This is in response to @Gablexa2103 asking me for ten reasons why I ship St. Berry. I was originally going to write a whole long blog post explaining why I shipped them and not Finchel, and I was halfway through, but my laptop is broken, and so I have to restart from scratch. So I've decided to just make a series of blogs, each blog containing a certain amount of reasons for why I ship St. Berry and not Finchel.

Why I Ship St. Berry and Not Finchel: Part I

1. Everything was stacked against them from the beginning. They were from opposing show choirs, she had unresolved feelings for her ex, he was indebted to her mother, she was still so innocent in so many ways, he was heading off to college, and she was still trying to learn how to fit in and coexist in a place where everyone hates her. But they still tried. He tried to play around all the restrictions Shelby set up for him, and she gave him her heart, piece by piece, despite the fact that she knew he would break it (a fact that she admitted out loud). In Hell-O, she compared their relationship to that of Romeo and Juliet. I disagree. Because Rachel and Jesse always knew their relationship was doomed from the start, but that didn’t stop them from trying.

2. Because when Finn turned everything into a pissing contest, Jesse didn’t play along. Jesse most likely had a million retorts in his head, all of which would serve their purpose, and yet Jesse didn’t. Because this was Rachel’s night. Not his. Not Finn’s. Rachel’s. And Finn had already ruined it enough, especially since Jesse was one hundred percent sure New Directions wouldn’t place. So he let Finn aim countless attacks at him, all of which hurt, and was man enough to stand there and take each shot.

3. I never liked Finn. Ever. He’s always been an immature, ungrateful, selfish five year old who gets jealous and throws temper tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants. I see a boy who’s had forty-four episodes to get his act together. I see a boy who’s had two years to own up to his mistakes and to treat his girlfriend the way he should if he says he loves her. I see a boy who’s selfish, and if anyone holds her heart except for him, he has to try his hardest to intervene. Then I see Jesse. A boy who screwed up just as much and hurt Rachel just as much as Finn did in an even shorter amount of time. I see a boy who took an entire year to come back and apologize for the things he did wrong. But then I see a boy who came back in the first place to apologize, and not only to apologize, but to own up to his mistakes and admit he was wrong. I see a boy who tried to make up for the things he did with grand gestures, something a girl like her deserves. I see a man, not a boy, who put everything on the line, including his fragile heart, all for her despite the fact that he knew she would most likely break it. I see a man who has a muddled and tainted past, but also a man who has grown up and learned from the mistakes he made in life.

4. Because even after Rachel broke his heart…even after she let his sworn enemy humiliate him in public…he still stayed to support her. He stood there despite the fact that it was probably torturing him, knowing his all still wasn’t good enough, and stayed in support for the one thing that would take her a step closer to her future. Not for New Directions; he couldn’t care less about them. For her. He put his feelings aside, everything else aside, and reminded himself that this was her night.

5. Because when it came to the topic of sex, a topic she was clearly sensitive about, he realized his mistake and dropped the subject, never bringing it up again. Finn not only pushes her in that aspect, but he prayed to a Grilled Cheesus when she let him touch her breast while his step father was in the hospital. I’m pretty sure that sentence speaks for itself.

6. Because Jesse understood that she didn’t only need to be wooed. She didn’t just deserve the flowers, and the sweet words. She deserved epic romance. She deserved the whole freaking package, grand gestures and moments and all. Finn thinks as long as things go back to how they were, everything is okay. He doesn’t understand that Rachel deserves to be treated like she’s special, because she is special.

7. Because Finn might be able to say he helped her with New Directions and getting them to competitions. He might be able to say that he was her friend when nobody else was. He might be able to say he never strayed from her like others. (All of which I can disprove.) But he can’t say he tried to reunite her with her mother, something she’d been dreaming about for as long as she could remember. It doesn’t matter what Shelby did with it all afterwards. Jesse played no part in that. But he did try to make good on her promise—make all of her dreams come true.

8. Because Finn doesn’t love Rachel for who she is. He loves her in spite of those things. He’s grown used to them and can therefore tolerate them. That’s not okay, and that’s not what a relationship should be like. Maybe Rachel accepts him for who he is, but I don’t think that’s right either. You shouldn’t just accept someone for who they are. You should love someone for who they are. And Jesse and Rachel function that way with one another. You have the both of them, two teenagers who have always been separated from society, one for being above all others, the other being considered below. Two people who share the same interests, two people who are driven and understand that sacrifices need to be made if they want to get to the top. They know what it takes, and they’re willing to give their all. That’s called understanding. Jesse understands Rachel, and Rachel understands Jesse. The things that people abhor about them? Those are the things they love the most about one another (Mr. Schue anyone?). Those are the things that make them special in the others’ eyes. That’s love. That’s real. Not just learning to adapt.

