Chapter five: Neutral my Ass

Word Count: 3, 239

Mike was quiet.

Puck was quiet.

And both boys were too deep in thought to feel the supposedly awkwardness that was supposed to come with it. Puck couldn't forget the way Quinn looked at him. It wasn't full on ice-queen glare but it wasn't far from. It was in fact the closest to a hateful stare he had gotten since Beth. It bothered him. A lot.

Something was bothering Mike too. But it wasn't the semi cruel glare Puck had been on the receiving end of. It was the way Rachel looked at them after she told everyone why she quit. The arguing began and there were – as per usual – certain comments and words being thrown around carelessly. Rachel heard all of them. She knew they were meant for her. Mike had seen it happen. So many times, before. But he had never watched her. He had never seen as the words hit her. It was like watching an invisible force hit her. Every word was another hit. And the saddest part was the fact that she had no one to turn to. Had it been anyone else they would have looked for support in a friend. Rachel didn't. She just looked down.

Mike sighed and pulled his hand through his hair.

"Fuck, we screwed up so bad."

Puck nodded.

"We need to fix this."

Puck laughed and forced himself up in a sitting position on the bed. "How do you propose we do that?"

Mike shrugged. He hadn't gotten that far yet. "We go see Rachel?"

"And do what?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "We apologize, asshole, have you ever heard of that concept?"

"Okay man," Puck held his hands up, gesturing for his friend to calm down. "I get what you're saying. But we can't just walk over to Rachel fucking Berry and ask her to forgive us. We're going to need to do something bigger than that. I mean you heard the woman. She quit Glee because we bullied her."

"Hey", Mike held up his hands. "You bullied her. And those other assholes bullied her. I'm innocent."

"Yeah asshole," Puck laughed. "There's no such fucking thing. Either you're on the bullies' side – which according to you is me and the rest of those assholes – or you're on Rachel's side. You can't be fucking neutral in this. That's like being fucking neutral in wars; it doesn't work like that."

"Sweden was neutral during World War II." Mike shrugged. "And Switzerland."

"Neutral my ass. Sweden let the fucking Germans use their railroads. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like something you'd do if you were neutral."

"What about Switzerland?"

"Exception to the rule. Look man either you can admit it and own up to it, you were a fucking asshole to Rachel just like the rest of us. Or you can deny it like a coward. I don't give a shit because no matter what you decide to fucking do we're still going to apologize." Puck looked down on his cell phone. He became quiet for a moment and then smiled. "There you go."

"What did you do?"

"I apologized to man hands." Puck said with a smug expression on his face. "I just got us back in her good graces. You can thank me later."

"You didn't actually call her man hands in the text?"

Puck frowned. "Why, would that be a bad thing?"

Mike let out a sigh that said so much more than words ever could. This apologizing thing was going to be much harder than he thought.

GLEE

They weren't exactly discrete. Or maybe they were and Quinn were just really attentive. Regardless of the reason Quinn knew that Puck and Mike were behind her before they managed to say a word. It had been a week since Rachel told everyone in Glee-club why she chose to quit and she had since then opted for staying home 'sick'. Every morning the two boys had asked where Rachel was and if she would show up tomorrow. Maybe that was the reason Quinn knew they were standing behind her before they said anything. Like clockwork they managed to show up by her locker at exactly 8:10.

"Hello Puck, Mike." Quinn closed her locker and turned around. "She's home sick today too."

"Fuck."

Quinn glared at Puck. "Yeah well, if you don't have anything else to say I'm going to take off."

She only managed to take a few steps before Mike effectively stopped her by standing in front of her. Quinn raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Is she okay?" Mike asked. The sensitivity in his voice didn't surprise Quinn.

Quinn shrugged. "She's tired but other than that she claims to be okay."

"But she's not?"

"Of course, she's not okay. Her confidence has hit rock bottom. She's voluntarily changed almost everything about herself that makes her stand out because she doesn't want anyone to notice her. For god's sake, she's not even singing anymore. And she used to love singing more than anything in the entire world. We broke her and now I'm doing my damn best to fix her again."

"I was thinking about going to see her, ask how she is and stuff like that."

Quinn poked him in the chest in between the words. "Do. Not. Go. See. Rachel!"

Mike took a step back and rubbed the spot where she had poked him. "Why not?"

"Because you, assholes, spread a bunch of rumors about her because she wanted to keep something to herself. I'm assuming that it wouldn't be below you to do the same thing again if she doesn't accept your apology. And now you're sending her these bullshit texts trying to apologize. Speaking off, Puck you're fucking horrible at apologizing. It's painful to watch." Quinn sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. Just stop texting her and don't go see her. I'm going to class. I'll see you guys later."

