Timeline: This is canon through "On My Way" for the most part. I will include some things that are canon in the back 8 episodes. Quinn still went to Yale, Rachel went to NYADA. Kurt was important for my story so he also got into NYADA. Brittany and Santana are also involved because things are just more fun with them.
A/N: I tried to research things as decently as possible for writing this. Places mentioned by name are real as are most of their locations (except of course for NYADA which I have place in the East Village/Lower East Side area) . I have only been to NYC twice, but did my best in combining what I know with looking things up.
Her mom had dropped her off and after a cursory goodbye left Quinn alone. It was still very much a fractured relationship and the transfer to NYU had only widened the gap. She told her mom she wasn't happy at Yale. It was true in some form when she told her, even though she had loved most of her freshman year there. It didn't matter why Quinn was transferring, it was a gigantic disappointment to her mother. Fabray's didn't give up like that. If Quinn were to point out that clearly they did, I mean look at her parent's marriage for example, well let's just say that conversation wasn't even worth her time.
Quinn wasn't quitting, she was doing what she always did, what she needed to do…to survive. It was with that knowledge that she arrived at her dorm and felt the extreme disappointment at her entire situation. She was used to life not necessarily being fair to her. She had overcome the pregnancy, the break-ups, her parents, the car crash, everything. It seemed like she finally had her ticket to a better life with Yale. And now that was just another disappointment on her long list. Still, it was hard to act like she still didn't have a lot going for her, but that didn't make it easy.
She had the entire summer to get used to the feeling that she was now going to be a student at NYU. Sure, it wasn't Yale, but it wasn't exactly some dumpy school in Ohio and she should feel proud of that. She walked through the front doors of Brittany Hall and up to her third floor room, room #314 the future home of Quinn Fabray and Mallory Jacobs. It was livable, nice and quaint even, but it wasn't Yale.
Quinn had requested to be put in the first year dorm even though technically it was her sophomore year at college. She hoped that would make it easier to distance herself from people. It was something she had adopted later in high school, an attitude that did a much better job of pushing people away then attracting them. She felt she had shed that mentality going to Yale. She made friends and her life was finally what it was always supposed to be…until it wasn't.
It was time for a new approach. Clearly college wasn't the answer to all her problems, so she was going to tough out the next 4 years with a new vision. It was a certainty in her mind that everything would get better once school was over altogether. Then again, being a high school teacher meant school would never be over. It was a contradiction, it didn't make any sense, yet to Quinn, it made perfect sense. It was the type of thing that felt right…a feeling she wasn't sure she had had since putting on her first Cheerio's uniform freshman year.
Still, it was the contradiction that showed her she was still lost. Somehow she knew it was the right path, but she couldn't explain why for the life of her. Nor did she have any idea where it would get her.
She put her bags on the bed and began unpacking. Another college, another year, another chance. Nothing had felt quite so right and quite so wrong at the same time. So maybe that was a lie. Nothing would ever feel as wrong and right as giving up your baby girl. In seemed like in the scheme of things, this shouldn't be a big deal, but it was. Quinn Fabray hated feeling like she made wrong choices in life. The worst part was that it was a feeling she was starting to get used to.
She finished unpacking her things and decided it was time to see what this new world just might offer her.
####
Quinn decided to take a walk around outside her dorm. Okay, so maybe it shouldn't be a revelation, but it still seemed like one: this was certainly not Yale. This was a campus squeezed into a city if you could even call it a campus. New Haven took on the life of Yale, it was hard to even imagine New Haven without Yale. New York City, on the other hand, well people would hardly notice if you removed NYU from it's landscape.
Then again, when you are trying to put Yale behind you, maybe that is not such a bad thing. It was easy to separate those two experiences already and not getting confused would go a long way for Quinn. There was still something about it though that just didn't mesh with how Quinn viewed her college experience. She prayed that this wasn't another decision she would live to regret.
After a quick walk she decided it was time to return to her dorm room. She couldn't say she was exactly yearning to meet her roommate, as much as it was something she just wanted to get over with. Before freshman year, Quinn had talked with her roommate and gotten to know the girl. Yet, all that couldn't account for the fact that they quickly drifted apart at Yale. They had gotten along well enough, but that mostly involved staying out of each other's ways. It wasn't how she imagined her relationship with her college roommate. She had expected the fairytale as usual, and as always it didn't turn out that way. No BFFs, not even close friends, just another disappointment.
Quinn had originally viewed this as another opportunity for her dream roommate. She had e-mailed Mallory when they had been assigned to room together. She got one quick response, the girl seemed excited to meet Quinn, but was going to be traveling all summer and they would have to wait until school to really get to know each other. Quinn wasn't sure why it struck a nerve, but it just seemed to make her prepare for another let down.
Her roommate was busy unpacking when Quinn finally returned to her dorm room. It only took one look for Quinn to finally appreciate how Rachel had always felt at school. Mallory had to be close to 6 feet tall and made Quinn feel like a dwarf or midget or whatever other crude nicknames Santana had used. Still, despite her height, Quinn noticed that the girl was actually quite pretty. She had wavy brown hair and a slender figure with a face that was quite striking. It was kind of an ethereal beauty and with her height came a pair of legs that Quinn would kill for. She felt that it was quite unfair to be wearing shorts like that when meeting people for the first time.
Quinn knew she was pretty. Still, she couldn't help the feeling looking at her roommate that she was somehow insufficient.
The girl finally noticed Quinn awkwardly standing near the door and turned around.
"Oh!" the girl squeaked out in a timid voice "you must be my roommate. I'm Mallory."
