Title: Breakaway, Part 8/?
Spoilers: This part to '3x20 - Props'; whole series will be through the Glee season 3 finale.
Disclaimer1: I don't own Glee, so I'm just borrowing the characters and ideas for the fun of writing, *but* I do own the original characters, original plot and other original ideas.
A/N1: I edited this, so all mistakes are mine.
A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D
Disclaimer2: Title from one of my favorite Kelly Clarkson songs 'Breakaway'. Just borrowing. I don't own!
...
Disclaimer3: Any familiar lines from the episode listed have been underlined... Just borrowing them! I don't own!
A/N3: There's a brief line from '3x21 - Nationals', but it's not really a spoiler, so I didn't list it as one. I will explain in the chapter's author's notes at the end.
...
"So, here's what you missed on Glee... Kurt pulled a last minute switcheroo for Carmen Tibideaux and nailed his NYADA audition, while Rachel went with 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked, which she and Kurt sang two years ago and she totally choked... Beiste admitted that her husband, Cooter, hit her, but she lied and said she left him, when actually she stayed... Puck choked on his final test in class and now can't graduate, which sucks because a while back, he told everybody that graduating high school was something he was really looking forward to... The Glee club has been ignoring Tina all year long, actually, she kinda got ignored last year, too. Actually Tina's sort of been ignored the whole time and she's been in the New Directions, like forever. The first time she got a solo, she insisted she was bad and forced Mr. Schue to give the song to Rachel and every solo since, she's either gotten booed or started crying uncontrollably. No one noticed she went from dressing Punk, to dressing Goth, to dressing like a Go-Go dancer in 60s Swinging London. She even got Mike Chang into college and she hardly got a 'thank you'. Sometimes people don't even seem to know her name... Santana and Quinn decided to change the winners for king and queen and swore they'd never tell their secret and Puck and Rachel were crowned Prom King and Queen and then went back to a hotel and had their first time as a couple and Rachel decided that she's not going to give up on her dream of NYADA... Oh! And Jesse St. James is coaching Vocal Adrenaline and their lead singer is Wade, asked Kurt and Mercedes advice about going on stage at Carmel's Regionals dressed as a woman, Unique. They encouraged him to, and Vocal Adrenaline won their Regionals, so they'll be competing against New Directions at Nationals... And that's what you missed on Glee."
...
3x20 - Props
...
After becoming Prom Royalty, Rachel and Puck thoroughly enjoyed spending the entire night together and when Rachel woke up Sunday morning, she had a refreshed outlook on her dreams. She decided she wasn't going to give up and once Puck took her home, she found the number to Carmen Tibideaux and called her, leaving a message, asking for a second chance. During the rest of Sunday, she called the woman several more times, leaving similar messages and even went as far as ordering a delivery of muffins to be delivered to her office that day, in hopes it would help sway the woman into giving her one more opportunity to shine. She also invited her to Nationals, to see New Directions during the competition. Her random calls continued through the day, and even sent some emails, and though her dads and boyfriend tried to get her to stop, she was determined and only gave it a rest once she got ready for bed.
Monday morning, Rachel found herself up extra early, sitting at her desk, writing in her journal. She had so much to write and nearby was her cell phone. She planned to call Carmen a few more times that day and hoped this time she'd be able to catch the woman, or at least talk to someone. Once she'd taken almost an hour to spill her thoughts onto the pages of her journal, she finished with 'getting accepted to NYADA is my educational Destiny'.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and pulled up her messages and wrote one to her boyfriend and hoped he was up, "can you meet me at school in the auditorium? There's a song I want to sing."
"I can be there in 30, babe," was Puck's quick response.
Rachel grinned happily at his message and replied, "thank you! See you then, Noah! Love you!"
...
Arriving at McKinley thirty minutes earlier than normal, Rachel stashed everything in her locker except her phone and the sheet music she wanted to work on and headed for the auditorium. Once she stepped inside, she heard notes coming from the piano and saw her boyfriend sitting on the bench, "you beat me here," Rachel commented, walking up to the stage where he was.
"Yeah. Didn't have to stop at my locker, so I came right here," he admitted, rubbing his eyes a little, "so what's up?" He wondered, still trying to wake up.
"Did you wake up when I messaged you?" She wondered curiously, kissing him gently as she reached him.
"No, but I just had woken up," he took a deep breath and smiled at her, "morning, babe."
Rachel returned his smile, sliding onto the bench next to him, "good morning, Noah," she whispered, kissing him once more.
Puck brought one of his hands up to rest on her cheek and returned the kiss, "it's already a better morning."
"Is that because you're at school or because I kissed you?" She asked, winking at him.
"Because I'm with my girl," he explained, then noticed the music, "what song did you want to sing?" He asked, motioning to the papers.
Rachel flipped to the front page, "'I Won't Give Up' by Jason Mraz. I know it's about a relationship, but it also makes me think of NYADA. I'm not going to give up on it. It's where I need to go to continue my education."
"Yeah, it is," Puck agreed, "and it's a good song."
"I also want to dedicate it to you," she added softly.
"To me?" He looked at her shocked.
"Yes," she nodded, "I've told you before that I believe in you and I'm sticking with you. I mean it. I won't give up on us," she told him truthfully, pressing a kiss to his lips.
"I don't deserve you," he murmured against her lips,
"Yes you do. Don't talk like that," Rachel replied, looking at him, "you deserve to be happy."
"Thanks, babe," Puck smiled, glancing over the music.
Rachel stood up and moved to lean against the piano so she could face him and within a few moments, he began to the play the piano part of the song. Coming in at the right moment, Rachel began to sing words, talking about not giving up, no matter what happens. As she reached the final verse, she slid back onto the piano bench next to him and rested her hand on his shoulder, singing the words directly to him, "I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up..."
Puck smiled at her as he finished the last few notes, "that means a lot, babe," he said softly.
"I mean it. I'm not giving up on us, just like I'm not giving up on NYADA," she replied honestly.
"Good," he nodded.
Reaching for her phone, she picked it up and pulled up Carmen's office number and hit the send button. Listening to it ring and then go to her voice mail again, she heard the same message over again, so she took a deep breath and waited for the tone before speaking. "Hi, Madam Tibideaux. This is Rachel Berry calling. I understand that 14 messages is a lot, but I just wanted to make sure that you got the muffin basket that I sent as well as the invitation to come see my show choir perform at our Nationals in Chicago... I would really love it if you could be there to watch us perform. If anything, just to show you that what happened at my audition was a fluke and that I do have the talent and the ability to study with you next year at NYADA. I understand that asking you to make the trip is a lot, but I'm really not ready to give up on my dreams... Thank you very much."
As she hung up the phone, Puck rested a hand on her back and rubbed it gently, "she'll come," he murmured softly.
Rachel nodded, "I hope so."
...
Thanking Puck for meeting her early, the couple hung out until they needed to get to class and then met up at her locker just before Glee, like usual. Once everyone got into Glee and had settled into their seats, Will and Sue came in and Will wrote 'Nationals' on the white board.
"Nationals," Will started, hearing everyone cheering, "okay, song selection... Out of all the songs we've picked out, I've decided that we'll be kicking off our vintage theme with the legendary Jim Steinman's 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light'. Rachel will do the solo, 'It's All Coming'..."
"'It's All Coming Back To Me Now'... One of Celine Dion's most powerful ballads, inspired by Wuthering Heights," Rachel clapped happily.
"And we'll be working in a new Troubletones number, utilizing the talents of our featured performer, Porcelaina Hummel," Sue added, motioning to Kurt.
"Not gonna happen, Dragon Lady," Kurt replied, shaking his head.
"Now we talked about this earlier, Hummel. Because of the little bit of advice you and Mercedes gave Vocal Adrenaline's lead to dress in drag, which helped them win their Regionals, you're gonna have to do the same thing for Nationals and you'll do as you're told, he-she," Sue snapped at Kurt, "we will be performing 'Edge of Glory' by Lady Gaga... And on that note, please look under your seats."
