Chapter 3: The Trouble With Teenagers
Scott stabs his chicken and swirls it in the sauce on his plate. "But the Mayor was funny! He was the best villain!"
Rachel scoffs. "No way! Glory was the best villain. She was a goddess! A beautiful, sassy, wise-cracking, well-dressed goddess…..who happened to be evil."
"But the Mayor was a jolly father figure with a goofy sense of humor. Realizing that he was the 'big bad' of the season was a shock. And his goofiness extended to his evilness; he didn't change who he was based on who he was talking to. He was always himself. I can respect that."
Rachel hears her mom heave a deep sigh but ignores her. "Glory was always herself, too!"
"Except when she was her brother." Scott points out, chewing his next bite.
Her mom looks completely lost. And a little bored. Rachel can't understand how her mom isn't more interested in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was such a great show! Maybe when she shows her the musical episode in season 6 she'll be more interested.
"You know what I mean. I liked the Mayor. He was a good villain. But he wasn't the best."
"I think those drugs scrambled your brain." Scott teases.
She laughs. "The medications that saved my life? Those drugs?"
Scott narrows his eyes and points his fork at her. "Are there other drugs we should be aware of?"
Rachel giggles, shaking her head. She loves that Scott is able to make or laugh at the occasional light joke about what she went through. She moves her attention to her mother. Her expression is carefully blank. Rachel knows she's still not okay with any joke about it, but she's trying to be. Rachel appreciates it. She also thinks it'll help her mom recover from that experience if she starts letting herself laugh at the occasional joke.
"Actually, speaking of drugs…." Her mother's attention snaps to her, her gaze narrowing suspiciously. Rachel grins. "Kidding. But it is related to teenage shenanigans. I was invited to a party. On Halloween."
Scott chortles. "Not a good segue, Rach."
She shrugs with an innocent smile. "You guys know I'm not serious. Well I'm serious about the party, but not the other stuff. I'm not like that. So I thought it would be funny."
Her mom shakes her head, a low chuckle escaping her. "Not particularly funny, princess. So who is this party with and where is it?"
Rachel takes a bite of her dinner and swallows while trying to remember. "It's a Halloween party. A bunch of kids are going. It's being held at one of the cheerleader's houses. I forget which. But a lot of people will be going."
"Any adults?"
"Um…..I honestly don't know." She mumbles hoping this won't prevent her from being allowed to go.
Her mother sits back in her seat and looks to Scott. "This is one of those defining moments for parents of teenagers, isn't it?"
He chuckles but doesn't comment. Rachel looks at her hopefully. When her mom seems uncertain, she decides to give her a nudge.
"This is the first party that I've been invited to that isn't mostly Glee kids. So it's sort of my first real 'high school party' experience."
Scott's face is turning red from holding back his amusement. He is very carefully not looking at either of them. Her mother's face is a cross between annoyance at knowing she's being manipulated and amusement at how blatantly obvious Rachel is being about it. As has been normal these past few months, when her mom looks at her for too long, she gives in. It amuses Rachel. Her mom just has to look at her for a minute and she caves in. She wonders what goes through her mind at those times. Then again, the times when her eyes film with tears it becomes pretty obvious. Those times are less amusing.
Her mother's face softens. "Alright. You can go."
"Thank you, Mom!"
Scott guffaws. "Not that Rachel technically asked." The two women turn to him. "What? All she did was mention that she was invited. She never actually asked to go."
Her mom looks to her with a raised eyebrow. Rachel gives a long suffering sigh. "Fine. Mom, can I go to a party on Halloween?"
"If you can get me the address before the date, yes. You can."
Rachel blinks. "The address?"
"So I know where you are."
Rachel figures it's a minor thing. "Okay."
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Her mom starts coming to McKinley after school two days a week in order to give Sugar Motta voice lessons. When she'd asked her mom why she'd agreed to this, her mom told her that Al Motta, being the rich guy he is, is paying her very, very well for these lessons. She has never specifically discussed it with her, but Rachel is aware that her medical bills sapped a lot of her mother's savings. This could help replenish her bank account. One of the two days is a Glee day, so on that day she'll just drive Rachel home (or let Rachel drive them home) afterwards. She'll also take any other Glee kid who needs a ride home. The other day, Rachel decided she'll sit in Sue's office to do homework until the lesson is over. Or, she'll catch a ride with one of her friends. Either way, it's not a big deal. In fact, Sue offered to drive Rachel to the nursing home Jean stays at to visit with her and the other residents. Rachel had mentioned wanting to return to volunteering there, so it works out well.
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"We really need to decide what songs we're doing for Sectionals, guys."
Rachel looks around at her silent friends and musters up the courage to raise her idea once more. "Mr. Schue, I really think we should give original songs a try."
Mr. Schue sighs. "Rach—"
"I agree."
Rachel turns to Blaine with a smile.
"Blaine—"
"No, hear me out! I get why you think it's risky. It is risky. But…..we're National Champions and this is just the Sectionals competition. It's the best time to take risks! And even if the songs aren't great, our talent will still shine through! But speaking with complete bias, the songs will definitely be great."
"How do you know?" Quinn challenges. "I'm interested in the idea, but what do we know about songwriting?"
Rachel and Blaine share a look. "Actually, Blaine and I have written a couple songs together already."
A couple of the others knew this. Kurt, Finn, and Artie. Kurt was a good sounding board for ideas and neither Rachel nor Blaine can keep a secret from him. Rachel has no interest in keeping secrets from her boyfriend and he helped out with drumming, back up vocals, and even a little song writing. Artie helped with recording and sometimes with getting band members to join in. Everyone else is surprised.
"Really?" She's not sure if she should be insulted by how shocked her teacher sounds about that. But then he smiles encouragingly. "Can we hear one?"
Blaine hurries over to her, then pulls her further away from the others. They begin discussing which song to go with in hushed whispers.
