A/N: Yes, I know it's another new story, when I have so many that aren't finished yet. I just tend to start a new fic when I have writer's block... sue me. I'd like to thank my boring intro to film class, without it I wouldn't have been bored enough to come up with this idea. And I'd like to thank Ms. Underwood for the use of the title! Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :)
Seventeen year old Quinn Fabray stared up at the brick house that she was going to be staying in until she turned eighteen in nine months. She didn't have any idea what laid behind that door, but what she did know was that she didn't have a gut wrenching feeling like she did the last house she stayed out. Shaking her head, she rid herself from the memories. She then felt a soft hand rest upon her shoulder, and gave her a reassuring squeeze. The woman gave her a gentle smile and walked up the rest of the pathway to the front door. Turning to the young teen, she said, "Don't worry kid, this house and family are different from the others. They'll treat you right, and I'm sure their little boy will absolutely love you."
Quinn gave her a nervous smile and the woman raised her fist and knocked on the wood. Footsteps echoed through the house as they approached the door and Quinn held her breath as the door opened and revealed a slightly older couple; a woman with brown hair and a man with salt and pepper in his chestnut hair. They held a sparkle in her eyes, a sparkle that she has never seen before. Smiles reached their eyes as they took the sight of her in; short blonde hair, with stunning hazel eyes that held specks of gold. They didn't notice the vertical scar on her lips and the scar beneath her left eye. Just the look of uncertainty in her eyes as she stared back at them.
Gripping her bags tighter, her knuckles going white, she didn't know what they were thinking, or why they weren't saying anything to her. She had the urge to bolt back to the car until the woman, who couldn't be more than forty, said in a kind and gentle voice, "You must be Quinn." The blonde nodded and the two adults stepped to the side and allowed the girl and the social worker into the home.
The house was spacious and staring in the foyer with the three adults made her shift foot from foot. The woman then introduced herself. "One thing we need to address right now, Quinn..." Quinn held her breath and looked up at her. "I don't want to hear any of this "Mr. and Mrs. Roberts" from you; call us Matt and Kate." Quinn released her breath and nodded with a small smile. Kate then continued, "There's also a little boy wondering around here somewhere, probably causing trouble…" she trailed off just as there was a cat sprinting across the floor. "And here he comes." She smiled up at her husband with a knowing look.
And soon enough a blonde seven year old boy came running into the hall after the cat. Matt was quick to scoop him up as he ran by. The boy giggled as he tried to fight off his dad, who just held unto him tighter. The boy calmed down when Matt whispered something into his ear and his eyes shot to Quinn's. Going limp in Matt's arms, Matt placed him back down and the boy stared up at Quinn with curiosity. "Hi! I'm Charlie! What's your name?" He asked with his hand straight out.
Quinn's eyes softened and she was reminded of younger version of herself, before everything… Shaking her head she dropped a duffle bag to the floor and shook the young boy's hand. "I'm Quinn."
The adults shared a smile then Kate said, "Hey, Char? Why don't you go show Quinn up to her room while we boring adults finish up the paperwork?"
The boy's face lit up as he grabbed Quinn's hand and dragged her up the stairs and led her to the second door on the right. Opening the door, Quinn saw a bookshelf full of books, a laptop on the desk along with a vase full of lilies beside a lamp, a stereo with a shelf full of different kinds of music, a bathroom with all the necessities, and a queen sized bed with light green sheets complete with a teddy bear resting against the pillows. The girl was in awe at how much there was in the room. It was so much more than she had expected. Hesitantly she placed her bags on the floor besides the bed. Walking over to the book shelf, she ran her finger over the spines of them and took in the different titles: The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Alice in Wonderland. The list went on and on. Tears welled up in her eyes as she admired them. Never had she seen so many books. Being home schooled and with parents so strict she wasn't even allowed to the library didn't give her many options of books to read. She only had the Bible to read. Only, and always, the Bible.
The sound of the bed squeaking broke her out of her thoughts and she turned back towards the bed. Charlie was lying on it, with his hands behind his head and legs crossed, looking like he owned the place. Looking up at the plastic stars on her ceiling and around the room, he nodded. "Not a bad place you've got here." Quinn couldn't help but crack a smile at the seven year old. He then bolted up and had a huge smile on his face. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He then raced out of the room and down the hall, leaving Quinn to wonder what happened.
Not a minute went by before he showed up, poking his head around the doorframe. Beaming up at Quinn, he motioned to the bed and ordered, "Sit on the bed and close your eyes." Quinn raised an eyebrow at the boy. What could he be up to? She wondered but followed the order anyway.
He walked up to Quinn and stopped before her and whispered, "Open your eyes." She did and what she saw before her, she couldn't believe. Before her, in the boys small hands, laid an acoustic guitar. Disbelief flooded through her. This was all too much. The books, the computer, the music, and now the guitar, she couldn't accept all of this. Just then a figure appeared in the doorway and Matt smiled kindly at her, like a father would at his daughter.
