A/N Ok I wrote this cos a few people begged and well my muse was still being annoying, but I may finally be able to write another chapter to High School What a Joy! :D hopefully it will be up tomorrow. Enjoy! It's probably an awful conclusion to the first one shot but hey I'm allowed to be bad when my muse is being annoying!
Day One
"So what you going to do?" Mike said hoping from foot to foot the next morning before school started.
"About what?" Puck asked sullenly slamming his truck door closed as the school bus pulled up and Rachel hopped out, pulling her roller bag behind her and rushing into school. Puck frowned and moved after his friend resolutely, his hands clenching into fists as he spotted Quinn and Mercedes getting off the bus and smirking at the hurrying Rachel.
"Rach?" he questioned hesitantly coming up alongside her as she put her bag in her locker and got her homework and books ready.
"Good Morning Puckerman" Rachel said shortly, abiding by the rules of their friendship, which said that he was only Noah outside of school, and in they avoided each other unless absolutely necessary.
"No need to do that Rach, I stuck up for you yesterday remember? Your rules have gone out the window" Puck groused, annoyed that she was still trying to protect him and his reputation, when he didn't give a fuck and never did.
"Only in glee Noah" Rachel said quietly still not looking at him "please I'm just trying to protect you"
"I protect you not the other way round" he insisted, pulling her into an awkward sideways hug, still uncomfortable with physical shows of emotion, unless it was in the sack obviously, because if there was one thing the Puckerone did well it was sexing.
"B.B.B" Mike yelled running down the hallway and jumping on Rachel hugging her tightly.
"Hey Rach" Matt said more sedately as usual, still leaning over to give Rachel a hug, peeling Mike off her first.
"Hello" Rachel said slightly stunned again, a feeling she was getting used to around the two best friends "I thought you said that Mike was shy in school?"
"I did, he is, he's just...well actually even I don't know" Matt said shrugging helplessly.
"I'm showing BB that I'm not afraid to show that she's my friend in school" Mike said hugging her again.
"Thank you Michael that is exactly what I needed today" Rachel admitted in a small voice.
"What did bitches mark one and two say to you on the bus Berry?" Noah asked tugging her away from Mike jealously.
"Oh just the usual" Rachel brushed it away "then proceeded to tell me I had to come back to glee, I really do not understand the reasoning behind insulting me and then asking me to perform a favour for them, surely it would be more productive the other way round?"
"Uh yeah" Matt said scratching his head "so you're not coming back?"
"No, I am not coming back to save a club that has spent the last year and half making me feel like a cretin unworthy of friendship, who has continually used me and my talent but put it down, has reminded me time and again that I am 'crazy' and that no-one would ever really want me"
The three boys all glanced at each other guiltily, they may not have been the worse in hurting Rachel but they had done nothing to stop it.
"Ok BB if that is what you want, we'll support you" Mike said with a smile "Urgh time for class" he said as the bell went.
"Yeah, come on I'll walk you" Puck said gruffly, stuffing his hands in his pockets to restrain himself from putting his arm around her waist and pull her towards him as Finn made a bee line towards them.
"Rachel can we talk?" he asked coming up in front of them.
Rachel laughed sharply and walked around him, Puck biting his lip to stop himself from grinning as Finn's face fell into a sad expression, after shrugging his shoulders at his ex best friend Puck hurried after Rachel, bumping his shoulder with hers in pride.
Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"Where's Rach?" Matt asked putting down his tray of cafeteria slop on the gleek lunch table.
"Vocal lesson" Puck grunted "something about emergency session to make sure that her vocal cords get exercised enough"
"Oh" Matt said with an arch of his eyebrows "but she has like an awesome voice"
"Ah do not say that to her" Puck said laughing "I did once and she bitched me out for half an hour on how difficult it was, and how she may have a gift but it's useless without practise, then she shocked the fuck out of me but making a sport analogy"
"Analogy?" Santana smirked "sounds like you are spending too much time with Manhands"
"I miss Rachel" Finn sighed into his sandwich "I want her back"
Mike and Matt grinned as Puck's face fell into lines of anger, while the rest of the glee club looked shocked and annoyed that their leader wanted the girl they hated back.
"Well I'm sure we can help you" Kurt said reluctantly "not like it will take much to get her back"
"She said something about her birthday, I guess we could do something for that, it would make her come back to glee as well" Finn added brightly, interesting the glee club more now.
"Ok so when is RuPaul's birthday?" Quinn asked unenthusiastically.
