DISCLAIMER: Glee keeps getting better and better, I wish I could lay claim to the brilliance but alas I am me and that is not Ryan Murphy…well perhaps if I were to have a chat with Christian McNamara…
Ch5…
Finn had spent the next few periods trying to find out what exactly had happened that morning, it wasn't like Rachel to cry over a slushie attack, at least not after the sixth time. He had managed to piece together parts of the story from Brittany in English although that had been like being last in Chinese whispers he was pretty sure that Rachel wasn't cheating on Jesse with Mr. Schuester. Kurt had huffed about the blonde's inability to keep a secret and said nothing more while his partner in crime Mercedes had lasted until algebra before spilling the whole story to him.
Jesse was using Rachel.
He had been repeating that to himself while staring at her dressed in shirt during Spanish. She had seemed completely unfazed by the mornings events taking notes diligently and answering questions when Mr. Schue called on her. She had returned his small smile at the start of the class and given him another before practically sprinting from the room when the bell rang. It was lunch, usually his favourite class of the day, it was also coincidentally the only time of the day that Jesse was with the rest of the glee kids considering he was a senior.
"Hey Mr. Schue." Finn stopped him before he could escape to the teacher's lounge. "I think you should eat in the cafeteria today, it could be important."
Not being able to explain himself further he quickly exited forgoing his locker so he could get to the cafeteria quicker. He was going to be there for Rachel no matter what, he wasn't going to break any promises to her, not anymore.
Rachel was seated at her usual table by the time he got there, Kurt and Mercedes were sitting opposite her just staring at her while he played with her carrot sticks. Taking his own seat partially hidden by one of the large potted plants he waited.
She still half refused to believe Jesse had been using her this whole time. Why would he bother with their dates or want to have sex if he really was with Shelby? She almost wished he was spying on them for Regionals, at least then they could have Vocal Adrenaline disqualified and one part of her life wouldn't be a complete disaster.
"Hey babe." The object of her thoughts greeted her kissing her cheek before dropping onto the bench next to her straddling it.
"Where were you last night?" She asked, she wanted to give him the chance to be honest. Maybe there was a perfectly acceptable reason for why he had been at Shelby's house.
"Just at home with my Uncle's, I had homework and I wanted to work on our Elton John assignment." He answered biting into an apple.
"Liar."
She was calling him on it; she wasn't going to let him keep playing her for a fool. Jesse spat at the apple dropping it on his tray.
"Excuse me?"
"I called you a liar. You weren't at home last night, you were with Shelby. I thought I'd give you a chance to be honest with me but I guess that was a little too much to ask from you."
Her voice had steadily grown louder until she was shouting garnering the attention of the students. Kurt and Mercedes in particular seemed to be watching closely passing chips back and forth without taking their eyes off the couple, she even thought she had heard a quiet 'you go girl' from Mercedes.
"I don't know what you are talking about Rachel." Jesse told her his voice hitching slightly; so slight she wasn't positive she had heard it.
"Don't bother denying it, I've got proof!" She waved her phone in his face, Santana had been all too happy to forward the pictures to her. "Is that why you really transferred here? So the school wouldn't find out about the two of you?"
She was proud that her own voice hadn't wavered although she could do without the tears brimming her eyes. Out of the corner of her eyes she spied Matt and Mike standing up and walking towards them stopping at a safe distance, they could grab him should he make a run for it. She wanted to smile when she saw Puck join them and crack his knuckles, she almost didn't notice the absence of Finn. Almost.
"Just admit it!" She demanded. "You owe me that much!"
Jesse's look of indignation melted into a defeat before quickly settling into a smarmy smirk.
"You want the truth? Then yes I was with Shelby last night, just like I'm with her most nights. After seeing you at Sectionals you prickled my interest, so I asked my cousin Jacob about you, well after he told me about Rachel Berry and your failing romance with the King of the Idiots Shelby and I knew we'd found the perfect beard to hide our love."
"Cousin?"
