A ditzy blonde by the name of Beth Fabray was strolling through the freshly-painted corridors of McKinley High. She wrinkled her nose as the bitter scent of wet paint scorched her senses. Blundering aimlessly through the red and white halls with nothing to do on her free period, Beth was the definition of bored. She scratched an annoying itch under her with her short but delicate fingers, their nails painted a hazel-green to match her eyes.
Just gone 10 years before, another blonde with hazel eyes had walked through this school, she had reined it. She had strolled through these corridors, as graceful as a swan and the same restless glint in her eyes. Of course the blonde only lasted until the runner-up Prom Queen dyed it a blazing mess of devilish hot pink, then she got herself a nose ring and an erotic tattoo of Ryan Seacrest. No one could touch her, she was ambitious ruthless and broken. She had been broken so many times, but that had made her stronger. A hard shell had coated her heart, blocking anyone and everyone out, well… almost everyone. Her name was Lucy Quinn Fabray.
Up until recently, Beth rarely saw Quinn. She had dumped Beth with Sam and took off to New York. The woman never spoke of her time in the city of dreams if she could help it, at least not to Beth anyway. When the blonde returned three months ago, she rented an apartment in Lima Heights and Beth got to see her every weekend which of course the baby diva was oh so excited about. Quinn tended to Beth's every want and every need, Judy Fabray had an extensive amount of money after her business deal with a wealthy client. Beth also loved that her Momma opened up to her more than her Dad did, didn't sugar-coat everything and she treated her child like an adult with a due amount of respect towards her. She never belittled the child and listened to her, she understood her. Of course, the teenager appreciated this.
However, at McKinley things had changed; Glee was now one of the most popular and respected clubs, to get in was a blessing and a miracle all-in-one. In Quinn's senior year the New Directions won Nationals with a heart-breaking rendition of One and Only (Originally sung by Adele) accompanied by a feel-good powerful original song and since then the club's been right at the top of the social heap. Mr Schuster was still club director though and it'd been a happy reunion, with both sets of parents when they'd visited for Beth's parents evening. That'd put them all in an extremely cheery mood, which Beth had been most grateful for as she was failing in three subjects.
She had always wondered about her mom. Q had left for the city when Bath was little more than three years old and because of this, the only memories the child had to look back on of her mother were a few photos and the occasional story.
By this point you may be confused as to why she calls Sam dad and Santana step mum. The truth is neither the young mother nor Sam had ever told the youngster the truth. The married couple had found they could never have kids and Santana had been crushed. Sure, the Latina had been tough but this news had shaken her to the core. Laboured with Beth, Quinn had started to crumble and as always when any type of responsibility was thrust upon her. She still hadn't figured out who she was and yet she was supposed to care for a child and help them grow into who they are too. She just couldn't do it and after a pleasant chat over Facebook the two women agreed to meet at the Lima Bean. Q was astounded by the girl's newfound frailness and it was then that she decided if anyone was to have her baby girl it would be Santana. But still, she didn't want the girl to forget Quinn and the mom play absolutely no part in the child's life from now on and so arrangements were made. You may still be confused as to what happened to Puckerman in all of this, the answer is short. He doesn't. That pool cleaning business of his took off and he moved state, ever since then he's been too busy for Beth, always off with some new older woman. The poor teen doesn't even know he exists. As far as she knows, Sam Evans is her biological father and she has never questioned it.
At this moment in the story Beth probably seems to you like pretty much a normal, happy teenage girl. The dippy adolescent is captain of the Cheerio's, head diva in Glee club and she's had more boyfriends than Santa's had cookies. However, she's not all she seems to be. Beth is in love. With Rachel Junior Hudson.
Beth decided to sit out at Cheerio's practice, she was feeling a bit low so she was just watching and that usually cheered her up.
