Chapter 13 got the most reviews so far! Thanks so much, I really enjoyed reading them! For this chapter, one of the scenes I added in isn't really a Finchel scene, but it's a scene I definitely would have liked to have seen. Thanks for all the support so far. Hope you all had a great New Year's and are having a great weekend. Enjoy this chapter and review if you want me to keep going!
Chapter 14: Hell-O
Ever since the truth about the baby had come out, Finn's life had gotten so much harder. Winning Sectionals had been awesome, but in the hallway, people would always whisper and laugh as he walked by, and he hated it. He was still furious with both Puck and Quinn, and even though he wasn't sure where things stood with Rachel, she sure seemed to think they were together. She'd been showing up at all his basketball games in a "Team Finn" shirt and had made calendars for them with their faces posted on cats. He didn't want to hurt her, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to be with someone quite yet.
This week's assignment in glee club was to find a song about saying hello and Finn wasn't sure what to do. He asked Mr. Schue to meet him in the auditorium to help him pick out a song. "How are you?" Mr. Schue asked when Finn arrived. "I know it's been hard on you since the baby drama. Trust me, I get it, and it sucks."
"You seem to be handling it fine," Finn said.
"Well, it's because I realized that I had to find this new person inside of me," Mr. Schue said. "The one that was okay with what happened."
"I just feel so bad about myself," Finn said. How could he have let Quinn do that to him? How could he have fallen for it for so long?
"Finn, that guy who made all those bad choices, who ignored the signs, he's gone," Mr. Schue said. "This new, more experienced, more interesting guy is here. And I brought you here to introduce you to him. Help you move forward."
"Oh, you mean like, meeting other girls?" Finn asked. "Because I think I'm dating Rachel. At least she sure thinks I am." He wanted to, but he wasn't sure if he was ready.
"No, it's not about meeting someone else," Mr. Schue said. "It's about being okay just being you. Come on, you're a rock star, Finn. You're like Jagger, Morrison."
Finn smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I like that."
"Good. I want you to meet the new and improved Finn Hudson by singing about it," Mr. Schue said.
"Oh, that's why the band's here," Finn commented.
"Yeah. Pick a song, and they're ready to back you up," Mr. Schue said.
A song came to Finn's mind. "Well, I like what you said about me being like Morrison. And The Doors have a Hello song. So maybe I could find myself and do my glee assignment at the same time."
x
Finn: Hello, I love you
Won't you tell me your name
Hello, I love you
Let me jump in your game
Hello, I love you
Won't you tell me your name
Hello, I love you
Let me jump in your game
She's walkin' down the street
Blind to every eye she meets
Do you think you'll be the guy
To make the queen of the angels sigh
Hello, I love you
Won't you tell me your name
Hello, I love you
Let me jump in your game
Hello, I love you
Won't you tell me your name
Hello, I love you
Let me jump in your game
She holds her head so high
Like a statue in the sky
Her arms are wicked and her legs are long
When she moves my brain screams out this song
Sidewalk crouches at her feet
Like a dog that begs for somethin' sweet
Do you hope to make her see, you fool
Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel
Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!
Hello! Hello! Hello!
I want you
I need my baby
Hello! Hello!
I need, yeah yeah
Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!
Finn had to admit, he'd liked how he sounded on this song, and the glee club seemed to as well. "And that, fellow glee clubbers, is how we say hello," Rachel declared before going to talk to Mr. Schue. When Rachel left, Santana and Brittany came up to Finn.
"You're a really good dancer," Brittany said.
"Thanks, but my feet weren't really moving," Finn said. What was this about?
"That was the best part," Brittany sighed.
"Brit and I were wondering if you wanted to go out," Santana said.
"On a date? With which one of you?" Finn asked.
"With both of us," both girls said.
Finn wasn't sure if this was a good idea. He knew Rachel would be hurt. He also didn't exactly trust Brittany and Santana.
x
A few days later, Santana and Brittany came up to Finn's locker. "Breadstix, 8:00. Table for three?" Santana said.
