Title: Barely Breathing
Pairings: Faberrittana
Summary: When they were still children, it used to be Q, R, S and B. But now that they are in high school, they are known as The Unholy Trinity and Rachel Berry. Rachel, feeling abandoned by her best friends, tried to move on with a positive outlook. The Unholy Trinity, fed up with the guilt and the ache of missing Rachel, finally decided to mend their broken friendship with the girl. Separated by their differences, will they be able to get back how they used to be? What if the Unholy Trinity wanted more than just friendship from Rachel?
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
Updates on the Nicknames:
Quinnie, Sanny/San, Rachie – Brittany
Q, B, Rae/Tiny – Santana
S, Britt/baby, Rach/Sweetie – Quinn
Rachel can call them with just about any name she wants. :p
Credits: FaberrittanaIsEndgame, Alese222, YourInnate
(Fdlans, you are being silly! Lol :p)
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Chapter 5
Rachel woke up that morning feeling...well, tired. Still. She sighed. It's only been the first week of school and she already find in exhausting. Emotionally.
Seriously though. They (meaning Quinn, Santana and Brittany) had been in her radar since summer this year. Not that they were never consistently in her radar. Because, hello! She could see them even from a hundred mile radius. That's how crazy obsessed she was.
However, last summer seemed different. Usually, they were in her radar. Period. But recently, for reasons she couldn't comprehend, she felt like she was in their radar as well. And it was weird because they were acting, well, weird. Other than the constant name calls and insults, she was invisible to them. She had been for almost two years now. She noticed that they try to ignore her as much as they possibly could. Come to think of it, they never really paid much attention to her when no one was looking. Like, she would pass by them on the hallways and they won't even glance at her direction. She should know because though her eyes were always on the ground, she would still give them subtle looks from the corner of her eyes.
Yeah. Like that wasn't creepy at all.
She thought that their constant 'bumping in to each other' before the school year began was just mere coincidence. Like when she was helping out her Dad at Burt's garage, they were there, either needing a service or simply hanging out with their boys at the Hummel's house which was just across the street.
Or when she was working part time at Lima Bean as a barista during the weekdays. They would come there every day during the summer and hung out. Usually, it would just be the three of them. But there were times that their boys were there too. And they would sometimes stay there until closing hours. And no. She wasn't saying that they were there for her. But...she's Rachel Berry. She knew something was up. Because being the creep that she was, she would sometimes hide behind a glass or pretend to be busy while secretly looking at them. And she swore she had caught each one of them glancing at the counter from their seats, as if searching for something. Or someone.
Or her.
Like she said. She was Rachel freaking Berry. She was good at assuming stuff. It was hopeful thinking and it made her feel good. So just leave her be.
There were also other random incidents in which she would find herself less than ten feet away from them. And that was just weird because suddenly, they were all over the place. It was either they were trying to taunt her for not being their friends anymore or they were…watching her. Wait. Was that even possible?
Rachel thought it was just all her imagination so she didn't pay much attention to it. But then first day of school came. The awkward scene with them in the locker room left her pretty shaken up. She couldn't concentrate the whole day after that. And then yesterday happened. Ugh. Don't let her get started with that…again. After that very awkward moment in the car, she went straight to her room, and ungracefully plopped on her bed, hoping to get some sleep. However, other than her heart, her mind was racing as well, keeping her up until late last night.
She really didn't want to admit it. But damn. The girls' actions were causing her emotional turmoil. They were messing up her once peaceful mind. She would usually just shrug it off since that's what she had gotten used to do for the last two years. But they had been acting strange since summer.
And after yesterday, it was confirmed. Something was up with those three.
She really didn't want to think much of it. Whatever was up that involved the girls and her, it would never be good. High school proved her that.
As she climbed down the stairs, she heard noises coming from the kitchen and smiled.
"Good morning, Noah," Rachel greeted her friend who was already making coffee for the both of them. When she told Puck that her dads won't be coming home last night, it only took fifteen minutes before she heard a knock on their door, revealing a mowhawk boy, carrying DVDs.
"Good morning, Princess."
"You're up early."
Puck smirked and handed the mug beside him to Rachel. "How are you feeling?"
Rachel smiled as she sipped on her mug, stirred at her friend's concern."I'm feeling fine, Noah. Thank you for asking. What about you? I hope Coach Beiste was good to you yesterday. We never really got the chance to talk about that last night."
Puck scoffed. "Of course. You don't have to worry about it. I'm not getting suspended any time soon. Even she couldn't resist the Puckster," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Ugh. You're disgusting, Noah," Rachel scrunched her face as she proceeded to put her mug and Puck's on the sink. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yep." Puck grabbed his keys, his bag and carried Rachel's bag for her. They walked out the front door, locked it and climbed Puck's truck. He started the ignition and drove away.
"Thank you for last night, Noah," Rachel said, breaking the silence inside the vehicle. "You really didn't have to accompany me. I can take care of myself. However, I still appreciate the gesture. That was really thoughtful of you."
"Nah. Don't mention it. I just realized it's been a while since we last got together so I thought we can take advantage of last night."
"Well, you are pretty busy with your girlfriend."
"Santana?"
Rachel quirked her eyebrow, "Is there anybody else?" She wasn't really sure what irked her more. The idea that Puck was dating Santana or that there was a chance that he was cheating on the Latina.
Puck shrugged. "I'm not really sure she likes giving labels to whatever we have. But we're good. She's pretty cool if she's not PMSing."
The brunette laughed at that. Very true.
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Puck parked his pickup on his usual spot. As soon as they climbed down, a red Lexus LS 460 F-Sport arrived and claimed the space beside Puck's truck. Rachel recognized the car immediately and her heart sped up. She looked at Puck who was wearing his usual smirk, staring at the newly arrived vehicle.
The doors of the car opened, revealing two blondes and one brunette.
The Unholy Trinity.
Santana climbed down from the driver's seat, Quinn from the passenger's and Brittany from the back.
Rachel swallowed hard, remembering the events the day prior, more particularly the last thing she said to them before she parted with them. Once again, due to a temporary relapse of judgment, she had forgotten a very vivid detail that Santana was dating Puck, the boy that she kind of hinted she wanted to be with if only she wasn't gay.
