Y'all, WHAT am I doing?! I have one fic in the process of wrapping up, not to mention a bunch of ideas for oneshots, but here I am, offering up a brand-spanking new story to fill your Sam/Quinn-deprived minds. I think I have an addiction and I can't leave it alone, but what the hell. :P

Anyway, here it is!

I came up with this idea after I realized that I wasn't too happy with the way they portrayed Quinn in Season 4. I felt like she deserved more screentime (I might be biased, I know) and I've always imagined that she and Mike have been friends since they were kids. I've never wanted them to date, so I thought I'd write a Quinn-centric fic and explore their friendship, as well as their relationships with other people. Y'all know how frustrated I get with writing Quinn sometimes (the girl writes HERSELF), so I thought by focusing just on her thoughts, I could really get it this time. Just so y'all can understand better when this was set in relation to the show, here's what you need to know:

Quinn, Mike, Santana, Rachel, and Kurt moved to New York after graduation. Finn is mentioned and may make an appearance, but he still lives in Ohio. The story starts when Sam, Tina, and Blaine move to New York after their own high school graduation. Sam and Brittany never dated and nobody made any visits to McKinley while they were in their senior year.

So here it goes! I hope all you lovely readers are willing and ready to take a ride into Quinn's twisty mind with me! Haha. But seriously, a review would be very awesome - I feel like I'm writing a little differently with this one (but you can still expect lots of country music references!).

And I don't own Glee, obviously. :)


Chapter 1: Kerosene

Now I don't hate the one who left, you can't hate someone who's dead
He's out there holding on to someone, I'm holding up my smoking gun
I'll find somewhere to lay my blame the day she changes her last name
Well I'm givin' up on love 'cause love's given up on me
Well I'm givin' up on love, hey love's given up on me

Quinn rolled over, groaning in protest at the sunlight that streamed through her flimsy curtains. Burying herself deeper into the fluffy sheets, she was all ready to declare it a mental health day – until her cell phone rang loudly, Icona Pop's 'I Love It' blaring loudly throughout her bedroom. She cursed under her breath, before untangling her limbs from her blanket, and reached for the small device.

"Hello?" she mumbled, tossing her messy blonde hair over one shoulder, so it didn't get in the way.

"Wake up, sunshine," a commanding, stern voice came through the speaker and Quinn nearly chucked her phone across the room. In her opinion, it was far too early to be listening to Mike Chang.

"As if," Quinn scoffed, kicking the covers off her bare legs and getting out of bed. She took a quick glance in mirror and cringed at the huge blonde knot that was forming at the back of her head.

"We have dance class in an hour and I have to make sure you're alive enough to go through the steps," he snapped.

"So dance with my corpse," she shot back, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder, as she struggled to pull on a pair of shorts.

"Charming, aren't you," Mike scoffed. "Hurry up," he clicked out of the conversation and Quinn pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it in disbelief. She had known Mike Chang for nearly all her life, ever since she noticed him staring at her doing plies at the playground when they were in kindergarten. Their obsession with dancing made them best friends and while Quinn preferred the soft, graceful movements of ballet and Mike liked to pop and lock, it had been the perfect fit, right from the start.

But still, Mike had the uncanny ability to wake up hours earlier than Quinn – and never let her forget it, either. She sighed, throwing a loose sweater over her tank top and grabbed her dance bag. Sprinting out her bedroom door, she skidded into her small kitchen, only to be greeted by a chirpy, smiling, Mike Chang.

"Thought you could use a little energy," he chuckled, gently shoving a bagel in her open mouth and coaxing a tumbler of hot coffee in her hands.

"I hate you," she muttered, bits of bagel falling out of her mouth, as she set her dance bag down. "How did you get in, anyway? I thought I bolted the door to keep out unwanted guests," Quinn smirked, staring pointedly at him.

"I've had a key since we moved to the city," Mike stuck out his tongue playfully, earning a playful punch from Quinn. "So…Tina called,"

Quinn paused, her hand with the bagel on it halfway to her mouth. Looking up at him, she cocked her head slightly, trying to gauge his reaction to his ex-girlfriend calling him up after a year of silence. "What did she say?" Quinn asked.

