Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
A/N: Thank you to all of my readers and reviewers! This is the next to last chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Please read and review. Thanks!
Rachel was heartbroken. Even after everything Finn had said to her, her night had been going quite well. Yes, she had a moment of weakness when Puck mentioned Finn and she grabbed that wine cooler, but she'd only drank a small amount before she realized she didn't need it. Who needed alcohol when they had Noah Puckerman's undivided attention? Or at least she had thought she had his undivided attention. Yet he was just like Finn; they were both still thinking about Quinn. And once again Rachel came in second to the perfect Cheerio.
With an arm wrapped around her shoulders, Brittany had led Rachel into her room before letting her go so she could get a towel; Rachel hadn't dried off or gotten redressed before she'd driven over. Tina was already there, sitting on Brittany's bed and watching a movie. When she saw Rachel's face though, she paused the movie and hopped off the bed. Tina crossed the room to where Brittany had left Rachel standing (she hadn't moved-she didn't think she could) and gave her a quick hug with an awkward pat on the back, getting wet in the process. Rachel had noticed that Tina wasn't a very physically affectionate person (at least not with anyone but Artie), so the gesture slowed her tears.
After Brittany returned and wrapped a slightly calmer Rachel in a large white towel, the three girls took seats on the bed together.
"I knew something was wrong when I talked to you on the phone earlier. What happened?" the blonde asked, a concerned expression on her face.
With those words, it was as if a dam had broken in Rachel and the whole story about Noah came pouring out. She told them about the swim lessons and the two almost-kisses. She confessed to their makeout session on her porch and she explained about Finn's visit which led to the story about their first time, earning a couple of snickers at Finn's expense. Finally, she told them about the wine cooler and the final kisses she and Noah had shared.
"...and then he said that I'm not Quinn, so I just got out of there as fast as I could," Rachel finished her lengthy explanation.
Except for their earlier laughter, Brittany and Tina had both remained silent while she told her story (they hadn't even commented when she had confessed that she couldn't swim before her lessons with Puck). Absorbing the massive amount of information, the two girls exchanged a glance before turning back to Rachel.
"First off," Tina started, "I'd like to say how very stupid it was for you to drive after you had drank any alcohol." When Rachel opened her mouth, Tina preempted her, "I know you said it was only a quarter of a wine cooler, but with your height and the fact that I'm pretty sure you've never drank before, that small amount probably affected you the same way a whole bottle would someone else."
Brittany bobbed her head in agreement. "If anything had happened to you, I'd cry. We both would," she added, gesturing to Tina. "So never again Rach. Promise."
Rachel ducked her head in shame. "I promise. I will never drink and drive ever again."
She wondered if this was what others felt like when she lectured them. It wasn't much fun.
Tina had the final say on the subject. "If you ever do anything that stupid again, we will go to your fathers." She was completely serious. "You could have been hurt or hurt someone else. And we won't just sit back and let you ruin your life because of a guy."
Rachel nodded. "I understand. I'll never drink and drive again," she reiterated. "I wouldn't want to hurt you guys or anyone else. Or myself," she added almost as an afterthought (and she never did drink and drive again).
Brittany nodded happily. "Good. Now about Finn. Don't listen to him. He's not important to you anymore, right?" Rachel shook her head. "So, just ignore him. And whatever you do, don't go back to him; you deserve better."
Tina added, "He was kind of a jackass. I mean, who says something like that and doesn't realize what an insult it is?"
Rachel watched uncomfortably as Brittany's expression fell; she knew the blonde was thinking about her own recent discovery that she had been insulting Rachel for years without knowing it.
"He didn't know what he was saying, so I'm not angry at him," Rachel said (actually, she was, but she didn't want to make Brittany think that she was mad at her for essentially committing the same crime to a lesser degree; Brittany's words hadn't shattered her confidence), "but I'm definitely not taking him back. I have zero interest in Finn. And after experiencing real passion..." she paused for a moment to blink back the tears that popped up at the thought of Noah, "I don't think I can ever settle for anything less again."
"Which brings us to the next issue. Puck," Tina stated. "I don't know what he was thinking tonight, but I saw the way he looked at you at Mike's and I really don't think there's any way he was thinking about Quinn while he was kissing you."
"He likes you Rach," Brittany picked up the thread of conversation. "Like really likes you. More than I think he ever liked Quinn. It was really mean of him to say her name while he was kissing you though. He should pay for that."