9. Because if New Directions didn’t exist, Finchel would most likely cease to exist. It’s almost ridiculous sometimes, because they really don’t have anything in common aside from Glee Club. Their interactions would be so limited if it didn’t exist that they’d barely see each other. They’d try and make it work, but eventually they’d just drift apart. Then you have Rachel and Jesse who love music, live for music, breathe music, music is their passion. It will always be a part of their lives no matter what. Yes, entire personalities don’t have to match up perfectly, but it’s just preposterous.

10. Finn isn’t going to get a music scholarship for a school in New York. He won’t make it. Some are saying, “well he can just get a scholarship to some other school in New York?” Or “why can’t he make it in New York?” Let me tell you something about colleges in New York. They’re damn expensive. If you don’t have a scholarship and aren’t rich, you’re screwed. Finn doesn’t come from a lot of money as we’ve witnessed, and his grades aren’t great, and he isn’t going to be getting a football scholarship when he’s on one of the worst high school football teams in the league. He can’t get a scholarship. And he can’t pay for the tuition. Sure, he could take out loans, but he’d struggle to pay them off, and in retrospect, it would probably all just make him resent New York. Rachel can’t not go to New York. It’s where she’s meant to be. She was born to be on Broadway. Staying in Lima would defeat the whole purpose of her character, and would just destroy her. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thought of other possibilities to see if they could make it in New York. So let me give you what I’ve thought of and why it doesn’t work. Let’s say for arguments sake that Finn could somehow make it to New York with her, and they were both living in the city. Rachel would always be going to auditions, always be going to callbacks, always rehearsing. Either Finn would grow frustrated with all the time she was spending auditioning and not with him, or he’d be annoyed that he was earning all the money while she did so. Even if they went to college first and such, it would still lead to the same result. Because he doesn’t understand her dreams. He doesn’t understand that it’s the only career option she wants. He made that much known when he told her she could do something else if she lost her voice. Obviously she could do something else, but she doesn’t want to. She wants Broadway. Telling her otherwise is like a slap in the face. And let’s say they went to the suburbs instead. Finn would adjust well (versus Rachel adjusting well in the city while Finn does not), but Rachel would suffer. She’d have to make the commute every day to the city (which I can assure you is not fun), and it would grate on her nerves. Not only that, but she’d go crazy being so close, yet so far away to her dream city. She’d grow restless and would come to resent Finn for it. And they’d still come to hate the tension that would come from her living in the city and him in the suburbs because they just wouldn’t be able to understand why. Then you have Rachel and Jesse who would be able to live perfectly in New York City. They’re both bound for Broadway. They’d be able to go to auditions together; they’d understand where each was coming from. They’d be able to support one another and understand how epic it really is when they land the role, and how utterly heartbreaking it is when they don’t. Some say they’d hate each other when the other was more successful. I don’t think so at all. I think they’d be fine with it. If they did, I’m confident that they’d be able to move past it. They’re both mature enough to handle a relationship and to talk out their problems rather than ignore them. But I don’t think it would be a problem considering how when Jesse came back, he never tried to steal the spotlight from Rachel. He never tried to make anything about him. It was all for her, all about her, because he loves her. And I think both of them honest to god love watching the other perform. It’s like magic to them.

And although I promised only ten, I really feel the need to write this last reason.

11. Because I absolutely hate who Rachel is when she’s with Finn. I hate how she’s willing to dismiss her dreams for him. I hate how she’s becoming a completely different person from who she was in the beginning of season one, taking away all the things that made her Rachel Berry. Yes, some things she did need to mature in, but I miss her animal sweaters that she wore all the time and that I’m seeing less and less frequently. I miss her crazy quirks like making cat calendars. But I hate how even in season one when she was with Finn, she came off as childish with those quirks. But when she was with Jesse, I saw her as quirky but mature. Someone who took her boyfriend to Wiggles concerts but had an air of maturity around her. Someone who talked about the problems and insecurities she had rather than try to send a message by dressing differently for all to see. I hate how she’s morphed into this person who I don’t even know anymore…I want the Rachel Berry back that I met in season one. The girl who was determined to make her dreams come true. And I blame Finn Hudson from taking her away from me.