what other girls have...or, at least that's what Puck always told me."
"Considering the fact that Noah and Quinn are no longer an item due to his stupidity- and over all slutiness- I'm rather skeptical in taking any sort of romantic advice that he has to give."
"He is a slut," Finn muttered in agreement.
"Yeah, yeah, we all agree that Puck's a hoe." Sam piped up. "Now-" Sam snatched the scented note out of the brunette's hands and handed it to Finn with a wolfish grin. "Check this out, dude!"
"What is it?"
"I- it-it's nothing, Finn!" Rachel sputtered out nervously.
The quarter back went slacked jawed and glassy eyed as his eyes trailed down the note. "...Holy chessus...Oh, my... mailman, mailman, mailman-"
Rachel leaped for the letter. Finn almost dropped the other things he was carrying as the tiny brunette yanked it out of his hand. "Ah, geez, Rach!"
"Some privacy please!" she yelped, shoving the note in her letterman pocket.
Sam ignored her and reached for the zipper of her bag. "Let's read some more!"
Finn went bug eyed at the revelation. "There's more of em'?"
The blonde boy nodded sagely. "Yeah, tons, Dude. Who knew there were so many bi-curious girls at this school?"
"Rach does always say that sexuality's like, fluid or whatever."
Failing to keep a smirk off his face, Sam quipped, "Yeah, and some of McKinley High's female population's sexuality are almost dripping from being so fluid."
"That's so hot," Finn breathed out, staring into nothingness. "Rach! Dude, as your best buds in the whole wide world, you have to let us read the rest of em'!"
"Absolutely not, Finn Hudson!
"But-"
"But nothing! I shall see you guys later," she stormed off to the nearest bathroom with her backpack full of propositions. She gulped at the lusty gazes sent her way and pushed the door open.
She dumped her backpack haphazardly on the counter and leaned back against it, bringing her hands up to her face, she sighed. This was not part of the plan at all. She did not join the football team to have girls throw themselves at her, she just wanted Quinn to notice her and give her the chance to try and make her the happiest girl in the world.
Oh god, Quinn.
What would she think of this?
She'd probably think Rachel was some attention seeking hooligan with a hidden agenda!
"What up fellow Jew."
Rachel practically leaped out of her skin as stall door slammed open. She backed up nervously as Noah Puckerman swaggered out of the stall. He smirked brutishly at her and leaned casually against the sinks. "Nice shiner, Berry."
"When did you get out of prison?" She sputtered out.
Puck grinned. "This weekend. Sucks I missed the game. Heard from my Bubbeleh that you totally brought it home."
Rachel began to nod her head proudly, but then shook it. "Noah...Are you aware that you're in the girl's bathroom?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, I always use the chicks toilet. Way cleaner."
"Oh- well- um- Is there something I can do for you?" She shouldered her backpack and crossed her arms over her letterman jacket.
"Listen, when I got out of the slammer and heard about how you're like, hot shit now...I realized something."
"I'm not sure I want to know."
"Underneath all that geekiness, you're a hot Jew, Berry..and so am I...and us hot Jews gotta stick together. Don't you see? It's like a sign from the good lord that me and you, yeah- we'd make a good team." Puck declared whilst wrapping his muscular arm around the tiny football player. "I totally get that now."
She ducked out of his grasp. "I think that the trauma of prison has gone to your head."
"Trauma? Are you kidding? I ruled that place. All I did was pump was steel and crack skulls all day." He rolled up his sleeves and flexed. "Check out my guns."
"Yes, your arms are- uh, lovely," she griped, trying not to think about how those arms have been wrapped around the girl of dreams in ways she could only imagine. "But I'm going to have to decline your dubious offer of friendship."
"Say that again."
"We can't be friends." The halfback sighed. "You throw me and companions in garbage cans, shower us with slushies, urinate on our belongings-"
"That was one time-"
"My helmet was filled with pee!"
"Yeah, but that wasn't just my idea- that's gotta count for somethin', right?" Puck interjected loudly. "Look, I only do that stuff cuz people expect that sorta crap from me. I'm a major stud and I could wear a dress to school and people would think it's cool, but since I'm the biggest badass around here, some people are jealous of that. There are some things I gotta do to keep up my rep...it's just the way life goes and it sucks for the little guys like you, sure. What- do you think I like wasting my time picking on dweebs when I could be gettin my mack' on with a hot ass babe? Hell no."
Rachel gaped at him silently, trying to process the things the boy was spewing out.
"...I'm like a sex shark, Berry... I stop... I die. It's not like I wanna shove your head in a toilet, but if don't- then it's my head that gets dumped in toilet water. My mom would be pissed if she had to wash my hair off schedule."
