Chapter 14

Volcano meets Tornado

Rachel was trying to concentrate on her studies when her phone rang. She took her purse on her bedside table, but remembered that she had forgotten it at home this morning.

She tried to remember where she had lost it. She looked on her desk, but there was no phone on it. She turned the room upside down to find hit, throwing accessories and clothing everywhere. Desperate, she put one knee down and she saw her phone. Then, she remembered; she had her phone in hand last night when she fell asleep, waiting for Finn's call. It must have slipped while she was sleeping. Furthermore, she had been so anxious to get to school this morning that she had forgotten to pick it up.

At this moment, Rachel relived her day backward. First, she had been so hopeful thinking about Finn this morning. Now, she couldn't believe the ugly and hurtful truth. She kept wondering why he had lied to her, telling her, only few days ago, that he loved her and that he would love her as long as she loved him. What virus had possessed him to act like he was acting now? She guessed on a highly infectious disease starting by S, like slut! She would have wanted to know why he had done this, hooking up with Santana and now dating her, but she hadn't found the strength to do it. If she had, Finn would have left in ambulance, a drum stick pinned into his chest.

She took her phone and looked at her messages. There was one from Kurt received this morning; he was warning her about Finn and Santana. There were many from Puck asking her to come to see him at his locker and the last one was from Kurt, few minutes ago.

She jumped when her phone rang once again.

"Rachel, it's Kurt. How are you?" Asked Kurt worried.

"I'm still shocked, but show must go on as we say." Rachel replied, knowing that Kurt would understand her expression perfectly. "Thanks for warning me too, even if I just got it, it was very thoughtful of you." added Rachel, gratefully.

"You didn't get my message? How did you find out?" asked Kurt, waiting her answer, impatiently.

"The most hurtful way you can ever imagined." replied Rachel. "They arrived at glee club practice all over each other. He soiled our heaven Kurt." Rachel replied, angrier than sadder.

"Why don't you come over so we could talk; I am pretty sure you could use an ear to talk to right now and I have a few questions for you my dear." asked Kurt, hopping that she would accept his offer.

"I don't think it's a good idea Kurt." answered Rachel. "I spent many memorable moments at your house and I don't think I am ready to relive them yet and what if I come face to face with Finn, I don't know what I could do to him right now." added Rachel angrily.

"Finn's car is not in the garage nor the driveway, so he isn't home. To be sure you won't see him, we could stay in the basement that I just decorated; you could tell me what you think of it. No hurtful memories, just two friends talking. What do you say?" Kurt asked Rachel, deep concern in his voice.

"Okay, if you say that He isn't home, I'll come. I really could use a friend right now." Replied Rachel, still not sure she had done the right thing by accepting Kurt offer.

"Knock on the side door; I'll be waiting for you." replied Kurt gently.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes." replied Rachel before hanging up.

She hopped that she hadn't made a big mistake by accepting Kurt's rendez-vous, but she didn't think anything could make her feel worst than she was now, this meeting could only calm her down. She was wrong…

After Rachel hung up, Kurt went to the kitchen and put few canapés in the oven. He took a bottle of cider out of the refrigerator, took two wine glasses and went downstairs with it.

In the basement, he settled up a table for his encounter with Rachel. She needed some cheering up and he would give her some.

Twenty five minutes later, he went back to the kitchen and prepared a platter with the canapés and went back to the basement with it. He put some light background music.

Then, he heard weak knocks on the side door.

Kurt answered to a breathless Rachel who had visibly walked quickly until there. He welcomed her with a tight hug. Then, he helped her take her coat off. He guided her in the basement and invited her onto the couch. Once she was sitting, hands on her legs, Kurt brought the canapé and the cider.

"Kurt, you setting is wonderful." said Rachel, smiling shyly.

"I thought you needed to be groomed a little after the day you just had." replied Kurt, sitting next to her, holding her a glass of cider.

"It's started as a promising day actually. I really thought that I would see Him so we can make up. How stupid of me!" said Rachel, trying to keep her anger down.

"Then, everybody started gossiping about Him and her, but I chose to ignore it, in faith of a new beginning with Him." She added angrier.

"But, the curtain fell on glee club practice. They sang together, in my choir room, my castle, Kurt. They couldn't stay away from each other, rubbing their proximity in my face. I stormed out, I couldn't take it anymore. I was just so sad and hurt by His behaviour." added Rachel, tears of anger falling from her eyes, letting them fall freely.

"I don't know if I can take their "acting" much longer Kurt." replied Rachel, exasperated.

"I could always transfer." said Kurt, laughing.

Rachel looked at him seriously.

"It was joke, Rachel. I was just trying to loosen up your anger." He replied, patting on of her hand.

"To continue my story, Puck came to see me in the auditorium and he brought me home. I've been trying to study USA History ever since I arrived home, but dates and discoveries are the last thing on my mind right now." finished Rachel, taking a gulp of cider.

Kurt had listened to her whole story, patting her hand, caressing it friendly. At the mention of Puck's name he stiffened, the time was come to ask her his question.

