as far as friends go

chapter 21

"Rachel we wanted to tell you for a long time. I just couldn't. I hope you understand."

William Scheuster broke the tense silence in the air as they all looked at him. They had since then moved into the dining area where Emma had offered them food and drinks. Finn and Rachel both politely decline the offer seeing as though they just had lunch and Rachel's mind was wrapped around something far more important. The fact that the man sitting in front of her was her biological father, yet she's known this man her whole entire high school life and not once did he mention a single thing to her.

She was boiling with so many emotions. Hate, anger, and large amount of misunderstanding. How could he just sit there all those years and not say anything to her about it. She was so disappointed at this moment. At her parents for not telling her anything. At Mr. Schue for not saying anything to her soon enough. Also, at herself, for not realizing any of this in the first place.

Now looking at him, she realized that they did share a few traits. They had the same sculpted jaw line and facial features. They also shared the trait of a short body frame, because Mr. Schue wasn't exactly the tallest man in the book. Especially compared to Finn. Other than that, she assumed she inherited everything else from Shelby.

Tears were now starting to make their way down Rachel's eyes. This was just all so unreal to her. William Scheuster, the man who taught her how to hit her higher notes and acted as a mentor for most of her life in high school, couldn't be her father. When she was a little girl, Rachel used to always assume that her father was dead, or a no good high school drop out with no financial support. It always made her feel good and it gave her a reason to believe how her parents could just give her away. She loved her two dads, but that always had an affect on her. Which was why she couldn't believe that Mr. Schue, who seemed to be doing good with his life, could just hand her away and not even think twice about it.

"We? God dammit, how many freaking people know about this?" Rachel asked, anger present in her voice.

"Just me, Emma, Shelby, your parents, and the two of you." Mr. Schue explained.

"Plus, Santana." Finn added slowly.

"How does Santana know?" Mr. Schue asked Finn, worried.

"It's a long story." Finn told him, not wanting to tell him about the incident without Rachel's consent.

"It doesn't matter who knows. All that matters is that you didn't tell me yourself." Rachel said as she got up and walked out of the house. Not knowing where to go, she collapsed on the steps to the porch and looked out across the street. Tears began to swell in her eyes again, but she fought them back. She hated crying. She'd been doing to damn much lately. All she wanted to do was just get pass all of this horrible drama and make it to the point in her life where she could be happy without seriousness. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there before she heard footsteps on the porch behind her. Thinking it was Finn, she turned around.

"Hey." Mr. Schue said, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Hi." she said looking across the street as he sat next to her. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. It's all just too much on me." Rachel explained.

"It's fine, I get it Rachel. I should've told you sooner. I just didn't know when or how. It's not like I could have written all that on a Christmas card." he replied.

"I just want to know one thing. Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" he asked confused.

"Why couldn't you keep me? Why was it so easy for you to give me up? I mean you seem well enough to raise a kid with Emma now. Why couldn't you raise me as your own kid?" Rachel asked, tears threatening to spill with the slightest movement of her eyelids.