Rachel

Rachel
Gender	Female
Age	17
Birthday	February 11, 1991 (Aquarius)
Grade	Senior as of Table for One
Species	Dog
Family	Aaron (Brother)
Debut	Follow Me, page 7 February 18, 2007 (2007-02-18)

Vivacious and flirtatious, Rachel is the perky older friend to Daisy, and the de facto "center" of the seniors friend group. A girl who knows her worth and is ready to stick up for those she cares about, she sometimes sets her own feelings aside if those two concepts collide.

Personality

Before a reader can get to know the other facets of Rachel's personality, they are first immediately met with her staunch defense of those close to her. In Rachel's very first appearance, she delivers a swift smack in the face to Tess, citing Roger breaking her brother's arm, and has to be talked down from her anger by Jessica. Though she can still hold a grudge, Rachel is not one to let these things rule her life; once it became evident she'd have to share space with Tess in Pillow Talk, she accepted the situation and confidently walked through the doorway, saying "not like I was gonna leave!"

Rachel is promiscuous, and she isn't particularly shy about it. When Lucy apologizes to Jessica and Rachel for insinuating they were such, Jessica clarifies to Lucy that Rachel "actually is a slut," to which Rachel laughs and describes an intimate moment with Paulo. Rachel is quick to suggest sexual favors as a means to tide over conflict, suggesting Jasmine give Paulo a "BJ" after an argument. While she's not embarrassed about her sexuality, she does take ire with Jessica reducing her to a "one-note slut" in the play presented in Method Acting.

Though she's a very strong glue, being the glue that binds her friends together doesn't come without its problems, and Rachel will often keep her feelings to herself if it can de-escalate an issue. The most egregious example would be her birthday party in Happy Hour; when the sophomores get drunk and air their dirty laundry, Rachel is there to reel everyone back in. She consoles a crying Mike, and keeps her mouth shut when Paulo talks about another girl. Even after the party ends, she cuts her lecture to a sick, drunken Paulo short to console him instead. She downplays her sadness upon her "situationship" with Paulo ending in Love Again as to not worry her supportive friends, and doesn't take a chance she's given to really address the birthday fiasco in Moments Apart. It is not until New Year's Resolution that she finally chooses herself, and politely removes herself from the situation when Paulo approaches her with a problem.

Appearance

Rachel is a short, white dog with dark eyes and black ears that resemble pigtails. She is one of the secondary characters that are hardly, if ever, unclothed, and she rarely wears the same thing twice! She often wears hair clips above her ears, shapes varying from flowers, hearts, to Cardcaptor Sakura-esque wings.

When she is first introduced in Follow Me, her ears were long and scruffy; her ears start to get their recognizable bounce in A Different Side. Starting from New Beginnings, her ears would curl at the ends. As of Golden Hour, her ears have lost their curl and instead have a full, bouncy look.

Rachel is one of the shortest members of the cast, surpassing only Amaya in height.

Significant events

1. In Follow Me, Rachel slaps Tess and confronts her after Tess tried hiding in the freshman hallway. She reminds Tess that Aaron still can't play soccer because of his broken arm.
2. In A Different Side, Rachel praises Daisy for standing up to Paulo (and by extension, Tess) and invites her shopping over Easter break. She then encourages Daisy to go after Mike saying "he's as good as single" upon learning of his long distance relationship.
3. In A Distance Apart, Jessica and Rachel join the lunch table.
4. In Back and Forth, Paulo asks Rachel out on a date upon Jessica's suggestion. Rachel sleeps with Paulo on that date, which turns out to be an elaborate plan to get back at Tess, who never got the opportunity.
5. In Pillow Talk, a flashback shows Rachel trying to console Aaron after his arm is broken. She cries in Jessica's arms, feeling powerless on how to help her brother. In this flashback, Jessica recounts Rachel never hearing the rumors Tess spread after her botched revenge plans, but in the present day, Rachel tells Jessica she simply ignored them, only wanting to believe what Jessica tells her to her face. Rachel also gladly admits to being promiscuous.
6. Following Lucy's departure from Roseville in Leaving Home, Rachel finds Paulo crying on the sidewalk and consoles him. By the end of the chapter, Paulo wakes up in Rachel's bed, Rachel sleeping next to him. Rachel takes the event in stride, but is annoyed by Paulo's reluctance to be seen with her in Study Buddy.
7. Rachel celebrates her birthday in Happy Hour - or at least tries to celebrate - but it's made difficult by the main cast getting drunk and crying over Lucy. In particular, Rachel stands aside awkwardly as Paulo recounts "touching Lucy's boob" and how he wants to hold Lucy in his arms again. Rachel makes a pointed remark about how, if they were traditionally dating, she would've kicked Paulo out of the party for reminiscing about an ex. She spends the rest of the day taking care of the drunk Paulo, and reminding him that moving on takes time.
8. Rachel is delighted to discover Paulo is jealous of Matt in Take Heart. She reassures him there's nothing to worry about, and confirms that she isn't seeing anyone else alongside Paulo.
9. Rachel helps Paulo practicing driving in Small Fry. She apologizes for using him in the events in Back and Forth, even though she did like him at the time. Rachel also confesses that it's becoming difficult to not fall in love with Paulo.
10. In Total Recall, Rachel asks Paulo to the junior prom.
11. In Boy Toy, Rachel is appalled to see Paulo treat Matt rudely, pulling Paulo by the ear, scolding him, and telling him "[Matt] deals with way more than you know" before storming off. Rachel and Paulo reconcile by the end of the chapter.
12. Before the start of junior year, Rachel accepts Paulo's unexpected invitation for a night of romance in Behind Closed Doors.
13. In Table for One, Rachel and her group sit at the lunch table adjacent to the main group, a constant during the junior year. Rachel also confidently calls Paulo her "boo," to Paulo's confusion. Paulo then goes on to flirt with Courtney and objectify Sandy in Model Girlfriend, leaving Rachel saddened and confused.
14. Upon Lucy's return in Love Again, Rachel is understandably upset that this event marks the of her and Paulo's relationship, and her friends gather together to make her feel wanted. She then breaks things off directly with Paulo in Unspoken Rule.
15. In Moments Apart, when birthday girl Daisy feels sad, Rachel starts a group hug to cheer Daisy up. When Paulo arrives on the scene, things are a little awkward, and Rachel tells Madison to "be nice" because she and Paulo had worked things out.
16. In New Year's Resolution, Rachel greets Paulo, but when she notices he's upset, she decides to tactfully remove herself from the situation.
17. In Method Acting, Rachel confronts Jessica on her play character "Rina," who is a mean-spirited, one-note character based on Rachel. When Jessica refuses to acknowledge the similarities between Rina and Rachel, as well as the other caricatured cast, it turns into a big argument.

