CHAPTER 28
Bella slowly opened her eyes and immediately felt a pounding behind her temples. She groaned in pain and blinked back spots. The room slowly came into focus and Bella realised that she was in the hospital. As she looked around the room, she saw Finn lying on one of the chairs, she smiled slightly. He looked so adorable, a blanket draped across his legs, his soulful eyes blanketed by his gorgeous lashes and eyelids. He looked like he had been lying there for ages. His hair was extremely dishevelled and the position he was sleeping in could not be comfortable. As Bella tried to stand up, her head started pounding again and she let out a quiet groan in pain. Finn, being ex-military and all, was an incredibly light sleeper and although that groan was quiet enough to be inaudible to the average person, Finn's eyes snapped open and he looked at her. When he realised that she was indeed awake, he rushed over to her, pushing the nurse button next to her head.
"Finn?" She mumbled quietly. Finn smiled at her.
"Hey." He said.
"What are… what are you doing here?"
Finn shrugged.
"You know, Bella, I realised something." He remarked. "You broke up with me because I took a dumb risk that could've gotten me killed. But yesterday… yesterday, you did the same thing. You put your life on the line just so we could win a stupid championship."
Bella blushed furiously.
"You're just as bad as me." Finn smirked, cheekily. Bella tried to hit him on the shoulder lightly but as she raised her hand, her head flared in pain and tears sprung to her eyes. Finn's eyes widened and he started spamming the nurse button. The nurse walked into the room moments later and Finn stood up.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. I'll be right back." He said, walking out of the room and leaving Bella in the nurse's care. Once he was gone, the nurse turned to Bella.
"Your boyfriend is a really sweet guy." She stated.
"No, he's… he's not my boyfriend." Bella murmured quietly. The nurse raised an eyebrow as she gave Bella some pain meds.
"Really? Because he filled out all of the forms for you, he refused to leave your side when you were out. He even slept here. I'd love to meet the boyfriend who beats that guy." The nurse remarked before walking out of the room. Bella's mouth dropped. Finn had done all of that for her! Moments later, Finn walked back into the room, a couple of snacks in his arms.
"Hey. I figured you'd be hungry but I didn't know what to get you from the cafeteria. But then it hit me… Vending Machine!" He exclaimed, cheerfully. "I got chips, I got candy, I got chocolate, I got this thing called Heart Attack Soda which, in retrospect, doesn't seem too great so I'm just going to dump this out and…"
Suddenly, Finn was cut off when Bella slowly stood up, shakily walked over to him and kissed him. The snacks quickly slipped out of his hands as he grabbed her waist to support her and he kissed her back. The two of them were locked in a passionate embrace for several moments before they had to pull away for air.
"Wow." Bella murmured. "Finn… I still love you." She whispered.
"Well, you're clearly high on that medication." Finn joked. Bella giggled and hit him on the shoulder. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I love you too…"
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The next couple of weeks were some of the best of Finn's life. He won the Season MVP award and as the captain of the Ohio High School State Champions, college offers started to fly in. LSU, Wright State, Ohio State, UCLA, University of Michigan and Penn State had all offered him scholarships to play football for them next year. Scouts had clearly been watching Finn throughout the season and Finn was suddenly on the radar to play NFL football after high school. However, Finn didn't want to go pro. He knew very well that one injury would completely ruin his life and career. If anything, he wanted to use his scholarship to get a proper education and earn a good living. However, even though he had the girl, the college offers, the high school at his feet, and he was leading the Glee club into battle at Regionals, something was still missing. He couldn't quite place it. It was an… aching in his chest that nothing seemed to be able to quench.
In Glee rehearsal in mid February, the group were getting ready to have an official auditions for Regionals. Because nobody but Finn knew how to write an original song, Mr. Schue had decided to scrap that idea and just have regular auditions. However, he did have a theme that the potential soloists had to stick to…
"Regrets." Mr. Schue announced as the Glee club sat in the auditorium. Today was the day they decided once and for all who would be singing in Regionals and Mr. Schue had called in the big guns: he had brought in Ms. Pillsbury and Coach Beiste to help him with the deliberation. "The song you choose to sing has to have something to do with regrets. Who has some?"
"Cheating on Finn with Puck and lying about Beth's paternity." Quinn said, instantly.
"Not telling Finn after we knew that Puck was the father." Tina stated.
"Helping both Rachel and Quinn cheat on Finn." Puck said.
"Cheating on Finn with Puck." Rachel remarked.
"Breaking Finn and Rachel up by lying and saying that I slept with Finn." Santana said.
"Breaking up with Finn for a selfish, stupid, irrelavent reason." Bella murmured.
"Wow, you guys really screwed over Finn, huh?" Mr. Schue laughed as he turned to Finn. "I'm surprised you're still here, buddy. I thought you'd have not only transferred out again by now but like run away from home."
"Not yet." Finn chuckled.
"Well, I know one of Finn's regrets!" Puck exclaimed. Finn raised an eyebrow at him.
"Huh?" He asked, confused.
"Joining the military!" Puck remarked. Finn shook his head.
