Chapter 2
Mike finishes the dance move, landing with a flourish and a large grin. He truly loves dancing. He bows when a few of his friends applaud. Tina gives him a kiss as she passes him to get back to her starting spot. Rachel sits down and drinks her water. She's pale. Mike tries to watch her without being obvious.
Mr. Schuester claps his hands. "Alright! Let's run it again."
Rachel hesitates, then takes another sip of her water. Everyone else is getting into position. She remains seated. Looking at her more carefully, Mike is starting to think that she's dizzy and hiding it. Mr. Schuester sighs.
"Come on, Rachel. We need to run it again."
Mike's not sure if anyone else notices her hands shaking slightly as she twists the cap back on her water bottle. He's not sure what to do to help her. She still doesn't want anyone else to know and Tina is already getting suspicious of how much time they spend together.
"Rachel." Their teacher is starting to sound irritated.
"I'd like to sit this one out, if that's okay." She replies.
Mr. Schuester blinks. Everyone looks confused. "Why?"
She shrugs lightly. "I'm not a soloist. I can sit out without messing up your rehearsal."
Around him, his teammates grumble or groan, quietly complaining about how rude she is. They mumble that she's clearly upset, again, that she didn't get a solo. How selfish she is. Mike is getting angry. If they only knew they truth, they'd know she just needs to sit out because she's not feeling well. Besides, thinking over her words, they weren't rude. She didn't actually complain about not having a solo, she spoke honestly and calmly. No rude tone. Unfortunately for her, her past behavior of demanding solos and throwing tantrums when she doesn't get a solo is coming back to bite her in the ass. Now everyone thinks that's what's going on. Even their teacher.
"Rachel!" Mr. Schuester snaps, scowling at the small brunette. "That is enough! You need to be more of a team player! Either get up and rehearse with us or leave."
Mike stares desperately at Rachel. If she's dizzy, she can't do either. The girl's lips are pursed and she's looking down, clearly debating what to do. But only Mike knows why. He holds his breath. She stands slowly. Mike watches her face pale further and steps forward, grabbing her arm.
"Rachel." He keeps his voice quiet and his eyes on hers.
She stares back at him. She's obviously upset and not feeling well.
He lowers his voice even more, to barely a whisper. "Tell them."
She gives a minuscule shake of her head. Not happening. He sighs.
"Let's go, Rachel." Mr. Schuester
Rachel won't be able to. Mike knows that as well as she does. The only thing left to do, in his mind, is to tell them that she's sick. Which is why he's irritated and upset when she instead grabs her bag and leaves the room. Mr. Schuester gives an irritated sigh and shakes his head. He watches her go, debating whether he should follow her or not. Tina steps up next to him.
"She's nice, huh?"
For the first time in their relationship, Mike brushes her off. He moves past her and out the door to follow his friend.
"Mike!" He ignores her calling after him.
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"You should go after him." Santana tells her.
"Huh?" Tina turns to the Latina.
"He's been spending a lot of time with her. Something's definitely going on." She insists.
"Mike wouldn't cheat on me." She's confident in that.
"But he has been watching Rachel a lot. His eyes are always on her these days." Kurt points out.
Finn is frowning hard.
Mercedes nods. "You should definitely follow them."
Kurt perks up. "In fact, we'll go with you. We might as well take a break, right Mr. Schuester?"
The man's annoyed hand wave is taken as assent. Tina, Kurt, Santana, Mercedes, and Finn all stand. The first four turn to the quarter back, confused.
"I'm going with you. I want to know what's going on between them." He explains.
"Are you thinking of getting back together with her?" Kurt asks.
Quinn watches with narrowed eyes from her spot next to Sam. Finn doesn't answer, just leaves the room.
"Which way did they go?"
"Do you think she left the school?"
"She probably went home."
"They might not have made it out, yet. Let's check the parking lot first." Mercedes suggests.
They head in that direction. Tina is startled when Finn claps a hand over her mouth and yanks her around a corner. Wide eyed, she watches him lean around the corner to watch the others leave. Once they're apparently out of sight, he releases her and steps back.
"Sorry 'bout that."
