After leaving Ms. Sylvester's office, Quinn contemplated the best way to use the advice she had just been given. On the one hand, Quinn would love nothing more than to knock Rachel down a couple pegs. On the other hand, Quinn knew that's definitely not what Jesus would do.

Quinn thought hard and eventually decided that she did not have the killer instinct that Ms. Sylvester possessed. Quinn did not want to physically injure, emotionally scar, or psychologically damage Rachel Berry in any lasting way.

Quinn finally settled on a plan that included public humiliation with a side of ruined reputation for good measure.

While walking down the hallway, Quinn grabbed the first student that she saw and asked "Did you hear what happened between Rachel and Puck last night?"

Within a few minutes, Quinn had a dozen different versions of what Rachel did with Puck circulating. Quinn knew that Santana would be more than willing to help verify the rumors since she had been so eager to share at lunch in the first place.

With a smug grin, Quinn waited for the news to hit her intended target.

********

The sun'll come out

Tomorrow

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow

There'll be sun

Rachel walked to the choir room while humming her favorite song from Annie.

Surprisingly, she had gotten over her hangover fairly quickly. After a steady stream of aspirin and caffeine, Rachel was almost feeling back to normal.

Rachel regretted that she no longer kept a change of clothes in her locker. Since the slushie threat had drastically been reduced once she and Puck had started dating, she no longer felt the need. Rachel really wanted to get out of her sweats though because true stars only wore lounge-wear outside once they had hit rock bottom. Rachel wasn't planning on hitting rock bottom for another fifteen years. This, of course, was going to be a part of her PR plan to keep herself in the public eye. After a minor stint in rehab, she would emerge better than ever and her career would make a (seemingly) miraculous comeback.

When she reached the choir room doors, Rachel was surprised to hear voices. She always made an effort to arrive before everyone else to show her dedication.

While remaining out of sight, Rachel leaned closer to hear what was being said.

"I heard they did it once on the floor," Mercedes' voice rang out.

"I heard they did it more than once and that Rachel took control once she got the hang of things. Bow-chicka-bow-wow," Artie said.

"I heard she cr-cried and k..kicked him out," Tina added.

"I was told that it was the other way around…Rachel made Puck get emotional and he let himself out. Something about her singing sad show tunes at a crucial moment and him being insulted," Kurt said.

Rachel stamped her foot on the ground. She could not believe her supposed friends were saying such derogatory untruths about her. She was about to storm in and deliver the tantrums of all tantrums when she heard someone come up from behind her.

"I know it looks confusing, but this is a door. You're supposed to walk through it. Here let me show you," Puck said as he reached his hand out.

"This is no time to be cute," Rachel hissed and pulled his arm back.

"I can't change who am I," Puck said dusting off his shoulders like he was the man. "Why are you whispering? And why are you just standing there?"

Rachel pushed Puck a few feet away from the door. "I'm listening to our fellow classmates denigrate our good names."

"I don't know what they're saying about you, but I've gotten all my shots," Puck joked.

Rachel smacked him on the chest. "Listen for yourself."

Puck put his ear to the door just like Rachel had done.

Puck could hear Santana speaking, "I was there and he said the words 'first time.' Plus, Rachel looked wicked exhausted and she was covering her eyes with sunglasses."

"That could s..ss..support the th-theory I heard ab..bout the crying," Tina said.

"Or the one about her dads walking in and catching them and wanting to send her to boarding school," Mercedes stated.

"Someone told me they did it in front of the cat," Britney added.

"Well, that doesn't sound kosher," Artie said wryly.

Puck started to laugh while Rachel scowled, "I don't even have a cat."

"And I don't like to do it with an audience," he smirked.

"This is terrible," Rachel moaned. "They think I'm a fallen woman. I should just paint an 'S' on my chest for being a slut."

"Weren't you the one who said that girls want it just as much as guys?" Puck pointed out.

