Puck's POV
Three days had passed since their encounter in the bathroom and he hadn't spoken to her since. In fact it looked like she was avoiding him at all costs.
Twice she'd skipped glee club just to escape being partnered with him and the other day when she'd seen him walking down the hallway towards her, she'd turned and gone back the other way. Not in the pathetic way like some of his slushy victims did, but in the way that said 'I cannot deal with you right now, so I'm going to pretend like you don't exist.'
This avoidance bothered him more than he thought it would. Sure, they hadn't exactly been best buds this past year but knowing that she couldn't even lay eyes on him without being filled with hatred really stung. Hell, he wasn't usually this much of a pussy but this was Quinn. This was his girl. And she was lost and lonely and wouldn't let him near her.
He decided to do something about it. Again.
He stood with his back to her locker before fifth period and watched her shoulders stiffen as she rounded the corner and caught sight of him. She didn't stop walking though. He knew she had calculus next; he also happened to know that her folder was still in her locker, which meant she would have no choice but interact with him.
He smiled a little, his plan was working.
Okay, that sounded evil. It wasn't a plan as such, he just wanted to talk to her but wasn't really sure how else to go about it. He wasn't Rachel Berry for Christ's sake, it's not like he was about to write her a freakin' song.
"You're in my way." She said abruptly, stopping directly in front of him.
"I know." He smirked, pleased that he had finally gotten her attention.
She sighed.
"Don't start, Puck. I'm not in the mood for your stupid games today." She rubbed a hand across her forehead, looking completely exhausted.
He felt bad for causing her even more problems than she obviously already had but he didn't know what else to do. But he did decide to play nice instead of wind her up, he didn't want her to have a complete meltdown right here like she looked like she was about to.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked softly, hoping that he might be able to get through to her if he gave her options.
She shook her head. "No. There's nothing to talk about." She put a hand on her hip.
"Quinn, both you and I know that's not true." He kept his voice low, all too aware of the hundred other kids in the corridor with them. He didn't want anyone thinking he'd lost his badassness.
"Noah." She almost pleaded. The use of his real name shocked him; no one ever used his real name. "I can't do this right now." He saw the tiniest glitter of moisture forming in her eyes and he'd never felt so guilty in all of his life. She chewed on her lip.
He sighed, defeated, and stepped aside out of her way.
"Thank you." She whispered so quietly he only just heard her.
"You know where I am if you need me, Q." He said with a sad smile and despite how much he wanted to stay he turned away, giving her what she wanted. He couldn't bear to do anything else to that girl, he was too afraid she might fall apart all together.
As he walked down the crowded hallway, he couldn't help but think he'd let her down again. Each time he tried to help, he bottled it right at the crucial moment and let her walk away all over again, as broken and as lonely as ever, just in case he upset her. How pathetic was that? Could he not see how sad she already was?
The only thing he wanted was for her to be happy again but he couldn't shake the feeling that every time he spoke to her, he ended up pushing her further and further away.
This was not part of the plan.
Quinn's POV
She leant back against her locker and watched him walk away, her hands shaking despite how much she told herself that he didn't mean anything to her.
But he did. He meant so much, and she was messing it up, all over again.
She couldn't help it though, it wasn't her fault. He was already on her back about the whole eating thing and she couldn't afford for him to find out anything else. He'd try and stop her and that wasn't what she wanted.
What she wanted was to be popular again. She was popular before Beth, back when she was slim and in shape. She'd get all that back, all the looks of lust and fear as she walked down the corridor, kids parting like the red sea if she could just get her body back.
She wouldn't take it too far, maybe a dress size smaller, just to piss Santana off (because she had apparently lost two pounds for the Cheerio's this week) and then once that was done, she'd stop. Go back to eating healthy.
But until then, food was out of the question.
She opened her locker with determination and grabbed her books for calculus, ignoring the pile of uneaten lunches and discarded breakfast bars that were slowly stacking up behind an old folder.
She made a mental note to dispose of them before anyone (Puck) found them before slamming her locker shut and stalking off in the direction of her calculus class.
Before she got there though, something caught her eye.
The familiar Cheerio's sign-up sheet was pinned to a nearby noticeboard and she stopped to take a closer look, an idea already forming in her mind.
Cheerio's meant exercise…
Exercise meant getting her body back…
Her old body meant…
Before she was even aware she'd made a decision, she found herself signing her name in the next available space.
She smiled to herself, all thoughts of Puck forgotten.
This was it. Quinn Fabray was coming back.
