Okay, so I know the first chapter was not really up to par with my usual standards, but I finished writing it at 5 o'clock in the morning. So I'm hoping that all future chapters will be better written and thought out. I just had to get that chapter off my brain, as it's been haunting me for weeks. So I hope you will enjoy this chapter.
So I am making them on an A Day and B Day schedule, which is what I had at all 3 of the high schools I attended. I know they've begun to try and change that, but I like the swapping days, so that's what I'm using. It was never truly clear in the show, exactly when the Glee club met, so I'm saying every day after school, and sometimes during lunch.
Thank you for the reviews, story alerts, and favorites I've received so far. I am hoping that this chapter will bring about more actual reviews, so I've got my fingers crossed. So Read and REVIEW! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Glee. I would love to own Mark Salling, even if only for one day; but, sadly that is not reality.
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Chapter 2: Didn't See That Coming
Puck slowly made his way down the hallway, in no hurry to actually attend his next class. He would have just said fuck it, except his mom had received another call from the school and he had had to listen to her rave about his delinquent attitude towards life.
Usually, mama Puckerman was laid back and only got angry when his indiscretions were brought to light; but when those events were acknowledge, Puck swore the entire neighborhood could hear her shrieks. He wouldn't give a rat's ass about it, except she always brought up how he was turning into his father. And that was just not cool! He was nothing like the man who sired him. Nothing. Puck always disregarded any similarities because he refused to be linked with the man, even when his mother's words rang true.
Puck spotted one of his teammates, Andrews, heading towards him with a slushy in his hands. Puck was about to unleash hell on the boy, thinking he would dare throw the drink on him, Puck the resident badass! But he saw Andrews veer to the right, heading towards a girl standing in front of some lockers. He turned to see who the victim was and to maybe cheer Andrews on, when he saw the intended victim was Rachel Berry.
Should I warn her? What? No! I'm Puckerone, the current badass of Lima. There is noway I am defending a geek! I don't care what ma said, I don't have to look out for Berry at school. Berry can look out for herself.
With that decided, Puck ignored the completely unbadass feeling of letting his mom down somehow by not saying something. But he was not the one doing the slushing, so he shouldn't be concerned with it. Yet, he couldn't completely stamp that feeling down, and he watched as the girl shut her locker before spotting Andrews. Puck actually had to clamp his mouth shut to keep himself from drawing the footballer's attention, as he knew everyone in the hall was watching as the figure approached the short girl.
Man up Puck. For fucks sake, you're a badass. You can handle the looks and rumors from defending her. Stop being such a pussy.
Puck rolled his eyes at himself and stepped forward, reaching out to grab Andrews's shoulder. But just as he was about to pull the boy back, Rachel twirled, yes twirled, out of the way and the slushy, which landed on a Cheerio who had been standing behind her, waiting to laugh at her. Puck cringed as the girl gave out a god awful shriek before slapping Andrews and stalking off. Berry gave them this small smirk, which Puck hadn't seen in years, before grabbing the handle of her bag and sauntering off.
That was pretty badass for a geek.
Puck was still in shock over Berry's actions as he made his way to class. He couldn't believe she had been able to do that, and the thought that she could have done that long before now kept bugging him. If she could simply move out of the way, why did she allow him and his fell classmates to bully her?
Whatever, it's not like you care. You did not notice how that skirt flared around her legs when she moved, exposing even more skin. And you definitely didn't notice the tight, very unsweaterish shirt she was wearing. Nope…Fuck!
Puck slammed himself down in his desk, trying to remove the image of Rachel's tan legs out of his mind. Thinking about her that way would do nothing but frustrate him, so he turned his thoughts to Quinn, wondering how she was feeling and if she was taking care of his, yes his, baby.
/*/
Rachel hummed to herself as she exited her last class, World History, and headed towards her locker. She ignored the stares and whispers that followed her, used to being the center of the mockery that was high school. She had learned to just ignore everyone, as they were merely stepping stones on her way to Broadway. So yes, their words and actions hurt her feelings and made her cry sometimes, but Rachel refused to let them hold her back; to keep her from reaching for her dreams.
Upon reaching her destination, Rachel sighed dramatically when she saw who was waiting for her. She never understood why Jacob Ben-Israel had such a fascination with her, as she had never given him any indication that she was interested in him. It was not only that he did not meet her requirement for attractiveness, as that would have been a lot more shallow than Rachel wanted to admit, but he was also extremely disturbing and intrusive. She had even found him in a tree outside her room one night, which had scarred her for months, if not life.
