Before I start, I'd like to apologize if i have confused anyone with the story so far. I should've clarified a few things before i started writing this story. So, if you're a little confused about what's going on or with the characters or anything, read below.
*CLARIFICATION*
1) Ages: Shelby and James, and Rachel's dad would be in their late thirties. James is John's younger brother. Mr. Schuester and Emma are in their mid 20's. Finn, Sugar, Tina, and all of their friends including Puck and Brody are eighteen. They're seniors in high school. And lastly, Rachel, Santana, Quinn, and Sam are all seventeen and juniors in high school.
2)Information on time jump: Yes, there will be a few time jumps in this story. There may be a few small ones, but one major one. At least, that's how i have it planned out in my head. I don't want to say too much about it, because i don't want to spoil the story line, but just know that there are time jumps coming up. So, sorry if you liked how things are now because a lot of change is coming soon ;).
3)Love stories: Yes, this is a FINCHEL centered story... They're going to be the two characters that i am focused on the most in the love department. However, i'm one of those writers who love to make developments for background characters. So, i will be focusing on developing relationships for some of the other characters as well. But, Finn and Rachel are my primary focus in this story.
4) Personal writing: I love to make things crazy and not expectant. I'm obsessed with cliffhangers and plot twists. So, be sure to look for those. As for character pairings, I sometimes may make up the weirdest couples. For example, Sugar and Finn. But, for the most part, i like to stick to my normal ships. Like, i absolutely adored Sam and Quinn together, despite what other people may think about Samcedes or Quinn and Puck. To be honest, i just chose Sugar with Finn because i couldn't think of any other glee girls to pair Finn with. But, i can assure all of you, she's not meant to last for long. I mean, it's Finchel she's in between...
5) Lastly, I usually get caught up while i'm writing, so if something doesn't sound right or is illogical, please let me know so i can fix it. One of my biggest errors in writing is often self-contradicting the character's previous thoughts. So, if you notice something that seems off or wrong, please tell me so i can fix. I usually forget what i write and catch it when i revise, but if i miss it please let me know lol. Also, i'm trying to make Rachel not "whiny" if that makes sense. But, she will cry for some things. Its a step-in-her-shoes, kind of thing. I mean, you'd cry too if your parents were making you marry someone you didn't want to. With that being said, I'm only going to make her cry for the appropriate situations where her tears are deserved. But, if you think differently, please, feel free to let me know. I'm all for constructive criticism. It's what makes writers improve.
Thank you! I hope you all enjoy! :)
Chapter 3
The car was filled with complete silence. Well, that was, except for Quinn's choice of music. The Temper Trap's "Soldier On" played as they zoomed through the deserted forest roads necessary to get to the other side of town.
She was normally afraid to go through this road so late at night, especially as a little girl in the backseat of the limo, coming home from all of the social events her parents would attend. This was usually because of the ghost stories that Judy Fabray shared with the girls at Quinn's sleepovers. Another reason was because the vast unknown of what sat in that forest always creeped her out. This ideology heightened a few years back when a body was found in it. It spooked her to no end, and she usually felt unsafe.
But, not tonight. Tonight was different. Instead of fidgeting with her fingers and keeping her glance toward her feet as she usually did, she remained focused on the moon above. It hung so low and full in the night sky and for the first time in her life, it fascinated her. It was the perfect distraction.
She didn't know what there was about it. Maybe it was her mind's desperate need to escape everything happening at hand. Or, maybe it was the impression it gave her. There was something so beautiful about it, causing her to curse herself for not noticing it sooner.
It reminded her of her father. Just like a lot of things in her day-to-day life. Its largeness and intimidating impression shined from the outside, with its vast glow, but that didn't stop her from getting the feeling of sincerity, calmness, and comfort. Just like John always had to offer. No matter the problem or consequence, he always gave her a welcoming feeling that she could talk to him about anything. And, no matter what, he always assured her that he'd be there.
This was why everything felt so strange to her now. Her father was a great person. He believed in her dreams of success as an actress on Broadway. She'd sat idly by and listened as he told her to be herself, to go after what she wanted in life, and to never give up on anything. He'd encouraged her to dream for herself and to do what she wanted to do for as long as she could remember. So, you could only imagine why it was so hard to believe when she found out that her father was selling that same little girl away for a public title.