"—never finished—"
"But what we have is so good! We could—"
"—went kind of dark, so—"
"—have to reword it soon—"
"—adjust that part to fit—"
"—just go with the one that—"
"—not sure it's ready—"
After a couple minutes, they've come to an agreement and return to the others who are watching them expectantly. Rachel sits on the stool at the front of the room. Blaine scrolls through his iPod, finds the correct song, then plugs it into the speakers.
"Okay, um, this one we only just finished writing. We wrote it this summer. I was going to wait. I kind of wanted my mom to be among those who heard it first, but that's fine. You guys can let us know if it's any good. If it's not, we'll fix it before I sing it for her."
"Rachel, if you want, we can wait until—"
"No, it's fine. I meant that. I can make sure it's audience ready before sharing it with her. You'll know why in a minute or two. Besides, we're doing this to convince you all we should write original songs for Sectionals. The sooner the better. Writing a song takes time."
"Writing a good song takes time." Blaine clarifies with a smirk. His following fake cough sounds an awful lot like "my headband."
Rachel glares at him mildly. "Just start the music, Freddie Mercury."
Hearing the laughter from her friends makes her grin. Blaine rolls his eyes and starts the music, then sits next to the piano. He'll be singing back up for her.
"Break down
Break down
Break down
I was scared to death I was losing my mind (Break down)
I couldn't close my eyes I was pacing all night (Break down)
(But now) I think I found the light at the end of the tunnel
(And I doubt) I couldn't fight the truth, I was going under
But I won't hide inside, I've gotta get out
Gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out
Lonely inside and light the fuse
Light it now, light it now, light it now
And now I will start living today
Today, today
I close the door
I got this new beginning and I
Will fly, I'll fly, like a cannonball
Like a cannonball, like a cannonball
I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly
Like a cannonball
(Freedom)
I let go of fear and the peace came quickly
(Freedom)
I was in the dark and then it hit me
I chose suffering and pain, I live for the rain
I know, I've gotta get out into the world again
But I won't hide inside, I've gotta get out
Gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out
Lonely inside and light the fuse
Light it now, light it now, light it now
And now I will start living today
Today, today
I close the door
I got this new beginning and I
Will fly, I'll fly, like a cannonball
Like a cannonball, like a cannonball
I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly
Like a cannonball
(Breakdown)
I was scared to death I was losing my mind
(Breakdown)
I gotta get out into the world again
And now I will start living today
Today, today
I close the door
I got this new beginning and I
Will fly, I'll fly
Like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball
I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly
Like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball
I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly
Like a cannonball"
Rachel laughs exuberantly at the dumbfounded looks on their faces. Mr. Schuester's jaw had dropped. Once they shake off their shock, they start applauding enthusiastically. Not just politely. They enjoyed it. A warmth spreads through her. She looks at Blaine and they share a proud smile. Mr. Schuester starts laughing.
"Wow, guys, that was…wow! I just….that was incredible! You two wrote that?"
They nod. Then Rachel elaborates. "Yes. Well, there were a few times when I asked my mom random musical questions about how to switch to the bridge and so on. So she unknowingly helped us."
Rachel suddenly finds herself pulled into a hug. Her brother is squeezing her tight.
"That was wonderful, Tink."
Another pair of arms wrap around them and Rachel laughs at Brittany making it a group hug. They all sit back down and Mr. Schue is shaking his head.
"So that song…"
Rachel shrugs lightly, knowing it's possible some may get a little upset. "I got a new beginning. A second chance at life. I wanted to honor that in song."
Mr. Schue's smile becomes soft. "Would you like that to be one of songs at Sectionals?"
She thinks about it. "Maybe. But…that might just be a song for me. For us. I think I'll try a different, lighter, song for Sectionals."
"Okay. You can change your mind at any time." Mr. Schue looks around the room at the others. "So, it looks like we'll be doing original songs at Sectionals!"
The rooms breaks out into applause and cheers. Rachel makes sure to kiss Blaine's cheek in thanks for his support.
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The hallway is empty. It's a minor, stupid thing, but it's been a long time since she walked down a hallway at school alone. Rachel smiles slightly, thinking about all the wonderful changes in her life in the past couple months. Her phone buzzes and she pulls it out of her pocket. Kurt is asking her to grab an extra water bottle for him. She easily agrees. She'd left Glee rehearsal because she ran out of water. Her mom makes sure she has several back up bottles in her locker. There may be water fountains around the school, but they run the risk of germs. Rachel doesn't have to worry about her immune system nearly as much anymore, but why risk it? Mr. Schuester had just announced that the school will be putting on a musical this year. Artie, Ms. Pillsbury, and Coach Bieste are going to work together to direct it. Best of all, the musical they chose is "West Side Story". Rachel is thrilled. She can't wait to audition for Maria. It's iconic and she's perfect for the role.
"Berry."
Rachel spins to face the speaker. She hadn't heard anyone else in the hall. Rick "The Stick" Nelson is walking towards her casually. The look on his face has her straightening her back. She doesn't like that look.
"Boggs got a scholarship to play hockey at a university. Did you hear?"
She frowns in confusion. She honestly has no idea who Boggs is or why Rick finds it important enough to share with her. "Um, no. That's great."
Rick bobs his head in mock camaraderie. "Yeah, it is." He comes closer to her. Rachel takes another step back. His tone changes, becoming sharp. "You know what's not great? Losing a scholarship you were counting on. That. Really. Sucks. You know?"
The little hairs on the back of her neck are standing on end. Uncomfortable heat is spreading through her chest and she can feel her pulse quicken.
"That…that would suck."
"Would?" Rachel takes another step away from him and her back hits the row of lockers behind her. Rick stops when he's standing right in front of her. "Would?" He laughs derisively. "No, does. I lost my scholarship. Me. Because of you."
