Fic: I'm Still Waiting For the Rain to Fall - 2/? (R/Q, PG)
Title: I’m Still Waiting For the Rain to Fall (2/?)
Author: an_an0maly
Summary: ...pour real life down on me...
Pairing: Eventual Rachel/Quinn
Rating: PG to NC-17
Word Count: 2,637 / 21,000+
Spoilers: I would like to say that spoilers would probably be from the Pilot to Sectionals. After that, there might be a few smatterings of references to events in the Back 9, but other than that, mainly just references to the first 13 episodes. Also this part has spoilers for To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters unfortunately. Title belongs to Evanescence's 'Good Enough'.
Music: Music that appears in this part: Jingle Bells, Ave Maria and Rumba Toccata.
Betas: grdnofevrythng for final touches in grammar, tenses, spelling etc. and gleek23 for fleshing this out with me almost on a daily basis. *hugs to both of you*.
Thank you again for leaving feedback. It's really nice to know what you all think and letting me know whether you like it or not is great too. Thank you. :D
Previous Parts: Prologue | I |
Part Two:
~*~*~
Rachel’s weeks continued in a very structured, strict and rigid routine. The only change that occurred was during early March when Mr. Schuester finally set a date for the McKinley High Glee Club Invitational. There were to be five other high schools performing two songs each and although Rachel’s focus would usually be on the songs they were to perform, she couldn’t help but think back to her schedule and what she would be missing on a Wednesday night.
She would probably have to miss the Speech Club meeting for that week and she might make it to the first hour of her ballet lesson, but her plans quickly flew out the window when Mr. Schuester announced that as the hosts for the evening, they were to remain at school to rehearse before serving as ushers to their guests and their families.
Rachel knew her father wasn’t going to be too impressed with the setback, but she knew he wouldn’t make a fuss out of it until they were safely tucked away at home.
“You’re going to miss two hours of ballet,” her father had commented when she told him the invitational was during the week.
Rachel had nodded her head to confirm his statement. “Mr. Schuester has requested that the glee club remain after school to rehearse.” Rachel saw her father roll his eyes. “I realize this disrupts my schedule, but you know as well as I do that glee is important.”
Her father sighed as he turned away from her. He placed his hands on his hips and looked over his shoulder at her. Rachel stood with her arms crossed, head held high. “Fine, but I’m calling Jill to organize a one on one session with Susan on the Sunday.”
Rachel briefly entertained the idea of fighting her father on the decision. The old saying about picking your battles ran through her mind, so she just gave a slight nod in agreement. She knew this would mean severe shuffling of her Sunday schedule to try and fit some homework assignments in before Monday, but of all the extracurricular activities she was involved in, glee was probably the one she couldn’t live without.
~*~*~
The morning of the Invitational, Rachel found a note from her father pinned to her weekly schedule. It kindly informed her that she was expected to practice the piano for half an hour after school. Her father had stated that Mr. Schuester had been notified and that she'd have full use of the piano in the music room from 3:00 to 3:30pm. Rachel carefully removed the note and in one quick moment of rebellion she scrunched it up and threw it in the bin.
Breathing out, she turned and took three steps toward the hallway. In a quick panic, she quickly turned back to retrieve the note. She smoothed the creased paper open, carefully making sure to preserve the edges. Folding it in half she carried it with her out the door.
At precisely 2:30 that afternoon, all glee club members had convened in the music room as per Mr. Schuester’s request. Rachel held her piano books and a ring binder close to her chest as she shuffled slightly in her seat. She waited impatiently as Mr. Schue conversed with a few of the band members who had also been asked to attend.
Rachel checked the clock on the wall. Five minutes had passed and she wanted everyone to clear out so she could practice. She quickly raised a hand, high up in the air. When this didn’t seem to deter Mr. Schuester from his conversation, she wiggled her fingers slightly and waved her arm from side to side. “Mr. Schuester?” She called loudly.
