A/N: Just a warning that this is a 'glee' chapter and there will be performances. I try to keep them condensed and easily readable. Songs are italicized so they will be easily skippable if you want to just read the action in between. Song used will be listed at the end. I will say that this specific assignment is going to be the only one where everyone performs. The other's will be much more succinct and more digestible. I wanted to establish everyone and their feelings (some of them don't have sad feelings, I promise lol)
…
Rachel wanted to hide in the auditorium during lunch, but Brittany found her after class and practically frogmarched her into the cafeteria. She sat quietly, picking at her food and listening to the lyrics that were still stuffed in her locker, playing over and over in her head. Most of the people at the table were excitedly discussing which of them would take their turn during Glee and Rachel wondered when they would go to everyday rehearsals since Sectionals wasn't that far off. Then again, Mr. Shuster loved doing things last minute, she assumed it gave him a rush.
After lunch, Kurt questioned her relentlessly to and through their next period class together. He told her how tired she looked, how her outfit didn't even really match, asked if she was still upset over Finn, asked her if she regretted breaking up with Finn...and then informed her that he and Finn had made amends and they weren't mad at each other anymore. Rachel honestly hadn't given Finn much thought over the week, it still made her heart ache to think about how she was so certain he was the one and then to be brutally slapped down with reality when he turned out to be everything he always showed he was.
When she told him that, Kurt frowned and his shoulders slumped noticeably. 'He's not a bad guy, Rachel,' he'd mumbled defensively, though his voice was weak. Rachel didn't answer him and turned back to her work.
She was grateful when classes ended and she could head to Glee. As always, she was the first one there, choosing to go to her locker after the club ended, rather than before. She knew she had at least ten minutes before someone else wandered in and so she dropped her bag off by one of the chairs in the front and sat on the piano bench. Her fingers stroked the keys absently as her stomach twisted; the heavy feeling in her chest just wouldn't dissipate. Tentatively, she plucked a couple of keys, stopping abruptly when she found the melody. She couldn't help herself though, with both hands she started playing the piano acoustic version.
She was too scared to sing it. Every time she opened her mouth, the words faltered in her throat and her stomach quivered almost painfully. She didn't have to though, because just as she was going into the start of the verses again, Kurt's voice sang out from the doorway.
"Listen as the wind blows from across the great divide. Voices trapped in yearning, memories trapped in time. The night is my companion, and solitude my guide. Would I spend forever here and not be satisfied?" Rachel's fingers slipped off the keys, leaving a dissonance to echo before the chorus. Kurt eyed her curiously as he walked past the piano and slid into a chair in the second row. "That song is super creepy, Rachel."
"Sarah McLachlan is a musical genius and that song was very emotional for her," Rachel mumbled, not turning to look at him.
"It's still really creepy," he pointed out.
"It's supposed to be, it was about how crazed fans speak to her," she responded sharply, with a quick glare.
"Do you think you'll have many of those?" he asked her skeptically.
"I don't know… maybe," Rachel shrugged her shoulders and started plucking at keys again. "Anything is possible."
He hummed in agreement and turned to focus on the doors as everyone else started to make their way in, talking and laughing and taking their seats. Tina sat next to the chair Rachel's bag was beside and she couldn't hide her smile as she got up from the piano and made her way to her seat. Mike greet her easily as she sat down and Tina grinned and settled back.
It wasn't long before Mr. Shue was walking in, eagerly clapping his hands together for their attention. "Alright everyone, I want to dive straight into performances. Only a couple for today and then the rest tomorrow, though," he told them. "We have to start coming up with ideas for Sectionals. I think maybe next week we should go to everyday rehearsals."
A groan from several people in other clubs sounded around the room, but no one protested. It was senior year for a lot of them and everyone wanted the win this time. Rachel had an entire shrine dedicated to winning their competitions, it helped keep her motivated when sometimes she just wanted to sit back and relax. There would be time to relax when she was 80 years old and remembering the 'good old days' where she had to regulate herself to be a winner and she'd earned every single luxury and gluttony she wanted.