She frowned as if deep in thought. Rachel could just see the wheels turning in her head and really wanted to know what she was thinking. She wasn't so sure she wanted to forgive Noah either.
"Hey Rach," Brittany said this in a tone that worried Rachel. The wicked grin on her face didn't help either. "Which swimsuit are you wearing to the water park tomorrow?"
"This one," Rachel replied, gesturing at the green suit peaking out over the top of her towel. "Why?"
Brittany's grin grew. Tina was watching the two of them curiously.
"I think it's time to show Finn what he will never have again and Puck what he's missing."
"You don't mean..."
Brittany nodded vigorously. "I think it's time to bring out the bikini."
Rachel shook her head just as vigorously. "I don't want to. I shudder to think what Kurt and the others would say."
"Oh please. In that bikini there's nothing they could say. You're totally hot in it; it's like it was made especially for you."
Tina piped up, "What bikini?"
And then Brittany was off on a detailed description of the bikini she had talked Rachel into buying that left Tina looking a bit dazed. Britt's lengthy explanation gave Rachel a chance to consider the proposition. She had to admit that she'd looked pretty good in the bikini. And she'd love to show Noah what he could have had if he hadn't been dwelling on the wrong girl (and said the wrong name-otherwise she never would have known); she couldn't really care less about Finn (okay so that wasn't strictly true-she'd really like him to regret thinking of Quinn their only time together, but he'd seen all of her and if that hadn't been enough to keep his mind from wandering to Quinn when she wasn't there, then she doubted the sight of her in a bikini would do it when Quinn was there, no doubt in a bikini of her own). Mostly though, she just wanted to make Noah feel horrible for what he'd done tonight. And maybe a little jealous. There would be lots of boys at the park and in that bikini, she wouldn't lack for male attention. He would really regret saying Quinn's name when she was done with him (and yes, she was aware of how spiteful she sounded, but you know what they say about a woman scorned).
"I'll do it," she announced, drawing the other girls' attention to her.
Brittany clapped her hands together and bounced on the bed excitedly while Tina beamed proudly at her.
ooooo
Thirty minutes later Rachel was sitting with Brittany and Tina at a booth in the local dairy bar. The three had swung by her house so that she could pick up her bikini and something to wear (since she had left her clothing at Naomi's house and the only change of clothes she had with her was for tomorrow). Brittany had then declared that she was taking them all for ice cream. Upon arrival, she had chosen Rachel's strawberry sundae for her. Rachel had protested the frozen treat (she had already had the frosty earlier that week), but Brittany and Tina overrode her objections by stating that when a stupid boy breaks a girl's heart, it is that girl's right to gorge on ice cream. According to the two of them, it was the only thing that healed a broken heart (Rachel subscribed to the theory that time was actually the only thing that could heal her, but they had pointed out that time didn't taste good and that led to a whole discussion of what time tasted like which is why it took them ten minutes to order).
"You know, I'm really glad you didn't die on your drunken drive to my house tonight," Brittany said conversationally, inspecting the cookie dough ice cream on her spoon before eating it.
Rachel was starting to feel that she'd never live her transgression down. She stabbed at her sundae with her spoon. "And, why's that Britt? Other than the obvious of course."
The blonde swallowed. "Because it would have ruined all of my plans for our Halloween costumes."
Tina let out a quiet glad-I'm-not-you chuckle as she licked her twist cone, and Rachel's expression was non-plussed. "I'm sorry? You've planned our Halloween costumes?"
Brittany stuck her spoon into her ice cream and then poked it with a finger so that it stood straight up. "Yep. You're gonna go as Elphaba and I'm going as Glinda." She cocked her head to one side. "And Tina can go as Dorothy."
Rachel hid her smile at Tina's grimace. Serves her right for gloating.
Brittany didn't notice the girls' expressions as she continued to explain her costume plans. "Mike can be the scarecrow, Matt can be the tin man, and Artie the lion."
Rachel grinned and then laughed loudly at Brittany's next words.
"We'll make Puck be a flying monkey," the blonde announced decisively.
All three girls were giggling uncontrollably at the mental picture of him in one of the little vests with a tiny fez on his head when someone came to a stop by their booth.
"Tina? What are you doing here with them?"
The three girls, still snickering, looked over to find Mercedes; she appeared distinctly bewildered. Rachel shifted uncomfortably; Mercedes wasn't as bad as Kurt, but Rachel still wasn't sure how she would respond to her presence. She knew that Tina and Mercedes were really good friends though. Brittany, ever oblivious to the tension, was of course the one to break the silence.
