you belong with me

chapter 13

Rachel walked into the school building Monday morning, still shaky about the events of the previous evening. After the musical was over Puck drove her home and gave her another kiss to say goodnight. It wasn't that Rachel didn't like Puck that way. He treated her well, he cared for her, and he had always been a good friend to her. Perhaps that was the problem. Maybe she would never be able to think of him in a way as more than a friend. She had heard of problems like that occurring in relationships between people transitioning from friends to more than friends. Rachel shook the feeling off. She shouldn't have that mind-set. Puck was an excellent guy, and it would be difficult for her to find someone better.

Rachel allowed her mind to venture to a new topic. She hadn't spoken to Finn since she saw him outside his house Saturday night. With her mind so distracted with thoughts of Puck, she hadn't been able to think that much about what Finn had told her. He ended things with Quinn. He said he was sorry. He was almost acting like the old Finn again. Rachel shook that thought out of her head. Maybe Puck was right. Maybe Finn wasn't forgivable. If he really cared about them, he would have never left in the first place. Maybe trying to her to forgive him was an evil plot of Karofsky's. Rachel hated to think that way, but she couldn't help it.

"You are the most inconsiderate jerk I have ever met!"

The sound of someone yelling captured Rachel's attention. She looked forward to see Quinn screaming at Finn in the middle of the hallway. Everyone's heads were turned towards the pair and Quinn continued to yell and Finn continued to look uncomfortable.

"Who do you even think you are to break up with me? Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Quinn yelled. "This is where I draw the line Finn. You walk away now, you're never speaking to me again."

Finn took a step back, "Fine with me." He walked away from Quinn and stormed off down the hallway, not noticing Rachel standing in the crowd. Quinn groaned and walked off in the opposite direction, causing the crowd to finally disperse.

Rachel continued to walk down the hallway and turned the corner to head to her locker. As she looked in the direction of her locker she noticed Puck leaning against the metal door. She sent him a smile as she approached him. "Hey, Puck, what's up?"

'Hey, gorgeous," Puck said, planting a kiss on Rachel's lips. "Just thought I'd stop by to say good morning."

"Well, good morning," Rachel said, starting to open her locker. The sound of commotion down the hall caused them both to look to see where the noise was coming from. They saw Dave Karofsky and a few other football players surrounding a student in the school band, slushies in their hands.

Puck scoffed, "Someone needs to put a stop to that stupid slushie business. Karofsky's been in charge of this school for way too long."

Rachel shrugged, "But that are we going to do? If anyone takes a stand against him, Karofsky will send some of his football playing goons after them."

"I guess you're right," Puck said, looking to the ground. "Well, I just wanted to stop by to say hi. I've got to get to class. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Rachel replied with a smile, stepping out of his way so he could get to class. She looked back at the football players just as they threw their slushies into the other student's face. She imagined Finn doing the same thing to other kids, high-fiving Karofsky as they left the other kid all alone when they walked away. Then, she imagined the same thing, but this time with Puck in the victim's place. She slammed her locker door shut and walked to class, just wanting to go back to a time when everything was easier.

Rachel walked into the bathroom during her second class, the bathroom pass in her hand. Just as she walked into the last stall and latched the door shut, she heard a few girls walk into the restroom too. She held off actually going to the bathroom once she recognized they voices of the other girls and realized they were unaware of Rachel's presence.

It didn't take Rachel long to realize that the other girls occupying the restroom were Quinn and Bree, another Cheerio at the school.

"So, I heard this nasty rumor in the halls that you and Finn are over," Bree began, "is that true?"

Rachel heard Quinn scoff, "Yes, it's true. He was over at my house last night going on and on about how things aren't the same anymore or something stupid like that, and then he randomly said something about how he couldn't be with me anymore. I thought he was just being the regular idiot Finn, but turns out he was actually being serious!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Bree exclaimed. "What was he thinking, letting someone like you go!"

"Whatever, I don't need him anyway," Quinn said. "Things were a little rough at first, so it's not like I didn't see something like this coming."

"Wait, what do you mean by a little rough at first?" Bree asked. "You never told me about any of that."

"Well, when Finn and I first met, he was still a little hung up on this other girl. You've probably heard of her. It's that girl who just transferred back, Rachel Berry."

"Eww, he used to have a thing for Rachel?" Bree asked in a disgusted tone of voice.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Quinn replied. "He used to call her all the time after she moved away and was always so persistent on keeping in touch with her for some reason. So, I made him stop. It wasn't that hard to manipulate that pea brain of his. Shortly after that I joined forces with Karofsky and got Finn to end his relationship with Noah Puckerman for good too. Then, he was all mine. I figured he'd venture away from me at some point. I only really needed his popularity status to help me get lead cheerleader, and now that I have it, he's history!"

"Hold on, Finn and Puckerman used to be friends? Where was I when all this was going down?" Bree asked.

"Yeah, they were friends for a while, but him and that freaky Santana girl were holding him back from his football. I'd say those two will never be taking to Finn again," Quinn said with a little laugh at the end.

"Nice job, Q," Bree said sharing Quinn's laugh. "Come on, let's get back to class before we get in trouble again!"

As soon as the other girls were completely out of the restroom Rachel stepped out of the stall in complete shock. "So, Quinn helped Karofsky with all the planning?" Rachel whispered out loud to herself. She still agreed with Puck, that if Finn was really still there friend he never would have ditched them. However, Rachel couldn't help but feel a little better about the situation. Finn really didn't want to stop contact with her..

The next two chapters take place at the homecoming dance!