The driver

chapter 12: Heckled

Rachel made sure that she looked fantastic that night, it was her first public appearance since the world found out who she was, and as much as she hated to give into pressure, she wanted to impress them all. She put on her favorite deep red dress and matching crimson lipstick and pulled her long hair up into a loose bun with tendrils framing her pretty face. She may not have been a star but she certainly looked like one.

"Well don't you look nice?" Mr. Morgenstern, the club owner said, approaching Rachel.

"Thank you, I have to say all of the great things I've heard about your club didn't do it justice."

"Thank you, that's exactly what Brad Pitt said the last time he was here," He gloated, "So our emcee will introduce you, when you hear your name you'll walk out onstage and just do your thing, we encourage talking with the audience a bit but it's not mandatory. What's important is that you just have fun up there."

"Mr. Morgenstern I've been performing since before I could stand, I think I can manage," Rachel said confidently.

"That's great, love your confidence," he said clapping her on the back before leaving her alone behind the curtain. Rachel took a few deep breaths and waited for her name to be called.

"Oh my god, it's like my taste buds are all having an orgasm," Santana said, enjoying her burger.

"Yeah this is almost as good as manwich night," he joked.

"Huh?" she said confusedly.

"Nevermind," he replied sheepishly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Clearwater," said the emcee, getting up onstage."We have an amazing performance planned for you tonight, now you may not be familiar with her work but she is a very special friend of one of our guests tonight, the incomparable Finn Hudson."

"What is he talking about?" Santana whispered over to Finn as the spotlight shone on them.

"I have no idea," he said worriedly.

"And look at this, he's with Victoria's Secret's own Santana Lopez. Well, you may have moved on sir but I assure you we are all still dying to know all about your quote unquote wild ride from last week… So without further adieu give it up for America's favorite little chauffer…"

"Oh no," Finn said, cringing.

"…Rachel Berry!" As he called her name Finn expected her to come up onstage but the emcee continued to stand there alone as the crowd hooted and hollered, and he always thought it was a classy place.

Rachel's blood ran cold, for the first time in years she couldn't build up the confidence to take the stage, Finn was there with Santana, and he probably thought she was an opportunistic little fame whore.

"What are you doing, get out there," Said Mr. Morgenstern rejoining her backstage.

"I can't do this, she cried. He's out there. Did you know that he was going to be here?"

"That's beside the point. I gave you a job to do. Now if you expect to get paid I suggest you suck it up.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said handing him her mic and trying to hold back her tears.

"We had a deal!"

"Well the deal is off," she said beginning to storm out, but before she could get too far her heel became tangled in a stray microphone cord, sending her crashing through the curtain and onto the stage.

"Well it looks like someone was a little tied up," Said the emcee, grabbing Rachel's hand and hoisting her up. She tried not to put too much weight on her rapidly swelling ankle as she stood up and looked into the crowd, halfway expecting a bucket of pig's blood to come crashing down on her head.