Chapter 2 – Movin' Out
Quinn's jaw dropped the moment she walked into Rachel Berry's apartment. She had been impressed enough when she saw where it was located, but then she'd been greeted by a doorman. She'd hesitated for a moment, still worried it was some sort of prank, but he had been expecting her and had directed her to the apartment, where Rachel had opened the door before she could even knock. Rachel had greeted her with a wide smile and a cheerful 'hello' before inviting her into the apartment.
"May I take your coat?" Rachel asked.
Quinn pulled off her coat and scarf and handed them over to Rachel with a, "Thanks."
"I'll give you a quick tour," Rachel said as she walked forward, looking over her shoulder at Quinn. "Make sure you watch your step."
Quinn was so caught up looking around at the apartment that she would have missed the step if Rachel hadn't mentioned it. She gave her grateful smile as she stepped down and followed Rachel toward the living room. The apartment was huge—enormous by New York City standards—and Quinn instantly loved it. The living room and kitchen were both open, divided by a dining room table, and were probably twice the size of the apartment she currently shared with Brittany and Santana.
"So, what do you think?" Rachel asked.
"It's amazing," Quinn replied.
"I know, isn't it?" Rachel said with a smile. "My fathers bought it for me right after I received my acceptance letter from NYADA."
"They bought it for you?" Quinn asked.
"Yes, it was a wonderful surprise," Rachel replied.
"I can imagine," Quinn remarked
"This is the living room," Rachel said, motioning around. "It has the best acoustics, so I usually perform my vocal exercises in here." Rachel walked toward the large window. "And over here is where I practice dancing. The school has several open dance studios, but they're usually crowded, so it's usually easier to focus here.
"And as you can see, the kitchen is over there. All of the appliances were purchased when I moved in, so they're all fairly new and work perfectly. The laundry room is over there." Rachel pointed to a door next to the kitchen. "I do my laundry Sunday morning, so hopefully that wouldn't be a problem for you."
"Uh, no, that's fine," Quinn replied.
"Good," Rachel said, smiling as she moved on to the next door. "This is one of the bathrooms. The other is in the master bedroom, which is obviously my room. This is the one people use when I have guests over, so you would be sharing, but you would mostly have it to yourself."
"I've been sharing a bathroom with two other girls, one of who takes an hour to get ready every morning, so that wouldn't be a problem," Quinn replied.
"Wonderful!" Rachel said. "Well, this over here would be your room."
Rachel opened the door and Quinn's jaw dropped once again. The bedroom was three times as big as her current one and was relatively empty except for a few pieces of furniture.
"My last roommate moved out only a few days ago, but don't worry, I've had a professional come and clean it from top to bottom," Rachel said.
"Why did they move?" Quinn asked.
"I suppose I should explain the terms of living here before we go any further," Rachel said.
"Okay," Quinn replied, furrowing her brows as she followed the brunette into the living room.
"I imagine you're wondering why I don't charge rent?" Rachel said as she sat down on the couch while Quinn opted for the loveseat. "As a performer, it is important to get life experience, so I allow someone to live here with me for six months, rent free, in order to get to know people from a variety of different backgrounds. That way, when I'm preparing for a role, I can use these different backgrounds and perspectives to understand my character a little better."
"So it's just for six months?" Quinn said.
"Yes," Rachel replied. "Normally, I would have chosen a new roommate by the beginning of the year, but I'm afraid I was a bit busy visiting my fathers in Paris. If you were chosen, you would have to move by July first."
Quinn nodded. "That would be fine."
"Great!" Rachel said, grabbing a clipboard from the coffee table. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a few questions, which will allow me to choose the best applicant. It's just a quick fifty questions and then I can show you around the apartment a little more if you would like."
Quinn's eyebrows rose. "Fifty questions?"
"Actually, fifty-six; I added a few this morning. Is that going to be a problem?" Rachel asked, uncapping her pen, and looking over at Quinn.
"No," Quinn said before putting on a fake smile. "That's not a problem."
