She leaves Lima with a long goodbye from Finn, apparently breaking up in the beginning of the summer hadn't been long enough for him to heal so that he could say his goodbye without hedging at an ultimatum that she won't choose. She leaves Lima with a shiny gold car, packed to the brim with everything she needs, and her fathers. She's ready to take on NYADA, to take on New York. Everything in her life, every moment, every song, every tortured high school experience had built up to this and there is nothing, and no one that will hold her back.
Her fathers chatter endlessly in the car, and she can't help but bounce around excitedly in the passenger seat. "Say goodbye to McKinley, Rach" Hiram says from the backseat, surrounded by boxes of Rachel's things.
Her eyes dart to the school, and surprisingly, is hit with a wave of sadness. The one thing that had made high school even slightly memorable was glee club and now, most of them were going their separate ways. Mercedes to Texas, Sam to South Carolina, Finn in Lima, Puck hit the road, Santana and Brittany to Los Angeles (practically the other side of the world), Mike joining them, and just like that, their glee club had dissipated, leaving only promises to skype and call whenever they could. She figures it won't be often. But wait, there was Quinn. Quinn Fabray, the bane of her existence for the first two years of high school, is the only one she's going to be relatively close to. It might not be as bad as it sounds, she muses, as they hit the outskirts of Lima. Might being the operative word, of course.
Quinn texts her a week into school. Her phone lights up in the middle of her History of Theatre I class and she quickly stifles the ringtone before offering a sheepish smile to the girl next to her.
Hey Rachel Berry, what's it like in New York City?
She giggles and shakes her head at the musical reference before tapping out a reply.
How witty of you, Quinn ;). New York is perfect, of course. I don't think 160 characters is enough to thoroughly explain, but you get the gist. How's New Haven?
She finds herself in one of those silly huge smiles when Quinn texts back in less than a minute.
A month later, they've not only graduated past phone calls, but have moved on to Skyping one another and of course, a Words with Friends battle that has Rachel grasping for words, and Quinn smirking at the state she's reduced Rachel to.
QI is not a word! You are ridiculous!
It's in the dictionary :p
I'll accept it the day you use it in a conversation with me.
I can hear you stamping your foot all the way in Connecticut.
You're hilarious.
Yep, coming out after years of repressed humor. Skype? :)
Give me a sec!1! :D
Rachel turns on her bedazzled laptop, while 82.4 miles away, Quinn's waiting for the green check mark; once these video chats started, she's become extremely appreciative of her always absent roommate.
Her skype starts ringing and she hits video call quickly, smiling as Rachel's face appears on her screen. "Hey Quinn!"
"Hey Rachel Berry, what's it like in New York City?" Quinn murmurs, like she always does, and it's worth repeating that cheesy line every time because Rachel blushes, biting her lip and lowering her eyes slightly until she can manage a reply.
"Getting cold," she says animatedly, "They say you never forget the first fall on the East Coast, and Quinn, they're absolutely right. Lima is nothing, absolutelynothing compared to New York. You have to come visit!"
"Okay," Quinn laughs, "I'll come visit you if you come back from Lima early during winter break."
"You're not going back to Lima for break?"
Quinn's smile lessens in brightness and she shrugs, purposely looking away from the computer. "Santana and Britt are staying in LA, and I mean, my mom, I don't-" She breaks off, sighing heavily as she faces the screen again. "I don't know."
"Well, you know," Rachel starts, suddenly extremely busy with her hands. "you could always stay with my fathers and I if you don't prefer going back to your mother's. And maybe with you there as a lookout, Finn will back off and I won't be swindled into a long distance relationship."
"Swindled, eh?" Quinn chuckles, hoping that Rachel takes note of her deflection and drop the subject. "I don't think Finn's nearly that clever."
"Seems like you're the clever one these days." Rachel teases, eyes skimming over a text from her fathers. "I do have to say though, despite being overplayed when it came out, 'Hey There Delilah' isn't that bad of a song."