"Uhhh" Finn scratched his head.
"Twenty-seventh" Puck grunted automatically, he may or may not have a present waiting in the bottom of his closet.
"That's in three days!" Finn said excitedly.
Rolling his eyes disgust at Finn, Puck slouched further down in his chair muttering sarcastically under his breath "wow you can count, and you forgot even though yesterday you were her fucking boyfriend?"
"So we need things that she will like, make her more likely to listen to us" Mercedes said "Finn what's her favourite cake flavour?"
"Uhhh"
"Vanilla" Puck answered again, as Kurt wrote down his answer.
"And no party is complete with PB and J sandwiches, what flavour jelly?" Brit gushed looking at Finn.
"Grape" Puck answered
"Cookie?"
"White chocolate and macadamia"
"Ice Cream"
"Dairy-free Mocha Madness"
"Drink?"
"Grape Slushie or Lemon ice tea"
"Ok decorations" Finn yelled, as everyone stared at Puck in shock at his stoic and complacent answers to all the questions, Mike and Matt the only ones who saw Rachel's stunned and silenced face as she stood behind them all.
"What's her favourite colour?" Santana asked in a bored tone.
"Pink" Finn said victoriously, slapping the table.
Puck snorted "blue" he corrected "and purple"
"It's pink!"
"Nope it's blue and purple"
"Pink"
"Blue and Purple"
"Pink"
"Noah is right" Rachel said quietly "not that I know why you are arguing over my favourite things but Noah is right, on all of it" she sat down next to him, as he flushed red in embarrassment and avoided her gaze.
"This table is only for glee club members Manhands fuck off" Santana smirked
"Yeah and seeing how you quit, again, because you are a selfish cow piss off" Mercedes snipped.
"I don't think that is entirely necessary Mercedes" Mr Schue objected as he walked up towards them.
"Not entirely necessary?" Mike objected "its bullshit is what it is"
"Language!" the Spanish teacher snapped
"He's right though, Rachel can sit with her friends even if she isn't in glee club with us" Matt protested.
"What friends?" Quinn laughed.
"Fine if that's what you think, I quit" Puck said getting to his feet and pulling Rachel up with him "come on B lets go find a table where you don't have to be a member of a stupid club to sit at"
"Thank you" she whispered as his arm slid around her.
"We quit too" Matt and Mike said in unison standing up
"Try winning with eight members" Puck laughed leading his girl and friends away from the stunned glee club and the annoyed teacher.
"Boys, no you don't have to do this" Rachel protested as they sat down at the jock table, all sitting around her protectively as everyone looked over in shock, but turned away when Puck glared at them in anger.
"Yes we do B, they gotta stop treating you like crap but expecting you to bail them out" Matt said.
"Yeah BB" Mike said smiling widely "so what we doing for your birthday?"
"M...m...my birthday?" Rachel stammered "uh well, I am not entirely sure, Noah said that he wanted to plan something to do"
"Yeah I got this" Puck said with a smirk "though you should know that Finn was going to throw you a party that's what you walked in on, so if you want to go to that?"
"No Noah, I really don't" Rachel smiled "I would much rather celebrate my seventeenth with my friends"
"Cool, Matt, Mike I'll let you in on it later" he added throwing his arm around the back of Rachel's chair.
Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"William you must understand that without Miss Berry, and the other three members of the glee club, you will be unable to win Sectionals, and therefore you cannot keep the club running. It's regrettable but Sue is right, without Rachel Berry you have no chance of winning"
"But if I just had a little time to get her back, I can get her back"
"Will you treat that girl worse than I treat the Mexican immigrant I keep in my shed; you haven't got a chance in hell of getting her back!" Sue cackled
"I will, I will just give me a week" Will begged
"Three days William, otherwise the AA get the auditorium"
Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"I'm going to woo her" Puck informed his friends in the weights room that afternoon "I need to show her that I know her better than fucking Hudson"
"I think you showed that to her before when you listed everything she loved" Mike said spotting Matt
"Yeah I guess, but it's her birthday and I want to show her, plus all three of us know that she is going back to glee eventually, and I want this out of the way before she goes back to singing sappy love songs with him"
"Yeah, hopefully she makes them beg a little first though" Matt grunted through his weights.
"I know she will, never underestimate Rachel's need for dramatics and her pride" Puck laughed "you guys in for helping me on her birthday then?"
"Course" they both agreed.