"What do you think?"
"It's nice," Quinn replied.
As Quinn looked around the room, she could feel the man's eyes on her the whole time. The bedroom was nice—a bit bigger than her current one—and it had a bathroom attached. It was definitely better than the first apartment she looked at, but nowhere as nice as the second apartment. Still, it wasn't bad.
That is if she didn't mind living with a guy who had been leering at her the whole time she was there.
From the moment he'd opened the door, she'd immediately gotten a creepy vibe from the guy. And as time went on, she became more and more weary of him. He kept standing a little too close for her comfort, and she was fairly certain she'd caught him looking at her butt. It was nothing she wasn't used to, but to live with someone like that was a different matter. Plus, she knew her parents would never be okay with her living with a guy. Regardless, she'd taken a look at the apartment as to not be completely rude.
"Well, I've showed you everything," he said, once again stepping too close. "Do you think you'll want it?"
"I'm going to think about it," Quinn replied. "I still have several apartments I'd like to look at, and I'm waiting to hear back on another. Thank you for the tour."
"Are you sure?" he asked. "The rent is negotiable."
"I'll definitely think about it," Quinn lied.
Quinn turned on her heel and began walking toward the front door as he followed her. She got to the door before he could catch up to her, and she threw a quick 'thank you' over her shoulder. And even as she walked down the hallway, she could feel his eyes on her backside the whole time.
When she finally made it out of the building, she couldn't help letting out a sigh. Partly from relief and partly from annoyance. She hated that she'd wasted her time again. There hadn't been a phone number to contact about the apartment; only a name and an email address. And since the guy's name was Cameron, she hadn't been able to tell if the person was male or female. She was guessing that was his intent, though.
As she walked down the street, she pulled her phone out of her coat. There were no messages, missed calls, or voicemails, so she slid it back into her pocket with a sigh. She hadn't heard back from three of the places she'd called about or from Rachel, who said she would give it some consideration and get back to her soon.
The interview had been weird, to say the least. Quinn couldn't remember the last time she'd answered so many questions about herself, and it had taken at least two hours to get through all of them. Some of them were simply like what time she usually went to bed and woke up, but some were a little more off the wall. Rachel had seemed particularly interested in her musical preferences and her opinion on Barbra Streisand, which Quinn found more than a little odd.
As odd as it all was, though, Quinn would live there if she was given the chance. Not only was the apartment spectacular, but it was completely free. Yes, it was only for six months, but at least it would give her more time to find a new place and she wouldn't have to live with Santana while doing it. It was win-win for her. The only downside she could really see was that she would have to live with Rachel.
As the interview had gone on, she'd found herself easily annoyed by the brunette. She'd never met anyone who could talk so much—most of it about herself—or someone who was quite so conceited. And that was saying something considering she'd lived with Santana the past two and a half years. Rachel was beyond full of herself, and Quinn had to stop herself from rolling her eyes every time the other girl mentioned how she was going to be a huge Broadway star one day.
Quinn was nearly to her apartment when she decided to stop at the Starbucks. She'd been up late packing and had gotten up early to look at the apartment, so she definitely needed some caffeine if she was going to make it through the rest of the day without a nap. And she knew she would never be able to take one with Santana in the apartment. Not when she was doing her best to be even more obnoxious than usual.
She just hoped that wouldn't be a problem for much longer.
"How was the apartment?" Brittany asked from the couch as soon as Quinn opened the door.
"The apartment was fine, but the guy who lives there wouldn't stop staring at me," Quinn replied as she shut the door and began pulling her gloves off.
"When are you moving in?" Santana asked.
Quinn rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored the question.
"Did that Rachel girl call?" Brittany asked.
"Not yet," Quinn replied as she hung up her coat.
"I hope she calls," Brittany said. "It sounded really awesome."
"What sounded really awesome?" Santana asked.
"Nothing," Quinn replied before Brittany could answer.
"Just an apartment she looked at," Brittany said.
