CHAPTER TWO
Quinn exited the school library with her completed American history paper. She stayed late after school again to finish it and now she was ready to go home and just crash. It would seem that doing school work was more strenuous then cheerleading. She vowed to never wait till the last minute to write an essay again; she knew she would never keep to that vow though.
Quinn quickly made her way down the hallway. As she neared the Glee room the memories of what she saw yesterday came back to her. She quieted her steps as she drew closer to the entrance. The light was on again. As she stuck her head through the door she saw Rachel laying down across several chairs that had been pushed together. At first Quinn thought she might be sleeping, but when she heard a quiet sob escape from Rachel's lips she knew that wasn't the case.
Quinn felt pity welling up inside her. There was something wrong with Rachel. Quinn didn't know what it was, but whatever it was it didn't seem like something that she would just get over. Quinn glanced down the hallway towards the parking lot, then back at Rachel. With a small sigh she entered the class room.
Rachel's eyes were open but she was so lost in her own world that Quinn thought she could have line danced into the room without her noticing. Quinn stopped a few feet short of Rachel, not sure what to say. She peeked over her shoulder back at the door thinking it wasn't too late to just leave. But even as she considered that another blast of pity hit her and she turned back around to face the crying girl.
"Rachel?" Quinn said as softly as possible so as not to startle her. Rachel continued to lay there staring at the ceiling, Quinn's voice blocked out. "Rachel?" Quinn repeated a little louder. This time she got a response. Rachel shot up into a seated position with a look of pure terror on her face. As if Freddy Krueger had just jumped out at her. But as she calmed down and started to focus on the world around her her expression changed from terror to confusion.
"Quinn? What are you doing here?" Rachel said, her voice raspy from the crying she has been doing.
"I go to this school too. It's no stranger for me to be here then it is for you to be here," Quinn responded. Quinn regretted saying it the moment it left her lips. She thought she had come in here to help Rachel. If so then that wasn't a great start. "I saw you in here and came in to see what was going on."
Rachel paused for a moment before responding. "I was just practicing some songs."
"Must have been some pretty emotional songs if they had you breaking down into tears," Quinn said sarcastically.
Rachel's face became flush with embarrassment.
"I saw you here yesterday as well," Quinn continued. "I'm smart enough to see that somethings wrong."
"What do you care if something is wrong with me?" Rachel said quietly, directing the question at her feet.
"If I didn't care do you think I'd be in here right now? Look, I don't have all night to play Doctor Phil. Just tell me what the problem is. Maybe I can help." Quinn sat down next to Rachel as she finished.
"You can't help. You're part of the problem," Rachel said.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"What the hell did I do?" Quinn demanded. "I can't even remember the last time I did anything mean to you."
"It's not like that," Rachel said. "You didn't do anything."
Quinn wasn't sure if she should be angry or confused. "Can you just talk plainly, please? What is the problem?"
Rachel glanced back at the floor. She started smooth out her dress, using it as an excuse to think. After a few moments she looked back at Quinn.
"I don't have any friends," Rachel whispered.
"You don't have any friends? What are you talking about? What about everyone in Glee club?" Quinn said.
"They're not my friends," Rachel responded.
"How can you say that? Of course they're your friends."
"No they're not. If so then I've been greatly misinformed about what friends are suppose to act like. Are friends suppose to put you down every time they talk to you? Are friends suppose to act like you're just in the way every time they're all together? I don't think so," Rachel finished in a huff, her voice the loudest it had been up to this point.
"No, they're not," Quinn said thoughtfully. "But they're just having fun. They don't mean it. It doesn't mean they're not your friends."
"How do you know? With the way you've always treated me, anything better then that would seem like friendship."
Quinn flinched at Rachel's statement. She couldn't really argue it though. It was true, Quinn had never treated Rachel like anything more then a bothersome fly. Even after all this time working together in Glee club.
"Rachel, I..." Quinn wasn't able to finish before Rachel cut her off.
"Look, we both know you don't want to be here talking to me," Rachel said as she stood up. "let me make this easier for you." Rachel stormed out of the classroom.
Quinn just watched her go.
