Quinn was 12 years old when she first met 8 year old Rachel.
Quinn first heard about Rachel when her younger brother Sam came home one day from his music classes, which he is taking during summer, raving about his new talented friends, Rachel and Santana. He couldn't stop telling everyone who wanted to listen—and even those who don't, specifically Quinn—that his new friends were "nice and cool and funny."
Sam was enrolled to learn to play the guitar; Santana, the piano. Quinn did not know what Rachel was there for—from what she heard from Sam's animatedly long narrations over dinner Rachel helped Sam with his guitar and Santana with her piano. She deduced then that maybe this Rachel was one of those kid prodigies they feature on TV shows or milk commercials who was really good with musical stuff. Quinn also presumed that this Rachel probably did not need lessons but were enrolled anyway because her parents are busy or she had no friends or she had nothing else better to do.
So when Quinn saw this small brunette girl in a short skirt and long socks and Mary Janes sitting at their kitchen table hunched over a notebook, she presumed this was one of Sam's new friends.
As Quinn walked towards the girl, she realized that the girl was writing on the notebook. Her concentration was so focused that she did not even hear Quinn come closer.
This is gonna be fun.
Quinn sat on the stool opposite the girl. Still the girl did not budge. Quinn leaned closer and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, with her elbow on the table. She cleared her throat.
The girl finally looked up. Surprise registered on the little girl's face—her eyes widened and mouth agape. "Oh."
Quinn smirked at the girl's reaction. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" she asked, although she knows the answer. She wants to mess with this girl a little.
"I… I'm Sam's friend."
" Sam?" she feigned ignorance.
"Um. He lives here. He's… he went upstairs to get his guitar and music sheets."
"What's your name?"
The girl smiled a little, hearing a question she sure knows the answer to. "Rachel. Hi. Are you
Sam's sister?"
Quinn did not answer.
"You have the same eyes," she added.
Quinn raised an eyebrow.
"You must be Quinn," she added further.
Quinn was surprised. "How'd you know my name?"
Rachel, explained, self consciously, "Sam told us he's a middle child and has two sisters, Quinn and Brittany. He said the older one is named Quinn and the younger, Britt—"
"So you think I'm old?" Quinn asked, sounding hurt. She wasn't; she was just playing with Rachel.
Rachel, predictably, became defensive and apologetic. "No, of course not. It's just that you seem… taller than Sam and I so I assumed you're…"
"I think most people are taller than you Rachel. Even Britt." Quinn chuckled.
Rachel blushed. She looked down and did not answer.
Quinn may have felt guilty for making Rachel a little upset so she changed the topic and asked,
"What class are you enrolled in?"
Rachel did not look up at Quinn and answered in a quiet voice, "I am not enrolled." She seemed to focus all her attention on her all-important notebook.
"What?"
Rachel closed her notebook with a little slam that made Quinn inwardly cringe a little. "My dad teaches the classes. We own the studio. What's it to you?"
Rachel was obviously pissed, and Quinn was amused. It's always fun to tease those with short tempers.
Quinn shrugged as a reply. "I'm just curious about my brother's friends."
Rachel went back to writing furiously on her notebook, deciding to ignore Sam's annoying older sister. She wondered, what taking Sam so long?
She heard Quinn ask. "How old are you?"
She sighed, and whispered without looking up, "Eight."
"Oh." She sounded amused to Rachel.
"You're shorter than most eight year olds," Quinn said, with a chuckle. She did not mean to be rude to Rachel. She was only stating a fact.
Rachel finally looked up at Quinn with fire in her eyes. "Well, you're meanest 12-year-old I know!" Her voice was a little louder than her previous replies.
Oh, someone's mad. Quinn was startled but she was not afraid. This was her house after all.
Rachel did not wait for Quinn's retort. She gathered her things—a pencil case and her all-important notebook—and slid off the kitchen stool she was sitting on, and walked away.
That went well, Quinn thought. She smiled. She decided that she'll play with Rachel more.
Everything was fine for Quinn until Sam told their parents over dinner that his irritating sister scared off his friend Rachel that she now refuses to go to their house to practice their group recital piece. To solve things, their parents demanded that Quinn go with Sam to Rachel's house to apologize for her behavior.
Quinn tried to reason with them by saying, "I was just making conversation with her!"
"You told her she's shorter than most 8 year olds!" Sam insisted.
Quinn does not like her brother's raised voice. She made a move to stand up to smack his brother on the arm, or the back of his head, or whatever part of his body she can reach but their father was quick to say, "Quinn, enough. You will apologize to Rachel tomorrow. And Sam, say sorry to your sister for raising your voice."
Sam mumbled a soft, "Sorry, Quinn," but Quinn was not happy. She did not want to apologize to Rachel, or to anyone.
When Sam and Quinn went over the Berry's house the next day, Sam was so excited that he was pulling his sister by the hand skipping.
Quinn complained. "Slow down, Sam!"
"But we have to hurry!" Sam insisted.
Rachel must have heard them because she came out to meet them. She stood by the door, waiting for Quinn and Sam to approach her.
Sam waved when he saw her. "Hi, Rachel. Guess who I brought today?"
Quinn rolled her eyes at her brother's lame attempt at being coy. "I am standing right here, Sam. She can see me."
Sam ignored her, still waiting for Rachel's response.
Rachel gave Sam a small smile but didn't say anything.
"Quinn's here to say something," Sam said to Rachel. He seemed too happy and proud of this moment, Quinn observed.
Rachel shyly looked at Quinn.
Quinn rarely apologized. Whenever she did something mean to her siblings, she would do anything to avoid apologizing. She tries to pretend to be the victim, which stopped working as soon Brittany was old enough to learn that trick—consciously or subconsciously—or she cries really hard. But realizing that she can't do either of that here, Quinn relents. She whispers, almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry for yesterday."
Rachel was visibly surprised at her apology. She was so happy that she broke into a smile and hugged her. Quinn was taken aback by Rachel's hug. Her arms were tightly wrapped around Quinn's arms. Her face scrunched up in the crook of Quinn's neck. She whispered, "I forgive you."
Quinn was too surprised to react. Sam was watching the exchange feeling proud and happy that his sister and new friend will get along well from here on in.