Chapter 1: I Won't Be There for You

Just to get one thing straight, Noah Puckerman did not like Rachel Berry. He hated how loud and annoying she was, and the fact that she was a total prude definitely did not win her any points on the Puckerman Awesomeness list. So when he told her to sing in glee practice, and she freakishly listened to him? That meant nothing. He simply didn't like Rachel all upset and looking like she was about to cry. (Crying girls were his weakness.)

But he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit proud that Berry actually listened to him. He knew that when she belted out the lyrics with all those other singing losers, it was like her telling them to shove it. Maybe Berry had a backbone, after all. But that didn't change that fact that she still deserved everything that was coming to her. It was going to be one helluva time when Berry found out just what else the student body was planning. Yeah, he did feel a tiny bit guilty, since Rachel was his teammate and he wasn't helping her, but he couldn't dwell on shit like that. It was his job at McKinley High to be the badass who could get away with anything (like being in glee club), and he was not going to burn his rep by softening to Rachel Berry. She was just a girl that he didn't give a shit about. People (his mom) might be disappointed in him 'cause he acted that way, but he couldn't change who he was. He was Puck, the man-whoring, rude, funny guy that his friends loved and looked up to. He was a legend.

And nobody, especially Rachel fucking Berry, was going to change that.

"Hey, thanks for that," a girl's voice broke into his thoughts. He hadn't been paying much attention during the last half hour of glee club. He tended to do his own thing in glee, and the other members either didn't notice or just didn't care. Everyone was filing out of the room, so he guessed that glee was over. Finally.

"Think of the devil, and she shall appear," he mumbled to Rachel, smirking a bit at Rachel's confused expression.

"I am not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I would appreciate it if you could try be a tiny bit nicer to me. I haven't had the best day, which I am sure who are aware of."

"Uh, I can try Berry, but don't expect anything censored from this mouth. I say what I think, and it ain't always rainbows and butterflies."

Rachel scoffed. "You know what, Puck? I was coming over here to thank you for pushing me to my highest potentials, but I take it all back."

Puck stared at Rachel in shock for two reasons. One, she was going to apologize to him, which was an out of body thing for Rachel Berry to do. And two, she called him Puck. He had been trying to get her to call him that since glee club started months ago, but she always insisted on calling him Noah. She claimed that Puck made him sound like a balding, beer bellied man in a mid-life crisis. (That had kind of ruined his ego for the next hour, not that he would ever admit it.) So you can imagine his surprise when he heard Puck through Rachel Berry's lips. It sounded so normal and so… wrong. He didn't like it.

The next time he looked at Rachel, she was furiously packing up her stuff, getting ready to sprint out of the room.

"Don't be so dramatic, Berry, I was just giving you a hard time."

"Don't be so dramatic?" she almost screeched, "That is all anybody ever tells me. They tell me to shut up, get a life, and stop being such a cry baby. Well, I am sorry that I am me. And you know what? I want to change me. I don't want to be that Rachel Berry anymore. She is hated by everyone, a pain in the ass, and an overachiever. So thanks for the update Puck, since I wasn't aware."

Puck's mouth went dry. Shit, he really hurt her feelings. "Listen, I am sorry Berry…"

"Call me Rachel one goddamn time, would you?" Rachel sobbed. "Or is that too personal for you? Am I so repulsive to you that we are only on a last name basis?"

Double shit. "Rachel, that's not what I meant. I just call you Berry, since it seems normal. You know, kind of how you call me Noah? Well, used to call me Noah…" Damnit, now he was rambling! What the hell made him ramble to Rachel Berry?

"This is the last you will see of that Rachel Berry," she said defiantly. "I am going to deserve that Homecoming spot. I am going to be popular. I am going to have friends!"

Triple shit. Who was this girl?

"…I will show you all!" she continued, stomping her foot angrily. "Rachel Berry does not get walked on like a welcome mat! People in this school will learn to look up to me. They will want to be my friend, and they will appreciate my talent. I will show them all that Rachel Berry deserves to be on the Homecoming court! I will let them all know that their words don't hurt me. And they will like me!"

"Are you done?" Puck asked, "As fun as listening to you rant is, I really don't feel like playing Dr. Phil right now."

Shit, that wasn't the right thing to say. See, this is what he means by that whole uncensored mouth thing. Shit just comes spewing from his mouth, and he honestly cannot control it.