"What is exactly the type of yours and Puck's relationship?" asked Kurt after taking a gulp of cider.

"We are friends, good friends." answered Rachel feeling attacked by Kurt assumption.

"Nothing more? I am not jugging you Rachel. I am only asking you because I heard otherwise and I wanted to hear your side of story." said Kurt, kindly, patting Rachel hands once again.

"Where did you hear such a lie?" asked Rachel angry.

"Two days ago, did you say or did something that could be misread or misunderstood." Kurt asked her curious.

Rachel went back two days ago, the rink, the evening with Puck and the kiss he had given her.

"Puck kissed me that night, but I also told him that I loved Him and he told me to listen to my heard, you heard the song Kurt." Rachel said, relating her actions of that night.

Then, she remembered, the cracking…

Kurt looked at her, lifting his hand on his forehead.

"Wait! Don't tell me that He saw it?" added Rachel.

Kurt didn't reply. She knew she had guessed right. All this, all of this mess, all this hurting was a stupid misunderstanding.

"Nonetheless, I had just told him, the day before, that I loved him. He should have known that I wasn't lying, he knows me; I thought he did. I was wrong visibly. He should have had more faith in me." said Rachel, lifting herself from the couch.

"You know how Finn is sensitive when it comes to Puck; with Quinn and your past histories with him, he told you before." pleaded Kurt on his brother behalf.

"But he knew I loved him, he should have come to me, he should have trusted me." Rachel replied before being interrupted by a Volcano.

Finn had fallen asleep after reading only three pages of his history book. He got out of his bed, stretching. His stomach started grunting, so he went downstairs. A delicious smell was coming from the kitchen. He opened the door of the oven and saw that it was empty. He knew his mother wasn't home because, earlier, she had come to warn him that she would take their car for an extra shift at the hospital and he knew that Burt would take advantage of this occasion to work late at the garage. The responsible of this baking could only be Kurt.

So, he went upstairs. He knocked on Kurt bedroom's door softly, but no one answered. Pressing his hear to the door and hearing no noise, he decided to enter, but Kurt wasn't in his room.

Then, he thought that maybe Kurt was downstairs, in the basement. He went down the stairs and went toward the basement door. There, he heard some light music. He didn't know if he should go in; maybe Blaine had come over and he wasn't ready to see an all male make out cession. He was okay with Kurt being gay, but a make out cession would too much information. However, he was very hungry, so he pressed his ear to the door. He heard two people talking; a boy and a girl. So, he decided to open the door, but he froze when recognize the girl's voice to be Rachel's.

"What is She doing here?" asking Finn for himself.

Then, he froze even more hearing her words.

"He knew I loved him, she should have come to me, he should have trusted me!" said Rachel.

Loved him; she had said loved him. He had heard the verb she had used, but only the past tense buzzed loudly into his head, remaining stuck deep into his throat, strangling him. His throat was burning; he had to talk, to let his rage flow on the person responsible for his pain.

"And keep you away from Puck; you guys make such a lovely couple." Finn replied ironically, in an angry way, to Rachel who abruptly rose from the couch hearing his voice.

"Kurt, you told me He wouldn't be here." replied Rachel, half mad, half hurt.

"I didn't know Rachel, I swear." answered Kurt, sincerely

"You invited her here." asked Finn in disbelief, approaching them.

"She's my friend." replied Kurt to his brother, getting between them.

"You are choosing her side over mine." asked Finn to Kurt, angrily.

"There's no need of drawing lines, we are not at War, Finn." replied Kurt calmly, trying to calm his brother down.

While Finn was screaming at Kurt, Rachel's anger kept turning and turning inside her and soon she let the wind of her wrath hit Him.

"You have started it. You tell me you love me and that you want me back, but you go and bang Santana the minute after." screamed Rachel getting past Kurt and standing in front of Finn.

"I haven't done anything that Puck and you haven't. I am not blind, nor deaf. I saw things. I heard thing. I saw the two of you kissing two nights ago. I also saw the way you ran after him after, like a dog, it was disgusting, you should have more self esteem when it comes to man Rachel..." replied Finn defending himself by attacking her back, louder and getting closer to her.

She had guessed right. He had seen Puck kissing her and he had seen her leave frenziedly after, but he had preferred to believe the evidence over asking her.

If she had been acting like a dog that night, he was acting like a pig now. She couldn't let him insult her like that without getting even. She decided to tell him the truth even if he wasn't ready for it.

"That's the problem with you. You believe what you see and what your mind foreseen to be the absolute truth. Even after I told you that I love you, but that I needed time and you didn't trust me enough to believe it. You assumed the worst of me. You chose to believe your insecurities over me, you scared little boy. You always play the victim and I am always the tormentor. If you had had more faith in me, we, we could have got pass through this, but you choose facility over me, over believing me!" said Rachel lowing her tone.

Finn couldn't respond to her truth. He just stood there, starring at her. She was so eloquent, so beautiful, so full of life, but, also, so true. She really knew him like no one else. She had promised him once to always be honest with him, painfully so, and she was keeping her promise.