"I'm going to go pack some more," Quinn said, heading for her bedroom, so she didn't have to be in the same room as Santana.
Brittany jumped off the couch and said, "I'll help."
"She can do it herself," Santana replied.
"It's okay, Brittany," Quinn said over her shoulder.
As Quinn walked into her room, she could hear Brittany chastising her girlfriend in the living room. She knew it wouldn't do any good—Santana would never change or apologize—yet Quinn couldn't help but smirk a little. If there was anyone Santana couldn't stand being mad at her, it was Brittany. Not that she wanted her friends to break up or anything, but Brittany being angry with Santana was the worst punishment Quinn could think of, and Santana certainly deserved it right now.
"Where are you going?" Brittany yelled in the other room.
Quinn's door was pulled open and Santana walked in with her arms crossed over her chest. "When are you leaving?"
"As soon as I find a place," Quinn replied.
"Make it soon," Santana said, narrowing her eyes slightly as she turned and marched back into the living room.
Brittany threw her hands up, obviously exasperated. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Quinn replied as she walked to the door and shut it.
"I don't know why she's being like this," Brittany said, shaking her head.
"It doesn't matter," Quinn replied.
She hated that Santana was going to get what she wanted, but it was better than the alternative. So, even if Santana was going to get exactly what she wanted, Quinn didn't have much choice. Although, she really did hate that Santana was going to get her way.
"What are you going to pack?" Brittany asked.
"Only the clothes are left," Quinn replied.
Brittany nodded and walked over to the closet, opening the door. "Which ones?"
"I'm not sure," Quinn answered. "I was going to go through them and decide."
"Okay, you can do that and then give them to me and I'll put them in—" Brittany looked around.
"There's a suitcase in the back of the closet," Quinn said.
"Got it," Brittany said, moving the clothes aside, and dragging it out.
As Brittany set the suitcase on the bed, Quinn walked over to the closet. She had no idea how long it would take her to find an apartment, so she didn't really know what she should pack and what she should leave in the closet.
"I think someone's calling," Brittany said.
"What?" Quinn asked, looking over her shoulder.
"It doesn't have a name," Brittany said, holding the phone out for her.
Quinn quickly accepted the call and said, "Hello?"
"Hi, Quinn, it's Rachel Berry," the woman said.
"Oh, hey, Rachel," Quinn replied.
"I thought I would call you first and let you know that I have made my decision," Rachel said, pausing for what Quinn could only assume was dramatic effect. "Out of all the candidates, I have decided to offer you the chance to move in."
"Really?" Quinn asked.
"Yes, really," Rachel replied. "It was a tough decision, but I feel as if I could learn the most from you. So, if you're still interested, the room is yours."
"What's she saying?" Brittany asked.
"Yeah, that would be great," Quinn said.
"Perfect!" Rachel replied. "I have to run right now, but I'll call you in a few hours with some of the details.
"Okay," Quinn said, furrowing her brows.
"We're going to have a lot of fun!" Rachel said. "I just know it! Goodbye, Quinn."
"Bye," Quinn replied.
"Well?" Brittany asked.
"She asked if I wanted to move in," Quinn replied.
"So you're going to?" Brittany asked.
"Yeah," Quinn replied. "I'm going to move in."
"Does this mean you're leaving today?" Brittany asked, her shoulders slumping.
"I don't know," Quinn answered. "She's going to call me later."
Brittany nodded and then walked over and wrapped her arms around Quinn's shoulders. "Will you at least be here tonight? We could have a slumber party before you go."
Quinn lightly laughed and said, "Yeah. We can do that."
"Awesome!" Brittany said, squeezing her tightly before finally releasing her. "I'll grab the pizza menu, because it can't be a slumber party without pizza."
"No, it can't," Quinn replied, smiling at her friend.
"Do you want another piece?" Brittany asked.
"No, thanks," Quinn replied.
"More for me!" Brittany said, grabbing two pieces of pizza, and putting them on her plate. "Hey, do you think maybe we can watch a movie when you're done?"