"Okay, so I know we've been having issues in here guys," Shue started, giving them all a serious look. Rachel watched him intently. "It's no secret that since the very beginning we've all had issues getting along but this is our year! We're going all the way to Nationals and we're going to win it this time. However, we are only going to be able to do that if we're working together. One big cohesive unit," he added significantly, intertwining his fingers together to demonstrate. "I know I'm not privy to all the going ons of you all, so I want you to work them out here, alright? Whatever you're feeling, whatever you want to express. Who wants to go first?" he cast a look around the room, lingering on Rachel for a moment. She purposefully averted her gaze.
"Do we really have to do this, Mr. Shue?" Santana asked. "I mean, yeah we all picked songs and got in touch with whatever, but do we have to share that?"
"Yes, everyone has to do this assignment," Mr. Shue retorted with a firm look.
Santana huffed and sulked back into her seat. The silence stretched around the room as everyone tried very hard to avoid looking directly at the teacher, or each other, lest someone call them out. Some started to fidget nervously in their chairs. Rachel could see Tina drumming her fingers on her thigh out of the corner of her eye, then she bit her lip and, finally, stood to her feet.
"I'll go first," she announced. "Since no one else seems to want to do anything that could help this club." Well, that was biting and unnecessary, but Rachel appreciated the sentiment, and Tina was never exactly known for her tact when she spoke up. "Ironically, that's what my song is about, too," she added with a severely unimpressed look.
Tina walked over to the band and questioned whether they were ready or not and when the song started, she smiled tightly and stood in the center of the room.
"Test my reality, check if there's a weak spot. Clinging to insanity in hopes the world will ease up." She twirled her fingers around her head and pushed her hands out to the sides. "Try to make it look like it's all somehow getting better, 'cause I know how to play it pretty good against the measure." Tina stalked forward toward the group with an icy look on her face. "Everyone started out a little insane, but we learn pretty quick how to fake it for the game." She twirled around putting herself on full display. But some of you never learned how to drop the act, so under that skin of yours: a heart attack."
Tina pointed out in the crowd and then pounded on her chest as she hyped herself up for the pounding chorus.
"Cause everybody's so scared, we don't want to go there. We don't want to make a move. We've got all our lives to lose. Screaming in the dark while we just play our parts. I'll play right along like I don't know what's going on!" Tina chose that moment to eye up the people that seemed to have the most drama, the drama that tended to explode as inconvenient and unnecessary moments. "Somebody make a move, somebody make a move, please somebody make a move. We all know, we all know what's going on." She stared pointedly around at everyone and then held out her arms with a careless shrug.
Rachel could hear the truth in the song and it wasn't a far cry to see that everyone else could hear it too. It was sort of their favorite game to play with each other to build up the drama and then watch it explode, as long as you weren't caught in the crossfire in the end. None of them was free from the fault of sitting back and not taking sides or standing up for other people.
"And if I had the answers I'd have written them out." She trailed her hand along the air like she was scrawling words in the space between them. "So I can tell you what to do and what this thing is about. But all I've ever learned comes second-hand and I dare not preach what I do not understand." Her eyebrows rose pointedly like she thought more people could do with that advice. "You and I, we share the same disease." The volume rose and Tina's body practically pulsated in time with the music as she sang. "[i]Cover up, compromise what we grieve. I've let more than my share of revivals die. This isn't pretty but it's what I am tonight."
She held her arms open as if offering herself and then launched back into the chorus until the end of the song. As the last notes played, a smile stole over the goth girl's face and she grinned at the members of the club who were clapping for her, though some looked uncomfortable.
"That was really great, Tina, definitely the kind of commentary I want to start opening up in here. That was the perfect song to start us off with. Hopefully, it motivated someone else to 'make a move'" He quoted the song with an encouraging smile. Several people rolled their eyes at his bad pun.
