Disclaimer: I do not own Glee/Characters.
"Alright, let's go back to basics. Do you listen to or play classical music?" David declared.
Rachel had lived her life with singing and performing (or dancing if you wanted to count) when it came to music. Her iPod was installed various type of music, included some of Jazz ('On Broadway' by George Benson, of course!), some of Classical music (because of her dads, who really loved Joseph-Maurice Ravel, one master of orchestration, they said that his music was somehow sensual in spite of the minute composition, which she couldn't or shouldn't that was what they said? anyway, understand… yet at least right now). And she took piano lessons when she was younger, so she could read music. But music grammar and score writing were hard to learn so far. Her head almost exploded.
"Um, yes, no. I don't know a lot about that kind of music." Rachel bit her lower lip and shifted her position on the chair fidgeting.
"Johann Sebastian Bach?" Asked David, who sat on the chair at his piano next to Rachel, tilted his head to one side.
Thinking, Rachel looked up at the ceiling, then turned her head to David. "Oh, I had to practice his music more than enough when I was a kid, you know, for me or for any kids who have taken piano lessons, he is like a book, an etude."
"Exactly. I'm sure that many kids are fed up of piano lessons with his music." David paused, remembering the lectures in college. "Modern music is composed of melody and chord progression, or you can say in other words harmonic part. Bach, on the other hand, his music is polyphonically composed and difficult to play. The register of his music is limited because of his era. That is, his music looks boring for many kids. You know, not expressiveness, compared to Chopin. So why do you think they feel like it? Why do you think they have to take lessons with his music?" David saw Rachel put her forefinger on her lips and think hard to try to understand where this was going to. "Because Bach was a follower of the grammar rules. The rules of music are illustrated in his music. His music stands out for this very reason."
"Jeez, cut the crap, David. When did you become a piano teacher? What've you done to my bandmate?" Morgan, who sat on the couch and watched the Cavs game on TV at minimum volume, sipping his beer, interrupted.
"Shut it, Morgan." David turned to Morgan, throwing his pencil at him. He looked at Rachel again, smiling. "I know it sounds boring. But I think understanding the basics sometimes is important for music composition, even though the music you write is not classical music. Knowing the complexity of polyphonic music before expanding you expressive limit with a more simple approach. You know, you'll want to know a rule first before you break the rule, right?" David winked at her in an arch manner.
Rachel blushed and giggled. "Wow, my piano teacher never told me why I had to play his music."
"But don't think too much. Just feeling his music is enough I guess." David said, standing up. "Wait here for a sec." He walked into his bedroom before he emerged from it holding some CDs in his hand.
"Glenn Gould is the best when it comes to playing Bach with piano. Here, this 'The Goldberg Variations' is Gould's last and famous recording." David handed one of the discs to Rachel. "If you want to listen to the basis of the music of Bach, I recommend 'Well-Tempered Clavier' performed by Gould." He put another disc to her hand. "But Richter plays piano beautifully, which makes a total different impression from Gould's." David handed the last disc to her.
Rachel simply was stunned, how kind he was in spite of his busyness. On top of that, he gave her his knowledge without compensation. It was overwhelming.
"Can I ask a question?" She said with downcast eyes.
"Sure."
"Why are you so kind to me?" Rachel saw David look at her quizzically. She added quickly. "I mean, most of people in my school are so mean to me. They face-slushy me, they name me, they paint malicious graffiti on walls in the toilet because they say that I'm annoying and high-maintenance, o-or my nose is too big. I know that I'm a diva when it comes to singing and sometimes overdramatic. I know that I don't have a perfect figure. But I never try to hurt someone intentionally… oh, except for one or two…" Rambling, talking fast, but her voice became low. She still looked down at her hands on her laps.
David blinked. He didn't expect this kind of question. When he was in high school, most of students were friendly enough to anybody. Yes, it would be lying if he said there was no bullying, and for him it was too much another world to notice. Besides, he had his own issue with his girlfriend at that time.
Morgan cut in as he saw David didn't know what to answer to make. "Rachel, most of high school students are idiots like me. They don't understand the definition of which each person has its own personality, you know, difference, uniqueness, or whatever you want to name it. They can't bear with difference. They are afraid of uniqueness. Tall trees catch much wind."
David raised his eyebrow. "I didn't know you knew a proverb."
"I am a natural. Don't be jealous." Morgan raised his beer to David.