Becoming annoyed, Rachel tried to turn the voices in her head away from what they kept screaming at her. She interrupted the music that Quinn was singing to.
"It's so cold out tonight, don't you think?" Quinn smiled, and nodded her head as she kept her focus ahead.
"Don't worry; I've got the heater on full blast at home." She replied. "Plus, there are a million blankets in the living room that we can use if it gets too bad."
"Do you have food at your house? I haven't eaten anything all night." Rachel told her.
"How does a pantry full of nothing but junk food sound?" she asked, smirking towards her.
"Like heaven," Rachel admitted, feeling the relief settle within her knowing that her mother was nowhere near to protest.
Once the street lights finally came into their view, it wasn't long before they were pulling into Quinn's driveway. Santana was waiting on the front porch, shivering her ass off with her overnight bag sitting on the side of her.
Getting out, she followed closely behind Quinn. Santana stood up to greet the two of them.
"Santana, what the hell?" Quinn asked, rushing over to the girl. "You could've used the key to get in."
"I looked everywhere, Quinn. I looked under all of the plant pots, all around the frame of the door. I even looked by the windows."
That was when Quinn moved her hand and a flashing silver object sparkled in Rachel's direction from Quinn's key set.
"Umm, Quinn?"
"What?" she asked, both girls bringing their attention to Rachel. She pointed at her hand and once the blonde looked down, she froze.
"Whoops," she nervously chuckled, looking at Santana.
"Seriously? " She asked, crossing her arms.
"I was in so much of a rush to go pick up Rachel. I must've forgotten to unhook it." She tried to explain herself. "Sorry, Tana." She innocently smiled, reaching forward to guilt hug her best friend.
"Yeah, yeah," she replied.
"Guys, hate to interrupt the best friend love thing going on, but can we get inside?" Rachel asked, "I'm freezing my ass off."
"Let's go!" Quinn exclaimed, heading for the door as both girls followed. Once the warm wave of air enveloped Rachel's body, she smiled to herself. The familiar crème Brule smell of the candles Ms. Fabray always burned took over Rachel's nose, and instantly she felt more at home over here than she did at her own.
She dropped her bag to the side and followed the girls into the kitchen. This was a usual habit of Rachel. She'd place her bag anywhere in the house, knowing that no one would have a problem with it.
Mr. Fabray walked out on the family of three when Quinn was about ten years old, and Liz Fabray, Quinn's older sister, was already living on her own. That left Quinn and her mother to share the large two story house.
The moment they turned into the familiar kitchen, Rachel headed straight for the pantry. The chocolate "Pop Tarts" basically screamed her name. Ripping the pack open, she pushed the food down as if she hadn't eaten in months. Quinn and Santana watched her with horrified expressions.
"What?" she asked with a full mouth.
"It's an inanimate object, Rachel." Santana laughed. "It's not going anywhere. You can slow down."
"I haven't eaten since lunch." Rachel defended herself. They laughed at her. Then, they got silent, both looking at her with glances that she'd recognized before.
She swallowed thickly, knowing they were already addressing what she needed to talk to them about. But, she didn't want to think about it. She wanted to have a little more time. Because, she knew the moment that she talked to someone outside of that dining room, the whole thing would be real. So, she stalled the best she could.
"I'm feeling a movie." She told them. "Hey, we never finished the Divergent series," she smiled.
"We can do all of that later," Quinn stopped her in her path to the living room. "First, we're going to talk about that emergency text." Rachel looked to Santana, who only shook her head in agreement. They weren't having it. She guessed it was her fault for trying to get around her best friends.
"I'm not really sure that I want to-"she stumbled over her voice when she backed into the wall behind her. "I don't want to talk about it right now, guys."
"What do you mean, Rachel?" Santana asked, looking at her with confusion.
"Yeah, you're the one who issued the emergency text," Quinn pointed out.
"I know, but I just needed to get out of my house." Rachel admitted, knowing that she was lying to herself when she said she didn't want to talk to them about it. She knew she'd feel better to have that weight of carrying everything in her mind, finally lifted. But, at the same time, she was scared. She knew if she talked about it to them, there'd be no way around avoiding it. However, they were her best friends and they never kept things from each other.