"You're mother washes your hair for you?"
Puck nodded. "Yeah, of course, having hair this good don't come easy." He sighed tiredly. "Anyway, can't you try to understand? It's a dog eat dog world. You forgave Finn for bein' a douche and he ain't even Jewish...we're like, brothers in the eyes of the good lord. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is- I'm sorry. I don't do apologies so this is a major deal...something I would only do for a fellow Jew." The boy in front of her looked nothing like the bully he was known as, he looked more the young man who went to temple with his mom and sister and taught Rachel how to blow spit wads at Jacob Ben Israel when they were little.
Rachel looked away. "...I'm not going to be friends with you, Noah."
"What's it gonna take for us to be Jew-bros, Babe?"
...
"Sup, ladies?"
Noah smirked and leered lewdly at the girls in front of them as Rachel stood a few feet behind them, watching the interaction safely from behind her locker door. The halfback watched in bemusement as they giggled at Noah's shamelessness and over all slimy demeanor.
"Puck, your arms..." A freshman cheerio gushed, running hand down the football player's well muscled arm. "Have they gotten bigger?"
"Totally, babe. Must be all the skulls I cracked while I was in the slammer," he stated nonchalantly, flexing for his audience.
"That's so hot," a red headed cheerleader gushed.
With a subtle nod at Rachel, Noah cleared his throat before continuing. "So, what's this I hear about Berry being the new top gun around here?"
"Rachel Berry is...oh my god-"
"-aren't you on the football team with her-"
"-can you introduce us-"
"-her black eye turns me on-"
The two Jews wore matching looks of bafflement as the girls positively lost it at the mention of the halfback. Rachel gestured widely at Noah and motioned for him to go on.
"Babes, come on, the Puckster is back!" He exclaimed confidently. "You don't hafta settle for one of my replacement anymore to fill the void left by yours truly."
"Puck, you're like super fine-" Noah grinned smugly.
"-but Rachel's way hotter." His grin wiped off.
From where she was hiding, the tiny brunette stared blankly into her locker, eyes focused unblinkingly at the picture of Barbra Streisand she had taped inside.
Puck was equally as speechless.
The red headed cheerio patted his arm. "Your guns are super sexy, don't get us wrong, but Rachel's like-"
"-crazy smart-"
"-she can sing-"
"I can play the guitar!" Puck offered pathetically. "And I've been know to carry a tune."
"-her ass in that uniform...phew!"
"I look hot as all kinds of hell in that uniform too!"
"Oh, Puck-"
"-you're really cute and everything-
"-but Rachel's just-"
The freshmen cheerios all shared a mutual look. "-hotter." They chorused. With one last parting look of comfort, the gaggle of freshman cheerios walked away from the stunned football player. Rachel closed her locker and wandered over to where the mohawked boy stood.
They gaped at each other in shock.
"Did that just happen?"
...
As usual, as Rachel made her way towards her seat, the classroom was still devoid of other students. She made it a habit to show up at least ten minutes early for everything, something she knows will eventually aid her in her quest towards stardom.
Taking advantage of the fact that Mr. Schue always showed up at least fifteen minutes late to his Spanish class, Rachel opened up her backpack and pulled out some of the letters she received. She laid them out on her desk and plucked one out of the pile. It seemed harmless enough, it was white- she sniffed it- unscented, and was sealed with a little heart sticker.
She smiled at the idea of a fan sending a note filled with support.
Peeling off the sticker, she opened the envelope and pulled out-
"Good lord," she breathed out, staring unblinkingly at the photograph in her hand. Her eyes took in every detail of the scantily clad girl - she was still a teenage girl with raging hormones, after all! - her matching laced bra and panties barely covering anything. Rachel vaguely recognized the girl in the picture as one of Jess's friends- one of the girls on the golf team who also came out to the game wearing a shirt with her number on it. "Holy Moses..."
"What are you looking at?"
"Sam!" she all but shrieked. "Don't sneak up on me like that."
He shot her a funny look. "Dude, I've been standing here for like, a minute just watching you stare at that- well, whatever that is."
Picking up the discarded envelope, she hurriedly jammed the picture back inside. "It's nothing, just another one of those letters. It's not even as bad as the first one we read- really! They were just complimenting me on my superb performance at the game and such, you know, nothing to see here- nope- nothing!" She let out a forced laugh. "So, uh, have you read the new issue of- wait! Sam! Give that back!"
She dove for him, but the blonde boy easily dodged her and turned so his back was to her, making the letter out of her reach. "I just wanna see!"