"Mmhm." Jesse nodded arching an eyebrow at her condescendingly. "Jacob was quite eager to help given the right incentives. Namely your underwear."
Rachel blushed scarlet, never had she wanted to throttle Jacob Ben Israel more.
"You were perfect Rachel. You with the stars in your eyes and delusions of your own self worth, you never once questioned why someone like me would ever settle for someone like you?" He scoffed at her making her feel lower than any of Quinn's biting MySpace comments ever had.
"What do you mean someone like her?" Finn asked forgetting his promise to stay out of sight until Rachel needed him, his own anger clouding his judgement. He could feel Rachel tremble when he placed his hand on her lower back. Jesse laughed cruelly tossing his head.
"Whiny, immature, virginal." He listed emphasizing his last point. "It's no surprise really, always with the short skirts and dresses screaming for attention. I guess that's what happens when you have no mother."
Finn didn't even have time to clench his fist and bury it in Jesse's face he was already on ground. Rachel's handprint now practically tattooed on his cheek.
"You slapped me?"
"Oh in a few seconds that will be the least of your problems." Rachel answered nodding over his shoulder. Mr. Schuester walked up to the small group his face red with anger, his mouth set in a grim line.
Jesse glared at Rachel the air between them filled with hatred, poisonous looks shooting back and forth between them.
"You disgust me."
Mr. Schuester pulled on Jesse's shoulder informing him that they had a nice long chat to look forward to.
"Oh and Jesse?" Rachel called out having gather her books and clasping a slushie in her free hand. "I'm breaking up with you. Next week at ballet if you come near me I'll make sure you can never do another arabesque ever again."
With her final words she threw the slushie all over her now ex boyfriend. Regaining her composure she blew at her hair stalking from the cafeteria with as much poise as she could muster the entirety of the room staring after her.
"Let's go Jesse." Mr. Schuester barked pulling the boy by the collar not caring if he choked him.
"Are you seriously still standing here?" Matt asked Finn who seemed to be frozen in shock.
"Give him a minute." Puck said counting down in his head, just as he hit one Finn seemed to spring into action running in the direction Rachel had fled. "He gets there eventually."
The mood in the auditorium was grim; Mr. Schuester could barely muster a smile as he took his usual seat to watch the group perform their chosen Elton John song. The boys were standing on stage left all in black slacks and black shirts with white ties; the girls opposite on stage right wore white dresses with black sashes and silver shoes.
Artie nodded to the band and the slow melodic piano began to play. The group moved into formation fluidly gliding around the stage.
"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band"Rachel's steady and assured voice started them off as she walked purposefully to the stage taking her position next to Finn pretending not to notice everyone's stares. "Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man"
Finn sang his line twirling Rachel back against him. "Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand" "And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand"
"Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God" Quinn sang sweetly her hands resting on her baby bump.
"Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad" Puck crooned winking at his baby mama.
"Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium" Kurt sang pitch perfect unable to resist an Elton head toss.
"Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows, the tune she hums" Tina's voice sweetly adding to the melody.
"But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near" Artie sang rolling his way across the stage and stopping at Mercedes who then sang her own line.
"Only you and you can't hear me
When I say softly, slowly"
"Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today"The group sang out harmonizing; their voices working together to be one. Stepping away from the pack Rachel and Finn took centre stage repeating their first lines staring at each other.
"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band" "Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man" "Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand" "And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand"
Walking away Artie and Mercedes took their spots once more. "But oh how it feels so real "Hold me closer tiny dancer Hold me closer tiny dancer
Lying here with no one near
"Only you and you can't hear me
When I say softly, slowly"
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today"
"All right!"
Mr. Schuester's applause shook the group out of their frozen positions, Rachel and Finn springing apart as the rest of the glee club excitedly jumped around pulling them away from each other. As they were pulled further and further apart their eyes never left the other.
And so ends my Elton John episode be sure to stay tuned for the next episode. Sadly I couldn't work Your Song in which in my mind has always been a Finchel song. I haven't ruled out using it in another 'episode' later in my canon. As always reviews are loved.