"We were planning our Halloween costumes." She tilted her head again, studying the newcomer. "Do you want to come as a Wizard of Oz or Wicked character too?"
Mercedes shook her head in disbelief. "You're matching up your Halloween costumes to Rachel and Tina's? In June? You're crazy."
"Do you want to join us?" Tina offered. Rachel mentally snickered at the unintentional double meaning to the question. Sure, Mercedes could join their insanity.
Mercedes was still shaking her head, but she nevertheless slid into the empty spot next to Tina and across from Brittany. Rachel had a feeling the trendy girl felt like she was watching a very interesting science experiment.
Sure enough, as the other three girls carried on just as they had been before her arrival, Mercedes sat uncharacteristically quiet and observed the three of them. When Rachel would sneak a glance over at her, she would find the other girl either amused or perplexed. It was almost as if she were entertained by them even as she didn't understand them.
A little later, as Brittany's spoon slumped due to her ice cream melting (she had obviously forgotten her frozen treat), Mercedes announced the conclusion she had clearly drawn from watching them.
"You have to be the strangest damn group of friends ever. Where are Quinn and Santana, Brittany? I'm surprised you're not with them."
"They're not welcome back until they start being nice to Rachel," the Cheerio declared, an abnormally harsh edge to her voice.
Mercedes clearly heard the warning in her tone because she backed off and instead asked, "How did all of you become friends? None of you were really even talking to each other on Tuesday when we left school."
Brittany was only too happy to reveal the whole story and did so starting with meeting Rachel in the mall Tuesday afternoon. Out of respect to Rachel, she left out the Puck stuff so that he was no more important to the story than Matt or Mike. They all knew that whatever Brittany said would get carried to Kurt who would then tell the rest of glee. Rachel and Tina (who had already heard the whole story) were happy to sit back and let her talk, adding details occasionally. When they explained about last night's fireworks dash, they all broke into laughter again.
Rachel, the only one of the three still capable of speech thanks to her superior lung capacity, finished the story. "And then the cop knocked on the door and asked about the noise. Mike told him we'd been watching the movie the whole time and when he saw that the three of us were crying, he kind of freaked out and left us alone. He even apologized for disturbing us." Then she descended into uncontrollable laughter again.
Mercedes appeared stunned by the story of their unexpected friendship. It took her a couple of moments to recover and talk over the laughter, which hadn't subsided in the least.
"You've all lost your damn minds!"
"No we haven't," Brittany gasped out, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The normally reserved Tina lifted her head from her hands to reveal sparkling eyes. "I didn't realize how much fun the jock gleeks could be. I'm actually really glad Artie and I ran into them at the movies; I wouldn't be sitting here right now if we hadn't."
Rachel giggled. "I didn't realize how funny the whole thing was until just now."
Tina hid her smile behind her hand and said, "I've got to say my favorite was when Puck said they couldn't take you anywhere at the movies."
Rachel placed her hands on her hips (a really awkward move since she was sitting down and she elbowed Brittany when she did so) and frowned at her friend. "I don't know what he was talking about. That was only the first time I'd disturbed someone else." She tried to sound aggravated, but the shine of her eyes belied her efforts before she let out another chuckle that turned into a hiccup. Covering her mouth, her cheeks turned bright red.
Mercedes was staring at her as if she truly did believe that Rachel had lost her mind.
"You know, diva, you're not so bad when you're not hogging all the solos," she declared.
Rachel gave her a shy smile. She certainly hadn't expected a compliment from her fellow diva.
"Well, you're pretty decent when you're not screaming about how you're not a backup singer," she admitted.
When Mercedes gave her a small yet genuine smile back, Rachel knew they had reached an understanding; they may never be best friends, but they could get along.
Brittany propped her chin on her hand, unknowingly sticking her elbow in her melted ice cream, and stared at the girl across from her. "Why is Kurt always so mean to Rachel?"
Mercedes sighed. "He's my best friend, so I don't want to screw him over or anything, but, you all know he has a thing for Finn, right?"
All three nodded; even Tina hadn't known why Kurt acted like he did (Brittany had already asked her the same question last night while they were using the sparklers).
"That's not fair!" Rachel burst out as she put the pieces together. "I'm not even with Finn anymore! Besides, as much as Kurt wishes he were, Finn's not gay. And how is that my fault?!"
"Girl, I never said it made sense."
