Something Good
Rachel points out a few weeks after the first time that her cheerleading uniform isn't going to fit in just a couple of months, and it'll be bad.
"Do you have anything else to wear other than the uniform?"
"Of course. But...I've never worn something other than that to school..."
"Well, we're going to have to go shopping soon."
"We?" She can't believe Rachel Berry is referring to them as we, and that she's fine with it.
"Yeah. How about...after school? My busy schedule has been nearly emptied today, so I'll have plenty of time for you."
Rachel Berry is making time for her. It's the Twilight Zone.
But it's true. She'll need new clothes soon, and even more when her belly grows huge with child.
She huffs. "Fine."
After school, they end up bumping into Kurt somehow.
"What are you doing here?" The question is directed only towards Quinn, something Rachel isn't happy about, because of the lack of attention. "And with Rachel, of all people?"
She shrugs. "We're going shopping."
A somewhat manic light appears in his eyes. It's a little terrifying. It's also a little endearing. "Shopping, really? For something better than that hideous uniform, I presume?"
"Yeah. And this uniform isn't hideous."
"Keep telling yourself that. I'm sorry, but...the uniforms are so bland and boring. They have nothing special to them."
Rachel looks on the argument.
Then, a sound comes from behind. "Um, excuse me..." a deep, male, but small voice says.
They all look over to where Mike Chang stands.
Mike is a favorite among everybody in glee. He's a football player (even if he kind of sucks), a good singer, and the best male dancer in the group (Kurt follows closely). He doesn't make fun of anybody, doesn't take sides...probably because he doesn't talk, but that isn't the point, really.
"You're kind of blocking the hall." They part for him like the Red Sea, barely paying attention to him, but he stays where he is. "What are you guys doing?"
Rachel smiles. "We're going shopping."
He looks surprised. His eyes flicker over the three of them. "All of you?"
Quinn doesn't remember Kurt being invited, but they all nod, so she guesses he was. He knows more about fashion than all the other girls combined anyway.
"Oh, uh, for..." He looks over at Quinn and his eyes flicker to her belly.
She hold her head high. "Yeah."
He's obviously uncomfortable. "Cool..."
She extends the invitation quickly. "You should come too." He's popular, and she doesn't want to seem all like a loser right away.
"Me? Uh...okay..."
When they all arrive at the mall, they ponder which stores to go to first. Actually, Kurt ponders. For about fifteen minutes. Until everybody just gets sick of him and decides to go wherever.
They end up going to a nice, big place that Kurt ends up leading them to anyway, and romp over to the maternity section.
The clothes that Quinn and Rachel pick out are subdued, businesslike colors. Somehow, all the clothes that Mike and Kurt choose end up being in pastels.
Generally with a lot of prompting from Kurt and a love for bright colors that both seem to possess. ("It's a baby!" Mike exclaims. "It's a happy thing!")
Mike looks at a dress. "Oooh..." The sequins have caught his eye. He appears to be a fan of all things shiny. "Look at the blue, it's great. And...it's sparkly. Quinn!"
"Are you five?"
He rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet. "It's...pretty..."
Quinn begins to rethink her idea that Mike will be a nice, normal addition to this group of freaks (discounting her, of course) around this time.
"It is a nice dress, Quinn. And the sequins at the neck will definitely bring more attention to the chest area, if that's what you want." Kurt, of course, being the voice of reason for the only thing he can be the voice of reason for, clothes.
"I don't think I'll get it."
Kurt nods. "You shouldn't. It's hideous. I was testing you, ridiculous as that sounds. But do get something with at least a few sparkles for Mister Oooh-Look-It's-Shiny, here."
Mike is too busy being distracted by something to really pay attention to the fact that his two companions are insulting him.
She rolls her eyes. She doesn't do things for people, and then she realizes that she should really start learning.
She turns to look at a sequined shirt.
Mike and Kurt are getting their own food, and Rachel and Quinn have already gotten theirs. Actually, Quinn doesn't really get any food, just an extra-large chocolate ice cream, because she feels like having chocolate.
Both ice cream and chocolate have the ability to make anything seem better.
They seem to work even better when one is pregnant.
"So," Rachel starts. "What are you planning to do with the baby? Because you should think carefully about what to do, an unborn child is a huge responsibility."
"I'll probably put it up for adoption." Quinn cuts into her tirade.
"Oh. Well. Are you sure?"
"...Pretty sure." She isn't. She actually kind of likes the little monster growing inside of her, but it'll be better this way.
"What will Finn think of this? Because as the father, he certainly does have a right--"
"He won't mind."
Rachel falls silent for once in her life. Too good to last, of course, as she smiles her million-watt smile and begins to talk yet again. "Well, have you at least thought of any names? I believe you may reserve the right to name your child, even if you put the baby up for adoption."
"Really?" She hadn't known that.
She thinks of Finn's sweet but idiotic name for a child. Drizzle. What was he thinking? Which does segue into an important question: does Finn really think?
But she does have a couple of ideas. "I dunno," she answers, shrugging a little, "maybe Raine."
It doesn't seem like the type of name Quinn would choose or Rachel would like, but they both fall silent after she says this anyway and the boys begin walking toward them with their food.
The car ride home is somewhat strange, and would be awkward if Kurt wasn't smiling so much during their conversations. It seems to be a Glee Club thing...if Kurt is smiling, something good is happening.
Quinn drops Rachel off at her house. ("So, you should probably take all those pre-natal vitamins, just to make sure that your pregnancy is natural and the beautiful life-making process it should be!")
Then Mike at his own house. ("Um...bye...I'll...uh...see you tomorrow Kurt, Quinn.")
Then she begins to drive over to the side of town that she and Kurt live on. The wealthy side. She snorts. "What do your parents do? They must be loaded."
"My dad owns a business."
"Your mom's just stay-at-home."
"She's actually dead."
"Oh...I'm...sorry..."
"You didn't have anything to do with it."
"It still sucks."
"So it does. But there are other mommies in my world now." He smiles thinly, changing the subject. "So, I actually think that that blue color Mike was talking about was really nice...maybe you should try to find another of those, you'd probably look good in pastel."
"I look good in most things."
The car stops in front of his big, empty house. "See you tomorrow, Quinn. And take care of yourself." Then he tosses something in her direction. She catches them. They're sunglasses.
"I always put them on when I'm about to cry." Then he gets out.
That's probably closest to a heart-to-heart they'll ever have.
She shrugs, but as he's walking up the drive-way, Quinn rolls down her window. "Hey, Kurt?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
He smiles a little smile. "No problem."
She drives herself home, and then locks herself in her bathroom so she can vomit, even though she thought morning sickness was for the morning.
Then she gets all of her new clothes out, and looks at them, thinking back on the day, and she smiles a little.
Maybe something good is happening.