"Nah, don't regret that at all. That summer made me into the man I am today. Not to mention the fact that it brought Bella and I together. If I didn't join the Army, I probably would be at Dalton Academy, absolutely miserable, with no idea about the future. I don't really regret anything in my entirelife."
"Really? Not even when you ran back into the fire?" Mercedes asked.
"Nope." Finn replied.
"Not even when you transferred to Dalton for a couple of weeks?" Artie asked.
"Nah. Their recording equipment was incredible. I recorded a couple of songs and left. No harm, no foul."
"Not even when…" Tina started but Finn interrupted her.
"Guys, guys, guys, I'm gonna stop you right there. I don't have any regrets." Finn stated. He then realised something. "Actually, I do have one regret. I regret not going to my dad's funeral. I was young and I was in pain and I refused to go. It's the biggest mistake I've ever made." Finn murmured. Mr. Schue nodded.
"Okay. See. So we all have regrets. Who wants to sing first?"
Santana stood up.
"Mr. Schue, I'll go first." She said confidently. "So, as you all know, over the past couple of years, I've made a lot of mistakes. I've screwed over many of the people I considered my friends and if you guys weren't the most forgiving people in the world, you guys would have ditched me long ago. So, from the bottom of my heart, I'm truly, deeply sorry. I'm going to be singing Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word by Elton John. This song means a lot to me because if I had actually found the strength to apologise, a lot of people would be left with a lot less pain."
Sorry seems to be the hardest word
What I got to do to make you love me?
What I got to do to make you care?
What do I do when lightning strikes me?
And I wake to find that you're not there?
What I got to do to make you want me?
What I got to do to be heard?
What do I say when it's all over?
Sorry seems to be the hardest word.
It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation.
And it's getting more and more absurd.
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over?
Oh, it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word.
What do I do to make you want me?
What I got to do to be heard?
What do I say when it's all over?
Sorry seems to be the hardest word.
It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation.
And it's getting more and more absurd.
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over?
Oh, it seems to me...
Sorry seems to be the hardest word.
Yeah.
Sorry!
What do I do to make you love me?
What I got to do to be heard?
What do I do when lightning strikes me?
What have I got to do?
What have I got to do?
When sorry seems to be the hardest word.
At the end of the song, everyone applauded loudly. Santana had done a pretty good job at the complicated piano ballad and she had certainly set a high standard for the rest of the Glee club to compete at. She knew it too. She winked triumphant at the Glee club as she sat down.
"Wow, Santana, that was awesome." Mr. Schue said. "Let's take a quick break. Meet back here in half an hour."
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Later that day at Glee Club rehearsals Finn and Bella were obviously sitting next to each other, as they did every week. Bella was holding Finn's hand, tightly, as Rachel was performing her song about regrets - 'Breakeven' by The Script. She was a bit scared, and she had reason to be. Despite the fact that Bella and Finn were happily together, Rachel hadn't accepted defeat and she was still after Finn. And to make matters worse, Bella couldn't do much about it without seeming like a crazy, possessive girlfriend. She grabbed his upper arm as she looked at them while singing the song while Mercedes and Tina sang backup to her.
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just praying to a god that I don't believe in
'Cause I got time while she got freedom
'Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break even
Her best days will be some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even, no
What am I supposed to do
When the best part of me was always you?
And what am I supposed to say
When I'm all choked up and you're OK?
I'm falling to pieces
I'm falling to pieces
They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even, no
And what am I gonna do
When the best part of me was always you?
And what am I supposed to say
When I'm all choked up and you're OK?
I'm falling to pieces
I'm falling to pieces
I'm falling to pieces
(One still in love while the other one's leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
('Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break even)
Oh, you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain
You took your suitcase, I took the blame
Now I'm tryna make sense of what little remains
'Cause you left me with no love and no love to my name
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just praying to a god that I don't believe in
'Cause I got time while she got freedom
'Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break
No, it don't break
No, it don't break even, no
What am I gonna do
When the best part of me was always you?
And what am I supposed to say
When I'm all choked up and you're OK?
(Oh glad you're okay now)
As Rachel started singing the outro, Bella looked up at Finn, who looked disinterested by it all. He noticed her glancing sideways at him and he cracked her a smile before kissing her. Rachel's voice spiked when she saw him kiss Bella, and a few moments later, she stopped singing as jealousy got the better of her.
"Finn! I'm singing you a song and you're kissing that bitch!" She exclaimed, looking at Bella and then at Finn before saying… "You should be with me, not that thing!" She hissed at him.
Finn shot out of his seat to defend Bella.
"Don't you dare talk about Bella that way!" He shouted, approaching her. "She is 1000x better that you ever will be!" He turned around to his girlfriend to confirm this statement. Bella allowed herself a small smile before mouthing 'Thank you'.
"Ugh! Stop flirting, it's ugly!" Rachel hissed at them.
The Glee club fell silent for a few moments before Mercedes stood up and said... "Rach, you had your chance with Finn and you blew it." She said while pointing at Puck.
"Hey don't drag me into this! Me and Finn are cool now, right?" Puck exclaimed, looking over at Finn for reassurance.
"Yeah, we're cool." He said, nodding at Puck.
"UGH! I HATE YOU, BITCH!" Rachel screamed before storming out of the room.