It was the next day glee club rehearsal. Mr. schue was late. Everyone but puck and Tina were sitting on the bleachers. Puck came in surveying the club.
"Where's Tina?" he asked.
"idinno," Rachel said looking at him.
"ya got me," amber followed rachels gaze.
"Well we can't start without her," Dianna said.
"You want me to go get her?" Cory asked.
"No no it's fine. Soon as she comes I have something for the ladies."
"Ok."
"Oh and for the guys too."
Puck took 8 sets of cuff links out of his pocket. Red for Sam, blue for Cory, green for mike and white for Chris.
"Um thanks but, what are these?" Sam asked.
"Cuff links," he replied simply.
"Uh…." Cory looked confused.
"Men used to wear them to fasten their sleeves together," Rachel said.
If anyone would know such facts it was her.
"Oh."
"shit these must've cost a lot," Sam was surprised.
"No they were only, $20. or so. collectively," puck said.
Mike looked at him wide eyed: "collectively? How in the hell did you afford these?"
"Hey. A magician never reveals his secrets," puck said, cutting him off.
"Ok."
"Got 'em at a vintage place downtown," puck hoped no one would notice he'd said 'got' instead of 'bought'.
"What other secrets do you have?" santanna looked at him and smiled suggestively.
"Maybe I come to your hotel and you find out."
"I don't work in a hotel."
"Well you seem like the kindof person who would."
"Oh. Well I don't."
"Ok then."
Puck didn't know how close to the truth he was.
"And we do it. Blindfolded so the other doesn't know," santanna said quietly.
"Sounds like a plan."
Brittany had grown quiet.
Rachel noticed looking at the blonde: "You alrite?"
"Yeah I just. I'm fine just waiting."
"Ok."
"Hey! You stay away from her!" they heard a girl say from out in the hall.
The sounds reached the room before the girls did.
"Now cmon babe let's get inside. Where it's safe. Hopefully," the same girl told her.
They heard Tina sniffling. She was with a bigger girl dressed in a long purple dress. The girl was brunette. Not all that pretty but there was something about her puck couldn't quite put his finger on, that he liked. The brunette noticed.
"What are you lookin at?" she asked looking at him.
He held his hands up in defense; "sorry I don't mean any trouble."
"Nice to have someone else my size who's in the room. I was getting tired of being the only one," amber was quiet and annoyed.
Brittany opened her arms and Tina climbed the bleachers into them.
"You ok love?" Brittany asked wrapping Tina in her arms.
Though the answer was obvious.
'love' was not a term of endearment you'd expect to come from her mouth. 'babe' fit her. Because Brittany was cool and a bit dim at times. Sweet yes but that's not a word you immediately thought of when you thought of her.
"Yeah fine," Tina sniffled.
"No you're not. You fell again," Brittany said.
"Does she really expect us to believe that?" amber asked incuriously.
"No she's just trying to make it easier so that Tina's not embarrassed," Rachel was understanding, quiet.
"Stop talking about her then," Dianna said quietly.
Sam peered toward Tina whose face he'd seen when shed come in, had had a bruise on it.
"You want me to get some-" he began.
Brittany looked at her over Tina's head: "no we'll get some later. Thanks though."
"When did they get together?" amber asked.
"Where have you been?" Chris, who hadn't spoken, asked rhetorically.
"They're not actually officially together since Tina's with. Him," Dianna said.
"Oh."
Puck stood making his way to the center of the room.
"Now that everyone's here…." he began.
They looked at him.
"I have something for the ladies."
He took out 6 necklaces. 2 were purple, 2 were pink, one was red and one was a gold star. That one was for Rachel. The red one was for santanna, the purple for amber and Tina. The pink for Brittany and Dianna.
Rachel smiled when she got hers, looking up at him: "you remembered."
She was touched.
"Of course I did. Stars are your thing."
"Yeah they are I just. Wow."
"Puck this is really sweet of you but. I can't right now I'm sorry," Tina said looking at him.
"Why?" he asked noticing her bruise.
"I just can't. Ok?"
"Ok. Some things are personal I get it."
He studied her.
"What?" she asked defensively.
"I was just. Wondering what happened."
"I can't go there."
"Ok….ok."
He resumed his place on the bleachers. The brunette was sitting next to him.
"Luckily, I've prepared for just an occasion," he said taking another purple necklace out of his pocket and giving it to her.
"Dude I don't like jewelry," she said.
"Oh."
"You didn't know. I mean, thanks but."
"No I get it. Figured, it's only fair that you get one."
"Oh. Well yeah."
"You with her?" he asked referring to Tina.
"No I just found her out in the hall."
"Oh. That makes it sound like she's lost."
"Well maybe she is. Or. Was. Maybe we all are and that's why we do the things we do. I'm Lauren by the way."
"Hey, puck. You doin anything after this?"
"No why?"
"You wanna have dinner at my place?"
"Ok sure."
A gorgeous blonde in pink was sitting next to santanna santannas hand on her leg. A brunette in white was sitting next to Cory. And a redhead in aqua was next to Rachel. Cory was staring at the brunette who didn't seem to mind in the least.
"She's so, comfortable being looked at," Rachel said to the redhead.
"I know. Not everyone is," the redhead replied.
Rachel followed her gaze to Dianna.
"Oh are you talking about Dianna?"
The redhead nodded.
"I know. She's a bit on the thin side. She was pregnant last year, so," Rachel said.
"Right going from one extreme to the next."
"Yeah. When we were together. God she's pretty."
"Are you seeing anyone currently?"
"No, no. I've decided I need to focus on my…..oh," Rachel said as the redhead slid her warm pale hand into Rachel's.
"Yeah exactly. And so are you."
"Well thanks."
"Sure."
At that moment the door opened and in came Mr. Schue the door closing behind him.
"Hey guys sorry I'm late," he apologized, "we have a few new members who want to audition. Who's first?"
"I'll go," the blonde said.
She stood going to the front of the room.
"alrite."
"Hey I'm Ashley. I'm from new york but originally Louisiana. Come from a big crazy family. And I'll be singin queens somebody to love," she said.
She nodded at the piano player who began.
She opened her mouth and began.
"Wow," amber said.
"She is, really good," Dianna said.
"And really hot," santanna said.
"Yes I've noticed that too santanna," Rachel said.
When she was done they all clapped.
"Ok, next?" Mr. schue asked as Ashley sat back down.
"I'll go," the redhead said standing.
"Ok."
She made her way to the front of the room.
"Hi I'm Ariel. Yes like the mermaid. And yes I'll be singing part of the world. Because well. I love Disney," she said.
"So cute," Rachel said.
"I know," Chris said.
She opened her mouth and began.
As she was singing Dianna put her hand on her back and made a face. Sam noticed followed by Cory and Mr. schue.
"You alrite?" Mr. schue asked.
"Yeah I'm fine," she answered although she wasn't.
"Ok."
The redhead finished sitting back down next to Rachel.
"You're so cute," Rachel told her.
"Thank you."
"alrite who's up – Tina?" Mr. Schue asked peering at her.
She turned her head slightly away from Brittany's chest.
"What happened to your….? You alrite?"
"Yeah fine. I fell."
"Ok."
