Not over you, chapter 1
He showed up stag, as always, hoping to score with a former cheerio (for a second or third time, probably). He sauntered into the gymnasium, trying not to look around at all the decorations (being excited about returning to your old stomping grounds is so not badass) but he was amazed with how different the place looked. The bleachers had been replaced and the walls painted, not to mention they’d gotten new basketball hoops, meaning the place where he scratched their initials into the paint was dead and gone.
She chewed her lip nervously as she walked in with Ben on her arm. They’d only been dating for a few weeks, yet she’d somehow convinced him to fly all the way to Ohio with her so she wouldn’t have to go alone. She never goes to any event alone, especially not after… it. She stopped him to fix his tie and ask him how she looked for the tenth time before walking through the gym doors. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him. She could always feel him.
Ben kissed her temple and smiled at her before walking away to get them something to drink. She was amazed at how much he’d changed in the few weeks they’d been seeing each other. When she met him, he was just some badass bouncer at her favorite club in the city. Well, he still was all those things, but he also happened to be an awesome boyfriend and an even better date. Every event she’d dragged him to, he’d gotten her drinks and smiled silently as she mingled and told stories about crazy things that happened backstage and on-stage.
As Ben walked off, she found an empty table and sat down, letting out a sigh. Before she could even take a good look around, she was being bombarded by half of her old glee club. Tina and Artie started yammering on about married life, Sam and Quinn were pulling out photos of their two year old, Christopher, and Finn and Santana just rolled their eyes as they ran their hands up and down the other’s thigh (they were happily together as fuck buddies, and not embarrassed to let everyone know). Then they all started asking questions about Rachel’s life-how was life on Broadway, was playing Elphaba everything she dreamed it’d be, was she engaged or married, with a kid on the way? Rachel just sat back in her chair, eyes wide as she tried to absorb all the information and questions being thrown at her. Just when she thought she might scream, Ben was at her side handing her a glass of red wine, which she promptly downed.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before smiling sweetly and speaking over the chatter at the table. “Everyone, this is Ben. He’s a good friend of mine from the city.” Her friends gave him the once over, and Finn raised an eyebrow as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Any chance he used to have a mohawk, Rach?” She turned to glare at him, rasping angrily, “Shut up, Finn. It’s been five years, just don’t, okay?” He nodded a little, taking a sip of his beer as something across the room caught his eye.
Puck was reenacting his old football victory dance for some past Cheerio who’d clearly gotten a boob job. Finn rolled his eyes, smirking as he elbowed San and nodded his head in Puck’s direction to get her to notice. When she let out a loud laugh, Rachel and the rest of the table all turned their attention to Puck.
Rachel felt her breath catch her throat. She knew he’d be here. She’d hoped and prayed he wouldn’t, but she knew he would. Any chance to show his old classmates he wasn’t a Lima loser was a golden opportunity, in his mind. Bragging about working at one of the most popular nightclubs in Los Angeles had been a favorite pastime of his over the last few years. It also happened to work wonders in getting the ladies into bed and out of their clothes (not that he needed any help in that department. He's still a sex shark).
She tried to swallow but her mouth felt like it was lined with sandpaper, so she stood up and excused herself from the table to get something to drink. Everything went fuzzy around her as she made her way to the drink table. She didn’t even notice him until he had his hand on her shoulder and her eyes were meeting his.
“You look good, Rach.” She nodded slowly, wanting to step away from him but unable to move her feet. “So do you, Noah. I see you’re here alone.” He just shrugged, dropping his hand back to his side. “Yeah, easier to find willing chicks that way, don’t you think?”
She looked away from him to hide the hurt in her eyes. But he saw it, and immediately regretted what he’d said. “Look, I just mean… It’s easier to be alone. That’s all, I guess.” He shrugged again and she turned to look up at him. “I brought my… Ben. We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks.” She tried to be discreet as she pointed in Ben’s direction, then tried to ignore Noah’s bitter laugh.
“Couldn’t find anyone with a ‘hawk as sweet as mine, huh Rach?” Her cheeks flushed red. “I’ll have you know he’s an incredible man. He has a steady job as a bouncer at my favorite club, he plays guitar in a band, and he’s deeply talented.”
His jaw clenched as he turned to take a good look at the douche who was like a less hot version of himself. “Sounds like you found the perfect guy, then. Congrats. Looks like you won’t be having any repeats of that night.” She shook her head, her lips tight as she looked down at her shoes.
“No, I don’t anticipate Ben breaking up with me during a huge industry event. He’s a perfect gentleman. Just like you used to be.” Looking away from him, she reached to grab a glass of wine from the drink table and chugged it faster than her first. He rolled his eyes. “Great. Then you’ve got it all figured out. Sounds like you’re back to the fearless Rachel you used to be.”
Worrying her lower lip between her teeth, she flicked her gaze up to meet his. She shook her head as her voice got eerily quiet. “No, I’m not. I’m afraid… that I’m only interested in him, because he reminds me of you.” He refrained from letting out an audibly relieved sigh as their eyes locked. “Does that mean I have a type, or does it mean I still love you?”
He swallowed hard, reaching his hand out slightly to brush her arm. “Rach… We can’t do this. Not here.” Glancing over at her asshat of a date, he leaned in to speak lowly in her ear. “Please, come find me tomorrow. I’ll be visiting Burt at the shop, and I really need to see you again.” Her eyes were wide with shock when he pulled back to look at her. She nodded before she even realized what she was agreeing to, and picked up another glass of wine before returning to her table and her date, glancing back at Puck only once.