"What do you want Jacob?" Rachel asked in an exacerbated voice, opening her locker to collect her things before heading home, since she didn't have Glee practice to go to anymore. Although, if the Glee club is in the choir room, then maybe I can use the auditorium. I need to check to see if they have it reserved.
"The school is just buzzing with talk about how you managed to miss being slushied. Twice if my sources are correct and someone tried again during lunch. So inquisitive minds want to know…why are you just now starting to use you awesome moves to avoid the icy cold justice for being an outcast?" Jacob's voice had taken on a higher pitch when asking about her "moves", indicating that just the mere thought about how she could move was, ick, turning him on.
"I'm just finally standing up for myself. I do not condom violence, so avoidance has been my aim. After a few days, or a few weeks, the jocks will grow tiresome of this pointless game they seem to love making me the target of. Now if you'll excuse me." Rachel tried to move away, but with the halls full with students milling around now that school was over, she would have had to push past the annoying creature, and Rachel did not want to let any part of her body touch his.
"Ah…see some people, myself included, think it has more to do with who is the one doing the slushing. You never had a problem before when Puckerman was the responsible party. Some think you didn't mind so much when it was him. And now that I think about it, the two of you were awfully close that one summer-"
Rachel clamped her hand over Jacob's mouth quickly, not wanting any of the bystanders to hear. She grimaced when she felt the slimy feel of his lips on her palm before she removed her hand.
"You listen to me Jacob Ben-Israel, if you so much as breathe or type a word of this to anyone, I will be having a talking with your mother about the activities you've been getting up to outside my house! Do you understand? I have not informed the authorities because I do not want to be responsible for the demise of your future, but if you push this, I will make good on my threat." Rachel glared as hard as she could at the boy before spinning on her heal and marching away, her backpack almost leaving smoke in its wake.
That slimy, repugnant little…Gah! I can't believe he would even dare to bring that summer up! Okay, focus Rachel; you need to see if the auditorium is in use. You know that you can deal with Jacob if you have to.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Rachel approached one set of the double doors that led to the auditorium, the one that had the signup sheet posted out front. When she saw there the Glee club was not signed up for the open slot, instead the Glee boys were signed up for the next space. Rachel quickly pulled out a pen to sign her name, forgoing a golden star because she only had about twenty minutes before the boys were to arrive.
Once on stage, Rachel tried to imagine the seats being filled with adoring fans, instead of hostile observers. She knew that this was as good as she was going to get before graduating, since she would not be part of the performances for sectionals, or regionals, and so on. But the thought of that fact brought back the words she had overheard, the contempt that most, if not all, students seemed to have for her.
I'll show them! I'm going to be the Broadway star and most of the student body won't even leave the state for college. They'll know what a mistake they made about me when they see my name up in lights!
Once more clutching at her determination to succeed, Rachel hooked up her iPod to the stereo that always seemed to be there before selecting her song. She once more stood in the center front of the stage, closing her eyes to picture the roaring applause she would one day receive for merely stepping up on stage. When her cue started, Rachel opened her eyes and belted out one of her favorite Barbra songs, her voice filled with so much pent up emotion that Rachel was a little shocked herself.
"Don't tell me not to live,
Just sit and putter,
Life's candy and the sun's
A ball of butter.
Don't bring around a cloud
To rain on my parade.
Don't tell me not to fly-
I've simply got to.
If someone takes a spill,
It's me and not you.
Who told you you're allowed
To rain on my parade!
I'll march my band out,
I'll beat my drum,
And if I'm fanned out,
Your turn at bat, sir.
At least I didn't fake it.
Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it!
But whether I'm the rose
Of sheer perfection,
Or freckle on the nose
Of life's complexion,
The cinder or the shiny apple of it's eye,
I gotta fly once,
I gotta try once,
Only can die once, right, sir?
Ooh, love is juicy,
Juicy, and you see
I gotta have my bite, sir!
Get ready for me, love,
'cause I'm a comer,
I simply gotta march,
My heart's a drummer.
Don't bring around a cloud
To rain on my parade!
I'm gonna live and live now,
Get what I want-i know how,
One roll for the whole shebang,
One throw, that bell will go clang,
Eye on the target-and wham-
One shot, one gun shot, and bam-
Hey, mister arnstein, here I am!
I'll march my band out,
I will beat my drum,
And if I'm fanned out,
Your turn at bat, sir,
At least I didn't fake it.
Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it.
Get ready for me, love,
'cause I'm a comer,
I simply gotta march,
My heart's a drummer.
Nobody, no, nobody
Is gonna rain on my parade! "
Rachel threw her arms out at the last notes, her voice completely filling the room, even without the use of a microphone. Once the song was over, she took another deep breath before heading back to her IPod, thinking she had another few minutes to sing one more song. But she was brought out of her euphoria at her performance by the round of claps that sounded.