They'd made reservations? "Cool," Finn managed to say. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea. Maybe dating several girls would be a good test. He'd been in a committed relationship for months and gotten hurt.
Rachel came over. "What did they want?"
"Oh, nothing. Just the time," Finn said.
Rachel didn't look convinced. "I know being my boyfriend is a challenge. I'm not Quinn. I don't look like her. I'm not popular, and my personality, though exciting and full of surprises, isn't exactly low maintenance, but I'll always be honest with you. Painfully so. And all I ask in return is that you're just honest with me."
As much as it would hurt her, Finn needed to tell her that he wasn't ready for another relationship just yet. "I don't think I want to be your boyfriend."
Rachel looked crushed. "What?"
Finn felt horrible for what he was about to do. "Look, Rachel, you're really awesome, but I think I need to connect with my inner rock star before I can fully commit to one woman. I need to find out who I am now."
Rachel looked ready to cry. "I'll tell you who you are. You're a scared little boy. You're afraid of dating me because you think it might hurt your reputation— though, which you'd never admit it, is very important to you. You hate what Quinn did to you, not just because it hurt, but because it was so humiliating."
"You're freaking me out. It's like you're inside my head right now," Finn said. She was right, about all of this.
"I just see you for who you are," Rachel continued. "Unlike you, who can only see me as this silly girl who made a fool out of herself in her first glee club rehearsal. And that's where you lose, Finn. Because, if you take a second look at me, you'd realize that I'm the only person in your life who knows you and accepts you for who you are, no matter what."
Finn knew that Rachel was right. She and his mom were the only people like that. He watched as Rachel walked away in tears.
x
Rachel was still annoyed at Finn for not wanting to be with her. Why wouldn't he? She'd been there for him. She'd been the one who told him the truth when all his "friends" lied to him. Had all the time they spent together over winter break meant nothing to him? One thing was sure: as soon as she got to Glee, she knew what she wanted to sing. "Mr. Schuester, I think I found a song That sums up my feelings perfectly."
"Fantastic, Rachel. Show us what you got," Mr. Schue said.
Rachel began her song, giving Finn angry looks throughout.
Rachel: I wake up every evening
With a big smile on my face
And it never feels out of place
And you're still probably working
At a 9 to 5 pace
I wonder how bad that tastes
When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
Now where's your picket fence, love?
And where's that shiny car?
Did it ever get you far?
You never seem so tense, love
I never seen you fall so hard
Do you know where you are?
And truth be told I miss you
And truth be told I'm lying
Rachel with New Directions: When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
If you find a man that's worth the damn and treats you well
Then he's a fool you're just as well
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
Rachel: Tomorrow you'll be thinking to yourself
Yeah, where did it all go wrong?
But the list goes on and on
And truth be told I miss you
And truth be told I'm lying
Rachel with New Directions: When you see my face hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well
Then he's a fool you're just as well
Hope it gives you hell
Rachel: Now you'll never see
What you've done to me
You can take back your memories
They're no good to me
And here's all your lies
You can look me in the eyes
With the sad, sad look
That you wear so well
New Directions: When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
If you find a man that's worth the damn and treats you well
Then he's a fool you're just as well
Hope it gives you hell
Rachel with New Directions: When you see my face
Hope it gives you hell I hope it gives you hell
When you walk my way
Hope it gives you hell
Hope it gives you hell
When you hear this song
And you sing along well you'll never tell
Then you're the fool I've just as well
Hope it gives you hell
When you hear this song
I hope that it will give you hell
You can sing along
I hope that he will treat you well
This was the first time the other glee club members had really seemed to get into one of Rachel's solos. Maybe they agreed that Finn had wronged her?
"Guys, guys, guys. I don't want to be a buzz-kill, but the assignment was hello," Mr. Schue said. "I'm sorry."
"I was just focusing on the first syllable," Rachel snapped, looking at Finn.
Finn gave Rachel a defeated look.
x
A few days later, Rachel went to the music store to try to find a good hello song. As she looked through some choices, someone took the sheet from her hands "Lionel Richie, huh? One of my favorites."
