Glee: "Home" (5/ ?)
CHAPTER FOUR
WORKING TOWARDS FORGIVENESS
NOAH'S BEDROOM
It had been a solid seven days since the hallway scene. Things at McKinley High were still up in the air on where they actually stood on the planet Earth now that Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry were friends. Some people were getting used to seeing the tall blond and the smaller brunette walking the hallways together. A lot of people were still upset with this turn of events. They were angry that these two teenage girls had the gall to change how the social of the school was run.
The Glee club were mostly confused about the sudden friendship. All expect Puck. He had known all along that once Quinn decided to show her true heart, and soul that she would become friends with Rachel. He was happy that it happened in their second year of high school - and not when they were adults like he had always figured.
He had always like Rachel Berry; but he was a guy. In the beginning when he met her at the start of preschool - all girls no exceptions …. well expect his mother, grandmother and aunts of course all had cooties. By the time that he decided that girls didn't have cooties … he was all ready swept up into being a typical boy. He wasn't too into signing or always yapping away …. like Rachel was. Then junior high hit and the interest in girls. By then everyone had labeled Rachel as a loser and unworthy of any time. He wanted to be cool …. so he went along with it. High school came around … and he was an freshman …. bottom of the freaking totem pole. He didn't want to remain underneath anyone …. so he quickly manged to raise above the ranks of the lower class man. It was until Kurt joined the foot ball team - and showed him that the geeks were okay to hang out with - that he joined the Glee club. The moment he walked in …. he saw truly how bad things were for Rachel Berry.
Even the gleeks didn't want anything too with her. His heart had literally stopped for a split second as all the missed time had come rushing back to him. He knew then that he had to work his ass off trying to make up for his lack of attention to the girl whom he had always meant to be friends with. He fully knew that she had developed feelings for Finn - but Finn was off dopey eyed with Quinn. Yeah he nailed Quinn pretty damn good and got her pregnant. He had actually fallen for the blond cheerleader whom his best friend was dating. Only because he just knew that Finn truly didn't love her - so Quinn was truly free game. Puck just regretted that he betrayed his best friend by nailing his girlfriend. He should have waited till they had broken up.
Puck being Puck … he figured the only way to get close to Rachel to begin was - was to bang her. When she was so willing in their make out section in her bedroom - he figured that she wanted it as much as he did. So he put his best moves as he moved her to her bed - but then she stopped. He was shocked to the core that Rachel didn't want him inside her. He honestly thought she was just teasing him - so he mocked her. But, one look in her hurt eyes and he knew she meant what she said. He backed off. He didn't want to scare her away from him or anything.
He knew that he couldn't date her because he knew himself too well. He was a sexual active sixteen year old guy - he needed sex. But, he didn't want to hurt Rachel by cheating on her. So he told her the truth and they broke up. She never stopped calling him Noah through - she was the only one besides his mom and sister to call him by his first name. He liked it. It sounded nice coming from the short Diva.
Noah felt like Rachel was his younger sister. A sister whom needed his protection very much. So when he had witnessed the scene in the hallway - his blood had run cold. He had felt such a rush of hatred for what Quinn had done to Rachel that he felt his love for her slip away. How could he love a girl whom willing set out to hurt his sister! He knew that Rachel would slip into the bathroom - the main one that she used whenever she was sluiced. He had expected to find her leaning against the wall with head bowed - or locked in a stall. It crushed him when he found her on the floor holding onto underneath the bathroom sink.
He wanted to kill Quinn Fabray at that moment. Even through she was carrying his daughter. He made up his mind that the moment his daughter was born - he would gain full custody of her and keep her from Quinn's evil clutches.
But; then he knew he was in the wrong the moment that he saw Quinn standing in front of him and Rachel. Even before she spoke he could tell that she truly was broken over the pain she had caused Rachel. When he heard that Rachel understood and accepted that she and Quinn could be friends in the privacy of her home - but not in public - he had watched as unadulterated anger entered her eyes. When she spoke in a soft but very clear voice that she wanted the world to know that she and Rachel were friends - he knew that all was right in his world once more.
GLEE CLASS ROOM
"All right class," Will Schuester said clapping his hands above his head. He had been having trouble getting the attention of his kids for a solid week now. Ever since the amazing news that Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry were friends broke a week ago. He was happy for both of his girls. But, he still had a club to run. He still had to fight for the right to have the funding for Glee at McKinley High.
As everyone finally quieted down and turned to face him, he smiled. "I'm happy that we won Sectionals. That bought us time to prove to the Principal Figgins that McKinley High school deserves to have Glee."
There were rousing cheers from everyone. Will allowed it to go on for a full minute before he raised his hands to quiet them down. He did notice that although Rachel was happy and relieved - she wasn't jumping and down with everyone else. She kept her eyes clued to his face and waited for him to finish what he had to say. She had a confidante look in her eyes - but she had major doubt in them also.
Will watched as Quinn turned to share her excitement with Rachel - when her face turned to somewhat a stone look herself. She opened her mouth to speak - but then her eyes sifted to the Will. He saw the calm resolve over came the blond girl's eyes. That was when he rose his hands for the others to quiet down.
"We still have a long way to go - and such a short time left in the school year. If we don't prove by Regional that we deserve the funding - then McKinley High's Glee club will be finished. For all time." Will paused to allow this to sink in to his kids.
"Don't worry Mr. Schue we'll kick ass." Mike said with a puffed up chest.
"Language." Will sighed.
Mike just shrugged. "All I'm saying is that the competition now knows that we are better then they are. They have all ready tried to cheat their way through Sectional's and they still lost. They now know that we or very own Broadway's future star at McKinley." Mike fist butted with Matt, "We got it in the bag."
