Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Well, as promised! Remember to drop a review and as always, enjoy!
"What are your thoughts on the Hudson—Lopez ticket being two points ahead of you and Quinn?" Jacob Ben Israel hounded.
Puck shrugged nonchalantly. He'd grown incredibly tired of telling the little kid with the Jewfro to shove off.
"Doesn't bother me, we've got a plan to win the whole thing," Puck said. "We plan to close the gap through a combination of intimidation and fear."
Jacob adjusted his microphone. "Awesome and totally classy," he said. He pulled out a notepad, snickering. "And one last question that was submitted by our readers: where does Quinn keep your balls?"
Puck stopped short, his smile dropping flat as he stared at Jacob in shock. He was not amused in the slightest bit. "What?"
"I'm sure you've heard the word on the street that you've been neutered by Fabray? That she's the one who wears the pants in the relationship ever since she birthed your child?"
"I'm going to stop you right there. Stop the camera."
Jacob shook his head. "Is it true? Our fans want to know the sizzling juice!"
"Shut up or I'll beat your ass!"
The other boy shrugged. "Doesn't scare me, I've been hit by a girl before."
Puck's irritation spiked as he watched Jacob's nosy smile in his line of vision. Before he knew it, his fist came into contact with the other's nose and the rest was history.
"I mean really? Punching Jacob isn't going to help us win those crowns," Quinn repeated once again as she reapplied the ice to Puck's hand a little too harshly. "Not that it even matters. Who in their right mind would vote for a teenager mother?"
"We jumped up five points. You're welcome," Puck answered, his eyes focused on the anatomical poster in the nurse's office. He'd been stout in his responses ever since Quinn had entered the room—in fact, he hadn't said much of anything since the whole rumor fiasco.
"Are you mad at me or something?" she asked, sitting next to him. Again, he shrugged. "I'll take that as a yes."
"It's not you," he rasped after a couple of seconds. He adjusted the ice pack on his fist. "It's what I've noticed."
"Which is what?" Quinn asked in concern. She grabbed his uninjured hand.
Puck sighed. "I've lost my badassness. I'm not the same guy I used to be and I'm pretty sure I don't make people scared anymore. I'm losing it."
"It?"
"It. What makes the Puckerman Puckerman."
Quinn shut her eyes. "Because of me and Beth?"
The silence only seemed to thicken the tension as she felt Puck squeeze her hand.
"I don't know," he said moments later.
She felt something odd, then. A stinging in her eyes and a sharp pang in her chest. Quinn felt like crying—something she hadn't done in a while and it was all because of him. To think that two years ago she wouldn't have given a rat's ass about Noah Puckerman. Now here they were, one night and a baby later.
Quinn opened her eyes and let go of his hand as she let out a large breath. Straightening her shoulders, she stared at him.
"You don't have to be there," she said. Puck turned his gaze to her quickly. "I didn't ask you to be."
"It's what you wanted."
"What I wanted was somebody—" she swallowed. "Somebody to love me. Me and my baby. But you know what? If you can't do that then by all means, go. You're released from the horrible sentence that is fatherhood!"
She stood up, angry. Puck followed suit.
"Why are you so pissed?" he raised his voice. Quinn shook her head.
"God, you're so stupid!" she seethed, picking up her bag. "And make sure to keep that ice on there for at least thirty minutes!" she left quickly then, not bothering to listen as Puck shouted for her to come back.
"Figgins has asked us to perform at prom and luckily, he's paying us for it."
Mercedes rolled her eyes at Mr. Schue's announcement. She had literally just said she didn't want to attend prom. The last thing she needed was a reminder of how single she really was.
"I get that prom is a special right of passage, so I'm going to make sure you all have time to enjoy the dance as well. We're going to stagger the performance so you can all enjoy your dates at the dance."
"I need to go," Mercedes said, standing up and walking out, the overwhelming feelings piling up within her. She needed to get out before she ended up screaming at her teacher.
Moments later, she heard footsteps behind her.