She hits him. "What the hell, Finn?!"
"Sorry!" He tosses his hands up in surrender. "But I think I know where they are and I suddenly didn't want a whole group watching. Mike's your boyfriend and Rachel is my….I don't know. But shouldn't it just be us spying on them?"
Tina frowns. "I guess. I don't really feel comfortable spying on my boyfriend."
"But you want to know what's going on between them, right?"
Seeing her nod, he jerks his head in the opposite direction the others went and starts walking. Oh. They're heading to the auditorium. Tina feels stupid for not thinking of that. Of course that's where Rachel Berry would go. She follows Finn as he climbs the stairs to one of the balconies. Good thinking. They can crouch down and not be seen while they look down on the stage. Tina hears voices, getting clearer as they get up to the balcony. Mike and Rachel are definitely on the stage.
"—ack and explain!"
"No, Mike."
"They think you just pulled a diva storm out. They have no idea what's really going on."
"That's intentional, Michael."
"That's stupid, Rachel! They're all mad at you. Or at least annoyed. And you just undid everything I've been trying to do for the past couple weeks."
Tina peers over the low balcony wall. Rachel is sitting on the piano bench on the stage, her back is to the piano so she can face Mike. Michael is pacing the stage while talking. She glances at Finn. He's biting his lip. Does he regret coming to spy on them? This was his idea!
"What are you talking about?"
Mike groans, grabbing his hair. "I've been trying to convince the others that you're nice and not as…..selfish and bitchy and entitled…as they think you are. This just blew that."
Rachel looks down. "I appreciate you trying, Mike, I do. But there's no point. They've made it clear they're not my friends."
"Rachel, I wasn't your friend until you opened up to me. If you just open up to them, tell them the truth, they'll be your friends too!"
Rachel looks doubtful. "So many of them have bullied me. Called me names. Insulted me. Drawn pornographic pictures of me on the bathroom walls. Thrown slushees in my face. Those aren't the actions of friends. I may have been….demanding…..and selfish…..wanting solos and telling everyone I'm a better singer than them, but…..am I wrong?"
Tina opens her mouth to scoff, disgust flowing through her at Rachel's arrogance. She freezes at the soft look Mike gives her.
"No. You're not wrong. You're the best singer in there. But you're not the only good singer."
Next to her, Finn whispers softly. "He's right."
Frowning, Tina reluctantly admits to herself that they're all right. Rachel is the best singer, though not the only good one. She's pulled out of her thoughts by Rachel sighing.
"I know that. Everyone in the New Directions is very talented. Whether they shine at dancing or singing or both." Tina's eyebrows shoot up. It'd be nice if Rachel said these things to their faces. "But I like to win. I always want to do my best and be the best. My dads have always pushed me to never settle for less than my best. So I don't. And I get annoyed when others give subpar performances when I know they're more talented than they just showed and could do better. But they don't practice or push themselves as much as I do. To me, if they're not going to work for it, they shouldn't have it."
Oh. That…..actually kind of makes sense. Even Finn is nodding.
"You know that Mr. Schuester likes giving everyone a chance to shine." Mike reminds her.
"I know. And in general, I like that too. Everyone deserves their time in the spotlight. I just get annoyed when they don't give their best." Rachel looks a tad guilty. "And, I like to win. In competitions, if you want to win, you put your best performers on display. Since I feel I'm the best, I get frustrated when I don't get it. Honestly, if I felt someone was better than me…..or at least better for a specific song…I'd expect them to….no, I'd want them to get the solo because it'd mean we'd have the best chance of winning."
Mike is smiling at her. Tina feels herself starting to smile, too. Thinking about it from Rachel's perspective, it does make sense. She thinks she's starting to understand why Rachel acts the way she does. But then Mike stops smiling and shakes his head.
"You let me go off on a tangent." He accuses softly. "This isn't what I came here to argue about."
"You came here to argue? I hope you came prepared." Rachel gives Mike a teasing grin.
He is returning grin is brief. "Rachel. You need to tell them the truth. Tell them what's really going on in your life right now."
Tina and Finn both tense.
"They don't need to know."
