Black Keys
Black Keys
Tagline: “A perfect rainbow never seemed so dull.”
Summary: Love and Lust. Determination and Desire. Feelings and Sex. Student and Teacher. Right and Wrong. Those lines just keep blurring for Rachel Berry lately.
Spoilers: None, seeing as how this story is completely, painfully AU
Rated: Mature Audiences Only!
Pairing: Quinn/Rachel. Rachel/Finn
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings and events thereof, are properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Chapter One: New Beginnings
There is nothing but silence radiating from the music room now; usual, harsh, silence. The piano that once brought so many ballads to life with the softest melodies now sits, disregarded, collecting dust in the corner of the room by itself. The guitars that once bounced with rock music as fingers slipped ever so elegantly across the strings, changing cords, now stand lonesomely behind the stage. The harmonies that were once created by the different vocals that filled the room, fall away in the silence. The harmony, the melody, the music, dying with every tick of the large clock on the wall.
To say Rachel Berry is a patient person may be as far from the truth as one could get, but today is different. Today instead of the hostile complaints, the hard sighs, the desperate shake of her crossed leg, she remains still and silent. There is no hard glances at the large clock on the wall, no mumbled curses about how unprofessional it is to keep someone waiting this long without so much as a phone call. No, today is far different. Instead, she only sits, her legs crossed, taking in the moment, breathing it in, with every beat of her fragile heart.
There is something about today, something out of the ordinary, something magical, something in the air that Rachel could not quite ignore. She feels as if her life is drastically going to change today, she just doesn't know when or how.
Glancing around the music room, her eyes find those of Finn Hudson's carefully studying her face. The blush quickly appears within her cheeks, the giggle dancing in the back of her throat but she forces to keep it suppressed, even if just for the moment. She supposes it is inevitable really, the flirting, the chemistry, the stolen glances and secret smiles. He is the star of the football team and she, the brightest shinning star of the Glee club. He is beautiful and girls are literally lining up to be with him so she knows that she should feel something when he flirts with her, when his eyes meet hers. Except she doesn't and she fails to understand why. He could love her, this she knows, but it is not that kind of love that she's striving for.
“This is lame. Let's just bounce,” The voice of Noah Puckerman breaks through the barrier of uncomfortable silence that fills the room. Her amber eyes shift to his earthly toned skin, his tight muscles that fill out his muscle shirt and his chestnut eyes that now flash with impatience and frustration. She smiles faintly at him, at the impatience and frustration, perhaps she truly is the only one to understand him. For Noah Puckerman is a log of things, athletic, cocky and rude to name a few but under all of those acts, there is a heart of gold. A heart that only Rachel Berry has seen.
“While I agree that it is completely unprofessional to keep one waiting for such a long period of time and if this was anything else, I would agree with marching out of this room, perhaps we should be patient. Maybe they are worth waiting around to see the grand entrance I am sure they are going to make,” replies Rachel in her familiar matter-of-factly voice. Groans and mumbled curses fall from the pursed lips of her peers, the entire group seemingly agitated with the increasing wait and she doesn't know why she expected more from them. To their groans and curses, Rachel only sighs in exasperation at their immaturity and impatience. Clearly they had failed to understand the meaning that comes with the statement “good things come to those who wait.”
“Come on, Berry. You and I both know that this dude is just going to be some stupid Lima loser who failed at making his big break on Broadway and decided to fulfill his mission in life by teaching us the poor, unappreciated youths how to carry a note. This is just pointless,” Noah grumbles, his dark eyes finding Rachel's amber brown. She remembers the time they spent together, his mouth upon hers, their fingers laced together. It was a love that was destined to fail from the beginning; a silly, pointless, irrelevant fling but she still can't help but believe that she knows him better than anyone.
“Yeah. Mr. Schuester would have never made us wait this long,” This voice belongs to Santana who is now running her fingers through her hair, twirling the jet black curl between her index and middle finger. Santana Lopez, the head cheerleader of the Sue's slightly vicious cheer leading squad is far from any one that Rachel ever truly wants to associate herself with. Clashing personalities would lead to a terrible friendship, she nods quietly to herself. Santana is far too head strong for her liking, too arrogant, too snippy. But she has to admit, she does have very nice vocals, a very strong and sound voice and certainly, she smirks, she isn't too hard to look at either.
“Yeah! Mr. Schue was always on time. He never held us late,” Tina voices her opinion and Rachel can only roll her eyes at this. Such impatience, she groans inwardly. What is so important that they must run home to? She wonders to herself, quietly picking at the strings upon her pencil skirt. Homework? As if. Family? It is quite obvious that family life in Lima, Ohio is anything but ordinary; especially when her two gay dads are the most stable parents of this tiny group.
