This is based on an episode of True Love (a BBC 5 part miniseries they showed months ago) Thought it could be a good two-shot :/
Posted: 1/9/12
Chapter One
"Okay class" The short brunette stood in front of her senior class at McKinley high in Lima Ohio "Class!" she raised her voice to try and get them quiet but the students ignored her. A few glanced at her, finding it entertaining as she got stressed.
They'd only been back from the Christmas break for 3 days and Rachel was already wishing for the next week break from school. Just 7 more weeks she was counting in her head
"Class" she yelled even louder. This time she startled a few, she didn't yell that loud often, but today she couldn't help it, she just wanted the day to be over with. It actually shook her a little that they'd actually shut up "Right, we're starting your new drama projects today; the theme is 'True Love'"
She heard a scoff and what sounded like 'boring' from one of the boys at the back of the room. She assumed it was Kurt, he was always complaining that he was never challenged, but she was just sticking to the teaching schedule, like she was supposed to.
And with Kurt's word like a cue, the rest of the class started chatting again, some of the sniggering, or joking around with the two words she'd given them for their project
"Will you please be quiet?" she sounded weak again. She sighed and bowed her head letting them get on with it. She had two more classes until the end of the day and she just couldn't be bothered.
As she looked up again and let her eyes scan across the class they met a pair of hazel. One person, one girl, was actually paying attention, or waiting so she could pay attention. Puck, one of the boys in the class was sitting one side of her at another desk, he leant over and started saying things lowly next to her ear. Rachel noticed the girls eyes leave the focus of her own and her face screw up before she swatted the boy
"You're so immature" she spat at him. Quinn, that was her name. Not that Rachel should really think such things, but she was a really pretty girl, prettiest she'd ever seen and from what Rachel had seen in her drama class over the past couple of months, Quinn was a lot more than that. She was also the head cheerleader but that didn't stop her.
About 10 minutes after Rachel gave up she handed out text books, useless books that could barely teach them how to write their own script for their own performance piece, but they didn't want to listen to her, what was the point.
Finally, the bell rang "Okay if you could leave your books in a stack, on the front desk..." she trailed off as half the class were already out the door. When had she become such a push over? She wasn't sure where it had all gone so wrong
The text books were left in a messy heap on the table, some were left on other desks, where some student hadn't bothered to bring the text book to the front on the way out. As Rachel started tidying the books into stacks Quinn offered her a sympathetic and almost apologetic smile as she placed three text books on the table in a neat stack.
...
As Rachel reached her apartment block she noticed a familiar car parked out front. She couldn't help the smile that spread on her lips: he was here
As she got out her car and walked across the road towards his car and the door to the apartment block he got out of his car. He gave her that dopey smile he always gave her
"Hey Finn" she smiled up at him
"Hey Rach" he still had that dopey smile that most would want to slap off his face as he wrapped his arms round her and lowered his head to kiss her. Before the kiss could go too far Rachel pulled back
"Would you like to come up?" she asked him, knowing the answer already
"I'd love that"
.
An hour later she was walking him back to his car; her hand was held in his as they walked down the stairs of the apartment complex
"Please stay" she asked softly, pulling him to a stop by the doors
"Rach" he said with sad eyes "I would but I can't"
"Why not?"
"She'll-" he regretted the word as soon as it came from his mouth as Rachel's eyes saddened "I just can't, I'm sorry"
"I get it" she nodded sadly. Though she didn't really 'get it'. If he liked her, loved her as he'd said when they 'made love', why wasn't he with her, why did he stay with his wife who he didn't love.
"I'm sorry" he repeated before bowing his head and pressing a long but still simple kiss to her lips
"Take care" she told him as she kissed him again and let him go.
...
The following week a Thursday again, Rachel was with her senior class again. This time they'd managed to move the work on, they were discussing backdrops and scenery.
She stopped by Quinn, because she was one of the few actually doing the work and not throwing things at fellow students. "That's really good"
"Huh?" the cheerleader looked up, she'd been lost in her sketch "Oh, this. It started as a sketch for my scene, but I kinda just started doodling"
"That's doodling?" Rachel asked with a raised brow "You're really talented; your drawings are really good"
"Thank you" Quinn muttered shyly. Rachel took the empty next to the student to look through the other sketches. Quinn couldn't help but watch her teacher as she went through the few pages "I want to apologise" the blonde found herself suddenly saying
"For what?" Miss Berry asked, looking to her student with a furrowed brow
"For my class" she said lowly "They're behaviour, it's just so childish. You're a really good teacher Miss Berry" she nodded encouragingly "You don't deserve what they do"
"Th-Thank you" she could have slapped herself for stuttering but she meant the thank you. What Quinn said was like weight being lifted off her shoulders. It gave her some confidence. "You're works great, just keep doing what you're doing" she added to break the sudden awkward silence before leaving Quinn by herself again.
