Series Three. Episode Eighteen. Choke
RUBY RAN OUT OF THE CHOIR ROOM AFTER PUCK, AFTER HE BASICALLY TOLD EVERYONE HE HAD GIVEN UP ON SCHOOL. After finishing his spontaneous performance of Alice Cooper's Schools Out , Noah Puckerman fled the choir room without another word and leaving his friends in bewilderment."Hey Puck! Puckerman! Stop!" Ruby pushed past her fellow students to catch up to the boy. But to no avail he seemingly wasn't stopping for anyone.
"NOAH PUCKERMAN. STOP WALKING AWAY FROM ME RIGHT NOW!"
Stopping in his tracks, Puck's shoulders slumped as Ruby raced round to face him properly. Avoiding eye contact with her when she tugged on his hand to try get his attention.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
Puck snatched his hand free of her grip, "Why do you care?"
Ruby took a step back, a little taken aback by his tone and scoffed. "Because funnily enough you mean a lot to me... Because we're friends Noah, I care about you. Or have you forgotten about that?"
"It's school. Kinda gonna flunk out." He rolled his eyes.
"Kinda? What does that mean?"
Not missing the sigh that left his lips, Ruby's face softened at her clearly deflated friend. "I'm gonna fail my next test. I'm not graduating." He spoke quietly as he tried to walk away from her.
Following close behind, Ruby ran to catch up. "Hey listen, I'll help you." Puck stopped to look at Ruby closely to see if she was taking the piss. "I'll help you study, come to mine tonight. It'll be fine. I promise." Ruby sent him a soft smile.
"And why would you help me. I'm an idiot."
"Cause like I said, I care about you and I kinda like your company!" Ruby teased, nudging him in the ribs playfully. "Plus I always help Finn and I've helped Sam before in the past too, it's no big deal. I want to help."
"So you like idiots then?" he scoffed.
"Shut up before I changed my mind. Come to mine at seven." She linked arms with him. "Now walk me to class before you say something to piss me off!"
***
SAM STOOD IN FRONT OF THE CARTER'S FRONT DOOR. Undetermined if he was going to actually knock or not. He had a bunch of sunflowers in his hand but he was nervous about if she would even forgive him or if she would slam the door in his face for how he had treated her. Only time would tell, but he couldn't even do that.
Popping the bouquet of sunflowers on the welcome mat, he quickly made a u-turn and exited the drive way. Upon making it back to the Hudson residence where he was currently staying, he saw Puck on his motorbike pulling onto her driveway. Instantly thinking the worst, he pushed his way back through the front door and to the guest bedroom he was staying in.
There was no way he was going to go over there and potentially confess these feelings he's been having when she was still inviting Puck over. He really did want to sit down and have a conversation with her but he chickened out last minute like the loser he was.
He had choked.
What he didn't know was that Puck was forcing Ruby to talk about her feelings for Sam whilst trying to procrastinate from studying and to man up and do something at every chance he got that night.
Ruby was determined to help Noah graduate. She would study with him now and let the boys help cram the night before. She knew they wouldn't leave him behind. Never one to leave another behind the boys and Ruby were on a mission to help Puck.
***
RUBY NEEDED SOME ONE ON ONE TIME WITH HER BEST FRIEND. As much as she loved Santana to share all her girl problems with, she just wanted to be in the presence of her BFG! When they were kids, whenever she was sad she would go next door to the Hudson's where Carole would let her in and her and Finn would spend hours in the blanket forts they would make and listen to music. One of their favourite's being U2's 'The Joshua Tree' record, which always used to drive Carole insane after hearing their rendition of 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' for the millionth time.
Though they were slightly too old at seventeen and eighteen to be making blanket forts, the thought about asking her 6' 4" friend if he would climb under the covers whilst the record player played their favourite records was tempting more than ever.
Ruby seemed to have hit a wall. Graduation was coming up for Finn and the majority of her friends and she's never known a life where she didn't get to see her favourite idiot everyday.
Finn was leaving her, Santana and Mike were leaving. Hell even Puckerman was leaving and yet the impending doom of making it through Senior year on her own and trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life was enough to send her into a frenzy.
Ruby had text Finn to meet her and was waiting in the auditorium for him. Sitting at the piano, Ruby started playing the opening chords to one of their favourites. Elton John and George Michael's 'Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me' .
Just as she was starting to sing, she noticed Finn enter via the wings. A smile forming when he recognised what she was playing. "Hey bee. Not that I don't love our song or you but what did I need to rush here for?" Finn chuckled as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Well Finnlay..." he tried to scowl at her at her pet name.
"That's not my name Bee!" He whined, but what was the point when they both knew she was the only person allowed to call him that.
Rolling her eyes, Ruby continued as she made her way around the piano to throw an arm around him. "Well it's come to my attention with all the thinking about you leaving me that we've not done many duets in glee club. And whilst we sing together all the time, I thought it would be perfect to sing our song this week. What do you think?"
"It sounds perfect." he said pulling her into a hug.
***
SAM YANKED OPEN HIS LOCKER TO SHOVE HIS SCIENCE BOOKS IN THERE WHEN A SMALL PIECE OF PAPER FLOATED TO THE FLOOR. Quickly shutting the door before they could fall back out. Picking up the piece of paper, he looked both ways down the corridor to see if he could see the send anywhere. When he was unsuccessful, he carefully unfolded it to find a note.
'Meet me under the stars before glee club! R x'
Sam peered around the door to the astronomy classroom to see Ruby already perched upon one of the tables. Nervously making his way towards her, the blonde was unaware what was about to go down between the two of them.
"Thanks for coming to meet me." Ruby smiled shyly at the blonde.
"No problem. Ehh why are we here?"
"I just wanted to say thank you." Ruby jumped down from the table and took a step closer to him.
"Thanks for what? I don't know what you're talking about?" He stuttered.
"Sam." Ruby cocked her head at the boy. "Thank you for the flowers, they were beautiful. My favourite actually." She sent a demure smile his way.
"I didn't give you flowers. You sure they weren't off Puck?" He started to play with his hands, the fidgeting not going unnoticed by the cheerleader.
"First of all why would they be off Puck? He's not exactly the type for romantic gestures! Plus there was a card in the bouquet that said 'I'm sorry! Love Sam x' it kind of gave it away." Ruby teased him.
"Ohhh yeah they were off me." He laughed nervously, "I don't know why I said they weren't... just nervous I guess"
Ruby stepped closer, reaching up on her tip toes to wrap her arms around Sam's neck, "What are you nervous for? We're all good Evans." Placing a deft kiss to his cheek, Ruby quickly pulled away before grabbing her bag on the way out the door.
"Hey don't want to be late for glee. I'm performing today!" Ruby smirked on her way out the, leaving Sam to follow her quickly like a puppy back to the choir room. If he didn't pick up what she was trying to say with this performance then her friends were out of answers because it couldn't have been anymore obvious.
*Vocals by Rhianna. Only Girl in the World performed by Ruby Carter with Santana Lopez, Quinn Fabray & Brittany S.Pierce*