All the teens reached under their seats and found boxes with two strange items, "welding helmets and leg warmers?" Finn asked completely confused.
"Best way to get props is to use props... A healthy dose of props and our plucky transsexual Porcelaina and you're over the top," Sue said happily.
"Aren't props a little cheesy?" Blaine wondered.
"They're a lot cheesy," Puck replied with sigh.
"Guys, I've asked for Sue's help, because she's a winner and I'm not ashamed to admit this. I want to win," Will said looking around at the teens, "but there's not one person in that audience who will think we're anything but underdogs who will be lucky to place at Nationals. We didn't even make the top ten last year," he sadly reminded them, "we've got one last week to come together and shake things up. If there's anyone here who's not up for trying and working their butts off, you should just get up right now and leave," Will said, not expecting anyone to actually leave.
Having held her tongue long enough, Tina stood up and started walking towards the door.
"Whoa, Tina, where are you going?" Mike asked.
"You guys don't need me. Carry on!" She snapped, turning to stare at everyone.
"Tina, you don't understand, I need this to be perfect," Rachel quickly said.
Tina took a deep breath and glared at Rachel, "because you blew an audition? That's not a reason for you to get a solo at Nationals. Maybe the rest of us would like one, too!" She hissed, turning to look at Will.
Mike motioned to Rachel, "Tina, Rachel is a Senior."
"So are you, but you can bet the only thing you'll be doing is a dance break with Brittany," she retorted, looking at Will again, "other people matter."
"Tina, you may not always get the solos, but you are a key player. I put you in charge of costumes," Will told her.
"Wow! Like that's some prize!" Tina commented sarcastically, "you want props to move around? Well, I'm a human prop and I'm sick of it!" She exclaimed, before storming out of the classroom.
Mike chased after her and Rachel gathered her thoughts, trying to figure out what to do and then jumped up, rushing to the doorway, just as Mike walked away from Tina. Taking her shot, she walked over to her, "Tina, I understand that you feel like your voice is being stifled right now in the Glee Club and, I mean, I have no idea why you would choose this moment specifically to make a stink about it, but I want you to know you are being heard. But I'm begging you to let this all go until after Nationals," Rachel asked as nice as she could.
Tina just stared at her and shook her head, moving to walk away from her, but Rachel chased after her, "do you have any idea how important Nationals is to me? I mean, if I can convince Carmen Tibideaux to come watch us perform, then it's basically like a do-over for my NYADA audition, which means my entire future depends on this being amazing. Which means everyone needs to do their part," Rachel explained, trying to stay calm, but she was starting to get pissed.
Tina rolled her eyes, "their part to make you look good! I have sat for three years in the back of that choir room, holding Mike's hand or crying or smiling and swaying while everyone else was up there singing solos. Maybe I say something, but most of the time I don't. Team player all the way," she motioned to herself, "I'm tired of being silent. I am one of the original Glee Club members and I was singing 'Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat' when Finn and Puck were still throwing slushies at us, so when is it my turn?"
Deciding to try a different tactic, Rachel took a deep breath, "do you have any idea how difficult is is to be me? Do you have a Facebook account or Twitter account?"
"Yes," Tina nodded.
"Do you attempt to watch TV? To read a book? Do you go out every night? Do you hang out with your friends or boyfriend all the time?" Rachel wondered and when the girl shrugged, she continued, "I see my boyfriend daily, but most of the time he's playing music for me to sing along to. We don't go out that often and even though I have Facebook and Twitter, I hardly use them and I can't remember the last time I kept up with a TV show; I don't have time. I get up extra early in the morning just to get all of this prepared in case a solo is thrown my way. I have the entire Sondheim, Hamlisch, Lloyd Webber and Elton John song books memorized, including every single Katy Perry hit as well. And I do all of this while keeping my boyfriend interested (...) and keeping a 3.86 GPA."
"I can do all that," Tina told her honestly.
"And you will. Next year. You'll have your chance next year," Rachel told her.
Tina shook her head and sighed, "all I want is for one moment to feel like you. To be up on that stage and getting one of the standing ovations you're so used to getting," she said simply, before turning and walking away.
Rachel's shoulders slumped and she sighed, completely shocked that Tina was causing problems. She understood where she was coming from, but of all the times, it had to be just before Nationals.
"You okay, babe?" Puck asked, walking up behind her.
"No," she shook her head, turning and wrapping her arms around him, "why now? Why when I'm so close to getting a second shot?"
Puck pressed a kiss to her forehead, as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, "I don't know, babe. Just give her some time. She'll cool off," he murmured.
"But it's so close to Nationals!" She pulled back to look at him.
"Don't get upset about this. Tina's probably been holding that in for a while and just needed to get it out. I'm sure in a day or two she'll realize what she did and it'll all be in the past," Puck commented.
"I hope so. I don't need anymore stress right now," she murmured, relaxing against him. "Thanks, Noah."
Puck smiled, "no problem, babe."
...
Now that Rachel knew, for sure, what song she'd be singing at Nationals, she knew she had a lot to do. Thankfully it was one of several songs she'd worked on for her audition, so Puck knew it and was able to help her and they worked the entire evening after school, him playing the piano and she singing along to the familiar words.
Rachel got to school a little early, the next morning, so she went to the auditorium to use the piano, practicing some scales and some of the lines of the song. When school started, she went about her day and met her boyfriend at her locker for Glee.
"I can't believe we've waited this long to practice our songs for Glee," Rachel commented with a sigh, as they walked to the auditorium.
"Yeah, I'm a little surprised. We've talked about different songs and we know steps, but now we have to put it all together. I procrastinate a lot, but for something like this, we shouldn't have," he agreed.
"I'm trying to tell myself that we managed to pull together two songs for Sectionals our Sophomore year in just an hour, so I'm hoping it will work this time, too," she explained.
...
Arriving at the auditorium, Rachel and Puck found a few others already there and no one was looking forward to practicing Sue's idea. She seemed to think that having the guys running power tools, creating sparks on stage was a 'great' plan to win Nationals, because Kurt was refusing to perform in drag, which is what she's wanted from the start. With his refusal, Sue asked him for ideas and Kurt said he had one and asked for a day to get it together.
...
"So we're heading to my house?" Rachel asked her boyfriend as they walked to her locker at the end of the day.
"Yep, works for me," Puck shrugged, "I made sure not to schedule any pools to clean until after Nationals," he explained.
"Excellent! Because if we can't pull together out numbers, I at least want to be completely prepared for my song. I know that sounds a little selfish, but if I can manage to get Carmen there, then..."
"I know, babe, and it makes sense. You're right. She needs to see you perform again and this is the best way for that to happen," Puck assured her.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and opened her locker when they reached it, "to be honest, I want to win, but if we don't get our routine down and you're the only one that performs, I'd be cool with that."
"Really?" Rachel gasped in surprise.
Puck nodded, "yeah. You deserve to go to NYADA and if anything, it'll show Carmen what the school's missing if they don't let you in."
Rachel smiled happily and wrapped her arms around him, "thank you, Noah. That really means a lot."
"You're welcome," he returned her hug and kissed her forehead.
...
Even though Rachel was focused on practicing for her solo at Nationals, she also balanced it with spending it with her boyfriend. She appreciated that Puck was willing to spend so much time helping her on the song and he even agreed to play during Nationals; he'd do anything to help her impress Carmen Tibideaux; if she even showed up, and he hoped it would help the club win, too.
...
Wednesday seemed to be a normal day, but just before Glee, all the teens received a text message from Kurt to meet in the guys locker room for Glee. Everyone was confused why, but they followed the message and found Sue, Will and Kurt there, with a video projector set up to show something on a white screen.
"What is all this?" Rachel asked confused, taking a seat next to Puck on one of the benches.
"Kurt has a video to show us," Will explained.
Rachel glanced at Kurt and he shrugged, "I'll explain when everyone is here."
They only had to wait a few more minutes before the rest of the club had arrived and once everyone took their seats, Sue started, "please ignore the stench of mildew and jock strap to focus on the screen. Porcelaina," she said, motioning to Kurt.