"She's in New York," Mike shrugged. "She got into Pace,"

"That's really awesome," Quinn commented, feeling a small surge of pride for her former Glee club member. They had bonded during her junior year, when they were both dating guys who were on the football team, but their friendship had lasted even past those relationships. Unfortunately, much like all the other friendships she had cultivated in high school, it had disintegrated when she moved to New York.

"I guess," Mike shrugged again, picking up Quinn's bag and his own. Leading them out of the small apartment, they quickly fell in step with each other, headed towards the subway.

Like most of the recitals and performances they had done together, Quinn and Mike's routine resembled a well-rehearsed dance. Executed perfectly every single time, they had both moved to New York with a college acceptance in one hand and a pipe dream in the other. It had been tough at first, spending a month sleeping on Rachel and Kurt's couch (well, Quinn did. Finn, who was visiting, and Mike slept on the floor). After a while, Quinn and Mike both found jobs – waitressing for her, bartending for him – and moved out together. Over time, he found his own apartment and they both quit waitressing and bartending for teaching positions at the Dance Space Studio on Broadway (a chance try-out that had started with the two of them breaking and entering). It wasn't much, but Quinn liked performing this particular dance over and over again. It comforted her, when the city was particularly scary. It helped her breathe, when she felt suffocated at school. And it reminded her, that if she ever fell, her best friend would always be there, with his strong arms, to pick her up.

Although right now, she was just thankful he was hovering over her in a packed subway, so she wouldn't be crushed to death by all the other passengers.

"You think I should see her?" Mike asked, his face inches away from hers. Looking up at him, she raised her right eyebrow in a sceptical response.

"I think you're asking the wrong person,"

"Aw, come on. If I can't ask my best friend, who am I supposed to ask?" he whined, lurching slightly to the left, as the train turned. "Besides, I don't know if I want to see her or not…of if I'm supposed to,"

"I still think you're asking the wrong person," Quinn gripped his arm to steady herself, before leaning back against the wall comfortably. "I don't keep in touch with any of my exes,"

"Liar. You still talk to Puck and Finn. And that guy you dated last month, Chris? You had coffee with him last weekend," Mike pointed out, grinning.

Quinn glared at him. "Well, Finn's dating Rachel! And Chris and I are in a study group together. As for Puck…he sort of noses his way into everybody's life and you know that. The other day, he randomly called up Kurt, just to ask for his opinion on striped ties," she giggled.

"Well, Puck's like a puppy – he sort of misses all of us, since he's so far away," Mike reasoned. "But I will give you one person who you don't keep in touch with anymore,"

"Who?"

"Sam Evans,"

The name hit her, like a blow to the stomach. It had been a while - a year, to be specific – since she had heard his name in such close vicinity. She would hear it whispered, behind her back, or catch just the end of his name, tapering away as soon as she walked into the room. But for the most part, she stayed away from even thinking about him.

Suddenly, the subway seemed too small to hold all her thoughts.


"I called her," Mike announced, kicking off from the tree he had been leaning against, to meet Quinn. She dropped her bag at their feet and started to pull her hair into a ponytail to beat the rising temperature of the city.

"Great," Quinn replied, her voice muffled from the hair tie she held between her lips.

"Don't you want to know what happened?"

"No offense, Mikey, but whatever happens between you and your ex-girlfriend is none of my business," Quinn shrugged, leading them towards a nearby café.

"She's your friend, too," he pointed out, jogging slightly to keep up with her. Together, they pushed open the glass doors to a trendy neighbourhood café and Quinn sighed, letting the cold air-conditioning wash over her.

"Yeah, and if she wants to know how I'm doing, she can call me," Quinn explained, quickly ordering their drinks to the barista – an iced tea for her and a lemonade for him.

"That doesn't make any sense. You keep in touch with Puck and that's not because he calls you all the time," Mike argued, grabbing their drinks for them, before heading back out on the street.

"What's with bringing up my exes today?"