"They do! At the very least, it would have avoided today's situation. You didn't storm out. You weren't refusing to participate because you didn't get a solo and yet that's what they think! If they knew the truth, no one would have been upset. No one."
Tina and Finn share a confused look.
"Maybe," Rachel begins, her tone becoming sharp "or maybe they don't deserve to know."
"Did I? You didn't tell me willingly. I found out by accident. It was pure dumb luck that I found out. I know you wouldn't have told me if I hadn't seen it for myself." Rachel looks away. "So," Mike continues, moving to meet her eyes "do you think I don't deserve to know now?"
"You know now. There's no point disc-"
"There is. Just answer me. Right now. Do I deserve to know what's going on in your life right now?"
She sighs. "Yes. You do."
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend. I know what you're getting at, Mike. You're going to say that if I just tell everyone else the truth, they'll become my friend too. But you only became my friend out of—"
"It wasn't pity!" He cuts her off. "Seriously. I always liked you, even if I never stood up for you before. I always wanted to be your friend. I didn't become your friend out of pity. I became your friend after you opened up to me…..no matter how unwilling it may have been at first…..and I got to know you." Mike sits next to her on the piano bench. "For the past couple weeks, I've been getting to know you better. I've always known that you're incredibly talented, smart, and beautiful. But I've recently learned that you have a wicked sense of humor. I've learned that you're extremely hard working. I've learned that you have an impressive vocabulary but often choose to use simpler words in conversation for everyone else's sake. I've learned that you've never played a video game before in your life. I've learned that you have a really soft heart and feel things so deeply and strongly that it's hard for you to not have a big reaction. Because big feelings often equate to big reactions. I've learned that you care about everyone and everything so much, but have been hurt so often, that now you expect to be hurt. So you keep most of your thoughts and feelings and wishes to yourself. So that no one can hurt them. And that it means you're often alone."
Rachel swallows hard. Mike takes her hand.
"You don't have to be alone. And I don't have to be your only friend. If you're not ready to tell everyone else about…..what you're dealing with…..at least start letting them know the real you. The wonderful you that I've been getting to know." He wipes a tear from Rachel's cheek. "But I really do think you should tell everyone the truth. They won't become your friend out of pity. They'll become your friends because you'll be opening up to them and they'll be able to get to know the real you. Like I've been."
"I opened up a little to Finn and he still left. " Rachel's voice is soft. Hurt.
Tina looks at Finn. He looks like he's hurting, too. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are dark.
"You didn't tell him what was going on." When Rachel doesn't respond, Mike goes on. "I don't know why he broke up with you. You're pretty awesome."
"Quinn is prettier and more popular. Easier to deal with."
Mike shrugs. "She's more popular, sure. But only because she plays to the masses, giving them what they want. You stand up for your own beliefs and thoughts, regardless of what others think. I think that's a hell of a lot cooler. Braver. And she is very pretty. Traditionally beautiful. But asking who is prettier, you or Quinn, is like asking someone whether an emerald or a ruby is prettier. Everyone's going to have an opinion but it doesn't change the fact that both are beautiful."
"You're awfully sweet. Tina is a lucky girl."
Mike grins. "Thanks, but I'm the lucky one. Tina is wonderful. I love her." Tina feels a wave of warmth spread through her and her face lights up. It falls when Mike's face falls. "But she's getting suspicious of how much time I spend with you."
Rachel frowns. "I'm sorry, Mike. I hadn't realized. You should stop spending time with me, then. I don't want to jeopardize your relationship."
Tina is shocked. That was not what she was expecting from the selfish girl.
"No. I'm not going to give up my friendship with you. Not even for Tina. I love her. But if she were to give me an ultimatum, it would mean that she doesn't love me as much as I love her. Because if she did, she would trust me. Trust us. That being said, it'd make my relationship with her a hell of a lot easier if you'd tell everyone what you're dealing with. She'd understand why I spend so much time with you. Besides just hanging out because we're friends, I mean."
Again, Rachel sighs. "I want to help you out. But I'm just…I'm not ready to tell them."
Mike nods. Tina and Finn share another look, their curiosity nearly killing them.
