The Transfer: A Glee Fanfiction

Chapter 4

The hallways were all empty since everyone was in class, so Rachel pulled out her phone to check the time. She had completely missed her first three classes, and her fourth class would be getting out in less than five minutes when the lunch bell rang. After lunch, the only class she’ll have to go to is calculus. She had glee rehearsal after school, but she didn’t consider that a class. How did the time pass so quickly?

Just as she got to her locker, the bell rang and students flooded the hallways. She opened up her locker and looked at herself in the mirror she hung up on the door. She looked like death. The bruises were already showing through her olive skin, and her nose was, if possible, even bigger than before. There was a small, shallow cut on her left cheek, and when she touched it, it stung like she had poured lemon juice on it. Rachel’s fingers ghosted along her bruised jaw, and when she tried to stretch it out, pain shot through her face. No way she could chew her food without her jaw throbbing. There was a dark ring beginning to form around her right eye, and she prayed that her makeup would be able to conceal the worst of it.

Rachel looked away from her reflection and discovered that almost everyone was staring at her, pointing and whispering into their friend’s ear. So news of the fight had gotten out. She should have known; information spreads like wildfire at this school, and when it comes to hallway brawls, the whole school is bound to know within the hour.

Rachel quickly looks away, her cheeks burning while she gathers her things for calculus. She didn’t have the class for another thirty minutes, but she might as well study for test if she can’t eat. She takes one last look in the mirror before closing her locker and heading for the lunchroom.

She had never gotten so many double-takes walking down the hallway before. She heard people talking about the bruises on her face, even though they were whispering. Her feet picked up their pace a little, rushing down the hall and out of everyone’s sight. Rachel could see Finn at the end of the hall she’d turned into, and her heart beat a little faster. She mentally scolded herself for the way her stomach exploded in butterflies. He doesn’t feel that way about you anymore, Rachel, she told herself. Get over it.

She moved to the opposite side of the hallway and kept her head down as she passed him. He absolutely could not see her like this, beaten and hideous. No doubt he had heard about the fight, and he would be looking for her. She considered skipping glee today to avoid everyone’s pity. Mr. Shue would understand.

Just when she thought she was in the clear, she heard him call her name. “Rachel!” She pretended not to hear him and sped around the corner. She had about two seconds before he would catch up with her. Rachel spied a girl’s room a few yards away and was about to start sprinting to it when she felt his hand catch her arm. Her hands immediately flew to her face to cover the ugly bruises blooming beneath the surface of her skin.

“Rachel, where are you going? I wanted to talk to-” he stopped when he spun her around and saw her covering her face. “What are you doing?”

“You can’t see me,” she said, her words muffled by her hands. “Not like this. I look repulsive.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rach,” he said. She could practically hear his eyes roll. “You don’t look that bad. Besides, you can’t hide from me forever.”

“You underestimate my abilities to avoid you,” she mumbled under her breath, but she she knew that he still heard her, because he scoffed. “And you wouldn’t know how terrible I look. You haven’t even seen me.”

She tried to turn her body away from him, but his grip on her arm was tight. He pulled her closer to him and gently grabbed her tiny wrists in his large hands. He pulled lightly on them, and Rachel pressed them harder to her face, making her wince as she put pressure on her bruises.