Rachel spied Mr. Schuester’s shoulders slump slightly before he turned toward her. “Yes, Rachel?”
She ignored his hands on his hips and his raised eyebrow. “As captain I must insist that we call this meeting to order. We have a very busy schedule to adhere to this afternoon and I think it is imperative we stay on track. Don’t you?” She asked with a pointed look.
Mr. Schuester sighed and dropped his head forward, his chin resting on his chest. “Sure Rachel.”
Rachel beamed as she adjusted the books and binder to rest on her thighs. She straightened her back and shared a grin with Mercedes on her right, who just rolled her eyes and turned to talk to Kurt.
The club meeting lasted no more than ten minutes and only because Noah Puckerman was sidetracked by the definition of ‘escort’.
“You’ll act as their escort.” Mr. Schuester explained with a nod of his head, his hands clasped together.
“Hold up...You’re pimping us out?” Puck had asked his brow furrowed in confusion. Matt elbowed Puck in the side while Mike scrunched his nose up and raised an eyebrow. Mercedes rolled her eyes and Kurt tried to work out how many brain cells Puck actually had.
“Escort, Noah, as in ‘accompanying another to guide, protect or show honor.” Rachel admonished from her seat with a toss of her hair.
Quinn snorted with a wry smile etched on her face. When Noah still looked confused sitting next to an equally confused Finn, Quinn simplified it for them. “Just show the people to their seats.”
Rachel watched as her glee teammates filed out of the music room. She could hear Noah, Mike, Matt and Finn discussing game plays for the upcoming Friday game while Santana and Brittany discussed taking a trip to ‘The Meeting Place on Market’ to grab a snack.
Making a conscious effort to block out their conversation, Rachel made her way to the piano and began to diligently set up her piano books. She lifted the top of the piano and propped it open on the smaller stand. Out of the corner of her eye she spied the music room door wide open. Rolling her eyes at how inconsiderate people could be, she quickly strode over to close the door.
Rachel gingerly made her way back to the piano and took a seat. She shuffled forward on the stool to rest right on the edge. She placed her right foot on the pedal on the right and curled her fingers above the keys. She quickly and efficiently warmed up her fingers playing a few scales and practicing a few daily finger exercises.
When she felt warmed up enough she ran through the first piece she’d be performing for her exam. Her fingers gracefully caressed the ivory keys as her body swayed with the flow of the notes. Her eyes gazed over the upcoming bars, her fingers following seconds behind. She practiced the song through twice more before grinning at her accuracy and tempo.
Turning the pages in her exam book she skipped to the third piece she would be performing for her examination. ‘Rumba Toccata’ by Paul Harvey was a lively piece of music based on the Cuban Rumba. The song was supposed to be played very fast, in a restless agitated style. In other words, it was to be played at 160 beats per minute. It was a fun and lively song but there were still some areas Rachel knew she needed to improve on.
Rachel played the song through once and mentally cataloged the bars she would need to revisit. She played the song through a second time but at a much slower pace making sure to hit every note carefully and accurately.
Working back through the piece, she began to focus on the troublesome areas, particularly the hand change into the ascending C and D♭ scales. She had only been learning the song for two weeks but she just kept moving her fingers to the wrong keys. After the fourth attempt, Rachel balled up her fists in frustration and hit her upper thighs once. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tried to relax and let the piece play her, and not the other way around, but she just couldn’t help but think about what notes were coming next and planning hand movements.
Rachel quickly spied the clock and realized she only had another fifteen minutes left. She shook out her fingers, rotated her neck and took three deep breaths, her eyes firmly remained closed. On her last breath, she opened her eyes and her fingers hovered over the keys and just as she hit that first note, the choir room door opened and she heard a few giggles and some shushing. Ignoring the intrusion Rachel continued playing.