Rachel's little (but powerful) hand came flying up, hitting him right on the cheek.

"Dammit, Berry!" he yelped, cradling his read cheek in pain. (Remember, that girl can punch. He always thought Finn was just being a wussy about it, but damn he was right.)

"As much as I don't like using violence to solve situations, you deserved that. You are a tactless, insensitive jerk. I honestly can't believe you, Puck. I hoped that you might be different from all those other football jocks, but you are just like them. In fact, you are so much worse. So I would appreciate it if we just never talked again. I can only handle your insults for so long."

Rachel let out a little sob and charged away before Puck had a chance to say anything more. She couldn't bear hearing one more word about her flaws. (She didn't think she had that many, but whatever.) There was one thing Rachel Berry was sure about, though. This would be the last time Noah Puckerman ever insulted her.

... ... ...

"Dad, please let me!" Rachel begged, sitting on her knees and clasping her hands pleadingly. "I promise I won't max it out! I will only buy the necessary things, and it will barely cost a thing! Please, Dad!"

"And what exactly do you need to buy with this credit card that is so important?" her dad said sternly, "You have plenty of nice clothes."

Rachel fought back an eye roll. Those clothes were so… young. They were the old her. She wanted to change up her look a bit (Nothing too drastic, she wasn't going to change herself completely.) She just wanted clothes that were… normal. Jeans, boots, and tunics were what the girl wore these days, unlike the short plaid skirts, knee high socks, and Mary Janes that Rachel wore religiously.

"Well," Rachel stalled, "I have to go to the mall to buy a dress. Did I mention that today I got elected to be on the Homecoming court?"

"What?" her daddy boomed, walking into the room with a huge smile, "That is great news, Rach! I never realized that my daughter was so popular!"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Rachel shrugged.

She hated lying to her dads. They had no idea of the things Rachel went through. But she knew it was better to keep things from them, and tell them that her peers thought of her as a talented, kind, charming girl. That's what her parents thought of her. They would be mortified if they realized that she had to keep extra clothes in her locker to change into, get to class extra early to avoid embarrassment in the hallway, and sit in the glee room during fifth period because she had no friends to eat lunch with. And if they knew just how cruel those kids were, they would do something drastic like have a talk with the bullys' parents or home school her.

And as nice as home schooling seemed, she didn't think Julliard would even consider an application from a dropout. So lying was the way to go.

"Paul, our little girl is going to be at that big Homecoming game! Do you realize how big this is?" her daddy (the more doting one) said with enthusiasm.

"Okay Rachel, here is the credit card," her dad sighed, already aware that it was a lost battle for him. "We trust you not to go overboard."

"Do you want us to come with you?" her daddy bubbled. "I know the kind of colors you like, the style you wear…"

"Thanks Daddy, but I think I got this. Besides, I think I am meeting some other glee members at the mall. They are all just so excited that I am on the court… Santana and Quinn are also on it. We are going to dress shop together." Rachel just felt downright bad now. This was the biggest bullshit she ever told at one time, but she had to pretend like she wasn't a total loser in front of her dads. She wanted to keep them proud.

"Wow, that is wonderful," her dad said with a smile, "I am so happy for you, Rachel. You deserve all of this times a million."

"Thanks," Rachel gulped. She didn't deserve any of what she was going through.

"Spend as much as you need," her daddy winked, handing her the credit card. "And don't rush home! It is Friday night, you should be out having fun! Have a fun time shopping, darling!"

Rachel waved and quickly left before her guilt buried her alive. This was all too much.

Luckily, she found herself at the main Lima Mall twenty minutes later. They had everything she needed to complete her new wardrobe, plus lovely dresses (Rachel decided she would need to buy a dress for Homecoming now that she told her dads she would.)

She looked at the mall directory, not sure where to go. She knew what the other kids wore, but she didn't know where to get stuff like that. It was all so foreign to her, and she suddenly felt the need to cry (again.) Oh how she wished she had somebody to shop with. She wanted to try on silly clothes, have sleepovers, and gossip with girlfriends. But she was in this alone. After all, that is what put her on the Homecoming court. She was a friendless loser that was just a joke to everyone.

Eventually, she found herself at a department store with fitting jeans, trendy tops, and high-heeled boots. Perfect. This was normal. She almost found herself grabbing a plaid sweater vest, but she stopped herself in time. She couldn't help but feel proud of this small accomplishment.