Spinning around in surprise, Rachel saw all the Glee boys heading down the aisle, Puck and Finn carrying Artie. She quickly grabbed her stuff before heading to the stage stairs, not wanting to get insulted or berated for being there. She reached the floor the same time the boys did, and Rachel was a little surprised at the smile on some of their faces.
"That was really good Rachel." Finn said, giving her his goofy lopsided smile that she found so charming. She tried to ignore the flutter it caused in her stomach, understanding that what she felt for the tall boy was merely infatuation and respect for his vocal abilities. She gave him a weird look because it appeared as if he could barely keep his eyes open, but Rachel reminded herself that it was not her responsibility, or right, to worry about him in any more-than-friend type of way.
"Thank you Finn. I didn't mean to take up your guys' time. I thought I had a few more minutes. Excuse me." Rachel said, reaching for the handle of her bag. But the boys just stared at her, not moving to allow her passage.
"We were a little early, actually. So is it true, were you really able to avoid being slushied?" Kurt asked, his disbelief evident. I mean, if she had been able to do that all the time, then why did she only start doing so now? Rachel straightened her spine a little, irritated that he would doubt her abilities. She did not get to respond, however because the raspy voice of one Noah Puckerman spilled over the group.
"I don't know about this afternoon, but she did this morning. It was fucking epic! You should have seen Chelsea's face when the slushy landed on her! That girl shrieks like a banshee, though, so my ears hurt afterward. But ya, Lance Bass, she did. Got a problem with it?" Puck's question ended on a more, well threatening note, his glare at Kurt making the others' eye brows to shoot up in surprise. Since when was Noah Puckerman defending Rachel Berry?
"Thank you Noah, but I can understand the doubt. Kurt, I simply do not wish to put up with the actions my fellow classmates take against me, especially when I have done nothing to earn their actions. I know I am not liked or respected in this school for my talent, but I refuse to roll over and take it any longer." Rachel ground out, her hurt over the Glee members' words and opinions making her voice sharper than she intended. But not taking people's bullying included the Glee club, even if she had tried to make friends with them before. Kurt huffed and moved towards the stage, obviously ready to get to work.
"So does this mean you're coming back to glee?" Rachel was surprised at Mike's question, having never really talked with him before. She gave a small smile and shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry to say that I am not. I don't want to be a part of a group that not only doesn't appreciate me and what I can bring, but also goes out of their way to make my life miserable. Why would anyone want to be part of something like that?"
"But, Rachel, we're your friends. I know the others can be mean, but…well you're the best singer at this school and we really need you." Finn said, trying to agree to return. It was a little hard to focus, however, so his words came out a little slurry.
"I would like to believe you Finn, but I heard what they said about me on Friday. I know you defended me, and I appreciate that. But I also know that probably put you on the bad side of Quinn, as she definitely hates me. And I don't want to return just because you need me to win, I want to be wanted." Rachel could feel her eyes beginning to water, and she fought against the feelings of loneliness she was having by simply talking about how alone she really was.
"We don't hate you Rachel. Sure, you can be super irritating, but that doesn't mean we actually hate you." Artie said, feeling guilty for the small part he had played in last Friday's conversation. The girl just gave a tight smile before edging her way past them. She was surprised when she felt a large, warm hand wrap around her wrist and halt her progression. Looking back, she was startled to see the burning hazel gaze of Noah starring up at her.
"Are you sure you're alright?" His voice quite, not wanting to draw attention to them from the boys who had started to move towards the stage.
"Yes Noah, I am fine. I appreciate the concern, however." Rachel's voice was equally as quite, not sure what had brought about the bad boy's concern. Noah just shrugged at her questioning look before releasing her and joining his teammates. Rachel made her way out of the auditorium and headed towards the parking lot, not able to stop herself from peeking into the choir room. Whatever Mr. Schue had come up with for that week's lesson obviously was pitting the sexes against each other, as the room's occupants were the Glee girls. But from the looks of it, they had no idea what they were doing, as no one looked to be doing work of the musical nature. Rachel had to fight the urge to march in there and demand they get to work, instead she pushed to impulses down and drove home.
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The next morning (Tuesday), Rachel shocked out of her thoughts as she was shoved from behind in the parking lot. She stumbled before catching herself, whipping around to see who had dared to touch her. She was met with a face of slushy by a hockey player, who's name Rachel couldn't even begin to remember. She sputtered in indignation, which quickly turned into a shriek of outrage as the boy lifted her up and threw her in the dumpster. She could hear his hysterical chuckling as he slammed the lid shut and walked away. Trying not to breath, Rachel pushed at the lid, surprised at how heavy it actually seemed. Whipping at her eyes to get a better view, she pushed the lid off and was met with the horrified face of Tina and Artie. Tina had been trying to get the lid open, which she found had locked, before she was able to lift it off the girl.