“It is true that Mr. Schuester was never late but that is not the point. Mr. Schuester is no longer employed by William McKinley High. He took a leave of absence after his wife faked her pregnancy. We have to respect his decision to want some time to himself. What Mrs. Schuester was terribly selfish and cruel, perhaps Mr. Schue needs time to get on his feet again. To learn to trust and become himself again instead of an angry, bitter man. We have to respect his decision. And by respecting his decision, we must have patience and be welcoming to the new teacher,” Rachel explains in her ever so professional voice. There is a few incoherent mumbles and groans from the teenagers that surround her and Rachel must remind herself exactly of that.
They are teenagers. Teenagers who care more about going shopping or going to cheer leading practice than actually making a good impression on someone who could help start their vocal career. Teenagers who care more about jumping in bed with one another unprotected than making it to Regionals and getting the much needed attention they deserve. Teenagers who certainly know nothing of self respect, let alone, respect for someone else.
“Yeah, come on guys. Mr. Schue is gone. No amount of whining or complaining is going to bring him back. He is gone. He's not going to come back for a while. The least we could do is make him proud by showing the new guy exactly what we can bring to the table. We can be respectful and patient and prove to the new guy that we are worth his time and effort because together we may actually have a chance at winning regionals,” Finn jumps to Rachel's defense.
“Don't be ridiculous, Finn. Without Schue, we are toast at regionals. We will make a mockery of ourselves,” Kurt's soft voice echoes over the hushed whispers. Finn only shakes his head, his dark brown eyes flickering from Rachel's all too perfect face to study the group around him, the group who clearly has already given up before even starting.
“But you don't know that! Not until you give this guy a shot! This guy could be the best of the best! He could be better than Schuester! He could be the star of Broadway whose dream is to help kids like us make it to the big stage because maybe secretly he was a kid like us too. Maybe this guy is a mega star with a voice to die for or maybe he just knows his way around the biz and knows how to get us noticed. We have to give him a chance, if not for him but for Mr. S,” Finn explains, with a half smile turning upon his lips when he finds Rachel smiling at him. To this, there is only a bellow of laughter that escapes from Noah Puckerman. With a chuckling snort, the jock places his hand upon Finn's shoulder, shaking his head from one side to the other, a familiar smirk appearing upon his face.
“Man, shut up. None of us can take you seriously when you are talking shit like that. We all know that the only reason that you are saying all this mumbo-jumbo about “giving him a chance” and “making it big” is because you want to make Berry over there swoon. Don't even try to pretend like you give a rat's ass about what you're saying because the only reason that you are saying it is to get in her pants,” Noah laughs, slapping Finn's shoulder rather hard.
“Dude!” Finn groans, clearly mortified that his friend would dare say such a thing, let alone say such a thing in front of Rachel. It doesn't take long for the blush to appear within Rachel's round cheeks, her slanted eyes studying the boys and her lips parted in the utmost disgust that such a thing be said.
“No, no. It's true. You've been wanting to get in her pants since the first grade. It's quite pathetic really at how painfully obvious in love with her you are,” Kurt exclaims with a roll of his eyes, turning his attention back to Mercedes who sits to the left of him. Rachel shakes her head, raking her fingers through her hair as she tries to control herself.
“Noah Puckerman that was completely unnecessary,” Rachel scolds and Noah only chuckles.
“Oh? Did I hurt the feelings of the little princess? Come on, Berry. You know that it's the truth but you're married to the music, to being the top dog and I'm tired of watching my best friend here waste his life away on a chick that cares more about singing to a bunch of strangers that being with someone who could actually love her. I'm tired of waiting. Clearly this Lima loser is a no show. Let's just bounce. Who is with me?!” Noah exclaims, standing up as he takes his Letterman jacket from the back of the chair. Rachel only sits, still as sitting, her eyes watching the group of peers that surround her but nobody moves. As impatient as they are, they all remain still and silent, all watching Noah in his frustration.
“What? You guys are going to sit here and complain about it but when it actually comes to doing something for yourself and making a stand, you're just going to stay here? Unbelievable. Have fun, Berry. Your mindless zombies are clearly respecting you and this Lima loser, you're getting exactly what you want. Surprise, surprise,” Noah grumbles bitterly, slipping his muscular arms through the Letterman jacket, popping his collar dramatically.