"I said that I didn't like the double standard. A girl should be able to act on her carnal urges without being stigmatized as long as she protects herself. If I had actually been with you, then I would own it. Since we didn't sleep together, I don't like the fact that people are saying we did."

Puck nodded. "I want to know what else we supposedly did before you go in and start yelling," he said as he resumed his eavesdropping position.

Rachel had to admit that she was also curious, so she put her ear next to Pucks'.

"How do you think it happened?" Mike wondered aloud.

"He probably flashed his abs," Kurt sighed. "That'd work for me. I'm a sucker for abs."

"Maybe he put on some Barry White, that guys' voice is liquid sex," Artie offered.

The whole room was quiet as the glee members stared at Artie.

"What?" he shrugged. "That's how I get all my ladies." He lowered his voice and said, "Can't get enough of your love babe."

They ignored that creepy statement and continued speculating.

Finn, who was sitting at the drum-set, finally spoke up after sulking for the past few minutes. "I can guess. First he helped her with her bowling form. Then, he probably told her how pretty she was, and then he took her home, insisted on coming in, then showed her his huge biceps until she just let him do whatever he wanted."

With venom dripping from her voice, Quinn responded with, "Or maybe she's just a bitch in heat who would give it away to any dog that came sniffing around."

Puck had heard enough. He banged open the door, and everyone in the room jumped at the loud noise. Puck stormed in and stood in front of the piano preparing to tear the place apart; Rachel wasn't the only one who could throw a Grade-A hissy fit.

He locked eyes with Quinn. "Well, you'd know since you're the expert on being a bitch."

Realizing that she had crossed the line, Quinn looked away first.

Finn reacted quickly, and in just a few seconds, he was standing within inches of Puck.

"Dude, that's not cool." Finn said.

"Dude, get the hell out of my face." Puck menacingly stepped closer getting ready to fight if necessary. Since Finn was so tall, Puck's best bet was to aim for the kneecaps.

"And if I don't?" Finn glared down at Puck.

"If you don't, then I am going to hit you so hard that your Grandmother will feel it."

"Are you talkin' smack about my Nana Boo-boo?"

"Maybe," Puck said mysteriously.

"She was a great lady," Finn shouted. "She made the best peanut brittle!"

"I hate peanuts, they taste like ass," Puck shot back.

"Oh, no you didn't." Finn's face turned red with anger

"Oh, yes I did."

"Sorry to interrupt guys," Artie spoke up, "but weren't you fighting about Quinn and Rachel?"

"That's right," Finn said getting back on track. "Apologize to Quinn."

"Like hell I will. She needs to apologize to Rachel."

"Why should she apologize if what she said is true?" Finn asked.

"I am so bringing my nunchucks to school tomorrow and beating your ass."

Moving away from the door, Rachel inserted herself between Puck and Finn before the situation could escalate further.

"You two are friends. You should not be fighting like this," Rachel said trying to keep the peace.

Finn was indignant. "That's nice Rachel, go ahead and protect your new lover. I really expected more from you."

In the background, Kurt whispered, "This is better than a soap opera." To which Mercedes responded, "I wish we had some popcorn, I could watch this for hours." Artie raised one hand and added "Preach."

"You don't even know what happened," Puck said to Finn. "All you've heard are some crazy rumors. I thought you cared about Rachel as a friend, but yet you're so willing to believe the worst about her."

Finn crossed his arms. "Why don't you set the record straight then?"

"First of all, I did go to Rachel's house after bowling and we did hang out. But, nobody cried. Nobody's parents showed up. Nobody listened to Barry White," he nodded at Artie. "While I do agree he is a very slick man, that's not the type of music I like to get my groove on to, I need something with a beat. And lastly, Rachel doesn't even have a cat."

"So nothing happened?" Finn said starting to look relieved.