"I'm surprised Finn didn't butcher it during the last week of school."
"Ugh," Rachel groans, cringing at the mental image. "I'm so glad he didn't think of it. It'd forever ruin the song for me and then I would've taken your initial text message as a form of mockery."
"Rach," Quinn murmurs, drawing her attention back to the screen. "I'm sorry. For all that. And you know that I won't ever pull anything like what I did in high school again, right?"
"I know, Quinn."
"And all those stupid nicknames I came up with, they were never true. It was stupid and horribleof me and God, I'm so sorry, Rachel."
"Hey, it's okay, Quinn. I've long accepted your apology and we're friends now." Rachel smiles reassuringly at a now frantic Quinn.
"You're the prettiest girl I know, Rachel." Quinn blurts out, cheeks flushed red.
"Really?"
"Yeah, and-" A beeping cuts her off and she swears under her breath. "I'm sorry, Rach, I have a job interview and I'm going to be late if-"
"Oh, that's okay, my fathers are demanding to see me so," she pauses, watching Quinn's lips curve into a small smile. "we'll pick up another time?"
"Another time," Quinn echoes. "Yeah. Of course. Okay, um, I'll text you later. Bye Rach."
"Bye Quinn."
Skype tonight? :)
Can't! :/ I'm sorry, Jill's dragging me out to this party that the director of an off- off Les Mis is going to be at and something could happen!
It's all good :) Is it a dress up party or a college party? ;)
Definitely a dress up party ;). Hold on, let me send you a picture.
"Hey Q," her roommate Amy calls, slamming the door behind her as she walks into their double. "You know how you always play your guitar and sing depressing as fuck songs about that girl in New York?"
"Do you have a point?" Quinn glares.
"The cafe down on Chapel is having this open mic night and I totally signed you up!" Amy grabs her laptop from her bed before bouncing out the door. "And yes, you have to go, otherwise you'll forever be that girl who signed up and didn't show up. Oops! Late for my study group, catch ya later!"
She groans and throws a shoe at the girl, missing and hitting the door instead. Her phone buzzes and her eyes dart to Rachel's text. Her jaw drops as she takes in Rachel's myspace-esque picture of herself in the mirror. She saves the picture before replying with the first thing that pops up in her head.
Wow, you look so pretty tonight.
The Plain White T's should be honored at your frequent use of their words ;) Thank you Quinn :D
Quinn sighed, tempted to face-palm herself(something Mike had taught her). Of course Rachel would take any attempts of flirting as quoting the damn song.
Times Square can't shine as bright as you, you're the brightest star I know. Have fun tonight, don't do anything I wouldn't! ;)
Quinn's putting the finishing touches on 'Hey Rachel Berry' when Rachel calls.
"How's my favorite New Haven girl?"
She rolls her eyes and plucks a string, making sure that it's tuned right. "I'm the only New Haven girl you know, silly."
"No 'Hey there Delilah' reference? I'm disappointed." Rachel giggles, ears perking at the sound of the guitar. "Is that a guitar?"
"Yeah, Sam taught me while we were dating and I kind of like it." Quinn admits, setting her guitar down and cradling the phone on her shoulder as she searches for the notebook of songs she wants to play tonight. "I'm actually, um, doing this open mic at a cafe tonight."
"Really? That's amazing, Quinn! I wished you'd told me earlier, I would've taken the train to come see you!"
"It's just an open mic, Rach, nothing like our glee club shows." She flicks through a page of City and Colour, wrinkling her nose. "You sound like you're on a train though."
"Subway, Quinn! God, I really need to get you to New York."
"Two weeks till Thanksgiving!" Amy bursts in, throwing her bag down and plopping onto her bed with a sigh. "Crap, looks like I have to go before I'm yelled at by the roommate."
"Break a leg tonight, Quinn! And call me after, I want to know how it goes!"
