In This Song [3/?]
Title: In This Song
Fandom: Glee
Pairing(s): Puck/Rachel
Word Count: 3693
Summary: It's different in this song. Jr year and a clean slate for Glee Club. Unfortunately, clean slate's can never last because this year, like last, has secrets, lies, love triangles and more...
Disclaimer: Don't own Glee
Moving On
The next morning Mercedes, Kurt and Tina pounce on Rachel whilst she was collecting books from her locker. (Artie wheels in after the three, unable to pounce.)
"Hello," Rachel smiles at them brightly. "What can I do for you today, my friends?" she asks, grinning even more as the magical alien words friends that left a sweet sugary taste in her mouth.
"You could explain the lovely duet you sang with Puck yesterday after we all left," Kurt says to her. "And where you got that jacket," he adds.
"To your second request, the jacket is Chloé," she answers. "To your first request, you saw that?" she asks bewildered.
"Not up front but Jacob Ben Israel happened to be sneaking around and recorded it," Artie explains.
"I am so close to getting a restraining order for him!" Rachel huffs, annoyed. "Hasn't he put it on his blog?"
"No, he traded it for fashion advice," Kurt tells her. "Most specifically, tips on fashion to attract you."
"Do you really think I'm that superficial to suddenly be attracted to him and forget all his qualms?"
"No way in hell did we think that." Mercedes shakes her head. "Anyway, there was nothing to do to help that boy. So we just told him to wear-"
"Plaid," Tina finishes in awe. She points to across the hallway so they turn their heads to where she was staring and then gasp melodramatically.
Jacob has taken their advice a little too far. He had decided to wear to school a pair of red, blue and black plaid slacks with a matching blazer and black shirt underneath.
That outfit needs to be burnt. Straight away.
"Hide me!" Rachel urgently whispers to them whilst Jacob struts down the hallway mistaking the shocked gazes of the students for admiration. Rachel ducks behind Artie's wheelchair so her front is unseen and the other three crowd around her so she is safely hidden.
"Hey guys, have you seen my sweet Rachel?" Jacob asks, approaching them. Rachel holds her breathe in anticipation.
"Sorry, no," Kurt says, grimacing at Jacob's outfit.
Jacob's face falls. "Oh. Well, if you see her then tell her that the new improved Jacob Ben Israel is looking for her."
"Will do," Artie nods.
Rachel tugs at Tina's sleeve in impatience. "You better get going now, Jacob. The Twilighters accidentally mistook me as one of their own and let it slip that they're planning something for you today… involving baseball bats and crow bars."
Jacob's eyes widen with trepidation and he gapes. Suddenly, without another word, he swiftly turns and sprints away maladroitly crashing into many confronted students.
"I wish I had been lying when I told him that," Tina mutters. The other four raise an eyebrow at her in awe.
…
Quinn, Brittany and Santana sit in the cafeteria together. The two blondes listen intently to Santana who was still describing the incident in hallway involving her and Puck.
"…So I'm like, I'm over you, Puckerman. Find someone else to be your booty-call, I don't care!" Santana finishes laughing. "I still remember his face after I sang!" she wipes a tear of laughter from her eye.
Brittany giggles too and Quinn quickly fakes a smile so they both do not realize what was going in her head.
He's going to move on. He's going to move on like I did.
She doesn't know what she's doing, but in her free period she finds herself standing on the large empty stage - the same one they had practiced 'Don't Stop Believing' a hundred times the year before. There's a stereo backstage in the corner and she slips in the CD then starts to sing.
I'm gonna make it bend and break
Say a prayer, but let the good times roll
She scoffs, musing over the name of the song she had sung when she auditioned for Glee Club. Things had been easier for her back then, but not fun. At least now she was being true to herself.
In case God doesn't show...
Of course He didn't show, otherwise she wouldn't have had to go through 9 months of suffering, not to mention being kicked out of her own house and having to live with Puck. At least He had taken pity on her in the end and she was back living at home.
And I want these words to make things right
But it's the wrongs that make the words come to life,
Who does he think he is?
If that's the worst you got
Better put your fingers back to the keys
She knows she had ridiculed Rachel Berry many times for her need to sing in troubling times but now she understands that singing about tough moments help.
One night and one more time
Thanks for the memories
Even though they weren't so great;
He tastes like you, only sweeter!