She could feel at least three different pairs of eyes on her back as the newcomers quietly moved toward their seats. Rachel steadfastly ignored her audience as she prepared for the dreaded hand change into the ascending scales. She heard Santana mutter something to her companions and just before the change, Rachel was distracted by Quinn telling Santana to be quiet. Her focus had completely shifted from the notes and keys in front of her that her hands moved of their own accord, hitting every note with precision. Half a minute later and Rachel played the final chords, a grin a mile wide lighting up her face. She couldn’t help but turn toward Santana, Brittany and Quinn to share her excitement, but Santana just raised an eyebrow. “What?” She asked in a bored tone.
Rachel’s grin faltered slightly before she turned quickly back to the piano and her piano book. She couldn’t help but slump her shoulders, not in defeat but in relief. She knew she could do it, she just needed the right focus, or lack thereof.
“S! That’s mean.” Brittany said while lightly slapping Santana’s exposed knee. “Rach, that was really great!”
Rachel instantly perked up and turned back to the trio. “Thank you, Brittany. Your admiration of my excellent skills as a pianist is duly noted.”
Brittany looked toward Santana and Quinn with a confused expression. Quinn watched Rachel with a half smile while Santana rolled her eyes and told Brittany that Rachel said ‘thanks’. Brittany shrugged before jumping out of her seat and skipping over to Rachel’s side. She took a seat practically in Rachel’s lap and grinned at the brunette. “Now play something real.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. “That was something real. It was composed by a Mr. Paul Harvey and will be the third piano piece I will perform for my grade six examination.” Rachel sat up tall, chest puffed out. She reached for the piano book and began flipping the pages to the second piece she would be playing.
Brittany giggled as she reached for Rachel’s hands. “No silly. Play something real,” and with that Brittany spread Rachel’s fingers over the keys before placing her fingers over the keys at the higher end of the piano. “Like this.” Brittany instructed as she started to play random notes that sounded awful and lacked any melody or rhythm.
Rachel couldn’t help but grin at Brittany. “You mean like this?” Rachel asked as she slightly elbowed the tall blond in the side and moved her hands into position and began to softly play the opening chords to Beethoven’s Ave Maria composition. As she moved her right hand up the keyboard striking the chords softly, Brittany’s eyebrows began to furrow in recognition.
A few feet away, Santana and Quinn had been successfully ignoring Brittany and Rachel and had continued their conversation about their current English novel To Kill a Mockingbird. “I had to explain to B over and over and promise that no birds were killed in the book. I don’t know what I’m going to do when Tom tries to escape near the end.”
Quinn looked over at Brittany holding Rachel’s hands in her own. “It depends if Tom’s death is going to be important to the reading assignment. If it is, we’ll sit her down and warn her about it. If it’s not, then I think we can - ”
But she never finished her sentence because Rachel began playing Ave Maria and Quinn felt like she was transported back to the first grade, sitting in the front pew of her family’s church watching her mother standing beside the altar, hands clasped together as she led the congregation in a rendition of Ave Maria. She could practically feel God staring down at her and boring holes into her as punishment for her sins.
“Quinn? Isn’t this - ” Brittany began to ask, her head turned toward Quinn and Santana.
“No.” Quinn quickly interrupted.
Rachel suddenly felt the tension in the room and slowly took her fingers off the keys. Brittany shrugged her shoulders and turned back to Rachel with a grin. “Teach me something?” She asked pleadingly.
Rachel couldn’t help but look passed Brittany to see Quinn bowing her head and Santana placing a tentative hand on Quinn’s knee in what looked to be a sign of comfort. Rachel could see how awkward Santana felt at the action and if the room hadn’t still been filled with such tension, she would have commented on it. Rachel shifted her gaze to meet Brittany’s when she felt the Cheerio tapping her on the shoulder repeatedly.
“Will you?” Brittany asked again, her grin still in place. “Something Christmas-y. It’s my favorite holiday.”
Rachel thought for a few seconds. “Jingle Bells?”
