Hi everyone! Thanks for all your support on the last chapter. I appreciate it. I really didn't like this episode, but I did my best with it, and I managed to put some Finn in :) (Missed him so much at the beginning of S4!) Hope you enjoy and review if I should keep going!
Chapter 72: Britney 2.0
"Your blood pressure is back to normal," the doctor told Finn. "Your swelling has gone down a lot and you seem to have regained strength. I think you're ready to go home."
Finn didn't know what to think. He wanted to go back to the way things were, but what were things like at home now? Rachel and Kurt were in New York, Puck was in LA, the other graduates were scattered around the country, the underclassmen were still in high school...
"That's great," Finn said, forcing a smile. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but whatever he did, it would be better than being trapped in a hospital bed.
"You got lucky," the doctor continued. "It could have been a lot worse. You could have lost your ability to walk."
"Well, I'm glad I didn't," Finn said.
"So, are you going back to Ohio now?" the doctor asked.
Finn paused for a moment. Should he go back to Ohio? Or did he just need some more time to himself? "I'm not sure."
"What do you mean?" the doctor asked.
"I just..." Finn began. "I'm so embarrassed."
"Your parents and your brother seemed to love you just the same," the doctor pointed out.
"True," Finn said. "I think I do need some time to myself before I go back to Ohio."
"Okay," the doctor said. "You just take care of yourself."
"I will," Finn said.
x
Rachel and Kurt had been staying in a hotel this past week while they looked around for an apartment. Most of the places they'd found in their price range were a little small for their taste or in less than ideal neighborhoods, but Rachel was sure no matter where they went, it would be better than sharing a room with a girl who was sleeping with every boy imaginable.
Right now, Rachel was in dance class, and Ms. July was being her usual self. "The tango," Ms. July declared. "You have to have it in your arsenal, people. The first thing you need to understand is it's all about sex. When you are dancing the tango with someone, you're seducing them. Partner up. We're gonna start with abrazo, the embrace." Then she stopped at Rachel. "Not you, Schwimmer. Keep practicing those jazz hands back in the corner."
Why did Ms. July not want Rachel do do the assignment? "Wait but... Ms. July, I'm sorry, if I'm ever gonna play Evita, I'm gonna have to learn how to tango," Rachel protested.
"We're short a boy, so a girl needs to sit out," Ms. July said. "And you don't have enough sex appeal to pull off a credible tango. You're awkward and tentative in your body, and you move like you're ashamed of it."
Rachel sighed. She was completely comfortable in her body, but all she could do now was watch the other students in her class dance with each other. At the end of class, Rachel got out her phone and saw a new text from Kurt. "I think I found a place for us!"
Well, Kurt sounded confident. Rachel texted back, "Where is it?"
Another text from Kurt came back with the address. "I'm here with the realtor now. Come see it!"
Well, that was a nice distraction. Rachel grabbed her bike and caught the train to the apartment Kurt had found. Since the neighborhood looked a bit odd to her, she took the bike upstairs with her, where Kurt was waiting with the realtor.
"This is Rachel," Kurt told the realtor before turning to Rachel. "I was talking to him. This place is 1800 a month. We'd have to furnish it ourselves and create our own partisians, but there's plenty of room."
Rachel looked around. This place was a pretty good size. Rachel hopped on her bike and began riding it around the loft.
"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.
"Checking it out!" Rachel said.
"You're crazy," Kurt said before he got on his bike as well.
"This place is enormous!" Rachel cried.
"God, for 1,800 bucks a month, we could get a shoebox in Manhattan or this hangar in Bushwick," Kurt pointed out.
Rachel hesitated. "Yeah, but what's the crime rate like in this neighborhood? It looks a little shady."
"Ah, it's better than Detroit and Damascus," Kurt admitted. "So what do you think? Should we take it?"
"Are you crazy? Living here with you instead of those dorms? It's heaven!" Rachel exclaimed.
"I feel the same way!" Kurt said. They got off their bikes turned to the realtor. "We'll take it."
"Great," the realtor said. "I'll be here with paperwork soon and here are the keys."
"Thank you so much!" Rachel exclaimed, giving Kurt a hug. She felt really happy for the first time since she moved here. She now had a New York apartment. A place to live. She was now a New York resident.
"I'm so happy," Kurt said.
"Me too," Rachel said.
"Let's go back to the hotel and bring our things over here!" Kurt said.
"Yes!" Rachel said. They locked up their apartment doors and took a taxi to the hotel to get their things. They'd need to have their beds shipped out by their parents and to buy some furniture, but this was a start.