Rolling his eyes at the stupid nickname she'd given him, he stood up and looked around, "yesterday, I snuck into a Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal and what I saw is not for the faint of heart," he explained, taking his seat.
The lights went out and a black and white video of Vocal Adrenaline's practice began playing on the screen. As they watched, Sue pointed out some details, "unlike you misfit, ragtag stumble bums, each member of Vocal Adrenaline is in perfect sync."
Will stared at the screen in awe and sighed, "not a stop out of place," he paused and motioned to a move they were doing on the screen, "okay, watch closely guys. It's called the 'Human Centipede'. It's the newest, hardest show choir dance move ever invented... Incredible..."
"Actually, it doesn't really look that hard," Blaine commented.
"And cherry on top of the Vocal Adrenaline Sundae is their secret weapon, Unique. Look at him slash her. Poised. Confident. Pretty as a picture and a booty that won't quit. It's the 'Unique Factor' that gives Vocal Adrenaline the edge," Sue told them, as the video stopped and the lights came back on.
"Isn't Rachel our 'Unique Factor'?" Puck asked, glancing at his girlfriend, who smiled happily at his support.
Sue shook her head, "not even close. I'm not saying that she doesn't deserve a solo, but every show choir in the country has a little girl with a big nose."
"Okay, Sue," Will warned.
Sue looked at Will, "William, high school judges are proven idiots. They love props and Unique is the ultimate prop."
Though Puck was pissed at Sue for what she'd said to Rachel, he looked at Sue, "do you seriously think we need a guy to dress in drag to win?"
Just as Will said 'no', Sue said 'yes. It's the only way', which wasn't surprising; they hardly ever saw eye-to-eye. Puck, after hearing everything, and realizing they were still the underdogs at competition, got an idea and figured he'd try to help out the club somehow.
When everyone began to get up and leave, heading to the auditorium to try to practice, Puck wrapped his arm around Rachel, "you're beautiful, babe. Don't let anyone upset you about your looks, okay?" He whispered softly.
"Thanks, Noah," she smiled, leaning her head against him as they began to walk out of the locker room.
...
"Noah, I wish there was something I could do to repay you for all the help you've been for me with the music. I know there are plenty of other things, as a couple, we could be doing," Rachel admitted, curled up with Puck on one of the Berry's couches, while they took a break from practicing.
"You don't have to," Puck assured her, "I'm enjoying this. We're spending time together. I could see if you wanted to practice on your own without me around and you didn't have 'time' to hang out, but that's not a problem. I'm sure we'll be able to do all those things once we're past Nationals; it on all of our minds right now."
"That is true," she agreed, "and I'm really glad we're able to share all this time together," she added with a smile.
"Me, too," he pulled her closer and kissed her, "maybe we could take a little bit of an extended break in your room," he suggested with a wink.
Rachel felt her cheeks flush, "I think," she paused and shifted to stand up, holding out her hand to him, "I think that's a good idea."
...
Rachel surprised herself when she woke up to her alarm; in the last few days she'd been waking up over thirty minutes before. "Wow! If making love with Noah is going to help me relax so I can actually get some more sleep, I may just have to suggest this more often," Rachel thought, smiling as she got up and went on with her usual morning routine.
Leaving a little early, Rachel arrived at McKinley and headed for the auditorium, deciding to get a little practice in before school began, even if it was just working on some notes.
"Sounded pretty good to me," Tina said from nearby, walking over to Rachel, who was sitting at the piano on stage.
Rachel jumped a little, not expecting anyone to be there, especially Tina, "um, I'm singing into the notes, not through them, but I'll get it," she explained.
Tina smirked and leaned against the piano, "it never stops for you, does it?"
"I already choked once this year and I'm not gonna let it happen again, so I'm practicing whenever I can," she replied honestly.
"Have you heard back from Carmen Tibideaux, yet?" Tina wondered.
Rachel bit her lip and shook her head, "no, and I just have to accept the fact that I'm not going to. I've emailed her and called her and there's nothing left that I can do."
"You could go see her. It's what you suggested I do in the body swapping dream I had about us," Tina explained, and when Rachel raised a curious eyebrow, she continued, "I fell in the fountain at the mall the other day and hit my head. I'm okay now, but at the time, I had an odd dream where everyone switched. I was you and you were me and Blaine was Puck and he wanted to have sex with me as you."
The two girls shared a laugh and Rachel smirked, "that's very disturbing. Who else switched? What happened in it?" Rachel asked, now curious about this 'dream' she'd had.
"Everyone switched. Puck was Blaine, Finn was Kurt, Kurt was Finn, Mercedes and Brittany switched, Mike and Joe switched, Rory and Sam, Quinn and Sugar, Artie and Santana; even Mr. Schue and Coach Sylvester switched. It was extremely weird... Anyway, since I was 'Rachel', I was asked to sing a solo in front of the club and I was nervous, but 'Puck' talked me into it and then I got my first standing ovation. Anyway, afterward, you as Tina told me as Rachel 'go see Carmen Tibideaux in person and not take 'no' for an answer'."
"Wow! Okay, the dream seems a little confusing, but the advice I gave myself in your dream was good?"
Tina nodded, "I did some research. Carmen Tibideaux is teaching a Master Class at Oberlin. If we go right now we could still catch her," she explained, "I could drive."
Rachel's eyes widened in shock, "you would do that for me?" She asked shocked and when Tina nodded again, she continued, "why? I mean, all that stuff you said, I mean, you weren't wrong. Look, I know that everyone is important and I'm very sorry if I ever made you feel like a supernumerary."
Tina smiled at her compliment, "everyone has their part to play, right? Maybe this is mine," she shrugged.
"Thank you," Rachel grinned brightly and stood up, hugging Tina, "you do know that next year you'll be the lead female vocalist and that's a lot of pressure, but I'm not worried," Rachel assured her, and when Tina smiled and began to tear up, Rachel jumped in, "oh no, please don't cry. You need to drive. Is your Hyundai gassed up?" She wondered hopeful.
"Yes, it is. I got gas this morning. I also printed out directions. They're in my car," Tina replied, "I had a feeling you'd agree to come."
Rachel stood up and grabbed her phone, "then let's get going!"
...
Tina and Rachel linked arms and made their way out of the auditorium and they almost walked right into Puck when they walked around the corner. "Noah! Hey!" Rachel smiled happily.
"How much coffee did you have this morning, babe?" Puck smirked, leaning down to kiss her as the three stopped in the hallway.
"The same as I usually do. Actually, I'm happy because Tina had a great idea," she said honestly, motioning to Tina, "she suggested going up to Oberlin, where Carmen is teaching a class to confront her in person," she explained.
"That is an awesome idea," Puck nodded, smiling at Tina, "I didn't even think of that."
"Don't feel bad," Rachel hugged him, "but we've gotta go if we want to catch her," she added, pulling away.
"Wait. You're skippin' school? Both of you?" His eyes widened in shock, "and you, too?"
The two girls nodded and Rachel stood up on her tip toes and kissed him, "missing one day of classes now is worth it, if it means I can get into NYADA," she told him truthfully, "and my dads will totally understand."
Puck wiggled his eyebrows at her, "Bad-Girl Berry is a turn on."
Rachel's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red and she nudged him, "Noah. Be good and maybe you'll get some when I get back."
"You can come with us, if you'd like," Tina added, looking at him.
"Tempting, but I need to be here. I figure if I at least show up and try to turn in some homework, another teacher won't try to fail me, or I'll have another class to make up over the summer," he added honestly, "besides, if I saw Carmen, I'd have a few choice words for her and I think it might ruin your chances of getting in, so I think it's best I not go," Puck explained, kissing Rachel's forehead, "go, have fun, be safe and see you when you get back."
"Love you, Noah," Rachel gave him a quick hug and kiss.
As she pulled away, Puck smiled at her, "love you, too, babe."
...
The two and a half hour drive to Oberlin was quite uneventful. There were a lot of country roads and trees, so Rachel was glad she brought some things along to do, including some apartment magazines for places around NYADA she'd gotten in the mail, "apartment hunting?" Tina wondered, when she saw what she was looking at.