And this was one of those times she was thankful she's gay.
"I should go ahead. I'll just see you later, Noah," Rachel said quickly, a new mission forming in her head, Mission Avoid The Unholy Trinity At All Cost. She began to walk towards the school entrance but a hand grabbed her wrist, halting her.
"No. No. I will walk with you, Rach. Let me just go say hi to the girls."
The diva shook her head, panic evident in her eyes. "That won't be nece-"
"Hey babe," Puck ignored the diva, turning his attention to Santana and kissed her cheek.
"Puck," Santana greeted, trying not to scrunch her face when she felt Puck's lips on her skin.
Puck then turned to the two girls behind the Latina. "Hey Quinn, Britt."
The two blondes nodded their heads and smiled at the Mohawk and then turned their attention to the girl standing behind him.
Rachel watched with wide eyes as the three girls approached them. Her eyes locked with the Latina, then to the two blondes then proceeded to steady her gaze the ground, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. She shifted from foot to foot, sensing the intensity of the stares coming from the girls.
"You came with the midget?"
Rachel's head jerked up when she heard Santana's voice. Her brows burrowed when she noticed the Latina looking down, one brow curved in a perfect angle and followed her line of sight. It landed on her wrist that was being held by Puck. She grimaced and quickly moved her hand away from Puck's grasp, causing him to give her a confused look.
The gesture didn't go unnoticed by the Latina. Her brow only went up higher (if it's even possible) and crossed her arms over her chest. Behind her, Quinn and Brittany seemed to have noticed the not so subtle action of the diva. Quinn had her HBIC look; both of her hands were on her hips, her eyebrow mirroring Santana's. Brittany's brows were knotted together, her arms were crossed and her lips were tight.
"Yeah. I spent the night at their place," Puck answered, oblivious at the tension between the four girls.
Rachel's jaw dropped, her eyes widening as she stared at him in panic.
Shit.
"Her Dads didn't come home last night so I thought I'd keep her company."
Oh my God! Stop talking!
The diva glanced at Santana, gauging her reaction. She winced when she noticed the rage on the Latina's eyes. On the corner of her eyes, she could see the two blondes tensed as well.
Really, Noah? Really?
Rachel felt like crying as she tightened her grip on the straps of her bag.
"Wait up. How come you never told me that last night?"
Nobody missed the calm but deadly tone of the Latina.
"Uhh...do I have to?"
"I should go!" Rachel interrupted the conversation, sensing the tension building up. She frowned when her voice came out as a shriek. Without waiting for a reply, she turned her back and started walking towards the entrance.
Ohmygodohmygod! Santana's going to kill me!
Rachel groaned at the thought. She was pretty sure Quinn and Brittany will too. Because if you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them.
Oh God. She's screwed.
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Puck was bewildered as he watched Rachel's retreating back. "What's with her?" He turned to the girls and recoiled, noticing the dark aura radiating from the three. "Um...I think I'm just gonna go too."
With that, he walked as fast as he could, following Rachel's trail.
Santana clenched her fists, her jaw tightening as she threw daggers at the jock's back.
"San, please keep a hold of your boy toy. I really don't want him to be like Finn. An eyesore."
Santana huffed. "I'm on it."
"Let's go," Quinn said, not even bothering to defend Finn and putting on her HBIC look.
The Unholy Trinity strode the halls of McKinley like they usually do, the crowd parting as they passed by, their eyes automatically turning to a certain part of the hallway where a small brunette was talking to a Mohawk. In an instant, the three of them were scowling at that particular scene. Quinn gave a look at the Latina behind her who nodded in understanding. Before reaching their lockers, Santana separated from the two blondes, stopping just beside Rachel's locker.
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"Rach!"
Rachel rolled her eyes as she opened her locker. "Puck, what are you doing here?"
"Why did you leave me there?"
The diva groaned. Insensitive much? "Well, as you know, I always practice my vocals before classes start so I am hoping I can still salvage the remaining time to go to the choir room and do as such," she looked at her watch and frown. "But since it's almost time, I guess I'm going to have to postpone that."
"Cool. Walk you to class then?"
Rachel was about to reply when her locker was shut violently. She shrieked and jumped in surprise, stepping back as to not get hit by the locker door. She turned her head to the side and was met with a snarling Latina.
Uh oh.
"Santana, that's totally not cool."
"Shut it Puckerman," the brunette Cheerio snide before turning to the diva. "And you. Get your midget paws away from my man." Santana tried not to cringe. Something was so wrong with that statement. My man? Really?
"Hey. Don't act like a jealous girlfriend all of a sudden."
"Didn't I just tell you to shut it?" Santana snapped, turning her glare to the jock.
Puck opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Rachel. "That's fine, Noah. I completely understand where Santana is coming from."
With that, Santana quirked her brow and looked at Rachel as if asking 'Do you really?' But it went unnoticed by the small brunette who was busy focusing her gaze on the floor while wringing her fingers.
"As her boyfriend, you have the obligation to inform her about your plans, more specifically to where you are going and to whom you will spend it with. It is very disre-"
"Oh God! You talk too much! Don't you ever shut that annoying mouth of yours?! It's giving me a fucking headache!"
"Whoa. Chill, babe. Keep it down. You're drawing too much attention."
Rachel was taken aback. She didn't see the outburst coming. Well, she sort of did. But still. This one had hit her hard for an unknown reason. Though she had been accustomed by the snarky remarks coming from the Latina, this was the first time she had seen her so...angry.
And wow. That stung. Because once upon a time, Santana had been so fond of her verbosity. It may annoy the Latina, but it never angered her like this.
This was just another thing to contemplate about the strange behavior of the girls. Wasn't Santana somewhat nice to her just yesterday? And now she looked as if she was ready to rip the diva's head off.
Then something clicked. This was Santana being possessive. And based on her history with the brunette Cheerio, she could get violent because of it. Santana's temper combined with jealousy was never a good thing.
