Thank you for all your feedback firstly. Want to apologize for the lateness of this update. But I've finally Uni for the summer so expect regular-ish updates on this and my other Finchel story!
Finn had found himself restless the entire night. A bed in a new place sure made him think. He got himself showered and dressed an hour earlier than his alarm was set for. He went downstairs and began to prepare breakfast for his aunt and uncle as well as himself. He had remembered where they roughly got the ingredients out of last night and took note. The fresh smell of cooking brought his uncle and aunty out of their unconsciousness and seated at the table with a plate of hot food in front of them.
"What is this in aid of Finn?" His aunt asked as she took a bite and found it surprisingly pleasant.
"I just wanted to say thanks for…for letting me stay here and stuff" He wasn't good with words but saw them both smile appreciatory as if they understood what he meant. "Right, I'm going to school. I'll see you both later" Finn nodded and got up from the table and putting his plate into the sink on his way out. He started the engine in the car and waited for Rachel patiently. He examined the time on the radio realized she was late. He drove off his drive and parked outside her house. He always thought Rachel was so organized but watching her come out of the house rushing around and with her breakfast in one hand and all her work in another was certainty changing this image he had been building up of her. She quickly got into the car and began to munch into the apple.
"So what made you so late this morning then?" Finn broke the silence with the stinging question. He glanced beside him to see Rachel mentally thinking of what to answer him.
"I was preparing last night for an audition for after school today"
"Audition for what?"
"Glee Club" she practically whispered.
"So, will you need a ride home after, I can wait?" He asked he didn't want her to think he didn't mind because he frankly didn't.
"You don't have too, I can walk…" She spoke up for the first time that morning, quickly to stop him and his propositions. She wasn't used to boy company and especially nice boy company. Her fathers were different they were meant to be nice to her. But boys at her school weren't, they didn't understand her or what she was about. They didn't get her dreams or her ideas on matching his and her calendars.
"Nah, it's cool. Say an hour after last bell?" He insisted. He was sure he could talk Puck into waiting for him if he dropped him off after as well and that would surely go down well with them both.
Finn quickly found himself getting used to the new school. The rooms were laid out simple and the maps made everything so much easier. He had been put in every class with Puck so he just followed him til he began finding his bearings more. Puck didn't mind though. He had already started calling Finn his main man and seemed to keep introducing him to all his male and female friends as they walked down the halls.
"What are your plans for tonight then?" Puck asked as they sat down in their last lesson for the day. Math to end the day would be torture but at least they got to sit at the back and talk to the cheerleaders who seemed to be all over them.
"Actually I'm staying after school and waiting for Rachel to do that audition then going. What about you?" He answered, looking down at his book.
"Hold on, Rachel? As in Rachel Berry?" Puck sniggered quietly at the name before raising his eyebrow at Finn.
"Yeah…" He didn't even realize til after he said it how he defended her already. He knew she wasn't the hottest or loviest to others but she was special and talented. She certainty didn't deserve to be sniggered at like something wrong.
Puck closed in closer to Finn. "I didn't think you guys got on" he stopped himself from saying too much despite seeing Finn want to ask him more and explain what he meant.
"She lives next door, my aunt and uncle are friendly with her dad's" Finn explained the living arrangements and Puck just nodded slowly at him.
"How about I show you around the football lockers and introduce you to some of the team yeah?" Puck suggested. Finn fist pumped him and agreed. It would be a good chance to maybe see if he could get on the team. It would be his first step to really feeling apart of this place, something to connect him.
Finn and Puck left the room stood next to each other and walked down the corridor to head towards the outside buildings where all the sport was kept and played in ready for Puck's tour and hopefully a welcoming in on the Football team to play for the future terms. He couldn't help but hear a voice beside him that he recognized. It was Rachel. He turned and stopped seeing her getting pushed into a locker by other football players, some he had seen in his science class and a few others he hadn't seen yet.
"You gonna audition for the Geek club then Berry?" The tallest boy laughed and pushed his hand into her shoulder with force.
Rachel tried to get away but his grip was too tight on her frame. She couldn't move and felt her heart pumping into her chest. She just needed to move an inch to get away but she couldn't. "I..."