"Okay, so Puck doesn't really count as an ex. Sam, on the other hand…"

Quinn stopped in her tracks, holding up a hand to Mike's face. "We're not doing this. Look, I'm glad Tina's alright. But we drifted apart, although it's clear you and her are still close. But we're not…not about exes, okay, Mike? At least, not mine, anyway," she pleaded.

"Alright, alright," Mike shrugged and Quinn smiled, reminded again of how laidback her best friend was – a trait she clearly didn't possess. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"I'm exhausted! How do you even have energy right now?"

"Because I'm not old, like you," he joked, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they made their way towards Quinn's apartment building. "Seriously though, any plans?"

"Nothing came up. Chris wanted to hang out, but his plan consisted of a movie and a bottle of wine – somehow, I don't think it had anything to do with our study group," Quinn scoffed.

"Are you ever going to stop breaking guys' hearts?"

"Probably not," she shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous smile curling at the corners of her lips. "What did you have in mind?"

Mike shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his gaze directed at the ground. Suddenly, Quinn had a very clear idea of what Mike wanted to do that night.

"No," she said firmly.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!"

"It's probably something along the lines of going to see Tina, right?" Quinn asked, raising one eyebrow. "What's going to happen? You're going to visit her and she'll fall magically in love with you?"

"First off, just because you think the subject of your exes is taboo, doesn't mean you can hate on my love life," Mike started. "Secondly, Tina and I didn't have a bad falling out. We still care about each other – is it so bad to think we could start things up again?" he shrugged, following Quinn into the elevator up to her apartment.

"You're delusional. Don't you think that in the year you guys spent apart, that she'd have found someone else? That she's different?" Quinn pointed out, stepping into her apartment and tossing her keys on a nearby table. "And I'm not saying it to be mean. You dated Katie for like, a month and you were pretty intense with Caroline, so I don't think it's completely crazy to think that Tina could've found someone, too,"

Mike paused, letting Quinn's words sink in. "Caroline and Katie were flings," he protested.

"Caroline met your mother!" Quinn exclaimed, hopping up on the kitchen counter. "If you want to go, I can't stop you. But I'm not going with you,"

"You have to!" Mike lamented, tossing his lemonade into the nearby trash can. "I can't do this without my best friend,"

Quinn narrowed her eyes at him, scrambling for an excuse not to go. It wasn't that she didn't like Tina – after all, they were close once. It was just that once Mike and Tina were in a room together, it was like nothing else mattered or existed. They were electric together back in high school and it was the sort of connection that couldn't be broken from a year of separation, she knew that. But it still didn't mean she was going to like hanging out with them, alone. She'd probably stay for ten minutes, then leave uncomfortably, while Mike started to whisper sweet nothings into Tina's ear.

She hopped off the counter, shoving her half-finished iced tea towards Mike. Poking him in his chest forcefully, Quinn looked up at him, her eyebrows knitted together in defiance.

"Fine. I'll go."


Quinn bounced from foot to foot, her flats making soft tapping sounds against the concrete pavement. Beside her, Mike gripped the neck of a wine bottle so tight, his knuckles had turned white. Around them, people moved about their lives, hurrying to get home or to meet a friend, as the night sky draped over the city.

"You're sure about this?" Quinn asked, stealing a quick glance at her best friend. If he hadn't been so nervous about the whole thing, she would've found his expression – half anxious, half terrified – almost hilarious.

"Yeah, let's just…let's just go,"

Without another word, he grabbed Quinn's hand and pulled her up the stairs, hurrying through doors and into the elevator. As they inched closer and closer to Tina's apartment, Quinn felt overwhelmed with an unsettling feeling. Her hands started to sweat and her heart started to beat out of rhythm. For a split second, she thought she was having a panic attack, but the industrial-sized elevator was bigger than the one in her own building – not to mention, it was only her and Mike occupying the space.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, twisting a blond curl around her fingers. Mike glanced at her briefly, before focusing his gaze back on the numbers ascending on the screen in front of him.