That was more than true. Sure, she had loved (and still does?) Puck a little, but wasn't in love with him like she had been with Finn. Finn, her current boyfriend, is what she wants now. But still, Puck and she had had a baby…
One night, yeah, and one more time
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;
See, he tastes like you only sweeter!
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
They say
I only think in the form of crunching numbers
In hotel rooms collecting page-six lovers
Get me out of my mind
And get you out of those clothes
I'm a liner away
From getting you into the mood
Whoa
Outside in the hallway, Finn is walking with his hands shoved down his pockets to the bathroom. He hears faint music coming from Auditorium and someone singing to it. Assuming it was someone from Glee rehearsing their song; he opens the door and peeks through - unseen by the singer. He is shocked to see it was his very own girlfriend, Quinn. Moreover, she's singing the lyrics like she really means it. She's singing about him and Puck.
One night and one more time
Thanks for the memories
Even though they weren't so great;
He tastes like you but sweeter!
One night, yeah, and one more time
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;
See, he tastes like you only sweeter!
One night and one more time
Thanks for the memories
Even though they weren't so great;
He tastes like you but sweeter!
One night, yeah, and one more time
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;
See, he tastes like you only sweeter!
Quinn hurriedly disappears off of the stage to turn the stereo off and Finn takes this distraction to leave without being caught.
…
Rachel fingers through stacks of different papers containing the chords to different songs. She has yet to locate the piano chords to 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'. If she plays piano and Noah plays the guitar… it would be much better than using a CD or iPod, giving it more of an authenticity.
"What are the chances of seeing again at this exact place?" Rachel looks over the mounting pile of papers and gasps.
"Jesse? You're supposed to be at Juilliard! What are you doing here?" Rachel says in awe.
"My parents' 20th anniversary is today. Tonight they're having a big party and well, as being their only son I had to be there."
"That explains why you're not at school but not why you're here," Rachel gestures to the room they were in. The same room they had met in months ago and he had swept her off of her feet with Lionel Richie's 'Hello' song.
"I was hoping to run into you," he answers. He weaves around the table toppling with the papers so they were face-to-face. "Jacob Ben Israel has been keeping me updated with what's happening with McKinley."
"Isn't that like stalking?" Rachel raises an eyebrow at him.
"It's not like I'm on Twitter reading all the tweets the kids from McKinley are writing," he shrugs. "I'm just curious what's going on in the school I used to go to."
"For less than a month," she interjects.
Jesse just shrugs again. He examines the papers then pulls one out, gives it to Rachel, and says, "I assume you're looking for this."
Rachel doesn't need to glance at it to know what song it is. "Jacob sent you the video of my duet with Noah."
Jesse hesitates then admits, "Yes, he did. Look Rachel, I know it's none of my business but-"
"Yes, it is none of your business," Rachel interrupts annoyed. "And there is naught to talk about. It was merely a duet, that's all."
"That's how it starts," Jesse insists. "Remember?" he nods to the baby piano. "And your fascination with Finn, that's how it started too."
"I hadn't sung a duet with Finn when-"
"Well, you were both the leads and singing to each other," Jesse corrects himself. "See, you fall for every guy you sing lead with; I'm surprised you haven't crushed on Mr Schue yet."
Rachel looks away blushing. Jesse's mouth curves into a sick smile, "Yeah, I figured." He drops the smile and looks into her deep brown eyes seriously, "Look, I'm only telling you this because I still care for you and I really hate what I did to you." Rachel isn't sure whether he is lying, or not. She had thought he was nice and sincere but it all turned out to be a hoax so she could discover her mother. Excluding all that, the words he now spoke of her pursuing a romantic interest in all those whom she sings a duet with did seem truthful, looking at her history of relationships/crushes…
"It'd be worse if you fell for Puck," he says his name with venom, "because that guy is trouble. He'll screw with you, just like he did Quinn." With those dreadful last words does Jesse finally take his cue to leave whilst Rachel hears his speech echo in her mind, staring after him agape.
…
Their duet had been awesome. Not just awesome - badass.
Puck knows that because he is the picture of badassness. He thought Rachel knew it too because she knows good music and singing like the back of her hand. Past tense: he thought. He no longer thinks this now because Rachel had not gone up to him screaming rehearsal times for them to rehearse the song before finally singing it in Glee Club.
