Rachel felt much better after talking to Coach Beiste. She already felt more mentally prepared for facing a whole crowd of hangry peers while being slightly hangry herself. There was simply something refreshing about having a teacher be reliable. Rachel wasn't entirely sure when the last time she had that in the Ohio public school system. She was so refreshed, she almost forgot about Finn and the possibility of him still lurking around.

Almost. So she wasn't entirely surprised when she saw Finn and Puck in a brutal game of "don't blink" near the exit, but she was still very disappointed. How foolish was Finn to approach Puck like this after he'd hurt his mother? Did he have no shame? She was going to have to deal with Finn. Frankly, it wasn't fair, but she had yet to experience true fairness on any first day of high school (or average day for that matter). She straightened her shoulders and channeled every terrifying woman she idolized as she marched over.

"Gentlemen," she greeted as she approached them, "you're blocking the exit and class is ending soon. Shall we go our own way as suggested by the ever iconic Fleetwood Mac?"

Finn blinked, whether surprised or baffled Rachel could not tell. However, she did recognize the mulish look that immediately took over his face.

"Rachel, we need to talk. Alone," he stated, glancing at Puck with a scowl.

Puck glared, radiating malice.

"No, actually we don't need to talk right now. You desire to speak with me at the present time, but it isn't something necessary," Rachel pointed out pleasantly. "While I acknowledge that it will probably lead to a more conducive atmosphere if we do talk, I don't believe that doing so at this present time, in the middle of the first day of school, and alone, especially when you have a habit of grabbing me and ignoring my request to be released and so soon after you assaulted Mrs. Puckerman, would be in anyone's best interests. I also don't understand why you would approach me so soon after my father talked to you.

"If you truly think it is necessary to talk to me, it would require advanced notice as well as an agreed upon time and place and a neutral and responsible third party chaperone. If you want someone from Glee, may I recommend Tina or Mike? Not in Glee, Becky would be a no nonsense mediator and wouldn't hesitate to raise an alarm if she thought it was necessary. Though, if we'd like to keep whatever we discuss strictly between ourselves, it would behoove us to make an appointment with–"

"Stop talking!" Finn interrupted, hot red splotches appearing on his cheeks. Puck immediately tensed. "Quit using all these big words to try to confuse me and act superior! You talk a lot for someone who doesn't want to talk! I know you're still upset about our breakup, but this is dumb. I'm not going to get jealous of Puck, so just stop it! And your makeover is terrible, Rachel. You look like a poodle."

"-Miss Pillsbury," Rachel finished, because it was important to finish a thought so someone couldn't claim you hadn't told them something properly. Anger flickered to life inside of her hot and bright. Did this… this… unpleasant being see her as only an extension of himself? Did he think she existed only for his criticism and praise?

"What did you just say?" Puck growled, fists clenching. He was obviously one careless word away from attacking Finn.

"This is none of your business," Finn blustered. "I'm just telling her the truth!"

Rachel immediately put her hand on Puck's shoulder, gently restraining him. "Noah, I have this under control. He isn't worth it. He isn't worth anything in relation to you or me. As for you, Finn, I'll be very clear. I don't want to talk to you today. I'm busy. Maybe later with someone else present. As for my looks, your opinions mean nothing. Now, excuse me, but I have places to be. As do you."

"You can't keep putting this off, I want to talk about it now," Finn replied, that stubborn look still on his face. "Think about how this will affect Glee if we don't clear it up."

Rachel sighed. What was there to clear? He was immature, violent, and a touch homophobic in the way that he didn't hate gay people but in those little ways that almost everyone who grew up in certain environments in the Midwest were. She was quickly reaching the point where she might lash out at him. "I'm a professional. You haven't yet gone past a line that will make me utterly refuse to perform with you. How, I'm unsure. Perhaps it's the skewed sense of morality and tolerance for violence this school seems to foster."

The splotches on Finn's cheeks grew redder. "Maybe I'll have problems performing with you! Maybe I'll miss the performance over lunch."

Rachel stared at him and the smug aura he was radiating, as if he had just played a trump card. It was true that, in the past, Rachel would have begged him to not joke about such a thing or even think of it. She would have gone to incredible lengths to keep him happy, to give him what he wanted, as long as he stayed in Glee and she had a male lead to sing with. She was startled, and relieved, to find that despite the habitual twinge of having her plans disrupted, there was nothing there. She wasn't tied to Finn Hudson, she didn't need him. There were plenty of talented singers in Glee with whom she could sing. If acapella could be done with sock puppets, Glee could be done without Finn. She was done.

"Well," Rachel replied thoughtfully, "I suppose that the words I have left for you are inspired by legendary country music singer and songwriter Joe Diffie and Grammy award nominee Jo Dee Messina. Do what you will, my give a damn is busted."

Finn gaped, obviously caught off guard by her swearing, and Rachel took the opportunity to stride past him with her head held high, dragging Noah with her.

"Try to survive that sick burn," Puck snarled over his shoulder.

Rachel simply kept moving forward, her grip on Puck never relenting. She didn't care how she looked, how they looked marching down the hall as the students spilled out of the classrooms.

"You can't physically injure him unless he attacks first," Rachel said lowly.

"He gets away with everything!" Puck fumed.

"Noah, do you remember what the best revenge is?"

"A good life," he replied, mimicking Miss Pillsbury's voice.

"Well, maybe for other people, but as good Jews we're supposed to be godly aren't we? I don't know if you recall the many readings from the Torah we listened to during childhood, but I remember Him being very, very vengeful. But, we aren't omniscient all powerful beings so–"

"So we can't get caught," Puck finished with a sudden smirk.

"Precisely," Rachel nodded, her being filled with a feverish sense of determination.

"So maybe a bit like second grade then? When people were more terrified when we were quiet?"

"Mr. Leeman didn't appreciate us putting the lesson of killing them with kindness into practice, did he?" Rachel mused.

Puck snorted. "Nope. Planning session sometime this week?"

"Absolutely."