Rachel cried into her knees, cursing herself for trying to stand her ground. That’s not how things work here. You can’t just make a stand and expect that their won’t be consequences. Rachel couldn’t contain the loud, ugly sobs escaping her mouth. She tried to breath deeply and slowly, but that only made things worse.
“Rachel?” she heard from the end of the hallway. She froze for an instant before frantically swiping at her tears and smoothing down her hair. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this. Rachel got to her feet, wiping the last tear from her face, and turned to where she heard the voice.
Standing at the end of the hallway, in a blue and red blazer with the Dalton seal embossed on the lapel, was the one person in the world Rachel actually wanted to see.
“Kurt!” she cried and ran to where he was standing, flinging her arms around his neck. Kurt hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her back soothingly.
“Are you okay, Rachel?” he asked, pulling back slightly to examine her red, puffy face, swollen from crying. “What happened?”
Rachel took a deep, shaky breath. “Just Sarah,” she said, not wanting to repeat her hurtful words. He understood her silence and pulled her back against his chest, mumbling soothing words into her ear. Rachel hugged him tightly before pulling back to look at him, a huge smile on her face.
“What are you doing here, Kurt!” she exclaimed. “Is everything okay at Dalton?”
“Everything’s fine, I’m just here to make my statement about Karofsky with Principal Figgins,” he said, his face twisting when he said Dave’s name, like it was bitter in his mouth. “I was just about to leave when I thought I heard a whale dying, but it turned out to be you.”
Rachel laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. “I was kind of loud, wasn’t I?”
“Yeah, you were,” Kurt said, concern slipping back onto his face. “Are you busy? I’m free for the rest of the day. We can go grab some food, if you want to.”
Rachel smiled. “That sounds great.”
Kurt held out his arm and Rachel took it gratefully. He lead her out to his car, opening the passenger door for her. He got in the drivers seat, starting the car and then immediately turning on the radio. He and Rachel sang every song that played in perfect harmony on the ride to Breadstix.
After they had been seated and placed their orders, Rachel turned to Kurt with a grin plastered on her face.
“So, how are things at Dalton?” she asked leaning over the table. “And don’t skimp out on details. I want to know everything.”
“Things have been fine, I suppose,” Kurt says. “Warbler rehearsals have been endless, but that’s a good thing, I think. I really love it there. Everyone is so nice, and there is no bullying or harassment. The system is a bit different, but Blaine has been helping me adjust.” Kurt shakes his head and smiles. “You have no idea how good it feels to walk down the hallway without being afraid that someone’s going to throw a slushie in your face.”
“Sounds nice,” Rachel said softly, glancing down at her stained shirt. She returns her gaze to Kurt, her eyes hard and deadly serious. “Kurt, can I ask you something? And you need to be completely honest with me.”
Kurt furrows his eyebrows. “What is it, Rachel?”
“Do you have any regrets about transferring?” she asks, biting her lip.
Kurt hesitates for a moment before answering. “Honestly?” he asks, and Rachel nods her head, anxiously awaiting his answer. “No. I mean, are there things I miss? Sure. I miss the New Directions, I miss lunch with Mercedes, I even miss you, Berry.” A small smile of nostalgia forms on his lips, before melting away as the bad memories flood his mind. “But I don’t miss being shoved against a locker, or the name calling, and I especially don’t miss being afraid of my school. Leaving McKinley was one of the best things I ever did for myself.”
There’s a pause in the conversation before Rachel puts a hand on Kurt’s, folded in the center of the table. “I’m glad that you’re so happy there,” she says with a small smile. “I wish that those neanderthals hadn’t given you a reason to leave, but I’m glad that you found somewhere to be happy. And if it means anything, we all miss you like crazy,” Rachel lets out a laugh under her breath. “I never realized how awesome it was to have you around until you weren’t anymore. I never thought I’d say this, but school sucks significantly more without you.”
Kurt smiles and laughs softly. “Someone get a camera. Rachel Barbara Berry is admitting to caring about someone other than herself.” The friendly affection in his tone bleeds through the sarcasm, and Rachel bursts out laughing.
“God, Kurt, why were we never friends when you were at McKinley?” Rachel says through small fits of giggles.
“Are you kidding?” Kurt says, laughing along with her. “We were way too competitive with each other in glee club to even think about being friends! Always battling for solos can really drive a stake between people.”
“No kidding,” Rachel says, rolling her eyes. The waitress appears with their food, and leaves them to eat with a smile.
The conversation carries on through the meal, transitioning from Blaine and the Warblers to Regionals to Broadway and before they know it, their plates are clean and they’re paying the check. They step outside into the early evening and Kurt drives Rachel home, hugging her tightly before she gets out of the car. She waves at him from her doorway as he pulls away, and steps inside.
Rachel finishes her homework and even though it’s only about seven o’clock, she feels exhausted. She collapses on her soft pink bed and replays the evening in her mind. She thought about what Kurt said:
Leaving McKinley was one of the best things I ever did for myself.
Rachel considers this for a long time. She could never leave McKinley, not so close to Regionals. The glee club relied on her. They needed her to win. Rachel thought about whether any of her “friends” would even put up with her if she couldn’t sing. They only tolerate her as it is. Would any of them even look at her if they didn’t need her voice? No, don’t think like that, Rachel thought. They’re your friends, and they like you for more than just your voice. As she drifted into sleep, all Rachel could focus on was how much she doubted her friends' loyalty.