"That's what I thought… you're not even talented" He grunted in her face. He was that close she could feel his breath against her cheek.
"Oi, leave her alone" Finn shouted loudly down the corridor, and to his surprise the guys carried on pushing her even harder. He could see her eyes beginning to tear up and something inside him wanted to punch the guys and just take her away from this. She didn't deserve it. She wasn't irritating or rude. She was quiet and polite.
The tall boy came bouncing over, his shoulder a longer width apart than Finn's leg height, with two other guys stood firmly behind him edging him on. "What you gonna do about it new boy?" He laughed in his face.
"I will, run now Drew" Puck demanded, pushing Finn gently to side to stand in front of him and confront Drew straight on. He had dealt with Drew not only on the team but also in other matters regarding school life. He was truly a hated boy around the school and caused trouble for no reason.
"Rach, are you okay?" Finn bent down to where she was now sitting on the ground. He began helping her pick up her scattered books and put them into a neat pile before offering her a hand to get up. she rejected it and stood herself up.
"I'm okay Finn" she replied
Finn could see straight through her acting. She was good; he'd give her that. But he could see her on the inside wanting to cry and just tell someone she wasn't okay. He knew she needed to get to her audition and let her go off, but made sure he walked behind her from a distance to make sure she got to auditorium without anymore hassle. It was the least he could do.
"Come on, I'll take you on that tour" Puck placed and gripped his hand on Finn's shoulder and dragged him carefully down the hallway til he walked on his own command.
As they walked around the locker room and Puck introduced Finn to a few members of the football club he couldn't help but be distracted. Bullying happened everywhere but this was different. He could hear the sound of singing as they left and headed back to the car park where they're cars was.
"What's that?"
Puck knew what he was referring too. He nodded his head to the side for Finn to follow him and went into what seemed to be a large room and opened the door quietly before seating themselves in one of the many available seats at the back and out of view.
They looked down to see the auditorium. Despite Lima not having much this school had one of the nicest stages in the town. It was often used on weekends for special concerts etc. "Hey isn't that Berry?" Puck pointed to a girl, he couldn't help but compare her outfit to what Rachel had rushed into his car wearing this morning.
Finn forced his eyes onto her face as she took the stage. Mr. Shue, the Spanish teacher, who also ran Glee Club was sat on a chair behind a table as the young eager kids hid in the sides and waited to be called on to sing. They watched as Rachel walked confidently onto the stage and stood directly in the middle. Something about seeing her on stage made Finn smile. It was like she was made to stand there. Everything about it felt natural to watch.
"Go ahead Rachel" Will sounded and waited as the music started up. she began singing and instantly Finn went to another place inside his mind. Her voice filled his thoughts and corrupted his dreams. She was something else. He saw her talent like it was something you could reach your hand out and grab. She was destined for things much greater than this school, than those guys that think they were better than her. They would end up losers while she was one living her dreams on a stage in a big city being adored by thousands of people. As she finished the last note, holding the high F for several seconds the stage went quiet as everyone began clapping, even Puck clapped at her voice. She blushed before leaving the stage.
"Crap, I'm meant to be taking her home come on Puck" they quickly rushed from where they were hiding and Puck managed to get them back to the car without Rachel seeing where they had come from. He sat down in the drievrs seat with only seconds' left to spare. On queue Rachel walked over and got into the car.
"Are you getting a lift with us Noah?" Rachel asked as she brushed her skirt down as it had risen when she got into the seat.
"I'm gonna walk it's only round the corner. See you tomorrow Hudson" he waved them off as Finn started the car and went the opposite direction to where they both lived. As he stopped the car in his drive he made Rachel wait a second before going into her home.
"Yes Finn?"
"You know Rach, those idiots don't know how talented you really are. One day you'll be playing those big stages in New York and they'll be working in some burger joint" he smiled as she blushed once again.
"Thank you Finn, I'll see you tomorrow" she softly laughed before she went into her home. Finn brushed his hand through his hair. Tomorrow would mean he'd one step closer to hearing her voice again. he would be joining Glee Club tomorrow.