Rachel nodded, "yeah. NYADA doesn't have dorms because it's a smaller school, so they have deals with apartment complexes around the school to give students a discount on rent. The plus side is that non-students can live with us, so Noah, Kurt and I can all live together. I asked the student information office to send me some magazines and brochures for the apartments nearby to see what we're looking at for cost," she explained, closing the magazine she'd been looking at.
"That makes sense, to live together I mean. So you and Puck are good?"
"We are," Rachel smiled, "I'm so much more myself with him. We balance each other out, too."
"That's a good kind of relationship," Tina replied, "I'm happy for you. We haven't talked much since you guys got together, but I'm glad you're happy together. You deserve it and so does he. I feel bad he can't graduate with you all, though."
"Me too. I just... I wish he could have a redo on his test, you know? A second chance... Now that I think about it, maybe I could go talk to his teacher," she commented, realizing talking to his teacher in person would be the same as going to see Carmen.
"I don't know. Doosenberry usually doesn't change her mind once it's made up," Tina admitted, "but it's worth a shot."
"It is. I'll talk to Noah when we get back," Rachel confirmed.
The car filled with silence for a moment and a question came to Tina, "do you think we're gonna win Nationals?"
Rachel thought for a moment, "you know, our first Regionals and last year, I had this feeling that we were just gonna win, but this year, nothing. I just really, really, really want to win, though, if not for us, for Mr. Schue," she admitted.
As Tina passed a sign saying that Oberlin was only fifteen miles away, Rachel sighed, "what if we go all this way and Carmen just says 'no'?" Rachel wondered nervously.
"She won't," Tina said, trying to stay positive.
Rachel turned to her, "she might. I don't really have a back-up plan, alright? And I don't want to waste another year of my ingenue eligibility, trying to get into other schools or even re-auditioning for NYADA."
Tina smirked, "you always make it so hard, but you born under a bright gold star; everyone knows it."
"Thank you," Rachel smiled, "Noah has been really supportive and so has Kurt, but it's nice to get it from others, too," she paused, "I think I'm just trying to be a little more realistic. Before my audition, everything I was doing pointed to getting into NYADA and being a star. Now, after my wake-up call with my audition, I realized that anything can happen and I wish I hadn't spent every waking moment of my youth focused on just one thing. I should have had hobbies and things I could be interested in, besides being a star. I'm trying to be positive, but it's so hard. Not every high school Senior with a future plan makes it. Most don't, some do and as much as I don't want to admit it, there's a chance I won't make it and will need to face the facts that I didn't."
"You're going to make it, Rachel," Tina said firmly.
Rachel smiled again at Tina's comment and took a deep breath, shaking her head briefly to focus. She could hear her boyfriend's voice in her mind, telling her to stop being negative and she knew her thoughts were right, "no. I'm not going there yet. Carmen is going to say 'yes'."
"There's the Rachel Berry we all know and love," Tina grinned.
A light blush grew on Rachel's cheeks, "I'm really glad we're doing this together. Thank you, Tina."
"Can you do me one favor?" Tina wondered, glancing at her and when she nodded, she continued, "before you graduate, can we sing together?"
Rachel smiled at her, "I would love that."
...
Though Puck was happy that Rachel was going to catch up with Carmen, he also hoped she'd be there for his 'Glee surprise'. When the first few classes ended that day and it was time for Glee, he dashed to the nearest bathroom and once it'd cleared out he started changing.
Meanwhile, in the choir room, Sue was throwing out another plan for 'props', "since Porcelain refuses to be a team player and dress up like a lady, we're gonna have to up our prop game. I've ordered eighteen little people. One for each of you."
"Wait. Little people?" Will gasped, looking at her.
"Munchkins. I found them online, William. Don't worry. I got a mix of race and ethnicity, so you can keep up with your diversity charade," Sue commented, rolling her eyes.
"Sue, I think maybe we're going a little too far with the props," Will admitted, standing up, "let's just spend some time on choreography for 'Dashboard'."
"Sure, if you want to lose," Sue retorted.
Puck took that moment to walk into the choir room, dressed in a long blue and black dress and a curly blond wig.
"Puck?" Will's eyes widened in shock.
Mercedes groaned, "my eyes are burning."
"Look at those legs!" Sam smirked.
"You can't unsee something like that," Artie murmured, rubbing his forehead.
Puck flipped his hair a little, "please only address me by my stage name, Lola."
"Puckerman, I respect your commitment to winning, but without a doubt, you're the ugliest woman I've ever seen. For a second there, I thought you were Beiste's sister," Sue admitted.
Rolling his eyes, he looked at her and then turned to the others, "it's not about being pretty. It's about someone in here having the balls to do what he has to do to put us over the top."
"Well, you know, if this is gonna work, you're gonna have to shave off all your body hair," Sue told him.
"Enough!" Will snapped, "Sue, look. I really appreciate all the help you've been giving us, but I'm done with all this props madness. All we're doing for the next three hours is learning choreography for Dashboard," he turned to look at Puck, "Puck, go change. You're all gonna be missing your afternoon classes because we need to practice badly," he glanced around and realized that Rachel and Tina were missing, "I get why Tina isn't here, but where's Rachel?"
Puck sighed and pulled the wig off, "she had something to do today," he said, before turning and walking out of the classroom. He knew his 'surprise' wouldn't go over too well, so he wasn't too shocked, but he was a little upset that no one, except Sue, really appreciated that he was even offering to 'take one for the team'. Also, part of him was hoping it would point out how stupid the 'props' idea had been that week and that seemed to work; he was happy to change, so they could get back to their normal practices and focus on what was important and not the unneeded things.
...
A little under three hours after Tina and Rachel left McKinley, they arrived in Oberlin, small town in Northern Ohio, where the college of the same name was located. Even though Rachel wanted to get to see Carmen as soon as they could, the two agreed to stop for lunch. Carmen would be at the school until two, so they still had plenty of time to catch her before she left.
Finding a semi-healthy fast food restaurant, the two purchased a few items and found a place to sit in the restaurant, "do your parents know you were driving up here?" Rachel wondered.
"Yes. I told them a friend of mine and I were going for a campus visit; they think I'm here to check it out for a possible college," Tina admitted, "you know, for applications next year."
Rachel nodded in understanding, "that makes sense. I thought of texting my dads to let them know, but I'm hoping we'll be back around the same time school usually gets out, so they won't wonder where I am when Noah and I don't show up at our usual time. I'd rather tell them in person; especially if our meeting with Carmen doesn't go so well."
"Good idea," Tina agreed, "and I just need to make sure we stop near the admissions or registration office, so I can pick up a few brochures and information; I actually have thought of this school as one I'll apply too. It's in-state, so the tuition will be lower than if I go out of state."
"I completely understand," Rachel admitted.
The two were quiet for a few moments and Tina looked over at Rachel, "so you and Puck are really serious, huh?"
"We are," Rachel smiled, "I honestly didn't think I'd get another boyfriend before I graduated, after the Finn proposal fiasco, but Noah makes me so happy. He encourages me and helps me; Finn hardly ever helped me practice and never even stood up for me. I just wish I hadn't wasted so much time being hung up on Finn. I could have had a wonderful solid relationship with Noah, if I had gotten over my 'crush' on Finn," she sighed.
"Maybe this was how it was supposed to happen?" Tina offered, "maybe you both needed to have time to get some more relationship experience, before you got together again."
Rachel nodded, "I'd like to think that's the reason. I also hope because of that, our relationship lasts a lot longer."
"I hope it does, too. Especially since you two are planning to move in together in New York," she replied, "do you think the 'M' word is possible?"
"The 'M' word?" Rachel thought for a moment, "oh! Marriage?" When Tina nodded, Rachel continued, "I don't know. It's possible. We both love each other and will be living together, but we don't need to rush into marriage. If we did do something like that, we'd probably wait until I graduated college. I'm not saying I couldn't get married while attending, but it might cause some issues with the school. I don't know."