"Did you ever consider telling Finn? I mean, I know he had just broken up with you, but he does still care about you."
"I….I wanted to. I really, really wanted to tell him." Her lips quiver. Seeing Rachel trying not to cry makes Tina's own eyes start to sting. "I even tried to once. But he'd already walked away. I didn't want him to feel obligated to spend time with me, just because my life was crashing down and I needed support. If he's going to be in my life, even just as a friend, I want it to be because he actually wants to be."
"Okay. I get it. I'm sorry you had to deal with everything alone for so long."
Rachel shrugs and swipes at her eyes. "I had my dads. And now I have you. Thank you for being my friend, Mike."
"I'm happy to. And I know you keep saying you're not ready to tell the others, but they would be happy to support you as well."
Rachel scoffs. "Really? Can you imagine Quinn or Santana jumping up to support me?"
Mike frowns. "Honestly? Yes. You're going through hell right now, Rachel. I'm confident that once they know, they'll want to help. Or at the very least, they'll stop making your life harder."
From the quiet sound Finn just made, Tina is sure he is getting as worried as she is. They desperately want to know what the hell is going on in Rachel's life.
"Well….I'll have to tell them eventually. Probably soon. I just….really don't want to."
Mike tenses. It makes Tina tense. "Wait….has something changed? Has something else…happened?"
Rachel gives a bitter smile. "The problem is that nothing has changed."
Mike's face falls. He pulls Rachel into a hug. For a few minutes, they sit quietly, holding each other. "I'm sorry."
Tina and Finn share another worried look.
"Glee is probably over." Mike says, releasing Rachel. "You might not be ready to tell the rest of the team, but….you need to tell Mr. Schuester. He was really angry with you. If he'd known the truth, he not only wouldn't have been angry, he would have helped you. Since he's your teacher and your glee coach, he needs to know."
"I know. My dads already told me that if I don't tell him soon, they will."
"So let's go tell him now. You can tell him alone and I'll keep everyone else away, or I can tell him with you."
Rachel stares at him. It takes Tina a moment to realize that Rachel looks scared. Finn's knuckles are white from clenching the balcony railing. After a moment, the small brunette gives a jerky nod. Mike looks relieved and stands before offering a hand to help Rachel up. They leave the auditorium. Tina and Finn sit in the balcony seats.
"What do you think is going on?" She asks him quietly.
"I don't know. But I really want to." His voice is rough.
Tina frowns at him. "Finn….do you still have feelings for Rachel?"
He looks at her silently for a moment. "Yes. I never stopped. I just…..It's stupid, but I wanted a break from her. I wanted easy. A pretty, popular girl to go to parties with. Rachel is awesome, but she's not like other teenage girls. We didn't often do 'normal' teenage things together. She prefers theater to movies. She doesn't really like big parties. She has an odd fashion sense. She doesn't know anything about video games. And she spends a lot of time in voice lessons or dance lessons or even just practicing on her own. She keeps a tight schedule. I wanted someone….looser. More relaxed and wanting to do fun teenage things. But I can't change the fact that I still care about her."
"Yup. That is stupid. If you truly care about her, it's worth dealing with her….oddities. But if having a more normal teenage relationship means more to you, then you were right to break up with her."
"I miss her. I love her."
"Finn…..you weren't the best boyfriend. You know that, right? Just from what I saw from the outside. You almost never stood up for her when she was being insulted. And you always put your own interests ahead of hers. It didn't look like you loved her to us."
Finn frowns hard. "I do. I guess…..if I want to be with her…I need to…redefine normal."
"And talk to her. Tell her what you want and ask her what she wants. If she knows you want to go to movies and parties with her, she might be willing to try for you. You'll also have to go to the occasional play or musical with her, of course. To be fair."
He nods. "And I really need to find out what's going on in her life. What hell is Mike talking about?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rachel glances at the boy walking beside her. She never expected her first real friend to be Mike Chang. He has always been nice. Thoughtful. She's not thoughtful. Probably because she tends to put herself first. They enter the choir room. Sure enough, everyone else is gone. Mr. Schuester is putting on his coat. He frowns when he sees them.
