Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe the amount of reviews I got! Thank you all for reviewing. :)
This is the shortest time between updates that I've ever had. So you guys are lucky, if that's any sign for the rest of the story.
I've got more to tell you, but I'll say it at the end. Enjoy the story!
Chapter Two
Rachel thinks she's never been happier when Mr. Schuester announces that Glee Club gets another year. The knowledge that this amazing, wonderful part of her life isn't coming to an end fuels her courage to confront Finn about what happened before their performance at Regionals.
"Finn, wait up," she calls, as they all spill out of the choir room after Mr. Schuester's amazing performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Nine months ago, he wouldn't have waited for her. But all of New Directions are different people now than they were nine months ago.
"What is it, Rachel?"
"We need to talk." She pulls him into an abandoned classroom and shuts the door.
"What's wrong?"
She takes a deep breath. "Before we did "Faithfully" at Regionals… you said you loved me."
(She lies to herself and pretends that was the last time she heard those words.)
"I do love you, Rachel. It took me a while to realize it, but I have for a long time. If it weren't for you, I probably would've quit Glee a long time ago, which would suck, because I really like it now. Even when I was with Quinn, you were always there for me when I needed a friend. It broke my heart to see you with Jesse, after I was stupid enough to let you go. And now that he's out of the picture… do you think there's any way you can give me another chance?"
Finn would be a good boyfriend, Rachel realizes. He's always been nice to her, even when his friends were throwing slushies in her face (which, to be honest, they still do sometimes). There's no drama between them – no secrets, no lies, no betrayal. Being with Finn would be easy.
"Yes," she hears herself saying.
Finn's face lights up in a huge smile. Without another word, he leans down and kisses her.
Kissing Finn is nice. It doesn't make fireworks explode behind her eyes or send tingles down her spine, but it's nice. She feels safe in his arms, like nothing can hurt her.
Rachel doesn't want another relationship like the one she had with Jesse. She's willing to settle for nice, if it means she won't be alone.
Without their star male lead and demanding coach, Vocal Adrenaline slips. Meanwhile, New Directions grows.
They take Regionals Rachel's junior year, and go all the way to Nationals, where they place second. By then, Figgins reluctantly accepts that Glee Club is here to stay for good at McKinley High, and stops threatening to pull the club. (This makes Coach Sylvester incredibly angry, but no one really cares.)
Rachel refuses to think of senior year as a "victory lap" (the way someone once referred to it as), and pushes the club even further. With her intense focus, they win first place at Nationals, giving Glee Club a big shiny trophy of their own to display, cementing in everyone's minds that they are winners. By now, the slushie-facials have stopped completely, something for which Rachel is intensely grateful. (Washing ice and flavored high-fructose corn syrup out of her hair and clothes every day would be even more humiliating as a senior.)
Even with everything else on her plate (leading New Directions, spending time with her friends, dating Finn), Rachel manages to get the highest GPA in the class. She spends weeks agonizing over her valedictorian's speech, driving both of her dads, Quinn, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, and Finn insane having to listen to every re-write. (Of course, the only ones who say anything about it are Kurt and Mercedes.)
She steps a little outside her comfort zone with her graduation dress, choosing a soft olive green cotton halter number with thin straps and a slightly ruffled hem that ended several inches above the knee. Normally, she wouldn't have even tried on something so simple, but Kurt (who'd acted as stylist during the "New Directions' ladies grad dress shopping trip") had insisted she try it on, and pronounced her "smoking hot", an assessment the rest of the girls agreed on. Of course, it's hidden under the blue cap and gown (with gold valedictorian sash!), but she'll look fabulous for the picture taking afterwards, and the myriad graduation parties planned (parties which she has an invitation to, thanks to Finn).
Finn is still her boyfriend. They've had a couple of fights, and a memorable breakup period the previous winter (where Rachel tried to get over him with Puck, of all people), but eventually they wound up back together again. Finn's the picture of a perfect boyfriend: bringing her flowers after a fight, planning romantic dinners for special occasions, helping her study for tests (even though she usually winds up helping him instead), even sitting through Barbra Streisand movie marathons with her. He's never pushed her to go further than she wants to, unlike previous boyfriends of hers. On the surface, it seems as if Rachel has everything she could have ever wanted.
(But as hard as she tries to forget about him, her dreams are still haunted by the memory of a curly-haired boy dressed in black, with a voice like magic and kisses that set her body on fire.)
"Can you believe we just graduated?" Mercedes gushes.
"I know, right? It still doesn't feel real," Quinn says.