Rick stabs his pointer finger into the center of her chest. Rachel turns to leave, but Rick slams his fist into the locker next to her, blocking her path. She flinches and cowers back against the lockers.
"You lost me my fucking scholarship, you little bitch!"
Heart hammering, Rachel opens her mouth to ask him what he means. How the hell did she lose him his scholarship? It makes no sense! But her mouth is dry and no sound comes out. He leans in closer. His breath hits her turned cheek, the stench crawling up her nose like a cicada burrowing its way out of its seven year slumber.
"You should have died."
Her stomach twists and she can't swallow. She's breathing faster than normal and can't seem to control it.
"I—I—I—"
"You you you what?" When she doesn't respond, he scoffs. "I was really hoping you'd die. Then Hudson and his little band of freaks would be mopey and miserable and easy pickings. I could have gotten my payback easily by messing with them. All I'd have to do is keep reminding them of you, and how you're dead and gone, and they'd break. But you had to go and get better, fucking up my plans again."
"I—I don't…." She takes a breath to gather herself, not wanting to appear weaker in front of him than she already does. "I don't understand."
He leans back so he's not in her face, but his proximity still makes it clear he won't be letting her leave just yet. Her mind calls up a sudden memory of Uncle Burt telling her where to hit an attacker: eyes, throat, and between the legs. Behind her back, she curls her hands into fists. They're shaking. She doubts any strike from her would have any real impact. It'd probably just piss him off more.
"You collapsed at school last year. Evans was carrying you." He watches her eyes widen in recollection. "Is it starting to come back to you now?"
She nods.
"Your boy started a fight with me. He started it, and yet I was kicked off the hockey team for it. I'm back on this year, but the damage was done." He pushes against the lockers and uses his momentum to back up, arms spread wide. "I lost my fucking hockey scholarship. And it's unlikely anywhere else will offer me one. For fighting. They didn't see it as me defending myself. They just saw it as 'a gross display of poor sportsmanship and disorderly conduct'." He scoffs derisively. "It's fucking bullshit is what it is. And it's your fault."
Rick presses his hands together like he's praying, then points his fingers at her. "I'll be thinking up ways to thank you. Just wait."
Maybe she watched too many movies last year, but his laughter actually sounds cruel to her. She shivers. Seeing he made an impact, he grins and walks away. He tosses his parting words casually over his shoulder.
"Be seeing you, Berry."
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Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out.
Her hands are still shaking. Her vision blurs with tears. Why is she reacting like this to a stupid teenager? She has faced much scarier things. Being told she's dying. Severe attacks. Moderate attacks. Hell, even mild attacks should be seen as scarier than Rick "The Stick" Nelson. Someone could rationalize that those situations, while frightening, were different. They came from within. This is the threat of an attack from the outside. But she's faced this before, too. Her father. Specifically, her drunk father. He's bigger than Rick. And meaner when drunk. She's been insulted by him, shoved, slapped, punched, and kicked. Repeatedly. More times than she'd like to recall, she was terrified of her father. He is much scarier than Rick. So why is she still shaking?
Her face crumbles and tears slip out. And she'd just gotten her breathing under control, too. Now it's choppy once again. This time from crying. She looks around. The hallway is empty. She pushes herself off the wall and starts walking. Then stops. She never got her water. She needs to get one for Kurt, too. She turns back the way she was originally heading. Her locker isn't far. Water bottles in hand, she heads back to the choir room. The entire way, her head swivels around. Her ears are pricked up. Even the sound of her own footsteps echoing softly in the empty halls increases her anxiety. Her eyes dart around warily. She moves quickly. Not running, but not the casual walk from before. She turns the corner and sees the choir room door up ahead. Tears of relief mist her eyes. Safety.
She steps through the door and releases a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Before she can reach her seat, hands grab her. She jumps.
"Whoa, mini-Streisand, relax. It's just me." Her eyes snap to Sue's. The woman is eyeing her worriedly. "What's going on?"
Rachel turns her head. Everyone is sitting up straight, watching her intently. She swallows. Sue wraps an arm around her and guides her to the closest seat. Kurt moves so he's sitting next to her. She hands him a water bottle. He drops it to the floor and instead grabs her hand, never taking his eyes off of her.
"Tink?"
"I, uh, got cornered. By Rick Nelson."
Finn's expression becomes a mix of alarm and fury. "Did he put his hands you?"
"No. Not really."
"What do you mean 'not really'? He either did or he didn't." Quinn argues, eyes narrowing.
"He poked me in the chest with his finger. He didn't hit me or grab me or anything. It didn't even hurt."
Finn and Noah both abruptly stand. Mike, sitting between them, grabs both their shoulders and pulls them back down to their seats. "Wait. Let's hear the whole story. Then we'll know just how badly we need to kick his ass."
She tells them everything, word for word. At the part about wishing she had died and planning on using it to hurt Finn, her boyfriend's face pales. When she gets to the end, where he basically threatened her, her friends look furious and worried. Finn stands, shaking in anger, his face set in a scowl, and heads for the door. Mr. Schue steps into his path.
"Finn, stop. I get that you're angry. I'm angry. But beating him up right now would only get you in trouble and possibly make things worse for Rachel."
"We're supposed to let this go?! I'm sorry, Mr. Schue, but I can't do that. He threatened my girl. He needs to know that I'm not going to ignore it."
He tries to pass the teacher once more. Mr. Schue grabs his arm. "We're not going to ignore it. We're going to handle it appropriately."
"How?!"
Sue takes over. "By reporting it. Rachel reported it to us. She'll repeat the story for her mother tonight and again tomorrow to Principal Figgins. Until the school decides how to handle the situation, Rachel won't walk these halls alone. But do not go fight him. Mr. Schuester was correct. If you seek him out right now, you'll be the one in trouble. And, if he gets let off the hook, he'll be free to continue to harass Rachel."