Rachel smiled at her as she retook her seat, quietly praising her song and then looking around the next volunteer. Some were looking more interested, but no one really looked ready to jump up and perform their thoughts for the whole club to see. Rachel hadn't even firmly settled on a song yet, even though she knew she was expected to perform as well. Nothing seemed to get her feelings across quite right and she wasn't entirely sure which feeling to express, honestly.
Noah was actually watching her from where he was sitting in the second row and she could tell Finn noticed because he was staring at her too. Both for completely different reasons, though Finn didn't want to believe that. Noah had tried to bring up that morning all day, any time he saw her and she shut him down every time by telling him that it was just a prank and it was over and that was that. Life went on. She wasn't sure if she'd convinced him or not because he'd paid particular attention to how ragged she was.
"I'll go," Artie offered, wheeling his chair forward and breaking the awkward silence.
"Thank you!" Mr. Shue practically sang as he threw his hands up in the air. "I didn't realize this assignment would be like pulling teeth," he muttered.
"As you've pointed out, none of us particularly get along at the best of times, and even though we try to work past that, sometimes we just don't like each other. Why in the world would we want to expose ourselves in song and make ourselves vulnerable?" Quinn scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.
"Because that is what's going to bring us closer as a team," Shue insisted. "If we can open ourselves up to one another, we can be comfortable with one another."
"Wanky." Santana smirked.
"Alright everyone," he said, ignoring the raven-haired cheerio. "Let's give Artie the respect and attention he deserves."
Artie smiled tightly and nodded his head to the band. "I think this song pretty much speaks for itself," he told everyone and then cued the guys. "Eh ehoo eh oo, eh ehoo eh oo" They chanted harmoniously before Artie began singing. "I was left to my own devices. Many days fell away with nothing to show and the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love." He motioned around the room. "Great clouds rolling over the hills, bringing darkness from above."
Artie rolled his chair across the room and stopped by the piano and as he fell into the chorus, the guys fell back into their chants of 'eh ehoo eh oo'. Rachel couldn't help but feel immersed in the music as a strange calm stole over her. Music would always be her escape, even if someone was trying to torment her with it at the moment.
"But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all?" He looked around the room as if posing the question to them all. "And if you close your eyes does it almost feel like you've been here before? How am I gonna be an optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about this?"
He lifted himself up on his wheels and spun himself around, wheeling back to the front row of chairs as he made eye contact.
"We were caught up and lost in all our vices. In your pose as the dust settled around us." His eyes flicked to Finn, then to Mr. Shuester, then briefly to Rachel. "And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love." Here Quinn harmonized with him. "Great clouds rolling over the hills, bringing darkness from above." He pumped his hand in the sky as Sam harmonized lowly. "But if you close your eyes.[/i]" Here the chanting started again from the guys. "Does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all? And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you've been here before? How am I gonna be an optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about this?"
The chanting was honestly starting to make Rachel feel uneasy and Tina cast a strange look her way and muttered that she looked flushed. Rachel's palms had instantly begun to sweat so much that there was a damp handprint underneath where her hand was clutching the bottom of her chair. Artie's song was hitting a little too close to her own, somewhat confusing problem.
She loved her home, it was her sanctuary, but at the moment it felt like a catastrophe and she was just waiting for the dust to settle. The more she tried to convince herself that she was just being pranked, the more she felt sick to her stomach. The back of her neck heated up, a sweat breaking out all along her skin.
"Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins? Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?" This part was for everyone and Rachel opened her mouth to join in the harmonies, but nothing came out. It was like she was having some kind of nightmare and her chest was heaving and her skin felt tight. No one noticed but Tina, who grabbed her hand and squeezed. If she noticed how clammy and sweaty it was, she didn't say anything.