The other three drifted into a conversation about the trip tomorrow while Rachel fumed at the unfairness of Kurt's behavior. When she looked past Tina, she saw something that made her grin again. She elbowed Brittany, who looked at her and then, at her nod, followed her gaze. An identical grin broke across her face.
"Okay, what's going on? The twin grins are creepin' me out," Mercedes said with a shudder.
Tina merely turned in her seat to see what they were looking at. She smiled at the sight.
Brittany grabbed Rachel's arm and slid out of the booth, pulling the brunette with her (Rachel grabbed a napkin for Britt's elbow on the way). "I think it's time to head home."
"Wha..." Mercedes trailed off as Tina gave her a shove out of their side of the booth. "Damn, no need to push."
As they followed the other two, Mercedes finally saw what her companions had already seen.
"Hello, Mr. Schuester," Rachel greeted as Brittany pulled her to a stop in front of the glee club's director.
"Hi Mr. Schue," Brittany also acknowledged him, linking her arm through Rachel's (who took advantage of the Cheerio's distraction to wipe the liquid off her elbow). "Hi Miss Pillsbury. I don't have a bird in my locker."
Tina and Mercedes, waving at Mr. Schuester and his date, joined them in time to hear this and the two of them, plus Rachel, started laughing again.
"Er, that's very good Brittany," the guidance counselor responded awkwardly.
"Well, we have to go. Big day tomorrow you know." Rachel used their linked arms to pull Brittany away from their teacher.
"But I wanna spy on them," the blonde whined loudly enough for the adults to hear as she tried fruitlessly to tug her arm from Rachel's.
"No, Brittany," Rachel denied her firmly, pausing to drop the napkin in the trashcan by the door.
As the four girls exited the dairy bar, Rachel overheard Miss Pillsbury mention that she 'didn't know those four were friends'.
"Neither did I," their curly-haired teacher replied in an excellent impression of Finn at his most clueless.
ooooo
The following morning was a rush as the three girls prepared for the day's trip (they had parted ways with Mercedes in the dairy bar's parking lot). Brittany's house only had two bathrooms and her sister Tiffany had locked herself in one of them at 6:30 that morning as the other three were waking up. Brittany claimed she had done so just to make things difficult on them, and Rachel was inclined to believe her (it also made her wonder if Britt was right and Tiffany truly was responsible for her frequently missing phone). They had expected two bathrooms for their use, so they'd gotten up later than they would have if they'd known that one bathroom would be taken. So the three girls rushed between Brittany's room and the downstairs bathroom, showering, dressing, and pulling their hair back (Rachel was actually sort of glad for this because it meant neither of the other girls had time to mention that she'd cried herself to sleep the previous night). Tina walked in on Rachel as she was pulling on a pair of shorts over her bikini. She was momentarily stunned before grinning and telling Rachel that she looked good. Rachel thanked her and pulled on the last of her new tank tops, completely hiding the bikini.
Brittany entered the bedroom after her shower just as Rachel started to braid her hair. As the blonde dressed, she insisted that Rachel leave it loose; Rachel disagreed. Thus, a seven minute argument ensued that only broke up when Tina reminded them that it was now 7:30 and they were supposed to be at the school by 8 and they still needed to stop somewhere and pick up breakfast. Rachel tossed the elastic band she was holding into her bag as Brittany threatened that the argument wasn't over yet. After ensuring they had everything, the girls made a mad dash for Tina's car (she was parked at the end of the driveway) and scrambled in.
Tina swung through the McDonald's drive-thru for their breakfast before heading to the school. They were singing, talking, and laughing on the way. It was going to be a good day-they could all feel it.
When they parked, they could see the rest of the club huddled near the bus. The absence of one freakishly tall boy meant that they weren't the last to arrive; that honor went to Finn. As they made their way to the group, Rachel's steps faltered. She hadn't seen Noah since last night and she wasn't sure how she was going to handle him, especially if he tried to talk to her about it. Luckily, her friends noticed her hesitation.
"We're right here, Rach," Brittany reassured her, taking her hand. "If you don't want to talk to him then you won't."
