Authors Note: Oneshot ideas are hitting me so I will just keep writing them.
She was losing her mind, she was sure of it. She just exchanged few words with Jewfro, willingly. What's next? Having lunch with Pimple Peter? Absolutely not.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't the word exchange, but more of a short answer. 'How was your day this far, Rachel?' 'Great.' And then Jewfro probably jeezed in his pants because the look on his face was purely ecstatic. Not that Rachel blamed him or anything, that was the first time in three and a half years of passing by each other on daily basis that Rachel actually acknowledged him and not insulted him.
Santana was going to kill her.
It wasn't her fault, really. She couldn't control her emotions. She couldn't help the disappointed she felt every time that her fathers called her home and said that they won't be able to make it home for another week. She couldn't help but cry when she didn't see them in three months.
But it was not acceptable to let your personal problems ruin your school persona and she knew this.
Just two more months.
Two more months and she is out of this shit hole of town.
Only if she could find her damn iPhone case before that, that would be simply marvelous.
''Unbelievable.'' She murmured under her breath and rested her head on the locker, cursing this whole day. If she could just take a day off from school…
''Looking for this?'' She heard a faint crashing sound to her right, announcing that someone leaned on the lockers. And by the huskiness of the voice, she didn't have to look up to know who it was.
Quinn Fabray. School's resident punk. And just when she thought her day couldn't possibly go any worse.
''What do you want, Quinn? I'm really not in the mood for…'' Her voice trailed off when she realized what Quinn had in her hand. ''Where did you get that?'' She asked while reaching out to take the iPhone case.
''Tsk tsk tsk.'' Quinn mocked her and raised her hand so Rachel wasn't able to catch it. Sometimes she hated her smaller posture. ''I don't think so.''
''Quinn Fabray! I will let you know that that case is a private property and I can easily get you in jail for stealing it!''
Quinn's eyes went wide and her jaw fell open. Got you, Rachel thought. Then Quinn raised both of her hands in surrender and took a step back. There was no sign of her case. ''You have no evidence Rachel Berry.''
Rachel eyed Quinn warily. Her eyes were shining and there was a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She would have none of it.
Quinn rolled her eyes, but now there was a smirk on her face. Rachel hated it. And she hated her.
''Shall we make a deal, Berry?'' Quinn asked getting closer again and raising her eyebrow in question.
''I'm not giving you money so you could buy those cancer sticks and kill yourself.''
''Are you worried about me?''
''I'm not writing your homework either.''
''No, wait, are you actually worried about my health?''
''And I'm most definitely not sharing with you the address of the former crack house, that was a onetime accident and it will never happen again.''
''…you went to a crack house? For real?''
''I don't have time for this. I demand you give me my iPhone case back this instant.''
''Simmer down Rachel. I didn't even offer you a deal yet.''
''It's…it's nothing from the above?''
''No, I do not need an address of the crack house, thank you.''
Rachel refused to blush. ''I'm not offering any kinds of sexual services.''
''God, just…just shut up for a second, will you?'' Quinn blurted out and held Rachel's gaze, making sure that she did as she instructed. When she started to speak again, blush from her neck was almost completely gone. ''I need you to sing.'
Rachel stared.
Quinn stared back.
''You…want me to sing?'' Rachel checked, making sure that she wasn't hearing things.
''Yes.''
''Well, I-I mean, of course, although I can't really say that hallway has a perfect acoustics for singing or even the right atmosphere, but…''
Quinn rolled her eyes. ''Not here, you idiot.'' She reached in her black Converse backpack and took out the piece of paper and the pen from it, quickly scribbling something down. She offered the small paper to Rachel. ''Meet me here at seven tonight. I will tell you what I have in mind and I will have your case. If you won't be willing to do it, you take your case and had back home and we can pretend as nothing ever happened. If you end up agreeing, then…well, then you sing Berry.''
''I will not be in need of your car services today after cheerios, S.''
''God, can't just say you won't need a ride. You are in high school, Berry, act like it.''
''Do I need to make another presentation about why is the use of extended vocabulary good in every aspect of your life?''
''…no.''
''That's sealed then. Just don't wait for me today.''
''You going somewhere?''
''Yes.''