"I thought you two left."
"Can we talk for a minute, Mr. Schue? It's important." Mike takes charge.
Mr. Schuester looks between them before nodding and leading them to his office. He takes his coat off and sits behind his desk. "Okay. What's going on? And does it have anything to do with your behavior today, Rachel?"
Rachel holds in her irritation. He doesn't know and it's her own fault. "Yes."
A moment of silence. Then Mike reaches over and takes her hand, squeezing it. "Tell him."
She brings her eyes up to her teacher's. He'd started out looking annoyed, but now he looks concerned.
"Rachel? You can tell me anything. What's going on?" He has softened his voice.
She swallows hard. She's shaking lightly. She wonders if Mike can tell. "I…..I'm sick."
Mr. Schuester's brow furrows. "Sick? What do you mean? Do you need a ride home?"
Rachel clenches Mike's hand. She's really glad he's here. Her dads had offered to be with her when she tells people, but she's glad it's Mike.
"I have Aplastic Anemia. It's a rare blood disease that causes my body to not be able to produce enough blood cells."
She watches Mr. Schue's face slowly fall. He gathers himself. "I'm sorry, Rachel. Can you tell me more about it? I've never heard of it. How serious is it?"
"It's life threatening." Her teacher pales and tears immediately jump to his wide eyes. "Without treatment it is fatal. With treatment, I could possibly go into remission."
"Life threatening? Rachel…." His voice is rough. "You said there are treatments. Does that mean….."
"There's no cure. I go to the hospital clinic once a week for IV treatments."
He puts his head in his hands. She gives him a minute. "You said remission. That sounds like it's similar to cancer. Are there stages?"
"Yes. I'm stage one."
He looks at her sadly. "Rachel, I am so sorry. When were you diagnosed?"
"Just before the school year began."
"Who knows?"
"My dads and Mike."
Mr. Schuester looks shocked. "That's it?"
She nods. Mike takes over. "Yeah, we've been arguing about that. I think she should tell the glee club, but she insists she's not ready. I only convinced her to tell you because of what happened today. You were angry with her for not performing. If you had known that she's sick, you would have realized that's why she wasn't performing."
Mr. Schue looks between them. "Today…..you sat out because….."
"I was dizzy. And tired. They're two common symptoms."
He puts his head back in his hands. "Rachel. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He lifts his head. His eyes are filling again. "We do a lot of dancing and moving. If you're sick, I need to know. If I had known, I absolutely would have let you sit out and rest. I wouldn't have said anything. And I certainly wouldn't have yelled and kicked you out of the room!"
Rachel looks down. "I wasn't ready. I don't….I don't like saying it. I don't like acknowledging that I'm sick. I hate it." She sniffles.
Mike hands her a tissue. "I only found out by chance. My Youth Group was volunteering at the hospital. I saw her getting treatment and I confronted her. I refused to leave until she told me the truth. Since she was connected to an IV, she was trapped. She told me the basics, and I've been learning more about it in the weeks since then."
Mr. Schuester comes around the desk. He kneels next to her chair and hugs her. She hugs him back. He pulls back and smiles softly. Sadly.
"Thank you for telling me." She nods, giving a slight smile.
He returns to his seat and takes out a notebook and pen. "Okay. Tell me your symptoms and anything else I need to know." She hesitates. He reads it on her face. "Rachel, I need to know. I need to make sure I'm prepared and can help you. If we're rehearsing and you need a break, I need to know what might be going on."
She slumps. He's right. "So far, I've mostly been tired in the mornings. I have a hard time getting up. Apparently that's common for people with AA. I get dizzy sometimes. Headaches. I've only had one nosebleed, but I was told that those will probably start becoming more frequent. And I get nauseous sometimes."
He stops writing and looks up. "You get tired in the morning. Do you get tired other times as well?"
She hates this. She hates this. She really hates this. She gives a sharp nod, her jaw clenched. He watches her carefully.
"So….have you been finding yourself getting tired during or after our rehearsals?" His voice is soft. Gentle.
She looks down again. "A few times. Not often."