“Excuse me, is this the music room?” A warm, unfamiliar voice catches every one off guard. Rachel tears her eyes away from Noah's masculinity to find the rather young woman standing in the doorway. A wave of comfort rushes over her, a wave of familiarity, of happiness; all of which she could not quite understand at the moment. The young woman stands quietly, her eyes glancing over the group of kids before a smile tries to tug upon her slender lips. Her blond hair hangs in delicate waves around her shoulders, her dark eyes alive with the utmost wonder and excitement. She is wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, something that Rachel can not help but roll her eyes inwardly over, a white blouse with a red vest and a lovely black fedora. She is quite fashionable, Rachel sighs with a swift nod of her head, and quite beautiful, even if she must say so herself.
“Yes. Yes it is,” Rachel speaks before she is even aware the words have left her mouth. With a groan, she closes her eyes shut tightly, shaking her head carefully, allowing a tumbling curl to escape from behind her ear. The young girl breathes out a sigh in relief, a warm smile quickly playing upon her seemingly perfect face. She enters the room, a bag upon her arm and the music notes quickly catches Rachel's amber eyes.
“Good. I didn't want to show up to the wrong place... again,” The blond haired beauty replies with a nervous giggle. She drops the bag onto the black piano, creating a sound that echoes through the silence as nobody dares to speak. Instead, every pair of eyes are fixated upon the woman that has just entered the room, just entered their lives, perhaps with more to offer than any of them would ever understand. Rachel watches the young woman intently as she opens her bag, shifting through what sounds to be piles of paper. Without even looking, she can tell that she is unorganized and the thought of this only makes her smile, maybe she will teach her something if she sticks around long enough.
“You are new here, aren't you?” Kurt is the first one to break through the uncomfortable silence and it startles the young woman. With a slight jump, the young woman's purse it sent tumbling to the floor and a mess of papers, books and pens are scattered around her in a disastrous mess. With a smile, Rachel stands and approaches the young woman, bending down carefully with a hand upon her skirt and helps the young woman gather her things.
“Yeah. It's my first day. Is it that noticeable?” The young woman asks with a nervous laugh, a familiar smile upon her face. Gathering the papers in her hand, the curiosity gets the best of Rachel as she glances down at the music sheets in her hands filled with black ink of notes and lyrics. Scanning them carefully, she hears the melody in the head, the lyrics fitting perfectly in rhythm of the four measured beats. She may be new to Lima, Rachel thinks to herself, but she certainly is not new to a life of music.
“Only a little. Your nervousness is perceptive. But mostly, the only reason I knew that you were new here is because of your fashion choice. No one here seems to quite understand the importance of fashion as I do so I would have known if there was someone else at McKinley High who paid as much attention to their clothing choices as I do. You are a good change to the terribly unfashionable world I am living in,” Kurt groans with a shake of his head, squinting his eyes in despair at the group that surround him. After gathering all the paper in her hand, Rachel reaches the paper to the beautiful stranger and the blond only smiles at her. Taking the papers in her hand, their hands touch, skin briefly meeting and it sends a shock through Rachel, a shock that she can not comprehend.
“Thank you,” The blond smiles and Rachel only nods her head in response.
“S-sure,” Rachel replies with a stutter and the blond smirks before she places the papers back into her bag. She is familiar to her, although she can not quite pin point the when or the where. She has seen her before, maybe only in passing but she is not a stranger. Noah extends his hand to the lovely blond who smiles up at him, placing her palm within his, allowing her to help her up from the floor.
“My name is Noah. But you can call me Puck, baby. And yes, it does rhyme with something else that I also do really well besides sing,” Noah smiles, batting his long eyelashes at the girl who only forces a laugh.
“You think you are quite the charmer, don't you? I bet girls here just fall all over a boy like you with that Letterman jacket and that tan skin and those long eyelashes,” The girl states and Noah only shrugs his shoulders with a warm smile, a true smile, one that Rachel has missed seeing from his face as of late.
“What can I say? Girls love the Puck,” Noah grins and she laughs, placing her hand upon his shoulder.
“Well not this girl. So, please stop trying to put on the charm because it just makes you look like a fool,” She replies with a giggle and the whole room bursts out in laughter. Noah grumbles incoherently what can only be presumed as curses as he once again pops his collar, pushing his hands deep within his pockets as his cheeks turn a bright shade of red.
“See, Noah. Not every girl likes to be charmed,” Rachel replies. The hazel eyes of the blond flicker over to study Rachel's face as she smiles at Noah and she can't help the smile from forming upon her lips as well. There is something about her, something that she just can't quite put her finger on.
“You'd know, wouldn't you Berry?” Noah snaps bitterly.
