Chapter One

Rachel sighed heavily as she leans back in her chair. There had been so much that'd happened to her in the last year as she thought back, starting with finally getting together with Finn and spending the perfect summer with one another before Junior year.

Her junior year looked to be the best year of high school yet; but then all the problems had arisen between Finn and her, the year and their relationship steadily going downhill. The return of Jesse St. James had been the beginning of a horrendous last few weeks of junior year. Jesse had stirred things up in the Glee club and his rivalry with Finn threatened to leave her with scarred memories of their prom, and then nationals had happened.

A mixed year had culminated in their trip to New York in New Directions bid for a fist national show choir title. Rachel had felt confident about their chances of walking away with the title until she sung that duet with Finn. God, she couldn't believe that they had kissed and ruined the glee clubs chances of winning nationals; especially after Kurt helped her to see that New York was her true love. She'd known it all along that Broadway was her calling; but Finn's presence in her life had caused her a dilemma. Rachel knew she loved him, but all that had happened between them over the last two years had led to the painful conversation they had shared only a few days ago.

Rachel stirred and looked to her right as she felt Kurt's hand squeeze her arm gently. She smiled at him softly at his concerned expression.

"You okay?"

Rachel nodded slightly and looked out of the window of the plane, her thoughts drifting back a week ago.

"Hey Rach…I'm so glad you called me over." Finn said with his trademark half-smile that melted her heart. Forcing herself to smile, she nodded and beckoned him to enter her house; leading him to the couch.

"Finn" Rachel warned as he sat too close to her and placed his hand on the top of her leg.

"What? I thought you-" he began as she interrupted him

"I don't think we should get back together" She said watching his eyes go wide and his mouth drop at her words.

"What…Rach…why?"

"We aren't healthy together…"Rachel says, tears starting to roll down her cheeks at her words. "You'll always be…be my first love…and I'll always remember that but…"

"I love you Rach" Finn says in voice that cuts deep to her heart. He sounds so weak and vulnerable; desperate for her to believe him.

"I know…"Rach says and grips his hand tightly "I love you too, but we can't…all that's happened has made me realize that we aren't going to work""

"I'm sorry about this year, I never meant to hurt you. I only got back together with Quinn because I was so confused and hurt about you and Puck…I"

"I know Finn" Rachel cut him off, she needed to stop him before he tried to convince her she was making the wrong decision. She had thought about it a lot the previous two weeks since nationals and believed that she was coming to the right conclusion. "But that's the problem, You chose Quinn over me"

"What? No...No...I never"

"You chose her when you forgave her for cheating but scorned me for it" Rachel said releasing his hand. "We need to stop acting as if we can make it work, its not fair for me or you. It took someone else showing an interest in me for you to realize that I was the person you wanted. I owe it to myself…and you owe it to me as well…I should be someone's first choice. I'm too good for that and the man I deserve…I should be his first choice…he should choose me over everything else"

"Rach…"

"Please Finn" Rach said shaking her head and standing from the couch. "Don't call me that anymore…its too intimate"

"Rachel…" Finn stood and in a quick motion pressed his lips against hers and wrapped an arm around her waist. She responded at first before pulling back by pressing her hands against his chest gently, peering up at him with tears in both of their eyes. "Rachel…let me…try and prove to you this summer that I can be that man"

Rachel shook her head and him and stepped back. "I'm leaving"

"What?"

"I'm going to New York with Kurt for the summer. There's a summer camp for applicants to performing arts schools and I won't be back"

"That's it? You're just going to leave?"

"Yes…I've made by mind up and I think…I think the distance will do us good. You can realize the same thing that I have. " Rachel said leading him to the door "We can't be together Finn. Goodbye"

…

The days after that had been painful, Rachel had stayed in her room for the rest of the day crying into her pillow and singing emotional ballads about moving on from the man she loves. After a couple of days; she had spoken to Kurt about it and he had understood her completely. If you would have told Rachel that her and Kurt would be such good friends at the start of the previous school year, she would have laughed in your face. He was a strong shoulder, and an amazing friend that reassured her she was making the right decision. She was happy in so many ways that he was here with her in New York for the summer, and even happier that he was applying to go to college, at NYADA with her.

Which explains why her, along with her two dads were in a taxi making their way to a hotel that would be their home for the next month. Rachel and Kurt were uncontrollably happy, giggling and screaming as they passed famous buildings in the city; only settling down when they pulled up outside the hotel a few blocks away from Broadway.

"Can you believe it Kurt" Rachel said as they walked arm in arm through the lobby. Her dads checking them in at the front desk.

"A whole month in New York? Doing nothing but singing and dancing so that we can get into one of the most prestigious performing arts school in the country?" Kurt said and she grinned even wider, if that was possible, at his words.

"This summer is going to be amazing" Rachel said and Kurt beamed back at her before they both burst out giggling.

...

A/N :

This is my first glee fanfiction. It's going to cover the summer before and the new directions senior year (season3). Not gonna lie to anybody but there will be flashes of Rachel + Finn throughout but this is definately not a Finchel fic. It involves an OC as her love interest and how it effects things at McKinley.