"Go away," she seethed, opening her locker.
"It's okay not to have a date to prom," Rachel said. "I know I don't."
"You're dating Jesse, Rachel. It's so not the same," Mercedes explained.
Rachel shrugged. "He's still in LA and won't be back for at least another two weeks. So technically I'm going alone. There's nothing bad about that."
"I just really wanted to take a date to prom," Mercedes explained, her voice beat up. Rachel bit her lip, wanting to comfort Mercedes but not quite knowing the exact words to say. "I want the dress and the guy…the stupid corsage…"
"Somebody—somebody still may ask you," Rachel tried, failing at her attempt to remain optimistic.
"It's this Saturday, Rachel. Not gonna happen," Mercedes looked down, tears forming quickly and hotly. "I just wanted one night where I could feel beautiful and wanted. You know?"
Rachel's eyes were wet as she nodded in understanding. Not that long ago, Rachel had felt the same way as she stared at all of the other couples that roamed the halls holding hands and sharing kisses. She had thought that she would never get to experience that feeling of having somebody by your side, of feeling like she was worth being wanted.
"I know exactly what that feels like, Mercedes. But believe me, I have a plan for prom."
"Which is what?"
Rachel smiled. "We can all go as friends. You, me, Kurt. None of us have dates. Blaine is out of town for some family thing and we need to get back to our roots. We're supposed to be best friends, right?"
Mercedes smiled. "I guess. I mean it is better than going all alone or staying alone at home like a loser."
"See?" Rachel said, smiling and giving Mercedes a hug. "It all works out."
Anne's eyes closed, Sam's lips making contact with the top of her head.
"Everybody is freaking out over prom," she said softly, her small laugh causing her body to shake lightly against his own.
Sam shrugged. "It's a big deal for them."
"You don't want to go?" she asked.
"I can't. I just started a new job at the pizza place. I don't think I can ask for a day off until I've been there at least a month."
"Makes sense. It's no biggie, anyway. We can go next year," she offered, her eyes shut. She was beginning to doze off when she felt him shift. "You okay there?"
"Yeah, sorry," he apologized sheepishly. Anne opened one eye. He saw this and he laughed. "My arm was falling asleep."
She opened her other eye as well and moved off of him, stretching. "I should get going before my uncle starts to worry."
"Do you need me to take you home? I can take my dad's car," he offered.
"It's okay. I think I need a walk—I'm not looking forward to that science test tomorrow."
"I'll call you later?" he asked.
Anne nodded. "That sounds great," she kissed his cheek.
Sam watched and waited until she was far enough where he couldn't hear him speak. Opening the motel door, his little sister looked up eagerly.
"She's got no clue, Stacy," he said.
"She's gonna love the surprise, Sammy," she said, smiling.
"I hope so, kid. I hope so."
"I don't even want to go to this stupid prom anymore," Puck complained bitterly as he stacked the choir room chairs. The auditorium was being used for a band concert and as a result, the glee club was forced to practice choreography for Nationals in the choir room.
"Why not?" Rachel asked, hitting another piano key as she watched him, Sam, and Mike stack up the chairs and clear the music stands.
"Because she's pissed at me for being weird about my reputation."
"Reputation?" Mike asked. "Didn't we go over this last year?"
Puck rolled his eyes. "She thinks I regret being with her and Beth."
"Well, do you?" Sam asked as he moved the stack of chairs to the far corner.
Puck looked as if he'd just offered him a chicken head. "No—I love Beth. She's my baby, dumbass."
"It was just a question, calm down Noah," Rachel said.
"This is bullshit!" Puck exclaimed, kicking over one of the riser stands. "All of it! Prom, the stupid suit, the stupid-looking flower wrist thingy—!"
Rachel stood up, her hands out and trying to tone down Puck's anger. "Hey! Hey! Just get her something simple, Noah!"
He paused, breathing heavily from his mini tirade.
"Get her a wrist corsage—something that doesn't distract from her face. Ask for a gardenia with a light green ribbon wrapped around it to match her eyes."