Finn breathes out a frustrated breath, but turns away from the door and takes the seat on Rachel's other side. He wraps an arm over her shoulders and she leans into him. Leaning into Finn and holding Kurt's hand, she feels calmer. Safer.
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Her mother's jaw is clenched, a muscle twitching. Frankly, Rachel wouldn't be surprised if fire started shooting from her eyes right now. She is absolutely livid. She watches her carefully. Her mom closes her eyes and runs through some breathing exercises, calming herself down. Once she's breathing normally, she reopens her eyes and gently cups Rachel's chin.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I was scared at the time, and for a few minutes after, but I'm fine now. And I'm not hurt or anything."
Her mom kisses her forehead. The last of Rachel's nerves fade away as she leans into her mother's embrace.
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"Are you kidding me?! There's nothing you can do?!"
Rachel grips the arms of the chair.
"Ms. Corcoran, Rachel herself said that he did not harm her."
"He threatened her!" Her mother snaps.
"I didn't! She misunderstood!" Rick insists. "I was saying I want to thank her!"
"For making you lose the scholarship you were counting on."
"No, I…." Rick looks between the adults, then straightens his back. "I like playing hockey. But I'm not in love with the idea of playing beyond high school. In college, I want to focus on my future, which won't include hockey. I hadn't known how to tell my parents this, so losing the scholarship took that off my shoulders."
Rick's father, Eric Nelson, nods. Rachel recognizes that look. It's an act. Clearly, his father coached him in what to say to get out of trouble. Her eyes slide to her mother. Her eyes are narrowed. She sees it, too. Good.
"No, it was a threat. Rachel made it clear that he called her a bitch and told her she should have died." Her mother's voice is tight with emotion.
Principal Figgins sighs. "He says he didn't say it. We have no proof. He did not actually harm her. My hands are tied. Mr. Nelson, you will keep your distance from Ms. Berry. Is that clear?"
Rick nods.
"That's it? That's all you're going to do?"
"Unless something else happens, there is nothing I can do."
"It's not enough!" Her mother is out for blood. When the principal remains silent, she stands and leans across his desk. "You'd better make sure nothing happens to her. Or there will be hell to pay."
"Is that a threat?" Eric Nelson asks. He's pretending to be appalled and take the moral high ground, but his arrogant little smirk reveals how much he's enjoying himself.
"No, it's a promise. If he does anything to my daughter, if he's in her general proximity and she gets hurt, if she gets hurt and I find out he was involved in any way, or if he so much as insults her, you will wish you'd done something more today." Then she turns to Rick, the ferocity of her glare pinning him to his seat. "You stay the hell away from my daughter."
Rachel follows her mom out of the office. Out in the hall, her mom angrily brushes her hair off her face and blows out a breath. Calmer, she addresses Rachel.
"You're not to go anywhere alone. Hallway, locker, lunch, nowhere. Keep your phone on you and someone with you at all times. If he speaks to you, even just to say 'hi', tell Coach Sue, Holly, or Mr. Schuester immediately. If he approaches you, leave. If he blocks you like he did yesterday, start screaming. God knows you have the lung power, put it to good use."
Rachel nods. "Okay."
Green eyes watch her silently for a moment. "Do you feel safe here, Rachel?"
She frowns. "Yes. Not around Rick, but in general yes."
Her mom rolls her lips between her teeth, her brow furrowed. "I'm going to go talk to Coach Sue now. You head to class. Call or text me if you need me for any reason. Any, Rachel. If you want to go home early or just want a hug, I want to know."
Rachel steps closer and wraps her mom in a hug. "Okay, Mom. I'm fine. But I'll let you know if that changes."
"Good girl." Her mom kisses her head, then walks towards Sue's office.
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The New Directions, Cheerios, and Titans are on full alert. They not only watch Rick Nelson closely, but the entire hockey team. They also keep an eye on Rachel. She's touched, but feels they're going overboard. Rick threatened her and scared her, but she can't imagine him actually doing anything noteworthy. That would require sustained effort and follow through, and frankly, Rachel doesn't think he's capable. Her friends ignore her and willingly take up guard duty. The animosity between the hockey team and the other three teams is palpable. Most of the student body supports the larger group. But there is a small percentage that are friends with the hockey team and support them.
Rachel is determined to ignore it all and focus on having a great senior year.
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Sue Sylvester is not seen as a kind or warm woman. She's intense, weird, funny, harsh, blunt, and many other things. But when it comes to the people she cares about, she is warm. Not intentionally, but it seems certain people have wormed their ways into her heart and melt it from within against her will. Her sister, Jean. Her friends Will and Shannon…..and she supposes she should include Emma in that list. Maybe. Among her students, she'll admit to no one that she has a few favorite that she cares about. As a coach, it happens once in a while. At the moment, she has multiple. She likes most of her Cheerios this year. Maybe not cares exactly, but she likes them well enough to make sure that the stunts she plans for performances aren't death defying. That's something, right? She even likes most…okay, all…..of the kids in the New Directions. Of them, she'll only admit to herself that Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Rachel, and even Kurt are her favorites.
Rachel Berry. She'll never forget coming to visit Jean and finding a small brunette female child reading to her sister. Not only had she been reading to her, she'd been reading Little Red Riding Hood. Jean's favorite. She'd sat down in a chair near them and watched and listened. The young girl read the book to the older woman with excellent expression. Jean had been listening with rapt attention, her eyes bright, and a small smile on her face. But what fascinated Sue the most was after the girl stopped reading and put the book down. She didn't leave. She stayed and spoke with Jean. She didn't talk at her or down to her. She spoke with her. Politely. Kindly. The two had carried on an amusing conversation about the story they'd just read. In that one afternoon, Rachel had earned some of Sue's respect and appreciation. When she kept seeing this girl show up to spend time with Jean and the other residents, it only grew. She watched Rachel treat them all with respect. She listened to her sing sweetly and talk to them kindly. She'd made a special bond with Jean over music from movies. And now, five years after their first meeting, Sue is watching Rachel sit with her sister and sing Pure Imagination from Jean's favorite movie. Jean is smiling in pure joy.
