Give Me A Reason (A Quick Fanfiction)

1: Practice

Sophomore year. This was her chance to really do something, to break free of Lucy Fabray and the memories associated and begin her new life as Quinn. Transferring from Fairbrooke, as far as anyone was concerned, was going to be a challenge, but there is no challenge bigger than what she has faced before. William McKinley High School was going to be a walk in the park.

One of the reasons she could be so sure was Coach Sue Sylvester. While Quinn wasn't sure exactly what it was the national champion cheerleading coach saw in her, she relished in the fact that it was enough to let her join the coveted Cheerios. It was as if she had been crowned royalty, and it was only her first day. Everyone was staring at her, not in disgust but in admiration, in envy. It was a wonderful feeling, the most wonderful she'd ever felt, until she had gotten to practise.

"You're new on the squad, right? Coach Sue's new recruit from Fairbrooke?" Questioned a girl who Quinn would later get to know very well.

"Yeah, I'm L...Quinn. Quinn Fabray."

She almost dropped her facade. What a disaster.

"Pretty cool. I'm Santana Lopez, and this is Brittany. We're sophomores too, but I'm counting on getting head cheerleader."

"I don't count anything," chimed Brittany, whose wholesome eyes seemed to lack any basic level of understanding.

Quinn didn't see Santana's obvious yet subtle threat as a problem. She may have been a sophomore, but she knew just how athletic she was, and had it on good authority that Sue Sylvester was a big fan of hers. She would tell Quinn how she reminded her of a young Sue Sylvester, which sounded like a head cheerleader title if Quinn had ever heard one.

"Cool, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Coach thinks,"Quinn's eyes shone with a sassy glare "Anyway, what are we supposed to be doing today?"

As she finished her sentence, she heard a whistle blowing obnoxiously behind her. The three girls turned to see football coach, Ken Tanaka, waving his team out onto the field. Cheerleaders from around her began to bustle and whoop, excitedly waiting to see the recruits. These boys were the most popular in the entire school, they were gods living among the common people. If Quinn was to get involved with a guy, it had to be one of them.

"That tall, Frankenstein-looking boy there? That's Finn Hudson, Quarterback. Supposedly he's like the most talented the schools ever had, but he literally screams 'virgin' from his humongous head to his giant clown feet," Santana criticised, far too cruelly in Quinn's mind.

The Quarterback was the real star of the show. A Prom King guarantee, usually maintaining good grades and typically, according to everyone in the school, has to be dating the head cheerleader. That is who Quinn knew she should be interested in him. He was cute, in an 'adorkable' way, but there was something missing. Something she knew didn't matter if she wanted the best reputation she could muster.

The football team began running laps, which Coach Tanaka seemed to take very seriously while the boys used it as an excuse to size up the newest Cheerios. Two boys blew kisses to Santana and Brittany, respectively. While Brittany welcomed them with a big smile, Santana seemed less interested.

"Those guys? Mike Chang and Matt Rutherford. Britt and I went on a couple of dates with them, and I swear they think that means we are married or something. They do have a lot of pull around here though, so I'm going to keep them around."

As Santana spoke, Quinn caught a glance from another football player. He was tall, but not as tall as Finn, with sturdy muscles and a funky Mohawk atop his head. He flashed her a cheeky smile and a wink, as though he had forgotten about the task at hand, before stumbling to keep up with the others. Quinn bit her lip, giggling a little at his boyish charm.

"Santana, who is that guy?"

"Mohawk? Abs that could cure cancer? That would be Noah Puckerman, McKinley High's resident womaniser. Also known as my booty call," she smirks, "but it's not a relationship or anything, if you want to get a piece of that. Trust me, he's a good hookup."

It then occurred to Quinn that she had not yet told her new friends that she was a virgin. Not only that, but that she was choosing to remain celibate. Or her father was. Either way, she knew it would come up eventually, but for now, she would enjoy the sight of Noah Puckerman stumbling around the football field after looking at her for a second too long each time.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Time to have a look at the menu. You ready, bro?"

Puck was never known to be much of a gentleman, infamous for his seemingly endless list of booty calls and one night stands. This practice, his mindset was no different. He wanted to go in, check out the new Cheerios and decide which ones would catch a brief case of Puckerman fever. His best friend and Quarterback, Finn Hudson, was not as impressed.

"Dude, one day this is all going to backfire on you big time."

"It might, but until it does, the show must go on."

Mike Chang, another of Puck's footballer friends, patted him on the back. "Seriously, one day you'll end up getting some girl pregnant or something. Why not just enjoy the view?"

Puck rolled his eyes and grabbed his helmet. His friends were so judgemental, so righteous. It was stupid, he thought, because Lima was not the place to act like that. It wasn't a place to act like a hero. The only reason someone is in Lima, is because they are trying to escape, to run away. A hero wouldn't run away, so it was evident they were all just faking it.

"Whatever, you know if Brittany Pierce asked you to, you would kill for a chance to hit that. Same goes for Matt with Santana. You're all hypocrites."

Coach Tenaka was screaming at them, something about running laps. But Puck's focus was all on the cheerleaders, with their ponytails, pleated skirts and shimmering pom-poms. He knew they were all any of the guys were focused on.

"Boys, if you don't stop eyeing up the Cheerios I'll make it double. Now go!"

They began their circuit around the circumference of the field, with Puck, Finn, Mike and Matt choosing to begin right by the girls. They talk a big game, he thought, but they are all thinking the same as him.

That is, until he met with the most intoxicating green eyes he had ever seen. They seemed to sparkle right at him, as if calling him towards them. As his friends ran on, he stopped, trying to collect himself.

You're Noah Fricking Puckerman, for God's sake. Get it together.

He grinned a dopey grin, immediately regretting it, before winking. Wasn't his usual move, but for some reason those eyes looked to be resistant to his standard charms. He just hoped it had worked.

"Puckerman! Get on with it!" Coach reeled at him.

"Matt, bro, who's the new girl? You know, blonde, wholesome, eyes that could both cause and repair global warming?"

"Oh, you mean Quinn Fabray? Yeah, she's a real cutie alright. Just transferred from Fairbrooke. Rumour has it she's starting up the Celibacy Club on Fridays. Not really your forte, dude."

It didn't even register in Puck's mind the bombshell Matt had just dropped on him. All he wanted to know was what time this 'club' she was in started, and if she noticed him too.