Chapter 2:
Rachel had the room ready, she'd even changed her outfit. The cleaners had looked at her clothes and sighed and she knew there was little chance she'd wear them again. She closed her eyes and memories flooded back of when she was here, when she sang and when she loved and then there was Quinn. When she opened them Brad was sat at the piano and it felt like nothing had changed. A boy stood in the doorway. The one from the morning, the one that reminded her of Finn.
"Ms Berry?" he stepped in nervously.
"You've come to audition." She asked a little too eagerly. This boy had to be the quarterback. If he was in, then she knew others would follow.
"Audition?" he rubbed his forehead in confusion. She could see that thinking taxed him almost as much as it used to trouble Finn. "I, um, I came to say sorry. For the slushy I mean. I honestly didn't mean to get you. Ricky pushed me. It was just bad timing, Mrs Andrews got all mad on me. Anyway. Sorry. Like really."
"I forgive you..." She paused still unaware of his name.
"I'm Jimmy miss."
"Can you sing?" Rachel wasn't letting him go.
"Never tried."
"Favourite song? Favourite band?"
"I like, um you know, stuff." He shrugged.
"Brad?" she turned to the piano and he nodded before playing a few notes. Rachel began to sing and Jimmy watched her, transfixed. "You know this one?" he nodded and she encouraged him to join in.
As they sang along together she felt a thrill at what she'd discovered. Jimmy could sing. He was tall, handsome and hopefully popular. He would be her star recruit.
"That was pretty awesome." Jimmy was looking around the room when he saw the drum kit and sat himself down. "I used to play, before football." He shrugged. "but we don't get much time for anything else now. Coach works us hard."
"You'll join glee though?" Rachel asked anxiously. "We can fit around practice and it'll look good on your college applications."
"I'll think about it." He smiled his winning smile and held Rachel's expectant gaze for longer than she was comfortable. Averting her eyes she saw Quinn watching them from the doorway.
"Ms Berry, you got a second?" Quinn's old coldness now seemed to be her permanent persona. Although she was talking to Rachel, her eyes never left Jimmy.
"Quinn, I mean, Mrs Andrews." Rachel felt flustered as she followed Quinn out into the hall.
"Best not to be alone with a student. Rules are strict here." Quinn tapped her fingers against the door frame.
"I'm not alone." Rachel pointed back into the room. "Brad's with me."
"Brad?" Quinn peered back in and finally noticed Brad sat at the piano. "How did you find him?" she smiled warmly, it was nice to see another old face. "Nothing should surprise me when you're involved though should it?"
Rachel picked up on the warmth in Quinn's tone and she found herself smiling at her expectantly. They'd left High School as almost friends. She hoped that was something that could now be possible. They'd talked of staying in touch, but it never happened and life had passed a lot quicker than Rachel could have imagined. A lot had changed since the last time they'd seen each other. It had surprised her to find that Quinn was now married, but she'd get to asking questions about that another time.
"I should get back. It's almost audition time."
"I'll leave you to it." Quinn stepped back, before looking back at Rachel. "Just watch Jimmy, he's charming, but he's trouble too. His on off girlfriend Mischa...well that girl is more trouble than Santana. Any problems and you come see me."
"Thanks Quinn." Rachel placed a hand on Quinn's arm and held her in place for a moment. "It's lovely to see you again." Rachel had a lot to say but before she could continue Quinn had shook her grip and was walking away.
xoxo
Lunch had ended and Rachel had three more members. Admittedly they were the only three that had turned up and she couldn't push them away for lack of talent. She knew that a good club needed diversity and maybe one of these kids would turn out to be a dancer like Mike, or sway like Tina.
She needed numbers if they were to compete and with Jimmy she had four, but she knew getting him to commit to glee wouldn't be an easy task.
"No, this won't do at all." She said to herself as she packed up her sheet music. Making her way towards the principals office, she saw Quinn sat behind a desk, reading.
"Rachel!" Quinn looked up flustered at the intrusion.
"Three kids Quinn! Three. Why doesn't anyone want to express themselves anymore. Music and the arts are fading away and why? I just need to get a club together, to get out there and win. Show them that it means something to compete and to have talent. I need you to send some students to me. You promised you'd help."
Quinn had one eye on Rachel and one on the class that were watching the one sided conversation with great amusement.
"I'll talk to you in the staff room." Quinn glared at Rachel, hoping it would stop her talking.
"It can't wait Quinn. I need this. Please."
Quinn took Rachel's hands loosely in her own. Nodding her ascent. "I'll help, but right now I've got a class Rach."
"Oh!" Rachel turned to see a room full of faces looking at her. Where others may have blushed, Rachel beamed. She loved attention it was part of who she was. "Hello, I'm Ra, I'm Ms Berry."
"You're the woman on the wall." A girl piped up.
"Woman on the what?" Rachel felt panic grip her, she remembered the pornographic pictures that were once scrawled on the toilet walls. She turned to Quinn searching for an explanation.
"Principal Stephens created a tribute. Some of your work, some playbills. It's next to the auditorium. You really can't miss it."
"Lovely." Rachel calmed, already planning a trip to the auditorium before she headed home. She turned back to the class. "I would love to see some of you in glee club. Singers? dancers? Any talent, any itch that some of you might want to scratch. I have always said Glee club is what gave me the strength to fight and the head to perform. Your teacher here was also someone that helped give me a push when I needed it. Look where it got me." She shrugged with a faint laugh and felt that some of the class were drawn to her. "Maybe one of you could do better!" she still had the sign up sheet in her hand and passed it to the boy at the front desk, he passed it on without looking so did the next. Then a shy girl looked up at her through her lashes before scribbling her name down. The boy next to her did the same.
"Now can I have my class back?" Quinn handed back the sign up sheet. She had five more names. It was a start.