Rachel knew who this was. This was the star of Vocal Adrenaline. Every high school singer in the country knew who he was. "Oh, my god, you're Jesse St. James. You're in Vocal Adrenaline."
"And you're Rachel Berry," Jesse said. "I saw you perform at Sectionals. Your rendition of Don't Rain on my Parade was flawed. You totally lacked Barbra's emotional depth. But you're talented. This is one of my favorite haunts. I like to come and flip through the celebrity biographies. Pick up some lifestyle tips. I'm a senior now, so this year's kind of my victory lap. Snagging a fourth consecutive national championship would just be gravy. I'm getting out of Ohio soon. I've got a full ride to a little school called the University of California Los Angeles. Maybe you've heard of it. It's in Los Angeles." He sat down at the piano with the sheet music. "What do you say we take it for a spin?"
Rachel still couldn't believe that the most well known high school singer in the country was noticing her. "Here? Oh, no, I-I-I'm kind of nervous."
"I remember when I used to get nervous," Jesse said. "Come on. I do this all the time."
Jesse began to play the piano, and they sang together. This was what Rachel was sure every high school girl in a choir in the country dreamed of. Every year for the past three years, Jesse had been named MVP at Nationals. He had sung on National televison. Rumor had it that off Broadway productions were already trying to recruit him. And out of everyone he could sing with - he wanted to sing with Rachel?
"We should do this more often," Jesse said at the end of the song. "How's Friday night?"
x
Meanwhile, Finn was at Breadstix with Brittany and Santana, and this date was not what he'd expected or hoped for. Maybe a date with two girls wasn't such a good idea. The whole time they were eating, Santana and Brittany had been talking about each other, not even looking at Finn. The waitress passed their table and Santana waved. "Excuse me. We'd like to send these back."
"But you ate all of it," the waitress said.
"Look, I'm pretty sure you have to do what we say. And this food was not satisfactory," Santana said. What was Santana doing?
"There was a mouse in mine," said Brittany. That wasn't true, and Finn knew it.
"So, we'd like more, please," Santana said before turning to Brittany. "All right, hottest guys in the school. Go."
"Okay, um, Puck's super fine," Brittany said. "Finn's cute, too."
"Yeah, but he's not hot, though," Santana said, clearly not caring who was across the table.
"He really isn't," Brittany agreed.
"And you know what, Brit?" Santana asked. "I think that dwarf girlfriend of his Is dragging down his rep. I mean, if he were dating, say, popular pretty girls like us, He would go from dumpy to smokin'."
Finn was tired of this. Tired of them ignoring him. Tired of them insulting him and Rachel. "Hello? Hey, I'm right here. Would you guys mind, like, including me in your conversations?"
Santana smirked. "I'll just give you an introduction into the way that we work. You buy us dinner and we make out in front of you. It's like the best deal ever."
"Did you see what Rachel was wearing today?" Brittany asked Santana.
Santana laughed. "I know. She looked like Pippi Longstocking, but, like, Israeli."
"Those sweaters make her look homeschooled," Brittany added.
Finn had had enough of this. "Hey, guys, come on. Don't make fun of Rachel. She's kind of cool." She was more than kind of cool. She was cooler than Brittany and Santana would ever be.
"Finn, that's mean," Brittany said.
"You know what, actually? Would you mind waiting in the car? And leave your credit card," Santana demanded.
Finn left, but he didn't leave his credit card. This failed date was what he needed. He was more sure than ever that Rachel was who he wanted to be with.
x
Rachel looked at Jesse's picture in her locker. She still couldn't believe it - he wanted her. The closest thing to a celebrity in the high school show choir world had asked her out on a date. Then her thoughts were interrupted when Finn came to her locker. "Hey, Rach, can we talk?" Finn asked. "Look, I want to apologize. I realized I don't want to date other girls. Only you. You do talk too much, and usually you're just talking about yourself, but at least I don't feel alone when I'm with you."
