Chapter 1

RPOV

I couldn't believe it. I, Rachel Barbra Berry, was falling, and falling hard. Of course, I know that small schoolgirl crushes were inevitable in the chaotic high school environment; however love – no this was not in my plan. I was supposed to be a star in high school, moving on to graduate Juilliard and become a Broadway star, maybe even one day singing with the great Barbra Streisand herself! And now I find myself distracted by one blonde cheerleader who happens to be sitting behind me at this very moment.

"Rachel! Raaachheellll…" Kurt called, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Kurt, I can reassure you that I am indeed paying att-"

"Oh come on Rachel! You don't have to pretend around me!" He interrupted.

I plastered on my infamous 100-watt smile. "I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."

"Why won't you just admit it? You have it bad for our very own Quinn Fabray!"

"I do not!"

"Do too." He replied with a wink.

"I will not participate in these childish antics!" I shot up and turned to storm off, before remembering I was in Glee and really didn't have anywhere to go…

"Where ya goin'?" Finn asked, walking in the door to the choir room. I sighed. He really was adorable.

"Nowhere dear. Are you ready for our duet on Friday?" I questioned.

"Yeah it's gonna be awesome!" I smiled. Finn is a great boyfriend. He's loyal, funny, cute, and he loves me so much. And I love him back! I do, I swear! It's just… I don't think I'm in love with him. My eyes drifted to the three cheerleaders in the back of the room, but they snapped back to Finn when I saw Kurt's victorious smirk.

"Come on Finn, let's go sit down." I said as I glared at Kurt and stuck my tongue out. I know I said I wouldn't act childish, but he deserved it.

As we walked to our seats, I heard a snippet of hushed conversation that I couldn't tear myself away from.

"Come on Q, you know it's not true! Your mom just acts like a bitch to you when she's drunk; she would never say that when she's sober."

"I know, but it just hurts so much…"

"Britt's right, Fabray. None of those things she says are real; they're just the booze talking."

"But," she let out a sob "she said I was ugly and fat and that I never changed from Lucy Caboosey!" At this point Quinn broke down crying, but I had heard enough of her sadness that I couldn't just sit by and watch anymore. I went through the entire Glee session in my head, my thoughts churning and formulating a plan. By the time I left, I had decided something: Quinn Fabray needed someone to lean on, and I would be there.

QPOV

I exited the choir room with Santana and Brittany on either side of me. As we walked down the hall to the parking lot they tried to comfort me as best they could.

"Can I stay at one of you guys' house?" I asked, desperate for a way to escape my mother.

"I'm sorry Q, after my mom caught me and San, she's afraid I'll get my sweet lady kisses on with anyone that stays over…" Britt replied dejectedly.

"Yeah and my mom just had a baby and there's absolutely no room in my house. I actually have to stay with my abuela until everything calms down. Why don't you ask Puck? He might be able to let you stay over." Santana suggested.

"No, after… last year, Puck and I don't want to stay near each other overnight." I never said her name. If I said her name it made everything real. It made me remember how a part of me was ripped away. I was startled out of my daze by Brittany hugging me and saying:

"Well maybe someone else from Glee could help. I would say ask one of the Cheerios, but they aren't the most understanding of people." We all laughed at that.

"Okay thanks guys. I guess I should be heading out now." I turned and walked out the door, only to be drenched with water and run back inside. Apparently it had started raining while we were talking. I remembered that I always kept a spare umbrella in my locker, so I turned and walked back down the hall.

I shut my locker and almost leapt out of my skin as I saw Rachel Berry standing next to me. I took a moment to collect myself, before harshly saying "What do you want RuPaul?" I really didn't have anything against her, but I valued popularity, and part of being popular was beating up on the so-called 'losers'. And little Broadway-dynamo divas were considered losers. I noticed her stuttering and stammering over something, so I decided to help things along. "Just spit it out Berry."

"I happened to overhear what you were talking about in Glee-"She started.

I froze.

RPOV

I saw her freeze, and a look of vulnerability cross her face. But as soon as it came, it was gone, and her HBIC mask was back on. I saw the walls go up behind Quinn's eyes, and she snapped at me.

"So you were eavesdropping on us?"

"N-no, I wasn't-"

"Then what do you call that? Spying? Invading privacy? Being a stalk-"

"WILL YOU JUST STOP?" I yelled. She looked taken aback. "I was trying to be nice! I didn't mean to hear it, I was just walking by. I came over here to say that you are beautiful, and that your mom doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Oh." Was all she could say.

"And I was also going to say that if you need a place to stay tonight that my dads would probably be okay with it." I tentatively said.

"Um that would be great… But why are you doing this? I've been so cruel to you for the past few years. The names, the slushies, everything! How do you not hate me?"

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Quinn, I've never hated you. Yes, I was saddened when I saw how you were influenced by trivial high school popularity, but I never held it against you. I assure you that, given the situation, even someone as determined as I would be blown off course by the opinion of my peers. Lucky for me I don't have that issue, however this knowledge is part of the reason why I never thought that you were the one behind the name-calling and immature slushy-throwing." I then stood in front of her, feeling uncovered and unprotected under the gaze of her hazel eyes. I was starting to wonder if I had said something wrong, when I heard something almost inaudible.

"What was that?" I asked.

"You're right." She sounded broken and scared. I could imagine that after several years of perfecting her uncaring, hardened façade, having someone you don't know very well come and tear those walls down in less than a minute was frightening. I then decided to do something that I would learn to do with many people in the future, but would always remember the first time.

"I'm going to hug you now."

And I did. And the ice queen melted in my arms.