Artie went back into the chorus as everyone continued to sing 'Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?'; but Rachel could only sit there with her mouth hanging open, clinging to Tina's hand and trying to force her body and her mind to cooperate with the rest of her. She was almost sorry when the song ended because that meant that everyone started taking their attention off of Artie after congratulating him.
"Rachel, are you good?" Tina whispered, trying not to draw attention even though Mike was completely focused on the two of them in an almost protective way. "Why the anxiety attack? Is it over?" Rachel could only shake her head as her chest felt seized and her free hand was clenched so hard that her fingernails were biting into her palm. It was taking all of that effort to keep the nausea at bay and the sobs to spontaneously come bursting out. "Mr. Shue, I think Rachel is feeling sick, I'm going to take her to the bathroom before she pukes. I'm sure it's nothing," she assured the teacher as he opened his mouth to speak. The girl strong-armed Rachel to her feet and led her to the restroom.
When they closed the door behind them, Rachel dropped to the floor and pulled herself up against the wall, tucking her head into her knees, trying to take a breath. It was difficult but Tina's constant talking and the sound of running water helped. When Tina shut the faucet off, a strangled groan left Rachel's insanely dry mouth and she quickly turned the water back on again, noting that she liked the sound of running water too.
Slowly, Rachel's stomach calmed and the knot in her chest eased. She was able to lift her head, though she felt woozy and light. She raised her eyebrows at Tina. The girl in question was staring at her hands but was quick to look up when she felt Rachel's eyes. She offered a soothing smile and reached over to turn off the tap.
"Feel a little better?" Tina asked cautiously and Rachel nodded her head. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"How did you know?" Rachel deflected, averting her gaze.
Tina cast her a rueful look. "I faked a stutter for years because of social anxiety. I've had panic attacks before. I know what they look like." Her face fell and she studied her shoes for a moment. "Was it the song?"
"I don't know," Rachel sighed. "I've been getting pranked a lot recently. Someone was at my house last night banging on doors and windows and I haven't gotten much sleep."
"Oh my god, Rachel, did you call the police?" Tina's eyes widened alarmingly.
"No," Rachel gave her an odd look. "It was just a prank. They got their thrills, whoever they were."
"That's really scary, Rachel," Tina shook her head. "Puck told everyone in the club that your parents aren't home this week, cause he wanted to try and organize another glee party."
Rachel gave a watery laugh, a couple of tears sliding down her cheeks. "Yeah, he mentioned it casually this morning," she rolled her eyes. "I already told him no because last time we ended up drunk for an entire week."
"Which abruptly ended when you mixed up the absolute worst cocktail known to mankind, put oreos and cough syrup in it, and made poor Brittany barf," Tina laughed loudly, arms wrapped around her stomach.
"She barfed on me," Rachel emphasized, her tone conveying her horror.
"Well, it was your fault." Tina snickered in response. "You ready to go back?"
"Yes, I do believe so. Though I am still a little shaky," the smaller girl responded, pulling herself to her feet. "Thank you so much, Tina. You've been so supportive ever since I broke up with Finn and I really appreciate it."
"You're...better when you're not dating Finn," Tina said carefully. "He really brought out the worst parts of you and encouraged you to be that person but never defended you through the backlash. We've never really been close but I always kind of looked up to you, so watching you put up with that made me mad at you, I guess."
Rachel looked away, feeling her throat tighten and her eyes burn. It hurt hearing that about herself but she knew it was true. Sometimes she had even annoyed herself as Finn's girlfriend and she had definitely gone too far plenty of times in the name of keeping her spotlight because Finn liked her better in the spotlight and that made her feel proud instead of appalled. She was appalled with herself, looking back on it.
Tina reached out and grasped her hand again, squeezing tightly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up. I just...I like Broadway Berry, not Rachel Hudson."
Even the name sounded wrong coming out of Tina's mouth and both of them screwed up their faces at hearing it. "Maybe we'd just change our last name to Finchel," Rachel murmured jokingly.