"Do not open that!"
"Ow! Dude, not the hair! Jesus!"
Rachel climbed on to his back like the crazed person that she was and tried to reach for the envelope once more. "Give it back, Sam!"
"Get off me, you crazy!"
"I told you- it's nothing! Now give it!"
"No way! If it's nothing then why won't you let me-"
"Because!"
"Because what-"
"Um, what's going on?"
The halfback jumped off of Sam's back and turned to face an amused Quinn. Rachel and Sam hurriedly tried to as act normal- well, as normal as it was possible for them. The blonde boy offered the cheerio a small wave as Rachel smiled at the beautiful girl, embarrassed. "Q-Quinn, nice to see you," the halfback nervously stammered out, reaching up to fix her previously askew bow-tie. "You look positively radiant today."
"Thanks, Rachel..." the blonde ducked her head, trying but failing to hide her blush. Rachel mentally gave herself a pat on the back.
"Sup Quinn." Sam offered, still holding the letter.
"You're in class early." Rachel stated while she not so subtly tried to snatch the letter from Sam's hands.
"Well, I was hoping that we could talk before class." The cheerio came closer towards the two as she briefly eyed the envelope in the boy's hands.
"Oh? What about?"
"Nothing in particular," Quinn murmured softly. "I kinda just wanted to talk to you- we haven't talked since the game and I-" she shot a glance at Sam for a moment, clearing her throat. "I, um, I don't know," she said with a sheepish shrug, further endearing herself to the halfback.
Rachel grinned bashfully at the head cheerleader. It took all of the halfback's willpower and Sam and Finn locking away her phone in a high up drawer to stop Rachel from bombarding the hazel eyed dreamboat's phone with an absurd amount of text messages over the weekend.
She must've had that dopy 'Gay for Fabray' look on her face as Sam nudged her with a knowing grin.
"What's all this?" Quinn gestured to the pile of envelopes on her desk, casually picking one up and twirling it between her fingers.
"Just, um, fan mail- you know, people telling me how great I played at the game and that sort of thing."
"And I'm sure you've been enjoying going through all of them," Quinn smirked at her playfully, tossing the letter back onto the pile.
Rachel beamed at the girl. "I can't help it that I'm amazingly gifted, Quinn."
Quinn shook her head with a cute giggle. "You are impossible, Rachel."
"If by impossible, you mean impossibly great- then yes, I completely agree with you."
The blonde girl's response was cut off by the sound of Sam's amazement.
"Oh my god."
Momentarily distracted by her dream girl, Rachel had failed to attain the letter back from Sam's grasp. Turning back to face her best friend, the tiny brunette groaned internally at the glazed over look on the blonde boy's face. "Sam Evans, you hand me that back this instant! I told you not to open that!"
He barely glanced up at her. "Dude, can I keep this?"
"No!"
"I'm your best friend-"
"I am appalled at your depraved behavior!"
Quinn chimed in. "What is that?"
Rachel's attention snapped back to Quinn. "Nothing, Quinn!" She exclaimed defensively.
Hazel eyes narrowed. "Right...if it's nothing then you won't mind me seeing it," she shot back with a smirk. "Sam, can I please see what you're holding." It wasn't a question. The big lipped boy shot a fearful look at an equally scared Rachel.
"I-um-Quinn- it's sort of private, I mean, it's not even mine-"
The cheerio's smirk deepened as she stalked forward and grabbed opened envelope from the boy's hands. "Let me just see it for a second."
"Please, Quinn, it's really nothing," the brunette pleaded softly.
"I just wanna take a look, Rachel. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not-" Rachel watched in stunned silence as the blonde girl pulled out the picture. A flicker of emotion briefly flashed through hazel eyes as the smirk fell off the girl's face. Quinn stared stonily at the photo in her hands, features hardening subtly.
"Quinn-"
"Fan mail, huh?" Quinn uttered lowly. "This is what you call fan mail?" she waved the picture in her direction.
"I- no-"
"Are they all like this?" The cheerio stared unblinkingly at the pile that lay on the halfback's desk.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I've only opened one other letter and it wasn't like the one you are currently holding at all-"
"What was it then?"
"Not that I have a lot of prior knowledge with that sort of thing but, I-I could only describe it as a strongly worded-"
"Rachel."
Rachel and Sam both winced at the familiar HBIC tone Quinn had slipped into.
"It was a love letter." she winced.
"I wouldn't call it a love letter, I mean it was more kinda like a-" Quinn's glare intensified, shutting Sam up immediately.