If things had gone differently…..Sue swallows down a sudden lump. Rachel is alive, healthy, and happy. This girl has only been alive for 16 (almost 17) years and yet she has suffered for many of those years. For her to come out on the other side with her head held high, a smile on her face, and still have room in her heart to think of others is astounding. Yes, it's safe to say that Rachel Berry has earned a place in Sue's heart. She'd never say it, but not only does she love Rachel, but she sees her as an inspiration.
Now if she can just figure out how to protect her from Rick Nelson. Legally. She looks down at the ideas she's written in her notebook so far. With an aggravated sigh, she crosses them all out. Right. Legal. She'll have to restart her list, then.
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Shelby drags the damp sponge across the table, moving the placemats out of the way as she goes. Rachel finishes drying off the last dish and puts it away.
"Okay! Dishes are done! The football game starts soon, so Kurt's gonna pick me up in a few minutes. It's still okay that I go, right?"
"Of course, hun. I'm assuming your homework is finished."
She looks up when her daughter freezes mid-step. Rachel turns to her with a peculiar look on her face. "Homework?"
"Yes, homework. It has to be finished before you leave."
"I….uh….it's almost done." Rachel leans against the counter. "I guess I got used to being able to do my work in my own time and turn it in whenever. No real deadline."
"Well, my darling child, you are a normal high school student once again. It is expected that your homework will be completed and turned in on time." She smirks.
"Right, that's fine. It will be and it has been so far!" The teenager pushes her hair behind her ears. "Um, but…..the football game starts soon. And Kurt is planning on picking me up. He should be here any minute. My homework isn't finished, but it nearly is! Can I still go? Please?"
Shelby sighs. "I'd rather you have your homework finished before you go out with your friends."
Rachel taps her fingers on the counter. Shelby wonders if the girl is debating how to get out of it. It wouldn't be hard, so Shelby hopes she doesn't push. The still-haunted-mother knows perfectly well she'll probably crack. She really needs to work on that.
"It's Friday. I have the whole weekend to finish the last little bit."
"True, but you're going to the Fall Festival with your friends tomorrow."
"So I'll finish it on Sunday! It's just a small amount. Like half my friends are participating tonight, whether as a football player or cheerleader. The rest of us are going to watch and cheer them on. Please, Mom?"
Before Shelby can respond, the front door opens.
"Evening, ladies! Rach, you ready?" Kurt saunters in. The boy grabs a water from the fridge before kissing Shelby's cheek. When the room stays silent, he looks between them uncertainly. "Everything okay?"
Rachel is looking at her hopefully. Shelby caves. Damnit. "Yes. Rachel, you can go tonight, but I want your homework done before you go to the fair tomorrow. Got it?"
Rachel's face lights up and she launches herself at her in a hug. Shelby catches her with a laugh.
"Got it! You're the best, Mom! See you later!"
"Bye, kids! Have fun!" She hesitates, then lets herself add "Drive safe, Kurt!"
"Always!"
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"Homework first."
"But Mom—"
"No, I let you go to the football game last night without finishing your homework. I let you go under the condition that you finish it before going to the festival today."
Rachel groans. "But there's not much and I'll have all day tomorrow to do it."
"If it's not much, just get it done now!"
She knows her mom is right, but so is she! She could spend all of today with her friends and then get the work done tomorrow. It's not a big deal! Why is her mom being so annoying about this? With a huff, Rachel stomps back up the stairs, Yero following cautiously. She softens her walk, not wanting to risk upsetting her dog. Then she realizes she should really be just as concerned about upsetting her mom as she is about upsetting her dog. Which is why she makes a point to not slam her door, but shut it quietly. She pulls out her worksheet and sits at her desk. Then she realizes she'll never be able to focus without music. She spends almost fifteen minutes choosing a good "study" playlist. Finally satisfied, she pulls her attention to her work. She's not going to be able to focus here. She needs to be comfortable. Rachel gets up and makes herself comfortable on her bay window seat. Yero joins her and she giggles. With a smile, she gets working. She's on the third question when her phone buzzes. Tina is asking her about what she's going to wear to the fair.
"Are you done already?"
Rachel jumps and looks up. Her mom is setting her clean laundry on her bed. Guiltily, Rachel looks at the three problems she managed to finish.
"Not quite."
Her mom comes closer with a frown. "I thought you said it wasn't much. If you're stuck, I can help you."
That's when Rachel realizes how ridiculous she's being. She smiles guiltily and decides to be completely honest. "No, I just let myself get distracted by stupid stuff because I didn't actually feel like doing my work right now. Actually…." She looks down at her phone, sends a quick message to end the conversation, the hands it to her mom. "Can you take this? I have a feeling I won't focus with it in the same room as me."
Her mom takes it with a laugh. She kisses her cheek. "Smart girl. I'm proud of you."
Rachel glows.
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Her chest hurts from laughing so hard. Rachel and Quinn are leaning on one another to stay up while laughing. They went to one of those booths that does old time photos and the boys put on dresses, acting like women for one of their photos. Mike is sitting on the ground, his dress pulled up provocatively to show one leg, and is leaning on one of Puck's legs, his arm around his waist. Tears of mirth roll down Rachel's cheeks. Next to her, Quinn is gasping for breath from laughing at the pose Sam and Finn are striking. After they finish their photos, they move on. The group split up at various times so that everyone could do something that interested them. They played games, went on rides, and simply enjoyed a fun filled fall afternoon with one another.
She's walking with Blaine, Kurt, Sam, and Tina when they come across an artist drawing caricatures and little cartoonish pictures of people. They stop to watch and chuckle at the one he's finishing up. The little boy and his dad said they love fishing, so the artist drew them in a boat with fishing poles, but drew the dad stopping the son from falling out of the boat. Cute and funny.
