The Transfer: A Glee Fanfiction

Chapter 23

Puck was laughing, too. "Relax, babe," he said. "I can't help how irresistible I am to the ladies."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Rachel said with a smile as she went back to her original spot. "It's just a game." She stole a glance at Finn, who was pulling at a loose string on his sleeve with a tight jaw.

As she took her seat beside Kurt, Rachel noticed that Jesse was no longer on her other side. She quickly scanned the room, but he seemed to have completely disappeared.

"Hey," she whispered loudly, leaning into Kurt's ear. "Where'd Jesse go?"

Kurt gently pushed Rachel out of his personal space with thinning patience. "I'm not sure," he said lowly, watching with a frown as Santana's spin landed on Blaine. Santana was practically in Blaine's lap as she attacked his mouth, and Blaine responded with enough enthusiasm to make Kurt's face twist into a sneer. "Who cares anyway? I thought we hated him."

"I don't care," Rachel said quickly, stumbling over her words as she tried to get them out. " 'S just rude to leave without saying goodbye to the hostess, you know? I don't care," she said again for good measure.

"Whatever," Kurt grumbled, glaring at Santana as she took her spot back in the circle.

The game continued, though Rachel's interest was waning. She was vaguely annoyed that Jesse had just up and left without a word, and she was in the middle of convincing herself that the only reason she cared at all about his absence was that he knew how to make her drinks when she noticed that Finn's turn to spin the bottle was next. She began to panic. Who knew how drunk Rachel would react to seeing Finn make out with another girl two feet away from her? Even if by some chance the bottle landed on her, Rachel didn't think she could handle kissing Finn again. She searched for an escape plan.

"I'm..." she started as she got to her feet, looking around for an excuse to leave. She spotted her half-full cup on the end table behind her and had a drunken stroke of genius. "...gonna get a drink!"

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked. "Your drink is right there."

Rachel picked up the cup and downed the contents in one swig before looking back at him. "It's empty."

Kurt gave her a questioning look but conceded with a shrug. She stepped awkwardly between him and Mercedes, her impaired balance making her stumble on the way to the kitchen.

When she got to the kitchen, Rachel realized she was without a plan. She couldn't actually get a drink, or at least an alcoholic one, seeing as her mixologist was M.I.A. and she didn't know how to make her own. So, what, she'd grab a water bottle? Then what? Go back to the game? It was only a matter of time before someone's spin landed on Finn or his turn came again, and Rachel didn't want to have to come up with some lame excuse to leave every time it happened. Maybe she could just hang out here. The only one who might notice her absence would be Kurt, but he was preoccupied with keeping an eye on Blaine.

"Hey," someone said behind her. Rachel nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around too quickly and lost her balance, tipping forward toward the floor. Arms reached out to steady her. "Careful there, Tipsy. We can't have our new female lead getting hurt."

Rachel righted herself, leaning against the counter for support until her vision refocused. In front of her, Jesse held his hands out in the air, as if anticipating another fall.

"Jesse!" said Rachel, drunken enthusiasm coloring her words. "I was wondering where you went. You were so right, these drinks make the party so much better! You have to show me how to make them." She gave him her empty cup expectantly, but he just laughed and put it back on the counter.