AU... Quinn and Rachel have no history previous to college. T for now, mostly due to swear words popping up here and there and probably some sex stuff later on...(a lot later on, don't get too excited yet...)

With a sigh, Quinn sprawled back onto her bed. She put her hands behind her head, staring up at the blank ceiling above her and trying not to think.

…An attempt that lasted for about 60 seconds, considering she thought it was pretty possible she'd just made the worst decision of her life.

"Quinn?"

The soft voice came from the foot of the bed. Her bed was raised in the air enough that she had to crane her neck forward at an awkward angle to see who was there.

"Hi," she said uncomfortably to the short brunette standing there, not really knowing the protocol for introducing yourself to someone who's room you'd just taken over. "Yeah, that's me. You're Kaila, right?"

"Yep, and this is Ashlyn," Kaila replied with a calm but unreadable expression on her face, producing a slightly taller, darker skinned girl from beside her.

"Hey," Ashlyn responded without any enthusiasm.

"Um, we're about to head out for a bit, but we'll be back for dinner if you want to come," Kaila said smoothly, glancing at Ashlyn who nodded in agreement with a short smile. Quinn just nodded slightly as both girls watched and then left the room with only a small wave from Kaila.

When she flopped back down on the bed, all she could think was I'd rather be anywhere but here.

But she was stuck.

Quinn Fabray had made the (somewhat rash, according to her family's standards of doing things) decision to transfer out of Ohio State University and move to Boston the spring of her sophomore year.

This had come about a year after discovering that despite all of her best attempts, she could no longer push down all of the feelings she'd been having that seemed to suggest an alternate sexuality to the one she had always been expected to have. She wasn't sure what it meant nor had she been able to completely accept it yet, but all she could think for the majority of her second year of college was that Ohio State was not the best place to try and figure everything out.

When she had suggested an all-girls school to her parents they had been thrilled, to say the least. No boys? Nothing to worry about with their pristine, Christian, supposed-to-be-celibacy seeking daughter. This one component was probably what had overridden the announcement that she was moving across the country only a few short months later. She applied and was easily accepted to Smithson College in Boston for the following fall semester, and before long she was packing her bags and on a plane. It was a better school, hopefully a better environment, and just far enough away from her parents and hometown that she could pretend they didn't exist - just for a little while, if she needed to.

A knock came at the door approximately thirteen minutes after Quinn had fallen asleep. With a groan and a sudden sense of self-consciousness – had she drooled in her sleep? What did her hair look like? – she rolled herself not-so-gracefully out of bed before swiping her hands over her hair and heading to the door as a second knock came.

"Jeez, okay I'm coming," she muttered under her breath and swung open the door.

Apparently still not quietly enough, however, as the short brunette she found standing there looked slightly offended but mostly just embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry, when I didn't hear anything I wasn't sure I had been loud enough so I decided to knock again…were you sleeping?" the girl said in a rush and all Quinn could do was blink.

Despite the fact that she was wearing an argyle sweater and the most hideous bunny slippers she had ever seen, Quinn was mildly dumbstruck at just how adorable her…neighbor?...was.

"Um…hi…what? No, I mean…yes, I was, but it's fine, er I should've been getting up anyway…um, who are you?" Quinn managed to mumble, the tips of her ears turning pink as she stumbled over the last words and then mentally slapping herself for sounding so rude. "Sorry, that wasn't exactly how I meant it…"

"No, it's fine," the girl giggled softly (oh, jeez, that just made her even cuter). "I just heard that someone had transferred into Sarah's room, and I thought I would come introduce myself…I live down the hall, 314. I was a transfer last year, and it was kind of scary meeting people, so…plus I brought brownies!" Quinn could honestly say that with all of the not-staring at Rachel that she'd been doing that she had somehow failed to notice the plate of brownies resting primly on her hands.

"Wow, thanks," Quinn finally managed a smile to go along with the blush that was now spreading to her cheeks. "So you know…Sarah? I've only met Kaila and Ashlyn. Sorry, did you want to come in?"

"Sure!" the girl seemed surprised but pleased at being asked. "I'm Rachel, by the way. And you are…?"

"Quinn!" Quinn burst out, a little too eagerly when she realized how stupid she'd been to not introduce herself at the beginning…and now the blush was full force over her entire face. Oh god.