Tina nodded in agreement, stepping in closer to Rachel on the side opposite Brittany. Presenting a united front, they moved forward again to join the other members of glee. The response this demonstration had on the others was clear. Quinn and Santana wore matching sneers (directed at Rachel), Kurt's mouth was gaping open in a surprisingly graceless move for the normally elegant boy (huh, Mercedes must not have told him about last night yet), and Mr. Schuester looked like he didn't really know what to think (Miss Pillsbury, who was joining them, was already on the bus sanitizing the seats-they could see her fluttery movements through the windows). Mercedes, however, just gave them a small smile before reaching up and shutting Kurt's mouth for him. Matt, Mike, and Artie approached but Puck hung back, watching Rachel. He had apparently figured out that she would tell the other two girls about the previous night.
"What's with the protective Rachel sandwich?" Mike asked as the boys reached the girls. He recognized the expression on his girlfriend's face.
Matt frowned. "Did things not go well after I left you with Puck yesterday?"
Rachel sighed and simply said, "We kissed and he said Quinn's name."
Mike and Matt both turned to glare at Puck while Artie muttered 'Stupid' under his breath.
The six of them joined the club as Finn squealed to a stop in the parking lot. As he jogged up to them, apologizing for being late, Mr. Schuester ordered them all onto the (newly fresh-smelling) bus before operating the lift for Artie. Brittany and Rachel took the last seat on the driver side across the aisle from Tina and Artie. Matt and Mike took the seat in front of the two girls, effectively blocking Puck off from her. When Mercedes pushed Kurt into the seat across from the boys, Rachel's protective bubble was complete. Puck scowled at the eight of them before sprawling in the seat in front of Mike and Matt.
The two hour trip to Mason (they were going to The Beach) was surprisingly fun for Rachel. Sure, she was aware of Puck's frequent turning in his seat to look at her, and Kurt sulked when he realized he had to share Mercedes with their group (Mike and Matt accepted her easily just as they seemed to do everyone-of course Rachel also didn't see the way they glared at Kurt every time he opened his mouth to speak), but otherwise it was great. When Rachel asked Matt about his date, it stirred up a lot of interest, so he had to explain about Daniella. They teased him about her, causing him to turn red each time her name was mentioned. True to her words, Brittany restarted their earlier argument when Rachel pulled the elastic and a small brush from her bag. The others were highly entertained as they watched the blonde bully Rachel into leaving her hair down (who knew Brittany was so capable of manipulating the willful diva?). They also discussed which rides they wanted to go on (Rachel had researched the park extensively on the internet). They didn't dwell on that subject though because they knew Artie's accessibility to the rides was limited. All in all, the drive passed fairly quickly, and before they knew it, they were pulling into the parking lot shortly after ten.
The first thing they did upon entering the park was find the locker rooms. After they had split into their respective rooms, the girls rented their lockers (Rachel and Brittany shared) and put on sun block. Rachel lingered over that step as she waited around for Quinn, Santana, and Mercedes to finish. She was still really nervous about wearing her bikini in front of everyone.
"You're gonna have to show that manly body of yours sometime Rupaul; you can't hide in here forever," Santana remarked spitefully as she and Quinn left the room.
Tina gave Rachel an encouraging smile before leaving the room with Mercedes and Miss Pillsbury. Brittany and Rachel were the only girls left in the room (from their group that is).
"Come on Rach. Time to show Puck what he's missing," Brittany prompted her.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Rachel quickly pulled off her shirt and shorts and stuffed them in the locker. She took a few moments to apply sunscreen to her stomach while Brittany did her back for her. When she shut the locker and started toward the exit, Brittany grabbed her arm and pulled her over to one of the mirrors.
"You're still nervous," she observed, "so I want you to take a good look at yourself in the mirror. You look fabulous and everyone is going to see that, including Puck. He won't know what hit him."
As Rachel did what Brittany told her to, she was reminded forcefully of the moment in the dressing room when Brittany had talked her into buying the crimson string bikini with its silver ties. She also remembered the words Brittany had used to prod her into purchasing it. 'It would drive Puck nuts. He would eat his heart out. I bet he'd even walk into the nearest object the instant he saw you.'
Brittany must have been thinking about that conversation too because when she met Rachel's uncertain eyes in the mirror just as she had that day, she said, "I'll bet you five bucks Puck walks into whatever or whoever's closest to him when he sees you. I'll bet you ten bucks he does it three times today."
Rachel grinned back at the blonde, her confidence restored. "You're on."
The two exited the locker room. They were the last to rejoin the group (except for Puck; he was still in the locker room), all of whom were arguing excitedly about what they should do first.
As they reached the others, Rachel suggested, "Maybe we should try the wave pool first." She thought it best to start with something Artie could enjoy.