...
The following day Rachel was on her way to the parking lot. She'd just finished the day with her senior class, the loud pushy class. Just one of her many classes, in which she felt overwhelmed by her students and struggled to keep control of them and, sometimes, her emotions. She couldn't help but want to cry, she'd feel like a failure when they'd ignore her and disobey her. She just tried to remember Quinn's words, they made her feel better.
Today Rachel had been out of that class room door as quickly as her eager to escape students. Of course they just over took her as they basically ran for the exits to get away from dreaded school.
As she wandered mindlessly down the now empty hallways she heard footsteps echoing behind her. They got louder as they grew closer. Rachel braced herself, readying herself to get shoved or have the books and papers in her arms knocked out of her arms when the footsteps slowed and a familiar face stepped into place next to her
"Um, Hi Miss Berry" the girl in the red cheerleading uniform said shyly, getting her teachers attention
"Oh Hello Quinn, can I help you?" the teacher asked
"Yeah, well I was wondering" she tucked loose strand of hair that had come free from her pony tail, behind her ear "Well there's a new exhibition at the gallery and, well the theme is True love, like our projects. I was going to go, I asked a few others but they're not interested, I wondered if you'd like to, go with me that is?" she bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she glanced at her teacher, hopeful of the answer she wanted
"I don't know Quinn-"
"I was thinking tomorrow, you know the gallery in town. I just thought it could be good to help with ideas for our projects" she added to encourage the idea. She sped up in her steps to reach the double door to the exit before Rachel, so she could open the door for her teacher
"Thank you" the brunette nodded as she stepped through, Quinn following behind
"So what do you say?" the blonde girl asked again
"Okay" Rachel gave in. "Shall we say 11 O'clock, or is that too early for you" the teacher suggested
"Oh please, I've got cheerio training at 7 'til 9 am tomorrow" she chuckled with a smirk "11's good for me" the girl agreed
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow" Rachel nodded with a smile
"See you tomorrow" Quinn replied as she skipped down the steps towards her car. She mentally scolded herself for the bounce in her step, knowing Rachel was watching her
And Rachel was watching her, curiously, as the blonde went to her car. The brunette teacher made sure she was on her way to her own car before her student caught her watching her.
...
Later that evening Rachel found herself where she was every Friday night; at her father: Leroy's home. They had dinner together every Friday night. Rachel made sure to never miss one out since her father's divorce 3 years ago. Leroy had been left by himself, Rachel's other father found himself someone new, coincidentally, shortly after the divorce. Rachel made sure to meet with him regularly, although it wasn't just for him it was for her too. They were both lonely
They were sat down, opposite sides of the dinner table as they ate, when her dad bought up the same subject he'd bring up at least once every Friday
"How are things going Rach" he peeked up from his plate "Anyone special in your life yet?"
She let out a single humourless exhale of a laugh "No dad" she met his eyes briefly before looking back down at her food "not exactly" she mumbled
"So there is someone?" he gently left his fork on the edge of his plate and kept his attention on his daughter
"Yes" she admitted with a sigh, abandoning her food too "But not someone you should get excited about" yeah he'd just love to hear about his daughters relationship with some married man
"No, I want you to get excited about them" he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood and the sad, defeated look he was seeing too often on her face
He managed to get a small smile from her before she just sighed again "It's complicated" she bowed her head again, not wanting him to see the truth in his eyes. Then again he was pretty oblivious, so he might not be able to tell anyway
He sighed too, as he reached across the table and enveloped his hand over hers "If it's complicated then it's not good. It's not worth it Rach" he said with a small smile "I just want you to be happy"
"I know dad, I want you to be happy too"
"Don't worry about me"
...
Even later that night she got a surprise knock on the door. They hadn't arranged to see each other.
This time was just like all the others with Finn, so why did it feel different. With his sweaty body pressing down on hers almost suffocating her, his awkward non-rhythmic thrusting, the grunting... Was this ever romantic, did it ever feel good? Was it her father's words, his voice in her head (which was enough to put any one off anyway)
Something had changed, reality was hitting her, this wasn't the life she wanted. She ended up just laying their... until he was done.