"Rachel Finchel? Finn Finchel?" Tina tilted her head back and laughed loudly, the sound echoing around the small bathroom. "That's worse. That is so much worse. Oh my God."
Rachel tried to hide her giggle with a shake of her head, as they exited the bathroom and returned to the classroom down the hall, Tina muttering 'Finn Finchel' to herself with a snort. She could hear the end of a performance and from the sounds of it, Mercedes was singing 'Freedom Rings' by Brandy. Santana was doing the background vocals. Quietly they stood by the door and watched the end of the performance.
-Hey, something just beyond your grasp won't ground me
Something that I lost at last just found me
I'm popping far beyond the paparazzi
I can't stop y'all from watching, but you're watching me taking off
(I) gave you all I had, my love, my blood, my sweat, and my
(Time) but you wanted more, I invested these years, these tears that I
(Cried) cried, you're concrete, but I rose like a rose, God knows that I almost
(Died) died, they tried to change me, chain me, I run away declaring my freedom (Sings)
Woo! Ooh-whoa
My freedom (Rings)
Ooh-whoa
Ooh-whoa
As soon as the music ended and Mercedes caught her breath, Rachel clapped her hands and smiled. "Very good performance, Mercedes. I'm sorry I missed the beginning of it." Her enthusiastic voice sounded fake to her own ears, so she could only imagine what the other girl thought she meant.
"I wanted to still have fun while getting in touch with the inner me." Mercedes grinned in response as they all took their seats.
"All of these performances are fantastic! Some might even be contenders for our Invitational coming up," Shue added like that would be an incentive to perform a deeply personal song. Everyone looked at each other for a moment, thinking about it. "We've got about half an hour left, who wants to go next?" he looked around the room.
Blaine and Kurt ducked their heads together and argued for a moment before Kurt jumped up and away from Blaine who tried to grab him and drag him back down. "Blaine and I have been trying to decide who would sing their song first between us and I think it's safe to say I won this one, so I will be doing my song today, Mr. Shue," Kurt said proudly, stepping down the risers.
"You did not win," Blaine said petulantly and sulked back in his chair, but there was a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. Rachel felt even more at ease as she grinned at the loving display.
"Okay," Kurt jumped to the center of the room and clapped his hands for attention. "This song is about me, yes. A song I honestly connect with, but...It's also about Blaine. Cause I honestly connect with him too."
Rachel felt the telltale wetness in the corners of her eyes as she heard Blaine 'tch' his tongue off the roof of his mouth and 'aww' underneath his breath. It warmed her heart because she loved the both of them very much. They were, honestly, her favorite couple.
The music started and smiles went around the room as it was recognized. "I know we don't belong. Everyone says it's wrong. We come from different ways, so I tried to erase everything that I felt, that I felt." He rocked back and forth on his heels. There was no choreography to this song, it was just him baring his soul and Rachel felt like it was more personal and beautiful that way. "Then you kiss me and suddenly I don't care anymore. Something in me tells me you're the one I'm looking for. Then you kiss me and suddenly I don't care anymore. Something in me tells me you're the one I'm looking for, from the kiss. From the kiss."
Kurt moved on the last words, walking up the risers to stand beside Blaine.
"My heart is beating loud." He placed Blaine's hand against his chest. "I'm trying to keep it down. I want the world to hear, but I can't help but fear that they'll take you away, you away." He squeezed Blaine's hand tightly and then ran back down the risers to the center of the floor. "Then you kiss me and suddenly I don't care anymore. Something in me tells me you're the one I'm looking for. Then you kiss me and suddenly I don't care anymore. Something in me tells me you're the one I'm looking for, from the kiss. From the kiss."
As the last words made the music swell, Kurt took a couple of steps back and dramatically dropped to his knees.