Puck stared her in disbelief. She noticed that Mike and Sam had stopped their motions and stared at the debacle, wondering whether Puck would take her advice or just continue kicking stuff.
"You'd really think that would get her to stop being mad at me?" he asked.
"I think it's a start," Rachel said. "I really do. Quinn needs to know that you're going to be there for her no matter what. Show her that you deserve her, Noah. Show her that you want to be with her."
Puck nodded. They'd never really been friends but he appreciated her advice. "Thanks for helping out a fellow Jew, Berry."
Rachel's encouraging smile melted off her face and she rolled her eyes, slapping his arm. "This has nothing to do with our religion, Noah!"
"Or you can simply tell me how amazing I am," Rachel offered to the A/V club. She placed the Adele sheet music where she could clearly see the notes. Clearing her throat she opened her mouth.
"There's a fire, starting in my heart, reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark…"
Just as she had gathered another breath to sing the next verse, something interrupted.
"Finally, I can see you crystal clear, go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare…"
Her head whipped in the direction and she couldn't help her huge smile. Jesse. He was here, in Ohio, right in front of her. Singing.
See how I leave, with every piece of you. Don't underestimate the things that I will do," she continued, standing up slowly, her eyes never wavering from the sight of him. It was like a dream. "There's a fire starting in my heart, reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark."
He made his way down the stairs of the auditorium, Rachel's figure looking incredibly small on that stage. He'd watched her get up slowly from her seat at the piano bench, so he figured his small surprise was working. He hadn't called her for a reason—he'd wanted to surprise her for her prom. She deserved it; he deserved a weekend of distraction after everything they'd gone through in the past couple of weeks.
"The scars of your love remind me of us, they keep me thinking that we almost had it all. The scars of your love they leave me breathless, I can't help feeling…"
He reached the final set of steps, so close to the stage as Rachel walked along the skirt of the stage, her brown eyes looking endless. She carefully made her way to the small steps that led to the audience side.
"We could have had it all, rolling in the deep," she sang. "You had my heart inside of your hand, and you played it, to the beat…"
Her pace quickened, her eyes shining as they met halfway, her arms open and she stopped paying attention to the beat of the song, letting out a happy squeal of excitement.
"I thought you weren't coming back until another two weeks!" she said, smiling. She laughed again as Jesse spun her around gracefully. After two revolutions, she felt the ground again.
"I finished earlier than I thought I would," Jesse admitted. His blue eyes shined and his heart sped up as he saw her. It'd been entirely too long since his last visit and now that the semester was over at UCLA, he could finally spend some much needed time with his girlfriend.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rachel inquired, shy smile on her face.
Jesse shook his head, snapping out of his own thoughts as he immersed himself in the real world. "No reason. Is 'Rolling In The Deep' the song you're singing for prom?"
"I was thinking about it, but now I'm not so sure," she said, unlatching herself from his embrace. "Doesn't really fit the theme for a school dance, even a prestigious one like this."
Jesse's smile faltered. "How's Anne? Is she here?"
"She's with Sam as we speak. I think they're working on finding a duet for her and Kurt for prom," Rachel answered back. She watched the worry in his eyes disburse a little. "She's still acting distant, although I've made sure she doesn't spend too much time alone. Just in case."
"Did she ever go see that counselor?" he asked.
Rachel shook her head. "I tried to convince her to go but she wouldn't budge. She's pretty stubborn, I'll give her that."
"I just wish I knew which guy did this thing to her," he mused, clenching his fists. "You're sure nobody else saw it happen? No one else was with her?"
She shrugged. "I told you everything she told me and she isn't going to talk about it anytime soon, Jesse." She reached out and gently grabbed his fists with her hands. "Just calm down. We'll figure this out, okay?"
He nodded, relaxing a little. The thought of some guy treating his little sister that way was nauseating and he wanted the guy to pay for it—Jesse's anger was something he'd unfortunately inherited from his father. The feeling clouded his judgment and made him impulsive, a trait he'd had to get in check.
