Never asked to feel your halo (Faberry)

14: Out Of The Frying Pan (Into The Fire)

Puck met them at the front door. "Wow, you're looking kinda there hot, Berry!"

Rachel blushed, even more so when Mike said, "Hey, eyes off of my date, Puckerman!"

And that was her introduction to her first high school party, because everyone close enough looked over and they all learned right away that their host thought she was looking hot and that she was Mike Chang's date. That and walking in with Quinn Fabray certainly smoothed her way into a party that even she knew she had no place being at.

Quinn had been right; other than her, Kurt and Mercedes, every kid there was either a jock, a cheerleader or someone at McKinley who managed to be cool without belonging to either clique. Rachel was finding it hard to shake the idea that it was a reunion for all the people who had ever slushied her or tortured her in some other equally demeaning but less frozen way.

At least she wasn't alone. Puck high-fived Matt as he came through the door but then laughed. "You brought two dates? Dude, I appreciate the kink, but threesomes are supposed to go 'girl, guy, girl' not 'guy, girl, guy'! Unless you're a chick, then you can mix it up however you want."

"I only invited Mercedes," Matt hissed. "She invited him."

"Sure, whatever, man." Puck's leer never lost its strength. "Beer's in the kitchen, help yourselves. Quinn, we gotta get you out of that Cheerios uniform, babe."

Rachel's eyes weren't the only pair that snapped to him. Quinn's beat hers by at least half a second and Finn was giving him a wounded puppy look.

"Dude, that's my girlfriend!"

Puck held his hands up. "I'm just saying that uniform, hot as it is, is getting boring. Don't you own any other clothes?"

Quinn growled in frustration. "Where did you say the beer was?"

Again three pairs of eyes snapped to attention to watch her retreating back, she wasn't first this time either but she was a very close second. Strangely enough Finn seemed to be last.

Because, apparently it was the first thing you were supposed to do at a party, she and Finn had the perfect excuse to follow Quinn into the kitchen. Puck, being the host, also had good reason to show them the way. The fact that Mike, Matt, Mercedes and Kurt all followed them was annoying but it wasn't like Rachel could tell them not to.

Finn was hovering silently by Quinn's side as she searched the fridge and Puck was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and clearly unhappy but equally as silent. Rachel really couldn't make him out, which wasn't unusual because Puck had been a complete mystery to her since the day she'd met him, but his reaction and now acute observation made her think he knew at least as much as she did about Quinn's situation.

Their silence was bothering her though. Okay, they had an audience, but one of them should be subtly trying to distract Quinn from drinking alcohol.

When they didn't she had no choice. "Quinn, do you really think . . ."

The Cheerio turned to glare at her so fast that Rachel forgot there was a table in-between them and stepped back. "Firstly, who gave you permission to talk to me, Stubbles? Secondly, don't ever presume to know what I'm thinking."

There were tense murmurs from many of the Glee club members present, the 'fight' from the day before still fresh in their memories.

Rachel was torn between backing down, because it really wasn't her place to say anything and, because Kurt was watching, standing her ground and biting back.

Puck saved the day, in his own fashion. "Here, have a beer, Berry."

"I do not need alcohol to enjoy myself, Puck."