Nice legs,
Daisy Dukes,
Makes a man go (whistles),
That's the way they all come through like (whistles),
Low-cut, see-through shirts that make ya (whistles),
That's the way she come through like (whistles),
'Cause I just set them up,
Just set them up,
Just set them up to knock them down,
'Cause I just set them up,
Just set them up,
Just set them up to knock them down
I think I should know how to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce,
How do I say I'm sorry 'cause the word is just never gonna come out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce
The petite lonely figure sighed. She'd never look like any of the others, especially Rachel. How come she's so beautiful, so perfect? It just wasn't fair. Beth did everything she could to be skinny and pretty just like the rest of them. I bike, I work-out, I jog and I train. I go on crazy diets, I mean all I ate yesterday was a protein shake and yet my stomach still bulges over the waistband of my cheerleading skirt! Tears started to prick her eyes and suddenly she felt really sick. She ran hurriedly to the toilets and threw up, missing the bowl by inches. There goes yesterday's protein shake. Beth shook her head and rose, rinsed her face and got a mint. It's going to be another long day today...
Beth's POV
"Cheer up baby," consoled Rachel on our way home from school, "Walk with me to the bus stop."
"You should have phrased that as a question Rach, it's more polite."
"Me? Polite?" She raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows causing delicate wrinkles on her forehead.
"Fair point," I shrugged, "By the way you'll get wrinkles if you keep doing that," I added with a teasing smile. I knew this would drive her mad. She gasped and smoothed her forehead back down.
"Phew," she breathed, checking in a cosmetics mirror to see if the wrinkles had stayed. They hadn't.
"What would you do without me eh?" I winked.
"I would be less sexually pleased that is for sure," she tantalized with a devilish grin spreading across her face.
"Ah I knew it bitch," I smiled, my head's totally not filling up with multiple different sexual fantasies right now... However they were rudely interrupted by our friend Jenny who bounced up to us waving a flamboyant pink flyer in our faces.
"Party tonight at my place to celebrate the big football match!" she announced, bounding off just as fast as she came. I chuckled, mental-case. Rach rolled her eyes, not the biggest fan of Jen to put it lightly but still she'd go to any party which says 'FREE ALCOHOL!' on the flyer. Which it said on this one. I bit my lip as her bus pulled up, knowing she'd be going in just mere seconds.
"Well, this is my bus..." she trailed off, scuffing her shoe on the floor but then stopping as she realised she would ruin them.
"I know, you get the same one every day," I smiled, my overgrown side fringe covering my eyes. I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow!" I pulled her into a tight embrace before she pulled away and hopped onto her bus, mouthing a small 'Text me'. I nodded as I gulped down the newly formed lump in my throat. Not yet... not yet... oh please just wait until she's gone before you totally break down... The bus started off and I watched it speeding down the road before taking a sigh of relief and letting the buckets of tears I'd been holding back finally fall from my puffy and bloodshot eyes. They were streaming down my face, the evidence of my pain of every minute I spend with Rach. I can't stand to be with her but it hurts more to be without her. She's like crack. When I'm with her, the way she makes me feel masks the pain but when she's gone the pain's worse than ever. I was pulled from my thoughts by a buzz in my bra. I retrieved my phone and read the text-
Hey sexy, what you wearing to the party tonight? I think I'm going for a cute, natural sun kissed look, what do you think? I'll text Jen and find out the colour of the lights so we don't clash with them xxxx - R
I sighed, I was right. It really was going to be a long day.
Beth sighed as she watched her drunken friend fawn all over some random guy who she'd known for little more than 8 minutes, to be precise.
She fingered the cup (containing some sort of smelly, alcoholic beverage) resting next to her on the arm of the couch; a girl had passed it to her earlier to look after but now Beth knew for a fact she wouldn't be coming back for it as she'd seen the girl sneak suspiciously into Jen's room with an extremely hot guy.
Suddenly an idea occurred to the bored blonde.
Smiling, she sauntered up to Rachel, who already stunk to high heaven of alcohol and handed her the cup.
"For you!" she shouted over the ear-splitting volume of the music.
Rachel hugged her tightly as she whisked the drink out of her friend's hand, all too happy to receive a free drink and planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek as she did so.
Beth's heart flew, it was working! A couple more and Rach'll do anything.
Beth smirked as Rachel jabbered on in front of her about multiple non-important matters, that is, until Jen dragged the happy blonde to the bathroom.