Rachel froze. Now he wanted to be with her? After choosing Quinn over her for months and then saying he needed to connect with his inner rock star? Now he needed to fight for her. "I'm glad you've come to that realization, but you're too late. I've met someone else. A boy who's finally worthy of my talent and love."
Finn looked shocked. "Whoa, whoa, wait. Do I know him? Is he, is he bigger than me?"
Rachel tried to act like this was what she wanted to do. She thought she wanted to be with Jesse, but seeing Finn again reminded her of what she really wanted. "Oh, he doesn't go to this school, and he's a senior. His name is Jesse, and he's the male lead in Vocal Adrenaline. We're both aware that our Romeo and Juliet romance will be a challenge, but our deep respect for each other's talent will carry us through."
Finn didn't look impressed. "Rachel, don't you think that's kind of suspicious? We make it to regionals and suddenly the top guy in our main competition picks you up?"
Finn had a point. What if Jesse was trying to mess with her so they'd lose Regionals? She couldn't give in this easily. "I know it's hard to believe that anyone would like me without an ulterior motive, but you have to respect that our love is real. Move on, Finn. I finally have."
x
Finn had been horrified when he heard Rachel was with a guy from Vocal Adrenaline. They'd just won Sectionals thanks to Rachel. Vocal Adrenaline was famous for being ruthless about winning. He knew this Jesse guy was up to no good, and if Rachel wasn't going to end things, he was going to take matters into his own hands. After school that day, he drove an hour and a half to Carmel High to confront Jesse. He'd looked Jesse up on Facebook, so he knew what he looked like.
Finn arrived at Carmel and waited outside the school. He watched as Jesse St. James came out, talking with a bunch of other people. It was clear that Jesse was the most popular kid at Carmel. There were kids wearing gear for just about every school organization imaginable. Finn just hoped he would be able to catch Jesse by himself.
After nearly half an hour, Jesse began heading to his car, finally on his own. This was Finn's opportunity. Finn went up to him. "Hi."
"Oh, you're Finn Hudson," Jesse said. "I saw you at your Sectionals. You put up a pretty good effort, but you aren't quite at the level of Queen or the Rolling Stones. I'd give you some pointers if I wouldn't be up against you at Regionals."
Finn rolled his eyes. Already he didn't like this guy. "So, I understand you've begun dating a friend of mine."
"Ah, Rachel Berry," Jesse said. "Rachel's talented, but she still has a lot to live up to. I'm trying to convince her to transfer to Carmel. If she did, she'd be as talented as I am before long."
No way did Finn want Rachel going to Carmel! Who did Jesse think he was? "Look Jesse, let me just say this. Rachel's my closest friend and I really don't want her to get hurt. I find it more than a little suspicious that you're making a move on her right before Regionals."
"Finn, you go to school with her," Jesse said. "How could anyone be able to resist her?"
"Well, Jesse, there's lots of hot, talented girls in Vocal Adrenaline," Finn said. "What makes me worried is that I think you're messing with Rachel so she'll be destroyed and we won't do well at Regionals."
"You're crazy," Jesse said.
Finn groaned. "You'd better not hurt her."
"I think you're into her," Jesse said. "Sorry, but she's taken." With that, Jesse got in his car and drove away.
x
After their meeting yesterday, Finn was even more sure that Jesse was trouble. He hoped Jesse wouldn't tell Rachel about their meeting. It was bad enough that everyone in the glee club was mad at her for dating him. He went up to her in the hall, trying to think of a way to tell her that Jesse was bad news without revealing that they'd met.
Rachel came up to Finn. "So, I heard you met Jesse yesterday."
Crap. She knew. "Yeah, I had to pick something up for my mom near Carmel." Maybe she'd believe that lie.
"Oh," Rachel said. Finn was relieved.
"Rachel, I don't trust him," Finn said.
"Why not?" Rachel asked. "Because he's on the other team?"
"And the way he acted yesterday," Finn said. "He acted like he was so above me! He's so full of himself."
Rachel looked like she didn't disagree with what Finn was saying. "This reminds me a lot of our conversation when I was dating Puck," Rachel finally said.