"Are you okay Rachel?" Tina asked, letting Rachel use her grip as leverage to jump out of the dumpster. She tried to smooth down her skirt, but Rachel knew she would be going back home before attending class.
"Thank you Tina, I appreciate the hand. I cannot believe the nerve of some people!" Rachel literally stomped her foot in irritation, which turned to full fledge ripped open, the zipper broken and her books scattered around. She bit hard on her lip to keep from yelling and bent down to put everything back in her bag. She gave Tina a smile of thanks when she helped her.
"I can't believe someone would do this to you! Did you see who it was?" Artie asked, trying not to draw attention to them. Rachel was currently covered not only in garbage, but her face and hair was coated in the melting red slushy.
"Oh, yeah I got a look alright." Rachel said, the anger clear in her voice. Tina and Artie exchanged a look, never having heard her speak so harshly before. The three parted ways as Rachel hurried to her car with her bag in her hands, which she practically threw into the backseat before grabbing the poncho she always kept in the car and sliding it over her, not wanting to ruin her seat.
Once she got home, Rachel grabbed her stuff and marched inside, throwing her shoes back outside, not wanting to trek anything into the house. She then proceeded to strip, right there in the foyer and threw those close outside with her shoes. She stomped upstairs to take a shower, her bitterness and anger over not only this episode, but all those that came before it making her see red. Her usually calm and rational mind was ablaze, and Rachel couldn't find the willpower to try and think clearly.
Once scrubbed completely from head to toe, Rachel threw open her closet doors to try and figure out what to wear. Now that she didn't have any more animal sweaters, she had to choose from either her remaining shirts or the new ones she had purchased. She wanted to make a statement, wanted to actually stand out from the crowd; but she didn't want to look like a tramp. Going through her options, Rachel settled on a new red number, which was a tank top, but the sales assistant had called it a bra tank top, meaning there was a daring (for Rachel) neckline that showed off her cleavage while also being flowy after the stitched band under her breasts. To go with that shirt, Rachel pulled out a pair of tight (like skin tight) dark blue jeans and the black ankle boots she used for glee.
Not giving herself time to rethink her choice, Rachel hurried back into the bathroom to curl her hair and actually apply some makeup (nothing drastic, just some cover up, mascara and eye-liner). Once she was done, Rachel pulled on her outfit, a little shocked at the girl standing in front of the mirror. I never knew I could look like that! Rachel turned so she could see her back, and was a little surprised at how nice her bottom looked. Rolling her eyes at her thoughts, Rachel grabbed a light black half sweater before heading downstairs. She grabbed the unused black backpack with colorful polka dots from the closet and transferred the necessary materials from her ruined trolley bag. Once complete, Rachel grabbed a trash bag and stuffed her old book bag, clothes, and shoes into it before dumping it into the trash can.
Now it's time for some payback!
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The news of Rachel's humiliation had spread quickly through McKinley High, with most of the student body being aware of the event by lunch. Many, especially the "populars" believed Rachel Berry got what she deserved, especially after the two failed attempts to slushy her and put her in her place. Others, especially Tina and Artie, felt bad for the girl, who had seemed to take several steps forward with regards to not being bullied anymore, only to be knocked back. The two had shared the occurrence with the other Glee members, but they had tried to make it clear that Rachel did not deserve such treatment. But, like one would expect, a lot of the clubbers just shrugged their shoulders and went about gossiping about it.
This love of gossip is what brought not only most of the Glee club outside, but most of the school that had lunch that hour. It didn't hurt that the weather was still nice, only cool when one stepped into the shade. Tina tried not to partake in the hurtful chatter, since she couldn't get Rachel's face, the horrified look covered with red corn syrup, out of her mind. She was going to head back inside, wanting to distance herself from the other students, when she saw non-other than Rachel Berry marching through the quad, a slushy held tightly in her hands.
Rachel surveyed the students milling around, focusing her attention on finding her target. Once she spotted the hockey players, and her attacker specifically, Rachel gripped the cold drink tightly before marching purposefully towards the ring of laughing Neanderthals. Her pursuit was cut short, however, when Tina darted in front of her.
"Hey R…Rachel! What a…are you d…doing? Are you t…thirsty? It is kinda hot o…out. Is that a n…new shirt?" Tina babbled, not knowing exactly what Rachel planned on doing. But the determined look on her face, and the scary gleam in her eye clued Tina into it being something she was sure the brunette would regret later.
