"Quinn Fabray!" A short blond freshman with big, bright eyes ran towards me. "I can't believe you're graduating already! This school won't be as cool without you!" She reached forward to hug me.
Her friendliness caught me by surprise but I laughed and hugged back. "Thanks," I said politely.
She pulled a book out of her bag and handed it to me. "Will you please sign this? It would mean the world to me!"
"Of course!" I took the pen out of her hand and signed my name, finishing it off with a graceful flick of my wrist.
"Thank you so much!" She hugged me again. "Never change, Quinn Fabray!" she called out as she ran through the hallway.
I shook my head. The poor girl had no idea how important change was to me. If I hadn't changed, I would still be the bitch from the Cheerios. But now I was so much more than just a pretty face. I was a woman, a fighter, and a compassionate person. The words echoed in my head again. "Never change, Quinn Fabray!" One day she would learn.
Rachel was standing by the sink when I walked in. My heart began to beat a little faster. When I first met Rachel, I tortured her relentlessly. Now, I didn't even know why I had done that to her. Maybe I was jealous of her talent, or maybe I just got so flustered around her that I didn't think. Even after I was kicked off the Cheerios, I would still roll my eyes at her and mess with her love life. It wasn't until our senior year that we finally became good friends. To be honest, being Rachel's friend meant way more to me than being popular.
She turned around when she heard me coming in and smiled. That damn smile that drove me crazy inside. The way her cheeks turned pink and the way her eyelashes fluttered. I lightly leaned against the sink to keep myself from stumbling. "A freshman just hugged me and told me to never change," I chuckled nervously. "The poor girl doesn't know how good change can be." Rachel nodded. "If we hadn't changed, we would have never been friends." I looked straight into her eyes this time.
Rachel finally spoke. "It still feels weird having you call me your friend." My heart ached as she said this. Neither of us would ever forget all of the terrible things I had done to her in our earlier years. Rachel would never be completely comfortable around me. I wished it hadn't taken so long for us to become friends.
I moved my hands out from behind my back and gave her the envelope I had been hiding. It had a ticket for her to come visit me at Yale. She broke out into a huge grin and her eyes began to water. I pulled her into me before either of us had the chance to start crying. I loved the feeling of her chin resting on my shoulder and the warmth of her arms tucked under my shoulders.
I had to remind myself to savor the hug while it lasted. This was as intimate as we'd ever be able to get. In a few days, she would be marrying Finn. I wasn't a huge fan of teenage weddings, but I knew it was what she wanted. Finn made her happy, and they belonged together. If I really loved Rachel, I had to let her be happy whether it was with me or someone else. I cared about her so much, but I knew I had to let her be happy with Finn.
The words of the freshman still haunted me at night. "Never change, Quinn Fabray!" Those words terrified me. If I had never changed, those three years of important lessons would mean nothing. I would probably still be a cheater. I would still be feuding with Santana all the time. I'd still be gay bashing Kurt. I probably wouldn't be going to Yale either. Never change, Quinn Fabray. Never change, Quinn Fabray. Never change, Quinn Fabray. The freshman's voice throbbed in my head as I tossed and turned all night. Never change, Quinn Fabray.