"Probably after what happened a few months ago with Finn, that's the last thing on your mind, too. Sorry for bringing it up," Tina blushed.
"Don't be," Rachel assured her, "it's alright. In fact, it's kind of nice to talk relationships with someone. Kurt and I have really only been talking about NYADA and even though Quinn and I have gotten closer, we don't talk too much, so it's a nice change. It's also difficult to talk about this with Noah," she told her, "I'm afraid if I brought it up, even hypothetically, he might freak out."
"That makes sense, because I'm the same way with Mike. We've briefly talked about what will happen when he graduates, but like a future together somewhere? We haven't gotten that far. Sure, we'd love to be together, but I'm," she paused and sighed, "he's leaving Lima to go to school and I'm stuck here for another year and even then, if he gets into a school that I can't get into, then it's going to be even harder to stay together."
"It will be, but I'm sure, like with Noah and I, if you guys love each other, you'll stay together and figure out how to make it work. I can tell Mike loves you and I'm sure you love him," Rachel told her.
Tina sighed, biting her lip, "he's pretty upset with me; we haven't talked since I walked out of Glee on Monday."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Rachel reached over and patted her hand, "I only heard him say he was disappointed in you. What else did he say?"
"That I was being selfish. I don't know, maybe I was, but I just was fed up," she murmured.
"I get it. We've all had stressful and emotional weeks. Like I said earlier, you weren't wrong, but I do wish we could have talked one-on-one about it. Maybe we could have come to an agreement or something. I know, sometimes, I'm not easy to talk to, but if you had asked me to share a solo or let you have one, I wouldn't have said 'no'. You have a beautiful voice and I do wish I could have heard it more often," Rachel told her honestly.
Tina smiled, "really?"
"Really," Rachel returned her smile and noticed the clock on the wall, "oh wow! It's noon! We better get going. We have just enough time to catch Carmen and get that stuff you needed before we have to leave. We need to be back as close to three as possible."
...
Quickly gathering up their trash and disposing of it, the two returned to Tina's car and followed the directions to the parking lot nearest to the auditorium that Carmen would be in. Walking up the cement pathway to the doors, Rachel felt butterflies building as she tried to figure out what to say to her and as soon as they walked in the doors, they could hear a guy singing and followed the sound until they were walking down one of the aisles between seats.
Carmen was listening to a student singing and once she gave him some critique, he walked off stage and Carmen stood up, so Rachel rushed up to catch her attention. "Madam Tibideaux, hello. I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's me, Rachel Berry," Rachel started and the older woman groaned, as Rachel continued, "I'm sorry, I realize that I've been a little persistent, but I'm just..."
"I am a very busy woman," Carmen started, cutting her off, "Every moment I spend deleting yet another one of your voicemails about lost hopes and dreams takes time away from another student. What makes you think you are entitled to anymore attention than the other hundreds of people I see with the same hopes and dreams?"
Rachel's eyes widened, "no, I'm so sorry. I don't mean to take time away from anyone."
"But you do and I'm tired of it," Carmen said firmly.
Realizing that Rachel was not going to get through to her, Tina stepped up, "Ms. Tibideaux, I know exactly how you feel. Rachel Berry is a pain in the ass. What she wants, she gets and I've spent a lot of time resenting her for it," she paused and glanced at Rachel, seeing a brief hurt look on her face, but she continued on, "but the fact is, she gets it because she's exceptional. Not just the voice, which is sick, but the focus, the drive. How often do you come across the real deal?"
Carmen scoffed at Tina's question, "the real deal that couldn't remember the words to the song?"
"Which is as rare as a Bigfoot sighting. She had an off day and and that decides her entire future?" Tina countered, trying to help Rachel fight for a second chance.
"Ms. Tibideaux, I realize that I'm asking you to take me in to special consideration, but let me ask you. You've had an amazing career. Did you get there by playing it safe?" Rachel asked, eyeing the woman, "please... We're performing our Nationals in Chicago and we saw that you're gonna be singing there at the Lyric Opera and before you close the door, I just... I need you to hear me sing, I have to. There's nothing that I'm as good at or as passionate about or that brings me that much joy and I think that that sets me apart,."
"And I think it's time for you and your friend to go," Carmen finished, motioning to the exit.
"Okay, but I just want you to know that I'll see you again next year and every year after that until I get in," Rachel said honestly. Glancing at Tina, she then returned her gaze to Carmen, "didn't I read somewhere that you auditioned for Julliard four times?" She finished, before turning on her heel and walking towards the exit, Tina following her.
...
Walking out of Oberlin's auditorium, Rachel was quiet and Tina felt horrible, "I'm sorry, Rachel. I really thought that would go differently."
Rachel shook her head, "no, it's okay. Don't feel bad. You helped me out by bringing me here and now I know that I have done everything I can. I just hope she takes everything I've said, along with what you told her, into consideration and comes to see us at Nationals."
"About what I said... I'm sorry it came out so harsh at first, but it wasn't a complete lie," Tina admitted nervously, "I have been upset with you in the past because of how often you get a solo or the lead in something, but that was before I really understood everything. Now I get it and I'm not upset anymore," she told her, biting her lip.
"It's alright. I accept your apology. You've been holding that in for a long time and needed to say it, I get it," Rachel assured her, smiling lightly.
Tina nodded in relief and unlocked the doors of her car and the two slid in, silently thinking for a moment, "I guess I'll drive over to the information center and get what I wanted and then we can go."
Even though Rachel was trying to stay hopeful that Carmen would show up at Nationals, all she wanted to do was get home to her boyfriend and forget she even met with Carmen, so she nodded, "okay, sounds good to me."
...
Having Rachel and Tina missing from Glee really put a crimp in practice, but the Glee club pushed through and tried to learn everything they could. All the teens missed their afternoon classes, but Will let them stop that day, just before school got out and as Puck headed for his locker to get his bag, three of the mullet-haired hockey players, including Rick 'The Stick' Nelson, walked up to him.
"Darkest day in Ohio since Earnest Byner. Boy how the mighty have truly fallen, huh?" Rick smirked, teasing Puck, "take a good look at him, boys. This empty useless shell of a man you see before you, used to be the Noah Puckerman, the guy they named the dumpster out by the smoking lounge after, because he dumped more dweebs in it than any ten dudes combined."
Puck sighed and rolled his eyes, putting his backpack over his shoulder, "keep rockin' that mullet, Ricky. Maybe in a few years, it'll come back in style," he retorted, closing his locker and trying to walk away, but Rick stopped him.
"And today, he finally succumbed to the toxic fumes of Glee Club and came to school wearing a frickin' dress," Rick laughed.
"Oh great! Someone actually saw me? Fuck!" Puck thought, looking at the hockey player, "are you lookin' to pick a fight? 'Cause there's three of you and one of me, so you're gonna need about two more guys to make it a fair fight," Puck admitted, "you're a frickin' loser," he added, trying to walk away, but Rick stopped him again.
"Oh, I'm a loser? Did I tell you I got into Ohio State? Yeah, I'm gonna be playing hockey there. What's your plan after graduation? Oh, that's right, you aren't graduating," Rick commented with a grin, as Puck tossed his backpack to the floor by his locker, "face it, Puck. As soon as your freaky girlfriend graduates and she sees what a loser you really are, she'll even dump your sorry ass. Then you'll be the guy we all used to make fun of when we were Freshmen. The one who used to hang out in front of 7-11 pickin' up on high school girls after graduating and in two months you'll be buying my little brother beer and just beggin' him to take you to a party," Rick leaned in a little closer, "you're a Lima Loser."
Puck's anger flared and he pushed Rick against the lockers, "I'm gonna rip that mullet off your head!" He hissed, punching his hand against the metal.
The other two hockey players pulled Puck off him and Rick shook his head, "you wanna fight? Fine! But not here. Out by your dumpster. I won't have any trouble, because unlike you, I've got a lot to lose."
