AN:
I am alive. However I am having horrendous writer's block due to multiple research papers due for my classes.
Anyway. Here's the next chapter. No promises on when the next one is going to be but I will hopefully have a few more chapters by the time I go off grid for a while in June. Best laid plans.
Chapter 12:
The four day weekend saw Rachel becoming a happier, more carefree person. She laughed more, and was slowly becoming more self assured.
The trio was very attentive, showering Rachel with as much affection as possible, knowing that the singer was still insecure. Rachel had become extremely touchy-feely, and was almost constantly in contact with one or more of the trio. An emptiness welled up in Rachel every time she was out of contact with the three cheerleaders, even if they were just a few feet away.
The four girls spent a lot of time talking while cuddling, and watching movies while tangled so thoroughly that anyone who saw them would be unable to say where one girl ended and another began.
Monday came too soon. Santana, Quinn and Brittany were worried that Rachel would relapse with school, and all three resolved to try and stay within touching distance of the singer, knowing that she needed space but would want them close.
Surprisingly, Monday passed without incident. Rachel went through the day as she normally did, the only difference being that she smiled more often.
The three Cheerios were astounded. It blew their minds that Rachel could act like nothing had happened. Admittedly, Rachel had been doing this for years, but it still surprised the trio that the singer was so calm. It truly showed that Rachel was a master of acting.
As sectionals approached Mr. Schue seemed to be only slightly freaking out, and the Glee kids weren't worried at all. It was almost as if they knew Rachel would not let them compete without her.
The diva went to the trio four days before sectionals, convinced that the Glee club would not come to them. She pleaded with the trio, wanting to rejoin Glee club, if only for sectionals.
Reluctantly they agreed, and Tuesday afternoon saw them back in Glee, Rachel sitting near the instruments with the Cheerios on either side and behind her.
Mr. Schuester looked slightly relieved when he saw the four girls sitting there, although everyone but Finn ignored the quartet.
The meeting was a disaster.
Mr. Schuester had decided that in a show of team spirit, Santana would get the solo, Brittany and Mike would get a dance solo, while Quinn and Sam would sing the duet.
Finn, Mercedes, and Kurt threw fits.
Rachel was devastated about not getting a song, but happy for the trio, knowing they deserved some of the limelight.
The cheerleaders themselves were livid. As schemers, Quinn and Santana recognized what Mr. Schuester was doing. He was trying to buy loyalty, while punishing Rachel for leaving. Too bad the trio would not stand for it.
As the three tantrums from the diva section came to an end, the three Cheerios showed their own…discomfort, with the situation.
"I am not singing with Sam."
Quinn was the first to speak, and her voice told anyone listening that this was not up for discussion.
"And if you think we don't know what you're doing think again," Santana growled, inches away from Mr. Schuester, scowl firmly in place, wanting to intimidate the teacher and knowing Quinn and Brittany wouldn't leave Rachel's side.
Brittany's only move had been to cross her arms, and the ultimatum from her mouth was simple.
"I'll dance, if Rachel sings."
Before anyone could react to the trio's statements, Rachel spoke up.
"Mr. Schuester, I'm sure Quinn, Santana and Brittany would love to have starring roles in sectionals, if you could just give us a second."
Rachel's question was actually a statement, as she walked out the door with the three Cheerios reluctantly on her heels.
Halfway down the hallway, Rachel turned and regarded the trio with a mixture of fondness and exasperation.
"I know you guys are just trying to look out for me, but please take this wonderful opportunity to showcase your talents."
Rachel focused first on Santana.
"Come on San, you have a great singing voice and you deserve this solo. Please show everyone what you can do."
Santana grumbled, but nodded her consent.
"Fine. But you have to fight for the regionals solo if Mr. Jackass in there," Santana jerked her head back toward the choir room, "doesn't give it to you."
Rachel nodded, a smile splitting her face at Santana's "condition" and the Latina's obvious concern about Rachel's ability to stand up to people, before turning to Quinn.
"You deserve this just as much as Santana, Quinn, and think about it this way, you're singing with Sam instead of Finn. At least you can talk to Sam without wanting to kill him."
Quinn huffed, suppressing a laugh at Rachel's twisted logic.
"I'm still going to try and talk him out of it, but I will sing, no matter what. Happy?"
Rachel felt her knees knock at the sight of the famous, or infamous depending on who you ask, Fabray eyebrow. Although the singer did not know what feeling she was experiencing, it made her knees collide and feel like jelly. She did manage a small smile in response to Quinn, and turned to Brittany, quickly regaining her equilibrium, only to lose it again in the face of a full on Brittany pout.
God, these girls should get these looks registered as weapons, Rachel thought.
Rachel's momentary distraction gave Brittany the chance to strike first.
"I'm not dancing unless you sing."
Rachel smiled, suppressing a small giggle at Brittany's petulant tone.
"But I will be singing Britt. I'll be backing Santana up during her solo and Quinn during her duet. You love to dance, so don't try to make excuses."