"It must be serious enough to make you want to leave your house," Santana said.
"Have you met my mother?" Rachel asked. "When she greets me in the morning, I want to leave my house."
Come on," Quinn scooted behind her, placing her hands on both of Rachel's shoulders as she began to push her forward.
"What are you doing?" Rachel finally asked when she forced her to sit at the table in the kitchen.
"We're doing what we haven't done in months." Quinn told them as all three girls sat at the round table. "I'm officially calling for a heart-to-heart."
Rachel knew what this meant. When either one of them issued a "heart-to-heart", no one left the house with a thought on their mind that couldn't be addressed. It didn't matter how long it took. They talked every issue out, until everything was out in the air. This meant that tonight, they'd learn that their best friend was in the midst of becoming a runaway bride. She couldn't wait.
"Oh boy," Rachel said, placing her head in her hands. "We're going to be here all night."
"That doesn't matter. I don't know about you guys, but I have nowhere to be tomorrow." Santana smiled.
"Neither do I," Quinn smiled, with eyes wondering over to Rachel's end of the table. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head.
"Neither do I."
"Good, now spill," Quinn instructed.
"What?" Rachel asked, "Just like that? No build-up? Why can't someone else go first?"
"Are you going to tell us, or not?" Santana asked.
Rachel knew it was finally time to put on her big girl pants, to stop stalling and tell all what was wrong. She had to get over the fear of it being real to her ears, because it very much already was.
"I'm getting married." She closed her eyes and put her head on the table to try and hide her friends' reactions from her. This failed the moment she heard their confused expressions.
"What?" Santana and Quinn asked, simultaneously.
"Well, I'm not actually going to do it. But, my mom sure thinks I am." She explained. "That's what dinner was about tonight. They're selling me off for a better family title and more money."
"What are you talking about?" Quinn exclaimed.
"Like an arranged marriage?" Santana asked which caused Rachel to swallow thickly. She'd never thought of it like that. But, now hearing it, she knew that this was exactly that.
"Exactly that, Santana." She replied.
"No, they can't do that to you," she replied while Quinn watched, and shook her head in agreement. "You should know your rights." Santana said, getting up and walking out of the room. After Quinn and Rachel shared a confused look, they got up and followed Santana up the stairs to Quinn's room.
Santana was becoming situated at Quinn's desk when they walked in. Pulling up the "Google" home page, she began typing her research. As they read a few articles, Rachel wanted to cry.
"What rights do I have, Santana?" She asked, placing her hands over her head. "Because everything in there says that there's no legal issue."
"Rachel, why don't you come sit down with me, okay?" Quinn asked. "Take deep breaths."
"No, I was hoping that it was all in there." She told them, pointing to the computer. "I'm trapped." She was speaking to herself. Her friends just happened to be there.
"You're not trapped, Rachel." Santana assured her. "We just need to find a way around it."
Quinn walked over to where Santana was sitting and read on. "She's right, Rachel. It says it all right here." She pointed.
"You're still a minor," Quinn continued. "And you're not willing, so this could go under forced marriages."
"Forced marriages aren't illegal in the states, Quinn." Rachel told her. "Plus, if it was forced I'd have to undergo some sort of pressure or abuse. That didn't happen. It was a civilized discussion."
"That's it," Santana said to herself, causing both girls to look at her. "Abuse," she told them.
"What?" both girls asked.
"You're not eighteen yet, so you're still a minor. And if Shelby is expecting you to do this even if you don't want to, you can file a complaint against her. Especially after all of the stories you've told us about her, all of the things that she's told you. It's child abuse."
"That's crazy. I'm not going to file a federal complaint against my mother. She's never even hit me before."
"What's that on your eye?" Santana challenged.
"I passed out when they told me everything, and I hit my face on the floor." She explained, truthfully. "Besides, even if I do file a complaint, she has connections all over town. It's not like she's actually going to get into trouble for anything. She knows how to lie."
Santana sighed, knowing that she was right.
"I'm sorry," Rachel told her. "For defending my mom and shooting down all of your ideas, I'm just trying to think logically because there's no way that any of this can work."
"Then we come up with something else," she assured her. "I'm not going to let you have to go through with anything if you're not willing to. I've got your back. You're not trapped."
Rachel smiled, placing her hand over her heart.