They each reached out their hands for the cliched roommate handshake. "Quinn, it's nice to finally meet you." The girl seemed friendly enough. Her voice didn't carry any type of command or power that gave Quinn the impression of superiority.
"So Quinn, what's your story?" Mallory asked casually as she continued unpacking her boxes.
Quinn found the question mildly hilarious. Do you have a few hours might have been a slightly honest but inappropriate response. If there was one thing she wasn't ready to tell her new roommate it was anything resembling her real story.
"Um, well I'm from a small town in Ohio called Lima; it's not really near anything you'd have heard of, unless you're from Ohio too?" Quinn responded. That worked right? It was a surface level cover-up of everything that lay beneath. It was boring and routine, but it was the only part of her Quinn was willing to give to Mallory right now.
"No, not at all, I'm from the Chicago area."
"So are you as excited about college as I am?" Mallory added.
Quinn chuckled at the girls' withdrawn excitement; it was hard to tell if she actually meant it. She quickly realized Mallory had a way about her that reminded her of Brittany in some unexplainable fashion. Quinn figured people could easily mistake Mallory for withdrawn and aloof or maybe even dumb. Yet, the girl was attending NYU, so clearly there was more than meets the eye. It wasn't in the words the girl said, just the nature of the way she carried herself.
"This is actually my sophomore year, I was at Yale for my freshman year, but transferred here this year," Quinn said. Already Quinn felt like she was giving more than she wanted. This was a statement that opened questions, and they were one's Quinn wasn't prepared to answer.
"Ah, it must have been grueling there?"
"It was, but I loved that about it. Honestly….I couldn't afford the tuition anymore and NYU offered me a partial scholarship, so I moved down here." Quinn knew this was a question she would have to field, but it still made her ache a little. It was another lie, one that wouldn't work with her mother, but felt more prudent around friends. Saying she wasn't happy there would open up more questions, but money issues…that was self-explanatory.
"Bummer….well I guess Yale's loss is my gain. Anyway Quinn, I told a friend I would meet her in a few minutes so I have to get going. It was great meeting you though!"
"Alright, see you later Mallory." It was a first step, but Quinn felt like maybe this wasn't going to be so hard after all. It was still a long way from fairytale, but she could get on-board with being friends with Mallory.
####
The first couple weeks of classes were going well for Quinn. Honestly, while they weren't easy, this was almost a cake walk compared to Yale. She had too much free time. She thought about getting a job to pass the time. Even though money wasn't as much an issue anymore, it certainly couldn't hurt to make some.
Truthfully, she was beginning to enjoy herself at NYU. It still wasn't Yale, it would never be Yale, but she loved what she was studying and people had mostly kept to themselves. It was a sad turn of events that 'leaving Quinn Fabray alone' was towards the top of her list of admirable qualities in people.
It was a Saturday night and Mallory was getting ready to go out as her phone rang. Santana's name came up on the caller ID. It was nothing against Santana, but Quinn felt no desire to answer the phone. It was a simple process: Santana was calling her, it was Saturday night, they both now attended school in the same city. The conclusion was even simpler: Santana was calling to invite her out. It was something she had no desire to do. In fact it was something she had a strong desire not to do.
"Go for Q."
"Quinn, get your loser ass out of bed and come out with me tonight," Santana said.
"Stop assuming I'm always in bed Santana. I'm sorry, I can't make it. I have too much work to do." The lies were beginning to pile up, but Quinn explained it away as self-preservation.
"Well you're in bed every fucking time I call you Quinn. I swear, next week I am doing your homework for you so you can come out. Remember, I'm the only one at an Ivy now and I still find the time to enjoy myself."
Unfortunately Quinn knew Santana's threat was legitimate. She masked it behind her dry sarcasm, but the girl was a good friend who would literally go out of her way if it meant Quinn might have a good time. If only Santana realized that doing that would be the opposite of a good time.
"Sure Santana, no point in arguing with you." Honestly, was it ever worth arguing with Santana? You were just asking for a strong serving of denial or a plate full of insults.
"Damn right Blondie. Well have a good one and work ahead so you can actually do something next week."
"Pleasure talking to you too Satan…a."
Quinn snapped shut the phone and flicked it to the end of her bed. Yeah, so she was in her bed reading, and it might not have exactly been a class related book. Quinn glanced over to Mallory who was finishing up getting ready. When their eyes connected, Mallory's did a fantastic roll that reminded her of Santana.
"What?"
"C'mon Quinn, we both know you finished all your homework yesterday. College is supposed to be about having a good time and I honestly don't think you are enjoying yourself. So like, why don't you ever go out?"
"I go out," Quinn responded weakly. She knew she wasn't going to win this argument. But seriously, this girl knew her all of two weeks and was claiming she wasn't enjoying herself. It might have been mildly true, especially on the weekends, but was this really her place?
"Going to the library doesn't count. Seriously, what's the issue? I'm just curious; I'm not like trying to make fun of you," Mallory asked.
"Look Mallory, you're a fine roommate and all, but if I make up a lie to my best friend, what makes you think I'm going to tell you? So just go and enjoy yourself before I start hating myself more than I already do."
Mallory had that deer in headlights look that she did so well. Quinn knew she was being a bitch, but she didn't know what else to do…not about this. Mallory barely knew her, and she should forgive her for that. Nonetheless, you just didn't push Quinn Fabray to give answers.
It didn't take long for Mallory to make her way out of the dorm room. "Have fun with your homework," she added as she shut the door. And just like that a side helping of guilt was added to her plate.