Rachel's soft glare melted Brittany's resolve in the same way Brittany's pout had melted Rachel seconds before.
"Fine," Brittany huffed, as she stomped her foot. "But I'm dancing with all of you, not just Mike."
Rachel laughed at Brittany's antics, biting her lip as she noticed the blonde was still pouting.
"As long as you dance."
Brittany squealed as Santana and Quinn chuckled.
"Yay!"
Brittany managed to hit a note Rachel did not know existed with that single syllable.
The blonde dancer pecked Rachel on the lips before bouncing back to the choir room, followed by her chuckling girlfriends, and leaving a shell-shocked Rachel frozen in place.
The diva touched her lips, the feeling of Brittany's lips etched into her brain, before shaking herself and following the cheerleaders back to the choir room.
#RQSB#
The Glee meeting ended shortly after the four girls returned. Santana and Brittany voiced their consent in surly voices as Quinn tried to argue her way out of singing with Sam.
Within seconds, Quinn had realized that Mr. Schuester, emboldened with Santana and Brittany's seemingly easy acceptance, was not going to budge on his arrangements.
A few minutes later, after Quinn huffed and growled her agreement, Mr. Schue ended the meeting. Apparently they would actually pick their pieces later, maybe in a few days when the competition took place.
Rachel gawked at their supposed leader's lack of initiative
The trio rolled their eyes. Typical Schue.
Brittany turned to Rachel as they walked out of the building, heading for Quinn's car.
"Can I please, please, please, invite Mike over tonight? We need to kick around a few ideas."
Rachel could not have said no to Brittany's pout, even if she had wanted to.
"Ok. But I'm not sure where you are going to practice."
Brittany laughed, and picked Rachel up in a hug in thanks.
"Your backyard of course."
#RQSB#
The days leading up to sectionals passed quickly and calmly. Rachel managed to find songs for Santana and Quinn, as well as help them practice.
In the first, and last, run through it was obvious that Brittany, Mike and Santana were going to rock. "Valerie" was going to set the crowd on fire.
Quinn and Sam would extinguish that fire before it even began if their performance did not change.
Quinn was flawless in her rendition, and Sam had picked it up easy enough. However, their performance lacked passion. Sam was fine, but Quinn wanted to punch his lights out because it seemed like he was trying to seduce her, although she had made it clear that she was in a relationship.
The night before sectionals, the girls did their own run through. Rachel giving out final advice to everyone, although mostly focusing on Quinn because the blonde was still furious about Sam's seduction attempts and grabby hands.
"Pretend you're singing to Santana and Brittany instead of Sam."
Rachel had guessed the extent of the trio's relationship not long after they had befriended her. The subject had come up during one of their many talks and Rachel's suspicions had been confirmed.
While Rachel was happy that her friends had found love, she could not help but feel it was a little sad that she would never experience that kind of joy.
Quinn's singing after Rachel's advice got infinitely better, and a smile lit her face as if flames danced under her skin. There was real passion in her voice, and Rachel knew if Quinn could focus enough on her girls to sing like that at sectionals they would win, hands down.
Instead, they tied with another school, all because Sam kept reading too much into Quinn's performance and kept trying to kiss her.
After the third near missed kiss, Quinn refused to go within an arm's length of the blond boy. However, Quinn sung wonderfully, and kept sneaking peeks at her girls, not that Rachel noticed she was included.
Santana was flawless, setting the crowd on fire. Brittany was having so much fun that it looked as if she would explode into rays of sunshine at any moment. Rachel was on a high from the great impact her friends had made.
When they tied for first place, the mood was caught between celebratory and somber, so Rachel and Brittany's giggles were out of place. Nobody knew that they were stifling laughs because Finn had nearly walked off the stage.
The four girls felt as if they were on top of the world.
They went out to a fancy restaurant in Columbus and got home late at night, stumbling into Rachel's room due to a combination of giddiness, exhaustion, and the crash of all the happiness they had been feeling that day.
Sunday they woke up and quickly regained the high from the day before, spending the sunny day romping through the wooded park and picnicking near a small hidden waterfall. After lunch, they wandered down the river, back to the pond where Brittany fed the ducks with the few leftovers.
For the first time in her life, Rachel felt truly happy. She had three great friends who cared for her, and had proven that they liked her for more than her talents.
Santana had never felt so at peace. Admittedly, she continued to survey the surrounding area every few minutes and was ready to respond to any perceived threat in moments. But with the sun warming her, Rachel snuggled into her side, and the two blondes messing around on the swing set she felt content.
This had to be the best moment of Quinn's life. Just enjoying time with her girls and being able to forget about everything but what was happening right then.
Brittany could remember other moments where she had felt happy. Most of her memories were of happy times, but this was definitely in the top ten, probably even top five as being one of the best.
And so, at the end of the day all four girls curled up together on the living room floor, marking this day as one of their favorites in their mental calendars as they drifted off to sleep.
#RQSB#