RACHEL'S POV

"MATTHEW!" I shouted as I ran down the hospital hall, racing to his side.

Let me explain. Matthew is my absolute best friend. Last summer we got into a small argument and I ran away, across the street. He followed and got hit by a car. Ever since then he's been in a coma, and he's had pretty bad days. This is not the first time I've visited him if that's what you're thinking. When it first happened, I spent the first whole month not moving from the chair by his bed. I couldn't live with myself. I almost turned to a blade, but Ari helped me get over it. That's why it's such a big deal that she's all of a sudden blaming me for his accident.

The nurse who came into the room I was in while talking to Santana said that Matthew was having a bit of a fit. She didn't know if he was waking up or getting worse, so she came and got me. I arrived at the room and quickly sat down in the chair that I had claimed oh so long ago. I gripped his hand and hoped he would wake up.

"Matthew, please wake up. I'm begging you. Ari's not here, she says it's my fault. If she says it is, it must be. Roo, you need to wake up. If you don't I don't know what will happen." I cried, using my special nickname for him and praying. I think of the time I started calling him Roo.

~Flashback~

We were seven years old, and we first met.

"Hi, my name's Rachel!" I proclaimed happily.

"Hi, I'm Matthew." Matthew said.

"I can't say that all the time though!" I complained.

"Then call me Matt. All my other friends do."

"But I want to be special. How about Roo?"

"Okay, but only you can call me that."

"Yay!" I hugged him. "Thanks Roo!"

"But if you get a special name for me, I want a special name for you."

"Okay!" I smiled. This was a sign of friendship and I had the feeling we would be best friends for a long time.

"I don't know you well though."

"How about Boo? It rhymes with yours, my favorite fruit is blueberries which sounds like boo, and my favorite holiday is Halloween."

"Okay! People better be scared. Here come Roo and Boo!" He was so enthusiastic and he introduced me to all his friends which were Eric, Alex and Peter. In turn, I introduced him to Ari, Jaslene, Ellie, and Emerald.

~End Flashback~

I continued holding his hand until he calmed down from whatever the fit was, and then I ended up falling asleep.

PUCK'S POV

I had hung up the phone on Santana and watched the football game while Ma made dinner. My phone started ringing again. It was Santana again. I checked the time and it was about half an hour after I hung up on her. I decided to answer it out of boredom.

"You go for Puck."

"Do you know who Matthew is?" It was the first thing out of her mouth and the one thing that made me turn off the TV and sit up straight.

"Where did you hear that name?" I asked immediately. I didn't want her to push Rachel for any information she wasn't willing to give.

"I took your advice and called Rachel, and she just vented to me about that Ari chick, when all of a sudden she ended the call. But not before I heard her run and yell the name Matthew."

I cursed under my breath. I was joking, I didn't think she would actually call Rachel. Since she did, I guess I could tell her. I didn't want to do it without Rachel's permission though.

"I'll tell you everything I know when I get the OK from Rachel."

"So you don't have a choice anymore. And to think I thought you had balls."

I knew she was trying to do everything she could to get the information out of me. What shocked me was that she had an underlying tone of concern in her voice. Maybe she did care. Either way, he wasn't going to tell her.

"No actually, it's just a really sensitive situation and I still don't understand all of it. It was all normal until Ari commented on something, then all hell broke loose. That's all I'm telling you without Rachel."

"That's actually pretty cool Puck." I smiled, then internally cringed when I remembered that it was a fairy.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked when there was a lull in conversation.

"Yeah, uh, could you maybe do me a favor?" I asked awkwardly.
Santana was about to make some smart-ass comment, but she heard the concern in my voice. "Maybe. What is it?"

"Could you help me and Rachel avoid the Gleeks tomorrow? They're going to want to know all about it and I don't think they should. Rachel didn't tell them for a reason."

"Of course… Puck, do you think something big is up?"

"I don't think there is, I know there is. I just don't know what."

"Kay, I'll see you."

"You too." By the time we both hung up, Ma had finished cooking dinner.

"Is everything alright Noah?" We were sitting at the table with my little sister Sarah when she asked me this.

"Yes, I just wish Rachel wasn't always such a mystery now."

"What do you mean?" Ma asked, a crease between her brow.

"When she was Rachel Barbara Berry, she was so open about everything. Now I know it was just a facade and everything, but this new her isn't as trusting or forgiving. I'm happy that she's finally standing up for herself and everything, I just wish I knew more about the real her."

"Let her get through this, she'll let you know when she needs you, and she will open up when she's ready. I know you're impatient, and don't try to deny it," she said when she say me start to protest. "You're impatient, but you can't rush everything, especially when there are feelings involved."

I nodded my head dejectedly. "Thanks Ma, I'll talk to Rachel tomorrow and see how she is. She was worrying me when I left."

"You just left her at the school?" Ma asked angrily.

I held my hands up in surrender. "I tried to give her a ride home, but she took us in her car to her practice."

She relaxed and we finished dinner. I laid on my bed when I finished my homework and thought over everything that's happened since Rachel changed. She is really different now, but in the best way. Just as I'm about to fall asleep, one thought rings in my head.

I'm starting to fall in love with Rachel Berry.