Disclaimer: Characters belong to Ryan Murphy and FOX. Lyrics belong to original artists.

As always, a big thanks for my wonderful beta, sandra-wfg. You're awesome. :-)

Author's note at the bottom.

Chapter Seven

Rachel sat in the classroom, shaking with nerves. She saw Noah talking to Mercedes and Lauren. She couldn't believe he talked her into doing this. She was not ready to sing in front everyone again. Images of the last time she'd performed flooded through her brain and she shuddered.

Don't think like that. Noah promised he wouldn't let that happen again, Rachel tried to reason with herself.

Mr. Schue walked into the room and everyone went to sit in their seats. He walked up to the board and wrote "Anger" on it just like he had done on Monday.

What I wouldn't give to feel that right now, Rachel thought pathetically. She was too nervous to feel anything. Maybe she should fake sick again, that always worked. Yet when she looked at Noah, she knew she couldn't let him down like that. He turned to her and smiled and she grimaced in return.

"Alright you guys. It's time to see your performances. Mercedes, you said you had something ready?" Mr. Schue asked.

Mercedes nodded and went to the front of the classroom.

"This song is dedicated to a special friend. I'll never forgive myself for what I did to you because you are a beautiful person inside and out. I can only hope that our friendship will continue to grow. This is for you, Rachel Berry."

Rachel had no idea how to respond but, thankfully, Mercedes had already started her song.

"She is a pyramid
But with him she's just a grain of sand
This love's too strong like mice and men
Squeezing out the life that should be laid in

She was a hurricane-cane-cane-cane
But now she's just a gust of wind
She used to set the sails of a thousand ships
Was a force to be reckoned with

She could be a statue of liberty
She could be a Joan of Arc
But he's scared of the light that's inside of her
So he keeps her in the dark"

Tears sprung to Rachel's eyes as she listened to the lyrics. She watched as Tina and Lauren went to the center and helped Mercedes sing the chorus.

"Oh, she used to be a pearl...Ohh
Yeah, she used to rule the world...Ohh
Can't believe she's become a shell of herself
'Cause she used to be a pearl"

Rachel couldn't fathom how she had never heard this song before. It hit so close to home about how she felt. She couldn't stop the tears that fell freely from her face.

"You don't have to be shell, No
You're the one that rules your world, ohh
You are strong and you'll learn
that you can still go on

And you'll always be a pearl"

With the last verse, Mercedes had pulled her to the floor where the other girls were singing.

Rachel hastily wiped the remaining tears and took a few deep breaths. She sat down again and joined in on the applause from the rest of the class. She bit her trembling lip and hugged Mercedes.

"Thank you so much," she whispered in Mercedes' ear.

Mercedes hugged her back in response.

Rachel chanced a peak at the audience and saw Finn looking at the floor. He met her eyes and she saw the pain in them. For a second, she felt sorry for him – she wanted to go over and comfort him. But then she remembered that he had hurt her badly and that she shouldn't have to comfort him.

Yeah, easier said than done, kid.

She felt someone sit on the other side of her and turned to see Noah. She smiled at him and he stuck out his knuckles.

"You ready, Berry?"

She took a deep breath. She could do this. No, she would do this.

"I'm so nervous," she told him as they walked over to the center.

"Rach, I won't let you embarrass yourself."

She nodded, unconvinced. She trusted Noah but she didn't trust Santana and her crude remarks.

"What happens if Finn leaves again? I mean, let's face it – this song is actually about him," Rachel whispered nervously.

Noah shrugged, "tough shit. He needs to take whatever you throw at him."

It was explanations like that which made it so easy for Rachel to love Noah. He was very understanding of her problems. He never belittled her for them and he always said the right things.

She watched as Noah put his hands on her shoulders. He stared at her for a moment before speaking. His voice was quiet and she knew it was only meant for her to hear what he had to say.

"Just sing, Rachel. Sing out everything you've been feeling. It's your turn to shine again. Let everyone see the new and improved Rachel Berry –"

Rachel interrupted him. "Yeah the Rachel Berry singing a song about her ex boyfriend."

He smirked, "Singing about how her ex-boyfriend was a jerkoff and how she's better off. What did Mercedes call you again? A pearl?" Rachel nodded. "Then be a damn pearl, Rachel. Show him what he lost."

Rachel was at a loss for words.

Rachel heard Brad start to play the piano. She swallowed a big breath of air and exhaled slowly. She turned to look at Noah and he nodded at her.

Here goes nothing…She thought bravely before belting out the first verse.

"All this time I was wasting,
Hoping you would come around
I've been giving out chances every time
And all you do is let me down
And it's taking me this long
Baby but I figured you out
And you're thinking we'll be fine again,
But not this time around"

She noted how eerily quiet the classroom had become. She didn't stop singing, though. In fact, Rachel was surprised to find herself getting lost in the music. The lyrics explained all the pain she had felt with the loss of Finn. All the pain he put her through all because of a stupid mistake she made.

Noah picked up the chorus and Rachel faced him so it seemed that they were singing to each other.

"You don't have to call anymore
I won't pick up the phone
This is the last straw
Don't wanna hurt anymore
And you can tell me that you're sorry
But I don't believe you baby
Like I did - before
You're not sorry, no no oh"

He strummed the guitar and Rachel swayed along with the music. She opened her eyes, not realizing they had been closed, and looked at Finn. A brave a side of her had come out and she wanted to let him know the pain he made her feel.

"Looking so innocent,
I might believe you if I didn't know
Could've loved you all my life
If you hadn't left me waiting in the cold
And you got your share of secrets
And I'm tired of being last to know
And now you're asking me to listen
Cause it's worked each time before"

Rachel broke her gaze away from Finn to look back at Noah. They joined together to sing the chorus.