Artie gave her a grateful smile, then his eyes bugged out. As the others faced her and Brittany, Rachel felt what Quinn and Santana must feel everyday-unabashed male interest.
Mike, Matt, and Artie were staring at her wide-eyed. Brittany and Tina rolled their eyes and subtly nudged the boys to stop their gawking. Quinn's face had gone completely blank and Santana was scowling at Rachel. Finn was drooling (literally, Rachel could see the liquid on his chin-it was kind of gross). Mercedes and Kurt were both watching her in shock.
Amazingly, it was Kurt who broke the silence when he walked a small circle around Rachel. "This," he waved his hand at her body, "is a vast improvement over your other suit. Where were you hiding this when I inspected that horrid one piece on Wednesday?" He came to a stop in front of her and surveyed the bikini closely. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I approve of this fashion choice."
Rachel considered this for a moment before stating, "You know what Kurt? I don't need your approval." Her expression softened, "But when you're ready to offer your friendship, I'll accept that." She turned to answer a question from Mike, leaving Kurt to gape at her as if he'd just seen her in a new light.
A couple of seconds later, Noah strode out of the men's locker room and Rachel looked up at his bare chest (oh, that nipple ring). As his eyes locked on Rachel's, they deepened instantly from their normal hazel to green. Feeling her blood heat at the lust in them, Rachel broke eye contact and turned back to her friends.
"Darn it Puck! Watch where you're going. I think you broke my toe!" Rachel heard Quinn call from behind her.
Brittany leaned over and whispered, "You owe me five dollars."
ooooo
The group had actually taken Rachel's suggestion (for once) and, so, an hour later she found herself floating on an inner tube in the wave pool. Her hand was linked with Brittany's so that they wouldn't lose each other when the waves hit. They had already ridden through several rounds of waves; she hadn't expected it to be so exciting. Each time they bounced up, their hands would try to pull apart, so it actually took a lot of effort to stay together. In fact, they had started out as a foursome with Mike holding onto Brittany and Matt to Rachel, but Rachel had lost Matt with the first set of waves and then Brittany lost Mike the next round. The girls had stuck together for the next three bouts, causing Mike to yell over at them that Rachel had betrayed him and stolen his girlfriend. The two girls had merely smiled back at him and clasped their hands tighter, pulling closer together. This earned a laugh from the two boys who had washed halfway across the pool. Rachel was also pretty sure she had heard Tina giggle loudly from her place in the shallows with Artie; apparently she was watching them interact.
Project Make-Puck-Jealous, as Brittany had named it (yeah, Rachel didn't find it a very creative name), was also in full swing. It had started when a boy Rachel had never met had asked if she needed any help with her sunscreen-Puck really hadn't liked that. His deadly look had sent the other boy scurrying to his friends and far away from Rachel. She just couldn't believe anyone would be so forward-like she'd actually let some stranger touch her. She was realistic enough to know that even though Noah had hurt her badly last night, she still didn't want anyone else. If the glare he had sent her and Matt's clasped hands from his spot just ten feet away when they first entered the wave pool was any indication, he still didn't believe that though. But he deserved it because he clearly didn't want only Rachel. He wanted Quinn. So, she didn't feel bad for upsetting him. It was better this way; he wouldn't realize the power he had over her.
Another set of waves hit, drawing her from her thoughts. She clasped tightly to Brittany's hand as they drifted closer to the rock wall and farther from Mike and Matt. She'd lost track of Puck after the third group of waves, but she knew he was still watching her from wherever he was; she could feel the itch under her skin. A particularly large wave rolled under them and broke her grasp on Brittany's hand. When the water stilled again, Brittany had drifted a fair distance toward the center of the pool and Rachel was still close to the wall. She couldn't see either of the boys anymore, but Santana was near her.
Brittany giggled and called, "Hey, Rach, I'm going to come over there, so stay put, 'kay?" She began to paddle forward with her hands.
Ignoring the way Santana was glaring at her, Rachel laughed. As if she could really choose to stay put.
She and Brittany had just made contact when the next round of waves began, pulling them apart again. They both laughed at the near miss (or was that near hit?).
Rachel was caught off guard when her inner tube flipped over forcefully, dumping her into the water. She struggled to keep above the surface, but the waves were just too high for her. Each one shoved her under and pulled her in deeper when she tried to swim toward the shallow end.
All Rachel remembers of the next few seconds is Brittany screaming her name, a loud crack, and a sharp pain in her head.
Then everything went black.