"Palm to palm our lips do hands do, they pray." He put his hands together and bowed his head slightly. "Is it a sin to do what we want to, don't care where we've been, give me my sin again." He kissed his clasped hands and then jumped to his feet. "Then you kiss me and suddenly I don't care anymore. Something in me tells me you're the one I'm looking for. Then you kiss me and suddenly I don't care anymore. Something in me tells me you're the one I'm looking for, from the kiss. From the kiss."
As the song ended, the club burst into cheers and applause, but none so much as Blaine who rushed from his chair and practically barrelled Kurt down to the floor. "It was amazing, I loved it," Rachel heard him murmur as she tried to get close enough to congratulate him on his spectacular performance.
Rachel was honestly ready to just go home. She wanted to catch up on the sleep she'd missed the previous night, the exercises she'd been skipping for days in order to stave off exhaustion, and the meals that her stomach always seemed to protest. She couldn't let some prank ruin her life like this. She gave them what they wanted, she was suitable frightened and helpless by their display of psychological torture, but it was time to do what she did best and just ignore it. Let her life keep going and just pretend like the people that hated her enough to prank her didn't even exist.
"That song was fantastic and it is a definite contender for the Invitational, guys. You're gonna have to raise the bar if you want it now," he added with a laugh, trying to amp up the competitive spirit. "We've got time for some more performances, so who else wants to go?"
"Um...I'm ready now, Mr. Shue...if that's cool," Finn stood hastily to his feet, wiping his palms on his jeans and fumbling over his chair as he detangled his long legs.
"Excellent, Finn!" The grin on the teacher's face couldn't have been wider. He didn't have to make it so obvious that Finn was his favorite.
"Um... I guess all of you know, me and Rachel broke up at the beginning of the week, so I've been kinda dealing with it all this week. I chose this song because it helped me get in touch with my feelings and that was the point of the assignment, right Mr. Shue?" he turned hopeful puppy eyes to the teacher who immediately nodded and motioned for Finn to continue.
Rachel froze in her chair and darted her eyes to Kurt wildly. He mouthed 'I have no idea' and shrugged his shoulders hesitantly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brittany scoot her chair across the risers until she was directly behind Rachel (and pushing Mike out of the way), Santana followed her and if Finn noticed while the acoustic guitars started, he didn't say anything. He did, however, make uncomfortable eye contact with Rachel as he started to sing.
"I knew I should have savored every moment. I wish I would have grabbed it tight and just held it. And I know, I know everything wrong. I let go, let go, now I'm gone." He lifted his hand in front of him like he was trying to grab a hold of something slipping away. His eyes never once left Rachel's face and she squirmed uncomfortably as it drew all the attention to her. "When it all comes down and you know there's no way that you can get out. When it all falls down and you know, you know you can't get out." His head fell back as he let his voice belt out, his eyes clenched shut.
As the crescendo fell, his chin tipped forward and his eyes slipped open, locking gazes with her again. It was maybe supposed to be sensual, but that look couple with 'you know you can't get out' was doing a terrifying job of reminding her about being stuck in her house with a maybe stalker outside. She felt Brittany's hand drop down onto her right shoulder and squeeze tightly and she lifted up her hand and squeezed back.
"I know I should have cherished every second. I step back, I step back into another perspective. And in my mind, my mind, I know I've been wrong. It's a feeling you've got, you're feeling so cold!" His voice rose in crescendo again and Rachel felt her stomach stir with sadness. She felt Santana's hand fall onto her other shoulder and squeeze harder. "When it all falls down and you know there's no way that you can get out. When it all falls down and you know there's no way that you get out."
She missed Finn. It was stupid and he had never really treated her right but she hadn't even thought about their breakup all week and now that it was being forcibly shoved into her face, she missed him. She missed him coming over to her house and she missed spending time with him, but only when it was just them 'cause he never really talked to her when they were with other people. Maybe it just seemed more pronounced because she'd been alone all week. It would have been nice to have been able to go to Finn and have him...do what, she wasn't really sure. Maybe she really should just tell someone?