“Okay! If you two love birds would like to stop flirting now, I would love to get to know every one. New girl, new place, it makes me a whole lot more comfortable if I can put names with faces. So, let's see. There's Noah Puckerman who I assume is on the football team because he is wearing that Letterman jacket. And..” The young girl's voice trails off as the group manages to pitch in, introducing themselves and telling a few things about themselves to make the new girl less socially awkward.
To say the kids at McKinley High were selfish well... it wasn't really that much of a lie but they were friendly and welcoming, even when they are impatiently waiting for someone who they view as a 'Lima Loser'. One by one, they come together to introduce themselves; Artie Abrams, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang, Finn Hudson, Matt Rutherford, Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez, and Brittany Pierce. All eleven, including Noah, socially and ethnically different, all eleven possessing different qualities and characteristics that she is sure she will enjoy learning.
“Right. So let's see if I get this right. You're Artie, Mike, Tina, Finn, Matt, Kurt, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany, Noah and you,” The young blond stops, pointing to Rachel who stands, her face emotionless, staring back at her. She fights the smile that wants to form on her face and instead only shakes her finger at her, “what's your story?'
“Oh this girl? This girl right here is the princess. You have to worship at her feet, follow her around like a little lost puppy and sing her high praises because apparently this girl is the reason that we all breathe. In fact, according to her, we are even lucky to be in her presence,” Puck mocks her tauntingly, waving his hands and Rachel sighs dramatically, raking her hand through her hair with a simple shake of her head.
“Ignore him. My name is Rachel Berry. I'm the star of the Glee Club,” Rachel smiles brightly, proud of herself, “this club was nothing but a few outcast kids but I was the one who brought us all together. Well, with the help of Mr. Schue of course. Now we have some of the best vocals in the region, perhaps even in the entire state! But I'm the star. I'm the leading vocal. Now, you are new here so you don't quite understand but I usually get what I want and I am usually the lead of every performance.” To this, the blond only laughs, surprised at how daring the girl in front of her is.
“Oh, you are? Well, that's not really how things work where I come from,” The blond replies in a snap, her hands curving at her waist, clearly standing her ground. The group of socially different teens all snicker a laugh at the fact that such a new girl would dare stand her ground to one Ms. Rachel Berry.
“Oh, let me guess? You come from one of those little private schools, don't you? Where Daddy pays the tuition and pays the headmaster to be blind to all the pretty girls. You are beautiful, this is true and I am sure that your beauty got you everything you wanted at your little private school. But see this here is McKinley High and Glee club? The Glee club is my thing. Pretty girls don't always get what they want here and they certainly do not steal my Glee club away from me,” Rachel replies bitterly, feeling challenged. The blond only shakes her head, glancing around the room of teenagers who all watch her with eager eyes, curious as to what her next move may be.
“You're feisty,” The blond laughs, “and very presumptuous. You don't even know who I am yet and you already assume that just because I'm pretty, I have nothing to offer. But I wouldn't expect anything less from the 'leading star'.” Rachel shakes her head in disbelief, wrinkling up her nose as she chokes out a laugh.
“Who are you? Come on, we all introduced ourselves. It's your turn. Prove me wrong that you're not just another pretty face,” Rachel challenges and the blond smiles brightly at her. Tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear, she turns to face the group of kids who smile at her now and she laughs quietly.
“Hi every one. My name Quinn Fabray. To you, I am Ms. Fabray. I'm filling Mr. Schue's spot until he comes back from his leave of absence. You may have seen me perform when you were younger, I was the upcoming star from Ohio and contrary to your classmate's belief here, I am certainly not just another pretty face,” Quinn states and instantly jaws drop and gasps are heard, along with hushed whispers.
“Ms. Fabray? Y-you're our new teacher?” Rachel stutters and Quinn turns, nodding to her.
“That's right. And as of right now? There are no leading stars, there are no stars of the Glee club. If you have a voice, then you better be using it to show me what you got. I've heard stories about you guys and I'm here to prepare you for the business, for what real life is going to bring you and in real life? There is no safety net, there is no guarantee that your jobs are safe. And right now? Your positions in this club aren't safe, including yours,” Quinn replies and the group only gasps in disbelief and Rachel turns her head to the side, an arch of her eyebrow.
“Is that a challenge, Ms. Fabray?” questions Rachel. Quinn laughs, reaching forward as she brushes the brunette curl away from Rachel's face, their skin meeting briefly. The girls simply stand for a moment before the smirk curls upon Quinn's lips, raising her eyebrows tauntingly.
“Show me what you got, Berry,” laughs Quinn.