As Rick walked away, Puck took a deep breath and found his thoughts racing, "that fucking asshole! I'm not a loser! I know I shouldn't be fighting him, but if I don't stand up to him, no one will and someone's got to put that loser in his place," he thought, moving to grab his backpack. He reopened his locker and stuffed his bag inside, adding his phone a few things from his pockets to it, so they didn't get lost or broken during the fight. Getting a glimpse of a picture of him and Rachel together that was taped to his locker door, he sighed, "I know what you're gonna say, babe. Fighting isn't the answer, but if the school's bad ass doesn't stand up to him, who will? I'm not going to let him win. He's bullied the club for too long; I've had it. It's time to toss that mullet back into the decade it belongs."
...
"It's a good thing Rachel isn't here to talk me out of this," Puck thought, making his way around to the side of the school where 'his' dumpster was located. There was already a small group of students gathered nearby, most of them underclassmen, but some were friends of Rick's or the hockey team's and Puck found a place to stand near the familiar dumpster, waiting for Rick to show up.
After a few moments, Rick, followed by several of the hockey players, all dressed in their matching uniform shirts arrived and Rick walked right up to him.
"Last chance to walk away with whatever teeth you have left, Stick Head," Puck offered.
"Please," Rick scoffed, "I just hope you brought a change of clothes, 'cause you're going dumpster diving. But hey, maybe while you're in there, you'll find your garbage father. How's he doing, by the way? You know, I tried his microbrew. It sucked."
Puck's blood boiled and even though he hated his father, he also hated anyone who talked bad about him. Letting his emotions take over, he pulled his fist back and threw a heavy punch at Rick, connecting directly with his jaw.
Rick shook off the punch in a few seconds, "game on!" He snapped, lunging forward until he was pushing Puck against the large green metal dumpster.
Pushing him off, Puck punched Rick again in the face, at the same time as Rick hits his stomach with his fist. Puck leaned over a little and grabbed Rick's arm and Rick pushed them back against the dumpster. With a little struggle, the two ended up falling to the ground, Puck on top of Rick, so he took the opportunity to punch the hockey player's ribs a few times, until Rick was able to push him off. Puck landed against the dumpster and Rick jumped at him, punching him several times in the jaw, before Puck was able to push him off.
The two finally managed to get to their feet and Rick laughed, "let's just make this easy. Hop in there yourself," he suggested, motioning to the green dumpster.
Puck throws another punch at him, but Rick is able to block himself, returning a punch to Puck with enough force to throw him back against the dumpster, knocking the wind out of him. Falling back on the ground, two hockey players rushed forward and grabbed Puck's arms and legs, throwing him into the dumpster on top of several large black bags of garbage.
All during this fight, the teens gathered around were chanting and cheering them on and when Puck was thrown inside, the students began to clap, "the rein of Noah Puckerman is over! Your winner," Rick points to himself, "and still a loser," Rick motions inside the garbage bin to Puck, and the whole crowd and Rick began changing 'loser'.
"I'm not a loser!" Puck thought, taking a few deep breaths and gathered the strength to climb out, landing on his feet.
A few of the hockey players pointed out that Puck was out of the garbage and rick turned around, pushing up his sleeves, "ah, you want some more there, Nancy?"
Puck glared at Rick and just as he lifted his fist and started to walk forward to throw another punch, Coach Beiste rushed in, grabbing him, "knock it off!" She exclaimed, "get over here!" She looked at Puck, pushing him away from all the students. "The shows over! Everybody go home!" Shannon yelled, looking at the group standing around. The teens quickly began to thin out, but Rick remained, so she glared at him, "get out of here!" Rick's eyes widened and he dashed off and the older woman turned to Puck, grabbing him by his shirt, "except for you. Come on!" She snapped, guiding him towards the doors into the school.
...
Rachel and Tina's drive back to Lima was uneventful and they arrived at McKinley just after three, and as Tina pulled into one of the side entrances, the two happened to see a large group of students gathered around the dumpsters. "Oh no!" Rachel gasped, easily able to see the familiar mohawk and mullet, "let me out here," she begged Tina, noticing Coach Beiste was just starting to break up what looked like a fight.
As the teens began to fan out, Tina came to a stop on the street and Rachel hesitated, "uh, thanks for the..."
"Go! We can talk tomorrow," Tina assured her, knowing she was in a hurry to go catch up with her boyfriend.
Rachel nodded her thanks and got out, closing the door behind her and following the tracks of Shannon and Puck as they headed inside. Though she saw them ahead of her, she decided not to call out to her boyfriend, because she wasn't sure if he'd want to see her, or if Coach Beiste would allow them to talk. As they walked into the locker room, she waited outside the door, but could still hear what was being said.
"A fight? What the hell are you thinking?" Beiste exclaimed, "you could get expelled for this!"
Puck shrugged, "it doesn't matter. I'm flunking out," he replied, grabbing a towel nearby and wiped the blood off his elbow.
"You've got a record! You could get arrested for assault," she explained.
"I don't care!"
"You damn well should care!" She snapped.
Puck threw the towel in his hand into the big basket and pushed it away, "why? Don't you get it? I'm nothing! I'm the school joke! A failure! You don't know what it's like to be worthless, where nothing you do matters! The only time I feel like I'm important is when I'm with Rachel and she doesn't deserve me! I'm a Lima Loser and she deserves so much more than that! I love her so much and I'm terrified she'll leave me and she's the best thing that's ever happened to me!" He took a deep breath, "and no one else really, truly appreciates me or anything I do! Shit! I wore I dress to Glee today just to 'take one for the team' and no one said 'thank you'! You know how many football games or concerts my mom's been to in the last four years? None, not one! My dad's been AWOL since I was ten years old, which is fine, because all he ever did was tell me I was garbage and he must be really proud of himself, because that's exactly how I turned out!" He finally snapped, the dam breaking and all the emotions that had been building up over the past few weeks finally spilling out, tears falling from his eyes, "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm sorry."
What Puck said hit Shannon like a ton of bricks and seeing him cry made her realize she knew exactly how he felt, so she stepped forward and wrapped him up in a friendly hug, "it's okay," she assured him, "you know, you and me, we're bad asses. Nobody thinks anything hurts us, but it does," she said honestly, tears falling from her own eyes, "I get it, Noah. I do."
Having listened to everything, Rachel began to get emotional and had a lot to say, so she didn't want to stand outside any longer. Taking a deep breath, she moved into the locker room, "Noah?"
The door opening startled them and when Puck saw Rachel walk in, he pulled away from Shannon and looked at her, "Rachel... what are you... how much..."
"Noah Aaron Puckerman, you are not worthless!" She snapped, her foot stomping on the floor as she fought to keep her tears at bay for the moment, "you're not a 'Lima Loser' and you never will be! You're going to graduate and we're going to New York. We're in this together and I'm so happy to be with you," she paused, stepping a few feet closer as Shannon stepped aside, "you're kind, honest, helpful, loving, caring, fun, and handsome. You make me feel special and that's the man I've fallen in love with; you're who I want to have in my life. I'm here for you, I care about you and I hate to see you upset like this," she finished, closing the distance between them and resting a hand on his shoulder, hating to see a cut under his eye from a fight.
Puck reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes and was silent for a long moment, "I'm sorry... I know that, I just... A lot's gone on over the past few weeks and then Rick was saying shit earlier about you seeing what a loser I really was when you graduate and I don't and I guess everything just came out and I lost it."
"We've been through this before. Maybe you won't get your diploma with the rest of us, but you'll still get it. I'm gonna help you any way I can, just like you've been helping me all this time. I want to return the favor," she smiled at him, "I'm not giving up on you or us. I promise. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise, okay? And if you ever want to talk, about anything, you know you can talk to me, right?"
"Okay and yeah, I know," he returned her smile and relaxed a little, "I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I don't deserve you, but I'm really glad we're together."
"I am, too," she nodded, "and Noah, you deserve to be happy, too."
"Thanks. I love you babe," he paused, "so, how did your trip go?"
Rachel shook her head, "let's not talk about that right now. We should get you cleaned up," she glanced at Shannon, who was standing a few feet away, "can we go or are you going to report him?"
"No, I'm not, as long as you promise that you won't let it happen again, Noah," she warned.