"We should each do one!" Blaine enthuses, dragging them over.
After brief introductions, the friends decide that Kurt and Blaine will go first. The artist, Barry, asks a few questions about their relationship and interests. Rachel watches curiously. Barry seemed a tad uncomfortable at first upon learning that the two boys are dating, but quickly shook it off and remained friendly the entire time. He drew Blaine playing a piano while Kurt lays across the top. Both boys are singing in the picture. They laugh and thank him, insisting it's perfect. Tina's has her singing while sewing the dress she's wearing. Sam yanks off his jacket and shirt. It's not particularly cold out, but it's not warm enough to be shirtless, either, so he's drawing attention to himself.
"Sam! What are you doing?" Rachel whispers fiercely.
The blonde boy grins at her. "He wants to know our interests and talents, right? I've got a great body, I sing, and I play football. But for this, my new friend Barry, you can focus on my body and football, got it?"
Barry laughs. "Got it, kid."
He has Sam pose like he's holding a football and running. The drawing is Sam, shirtless and showing off his abs, carrying a football and outrunning a bunch of uniformed football players behind him. It's actually pretty cool looking, she admits.
"Alright, young lady. Are you getting one?" Barry turns to her.
"You have to get one, Rachel!" Blaine insists.
With a laugh, Rachel sits on the stool in front of Barry. "Okay. Well, I like singing and dancing."
The others chuckle. Barry nods, seeming to have expected that response. "Anything special I should add in?"
A gasp pulls their attention to Kurt. The flamboyant boy is practically bouncing on his toes and shaking his hands in excitement. "Yes!"
"Okay, what?" Good humored, Barry waits for Kurt's response.
Kurt steps up so he's next to Rachel and wraps an arm around her. "Rachel has been in remission for about three months. She beat a rare, life threatening blood disease."
Barry's eyes widen, then a smile spreads across his face. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you." Rachel smiles back.
The artist stares at her with a contemplative look, then nods to himself. "Look, I can draw you singing and dancing with no problem. But I think I have a better idea for you. I'm going to draw it and if you don't like it, no problem, I'll draw you singing and dancing. Sound good?"
"Okay." Rachel is confused, but willing to see what his idea is.
The five friends chat while Barry draws Rachel. He asks the occasional questions about what her treatments had been like and such, but mostly focuses on drawing. He won't let any of the friends close enough to see it. He insisted that Rachel see it first. When he finishes, he beckons Rachel over. He drew a cartoon image of Rachel wearing a pretty dress and a big, satisfied smile. More of a smirk, really. Cartoon Rachel has a bat casually thrown over one shoulder and her other hand is dragging a sledgehammer. On the bat are the words "never give up". On the sledgehammer, he wrote "friends" and "family". In the background, he took great pains to draw a bunch of medical equipment. An oxygen tank with an oxygen mask, an IV pole with bags attached to it (including one that is obviously blood), a heart rate monitor, and so on. All of the equipment, while recognizable, has been drawn to appear beaten to pieces. It's all broken and smashed. Cartoon Rachel is walking away from the pile victoriously.
At the same moment that Rachel starts laughing, she also feels tears well up in her eyes. "It's perfect! Thank you! You did a truly fantastic job."
"You are very welcome." He signs it with a flourish, and hands it over.
She pays, tipping him generously, then shows her friends. Barry watches happily while the other four kids have basically the same reaction Rachel did; tears in their eyes, but laughing. They're all thrilled with it. Before leaving, Rachel turns back to him with a bright smile.
"My Mom is going to love this."
A somewhat sad look passes over his face. "I'm sure she will."
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That night, when Rachel gets home, she slips the drawing into the coat closet before her mom can see it.
"Honey?"
"Hi, Mom!"
Her mother walks out of the kitchen with Scott. She gets a hug from both of them before they pull her into the living room.
"So, tell us all about it! Did you have fun?"
With a grin, Rachel starts rambling about what a great time she had. She tells them all the things she did with her friends and all the things that made her laugh. She showed them pictures she took, of course. As she's talking, she notes that her Mom's shoulders and face seem to become more and more relaxed and content. She hopes the final part keeps her just as happy.
"It sounds like you had a great time, Rach." Scott smiles.
"I did." She looks between them, momentarily distracted by the sudden feeling of talking to 'parents', plural. "There's one other thing that we did."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Blaine, Kurt, Sam, Tina, and I all got caricatures done."
"Oh those are fun! I got one years ago." Scott tells them.
Rachel proceeds to tell them about what was drawn for each of the others. Their favorite, of course, is the one of Kurt and Blaine. Her mom laughs heartily.
"That is perfect! It sounds like he's great at his job. So, what did he draw for you?" She looks around. "Where is yours?"
Biting her lip, Rachel goes to get it from the coat closet. Wordlessly, she hands it to her mother. As she'd expected, her mother's eyes immediately fill with tears. Happy tears. She laughs, a smile stretching across her face. Rachel sits next to her on the couch and leans into her side. Her mom wraps one arm around her. With her other hand, she lightly traces over the drawing. Once she has composed herself, she kisses Rachel's head.
"We'll have to scan it so we have a back up copy, then get this framed. Sound good?"
"Yeah, that sounds good."
Scott leans over so he can put a hand on Rachel's arm and lightly squeeze. "I think he really captured you."
Rachel laughs.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Her ears hurt. She wonders if they'll start bleeding. Honestly, the money she's getting for this job may not be worth it. Sugar hits another off note and Shelby cringes, though she's careful to keep her reaction internal. She's worked with rough students before, but dear God…..
"Stop stop stop. Listen to me carefully." Shelby starts playing the piano from the start of the warm up once again. She sings "I am a shining star, I am a shining star," then turns to Sugar. "Do you hear the difference?"
"Yeah, I sound good."
Shelby has to bite her tongue. This obnoxious child is grating on her last nerve.