"You deserve a lot better," Finn said before walking away, leaving Rachel to think.
x
Rachel couldn't stop thinking about what Finn had said to her. Could he be right? Could Jesse be using her to mess with the team right before Regionals? She decided to go to Carmel to talk to Jesse. She walked into the auditorium and heard footsteps. "Jesse? Who's there? I carry a rape whistle."
Jesse came on to the stage. "Just me. Most spots are 2,500 watts. This one is ten times brighter. We have to wear sunscreen onstage, but it's worth it."
Rachel decided to get to the point. "I guess everything is bigger and brighter here. I have to ask you something. And I need you to tell me the truth, because if you don't, there will be consequences. Life-and-death consequences. Because if I give myself to you, and it turns out that you're just playing me, I might die. Okay, okay, not literally, but emotionally. It'll be the kind of heartbreak that girls like me hold For the rest of their lives, like Barbra in the way we were."
Jesse started laughing. "Oh, my god."
"What?" Rachel asked.
"You're more of a drama queen than I am," Jesse said. He held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Jesse."
This didn't make sense. "I know who you are."
"You know Jesse St. James, the star of Vocal Adrenaline, your competition at regionals," Jesse said. "I want to introduce you to Jesse, the guy who's nuts about you, the guy who would never hurt you."
Rachel hoped Jesse was telling the truth. Maybe this was worth a shot. She leaned in and kissed him. "No one can know."
"I understand," Jesse said.
x
Now that Jesse had agreed to keep their relationship a secret, Rachel hoped that the glee club would at least accept her. She went up to Finn in the hall. "Hey. I ended it with Jesse. You can spread the word. I know you know how to do that."
"Look, I'm sorry," Finn said. "I know this really sucks for you but I think it's for the best."
"Taking one for the team. I get it," Rachel said.
"No, not just for the team," Finn said. "For us. You and me. I've been thinking a lot lately. I feel like I have all these problems, you know, with Quinn and basketball and girls and stuff, and I've been so overwhelmed trying to figure them all out. Then I realized the only thing I needed to fix was us. I want us to be together, Rachel. A real couple. Look, I even circled some dates on your crazy calendar." Rachel looked at the calendar. Now Finn wanted to be with her. She wanted to be with him, too, but she was with someone. "Is you not being able to talk right now a good thing or a bad thing?" Finn asked.
"I can't," Rachel said.
"Can't what?" Finn asked.
Rachel tried to think of something to say. "I can't be a couple with you. It's the team. We can't have any, um, drama right now. You know, we need... We need to focus on regionals. And I appreciate your offer, but in the spirit of being a team player, I have to decline."
Finn gave Rachel a look. "Hey, whoa. I'm not just some guy that you met at the music store That you can just blow off. I don't give up that easy. See you at rehearsal."
x
Finn had found another song for the glee club to sing for their hello assignment, and he wanted him and Rachel to lead it. As they sang it, Rachel realized that her voice sounded much better with Finn's than with Jesse's. Throughout the song, he kept looking at her, and the looks he gave her turned her on.
Finn: you say "yes"
I say "no"
Finn and Rachel: you say "stop"
I say "go, go, go"
oh, no
New Directions: you say "good-bye"
and I say "hello"
hello, hello
I don't know why you say "good-bye"
I say "hello"
hello
hello, hello
hello
I don't know why
you say "good-bye," I say "hello"
Finn: you say "yes"
New Directions: I say "yes"
Finn: I say "no"
New Directions: maybe, no
Finn and Rachel: you say "stop"
New Directions: I can stay...
Finn and Rachel: I say "go"
New Directions: "go, go"
Finn and Rachel: oh, no
New Directions: you say "good-bye"
and I say "hello"
hello, hello
I don't know why you say "good-bye"
I say "hello"
hello, hello, hello
I don't know why you say "good-bye"
I say "hello"
hello, hello, hello, hello
I don't know why you say "good-bye"
I say "hello"
hello, hello, hello, hello...
By the end of the song, Rachel couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the room, leaving everyone looking confused.
10 reviews unlock Chapter 15!