Puck nodded at her, "no more fights, I promise."
Shannon smiled, "good, then go on, you two."
...
Rachel guided her boyfriend out of the locker room and over to the nearest bathroom, glad it was after school and as they moved inside, she immediately grabbed a few paper towels and soaked them with water, "Noah, what happened?" She asked reaching up and gently dabbing the cool material against his cut.
"Rick was talking shit and we decided to fight. He got a lucky punch in that threw me against the dumpsters and I fell backward. They threw me in the dumpster and then I climbed out. Coach stopped me before I punched him again," he explained, wincing at what she was doing.
"Sorry. We should have stayed in the locker room. I'm sure Coach Beiste has a first aid kit. If not, we should get you back to my house, or to your mom," Rachel replied, "I'm sorry he was saying things to you, Noah. I wish I had been here."
"He still would have said them and would probably have said things to you, too, which would have pissed me off even more," he admitted, slipping his arms around her waist. "I need a shower," he glanced at his watch and saw what time it was, "let me run home. I'll shower and change and then I'll come over to your place. I wanna get out of the house before mom and my sister get home, because mom will be fussing over me if she sees me with a cut on my face," he smirked, "just like you are," he stilled her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, "after I clean up, I'll put some antiseptic on it," he promised.
Rachel sighed, but nodded, "alright. But don't take too long," she requested, "though it will give me time to tell my dads that Tina and I went on a road trip today," she said as an afterthought.
"How did it go?" He asked again, since she never answered him the first time.
"Not as good as I had hoped it might, but I was able to say what I wanted. Now all I can do is hope that she comes to see us at Nationals, which means we need to practice as much as we can before we go," she explained.
Puck lifted her chin gently so she was looking at him, "I'll take a quick shower and be over shortly," he smiled, "and you're a star, babe. You're gonna get into NYADA."
"Thanks, Noah," she leaned up and kissed him carefully, "can I ask you something?"
"Anything," he nodded.
"Why is it that you're confident I'll get in, yet you're so, um, negative about your situation?" She wondered softly.
He was silent for a long moment, "I don't know, honestly. I think it's because I've never had the encouragement to pursue things, so I'm not used to reaching goals. As for being confident, I'm nervous for you, too, but I'm staying positive, because I know you can make it and I want to be your supportive boyfriend and friend," he explained, "and, I could ask you the same thing."
"I know... I guess it's easier to give advice than it is to receive it," she replied, kissing him once more, "should we go?"
"Yeah," he nodded, taking her hand in his, "I have to get my things."
Rachel nodded and took a moment to relax before she squeezed his hand and let him guide her out of the bathroom, "I need to get my things, too."
...
Rachel's dads were definitely unhappy with her impromptu trip to see Carmen, but they understood she needed to do what she could to try to convince the woman to give her a second chance. The two men relaxed, once Rachel assured them nothing 'bad' happened and she promised she'd never do something like that again; at least without them knowing.
Her dads were confident, just like Noah, that Carmen would show up at Nationals, which would get her into NYADA. Rachel was still a little skeptical, but tried to remain positive and put her focus on practice.
When Puck arrived at the Berry's, just before dinner, he, along with Rachel and her dads sat down to eat. The dads were concerned about the bruising on Puck's cheek from the fight Rachel had told them about, but Puck assured him he was alright. After dinner, Rachel and Puck jumped back into their usual routine, practicing her song for Nationals and spending time together. She also made him explain what he meant about wearing a dress to Glee and he explained what he'd done. She was shocked he'd offered to do that, but was also happy to see him trying to help out the club.
...
After breaking up the fight at school, Shannon Beiste spent several hours thinking about her life. It finally occurred to her that she needed to stand up for herself and truly leave her husband, because he'd never change and she wasn't going to put herself through the pain anymore.
Driving home, she walked inside and found Cooter sitting at their small dinning table, the broken napkin holder taped back together sitting in the middle. Two pizzas were waiting for them and no matter what he said or did, she was done.
"Hey, baby. Got us a couple of pies. Hawaiian, your favorite," Cooter started, and Shannon just glared at him. He knew she was upset, so he went on, "I'm sorry, Shannon. You know how sorry I am. There's this guy from Michigan that's just been poaching every kid I took a sniff of and everyone's on my ass and if I'm bein' totally honest, I'm always feeling like I'm disappointing you and," he paused, shaking off the words, "it doesn't matter, you know why? 'Cause I know I can't lose my cool anymore, and I won't, I promise," he said and when she continued to stand there silently, he tried again, "oh, come on, baby, sit down. We're celebratin'. You remember that bear of a lineman I told you I was hot on from Newton South? Got him to sign on the dotted line... Come on, baby. You've got my word," he said and when Shannon stepped closer to the table and placed a pocket knife on the table, he stared at it, "what? Are you gonna stab me?"
Shannon shook her head, knowing the knife was just a prop from the West Side Story musical the school had done earlier that year, "not with that one; it's fake... Maybe the big one in the kitchen, the one I've been sleeping with at night under my pillow," she explained.
Cooter sighed, "oh God. God, baby, I'm so sorry. How'd we let it get so out of hand?"
"I'm out," Shannon took a deep breath and begged herself to hold it together, "I got shame about what happened between us, but I leave that here with my ring and with you."
"Oh please, don't leave me, okay? You can't hate me anymore than I already hate myself," he begged.
"I don't hate you! That's the awful part of it; I love you!" Shannon exclaimed, stepping forward again, "but what does that say about what I think of me?" She asked him, fumbling with her hands to pull her ring off and then tossed it on the table.
Anger flared in Cooter and he pushed everything off the table and stood up to face her, "what are you gonna do, huh? Just walk out on me? Who's gonna love you the way I loved you, Shannon? Who's gonna love you now?"
Shannon just glared at him, then turned, grabbed her keys and said, "me," she finished before walking out the door.
...
The following morning was hectic for everyone. Will had gotten the students excused from classes that day, because by evening, they would be leaving to drive to Nationals in Chicago.
It was a little after eight and Rachel and Puck were planning to practice in the auditorium, while the 'costume committee' for Glee used the choir room to finish up the girls' dresses. Tina needed a few more measurements for Rachel's dress, so Puck agreed to meet her on the stage. While he waited, with everything that had gone on and the fight the day before with Rick, a song came to him and he picked up the guitar and took a seat on the edge of the stage and began to play 'Mean' by Taylor Swift.
The song is sung from the point of view of someone who is bullied, singing to the person who is bullying them. It talks about how even though they're picking on them now, one day the roles will be reversed and the bully will be the loser, while the singer will be 'living in a big ole city' and more popular or famous, so the bully can't hurt them anymore.
What Puck was shocked at was to find Coach Beiste joining him to sing the song, taking a seat on the stairs next to him. The sang the chorus together and then she sang the next verse, before Puck got the idea to stand up and wander around the stage as they continued. Shannon followed him and as they finished the song, he moved to put the guitar back in the case.
"So why you in here, singin' all by your lonesome?" She asked curiously.
"Just waitin' for Rachel to finish up dress fittings for Nationals. We're gonna practice some more because we gotta win at something," he explained with a shrug.
"Well, you may not know it, but you already have," she told him with a smile and when he looked at her confused, she continued, "I talked to Mrs. Doosenberry. She's gonna let you have another go at that test."
"What?" His eyes widened in shock, "why? She hates me."
Shannon shook her head, "no, she hates your attitude, but I told her how you wiggled into a skirt for the good of your team."
"I don't get it. What does that have to do with anything?" Puck wondered.
Rachel walked onto the stage from the curtain, so Puck didn't see her, but Shannon did, but she went on to talk to Puck, "when you did that, you showed that you cared about something; something way bigger than just you. That's all she ever wanted from you. That's all any of us teachers ever wanted, so you're gonna retake the exam next week and Rachel and I are gonna help you through it," she said, and Rachel nodded at her with a smile.
"I get why Rachel would help me, but why would you do that?" He asked, happy to hear he had a second change at the test.