"Just wait until tomorrow morning, when we're all nursing enormous hangovers from the graduation parties. Then it'll start to feel real," Puck laughs.
As improbable as it seems, the New Directions group are actually close-knit friends outside of the choir room, after all these years. Everyone else is milling around the auditorium (even spilling out the doors), taking pictures and talking with friends and family, but New Directions are huddled together, talking and laughing, all secretly not wanting the moment to end.
"Has everyone signed my yearbook?" Kurt brandishes a colorful array of Sharpies and the aforementioned white-covered yearbook. "I want to make sure I get everyone's numbers so we can stay in touch – and I can invite you all to the fabulous Hollywood parties I'm sure to get invited to."
Rachel laughs. Kurt is heading out to Los Angeles for college, to the Art Institute of California in Hollywood to study fashion design. She has no doubt that one day, Kurt Hummel designs will be sold in department stores across the world.
"Ooh, I haven't signed it yet!" Tina exclaims, grabbing the yearbook and a bright blue Sharpie. Tina received a scholarship to the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and Artie – devoted boyfriend that he is – is following her out there.
"Me neither," Brittany says, her head resting casually on Santana's shoulder, their pinkies linked as always. Brittany and Santana finally came out as a couple at the beginning of senior year, and after the requisite girl-on-girl-cheerleader-fantasy thing from the guys, everyone was pretty much okay with it. (It didn't hurt that the New Directions group had suspected they were a couple since sophomore year.) Brittany was accepted into Julliard on a dance scholarship, but turned it down to go to Ohio State University with Santana.
Rachel surveys the group around her, marveling at how incredibly different they all are outside of the choir room. There's Puck and Quinn, who finally got their act together and started dating for real this spring. The two of them are going to University of Chicago together – Puck on a football scholarship, Quinn to study medicine. Mike Chang also got accepted to Julliard for dance, and unlike Brittany, he's going there. Matt also has a football scholarship, except to Arizona State. Mercedes is going to Hollywood with Kurt, and she'll be studying at UCLA.
Rachel is heading to New York, to NYU on a voice scholarship. She'd always known she'd end up in New York at some point in her life, and college seemed like an excellent place to start. Finn also applied, but he didn't get in. This put a little strain on their relationship, but Rachel is nothing if not an optimist. She's willing to try and make it work between them after high school, even with him at Ohio State and her at NYU. And for the most part, he seems willing too.
"What are you thinking about, Rach?" Finn's voice breaks Rachel from her thoughts, and she impulsively reaches up and gives him a quick kiss.
"Nothing, really."
"I told you, I don't want to drink tonight!" Quinn insists. From the sounds of things, a Puck/Quinn argument is brewing.
"But baby, I promised Jack we'd be at his party," Puck says.
"You can go, but I'm not setting foot inside Jack Nicholson's house," Quinn says firmly. "I've heard too many stories about how he spikes all the drinks, and I'm just not going there."
"Please, baby? For me?" Puck's flashing his famous "puppy dog" face, which looks less silly on him than it would if he still had his Mohawk. (Thank God he stopped doing it after he was forced to shave it off sophomore year.)
Quinn sighs. "Alright, fine, but if you get me pregnant again, I swear to God I will kill you." She's laughing as she says this, though, and there's a smile in her eyes, which makes Rachel happy that she's happy. After what poor Quinn had to go through sophomore year, she deserves some happiness. (The fact that it's with Puck is weird, but at least she's happy. And to his credit, he has straightened up his act in the past two years.)
"Are you going to Jack's, Finn?" Puck asks. "Or are you and Rachel gonna have your own private party?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and Rachel can't help but giggle, even though that's the furthest thing from her mind on graduation day when she and her boyfriend are about to be separated by six hundred miles.
"No, we're going to Jack's," Finn says, blushing slightly. Even though they've been dating for over two years, Rachel still hasn't been ready to take that step. To his credit, Finn's been a gentleman, never rushing her or forcing her.
"Everybody, get in close! I want a group picture!" Mercedes announces, and they all squish in as Mrs. Jones fiddles with her daughter's camera. "Say cheese!"
Mr. Schuester walks over to the group as Mrs. Jones hands Mercedes back her camera, arm in arm with Ms. Pillsbury. After two rocky years of screwing up their chances with each other and dating other people, the choir director and the guidance counselor finally started dating for real and for good.
"I can't say how proud I am of all of you," Mr. Schuester says, beaming. "This is like the end of an era."
"Oh, Mr. Schue, don't get all sappy on us," Kurt laughs. "That's my job."