Sugar goes on. "You know, maybe you should take the rest of the day off. Work on your voice."
Shelby rubs her face, trying to figure out how to respond without being a bitch. She's saved from having to respond by the arrival of her daughter. The classroom door opens and Rachel pokes her head in. A glance at the clock tells her Glee is over, which means her lesson with Sugar is over. Thank God.
"Hi." Seeing that they're not singing, Rachel steps into the room followed by Tina.
Anything Shelby was going to say is cut off by Sugar spinning around to face the newcomers. "Leave! You can't be here! This is a private lesson!"
"I'm not here for a lesson." Rachel tries to reassure her.
"Well, maybe you should be. Your voice has a nasally quality that's really annoying. Maybe because of your big nose. Sorry, Asperger's. You should look into voice lessons so you can sound as good as me. But you can't have Ms. Corcoran. She's my, and only my, teacher."
Oh, no, she didn't. Rachel's and Tina's jaws have dropped. Rachel looks insulted while Tina looks pissed. Shelby doesn't blame her. She's pissed, too.
"Excuse me? 'Asperger's' or not, you will not speak to her that way." Shelby snaps.
Sugar shrugs like her words don't matter. Shelby narrows her eyes. "Why are you two even here, interrupting my lesson?"
"I'm here for a ride home."
Sugar tilts her head. "You're running a taxi service as well? Wow, you must really need the money. Good thing Daddy is paying you a lot."
Rachel has walked further into the room by now, but is purposely keeping her distance from Sugar. Shelby gets up from the piano, grabs her coat and bag, then walks over to her daughter. When she's next to her, she puts an arm around her.
"Sugar, Rachel is my daughter. I am driving my daughter and her friend home. I am not running a taxi service. And I give Rachel lessons whenever she asks for them, because I'm her Mom and I'm happy to."
"Oh." Sugar has a weird look on her face. Is that jealousy Shelby detects? Or embarrassment? She can't tell. "Whatever. My daddy should be here to pick me up, anyway."
The other three watch her leave with irritated expressions.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Music is blasting and combined with the talking and yelling, the noise is practically deafening. Still, it's a party. Looking around at the other kids, Rachel is glad she had Santana and Quinn help her choose her costume. She'd wanted to go as a character from a musical, but her friends convinced her to go with a more traditional option. Which is why she is currently dressed like a witch. Santana is also a witch, but a "sexier" version. Quinn is dressed as a queen.
"Something wrong with your drink?"
She looks down at the cup in her hand. She's not sure what's in it, so she hasn't tried it yet. All she knows is it's called "Monster Punch". The speaker, Shane from the football team, is looking at her expectantly. She doesn't want to seem uncool or ungrateful, but if she drinks alcohol her mother will kill her. She's had a little alcohol once before, but that was only a couple sips and only with just her closest friends, so she knew she could trust them. Here, at a house party filled with teenagers she barely knows, she is not interested in risking getting drunk. Especially since she doesn't have the "I'm stressed out from possibly dying and wanted to have this normal high school experience" angle going for her anymore. She won't be getting away with anything. Rachel wonders if she could get away with just a couple sips. It'd be the best of both worlds, right? She'd be seen "drinking" like everyone else, but wouldn't have the risk of going home drunk and possibly get in trouble.
"It's fine."
Shane, currently dressed as a mummy, grins at her knowingly. "How would you know? You haven't tried it yet."
Caught, Rachel shrugs awkwardly. The large boy laughs quietly and comes closer to her. "You nearly died, right?" At her nod, he goes on. "So, why don't you take this opportunity to live a little? Let loose and enjoy yourself?"
He's being friendly and encouraging. But getting drunk at a party isn't her idea of letting loose and having fun. However, seeing a few other kids nearby looking over curiously, Rachel lifts the cup with a smile.
"Here's to living."
"To living!" Shane shouts, raising his own cup in the air. Around them, other kids repeat it.
Rachel takes a sip, but tilts the cup in a way that makes it look (she hopes) like she's taking a big gulp. She assumes she was successful when she hears cheers. Satisfied that her ruse worked, Rachel wanders off to find her friends. She stops frequently to chat with other friends that she's not as close to. She knows Rick and the other hockey players weren't invited, so she's not worried about bumping into him. She passes a room and sees Kurt and Blaine (both dressed like pirates) making out pretty heavily. Giggling, she shuts the door to give them a little more privacy. Finn and Puck (both chose to be zombies) are playing beer pong with some of the other football players. She pauses briefly to watch, cheering on her boyfriend and Noah, then kissing Finn before moving on. She gets pulled to the 'dance floor' by Brittany and finds Mercedes and Tina already there, jumping around. Clearly, those two have "let loose" as Shane suggested. After a while, Finn joins her and she gets to slow dance with her zombie boyfriend. And make out. They're interrupted by shouting.
"Police!"
Scared, Rachel looks around her. Kids are rushing to grab their stuff and take off. Finn grabs Rachel's hand and pulls her along. She stumbles, trying to keep up with his long legs and not get trampled by the crush of teenagers around her. Why were the police called? How much trouble would she get in if she were caught? She had one little sip of…something alcoholic. She's not even sure what it was because it was mixed with fruit punch. Over her shoulder, she sees police moving through the large house. The girl throwing the party, Mandy, is crying. She can't run away. It's her house. They make it outside and take off running. Rachel is still a little freaked out, but can't help the laugh that escapes her. Still rushing, Finn looks over his shoulder at her and grins.
"Some party, huh?"
Her laughter grows and he tries to shush her, but is starting to laugh, too. Finn lifts her, helping her over a fence and into the next yard. He quickly follows and they move at a crouch, not wanting to disturb or alarm the homeowners. They're just passing through, after all. Once they're several houses down, they decide it's safe to move onto the sidewalk. From there, they walk at a leisurely pace, seeing a few other kids ahead and behind them doing the same thing.
