Disclaimer: I do not own Glee/Characters.
"You what?"
David glanced at Morgan, who said the words as if it was scandalizing. He just shrugged.
"I don't think you have time to spare to do that." Morgan sat on the couch, handing a bottle of beer to David. "I always know you're a good-natured, but way too soft, man." He shook his head.
Morgan knew that David was by nature reputed to have a character of never refusing anything when requested. What he didn't know was why David had to get so involved with McKinley people other than Rachel. Sure, Rachel had been a good influence on David. She was the trigger that David managed to step out of his past which had tied him down for a long time. But tutor for Rachel, hiring Sam, the live performance at the junior prom without a performance fee, and now helping Finn to write an original song? It was like he was determined to atone for his sin to all people in the world.
"I told you. You guys'll cut the next three performance fees into three." David said matter-of-factly, sipping his beer, without looking at Morgan.
"It's not what I'm saying." Morgan failed to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
David turned his head to Morgan, frowning. "So, what's bugging you?"
"God, David. What, are you trying to be a saint or something? Why don't you just go to visit Lindsay and get past?" Morgan threw up his hands in the air, appalling.
David sighed. He didn't need to be told that. He knew that Morgan really cared about him. He knew that he had to get past at some point. He knew that to get past meant he had to talk with Lindsay. And he knew that he was going to do that.
But not now, not yet.
Rachel was sitting on a bench in the park where was close to the Hell Gate studio, waiting for Macy who was supposed to take a break from work in ten minutes or so.
Rachel, who had lived without a mom, never had an older woman to look up to as a mom's figure (other than Carol Hudson). Getting to know the woman, Rachel felt the middle-aged woman working for the studio was one to be simply admired.
Macy Girardi was 37 year old. Her parents were friends of David's. She'd been living in Chicago and working as a PA at a sound system/performance recording/personal service company but she was back to Lima six years ago. The reasons she decided to be back and settle in her small hometown were, one, she divorced, two, her mother got hospitalized shortly after her divorce, and three, her job at the company worn her down physically (Macy said that PA was required not only its expertise but also physical strength).
"Hi, Rachel. Sorry to keep you waiting." Macy glanced at her watch, late for meeting up with Rachel. "Hmm, it smells nice." She pointed her finger at the basket which Macy assumed that Rachel brought.
Rachel grinned. "Yes, I've baked bunch of maffins for you guys in this morning." She picked up the basket and held it out to Macy.
Macy peeked them, pinching the cloth covered the basket with her fingers. "Ooh, no banana today?" She grabbed one of the maffins and lost no time in biting.
They ate their own lunch and talked about Macy's old job in Chicago.
"Do you miss your job back there?" Rachel asked quietly.
"Nope." Macy replied without hesitation. "Right now, I'm happy to work for the Hell Gate studio. I can take care of my mother and keep my own pace to live my life at the same time." She gazed into the distance with a smile. "I was reckless and always driving my parents crazy when I was younger. I didn't appreciate this kind of peace." She gestured with her hand to draw a circle in front of her before she turned her head to Rachel. "Don't get me wrong. Chicago is a beautiful city and you can enjoy anything there. But I was about to lose myself because I was on the go and, you know, ups and downs in my marriage."
Rachel always was told that she talked too much. But with Macy, she tended to be a listener. She loved to listen to people who had experienced living and working in other big cities.
"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Rachel cast down her eyes, biting her lower lip.
"No, not at all." Macy smiled softly at Rachel.
"Do you miss your ex-husband?"
"We ended in divorce and stay friends. Sometimes I miss our good old days, but no regret." Macy gazed into the distance with a soft smile again.
"Did it hurt? I mean, when you decided to divorce?" Rachel asked in a low voice, swinging her legs under the bench, her eyes cast down still.
"Oh, yeah." Macy chuckled, remembering how long she took time to sign a paper but she ended up laughing hard at herself when her nose started bleeding which totally messed the paper. She stopped chuckling as She saw Rachel blink. "Sorry, a weird memory." She shook her head before she looked into Rachel's eyes. She found them showing her sadness. "Why did you ask? What's wrong? Do you want to talk?" Macy put her hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"How do you manage to recover from the shock that you find you just a rebound girl, that a guy who you think loved you but in reality didn't?"
Rachel's heart had swung back and forth since she saw the couple's intimacy on the dance floor from the stage at the prom. He smooched with her. He averted his eyes from Rachel's as soon as both eyes met. She had a lump in her throat. She felt nauseous. She couldn't stand anymore. She left the gymnasium with Jesse soon after she stepped down the stage. Could she stay calm and strong one more year? Could she ever find a guy who really loves me? She was not sure. Tears threatened in her eyes.
"Oh, Rachel, I'm sorry." Macy hugged Rachel. "I don't know, Rachel. I can't speak for the other people. But it'll get better, I promise, it'll get better." Her hand smoothed Rachel's back up and down. And they both were still for a while.
Kurt was lying on his stomach on the bed in Rachel's room, resting his head in his hands. "What was your writing sample for the application?" Rachel and he both applied the summer school program of NYADA and they could but wait for the acceptance.
"Oh, After much cogitation, I wrote an essay about how Funny Girl would be interpreted with the story setting in 21th century. My English teacher reviewed and graded well. How about you?" Rachel emerged from her bathroom.
"Don't tell a soul." Kurt sat up, grinning. "I sent a script entitled 'Shirley Todd' which I'd been writing for a while. It's a spoof of Sweeney Todd, took place a modern day punk rock England!" He clapped his hands, bouncing on her bed.
"Kurt! Can I see the script? Oh, you should direct it in the Community Theater. You have to." Rachel joined bouncing Kurt with animatedly. "Can I get a part as Mrs. Lovett if you would direct it?" Rachel pleaded.
"There's no Mrs. Lovett. Only Mr. Lovett. Which means I play the role." Kurt dismissed Rachel off, saying nonchalantly. "Other than that, any parts you can have an audition. It's my musical. I'm the director."
Rachel pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "Alright. I can be Tobias because of my vertically challenged figure." After they chatted about Kurt's script, Rachel asked. "Did you request housing on campus, didn't you?"
"Of course I did." Kurt flipped through the guidance book with his fingers. "And which course do you think you want to register? As you already imagined, I would register Writing Script. But I can't decide the other course. Maybe Drama? I don't know."
Rachel peeked the book from behind of Kurt's shoulder. "I'd probably go with Acting Workshop and Vocal Performance."
Thanks to Macy, Rachel got lightened up a little. It'd been a long time since she cried hard in front of other people. Which was really good. And discussing SSP of NYADA with Kurt successfully distracted her from thinking of Finn and Quinn. She couldn't wait to be accepted and go off for NY in this summer.
Any thoughts?