Quinn handed the picture and the envelope back to the silent Rachel before fully addressing her. "So, basically, after reading a letter about how some girl would love to- to be with you, your automatic response was not to throw the rest of them away- No, instead you thought, 'Hmm, I wonder who else wants me?'"
"That's not-"
Quinn let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "God, and here I thought that you..." she shut her eyes and exhaled shakily.
Rachel gulped, not knowing what to say. By now, other students had started to pile into the classroom. Santana and Brittany shot them curious looks as they took their seats up in the front.
"I'm so sorry," Rachel mumbled, casting her eyes downward. "I didn't-"
Quinn turned away from them abruptly, taking a seat next to her two best friends instead of taking her usual seat in front of Rachel. Sam pulled the brunette by the arm and gently pushed her into her chair, shoveling the rest of the envelopes back into her backpack for her.
"Sup Big Mouth, Hot Little Jewish American Princess."
Sam addressed Rachel with a perplexed look on his face. "I don't wanna add more on your plate right now, but Noah Puckerman just started talking to us," he hissed at the catatonic brunette.
"Hey, lady lips, I can hear you. And I'm hollerin' at you nerds cause me and Berry here are Jew-bros now, so back off."
"Jew-what-now?"
Snapping out of her stupor due to the side pinch she received from a now distressed looking Sam, Rachel gave the blonde haired boy an apologetic look. "Um, Noah and I have...discussed and put side our differences and are now on the cusp of forming a tentative friendship of sorts."
Puck gave a firm nod as he slammed his backpack down on his desk. "Yeah, what my Jew-bro said. And hey, listen, now that we're all chill with each other, I've always wanted to ask- how many tennis balls can you fit your mouth?"
...
II.
"She still not talking to you?"
Rachel looked away from staring at Quinn as the girl mechanically placed her books in her locker. She turned to look at Finn and Sam's concerned faces. With a small pout, she shook her head dejectedly. "It's been three days, I've called, I've texted, I baked her 'I'm sorry cookies' and left them on her desk, but she just threw them away..." she mumbled, casting another glance at the girl briefly. "I don't know what else to do."
"Have you tried talking to Santana and Brittany?" Finn asked shooting Quinn a squinty eyed look.
Rachel nodded. "Brittany just walks away and pretends she doesn't hear me. Santana tells me to shut up and then proceeds to verbally attack me with a mixture of ghetto talk and Spanish. I have a theory that even she doesn't understand what she's saying."
Finn frowned at her sympathetically. "I don't even get why she's acting all crazy, I mean, it's not like you guys were dating, or anything-"
"Exactly." Sam sighed in frustration. "Why does she think she can act like your jealous girlfriend?"
"Because she's crazy!"
"Clearly. She can't even admit to herself that she likes you, but god forbid other girls do."
"She's so full of-"
"That's enough." Rachel said to them steely. "You don't talk about her that way-"
"But Rach-"
"Dude-"
The halfback shook her head. "If you want to badmouth her- fine, I have no control over you guys and you have the right to your own opinions. But do not do it in front of me!"
"Woah, trouble in geek paradise!" Puck sauntered over to them with a raised brow and a teasing smirk. "What's up? Why do you look upset, babe?" the mohawked boy inquired. "Flunked a test or somethin'?"
Rachel gasped indignantly at the playful accusation. "Noah Puckerman! The mere suggestion that I, Rachel Barbra Berry, would ever let something as detrimental-"
Puck rolled his eyes and cut her off. "Chill. I was joking. Anyway, what's the drama with you ladies?"
"Nothing." Sam responded, shooting a meaningful look look at Finn and Rachel. "I lent Finn one of Rachel's 'Final Fantasy' cheat folders without telling her and she doesn't like it when I do that."
"Definitely shouldn't of asked," Puck mumbled to himself. "Anyway, you dorks would never believe who came to my house last night-"
"The cops?"
"The husband of one your sugar mamas?"
"Your parole officer?"
"It was Quinn." He stated loudly over their guessing. "Miss 'I'm done with you for good' came crawling to me last night beggin' for another chance to be with the Puckasuarus."
"What?" Rachel whispered.
"Yeah, couldn't keep her hands off me." He announced with a wide cocky grin.
"You kissed her?" Rachel asked softly.
"Did a little more than that," he waggled his brows suggestively.
Rachel paled, fighting the urge to vomit all over feet.
"...she was way into it. I give it a week or two, tops, till I'm swiping her precious V-card-"
"That's enough, man," Finn interrupted.
"We don't wanna hear it." Sam bit out.