Will watched as Rachel's face flushed red, gleefulness in her eyes. But, when he thought she was going to open her mouth, and start going off on herself - she just bowed her head. He watched as Quinn's right hand moved across the space, and rested against the top of her own. He watched the gentle squeeze, and Rachel's head twisted to look at the blond. He saw the slight pink on the short brunette's tanned cheeks.
"I don't want to rest the Glee club solely on Rachel's shoulders." Will said in a quiet but firm voice. "This club is due to all of you kids. If you want it to succeed then each, and everyone of are equally responsible for the success or failure."
Most of the kids just rolled their eyes at this note. He fully knew that these are the kids who would blame Rachel if they lost Glee club. Matt, Mike he knew would be in this group. Santana he wasn't sure about - he had to wait and see. Seven days ago - he would have placed Quinn solidly in this group. But, not any loner.
He knew that Kurt, Mercedes would be at first be inclined to place on Rachel's shoulders - but with some thought they would shoulder their part.
Finn, Puck, Artie, Tina and Brittany would be in the Rachel's camp. They would be surrounding her against the others whom were set on hurting her. He had seen this the moment each one decided to join Glee. He had began to breath a little easier on the Rachel's problem then.
"Now, I want to find a solid voice for us. We all ready have a wonderful duet team out of Finn and Rachel." Finn looked at the back of Rachel's head with a goofy smile. But Rachel just looked forward at him. Will did notice that her eyes shifted towards Quinn every few moments. "We have solid solos with Rachel, Finn, Kurt, and Mercedes."
"We all ready know this Mr. Schue." Kurt waved his right hand over his head.
"I want to find more duet teams, and more soloist. I want to do more group signing." Will said in a firm voice. "So for this weeks assignment I'm going to assign pairs. Mike and Santana, Kurt and Matt, Finn and Tina, Puck and Mercedes, Artie and Brittany, Rachel and Quinn."
"Wait a minute, that's not fair. They are two girls." Kurt said with a deep frown.
"I have also have two guys teamed up." Will said with a shrug.
Matt snorted, "Kurt is more a female than an actual male."
"Mr. Schue if you have to team two girls up, then have Santana and Brittany together - or even Mercedes and Tina." Artie said. "I don't think it's wise to have Quinn and Rachel together."
Quinn watched as Rachel stiffened beside her. She felt her blood begin to boil. How dare they question Mr. Schue's judgment call. How dare they hurt Rachel. She didn't realize that she had stood to her feet. But she whirled around, and faced the ten people whom were behind her. "Why wouldn't Rachel and I make a good team?" She demanded with fire in her eyes.
"I know that you and Rachel would make an awesome team, baby mama." Puck said in a calm and soothing voice. Quinn just graced him with a more heated looked. He just held out his hands in surrender, and allowed her to use her temper.
Quinn looked at everyone in turn, even Finn. "I'm waiting." She jerked Rachel's hand from pulling her down. Looking down, "No Rachel, this isn't right." She looked back at the faces of the rest of the club. "Do you hear me everyone, your -"
Rachel stood to her feet and walked out of the room. Quinn balanced and with one more glare she turned, and rushed after the brunette. "Rachel -" She rushed over to the smaller girl.
Rachel kept walking.
Quinn matched steps with her. She put her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder, and was shocked when the brunette roughly jerked out of her grasp. "Rachel-" She demanded in a harder voice. Rachel stopped suddenly and it took Quinn four steps to realize that she was alone. Turning around; she felt they were suddenly in a Deja Vu moment. Don't lose your temper, Quinn. Don't hurt Rachel. Allow her to explain herself. "Rachel -" She said in a soft voice holding out her right hand for the small Diva to take.
Rachel just folded her arms tightly across her chest. Her breathing came out harshly. "Why did you do it, Quinn? Why did you create such a scene back there."
"They were being rude towards you." Quinn simply. "I couldn't allow that."
"It's nothing new, Quinn." Rachel said with anger in her voice.
"It shouldn't happen." Quinn barked right back. She couldn't help it - her anger rose. She couldn't believe that Rachel was just allowing this abuse to continue. Well she was Quinn Fucking Fabray and she was putting a stop to it right this moment.
"But it does happen." Rachel shouted. She realized where she was and she lowered her voice. "It's nice that you want to be my friend in private, and public, Quinn, but I don't need you to defend me in order for me to know that you are being sincere."
"It's not that, Rachel." Quinn breathed in and out. "I have to defend you now, because I have to make up for every single time that I had hurt you in the past." A lone tear slipped down her cheeks. "I have to prove to you that I mean that I am willing to work for your forgiveness."
"I've forgiven you." Rachel softly said.
"That's what you say, Rachel, but it's not what you mean. I don't expect your forgiveness for a very long time. I have treated you horribly for so many years. Since the first time I first set eyes on you, when during mommy and me classes, and you didn't even have a mommy, just your dads. I knew you were different and I didn't want different in my life. My parents, sister, God my entire family drilled in me that different was bad from the time I was in the womb." Quinn went over Rachel's words.
"Words don't mean anything to me, Rachel, I mean. I can say that I'm sorry. But those are just words. I have to show you that I'm sorry, and that I would never willing hurt you ever again. I have to be the one to protect you from everyone else." Quinn breathed in and out. "It's the only way to prove to you that I do deserve your forgiveness."
"Then we have a problem, Quinn Fabray. I don't see anything that you need to be forgiven for." Rachel said staring across the small distance - but in which felt like a huge distance. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. Not by me."
The two girls just stared at each other with tears rolling down their faces. They didn't know how to overcome this hurdle.
END CHAPTER FOUR
