Alright so here's chapter seven. We got a little insight into Rachel's life last time, now it's Puck's turn… Review! Please? Pretty please? Your reviews are like food… You wouldn't want poor, injured me to die of starvation before I can finish the fic, would you? Would you?
Do you feel sufficiently guilted yet? ;) Love you guys long time!
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Killing Me
Puck got out of his truck slowly and started trudging up Mrs. Goldman's driveway when the door was flung open and his sister was flying towards him. "Noah!" Unable to keep the grin off his face Puck caught the 7 year old as she launched herself at him, he barely managed to keep from wincing as her knee connected with his injured ribs.
"Danica Puckerman!" Mrs. Goldman scolded, "You get back here right now and put your coat on!"
"Better do as she says, Dani," Puck whispered to his sister conspiratorially "she looks mad enough to eat your face right off."
Dani giggled as he set her on the ground, "She's not a monster, Noah." Puck just quirked an eyebrow and Dani giggled again. "I got something to show you Noah, don't go anywhere okay?"
Puck smiled at his sister, though inside he was angry. She always said that. It pissed him off. Dani hadn't even been born when their father left, but every time he left her sight she made him promise that he wouldn't go anywhere. It wasn't fair. "I'll be here Dani. Now hurry up and get your stuff."
Dani smiled a gap toothed smile at him- she'd lost one of her front teeth 2 days ago. "Okay. I'll be right back."
Puck smiled back, genuinely this time, and watched her scamper back into the house. Then he turned his smile toward the tiny gray haired woman leaning in the doorway. "Hi Mrs. G."
"Hello yourself, Noah."
"How was she today?"
"A handful, as always." The old woman replied, her brown eyes twinkling. "A lot like a certain little boy I used to take care of. One who doesn't visit me near as much as he ought to."
The mohawked jock ran a hand over his stripe of hair and grinned sheepishly at the woman he considered to be a surrogate grandmother. "Sorry Mrs. G."
"I suppose I shouldn't ask what happened to your face."
"Football?" He mumbled weakly.
"Mmhmm." She hummed knowingly as Dani raced back out of the house to her brother's side.
"I'm ready Noah."
"Alright squirt," Puck said, ruffling her hair "Let's get a move on. Bye Mrs. G."
"Bye Mrs. G!" Dani echoed her brother, "See you tomorrow!"
"I hope she was worth it, Noah!" Mrs. G shouted as they reached the truck.
Puck didn't even bat an eye as he looked back at her. "She is."
"Is she Jewish?"
Puck rolled his eyes as he helped his sister into the truck- just like his mom. "Yes."
Finally she smiled at him. "Good."
"Bye Mrs. G." He said again, shaking his head and refusing to smile.
"Goodbye Noah."
The drive home had been fairly peaceful. He'd managed to tune Dani out most of the ride; responding with the appropriate 'that's great, Squirt' or 'that sucks'. Then she asked him the question. "Noah."
Puck looked over at the sound of Dani's whiniest voice. "What Dani?"
"Will you sing for me? Please?"
"Dani…"
"Please, Noah?" Dani batted her big green eyes at him. "Please? Please? Please?"
Puck closed his eyes and silently cursed himself for teaching Dani the puppy dog eyes. "Fine. What do you want to sing?"
Dani grinned and grabbed for Puck's giant book of CD's. "I want-"
"No Hannah Montana." Puck growled, he had a particular loathing for that CD now…
"But-"
"No."
"Fine." Dani relented and went back to flipping through the CD's.
"Better choose quickly, Squirt, or we'll be home."
"This one!" Dani said triumphantly, holding a CD above her head.
"Put it in." Puck said, grinning at his sister in amusement.
The 7 year old smiled slyly at her brother before ejecting the CD that was in the stereo and replacing it with her pick. She bit her lip to keep in her laughter at Noah's reaction.
"Really Dani?" He groaned.
Dani nodded and giggled as the sound of The Jonas Brothers filled the truck. "You said no Hannah Montana."
"If you want me to sing it has to be something I like."
"But-"
"How 'bout Neil Diamond?"
Dani wrinkled her nose as she took out her CD. "Eww, Noah, that's mom music."
"I don't know," Puck grinned to himself, "I kinda like Sweet Caroline."