"We both do," Quinn added in.
"Thanks guys," she smiled. "You have no idea how much I appreciate the both of you." The three gathered in for a hug. That was, until Quinn pulled out with a facial expression brighter than a light bulb.
"Remember how we put in our college applications a couple of months ago?" Rachel remembered. She'd filled out the application for NYADA to the best of her ability. She placed every big and complicated wording in her vocabulary on that paper hoping she'd sound smarter. Mr. Scheuster had even helped her pick out the perfect song for her upcoming audition.
They all applied to colleges in New York City, due to their oldest dream of living there together. Rachel just didn't know what Quinn was getting at. "Yeah?"
"Did you tell your mom about it?"
"No," Rachel answered, knowing that her mother wouldn't have cared if she would have told her.
"Then, that's our escape." She told her.
"Quinn, what are you talking about?" Santana asked.
"No, she's right." Rachel told her. "If I get accepted into NYADA, there's nothing stopping me from leaving Lima and never turning back. It's the perfect escape. Quinn, you're a genius."
"It's my turn to think logically now, "Santana spoke. "How are you going to go to New York without your mom becoming suspicious? She's going to have to ask about college at least once, or give parental consent."
"I applied to Ohio State University too." Rachel told her. "As long as I get accepted into NYADA, I don't see how I can't lie and tell her that I got accepted into OSU." She smiled. "Plus, all she needs is a couple of documents to plaster her signature on to be convinced, and I am the president of Student Council. I could do it in my sleep."
"What if she wants to bring you to college herself?" Santana asked. "Or visit?"
"Do you really think my mom has enough maternal bones in her body for that?" she asked, crossing her arms. "At the most, she'll send one of her drivers to bring me. That's where you guys come in. We're going to tell her that we're sharing a dorm and we're going to ride together."
"Do you really think this could work?" Santana asked.
"Do you believe in me?" Rachel asked. "Because, you said you wouldn't let me go through with this if I didn't want to. Either you're on board, or you're not, Santana. Because, I really think this could work and I really need both of your help."
"Okay, then I'm in." she smiled, as they both looked to Quinn who smiled and shook her head in agreement.
"Me too," Quinn smiled. "I'm on board the 'Save Princess Rachel from her unwanted prince' mission." They all shared a round laughter, knowing that the subject was lighter because they'd found a way out of it.
"More like 'save the princess from the unwanted toad'," Rachel laughed.
"You know, you never told us who it was." Santana acknowledged. "The guy that you're supposed to be marrying, who is it?"
"Yeah, "Quinn smiled, "do we know him? Is he from around here? Is he hot?"
"Oh, you know him, alright." Rachel commented snidely.
"Does he go to our school or is he like so much older?" Santana asked.
"He goes to our school."
"Then spill," Quinn whined. "Who is it?"
"Finn," she watched all life drain out of their eyes as if she'd told them that she was dying.
"Finn Hudson?" Santana asked.
"Are you still going to ask if he's hot?" Rachel asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, his ass isn't hard to look at," Quinn replied.
"Quinn," Rachel said. "You're not helping."
"Sorry," she smiled, apologetically.
"Your parents expect you to marry the same asshole who almost ran us off the road with his huge truck?" Santana asked.
"Yeah, according to my dad's will, he sees him as a bright young man, destined to make glorious improvements to Lima as its new Mayor." Rachel described, elegantly as if she were reading the words in her father's voice.
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier, Rachel?" Quinn asked. "There's no way I'm staying here if he's our new mayor."
"This town is doomed," Santana added.
"That's what I said, but since my dad is willing to give away his title to another family, it's my job to make sure that our family's well-earned wealth stays with us." She rolled her eyes.
"What does that mean?" Quinn asked.
"They're expecting us to create an heir so the Berry's and Hudson's can share the money and title for generations to come. It means that all I'm good for in this arrangement is getting a big diamond ring and knocked up as many times as I can, so both bloods can be in the same human being."
"Wow, that's all very 'Reign'-like," Quinn commented.
"Tell me about it," Rachel huffed, hating all of the drama that was thrown on her. "It's not like they have any regards of what I want to do with my life."
"You're getting out of it," Santana reassured her, placing a hand of support on her shoulder.