Everyone laughs, even Mr. Schuester.
"And besides, we won at Nationals. There's no way Figgins can cancel the club now," Rachel reminds him.
"That's true, but it's just not going to be the same. I'm going to miss each and every single one of you so much. You'd all better come back and visit."
"Of course we will, Mr. Schue," Finn says, smiling, one arm wrapped tightly around Rachel's waist.
They take some more pictures with Mr. Schuester, and talk a little more, promising to meet up again that night at Jack's party (for those who are going), and setting dates to hang out during the summer before they all split up to go to college. Eventually, the auditorium starts to empty out, and Rachel and Finn make their way back towards the crush of people leaving.
"I'll see you tonight," Finn promises, leaning down to kiss her on the lips.
"See you tonight," she says, smiling, still holding his hand as he starts to leave until the distance between them is too great and their fingers slip apart.
She watches him go, before turning her sharp eyes onto the crowd of families searching for their graduates. In addition to her dads, Shelby and little two-year-old Beth are waiting for her somewhere, so they can all go out to dinner at her favorite Italian place before she meets Finn to go to Jack's party.
Rachel scans the crowd several times, but no luck. She sighs, preparing to have to go push her way through all the people to find them, when her eyes land on a very familiar figure dressed in all black.
Their eyes meet. Rachel's heart stops.
What is he doing here?
Jesse St. James fits in perfectly at UCLA. California is so much more suited for someone like him than Ohio. So that begs the question – what is he doing back in Ohio for his sophomore summer break?
Goodness knows he's not here to visit family – he fought almost constantly with his parents when he still lived at home, and now that he's out of the house he hasn't heard a peep from them in months besides the obligatory holiday cards. Then there's his other family – Vocal Adrenaline – but other than Shelby, there was no one there he ever really felt a connection with. That's just the way Vocal Adrenaline was – a group of extremely talented stars-to-be who used each other's star power to enhance their own. Those kind of people don't exactly make good friends (or heaven forbid, good relationships).
So then what was the draw?
Rachel Berry.
She probably still hated him for what happened two years ago, but he still missed her. The girls at UCLA were all talented and gorgeous, but none of them were Rachel Berry. A long time ago, they'd promised to be at each other's graduations, and after all this time, he needed an excuse to see her.
Not wanting to call attention to himself, he slips into a chair at the back just minutes before the graduation ceremony starts. He smiles to himself when he sees her approaching the podium wearing the gold valedictorian's sash, and give her speech. (He always knew she'd be valedictorian.)
Graduation speeches are usually utterly forgettable – he certainly doesn't remember any of the one given at his own graduation – but not Rachel's. Maybe he's just biased (because it's Rachel Berry, the girl he's pined after for two years), but something about the words and the emotion with which she says them makes Jesse commit every word to memory. He can tell she really believes in what she's saying.
(A part of him wonders just how much of it is personal.)
Then a few teachers give speeches, and then the diplomas are passed out.
"Rachel Barbra Berry." That is such a show name.
The rest of the ceremony is pointless, as far as Jesse is concerned. He laughs to himself when "Finn Jeremiah Hudson" is called (Jeremiah? What kind of a middle name is Jeremiah?). Finally, their uptight Indian principal announces that they have officially graduated, and everyone cheers.
Jesse searches for her in the crowd after the ceremony ends, but after a while he spots New Directions clustered together near the stage, talking and laughing. He considers going over there to talk to her, but then realizes that he's probably still persona non grata with most of New Directions. So instead he waits by the door at the back, knowing she'll have to come his way eventually.
And then, as she's searching the crowd (most likely for her dads), her eyes land on him. Knowing she's watching him, he deliberately flashes a smile in her direction, watching the tiny, subtle changes in her body language that means he's gotten under her skin.
(Rachel wore her heart on her sleeve. Every single emotion. She was so easy to read, so easy to use… so easy to break.)
She marches over to him.
"What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you again too, Rachel." His eyes rake over her body. Rachel stiffens, suddenly thankful that Kurt had forced her into the green halter dress, and for the metallic gold gladiator sandals and big gold hoop earrings he'd paired with it. Her hair had been curled into loose, tousled waves, and she wore just a touch of makeup. "You look amazing."
Despite the fact that she's supposed to hate him, Rachel's cheeks flush bright red. Finn never complimented her on her looks. (He had to be prompted to say something about her dress for Senior Prom.)
She quickly regains her composure, however, and remembers who she's talking to. "You have no right to be here."
"We promised we'd go to each other's graduations. And Jesse St. James always keeps his promises – even if you didn't."