"Okay."
"Santana and I can sing 'Dancing Queen' for the king and queen's dance," Mercedes offered, holding up an original copy of sheet music.
Santana sighed. "I suppose we should at least prepare in case I don't win queen. But come on, be real. I'm going to win."
Anne got up from her seat on the piano bench, taking the copy from Mercedes. "I think that would be really neat. I can make some copies for you and the band if you want?" she offered.
Mercedes smiled. "That would be great. Saves me a trip to the copy room."
"Want me to come with?" Sam asked from his spot on the floor. He was trying to find a duet that would work with Kurt and Anne's voices, although the task was proving to be extremely difficult.
"No, I'll be quick," Anne said, looking over the sheet music as she walked out of the choir room. The hallways were pretty much empty aside from the occasional janitor.
Flipping the lights on in the copier room, she sighed, noticing the machine was unplugged.
"Oh, come on," she grumbled, placing the sheet music on the table and bending down, her hand grabbing the plug as she used her other hand to search for the power outlet behind the machine. "Who puts a giant piece of metal junk in front of the power outlet?"
She smiled as she felt the outlet, carefully maneuvering the copier's plug in place. She pushed herself up and swiped the sheet music from the table, gingerly putting it to the scanner.
Behind her the door creaked and suddenly, there were two hands grabbing her and spinning her around, her back bumping into the copier. She winced at the harsh feeling, opening her mouth to scream but when she came in contact with the face, the noise died in her throat.
"Thought I'd forget a pretty little thing like you?" he said, smiling. The way he was looking at her made her sick to her stomach as fear crept its way through her veins.
"Why-Why can't you just leave me alone?" Anne whispered, her voice stuttering. Panic started to tighten her throat, making it difficult to talk and breathe normally.
"Why are you with Fish Lips?" he deflected, edging his body closer to hers. "You need a real man. Somebody who's going to take care of you," he said, moving one hand to rest on her hip.
Her stomach churned and she shivered in disgust. He must've misread her reaction because he leaned forward, planting his mouth on hers harshly. Anne shook her head in an attempt to disconnect her mouth from his. She flailed then—moving randomly in some attempt to get away from him.
"You're sick!" she exclaimed in fear, pushing herself far from him. He stumbled against the table, giving her a window to run out of the room.
"It's not over, Pretty Eyes!" he shouted.
Anne's heavy breathing caught in her throat as she ran into somebody else.
"Whoa, Anne!" Finn said, grabbing her arm before she could tumble onto the floor. "Hey, is everything okay? You look like you're freaking out."
"He-He-He's in the copy room," Anne stuttered in panic, her fingers were numb.
"Who's in the copy room?" Finn questioned. His eyes widened as he saw her panicked face. Her grey eyes were glistening as tears pooled in them. He didn't wait for her response then. He walked quickly to the room. Finn came in contact with one of the players on the team who was pressing buttons on the copier.
"Tell that girl she forgot her copies," the player said, holding up multiple sheets of paper.
Finn snatched them from him, suspicion evident in his eyes. "Why are you in here, Reynolds?"
Reynolds shrugged. "Just helping out. Serving detention. The usual," he said.
Finn didn't look convinced but he didn't want to push his luck. Instead he nodded, holding up the papers. "Thanks."
Reynolds smiled. "No problem."
When Finn finally returned to where he'd left Anne, his face was grim. "What did Reynolds do to you?"
Anne stood up, her posture rigid. She was still shivering; the tears she'd shed were drying on her cheeks. "I can't talk about it."
Finn frowned. "Anne, if you were running scared and crying, obviously it was something bad. You gotta tell somebody."
She clenched her lips shut to try to stop the sob, failing as it strangled its way out. She quickly covered her mouth.
"Anne," Finn insisted, worried.
"He grabbed me—He won't leave me alone," she choked out. "He won't go away."
Finn opened his mouth, shocked. "Did he-Did he…?"