"What the hell are you doing? Are you STUPID?" Jen exploded; the few people that populated the bathroom were now hurriedly exiting, horrified and startled by the host's utter vexation and violence.
"What do you mean?" I asked, completely astonished at Jen's outburst whilst mouthing apologies to a couple of fast-moving, petrified freshmen.
Jen sighed, "You told me about Rach, Remember?"
I nodded, confused as to what the stunning brunette had to do with anything.
"All I'll say is this: If Rachel is drunk, she will regret it and that'll hurt even more. If something happens between you guys just make sure you're both completely sober because if you don't, it'll just cause confusion and you will lose her," and with that she left me alone to dwell on my actions
A tear formed in my newly puffy eyes and it stung my cheek as it dribbled down past my lip, it tasted warm and salty.
I felt more coming on but I took a deep breath and steadied myself.
She was right of course, and as usual I was wrong.
Why could I never get anything right?
I shook the negative question out of my mind and remembered what my mom had told me, many times before:
When you do something wrong, hold up your head and admit it but more importantly do everything in your power to make it better.
Rachel Jnr. Hudson was draped over a worried and frightened looking Jen when Beth Fabray finally retreated from the bathroom. The blonde was only too glad to accept Jenny's plea for help, she rushed over to them with a fresh twinkle in her eye.
"Come on Rach, let's go dance!" And without giving the drunken bewildered teen a chance to reply she dragged her onto the dance floor and started dancing with her.
"This party ROCKS!" slurred Rachel between hiccups, climbing up on Beth's waist and thrusting her drink in the air. Beth flinched as a few droplets of the deep crimson liquid flew free from the paper cup and onto her perfectly groomed hair.
"Careful Rach," the blonde whined. Her friend just laughed as Beth scowled at her.
"Attractive face," she winked.
"I know right," exclaimed Beth, extremely sarcastic. Rachel simply gave her a megawatt lop-sided grin and set down her drink. She clasped the blonde's soft, delicate hand in her own and slow-danced with her. Beth gulped at the closeness of the bodies, brushing against each other with every step. The brunette saw the effect she was having on her friend and pulled her even closer. Beth felt a familiar warm stirring in her lower stomach. Oh crap, she thought, not here, please anywhere but here. Rachel bit her lip, also feeling a warm stirring and tilted her head so their lips were several inches closer and just a centimetre away. Out of the corner of her eye, Beth saw Jen looking over and sent her a HELP! look. Immediately Rachel felt a pulling on her shoulder, at first she ignored it, her gaze stayed focused on the stunning blonde with the cherry red lips that looked so soft, so kissable. Then the hand pulled her back and Rachel's furious eyes met those of their friend Meena. Meena looked at me, took a deep breath and pulled Rachel's lips to hers. A blaze of angry heat ran through me, like electricity. Adrenaline started pumping through my veins, making my heart beat faster. All I could see was red. I slowly recognized my feeling, it was jealousy. I was instantly ashamed of it and lowered my head, but not before glancing around to make sure no one noticed. Jen was standing next to me, pulling on my hand to get me away, I numbly let her. Everything had turned to mush, my limbs and my brain. Everything. She pulled me to her bedroom and sat me down on the little pink sofa in the corner. I gazed around her room, a look of complete blankness upon my face. It was painted a bright orange with green and white furniture. On one wall was a tropical beach scene, Hawaii probably. I was distracted from my scanning of the room by Jen clicking her fingers in front of my face.
"Earth to B?"
I shook my head, regaining control of my body, "B's not here right now so if you would like to leave a message for your amazing and completely stunning best friend you are free to do so after the beep. Beeeeeeep."
"Okay, hey Beth its Jen. I'm just calling to say I told that girl to kiss Rachel-" she stopped when she saw my horrified expression. It felt like I have been diced into that tiny meat the cute really teeny pieces.
"Jen, you know how that'd make me feel," I stammered, a lump forming in my throat at my friend's betrayal.
"I had to do something to stop Rachel kissing you," shrugged the fiery redhead.
"Why did you drag me in here then?"