''Where? With whom? Please just tell me it's not Finnonce again.''
''Of course not. That ship has sailed months ago.''
''Puckerman?''
''I don't need to catch syphilis Santana.''
''If it's somebody from hockey team I'm cleaning my hands of off you.''
''It's not. We have to go now or we will be late for practice.''
''But…''
''If you think getting information out of me is hard, try being late for practice!''
''Ugh.''
There was this tiny little obstacle that Rachel had overseen before.
She didn't have a car.
She just hopped that after half an hour of figuring out how to get to the address with public transport she won't end up in some kind of brothel. Or underground club filled with junkies. She wouldn't be that surprised, to be honest.
What did surprise her tough, was Quinn Fabray in her leather jacket, skin tight jeans and red bandana in her hair with cigarette between her lips leaned against the car, waiting for her.
She looked around the parking lot just to make sure that nobody else was there. She could almost feel Quinn rolling eyes at her.
As she approached, Quinn flicked the butt of her cigarette and circled the car, opening the passenger door for Rachel.
Rachel got in without a word.
It didn't last long tough, as soon as Quinn was seated she couldn't help but ask. ''Why did you wait for me? School was over two hours ago.''
''Two and a half hours ago. You took forever to get out.'' Quinn said as she drove the car out of the parking lot, her eyes glued to the road.
''I was trying to figure out how to get to that address you gave me with public transportation. However, that doesn't answer my question.'' She looked expectantly at Quinn.
Quinn frowned. ''What question?''
''Quinn.''
''Rachel.''
Rachel sighted. This was going to be harder then she thought. ''Well, thank you anyway.''
Quinn shrugged, but Rachel could see the small smile playing on her lips.
For some reason, it made Rachel smile too.
It turns out Quinn wanted them to join a music competition. It took Rachel exactly two minutes to agree.
''Simmer down Rachel Berry, I may start thinking you actually want to spend more time with me.''
Rachel was so excited that she didn't even argue with that.
They decided to practice every day at 6 o'clock at Rachel's basement because it had appropriate acoustics and equipment. Quinn would play guitar and sing back vocals while Rachel would, of course, sing the lead.
The winner would get a quite big money prize that they agreed on sharing fifty fifty. When Rachel asked Quinn why she wanted so badly to win that competition that she went as far as to steal Rachel's iPhone case in order to get her to sing with her, Quinn just shrugged.
''I'm bored.''
''You are liar.''
Quinn rolled her eyes. ''I'm not about to share my secrets with you Rachel, we are just singing together, that's it.''
Rachel ignored the hurt that rose in her body, tho she couldn't figure out why would she even feel it. Quinn was right. They weren't friends. ''So you admit that there is a secret?''
''I want money for…how did you put it…To buy cancer stick and kill myself?''
Their deal worked surprisingly well. Every day after school and cheerios practice, they would meet up at Rachel's basement and, how Quinn liked to call it, jam. The hardest part was agreeing on which two songs they will sing. Rachel wanted show tunes while Quinn wanted rock. It took them two days, lot of yelling and almost cancellation of the whole thing before they decided to compromise.
They would practice for about hour and a half with few short breaks. After that, Quinn would sit on the old couch in the corner of the room, take out her books, order take out and do her homework. Rachel would sit on the other end of the couch and tell Quinn what kind of vegan food she would like and work on her Glee songs list.
They didn't talk much, but it wasn't awkward either. It was nice to just…have someone there while doing usual stuff. They still ignored each other in the school and they still didn't call each other friends, but Rachel learned that Quinn couldn't resist but hum under her breath every time Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin would start playing on her iPod and that she would blush, but try to hide it every time Rachel would catch her. She learned that Quinn's favorite food is bacon, her favorite color is baby blue and that every time she didn't understand some question from textbook, she would chew on the top of her pen and furrow her brows in confusion. Quinn learned that Rachel liked to watch her while she hummed along Sinatra, that her favorite musical was actually Wicked and that sometimes she hated that she needs to be mean at school. She also learned that Rachel had odd fascination with her glasses that she would wear when her eyes got too tired from wearing contacts all the time.
There were some things that both girls noticed about each other, but never asked about it. Like, why Rachel's fathers were never home and why Quinn wouldn't go home until after ten, even though they finished everything long time ago.