Anne shook her head. "I got away before…before he could do that," she said, rubbing her eyes and breathing heavily in and out to calm herself. After a few moments, she collected herself.
"Hey, your arm," Finn pointed out, noticing the faint signs of a beginning bruise. "Is that where he grabbed you?"
Anne ignored his question, instead taking the sheets from his hold. "You-You can't tell anybody, Finn."
"Are you insane? This is serious!"
"You can't!" she insisted. "Please. I'll do it when I'm ready but I just—I just can't think about that right now."
"Can't? You can't really ignore this," he said. "You gotta tell Sam or a counselor or-or a freaking genie!" Finn added desperately. He didn't know much about girls but he knew enough to see when they needed to talk to people about something. It was something he'd picked up from his mom when she'd been single and from when he'd dated Quinn.
"If it's better for the team, then I can," she said, holding the sheets close to her chest. "I have to go. Mercedes is waiting for me."
Prom was in full swing by the time Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes, and Jesse arrived.
"Damn," Mercedes said as she took in all of the lights and decoration. "They went full out on this."
"I'll admit it does have some sort charm to it," Kurt responded, smiling as he linked arms with Mercedes. "I'll see you two lovebirds on the dance floor."
Rachel laughed as Kurt dragged Mercedes into the crowd of dance-crazed teenagers.
"Did you talk to your sister before we left?" she asked, leaning her head against Jesse's shoulder as they slowly made their way to a table.
"No, she's been kind of avoiding me like the plague," he answered, shaking his head. "I just don't understand teenager girls."
"We're complex creatures, you know," Rachel quipped, her lips turning up slightly. "Listen, we will get through to her in her own time. One thing I've learned from countless hours of reading pamphlets is that she needs time to come to terms with it. You can't force her."
Jesse sighed, pulling the chair out for her to sit in.
"I guess you're right," he finally admitted. "I just wish she would open up and trust me."
"It'll be okay."
"Rachel," Mr. Schuester said as he walked up to the couple. "Your next."
"Alright, Mr. Schue."
Jesse kissed her cheek. "What are you singing?"
"It's a surprise," Rachel said, pecking his lips as she got up. "We're dancing after this so be ready."
"Always am," Jesse countered as he watched Rachel go into the crowd. The upbeat music ended and soon he could see her petite figure clad in a tea length pink dress.
I know I can't take one more step towards you
Cause all that's waiting is regret
And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore?
You lost the love
I loved the most
"That was really sweet, what you did," Quinn said softly, her head against Puck's shoulders. The slow song had finally given her a chance to finally speak.
"It's just a corsage," Puck added.
"You tried to make it up to me."
Puck sighed. "Quinn…"
"Don't," she stated boldly. "Not right now. Not before they announce king and queen."
"Is that all you care about?" he inquired, his feet momentarily losing rhythm to the music as he got distracted. He felt Quinn struggle as she put them back into the beat of the song.
"You know it's not. It's just…after this whole year, after having Beth and being another statistic, I wanted something normal. Something high schoolers get to experience. Is that so bad?"
I learned to live, half-alive
And now you want me one more time
"It's not—it's what I want, too. But we're not lucky, you know. We've got other problems to worry about."
"Problems?" Quinn questioned, drawing back her head to stare up at him. His gaze was elsewhere. Somehow that made matters worse. "What kind of problems?"
"Being a dad at seventeen. Not getting to be myself. I'm losing my identity here, Quinn."
"And you think it's that easy for me?!"
And who do you think you are?
Runnin' round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
"I don't think it's easy for anybody but at least you've got your mom! I have nobody there for me, Quinn!" he exclaimed lowly.
"You had me!" Quinn countered, shaking her head. "I loved you. I did. I really did. But you make it so hard, Puck. You make it hard for somebody to care for you when you're so freaking stubborn!"
"So what's going to happen to us? You don't love me anymore, do you?"
Quinn opened her mouth. "I-I don't know."
Who do you think you are?