Rachel smacked the back of her head mentally, chastising herself for making that statement yesterday. She and her non-filtered, insensitive mouth. She bit her lip and hesitantly looked up at the raging Cheerio. Her brows furrowed when she saw that Santana wasn't looking at her, but at Puck. Actually, she was sneering at him. And that's just...unexpected.
"Santana, if I may-"
Santana snapped her head to the starlet, looking at her as if remembering just now that Rachel was there. She shook her head and held a hand up, stopping whatever the diva was going to say. "No, RuPaul. You may not. Better yet, don't even open your mouth when I'm around, do you understand?"
"Santana! Stop it. You're acting like a bi-"
"Noah! Don't even finish that sentence!" Rachel surprised even herself as she reprimanded the boy, and by the looks on their faces, Santana and Puck was just as surprised as her, their mouths hanging open. She wasn't really sure why she said that.
Well, maybe she did. She had this instinct to defend the girls whenever she could, in her own subtle way. Although what she did just now was anything but subtle. She had never lost control like this, especially in front of any of the three. And especially under this circumstance.
That's just so awkward.
"Everything alright?"
And things were just about to get even more awkward.
This was just the perfect timing that the two blondes decided to have their presence known and were now standing behind the Mohawk, observing the exchange between the three brunettes. Quinn and Brittany decided to chime in when they heard the slight increase in the Latina's voice, fearing she might completely lose her temper and cause some serious damage. Especially to Rachel.
"Santana's acting like a jealous bi-"
"Noah!"
Gah. Rachel really needed to learn how to shut her mouth.
Puck turned to the small brunette, looking at her in disbelief. "Are you being serious right now, Rach?"
Rachel huffed and gave him a bored look. Her eyes shifted on the corner, noticing Finn and Sam coming towards them. She locked eyes with the golden boy and smirked at his swollen face but then she frowned when she realize the situation she was currently in.
Oh great. Quick! Find an escape route now before the popular kids devour you whole.
"I believe it would be best if we all go to our classes now."
"Alright, Jewbabe. Let me walk you to class."
"No!"
Puck raised his two hands in mock surrender, although confused at the sudden outburst of the four girls. Rachel he could understand because he's used to her acting all weird and stuff. But the three Cheerios? What's up with that? "Uh...okay?"
Rachel's facial features turned from clueless to shock to confusion then to scowling when Finn and Sam finally reached them, giving their girlfriends a kiss on the cheek. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and not to gag. She scoffed.
Then six pairs of eyes were suddenly boring into her.
Err...
Her face felt hot all of a sudden, her cheeks flushed in pinkish hue and she bit her lips anxiously. She shifted from foot to foot as she stood there uncomfortably, clutching her books tightly across her chest while finding a sudden interest on the floor.
She jumped in surprise when she felt a hand under her chin. She looked up and was met with a pair of soft hazel eyes.
"Hey Jewbabe, are you alright?"
Umm...
Well, if it weren't for the arched eyebrows and scowling faces of the three Cheerios, not to mention the whole student gaping at the intimate gesture, it would have been comforting since Rachel was used to seeing the soft side of Puck. Although this was one of the rare occasions that he showed it in public. Rare as in never.
Gathering her wits, Rachel softly snapped the hand away, stepped back and stared at her friend incredulously, "Noah!"
"What?"
The diva's eyebrows went up to her hairline, eyes wide as she gave him an are-you-seriously-that-clueless look.
"Oh..." Puck's face relaxed as realization finally dawn into him, and then rubbed the back of his neck at the sudden discomfort he felt from his actions.
Yep. Definitely awkward.
Rachel smiled sympathetically at his friend, touched by the gesture albeit causing them some unwanted and uncomfortable attention from the student body.
"Puckerman."
And the moment was broken with the calm but cold voice of the Latina.
Every cell in Rachel's brain was screaming for her to run and escape the incoming wrath of the Snix before it's too late.
"I'm going now. See you later, Noah," she said in a low voice that only Puck could hear. The Mohawk nodded in understanding, the graveness of the situation finally sinking into his brain. She made her hasty retreat before anything else could be said. When she turned around the corner, she cast a quick glance back at the group and winced when she saw the fiery Cheerio smacked the back of Puck's head.
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"What the hell was that, Puck?!"
"What is? And stop hitting me! Has anybody told you have an iron fist?"
"I will stop if you get your act together! Seriously? The midget? I can't believe you did that in front of me!"
"Rach is my Jewbro! Stop having your panties in a twist woman! We've been friends since ever. Like you don't know that. We all grew up together, remember? Oh wait. You obviously don't."
For a brief moment, there was a flash of pain from the Latina's eyes. But it was quickly gone and was replaced with rage. Her jaw tightened, fist clenching, her nostrils flaring, as she stepped towards Puck, evading his person space.
It's official. The Snix was out.
"You .did .not .just .say .that!" Santana exclaimed as she poked Puck's chest with every word, the sound of her voice low but the intensity of the venom could be felt across the hallway as students tried to ignore the fact that the fiery cheerleader was just about to explode, "You don't fucking know anything Puckerman!"
Puck took a step back. For a second, he thought he saw some emotion that wasn't anger from the brunette's eyes. He looked down in guilt, remembering his promise to the diva. He felt bad for hurting the Latina. He knew he hit a nerve there. And it wasn't only her, he was certain the blow hit the two blondes as well, no matter how hard they were trying to hide it.
Damn. Rachel's going to kill me.
"That's enough, Santana," the cold voice of the HBIC rang through the hallway, causing shivers to those who heard it. She stood emotionless as she continued to look at the Mohawk who was now avoiding everybody's eyes, "Come on."
Quinn strode the halls while Brittany proceeded to Santana's side and tugged her arms to follow the Head Cheerio. The tall blonde was silent all throughout the conversation but the grim in her eyes and the daggers thrown at Puck's direction were enough to say that she was pissed beyond hell.
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"What the hell was that, Santana? Puck I get. But Rachel? Did you really have to blow up at her like that?"
Santana frowned as she let the tall blonde drag her to an empty bathroom with Quinn leading the way. She could feel how tensed the two blondes were, but she was sure it wasn't just because she lost her temper earlier. "I'm sorry, B. But she was talking too much and I just lost it. Her lips were moving a lot and it was kind of...distracting. Better than kissing her in front of everyone, right?"