"Yeah, sure," Quinn replied as she folded up a skirt, and placed it into a box.
"I can't believe you're moving tomorrow," Brittany said.
"You keep saying that," Quinn replied, looking over her shoulder, and smiling softly at her friend.
"I know, but, like, it's always been you, me, and San," Brittany said. "I thought we'd all live together 'til San and I got married or something, or maybe when you graduated, but not now. I know you have to go, but that doesn't mean I can't be sad about it."
"I'm not asking you to not be sad," Quinn replied, walking over, and sitting down next to Brittany.
"Good," Brittany said, nudging Quinn's shoulder. "Because my best friend is moving tomorrow and I'll be sad no matter what."
Quinn sighed as she averted her eyes from Brittany's and glanced around the room. Almost everything was packed except for a few clothes that were still hanging in the closet, the sheets on her bed, and few odds and ends and her toiletries.
"Is something wrong?" Brittany asked.
"I think it just hit me," Quinn replied. "This is the last night I'm going to sleep here."
As much as Quinn hated living with Santana and would glad to be away from her, part of her was sad that this was her last night there. She'd felt more at home in that room than she ever had at her parents' house. It was small, had a terrible view, and she could hear everything going on next door, but it had been her home for the last two and a half years.
Quinn looked over at her friend. "Has Santana already decided what she's going to do with the room when I'm gone?"
Brittany shrugged. "She hasn't said."
"Have you told yet?" Quinn asked.
"No," Brittany replied.
"Why not?" Quinn wondered.
"Because she'll be happy about it and I don't want her to be," Brittany replied.
"I think the rest of this can wait until tomorrow," Quinn said, standing up. "Why don't we go watch that movie?"
Brittany smiled. "What do you want to watch?"
Quinn shrugged and said, "You pick."
"How about Coyote Ugly," Brittany suggested.
"Isn't that what we watched our first night here?" Quinn asked.
"Yep," Brittany replied.
"I think that's the perfect movie, then," Quinn said with a smile.
Quinn remembered their first night in the apartment very well. They had no furniture, so they all sat in the floor and watched the movie on Santana's laptop. The movie had been Brittany's idea, and the rest had agreed that it was an appropriate movie for their first night in New York City.
"Do you want to watch it in living room or in here?" Brittany asked.
"Why don't we watch in here," Quinn said, walking over, and picking up her laptop from the desk.
She knew they would probably be more comfortable on the couch, but she really didn't want Santana ruining her night. So, she handed the laptop to Brittany and said, "Start it and I'll go make the popcorn."
"Don't forget the cheese stuff," Brittany said as Quinn began walking away.
Quinn opened the door and said, "I won't."
Santana looked over her shoulder the moment Quinn walked out of her room. A moment later, the TV shut off and Quinn rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. She knew Santana would be in there any moment, and sure enough, she heard her footsteps on the linoleum a few moments later.
"Done packing, yet?" Santana asked.
"Almost," Quinn replied.
"Good," Santana said. "So, when are you moving?"
Quinn sighed and grabbed a bag of popcorn from the cabinet, throwing it into the microwave before finally saying, "Tomorrow."
"What?" Santana asked.
"I'm moving tomorrow," Quinn repeated, glancing over her shoulder at Santana, who seemed momentarily speechless. "The moving truck is going to be here at eight."
Rachel had asked her how she was going to move her belonging across town, but before she could answer, the brunette had already offered to have a moving truck there in the morning. Since Quinn didn't really know how she was going to move her stuff to the new apartment, she'd accepted Rachel's offer. She figured it would be better than her and Brittany carrying it all down since she knew Santana would never help.
"Good," Santana finally replied.
"Yeah," Quinn said as the popcorn began to pop.
"Just don't wake me up tomorrow," Santana said, slowly turning, and walking away.
Quinn shook her head to herself and sighed. Given Santana's attitude lately, she really hadn't expected her to react any other way, but it still stung a little, though she would never admit it aloud.
