Chapter 2! Tell me what you think.


Gwen was sitting in her dorm room, surrounded by text books. It was apparent that she had spent that past few hours surrounded by them, due to her messy ponytail and the zombified expression on her face. She was typing away madly on her laptop, occasionally looking down at one of the various books that were open on her bed. She stopped for a second, biting her nail, thinking of the perfect way to word her next sentence. She began typing again once she thought of the perfect combination of words to use, but was interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone. She groaned at the interruption before picking up her cellphone from her bedside table. Looking at the screen to see who was calling her, she smiled slightly before answering the call.

"Hey CareBear," Gwen answered shutting her laptop and standing from her bed to stretch her legs.

"Gwen! Finally! I've been calling you for the past three days!" Caroline shouted into the speaker.

Gwen chuckled. "Sorry. Life as a college student is busy. I've been trying to finish a paper for the past couple days. I was on the last paragraph before you distracted me," Gwen teased.

"Okay fine Miss 'I-Have-A-Cooler-Life-Than-You-Do.' I just want to know what day you're driving down here. So can you fill a sister in?" Caroline finished with a huff.

"I'm driving down on Wednesday, but I'm going to spend that with Dad. And then us girls are going out on Friday for Mom's birthday dinner, right?" Gwen questioned.

"By us girls you mean Mom, Hanna, you, and me, right?" Caroline questioned.

"Caroline….You invited Quinn right?" Gwen asked her sister in a stern tone.

"Yeah! I did. Well, I tried! But she blew me off before I could even ask!" The pitch in Caroline's voice heightened slightly as she tried to defend herself.

"Caroline…" Gwen forced out underneath a sigh.

"Look. I tried, Gwen. I did. She didn't want to hear it. If she wants to be all 'blah blah blah' then fine. I don't care. You try to change her mind if you really want her there because I'm done trying with her." Caroline paused for a second before talking in a breath and quietly continuing. "I'm tired of being shut down. She doesn't want a relationship with us…well me, Hanna, and Mom. But if you really want her there, you try to talk her into it."

"Care, Quinn's exterior is tough to crack, but once you do crack it, she's a great girl. I know you two don't really get along, but I hope one day that you guys can get past your problems," Gwen said carefully.

"Problems?" Caroline almost shouted in disbelief. "I don't have any problems with Quinn! She's the one that's being stubborn! She doesn't know the whole story, Gwen! You know why I ended up living with Mom, but she doesn't! And she won't listen. And she. She. Just- UGH!" Caroline gave up trying to form words. "Just do whatever. I don't care anymore!" With that, Caroline hung up the phone, leaving Gwen alone on the other end with a somewhat scared and puzzled expression on her face.

"Okay then…" Gwen said, putting her phone back down on the table and opening her laptop once more.


"So, I just don't know what to do. I like her. But I don't know if I like her like that. Do you know what I mean?" After a few seconds of silence, she continued. "Han! Are you listening to me?" Hanna was startled out of her daze by Emily shouting her name. The two had decided to go to The Grille after Emily had gotten her new phone from Santana. The two sat down at a booth and Emily started talking about her confusion over Paige right away. Hanna tuned it out, trying to protect herself from the feelings that she had kept hidden for so long.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm listening!" Hanna quickly said, shaking herself out of her own thoughts. "I think that if you like someone, you just know Em. It shouldn't be difficult," Hanna finished, almost speaking more to herself than to Emily. Hanna looked up to her best friend. Emily tilted her head slightly smiling at her friend, but not understanding where the seriousness of Hanna's answer had come from. Hanna smiled to herself before continuing, " Em, if you like someone, you should know it and feel it. And you should tell them, because it should be easy. And Emily, I-"

"Hey guys. Can I refill your drinks? Hanna, you look really pretty tonight." Of course. Hanna would get so far, almost admitting her feelings to her best friend, only to be interrupted by Jeremy coming up to their booth. Hanna let out a sigh before looking up to him, giving him a small smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Thanks Jer. Actually, I think I'm good for tonight. What about you Em?" Hanna asked her friend, still cursing the fact that Jeremy interrupted her. She doubted that she would work up the courage to confess her feelings to Emily again anytime soon. Emily smiled to the boy.

