Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop- Landon Pigg
"I think that possibly maybe I'm falling for you. Yes there's chance that I've fallen quite hard over you. I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down, I wanna come too. I think that possibly maybe I'm falling for you."
Friday, May 6, 2016
Quinn sat at the same table in the same coffee shop at the same time every Friday. She had been doing this since the start of her college life 4 years ago. It seemed as though it was yesterday that she had stumbled into this coffee shop as a nervous college freshman looking for a warm place to study. She was after all a creature of habit. She disliked change and chaos. It took her years to get to where she was in her life, mentally, physically, and emotionally. She had experienced a rather tumultuous adolescence. In high school she thought she had her entire life figured out, become a cheerleader, eventually head cheerleader, date the quarterback, go to prom with the quarterback, win prom queen, while maintaining an exemplary grade point average, graduate as valedictorian, get engaged to the quarterback, go to an ivy league college, graduate with honors, get married to the quarterback, pursue a short but fulfilling career in whatever she ended up choosing, and then settling down to become a happy doting stay at home wife. That's what she had planned anyway.
Things started out according to plan, she tried out for her high school's cheer squad and got a spot on the team, there was no doubt in her mind that she would get that spot on the team, she was after all gorgeous, blond hair, hazel eyes, perfect facial structure, and at 14 she was physically fit and totally stunning. Her freshmen year went off without a hitch, 4.0 GPA, being noticed by the coach on her cheer squad and being moved from the freshmen squad to the junior/senior squad because she was so talented, becoming friends with the popular crowd, and mildly flirting with the freshmen varsity quarterback (she was only 14 after all her parents did not find it acceptable for her to date so young, as a model daughter and Christian she was only allowed to show interest and not act on her interest). Freshmen year came and went perfectly.
The following year she was made the youngest captain ever of the cheer squad. Everyone envied her, they all wanted to be around her all of the time. She flourished in the attention. She maintained her 4.0 GPA, she started "going steady" with the quarterback (her parents okayed this only after meeting the young man numerous times and making it very clear to both teenagers that there would be no engaging of sexual intercourse), and she was crowned queen of her Sophomore winter dance. Yes, things were definitely progressing exactly how she envisioned it. The summer of Sophomore year was where things began to derail.
Her parents enrolled her into a summer camp program where she would be a counselor to children ages 8-10. They said it was good to give back to the community and that she was a fine example of what these children should strive to become when they were of age. She had put up a fight at first, preferring instead to spend time with her boyfriend all summer long. Her parents would hear nothing of it, they said time apart would only serve to make his heart grow fonder. Her boyfriend as it was wouldn't even be around for most of the summer, his parents were taking him on vacation out of state to visit his grandparents. Upon learning of his plan Quinn had accepted her own fate as role model to the pre adolescents. The first day of camp is where the beginning of Quinn's real story starts.
Friday, June 25, 2010.
Quinn and the other counselors were scheduled to meet one day before the children would show up. Something about orientation for the counselors so that the adults chaperoning could go over rules and what not for the counselors, it was also meant to be a mixer so that all the counselors could get to know one another. Quinn as usual, was early, she believed on being prompt, and if time permitted, being early. She saw a group of adults and immediately made her way over to them after ensuring her car was locked. The adults immediately turned their attention to her, she had that affect on people, young and old alike. The way she carried herself commanded respect and admiration from everyone she came into contact with, adults loved her, they loved her manners and demure way. She smiled at the group of adults charmingly,
"Hi, I'm Quinn Fabray, I know I'm a bit early, but I really was excited about being here, is there anything you all need help with?" she was answered by who she assumed was the head chaperone. He was a large imposing man, now her father was an imposing man she thought, but this man was a behemoth, he was tall and sturdily built, his hands looked like they could grip the entirety of her head with ease, he was of African American descent, around 6'4" she guessed, and had the kindest face she'd ever seen. His kind eyes were big and brown, he had a broad smile, and a deep baritone voice,
"Hello Quinn Fabray, I'm Leroy Berry, a pleasure to meet you. I'm impressed with your initiative and can tell that you are going to be an asset to the camp this year. As of right now we're just catching up on each others' lives and goofing off, had we known there would be such a responsible young adult amongst our midst we'd have prepared something for you! The other counselors are not due to arrive for another 2 hours, but lucky for you there is someone else here your age that you could take a tour with. She's one of our returning counselors, she actually used to attend this camp as a youngster and knows all the ins and outs of this place she went to set herself up in the female counselor cabin and should be back shortly. Feel free to wait here with us there are donuts and refreshments over on that table there." Leroy pointed his beefy finger towards the refreshment table. Quinn smiled politely in thanks. She then took the time to look at the 5 other adults standing with Leroy.