They also didn't talk about how lately they would sit closer to each other and how sometimes, Quinn's hand would brush along Rachel's or how Rachel would sometimes hug Quinn around her waist when they practiced.
When they started eating lunch at school together, neither of them was surprised, not really.
''I can't believe you are actually hanging out with RuPaul now.''
''Her name is Rachel Mack, seriously, it's not that hard to remember it.''
''I don't care what's her name Fabray, but I do care that you are hanging out with her.''
''And I don't see why, it's none of your business.''
''You started blowing us constantly, we hardly even see you anymore!''
''What, are you jealous?''
''Fuck you, Fabray. What happened to you? I mean, it's been days since you light up a cigarette. Either you get your act together, or you are out. ''
''Fine. Like I need you anyway.''
''I can't believe you are actually hanging out with Fabray now.''
''We are practicing for that competition Santana, I already told you that.''
''Sure you are. You do that over lunch too? It's not enough that she comes over to your place every day?''
''I can eat my lunch with whomever I want to.''
''I'm just worried about you. That Idiot Mac. Jerk is probably just trying to fish her way into your pants…''
''Don't call her that!''
''…and will probably run away with all that money as soon as you win it for her.''
''I'll have you know that without her I wouldn't sound as half as good as I sound with her. She would also never do that.''
''And I heard that part of being a Skank is promising to never use a soap again. How can you even stand next to her?''
''Quinn smells lovely.''
Quinn missed their practice two times in a row and Rachel couldn't find her in school either, so it was safe to say that she was getting worried.
She considered visiting her at home, but she realized that she doesn't have her address. She tried calling and texting, but the response never came.
She was at the basement, playing few chords that Quinn taught her how on Quinn's guitar when she heard the back door opening. She started to panic, but her heart started beating faster for completely other reason when she caught the glimpse of pink hair.
Quinn slumped down on the couch, her head falling backwards, her eyes closed. It was only then that Rachel saw the dark bruise under her right eye and the cut at the corner of her bottom lip.
She was by her side instantly.
She slid her finger along Quinn's lip and Quinn winced slightly, so she didn't continue.
''What happened?'' She asked softly, her voice low and full of concern.
Quinn took a deep breath and opened her eyes, reaching in her pocket for box of cigarettes. Rachel didn't try to stop her. Few more minutes passed as Quinn rapidly breathed in and blew out smoke and Rachel would be mesmerized by the fullness of her lip if she could think about anything else then the cut on them.
Quinn swallowed. ''My father.'' She said so quietly that Rachel had to lean in to hear her. She tried to cover the gasp that left her lips with a cough. It didn't work.
''Does…does that happen often?''
Quinn nodded slightly and sniffled and Rachel saw that her eyes are full of tears. ''Oh, Quinn…'' She wrapped her hands around the other girl and pulled her tightly to herself without even thinking about it. Quinn hugged her back with so much force that Rachel fell backwards on the couch.
Later that night when Quinn was sleeping soundly in her arms, Rachel thought that she never felt more important in her life.
''I need it for college.'' Quinn rushed out while they were backstage, five minutes until it was their turn.
Rachel looked up at her.
''The money. I need it for college.'' Quinn explained. ''My um, my grandfather left money for it on my account because my father refused to pay for any of it, and it will cover up the expenses for college along with some scholarships I got, but I still need some more to afford living in New York. I got in NYU.''
Rachel started to laugh loudly, happily, because Quinn was going to New York. She will be with her. They could even be roommates. She couldn't help but hug Quinn then and she could feel Quinn smiling against her neck.
''We will win Quinn, you have nothing to worry about. We will do it together.''
And they did win, of course.
Quinn kissed Rachel later that day when she came to pick up her guitar and they both found out that couch was much more comfortable for making out than for writing homework.
Quinn had never kissed anyone that would cause her body to hum before.
Once upon time, Rachel had thought that she was in love with Finn, but then Quinn showed her the light.
Two days, one date and a musical later, Quinn officially had girlfriend.
Few years later, with a ring on her finger, Rachel realized that she could have easily bought another iPhone case for two dollars.
She couldn't be happier that she didn't.
Authors Note: Anybody interested in being my beta? Maybe?