She walked Finn to the door, he dropped a kiss to her cheek, making her feel cheap and gave her his dopey smile which she automatically smiled back at and then he was gone again
Had he even said 5 words to her, barely kissed her... it used to be good hadn't it, she loved him didn't she?
...
11:17 were the numbers that stared back at Rachel from her phone screen. Had Quinn changed her mind, no. Rachel realised what this was, it was a set up, a prank, Quinn wasn't ever going to meet her. She wasn't going to wait outside the small gallery another minute when suddenly she spotted Quinn across the road. The girl checked for no traffic before jogging across the road.
Rachel was actually surprised she even recognised Quinn, not in her Cheerios attire and with her long blonde hair down
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Cheerios ran late, and I still had to rush home and change and stuff, I hope you haven't been waiting long" she explained and sounded genuinely apologetic
"That's fine Quinn, and I wasn't waiting long" they couldn't help but just smile at one another for a second, both with some relief that the other had actually shown up
.
Rachel wandered through the small gallery looking at the mixture of photo's, paintings, drawings, sculptures. Many other mediums were used as well but Rachel didn't really know what they were. Art wasn't her thing; she had an appreciation of it, but not always the understanding. She found herself starting at a drawing; it looked like two men have a business meeting over dinner
As she kept looking at it, really trying to solve the puzzle to the picture, she noticed Quinn step up next to her "I don't understand this one, isn't it supposed to be True Love" All the others had been seemingly obvious, although Rachel may have missed the more subtle signs then; but when you're given the image of a man and woman kissing you feel its pretty self explanatory; not this time
"It is, but it's not as obvious as some of the others" Quinn said explained, she took a step closer to the drawing "See, they're in suits but they're jackets are on their chairs, so it's casual. And the man facing away from us his head is bowed slightly, I imagine the other man with a pleased smile on his face said something to make the other one react shy like that. Also there's a candle on the table, that seems pretty date like, and there's only one plate of food."
"I didn't notice any of that"
"You're not supposed to catch it the first time, the last thing I noticed when I saw it was where there's a gap in the table cloth, you can see the light catching the further away mans foot, against the other guys leg"
Rachel let out a humourless chuckle "I always thought Lima was small minded"
Quinn shook her head "Not here at the gallery" she sounded like she was here often "we like to push boundaries"
"We?" Rachel's attention wasn't on the large drawing anymore; it was on her student next to her with an arched eyebrow
"Yeah I'm a member, I often have my work shown here when it's good enough. If my parents found out they'd burn me like a witch" she laughed but it was a nervous one. This was all a secret and she'd let her teacher in
Rachel didn't push to ask about why her parents were against any of this so she went a different route "So do you have a piece on display this time"
"Um, yeah" she fiddled with her hands as she looked down at them shyly "It's over there" she nodded in the direction behind Rachel, making her teacher turn and go in search of her piece
It didn't take long to find it, it was quite obvious which one it was "Was this taken in my class room?" she asked Quinn who had shyly followed her to see her reaction.
There wasn't much obvious background to the picture so Quinn was surprised Rachel could tell "Yeah, how did you know?"
"No one's paying attention" she laughed. Quinn didn't thought, she just bowed her head guiltily. It wasn't her fault that the class was like that but she felt responsible, probably because she was a leader in the students eyes and she imagined she could but a stop to it, but then she'd be branded a teacher's pet, and the students would continue to mess around in Miss Berry's class
"Its Brittany and Artie, they're cute together" the teacher admitted at the obvious picture of the pair sitting at a desk holding hands. Brittany's head was resting in her other hand as Artie talked to her, and she just listened with a fond smile on her face
"Yeah, but look in the background" Quinn pointed up at the enlarged photo, to the top right corner.
Rachel carefully scanned the background and she wasn't sure why she didn't notice before, another cheerleader was sending them a death glare laced with jealousy "Santana... I didn't know she liked Artie"
Quinn had to laugh a little "She doesn't"
"Oh" Rachel said when realisation hit her quickly "Santana and Brittany? Those two always seemed a bit close"
"They're meant to be" Quinn defended, but she wasn't abrupt, just quick to say it
"I didn't mean anything bad, I just meant I'm not sure why I didn't see it before" Rachel excused herself "How did you take the picture anyway?" she asked to move away before awkwardness could settle
"Actually that one, was just on a camera phone, I was pretty pleased with how it came out" she said surprised
"Sneaky" Rachel commented "Taking pictures of your friends like that" she chuckled
"It just seemed right for the theme" she shrugged "And it's not like anyone from school comes here, except me, so know ones going to say anything. I like this gallery, its quiet and everyone respects each other. Not like at high school"
"No, definitely not like high school" Rachel sighed as she looked back up at Quinn's photo studying it some more.