Mike took one step to the side and allowed the blonde to pass by. It looked as if she wasn't aware of the fact that people were watching her as she walked down the corridor. Or maybe she did but didn't care. That would be more like the Quinn that he thought he knew.

He turned around to look at Puck who raised an eyebrow at him. The fact that Quinn had told him that he was horrible at apologizing seemed to have gone completely over his head. As a lot of other things seemed to do. Most of the times it was only the things that would actually be useful for him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I want you to distract Quinn for me."

Puck scoffed. "While you do what?"

"While I go talk to Rachel."

Puck laughed. "And tell her what? I've tried apologizing like a million times through texts and she hasn't budged yet. What makes you think that anything you have to say will change that?"

Mike smirked. "Because I know how to apologize. Unlike you."

"You're an asshole."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah whatever. So, you'll do it?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Puck said. "But if you get caught by the ice queen you're on your own Chang."

"Coward."

"That's not being a coward Chang. That's what people would call survival instinct. You should try it sometime."

Mike rolled his eyes and raised the hand he wasn't holding his phone with. Yeah, maybe sometime.

GLEE

Rachel's phone beeped. Again. She didn't even bother to look at the phone. It was probably Puck. He had for some reason not let one day go by without sending her a text. Rachel had shown them to Quinn and the blonde had raised an eyebrow and told Rachel that was about as sweet as Puck could get.

The first time he had only written; Look man hands, I'm sorry for fucking everything up.

It was straight to the point. No moving around the issue at hand. Rachel couldn't quite understand why he thought it would be a good idea to call her midget though but that was a whole other issue at hand.

The second message was sent mere minutes later; Fuck, I didn't mean to call you man hands. Sorry!

Rachel had almost laughed out loud at that point. And simultaneously wondered who'd told him that calling her man hands and apologizing at the same time wasn't that intelligent of him. It was probably Mike. The two seemed to have found each other. Rachel both loved it and hated it. She loved it because then Mike wouldn't have to be alone without Matt. And maybe Puck would get himself together. She hated it because them being friends had proven not too good for her so far.

Rachel sighed deeply. It felt like that was the only sound coming from her lately. She couldn't help it.

She was exhausted. It was just after eight in the morning and she had yet to get up. Her cellphone was on the table next to her bed where she had put it straight after calling the school and telling them that she was sick today too. Well technically it wasn't her calling. It was her aunt who had told the school Rachel was out sick but she'll definitely be back next week. Thank god for acting.

It was hard getting up. It was heavy. And had been for so long that Rachel had almost forgotten what it was like not to struggle to leave the bed in the morning. Just like she had almost forgotten what it felt like to sing. But only almost. If she would have told anyone they would have thought she was crazy. Crazier than normal that is. Rachel Berry had not gone a day in her life without singing. And now she had all of the sudden stopped completely. Not entirely voluntarily thought.

No, Rachel quit because she didn't want to. Because the mere idea of singing anything made her guts churn and a shiver was sent down her spine. She didn't want to sing and that was final. She wasn't about to start because people thought she was supposed to. She wasn't that broken down.

The house was entirely quiet. It wasn't odd that Rachel heard when someone knocked on the door. The first time she believed it was someone who had gone to the wrong house. Quinn was at school. Her fathers were working out of state. Surely, no one had any reason to come around at that time of day. Then whoever it was knocked a second time and Rachel hurried out of bed. She frowned before even making it down the stairs. Her frown was deepened when she saw who it was. She tilted her head when she looked at him and pursed her lips.

"Hello Michael."

Mike scratched his neck. "Hey Rachel. I wanted to come by and talk to you for a little bit."

Rachel frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, but I skipped."

"I can see that." Rachel said. "Why?"

"I told you, I want to talk to you." Mike became quiet. Rachel could tell that his face was slowly turning into some kind of shade of red. A part of her liked seeing someone else feel self-conscious for a change. But the joy only lasted for a brief moment.

Rachel took a step to the side and offered him a smile. "Come in Michael."

This was going to be interesting if nothing else, Rachel thought as she closed the door behind them.

GLEE

Quinn had a thing for Puck. She knew that. He knew that. The whole fucking school probably knew.

But that did not mean that Quinn Fabray was in any blind to his behaviors. She knew what each and every facial expression he had meant. And the moment she saw him standing by her locker after that first class she knew that he was hiding something. He was so bad at hiding it. So, bad it was almost painful. No, it was painful.

Puck had a thing for Quinn. He knew that. She knew that. The whole school knew that without a doubt.

They did not see the difference between Puck trying to hide something from her and Puck just acting the way he normally does. To her that is. No one reacted when he stood by her locker after the first class. Or the second. Or the third.