"You just said—"
"I know what I just said," Quinn said lowly.
I hear you're asking all around
If I am anywhere to be found
Finn watched Reynolds closely. The jock was acting as if he hadn't done anything wrong—this fact making Finn sick to his stomach. He had never understood exactly what was up with the jocks at McKinley. It was like total douchebaggery possessed them and they thought they were invincible.
He'd been that kind of guy before. The one who thought he was absolutely superior to the rest of the student body.
Yet lately he'd begun to notice the twisted things jocks did; jocks like Reynolds who thought they could harass a fifteen year-old girl and get away with it.
But I have grown too strong
To ever fall back in your arms
"I can't do this anymore," Quinn said, holding back tears. The last thing she had wanted to do at prom was cry about her relationship with Puck.
"Me either," he replied. Despite his answer he held her close, wanting to savor the feeling of having her close. But she was right. Their relationship had been falling apart for a while now.
And who do you think you are?
Runnin' round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
"So then it's settled. We're breaking up."
She let out a strangled breath. "I guess we are."
"I was stupid, you know," Puck said. "I was dumb to think that I could have a relationship with my bestfriend's ex-girlfriend."
"We wouldn't have worked regardless of Finn," Quinn said. "We're too different; we want different things."
Don't come back for me
Don't come back at all
"I guess we are," he said, pulling away from Quinn as the song reached its end.
Who do you think you are?
"Where are you taking me?" Anne asked as Sam guided her. He'd asked her to put on the blindfold and despite her better judgment and influx of questions, she'd agreed.
"Just trust me."
"Trust the guy who said I wouldn't see him tonight because of work? Okay," she said.
"We're almost there."
A few moments and a stumble or two later, he held her shoulders gently. "Okay," he said, removing the blindfold.
She covered her mouth as she took in the sight. They were at the Akron gardens, twinkling lights adorning the trees and bushes. She could hear the water running on the fountains and smack dab in the middle of her line of vision was a table with silver platters on it.
"How did you-?"
"My newest job is here. I help the keeper with the plants and I called in for a favor. He's really cool."
"Sam, this is…this is magical," she stumbled.
"I wanted to make it up to you, you know, not going to prom."
"This is better than any prom," she said, turning around and hugging him. "Thank you."
"For you, I'd do anything," Sam said, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He enjoyed her warmth. After everything he'd been through with his family, having something solid to rely on was comforting.
She pulled back and smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, are we going to stand here or are we going to eat?"
"Do you have any idea of when they're going to announce the high school royalty?" Kurt asked, shaking his head and trying to tame the loose strand of hair that was currently sticking up.
"Soon," Santana quipped as she passed by. Rachel rolled her eyes—she was still on the rocks with the Latina after their argument before Regionals. "Remember to vote Lopez!"
"This prom blows," Kurt mumbled, bumping his shoulder against Mercedes'. "Maybe we should leave and go to a late movie or something. I mean, without Blaine here, I don't see the point in staying another two hours, sorry Mercedes."
"No problem. I've already been dancing with that cute boy over there," Mercedes said, waving to a football player.
"Does he know you're in glee?" Kurt asked.
Mercedes shrugged. "Who cares? It's just one night of dancing."
Rachel opened her mouth but her reply was silenced as she saw who was onstage next. "Um, Kurt?!"
He looked up. "Hmm?"
"You might wanna look onstage."
Kurt turned around and his eyes widened. Blaine was onstage clad in appropriate prom attire and his gelled-back hair. His eyes were shining. "Alright, this next one's for a very special friend: Kurt Hummel."
Kurt's jaw dropped slightly as the upbeat music started.
"Oh my gosh!" Rachel squeaked, squeezing Jesse's arm whilst still looking at Kurt. "He came back for you!"
"I think this deserves a dance!" Mercedes offered, grabbing Kurt and pulling him to the dance floor.
You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl
Finn sighed, clutching his hands together as he stared at Reynolds. The guy seemed to have no morals as he tried to grind on other girls—girls who were less than willing to do the same.