Rachel should have been glad that Finn seemed to care so much, but she wasn't. Instead, she was insulted. Rachel hated that Finn thought that Puck wasn't good enough for her. Over the past few weeks, Rachel had really gotten to know Noah, the guy beneath the mohawk who could sometimes be surprisingly sweet. Despite what she had said in the hallway about not wanting a tarnished reputation, Rachel decided she needed to do something.

"No…" Puck started to say in response to Finn's question when Rachel placed her hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Thanks for trying to protect me Noah, but I can answer for myself. First of all, what I do with any guy is no one else's business," Rachel said looking around the room. After everyone looked properly chastised, she continued. "However, I am not ashamed of who I am or what I've done, and I am willing to tell the truth."

Rachel paused dramatically, and Puck (more than anyone else) was curious to hear what she was going to say next.

"Noah took me out on a nice date and then escorted me home. We looked at pictures, had some dessert, and engaged in a lively conversation." Thinking of the alcohol, Rachel smiled and added, "I won't go into graphic detail, but Noah showed me another world. I felt myself spinning out of control and getting dizzy. I was flying. At times, I was even a little scared and disoriented. When it was over, he took care of me and made me feel safe. He was a true gentleman. It was a lovely evening, and I don't regret a single second of it," Rachel finished.

Many of the girls (and Kurt) let out a soft sigh as they imagined the romance.

Puck grinned at Rachel and was amused that she had managed to tell the truth while not quite telling the truth.

"That sounds so nice," Britney said.

"Aw, to be young and in love," Kurt said mostly to himself.

"Hot," Artie added simply.

Finn was momentarily shocked, but managed to collect himself. "I guess you told me. I'm happy for you Rachel," he said eventually but in a sad tone.

"Sorry I got in your face man," Finn told Puck.

"It's okay. Forget about it."

"Well isn't this just peachy," Quinn said rising from her chair. "I'm glad your first time was so magical Rachel." Quinn placed a hand on her expanding stomach, "I hope you don't have any unexpected surprises. Please excuse me while I go throw up, it's a little too saccharine sweet in here." Quinn practically sprinted out of the room.

Finn started to chase after her, but Rachel stopped him. "I'll go check on her. She and I have a few things we need to work out anyway."

Finn nodded his approval. Rachel snuck a quick glance at Puck, who had a look on his face that she couldn't quite read, and left.

*******

Rachel walked down the hall in search of Quinn. She stopped outside the ladies room when she heard soft sobs coming from within. Rachel was sure that she was the last person that Quinn wanted to see. However, Rachel was never one to back down from a challenging situation. She scrounged up as much courage as possible, squared her shoulders, and entered the tiny bathroom.

Rachel saw that of the three stalls, only the one on the left had its door shut. The cries were coming from that stall.

Rachel decided the best approach was to just pretend that it was a coincidence that she was in the same bathroom as Quinn. She walked into the middle stall and closed the door. She figured she could just wait for Quinn to come out, and then she could come out at the same time.

Rachel was counting in her head to pass the time while the sobs beside her lessened until they became small sniffles.

Rachel was still counting when she heard a raspy voice say, "I know you're in here Rachel."

Rachel thought she had been stealthy. "How do you know it's me?"

"Because I can see your ugly shoes underneath the stall."

"Oh." Rachel looked down at her favorite pair of saddle shoes and had to admit they were a unique style choice for high school.

Rachel heard the toilet flush next to her and the door swing open. Hating that she had been caught, Rachel opened her own door anyway.

Quinn was rubbing her red eyes with a wet paper towel at the sink.

Rachel approached cautiously. "Are you okay?"

Quinn gave Rachel a stern look. "Do I look okay?"

"That was a stupid question," Rachel admitted. "It's just that you ran out of glee club so fast, I thought somebody should check on you."

"Thanks for the concern, but if I hear anymore details about you and Puck, my ears will start to bleed." Quinn threw the saturated paper towel in her hand away and got a new one.

