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I don't know if anyone will read this, but I really hope at least a few people will. So if you're reading this, thank you! Like I said in my last fic, please tell me what you think in the comments! I know things are changed up and not every detail corresponds with the show, but hey, it's called fanFICTION for a reason. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my story!
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Rachel slid the soft blue sweater she always kept in her locker for these moments over her head and sighed. That was the fourth slushie this week, and it’s only Wednesday. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to get the feeling of sticky blue corn syrup off her skin. Rachel just smoothed her sweater down and left the bathroom. She couldn’t be late to AP Bio again or Ms. Richards would give her a week of detention. She was almost to her class when Sarah Smith, one of Sue’s Cheerios, stuck her foot out and tripped Rachel, sending her papers and books flying all over the hallway.
“Oops,” Sarah said with a sly smile. “Sorry, Man Hands, I didn’t see you there.” She and the rest of the girls she was walking with burst out laughing as they continued on to their next class, and Rachel was left to scramble for her scattered materials. People just walked around her, pretending she wasn’t there, just like they did every other time. A few people gave her sympathetic looks as they passed, but Rachel just ignored them, too consumed in her own misery to care about their meaningless sympathy.
God, she missed Kurt. Since he transferred to Dalton Academy, Rachel’s life only got worse. The bullying had picked up slightly, but that wasn’t even the biggest problem. Rachel and Kurt had never really been friends because of their rivalry in glee club, but they had been there for each other when it counted. Whenever one was tripped in the hallway or shoved into the lockers, the other would always help them up and dust them off. Rachel couldn’t count the times Kurt had helped her wash a slushie out of her hair. She hadn’t realized how much she relied on him until she couldn’t any more, and her life has been on a downward spiral from the very minute Kurt announced his transfer.
Rachel barely made it to her class in time, sliding into her seat just as the bell went off. She pretended not to notice the annoyed glance she got from Ms. Richards and got herself organized. Just one more hour, Rachel, she told herself. One more hour and then glee club. You can do this.
When at long last Rachel heard the merciful shrill of the bell, she had to keep herself from sprinting out of the classroom. She was so caught up in her excitement for the end of the day she didn’t even notice the large boy with a football jersey looming ahead of her. By the time she saw him it was too late. Rachel felt the freezing cold ice sting her face and drip down her clothes, letting out a little shriek of surprise. The boy just chuckled and kept walking while Rachel scraped the ice from her face. Tears of humiliation burned in her eyes, stinging almost as much as the corn syrup. She rushed into the nearest bathroom and quickly locked the door behind her once she confirmed it was empty. She slid to the floor and buried her face in her hands, letting out a deep sob. Enough, Rachel, she thought. You’re better than this.
Rachel slowly washed the slushie off her face and out of her hair, but she didn’t have any more spare clothes; the blue sweater was the last clean shirt she had in her locker. She’d just have to wear it to glee.
When Rachel walked into the choir room, only a few people bothered to look at her. The ones that did only glanced at her stained sweater and continued whatever conversation they were having. The only one to show the slightest bit of concern was Finn, his eyes widening upon seeing Rachel’s disheveled form.
“Woah, what happened, Rach?” he said, his eyes locking on her blotchy sweater before focusing on her eyes, trying to read the emotion there.
Rachel just smiled through her misery, trying to act like she was fine and that she didn’t care. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little slushie facial, is all,” Rachel tried to giggle, like she thought it was funny, but the noise sounded forced and tight, like she was choking instead of laughing.
“Yeah, we gathered that, Hobbit,” Santana scowled at her from her seat. “Why are you still in that hideous sweater? It’s trashed.”
Rachel looked down at her feet while she made her way to the seat in the back corner. “This was my last clean shirt. I don’t have anything to change into.” Rachel sank down in her seat, pretending to busy herself with her bookbag, turning herself away from the rest of the class and hoping they got the message: she didn’t want to talk about it.
