Hey guys! Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing. This is my first fanfic and I was really nervous about posting it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

I own nothing.

Rachel did her very best to pay attention during her morning classes. By lunchtime her classmates had stopped staring, although she did hear some whispering as she made her way to the cafeteria. She walked through the doors and headed to her usual lunch table. She sat down next to Blaine and Kurt and opened her lunch bag.

The two boys exchanged glances after watching Rachel open her Tupperware container and start to eat her salad. Kurt cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows when she didn't acknowledge him. Blaine stifled a chuckle and leaned over smacking a kiss on her cheek. When she turned to face him he wiggled his eyebrows at her and stuck out his tongue. Her startled laugh gained the attention of everyone around her.

"Thanks Blaine. I needed that." She said wiping tears of mirth out of her eyes.

"Any time Maria, I'm yours babydoll." He deadpanned despite Kurt's irritated huff.

"I love you too Tony."

"Alright Diva. If you're done stealing my boyfriend, I'd like to hear about what happened this morning. Right from the source." Kurt's glare softening as he noticed the tension in Rachel's shoulders.

"She's not ready to talk about it. When she's ready we all know she'll sing about it instead." Quinn shot Rachel a smile as she sat next to her.

Rachel mouthed a 'Thank You' to Quinn and returned to eating her salad. Blaine quickly changed the subject to the community production of 'Wicked' that he had seen the night before. Rachel quickly became involved in the conversation and made plans to see it the next night.

Puck watched her from his seat across the cafeteria where he was sitting with the football players during an impromptu football meeting that Coach Beiste had called. He smiled when Blaine kissed her cheek and felt his chest warm as her heard her laughter. He made sure to nod every once in awhile as he watched Kurt upset Rachel. He was about 5 seconds away from walking over there and being in major shit with Beiste when Quinn came up and saved Rachel. He watched Rachel mouth Quinn a 'thank you' and decided she'd be alright. He turned his attention back to Beiste just in time to hear her say that the next football player to fight or cause a fight would be off the team and in detention for the rest of the semester. He and Finn glared at each other from across the table and nodded at her. Beiste got up and left the cafeteria and Puck and Sam left the jock table as well. No way he'd ever willingly sit with those losers during lunch again.

"Noah! Sam! We were just making plans to see the local production of 'Wicked' tomorrow night. Would you like to accompany us?"

"I'll take a look at my calendar B." He said throwing her a grin.

Puck looked over at the rest of the gleeks and found Kurt damn near hyperventilating. His eyes were whipping back and forth between Rachel and Puck with an uncomfortable enthusiasm. Boy sure had a nose for gossip. Blaine shot him an apologetic glance and Puck knew that he'd calm him down before he said something stupid.

The warning bell rang and all of the students stood up and gathered their belongings and headed for the doors. Rachel walked alongside him and he threw his arm around her shoulders, smirking at Kurt as they walked towards her locker. She grabbed her books for her next class and smiled at Puck before heading to her English class. He decided to take a nap in the nurse's office. He didn't feel like dealing with Schue in Spanish class. He knew he had heard about the fight by now and he knew Schue would pissed and he wasn't dealing with that until Glee. He threw a smile at the nurse and laid on his favourite bed and shut his eyes.

Rachel found herself incredibly glad that she and Finn had no classes together this semester. Today had been awkward enough without adding tension in classrooms as well. Her afternoon classes passed by uneventfully and she found herself trying to psyche herself up for Glee. She deposited her things in her locker and walked towards the choir room with her best show smile. She was 50 feet from the choir room door when she felt her steps slowing. She wasn't sure she was ready for this. They had prepared a song for the group about having fun with the hopes of unifying them all. No one was going to buy into what they wanted after the drama of the morning.

Sam approached Rachel who appeared to be having a mini-panic. He called her name a few times and finally lifted her chin and waited for her eyes to meet his.

"You have nothing to be afraid of. You haven't done anything wrong and they know that."

She stared at him for a moment as self-doubt clouded her eyes.

"People don't like me Sam. They'll take one look at me and then..." She started to reply sadly before Puck cut her off.

"Screw 'em. You're doing the right thing here B and if they don't like you afterwards then they're not worth your time. You're Rachel fuckin' Berry. Remember that." He said with a fire in his eyes that surprised both Sam and Rachel.

Sam took the moment to silently slip away into the choir room while the two squared off.

"Say it with me Rachel. Screw 'em," He challenged. "Or maybe you believe that you aren't good enough. Maybe they're right?"

She looked at him for a moment and straightened her slumped posture.

"I am Rachel Berry!" She started and he nodded appreciatively. "If they don't like me just the way I am, well they can go screw themselves!"

He smiled as she drew herself up and gave him attitude.

"Perfect."

He smirked at her and walked into the choir room. She stood there for a moment and realised he had Jedi mind tricked her into believing herself. She smiled and walked into the choir room without a single doubt in her mind.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, Thanks!