Brittany lunged right for Rachel and wrapped her long arms around the small girl. She squeezed Rachel tightly before shifting in excitement. For the next ten minutes as they waited for the rest of the club to return, Rachel taught Brittany how to play Jingle Bells on the piano. Brittany wasn’t that quick a learner but the two giggled and grinned as Rachel had to help Brittany place her fingers properly on the keys.
Santana and Quinn fell back into their conversation about To Kill a Mockingbird, but Quinn was only half listening as her attention continued to stray to Rachel and Brittany playing around on the piano. She always thought she had Rachel Berry figured out. She would have thought Rachel would get frustrated trying to teach something that seemed so simple. But it appeared that Rachel was the exact opposite. She exuded confidence in her abilities and yes, she could be condescending when offering “assistance” but Quinn realized that no one had ever really just asked Rachel for help.
Quinn continued to watch as Rachel calmly explained to Brittany why the notes needed to be played by specific fingers. This was the third time Rachel explained it, but she didn’t once show frustration. She continued on in a cheery voice with a smile and demonstrated what she had meant. She encouraged Brittany to try and even when Brittany played the same wrong note over and over again, Rachel would tell her to just play the right one and keep going.
“Huh.” Quinn breathed out as she watched Rachel give Brittany a round of applause for her performance.
“What?” Santana asked as she turned to see what Quinn was looking at.
“S! S!” Brittany yelled out in excitement. “Listen!”
Santana watched with rapt attention as Brittany awkwardly played the notes on the piano. When she paused Rachel softly coached her through and when she reached the end, Brittany turned to Santana with a grin.
“B, that was great!” Santana exclaimed proud of her blonde counterpart.
Brittany turned to Rachel and pulled her into another hug. When they pulled apart, Brittany reached for Rachel’s hands. “My Nan is really sick. Her favorite holiday is Christmas. I can’t wait to play it for her next time.” Brittany whispered. Rachel couldn’t help but beam with pride.
“You know where to find me if you want to learn more.” Rachel replied with a smile.
“Thanks, Rach.” Brittany said before she skipped off to sit with Santana leaving Rachel to tidy up her books.
TBC...
Author: an_an0maly
Summary: ...pour real life down on me...
Pairing: Eventual Rachel/Quinn
Rating: PG to NC-17
Word Count: 2,637 / 21,000+
Spoilers: I would like to say that spoilers would probably be from the Pilot to Sectionals. After that, there might be a few smatterings of references to events in the Back 9, but other than that, mainly just references to the first 13 episodes. Also this part has spoilers for To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters unfortunately. Title belongs to Evanescence's 'Good Enough'.
Music: Music that appears in this part: Jingle Bells, Ave Maria and Rumba Toccata.
Betas: grdnofevrythng for final touches in grammar, tenses, spelling etc. and gleek23 for fleshing this out with me almost on a daily basis. *hugs to both of you*.
Thank you again for leaving feedback. It's really nice to know what you all think and letting me know whether you like it or not is great too. Thank you. :D
Previous Parts: Prologue | I |
Part Two:
~*~*~
Rachel’s weeks continued in a very structured, strict and rigid routine. The only change that occurred was during early March when Mr. Schuester finally set a date for the McKinley High Glee Club Invitational. There were to be five other high schools performing two songs each and although Rachel’s focus would usually be on the songs they were to perform, she couldn’t help but think back to her schedule and what she would be missing on a Wednesday night.
She would probably have to miss the Speech Club meeting for that week and she might make it to the first hour of her ballet lesson, but her plans quickly flew out the window when Mr. Schuester announced that as the hosts for the evening, they were to remain at school to rehearse before serving as ushers to their guests and their families.
Rachel knew her father wasn’t going to be too impressed with the setback, but she knew he wouldn’t make a fuss out of it until they were safely tucked away at home.
“You’re going to miss two hours of ballet,” her father had commented when she told him the invitational was during the week.