"For now." Rachel sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed it in a failed attempt to contain the smile on her face.
"Thank you." Quinn was quickly ushering Rachel from the room.
"You can buy me a drink later too." Rachel added as she got to the door. Not giving Quinn the chance to reply.
xoxo
Thirty minutes later and Quinn watched as her class filed out. She sat back behind her desk and shook her head, but she couldn't help but smile. Her world had changed in just a few hours. She was stunned. Rachel Berry was in Lima. She was back and she was as consuming as ever.
Seeing Rachel this morning was one thing, now she found she was already agreeing to help her out and tonight there were drinks. She could never say no to Rachel, not back in High School and not now.
"Oh Fabray." Sue Sylvester had been watching her from the open doorway as she agonised over her thoughts. Quinn hated and loved Sue in the same breath. It worked well when she was a student here and it worked better now she was a teacher. Somehow they survived each other.
"Trouble Sue?" She questioned nonchalantly.
"Berry is in town, of course there's trouble. I get the feeling you've already met it. The soft eyes Q. Always soft."
"She's starting the glee club again. I think it's a good idea." Quinn ignored Sue's digs.
"Of course you do Q. Makes me wonder why I didn't put more focus on that other one, the Latina, but then Berry got to her too, made her soft. Saddens me." Sue clutched her chest as if she actually meant it, but Quinn knew better.
"I'm helping. Maybe McKinley can make a mark again. It's been too long since this school won something."
"Too long since I had my full cheerios budget Q! Back then we were everything and you were the girl that could make it. But you let it slide. Babies!" Sue sighed.
"One baby. My Beth." Quinn growled. She could hold it together most of the time but she had her weaknesses and Sue was always happy to poke.
"End of your prospects though. You can see that now." Sue's eyes shone as she affirmed her point.
"Sue." Quinn sucked in a deep breath. "I graduated, I studied. I'm teaching English here now and I'm happy."
"Still a poor liar Q. Such a shame I lost you."
"Lost me?"
"To that lump Schue and that vile little dwarf Berry. Nothing came between you and Berry. I remember you pleading for that year book spread. I should have taken you all down then. I'm still grieving over it now."
"Seriously?" Quinn sighed she'd heard it all before. Sue was as bitter as ever.
"You say you're happy?" Sue stepped closer to Quinn. "Still the best liar I ever met." She winked knowingly and left the room.
Quinn was stuck in her chair, she hadn't the energy to move. Despite what she'd assured Sue, she wasn't sure she really was happy. That question had been a recurring theme lately. She'd returned to Lima. She met someone and married. She was supposed to be happy. Her job was more fulfilling than she'd actually dreamed. She liked it, she liked her students, but then Rachel was in that hallway this morning and the questions returned.
She knew in her heart that the instant she saw Rachel in the hall this morning was the moment she felt the happiest she'd felt since high school. Notably she wasn't happy in high school . But she was happy when Rachel sang, when she planned and schemed and when Rachel made her own dreams come true. She was proud that she'd helped send Rachel on her way. That Rachel hadn't settled, that she'd made it regardless of all the doubts and the troubles she'd faced along the way. Rachel was worthy of the wall that they dedicated to her. She was worthy of so much more.
Why Rachel was in Lima had her confused, but she'd not really been looking for an answer to that question, instead she'd allowed herself to get wrapped up in Rachel's project to re-establish the glee club.
The bell rang and her next class arrived and then the next. She cruised through the afternoon. Work had her focus, but now the end of day was here and that meant drinks. She had so many questions, it had been a long time since they'd seen each other.
Grabbing her purse, Quinn made her way back to her car. A group of seniors were still hanging out and she stopped for a moment and listened. Jimmy was talking to Mischa, his arms moving as he passionately recounted his meeting with Ms Berry. Mischa was visibly irritated, Quinn watched as the girl folded her arms, resisting all her boyfriends attempts to reason with her.
"You should sign up." Quinn interrupted, making her presence known.
"You what?" Mischa was ready to pounce until she was met with Quinn's cold stare. "Oh, sorry, Mrs Andrews." Mischa quickly backed down. Quinn had helped her out plenty of times in and out of class and Mischa liked her, but she tried not to show it too often.
"Glee club. Rach, I mean Ms Berry, well she's amazing. You want to make something of yourself? Get out of Lima? She could be that ticket."
"Maybe I will miss." Mischa softened until her focus returned to Jimmy. "Gotta keep an eye on him either way." She added.
"I'll tell Ms Berry you're in then." Quinn smiled, she knew Rachel would be pleased at having members even if she wasn't completely aware of what she was letting herself in for.
Quinn knew that where Mischa went the others followed. They weren't all chasing the quarter back like Rachel once had.
With Mischa Rachel had a chance. One thing Quinn believed in was Rachel's ability to make a bunch of misfits into something special. She'd done it before when they were students and she could easily do it now.
Whatever anyone else said about those days Quinn had always seen the truth that Rachel was the heart of glee, the one they all needed to make it. No matter how much they knocked her down or pulled her to pieces, Rachel kept coming back. She believed in them all and Quinn had always believed in her.
The only other car in the lot was Sue's. She walked to her own, wondering if Rachel had really meant they should have drinks and how she'd get in touch, when she found a note pinned under her wiper. She should have known Rachel would find a way to contact her.
'Quinn, I have to take a call at 4pm so rushed back to my Dad's. Meet you at Breadstix at 7pm. Have booked a table. Hope you can make it. R x'
Quinn read the note twice before punching the number scrawled at the bottom of the page into her phone. For the last three weeks she'd gone home, skipped dinner and sunk into her bed alone and not emerged until morning. Her life had been all about her work lately but the moment she knew Rachel was working at McKinley too was the moment she knew everything would change.
xoxo