5Rachel's Redemption
Chapter 1: Berry the B*tch
Summary: The writers make Rachel out to be a real b*tch and people hate her, but I believe that under all that attitude, she's extremely insecure. She's simply waiting for someone to see past the front. This is how one girl does and makes the rest of the glee club see as well. Rachel/OC, Finchel, Mike/OC, Tartie, and minor Quick.
Elaina was bored out of her skull. She had Geometry right now and really didn't feel like going, so she decided to ditch before realizing she had nothing to do except wander the halls with her fake hall pass. She remembered she had Glee practice later and actually wasn't dreading it. Singing while decorating the Christmas tree was actually pretty amusing. Of course, she didn't let anyone hear her sing, but that was beside the point.
She was walking past the auditorium when she heard singing come from it. It didn't sound familiar so she peeked in to find the Rachel girl onstage, singing a Christmas song.
"Logs on the fire fill me with desire to see you and to say that I wish you Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too," Rachel crooned sadly. Elaina carefully and silently placed herself in a seat in the back row of the auditorium and listened as Rachel sang the wishful song. Elaina had to admit – the girl was talented, although from what she had heard from the other people in the group, she was full of herself.
As the song finished, Rachel sat down on the edge of the stage, tears streaming down her face and falling into her lap. As Elaina watched on, she couldn't see what all the other glee kids saw. She didn't see someone who was full of herself – she saw someone who was just as screwed up as she was, and probably just as screwed up as the rest of the glee kids were. Where was the bitch that everyone described in vivid detail to her?
The bell rang and just as quietly as she had snuck in, Elaina snuck out to lunch, her most hated part of the day. In the classroom, people had to interact with her and had to be nice to her, whether they wanted to or not. In the lunch room, everyone ignored her like she had six heads with purple goo coming out of her ears. It wasn't like she tried to push everyone away, like that creepy kid Jacob Ben Israel. People were just generally put off by her, with the exception of Artie Abrams, but she figured he just felt obligated to hang out with her because she had saved him from the Port-O-Potty so many times.
Elaina got in line and crinkled her nose at the unidentifiable glop that had just been thrown on her plate.
"Hello!" a chipper voice said in her ear. Elaina jumped and found herself face to face with Rachel herself. Elaina gave a noncommittal grunt. "So you are our newest member of the Glee Club?" Rachel asked in a light tone. Elaina nodded. "I'm Rachel Berry!" The girl held out her hand. Elaina stared at it and after a few awkward seconds, Rachel took it back. "Well, seeming as last year I was voted captain even though no one listens to me anymore," Rachel's face took on a sour look as she talked and Elaina gave her a sideways glance. Rachel took a breath and her face became happy once more as she continued. "Well, I've taken it upon myself to tell you all about our club and –"
"Why were you crying?" Elaina interrupted, her voice betraying none of her curiosity, even though it was killing her to find out.
"I…you saw that?" Rachel asked, her voice squeaking. "I thought I heard someone come in but I wasn't sure."
"Be happy it was me and not one of those bitchy cheerleaders. They hate you and would have told everyone," Elaina informed the shorter girl.
"Are you going to tell anyone?" Rachel asked. Elaina was impressed that the girl managed to keep all of her fear out of her voice and eyes, even though Elaina knew she was freaking out on the inside.
"No. I don't gossip," Elaina said, disdain apparent in her voice as she moved down the line, reaching for a Mountain Dew.
"Elaina, you are aware that Mountain Dew is the unhealthiest soda out there, and is rumored to lower fertility rate?" Rachel asked. Elaina rolled her eyes and put two cans on her plate. "Okay then." Rachel reached for a carton of skim milk and put it on her plate as they walked down the line. Elaina trudged to the AP Kelli and handed her a slip. AP Kelli nodded and waved Elaina out of the lunchroom.
"Ms. Berry, what are you doing?" AP Kelli asked.
"I'm with Elaina," Rachel answered with a winning smile and a trusting gleam in her eye that Elaina had to admire.
Dang. That girl can manipulate people easier than I can, Elaina thought as Kelli waved Rachel through. Rachel followed Elaina all the way to the Art Room.
"Hey Elaina."
"Hey Mr. Duplex," Elaina called, setting her lunch down and sitting on a table. Rachel placed her lunch on a table, pulled up a chair, wiped the chair off, and then carefully sat in the chair. Elaina shook her head but said nothing.
"So do you eat here every day?" Rachel asked, picking up her fork.
"Except days where Mr. D. has meetings," Elaina answered. "Why are you following me?"