"Yeah," Quinn smiled, joining Santana. "There's no way we're letting you go through that."
"Thanks," she smiled. "Now, let's go get food. I'm starving."
"Rachel, I have a full pantry of food." Quinn laughed.
"Real food, "she replied.
"It's almost 11 and past our curfew," Santana protested.
"Who's going to stop us?" Rachel asked, raising her eyebrow at the two. "My mom has connections, remember? And your mom's the Sheriff, Quinn."
"Fine, let's go." Quinn laughed as all three girls jumped off of the bed. "I call shot-gun!" Santana laughed as she took off for the stairs.
"That's not fair!" Rachel called, running after her. As they drove through town, Rachel watched the streetlights pass them by with a huge weight lifted off of her chest. She was glad she got out of the house tonight, because no telling what she may have done if she were cooped up with her mom in that house.
Furthermore, she was, yet again, so grateful for her friends. They always knew how to make her feel better. Santana even took up the liberty of researching her issue. Though, not a normal day-to-day issue, they were able to get passed it.
The escape plan was gold; a plan that she would have never been able to come up with if she were sitting in her room dealing with this all on her own. Yes, she may have been able to figure out some ideas on the outskirts of what they had come up with, but with her friends asking her questions and challenging her brain with what her mom might do, helped her to make her plan more genius.
Of course, she knew she had a whole other year to figure out exactly what she was going to do, but with her friends by her side, she had no reason to believe that she wouldn't come out the other end successful.
Once she jumped back into real life from her mind, they pulled up to "Mickey's", the town's popular all-night restaurant for teenagers on weekends. Rachel loved it here. They served the best chocolate milkshakes, and that's exactly what she was going to get tonight. That and a burger and fries. Her stomach grumbled just thinking about it.
So much for weight control tonight, she thought. She laughed to herself in the back seat of Quinn's car. Her mom could take those yogurt cups and shove them.
Walking in with her hands shoved into her pockets from the icy cold air, she immediately smelled the familiar smell of burgers, pizza, and corndogs. The place was packed with people they went to high school with. Eighteen year old seniors, to be exact, crowded the place to no end. They took the first empty booth they could spot, being directly in front of the jukebox.
It took a few moments before Tina Cohen Chang could come by with their menus. Tina was already eighteen years old, unlike the three girls, so she was allowed to work this late at night.
"Hey girls, what are you doing out so late?" She furrowed her eyebrows with curiosity as she held up her pen and notepad.
"We're being rebels," Quinn smiled. "Please don't call my mom. We'll have our food and be back home."
"Well, what can I get for you three rebels to drink?" she asked.
"I want a large chocolate milkshake," Rachel was the first to answer.
"Root beer float," Santana smiled.
"And for you, Ms. Quinny?" Tina winked. They were good friends from being on the cheerleading team together since middle school. Rachel and Santana just never really connected with her.
"Cherry malt," she replied.
"Okay, I'll get that ready for you guys and I'll be back to take your orders." They all nodded their heads, turning to the small menus in front of them. As her mind was already made up, she tossed the laminated book in the middle of the table and turned all of her attention to her friends who were still carefully browsing.
"I think I want a burger, but my head keeps telling me to get pizza. What are you getting, Rachel?" Quinn asked.
"Burger and fries, "she answered, absent-mindedly. She really didn't know why they still had to ask her that. She'd gotten it so many times; she assumed they should know by now.
As Rachel and Quinn jumped into an argument about their food choices, Tina came back with their drinks. Once they told her what they wanted, she walked away leaving the three alone. Rachel took the opportunity to address something she set on the backburner. She guessed all of tonight's drama got the best of her.
"So, Quinn, you never told us about that guy from Instagram," she chuckled. Santana jumped in as well. "I was waiting for her to bring that up."
"It's going really great. He's really nice." She blushed.
"What's his name?" Santana asked.
"Todd," she smiled.
"Did he ask for nudes yet?" Rachel asked, causing Santana to elbow her and laugh.
"That's not funny," Quinn protested. "He's not like the others."
"That's what you say about everyone," Santana commented.
"No it's not," Quinn retaliated.
"Okay, guys, that's enough," Rachel intervened.
"You're the one who started it," Quinn stated.
She chose to ignore what Quinn said. Instead, she went forward with her original plan. "I have a proposition for you actually."