Rachel had nodded her head to confirm his statement. “Mr. Schuester has requested that the glee club remain after school to rehearse.” Rachel saw her father roll his eyes. “I realize this disrupts my schedule, but you know as well as I do that glee is important.”
Her father sighed as he turned away from her. He placed his hands on his hips and looked over his shoulder at her. Rachel stood with her arms crossed, head held high. “Fine, but I’m calling Jill to organize a one on one session with Susan on the Sunday.”
Rachel briefly entertained the idea of fighting her father on the decision. The old saying about picking your battles ran through her mind, so she just gave a slight nod in agreement. She knew this would mean severe shuffling of her Sunday schedule to try and fit some homework assignments in before Monday, but of all the extracurricular activities she was involved in, glee was probably the one she couldn’t live without.
~*~*~
The morning of the Invitational, Rachel found a note from her father pinned to her weekly schedule. It kindly informed her that she was expected to practice the piano for half an hour after school. Her father had stated that Mr. Schuester had been notified and that she'd have full use of the piano in the music room from 3:00 to 3:30pm. Rachel carefully removed the note and in one quick moment of rebellion she scrunched it up and threw it in the bin.
Breathing out, she turned and took three steps toward the hallway. In a quick panic, she quickly turned back to retrieve the note. She smoothed the creased paper open, carefully making sure to preserve the edges. Folding it in half she carried it with her out the door.
At precisely 2:30 that afternoon, all glee club members had convened in the music room as per Mr. Schuester’s request. Rachel held her piano books and a ring binder close to her chest as she shuffled slightly in her seat. She waited impatiently as Mr. Schue conversed with a few of the band members who had also been asked to attend.
Rachel checked the clock on the wall. Five minutes had passed and she wanted everyone to clear out so she could practice. She quickly raised a hand, high up in the air. When this didn’t seem to deter Mr. Schuester from his conversation, she wiggled her fingers slightly and waved her arm from side to side. “Mr. Schuester?” She called loudly.
Rachel spied Mr. Schuester’s shoulders slump slightly before he turned toward her. “Yes, Rachel?”
She ignored his hands on his hips and his raised eyebrow. “As captain I must insist that we call this meeting to order. We have a very busy schedule to adhere to this afternoon and I think it is imperative we stay on track. Don’t you?” She asked with a pointed look.
Mr. Schuester sighed and dropped his head forward, his chin resting on his chest. “Sure Rachel.”
Rachel beamed as she adjusted the books and binder to rest on her thighs. She straightened her back and shared a grin with Mercedes on her right, who just rolled her eyes and turned to talk to Kurt.
The club meeting lasted no more than ten minutes and only because Noah Puckerman was sidetracked by the definition of ‘escort’.
“You’ll act as their escort.” Mr. Schuester explained with a nod of his head, his hands clasped together.
“Hold up...You’re pimping us out?” Puck had asked his brow furrowed in confusion. Matt elbowed Puck in the side while Mike scrunched his nose up and raised an eyebrow. Mercedes rolled her eyes and Kurt tried to work out how many brain cells Puck actually had.
“Escort, Noah, as in ‘accompanying another to guide, protect or show honor.” Rachel admonished from her seat with a toss of her hair.
Quinn snorted with a wry smile etched on her face. When Noah still looked confused sitting next to an equally confused Finn, Quinn simplified it for them. “Just show the people to their seats.”
Rachel watched as her glee teammates filed out of the music room. She could hear Noah, Mike, Matt and Finn discussing game plays for the upcoming Friday game while Santana and Brittany discussed taking a trip to ‘The Meeting Place on Market’ to grab a snack.
Making a conscious effort to block out their conversation, Rachel made her way to the piano and began to diligently set up her piano books. She lifted the top of the piano and propped it open on the smaller stand. Out of the corner of her eye she spied the music room door wide open. Rolling her eyes at how inconsiderate people could be, she quickly strode over to close the door.