Tagline: “A perfect rainbow never seemed so dull.”
Summary: Love and Lust. Determination and Desire. Feelings and Sex. Student and Teacher. Right and Wrong. Those lines just keep blurring for Rachel Berry lately.
Spoilers: None, seeing as how this story is completely, painfully AU
Rated: Mature Audiences Only!
Pairing: Quinn/Rachel. Rachel/Finn
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings and events thereof, are properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Chapter One: New Beginnings
There is nothing but silence radiating from the music room now; usual, harsh, silence. The piano that once brought so many ballads to life with the softest melodies now sits, disregarded, collecting dust in the corner of the room by itself. The guitars that once bounced with rock music as fingers slipped ever so elegantly across the strings, changing cords, now stand lonesomely behind the stage. The harmonies that were once created by the different vocals that filled the room, fall away in the silence. The harmony, the melody, the music, dying with every tick of the large clock on the wall.
To say Rachel Berry is a patient person may be as far from the truth as one could get, but today is different. Today instead of the hostile complaints, the hard sighs, the desperate shake of her crossed leg, she remains still and silent. There is no hard glances at the large clock on the wall, no mumbled curses about how unprofessional it is to keep someone waiting this long without so much as a phone call. No, today is far different. Instead, she only sits, her legs crossed, taking in the moment, breathing it in, with every beat of her fragile heart.
There is something about today, something out of the ordinary, something magical, something in the air that Rachel could not quite ignore. She feels as if her life is drastically going to change today, she just doesn't know when or how.
Glancing around the music room, her eyes find those of Finn Hudson's carefully studying her face. The blush quickly appears within her cheeks, the giggle dancing in the back of her throat but she forces to keep it suppressed, even if just for the moment. She supposes it is inevitable really, the flirting, the chemistry, the stolen glances and secret smiles. He is the star of the football team and she, the brightest shinning star of the Glee club. He is beautiful and girls are literally lining up to be with him so she knows that she should feel something when he flirts with her, when his eyes meet hers. Except she doesn't and she fails to understand why. He could love her, this she knows, but it is not that kind of love that she's striving for.
“This is lame. Let's just bounce,” The voice of Noah Puckerman breaks through the barrier of uncomfortable silence that fills the room. Her amber eyes shift to his earthly toned skin, his tight muscles that fill out his muscle shirt and his chestnut eyes that now flash with impatience and frustration. She smiles faintly at him, at the impatience and frustration, perhaps she truly is the only one to understand him. For Noah Puckerman is a log of things, athletic, cocky and rude to name a few but under all of those acts, there is a heart of gold. A heart that only Rachel Berry has seen.
“While I agree that it is completely unprofessional to keep one waiting for such a long period of time and if this was anything else, I would agree with marching out of this room, perhaps we should be patient. Maybe they are worth waiting around to see the grand entrance I am sure they are going to make,” replies Rachel in her familiar matter-of-factly voice. Groans and mumbled curses fall from the pursed lips of her peers, the entire group seemingly agitated with the increasing wait and she doesn't know why she expected more from them. To their groans and curses, Rachel only sighs in exasperation at their immaturity and impatience. Clearly they had failed to understand the meaning that comes with the statement “good things come to those who wait.”
“Come on, Berry. You and I both know that this dude is just going to be some stupid Lima loser who failed at making his big break on Broadway and decided to fulfill his mission in life by teaching us the poor, unappreciated youths how to carry a note. This is just pointless,” Noah grumbles, his dark eyes finding Rachel's amber brown. She remembers the time they spent together, his mouth upon hers, their fingers laced together. It was a love that was destined to fail from the beginning; a silly, pointless, irrelevant fling but she still can't help but believe that she knows him better than anyone.
“Yeah. Mr. Schuester would have never made us wait this long,” This voice belongs to Santana who is now running her fingers through her hair, twirling the jet black curl between her index and middle finger. Santana Lopez, the head cheerleader of the Sue's slightly vicious cheer leading squad is far from any one that Rachel ever truly wants to associate herself with. Clashing personalities would lead to a terrible friendship, she nods quietly to herself. Santana is far too head strong for her liking, too arrogant, too snippy. But she has to admit, she does have very nice vocals, a very strong and sound voice and certainly, she smirks, she isn't too hard to look at either.
“Yeah! Mr. Schue was always on time. He never held us late,” Tina voices her opinion and Rachel can only roll her eyes at this. Such impatience, she groans inwardly. What is so important that they must run home to? She wonders to herself, quietly picking at the strings upon her pencil skirt. Homework? As if. Family? It is quite obvious that family life in Lima, Ohio is anything but ordinary; especially when her two gay dads are the most stable parents of this tiny group.