Quinn did, see the difference, but it took to the end of the day before she confronted him.

"What are you doing?" she asked once she'd slammed her locker shut.

"What am I doing?" Puck pointed at her locker. "What are you doing? Did someone say something, do you want me to talk to them?"

He flexed his muscles when he said that last part and almost managed to make Quinn forget what she was doing. She barely repressed the smile that threatened to appear on her face.

"No," she said and pushed his arms down to his sides. "I want you to tell me what it is that you've been hiding the entire day. I'm not stupid."

"I haven't been hiding anything."

The answer came so quickly, yet it sounded so calm and almost completely truthful. Quinn tilted her head to the right and frowned at the young man. Much like other boys – mostly Finn – she had used that look on he began squirming after a few moments. It was funnier watching Puck squirm. It was so unlike him. He looked between her eyes and her lips. He didn't do anything. He did not move a muscle. Quinn was impressed. Involuntarily so but impressed never the less.

"Okay then." Quinn said.

Puck stood silent. "Was that it?" Quinn nodded. "You're just going to believe me? Just like that?"

"Yeah." Quinn began walking down the corridor. Puck followed. "If you tell me that you have nothing to hide then I believe you. Besides, I don't really have time for chit chat. I'm going to see a friend. She's in desperate need of some support at the time. A lot of shit has been going on lately."

"Really, who?"

"Rachel."

Puck took ahold of Quinn's shoulder. He didn't even think while he did it. He just acted. He had told Mike that he was on his own. But he hadn't really meant that. He couldn't let Mike face Quinn alone. Quinn was nothing less than a force to be reckoned with. A scary force to be reckoned with because unlike so many others Quinn needed very little to motivation for her to fight for her friends.

Quinn's smile grew. "Yes Noah?"

Oh fuck, Puck thought the moment he hears her use his real name. He was nothing short of screwed. She rarely used his real name. But when she did it almost made fucking angels appear around his head and it took a lot of his badass-self not to start grinning like a fool right then and there.

"Mike's there."

Quinn hit his shoulder. "That fucker." She cursed and hurried down the corridor. "I told him not to go there. What the fuck is wrong with the two of you Puckerman? Do you have some deep unhealthy desire to make life miserable for Rachel?"

Puckerman, he sighed. One didn't need to be a genius to figure out that going back to surnames was not a good sign.

"I don't know. At first, we wanted to know why she was quitting. I admit out way of finding out was pretty fucked up but this time I don't think Mike is trying to do anything. I really think he just wants to apologize." Puck was supposed to take books with him so that he could study during the weekend.

His mother's orders and for some reason this time he opted for listening to her. At least he thought about listening to her and he had every intention of going through with her orders. But sometimes things get in the way and when he stood between the choice of getting his books or following Quinn Puck ended up following Quinn instead. She didn't tell him to get out of her car. He took that as a sign that he was free to come with her.

"I mean seriously, I tell you guys to stay the fuck away and you do the exact opposite." Quinn began driving away from school.

"Yeah I know. But Quinn, I really think that Mike is just trying to apologize this time. He just wants to make sure that she's okay."

Quinn glanced over at Puck, it wasn't hard to tell that she didn't believe him. Then her eyes caught something. "Seatbelt Noah."

Puck didn't hesitate to put it on. She wasn't speeding but there was something in her eyes when she spoke. Some kind of protectiveness he had only seen few times. The kind of protectiveness that came out when Quinn was needed. The way Puck saw it, there was protectiveness and there was protectiveness. Quinn was the latter. She was protective of the people she cared about only when they couldn't protect themselves. Only when they didn't seem to think about doing things to make sure that they were safe. She was not some kind of bodyguard ready to take a bullet whenever she was needed but she was ready to help people she loved when they could no longer help themselves.

"You would have been a good mother:" Puck said softly. He couldn't tell where it came from.

Quinn smiled at him. She hesitated for a while before she spoke. "I expect things from you, Noah." She said softly. "I know a lot people don't. A lot of people assume that you are going to fail but I want you to know that I expect you to do great things. Because I know you can."

Puck would never admit to it. But that comment made his heart soar more than hearing her call him Noah. He would never admit that he looked away because his eyes were filled with tears. And he would definitely never ever admit that he began crying when he felt Quinn take his hand. Never.

"Do you want to go talk somewhere?" Quinn asked after a while. He nodded. "Okay, we'll let Mike and Rachel talk. If you say that he just wants to apologize, then I believe you."

Puck nodded again. "Thanks Quinn." He replied sounding somewhat horse.

He could hear a smile on her face when she replied. "You're welcome Noah."