The two blondes just looked at he,r unimpressed, Quinn's hands on her hips while Brittany had her arms crossed.
"I know. I know," Santana sighed as she flung her arms around in frustration. "I shouldn't have, okay? But this is just fucking crazy! All this pent up feelings and shit is driving me insane. And it's not fair that I'm jealous of my own boyfriend! Like, what the fuck? What kind of twisted reality is this?"
In a matter of seconds, the Latina was engulfed in a tight embrace by Brittany, rubbing her back to calm her down. Quinn's expression softened as she placed a hand on Santana's arm.
"I know it's hard, San. Quinn and I feel the same way too. And Puck's sudden protectiveness with Rachel isn't helping keep our feelings in control. Believe me. It took all of my will not to grab him and ruin his stupid mohawk."
Santana nodded in silent agreement as Brittany let her go only to have another pair of arms wrapped around her body from behind. She leaned in to the touch and closed her eyes, all tension releasing from her body as she pulled the hands around her waist tighter.
"We can't lose it, S. We can't let things get out of control. Our situation with Rachel right now is very delicate. She doesn't trust us. The last thing we want is to freak her out."
"I know, Q. I know," Santana tilted her head, facing the blonde as she wrapped an arm at the back of the blonde's neck, pulling her for a kiss. Her breath hitched when she felt another pair of lips making contact on her exposed throat.
And then the door burst open.
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Rachel walked in quick steps along the halls, almost running, looking back over her shoulders as two Cheerios were hot on her trail. She found herself entering a nearby restroom, a habit she had developed over the years while doing her best to hide from jocks trying to slushie her.
Wrong move.
The brunette stared wide eyed, jaw dropped, as she was greeted by another three Cheerios, catching them as they jumped away from each other in surprise and was now looking just as horrified as her.
The Unholy Trinity.
The starlet stood rooted on her spot, her brows going up her hairline, deliberating on what she just saw.
Was that...Were they..wow. Now she's imagining things.
...Right?
Her mouth flapped open and close, racking her brain for the appropriate thing to say to at least relieve the growing uncomfortable tension in the room.
"Rachel."
"Q-Quinn." Rachel breathed, trying to calm her beating heart. She tried to smile which turned out as a grimace as she tried to block the images that she had found the trio in. For the sake of her sanity, she'd like to believe that it was just her mind playing tricks on her.
"Santana, Brittany," Rachel nodded to the other two occupants of the room, slightly nervous at the now sneering trio at her.
"What are you doing here, Midget?"
Just then, the door burst open violently, revealing two angry Cheerios, covered in blue liquid. Rachel was trapped. She smacked her head mentally, remembering that it wasn't the jocks that were after her this time. She cringed at the evil glint at the Cheerios' faces who were yet to recognize the presence of the trio.
"Well, it seems like you have nowhere to go now, Man Hands."
"You really shouldn't have made us ran like that. It's not like your short legs could take you anywhere."
Rachel didn't say anything, contemplating on how she would get out of that grave situation. She could always kick their ass without breaking a sweat. But then again, she didn't want Coach Sylvester going after her once she laid a finger on any of her Cheerios. She was certain that devil of a coach could get her expelled in a blink of an eye. And that won't be good on her record.
Let's not forget the three head bitches on the other side of the room.
Rachel was amused and fought a smile when the trio ignored the commotion, busying themselves on the sink and looking at the mirror as if they weren't just standing there a while ago, looking like deer caught in headlight.
Nobody talked. Rachel was ogling (again and in a not so subtle way) at the three girls. The two unknown Cheerios were just confused and uncomfortable, finally realizing that their superiors were actually right in front of their faces. It would have been the perfect opportunity for Rachel to make her escape if only she wasn't on the other end of the bathroom, opposite the door that was currently being blocked by the two not-so-confident-anymore cheerleaders.
And if only she wasn't so distracted on how Quinn was applying lipgloss on her soft lips that was just begging to be kissed. Or how Santana's brow arched perfectly while tracing it with a brow pencil, giving her that tough but sexy look. Or how Brittany was tracing her sides with both hands, chest out, checking herself out in the mirror.
"Stop staring you freaking homo!"
Rachel snapped her head towards one of unknown Cheerios, a blonde, standing by the door. Her mouth opened to say something only to have it closed when no words would come out (which seemed to be happening to her a lot lately).
Busted. Again.
She gave a quick glance on the mirror to check the reaction of the three cheerleaders and saw them staring daggers at their co-Cheerios who were now cowering at the intense glare.
Not that Rachel was complaining, but she expected she'd be the one on the receiving end of those deadly looks.
"Name."
The unknown blonde Cheerio turned her head to Santana, faltering at the irritated voice from the Latina.
"V-Vivian."
"Vivian. Right. So, tell me what the fuck happened to you?" Santana questioned, gesturing to the blonde's uniform that was covered with blue stain.
Vivian turned her head to the small brunette across the room, angrily pointing a finger on her, "That...thing! Did this to me!"
Rachel was appalled, "In my defense-"
"Shut it, Dwarf."
The diva rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms.
"So are you saying you let Berry slushie you?"
All heads turned to Brittany, one hand on her hip, her lips pressed in a thin line.
"Of course not!" Vivian exclaimed, but regretted it right away as three pairs of eyes threw her a death glare, causing her to lower her gaze to the ground.
Silence fell between the group, the two Cheerios shifting uncomfortably under the intense stare of the three top bitches while the small brunette watched silently in amusement. It's not everyday that she could see her three former best friends being a bitch against other Cheerios. And if she was insane enough, she'd have to say that they were taking her side.
"Did you just fucking raise your voice at us?" Santana snapped.
"I-I..."
"Out."
Vivian snapped her head at Quinn who was now on full HBIC mode, amazed at how a single word from the Head Cheerio's lips could somehow cause the whole place to freeze.
"Wh-what?"
"I said get out. And you better make sure that won't stain. Because if I see even just a little drop of blue on that uniform, I will personally give you the assurance that you will never wear that uniform again. Ever. Do I make myself clear?"