"Hello Tina. Yes it is a little hot out today, and yes, this is a new shirt. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have some business I have to take care of." Rachel said, moving past the Goth girl. Tina watched as Rachel continued her trek across the quad towards the hockey players, uncertain if she should try to interfere again. But she really didn't want to end up with that slushy on herself, which she was afraid Rachel might do out of anger, so she moved back over to Artie, Kurt, and Mercedes who were all captivity watching the small girl walk towards her attacker.
By this time, most of the students had spotted her and the place had gone almost completely quiet, as they waited to see what would go down. Puck was surprised to see Rachel at school again, as he had heard about what happened that morning and hadn't expected Berry to come back for the day. He had to appreciate the way her shirt hugged her pert boobs, especially since no one would have ever known she had such a nice rack under those hideous sweaters. Puck moved his eyes down to her legs, which he was a little sad were actually covered up. But when he saw the way the denim was like a second skin, molded to the curve of her ass and thighs, Puck let out a small appreciative breath. He could totally picture peeling Berry out of that sexy top and tight jeans.
As if she could feel his gaze, Puck was startled a little when he saw Rachel look over at him. She seemed to give him a sexy little smirk that Puck thought had to be his imagination before stopping before the hockey player, who Puck thought was named George or something like that. He edged closer, wanting to have a prime seat for his viewing pleasure, but also wanting to be close enough in case the hockey players retaliated. He might bully Rachel and other girls, but he never hit them. And he wouldn't stand for that to happen, which was so totally badass because real men didn't hit women.
Rachel glared at the boy in front of her before slowly setting the slushy down on table next to her. She glared at the people seated at the table, making it clear that no one was to touch the beverage. Once she was certain the drink would be safe, Rachel turned back to the smirking guy.
"What? You want to get thrown in the dumpster twice in one day?" The other hockey players laughed along with him, thinking the girl had to be insane to actually dare to approach them. Rachel gave a nasty smile before she pulled back her arm and swung it forward, punching (yes punching) him straight in the face. She tried not to cringe as the bones in her clenched fist began to ache. Instead she grabbed the shocked boy's shoulders before bringing her knee up into his crotch, putting not only all her body weight behind it, but also all her anger. The guy let out a wail as he dropped to the ground, clutching his package while blood dripped from his nose.
"You will never touch me again, do you understand me? You will never bully anyone in this school again! Who the fuck do you think you are? You're nothing, just a simple minded hockey player. The football team wouldn't even let you on, so that has to tell you something. But, since your brain is the size of a pea, I'll explain it. You're a Lima Loser, you'll always be a Lima Loser.
"You'll never leave Ohio, probably won't even leave Lima. In five years, you're going to be working at a fast-food job, not understanding why you never seem to move up in life. But me, oh, I'll be on Broadway with my name in lights. People will come from all across the country to hear me sing. I'll get paid more money for one show than you will earn in your entire life. So you try and make high school your kingdom, but understand that you're the one that's stuck here. And you're not even the king in this high school, the football team runs this school.
"And you'll never be a badass, or whatever it is you're trying to accomplish by picking on people who have a future ahead of them. Do you know how many hockey scholarships there are? About ten (so made up, lol), which means your chances of going to college are quite slim. Football, however, has hundreds of opportunities for players, meaning many of this school's team will probably go to college.
"And everyone knows that Noah Puckerman is the biggest badass in Lima. You might think yourself above him now that he's in glee, but guess what? If he doesn't wish to pursue football in college, he could get a music scholarship and go to any college he wants. And playing a guitar and singing to a girl is a surer way to get into her pants than trying not to get your head bashed into the ice. So you just try to be the resident badass, but I can guarantee you that Puck will wipe the floor with you; with all of you. Singing hasn't caused him to lose any muscle definition, and I'm sure you've all had your asses handed to you by him at one time or another.
"So you just think about that the next time you want to throw someone in the dumpster. Think about the fact that in a few years, they're going to be your bosses and have complete control over your careers. And the people in glee, the club everyone seems to think is for losers, I can guarantee that all of its members have the option of making music their futures. You might want to keep that in mind for the future, as most of the clubbers have excellent memories, and we'll remember you're faces and how you've treated us. So leave us the hell alone, or I'm sure we can find something to do to dissuade you, and you won't like it, I promise."
Rachel finished her speech to not only the shocked hockey players, but to everyone on the quad, before reaching over for the slushy and dumping on the downed boy. She glared at the ring of boys again before starting to march away. She wasn't very surprised when her shoulder was roughly pulled backwards, and she spun around, her already injured hand snapping out another punch. The boy cried out and clutched his nose, glaring at her. Rachel glared back before moving away, confident that they would leave her alone after seeing she was willing to fight them.
