16| DEEP TALKS

[ Chapter Sixteen ]

❝There's no way you're ever getting that Head Cheerio spot alone while I'm still here.❞

[The Power of Madonna]

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Raven couldn't stop thinking about Rachel's comment about her relationship with Puck. Even though the two weren't even really together, Raven still had strong feelings for him and though she knew he was basically the biggest player of them all, she didn't really care.

Quinn kept trying to get Raven to give him another chance and Raven was finally listening, or was going to until Coach Sylvester had a meeting with the Cheerios.

"Santana. What does your bracelet say?" Coach Sylvester pointed at Santana who held up her wrist to show it off.

"W.W.M.D." Santana responded.

"What would Madonna do?" Coach Sylvester added, "Well, the answer to that question is usually, date a younger man. So, let's see some arm candy girls."

Raven's eyebrows raised at Coach Sylvester's comment. Usually, Coach Sylvester couldn't care less who her Cheerios were dating as long as they weren't getting pregnant.

"Sorry freshman. You're going to have to start trolling the middle schools. And you know why? Cause if you want to be as riveting a performer as Madonna-a skill that will nab us Nationals this year-you're going to have to start thinking like her. Acting like her. Also, a la Madonna, I will no longer acknowledge that any of you have last names." Coach Sylvester pointed at Becky, "Becky Jackson. From now on, you're just Becky."

"You know it's like Madonna once said. I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." Coach Sylvester continued, "I'm pretty sure she stole that line from one Sue Sylvester. No really, she stole it from me. I said it first. Palladium '87. Now go."

Raven rolled her eyes, she didn't care if she was Head Cheerio, she wouldn't be participating in Coach Sylvester's weird creepy schemes.

Raven looked at Santana and sighed, "Okay, Madonna is iconic but do I really have to date someone younger than me?"

"I thought you were already dating Puck." Santana looked sideways at Raven.

Raven rolled her eyes, "You just hope I'm not dating him so you can swoop back in and take him."

Santana shrugged as she followed Raven out of the gym, along with Brittany, "That is so not true. But if you want to stay on top, I suggest you start dating asap."

Raven glared at Santana, "There's no way you're ever getting that Head Cheerio spot alone while I'm still here."

"We'll see about that." Santana said and linked her arm with Brittany, pulling her away.

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The glee girls were all hanging out in the choir room between classes. Raven had her feet propped up in Quinn's lap as Quinn drew in her notebook and Raven worked on her math homework.

Rachel suddenly spoke up, "Can I ask you guys something private?"

"Yes, you should move to Israel." Santana cut in making a couple of the girls laugh.

Rachel moved a stool so she could sit and face them before she started, "It's about dating. Not that I'm dating anyone. We all know that Finn and I are no longer an item and for the sake of the team, I broke up with Jessie. Let's just say I was dating someone. Let's just say, hypothetically, that we went to a Wiggles concert last Friday night and because my dads weren't home, we went up to my room and started making out."

Raven raised an eyebrow at her friend and looked at Quinn suspiciously but Quinn just continued doodling in her notebook. Raven didn't hear most of the rest of Rachel's speech until Quinn said, "Would you please stop talking, you're grossing out my baby."

"I just want to be ready. I know I'm getting older, and these things are going to happen someday, but how do I stop a guy from getting mad when I say 'no'." Rachel asked.

"Just do what I do, never say no." Santana broke in.

"Oh totally, I mean what's the worst that can happen?" Brittany added and then looked sheepishly at Quinn, "Sorry, Quinn."

"Look, girl, don't ask me. The last guy I liked was the mayor of gaytown." Mercedes responded, "And I can't wait to get a guy mad at me for saying 'no'."

Raven decided to speak up, "Unfortunately not all guys just get mad when we say no."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked Raven.

Raven sighed and twirled her hair around a finger, "I haven't really told you guys this but I wasn't just bullied for being bisexual at my old school. A guy literally thought he could turn me 'normal'." She used air-quotes and then continued, "By that I mean, he forced himself on me even though I said no and eventually I just gave up. So, sex isn't really a comfortable topic for me."

All the girls' mouths dropped open at that and Quinn wrapped her arm around Raven, in comfort.

"That's horrible. I'm so sorry." Rachel apologized to her.

Santana even looked sheepish, "I'm sorry I ever said you were a prude."

Raven smiled sadly at them, "Thanks guys, I really appreciate it."

"We just have to accept that guys don't care about our feelings. Like, the other day I was walking with Artie and he basically said I should wear tighter fitting clothing and lose the goth outfits." Tina rolled her eyes.

"That's gotta sting." Rachel sighed.

Mr. Schue who had been sitting and grading papers at the side suddenly walked over to them, "Hey guys. I'm sorry to interrupt your little sorority, but I couldn't help but overhear. Are you really having that much boy trouble?"

"You wouldn't understand, Mr. Schue. You're a guy." Quinn told him, her arm still wrapped around Raven.

All the other girls nodded.

"Well, maybe you should talk to someone else about it. Like Ms. Pillsbury." Mr. Schue offered.

"Well, I tried that." Rachel said, "It didn't work."

Raven sighed, "I talked to her shortly after I arrived here about my experience and it helped a little but I had already had a full therapist and everything for it before."

The bell suddenly rings and the girls all stand up.

"The fact is that women still earn 70 cents to every dollar that a man earns doing the same job. That attitude starts in high school." Quinn answers, grabbing her books and holding out her free hand for Raven.