The two Cheerios nodded eagerly, eyes wide at the calm but icy tone of the HBIC, before hastily going out of the door.
Rachel once again found herself alone with the Unholy Trinity. She wondered how she always find herself in this predicament since school started, which, by the way, was more than enough to last the whole school year.
And as of today, she had already crossed their paths for the third time. And first period had not even started yet!
But then again, this wouldn't happen if those two Cheerios didn't chase her there. It was an accident after all. She was in a hurry to get to the classroom because she needed to talk to Mr. Schue before class begins. But as she was rounding the corner, she bumped in to a blonde Cheerio whose name she now knew, was Vivian. The said cheerleader was carrying a slushie, and due to their collision, the slushie (that was probably meant for someone) spilled over herself instead. She wanted to laugh but thought better of it and instead, she just apologized. Profusely by the way.
But as expected, she was unheard. Fearing for the worst, and after what happened earlier that day, she wasn't really in the mood to deal with another girl wearing a red and white uniform. So she took the coward's way (which wasn't her at all, mind you, but she was dealing with too much stress already) and ran.
However, considering the present situation she had found herself into, maybe it would have been better if she hadn't run after all. Because now, she was faced with the exact same girls that she made sure she would avoid at all cost today. And if possible, the entire school year.
"Well, that was quite an interesting turn of events. Now, if you would excuse me, I must be on my way to class. Farewell."
And with that, Rachel walked towards the door. Once she grabbed the handle, she stopped and hesitated. What if those Cheerios asked some jocks to slushie her and were just waiting for her to get out? She really didn't want to be late today since she was already super late yesterday. Mr. Schue might give her detention this time. And she never had detention, like, ever. She stuck her bottom lip out and slumped her shoulders.
"Anytime now, Rachel."
Rachel turned her head to the fiery Latina who had her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently on the floor, looking at her expectantly. She wasn't really sure what confused her more; the statement itself or the fact that Santana called her Rachel. "Sorry. What?"
Santana rolled her eyes. "Just so you know, you're not the only one who needs to go to class. And you are blocking the way."
"Oh. I apologize, Santana. It's just that..." Rachel glanced at the door again with the same pout on her lips.
Santana's lips quirked a little at the sight in front of her. It looked so...cute. But she wouldn't admit that to anyone. Ever. Sensing the diva's dilemma, she looked at the two blondes, shared a silent communication with them and the blondes nodded in understanding.
Gently pushing Rachel aside, she opened the door and stepped out. She was soon followed by Quinn. Putting on their HBIC faces on, they looked around. And indeed, around the corner were Karofsky and Azimio, each carrying a slushie.
Rachel wasn't really surprised when Santana and Quinn bypassed her. She knew how impatient those two could be. What she didn't expect though was when she felt two strong hands on her shoulders and gently gave her a push towards the door. The small brunette was pretty sure her body was melting. She felt dizzy and lightheaded all of a sudden, a tingling sensation ran through her body as soon as she felt soft lips almost brushing her ear, softly whispering to her.
"It's okay, Rachie. We got you."
Brittany. Ever since they were little, the tall blonde had always been affectionate. Lingering, innocent touches. Soft kisses on the cheek. Tight hugs. Whispers of sweet nothings. She was very touchy and sweet, just a few things Rachel loved from the blonde. And even after two years, it still had the same effect on the starlet.
Brittany felt the brunette tensed under her touch. She smiled a little and gave her a squeeze before pulling the door open and guided them out. Once they were out, they were greeted by Santana and Quinn, each of them now holding a slushie.
Rachel froze on her spot when she saw the two Cheerios in front, her eyes wide, breathing halted, her heart racing. She could practically feel her heart pounding on her chest. This was it. She knew the Unholy Trinity wouldn't let her get away like that. Was this what Brittany meant by 'we got you'?
She closed her eyes and waited in apprehension for the cold liquid to hit her face. She waited and waited and...
"Walk Rachie. And follow our lead."
What?
"What?" Rachel asked as she fluttered her eyes open, furrowing her brows in confusion when she realized that Santana and Quinn were already walking across the halls, students clearing their path, slushies still on hand. She jumped when she felt an arm wrapped around her shoulder and despite her trepidation, a shiver ran through her spine when she felt hot breath on her ear.
"Relax, Rachel. Just follow our lead and you're going to be fine," Brittany whispered as she lead Rachel and followed the two HBIC. She could feel how stiff the girl on her arm was and sighed. It was unsettling but she understood. Could she really blame this girl for not trusting them?
From the outside, it would look as if the trio had Rachel trapped, the quartet being led by the Ice Queen and the Snix, each with a cup of slushie, their HBIC mask on while the diva was held captive by the tall blonde on her arms. There was no escape. Some looked sympathetic for the brunette, thinking how the three head bitches were going to torture her.
Rachel was trying her best to stay calm. She had no idea what the three were planning to do to her and she was freaking out inside. She could always pull some tricks and then run for her dear life. But she wasn't really sure if she wanted to go against them as of now, considering the tension that was building between the four of them in the past couple of days. They could make her high school life ten times worse in just a snap of their fingers. And she was certain she didn't want that.
In addition to that, she didn't really know how she could get away from the arm that was tightly wrapped around her shoulders without hurting Brittany. And there was just no way she's going to hurt the blonde. It wasn't even an option.
Yeah. She's soft like that. Seriously. You should know that by now.
Rachel's jaw dropped as she watched Quinn and Santana threw the slushies they were holding at the nearby trash can and soon found herself being led in one of the classrooms. It was their Spanish class. First period of the day.
Brittany dropped her hands on her side as she followed her two counterparts who were now sitting comfortably on the chairs at the back of the room, acting nonchalantly, leaving a perplexed diva standing on the doorway.
What the hell was that?
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Rachel stood at the stage of the empty auditorium, sitting at the piano bench as she absentmindedly played with the keys. She decided to skip lunch for that day, appreciating the comfortable silence that the auditorium offered her. She was lost in thought, replaying the events that morning.
