Your Turn [11/?]
Monday
xxx
It was 1PM and Rachel was surfing the internet for party game ideas. She hoped that there would be something creative on the internet so that she wouldn't be subjected to playing Truth or Dare again.
Hey Rach! wanna go out? - Finn
One glance at the text message and the greatest sigh escapes from her mouth.
Finn... -Rachel
Well, as friends, I guess -Finn
You guess? -Rachel
Her eyebrow was raised, as if she were talking to the boy in person.
Okay, let's just go out for dinner okay? I know this Vegan restaurant -Finn
You Can't Stop the Beet? - Rachel
It was a silly and very long restaurant title, but she did enjoy their sauteed veggies. She had only been there twice in her life, once when her parents accepted her veganism and once the other day when she just felt like it.
Yeah, how did you know? -Finn
There aren't many vegan restaurants in our town, Finn -Rachel
Oh, true. lol. Is that a yes or no? -Finn
As friends, right? -Rachel
Yeah, I swear. -Finn
Well thank you then, Finn. You can pick me up around 6. -Rachel
Uh yeah, sure. -Finn.
She sighs into the disconnected line, hoping to her jewish God that everything would turn out okay. Tossing her phone onto her desk, she decides to belt it out to a couple of her Celine Dion CDs.
xxx
Her day felt like a crazy haze, from singing to dancing to watching a movie with her fathers. 4 hours passed by quickly and Rachel was beginning to sweat.
She gave herself an hour to prepare physically and mentally. Usually she'd be ecstatic to go on a date with Finn, not like she wasn't happy right now, but she just knows that the boy was thinking of something. Would he make a move on her? Of course, he's probably still in love with her.
Her pacing lasted for 30 minutes, and the second the young star glances at the clock, she panics and makes a run for her wardrobe.
"Should I try it again?" she mumbles to herself, looking through her closet for a pair of her new clothes, "No, all my feelings for him are completely platonic. It wouldn't be fair to lead him on." She picks the plain black shirt to wear with a previously owned plaid skirt.
It was 5:45 and she was finally dressed. Her hair was combed like normal, no sad clown make up, and she looked not too casual but not date formal. After staring at herself in the mirror for another 10 minutes, she finally had the guts to breathe and make her way downstairs.
DINGDONG
Strange. It was the first time Finn was early for any of their dates. Kissing her fathers on the cheek as a farewell, she opens the door to face the usual, dopey face of one Finn Hudson.
"Good evening, Finn," she says as she closes the door.
"You look nice, Rachel," he replies, opening the door to his car for her.
Finn was always a gentleman, and his stupidity and slow ness was quite adorable to be honest. He was always so kind to her, so supportive, even when no one else was. And that's what made him such a good friend. Rachel knew that she was in love with him for the longest time, but now that spark just wasn't there anymore.
"Thank you," she finally responds as he got into the drivers seat next to her.
The drive was a bit longer than Breadsticks seeing that it wasn't as popular. In the car Finn didn't have the radio on and every few seconds he would turn to look at Rachel.
"So how was your day?" he asks, that goofy lopsided grin stuck on his face.
"It was good. I did a run through of Celine Dion's greatest hits then reviewed some dance steps to make sure I wasn't getting rusty. Afterwards, my dads and I watched Beauty and the Beast."
"Sounds like fun," he replies simply, "That's the movie with the talking candle, right?"
Rachel couldn't help but laugh at this, and Finn takes it as a good sign.
"I like Disney movies, although I don't really watch them too often."
"Which one's your favourite?"
"Um, I don't remember what it's called. But uh, maybe 'Under the Sea'?"
Rachel laughs again, "It's 'The Little Mermaid', Finn."
The rest of the car ride consisted of discussions involving the possibility of singing animals and the existence of mermaids. Rachel found it nice to talk to him like this again, like everything was okay. Finn however, was only warming up.
xxx
At the restaurant, the two end up sitting in a booth by the window.
"So, Rach, what do you recommend?" Finn asks, looking extremely and utterly confused by the menu choices.
"I always eat the sauteed mixed vegetables, they are very delectable and it comes with dairy-free ice cream."
He nods at her, "Okay, then I'll get that too."
Rachel was hoping so much that maybe Finn got the point by now. He wasn't flirting so it was a good sign. After the tall boy flagged the waiters down and ordered their meal, she was about to continue their conversation on Disney classics.
That was until he started playing footsies under the table.
She tried her best to ignore it, by shuffling her feet and such. Her face remained smiling while he stared at her with that grin of his. No one said anything.
"Ow!" he accidentally kicked her while she tried to dodge his feet.
"Oh, sorry Rach!"
"I-It's okay Finn," she mutters weakly, "That's just...going to leave a minor bruise, that's all."
He sighs heavily, before taking a sip of his coke and rubbing his face with his hands, "Damn..."
"Finn," she says, inching closer towards him, "I thought I made this clear..."
"I know, I know, Rachel," he retorts, his voice raising in volume. "But, I...I love you."
She knew the words were coming, and honestly she wanted to just block out every thing he said, but that wouldn't be fair to him or herself. They needed to clear this up.
"Thank you, Finn," was all she could think of in the moment.
"And I know you love me too."
"And what makes you assume that?"
"You're the one who kissed me first before Regionals! You were all over me after I told you I loved you! You're the one I made out with two weeks ago! You're my girlfriend!"
"I was your girlfriend, Finn."
"What happened, Rach? I just don't get it."
"I...sorry Finn, this is all my fault."
He looks at her, a bit hopeful, but the look of a wounded puppy wouldn't stray from his features.
"I was madly in love with you, I'll admit that. But now, now I'm not. However, please hear me when I say that I want us to stay as friends. You're one of my closest, if not my best friend, Finn. Please don't take that away from me."
"You took my girlfriend away from me."
"Must you be so difficult? Finn, I'm sorry. But it would be unfair to me and to you if I were to force my feelings."
He grabs her hands and fixes his gaze on her, breaking up when the meal arrives. The two end up eating in silence for about 15 minutes.
After 20, Finn gets sick of vegetables, but tries to stomach it anyway.
"Finn," Rachel finally speaks up, breaking the eerie silence. "You know, I would've been fine with eating at Breadsticks."
"But, you're a vegan and-"
"They have a wonderful selection that I can easily choose from, Finn."
"I just...I wanted to show you that I really care about your strict diet and I wanted to show you that I can do it too, if you want me to."
Another moment of silence before the Berry breaks out into laughter.
"You think that I want you to convert into a Vegan?"
"Well, I thought you'd like that."
"Finn, you truly are a sweet heart." That gets her a smile. "But you don't have to change for me, you know that. I'm very aware of my eating habits and how difficult it could be for us to eat a meal, but I don't require for the person whom I'm dating to eat exactly the way I do."
"But-"
"You're a growing boy, Finn."
"You got mad about the pepperoni pizza."
"That doesn't mean you had to take this second chance so seriously as to take me to a vegan restaurant."
"But Rachel, I love you and I-"
"Please, Finn, that's enough."
She stands up from her position and leans over to kiss him on the forehead, "Thank you for the meal, Finn. Please, don't hate me for this. Don't ruin what we have, we can always be friends." And with that she walked away, leaving the boy to down two bowls of oddly tasting ice cream by himself.
"I could never hate you, Rachel." He decides to send one last text for the evening before he forgets.
Sorry -Finn