“It is true that Mr. Schuester was never late but that is not the point. Mr. Schuester is no longer employed by William McKinley High. He took a leave of absence after his wife faked her pregnancy. We have to respect his decision to want some time to himself. What Mrs. Schuester was terribly selfish and cruel, perhaps Mr. Schue needs time to get on his feet again. To learn to trust and become himself again instead of an angry, bitter man. We have to respect his decision. And by respecting his decision, we must have patience and be welcoming to the new teacher,” Rachel explains in her ever so professional voice. There is a few incoherent mumbles and groans from the teenagers that surround her and Rachel must remind herself exactly of that.
They are teenagers. Teenagers who care more about going shopping or going to cheer leading practice than actually making a good impression on someone who could help start their vocal career. Teenagers who care more about jumping in bed with one another unprotected than making it to Regionals and getting the much needed attention they deserve. Teenagers who certainly know nothing of self respect, let alone, respect for someone else.
“Yeah, come on guys. Mr. Schue is gone. No amount of whining or complaining is going to bring him back. He is gone. He's not going to come back for a while. The least we could do is make him proud by showing the new guy exactly what we can bring to the table. We can be respectful and patient and prove to the new guy that we are worth his time and effort because together we may actually have a chance at winning regionals,” Finn jumps to Rachel's defense.
“Don't be ridiculous, Finn. Without Schue, we are toast at regionals. We will make a mockery of ourselves,” Kurt's soft voice echoes over the hushed whispers. Finn only shakes his head, his dark brown eyes flickering from Rachel's all too perfect face to study the group around him, the group who clearly has already given up before even starting.
“But you don't know that! Not until you give this guy a shot! This guy could be the best of the best! He could be better than Schuester! He could be the star of Broadway whose dream is to help kids like us make it to the big stage because maybe secretly he was a kid like us too. Maybe this guy is a mega star with a voice to die for or maybe he just knows his way around the biz and knows how to get us noticed. We have to give him a chance, if not for him but for Mr. S,” Finn explains, with a half smile turning upon his lips when he finds Rachel smiling at him. To this, there is only a bellow of laughter that escapes from Noah Puckerman. With a chuckling snort, the jock places his hand upon Finn's shoulder, shaking his head from one side to the other, a familiar smirk appearing upon his face.
“Man, shut up. None of us can take you seriously when you are talking shit like that. We all know that the only reason that you are saying all this mumbo-jumbo about “giving him a chance” and “making it big” is because you want to make Berry over there swoon. Don't even try to pretend like you give a rat's ass about what you're saying because the only reason that you are saying it is to get in her pants,” Noah laughs, slapping Finn's shoulder rather hard.
“Dude!” Finn groans, clearly mortified that his friend would dare say such a thing, let alone say such a thing in front of Rachel. It doesn't take long for the blush to appear within Rachel's round cheeks, her slanted eyes studying the boys and her lips parted in the utmost disgust that such a thing be said.
“No, no. It's true. You've been wanting to get in her pants since the first grade. It's quite pathetic really at how painfully obvious in love with her you are,” Kurt exclaims with a roll of his eyes, turning his attention back to Mercedes who sits to the left of him. Rachel shakes her head, raking her fingers through her hair as she tries to control herself.
“Noah Puckerman that was completely unnecessary,” Rachel scolds and Noah only chuckles.
“Oh? Did I hurt the feelings of the little princess? Come on, Berry. You know that it's the truth but you're married to the music, to being the top dog and I'm tired of watching my best friend here waste his life away on a chick that cares more about singing to a bunch of strangers that being with someone who could actually love her. I'm tired of waiting. Clearly this Lima loser is a no show. Let's just bounce. Who is with me?!” Noah exclaims, standing up as he takes his Letterman jacket from the back of the chair. Rachel only sits, still as sitting, her eyes watching the group of peers that surround her but nobody moves. As impatient as they are, they all remain still and silent, all watching Noah in his frustration.
“What? You guys are going to sit here and complain about it but when it actually comes to doing something for yourself and making a stand, you're just going to stay here? Unbelievable. Have fun, Berry. Your mindless zombies are clearly respecting you and this Lima loser, you're getting exactly what you want. Surprise, surprise,” Noah grumbles bitterly, slipping his muscular arms through the Letterman jacket, popping his collar dramatically.