"Okay. Thank you for telling me. If you're not feeling well, I want you to sit out. If you sit down, I'll know you need to rest. Until you're ready to tell the others, we can come up with a system for letting me know something's wrong."
"Like spies?" Mike grins shakily, trying to make things light. She appreciates it.
Mr. Schue laughs lightly. "Sure, like spies. Or like actors with set cues. If you sit and drink from your water bottle, you're telling me you just need a few minutes to rest. If you sit and take out a book or notebook, I'll know you need a longer break or even to leave early. In that case, I'll make an excuse to get you to my office or something. Sound good?"
She nods. It'll do for now.
"What if she can't walk?" They look at Mike. "A few times she has gotten dizzy and her knees buckled. She couldn't walk for a while."
Rachel frowns. "Those times were after treatment. The side effects of the treatment are usually worse than my day to day symptoms."
"You get side effects from the treatment?"
"Yes. The side effects are the same as my symptoms, just stronger. Nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache, and fatigue. Mike has either helped me walk or carried me to my dad's car after treatments."
Mr. Schue doesn't just look sad, he suddenly looks old. "If you can't walk, you may have to flat out tell me. Don't try to stand if you can't."
"Isn't that what happened today?" Mike asks her. "I could tell you were pale. I was pretty sure you were dizzy. I wasn't sure you'd be able to stand, so I was hoping you'd finally tell everyone."
"I only needed a minute to sit, then I was fine to stand. I wouldn't have minded another minute or two of sitting, but it wasn't necessary. Obviously, since I walked out on my own."
"I am so sorry, Rachel. I am so sorry. If I had just known, I would never have tried to make you leave. You should have stayed sitting. God, you should have just told me." Her teacher sounds truly upset.
"It's not your fault you didn't know. It's mine."
"Why don't you want others to know? I know you said you're not ready to face it, but I get the feeling there's more to it."
Mike snorts. Rachel glances at him. He's fighting back a smile. Mr. Schue looks confused. Rachel rolls her eyes. "I don't want me being sick to be used as ammunition for why I shouldn't get a solo."
Mr. Schue has an odd look on his face. It takes her a minute to realize he is trying not to laugh, though at the same time, he seems to agree. "Well, I see your point. But Rachel, if you're too sick, you might not be able to perform. You understand that, right?"
Her stomach clenches, her throat going dry, and fear spiking in her chest. "But I'm only stage one! Other than sometimes getting dizzy or tired, I'm fine! And the only symptom that could mess up a performance is the dizziness."
"Or vomiting." Mike points out. "What? If you throw up on stage, that kind of ruins the performance."
He's right and she hates it. She hates all of this. "Well….there's medicine for nausea. And headaches. And energy drinks for tiredness. There just isn't something for the dizziness or nosebleeds."
Mr. Schue does not look happy. "Rachel, your health is more important than a performance. I don't like the idea of you drinking an energy drink and taking medications to feel well enough to perform."
"It's only if necessary! I could be in remission by the time Sectionals rolls around! And if things are still as they are now, I could be fine! I'm well enough to perform! Please, please, don't rule me out for solos now! Please!" Tears fill her eyes. She is desperate. There is nothing she wants more than to be on Broadway. And that is more likely to happen if she gets experience and practice. Besides, she loves performing. It brings her joy. Sometimes, it is the only thing good in her life, besides her wonderful fathers. She needs this. Seeing her teacher beginning to waver, she decides to give a push. "I need this. My life really sucks right now and singing is the only thing that actually brings me joy. Please don't take that away from me."
A tear drips down Mr. Schuester's cheek. "Rachel….I don't want to take that away from you. But I don't want you performing if your body isn't up for it." He comes back around and takes her other hand. "But, it's like you said. There's still time before Sectionals. Things could change. We'll talk when it's closer to the competition."
"Okay." She can live with that.
"However, I want you to be aware of something now." He seems uncertain. It makes her nervous. "Before you even brought this up to me, I was already debating doing something different for Sectionals."
"Different how?"
"Showcasing our fabulous dancers, for starters." He smiles at Mike, who looks excited. "And, I wanted to step away from using you and Finn for duets. I'm thinking of using two other members for the romantic duet."