It was mind-boggling how her former best friends were acting lately. They could go from being nice to her, to ignoring her then to wanting to rip her head off. It was strange. It felt like they were toying with her feelings. But then again, there was no way they were aware of her feelings for them, right?
Then why? Why were they acting this way? It was frustrating on Rachel's part because she couldn't seem to grasp the reasons behind the bizarre behavior of the three cheerleaders. Was it part of a big prank they were planning for her?
The thought put a frown and sadness on her face. She had always been hopeful that someday things would get better between them. That they will, at some point, be able to fix their ruined friendship. She never lost hope.
After more pondering, her fingers found a familiar rhythm on the piano keys and her voice resounded at the empty auditorium as she got lost on memory lane.
There were nights when the wind was so cold
That my body froze in bed
If I just listened to it
Right outside the window
There were days when the sun was so cruel
That all the tears turned to dust
And I just knew my eyes were
Drying up forever
I finished crying in the instant that you left
And I can't remember where or when or how
And I banished every memory you and I had ever made
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Rachel tromped along the halls of McKinley as she busily shuffled through the sheet music she had on her hands, deciding on which piece she would practice on later, when she felt a hand grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled her towards an empty classroom.
"Santana! You scared me to death!"
"You're being overly dramatic, Rae."
"Well, I apologize if being randomly pulled in to an empty classroom without my consent by an unknown person frightens me."
The Latina rolled her eyes. "But I'm not an unknown person. And I need to talk to you."
"That I know now. But I still prefer if you could have just approached me properly if you want to talk."
"About that. I'll go straight to the point, Rae. We, meaning Q, Britt and I, want you to join the Squad. With us."
"San, we've talked about this." Rachel smiled and took the Latina's hands with hers. "Though I love the idea of being with you guys and the additional hours of spending time with my best friends, and of course, not that I can't make it because I am certain that I can impress even your Coach from hell with my amazing talent, Cheering is just not for me. I just can't see myself being tossed around like a human ball, which I'm sure, what's going to happen considering my petite stature. In addition to tha-"
"If you don't shut up, I swear to God I will kiss you."
"Santana! How highly inappropriate!"
"Oohh. You didn't shut up. Does that mean you want me to kiss you?" The brunette Cheerio smirked as she moved closer to the tiny starlet who stepped back until she hit the wall. Santana kept her stride until she was inches apart from her best friend, placing her hands on the shorter brunette's hips as she leaned forward.
Rachel felt her cheeks burning, her heart racing, chills running down her spine as Santana's hot breath tickled her lips. Involuntarily, her eyes closed. All she had to do was lean a little more and their lips would be touching.
Just a little bit more...
And then she heard giggling which turned out as full blown laughter as she felt the warm body against her disappear. She fluttered her eyes open and frowned.
"That wasn't funny, Santana Lopez!" Rachel huffed, crossed her arms and stomped her foot. She glared at the Latina who wasn't even trying to calm herself. She could still feel her ears burning from embarrassment.
"You should have seen your face!"
Rachel puffed her cheeks and turned her heels to leave with a 'Hmp'. As she was reaching for the door knob, she felt warm body pressed against her back, stilling her movements, arms wrapping around her small waist.
"I'm sorry, Rae," Santana said in her low, husky voice, pressing her chin on Rachel's shoulder. "I was just teasing you."
It sounded so gentle that it melted Rachel's heart, her annoyance towards the Latina forgotten as she relaxed on the embrace. "Well, I'm glad you find amusement on your teasing."
"Only for you, Tiny. I don't think anyone could look as adorable as you are when I tease you."
Rachel giggled and rolled her eye. "You know that won't make me change my mind, right?" She felt the arms around her tightened and the body behind her tensed. She furrowed her brows and moved away from the embrace as she turned her body to face the Latina. "What's wrong?"
Santana took a deep breath, shaking her head. She reached out and grasped the diva's hands, playing with her fingers and intertwining them. "Nothing. It's just...we want you there, Rae. We need you there."
"What would you need me there for? Rumor says that you guys are the future royalties of McKinley. I know you three. You could practically crash those at the top and make them kneel before you without my help. I can see it now."
"That's just it, Rachel-"
The small brunette raised an eyebrow at the mention of her full name. Santana rarely calls her that unless something was bothering the Latina.
"We want you at the top. With us. Together."
"San...are we going through this again?"
"I just don't get it!" Santana exclaimed, letting go of the diva's hands and throwing her hands in the air. "Why would you insist on joining that stupid club with those losers when you can be with your best friends?"
Rachel crossed her arms defiantly and pursed her lips. "And I don't get it as well. Why is it such a big deal how I spend my high school life?"
"Because!"
"Because what, Santana?"
This time, Santana huffed and crossed her arms as they stared at each other, both too stubborn to look away.
"You know what? Just forget about it, okay?"
Rachel sighed as the Latina walked passed her towards the door. She didn't try to stop her best friend when she opened the door and the starlet was left alone in the room to ponder on what happened.
Of course Rachel knew what the big deal was about. Her best friends were going for the top, while she was, due to lack of a better description, chose to be at the very bottom, although she wasn't really much for social hierarchy. But she just didn't care about it.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
But when you touch me like this
And you hold me like that
I just have to admit
That it's all coming back to me
When I touch you like this
And you hold me like that
It's so hard to believe but
It's all coming back to me
It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now
There were moments of gold
And there were flashes of light
There were things I'd never do again
But then they'd always seemed right
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Hey Rachie!"
"Britt!" Rachel laughed as she the bouncing blonde approached her, lifting her from the ground as she gave her a bone crushing hug before putting her down. "How are you doing?"
"I'm great! We have Cheerio practice later this afternoon. Are you going to watch us?"
"Sorry, B. I can't. I have audition for Glee Club next week and I need to practice for that."
"But that's next week. You can totally practice during the weekends."
"Britt! Two days are not enough. I need longer preparation for this so that I can blow them away with my spectacular voice. It has to be perfect."
The tall blonde jutted her bottom lip, giving the diva her best puppy dog eyes. "We rarely see you anymore, Rachie. You don't eat lunch with us. You're always at the auditorium practicing. I only see you during our shared classes. I miss you already and it's making me so sad."
