Fandom: Glee
Ship: Quick friendship
Plottage: Basically, the seniors are at a camp that their school rented out for them. It's like, a class trip of sorts. Graduation present. And Quinn is no longer popular, and Puck can care less about his status. Eh. It's not very good, but I tried.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the plot. Heh. As if there is much of one.

skipping rocks

Skipping rocks. A delightful way to release some tension. I gripped the stone in my hand. Firm. Solid. At this point I wasn't even trying to let them skip across the un-sanitized water. I just let them falter in midair, enjoying the atmosphere while it lasted before they plopped into the water. Drowning. Sinking under pressure. I was sinking under pressure. I glanced down at my hand. It enveloped the grey stone effortlessly. Then I stared at the muck we called water. Soiled. Unsanitary. I was becoming bored with this place. I was on the verge of ruining my vocal cords. By screaming. Maybe it'd get the clones to wake up from such fantasies. I highly doubted it.

My nose flared out, gritting my teeth painfully. I threw it. I threw the stone in the muck, my arm nearly being ripped from its place. Instinctively I seized my upper arm. I believed I had enough air to fill my lungs for me to be satisfied. And so I sauntered. Marched. Paced. Strode my way back to the cabin I now had to call home. At least, for a week. I sat. Molded myself into my bed. Soon enough I dozed off into Wonderland, my snores echoing off the cabin walls.

What woke me was an adventure. Chanting. Sparks. Music. Fluttering my eyelids open I found it dark, nearly pitch black. I sat straight up, my eyelids heavy. Grabbing a pillow from beneath me I smothered myself, my screams ineffective. Why? I honestly didn't know. So I slipped from my bed, marching out the cabin door.

The further I kept at it the chaos grew louder, a bass thumping inside my ears. A thud. A continuous thud. As small as it was a yawn escaped my lips. I was attempting to rub the sleep from my eyes. To feel something. And I didn't know I was marching up a hill. I only realized this once I reached the top, my lungs contracting as my breaths were deeper than normal. I relaxed my hands atop my knees, glaring at the ground I stood upon.

After a second, maybe even a minute, I momentarily looked up. A light awestruck my eyes. And to say it was astonishing made me want dry heave. I rubbed the side of my neck. I was embarrassed. I couldn't take my eyes from it. It made me feel content. That's what I wanted, right? To feel something. I guess I got what I wanted.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" The words were so flexible. "The bonfire?" I didn't jump. Twisting my head I stared long and hard at my acquaintance. She was calm, serene. Priceless. A smirk graced my lips. Her arms cradled her waist as if she were cold. Her features were divine as if her skin was silk. I bet it was. She had blonde hair. Straight. Silken. And when she spoke, "We should come out here every week," Heaven. "Something to take our minds away from, well, everything." She blinked a couple of times, licking her lips almost as if out of habit. "The music just alleviates it all."

"I guess," I breathed out roughly. "I could hear the commotion from my cabin." I crossed my arms daintily, my eyes turning back to the light. It burned dazzling and the sparks danced in the air. A waltz. All the clones were surrounding it. Smiling. Drinking. Jumping. The bass in my head was giving me a complete migraine. I turned back to my acquaintance. "Why aren't you down there?" She didn't answer swiftly enough.

"I'm not wanted down there." She directed her eyes to the ground, crawling inside of a shell. Then within a millisecond she became her radiant self. Glimpsing up at me her eyes sparkled, the glare of the moon casting over them. Our eyes connected. "I've been hanging out with Mercedes and Kurt all this time. Trying to make the best of this...trip." The music had died down, practically now only a low hum. My migraine was pulling away fast.

"Hey, Puckerman!" I spoke too soon. I gawked back at the bonfire. My cabin-mate. Finn.

"Looks like you're wanted." The blonde beside me spoke.

I shook my head halfheartedly. I began my journey down the hill. I halted, forgetting something. I took a glance over my shoulder.

"You should come down with us." I felt as if I was doing her a favor. Maybe I was. But I left it at that, continuing onward. I didn't want to think like that. Not now. I was afraid if I did I'd ruin everything. I'd be right back where I started. Skipping rocks. No. So I moved on, that side conversation meaning nothing.

I held in a breath as I stood beside my cabin-mate. And to honestly say…he did too. The music got louder, on full blast. I thought I was going to go deaf. My gaze was hollow into the bonfire, I was in a daze. I needed to get out of here. And quick. I cleared my throat. Rubbed my eyes. Leaned from foot to foot. I was becoming antsy.

"You talking to her, again?" He wasn't even staring at me. I would know, I was glimpsing at him from the corner of my eyes. He was deep in deliberation. I went back to his question.

"Who?" It was straightforward. He did that to me. I hated it.

"Quinn." I turned my head to fully look at him. He didn't move a muscle. Stiff. Broad. Handsome. Damn. I straightened my posture, my chin jutting out. "You talking to her, again?" He repeated. I didn't know how to answer. I didn't even want to answer. Mechanically I glanced up the hill. There she still was. Basking in her beauty.

"Yeah. I guess." I sighed profoundly, dramatically. At that moment I forgot there was even music playing in the background.