Puck nodded. "Sorry, forgot you guys were all virgins for a second. Too much for you to handle, right? I get it. Me and Quinn are fucking hot together."
She couldn't take hearing this anymore.
"I-I have to get to class."
...
Rachel exited the bathroom stall with her head still bowed, wiping away pathetically at her damp cheeks. Her tears wouldn't stop falling no matter how many times she told herself how stupid it was to cry over this. Of course Quinn would want Noah back, he was right- he is a stud and he is the school's biggest badass and he did have lovely arms. Just because the blonde took care of her after one game didn't mean the Quinn was now suddenly in love with her.
So caught up in feeling sorry for herself, the halfback didn't bother to look up as she made her way over to the sinks, and accidentally bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry," Rachel apologized softly, looking up. "I should of watched where I was going."
The girl, clad in a cheerios uniform, just smiled at her softly. "It's okay," she said with a shrug.
Rachel took in the cheerleader and thought she was gorgeous. A raven haired goddess, really- with clear grey eyes, lightly freckled tanned skin, and a sweet smile. The halfback gradually started to recognized her. Gabrielle Avery, a junior like herself, a member of the cheerios, and undoubtly one of the prettiest girl Rachel's ever seen.
Second only to Quinn Fabray.
God, just the thought of the girl brought tears to her eyes again. All she wanted to do was go home, lock herself in her room, and cry while 'Spiderman 2' played in the background.
A hand being waved over her face brought her out of her reverie. "Hello?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just, uh, a little distracted right now." Rachel blushed shyly and stumbled over her words. "I-um, I'll just get out of your way now," Rachel puffed out a nervous breath. "I'll just be going-"
"Wait, um," Gabrielle looked away hesitantly. "Rachel?" She wrung her hands together nervously before looking back at the halfback. "Did you get my letter?"
"You-you gave me one?" Rachel was dumbfounded. She had assumed that the letters came from the girls on the golf team and the freshman cheerios that she had Puck try to call off. It never occurred to her that girls as stunning and as high up on the social ladder like the girl who stood before her could be interested in her and her ridiculousness.
Gabrielle ducked her head sheepishly. "I saw some of the freshmen girls on the squad writing you notes one morning after our non-mandatory mandatory six a.m. practice and I..." she bit her lip hesitantly. "I don't know...I guess I thought it was a good idea and..." she trailed off. "You probably think I'm such a loser right now...gosh, now I feel kind of stupid."
"Hey, hey, no you're not, alright?" Rachel offered the girl a kind smile. "I...appreciate you caring enough to even acknowledge me." She gave the girl a goofy grin. "Thank you very much. I'm sure the letter you wrote was lovely and I'll be sure to read it when I get home. I've just haven't had the time to look through all of them."
"Yeah, I'm sure you're busy with everything." The raven haired girl flushed. "So, maybe I could just tell you what the letter was about right now."
Still grinning dopily at the cheerio, she nodded her head. "Okay, um, sure..." Rachel's breath hitched when the girl took a step closer towards her.
"Will you go out with me?" Gabrielle husked out.
It was much easier to down Jess when she asked for Rachel's number since it wasn't actually her that was interested in the halfback...and it was just for a phone number. This was so different- an honest to goodness beautiful girl was asking her out. The tiny brunette stared back at the cheerio, unable to comprehend the situation at all.
"Like on a date?" she mumbled mindlessly.
Gabrielle chuckled throatily. "Yes... like on a date."
"You-you want to go out on a date with- with me?"
"I do," the cheerio smiled softly. "I've actually wanted to talk to you for a while now I just..." she looks around timidly. "I don't know. I guess I was scared of what the girls on the team were gonna say, and I know you must think that's so shallow-"
Rachel shook her head in protest. "It's alright, really, I understand. It must be difficult to handle all the pressures of being a cheerio, with everyone looking at you and judging your every move. I don't blame you for not wanting to- to associate with someone who wears argyle sweater vests."
"I like your sweaters."
"Well, I like your uniform, or I mean, how you look in it-" she blushed. "Not that I leer at you, or anything! I was just-"
The smile sent her way blindsided the halfback in its intensity. "I get it. So, will you, Rachel? Go on a date with me, I mean."
'It was Quinn...'
'Miss 'I'm done with you for good' came crawling to me last night beggin' for another chance to be with the Puckasuarus...'
'Couldn't keep her hands off me...'
'She was way into it... I give it a week or two, tops, till I'm swiping her precious V-card...'
'She can't even admit to herself that she likes you, but god forbid other girls do...'
Rachel looked up into hopeful eyes and smiled. "Yes. I'd love to go out with you."
...