All the fear and nervousness that Rachel had felt only a couple minutes ago had gone away. She moved about the floor like she used to before December. She went up to Mike and pulled him up to the floor to dance with him. She started to feel like the old Rachel, the one who didn't care about what others thought.

"You had me crawling for you honey
And it never would've gone away, no
You used to shine so bright
But I watched all of it fade"

Puck took over the chorus and Rachel kept dancing with Mike. Tina and Mercedes soon joined and the five of them finished the last lyric in sync.

"You're not sorry, no no oh"

The song ended and Rachel found herself laughing and smiling. She felt so happy in that moment. She went over to Noah and wrapped her arms around him. She knew he had no idea what epiphany she had just had but she still wanted to thank him.

She looked at their little audience and was surprised when most of them were applauding them. Mr. Schue came over and stepped between her and Noah and wrapped his arms around the both of them.

"That was just…wow!" He laughed.

Rachel smiled awkwardly before entangling herself from him. She hadn't ever really forgiven Mr. Schue for letting everyone gang up on her during the solo. He was the teacher and he was supposed to protect her.

She sighed and walked over to where Mercedes and Tina were chatting.

"Hold up."

Rachel sighed. Great, here we go.

Santana stepped up from where she was sitting and walked over to Rachel. Rachel tried to stand up straighter but it didn't matter – Santana was towering over her.

"So just because you sing some stupid song we're supposed to love you now? Or worse, feel bad for you?" Santana laughed darkly. "Are we all forgetting that she was the one who cheated on Finn?"

"Quit it, Santana," Finn muttered.

Rachel looked up to see him sitting down. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was looking at the floor.

"Seriously. I don't get what you have against Rachel but you either need to get over it or keep quiet," Mercedes spoke up as she walked to stand next to Rachel.

Rachel looked back at Santana who was fuming. She rolled her eyes at Rachel and Mercedes and left the room without another word.

Mr. Schue was the first to speak. "Okay, guys. Let's take a 5 minute break."

Rachel grabbed the sheet music from Brad and went over to her seat.

"Rachel, can I talk to you?" Finn asked.

"What, Finn?" She sighed tiredly.

He looked around. "Can we talk outside?"

She looked at him for a moment. She knew all she had to do was call Noah or Mercedes over and he'd leave but she didn't. Instead, she followed him into the hallway and winced when she heard the door slam shut.

The both of them stood there awkwardly.

Well I'm not speaking first. He brought me out here, Rachel thought. She tapped her foot impatiently and looked up at Finn.

He groaned, "God, Rach. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened. But why the hell did you have to sing with Puck? Of all people - why him?"

"Excuse me?" She blanched. "I can sing with whoever I want to, Finn. You are not the boss of me. Besides, Noah asked to sing with me."

"Yeah like he asked you to make out with him when you and I were still together?" Finn shouted.

Rachel took a step forward. "Noah and I are not together, if that is what you're insinuating. Even if we were, it'd still be none of your business."

"I'm not insinuating, or whatever, anything! I just don't get why you always have to hurt me."

"How am I hurting you?"

"Because you know I hate seeing you and him together!"

"Since when?"

"Since you two screwed me over in the worst way possible. Damnit, he was my best friend and you were my girlfriend. Yet you chose him over me."

"How did I choose him? Finn, I have apologized so many times for what I did!"

"It's not enough, Rachel. It won't ever be enough. You chose to hurt me by kissing him. You chose to break my heart."

"The way you broke my heart by sleeping with Santana?"

"We weren't even together!"

"But you told me you wanted us to be together. You told me you'd fight for me. Even when I was with Jesse, you told me you wanted me to be with you. Yet, you went and slept with her. You know she hates me and you know how much pain she's put me through. But you still slept with her!"

"It didn't even mean anything."

"Just like kissing Noah didn't mean anything to me!" Rachel finally cried out. Tears poured down her face, her breathing was erratic, and she knew she looked like a mess but she just didn't care.

"God Finn," she whispered sadly. "I never meant to hurt you, I swear. But I was just so hurt that you slept with her of all people. I wanted you to feel the pain I felt. And then Noah was there and I just… God, I don't even know what went through my head. We just ended up in my bedroom and he was being nice to me and saying all these sweet things to make me feel better and I just kissed him." She shook her head trying to wipe away the memories.

Finn stared at her for a moment. She saw him take a step towards her but she stepped away.

"I know you're hurt, Finn. I won't ever blame you for feeling that way. But I can't do it anymore. I can't let you make me feel this way. I've apologized to no avail and you obviously won't be able to forgive me. I'm moving on, okay?"

"Rachel…"

She shook her head. "No. I can't do this anymore. I can't be in this, this pain anymore. I'm moving on. I'm finally starting to heal and I can't let you take that away from me."

She opened the door to the choir room and walked in. Everyone was staring at her and she knew she must have looked horrible. She grabbed her stuff and left the room – ignoring her friends' attempts to ask her what happened.

She left the school and sat on the curb. She grabbed her phone and started to dial her dads' number but stopped. She didn't want to deal with either of her dads at the moment. She knew they'd blow her emotional state out of proportion and she didn't feel like having an emergency session with her therapist.

Instead, she sat on the curb by herself. Wishing that for once, she could go a day without crying over Finn Hudson.

A/N: The support for this story is amazing. I love all of you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, & alerting this story. As always, a teaser will be sent out to all who review. Make sure your PM is enabled.

Lots and lots of tears from Rachel. Don't worry, she won't have a huge meltdown like this ever again.

Next chapter - more fluffy moments with Kurt & Rachel. I know you all love those two together. :-)

Until then, I leave you with heart broken!Rachel.

*Songs used in this chapter: 'Pearl' by Katy Perry and 'You're Not Sorry' by Taylor Swift.