Rachel frowns. "I'm thrilled for Mike and Brittany. Their talent should absolutely be showcased. You'll still need a soloist for it, though."
Mr. Schue hesitates. "True. And I don't know who just yet."
"And….why don't you want to use Finn and I anymore?"
"Not not anymore, just not all the time. Besides, it's Sectionals. I want to save my star power, you, for later competitions."
Rachel thinks about it. It makes sense, it just sucks. Her stomach has unclenched, but now it squirms uncomfortably. She sighs. "That…..makes sense. It's disappointing, but I understand. Thanks for the heads up."
"You'll still get solos in our weekly assignments and in-house competitions."
He's trying. She can see that. She gives him a tense smile and nods.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
At her treatment that week, Mike continues his argument to tell the others. He only stops when she admits her head hurts badly. Her father, who had remained silent during the argument, hits the call button. When a nurse arrives, he requests pain meds for her. Rachel falls asleep. Mr. Berry frowns.
"She's been getting treatment for months now. This is the first time she has fallen asleep during it."
"Probably from her head hurting." Mike says softly.
Mr. Berry nods. He's hesitant to wake her when it ends. He lightly shakes her shoulder. "Rachel? Sweetheart?"
Mike relaxes when she opens her eyes and yawns. "How's your head?"
"Better." They help her gather her belongings. She groans. "I didn't finish my homework."
"That's alright." Mr. Berry assures her.
"Yeah, I can help you finish it tomorrow."
Mr. Berry shakes his head. "That's nice of you, Michael, but not what I meant." The two teens stop to look at him. "Your father and I will be telling the school on Friday. Your teachers will know."
Rachel's eyes widen in alarm. "Dad! I—"
"No. We've discussed it. We didn't immediately tell the school because you asked us to wait. We've waited months. Now, they need to know." Rachel's face falls. "Honey, your symptoms are starting to get worse. Even if they weren't, you deserve extensions on your assignments. That way, if you're not up to finishing them because you're not feeling well, you'll have extra time without being penalized."
Rachel's face flushes and her eyes fill with tears before she blinks them back. She doesn't respond, but she starts shoving her notebooks back into her bag with more force than necessary. Mike frowns. This is a good thing. Helpful. He doesn't understand why she's so upset about it, but decides not to ask her just yet.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Rachel takes her seat in Glee, Mr. Schue gives her a small nod. Her dads already spoke with him more in depth, giving him more information about her illness. They also gave him their numbers and asked to be informed immediately if anything happens. She's the first to arrive, so she uses the time to catch up on the work she hadn't finished the night before. She's interrupted by Finn and Tina sitting on either side of her.
"Hey."
"Hi, Rachel."
She looks between them, confused. "Hi."
"We realized something."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. You didn't actually storm out on Tuesday." Finn states confidently.
"How do you figure?" They're right, of course, but she's curious how they determined this.
"You didn't complain about not having a solo or demand one. You just commented that you didn't have one, so it didn't really matter if you sat out for a few minutes." Tina explains, smiling.
"We still don't know why you sat out, though. Or why you left after Mr. Schue gave you that ultimatum." Finn says quietly.
Rachel frowns. What can she even say? They're clearly waiting for some sort of response from her. "You're right, I didn't storm out. I didn't mind not having the solo for that number. Thanks for noticing."
The other two share a look. After another moment of silence, Tina speaks up.
"Look, Rachel, Mike has been spending a lot of time with you. I thought he'd start spending less time, but instead he's been spending more time with you."
Rachel frowns once more. "Are you okay with that?"
Tina smiles. "I wasn't at first, but now I am. I never for a moment thought he was cheating on me. But I also didn't understand why he was hanging out with you suddenly. Mike is a sweetheart, but he's no saint. If you were truly annoying or rude, he wouldn't still be spending so much time with you and he wouldn't be happy about it. It made me realize that he knows you better than I do. He considers you his friend."
"He's my friend, too." Her only friend.
"I'd like to be your friend, too. Clearly, I don't actually know you well. I'd like to change that."