She came out of the store with five pairs of jeans (one for each day of the week, each pair twenty dollars), a few tunics, some graphic tees, spiky boots, and flip-flops. Basically, she bought everything that the Old Rachel would have immediately deemed 'stupid.' And what surprised her most was the fact that she actually liked this stuff. It wasn't too ordinary, but it wasn't too out of her comfort zone (does that make sense?) Rachel was pleased with her progress. In just an hour, she was already one step away from being the Old Rachel. Not only would people like this New Rachel, but maybe, just maybe, Rachel would end up liking her new self too.

Next stop- dress shopping. Rachel thought back to a few hours prior when Mercedes cracked the rude joke about Rachel already buying her Homecoming dress. God, she was so off the mark it wasn't even funny. Yes, Rachel did like the spotlight, but she wanted it for good reasons. She wanted to be known as the girl with the talent. She never expected or wanted to hog the spotlight wearing a Homecoming dress while her peers mocked her.

Rachel sifted through the many dresses in a boutique that she heard girls in her class talking about. How was she ever going to pick one? There were so many options, and she needed one that would stand out (in a good way.) She wanted to shine on that Homecoming field, looking like a princess. What if she reverted back to Old Rachel and picked out a really ugly dress? What if everyone laughed at her on the field? Maybe quitting was the best idea after all. Then she wouldn't have to go through all of this uncertainty.

No, she couldn't quit. That would just make her a coward, and Rachel Berry was a lot of things, but she was not a coward. That would only make her a bigger target, and that was the last thing she needed.

With the help of a worker, she finally chose a deep red, floor length, strapless dress. It was something that both the Old and New Rachel liked, so she knew that it was the one. As much as Rachel wanted to change every part about her, she knew she couldn't do that. She was incapable of forgetting who she was and how she was brought up. Yes, she would show them, but she would try (key word: try) to take the high road. Well… she would start from there.

Rachel glanced down at her watch, seeing it was just past seven. Her dads weren't expecting her home any time soon, so she decided to go to the food court for dinner so they weren't suspicious by her short trip to the mall. Realizing just how sad that statement was, Rachel made a beeline for the cookie stand, wanting to drown away her sadness in baked goods. Normally she maintained a strict diet, but the just wanted to splurge for once in her life.

Rachel approached the little stand, and her mouth fell open in shock.

"You've got to be shitting me," she blurted.

Puck's eyes snapped up and widened in surprise. "You've got to be shitting me! Rachel Berry just fucking cursed like a sailor!"

Rachel's eyes narrowed as her and Puck's afternoon conversation hit her like a ton of bricks. Oh yeah, she hated this guy. Damn, she should have left the moment she recognized his stupid mohawk.

"Guess you weren't able to not talk to me," Puck said arrogantly, "You're not the first. Girls always pretend like they don't want a piece of the Puckerman, yet they always keep coming back."

"I hate you!" Rachel seethed, "And what are you doing here anyway? Are you trying to ruin my Friday night since glee rehearsal was not enough?"

"I work here," she heard Puck mumble.

"You work at a cookie stand?"

"Pool cleaning isn't exactly a year round job," his eyes narrowed.

Rachel busted out laughing. "You… bake cookies! That is just… priceless! The badass of McKinley is a cookie maker."

"Shut up!" Puck growled, "You are just some stupid loser geek, so stop making fun of my fucking job. You don't know anything, so stop pretending like you are somebody. Nobody likes you. Get over yourself."

"Please just give me a cookie, and I will go," Rachel whispered, "Like I said earlier, I can only take so many insults."

Guilt etched its way into Puck's face. "Listen, I probably shouldn't have gone off like that-"

Rachel held her hand up. "Please Puck, just give me my cookie."

Rachel waited silently as Puck went back into the small room behind the counter. She honestly didn't think this day could get any worse.

A few minutes later, Puck returned, holding a giant cookie. Like, huge.

"I am not an ogre," Rachel mumbled. "How much do I owe you?"

"It is on the house," Puck shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I can pay," Rachel protested, "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I like trouble," Puck said, almost grinning.

Rachel nodded uncomfortably and walked away. She wasn't exactly sure where her and Puck stood. One minute she told him to never talk to her again, and the next he was giving her free cookies. It was confusing to say the least.

