Quinn swallowed and made sure her appearance was perfect before heading to glee. If she looked perfect on the outside then no one would know what was raging on the inside. The hurt, the shame, the…fear. No one could know. If they knew, they'd abandon her in a second. Sam would leave her. Her friends would be ashamed. And…she couldn't think of the biggest consequence of all.
She shook her head and put on a smug smile. The smile that said she was better than you and everyone knew it. Her walk to glee was uneventful for the first part then she was pulled aside by the monster that had caused her mental destruction.
"Danny, what do you want?" she muttered, ducking her head.
"Meet me in twenty minutes in the boys' locker room," he commanded. His eyes flashed dangerously. "We need to talk."
Tears pricked Quinn's eyes. "Please, no. You've done enough damage. You got what you want a week ago, now let it go."
Danny's finger wrapped around her arm squeezing tight, sure to leave a bruise.
She winced. "Okay, I'll be there."
"Good, now go to glee like a good little girl everyone thinks you are." He winked and then left her in the dust absolutely terrified.
She hadn't any contact with Danny since the incident. He ignored whenever they briefly saw each other in the hallway. Today, with his hand on her arm and being so close to her, all the memories came rushing back. They played like a movie as she walked into the choir room. Only Tina and Mike were in there and they paid no attention to her. She turned away from them squeezing her eyes shut as the vivid memories, seeming so real, came to the forefront of her mind.
She was back in the dark gym, going to grab her book she had left sitting on the bleachers. A hand reached out grabbing her waist. She screamed, but calmed when she saw it was just Danny; the boys' friend.
"Hey, Danny, you scared me." She laughed a little, letting all her anxiety flow out. Her adrenaline didn't calm all the way down. Something was off. Danny didn't seem right.
"Hey, Quinn," Danny slurred. He was drunk.
"Danny, go home. I don't want to deal with a drunken guy right now," she snapped. She started to walk away but he grabbed her shoulder. Spinning her around quickly, he pressed her against the wall, entrapping her with no escape.
She shoved his chest. He stumbled back and she ran. She was petrified. She felt a hand wrap around her wrist jerking her back. Danny threw her to the ground with ease. He fell on top of her already unzipping his pants.
"No, no, no!" she cried. She wriggled as best as she could but the boy was heavy. His lips forced themselves on hers, straining to open her mouth. His tongue shoved between her lips. She screamed when he started to pull down the sweats she threw on when she realized she forgot her book.
But there was nothing she could do, no screaming could stop him, as he pulled off her underwear and—
A boy's rough hand clasped onto her shoulder and she snapped. She turned, immediately throwing a hand backwards hitting the boy who had grabbed her. "Don't touch me!" she screeched. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Quinn, it's just me," Sam said. He was holding his cheek.
She had hit him, but at the moment she didn't care. The fear was right at the surface. He stepped towards and she backed away against the wall. "Don't!" she screamed. "Don't come near me!"
Fuck.
"Quinn, what's going on?" Mr. Shue was there walking right towards her. He was only a foot away now.
Having a male near her was too much, even if it was a teacher. "No!" She lashed out, shoving Mr. Shue away and hitting him so he wouldn't come back. She might have even thrown a kick outwards. "Do not come near me!"
Sam's face was horrified as was the rest of the glee club's. The boys looked confused. Finn stepped towards Sam to see his cheek. Artie, Puck and Mike kept back sensing something they wouldn't be able to handle. The girls were worried; they were all bunched together watching Quinn.
But she stared at Sam trying to make her mind realize he was okay. That he was safe. He was safe. Sam was safe. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Safe. Sam. Safe. She kept repeating. Nothing was going to happen if Sam was there. Sam. Safe.
"Sam." She sobbed out his name. All she wanted was Sam. "Sam, please! Sam!" She slumped against the wall, reaching out for him. "Sam."
He took a tentative step forward. Fear stabbed her and she tensed again. He noticed and stopped where he was. Slowly she relaxed. "Sam," she repeated. Sam. Safe. Sam. Safe. Sam. Sam. Sam. He took two steps and she was okay. "Sam," she whispered. He took another. She tensed because he was so close. She stared at him. Sam. Safe. Sam. Safe. Sam is safe. Sam. Sam. Sam. Safe. She nodded. He was right in front of her. "Sam," she said, her voice breaking on his name.
Quinn threw her arms around his neck, inhaling his scent. The scent of safety and protection. His arms managed to hold her hold body to him tightly but gently. His whole body radiated security. She relaxed into his arms, relishing the feeling. Shoving her face into the bend of neck and his shoulder she cried silently. "Sam," she murmured.
"I'm here, I'm right here. It's okay," he responded.
"Sam," she repeated again. "I'm so scared."