"Cool." I waited for more. But he left it at that. Silence. Is. So. Not. Golden. I nodded, stalling. I then walked away. I walked back up that hill an awkwardness filling my body. Once I reached the top I circled around, the light blinding my eyes. I stuffed my hands in my pockets. I wanted to the leave, the bonfire not as captivating as it was before.

"Back so soon," Her angelic voice never ceased to comfort me. "What's it like down there?" All was so innocent. We weren't even standing next to each other. I was in need of a lie down. A pillow to caress my head. Blankets to keep me warm. I sounded like a girl. Then I remembered her question. I grimaced.

"You're not missing much," It was the truth. That was as far as I would go. Without even knowing so I examined her. Still serene. Still beautiful. "Do you want to get out of here?" I prompted. For some reason I wanted her to reject me. I was just so used to it.

"Please." I stood stunned. We connected eye contact. And with that I took hold of her forearm. Pulling her. Trudging her along as if I was about to show her the whole world. "Where are we going?" I didn't answer. I didn't want to answer. Maybe there was no answer. My arm was now to some extent numb from my firm grasp. She didn't seem to mind. I think she did mind though when we stopped. I didn't take her anywhere special. Just back to my cabin. And she probably beat herself for ever believing I'd do so in the first place. I knew I would.

As soon as we entered through the screen door—as soon—I face planted onto my bed. The commotion was still heard. I wanted to suffocate myself. I felt the bed shift as my newfound friend sat atop of it. She was very quiet. I had nothing to say. Maybe she was contemplating, that was why she was so hushed. But that was just an assumption.

"You're different, you know." I was beginning to wonder if that was a compliment. "And that's a compliment." Question answered. I grunted. I was about to laugh in her face, but I found that would be out of line. I knew her enough to know how she'd take it. "It's true—you're the first to speak to me as if I'm actually human in about a year." I rolled over onto my back. A year. "Well, besides the rest of Glee club."

"That's an awful long time," Why should I care? I guess it was the finesse about her. Her essence. "How…fortunate." She gave me a questioning look. I gave her one back, mocking her. "Why would you want them to talk to you?"

"Having someone to talk to is a given." She argued. Pain seized her eyes. "I'm tired of being ignored." She coward away. She was concentrating. I sat up onto my elbows. "I'd like to think that they're just jealous." She was confident in herself. She settled herself more comfortably on the bed. I couldn't help but stare. She was skipping rocks and she didn't even know it. Tilting her head she asked me a question I couldn't answer, "How've you been, Noah?"

I didn't answer. I refused to. She gave me a longing glance. I stood up promptly, crossing my arms. I was being insensitive acting like she wasn't commendable to be in my presence. I strode past her, almost pacing in a way. I shrugged my shoulders. I was simply going to ask to change the subject. Nothing to worry about. I twisted to face her. The look she gave me was insufferable.

"I'm doing alright." I blurted out. She was a disease. I still hadn't found the cure. Pursing my lips together, I sat back down, the weight of my body shifting the bed even more so. I scowled. Frowned. It was then when I realized how different I actually was. We were both different. Maturity did wonders. "You?"

"About the same. Though, I'm still choked up about not winning the title of Prom Queen. My mom was devastated, as dramatic as she is. 'Oh, Quinny, you deserved it. You looked so beautiful in that dress.' Please." I could tell that she was rolling her eyes. I didn't even have to look at her. "She said that with a wine glass in her hand."

There was a brief moment when the two of us just sat and reminisced in silence. Crickets could be heard. I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. I was still tired. But I wasn't going to kick her out. No. Right then, I wanted her to stay. If just for a bit longer. Because to be honest, I missed her.

Her smile.

Her laugh.

Her eyes.

Her bitter way of talking about her mom.

I chuckled. She gave me a confused glance. I only shook my head, cocking my head to the side as I looked at her. She was tired, too. From the bags under her eyes. But that didn't take away from her beauty. Damn her.

"So, you're staying in Lima." It wasn't a question. It was more a statement than ever. I was glad that her tone hadn't been judging. Because I was staying in Lima. University. I got a scholarship for football. Not like I had the money to go out of state, anyway. That much I knew. "…That doesn't make you a Lima loser."

"Yeah, then what does?"

"In order to be a Lima loser, you have to be a sick bastard." We both laughed. "You aren't that."

"I was."

"You were."

We reached an understanding then. No more words were spoken. And we smiled at each other. This was our goodbye. She kissed me. A light lip on lip action that I hadn't received in a while. Heck, Zizes tortured me for far too long. I mean, action is action, but damn. I had fallen hard for this girl. Quinn Fabray. My first love. But we were going our separate ways and the kiss was just a reminder of that.

She left my cabin after an hour. We talked some more. We laughed some more. We fell into comfortable silences some more. And once she was gone, a weight lifted from my shoulders. She had come up to me for a reason. I was that reason. In the end, the weight on both our shoulders felt lighter. Tolerable even. Maybe it was because for the first time in a while, we finally let our guards down. No shields. No nothing. Just us. Two high schoolers who graduated not two weeks before.

Our history should be written in books.

"Did you love me?"

"Yes. Especially now."