Rachel bristles. "I thought that promise was null and void when you smashed an egg on my forehead." Jesse winces, and Rachel smiles inwardly. "Besides, what's this BS about keeping promises? You promised not to hurt me, but obviously it was easy to break that one."
"Do you really think this is the appropriate time to get into that again, Rachel?" She's suddenly aware of just how close he is to her body, and instinctively takes a step backwards.
"As a matter of fact, no." She forces her emotional shield back up, trying not to show how much he's gotten to her already. "So if you'll excuse me, my dads and Shelby are waiting for me."
"I liked your speech. Very… inspiring." She desperately wants to get away from him, but there's no sign of her dads or Shelby and Beth, and he's blocking the door.
"Thank you," she says briskly.
"I saw you at Nationals. Well, I saw a video that Shelby sent me, but still. You were incredible, as always. The only problem I had with your performance was your duet partner." Jesse leans closer to her. "Why are you still wasting your time with Finn Hudson? He'll never be able to keep up with you out in the real world."
"Oh, and I suppose someone like you is a better match for me." She takes a few steps backwards, needing some space between them. "Finn's a good guy. He's sweet, he's well-meaning, he's the definition of chivalry… and he isn't using me."
"Where are you going to college?" Rachel's confused by the sudden topic change, but talking about Finn with Jesse makes her uneasy.
"NYU. I got a scholarship to the Tisch School of the Arts." A smile slides across her face as she says this, like it does every time she says where she's going to college.
"And Finn? Is he coming with you?"
The smile quickly disappears. "That's none of your business."
"He isn't, is he?" Jesse smirks. "Are you seriously going to try to keep up a long distance relationship, with you in New York and him in Ohio?"
"Finn and I are committed to each other. We realize that such a distance will put a strain on our relationship, but our deep love and respect for each other will transcend our geographical positions."
"Stop with the bullshit, Rachel."
Rachel flinches. "Why do you care anyway, Jesse? You lost your chance with me a long time ago."
"Because you have the potential to be a star, Rachel. I've known that since I first heard you sing at Sectionals two years ago. But if you have anything still tying you to Ohio, it'll just get in the way. When you leave for NYU this summer, you have to be prepared to not look back."
"Like you did? Except – oh wait! You're here today. Which means you have something tying you to Ohio too."
"But there's a difference. Finn's never going to make it out of Ohio." He steps closer to her. "You already have."
Rachel's cheeks feel hot again. "F-Finn isn't the only thing still tying me to Ohio. There's my dads, and Shelby, and little Beth…" She knows she's rambling, throwing out excuses, and not really making much sense. (Being around Jesse seemed to do that to her.)
Jesse smirks. "Say what you need to make yourself believe it, Rach. But you can't fool your heart – or me." For once, she doesn't comment on his inappropriate use of her nickname.
"I-I should go," she stutters, barely able to form a coherent sentence. This is precisely why she ran away from him the last time they talked, at Regionals. Too much time spent in Jesse St. James's presence has an ill effect on her mind.
Jesse stares at her with barely contained amusement, as if he knows just how much of an effect he has on her. "I miss you."
"Goodbye, Jesse St. James." She manages to regain her composure long enough to walk away with at least some of her dignity intact, like a scene from a movie. Thankfully, she spots her dads and Shelby waiting for her not too far away, so the perfect movie moment isn't spoiled by her having to squint and search for them through the crowd.
(Later, as they're sitting down for dinner, she remembers why those last words had such a déjà vu feeling. She hopes that isn't an omen for the future.)
For the second time, Jesse watches the girl who changed his life walk away from him. This time, he wonders if their goodbye really is forever.
(He should know better. For two people with such a powerful attraction, no goodbye is ever forever.)
Author's Note: So how was it? Did I get everyone in-character-ish? One of my big worries for this chapter was getting the rest of New Directions and Mr. Schuester in character. Please, tell me how I did, even if you think I didn't get them right. They all will be coming back at some point, and I want to know for the future.
Next chapter starts off the real plotline. It will be a future-fic, focusing mostly on Rachel and Jesse, with some OCs because I need them.
Also, about my title choice - I'm sure at least somebody has wondered why I chose "Hello, I Love You" as the title, since it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the plot and very little to do with St. Berry. All will be revealed in time - and trust me when I say that it has very much to do with both.
Considering how on a roll I am with this story, you can expect an update soon. It probably won't be as quick as this one, though, because I'm entering a contest (first prize is a $2000 shopping spree!) and the deadline is in 2 weeks.
Later,
Authoress