Disclaimer: I do not own Glee/Characters.
"Um, David, this is Finn, Finn Hudson, the captain of New Directions."
David perceived Rachel feeling ill at ease as he glanced at her since she looked down on the ground biting her lower lip. He offered his hand to Finn and tried to make a conversation in order for Rachel to be able to be distracted from whatever she was holding. All his efforts, however, were in vain. Mr. Schue interrupted.
"Finn's writing an original song, too. I took a look at his draft and I think it might be great for Nationals if someone..."
"Mr. Schue!" Rachel hissed. "Could you have a minute? There's something I'd like to talk to you about." She hurried off nudging his back before Finn opened his mouth to say something.
"Mr. Schue, are you trying to get David to help Finn?" Rachel broached as she got him at a safe distance from Finn and David.
Mr. Schue had delightedly claimed that New Directions should try OOS (the Operation Original Song) again for Nationals. Rachel didn't disagree with that. But David was going to help Finn to write an original song? That was not acceptable.
It was not like she didn't want to introduce David to Finn. It was not like she didn't want to share David with anyone. And it was not like she had feelings for David, either (well, if she did, it was none of Finn's business since he moved on with Quinn of all people). But David was going to help him to write an original song? That was not acceptable. Did she already say that?
"Why not?" Shrugging, Will said nonchalantly.
Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you ask the Jazz Band to help Finn?"
"You did a great job with his help." Will pointed out.
Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's true. But I don't think that's a good idea."
"I honestly said that Finn's song's going to be great for Nationals. It's a duet. I was thinking that you and Finn should sing it."
Oh no.
Yes, Finn was a male lead, Rachel was a female one (even if Mercedes or Santana objected to it). They had done duet numerous times whether they was together or not. Rachel Berry, as a professional, was ready for a duet with Finn for Nationals if Mr. Schue wanted.
The problem was, now she needed some space from Finn. She was right in the midst of recovering from heartbreak. Even though she vented her emotion with her own song, it was not enough. The Hell Gate studio and David (and Macy, too, whom Rachel recently got close to) were her citadel right now.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Rachel murmured and closed her eyes, massaging her temple.
"Did you just quote Star Wars?"
A chuckling voice cut in. The Mohawk head peeked from behind Rachel. Will and she looked up at where the voice came from.
"Can I borrow her for a minute, Mr. Schue?" Puck asked before he dragged her out of the place and looked at Will over his shoulder. "Intervention. Not nice, Mr. Schue."
"I don't know whether I should thank you or not." Rachel said, smoothing her skirt.
"You're most welcome, Berry." Puck smirked. "Anyway, about the job offer…" He beckoned Sam to come join. "Although I appreciate it, he needs of money more than I do." Puck placed his arm around Sam's shoulder. "So, I gladly am going to decline the offer in order for Sam to take it."
"Oh, okay. Shall we get going to talk about it with David and Macy then?" Rachel glanced at the direction of David, who didn't chat with Finn and Mr. Schue anymore, wondering if David decided to help Finn with songwriting.
Rachel stood in front of her locker, deep in thoughts. She didn't have time to ask David as to what was going on with helping Finn since he and Sam started to discuss a part time job at the studio. Rachel continued to have tutoring ses with David (and occasionally Morgan) so that she could ask directly out of Finn's eyeshot. Or should she text David to ask about it right now? As if her cell phone could read her mind, it made the speaker go blip-blip-blip buzz.
Can you come by my place today, not the studio? The electrical system in trouble. – David
Rachel replied a text to him before she shut her locker and turned in her heel. Her eyes widened.Vote Finn and Quinn. The posters for the junior prom were all over the place in the hallway. Oh God, what a torture. When Rachel was just about to run away from the place, a large hand and a male voice stopped her from waking away.
"Rachel."
Rachel found Finn standing as she turned around. "Hello, Finn." She looked down on the ground fidgeting surrounded the posters.
"Mr. Schue's asked you and me to stop by his office, you know, as co-captains."
Huh? "What? What do you mean? Why plural? I'm not a co-captain anymore." Rachel got more uncomfortable since she saw Quinn glare at her from afar.
Finn shrugged. "Mr. Schue or I didn't mention that at the meeting. So nobody knows you resigned."
Rachel frowned. "Well, I'm not a co-captain anyway. So if you'll excuse me, I have something to do this evening." She was about to turn around.
"Is something with David?" Finn asked.
"Actually yes." Rachel tucked her hair behind the ear.
"Secsionals was over." Finn murmured, frowning his eyebrows. "Besides, don't you think a bit, uh, inappro…?" He bit his tongue, remembering his song was inappropriate.
"What? No!" Rachel blushed, horrified. What kind of question he asked. She was still sixteen. It was illegal! "He's kind of a mentor. Although I think it's none of your business." She huffed.
Finn nodded, looking down on the ground.
Rachel sighed. "Do you know what Mr. Schue wants to talk about with us?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it's about the junior prom, Nationals and… did you know Jesse St. James'd been back in town and might be an advisor of New Directions?" Finn asked, tilting his head to one side.
Rachel tried to call his texts to mind. "I know that he's back in town, but I didn't know anything about an advisor." Jesse and she became friends again and texted each other since he called at her house to sincerely apologize everything he'd done. She indeed got wounded when he cracked an egg on her forehead. But he hesitated to do that and she saw him grimace with remorse. At the end of the day, he was used by her biological mother.
"You knew?" Finn was taken aback.
"Yeah, we are friends. He texted me before he was back. But I don't remember he's texted or called to let me know about advisor thing." Rachel shrugged.
"Friends?" Finn snorted. "Don't you remember what he did to you? How awful he was?"
"He's not that bad." I don't want to hear it from you, are you in any position to say that? She thought.
"I don't trust him." Finn muttered.
Rachel shook her head. "Look, I'm not going to say I want you to trust him. I know he's corky and arrogant. But he can be kind, caring and sweet when he wants to be. Have I told you what to do especially since you and Quinn got back together?"
Finn set his mouth in a hard line.
Rachel glanced at his watch. "I really have to go."
"You know," Finn signed and opened his mouth, looking over the posters in the hallway, "I don't even want to go to the stupid prom anymore. Quinn's got me handing out pens with our names on them, and where's the dignity? And I hate renting those tuxes and the corsage. I know I'm going to pick the wrong one and then Quinn's going to be all pissed off and her mom's going to look at me like…"
Rachel closed her eyes for a moment to calm her temper while Finn was rambling. She didn't want to hear anything about their coupley things even if they were complaint. Didn't he realize that it hurt her more? Oh yes, he didn't. Of course. Finn was a great guy with a big heart. She knew. But he never realized how much his involuntary word and deed hurt someone who he cared about. Rachel began to feel bad for Quinn.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him, clearing her throat. "Just… just get her something simple. A wrist corsage. Girls like Quinn, you don't want to do anything that's going to distract from their face, so ask for a gardenia. With a light green ribbon wrapped around it to match her eyes. Okay?"
With that, Rachel finally walked off, heading to the parking lot, leaving Finn in the hallway who was staring at her back.
Any thoughts?