"I'm good for tonight too. Thanks though, Jeremy." Jeremy nodded his head to the girls, before he started to wring his hands together nervously.

"Alright. Um…Hanna…I've been meaning to ask you. Um…have you thought about what I asked you at all?" He asked sheepishly, looking down at his feet, and then slightly bringing his eyes up to look at her in a shy way. Hanna had to be honest, he was cute. Any girl would be lucky to have him, but it wouldn't be fair to string him along like that while she had feelings for someone else. Someone who was sitting right across from her. Hanna had been friends with Jeremy her whole life. She really couldn't see herself liking him as anything other than a friend, or a brother. She took a deep breath before meeting his nervous gaze.

"Jer…I…um…I don't think…Jeremy, I don't like you like that. I don't want to mess up our friendship. I'm sorry." Jeremy's face crumpled into a frown. He looked down at his feet awkwardly before answering.

"Yeah…Um okay. Uh.." With that he quickly walked back away to the other side of the establishment. Hanna dropped her head into her hands, leaning over the table.

"Han, you did the right thing. You can't just make feelings appear out of thin air," Emily comforted her best friend, placing a hand on Hanna's forearm. Hanna lifted her head from her hands, glancing down at the hand that occupied a space on her arm, before glancing back up at Emily. She swallowed as Emily retracted her hand, silently wishing that she could maintain the contact. The blonde nodded her head.

"I know. It's just hard. I didn't want to hurt him…" Hanna trailed off, chewing her bottom lip slightly.

"Yeah, but guess what! You taught me a lesson. Don't settle for someone that you're not completely into. Hanna Forbes, you're a genius and you don't even know it!" Emily said with a smirk, throwing some money down on the table before jumping up and pulling Hanna up out of the booth. The two walked out of The Grille with their arms looped in a friendly manner, and Hanna wondered what conclusion Emily had made on her own feelings towards Paige.


Quinn was laying on her couch, against Matt's chest watching a made-for-tv movie that the couple had settled for after they had flipped through countless channels trying to find something to watch. This is what Quinn loved about her relationship, it was so easy. They didn't have to force anything, she didn't have to put on her HBIC act for him, they could sit in a comfortable silence and she could just be herself. She was glad that she found someone that she could feel comfortable, and even safe with. She was in love with Matt and had no doubts in her mind that they were forever, as cheesy as it sounded. Quinn was pulled from her thoughts by her phone ringing. She looked up at her boyfriend apologetically, receiving an understanding smile and a peck on the lips, before she sat up and leaned over to the coffee table to answer her phone.

"Hello Gwen. Is it important. I'm with Matt," Quinn said in an even voice. She heard her sister sigh on the other end. She turned back over to Matt, giving him a kiss on the lips. "I'll be right back." With that, she made her way to the kitchen so she could have a more private conversation with her sister. "What Gwen?" She asked exasperated.

"Caroline told me what happened today," Gwen said in a steady voice. Quinn let out a dark chuckle.

"Oh wow. Caroline doesn't get what she wants so she goes and whines to her big sister. That's great."

"Actually Quinn, Caroline is tired of trying, but I want you there. So I am going to ask nicely. Will you go out to dinner with your mom and sisters?" Gwen explained, before asking her sister. Quinn sighed and rubbed her face before she answered.

"Gwen, I just. I don't know, Gwen! I don't care about them, okay!" Quinn finished a bit louder than she had previously intended. Gwen sighed sadly.

"Quinn, don't say that. That's our family. Don't you remember how everything was…before? It was Dad's decision to leave…They didn't make that decision, he did..." Gwen trailed off quietly.

"But it was their decision to leave me." Quinn answered quickly. Gwen shook her head on the other end of the line.

"You don't know how wrong you are on that, Quinn." Gwen quietly finished before hanging up on her sister, leaving Quinn confused about what she was so wrong about.


Caroline was still pacing in her room after getting off of the phone with Gwen. She was fuming. She didn't understand how it was possible that one person could bring out this much anger, especially when she could still remember how much joy that was shared between the two of them when they were younger. Caroline closed her eyes and took a couple of calming breaths before leaving her room. She walked down to the kitchen, realizing that her sister had returned home from her outing with Emily. Hanna hadn't heard her sister walk into the kitchen and was currently sitting at the island with her back to Caroline. Caroline quietly snuck up behind her sister before putting her hands on either side of Hanna, quickly pressing her hands slightly above Hanna's hips and giving her a slight jolt. Hanna jumped and whipped around.