David narrowed his eyes at Morgan. "Asaide from his cockiness," he turned to Rachel with a smile, "he's got a point. Besides, you have close friends, right?" Rachel nodded. "It's not necessarily good to increase the number of your friends. I believe in elitism as to having friends." David put her hand on her shoulder to encourage her.
David and Morgan's friendship reminded Rachel of Finn and Puck's, well, at the time they used to be in. Thinking of that, Rachel felt sad. How did that end up turning out this way? Tears threatened to run down on her cheek.
Bewildered, David jumped a bit on the chair. "Whoa, did I say something wrong? Are you okay?" He said with full of concern since he never saw her cry. Rachel usually was in a good mood in front of David.
"Sorry." Embarrassed, Rachel wiped her tears quickly before she smiled again. "You guys' friendship reminds me of the good times. That's all."
"Oh, okay. If you say so." David stood up and made his way over to his kitchen. "Shall we take a break?"
"So, Rachel, how is your good looking tutor?"
Shop after shop in the mall where Kurt dragged her into for hours, honestly, she was too exhausted to explain David and her relationship again.
"He's good, I think."
"How closer did you guys get?" Kurt pushed his luck.
"Kurt, he's 25. I'm 16. It's illegal." Rachel rolled her eyes.
"After December, it's not." Kurt pointed out, biting his sandwiches. They were now sitting at table in the mall cafeteria. "Don't you like him?"
"Yes, I do. But it's not like that. Besides, he's… I don't know how to say… not so open? I mean, compared to Morgan. He's very kind, but seems to lock up something in his heart. You know what I mean? The other day at the bar, the exchange between David and Morgan?" Rachel massaged her calves.
"Hmm, I remember that." Kurt rested his elbow on the table. "A mysterious guy is always attractive." He grinned.
Rachel frowned. "We don't talk much personal matters, Kurt."
After she exposed a tiny seam of her insecurity, she asked David how things were going with helping Finn to write his original song. She almost told him not to help Finn but she bit her tongue because it looked selfish for her. She was not one to decide. David, however, said that he undecided because of his tight schedule. And Rachel also learnt that David (and his bandmates) was offered to perform at her junior prom, which she was secretly excited if he took the offer.
"Earth to Rachel?"
Rachel snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?"
"You haven't been listening." Kurt pouted. "The junior prom is coming in McKinley! Oh, I miss my old school." He mused before he leaned forward closer to Rachel. "Has anyone asked you as a date? Have you decided what to wear?"
Rachel sighed. "Nobody has asked. No dress. Yet." To be honest, she didn't want to go to the prom except for wearing a gorgeous dress. But even if she found a dress, no date no prom. Rachel sighed again.
"You should ask Sam or Jesse? Sam is single, right? And Jesse is in town now." Kurt brushed away the crumbs of his sandwiches from a paper napkin on his lap before he elegantly wiped his mouth with the napkin. "And of course, I'll help you to pick up a dress!"
Rachel groaned. "Yeah, I'll think about that."
Kurt burst into Finn's room that night.
"What are you thinking!?" Kurt scowled, putting his fist on his hip.
Finn literally jumped back on his bed, throwing a comic book away which he'd been reading. "Huh?"
"How dare you could grumble at Rachel about Quinn?" Kurt pointed his finger to Finn. He was a brother of Finn, but he was a best friend of Rachel at the same time. He didn't want to interfere between them but the complaint about Quinn to Rachel? It was wrong, so wrong!
Finn ran a hand through his hair, flustered. "Um… I just blurted out. I didn't think anything." He cast down his eyes.
Of course, you didn't think anything. Kurt thought. "Do you realize how insensitive that was?" He huffed. "Well, men are insensitive, except for us, I mean, gay guys." Kurt saw Finn's frown. "Never mind." He rolled his eyes. "You know, it's worse than you got back together with Quinn."
"I-I'm sorry." Finn rubbed his face with both hands.
"I'm not a person you should apologize. Besides, how do you think Quinn feels if she would know about this? Really disrespectful for her, too." Kurt glared at Finn.
Finn sighed. "I'm sorry." That was all he could say.
"You know, you moved on with Quinn, so if you two have issues, solve them between you and Quinn. And Rachel really tries to move on and she is going to the right direction now. Please leave her alone." With that Kurt walked out of the room.
Finn was astonished, sitting still on his bed for eternity.
Any thoughts?