Major relationships

Jessica

Rachel's best friend and partner in crime - or partner in antagonizing their enemy - Rachel's first appearance is having to be held back by Jessica in Follow Me. While the two were already friends from both being in the cheer squad, their bond grew deeper from their shared trauma from Tess. The two work together to get back at Tess in Back and Forth by sleeping with Paulo. Despite having an interest for Paulo, Rachel is unbothered by Jessica's part in the plan. When the deeds are done, Rachel and Jessica deliver the news to Tess with pronounced middle fingers, and laugh out loud together watching the drama that unfolds after.

Rachel states in Pillow Talk that she'll always believe Jessica over whatever others say, ignoring the rumors that had spread about her at the time. In a similar vein, Rachel has known about Jessica's sexuality for a long time and has supported her from the beginning. She supports Jessica's crush on Lucy, convincing her to come to a party because Lucy would possibly be there. Her support doesn't come without its share of playful ribbing;

Paulo

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Tess

From the moment she's introduced, Rachel has a bone to pick with Tess, citing Tess as the reason her brother, Aaron, had his arm broken. It's revealed in Pillow Talk that Aaron's offending action was as simple as kicking a ball that accidentally hit Tess in the head, prompting her boyfriend, Roger, to break his arm. Rachel makes her disdain of Tess unmistakable, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes when Tess is booed offstage in A Different Side. She also shoots major stink-eye at Tess when she notices Tess sits at the same lunch table as Daisy.

The pinnacle of this hatred is displayed in Back and Forth, when Rachel and Jessica take the ultimate opportunity to get back at Tess: going farther with Paulo that she ever did. While Rachel did have interest in Paulo to begin with, she becomes more assured of what she's doing when Paulo mentions Tess in the car on the way to the date. Jessica and Rachel deliver the heartbreaking news to Tess of their escapades with a middle finger, and laughs at the drama that ensues. After this point, it would seem Rachel had her fill, and was ready to leave well enough alone with Tess, or at the very least, coexist with her. She says as much in Pillow Talk, claiming she and Jessica "got [Tess] so good [she doubts] they'll take Paulo on any more pretend dates."

Daisy

Rachel first takes note of Daisy in A Different Side, praising her for sticking up against Tess during a messy moment of the pep rally, and invites Daisy to go shopping. This would turn out to not be a one-time thing, as Rachel and Jessica both happily greet Daisy on a summer's day in New Beginnings, dumbfounded at being compared to Katie. She eagerly asks to sit with Daisy during their lunch period in A Distance Apart, favoring Daisy enough to ignore Tess's presence.

Matt

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Minor relationships

Jordan

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Madison

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Mike

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Augustus

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Gallery

For a complete gallery, see Gallery:Rachel.

Appearances by volume

• 
  Rachel slaps Tess silly in Follow Me.
• 
  Jessica and Rachel pose in New Beginnings.
• 
  Jessica and Rachel announce their master plan in Back and Forth.
• 
  Rachel stands up for herself in Study Buddy.
• 
  Rachel congratulates Tess in Class of 2008.
• 
  Rachel sitting inside at the beach for some reason in Golden Hour.
• 
  Rachel mourning another poor marginalized child lost in the cracks in Double Down.
• 
  Rachel reaches out to Jessica in Method Acting.

Outfits

• 
  Rachel in pajamas in Pillow Talk.
• 
  Rachel's first outfit in Happy Hour.
• 
  Rachel's birthday dress in Happy Hour.
• 
  Rachel's prom dress in Total Recall.
• 
  Rachel's dress in Love Again.
• 
  Rachel's dress in Moments Apart.
• 
  Jessica and Rachel in their cheerleading uniforms in Burnt Bridges.
• 
  Rachel and Matt's winter gear in New Year's Resolution.

Trivia

• In the Bittersweet Candy Bowl popularity poll, Rachel ranked 4th in 2021, 5th in 2022, and 4th again in 2023.

See also

• Jessica
• Tess
• Aaron
• Rachel's house