Rachel 'awwed' as she placed her arms around the tall blonde's neck. "Have I been MIA that long?"
"Uh-huh," Brittany answered as she placed her arms on the tiny brunette's waist. "Sanny and Quinnie have been really moody lately. They've been bantering non-stop and it's getting really annoying. I think it's because they miss you too."
"I'm sorry about that, B. I guess I'm just ecstatic about being on Glee. You know how I love being on stage."
"I understand that. But..." The tall blonde trailed off, tilting her head up as she purse her lips in thought as if contemplating on what to say.
Rachel drew her eyebrows together as she stared at the blue eyed girl. She knew that look. It was the 'I wanna tell you something but you won't like it' look. She put her hand under Brittany's chin and turned the girl to meet her eyes. "What is it, Britt?"
Brittany pulled away from the starlet and stepped back. She threw a glance to the ground as she kicked the floor, putting her arms behind her.
"Britt..."
"Why won't you join the squad, Rachel?"
Rachel would have rolled her eyes if only the tall blonde wasn't pouting and being all adorable. "B, not you too. Santana already talked to me about it. And though I can't resist that pout of yours..." This was really hard for her. She didn't want to disappoint her best friend and it would definitely break her heart to see the blonde sad…But she had her priorities! She needed to focus!
"When is the tryout?"
Damn that pout.
"Yes!" Brittany pumped her fist in the air and once again pulled the diva in to a tight hug.
Rachel rolled her head back as a contagious laugh escaped from her lips. Once the energetic blonde put her down, she met the tall blonde's gaze, getting lost in the endless blue staring back at her. A blush crept on her cheeks as Brittany tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before resting her hand just below the diva's jaw line.
Rachel's breath hitched, her body stiffening as she watched the tall blonde's face leaned closer to hers. She closed her eyes when she felt warm, wet lips touched her cheek.
"Thanks, Rachie. This really means a lot to us."
From the corner of the empty hall, Rachel saw two other Cheerios smirking at them.
'This isn't fair.'
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
There were nights of endless pleasure
It was more than any laws allow
Baby Baby
If I kiss you like this
And if you whisper like that
It was lost long ago
But it's all coming back to me
If you want me like this
And if you need me like that
It was dead long ago
But it's all coming back to me
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"So, you finally decided to give cheering a try?"
Rachel closed her locker and crossed her arms, leaning against the cold metal as her eyes met with green ones. "Well, it was more like I was tricked."
"Oh? Is that so?" Quinn asked innocently, mirroring the diva's action and leaned against the locker.
"Yeah. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"
Quinn shrugged, tapping her index finger on her cheek in thought. "I don't know. Does it have to do with a certain tall blonde girl with sparkling puppy blue eyes and irresistible pout?"
"Precisely."
"Oh. Well then, I don't know anything about that."
Rachel playfully narrowed her eyes to the now smirking blonde. "Of course you don't have anything to do with it, Q."
Quinn chuckled as she pulled the tiny diva closer to her. "Come on, Rach. Lighten up a bit."
"It's not fair, Quinn." Rachel stomped her foot and proceeded to do her own version of pouting. "You knew I couldn't resist Britt when she's being like that."
"Santana's fiery, sneaky ways didn't work on you so we decided to send Brittany to melt your heart."
"And what about you?"
Quinn's lips quirked in to a lopsided grin as she gave the diva an intense gaze. "Let's just say it's a good thing we didn't have to go there."
Rachel rolled her eyes and huffed but relaxed her body when she felt the blonde's hands lightly rubbing her arms in an up and down motion.
"You're not upset, are you?"
The diva felt her knees weakened as the raspy voice reached her ears. It was low, as if whispering, and really...sexy. She could feel her brain cells exploding at the sudden change in the blonde's tone of voice, her senses heightened as Quinn stepped closer to her, their fronts almost touching.
Then she remembered Quinn asked her a question.
"Uh...I-I should be.."
Rachel stopped breathing altogether when she felt hands fisting on the hem of her shirt and tugged her forward, closing the distance between her and Quinn's.
"Uhh..."
"What was that, Rach?"
Rachel shook her head weakly, her eyes being held captive by a pair of green ones. "N-nothing.."
Quinn smiled sweetly, tapping the diva's nose before inching her face a bit closer to Rachel's.
"Now, aren't you glad Brittany was able to convince you before me? Because I sure know a lot of ways to persuade you, Sweetie."
With that, Quinn winked and walked away, swaying her hips with more vigor, aware of the diva staring at her.
Rachel had to pick her jaw up from the floor.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
But if I touch you like this
And if you kiss me like that
It was so long ago
But it's all coming back to me
If you touch me like this
And if I kiss you like that
It was gone with the wind
But it's all coming back to me
It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Meet us before first period behind the bleachers. -Q
Rachel awoke that morning with Quinn's message without the usual good morning. There was no text from Britt and San as well which was very unusual. She also couldn't ignore the disturbing feeling at the pit of her stomach which only grew as she neared the football field.
Something's going to happen that day. And it's not something good.
She walked behind the bleachers and was surprised to see her best friends already waiting for her. The inauspicious feeling only increased when she was met with unpleasant features from the girls.
And it scared her.
"Hey guys!" Rachel chirped, her usual beaming smile plastered on her lips. She tried her best to ignore the ugly feeling in her guts.
Silence.
None of the girls met her eyes and her smile faltered. What the hell?
"Is everything okay?"
Another silence, and Rachel was beginning to lose her patience. Because the foreboding feeling at the pit of her stomach was worsening every second that the girls weren't talking.
She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. "Seriously guys. This isn't funny."
"They won't let you join the squad. Or even try out," Quinn said, her voice flat.
Oh. So that's what's wrong. No biggie. She didn't really want to join in the first place.
Then why was it that she didn't feel any relief from it?
"That's alright. The diva waved it off and smiled. "Come on guys. No need to feel bad about it. It's not a big deal."
The trio didn't say anything. Rachel observed her friends one by one. They were acting really strange. Quinn was looking at her with an unreadable expression which was beginning to creep her out. Santana was staring somewhere else with a faraway look in her eyes. Brittany had her eyes on the ground, an unusual frown visible on her face.