"The look on your face when that girl kissed Rachel, I mean I thought you were going to shoot a flamethrower at everyone in the room."
"Oh. Well I'm calm now," and with that I strutted out of her room leaving a bedraggled looking Jen sitting on her bed.
"Beth!" squealed Rachel in delight, running up to her... friend. She leaped into the dumbfounded girl's arms and peppered her with chaste kisses. Awkwardly Beth placed Rachel down.
"Hey, what happened to a normal hello?" she joked.
"Never mind that, let's take up from where we left off over there," she whispered, her already swollen lips ghosting over my ear, making me shudder with pleasure. I shook my head, no Beth. Not like this. I was about to refuse when suddenly her lips found mine, crushing together, connecting. It was just as perfect as perfect can be, except for the fact that the alcohol on her lips was burning on to mine, a nasty and bitter taste. I pulled away.
"No," I said sternly, more to myself than to Rachel.
"Come on," she wined, going in for another kiss. Again I pushed her away and again she refused to take no for an answer. I was starting to regret coming to this party now.
Outside a fixed-up BMW pulled up, carrying a tired looking brunette who was constantly tapping on her phone. Eventually she gave up trying to use the non-responsive piece of crap her worthless excuse of a husband had given her last Christmas and opened her door. However, as she stepped out onto the pavement in front of a huge house, alive with flashing lights and loud music, another car pulled up next to her, missing her bumper by centimetres. The woman scowled as she tapped on the obnoxiously tinted window of the offending car. Probably some idiotic kids, she thought.
"You were always one to scowl, I always told you: it isn't very attractive. Then again you never did like to listen," the cocky figure in the car winked.
"Quinn?" the brunette asked, her mouth agape.
"Rachel?" the blonde replied, imitating Rachel's shocked tone.
"Why are you here? Don't tell me you're here for the party but to be honest gate-crashing a kid's party sounds like something you would do."
"You never complained at some of the parties we went to. Oh wait, I do remember you moaning a few times, quite a few actually. It wasn't the bad kind of moaning though and it was usually my name so I think you did enjoy it honey. I'm amazing at sex," Quinn shrugged somewhat smugly. The brown haired diva went a bright shade of pink which reached her ears before she replied.
"How could you say those things here of all places?" she spluttered, embarrassment and annoyance showing in her voice, "My child's inside!" she hissed with a tone of malice in her voice.
Apparently that didn't throw the over-confident Quinn off as she responded quickly. "Aah, Rachel Jnr. Hudson I hear. I have to admit, I know you were and probably still are terribly conceited, but even I didn't think you'd name your baby girl after yourself. Goldie or Star maybe, something along those lines anyway."
"Shows how much you don't know me."
"I've got a kid inside too."
"Beth Fabray, bastard child of you and Noah Puckerman. Stolen from my Mom."
"You never call her mum," Quinn stated sceptically raising an eyebrow.
"Shows how much you haven't been around lately," the brunette responded coldly.
"Rach, you know how it's been."
"No Quinn, I don't know 'how it's been' as you haven't responded to my calls for years!" she spat.
"Years, really?"
"Yes years, hard and long years where you've left me alone and crying because you promised you'd come back to me."
"I didn't want to be your bit on the side anymore."
"Oh please, you were a prozzi for six years and from what I've heard you're back out on the streets! You're a dirty whore, Quinn who would do anything for sex."
"That's rich, coming from you."
"What are you talking about?" Rachel was appalled that this slag was comparing them to each other.
"You cheated on Finn with me, for six years."
"So? You've cheated on every person you've ever been with!"
"Not you," the blonde murmured softly, her cheeks burning.
"We were in high school Quinn; get over it already because I know I have."
With that Rachel stormed off in search of her daughter and after a few minutes of sorting herself out, the blonde quickly followed.
I yelled again, "Rachel no, not when you've been drinking!"
"Please, just come here," the girl straddled me when I made no indication of moving. She leaned her head in towards mine again, her breath warm on my face.
Suddenly she was gone. There was shouting and yelling and a lot of the party goers decided to retreat to safer confines as Rachel's mom exploded at her daughter whilst I looked on in sadness.
