Shake it Out [Sequel to 'Who Will I Be?']

Chapter Four

Kurt raised an eyebrow, "What's going on?"

"Rachel isn't here...she's always early and it's not like she's absent, I had her in my class last period." Quinn chimed in. "It's just...weird."

"Maybe she had to go to the bathroom." I couldn't help but giggle, "You guys need to learn how to relax!"

The Club decided to calm down, taking their seats just as the bell rang. i took my usual spot next to Finn, Mercedes taking the spot next to me for the day. Mr. Schue walked in, offering a quick hello then squinted his eyes in confusion.

"Where's Rachel and Mercedes? I though I saw them earlier today..."

Huh. I didn't even notice my top Diva was gone, everyone was so up in arms about Rachel that I must've completed blanked out on that point. We all shrugged, trying to keep the postivity up in the room.

That stopped when Nick came in. I offered him a smile, but it faded once I saw his condition. He looked...upset? 

"Nick, what's wrong?" Mr. Schue asked, putting a hand on the boy's shoulders.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Rachel and Mercedes walked out on New Directions."

The room filled with gasps and objections. I just stared out into space as everyone questioned why Rachel, out of anyone, would leave the club. My stomach turned as I realized I was the reason, the way Nick was looking at me also told me it was because of Maria. 

 "Where are they now? I need to knock some sense into them." Puck said, getting out of his chair.

Nick sighed, "They're in Ms. Crocan's new Glee Club." 

The room got errierly quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Shelby Crocan was the newest edition to McKinley High, just coming out of a coaching gig for Vocal Adrenalaine, our rival. But, she was better known to the Glee Club as Rachel's biological mother and, most recently, the mother of an adopted girl-Puck and Quinn's baby. 

"So, now we're short two members. That's fantastic." Mike put his head in his hands.

"Why did they leave?" Blaine asked, his puppy eyes bulging.

Nick glanced at me but then back at the club, "Didn't say-"I know why, it's because of this one." Santana pointed at me.

"That makes absolutely no sense, Rachel and Lizzie are best friends." Finn said, putting an arm around me.

"Listen Pillsberry Doughboy, we all know how much Rachel wanted the part of Maria, and Lizzie got it. She's too hurt to come back in." She said, almost mocking me.

"Lay off, Santana!" Tina came in, "No one forced Rachel to leave..."

I sighed, for the first time, Santana was actually right. If Rachel had gotten the part, she would have never left, no wonder why she didn't answer me. She was too hurt to say anything to me, plus it sounded like she was trying to recruit members. 

Mercedes leaving was a bit of a shock, but it did make sense. She was feeling a bit underappericated by the Club recently, but I never thought she would walk out on us. 

 "Okay, everyone calm down." Mr. Schue said, "We'll figure something out....Lizzie, do you think you could try to talk to Rachel and Mercedes?" 

I could've told him that I was trying to do that very thing all weekend, and that Rachel completely ignored me. But, I did feel like this was my fault, as did everyone else. They may have defended me, but God knows they were thinking it. Plus, maybe she would listen to me now, it is Rachel we're talking about. I nodded, getting up from my seat.