Rachel always rides shotgun in Quinn's car.
Even though they're not friends.
Even though Rachel's dating Finn and Finn almost always rides with Kurt in Kurt's monster SUV.
Even though Rachel has such a bad sense of direction she still gets lost on the way from her locker to the auditorium sometimes, and they've been in high school for three years already.
It's just, whenever everyone has to go anywhere together, Rachel goes in Quinn's car. And she rides in the front seat.
No one remembers how it first happened-Santana especially doesn't remember why the hell she has to ride bitch while Manhands gets to sit in the front-but that's how it is, and no one questions it.
Sometimes Finn goes with Puck in Puck's ancient, creaky, gonna-break-down-any-minute truck, and clearly Rachel's never going to get into that fire-trap. Maybe that's how it started? But Rachel's never ridden with Mike in his nice, normal, safe Volvo station wagon, or with Artie in his van and Artie is by far the most careful driver in all of Ohio. She's never gone with Brittany in her adorable yellow Mini even though everyone agrees she'd fit perfectly in the backseat. She's ridden in Kurt's car plenty of times on double-dates with Finn, Kurt, and Kurt's boyfriend du jour, just not when New Directions has go somewhere together. Not when Quinn is driving.
Sometimes Finn rides in Quinn's car, too, and it's always awkward, not least because Finn has to cram his huge long legs into the backseat, and even when Rachel pulls her seat forward as far as it'll go it's still a tight fit for him. But no one ever suggests that Finn ride in the front where there's more room, because that would mean that Rachel would have to sit in the back seat, and that just doesn't happen. Not in Quinn's car.
They don't talk to each other in the car, either: whoever is in the back-and Quinn's car is always full, even fuller than Kurt's, because Quinn is Quinn, and she always has been, even when she was pregnant-talks to Quinn nonstop and Rachel usually joins in, but it's not like Rachel and Quinn are talking to each other. Sometimes, they even kind of ignore each other and just talk to the people in the backseat. Not in an weird way, but they're not friends.
Rachel's in charge of the radio. To be fair, that usually means Rachel takes command of all the iPods in the car and picks music seemingly at random but by the end it's always turned into the perfect high school soundtrack, tailored to whatever's going on in their lives right then. Rachel always asks Quinn's permission first, even though Quinn has never complained. Quinn might have even offered Rachel control, the very first time, but now no one remembers.
Quinn usually asks Rachel for directions, and when Rachel gives them she listens and nods and instead of a left at Richmond like Rachel says to, sending them clear to the other side of town and also to the wrong side of the highway, she takes a right on Main and a few shortcuts that lead directly to where they're going. Rachel must notice that Quinn never listens to her directions, that Quinn always already knows how to get there, but she never says anything. And when Quinn asks again the next time, as if she genuinely needs the information, Rachel gives suggestions like she's not going to get them lost. Sometimes, though, Quinn takes Rachel's suggestions and they do get lost. Not lost, Rachel says, on an adventure, and I've never been to this part of town before, have you? But nobody complains about Rachel's directions when she's in Quinn's car, and nobody contradicts her, either. Not much, anyway. In any case, Quinn always gets them to where they're headed eventually, no matter where Rachel's sent them this time, and besides, getting lost in Quinn's car is pretty much the most fun you can have on a weekday afternoon in Lima that doesn't involve Puck or alcohol. Or both.
Sometimes, on the way, Rachel will need to stop somewhere to run an errand, to pick up snacks or dry cleaning. Often, she needs sheet music. Quinn will unerringly take them to the closest supermarket, or the best music store, or the place that Rachel gets her skirts cleaned, and then Quinn waits in the car while Rachel runs in to do whatever she needs to do. Rachel doesn't mind if people stay in the car or go with her-Santana and Brittany always stay, Tina and Mike always go with Rachel-but Quinn sits patiently until Rachel is finished, and then they head off to wherever it is they're supposed to be going.
And when they meet up with everyone else and pile out of the car smiling and dragging along Rachel's library books and newly released Cast Recordings, no one says anything, even if Quinn's car is late, again.
Rachel never asks to go with Quinn. She never has, and she probably never will. It's just, by now, everyone knows: Rachel is going in Quinn's car. Of course she is.
Quinn's never said anything about it, either, positively or negatively. Not that anyone can remember. It's not like she's ever said, "You're coming with me, Stubbles," and glared everyone into submission. But Rachel always goes with her anyway.
Which is good, because it's the only thing Quinn has of Rachel right now, and she's not giving it up.