The Steps of Life

It's been two months.

Two months since the last time they spoke, since the last time they shared eye contact that lasted for more than five seconds.

Two months since the last time they kissed.

And he doesn't know why.

xx

She doesn't understand what changed.

Her fathers were alright with the whole situation or, at least, they seemed to have been.

No one suddenly changes their mind like that. Do they?

Cut off all contact with that boy.

She couldn't see him.

They didn't let her.

She'd gotten home from school on that December day and they'd told her to cut him out of her life, to end all contact.

She doesn't understand why.

"Sweetie, time to go!" her daddy yelled from downstairs.

She doesn't reply.

Her life now officially sucks.

xx

The thick smoke's clouding her view but she can make out his shape out of a flame.

"Frankenteen?" she asks out, even though she's sure of herself.

She's never wrong.

The tall guy appears and Santana praises herself, yes.

"Need a smoke?" she held out her hand, offering him the cigarette.

Finn contemplates taking it, but he alters. He doesn't do that anymore, he hasn't for awhile. "No," he started, shaking his head, "I need to talk to Rachel, have you seen her anywhere?"

She frowns, he waits two months to finally talk to the hobbit?

"Can't say that I have. When she stopped seeing you, I kind of got forgotten about too." she explains, casting her gaze over onto the football field. The players are setting up and she notices Finn's attire. He should be practising. "Shouldn't you be over there?" she looks back up at him and points over to the field.

He shakes his head and sighs, "This is more important. Just- if you see her, can you please tell her that I need to speak to her? Please?"

Santana nods, putting her cigarette out on the bleacher she's sat on, "OK, no need to beg." She stands, and pulls her black bag over her shoulder.

He walks away, and she does the same.

xx

"Today, we will be learning the-"

He zooms out, his attention instead catching on the blonde, seated at the front of the class.

She's been overly-happy for the past several weeks and he's wondering why.

Popularity means everything to Quinn, and he guessed that the whole Finn-Fiasco didn't help her reputation, so he couldn't understand why she was so cheery ever since their breakup.

What the fuck?

He'd honestly thought that she'd have been depressed for a few days before she'd have come crying her eyes out to him so he could have consoled her.

She didn't.

Puck doesn't pay look at her for the rest of the lesson.

xx

"Man, what the fuck's up with you?" he asked his friend, jumping down on the seat beside him.

He groaned, his headache reappearing. "It's the whole Rachel thing, it's just hard to process."

Puck took a bite of his sandwich, and spoke with a full mouth, "You love her, what's hard to process about that? It should be easy, right?"

Finn turned his head towards him and raised an eyebrow, "Since when are you a romantic?"

He doesn't know what to reply.

Since I fell in love with your ex?

"I just guess my sister's been making me watch too many chick flicks lately, is all." he replies.

He's a bad liar, he knows, but Finn will let it pass.

For now.

He continues to munch his food while Finn glances over to see Santana waving her hand out at him. He frowns out of confusion at her until she points both hands towards Rachel who was leaving the cafeteria. "Eh, look," he starts, tapping Puck on the shoulder as he stands, "I gotta go."

Puck shrugs him off without a care, "Sure," he answers back.

Finn follows the brunette out of the room, catching her at her locker.

She's struggling to get some books out of her locker and into her bag. He walks over, swiftly grabbing the heavy objects from her.

He's not sure how to start.

"Hey,"

Good enough.

Rachel looks down at the ground, crossing her arms over her chest, "What are you doing?" she asks him quietly, as if she were afraid to speak any louder.

He gently grasps her arm, "I'm being helpful." he tells her simply.

She swallows a breath and shuts her locker before attempting to grab the books off of him. "I have to go."

"No." he holds them tightly against his chest with one arm while the other holds onto her, "Tell me what's going on. Now. Because one day, we're happy and having a kid and then the next, you don't even want to look at me. So please, explain."

She shrugs herself out of his grasp, "Finn, I don't have time for this." she turns, abandoning her books and the conversation or, at least, trying to.

She can't do this. It's too hard.

It's killing her to walk away from him.

"Don't walk away from me." he calls after her, but he realizes how harsh it sounds for someone in her state, "Rachel, please."

She stops walking but doesn't turn around. So, he walks up in front of her and stares her in the eyes.

"Talk to me."

Break his heart if you have to.

"I can't see you. OK? As in, I'm not allowed. And quite frankly, I don't want to." she holds back her tears, she doesn't like hurting him. "I'm over it. I'm over you. So, please, get over me, because I don't want you."

She takes her books and walks away, ignoring the heartbroken look on his face.

He sheds a single tear as he watches her leave.

He doesn't understand.