"Thanks, talk to you later!
"Bye!"
"Was that the New York girl?" Amy says, her voice muffled by the bed.
"Yep."
"You should tell her my name. I don't want to just be 'the roommate'."
"Maybe."
"It wouldn't kill you to be happier."
"I'd be happier if I didn't have to sing tonight, but hey, who's fault is that?"
Rachel glances up at the sign to make sure she's at the right coffee shop. She knows its a stretch, trusting some random girl named Amy, but she fit Quinn's description of her roommate and she didwant to see Quinn, so here she was. Outside of a coffee shop, 82.4 miles away from her dorms, all to surprise Quinn. She walks in just as Quinn steps onstage with her guitar.
Quinn slides onto the stool, adjusting the microphone to her height before picking up her guitar. "Hi everyone, I'm Quinn Fabray and this is my version of a song you've probably heard way too much." She plays the opening chords of 'Hey there Delilah' and waits for the chuckles to subside before she starts singing.
Hey Rachel Berry, what's it like in New York City?
I'm a hundred miles away
But girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do.
Times Square can't shine as bright as you, I swear it's true.
Rachel's eyes are wide with amazement as she watches Quinn perform. It's been too long since she's heard the girl sing, but the song she's singing... there was no way Quinn had meant whatever lyric she was always quoting. That would have to mean that Quinn was in love with-
Hey Rachel Berry,
you be good, and don't you miss me
Two more weeks and I'll be done with school
and I'll be on the way to New York
And all because of you
We can do whatever we want to
Hey Rachel Berry, here from Yale,
This one's for you.
The song fades and Quinn's low crooning slows to a stop, only to be met with a loud round of applause. She grins, and slides off the stool, readjusting the microphone. "Thank you guys."
She heads offstage and towards the counter where Amy is leaning, a smirk on her face. "Not bad, Fabray. Who knew you could sing?" She hands Quinn a bottle of water that's immediately chugged until only half remains. "I actually have a surprise for you, Q. And she's right over there."
Her gaze follows Amy's finger until she sees her. Her heart stops because Rachel Berry is across the damn coffee shop and probably just heard her sing a love song rewritten and dedicated to her. "Amy. What the fuck did you do?"
"Thank me later, Quinn!" Amy bounces away towards Rachel, pointing at Quinn. Rachel starts making her way over and Quinn's heart is beating so fucking fast that she swears she's having a heart attack.
"I thought I was the only New Haven girl you knew," Quinn tries, cracking a smile.
"Quinn," Rachel says, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "That song you just sang...was that.."
"For you?" She straps her guitar into her case, figuring that she goes big or goes home. "Yes, Rachel, that song was for you."
"That's a love song."
"That it was."
"I don't think I understand," Rachel says, struggling for appropriate words. "Unless you're in love with me."
"A little bit," Quinn hedges, cheeks turning pink as she sets the case down, her hands finally free. "A lot."
"Oh. Quinn, you and I, we aren't really, we're not a cheesy love song."
"I know our relationship is complicated and that I was such a bitch during high school and-"
"But we could be, if you insist on dedicating and rewriting them for me," Rachel smiles, sidling closer to Quinn. "What I just saw was so sweet, Quinn. No one's ever done anything like that for me. And if you hadn't figured it out already, I've been a little in love with you since sophomore year."
Quinn's hands settle on Rachel's hips, tugging her closer as arms circle her neck. "That's good to know."
"Just good?"
"Fantastic. Brilliant. Amazing. Wonder-"
She's cut off as Rachel kisses her for the first time, her fingers trailing down Quinn's neck slowly. She shivers from the contact, and Rachel draws back slowly. "Is that...okay?"
Quinn nods slowly, nose rubbing against Rachel's. "You do so much to me, Rachel."
"Isn't that a lyric?"
Quinn chuckles before kissing Rachel again, in the shadows of that blessed coffee shop.