...
They went to the small cafe next to the gallery once they were finished there, deciding as while they were out, they might as well go to lunch.
"Quinn I have to ask, your photography and your drawings are amazing, why don't you tell anyone about them? Your work is regularly at a gallery, that's amazing. So why doesn't anyone, including your parents, know?"
"Well" Quinn took a cautious sip of her coffee before putting the mug down again "I'd really like to do it, for a career, Photography anyway, and the drawing can remain a hobby. But it's not a sensible career choice; as my dad would say. And what I do now would be seen as wasting valuable time for studying subjects that matter"
"But you're already top of most of your classes" Rachel asked with a furrowed brow
"Yeah but if he knew about this, it would be the reason I'm not top of all my classes" she sighed with slight frustration
"You should do what makes you happy Quinn"
"Thanks... but it's not so easy when daddy is paying for everything. He could easily take that away"
"I'm sorry Quinn, I wish there was something I could do-"
"No" she shook her head with a slight smile "It's okay Miss Berry, I'll follow his rules until I don't need him anymore and then I'll do what I want"
"I hope it all works out for you" she smiled sadly
"Did it all work out for you?" the blonde girl asked "Did you always want to be a teacher?"
"Um, no actually, I wanted to be on Broadway" that was the first time she'd said that out loud in 3 or 4 years
"What happened?"
"Well, I didn't get into the academy I wanted and... I just felt I wasn't good enough anymore" she shrugged simply and took a sip of her coffee, as if she hadn't just summed up throwing her whole life down the drain in one simple sentence
"I bet you are, I bet you're still good enough. Maybe not getting into some academy knocked your confidence, I know the first time I applied at the gallery I was rejected because my photo's weren't good enough, but I didn't let it stop me, you shouldn't have let it stop you" she spoke with such sudden animation that Rachel just looked back at her curiously "You used to sing, when you started here at the beginning of the school year, every Friday after school, you'd go to the auditorium, stand on that stage and belt out something amazing" she was still animated in her words and now she seemed to calm down to admit shyly: "I'd sneak in the back and watch you nearly every time"
"You did?" she squeaked unintentionally, bowing her head with embarrassment at how she just sounded
Quinn silently chuckled then replied when her teacher managed to look back up at her "Yeah, why did you stop?"
Rachel just shrugged as she searched for an answer "I don't know" was her conclusion "I could blame things like my dad, I mean that was the excuse I used as to why I was coming back to Lima. Not the truth; not that I was scared, but he was now single and alone. So after I finished at college I came back and I was able to start teaching because of my degree. I worry about him that's all, and I use that as an excuse"
"So that's it... you're not married, kids?" she asked hesitantly
"Not married no and no kids, there's someone... he makes me happy" Rachel felt herself trying to convince herself with her own words
"Are you going to marry him?"
"No, no I won't marry him" she breathed out a nervous laugh
"Why?" Quinn jabbed her with another question, concern and intrigue on her face
"I-I don't know" a voice inside her head wanted her to scream 'because he's married' part of Rachel wanted herself to listen to reason and to not get her hopes up about Finn
...
After lunch the pair went for a walk in the park not far from the gallery. Neither of them really wanted to go home yet; there wasn't much waiting for either of them there and they were having fun. Even if some of Quinn's questions had felt intrusive.
The theme from the gallery and the drama project was still in each of their heads so it wasn't a surprise or awkward when Quinn started talking
"You know, I never think I've met a guy I feel I can really open up to... I think the whole point of being with someone, is so you can talk to them and let go of everything and even when you're at your worst they still..." she hesitantly looked to the side at Rachel to find her teacher looking straight back at her "they still like you and still want to speak to you and care about you and stuff"
"But you don't feel you've met someone like that?" Rachel asked, thought she wasn't surprised. If the boys at McKinley were anything to go by, Quinn didn't have many options
"No" Quinn then chuckled, her hazel eyes still meeting the chocolate brown of her teachers "But who genuinely finds love at my age?"
Rachel found herself having to look away before she was lost in those eyes "Well the way you describe it, it's like more than just a relationship, it's like you're looking for a friendship within it"
"That's what I want... a real friendship" Quinn's tone was a little more serious now "with someone who I can trust with all my secrets and all my weird habits" she looked up to meet Rachel's gaze again as the woman was looking back at her while she spoke again "and all my nerdy little things... and they'll still love me for it"
Was it wrong that Rachel wanted to know what all those nerdy little things and weird habits were?
...