"Oh! Where are my manners? I'm sorry Quinn let me introduce you to the other adult chaperones that will be overseeing the camp this year," he started to his immediate right, putting his arm around a shorter, and judging by the yarmulke on top of his head, Jewish, man with bald head, big brown eyes, a neatly trimmed goatee, and an equally kind face. "This, is my husband Hiram Berry." Hiram smiled at Quinn and stuck out his hand to shake hers. To Quinn's credit she showed no other emotion other than polite interest on the outside, on the inside she was flabbergasted, not because they were a homosexual couple, no Quinn was quite progressive for a young lady raised in an incredibly religious home. She could not however take all the credit for her open-mindedness, that credit went to her father and mother. Yes they were religious, but they were not zealots, they believed the teachings of the bible were guidelines, meant to teach but that these guidelines were subject to interpretation. They had no ill feelings for homosexuals, and believed people should be able to love whom they choose as long as their love was pure. Her home was a strict home, but an open and caring home nonetheless. So no, Quinn was not shocked that Leroy and Hiram were married, Quinn was shocked that somebody that looked like Leroy could be gay! (Yes, judging a book by it's cover is ill advised, but Quinn was after all, only 16) The only gay man she had ever met could really only be classified as a boy, his name was Kurt Hummel, he was her age and had not completely grown into his own body yet, he was tall and lanky, slightly effeminate, and incredibly fashionable. Kurt was the first homosexual individual she had ever met, he took to her immediately and she to him. He was sweet over all but could be completely snarky if the situation arose. The first time she had brought him home to have dinner with her parents he had thrown himself into the kitchen with her mother, Judy. Kurt was all hands on, helping her mother with dinner preparations and giving her a few tips to boot. Her mother was enamored immediately, though Quinn's father showed no outward signs (she learned how to mask her feelings from her father) Quinn could tell he liked Kurt as well, he had become a stable fixture in the Fabray household after that. So you see, Quinn had no frame of reference but Kurt for what a gay man would look like, so seeing big burly Leroy as gay caught her off guard.
The next person she was introduced to had short incredibly curly hair, a very defined "butt chin" and an open friendly smile. "Next to Hiram, is Will Schuester, he's actually a teacher at the high school you attend." Quinn scrunched her brow trying to recall if she had ever seen Will on the school grounds. Will offered her another smile before speaking, "You may have not seen me before Quinn, I coach the Glee club which holds it's meetings after school, and I teach Spanish, I don't believe you are required to take a foreign language until the start of your Junior year." She smiled at his explanation and nodded her understanding. Leroy continued with his introductions, next was a large sturdy looking woman with bright blue eyes and short brown hair,
"This is Shannon Bieste, everyone calls her Coach Bieste, she coaches foot ball at your high school." Now Coach Bieste was someone she recognized, being a cheerleader meant that she interacted plenty with everyone that had an involvement with football. She smiled at Coach Bieste in recognition and received one in return. "Next to Coach Bieste is Emma Pillsbury. Emma is a guidance counselor at your school." Quinn did not recognize Emma, she chalked that up to the fact that she had no need for a guidance counselor since she knew exactly where she was going and what she needed to do to get there.
"And last but not least is Holly Holiday. Miss Holiday is an occasional substitute teacher at your school." Holly smiled winningly at Quinn and pulled her into an easy hug. Quinn was startled at first but quickly relaxed into the hug. She was after all very used to being hugged spontaneously, one of her best friends, Brittany, was extremely affectionate, and often times Quinn found herself embraced into a hug at the most random of times. "Now that all the introductions are out of the way, all that's left to do is to wait for that other counselor to get here so she can show you around!"
Author's Note: Ok, so I KNOW I should be working on Imagine Mai Hime and You but this got stuck in my head at 3:00am this morning and wouldn't leave so I had to post. I don't know how I feel about this story yet, I know know it had to get out or i'd have no sleep at all tonight. I promise i'm working on IMHaY I won't abandon it.