“Excuse me, is this the music room?” A warm, unfamiliar voice catches every one off guard. Rachel tears her eyes away from Noah's masculinity to find the rather young woman standing in the doorway. A wave of comfort rushes over her, a wave of familiarity, of happiness; all of which she could not quite understand at the moment. The young woman stands quietly, her eyes glancing over the group of kids before a smile tries to tug upon her slender lips. Her blond hair hangs in delicate waves around her shoulders, her dark eyes alive with the utmost wonder and excitement. She is wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, something that Rachel can not help but roll her eyes inwardly over, a white blouse with a red vest and a lovely black fedora. She is quite fashionable, Rachel sighs with a swift nod of her head, and quite beautiful, even if she must say so herself.
“Yes. Yes it is,” Rachel speaks before she is even aware the words have left her mouth. With a groan, she closes her eyes shut tightly, shaking her head carefully, allowing a tumbling curl to escape from behind her ear. The young girl breathes out a sigh in relief, a warm smile quickly playing upon her seemingly perfect face. She enters the room, a bag upon her arm and the music notes quickly catches Rachel's amber eyes.
“Good. I didn't want to show up to the wrong place... again,” The blond haired beauty replies with a nervous giggle. She drops the bag onto the black piano, creating a sound that echoes through the silence as nobody dares to speak. Instead, every pair of eyes are fixated upon the woman that has just entered the room, just entered their lives, perhaps with more to offer than any of them would ever understand. Rachel watches the young woman intently as she opens her bag, shifting through what sounds to be piles of paper. Without even looking, she can tell that she is unorganized and the thought of this only makes her smile, maybe she will teach her something if she sticks around long enough.
“You are new here, aren't you?” Kurt is the first one to break through the uncomfortable silence and it startles the young woman. With a slight jump, the young woman's purse it sent tumbling to the floor and a mess of papers, books and pens are scattered around her in a disastrous mess. With a smile, Rachel stands and approaches the young woman, bending down carefully with a hand upon her skirt and helps the young woman gather her things.
“Yeah. It's my first day. Is it that noticeable?” The young woman asks with a nervous laugh, a familiar smile upon her face. Gathering the papers in her hand, the curiosity gets the best of Rachel as she glances down at the music sheets in her hands filled with black ink of notes and lyrics. Scanning them carefully, she hears the melody in the head, the lyrics fitting perfectly in rhythm of the four measured beats. She may be new to Lima, Rachel thinks to herself, but she certainly is not new to a life of music.
“Only a little. Your nervousness is perceptive. But mostly, the only reason I knew that you were new here is because of your fashion choice. No one here seems to quite understand the importance of fashion as I do so I would have known if there was someone else at McKinley High who paid as much attention to their clothing choices as I do. You are a good change to the terribly unfashionable world I am living in,” Kurt groans with a shake of his head, squinting his eyes in despair at the group that surround him. After gathering all the paper in her hand, Rachel reaches the paper to the beautiful stranger and the blond only smiles at her. Taking the papers in her hand, their hands touch, skin briefly meeting and it sends a shock through Rachel, a shock that she can not comprehend.
“Thank you,” The blond smiles and Rachel only nods her head in response.
“S-sure,” Rachel replies with a stutter and the blond smirks before she places the papers back into her bag. She is familiar to her, although she can not quite pin point the when or the where. She has seen her before, maybe only in passing but she is not a stranger. Noah extends his hand to the lovely blond who smiles up at him, placing her palm within his, allowing her to help her up from the floor.
“My name is Noah. But you can call me Puck, baby. And yes, it does rhyme with something else that I also do really well besides sing,” Noah smiles, batting his long eyelashes at the girl who only forces a laugh.
“You think you are quite the charmer, don't you? I bet girls here just fall all over a boy like you with that Letterman jacket and that tan skin and those long eyelashes,” The girl states and Noah only shrugs his shoulders with a warm smile, a true smile, one that Rachel has missed seeing from his face as of late.
“What can I say? Girls love the Puck,” Noah grins and she laughs, placing her hand upon his shoulder.
“Well not this girl. So, please stop trying to put on the charm because it just makes you look like a fool,” She replies with a giggle and the whole room bursts out in laughter. Noah grumbles incoherently what can only be presumed as curses as he once again pops his collar, pushing his hands deep within his pockets as his cheeks turn a bright shade of red.
“See, Noah. Not every girl likes to be charmed,” Rachel replies. The hazel eyes of the blond flicker over to study Rachel's face as she smiles at Noah and she can't help the smile from forming upon her lips as well. There is something about her, something that she just can't quite put her finger on.
“You'd know, wouldn't you Berry?” Noah snaps bitterly.