Rachel took a seat at a table nearby. She unwrapped the cookie and gasped at what she saw. It wasn't a nude drawing or even an insult. On the giant cookie was a message, handwritten by Puck in icing. "Sorry," it said in huge capitol letters. And under in his loopy handwriting it said, "P.S. This doesn't mean we are friends."

Rachel smiled, unable to stop herself. It might have been a small gesture, but to Rachel, it meant everything. This was Puck's way of telling her that he was sorry. He was sorry for everything he said to her and everything he put her through. Rachel had never had anyone tell her that they were sorry. And the part about them not being friends? It might have seemed rude to other people, but that was just plain Puck. Rachel couldn't have expected anything more or anything less.

She looked back at the cookie stand, wondering if Puck was watching her as it all unfolded. She hoped that after today, they would call their relationship (or whatever you called it) a truce. She wanted to give him a small smile and nod to let him know that she was done fighting, and they could go back to ignoring each other. But when Rachel looked over, Puck was already back in the kitchen.

... ... ...

Just to get one thing straight (again), Noah Puckerman did not like Rachel Berry. He just didn't like fighting with her. That girl had a sharp tongue, quick wit, and no boundaries when she made her opinion known. He just wanted to call it a cease fire, okay? He knew that his insults effected her more than she let on, and Puck didn't want to add fuel to the fire. So that whole I'm-Sorry-Cookie-Thing was just his way of calling it a truce. And when he saw that smile light up her face like Christmas came early, he knew he made the right decision. He went back into the kitchen before Rachel saw him, since he didn't want to talk about his apology. He couldn't explain why he even tried to patch things up with her, so he really didn't want to talk her about his feelings toward her (Not romantic feelings you morons, just like, normal ones.) Besides, he figured if they started talking again, they would just get into another fight, and he really didn't feel like fighting her right now. (It was kind of fun, though.)

A few more cookie sales later, his co-worker Andy finally showed up to take over his shift. Finally.

Though Puck wouldn't admit it, he hated his fucking job. Baking cookies was a wimpy ass job, yet Puck was doing it. Pool cleaning was only successful in the summer, and Puck needed a job that would hire him (not many would.) His family wasn't in the best position right now, and as the man of the house, Puck felt like it was his duty to step up to the plate and make his own money. He actually wanted to go to college, and he knew that he would have to contribute some of his own money if he wanted to go. So baking cookies it was. None of his friends knew about what he was really doing (they thought he worked at Victoria's Secret), so when Rachel started making fun of his job, it really pissed him off. She had no idea that his family was going broke (their dad left and took all the money a few years ago.) She had no idea that he just wanted to have back-up money to provide for his family. He really didn't mean to go off on her like that, but her quick judgment just made him… furious.

He checked his surroundings before leaving the stand. As jerkish as it sounded, he didn't want to encounter Rachel right now. You can only handle Rachel Berry for so long in one day.

When he saw her empty table, he knew he was in the clear. And it was Friday night, so that made him feel ten times better. He could stay out late partying and sleep until noon the next day. God, he loved his life.

Aw, shit! He remembered that he had to baby-sit his little sister tomorrow. At ten years old, he thought that she was perfectly capable of watching herself, but his mom disagreed. His mom was working like crazy lately, taking extra shifts at the Lima Hospital whenever she could. She was a nurse, so her job kept her tied up. Puck usually respected her for being a hard-working, single mom, but tonight he just resented her. He wanted to party and drink and get trashed for Christ's sake!

His phone rang, and he hastily answered, thinking it was his mom telling him to get home so he could watch his sister in the morning.

"Yeah?" his curt voice sounded through the phone.

"Hi, it's me," a girl's voice giggled.

Well damn, this definitely wasn't his mom. Hallelujah.

"And who is this?" he said, smirking. He knew it was one of the girls he regularly got… nice things... from. They were his booty call (if you will), but they didn't mind, and Puck sure as hell didn't mind.

"It's Amber, silly! You know that," she laughed.

Amber… He tried to picture her. Some of the girls looked pretty similar, so he wanted to make sure she was an attractive one before he got himself into deep shit. Hmm… he was pretty sure she had blonde hair and blue eyes. Maybe freckles? Keeping up with woman was so freaking hard. He needed to make a book with a table of contents to keep track of these things. And people said Puck's life was easy- hah!

"Want to come to my house tonight?" she said breathily, "My parents are gone for the night. And I haven't seen you in so long."