Rachel gingerly made her way back to the piano and took a seat. She shuffled forward on the stool to rest right on the edge. She placed her right foot on the pedal on the right and curled her fingers above the keys. She quickly and efficiently warmed up her fingers playing a few scales and practicing a few daily finger exercises.
When she felt warmed up enough she ran through the first piece she’d be performing for her exam. Her fingers gracefully caressed the ivory keys as her body swayed with the flow of the notes. Her eyes gazed over the upcoming bars, her fingers following seconds behind. She practiced the song through twice more before grinning at her accuracy and tempo.
Turning the pages in her exam book she skipped to the third piece she would be performing for her examination. ‘Rumba Toccata’ by Paul Harvey was a lively piece of music based on the Cuban Rumba. The song was supposed to be played very fast, in a restless agitated style. In other words, it was to be played at 160 beats per minute. It was a fun and lively song but there were still some areas Rachel knew she needed to improve on.
Rachel played the song through once and mentally cataloged the bars she would need to revisit. She played the song through a second time but at a much slower pace making sure to hit every note carefully and accurately.
Working back through the piece, she began to focus on the troublesome areas, particularly the hand change into the ascending C and D♭ scales. She had only been learning the song for two weeks but she just kept moving her fingers to the wrong keys. After the fourth attempt, Rachel balled up her fists in frustration and hit her upper thighs once. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tried to relax and let the piece play her, and not the other way around, but she just couldn’t help but think about what notes were coming next and planning hand movements.
Rachel quickly spied the clock and realized she only had another fifteen minutes left. She shook out her fingers, rotated her neck and took three deep breaths, her eyes firmly remained closed. On her last breath, she opened her eyes and her fingers hovered over the keys and just as she hit that first note, the choir room door opened and she heard a few giggles and some shushing. Ignoring the intrusion Rachel continued playing.
She could feel at least three different pairs of eyes on her back as the newcomers quietly moved toward their seats. Rachel steadfastly ignored her audience as she prepared for the dreaded hand change into the ascending scales. She heard Santana mutter something to her companions and just before the change, Rachel was distracted by Quinn telling Santana to be quiet. Her focus had completely shifted from the notes and keys in front of her that her hands moved of their own accord, hitting every note with precision. Half a minute later and Rachel played the final chords, a grin a mile wide lighting up her face. She couldn’t help but turn toward Santana, Brittany and Quinn to share her excitement, but Santana just raised an eyebrow. “What?” She asked in a bored tone.
Rachel’s grin faltered slightly before she turned quickly back to the piano and her piano book. She couldn’t help but slump her shoulders, not in defeat but in relief. She knew she could do it, she just needed the right focus, or lack thereof.
“S! That’s mean.” Brittany said while lightly slapping Santana’s exposed knee. “Rach, that was really great!”
Rachel instantly perked up and turned back to the trio. “Thank you, Brittany. Your admiration of my excellent skills as a pianist is duly noted.”
Brittany looked toward Santana and Quinn with a confused expression. Quinn watched Rachel with a half smile while Santana rolled her eyes and told Brittany that Rachel said ‘thanks’. Brittany shrugged before jumping out of her seat and skipping over to Rachel’s side. She took a seat practically in Rachel’s lap and grinned at the brunette. “Now play something real.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly. “That was something real. It was composed by a Mr. Paul Harvey and will be the third piano piece I will perform for my grade six examination.” Rachel sat up tall, chest puffed out. She reached for the piano book and began flipping the pages to the second piece she would be playing.
Brittany giggled as she reached for Rachel’s hands. “No silly. Play something real,” and with that Brittany spread Rachel’s fingers over the keys before placing her fingers over the keys at the higher end of the piano. “Like this.” Brittany instructed as she started to play random notes that sounded awful and lacked any melody or rhythm.
Rachel couldn’t help but grin at Brittany. “You mean like this?” Rachel asked as she slightly elbowed the tall blond in the side and moved her hands into position and began to softly play the opening chords to Beethoven’s Ave Maria composition. As she moved her right hand up the keyboard striking the chords softly, Brittany’s eyebrows began to furrow in recognition.
