Be Free, Be You

I sucked in a deep breath as I woke the next morning, something felt off. The whole getting-ready-for-school routine was normal but as I drove Steph to school something in the air just didn’t feel right. “Steph?”

“Yeah?” She asked, her voice full of breath and hard to hear.

“Are you okay? Ever since I picked you up from school yesterday you’ve seemed weird.” I asked as I turned down the radio. She didn’t seem to hear me so I asked again. “Stephanie. What happened yesterday while I was at Cheerio practice?”

“Oh, nothing.” She said, her eyes all dreamy and looking in the distance. I rolled my eyes and pulled into my usual parking spot and left her in the car. She’ll lock her door.

I couldn’t help but inwardly laugh as I passed the freaky Gothic Asian from Glee Club; today she was wearing some kind of outfit that was a cross between a smart librarian and a ghost. She shot me a glare but I just continued on down the hallway, not giving her another moment of my precious time.

I turned the corner and saw Noah Puckerman waiting for me by my locker. As I got closer he grinned at me and was sure to stand right in front of it. “Get out of here Puckerman. I need to get my textbook for class.”

He chuckled and looked at me with those deep eyes, I felt my knees weaken, but I quickly got a hold of myself. There was no doubt that Noah Puckerman was attractive beyond my measure, but the fact that his ego was bigger than the planet was a total turn off. “So I talked to your sister yesterday.”

This caught my attention, “Why?”

“I need help in algebra.”

“Anyone could have figured that one out. With the grades you have, you’ll be lucky to graduate this year.” I snapped at him and he just looked at me, irritated.

“Anyway, Barbie, I need to keep it on the DL, so tell her not to blab to anyone. Okay?” He instantly lowered his tone, and his chin so that he could look at me through those long, dark lashes. Again I was tempted to kiss him right there, but again I remembered how much of an ass and a half he was.

That’s what I hated about almost all of the guys at McKinley, they were either, attractive and full of themselves, therefore deeming them assholes and unworthy of me dating them, or they weren’t attractive and they were too clingy and unworthy of me even talking to them. Ugh, it’s a hard knock life.

“Whatever Puckerman, your petty secret is safe with me, now shoo before I’m late for class.” He winked at me and walked away just as the late bell was ringing. I had to run to class in order for me now to get another tardy note to bring home, and to Coach Sylvester.