He pulled away. "Of what? What happened to make you like this?"
She faltered.
"You can tell me."
She knew everyone was listening. Especially Mr. Shuester. "Last week," she started in a small whisper, "I went to the gym because I left my book there and Coach Sylvester had given me a key cause she was out town and I still needed to run the nightly practices. Well I was there and then—"
She saw the clock. It was two minutes before she was supposed to meet Danny. She freaked. If she wasn't there, he would hurt her again. He would come after her.
"No! Sam, don't let him get me!" she sobbed, yelling at him. "Please, Sam, don't let him, please! He's going to get me! He's going to get me again." She pulled out of his grasp. She shoved her fingers into her hair and clenched hard, screaming in frustration.
"Who is?" Sam asked.
"D-Danny," she cried. "Don't let him. He wants me to meet him now in the boys' locker room. I can't go there! He'll want more. Sam, please, no! He'll touch me again."
Everyone stiffened and the boys were already in a protective stance ready to pounce.
"What do you mean 'touch you'?" Mr. Shue asked.
Sam cupped her face, rubbing away tears. "Quinn."
"He raped me," she whispered, almost inaudibly.
Sam's eyes widened and he pulled her into him. "Oh, God, Quinn."
She pulled away in shame. "I'm so sorry I let this happen. I should have known. I should have stopped him. I should have—"
"Stop. Baby, please—"
Quinn cut him off. "This is my fault!" she yelled. "I must have done something! It's me! I must have sent him vibes that made it okay. I'm sorry, Sam!" she cried.
Mr. Shue stepped in. "Quinn, this is not your fault. We'll contact the police—"
"No!" she screamed.
She remembered his threat after it was done.
"You tell Sam," Danny said, "and I will hunt him down and take him out myself. Tell anyone at all and I go after Sam. Got it? Sam's safety is in your hands now. And after I'm done with Sam, you will be next."
Sam gently took her hand, pulling her toward him. "We have to tell the police."
She shook her head. "He'll get you too. He said if I told anyone, he would hunt you down."
"I don't care," he said.
"I do!" she yelled. "I love you and you can't get hurt! He said after you, he'd come after me."
That seemed to set Sam in a rage. Quinn saw the change in eyes his eyes from loving boyfriend to lethal, protective boyfriend. "He will not."
Sam turned and ran out the door. Finn, Puck and Mike followed. Mr. Shue also. Quinn and the rest were hot on their heels.
"Sam, don't!" Mr. Shue yelled.
"Sam!" Quinn yelled.
"Me, Mike and Finn will hold him," Puck directed to Sam.
"No!" Mr. Shue commanded.
But the boys didn't listen. They sprinted around the school to the gym and into the locker room. Quinn ran in despite the terror that the gym held. By the time she got in the locker room, Danny was already being held against the wall and getting the shit beat out of him.
Mr. Shue didn't dare step in front of Sam's fury. Sam stopped hitting Danny and held his arm to the piece of shit's throat. Danny's face was covered in blood from his nose and lips. Danny's eyes shot over to her and the ice cold blue pierced and sent pure terror through her veins.
"Sam," she said quietly, collapsing in on herself. Her mind and her body were falling inward. She couldn't take it. She fell to her knees, her brain beginning to blank out.
"Look what you did to her!" Sam screamed. "I will tear you apart if you ever try to touch her again. If you ever go near her again."
Quinn looked up. Danny's eyes fell on her again. "You fucking cunt," he said.
Sam kneed him straight in the stomach and punched him.
"Sam, enough!" Mr. Shue yelled.
"Evans!" a new voice shouted.
Coach Beiste.
Sam reluctantly let his hold on Danny go and backed up. It looked as if it had taken all his strength to do. Finn and Puck threw him over the wooden benches and into the metal lockers. Mike kicked him in the stomach before anyone could stop him.
"Sam, Quinn needs you," Santana said. Quinn was leaning on Santana on the ground. Santana's arms were wrapped around Quinn in an embrace. The rest of the girls surrounded her.
She didn't want them though. She wanted—needed Sam. She had to have Sam.
Quinn was shaking as Sam knelt down before her and pulled her into his lap. Her head rested on his shoulder as she cried. She stayed that way while Mr. Shue called the cops; she stayed that way as the cops came and led Danny away. She stayed that way until she had to get up. And even then Sam had his arm around her in a protective hold.
"Sam," she whispered.
"I'm here," he responded kissing her forehead.
"I love you, Sam."
"I love you, too, Quinn."
She looked up at him. Memorizing every line of his face. Every freckle and blemish. She didn't ever want to doubt his safety again. Sam was safe. Sam. Safe.
Sam. Sam. Sam.
It all came down to Sam.