Damn. This was a good offer. But then his mind went back to his little sister. He would have to be back home my seven AM, and that would be cutting things close. But… he has made it home earlier. Why should he have to put his life on hold to baby-sit? He was allowed to have some fun, right? He was Puck.

"Sorry, I am going to pass," he said, sounding angry. "See you later."

Man, he deserved an award for what he just did. He was the poster boy of self restraint. He could have easily gotten laid tonight, but instead he decided to be a good child and go home to watch his sister. Maybe he needed to get his head checked (from Berry's sock to the face,) and that was why he was being so... Not Puck. Or maybe he was just maturing? He laughed out loud at that one.

Remembering he was still on his cell phone, he hung up quickly before he could hear the girl whine or something. Girls just didn't know what no meant, did they? They pleaded and begged and whined and were - dare he say it- sometimes even worse than Rachel Berry. What a concept.

Puck ran his hand through his mohawk dejectedly. How was it possible his day went from bad to worse? He immediately thought of Rachel, whose day was even shittier than his, but he pushed that thought away. Thinking about the girl with brown eyes who almost cried in glee practice was not how he wanted to spend his Friday night.

Puck drove him in silence. When he got home, his little sister was all happy to see him, and when he pulled out a cookie he made just for her, she was all smiles and laughter. And his mom was just sitting on the couch with a huge smile on her face, happy that Puck wasn't a crappy brother like he was a person. As much as Puck would have loved to be back at Amber's (?) house, banging her like no tomorrow, he was actually glad that he went home. After all, home is where the heart is. (Shit, now he is sounding like a fucking romance novel with all these trashy clichés.)

And while he was at home, playing board games and watching movies with his mom and sister, he couldn't help but wonder how Rachel Berry was spending her Friday night. (For the last time, Noah Puckerman did not like Rachel Berry.)

... ... ...

Rachel Berry arrived to an empty home. In a way, that was good, because she wouldn't have to explain to her dads why she came home with five bags. She was planning to tell them that her 'friends from glee' made her buy these things, but now it seemed like she had a jail free card.

She found a note on the counter from her dads, saying that they went out for the night with some of the other members of the local gay community, and they would be home late. Rachel sighed, not content with spending her Friday night home alone. It made her feel like a loser, like the girl who got put into the Homecoming court as a joke. She didn't want to think of herself that way tonight.

She put on her favorite movies, made popcorn, and stayed up until midnight. After the second movie ended, she put all of her new clothes away, sorting them by color and then by style. Once one AM rolled around, Rachel stopped pacing the kitchen floor and went to her room. She crawled into bed and cried, hating how she was waiting up for her parents. Weren't they supposed to be the ones waiting for her, making sure that she got home okay? Why did she act so old?

As Rachel cried herself to sleep, she made a promise to herself that this would be the last time she cried because of who she was. Tomorrow was a new day, and the Old Rachel was going to transform into the New Rachel. And on Monday morning, her fellow students would be blown away by who that new girl was. God, she loved having the last word.

But for some reason, at two AM when her dads finally came home, and she was in that weird half asleep/half awake state, she only had one coherent thought: I wonder what Noah is doing right now…

What the heck was that supposed to mean?

A/N: You all have NO idea how blown away I was by your response to the last chapter. You guys gave amazing reviews (I got twenty! I have never gotten that many on the first chapter, ever.) I also had so many alerts and favorites, which just astounded me to no end. I literally teared up when I had over seventy emails in my inbox, all from FanFiction. So all of your feedback is what got this chapter out of me so fast. I was inspired to write, and this chapter just wrote itself. So really, THANK YOU all! If you guys keep putting in a little effort like leaving a review, I will put in all my effort in giving you great chapters. By the way, if anyone is interested in Beta-ing, this story, let me know, because I could really use one. Sorry for any mistakes!

Important A/N You Really Shouldn't Skip: The sixtieth reviewer gets a one-shot written by me! You think of a plot to a Puck/Rachel, and it must be T or lower rated. It must be in the genre: romance, humor, friendship, drama, angst, or hurt (You can combine, just think of a plot within that category.) Basically, your options are endless if it doesn't have horror, crime, or adventure. So if you want this one-shot, be the sixtieth reviewer! It is easy! This contest will go on until I hit 60, so it could happen soon, or it could happen in five chapters. It is all up to you guys!

Thanks for reading :)