One!
I'm biting my tongue
One girl—a brunette who shared similar features to Anne and Rachel—tried to push Reynolds off and that's when Finn snapped. He pushed his way through the crowd of hormone-raged teenagers and shoved Reynolds off of the girl.
"Hey! Keep it PG!" Finn demanded, shaking his head.
Two!
He's kissing on you
Reynolds laughed. "Whatcha gonna do about it, Hudson? You're such a lame ass!" He shoved Finn back.
Three!
Oh, why can't you see?
Rachel let out a light laugh as Jesse placed a kiss on her cheek, their faces flushed from the dancing. Looking aside, however, she caught sight of Finn and some jock shoving each other and she lightly pushed Jesse off.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concern written all over his face.
"Finn," she said, motioning towards the two other boys. "Come on."
One! Two! Three! Four!
"Finn, what are you doing?!" Rachel yelled above the music, trying to pry Finn off of the jock. Finn wouldn't budge and Jesse jumped in, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.
"Finn, calm down!" Jesse shouted.
Finn fought against his grip. "He's the one!" he said.
Word's on the streets and it's on the news:
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you
"What?" Rachel asked, moving her hand to hold Reynolds off.
Finn broke from Jesse's grasp. "Tell him, Reynolds! Tell him how you made plenty of moves on his sister!"
Jesse halted and Rachel's mouth dropped open slightly.
He's got two left feet and he bites my moves
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance!
"You did this to her?" Jesse seethed.
Reynolds smirked. "Whatcha gonna do about it, queer?"
The second I do, I know we're gonna be through
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you
Jesse saw red as he shoved Finn aside and swung at Reynolds. Half of him didn't believe that he was actually going to hit the jock but it was clear when he felt his fist make contact with muscle and bone.
Reynolds stumbled, holding his jaw and glaring at Jesse. "You're gonna pay for that, asshole!" He made a swing but Jesse dodged it in plenty of time. He'd had so many lessons for physical work whereas Reynolds seemed to rely solely on bulk and no strategy.
"Queer!" Reynolds shouted again, moving to tackle Jesse. Finn interjected and blocked his move.
He don't suspect a thing, I wish he'd get a clue
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance!
"ENOUGH!" Sue shouted, prying the three teenagers apart. "Twinkle Toes, Marvelous Marvin, and Jockstrap, out of this prom now!" she said, moving them all along.
Rachel protested but Sue shushed her, chaperoning all three boys out.
"Oh my God," Rachel said, running a hand through her hair as the song ended.
"You know, my mom used to bring me here all of the time," Anne said, her voice distant and lost in memories. "Back before the money problems and my dad being a total douche."
Sam nodded. They were sitting on the edge of one of the fountains, the coins under the surface of the water shining.
"I used to come here and she would give me one penny to make a wish, and every single time I would wish that my father would love me the way he loved Jesse."
She bit her lip.
"Of course I found out years later that he never really loved Jesse, so I guess those wishes were kind of wasted."
"He must've been an idiot," Sam rasped, clearing his throat.
"Oh, he was," Anne joked, running a finger across the surface of the water. "My biggest regret is not getting to say what I really thought of him before he died. My dad was a coward and a schemer. He didn't care much about anything aside from money and reputation."
"Sounds really lonely," he assessed, pursing his lips.
Anne stared at the water for a bit before blinking rapidly. She looked at Sam gently. "Thanks for tonight. I needed it."
He smiled half-heartedly. "No problem."
Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen, a frown forming on her face quickly.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"There was a fight at prom with my brother, Finn, and some jock," she said, standing up. "I need to get home."
"Oh—okay," he said. "Let me just close up here and I can take you home."
She nodded, holding her phone close as she felt the world begin to implode, feeling like her secret was going to just come out into the open any moment now.
I can't tell Sam. I can't even tell myself there's nothing wrong with this, she thought in a panic.
Two chapters left.
-Fanatic4Fiction