"How dare you? Drinking, sex and now, now this! That is enough now young lady; I am telling you that this mischief stops right now! Your father might put up with it but I won't, not any longer. I will not have my daughter parading around pretending to be some lesbian whore! You are not one of them and if I get any say you never will be. You are one of us, normal and faithful and good. The kind of person who goes to consult her Rabbi when she makes mistakes and that is where we are going at nine am sharp tomorrow morning, hangover or not!" then she dragged a confused, tired and upset Rachel away. I half-waved a goodbye but she didn't see. I sighed and sank down into the plush red sofa, closing my eyes and running through the night in my head. It had been so terrible. I vaguely became aware of someone sitting next to me; I sighed and opened one eye. It was mommy.
"That's what drink does to you honey," she stated, showing no emotion neither in her words nor in her face. Immediately I knew something was wrong.
"Mom?"
"Mmm yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just thinking about you darling."
"I guess I am just that amazing."
"Who do you fancy? I mean, I had my first crush at your age, have you had one yet?"
"Kind of."
"What's his name?"
"I-I can't tell you," my voice faltered. She said he, she expected it. How can I disappoint my mom like that?
"Oh no, it's not your dad is it? We can get help for that, therapy, counselling and allsorts," I watched as her eyes were round and serious as she said this, but her mouth twitched at the corners, giving it away.
I smiled through my fresh and salty tears, "Mommy, you know I can tell you anything?"
"Oh god, it's not me is it?" she feigned horror and shock as I giggled uncontrollably.
"You should be on stage mommy."
"I was," she mused. I frowned but let it go as she looked like she'd said something she shouldn't have.
"It's Rachel, mom."
She froze; this wasn't a good sign, "Your friend Rachel?"
I chewed my lip nervously before nodding my head firmly in confirmation.
"Rachel Jnr. Hudson?"
"Yeah..." I became confused, why was she repeatedly asking which Rachel? I only knew one. Well two, including her mom.
She gave me a strange look before speaking again. "You are never to speak to that girl again do you hear me?" my mommy sounded so cold, so harsh, so stern. For the first time in my life I was afraid of her. Afraid to disobey her.
"Yes mommy," I said in a small voice.
"Good, now let's go," she pulled me along by the wrist as I rolled my eyes. Great. Another one of her 'moods'. Usually she got them for a week or so after returning from a visit to New York. All she did was lay in bed with videos of all her old glee performances. This really wasn't turning out to be my week at all.
I sighed as mum's shiny black Audi flew through the boring city of Lima, brick house after brick house speeding past my window. I was on my way back to dad's house, the purple hold all full of my stuff: clothes, makeup etc. was on the fresh smelling leather beside me, providing a most suitable arm rest for my unnecessarily lazy arms. Mum was still in a mood, the whole trip had been silent so far apart from the low growl of the engine. The car shuddered to a halt and I realised we had arrived. I opened the immaculately cleaned door and dragged out my bag; mum was standing behind me and helped me carry it to the front porch, both of us grunting from the weight of it. Before us stood a quaint little cottage, a white picket fence surrounding the front yard which was filled with pale pink gardenias. An outdoor swinging couch stood on the far right side by the bay window; its spring yellow cushions making it stand out from the sea of pink flowers. Twigs and branches had climbed their way up and round the bench, twisting and turning a, covering the wooden beams it hung from. I was distracted from my observations by mum clearing her throat.
"Beth?" she asked my name almost as a whisper but it had a stern edge to it.
"Yes mom?" I asked innocently, batting my eyelids and staring adoringly into her eyes. She was a sucker for this.
"Your dad knows about the shenanigans that went on at that party and to put it lightly, he's not best pleased," she obviously wasn't deterred by my cuteness.
"What about Santana?"
"She's not either, actually she seems more #!*% than your dad."
"Auntie San wouldn't hurt a fly, she's lovely!" I exclaimed laughing on the inside at how mom thought Santi would ever be annoyed, she's not that kind of person.