She chewed her lip nervously as she walked in with Ben on her arm. They’d only been dating for a few weeks, yet she’d somehow convinced him to fly all the way to Ohio with her so she wouldn’t have to go alone. She never goes to any event alone, especially not after… it. She stopped him to fix his tie and ask him how she looked for the tenth time before walking through the gym doors. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him. She could always feel him.
Ben kissed her temple and smiled at her before walking away to get them something to drink. She was amazed at how much he’d changed in the few weeks they’d been seeing each other. When she met him, he was just some badass bouncer at her favorite club in the city. Well, he still was all those things, but he also happened to be an awesome boyfriend and an even better date. Every event she’d dragged him to, he’d gotten her drinks and smiled silently as she mingled and told stories about crazy things that happened backstage and on-stage.
As Ben walked off, she found an empty table and sat down, letting out a sigh. Before she could even take a good look around, she was being bombarded by half of her old glee club. Tina and Artie started yammering on about married life, Sam and Quinn were pulling out photos of their two year old, Christopher, and Finn and Santana just rolled their eyes as they ran their hands up and down the other’s thigh (they were happily together as fuck buddies, and not embarrassed to let everyone know). Then they all started asking questions about Rachel’s life-how was life on Broadway, was playing Elphaba everything she dreamed it’d be, was she engaged or married, with a kid on the way? Rachel just sat back in her chair, eyes wide as she tried to absorb all the information and questions being thrown at her. Just when she thought she might scream, Ben was at her side handing her a glass of red wine, which she promptly downed.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before smiling sweetly and speaking over the chatter at the table. “Everyone, this is Ben. He’s a good friend of mine from the city.” Her friends gave him the once over, and Finn raised an eyebrow as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Any chance he used to have a mohawk, Rach?” She turned to glare at him, rasping angrily, “Shut up, Finn. It’s been five years, just don’t, okay?” He nodded a little, taking a sip of his beer as something across the room caught his eye.
Puck was reenacting his old football victory dance for some past Cheerio who’d clearly gotten a boob job. Finn rolled his eyes, smirking as he elbowed San and nodded his head in Puck’s direction to get her to notice. When she let out a loud laugh, Rachel and the rest of the table all turned their attention to Puck.
Rachel felt her breath catch her throat. She knew he’d be here. She’d hoped and prayed he wouldn’t, but she knew he would. Any chance to show his old classmates he wasn’t a Lima loser was a golden opportunity, in his mind. Bragging about working at one of the most popular nightclubs in Los Angeles had been a favorite pastime of his over the last few years. It also happened to work wonders in getting the ladies into bed and out of their clothes (not that he needed any help in that department. He's still a sex shark).
She tried to swallow but her mouth felt like it was lined with sandpaper, so she stood up and excused herself from the table to get something to drink. Everything went fuzzy around her as she made her way to the drink table. She didn’t even notice him until he had his hand on her shoulder and her eyes were meeting his.
“You look good, Rach.” She nodded slowly, wanting to step away from him but unable to move her feet. “So do you, Noah. I see you’re here alone.” He just shrugged, dropping his hand back to his side. “Yeah, easier to find willing chicks that way, don’t you think?”
She looked away from him to hide the hurt in her eyes. But he saw it, and immediately regretted what he’d said. “Look, I just mean… It’s easier to be alone. That’s all, I guess.” He shrugged again and she turned to look up at him. “I brought my… Ben. We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks.” She tried to be discreet as she pointed in Ben’s direction, then tried to ignore Noah’s bitter laugh.
“Couldn’t find anyone with a ‘hawk as sweet as mine, huh Rach?” Her cheeks flushed red. “I’ll have you know he’s an incredible man. He has a steady job as a bouncer at my favorite club, he plays guitar in a band, and he’s deeply talented.”
His jaw clenched as he turned to take a good look at the douche who was like a less hot version of himself. “Sounds like you found the perfect guy, then. Congrats. Looks like you won’t be having any repeats of that night.” She shook her head, her lips tight as she looked down at her shoes.
“No, I don’t anticipate Ben breaking up with me during a huge industry event. He’s a perfect gentleman. Just like you used to be.” Looking away from him, she reached to grab a glass of wine from the drink table and chugged it faster than her first. He rolled his eyes. “Great. Then you’ve got it all figured out. Sounds like you’re back to the fearless Rachel you used to be.”
Worrying her lower lip between her teeth, she flicked her gaze up to meet his. She shook her head as her voice got eerily quiet. “No, I’m not. I’m afraid… that I’m only interested in him, because he reminds me of you.” He refrained from letting out an audibly relieved sigh as their eyes locked. “Does that mean I have a type, or does it mean I still love you?”
He swallowed hard, reaching his hand out slightly to brush her arm. “Rach… We can’t do this. Not here.” Glancing over at her asshat of a date, he leaned in to speak lowly in her ear. “Please, come find me tomorrow. I’ll be visiting Burt at the shop, and I really need to see you again.” Her eyes were wide with shock when he pulled back to look at her. She nodded before she even realized what she was agreeing to, and picked up another glass of wine before returning to her table and her date, glancing back at Puck only once.