"What are you talking about?" Quinn asked.
"I have a guy for you," Rachel told her.
"I already have a guy," she told her.
"A real life guy, not an internet chat," Rachel replied.
"Who?" Santana asked, becoming interested.
"You know Sam, right?" She asked her.
"Who the heck is Sam?" Quinn asked.
"Sam Hudson, you know, he works with me," Rachel explained. Quinn looked at her for a moment before answering.
"You mean that really jumpy guy?" she asked.
"He'd never admit it, but he really likes you. Plus, he's really sweet, very smart, not shallow at all, he can even sing."
"I think he'd be really good for her," Santana threw in her opinion.
"He's a Hudson, Rachel. You know how I feel about that."
"He's nothing like his brother, I promise."
"I don't know," Quinn commented. "I mean, I don't really know him."
"That can be arranged to change."
"Plus, even I think he's cute." Santana added.
"Santana, you think everyone is cute," Quinn told her.
"She's right, Quinn. He does this thing where every time I mention your name, he gets all nervous. He's so shy which makes it so much cuter. You need to at least give him a chance."
"Yeah, can't be any worse from those internet trolls," Santana agreed.
"I'll think about it, okay?" Quinn finally threw in the towel.
"Yay!" Rachel exclaimed, "You won't regret it!"
"I said, I'll think about it," Quinn reminded her. She shook her head in understanding. Silence lingered over them for a few seconds. Then, Santana placed her cup down from sipping out the straw and looked up with wide eyes.
"Hey, Rachel, you're magical toad's here."
Confused, she turned her head a little to find Finn walking in the door, with a huge smile plastered over his face as he looked down at a talking Sugar. She watched, annoyed, as he shook hands and greeted just about every teenager on the other end of the room.
"We've got to get out of here," Rachel told the girls.
"No," Santana told her. "We already ordered our food. Besides, wasn't it you who said you can't let bullies get to you?" "You're not marrying him, so I don't see the need to feel fear."
Shaking her head, she huffed, and placed her head on the table. This wasn't going to be easy, she told herself. Lima, Ohio, was a small town, and sooner or later, they were always bound to run into each other. This was especially if any indication of how fate worked was tonight.
She hoped it'd get better for her next year. Finn, as well as Sugar and all of their annoying friends, would be away at college. Hopefully she wouldn't have to see them before it was time for her great escape.
Nudging at Quinn's shoulders, the blonde looked at her.
"I have to use the bathroom," she told her. Scooting over, Quinn got up so Rachel could get out of the booth.
"Oh no, Rachel. You do not get to hide in the bathroom the whole night." Santana stood up to protest. To all of their dismay, Sugar's attention was caught.
"Well, well, look who we have here," she said aloud, catching Finn's attention from his friends in the process. "Aren't you girls a little past your curfew?"
As Sugar stepped forward, Finn and all of their friends gathered around her. If the music wasn't playing from the jukebox, the room would've been completely silent. Even the cashier placed her attention on them. This was, until a customer walked up to her, and she returned to her job.
Looking to the side, she watched Santana and Quinn look to their feet, in desperate search of what either one of them were going to say next. That's when she remembered this morning. She wondered if Sugar was ever going to be able to get past all of the petty teenage drama that she created. Probably not, she told herself. Something about the girl reminded her so much of her mother. That's how she assumed she'd grow up to be. She felt sorry for her future kids.
Then, she looked to Finn. Was she stupid enough to believe that he'd be nice to her just because he apologized before they'd left tonight? Hell no. She could already see the childish smirk on his face. She knew they were in the midst of a stupid bickering, including Sugar's useless insults to lower the girls' self-confidence, Finn's sarcastic side comments, and their friends' laughter at what the both of them would tell say. It was the same thing every time their two groups faced off in this banter.
She laughed to herself when she compared the situation to Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". That's the impression that everything gave her. But, instead of the normal version, theirs was in reverse. Finn and Rachel were the parents, fighting against any possibility of love, for their hatred took over the best of them. The real Romeo and Juliet; being their parents, trying to set the two of them up, in hopes of something greater than life. A star crossed love.
This was where she decided to make her escape. As Sugar and the rest of the group moved closer, Rachel spun on her heel and headed toward the bathroom. What she wasn't expecting was for Sugar to stop her in mid-motion.