"So we're really not going to glee?" Mike checked later on
"You can if you want you know, Rach won't be upset" Puck said not answering, he defiantly wasn't going.
"I just want to hear what they are going to say about Rach, see if it's anything we need to worry about" Mike said "but if I do go then they're going to think that I didn't mean what I said at lunch"
"Dude you're over thinking everything" Puck said "fuck'em all of them, when Rach goes back we go back, but until then don't worry about, I'll protect her"
Finn, hearing only the tail end of the conversation reported it to Will later on in the day just as glee was starting, the now eight member club sitting around in sullen silence slouching down in their chairs as they realised that they had caused this.
"Guys" Will started "we need to get Rachel back, if we get Rachel back then the boys will return and we can compete at Sectionals"
"We don't NEED Rachel" Kurt simpered sullenly "she's just a very good singer"
"She's the best" Brit said chewing on the end of her ponytail "she works really hard as well" she continued oblivious to the glares coming from the rest of the club "like she has vocal lessons and dance lessons, and she really is the best"
"You not telling them everything William" Sue laughed from the doorway "without Miss Homo-Dad's you don't have a club, no club no thorn in my side"
"What? They will close down the club if we don't have Rachel?" Tina squeaked
"Yep, because let's be honest as much as I may hate the plaid freaked girl she's the only one who is going anywhere out of you bunch of freaks and Figgsy knows it. The only reason he kept this little club open was because it was going to look good in ten years time as the place that Rachel Berry started, now it doesn't matter, no more glee" she finished leaving the room laughing her head off.
"Unfortunately she is right, unless Rachel comes back in three days there's no more club" Will told them sadly, knowing he was just as responsible for Rachel's leaving as the teenagers in front of him, and that he needed to apologise and grovel himself.
"We'll get her back" Artie promised "we have to"
Day Two
Rachel walked into school with Mike the next morning listening as he babbled on about a dance game he had been up half the night playing, laughing at the fact that he could talk more than her if the situation aroused.
"And then I did this sort of half flip on one hand, but they didn't accept it, which was totally whacked, cos it was an awesome move"
"It sounds like it" Rachel said nodding
"Thanks BB" Mike said happily "oh look it's Puck" laughing as Rachel's head shot to look at the gorgeous man leaning against her locker, melting away Mike left Rachel to approach him.
"Good Morning Noah" Rachel said happily
"Morning" Puck said leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek and hand her a single yellow rose "let me walk you to class" he said before she could say anything.
"That would be lovely Noah" Rachel said getting her books out of her locker, only to have them swiftly removed by Puck, who then put his arm out for her to link through. Which Rachel did lightly running her hand down the stem of the yellow rose, noting that Puck had carefully removed all the thorns from it.
Puck met her from every class that morning, at lunch time he pressed a grape slushie into her hand with another yellow rose, the thorns plucked from it again, and pressed another kiss to her cheek when she blushed.
"Let's do something tonight" he said as he walked her to her last class of the day
"Of course that would be lovely, what do you have in mind?"
"I got an idea, but it's a surprise" Puck said with a smile "I'll drive you home though, drop you off to give you time to get ready"
"You have to give me some idea of what to wear" she protested as they stopped at her classroom door.
"You look hot in anything" Puck smirked "wear what you want" he said before walking off quickly before she could protest again. Later on he dropped her at her house and told her she had an hour before he would pick her up, before rushing home to get dressed himself, skidding to a halt as he found Matt and Mike waiting on his doorstep.
"What" he asked running up the stairs two at a time and launching himself in to the shower, his two friends hot on his tail "are you two doing here?"
"Making sure you're not messing up, BB deserves the best" Mike said jumping down on the bed a little, as Puck shouted through his partly opened bathroom door.
"Stopping bouncing on my bed! And I'm not messing up, do me a favour though go down stairs and get the roses out of the kitchen sink"
"Aww you got her roses!" Mike squealed bouncing onto his bum and jumping up again onto his feet as Matt went downstairs quickly and brought the bouquet upstairs as Mike continued to tease Puck.
"YOU love her, YOU want to marry her, YOU want to kiss her..."
"Mike I swear to god shut up!" Puck screamed "I got all this from my nine year old sister and mom this morning I don't need it from you"
"Why yellow?" Matt asked lightly drying the flowers for Puck as he got out of the shower and walked back into his room in a pair of boxers briskly drying himself off.