"I don't want to feel like this will never be over. And I don't want to sit and think about what's going wrong. I don't wanna feel like this will never be over cause it feels like I've been falling for so damn long." Finn dropped his head down and put a hand on his chest. "When it all falls down and you know there's no way that you can get out. When it all falls down and you know there's no way that you can get out. And I don't want to feel like this will never be over...when it all falls down."
The song finished and everyone clapped tentatively. They were all aware of why Rachel had broken up with Finn and even if they loved Finn and didn't necessarily like her, they still didn't think she was wrong. Finn was staring at her expectantly and she could feel Santana's fingernails digging into her shoulder. Brittany was actually stroking her hair and she couldn't remember when that had started. Rachel took a shaky breath, feeling each hard pound of her heart against her rib cage.
What was she supposed to say here? She had loved Finn with everything she had, at least everything she'd had at the time. Did she still love him? He seemed sad and sorry and he admitted in his song that he knew he should have been a better boyfriend. Could she trust that and take him back? Could she even move past his hateful comments about Noah over the last week? Every time he'd tried to talk to her, in fact. She just wasn't sure and it felt like the air was slowly trickling out of the room.
Mr. Shue cleared his throat awkwardly and patted Finn on the shoulder. "Good job, Finn, I can tell you really went deep with that song and that's exactly what we're looking for with this assignment," he told him encouragingly as Finn nodded, a crestfallen expression on his face as he shuffled back to his chair.
"Oh thank god, I actually thought I was going to suffocate from the tension," Quinn muttered, just loud enough for the people around her to hear. Rachel ducked her head, embarrassed, but smiled at the humor among the sarcasm.
"Oh damn, I have to do my song now. This is too perfect." Noah stood up quickly, with a wide grin on his face - like he'd been presented with Christmas early.
Rachel could tell he'd been waiting for an opportunity like this because of the cocky strut he walked to the front with. She shook her head at him, just knowing that his song was going to be completely inappropriate. He continued to grin, looking from Finn to her. She imagined he was probably rubbing his hands together maniacally in his brain.
"Alright, Puck, let's see what you've got!" Shue looked so naively eager to hear what was obviously about to be a car crash.
"I stepped in the room and she noticed me, a-almost instantly, and I can guarantee that she has heard about me through her girlfriend. Not to mention that her boyfriend hates me." He tipped a wink at Rachel and strutted his way across the room to stand in front of Quinn. "It's not my fault she looked at me. It's not your fault, you can't compete." He had no qualms about gazing directly at Finn. "Are we through with this? Cause I do insist nothing happened here this time."
He spun away from the group and started dancing near the band, rolling his hips aggressively and causing the girls to giggle and clap for him.
"Guys don't like me. These guys they don't like me. These guys don't like me cause their girlfriends do." He thrust his hips again, crotch chopping towards the cheerios who sat huddled in the second row around Rachel. Santana rolled her eyes as hard as she could. "do do do do do do do do do do. Their girlfriends do."
He attempted to moonwalk over to the girls, though his shoes scuffed on the tile. Mike gave him a thumbs up anyway, hastily scribbling the number 7 on a sheet of notebook paper and holding it up. Rachel giggled again, hiding her mouth behind her hand.
Noah raised a middle finger, never losing a breath in his song. "Stop, let me explain the situation. Everyone hating for the same reason." He flipped around a chair in front of Rachel and leered at her teasingly. "Attempted to mingle. She said she was single. And I'm just a nice guy." He shrugged his shoulders and stood up again. "It's not my fault she looked at me. It's not your fault, you can't compete."
Rachel chanced a look at Finn. He was sitting there stoically, his face a deep purple color, and his fists were clenched on top of his knees. Mr. Shue looked incredibly worried.
He looked like he might head for Quinn again, but a quick glance at Finn made him turn and grab Tina by the hand instead. He pulled her to her feet and spun her around so her back was to his chest and his arm was around her shoulders.