"Well…" Rachel fidgeted nervously, looking worried, ashamed, and sad. The phrase "Takes one to know one," popped up in Elaina's mind and she definitely knew what was about to come out of Rachel's mouth. Nevertheless, she cringed as Rachel admitted, "I have no friends. Usually, I sat with my boyfriend, but I messed things up and he…he won't take me back so now…I have nowhere else to sit and I figured…I figured…"
"It's fine," Elaina said quickly, her sympathy immediately rising. Why did the Glee Club hate her so much? She didn't seem mean – she was so miserable it was almost pathetic. Couldn't anyone tell?
"Now that that's out of the way," Rachel said brightly, snapping back into her show face, "I really hope we can be good friends. I have a great feeling about you."
"I'm sure you do," Elaina said sarcastically. She gestured to the Star of David around Rachel's neck. "You Jewish?"
"Yes I am," Rachel said proudly, straightening up. "You're Irish Catholic right?"
"Kind of. I'm Jewish and Irish Catholic, although I'm not too strict for either. My dad served in the Israeli army because he was Jewish and he's super Jewish, but he wants me to decide what I want to be. He actually hated anything that had to do with Judaism until he was about 25 because his parents crammed it down his throat. My mom is Irish Catholic," Elaina explained.
"That's very sweet of your parents. Is it hard for them, being different religions?"
"Not really. We celebrate Chrismakah and my dad goes out with his other Jewish friends on Easter so he's not for Easter. Other than that, it's pretty okay and they don't care if I turn out to be a Buddhist just as long as I'm happy," Elaina said. The two girls ate in companionable silence, both checking the other out and pretending not to notice the other watching.
"There you are!" a man's voice shouted. A tall, tan boy with a Mohawk and a school sports jacket burst through the door.
"Noah," Rachel said curtly.
"Rachel," Puck nodded. He set his sights on Elaina and his eyes brightened.
Oh shit, Elaina thought. Hero worship.
"Hello Elaina," Puck said, his face breaking out in a smile. He sat down on the table next to Elaina. Rachel raised an eyebrow at Elaina. Moving her head so he wouldn't see, Elaina rolled her eyes and saw Rachel smile.
"Hello Puck," she said monotonously.
"I was wondering if you were-"
"Puckerman, I don't date whores and I 'put out' for anyone, okay?" Elaina shot at him. She saw Puck's face fall for a second before he straightened up.
"I'm okay with heavy make-out sessions," Puck told her. "I don't need sex. I prefer it, but I can deal with less," he insisted. "And I'm not that much of a whore!"
"You talked the most innocent girl in the school into giving it up to you while she had a boyfriend and was captain of the Celibacy Club. You're a whore," Elaina deadpanned, looking back at her Mountain Dew and taking a sip.
"I can put aside my whore-like ways if it meant I could make out with my sexy savior."
"Do those cheesy pick-up lines work on all the girls?" Elaina asked.
"No they do not," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "When those don't work, he either sings to the girl to win her affections or insults her."
"I'm guessing he sang to you?" Elaina asked emotionlessly.
"Yes. And Mercedes and Quinn as well."
"Who does he insult?"
"Santana and Brittany."
"Also makes sense." Elaina turned to Puck who had a sour look on his face.
"Thanks Berry," he said. Rachel flashed her 100 watt smile at him and continued eating.
"Alright, I'll go out on one date with you and we'll see how it goes."
"Thank-"
"This has got nothing to do with any fondness for you and only because I have nothing better to do," Elaina cut him off. Puck nodded his head but still looked hopeful.
"Since all three of you are going to be in here a lot, you'll have to work, just like Elaina has," Mr. Duplex said.
"I'm happy to do anything that will serve any member of the Fine Arts," Rachel said, jumping to attention.
"I'm down with helping."
"You really are sticking to that whole being nicer to people thing aren't you?" Rachel asked.
"I want to be a better Jew," Puck said thoughtfully.
"You know being a better Jew includes not sleeping around right?" Rachel asked.
"Yes Berry I am aware of this. That's why I just asked out Elaina. I have a feeling that if I tried to cheat she'd try to kick my ass…and probably be able to do it."
"You bet your good Jewish ass I could do it."
Puck shuddered and looked slightly afraid, Rachel and Mr. Duplex laughed, and Elaina allowed herself to crack a small smile.
And...we're off! I think this could be the start of not only a beautiful friendship *hint hint* but also an interesting relationship *nudge nudge* that may involve both parties using each other to get over/make another person jealous *poke poke*
Okay so...
I love favorites and story alerts and to find my inbox cluttered with them makes my day...but I'd like reviews. You know, telling me what you like, what you don't like, do you like Elaina, and even if you want me to not have someone or have more of someone etc... certain couples, whatever, but feedback to tell me what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong so I can fix this in future chapters.
Please and Thank you.