"Holy shit! Did you see that! I can't even begin to believe that just happened!" Mercedes screeched next to Kurt, watching as Rachel began to make her way back towards the school, the student moving out of the way to let her pass.
"She has more…guts than we ever gave her credit for, that's for sure. But you know they're going to retaliate, and I would hate to be her when that happens." Artie said.
"I don't k…know if they'll get t…the chance, look, s…she seems to h…have actually gained r…respect from the students. T…that's quite an a…accomplishment." Tina responded, as she peered at the students around her. Most of them had their phones out, undoubtedly blogging or texting about what had just happened. But most of them also had looks of respect on their faces for the small spitfire.
"And did you hear everything she said about Puck? I wonder what's going on there." Kurt said, pointing to the mohawked boy as he grabbed Rachel's hand and turned her around to face him. He was talking too quietly for them to hear, meaning they would just have to come up with their own ideas of the conversation based on the two's facial expressions.
"That was fucking amazing Berry." Puck said as he turned her around. Rachel gave him a blinding smile, showing she appreciated his words.
"Thank you Noah, I feel great. I just hope that they don't try to come after me over it, which I realize is wishful thinking on my part. Sorry to bring you into it, but you're the only one I thought would intimidate them" Rachel said, blushing a little.
"You have nothing to apologize for. I am the biggest badass in Lima, so you were just being truthful. And my ego got a nice stroke from that." Puck said, his lips turning into a devilish smirk that had Rachel blushing harder. She might be naïve, but she had caught the innuendo of his words, and she couldn't stop herself from glancing down at his jeans, noting the slight swell. Puck saw her gaze, which caused the bulge to become more pronounced before he gave a raspy laugh.
"See something you like B?" Rachel's eyes snapped back up to his, her face feeling like it was on fire. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to play down her embarrassment.
"well, thank you for not minding that I used your reputation to my advantage."
"That's not the only thing you can take advantage of." Puck leered, trying to see down her top. It was a lot easier, since the tank top already exposed a decent amount of cleavage. He really wanted to pull the cups of the top away so he could see Berry's berries, haha. But he knew there were way to many people around and he would probably get slapped, or hell, punched for his actions. Thinking of her actions, Puck lightly grabbed her right hand, cradling it in his as he examined the cut and bruising knuckles.
"You are incorrigible Noah Puckerman." Rachel said, shaking her head in amusement. She didn't understand why she seemed too comfortable around him, especially considering their rocky past. But she allowed him to take her hand and she tried not to sigh at the feel of his warm hand.
"I might agree with you, if I knew what that meant. You really did a number on your little hand. You should go see the nurse." He said, lightly running a finger over the dainty bones, feeling for breaks. Rachel winced a little, which caused Puck to start and tug her towards the building, wanting her hand to get looked at.
"No, I can't go. They'll know if did something, something bad. They'll suspend me! Or maybe expel me! Noah, I can't be expelled. I was angry, but…I shouldn't have done that. Oh god, they're going to kick me out. I've just ruined my shot at Broadway. I'm going to be the loser of Lima!" Rachel was in full blown panic mode, her hand shaking in his as he pulled her through the doors. He stopped in the hallway, taking her by the shoulders and giving her a little shake.
"There's no way that douche is going to admit to being beaten by a girl. He's already lost most respect anyone had for him by falling from the fists of Rachel Berry." He tried to assure her.
"Don't forget my knee jab." Rachel said, trying to calm herself. Puck chuckled and nodded, before pulling her towards his locker. Rachel was confused at their destination, as it was clearly not the nurse's.
"Since you don't want to chance it, I've got a first aid kit in here that we can use." Puck said, opening the door to reveal a mostly empty locker that did indeed have a large first aid kit. At her questioning look, Puck shrugged his shoulders before pulling it out of the locker before shutting it and heading towards the nearest girls' bathroom.
"It helps during football season to have your own supplies. We often run out at the beginning of the season, and it takes forever for the new supply to come in." Puck said dismissively.
"I don't want to use your personal stock Noah! What if you need it one day, and it's gone because of helping me? I'll just go to the nurse and say…I hit the wall or something." Rachel said, pulling her hand away from the sink. Puck rolled his eyes at her before grasping her wrist again and placing the injured under the facet.
"It'll be fine Berry. I can always get a new one; they are sold at most grocery stores. Now let's get your hand cleaned up before an infection sets in. You don't know where those guys have been." Rachel felt herself shudder at the implication and allowed him to finish cleaning her hand before drying it. Puck ripped open a rubbing alcohol sheet, which caused Rachel to let out a small whimper, which caused him to raise a brow at her.