“Okay! If you two love birds would like to stop flirting now, I would love to get to know every one. New girl, new place, it makes me a whole lot more comfortable if I can put names with faces. So, let's see. There's Noah Puckerman who I assume is on the football team because he is wearing that Letterman jacket. And..” The young girl's voice trails off as the group manages to pitch in, introducing themselves and telling a few things about themselves to make the new girl less socially awkward.
To say the kids at McKinley High were selfish well... it wasn't really that much of a lie but they were friendly and welcoming, even when they are impatiently waiting for someone who they view as a 'Lima Loser'. One by one, they come together to introduce themselves; Artie Abrams, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang, Finn Hudson, Matt Rutherford, Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez, and Brittany Pierce. All eleven, including Noah, socially and ethnically different, all eleven possessing different qualities and characteristics that she is sure she will enjoy learning.
“Right. So let's see if I get this right. You're Artie, Mike, Tina, Finn, Matt, Kurt, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany, Noah and you,” The young blond stops, pointing to Rachel who stands, her face emotionless, staring back at her. She fights the smile that wants to form on her face and instead only shakes her finger at her, “what's your story?'
“Oh this girl? This girl right here is the princess. You have to worship at her feet, follow her around like a little lost puppy and sing her high praises because apparently this girl is the reason that we all breathe. In fact, according to her, we are even lucky to be in her presence,” Puck mocks her tauntingly, waving his hands and Rachel sighs dramatically, raking her hand through her hair with a simple shake of her head.
“Ignore him. My name is Rachel Berry. I'm the star of the Glee Club,” Rachel smiles brightly, proud of herself, “this club was nothing but a few outcast kids but I was the one who brought us all together. Well, with the help of Mr. Schue of course. Now we have some of the best vocals in the region, perhaps even in the entire state! But I'm the star. I'm the leading vocal. Now, you are new here so you don't quite understand but I usually get what I want and I am usually the lead of every performance.” To this, the blond only laughs, surprised at how daring the girl in front of her is.
“Oh, you are? Well, that's not really how things work where I come from,” The blond replies in a snap, her hands curving at her waist, clearly standing her ground. The group of socially different teens all snicker a laugh at the fact that such a new girl would dare stand her ground to one Ms. Rachel Berry.
“Oh, let me guess? You come from one of those little private schools, don't you? Where Daddy pays the tuition and pays the headmaster to be blind to all the pretty girls. You are beautiful, this is true and I am sure that your beauty got you everything you wanted at your little private school. But see this here is McKinley High and Glee club? The Glee club is my thing. Pretty girls don't always get what they want here and they certainly do not steal my Glee club away from me,” Rachel replies bitterly, feeling challenged. The blond only shakes her head, glancing around the room of teenagers who all watch her with eager eyes, curious as to what her next move may be.
“You're feisty,” The blond laughs, “and very presumptuous. You don't even know who I am yet and you already assume that just because I'm pretty, I have nothing to offer. But I wouldn't expect anything less from the 'leading star'.” Rachel shakes her head in disbelief, wrinkling up her nose as she chokes out a laugh.
“Who are you? Come on, we all introduced ourselves. It's your turn. Prove me wrong that you're not just another pretty face,” Rachel challenges and the blond smiles brightly at her. Tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear, she turns to face the group of kids who smile at her now and she laughs quietly.
“Hi every one. My name Quinn Fabray. To you, I am Ms. Fabray. I'm filling Mr. Schue's spot until he comes back from his leave of absence. You may have seen me perform when you were younger, I was the upcoming star from Ohio and contrary to your classmate's belief here, I am certainly not just another pretty face,” Quinn states and instantly jaws drop and gasps are heard, along with hushed whispers.
“Ms. Fabray? Y-you're our new teacher?” Rachel stutters and Quinn turns, nodding to her.
“That's right. And as of right now? There are no leading stars, there are no stars of the Glee club. If you have a voice, then you better be using it to show me what you got. I've heard stories about you guys and I'm here to prepare you for the business, for what real life is going to bring you and in real life? There is no safety net, there is no guarantee that your jobs are safe. And right now? Your positions in this club aren't safe, including yours,” Quinn replies and the group only gasps in disbelief and Rachel turns her head to the side, an arch of her eyebrow.
“Is that a challenge, Ms. Fabray?” questions Rachel. Quinn laughs, reaching forward as she brushes the brunette curl away from Rachel's face, their skin meeting briefly. The girls simply stand for a moment before the smirk curls upon Quinn's lips, raising her eyebrows tauntingly.
“Show me what you got, Berry,” laughs Quinn.