Chapter One

It was dark except for the single spotlight and as I open my mouth the audience were captivated and as I finish they stand and begin chanting my name, "Rachel, Rachel, RACHEL," I awoke with a start, that was not a voice I wanted to hear. My dad, was a bitter and twisted man. He bullied me, and beat me, and until now, I had managed to put up with it, because I thought that I had friends. I was in the glee club at school and it was the one place where I could be myself, and sing and dance and simply have fun.

Of course that had changed dramatically since I got with Jesse. It's always been deemed bad to 'sleep with the enemy' so to speak, but I had hoped that since Jesse was now in my glee club and not his own then they would accept him and we could all be friends. But what has happened was far worse than I could have ever imagined. Jesse, has turned the whole club against me. They only talk to me if absolutely necessary, and I now rarely get any solo parts, and I don't have the energy to fight for them anymore.

Jesse was wonderful at first, and was indeed a distraction from Finn, who I have since got over and moved on from. But now he is the boyfriend from hell, and I have no one to talk to about it, and if I'm honest I'm worried that if I do tell someone they will simply tell me that they told me so. My dad's yells got louder and soon he was banging my door so loud and so hard that it came off the hinges. "I have called you for two minutes now, I want you to make me breakfast," he spat as he pulled me out of the bed, by my hair.

"Get dressed, you have school, today," he said and he left me to it. Christmas had come and gone and it was now a new term and a new year, I couldn't help but feel apprehensive. I got dressed in my usual skirt and sweater and made my way downstairs. I hurriedly made my dad his breakfast and left as soon as possible. "RACHEL," yelled my dad. "This was disgusting, you really are pathetic, no wonder your daddy left us,"
"Are you sure it wasn't because of you," I whispered, but of course he had to hear me.
"You worthless little slut," he yelled, as he struck me across the face. "It was definitely because of you that he left, now get to school, and I swear if you get anything lower than an A+ on your results today you'll get it,"

I walked out of the door and checked my face in the mirror there was a red mark slowly developing on my cheek, I took out my makeup and covered it up with some expertise, Jesse had done this to me many times before and so I knew how to hide it. I was thankful when I got to school that he wasn't here, but as I got out of my car, the butterflies multiplied in my stomach until it felt like there was a swarm of bees in there. "Hey Manhands, glee meeting at lunch you better be there," Santana said bitchily.
"Of course I'll be there," I said.
"No she won't," a voice, Jesse appeared behind me.
"Fine but, be prepared for the angry mob coming your way," Santana said as she walked off.

"If you go to that meeting, I swear what your dad did to you today will be so much worse," Jesse spat at me. "Meet me outside at lunch I have to tell you something,"

He was still upset about the Run Joey Run thing, and I could only hope he would forgive me. The morning went by rather quickly and at lunch I had two choices I could go to the glee meeting or to see Jesse. I chose glee and began to make my way to the choir room, but of course my luck wasn't with me today, as I walked straight into Jesse. "What are you doing," he spat. "Outside is that way,"
"I'm going to the glee meeting I am co-captain after all," I said.
"What are you disobeying me," he said.

"Excuse me," I said. "Since where you my father I am not your child that you can boss around I am your girlfriend, but obviously that doesn't mean anything to you so guess what we are through,"
"Oh no you don't," he said. "You don't get to dump me, I am Jesse St James,"
"Yeah, but in the glee club there is only room for one star and that my friend is me," I said.
"No it isn't," said a voice.
"We were having a meeting to decide whether or not to kick you out, and we thought we should give you a chance to turn up, obviously you had more important things to do, so you're out," said Quinn.
"I told you Rach, you're time as a 'star' or whatever fantasy you have is now up," said Mercedes.

"Now get out of our way," said Kurt. "Oh and by the way you might want to get a new outfit, cuz that one will need to be taken to the dry cleaners," I felt the familiar cold ice cover me from head to toe, but what hurt was that it came from the people I had considered my family. The only good thing was that I saw regret in Noah and Britanny's eyes, and in Artie and Tina's eyes. "Come on guys," and with that they all left.
"Go and get yourself cleaned up and meet me outside fifteen minutes before school ends, if you don't you know what will happen," said Jesse darkly.

Once he had left I made my way to the bathroom and began to clean myself up. "Rach," said a gentle voice. "I'm so sorry," Brit made her way towards me. "Let me help,"
"Thank you," I said. "I was coming to the glee meeting you know,"
"You were," she said.
"Yes but Jesse got to me first, I dumped him," I said.
"Oh god, why didn't you say anything," she said.
"None of you gave me the chance too," I said.

"Rach what is that on your face," she said.
"Nothing," I said.
"Bull shit," she said. "Who did that to you, was it Jesse,"
"No," I said. "Well today it wasn't, it was my dad," and the tears I had been trying to suppress broke free and Brit pulled me into a hug. I sobbed finally letting my feelings out.
"How long have you been hiding all this," she said.
"Four months," I said. "Jesse was the one who started it, but since my daddy left, my dad has been taking out his anger on me,"

"Come to glee later," she said. "You need to tell them, I'm sure they would forgive you and I know that Puck misses you,"
"He does," I said.
"Of course he does," she said. "You've known him for a while haven't you,"
"Yeah since we were in kindergarten but our friendship frayed when we came to high school," I said.
"Well if he knew this had been going on he would have got rid of Jesse for you," she said. The bell rang signalling the end of lunch. "Right well I'll be off, come to glee Rach,"

"I will," I said. For the rest of the day people left me alone, I did however get quite a few glares from the glee club, but I didn't look at them for long enough. Last period came and I decided to skip it altogether, not something I had ever done but I couldn't help but worry about what Jesse was going to do. As it came closer to the last fifteen minutes I slowly made my way towards the doors, the feeling in my gut telling that this wouldn't be good.