"Nice to meet you, Quinn," Rachel replied, seemingly attempting to hide her laughter behind a grin. It was infectious and Quinn found herself smiling back for the first time that day as well.

"Are you friends with everyone?" Quinn asked after she had composed herself again, gesturing to the room.

Rachel looked uncomfortable for the first time at this, but then shrugged. "Not really. Sarah and I are both theater majors so we're friendly, but…" she paused and glanced towards the two bedrooms surrounding the common room they were in.

"They just left," Quinn jumped in and Rachel nodded before continuing.

"I don't know. I guess…you could just say that Ashlyn and Kaila…are a part of very different social circles than I am. I met them through Sarah last year and we all hung out a few times but…no, we're not particularly friendly. Which isn't to say all of Smithson is like that – cliquey, I mean – at all, but some people just take high school with them, I guess," Rachel shrugged awkwardly again before realizing she was still holding the brownies and setting them gingerly down on the table.

Quinn deflated slightly during Rachel's explanation and sunk back into her chair. "Great. I transfer to get away from shit like that and end up in more of it here…of course it would be just my luck."

Rachel looked sympathetic and slightly guilty at scaring the new girl before rushing to say, "You might get along really well, I'm kind of a an…acquired taste, I suppose (Quinn almost choked on her spit at this point but managed to keep it together), but maybe they'll like you!"

Quinn quirked an eyebrow at her and Rachel deflated slightly herself. "Yeah, maybe not, they're kind of evil demons from hell, but you never know."

At this Quinn did choke before bursting out laughing as Rachel slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god, I can't believe I just said that. Pretend it didn't happen!" she flushed bright red as she slowly took her hand away and Quinn continued to laugh.

"Oh my god. No, that was kind of the impression I got when I met them earlier," Quinn managed once she had calmed down a bit more. "Or, at least, that I wasn't really wanted here, except I can't really blame them for that, seeing as how all of us only found out about this arrangement yesterday, and – "

"You just found out yesterday?" Rachel seemed appalled as her mouth fell open. "I was wondering why I only overheard them talking about you last night, they're usually vocal about everything and suddenly getting a random roommate didn't seem like something they would fail to complain about from the very start..."

"Wait…they were complaining?" it was Quinn's turn to interrupt with a slight grimace and Rachel looked horrified.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, I do this thing where I word vomit when I'm nervous or just ever actually and I tend to just keep talking or saying things I really shouldn't I'm really sorry –" she began to ramble again but Quinn cut her off with a smile and a hand.

"No, it's okay, I do it too sometimes," she laughed slightly. "And honestly I'd always rather know, I hate it when people talk behind your back and think they can just get away with it, just...ugh."

Rachel took a deep breath before letting it out. "Yeah, me too," she admitted quietly. Quinn frowned but didn't feel like she knew Rachel well enough to push, even though she desperately wanted to. People didn't just clam up like that for no reason…well. This was what she was a psych major for. Save it for the classroom, Quinn.

"Anyway…well, I'm really glad you came over," Quinn said tentatively, afraid that things had gotten too awkward and ruined the moment.

"Oh, good, I'm glad!" Rachel shook her head as if to clear it and then directed a genuine smile in Quinn's direction. "It was really nice to meet you."

Quinn flushed despite herself and then realized she should nod or something instead of just smiling stupidly – and so she did as Rachel made to stand.

"Um – do you want to get food later?" she burst out as Rachel turned to head towards the door. "I mean…I'm sure you have other friends, and stuff, but if you wanted to…or not, I mean I'm sure –"

"Quinn!" Rachel stopped her mid ramble with a deep belly laugh that secured Quinn's crush completely before she said, "I'd love to. I can stop back by around…six? That'll give you a few more hours to get settled in."

"Yeah, that sounds great," Quinn nodded, trying to stop her face from flushing again and gave Rachel another small smile. "I guess I'll…see you then."

"Yes, you will," Rachel grinned and then walked the few more steps to the door before letting herself out.

The door shut with a loud click and Quinn immediately crashed back down into the chair she had been occupying only moments before with a huge sigh.

"Oh fuck."

A/N Okay, for those of you who read my last story know what updates aren't always super prompt but I'm going to try really hard with this one. There'll be more backstory for both of the girls in the next chapter or so... Let me know what you think so far!