"Anxious. I haven't seen her in a long time,"

Quinn studied his posture, the way he kept running his hand through his hair and the way he stood – eagerly leaning forward, almost as if he was about to take flight. "You still love her, don't you?" she asked, her voice soft as a whisper.

"I…yeah," he shrugged. "We dated for a long time and even when we weren't together, it was still…it was still there, you know? I'm not crazy, am I?" he asked, his dark eyes turning to face her. They were filled with hope and promises and Quinn felt her heart ache for her best friend.

She didn't believe in true love, at least, not in the way Mike did. He was committed, loyal, and idealistic when it came to matters of the heart, while she was disillusioned and fickle. He kept one steady relationship at a time and Quinn bounced around with reckless abandon.

"No, you're not crazy," she sighed, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Are you nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous about meeting your ex-girlfriend again?" Quinn asked, cocking her right eyebrow.

"Do you just conveniently forget that you guys were once best friends?" he scowled. "I thought you'd be a little excited,"

"I'm curious to see what she's been up to," Quinn sighed, hoping the answer could placate Mike, as they stepped out of the elevator together. They turned a right corner and she counted softly, until they both stopped in front of a nondescript, white door. Behind it, she could hear a familiar song playing, but couldn't quite place her finger on what it was. Her heartbeat sped up and for the second time in a matter of twenty minutes, Quinn briefly wondered if she was having a panic attack – but the halls were wide and spacious, brightened with a string of Christmas lights someone had forgotten to take down.

"Ready?" Mike asked. She glanced at him one last time, the best friend in her quickly making sure that he looked appropriate. He looked more like a sophisticated New Yorker, all dressed in black, than her best friend from Lima, Ohio, but it worked on him – leather jacket, boots, and all. She shot him a big grin, suddenly overcome with pride for him, and nodded in response to his question.

"Ready," she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. He knocked shakily, rapping against the wood with his fist, and Quinn could hear the tap-tap sound of feet as they neared.

After several seconds, the door flung open and Quinn nearly staggered backwards at the sight before her. Dressed in a tight, tribal printed dress and a pair of black ankle boots, Tina Cohen Chang looked stunning – like a more grown up, more mature version of herself in high school. Beside Quinn, she heard Mike suck in his breath sharply and she knew he was a goner.

"Hi! Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you guys!" Tina launched herself in between Quinn and Mike, pulling them down to her height for a fierce hug. "Come in!" with a strong tug, she dragged both of them inside the apartment, closing the door behind them.

Tina kept talking and trying to catch up with Mike awkwardly, while Quinn turned around in a slow circle, taking in the apartment. It was cosy and warm, the walls already littered with pictures, prints, and inspiration boards – a trend Rachel had started in high school and one that stuck with all the Glee girls. She noticed a small replica of their show choir Nationals trophy in one corner of the room and a guitar occupied another corner, propped up against the wall. But out of all the familiar things inside the apartment, Quinn found herself gravitating towards the iPod dock that sat on a shelf a little ways from the television set. She ran her fingers over it, trying hard to remember what it was that made it so recognizable.

"So, do you want a drink? We've got soda, water, beer, and the wine you guys brought," Tina sidled up next to Quinn. "We've also got tequila, but let's just save that for later," she chuckled nervously.

"Um. Just a glass of water, please," she replied politely, giving her a smile before turning back to the iPod dock. The volume was turned down low, but the beat of the song sounded familiar – familiar enough to make her feel uncomfortable, as if something wasn't right. Ripping her gaze away from the iPod and the song, she saw Tina's hands shake as she poured water into a glass for Quinn.

'That's strange. Why is she so…fidgety? And nervous?' she thought to herself. From across the room, Mike noticed Quinn's puzzled expression and he stepped in, striking up a conversation with Tina about her move to the city. Grateful for the distraction, Quinn turned her attention back to the iPod dock, trying to dig up a long-lost memory that she knew was associated with this particular song. Checking to make sure Tina was occupied, Quinn tapped at the iPod wheel and she moved closer, as it came to life.

Who Are You When I'm Not Looking
Blake Shelton

"Oh my gosh," Quinn breathed out, her heartbeat quickening so fast she felt like it would explode out of her chest. The apartment suddenly shrank around her and she felt her throat close up, as she tried to suck in breaths of air.