Rachel looked at a dumbfounded Finn. Obviously, he didn't know what to reply to the truth. Emptying her heart to Him made her feel better and, at this moment, she felt calmer, but also sad for him however, she kept starring at him. After few seconds, she turned herself to Kurt.

"Thanks for the meal Kurt, but I am not hungry anymore. I have heard enough idiocy. I am going home." Rachel replied to Kurt.

She ran upstairs. Kurt followed her, but Finn remained in the basement.

Once on the first floor, Rachel put her white cashmere coat and bonnet on and thanked Kurt once more for the chitchat.

"I am sorry for him." said Kurt, a hand on the doorknob.

"I'll be okay! I have already survived Finnastrophies, what's another one. I'll get stronger." replied Rachel calmer.

"But I am worried about him. I am afraid Santana his changing him for worst. Take care of him for me would you?" added Rachel, touching his shoulder.

"I will. Take care of yourself too." replied Kurt as he looked at her getting out of the house and walking away.

As soon as Rachel left, Kurt went downstairs to find Finn, but the tall guy was already walking up the stairs. He looked pretty knock out, as if he had received a brick on the head.

"Is she gone?" asked Finn scratching his head in disbelief, letting himself fall on the couch.

"Yeah, she is walking home as we speak. You really have the way with girls." replied Kurt seating next to his brother.

Finn went next to the window and looked outside.

"She's walking? What happened to her car?" asked Finn.

"I don't know. We hadn't talked much went you barge in Rambo." replied Kurt, pissed.

Finn went to the wardrobe and put on his coat quickly without zipping it.

"Where are you going?" asked Kurt, rising off the couch.

His question reminded unanswered because Finn was already gone.

Kurt walked closer to the window and saw Finn getting into his SUV and leave. He hopped that his brother wasn't having a hormonal urge and that his car wouldn't smell Santana's essence next morning.

Finn drove one minute before reaching the white cashmere with bonnet spot he wanted to reach. He stopped the car next to her.

Rachel stopped walking and went near the car recognizing Kurt's SUV. She opened the door.

"You're such a gentleman, I'..." said Rachel, but froze when she saw Finn's face instead of Kurt's.

Then, she slammed the door loudly and started to walk quicker. Seeing her ignoring him, Finn lowered the car's window on the passenger side and followed her.

"Let's make a truce Rachel; it's cold and dark outside." said Finn, pleading.

Rachel kept walking, ignoring Finn's pleading.

"You can either choose to stay out in the cold or get in. I'll follow you or I'll drive you home, like it or not." said Finn seriously.

She walked a bit and he followed her, as he said he would, glass still lowered, keeping an eyes on her.

After a moment, and because she was wearing on of her short skirt, her legs started to freeze. She finally decided to get in at a stop sign.

Once Rachel on board, Finn lifted up the window and drove her home.

They reminded silent, not even looking at each other. Finn stopped in front her house and she went out the car. He lowered the car's window to see her get home.

He stayed until she safely was in the house and a little bit more after that. He stayed until he saw her bedroom light open. Then, he drove home like a sad puppy.

Although they didn't even talk to each other and even after the huge fight they had just had, driving Rachel home had been the nicest moment of his day. Deep into his guts, he knew he would always long to see her, to sit next to her, for her to be safe. He knew that Rachel's wasn't anybody's dog, but he was hers.

When Rachel arrived into her room, she noticed that there were still lights in front of her house. She went to the window and saw that Finn was still there. After few minutes, the SUV finally went away.

She felt so torn at the moment. She wanted to be mad at him, to hate and despise him, but she couldn't. She also knew that she would only hurt herself more if she kept hopping about them getting together anytime soon; he was with Santana and there was no way he could choose to come back to prude Rachel after being with libidinous Santana.

They had just had a horrible fight. He had been nasty with her and her with him, slapping each other with their own version of the truth, but they still cared about each other sanity and safety. She knew that they still had feelings toward one another even if now was not the time to express it.

She knew she had to do something that would force her to stay away from Finn, to keep her distance and accept her loneliness or she would certainly get lost into his eyes. She really wondered how she would be able to achieve that.

Kurt had mentioned the transfer option as a joke, but she was seriously considering it now, but never would she joined Carmel high, the only thought of it made her want to puke. No, she had to see further than that, further then Lima, Ohio. She had to stick to her dream, the dream she'd been cherishing way before Finn…

Then, she started to dream, dreaming to accepted in a great art school in New-York Coty.

She went on Internet and visualized some art schools and programs. For fun, she even filled one application. To be accepted art NYC art scene academy, the administration was also requesting for videos which Rachel had plenty, the very best being the song she had sung on her singing meetings with Puck in the passed few weeks.

She filled every paper she had to. She even prepared an envelope filled with her videos and addressed it to the director of NYC art scene academy. Smiling to her dream, she left it on desk and went to take a shower. When she got out of the shower, she studied a bit of History and went to sleep.

That night, she dreamed of being the star she had always wanted to become. She smiled through her dream, knowing that it was all it was, but hoping that, one day, she could live it for real.