At 10 o'clock Puck was in his room in bed. Bored out of his mind, he was tossing a football in the air. His mom was still at work so he'd taken care of Dani all night. He'd fed her, made sure her homework was done- they always did their homework together at the kitchen table with a big plate of cookies, it was tradition- he'd made sure she'd brushed her teeth, read her a story and tucked her into bed.
He grunted and threw the football a little too forcefully, hitting the ceiling, screw Quinn and her telling him he wasn't ready to be a dad. He'd been a dad since he was 10 years old. Bitch.
He threw the football on the floor and pulled out his cell phone, he needed to get his mind out of these deep thoughts. Thumbs moving quickly he texted Rachel.
Hey Berry, whatcha doing?
Just got home from the mall. What are you doing?
Nothing. I'm bored. Entertain me.
How?
Puck smirked as he sent his next message. What are you wearing?
Noah!!!
He laughed, even her text message sounded scandalized. Giving up on texting Puck dialed Rachel's number. She picked up on the first ring. "Hey Berry."
"Noah," Rachel sighed, "you do realize you can call me Rachel, right? I won't be offended if you call me by my first name."
He rolled his eyes. "Hey Rachel."
"Hello Noah."
"So what are you wearing?"
"I'm not answering that."
Puck laughed he could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "Just a hint Ber- Rachel. I'm not wearing a shirt." He admitted playfully "Your turn…"
"Noah," Rachel said sternly, "I'm going to hang up if you don't behave yourself."
He laughed. "Sorry. So what'd you do tonight?"
"I went to the mall with Kurt, Brittany, and Mercedes."
Puck quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes. I was supplementing my wardrobe with more conservative clothing."
"English, please."
"I bought some jeans and stuff."
"Hmm…" Puck frowned "You're not giving up on the dirty Catholic schoolgirl look are you? I kinda like those short skirts you wear."
"I told you to behave, Puckerman." Rachel huffed.
"What? I'm just being honest. Those skirts are the best part of my day."
"I was led to believe that jeans make my ass look good. What did Mercedes say? Oh yes, 'damn girl, look at yo fine ghetto booty in them jeans'." Puck literally choked on his laughter at Rachel's surprisingly accurate imitation of the black diva. "Noah?" Rachel asked in concern at his bout of coughing "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," The jock answered, calming down slightly, "but you're killing me here. All I can picture is you, Brit, and Mercedes in the same change room helping each other try on clothes…"
"Noah!"
"I can't help it," He defended feebly, shifting uncomfortably on his bed, "I'm a teenage boy!"
"Yes well, Kurt was there too, you know."
Puck sighed. "You ruined it."
Rachel laughed. "He could be the Bosley in your demented little 'glee club/Charlie's Angel' fantasy."
Puck groaned. "You are trying to kill me."
Rachel laughed again. "Sweet dreams Noah."
"Yeah, yeah. You want me to pick you up for school in the morning?"
"That would be lovely. Thank you."
"No problem."
"Goodnight Noah."
"Night Ber- Rachel."
"Oh, and Noah?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm wearing the t-shirt you left at my house that one time."
Puck could only stare at his phone as she hung up on him. The operator telling him to hang up his phone snapped him out of his shock. Rachel Berry was a tease. He smiled at the thought, then groaned at the memories of the make out session that had led to his t-shirt being abandoned at her house. It was going to be a long night.
Quinn Fabray was not happy.
Her relationship with Finn was rocky at the moment and now, thanks to a YouTube video that Kurt and Mercedes had posted several hours ago, she was losing her grip on Puck too. She stifled a scream and threw a pillow across her bedroom- knocking a cheerleading trophy off of her dresser.
This kind of thing was not supposed to happen, especially not to her. She was Quinn Fabray! Quinn freaking Fabray!! She was head Cheerio, most popular girl in school, half of the it couple, Quinn Fabray!!!
Except she wasn't. Not anymore. Now she was former head Cheerio, gleek, pregnant with her boyfriend's loser best friend's baby, Quinn Fabray… And she was losing her boyfriend and baby daddy- as much as she didn't want him- to Rachel 'man hands' Berry.
What the hell was that about anyway? What was so special about Rachel Berry? So she could sing and had nice legs, she had absolutely no fashion sense and she was batshit crazy. And still Finn worshiped the ground she walked on- "Rachel's so talented… Rachel's so smart… Rachel taught me how to hit a high B"- and Puck had never kissed her that way, even in the middle of sex, plus he was now fighting for her honour or some shit…
She muffled another scream and threw another pillow across her room. This was not acceptable.