"Sorry if we offended. Puck and I overheard all the glee members talking about us, and I wanted to straighten everything out. I don't even know how all those rumors got started."

"I started them," Quinn snapped.

Rachel was used to being bullied, but she was still a little surprised. "Why would you do that?" she asked.

"Because I don't like you."

Rachel tried to stay calm because she could see how badly Quinn was hurting. "Any other reason?"

Quinn sighed. "Santana overheard your conversation with Puck in the hallway. She was convinced the two of you had hooked up. I wasn't sure myself until I saw you hanging all over each other at lunch. I thought it would be interesting to spread around some different stories, see which ones were believed. I figured it might take the attention off of me for awhile."

Rachel decided to take a light approach. "No offense Quinn, but hardly anyone is even talking about you anymore; you're kind of old news. I mean honestly, you're not the first pregnant teen to attend high school, even in a small town like this. Heck, I don't think we've had a public stoning in years."

Quinn tried to suppress a smile, but a small one snuck out anyway. "You think I'm being ridiculous, don't you?"

"Just a little bit." Rachel smiled back.

Quinn finished cleaning her face and leaned against the sink with her back to the mirror.

"I know I'm being a jerk, but I almost can't help it. I have no clue what I'm going to do about my daughter."

Quinn's voice got softer and she briefly cradled her stomach when she said the word "daughter." Rachel recognized Quinn's tone as being wistful.

"Have you told your parents?" Rachel asked in a concerned manner.

"Not yet. I know its going to be pretty obvious soon, but I'm trying to hold off the moment when I become an utter failure in their eyes."

"Sure they'll be disappointed at first, but they're your parents. Won't they come around eventually?"

"Not my parents. They are so religious and old fashioned."

Rachel thought for a moment. "Well, tell them that you made a mistake but you're still the same person and you are trying to do the right thing."

"I guess I could try that," Quinn said while seeming somewhat unconvinced. "You know, I can't help but ask why this had to happen to me. One stupid mistake, one careless moment…"

Quinn paused and then looked over at Rachel. "When you were talking about your night with Puck, I was actually jealous. It did sound sweet. Plus, the way he defended you was really nice even if he did call me a bitch in the process. I guess I deserved it. All I remember from my life-changing night is half a dozen wine coolers and waking up on the floor with a sore back."

"Alcohol can make you do things you'd never thought you'd do," Rachel commiserated.

"Or things you always wanted to do, but never had the guts," Quinn muttered.

Rachel thought back to a conversation that she had had with Finn a while ago in the practice room.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but Finn briefly mentioned once that you two…you know…in a hot tub," Rachel spit out before she could stop herself.

Quinn looked up toward the ceiling. "Why am I not surprised that you and Finn have discussed this?"

Rachel shifted her weight from foot to foot, now feeling uncomfortable.

"Hot tub, floor, drunk, sober…it doesn't matter; the end result is the same," Quinn said by way of explanation.

Another female student entered the bathroom suddenly, walked past Rachel and Quinn, and headed into the middle stall.

Rachel cleared her throat. Realizing their heart-to-heart was now over, she said, "I guess we should go to practice."

"Can you tell Mr. Schu that I wasn't feeling well and went home early? I'm really not up for singing right now."

In an effort to be sensitive, Rachel bit her tongue before she could insist that the group really needed to practice altogether right now.

"Sure, I'll tell him."

The girls left the bathroom and went into the hall. Before they parted ways, Quinn said, "I'm really sorry I spread those rumors about you Rachel."

"Thanks for saying that," Rachel responded.

Quinn lowered her voice to a whisper, "I know this is gonna sound kind of weird but…be careful around Puck. He can be the most charming guy in the world…and before you know it, you can forget yourself…that's when accidents happen," she cautioned.

Before Rachel could ask Quinn about her cryptic advice, she had disappeared down the hallway. Shrugging her shoulders, Rachel put the conversation out of her mind and walked back to practice.