That evening, Kurt and Rachel ordered delivery pizza for dinner. "Oh, New York Domino's is so much better than Lima Domino's," Rachel said as they ate.
"It's the water," Kurt suggested.
Rachel decided to ask the question that had been on her mind. "So have you heard from Finn at all?"
"Not since you asked me yesterday," Kurt said. "He's just giving you your space."
Maybe Rachel didn't want space. "I know."
"You want to feel nostalgic?" Kurt asked. "Blaine said they're doing Britney Spears again in Glee Club."
Rachel thought back to Britney Spears week. It was when she'd worn the Baby One More Time outfit to school... "Oh, my God. It feels like such a long time ago since we've been in the choir room."
"We are living in the future, Rachel," Kurt declared. "Speaking of which, my plan: I'm gonna re-audition for second semester in NYADA. In the meantime, I've applied for a job at the only place I feel will truly appreciate my sense of style: ."
Rachel knew that was perfect for Kurt. "Perfect!" He'd be great at Vogue.
"I know it sounds crazy, but in a way I'm almost glad I didn't make it my first try," Kurt continued. "You know, I've really learned a lot about myself over the last couple months. I feel like I have a newfound resilience and focus."
"I could really use some of that right now," Rachel admitted. "My dance teacher, she just won't let up on me. The other day, she told me I wasn't sexy enough."
Kurt looked surprised. "Maybe you shouldn't wear a bra to your next class."
Rachel had such small breasts, she didn't think that would make a difference. "And take all of the attention away from the Ms. Cassie July? She'd flip. I can't stand her."
Kurt grabbed his laptop out of his bag. "Cassie July is your dance teacher? As in, the Cassie July, aka Crazy July, aka the biggest train wreck in Broadway history?"
Rachel didn't know what Kurt meant. "What?"
Kurt turned on his computer. "You don't know her story? Cassie July was the it girl ten years ago. She scored the coveted role of temptress Lola in a high-profile revival of Damn Yankees. Then, during the first preview of the out-of-town tryout..."
Kurt turned his computer so Rachel could see the video. The production of Damn Yankees was going on when Rachel heard a cell phone ringing. "Stop stop," a younger version of her dance teacher shouted on YouTube. "Stop the music! Whose cell phone is that? I'm not going on until this rude person leaves.
This performance is over until you leave!" Then Ms. July ran off the stage and began beating up the phone's owner while having an adult version of a tantrum.
"No wonder she's always just so angry," Rachel admitted.
"You can't give in to her," Kurt said. "Not ever. You have to keep fighting. If she wants sexy, give her sexy."
"Maybe I should," Rachel said. "I'm going to do a sexy dance routine in class next week."
"That sounds like Rachel Berry!" Kurt declared.
"It's too bad I can't have you be my dance partner," Rachel said. "I wasn't exactly Miss Popular in the dorms so..."
"What about that boy from the bathroom?" Kurt asked.
Well, maybe that would work. Brody had been nice to her, and he was on good terms with Ms. July, so maybe dancing with him could give her an edge. "I'll ask him if I see him around campus," Rachel said.
"And hey, you showed McKinley your sexy side with that Britney outfit," Kurt said. "How about you do a Britney song?"
"Yes!" Rachel exclaimed. It was nice to have someone here who got her.
x
The next day, Rachel was walking around a park when she saw Brody doing sit ups. Now she didn't have to try to find him on campus. "Hey, Brody!"
Brody looked up. "Hey, Rachel."
"I kind of need to ask you a favor," Rachel began. "So, Cassie said that I, uh, wasn't sexy."
Brody looked like someone had said that the sky was green. "You're crazy sexy."
This boy who was an upperclassmen at a fine New York school had called Rachel sexy? "No, I'm not, but I'd really love it if you would dance with me. 'Cause there aren't enough, you know, guys in my class."
"Cassie doesn't allow upperclassmen to perform in her class," Brody said. "She would have a fit."
Then maybe this wouldn't work. "Got it. Sorry."
Brody smiled. "Which is why it would be so much fun to do it."
Maybe now Rachel could tell Brody what her plan was. "I picked out a song and I need your help with it."
"Tell me what you need me to do," Brody said.
x
Rachel had prepared a dance routine to Britney's Oops I Did It Again with Brody and some of his friends.