"Because, Noah, you will never know how much you've helped me," she admitted, deciding not to tell him exactly what that meant, "you are loved, Punkin, by Rachel and others. You are not alone, either."
Puck smiled at her, "thank you, Coach, for everything," he said, "I honestly don't know what to say," he admitted nervously.
"All you need to say is that you want to graduate," she replied.
A blush grew on his cheeks and he nodded, noticing Rachel walk up to them, "I want to graduate," he said, slipping his arm around her shoulders, "I've got plans after graduate."
Rachel smiled, "then Coach Beiste and I will help you pass."
...
After the rough week for Tina, she'd had her wake-up call and it was time to pass everything on to Sugar, Joe and Rory, the three others who were helping her with costumes. Sugar didn't feel it was fair that they were stuck with the costumes, while everyone else got to practice or do whatever they wanted. Joe added Quinn told them it was because they were the new members and Tina said if they worked on the costumes and went along with the group, one day they'd get their chance to be on top, but they had to work to get it. It was something she'd learned that week and now it was time for them to figure it out, too.
...
"Hey, Stick Head!" Puck called out, seeing Rick and two of his hockey buddies in the hallway.
"Ah, Puckerman, here for another round?" Rick wondered, walking over to him.
"You could say that," Puck smirked, "I got a proposition for you."
"For me? And just what the hell is it?" Rick laughed.
"The Glee Club and I are leaving in a few hours to go to Chicago for our Nationals competition and we're gonna win," Puck started.
"Yeah right! You guys are nothing but a bunch of losers," Rick replied.
"You wanna put some money where your mouth is?" Puck pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and held it up, "there's four more where this came from."
Rick eyed him for a moment, "you wanna bet me that your dork club is gonna out dork all the other dork clubs in the country?" He laughed, eyeing Puck.
"Yep! Five-hundred bucks," Puck nodded seriously.
"You are so on!" Rick grinned, holding out his hand and Puck shook it, "this is going to be the easiest five-hundred bucks, ever!"
...
Sue and Will were in her office going over the set list, trying to figure out what order to put their songs in when Shannon walked in with a suitcase in her hand.
"Hey, you going somewhere, Shannon?" Will wondered.
"I'd like to be a chaperone for Nationals. I'll pay my own way and I can sleep on the bus," she explained.
"You don't have to sleep on the bus. I'm sure we can make room," Will replied, glancing at Sue.
"I booked an executive maternity suite. Sharing it wouldn't be fair to the baby," Sue commented.
Will rolled his eyes and looked at Shannon, "you can bunk with me and Emma."
"So you packed a bag on the off chance you'd be coming to Chicago?" Sue asked curiously.
Shannon took a deep breath, "I left him."
Sue stood up and without hesitation, walked over and wrapped her arms around the other woman, hugging her tightly in support.
Will smiled, "welcome aboard, Shannon."
...
As the school day ended, the teens were beginning to gather their belongings and collect homework items for their weekend, since they were leaving in a few short hours. Puck had his geography book and work in his bag, knowing any free time he, Rachel and Shannon would have that weekend would be spent cramming for his test and Rachel was getting a few things to do, "you know, if it wasn't for Tina, I would never have gotten to see Carmen Tibideaux."
Puck nodded, "yeah, I get ya. I feel bad I didn't think about going to see her, but I guess that's because I didn't know she was still in the state."
"It's okay. After this week, I think it was good for Tina and I to do this; we got a chance to talk and work out our issues," Rachel explained, closing her locker and turning to him, "alright, there is no other option, which is to exceed all expectations. We have to win at Nationals. There's no alternative."
"We will, babe, relax," he kissed her forehead, "you really are our Unique Factor. I don't care what anyone says. You're gonna blow the judges away and we're gonna win," he said, staying positive.
Rachel turned a little to see down the hallway, where Mercedes, Kurt, Brittany and Artie were, listening to Sam make an impression of a movie character, "I don't know. I think we all are. I mean, in a sea full of kids who are just desperately clinging to their own kind, we're different. We took the time to get to know each other and reach out and accept one another. That's our Unique Factor and that's what I love about us," she explained, leaning back against her boyfriend's chest.
Taking what she said, Puck nodded, "yeah, I get it. You're right, babe. We all are."
...
The couple walked over to the choir room, where they'd left their overnight bags that morning and some of their friends and fellow Glee members were there, getting their things and everyone was slowly starting to take loads out to the bus. It wasn't long before all their belongings were packed on the bus and the teens were starting to find were they wanted to sit for the four and a half hour drive to Chicago.
"I'll be back," Rachel admitted, getting up and dashing off the bus.
"Where's Rachel going?" Tina asked.
Puck shrugged, "I don't know."
"I'll go see," she replied, following the girl.
Tina followed Rachel into the school and to the auditorium where she watched from the side of the stage while Rachel began singing 'What A Feeling' a song on the Flashdance soundtrack. Rachel saw Tina and motioned for her to join her, so Tina skipped out and sang the next verse. The two began dancing around on the stage and Rachel motioned to the risers. Tina was confused, but she went up to the top of them and bowed while they sang and Rachel clapped. That moment, in a way, was Rachel passing her position in the Glee Club off to Tina, who would be a Senior in the next school year.
As the girls finished their song, Tina smiled happily at Rachel, "that was amazing! I wish we had sung more together during Glee."
Rachel nodded, "me too, but just because I'm graduating doesn't mean we can't keep in touch and maybe sing together in the future," she assured her.
Tina nodded, "that sounds awesome!"
Taking a deep breath, Rachel nodded in agreement and looked around at the stage, "this could be it, Tina. The next time we're on this stage, we could be National Champions."
"I hope we are," Tina admitted, slipping her arm around Rachel's shoulders, "come on. I think everyone's ready to go, so they're waiting for us."
"Oh, alright," Rachel nodded and they began walking towards the exit and soon stepped outside.
Once the girls walked onto the bus and had taken their seats, Will stood up and looked at them as Sue closed the door, "last call. Do you all have everything?" He asked and when the teens nodded, he grinned, "alright, let's go to Nationals!"
...
Story notes:
Lyrics mentioned
"I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz, as sung by Lea Michele.
Brief scene from '3x21 - Nationals'
For those of you who haven't watched season 3, you won't know this, but for those who have you may recognized the Rick line where he's talking about the 'dork club'. In the show, Nationals, Finn tells Rachel about his bet with Rick; he bet Rick $500 that the club would win at Nationals. That scene is the idea for the Puck scene in this chapter. I decided to have the scene in this chapter, instead of doing a flashback in the next episode's chapter.
Oberlin school
I had to look it up, but there's a town in Northern Ohio, kinda between Sandusky and Cleveland called 'Oberlin' and there's a school there called 'Oberlin College and Conservatory' ( new . oberlin . Edu ). They have music programs there.
...
A/N4: Another episode done; hope you all enjoyed! I'm so sorry it's been a while since my last update. I've been way off my game the last few months. My summer sucked. I had my gallbladder removed in June and though I did heal well, my body needed time to recover and get used to the change. Now I'm dealing with other stomach problems and my dad just got home from having spent 6 says in the hospital, so I've been a stressed and emotional wreck the past week or so. Things are finally leveling out and I was able to finish this. My original plan was to have this story (ending with '3x22 - Goodbye'), finished by the time the new season started today, September 13th, but with my summer the way it's been, I changed it to having at least an update done before then. I just finished this, this afternoon and edited it, so I'm close. Please review and let me know what you think! Not sure when the next one will be up, but I'll try to get one out soon. Thank you all for the support and friendship you've given me with my stories and health issues. It really means a lot and I promise, I'm sticking around. I'm a Puckleberry fan forever! I'm not going anywhere... You can catch me on Tumblr and Twitter as EJ8302, if you wanna keep up with me on a more regular basis and if you ever wanna chat or ask questions, feel free to message me. I'll get back to you as soon as I can... To those who have sent reviews - thank you. I read them all and they mean so much to me. I try to reply to them all. I know I've gotten behind and I'm working on getting to them, so I hope to respond soon... Again, thank you all for sticking with me. It means so much!
...