In fact, Puck thinks she was avoiding him. In Biology he had tried to talk to her as they were packing up but she had bolted out of the door before he could say a thing.
It was time for Glee Club to meet again now.
Rachel was sitting by the gleeks, staring intently at a notebook in her lap. She looks up when he enters the room but then quickly adverts her eyes back to the notebook.
Damn, Berry is still flipping crazy.
He frowns at her, confused, but she ignores him so he sits down with Mike and Matt.
"You guys ready to perform?" he asks them.
"Nah, still working on dance moves," Mike shakes his head.
"You're working together?"
"Yeah. What about you?" Matt asks.
Puck glances at Rachel, only seeing the back of her shiny brown hair. "I'm not sure," he answers truthfully. "I think I'm doing a solo."
Mr Shuester hushes down the chatter as he walks in. "Okay guys, we really got to get moving on those Band numbers. Anyone ready?" Similar to last time, there is only silence. "No one?" Mr Schuester says in disbelief.
"I need to get it perfect," Tina says in her defence.
"I'm still learning chords," Artie pipes up.
"And drum beats," Finn adds.
"Dance moves," Mike and Matt say in unison.
"Lyrics," Brittany says. "I only remember the first line."
"I'm ready to perform my solo," a melodic voice says from the front. There was no need to guess who it was: Rachel. Puck scowls at the word solo.
What the fuck is going on with Berry?
"I would like to get this Glee Challenge over and done with so we can focus on vital things in Glee," she says as she walks to the front.
"I couldn't agree more, this is such a waste of time," Kurt says bored, examining his nails.
"However as it is your wish, Mr Schuester, then I shall proceed to be a team player. Ready?" she asks the drum player and guitarists. They nod back at her and Rachel begins to sing her solo.
All the while Puck is wondering how the hell he fucked up this time.
I can tell
I can tell how much you hate this
And deep down inside you know it's killing me
I can call
Wish you well and try to change this
But nothing I can say would change anything
Where were my senses?
I left them all behind
Why did I turn away?
Away
She turned away because of Jesse. Why did she even listen to him? He knew nothing of relationships or of Noah. He was sweet and kind sometimes… but only sometimes.
I wish I could save you
I wish I could say to you
I'm not going nowhere
I wish I could say to you
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
Didn't mean
Didn't mean to leave you stranded
Went away cause I didn't want to face the truth
But is Jesse right? Does she only develop interest in those who can sing well?
Reaching out
Reach for me
Empty handed
You don't know if I care
You're trying to find the proof
There were times I'd wonder
Could I have eased your pain?
His pain and suffering is about his daughter Beth whom is now living somewhere far with her adopted mother… Rachel's biological mother. Both Noah and Rachel share something in suffering and they could have been able to help each other…
Why did I turn away?
Away
I wish I could save you
I wish I could say to you
I'm not going nowhere
I wish I could say to you
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
Save you
It's gonna be alright
I wish I could say to you
We
Can pretend nothing's changed
Pretend it's all the same
Reverting them back to what? Ignoring each other in hallways?
And there will be no pain
Tonight
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
Save you
It's gonna be alright
I wish I could say to you
I'm not going nowhere
I wish I could say to you
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright
Save you
I wish I could say to you
It's gonna be alright
But it's not going to be alright if we ignore each other like this.
…
"We gotta talk," Mercedes says into her BlackBerry, "about Rachel."
"You bet your sweet ass we do," Kurt replies into his iPhone.
"Hey guys," Tina says intercepting their conversation with her Samsung phone. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Rachel," Kurt and Mercedes say in unison.
"Yeah, what was up with her in Glee?" Artie says into his ear-piece whilst using his hands to wheel along the hallway. "I thought she was going to sing with Puck."
"Puck looked mad the whole time she sang," Tina adds bewildered. "I'm guessing he thought they were going to perform together like us."
"He probably just acted like a Neanderthal again so she blew him off," Kurt offers in explanation.
"I guess so."
"It makes sense."
"Seems like Puck."
"What seems like me?"
The all stop in their tracks, startled. That voice does not belong to any of the four and definitely did not come from their phones. Well, that is what you get for talking into your cell-phone whilst the person you're chatting with is standing right next to you on their cell-phone, making the use of the phones inane and the conversation clear for any attentive open ears.