Before Quinn could even knock, the door flew open and Rachel was standing there with a smile on her face. Considering she'd made very little noise from the elevator to the door, Quinn could only assume she'd been standing there waiting for her, which she found a little weird.
"You're here!" Rachel said. "Great!"
"Yeah," Quinn replied, walking into the apartment when Rachel stepped to the side.
"Where are the movers?" Rachel asked, looking into the hall.
"They're on their way," Quinn answered.
"Do you need any help with that?" Rachel asked, motioning to the two boxes she was carrying.
Quinn shook her head. "They're not heavy."
"Are you sure?" Rachel asked. "I certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand."
"I'm fine," Quinn replied. "Thanks, though."
"I hope you don't mind, but I put a dresser in your room," Rachel said as she followed her to the bedroom. "I know you said you didn't have a lot of furniture, so I thought maybe you could use it. If not, let me know, and I'll have it moved."
"That's fine," Quinn said, setting the boxes down, and looking around.
The dresser in question was sitting against the previously empty wall. Quinn didn't have a dresser—she didn't have enough room in the other apartment for one—so she was fine with it being in the room. Though she was definitely going to move it from its current position. If that was even allowed.
During the interview, Rachel had mentioned a roommate contract that she was going to have to sign. She'd shown it to Quinn, who had glanced over it, but Rachel said they would go over it more in depth if she was chosen to move in. From what Quinn had seen, there were definitely some weird rules, but she knew it couldn't be any worse than living with Santana. At least Rachel was upfront about her rules; Santana, on the other hand, would just complain and threaten until she got her way.
"I think they're finally here," Rachel said, turning, and walking out of the room.
Quinn pushed the boxes against the wall and then followed Rachel out of the bedroom. The two men were moving Quinn's mattress through the front door, which was being held open by Rachel.
"The bedroom is in there," Rachel instructed. "Watch your step. And please don't scuff the floor."
Quinn walked toward the front door, smiling at the movers as they passed. "I'm going to go downstairs and bring some more stuff up."
"How many boxes do you have?" Rachel asked.
"Not many," Quinn answered, turning around. "It's mostly clothes and books."
"Let me help you," Rachel said, closing the door behind her.
Quinn wanted to tell Rachel that she didn't need to help, but she decided not to say anything. Instead, she turned and began walking toward the elevator, and Rachel quickly caught up with her.
"I have to say, I'm very excited you're here," Rachel said as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "I was beginning to think I wasn't going to find a proper roommate this time. Most of those who applied were from here, and I was really looking for someone from a smaller town. You know, for when I'm inevitably cast as a small town girl trying to make it in the city. Now I can use you as inspiration for my character."
"Um, yeah," Quinn slowly said.
"I think we're going to have a lot of fun," Rachel said as the elevator doors opened and they both stepped on. "My last roommate was—well, let's just say she wasn't what I thought she was going to be. She was friendly enough, but she was impossible to carry on a conversation with. I suspect she may have been smoking marijuana in her room, but I was never able to prove it. It would certainly explain her behavior, though."
"Yeah," Quinn replied, not really knowing what else to say.
"My roommate before her was a little better," Rachel continued. "Although, she was a little messier than I prefer. I don't know how many times I had to ask her to wash her dishes. She would just leave them in the sink instead of washing them by hand or putting them in the dishwasher like the roommate agreement specifies. She would also get up at all hours of the night and make far too much noise, but I certainly prefer that over smoking an illegal substance in the apartment. As I said, though, I was unable to prove it or I would have asked Rebecca to leave."
"How many roommates have you had?" Quinn asked as the elevator doors opened and the two stepped out.
"You're the fifth," Rachel answered before smiling. "And I have a feeling you're going to be the best one."
Quinn's eyebrow rose. She really hoped she'd made the right decision about moving in. Santana may have been a bitch to live with, but she was beginning to think Rachel was a little crazy.