"Sorry." Rachel murmured, trying not to wince as he gently worked the pad over her cut knuckles. Once done, Puck placed bandaids over the split skin before pulling out an ace bandage and wrapping it around her hand until she could barely move her fingers.
"Don't you think it's a little tight?" She asked, trying not to sound irritated or annoying, knowing that Noah did not have to be helping her. Puck shook his head as he packed up the first aid kit.
"No, I could tell that nothing seemed broken; but I don't know if something's cracked or anything like that. You should keep your hand wrapped tightly for the next few weeks, just to make sure your bones, if there is a fracture or splinter, heal correctly." Puck was a little taken aback by the awed expression on her face, her hand cradled against her chest.
"I never knew you knew so much about this kind of stuff. Do you want to be a doctor?" Rachel asked, following the football player out of the bathroom. The hallway had filled back up, as there were only a few minutes before classes started, meaning they got many curious looks. Especially when it was obvious that Rachel's hand had been bandaged by Puck, who simply glared back at those staring at them.
"Thank you for your assistance Noah." Rachel said, once they reached his locker again. The taller boy shrugged, uncomfortable with the fact that he had actually helped her. But the image of her punching that douche in the face was fucking awesome, so he shrugged off his mood.
"You're welcome B. You should wear shirts like that more often. I can totally almost see your tits." Puck said, partly because it was true and partly because he wanted to get the focus off of his actions. Rachel rolled her eyes at him and started to walked down the hallway to her own locker, where she had stashed her book bag before getting retribution on her attacker.
"Once again Noah, you are incorrigible." Rachel's voice was more amused than anything, which caused Puck to grin back at her. She was sexy as hell in that outfit, and he didn't feel bad about admitting it.
"Thanks doll. See you around." He said, walking past her, but not before he gave her sexy denim covered ass a squeeze. Rachel gasped in shock and tried to slap his hand away, but he was already laughing as he walked away. She bit her lip as she closed her locker, her stomach full of knots, not only from Puck's actions, but also from her own. She really hoped that her attacker didn't tell the principal, or the police. At that thought, Rachel had to take several deep breaths before making her way to her class, trying to get as calm as possible. Luckily she was a straight A student, so her teachers sympathized with her injury and promised to email her their notes. Seriously, what student has teacher's email addresses in high school? Rachel Berry, you are definitely a geek. But at least I don't have to try and take any notes today.
/*/
"Rachel Berry, please report to Coach Sue Sylvester's office immediately." Rachel jumped in surprise at the announcement over the intercom. Everyone gave her strange looks, as they knew if she were going to get into trouble for fighting, it would be Principal Figgins's office requesting her appearance. Shrugging and grabbing her book bag, Rachel gave a small sorry to her teacher before heading towards the cheerleading coach. She had no idea as to what Sue could possible want with her, except maybe to try and get her to blab about the glee club and Mr. Schue.
"Thank you for arriving so quickly. Take a seat." Sue said, pointing to one of the empty chairs in front of her desk. Rachel sat slowly, clutching her wrapped hand to her chest, not sure if Sue would try to physically harm her if she didn't answer her questions.
"I know what you have been up to in the past few days. What do you have to say for your outrageous behavior?" Rachel's eyes widened and she began to panic, thinking Sue was going to somehow expel her, even when she wasn't the principal.
"I…I know I overstepped the line today. I just…there's no excuse for my behavior, and I know that I deserve to be punished. But please Coach Sylvester, don't have me expelled. I'll apologize or do whatever you require of me, but please don't have Principal Figgins expel me. I can't…I'll lose everything." Rachel's voice broke a little as tears filled her eyes, the thought of never reaching Broadway because of a stupid episode of retaliation making her almost physically sick.
"Calm down midget. I'm not going to have you expelled. On the contrary, I think your actions were superb! Just the type of attitude I want in my Cheerios." Sue said, throwing a box of tissues at Rachel's face. Luckily, Rachel was able to catch it with her left hand before it hit her.
"I'm sorry Coach, but I don't understand."
"Well, it's pretty simple. I want you to join the Cheerios." Rachel's eyes nearly bugged out of her head in surprise. She had not seen that coming, not even close.
"Um…I don't think that would be a good idea. Most of your Cheerios hate me and that can't be good for team unity."
"Nonsense, they're my team, and if I say you're on it, than if they want to keep their spots, they'll get over it. I know I have shown my distaste for you and your glee club on many occasions, but I think I actually see something in you. Now that you're not weighed down by Schuester and his hair gel, you seem to be blossoming; and into someone with just the attitude to be successful as a Cheerio."