It would be no use to continue walking, knowing their eavesdropper was only a few steps behind leaning against the lockers, so they each pull their phones away from their ears and swing around.
"What seems like me?" Puck repeats, sullen.
"I-I…" Kurt stutters nervously.
Mercedes frowns at her best friend looking fearful of the bigger Jock whom had used to dump him in a dumpster one every week.
Nah ah, no one does that to Kurt.
"It seems like you to do something mean to Rachel to make her do a solo instead of the slamming duet you two did together," Mercedes answers annoyed. "Sure, the solo wasn't that bad but it wasn't as good as your duet. So spill it, what did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything to her," Puck says.
Wow, it sounds like he's telling the truth.
"And how do you know about the duet anyway?" he asks, perplexed.
"Mercedes asked you first," Kurt finally says regaining his will to speak, "what did you do, or say, to Rachel?"
"And I told you, Hummel, I didn't say anything to her after we sang together," Puck insists, irritated that they were continuing to question him. "She just said something her Dad was waiting for her and left. End of story. I tried to ask her if we were going to practice or something but she just blew me off."
"That's weird," Tina wrinkles her nose confused.
"Doesn't seem at all like Rachel," Artie agrees. "All you have to do is sing to her and she's following you around like a lost puppy like she did with Finn."
Puck doesn't bother to listen anymore and blanks out.
All you have to do is sing to her…
…
It is the final day of the 'Band' challenge and everyone, apart from Rachel, has to perform. Puck sits beside himself not taking in anyone's song but focusing on his own thoughts.
Why the fuck am I doing this? I can get any girl I want so why the fuck am I going after Berry?
There was only one answer he was willing to admit.
Ma is still pissed about me getting Quinn up the duff. It's all over and she still staring daggers at me! If I get a Jewish girlfriend - meaning Berry - then just maybe Ma will calm the fuck down.
Yeah, that's why. It's not like I like Berry that much, anyway. She's just smoking hot in those short skirts and she's kind of cute- Fuck! Badasses do not say 'cute'. I'm only doing this because she's Jewish.
Am I arguing with myself?
"Puck!" someone shouts, snapping Puck out of his thoughts. He looks up to see Mr Shuester looking expectedly at him. "It's time for you to show us what you've got."
Puck grunts in acknowledgement, picking up his guitar and then heads to the front of the Choir Room to face the audience. His eyes focus on Rachel whom was ignoring his gaze by staring at her heeled loafers. When he begins strumming she still doesn't meet his eyes but sways to the beat.
Emotive unstable you're like an unwinding cable car
Listening for voices, but it's the choices that make us who we are
Go your own way, even seasons have changed just burn those new leaves over
So self-absorbed you've seemed to ignore the prayers that have already come about
This is the correlation of salvation and love
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in
Everyone sways along the beat too.
La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la
La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la
Backing away from the problem of pain you never had a home
You've been misguided, you're hiding in shadows for so very long
Don't you believe that you've been deceived that you're no better than...
The hair in your eyes, it never disguised what you're really thinking of
This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Rachel finally looks up meeting Noah's beautiful hazel eyes and begins to sing along and the other girls join in.
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in
This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words I'll lead you in
You're so brilliant, don't soon forget
You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart
You're so brilliant, don't soon forget
You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart
You're so brilliant (This is the correlation)
Don't soon forget (Between salvation and love, don't drop your arms)
You're so brilliant (I'll guard your heart)
Grace marked your heart (With quiet words I'll lead you in and out of the dark)
La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la
(Don't drop your arms)
La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la
This is the correlation of salvation and love (La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la)
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart (La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la)
With quiet words I'll lead you in
He's made to stay back after everyone leaves so he doesn't get a chance to talk to Rachel. It's because Mr Shuester wants to compliment his performance and encourage him to sing more solos.
This is the correlation of salvation and love (La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la)
(Don't drop your arms)
He grumpily walks to the parking lot thinking about how his performance went to such a waste when he notices the school parking lot isn't empty. Leaning against his truck is a waiting Rachel.
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart (La lalalala, la la la, la lala, la)
Puck rushes up to her and once he's close to her he opens his mouth to speak when Rachel leans up to crush her lips on his.
With quiet words I'll lead you in…