"It's the colour of her bedroom" Puck said pulling on the black jeans and shirt he had worn for Lady is a Tramp, having spotted Rachel's lustful expression when he had worn it and the waistcoat.
"Dude don't wear the exact same outfit" Matt protested
"Why?"
"Cos she doesn't needed to be reminded of your past girlfriends" Mike said still bouncing on the bed "wear trousers instead of jeans, throw on a light gray shirt and wear the black waistcoat with your shoes"
Matt and Puck glanced at each other in shock as their usually ditsy friend gave good advice, both in relationship terms and clothes, shrugging Puck listened and changed his clothes again to Mike's suggestion and tucked in the shirt.
"So where you taking her?" Mike asked jumping up and down still on the bed.
"Taking her to see a musical" Puck growled quietly, wincing as Mike fell on the floor with a bump in shock, while Matt sat down where there was no chair and did the same.
"I'm trying to show that even though I hate certain things I will still do them with her"
"Who are you and what have you done with Puck?" Mike yelled scrambling to his feet.
"Shut up" he growled "I want Rach, this is what I need to do" he qualified "and this just makes me more of a badass" picking up the flowers he left to pick up Rachel, leaving Matt and Mike to prep for the next day and her birthday.
Opening her front door, dressed in the same yellow dress she had worn for the mash up's Rachel's heart melted a little as she took in Puck's outfit and the dozen yellow roses in his hand.
"Oh Noah you look so dashing!" she smiled taking the flowers and placing them in the vase next to the front door that already held the two roses he had given her already "so where are going today?"
Puck smiled and handed over two tickets that he had bought months ago.
"Chicago?" Rachel squealed jumping into his arms.
"Its part of your birthday present, come on" he said tugging her to the car.
"Wasn't that fantastic?" Rachel gushed dancing around Puck much later on after the show "thank you so much" she gushed again jumping into his arms as he smiled at her tolerantly and spun her around.
"You're welcome" he said for the hundredth time that night tucking her under his arm as he led her back to his car "Birthday tomorrow, you excited?"
"More so than any other time before, because now I have someone to celebrate it with"
"I got this all planned out" Puck bragged "you're coming over to mine after school ok?"
"Ok" Rachel said with a smile as he helped her into his car and closed the door for her gently "Noah you are being such a gentleman today"
"Don't get used to it, I'm sure I'll turn back into an arse soon enough" Puck laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot "but I'll always be here for you, you know that right?"
"Yes Noah I know" Rachel said sitting back prepared to go through the musical they had just seen scene by scene.
Day Three
"Happy Birthday Star" Rachel's dad's yelled walking into her room with her birthday cake, and a small box.
Scooting up to sit up against her pillows Rachel accepted her father's kisses and hugs, as they sang her happy birthday and she blew out her candles.
"Thank you" Rachel smiled "Oh present!" she squealed as she was handed the small box, opening it she found a car key inside "ahh" she squealed louder launching herself out of her bed to hug her parents around the neck simultaneously.
"Well we thought it was time you have your own means of transportation now that you are older, and that we are going to spend more time out of town on business trips"
"It's a very nice car to make up for that fact" Leroy smiled
"In fact Noah will be very jealous of your car" Hiram laughed "and I also very glad that I taught you about cars and not your father, because I know you will appreciate it, unlike your father" he added with an indulgent smile, as Leroy rolled his eyes.
"What is it?"
"2011 Ford Mustang V6 in black"
"Oh classic muscle car" Rachel said hugging him again "thank you"
"Happy Birthday sweetie" her parents pressed another kiss to her forehead and left the room, leaving her to get ready for school. Getting into her brand new car later on in the morning on her way to school, Rachel squealed loudly again as the car started with a growl and its power tugged her speed control towards school.
"Nice!" Mike and Matt whistled as they watched the car pull into the parking lot, their jaws falling as Rachel pulled in and got out of the car right next to them.
"Do you like my birthday present?" Rachel laughed hugging them both before they started to drool over the car.
"It's amazing" Matt agreed "happy birthday Rachel" he said pulling a present out of his backpack and giving it to her with a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you" Rachel said opening it carefully and finding a plush star teddy inside "oh thank you Matt!" she squealed hugging him tightly.
"I guess I thought stars were your thing, your card is in your locker" Matt said hugging her back tightly, before Mike came over.
"Happy birthday BB" Mike said handing over his own badly wrapped parcel for her, and hovering nervously as she opened it, and found a book on Broadway greats "do you like it?"
