Rachel Berry isn't stupid.

So she knows when she asks Jesse if he really means to go out with her, and it isn't just about glee, and winning and he kisses her by way of answering, she knows he's lying. She can feel his eyes shift away from her and look at something else. She frowns internally, because it's a pretty hot kiss, and unless something like a car is coming towards them – unlikely- he shouldn't be focusing on anything else apart from it.

(The back part of her mind laughs a little at the irony, considering how she isn't exactly paying attention herself)

At the end of it she smiles hurriedly and walks out, with one last sentence "no one in glee can find out about this"

Rachel Berry may not be stupid, but she is lonely. And when this handsome boy, who sings and laughs, starts paying attention to her, she doesn't leave, because, damn it. She's tired of being alone, and maybe this nice friendly boy will take her mind off the hurt the other friendly boy in her life has done.

Rachel Berry isn't very good at lying to herself

Rachel Berry isn't heartless.

So when she sees the word FAG spray painted on the locker across from hers, the first thing she does is grab the bottle of paint solvent from her locker and a cleaning rag. She just thanks god owner of said locker isn't there to see her like this. Because she knows that he hates her.

(The back part of her mind sniggers at her, why would anyone like her?)

The halls are empty and she works quickly and competently, but the pain was sprayed on last night and she's only gotten the first letter off, whose outline is still clearly visible. She grits her teeth and scrubs harder.

An hour later, when she sees the owner of the locker come through the crowded hallway, she watches out of the corner of her eye as he stops and stares at the almost imperceptible mark left. Then he quickly glances across the crowded hallway, searching in vain for whoever cleaned his locker. She smiles and ducks her head back into her own locker

Rachel Berry does not give up easily.

Rachel Berry thinks she loves pain.

There's quite a good basis for this judgment, actually. She routinely wears hideous outfits that align her in the form of critisism and alienate her even more from her peers. She falls in love frequently with the wrong people.

But Rachel Berry also knows that if she doesn't do something completely ridiculous (honestly- a pantsuit? She has much more style thank you very much) then she won't get comments from him. She enjoys his voice, even if it's degrading her in more ways than one. Besides it's better than the one time she showed up in jeans and a plain t-shirt, and he didn't notice her at all. Just glances over at her before walking on. So she sticks to sticking out.

Rachel Berry isn't afraid to get slushied.

Rachel Berry is only scared of one thing. Him watching her.

Because Kurt Hummel isn't stupid either, and he's also alone and he also loves pain – how much can you stand when you're the only gay in a school?

But Kurt Hummel is afraid to get slushied (mostly because he likes his clothes) is heartless (she can hear him bitching about her to the others after she lets him share a duet with her on defying gravity) he does give up easily (when Rachel heard him hit that high F she wanted to scream and shake him, because if you have that much talent and you want it. You don't ever let what anyone says get to you- she's had her share of late night phone-calls, and concerned parents)

But the one thing that Kurt Hummel is best at is lying to himself. And so he can pretend that her big brown eyes don't make his heart flutter, and when she shared that solo with him he wanted to kiss her, or when she told Finn the truth he wanted to hug her for being so brave (and so utterly Rachel) and when he sees her pushing away the microphone at his first cheerios performance to watch him, he can pretend that he only forgot his footwork and nearly missed his cue because he couldn't see past all the band people. And he can ignore the plunging in his heart when he hears about Jesse, and the vicious jealousy and possession he feels when he tells her its glee or him. He can ignore the words that are screaming in his head pick me pick me pick me!

And he can pretend that glaring, not staring at her.

Kurt Hummel is Very Good at Ignoring Himself.

(Liar liar pants on fire)