"Where are you going, Unibrow?" she crossed her arms.
"The bathroom," Rachel replied, figuring that she'd have a good chance against her if she used the sarcasm she had designated for her mother. "Do you want to come with me?"
"No thanks," she replied. "My mom takes the dog to the bathroom, not me."
Finn laughed, nudging his friends while they laughed with him. She looked to her feet, and then to her friends for help. They sent her apologetic looks, for coming up empty. For a moment, she felt like she couldn't come up with anything as well. And, for a moment she felt like she didn't want to come up with anything. This whole situation was a new level of childish. She was afraid of all of their paths in the future. Especially Finn's if he was expected to become the town's mayor.
Then, she realized that she'd give them what they wanted. She knew in her heart that fire against fire was never the answer. But, she was left standing there without any words and she was humiliating herself. Plus, she was so sick of this. Not being able to stand up for herself, always looking like an idiot in this stupid high school mess; she'd had enough. So, she decided to go against her principles. Fire against fire, it was. She hoped Sugar was ready to hold up her shield, because she had a flame thrower in possession.
"I must be some dog," Rachel told her. "Or else, Christopher Hudson wouldn't have chosen me to marry your boyfriend over there."
She watched Finn's smile fall into the same rage that it had earlier tonight.
"Your mom's a pathetic gold digger who will talk people into anything as long as it benefits her and her privileged daughter." Sugar replied, coming back a little harsher than she imagined. But that wasn't the drawing point. Rachel wasn't backing down. If anything, she was going in stronger. "And don't say that I have the wrong story. Those were Finn's words exactly."
"Because almighty Finn Hudson always spits out the truth…" Rachel crossed her arms. "While you were gathering Finn's words," She used her fingers to create air quotes. "Did you manage to get the rest of the story? Or did you let everything crowd in your head, like your inflated ego?"
"There was no need to," Finn commented, stepping forward, causing the crowd to stir. "Because it's not going to happen... I mean, do you really think a girl like you could ever marry a guy like me?" he laughed, referring to her looks.
"No, Finn, I don't." she commented, giving everyone a sense of shock by how quickly she gave in. "I know I'm not pretty. It's not exactly anything new to my ears. I've known it from the moment my mom called me a fat ass in a heated argument. I don't necessarily like to look at myself in the mirror, I flinch every time I put my glasses on and see my blemished face, I hate the braces on my teeth, I know I'm not caught up on today's fashion. I despise all of my flaws." She told them. "But, I'm intelligent, kind, selfless, humble, courageous, ambitious, and much more."
"We don't care," Sugar said, rolling her eyes as she examined her finger nails.
"What's your point?" Finn asked, getting annoyed as well.
"My point is that you're right. A girl like me could never marry a guy like you." She looked to the floor for a moment to think of how she was going to end this fight. Take the high road, despite what your brain previously told you, her heart screamed. So, she went with it. There had to be one grownup in this argument, and it would be her.
"You're selfish, immature, ignorant, rude, conceited, and I deserve way better." She grabbed her jacket from the booth where they were sitting, and threw her money on the table. Sooner than later, Quinn and Santana followed her actions as they prepared to leave. "College is right around the corner for you guys. Isn't it time to consider growing from these old high school games?"
She left before anyone could answer. Tina was waiting for them by the door. She sighed with relief when she handed them their orders in to-go boxes.
"Don't let them get to you," she said. "It's going to catch up with them eventually."
Nodding slowly, she grabbed her burger, fries, and pushed the door open to take in the cold night air. Climbing into the backseat once Quinn unlocked the door, she thought of the girl that walked into that dining room just a few hours ago. She cursed herself remembering the excitement of getting her food and spending time with her friends.
Santana climbed in the backseat with her, reaching her hand out for Rachel to grab it. She watched as Quinn looked in the rearview mirror with sympathy.
"You're incredibly strong, Rachel," Santana said. "You're beautiful, and everything else that you described. And, you're going far in life. That's more than they can say for themselves."
This was when she took in the view of the moon once more and remembered when her father told her all of this. Then, for the first time in years, she felt a sudden tear run down her cheek.