A few feet away, Santana and Quinn had been successfully ignoring Brittany and Rachel and had continued their conversation about their current English novel To Kill a Mockingbird. “I had to explain to B over and over and promise that no birds were killed in the book. I don’t know what I’m going to do when Tom tries to escape near the end.”
Quinn looked over at Brittany holding Rachel’s hands in her own. “It depends if Tom’s death is going to be important to the reading assignment. If it is, we’ll sit her down and warn her about it. If it’s not, then I think we can - ”
But she never finished her sentence because Rachel began playing Ave Maria and Quinn felt like she was transported back to the first grade, sitting in the front pew of her family’s church watching her mother standing beside the altar, hands clasped together as she led the congregation in a rendition of Ave Maria. She could practically feel God staring down at her and boring holes into her as punishment for her sins.
“Quinn? Isn’t this - ” Brittany began to ask, her head turned toward Quinn and Santana.
“No.” Quinn quickly interrupted.
Rachel suddenly felt the tension in the room and slowly took her fingers off the keys. Brittany shrugged her shoulders and turned back to Rachel with a grin. “Teach me something?” She asked pleadingly.
Rachel couldn’t help but look passed Brittany to see Quinn bowing her head and Santana placing a tentative hand on Quinn’s knee in what looked to be a sign of comfort. Rachel could see how awkward Santana felt at the action and if the room hadn’t still been filled with such tension, she would have commented on it. Rachel shifted her gaze to meet Brittany’s when she felt the Cheerio tapping her on the shoulder repeatedly.
“Will you?” Brittany asked again, her grin still in place. “Something Christmas-y. It’s my favorite holiday.”
Rachel thought for a few seconds. “Jingle Bells?”
Brittany lunged right for Rachel and wrapped her long arms around the small girl. She squeezed Rachel tightly before shifting in excitement. For the next ten minutes as they waited for the rest of the club to return, Rachel taught Brittany how to play Jingle Bells on the piano. Brittany wasn’t that quick a learner but the two giggled and grinned as Rachel had to help Brittany place her fingers properly on the keys.
Santana and Quinn fell back into their conversation about To Kill a Mockingbird, but Quinn was only half listening as her attention continued to stray to Rachel and Brittany playing around on the piano. She always thought she had Rachel Berry figured out. She would have thought Rachel would get frustrated trying to teach something that seemed so simple. But it appeared that Rachel was the exact opposite. She exuded confidence in her abilities and yes, she could be condescending when offering “assistance” but Quinn realized that no one had ever really just asked Rachel for help.
Quinn continued to watch as Rachel calmly explained to Brittany why the notes needed to be played by specific fingers. This was the third time Rachel explained it, but she didn’t once show frustration. She continued on in a cheery voice with a smile and demonstrated what she had meant. She encouraged Brittany to try and even when Brittany played the same wrong note over and over again, Rachel would tell her to just play the right one and keep going.
“Huh.” Quinn breathed out as she watched Rachel give Brittany a round of applause for her performance.
“What?” Santana asked as she turned to see what Quinn was looking at.
“S! S!” Brittany yelled out in excitement. “Listen!”
Santana watched with rapt attention as Brittany awkwardly played the notes on the piano. When she paused Rachel softly coached her through and when she reached the end, Brittany turned to Santana with a grin.
“B, that was great!” Santana exclaimed proud of her blonde counterpart.
Brittany turned to Rachel and pulled her into another hug. When they pulled apart, Brittany reached for Rachel’s hands. “My Nan is really sick. Her favorite holiday is Christmas. I can’t wait to play it for her next time.” Brittany whispered. Rachel couldn’t help but beam with pride.
“You know where to find me if you want to learn more.” Rachel replied with a smile.
“Thanks, Rach.” Brittany said before she skipped off to sit with Santana leaving Rachel to tidy up her books.
TBC...