“That sucks,” Mercedes said with a weird look on her face, like a cross between feeling sorry for Rachel and feeling relieved that it wasn’t her sitting in slushie-soaked clothes.
“Yeah, whatever,” Rachel mumbled and started scribbling nonsense in her notebook.
The rest of glee passed faster than Rachel would’ve liked. Before she knew it, everyone was filing out of the choir room. She shoved her books into her backpack before getting up and heading for the door, the last to leave. She really wished she hadn't parked so far away. Learning her lesson from earlier, Rachel kept her eyes peeled for red jerseys and short skirts. Rachel turned a tight corner and almost crashed into someone. She didn't get a look at their face, but she didn’t need to. Red jersey. Rachel gasped and her hands flew up to protect her face from whatever was coming.
“Rachel?” she heard a familiar voice say. She sighed in relief, lowering her hands and opening her eyes, which had been shut tightly in anticipation.
“Oh, Finn, it’s just you,” Rachel said, forcing a smile. “I’m glad I ran into you, I wanted to talk to you, co-captain to co-captain, about our setlist for Regionals. I, for one, think we should do original songs. It would really give us that extra edge we need to beat Dalton and Vocal Adrenaline. It’s going to be really tough competition this year, and we need to bring everything we have…” Rachel knew she was rambling but she didn’t really care.
“Rachel.” Finn said, interrupting her mid sentence. Finn’s face softened as he looked into Rachel’s eyes. “Rachel, are you okay? You’ve been acting really...weird lately. You didn’t say a thing in glee club today. Is everything alright?” Finn searched her faced for any signs of distress, and Rachel silently thanked her fathers for the acting classes they made her take when she was younger
Rachel masked her face with a dazzling smile. “I’m fine. Just a little stressed about Regionals. Now that Kurt’s gone, we need to work twice as hard if we want to go to Nationals in New York.” Finn didn’t look at all convinced by Rachel’s smile and upbeat tone.
“Rachel, we both know this isn’t about Regionals,” he said, his hand resting on her shoulder. “You can talk to me, you know. I may be on the football team, but I’m nothing like those jerks.”
Rachel’s smile fell slightly, but she managed to keep a small grin on her face. “It’s not a big deal, Finn. I’m fine, really.”
Finn looked disappointed that Rachel hadn’t told him what was wrong, but he didn’t want to push it. If she didn’t want to talk about it, she didn’t want to talk about. He sighed. “Alright, Rach. Whatever you say.”
A moment of silence passed before Rachel said, “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Finn.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Finn said, and before he could say anything else Rachel rushed past him. She couldn’t keep that smile on her face for a second longer. Her cheeks would start twitching with effort. Just when she got out of Finn’s line of vision, she saw Sarah up ahead a little ways down the hall. Seeing no escape route other than running back towards Finn, Rachel just kept her head down and prayed she that she wouldn’t be seen as she walked by.
Too late.
Sarah shoved her shoulder into Rachel as she walked by, causing Rachel to stumble to the side and into a locker. “Watch where you’re going, loser,” Sarah spat at her, and Rachel felt something inside her snap.
“You can’t just treat people like that,” she said softly.
Sarah stopped dead in her tracks, turning around slowly, a look of absolute disbelief on her face. “Excuse me? Did you say something, troll? I couldn’t hear you over that horrific outfit.”
“I said, you can’t treat people like that,” Rachel said with a little more force. She had no idea where this sudden burst of courage was coming from. Sarah only laughed and walked right at Rachel, stopping an inch from her face.
“Yes, I can,” she said. “And it’s not my fault that you dress like a toddler and that you have a nose bigger than a toucan. I can’t help that you’re the most annoying girl in the world or that you have no friends or talent. Now get out of my face, Hobbit.” Sarah shoved Rachel back by her shoulders, making her lose her balance and fall on her backside. Sarah snickered as she walked away. Rachel thanked her lucky stars that the hallway was empty as the tears rolled down her face, unable to be held back. She clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle her sobs. She sat on the ground with her back pressed against the lockers, curling her knees into her chest.