"Please don't cry, Rach, "Quinn begged from the driver's seat once she advanced to a sobbing fit. Trying to calm down, she rested her on Santana's shoulder.
"I miss him," she cried. "If my dad were here, none of this would be happening. I don't care what all of these documents say, or what my mom tells me. He wouldn't have let this happen."
"He's proud of the person you've become, I can tell you that for sure." Quinn told her.
Santana came into the conversation again. "And one day a very lucky guy is going to see exactly the same and make you the happiest girl in the world. It just takes a little time."
She hoped so. She was tired of feeling like the minority in the world of dating. She'd never felt beautiful and what didn't help was that people around her always seemed to make sure that she felt this way. Her self-esteem had been at an all-time low since the age of five.
"I'm just done," she told them. "This is my life and I'm done letting other people tell me how to live it."
Closing her eyes, she felt a wave of exhaustion she didn't realize was there. It wasn't long until she fell asleep.
Entering the front door of her home early Sunday morning, she nearly startled her mother. However, Shelby jumped from the couch with a worried expression plastered on her face.
"You were gone when I went to go talk to you, and you weren't answering any of my phone calls." She scolded. "I almost called in a missing child's report before the Lopez's told me that you were at Quinn's house with Santana."
"I don't want to hear it," Rachel told her, heading for the stairs.
"But, you will," Shelby said, following her up the stairs. "Rachel! Do not walk away from me, young lady!" she called once she realized that she wasn't going to stop.
"Why shouldn't i? You never even asked me how I felt," Rachel stopped to look at her. "You just threw words here and there, instructions, and expectations; like I was some sort of house pet that needed training."
"Look, I was in your shoes before, Rachel." Her mother finally calmed down, and sat on the stair her feet were on. "I was afraid that you'd feel the same way I did, so I tried to go in strong to avoid the outburst. I didn't want to have to take everything like my mom did."
"If you knew that I'd feel the same way that you did, why didn't you give me an out?" Rachel asked, moving down to sit next to Shelby.
"Because, I know you would've taken it right away."
"You're right," she told her. "And I have every reason to. Finn Hudson is a monster."
"You know, that's the same way I thought of your father." Rachel stopped herself from saying the wrong thing when she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know that yet.
"What do you mean?" she asked instead.
"Like I said before, I was put into the same position as you when I was your age." She smiled. "It's a traditional thing for the Berry's. You just happened to get paired with the Hudson's."
"Why didn't you like dad?" Rachel asked.
"There was something about him," she reminisced. "He was so arrogant and sarcastic. He had a different energy than what my father had raised me to view. He was goofy, immature, and he certainly didn't fit into the serious mood that his parents and mine expected him to get into to run the town. A lot like Finn in that way."
"What happened?"
"He proved me wrong," Shelby smiled as she remained nostalgic. "He proved everyone wrong."
"Did you love him?" Rachel asked, knowing the question was a little forward, but her mother answered all the while.
"With all of my heart." She replied. "It took a while to warm up to him, especially since we didn't exactly like each other, but as time moved on we had you and everything became easier. Despite what I thought of him before, he was the greatest father and he loved you more than anything. I think that that was what really got me to fall in love with him."
"I don't want this," Rachel blurted out. "I'm glad that you had the experience to be able to fall in love and everything, but it's not like that for me. Finn's never going to change."
"I know that you don't want this, Rachel," she sighed.
"Then, as my mom, as someone who's been in my shoes before, I need you to help me. Please, tell me what I need to do to make all of this better, to make myself feel better. Because right now, I feel terrible. I don't want to do this. How can I make all of this better? Help me create an out, mom. Please."
"You want to feel better? Forget everything that you want. Accept what's happening. Push back all of those stupid little girl feelings, and put on your big girl shoes." Shelby told her. "Girls like us weren't born to feel for ourselves. We were born for the public image, for the show. The minute you stop fighting it and accept it, there'll be a light at the end of the tunnel."
Rachel watched as her mom stood from beside her, smoothening out the back of her dress. Saying a brief farewell, Shelby left Rachel speechless on the foot of the stairs.
That was it, she thought. Plan "Escape to New York" was definitely a go.
A new update will hopefully be soon. Until then, stay tuned. I hope you all like this chapter! Please, let me know what you think by giving me a review! Until next time... ;)