"Care! Oh my God! Don't do that!" Hanna yelled, playfully shoving her sister, which caused Caroline to laugh.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Caroline said with a sheepish grin before she pulled out the stool next to her sister to sit. Hanna looked down at the counter, slightly grinning, but it didn't quite meet her eyes, which Caroline immediately caught. "What's wrong little one?" Caroline asked worriedly. Hanna shook her head slightly before she raised her eyes to meet her sister's gaze.

"It's complicated," Hanna offered with a slight shrug of her shoulders, dropping her gaze once more. Caroline's brow furrowed. All of the Forbes girls were happy girls, but even they had days where they couldn't put on a peppy front.

"Well, maybe I can help make it uncomplicated." Caroline softly put her hand under her sister's chin and lifted her head so that she could look into Hanna's eyes, offering her a reassuring smile. "Talk to me Han."

"Caroline, honestly…I don't. Just…It's hard to explain." Hanna said, trying to get out of having to tell her sister what was really bothering her. Caroline just stared at her sister, showing her resolve face, which meant that she wouldn't drop it until Hanna told her what was bothering her. Hanna sighed before she quietly continued. "I'm scared…" Caroline furrowed her her brow at her sister's revelation.

"Hanna, why are you scared Sweetie?" Caroline softly asked while she took hold of Hanna's hand. Hanna looked down at their joined hands before she mumbled out her response.

"I'm scared that everyone will look at me differently if I say it out loud," Hanna looked up at Caroline before she continued, "Everything will be completely different, Care. Everything…" She looked back down as she trailed off.

"Hanna, I will never look at you any differently than I do now. You don't have to be scared to tell me anything. I promise," Caroline assured her younger sister, giving her hand a slight squeeze. Hanna took a deep breath, intending to tell her sister everything, but was interrupted by her phone buzzing on the counter. She took a quick look at the screen to see who was calling her, which upon seeing who it was, caused her to frown in confusion.

"It's Quinn…" Hanna said in confusion. "Why is she calling me?"

"Just answer it. Way to ruin the moment Quinn…" Caroline trailed off, letting go of Hanna's hand and sitting back in the stool. Hanna picked up her phone and hesitated for a moment before answering it.

"Hello?" Hanna answered in a small voice.

"Hi Hanna. Um…I just wanted to let you know that I will be coming to the dinner on Friday with Gwen. I hope that is still okay…" Quinn trailed off in a nervous voice. Caroline stared at Hanna, dying to know what was being said on the other end of the phone. Hanna paused for a second before answering.

"Um…yeah! Of course! I'm sure Mom will be so happy that you'll be there. But…um…don't you want to talk to Caroline about this instead of me?" Hanna asked in slight confusion, due to the fact that Quinn had called her when it was Caroline that had initially invited her to the dinner.

"Well, I just thought that it'd be easier to talk to you instead. There are things that I will want to talk about on Friday though…Gwen said something to me, and it put some questions in my head. So you all should be prepared to answer them. Have a good night, Hanna." With that, Quinn hung up the phone, not even giving Hanna a chance to say a proper goodbye. Hanna hesitantly took the phone away from her ear before setting it back on the counter and looking at the Forbes sister who was sitting next to her, impatiently waiting for answers.

"That was Quinn….She's coming to the dinner…" Hanna trailed off. Caroline's face transformed into a look of shock.

"What? How did that happen? What changed her mind? Why didn't she call me? Why would she want to come now?" Caroline bombarded her sister with questions.

"She said something about talking to Gwen….and how she had questions that needed to be answered….and I guess I'm just the easier sister to talk to." Hanna teased her sister.

"Han! I am so easy to talk to!" Caroline shrieked, following her sister as Hanna jumped off of the barstool and ran for the stairs

"Uh huh. Sure. About as easy to talk to as a wall!" Hanna yelled over her shoulder to her sister with a giggle as she ran up the stairs, happy that she could temporarily forget about her problems and not have to worry about telling anyone else about them just yet, even Caroline.


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