Biting the Dust

“Good job, Jesse.” One of his teammates clapped him on the shoulder as they walked back into their Range Rovers, but he couldn’t tell which one it was. He was still in a daze at what he had just done. He couldn’t believe it.

He knew it had to have been done, of course. Jesse wasn’t a fool. He knew that if he had done anything differently Vocal Adrenaline would have shut him out.

Was it really worth it? A little voice asked in his head, picking at his doubts. He shook his head. Of course it was worth it. He was still with Vocal Adrenaline, he wouldn’t have to fight for solos anymore, he didn’t have to put up with New Directions, and he wouldn’t have to deal with Rachel’s antics anymore.

Rachel. Rachel, Rachel, Rachel. The talented sophomore that had started all this trouble. If Mrs. Corcoran hadn’t figured out that Rachel was her daughter, she wouldn’t have sent Jesse to “befriend” her, and Jesse would never have had to crush an egg in the face of the girl he loved.

He climbed into the backseat of someone’s Range Rover, buckling up and leaning his head against the window. He hadn’t brought his own car; the others thought he might have not shown up if he had his own car. It was probably better that they had brought him. He knew he had to do this.

So why was he so upset?

“Jesse, cheer up. It was for the team.” Andrea said from the front seat, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

“I know.” He mumbled.

“We’re going to win now. There’s no way Berry is going to want to come anywhere near us during Regionals, and she’s their strongest female lead. We’ve got this in the bag.” Andrea gloated in the front seat, pulling out of McKinley High’s parking lot. Jesse nodded mindlessly, staring at the window. He glanced back and saw Rachel still standing there, frozen on the spot, the eggs dripping down her face and back. He had to turn away before he threw the door open and ran back to her.

He knew that this was the end. He knew that he couldn’t ever talk to Rachel again. He couldn’t communicate with her, the only time he could see her was at Regionals, when they crushed New Directions. Even then he wouldn’t be able to talk to her, unless it was trash talk with the other members of Vocal Adrenaline. He wasn’t sure he could talk to her, even see her again. He would always remember the picture of her with egg dripping down her face, hurt and pain and heartbreak written all over her face as she stared him down.

He sighed, closing his eyes, willing the memory away. He didn’t want to think about it right now. He just wanted to pretend that Rachel Berry didn’t exist.

-

Jesse snapped his phone shut.

“What?” Andrea asked, raising one eyebrow. The entire team was behind her, one hand on each of their hips. Sometimes, he felt like his life was a musical drama on Fox.

“That was Mr. Schuester. New Directions wants us to meet them on their stage on Friday.” He said, putting his phone in his pocket. Andrea smirked.

“Fine.”

“Alright, enough chit-chat. Back to work!” Mrs. Corcoran barked from her seat in the audience. The group quickly got back into formation, but Jesse couldn’t focus. He hadn’t expected the phone call from Rachel. Even if it wasn’t really her, seeing her name on his caller ID threw him off. A call from her was the last thing he expected.

-

“We decided that the one thing that could truly funkify you is to show you the one thing we know you can’t do. So, enjoy.” Rachel said, a confident smirk on her face as she flounced back behind the screen.

Jesse shared a smirk with Andrea. There was nothing Vocal Adrenaline couldn’t do.

Then that flouncy gay guy Kurt came on stage, singing lower than Jesse thought he could, supported by a backbeat that was unfamiliar and yet so terrifying.

It couldn’t be possible.

They were doing a funk song.

The entire team of New Directions came on, singing and dancing and doing the one thing Vocal Adrenaline couldn’t do. Jesse couldn’t tear his eyes from Rachel. She was handling this as if he hadn’t crushed her heart, as if he hadn’t even affected her at all.

How could she be holding up so well?

The song was over and he was staring as they all walked off, laughing and high-fiving each other.

“See you punks at Regionals.” Puck said before walking off, joining the rest of his team.

“They did a funk number. We’ve never been able to do a funk number.” Jesse said, his eyes wide.

“That’s because we’re soulless automatons.” Andrea said, stunned.

“I feel so depressed.”

They sat in stunned silence for a few more moments, and then Vocal Adrenaline got up slowly, mumbling things about being in a funk, and maybe they were losing their spark, and
New Directions had a chance to beat them this year.

Jesse stayed in his seat after everyone had cleared out of the room, sitting and staring at the stage. Eventually he got up. He knew what he had to do.

He needed to talk to Rachel. He had to tell her that he was sorry; he had to tell her that he wanted her back, that he would do anything to prove to her that he was sincere and being honest and completely and totally in love with her.

He ran onto the stage, out the door and down the hallway. He knew where he was going: the Glee room. He heard her humming before he saw her, and his face broke out into a grin. He took a sharp left turn and dashed into the doorway of the Glee room.

“Rachel.”

She turned around, her eyes widening when she saw him.

“Jesse, you shouldn’t be here.” She hissed, crossing her arms.

“Please, just listen to me. I’m sorry for leaving you and going back to Vocal Adrenaline, and I’m really, really sorry for getting you egged. You don’t know how sorry I am. Please, Rachel.”
It was silent for a moment as Rachel pursed her lips, looking down. She inhaled and then exhaled, looking back up at Jesse.

“I’m sorry too, Jesse. I’m sorry that it took you this long to realize what you were giving up. Your apologies are touching, and I accept them, but our relationship from now on will have to be strictly professional.” Rachel said, keeping a cool face.

Jesse didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected this to happen. He had lost her. He had really, truly, lost her. She was gone now and she was never coming back.

“I’d appreciate it if you would stop talking to my girlfriend. I think your friends are waiting for you.” Finn said, coming out of what seemed like nowhere, putting a protective arm around Rachel’s waist. Rachel smiled up at Finn, and he smiled at her, and Jesse realized that what he had done couldn’t be taken back, no matter how sorry he was.

“Excuse us.” Finn said, his voice taking on a hard tone as he led Rachel out the door, past Jesse, humming something that sounded faintly like Another One Bites The Dust.

Jesse stood in the doorway for a few more minutes, staring after the girl he loved, watching as she walked out of his life forever.