"I am through with this but if you insist, then the next time she's mine." He tipped a wink at Mike and then spun Tina away from him so that she landed on Mike's lap. She was blushing heavily.
Noah sailed into the chorus again, dancing his way across the aisles but studiously avoiding Finn as he repeated it until the music faded out.
The reaction was mixed. But in the end, he took a bow as several people applauded, the rest of them exchanging looks with a laugh.
"Um. Thanks for that…colorful song, Puck." Mr. Shue nodded his head as if he was congratulating himself on a good word choice.
"Let's do that one at the Invitational, Mr. Shue," Artie said before snorting loudly, fixing his glasses as they nearly bounced off his face.
Stifled laughter rose around the room until it was immediately silenced by Finn standing and kicking over his chair before exiting the room with his bag tight in his grip.
No one even breathed for a moment until Kurt broke the tension with a sigh. "I expected more yelling to be honest. Or…any yelling."
"Maybe he's growing as a person instead of being a gigantic man baby." Santana glowered at the overturned chair. "Except we all know that chair was a poor substitute for Puck's face."
"I mean…That was kind of a dick move. Funny, but mean," Kurt said defensively.
Santana scoffed. "Yeah, well, Finn's kind of a dick so I guess the universe just gives you the energy you put out." She sneered darkly.
Kurt raised his eyebrows at her but didn't respond, shaking his head instead and returning his gaze to the front of the room.
"Well…I guess that's enough for today, anyway." Mr. Shuester cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyone who didn't perform today, have your songs ready for tomorrow!"
Rachel was quick to grab her bag from the floor and hurry toward the hall. The sound of footsteps and a hand on her arm stopped her in her tracks. Clutching the handle of her trolley bag so hard that her knuckles were numb, she spun on her heel and faced Finn. Apparently, he'd been standing in the hall waiting for her after his storm out. She could see just down the hallway to where Brittany and Santana had stopped by a row of lockers, that didn't belong to either of them, to watch. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin at her ex-boyfriend. "Yes?" she questioned.
"Uh...hey," he greeted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "So...did you like my song?"
"It was pitchy, but a good choice, I suppose," she responded, put off slightly by his approval seeking.
"I sang it for you...if you didn't get that," he added, red staining his cheeks. "I miss you, Rach, and I've been thinking a lot about what you said to me. You were right, if I wanted to say those things to Santana, I should have said them privately and not in front of everyone else. That just makes me as bad as her."
"What?" Rachel reared back and stared at him incredulously. "I never said that. Ever. You shouldn't have said the things you said to Santana. Period."
"Okay, yeah." He nodded eagerly. "Totally. I speak before I think a lot of times and well...sometimes I think something is good and it comes out bad."
Rachel stared at him expectantly, but he never moved to say the words 'I'm sorry' and she wasn't sure if he'd ever actually had. "Was there something else?" she asked quietly.
"Um, yeah. I think we should talk...like...about us. I know there's no us right now, but maybe there could be again, right?" he questioned hopefully. "There's a party tomorrow at Puck's, will you be there?"
"I don't know." Rachel sighed heavily. "Maybe."
"Right...maybe, okay. Maybe," he repeated to himself quietly. "So...maybe I'll see you tomorrow then?" He grinned and walked off, looking happy and slightly smug.
All Rachel really felt was heavy and exhausted. She almost didn't want to go to her locker and with a quick peek down the hall, she realized that Brittany and Santana were already gone. It did kind of make her feel warm to know that they were looking out for her though, probably at Brittany's insistence. Figuring she'd be good with the things she already had in her bag, she skipped her locker entirely and made her way out to her little car, not looking forward to going back to her empty house.
...
Tina - Make a Move [Icon for Hire]
Artie - Pompeii [Bastille]
Mercedes - Freedom Rings [Brandy]
Kurt - The Kiss [Karmina]
Finn - All Falls Down [Adelitas Way]
Puck - Guys Don't Like Me [It Boys!]