"I appreciate the consideration Coach Sylvester. But I don't know if I would be able to keep up with the more advanced girls. I'm a really good dancer, and I can do basic flips and tumbles, but I doubt my ability for higher level routines."
"Oh that's fine Berry. I actually want to utilize your real talent, your voice. I want to create a routine that you would dance in, while also singing. I think that would give the Cheerios a huge edge over the competition, especially since you have the best voice in this school." Sue had to hide her glee when she could practically see the stars in the girl's eyes. She knew that once she laid down the singing solos card, she would have Rachel's full attention. Take that William Schuester.
"That would be a great way to showcase my talent…and yours' as well. I'm sure no one else has thought of having a live singer, instead of just a recorded song. And I already know how to sing while dancing, so if I needed to throw in some flips or tumbles, I think I could still keep my perfect pitch." Sue tried not to do a victory dance in her chair, already seeing the next National Championship trophy clutched in her hands.
"I accept your offer Coach Sylvester. And thank you for allowing me a place to perform to my fullest abilities." Rachel said, her reply letting Sue know that the girl still had issues with the glee club. She had thought the girl would run back to the loserville that was glee, but was pleasantly surprised to learn that she had not rejoined. This knowledge, along with Berry's actions, was the main driving force behind Sue trying to get Berry to join her squad. The fact that she was going to get to rub Schuester's nose in it just made it that much better.
"I'm glad to hear that Berry. You are exempt from practice this afternoon, as you need to go to the supply office and get them to give you four or five uniforms. They should be the proper size; I don't want any of my Cheerios looking like whales. They'll give you a Cheerio package, which will have everything you'll need. I expect you to be in uniform, including your hair up, tomorrow morning." Rachel nodded before thanking the coach again before heading out. She couldn't believe this had just happened to her; she never would have thought she would become a cheerleader.
It's never even been a faint fantasy before. I hope I'm up to par for Coach and I don't embarrass her. I'll need to practice my moves tonight just to make sure I can do the basics.
Rachel's thoughts were interrupted when she ran into Finn outside the choir room.
"I'm sorry Finn, I did not mean to run into you." Rachel mumbled.
"Oh that's okay Rachel. You can bump into me anytime, I won't get mad. So how have you been? You look really nice. Is that a new shirt? I've never seen you dress in anything so…revealing. Not that it's too revealing; I think you look great in it. I'm still sorry you don't want to rejoin Glee, we really miss you. And you've been the talk of the school! I can't believe you actually punched John Sumter in the face! And kneed him! And then punched the other guy! That was like, whoa! Is your hand okay? I'm surprised it's not broken, since you hit both their noses. How'd you learn to hit like that? I'll make sure never to make you so mad! I-"
"FINN! What in the world is wrong with you?" Rachel had to speak over his babbling, completely baffled at his behavior. It was almost as if he had taken something, like drugs. She pulled his face closer to hers so she could see his eyes, which were dilated, showing that he was in fact under the influence of something.
"Oh my god, did you take drugs?" Rachel whispered, not wanting to let anyone hear her. She released Finn, confused as to why the boy would even mess around with such dangerous things. Finn shook his head in denial.
"Nope, I got a vitamin from Mrs. Schuester. She's the school nurse now. Although, I'm not really sure if she's really qualified to be a nurse. We think she's here to keep an eye on Schuester since he's been, like, in love with Ms. Pillsbury for like, forever." Rachel just shook her head at him, clearly not believing him. Finn pulled out the box to show her, proving that it wasn't technically drugs as she was thinking. But Vitamin D obviously proved to be some type of performance enhancer.
"You know that's cheating, don't you Finn? How are the girls supposed to compete against you guys when you're…juiced up? That's not fair to your fellow teammates!"
"Actually, I'm taking them because I couldn't stay awake. Everything has just been so hard on me Rachel. I'm under so much pressure, especially with Quinn and the baby, that I needed some help. And this vitamin has allowed me to get threw a lot of my homework and stuff, so I'm finally a head for once. I know you don't approve, but you're not in glee, so it doesn't really matter what you think." Finn said, spinning around and entering the room. He couldn't stand the ashamed look she was giving him.
Rachel debated telling Mr. Schuester about what was going on, but Finn was right. She was no longer a part of glee, even though that truth was like a knife in her gut, and she didn't have to reveal anything. She just hoped that Finn, and any of the other boys that had taken the vitamin, came clean. With her mind made up that she wasn't going to get involved, Rachel continued on her way to the supply office, almost giddy at the thought of walking through the doors the next day in the uniform.
Song: Don't Rain on My Parade by Barbra Streisand!
PLEASE REVIEW! I really want to know what you guys think!