Tuesday: Rachel taught this senior class three times a week, why did it feel like they were her only class?
They were supposed to be discussing their ideas for their scene they were writing, but most of the class were discussing anything but. She had a few people attention, the students that seemed to actually want to pass the class this year, to help them get into the colleges of their choice.
"Santana, yes, what's the theme of your idea?"
"Well, true love doesn't have to be easy does it? So I was doing unrequited love, I'm not sure if it will be a happy ending yet" she added
"That's great Santana" it was actually a breakthrough that the Latina was even trying. Though from what Quinn had taught her about Santana over the weekend maybe the project had spoken to her... or Quinn. Santana was sat next to Quinn today, Rachel couldn't help it when she saw Quinn
The blonde had her head resting in her hands as she gazed at her teacher, Rachel shyly caught her eye. Quinn seemed to wake up from a day dream as she realised Miss Berry was looking right back at her, she shyly found her pen and bowed her head to continue with some imaginary work.
Santana discretely looked between the teacher and her best friend, before deciding to let it go for now and get back to work.
...
The same day, later that evening Rachel was marking various, half hearted pieces of homework when there was a knock on her apartment door. She furrowed her, she hadn't expected Finn over, but then again, last time he came over was uninvited too.
She got up and went to the door, she looked through the hole to see who it was "Quinn?" she whisper asked herself. She opened the door quickly worried that something might be wrong, maybe with the girl's parents or something "Quinn what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you. I'm sorry I didn't ring from downstairs, but some people were coming out so I thought I'd sneak in" she bit her lip anxiously as she waited for the brunette to say something
Rachel couldn't seem to get the girl out of her mind lately; she seemed to have been able to get in Rachel's head, make her see all her problems, but not it such a bad way. Quinn just had this way of making Rachel want to be better, more determined like she was before. And something else
"You might as well come in" she stepped to the side to let her student in
"Thank you" Quinn said as she slipped past Rachel. She stopped in the hallway waiting for direction
"Just go straight on to the sitting room, would you like coffee, you must be freezing"
"Yes please, I can make it if you want" she offered
"Don't be silly, I've got it, you just sit" Rachel quickly escaped into the kitchen.
Quinn walked through, what she saw of Rachel's apartment seemed to fit; it was all so Rachel, well the Rachel she knew.
A couple of minutes later she placed two cups of coffee on the coffee table in front of the sofa Quinn was sitting on
"How did you know where I live?"
Quinn didn't answer, she didn't want to admit that she'd seen the teachers keys left on her desk in the class room and she'd taken a photo with her camera to read the tag on them that had her address. She didn't understand why you'd have your address tagged on your keys, that was basically giving a burglar directions wasn't it?
"Why are you here Quinn?" she tried a different question as she sat down on the opposite end of the sofa
"Like I said I wanted to see you. And I wanted to make sure you're okay" The blonde turned in her seat so she was facing Rachel.
The brunette however just kept her eyes fixed on her coffee on the table "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"I dunno, I just wondered, after all the things we talked about last Saturday. I felt we were friends, I wondered if... well if you ever want to talk you can talk to me" how could Quinn make it sound so easy "Like the guy you're seeing, does he really make you happy?" Quinn pushed
And Rachel found herself answering without hesitation "I... It's complicated, really complicated"
"You can trust me, we're friends right?" Quinn asked, she shuffled closer but the older woman didn't answer "Rachel?" it was the first time she'd said her first name, Rachel found herself at Quinn's will, just because of how her name had sounded on the 18 year olds lips
"He's married" she confesses as tears start to cascade down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry" and with that Quinn is quickly out of her seat and kneeling in front of the brunette who wouldn't turn to look at her. She ducks her head to peer up and get Rachel to finally meet her gaze "I can't see you like this" she confesses in a whisper as she holds back her own tears
Before Rachel can even clear her watery eyes and question the girl she feels lips, so soft and delicate pressing against her own. They pull away briefly but Rachel moved forward to find them again, for a real kiss. Rachel had never felt so much in a kiss before as Quinn's lips moved gently against her own, it was wrong but it only felt right, they fit so perfectly.
Quinn did pull away again but only to apologise "I'm sorry, I've wanted to do that for so long" she wiped a tear from her own face that must have fallen during the kiss, she couldn't help but smile too "I've never felt like this around another person" she confessed yet another thing
Rachel said nothing she just took both of Quinn's hands in her own as she looked down at the blonde, still kneeling in front of her. Quinn looked back with worry unable to read Rachel at the time.
There will most probably be a second part, but please let me know what you think...