Raven links their hands together as they leave the classroom, "Thanks for trying, Mr. Schue."

Quinn looks at Raven as they leave the choir room, "Are you okay?""

"Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't anticipate telling everyone that but it kind of feels good to get it off my chest. And at least they didn't brush it off like everyone at my old school." Raven nods.

"I can't imagine going through that, Ray, but you know I'm always here for you, right?" Quinn asked her.

"I know, Q." Raven smiles at her, "Come on, I have practice."

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The new routine Coach Sylvester had put together was very complex and to a brilliant Madonna soundtrack. Half of the Cheerios were on stilts for the performance but luckily, Raven wasn't.

Raven was impressed by the complicated routine and thought that they all executed it pretty well but once it ended, Coach Sylvester screamed at them as she usually did.

"Sloppy freak show babies. Somewhere in the English countryside, in a stately manor home, Madonna is weeping. Hit the shadows." Coach Sylvester yelled in her megaphone.

Raven rolled her eyes at her but headed off with the other Cheerios to shower and then head to glee club.

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Clearly Mr. Schue had decided to teach the same lessons as Coach Sylvester for he wrote the name, 'Madonna' on the whiteboard at the beginning of class.

"What comes to mind when you see that name?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Genius." Rachel said.

"Icon." Kurt added.

"Hall of fame. MILF." Puck said and Raven rolled her eyes from her seat next to him.

"So, we're all aware of Madonna's musical and cultural significance. Which is why your assignment this week is to come up with a Madonna number." Mr. Schue told them.

All the girls cheered and clapped.

"Uh, Mr. Schue." Puck raised his hand, "As a dude, Madonna makes me kind of uncomfortable."

"Yeah, she's smokin' and everything but can't some of us do something else?" Finn asked, "Like the guy version of Madonna? Like you know, Pantera?"

The guys all agree.

"What the hell?" Raven mutters, looking at Puck in confusion.

"Guys. It's come to my attention that many of you haven't been treating the young ladies of our group very nicely lately. You're disrespectful, bullying, sexist and I hate to say it, misogynistic." Mr. Schue told them.

"I have no idea what that means." Finn said.

"When I pulled my hamstring, I went to a misogynist." Brittany said, twirling her ponytail.

"What it means is, put yourselves in their shoes for a change. Culturally, Madonna's legacy transcends her music, because by and large the subtext of her songs are about being strong, independent, and confident no matter what your sex. But more than anything, Madonna's musical message is about equality. And that is something I think you guys need to work on." Mr. Schue told them.

"Mr. Schue. I don't think we can have an honest conversation about Ms. Ciccone without acknowledging that her images are as indelible as her songs." Kurt said, "I would like to honor her contributions by tackling a multimedia project with Mercedes."

"Great!" Mr. Schue laughed, "Go for it, Kurt."

"I'm still not down." Puck said, "And no chick intimidates Puckzilla."

Raven rolled her eyes at him as he made eye contact with her.

"I just don't think her music translates to show choir." Puck added.

Rachel rolled her eyes as she looked at him, "Really? Well, I for one could not disagree more."

Rachel got up and went over to the band whispering something to them before turning to face the rest of the group as the band started, "Come on girls. Do you believe in love?"

Raven grinned at Quinn and grabbed her hand pulling her up.

"Cause I got something to say about it and it goes something like this." Rachel continued.

The girls in the club performed Madonna's 'Express Yourself' in the auditorium while the boys watched. Raven grinned, giving the performance her all. Madonna had always been a favorite singer of her mom's so the songs were often playing in their house and Raven had a ton of them memorized.

All the girls had a blast singing an empowering anthem however, the boys still did not look convinced by the end of it except Kurt and Mike.

Raven sighed as she left the stage, to go change but was cornered by Puck, "What do you want, Noah?"

"You were really good." Puck said, looking a little intimidated by her.

"Thank you." Raven smiled at him, "But I thought you didn't like Madonna."

"I just don't understand why we're singing her music in glee club." Puck admitted.

"Because she's an icon, her music is amazing and us girls are tired of being attacked by you guys for everything that we do." Raven crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry for whatever I did." Puck told her.

"It's not just you, Noah." Raven said, "And I'm not ready to tell you all about my past because I hate talking about it but I'm not like the other girls you've had 'flings' with or slept with. I don't want a one night stand. In fact, I don't even know if I can sleep with you because honestly, I'm terrified after my previous experiences."

"I don't-" Noah started but Raven held up her hand.

"Can you just let me finish." Raven laughed but then sombered, "I like you, Noah and I know you probably don't feel the same way but I just had to tell you."

"Raven." Noah started, "I'm not really a relationship guy, but you're different and if you still want to try then I'm down with it."

Raven started laughing, "Only I would find what you just said, romantic." She stood on her tip-toes, "Yes, I want to try."

Raven let Puck wrap his arms around her and twirl her around as she laughed.

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Word Count: 2077

NicoleLizeray Kiddsista here you go! 

Hey guys. So, it's been a long time since I've updated this story. I have finally hit inspiration and I am going to try to update this every week. Which day would you guys rather have updates on: Tuesday or Friday? 

What did you guys think? What about Puck and Raven finally being together again? Yes, this is a Sam Evans fic but we'll get there. 

I love you all and will see you soon with chapter 17.

POSTED ON:

7. 28. 20