"C'mon Quinn, we've got some talking to do. Charlie, why don't you go play while your mom and I talk to Quinn here?" The boy nodded and ran off. Matt called after him, "And leave the cat alone!" Quinn could've sworn she hear laughter in the distance.
"I can't accept all of this," Quinn blurted out as Matt turned back to her.
Furrowing his eye brows he looked at what she was talking about and simply smiled before walking further into the room. Making his way over to her, he sat down on the opposite end of the bed and looked at her. Clasping his hands together he said, "That's too bad, because we're giving it to you." Sensing her hesitance, he continued, "We had a daughter once, her name was Beth. She looked like Kate, but she had my wilds. She read a lot; in fact those books were hers. She always held herself with such grace and pride, but she cared too much. She was killed while trying to protect her friend from a group of drunken boys while she was only sixteen. Quinn, you remind me of her quite a bit. You hold yourself the same way she did. We were told you liked to read, and Kate and I decided it'd be good for you to read those books on the shelf while you stayed here. We heard you liked to play guitar, so I had my old guitar refurbished, and we knew you'd like a computer for school work, so we got you a laptop. I know it seems like a lot, but we really just want you to feel at home here. I know you have had a rough life so far, but Kate and I will try our damnest to make you happy and help you in any way possible. Alright?" Quinn wiped away the tears that had made their way down her cheeks and nodded. "Also, Charlie will want to know all about you, but I've already told him not to push or bug you too much. He gets excited when he meets new people." They shared a smile and when Kate called for them to come down, they obeyed.
Arriving in the living room Quinn and Matt saw Kate already sitting in a chair and the social worker long gone. Kate was drinking a cup of tea and when she saw the two had arrived, she smiled and motioned for Quinn to have a seat on the opposite couch. Sitting down nervously she placed her hands in her lap and began to pick at the nail polish on her nails. Kate crossed her legs as her husband sat down in his chair besides his wife.
Sitting there Quinn could hear Charlie playing his Gameboy, and felt the cat rub up against her leg before releasing a soft purr and lying against her foot. Kate then began, "So Quinn, as you know: school starts tomorrow. And Matt and I already agreed to let you use his old truck, you're insured and everything." Quinn's breathed hitched. Who exactly were these people and why were they being so generous? Especially to her? "We do have a few conditions to lie down," Kate continues. "Every Sunday night we go over to our neighbor's for dinner at seven. They have a daughter your age, she's not one to have a lot of friends and we're not asking you to befriend her, just to be nice to her. She could use some kindness in her life. Also your curfew will be at midnight on the weekdays and one on the weekends. We were both teenagers once but we also trust you not to get into any trouble." Quinn nodded.
"One last thing: you'll have your fair share of chores to do, mainly just keeping your room clean, and helping out with Charlie when we ask you to. Think you can handle that?" Matt asked. Quinn gave a small smile and nodded. Clasping his hands together he leaned forward in his seat and looked the girl in the eye. "We know you've been through a lot, but we'll be here if you ever want to talk or if you need anything."
"T-Thank you, thank you both for everything. I promise to do my best not to let you down…"
"You'll never let us down. Now go get ready for dinner, we're leaving in half an hour."
Quinn smiled and left the room, making her way towards the stairs where she saw Charlie muttering at his Pokémon game. Sitting down beside him, she looked over his shoulder and saw him trying to defeat a Gym Leader. When he lost again, he clenched his jaw and said, "Stupid game."
Extending her hand, she asked, "Can I see?" The boy looked at her skeptically but handed her his DS. "Erika huh? Well, let's see which Pokémon you have." Pressing down on some buttons she nodded at the grass and rock Pokémon he had selected. Handing him back his console she motioned for the boy to follow her up the stairs, which he did.
Jumping on her bed, he sat waiting for any word of advice she had to offer him. "Fire tends to destroy her grass Pokémon more than the ones you have right now. You should be fine if you withdraw your Charizard from the PC, maybe buy some potions, and go back to battle her." Doing as she told him, he sat there and continued to play his game while she changed into one of the dresses that were hanging in her closet and slipped on a pair of wedges. She was in the bathroom applying make-up when she heard Charlie's victory cry. Finishing, she exited the bathroom and quirk an eyebrow at Charlie. "Did you win?"
Running over to the blonde the boy threw his arms around her waist and hugged her. She was startled to say the least, but eventually hugged the small boy back. "You were so right! Thank you! I've been trying to beat her for weeks!"
Pulling apart, Quinn smiled down at the young boy and gave him a high five. Looking up at the blonde, the boy's eyes widened. "You're pretty, Quinn."
"You're not too bad yourself, now go get cleaned up. Your dad said we're leaving soon."
"Awesome. You're going to love the Berry men and their daughter. They're awesome!" With another smile, Charlie left the room and ran to get ready.
A/N: Thoughts? Review! Next chapter Quinn meets this "Rachel" for the first time! :)