Rachel: I think I did it again
I made you believe we're more than just friends
Oh baby
It might seem like a crush
But it doesn't mean that I'm serious
'Cause to lose all my senses
That is just so typically me
Oh baby, baby
You see my problem is this
I'm dreaming away
Wishing that heroes, they truly exist
I cry, watching the days
Can't you see I'm a fool, in so many ways
Oops!... I did it again,
I played with your heart,
Got lost in the game
Oops you think I'm love,
That I'm sent from above,
I'm not that innocent
Oops!... I did it again to your heart
Got lost in the game, oh baby
Oops!...You think that I'm sent from above
I'm not that innocent
Oops!... I did it again
I played with your heart
Got lost in the game, oh baby, baby
Oops you think I'm in love
That I'm sent from above
I'm not that innocent
At the end of the routine, Rachel looked at her teacher. "So what do you think, Ms. July? Am I ready to learn the tango?"
Ms. July didn't look impressed. "Look, you can memorize a routine; so what?"
Brody protested. "Rachel was incredible." He turned to Rachel. "You were incredible."
"She was okay," Miss July said. "And that song? Garbage. Whose idea was that? You want truth? Fine. Maria von Trapp, Willy Loman, Shrek. Those are the roles that are appropriate for your level of sex appeal."
Rachel was tired of a teacher making personal attacks against her. She took it from Sue Sylvester, but she wasn't going to take it here. "You're just jealous of me. Of all of us."
"Rachel, don't," Brody said.
Rachel ignored him. "No, because we have our entire careers ahead of us and yours ended before it even began. We're the future, and you're just some YouTube joke."
"Get out of my class!" Ms. July snapped.
Had Rachel just been kicked out of NYADA? What was she going to do if she was? Would another school even take her?
"Rachel, wait!" Rachel turned behind her and looked to see Brody. "You were great in there," Brody continued.
Rachel was reminded strongly of Jesse St. James. "Yeah, but she told me to get out."
"It's only a warning," Brody explained. "It'll be in the book, but she can't kick you out permanently. You'll still be able to go to class tomorrow."
"Good," Rachel said. "I've got to get home."
x
Rachel tried calling Finn again, but had no luck. This had been one of the worst days in dance class so far. Rachel painted Finn's name on the wall surrounded by a heart. Then she saw Kurt coming up to her. "What do you think? Am I being too obvious?"
Kurt looked sympathetic. "He hasn't called you because he loves you, not because he's forgotten about you. Your freedom is a gift he's given you, accept it."
"I know," Rachel admitted. "It's just so much freedom all at once that it's starting to feel like severe loneliness."
Kurt perked up. "The only cure to loneliness is cake. There's a great Italian bakery down the street." He picked up his wallet.
"You don't mind going out at night?" Rachel asked.
"Oh, no, it's cool," Kurt said. "I guess if I just, you know, walk around like a crazy person yelling at things and twitching, people will keep their distance."
Rachel giggled as she heard a knock on the door. Kurt opened it and Rachel saw Brody there. "Well, hello there, kind sir," Kurt said.
"Hey," Brody said. "Uh, I'm Brody."
"I'm Kurt," Kurt said. "I was just going to go get some cake. I'll leave you two alone."
Why was Brody at Rachel's apartment? Why had he come here without telling her? And why did Kurt assume she'd be comfortable with him? "Wow, this is huge," Brody said as he came in. "Too bad it took me 45 minutes on the train to get here. I've lived here for three years, and I didn't even know there was a J train."
This was even weirder. "Wait, you took the train for 45 minutes just to come and see me?" Rachel asked.
"Yep," Brody said. "Sandwiched between some guy who said he was Jesus and two German tourists who were very lost. But I came here to give you this orchid. Apparently, it's good luck in a new place. And they're kind of sexy for a plant."
Rachel took the flower. "Thank you." This was feeling even more uncomfortable.
"Oh, and I, uh I wanted to tell you something that didn't feel appropriate over text," Brody said.
"What?" Rachel asked.
"That I I really liked dancing with you," Brody said. "And I think that you I think that you're really sexy. And - " He leaned in to kiss Rachel.
Okay, this was definitely not okay. Rachel leaned away. "I can't." She tried to be nice. "I think you are amazing and very, very, very sexy. I just..."
"You're still in love with your boyfriend," Brody interrupted. Well, yes. If Brody was being this way when he thought Finn and Rachel were still together, Rachel didn't want to know how he'd act if he knew they were broken up. "Here's the thing: I will respect your boundaries, but just know that when we're together, whatever we're talking about, whatever we're doing, I'm thinking of kissing you. Enjoy the orchid."
Brody left the apartment, and Rachel couldn't help but think. Wherever Finn was, was he still thinking of her?
She reluctantly began painting over Finn's name. Maybe he was over her and she needed to get over him too.
10 reviews unlock Chapter 73!