Rachel looks into Tina's eyes. The girl is smiling and sincere. A flicker of hope ignites in her heart. Another friend? She's wary though. Is this some sort of prank? Rachel mentally shakes the thought away. Tina's not like that. Santana or Quinn, absolutely. But not Tina.
"I'd like that." Rachel smiles at her tentatively.
Tina's smile brightens and she sits back in her seat. Rachel glances at Finn on her other side. Her ex is grinning at her. Her eyes move to Mr. Schuester. Their coach is looking over sheet music, but there's a small smile tugging at his lips. He heard. The rest of the team starts coming in. Everyone except Mike give the three of them odd looks, but Tina and Finn don't move.
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"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Finn glances at her as they walk. It's a nice day. Probably the last 'warm' day they'll have for a while. He'd asked her to meet him at the park near her house.
"When we broke up, I said we'd be friends. I decided to give you space for a while. I knew I'd hurt you." She looks down, so he hurries to continue. "But I gave you so much space that I failed to be your friend. So, I'm sorry."
She tucks some hair behind her ear. "It's fine. I'd just figured you were saying it to be nice. I hadn't actually expected us to be friends after breaking up."
Finn frowns. "Really?"
Now Rachel frowns. "Well….yeah. Isn't saying 'we can still be friends' just what people say to try to make the fact that they just broke up with someone a little…..softer? Cushion the blow?"
"I think some people mean it when they say it. I meant it. I just sucked at at."
"So….you want to be friends?"
He smiles down at her. His stomach flips. He wants to be more than friends. "Yeah. I do. Do you?"
She smiles. "Yeah." Her smile falls. "What about Quinn?"
"What about her?"
"You dated her after breaking up with me. Then you guys broke up and she's been hanging out with Sam, but you two still…I don't know. Act more than friendly."
"We do?" Finn shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah. You two watch each other a lot. You talk quietly. Almost whispering. You argue a lot."
He can't help but grin at that. He and Quinn do argue frequently. "We always argue. It's part of why we broke up again."
"What's, um…..what's the other part?"
He tries not to smile at her hesitant question. "I realized I wasn't happy with her. She wasn't happy with me, either. She just liked how we looked together."
Rachel has a slightly bitter smile. "The quarterback and the head cheerleader."
"Right."
She leads them over to a bench to sit. They haven't been walking for very long. But the bench faces a small pond, so she probably wants to enjoy the view.
"Is this the pond that freezes over and people ice skate on?"
Rachel grins. "Yeah, but don't go telling people. We've been keeping it a secret in our neighborhood for years. If too many people find out, it'd be mobbed."
"I won't tell. I just remember you telling me about it."
"That was months ago."
He shrugs. "I listen." They sit quietly for a while. "So….since we're friends now…." She laughs, making him feel lighter than he has in a while. "…we should talk."
"What have we been doing?"
"We were making sure we were friends. Now, we need to talk and catch up."
"Catch up?" She has an odd look on her face. He doesn't like it.
"Yeah. We haven't really talked since breaking up. It's been months. So…..how've you been?"
She doesn't answer right away. He bounces his leg. "Fine. Busy. You know my schedule. How've you been? Besides breaking hearts." She bumps his shoulder with a grin to lessen the sting of her words.
He smiles faintly. She brushed his question off. He supposes he should have known it wouldn't be that easy to find out what's been going on with her. "Same. You know, football and everything."
"The team is doing well this year."
His eyebrows shoot up. "You noticed?"
She shrugs lightly. "Most of the guys in Glee are on the football team. I listen and pay attention. I don't really understand the sport, but I've heard enough to know its going well."
They talk for a while. When the sun goes down and she starts shivering, he offers to bring her back to her house.
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Rachel gets ready for school Monday morning with a smile on her face. On Saturday she made up with Finn and they're going to try to be friends. She enjoyed talking with him. Between dance class in the morning and walking to and around the park, she'd gotten tired. She was glad he didn't question her when she sat down. On Sunday, Tina had invited her to the mall. The two of them had met for lunch at the food court, then did a little shopping. They weren't out long, but it was fun. Another friend. Three friends.
Her smile grows.