"Think the others made it out okay?"
"Probably." Finn assures her.
"What'll happen if they didn't?"
Finn shrugs. "I don't really know. At the very least, their parents will be called."
They're quiet as they keep walking. "Do we have to tell our parents? We didn't get caught. We didn't even do anything wrong!"
Finn laughs. "I don't think they'd be too happy to discover we were at a party that was broken up by the police."
"Good point."
"Besides, I had a beer and you had some of that punch."
"Not much." She admits. He looks down at her with an eyebrow raised. "I made it look like I was drinking more than I actually was."
"Smart."
Something suddenly occurs to her. "Finn, didn't you drive us here?"
"Shit!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Luckily, Finn had parked a block away. The house had been packed by the time they arrived, so parking nearby wasn't possible. They were able to get to the car with no trouble. Rachel drilled Finn, making sure he was good to drive. He swore to her he was. His one beer was spread out over the course of the entire party and he'd been munching on food the entire time as well.
"I'd never do anything to risk your life, Rach."
Satisfied with that, she'd let it go. She trusts him. He'd dropped her off and she'd been immediately greeted by her mother. Of course.
"Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah, I did. I'm pretty tired, though, so I'm gonna go to bed."
"Okay. Thank you for coming back before your curfew was up."
Oh. Ooops. It occurred to Rachel then that she hadn't even thought about her curfew. She only came home when she did because the party was broken up. At least it worked out in her favor. Thank God for small miracles.
"Of course, Mom."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She slept late the next day. She still doesn't wake up early every day yet, but she's trying to not be annoyed by it. Especially since she went to bed late last night. In the early afternoon, Rachel is lying on her bed flipping through a magazine. Yero is chewing on a bone on the floor by her bed. Her mom enters her room and sits on her desk chair.
"You didn't tell me much about the party last night."
Rachel looks over at her. "Not much to tell. It was a party. Loud music, dancing, a few Halloween themed games and foods, but that was it. The only other thing that made it Halloween-like was that everyone was wearing costumes."
"Uh-huh. Any reason why you failed to mention that the police had to be called?"
Rachel quickly sits up to face her. "Um….."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I figured you wouldn't be happy about it."
"Well you're right about that. I'm more unhappy that you didn't tell me yourself."
"Who did tell you?"
"Mercedes' mom called me. She wanted to make sure all the kids got home safe. It seems Mercedes didn't make it out of the house before the police arrived. She was holding a cup with alcohol in it, so she got in trouble for underage drinking."
Rachel's eyes widen. "She did? How much trouble? Is she okay?"
Her mom sits back and crosses her legs. "She's fine. Because she passed the breathalyzer test, they determined that she wasn't drunk and had probably only been sipping. They decided not to press charges, but they did call her parents to come pick her up. She'll be grounded for a month."
All of this over just a few sips? Rachel cringes and looks down at her lap.
"Rachel, answer me honestly. Were you drinking last night?"
She peers at her mom's face carefully. She's tense and unhappy, but not yet angry. Rachel bites her lip. Tell or not tell? Finn would never sell her out. Did any of her other friends see her 'drink'? Then she really thinks about her relationship with her mother. If she lies, not only will she feel horribly guilty, but she might lose her mom's trust. She'd lose some of the closeness they've developed.
"I took a few sips of a punch."
Her mother releases a breath and looks away. Yero lifts his head to look at her, then gets up and puts his head in her lap. Rachel figures that probably means her mom is trying to hide how upset she is, but Yero can sense it anyway. She shrinks down. Her mom pets Yero's head for a minute, then returns her attention to her.
"What was it?"
"I don't know."
"What?! Rachel, you accepted a drink at a party without knowing what it was?!" Rachel rears back in shock at the unexpected forcefulness. "That is incredibly dangerous! You never accept open drinks at a party! Never! And you never drink anything when you don't know what's in it!"
Rachel breathes a little faster, her eyes starting to sting. She's right. How did she not think about that? "I…I didn't think…"
"Clearly."
"They're my friends. It was just supposed to be a good time."
The look her mom gives her makes her feel like a moron. And incredibly naive. "Okay. We're going to have a long discussion later about the dangers of accepting open drinks at parties. How much did you drink?"
"Seriously, just a few sips like I said. I made it seem like I was drinking more so that…so that I'd fit in…but I was really only taking tiny sips."
"Did you drink anything else? Beer? Anything?"
"No."
"Did you smoke or do any drugs?"
"What?! No! No way!"
Her mom holds up a hand. "I just had to be sure. I'm disappointed in you, Rachel. I thought I could trust you. Both to make better choices and to be upfront with me."
"I didn't lie." At the look on he mother's face, she rephrases it. "I didn't tell you because I didn't think a few sips was a big deal. I got out before the police got in, only had a few sips of a drink that I think had alcohol, but I'm not even sure, I didn't get sick or hurt….I figured telling you that would only make you mad and get me in trouble."
Her mom is nodding slowly. "I can understand your thinking. I hope you can understand why you're grounded."
Rachel flops back on her bed with a groan. "Yeah. How long?"
"Because you were honest with me…even if it was after the fact…and only had a few sips, let's say….two weeks. No going out with Finn or your friends. No computer or phone outside of necessity. You come straight home after school every day. If it's a day you're going to Uncle Burt's, you will stay by him. I'll be letting him know."
"Who else is in trouble?"
"Probably everyone who went. Mrs. Jones was calling all the parents in Glee. She wasn't trying to get the kids in trouble. She wanted to make sure they all got home safely and that the parents were made aware of what happened."
Rachel groans quietly. This is not going to go over well with the others.
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A/N: The "original song" Rachel sings is Lea Michele's song, "Cannonball". Please review! Reviews let me know if I need to adjust anything and if people are actually enjoying it or not. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes they even give me ideas. No matter what, I always get excited to see reviews.