"Is this what it's all about?"
"Don't you want to know why they won't let you join?" Santana asked, her gaze remained staring in to space.
"Being me, I'm a little disappointed for not having been given a fair chance to show what I-"
"It's because you're gay! And that you're dads are gay. They didn't want anything to do with you."
Rachel was taken aback by the sudden outburst. The Latina was looking at her as she said those words. She could see her eyes filled with different emotions and the way those words left the Latina's lips were like daggers piercing through her heart. It was filled with judgment and fear that she never even imagined she would hear from any of her friends.
She glanced at the other two blondes. Quinn kept her face void of any emotions while Brittany's lips trembled, fighting hard not to cry.
They had always known about her dads. They accepted her when she came out to them. They were very supportive and understanding. She never pegged for them to be homophobes. So what the hell changed?
"I-I don't understand."
Santana snapped her head and looked at the diva incredulously. "What don't you understand, Rachel? The-"
Rachel held up a hand, stopping the Latina before she could say anything that could aggravate the situation. She was certain that the fiery cheerleader will.
Santana's tone, the silence of the two blondes and the fact that they were having that conversation was very nettling. "I get it, okay? They are freaking homophobes. Nothing new there. I don't even know how they found out about me. But we are in Lima, Ohio. What else should I expect? Did you really think I didn't see this coming? I am not that naive!"
Rachel looked at each of the three girls in front of her, noticing how they flinched at her flare-up, as well as the pained expression on their features.
"Now, what I can't understand is the fact that my three best friends, who practically grew up with me, are making this a big deal all of a sudden. What changed?" she paused to see any reactions from the girls before continuing, "What? We stepped in to high school and you're suddenly judging me now?"
"No! It's nothing like that, Rachel! Not even close!"
The tiny brunette turned her head to the Brittany who had been quiet the entire time. "Then please enlighten me because I just don't get it."
Once again, she was met with silence and it was infuriating. Because, hello! They were doing just fine until today. They never really talked about her gayness but it didn't stop them from being friends. What? Just because she couldn't be a Cheerio, they were all up about her homosexuality now? They didn't even mention Glee club this time!
And then something clicked. Of course. Of fucking course. Did she really have to ask? She had always believed this day would come. But it never occurred to her that it would be because of her chosen lifestyle.
Even if she didn't choose to be a Gleek, she would still be an outcast. But she will never be ashamed of who she was, nor of her fathers.
"Rachel..."
"No, Q. Just...no. I actually get it now," Rachel said with a humorless chuckle, looking up as she tried to stop the tears from falling. She bit her lip to hide its trembling.
"Rachel, please..."
Hearing Brittany's shaking plea had done it. Rachel broke in to silent sobs as she slowly stepped back from three of the most important people in her life. With every step she took, the heaviness she felt it her heart grew bigger. And the pain was making it harder to breathe.
Through blurry eyes, she looked at her friends, hoping that they would stop her. To tell her to stay. But they just stood there. And it hurt. Pain would be an understatement.
They stood their ground and watched her as she slowly slipped away from their lives.
On that same day, Rachel got her first dose of slushie facial in the hands of the three people who held her heart.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
It's so hard to resist
And it's all coming back to me
I can barely recall
But it's all coming back to me now
But it's all coming back
But you were history with the slamming of the door
And I made myself so strong again somehow
And I never wasted any of my time on you since then
Rachel stopped playing as her voice tremble, closing her eyes as silent tears streamed down her face. It's been two years and yet, the pain she felt that day was as fresh as if it only happened yesterday. Something changed with her former best friends that day. Something had triggered them to act like that. She just knew it.
And after two years, she was yet to uncover that mystery.
But that incident didn't stop her from living. She had to admit. The first few months were hell for her. She would go home crying and sulking in her room. From every insult and slushie, she would go to the locker room and punched the wall until her hands felt numb just so she wouldn't cry. Then she would take a shower, dress up and go to class as if nothing happened. It went on until she made that deal with Puck. Months after that, she found comfort in the confines of the fight club.
It was a blessing in disguise. Who knew how lost she would be without it?
Rachel wiped her tears away as she tried to calm her nerves. She hovered her hands over the ivory keys again, the barely there scars on her knuckles catching her attention. She opened up her palm, feeling the slight roughness due to her hard training and working.
Maybe she did have manly hands no matter how small they were. The realization made her frown but she shook the thought away from her mind. She had other concerns to ponder on.
Like what she had witnessed at the restroom earlier that day. She really didn't see much of anything to end with a conclusion but her guts told her that there was definitely something there.
But then again, for the sake of her sanity, it's best for her not to dwell on it. Because, really? If she let her imagination completely take over her, it would be the death of her.
Once all coherent thoughts leave her brain, all she could think about was two blondes and a brunette, lying naked on a bed, limbs tangled together. And, well, that's just...yeah.
Rachel ran a hand over her hair as she chuckled lightly to herself. How could her mind go from sad memories to going down the gutter? Maybe receiving too many punches on her head was doing damage to her brain.
Her thought were interrupted when the bell rang. She gathered her things and made her way out of the auditorium.
Unbeknownst to the diva, three pairs of eyes had been watching her from the dark all this time.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Author's Note:
Thanks for all the great review guys! I love reading them. Renata, your reviews are amazing! Thank you!
I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you. This is more a flashback during early freshmen year. No fight club scenes yet. I'll probably write one on the next chapter. Just a possibility. Not sure about that yet. Jesse is yet to make an appearance again. I already have a few ideas for him but it will still be on the later chapters since I am focusing on the girls' relationship as of now. I just wanted to clear some things about them before I move forward. Told you this is going to be a slow paced story. :p
Right now, I'm a little stuck on what to put on the next chapter. I have a lot of ideas already in mind, different scenarios including those you guys have mentioned in the reviews. I'm just not sure which goes first or how to put them together. I really don't want to mess this up.
The song is 'It's All Coming Back To Me Now', originally by Celine Dion. I heard Rachel's version and I just fell in love with it. ;)
Thanks for reading! Please review!