"I love it thank you so much" Rachel assured him hugging him tightly, before they linked arms with her and led her into school towards her locker, where Puck was leaning against the locker carrying another bunch of flowers and some happy birthday balloons.
"Happy Birthday Rach" Puck said pressing a kiss to her cheek while handing her the balloons and flowers "I'll give you your present tonight" he said as she juggled everything in her hands and tried to open her locker "here I'll give you a hand" he said opening the locker getting her books out for her as she placed her presents inside and tied the balloons inside so they floated safely inside.
"I hope today goes quickly" Rachel said as he pressed her to his side and led her towards her class, only for all four of them to be pulled into the choir room as they passed, to find the cheesiest party set up in the choir room.
"Happy Birthday!" they all screamed with different amounts of enthusiasm as Rachel screamed a little.
"Pink balloons! Puck grunted to Matt, who laughed
"Uh wow, thank you" Rachel said in shock, actually speechless for the first time in her life "bu...bu...but we have class"
"Principal Figgins has excused you for the morning Rachel" Will said with a small tight smile "he's excused all of glee club, so that you can celebrate your birthday with your friends"
"Not to mimic Quinn, but what friends exactly? Because my only friends are standing behind me"
"I owe you an apology Rachel, we all do" Will started as everyone looked away in guilt "I shouldn't get involved in your private life, you are right that I treat you harder than the others and I don't stop the others when they treat you badly, even though you never actually do anything but be your self"
"Which is a good thing, so many of hide who we are, but you don't" Tina said quietly "I may not do anything to hurt you but I never stand up for you either I'm sorry"
"And I actually like you" Brit said bouncing over to her and handing her a birthday card "happy birthday" she squealed throwing herself around Rachel's neck.
"Thank you" Rachel said hugging her back, before opening the card and finding a shopping voucher in it.
"I thought I could go shopping with you, so then you wouldn't get teased about your clothes"
"I can help her!" Kurt protested
"Frankly Kurt I would rather scoop my own eyes out with a blunt spoon then allow you anywhere near me again under the pretence of a 'makeover'" Rachel said with a sweet smile
"Burn!" Mike shouted, forgetting momentarily that he didn't speak in glee, and earning himself a few glares.
"Ok lay your cards on the table, you want me to come back, not all of you are going to apologise for the fact that you are malcontent little bitches who don't like me because you are inordinately jealous of my talent" Rachel said, stunning everyone by swearing "the fact is I'll come back, and you can end the charade here, because Brit and Tina are the only genuine ones in this entire group, yes I'm including you WILL, I'm coming back though because I am a better person then each and every one of you. Brit you gift was lovely and I would love to go shopping with you, perhaps over the weekend, Finn don't even bother opening your mouth" she added snapping as the boy moved "thanks for my party!" she squealed with obvious fakery, before marching back out of the room.
"Burn" Matt agreed at the stunned club, before turning to walk away, Brit skipping alongside him and the boys as they left after Rachel.
School went quickly after that, Rachel thankful skipped from school to her new car, which Noah had drooled over at lunch time when she had moved her presents, balloons and flowers to the trunk. Going home first to change into a nicer dress and put her flowers into water, she drove back to Noah's and knocked on the door, starting with surprise as Mike opened the door dressed in a suit, and bowed before taking her coat.
"You will be dining in the kitchen, but Pu...Noah wishes you to wait in the living room"
"Really does Noah?" Rachel asked with a smile as he escorted her into the living room where Noah was waiting also wearing a suit, but one more casual then Mike.
"Hello" Puck said leading her to a seat and sitting down next to her on the sofa throwing his arm around the back of the sofa as he sat sideways facing her "we have a three course meal for tonight, and waiters in Mr Rutherford and Mr Chang"
"Noah!" Rachel laughed
"You deserve the world Rachel, and right now I can't afford to give it you, but I can try"
Rachel smiled and leaned over to press a kiss to his lips briefly, finally understanding what he was doing.
"Hey we got dinner first" Puck protested against her lips, moaning at his own stupidity as she pulled back.
"Ask Noah, and then we can enjoy dinner" Rachel said looking at him knowingly, her eyebrow arched.
"Be my girlfriend"
"That was more of an order, but I guess I can acquiesce to your request"
"Typical Berry answer" Puck laughed, pulling her closer to kiss him again.
"Told you" whispered Mike to Matt from the kitchen, where he and Matt were spying on the couple "three days".