Mom laughed out loud at this and looked at me incredulously, "Believe me, she has done before and she probably will again." She shook her long blonde locks before rapping sharply on the door three times and clasped my hand in her own, silently wishing me luck. The door creaked open, slowly revealing my shaggy but stern looking dad. He looked furious, glaring first at me then at mom.
"Beth, upstairs."
I scurried up the slippery wooden stairs as fast as my stubby little legs would take me, passing Santana on the stairs who shot me an extremely #!*% glare which I returned before speedily fleeing to my room so she wouldn't get the chance to tell me off.
Quinn stood at the door, Sam staring at her in disgust.
"How could you do this? Letting her go to a party with alcohol, and boys!"
"Actually-"
"I know, I heard. She has a fetish for girls too. I wonder where she gets that from?" he asked sarcastically, Quinn grinned, "How is this amusing?" Sam exploded.
"So you're saying you don't have a fetish for girls then?"
"That's not what I meant Fabray and you know it. God Quinn, why do you have to be so immature? You have responsibilities towards your child as a parent for goodness sake; at least do right by her!"
"And I fulfil those responsibilities, thank you very much," the blonde stated, she wasn't going to let him talk down to her.
"Excuse me?" Santana butted in after trying to pound Beth's door in for a good few minutes, "Fulfil those responsibilities? You let her go to a party with alcohol on the premises and just stood there and say it's okay to just sit there making out with all her female friends!"
Quinn just raised her eyebrow, "Hypocrite."
"What did you just call me?" S's eyes were bulging out of their sockets.
"A hypocrite. Don't think that everyone apart from your husband doesn't know about yours and Brit's on and off relationship. I know, remember? We made out the day after graduation," she smirked after seeing Sam's fury from the corner of her eye, "Oh wait, he doesn't know does he? Because you never told him. You never told anyone."
"S, say it's not true," he pleaded to his wife who couldn't even look him in the eye. Quinn felt kind of bad but the Latina had it coming to her, she should have told the truth and then maybe she and Brittany would have worked out a long time ago.
"I'd better get going," Quinn murmured but she hadn't stepped a foot off the porch before she felt the other girls claws dragging down her arms, her legs kicking the bottom of her back momentarily flooring her. The blonde rose, livid with pure fury and swung Santana around by her hair, catching her ankle with her own, causing the Latina to fall face first on the floor, blood gushing in torrents from her nose which was now bent into a peculiar shape. Sam just stood watching, completely dumfounded but retreated inside to let the girls get on with it when his wife bit Quinn, apparently like they had done before. Why hadn't he told her? If she preferred the company of females then why did she marry him? He choked on a growing lump in his throat as he realised that she had never loved him, it had always been Brittany. Whenever they would sit and just chat, somehow the dancing blonde would come up but previously he'd thought nothing of it as the girls were joined at the hip in school. But no, she'd been lying. Everything they had was a lie. He smashed a lamp Brittany had given his wife before collapsing in a heap of tears on the floor.
Outside, the girls were still at it. Quinn was sporting a fresh black eye with a cut down her stomach whilst the Latina had a smushed up nose and a bloody gash on her face.
"You don't deserve Beth! She belongs with us!" screamed Santana.
"Oh really, so she deserves to be in a family where everything is based on a lie?"
"At least she has her dad here!"
The blonde snorted, "Her real dad's in Texas, or had you forgotten? Sam's not her real dad, never has and never will!"
"And whose fault is that?"
"If you remember correctly, you owe me Lopez. I gave you rights to my baby girl!"
"Yeah, after you left her stranded here whilst you plodded off to New York after Rachel freaking Berry!"
"Santana!" the blonde cried, the Latina smirked on having found a touchy subject which only patronized Quinn further, "You will never be her mum Santana, you can never be anyone's mum. Just remember that." She turned on her heel and retreated to her car leaving the other girl to collapse in tears on the driveway with not even the energy to throw a rock at the blonde's car.
The man was crying in the kitchen, the woman outside and from the upstairs window a lone figure could be seen, wailing and rocking with distress because the world she had been living in wasn't real. There was no truth and everything had been lies. She had no one anymore. No one.