Disclaimer: I do not own Glee/Characters.

Piano was currently Rachel's best friend. No, not her best friend yet. Because nothing sprung to mind. She thought that sitting at piano in the auditorium would inspire her. The last time she sang her heart out…

She shook her head, sitting up straight, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

What type of tune she wanted to sing? She didn't want it to be sad. Ballad didn't mean sad music. Her heart couldn't tolerate depression anymore. And Music composition wise, should she work on chord progression first? Or melody first? Hmmm.

Rachel decided to send a text to David.

Hi, David. I know you must be busy, but I have a favor to ask you. You said it's easy to compose a melody first. In that case, which should I work on first, chord or melody? – R*

Putting her phone aside, Rachel tried to play some major chords, then minor ones. When reiterating cut and try, she heard her phone beep.

Don't think too much. Just relax and play haphazardly. Then maybe something'll come up. - David

Well, Rachel Berry was definitely not good at relaxing. She fell forward with her head in her arms on the top of piano, taking deep breath. Then, suddenly her childhood memory was brought back to life. One of Classics masterpieces, her Daddy used to play to soothe her.

Once she began to play, everything around her disappeared.

He was upset that she'd been avoiding him. Even though he learnt the reason (thanks to Mr. Schue), she should've talked to him first. Didn't she say that co-captains would support each other (not exactly her words, but still)?

Looking for Rachel, Finn wandered in the hallway for a while before he headed to the auditorium. When he entered from the back door, a tiny figure at piano came into his sight. About to stomp onto the stage, something different than usual she was playing stopped him. Even when she finished playing, he couldn't move at the backstage for a while.

"Beautiful, but it's sad." Finally he managed to speak from the backstage.

Surprised, Rachel jumped up on the chair and twisted her upper body. Finn made his way to her. "Yes, it's beautiful. But no, it's not sad. It's 'nostalgia'." She said calmly, following his move with her eyes.

Leaning to the piano, he asked. "What is it?"

"It's 'Pavane pour une infante défunte piano', one of Classics masterpieces, which is few in number I can play since my daddy used to play for me." Finn casted his eyes down and nodded. Rachel stared at his every move he made. Uncomfortable silence filled in the auditorium.

Finn cleared his throat and opened his mouth. "Why didn't you tell me?" His eyes bored into her.

Rachel couldn't help it, averted her eyes from him. "It wouldn't have made a difference." She murmured.

Finn frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" Nothing came from her mouth. He sighed. "You've been avoiding me."

"I've just given a space which you said you needed." She said in a low voice, as if she were talking to herself, still averting her eyes from Finn.

"Because you cheated on me! With Puck!" Finn raised his voice, aggrieved by the loss of eye contact.

Her eyes widened, on verge with tears. Rachel turned her head, gazing at him. "It does matter to you right now? You already moved on! With Quinn!"

That got his voice torned-down. "How did you know?" He said under his breath.

Rachel sadly shook her head. "Everybody knows." She began to clear music sheets and her notebook away from the top of piano. She put them in her backpack and turned her face away from him, hiding her tears. "Look, I'm busy for songwriting. I'm sure you are too with Quinn. So, excuse me, I have to go."

Finn stepped closer to her and yanked her elbow to not let her go. "You don't answer yet."

Rachel shook his hand off and edged back, looking down on the ground, murmured. "You didn't answer either."

"What did you say? What do you mean?" Finn frowned unfathomably.

"Never mind." She closed her eyes for a while, then looked at him. "I think Mr. Schue explained enough."

With that, Rachel whirled and ran out of the auditorium, pretending not to hear his calling.

See? That was why she didn't tell Finn about her resignation. She wasn't yet ready for talking with him maturely. People told that time could heal a broken heart, but was it the truth? She didn't think so, because the scar would remain even after the wound healed. If I had a heart attack or something in ten years, a surgeon would clearly see the scar of her heart.

Her sight clouded over with tears, Rachel nearly bumped into a boy with Mohawk at the corner of the hallway.

"Whoa." Puck jumped back. "What's up, cranky Princess."

Rachel held back her tears, pulling herself together. "Hello to you too, Noah." She made her way to her locker without looking at him.

Puck raised his eyebrow, following her. "Problem with Hudson?"

She snapped up and lifted her voice. "Why should I have a problem with him? I'm not his girlfriend anymore. Quinn is." She found his sad expression on his face and took deep breath. "Sorry."

"For what?" Puck asked matter-of-factly.

Rachel stopped in front of her locker, sighing. "For my attitude. And about Quinn too." She opened her locker.

"Why do you have to be sorry about her?" Puck leaned against the locker next to Rachel's, folded his arms across his chest.

"Because you loved her. Or you still love her." Rachel shut her locker gently, turning toward Puck.

Puck was in silence for a while, staring at nowhere. "I'm sorry, too." He muttered.

"Why did you apologize?" Rachel was a bit surprised.

He looked down nervously, putting his hands into his pockets. "Because it was my fault, too. You know, you and Hudson broke up."

"It wasn't your fault." Rachel put her hand on his arm, smiling at him remorsefully.

Puck shrugged. "Yes, it was. Well, kind of. I should've stopped before it'd happened, you know."

"You did. Well, even though it was after it happened." Rachel said genuinely. Puck tipped his head back with an empty laugh. "You know, you really are a nice guy. You choose to be a badboy, saying that feelings are crap. But I can tell that underneath is completely otherwise. Now I see why Quinn ran to you at that time." She paused. "Maybe you should be psychologist or something." She grinned, poking her finger to his chest playfully.

"I don't understand what the hell you're talking about." Puck said nonchalantly, looking away from her.

"Whatever." She giggled, then changed her voice into a serious tone, staring into empty space. "I wish I could fall in love with you."

"Anytime." Puck turned toward her, smirking, nudging her in the arm.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Please. You and I both know it's not going to happen, ever."

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and the both burst into laughter.

"All right, it's enough." Puck draped his arm over her shoulder, leading her to an exit of the hallway.

Any thoughts?