"Quinn? Everything okay?" Mike's voice made her turn away from the song and she looked him in the eyes desperately. She needed to get out, she needed fresh air, and she needed to be as far away from Blake Shelton's voice as possible.

"I just…um…" Quinn stammered, trying to string together the right combination of words to tell Mike that she needed to leave immediately.

"I can change the song, if you want," Tina offered, walking towards the stereo and deftly switching to another playlist. Quinn opened her mouth to protest, didn't say anything when The Cure started playing instead. "Guess you're really not a fan of country music, huh?"

"I didn't think you were," Mike pointed out. Quinn made her way towards him and grabbed the glass of water on the kitchen counter, downing it one gulp.

"Well…tastes change, I guess," Tina shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "Actually, a lot of things changed after you guys left McKinley,"

Mike raised his eyebrows sceptically and Quinn nudged him, trying to send a telepathic message that something wasn't right. 'Come on, Mike. She's going to tell you she's dating someone else or she's engaged and we need to go. Now,' she pinched his arm for good measure, but Mike didn't do anything but flinch slightly.

"What changed?" he asked.

Tina shifted her weight from one foot to the other and gripped the shelf behind her tightly. For a moment, Quinn saw the old version of Tina – the scared, cautious Tina who had shocked just about everybody when she announced she wanted to handle the solo for True Colors back in Glee club. It was a little comforting, but Quinn couldn't shake the feeling that there was something seriously wrong with the whole situation.

"After Regionals last year, things got…" Tina started, but she was cut off by one of the bedroom doors – conveniently hidden from the kitchen and living room – slammed loudly.

Quinn jumped at the sound, clutching at Mike's arm. "Wait, is there someone else here?"

Before Tina could respond, a fourth, separate voice – one that ran deep and husky, with a familiar accent – filled the apartment.

"Tee, where'd you put all my shirts? I can't find a single…oh,"

It was like seeing a ghost – if all ghosts were six feet tall, blonde, and had a six-pack that wouldn't quit. Quinn wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and will the floor to swallow her whole or she wanted to click her heels three times just to go home, but no matter what she wanted to do, her body wasn't cooperating. Her ghosts had been locked away for a long time now, trapped in the dark recesses of her brain, and for good reason. But now, here was one, in all his glory, his hair falling sexily over his eyebrow, his blue-green eyes shining just like the last time she saw him – nearly two years ago.

Sam Evans.

They stayed silent for a while – long enough that The Cure transitioned into Bruno Mars – and it wasn't until then that Quinn realized she had been gripping Mike's arm so hard, her fingernails were digging into his flesh. He hissed when she broke skin and they sprang apart, but not before an understanding look passed between them.

"We've actually got a really early morning tomorrow – classes and all that," Mike started, his voice even. Quinn knew he was shaking on the inside and grasped his hand, although she wasn't sure whether it was to calm him down or if it was to steady herself.

"Oh. But we didn't even eat," Tina pointed out, her eyes falling on the empty plates around the dinner table – only now did Quinn realize that there were four places set, instead of three.

"We're not…we're not that hungry," Mike explained, as Quinn tugged on his hand, urging him to leave faster. "See you around, guys. Welcome to the city," he quipped, plastering on a fake smile, before backing towards the door. He twisted the doorknob and ducked out quickly, tugging Quinn along with him.

Before she closed the door shut, Quinn looked up and without warning, her stare locked on Sam's. Those green-blue eyes were still the same innocent, trustworthy, loving ones she had looked into so long ago, the same ones she had fallen in love with almost three years ago. Quinn felt her heart soften and her shoulders relax. But then, her gaze fell to his hands and as quickly as the calm had overcome her, it disappeared. Because those hands - the ones that used to grip at Quinn's waist during hot summer nights in Lima – were now grasping Tina's hands, his fingers intertwined with Tina's.

Tina.

Quinn opened her mouth to point it out, to say something, but before she could, Mike yanked her into the hallway and the door fell shut.