A New Beginning

I ran into Glee Club, where Mr. Schue was explaining something or other, and grabbed Puck’s arm.

“Sydney, is there a problem?” Mr. Schue questioned, his eyebrows pulling together under his Chia Pet of a hairdo.

“No, no problem at all, Mr. Schue. I just gotta talk to Puck here, so…” I explained, but I spoke way too quickly, making my statement sound more like one giant word.

“Wow. I thought she spoke English,” I heard Brittany whisper to Quinn in the corner.

Quinn rolled her eyes and let out a snort of humor while I grabbed Puck’s hand and started dragging him away.

“Wait, Sydney! Aren’t you and Puck performing today?”

“We totally will in a minute. I just…never mind.” With an embarrassed smile, I disappeared out the door and dragging him down the hallway.

“What is your problem?” Puck asked, laughter making his voice shake.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I blurted. “I just…I can’t scheme against my cousin like this.”

He stared at me, confused, like he didn’t really understand what I was trying to say. “Wait, why? I thought you hated Santana.”

“I kind of do! But…now I feel really guilty.” I closed the gap between Puck and me, lowering my voice to a whisper. “She stuck up for me with Coach Sylvester about missing practice yesterday. She made up some excuse that my mother was really sick or she died…I’m kind of unclear on that.”

“Why would she stick up for you? Santana’s a bitch.” Puck sounded just as surprised as I felt.

“Because she said that we were like sisters: even though we love each other, way deep down, we still love to argue more. And I’m going to feel like complete shit if I screw her over like I’m trying to do, and she stuck up for me like that.”

Puck put his hands on my shoulders and stared down at me with intensity. “Did you ever think that she’s doing that to mess with your head?”

My heart stopped for a second while that sank in. “What do you mean?” I questioned cautiously, my eyes narrowing.

“That she fed you that shit, when really, she’s setting you up so she can destroy you, just like you were planning to do to her?”

“No, I don’t think so,” I mumbled. “She seemed genuine when she was telling me.”

“Santana manipulates people for a living, Australia. She’s supposed to be a good liar.”

“But…” I let out a frustrated breath, confused how this turned one hundred eighty degrees in such a short amount of time. Running a hand along my forehead, I sighed, “Whatever. Now I’m just confused and annoyed.”

“So maybe we shouldn’t abort our plan.”

“Since when is this so important to you?” I finally snapped. “I thought you were always ‘sacrificing’ to do this for me. What happened to that, huh?”

“I am doing this for you!” he argued. “I thought you’d be happy.”

“I am happy, but why are you arguing with me about continuing this when we don’t fucking have to?”

“Just forget it!” he yelled in my face before walking away.

“Puck! We have to do our performance.”

“Tell Mr. Schue I’m sick,” he responded in a voice so rough that it scared me a little.

Grinding my teeth, I went back to the choir room. Kurt was just finishing his performance, and he looked rather uncomfortable.

“Everything okay, Sydney?” Mr. Schue questioned, his brow furrowing.

“I’m fine,” I responded, a little harsher than I intended. “Puck and I can’t perform today because he’s not feeling well.”

“He seemed fine earlier…” Finn trailed off.

I shot him an irritated look. “It came on all of a sudden.”

“Aw,” Rachel pouted, “a lover’s quarrel.”

“Stuff it,” I hissed. “I’m leaving, Mr. Schue. I have to get to practice early today, since I missed yesterday.”

Without giving anymore explanation, I walked out of the room, fighting my continuing thoughts about Puck.

What the hell was going on with him? All the time, he talks about how lucky I am that he goes along with the plan, that he’s helping me with his status. But then I say that he doesn’t have to do it anymore, and he talks me out of it?

The whole thing was making my head throb. What if there was no ulterior motive behind it? What if he was seriously starting to watch out for me?

Did that mean we were friends?

No. Hell no.

* * *

“Hey, Sydney,” Finn stopped me as I walked out of the locker room. He pushed off the wall, his backpack and gym bag slung over his shoulder. From the smell, I assumed that his sweaty football practice clothes were still inside. “Are we still on for tomorrow?”

What? Oh, right. I’d forgotten that we made plans to hang out. “Yeah, definitely.”

“Cool. I pick you up at noon. Unless that’s too early…?”

Letting out a laugh that sounded obviously fake, I started walking, expecting Finn to fall in step with me. Which he did. “I’m not my cousin, Finn. Noon is perfectly fine.”

“Awesome. I guess I’ll see you then.”

“Right,” I smiled.

It wasn’t until I was in the parking lot that I realized I didn’t have a ride home. Puck always drove me home, but that obviously wasn’t an option.

Quickly, I glanced around the parking lot, looking for Finn. But he was gone, probably inside his toasty car, driving off into the sunset.

My heart started to race as I realized that I was going to have to walk home. Alone. In the dark.

I got so panicked, I even considered calling Santana before remembering that she was hanging out with Brittany, probably to make out all night.

So that meant I was completely alone, no one to call.

Trying to stifle some of the butterflies in my stomach, I started walking the streets alone, reminding myself over and over again that I would be fine. It was Lima Freakin’ Ohio. What the hell happens here?

Right?

* * *

Of course, I got home fine. Not without tons of panicking, but still. The only issue I faced was Aunt Marisol, standing with her arms crossed, her face tense, in front of the door as I entered.

“Where were you?” she yelled, her face turning red almost immediately. “I was expecting you home an hour ago!”