Chapter 2
As the meeting dragged on Quinn Fabray noticed every swish of the skirt, every flip of the brown hair tied in a tight pony-tail, and every beaming smile Rachel graced New Directions with. The whole time the tiny songstress was in view Quinn felt like she was in the presence of someone famous, and technically she was. She knew from the particular red band in Rachel's hair that she was a Cheerio, the head Cheerio to be exact. Then there was the fact that the girl was also the captain of the glee club.
What can't this girl do? Quinn thought to herself, though she had to stop her train of thought when it drifted to dirtier things, almost physically face-palming in the middle of an impromptu Vanilla Ice song Will Schuester was performing.
The man, with a dimpled smile on his face, ran around the risers, while touching the backs of chairs and fluffing some of his student's hair- mainly the one in the Marc Jacobs clothing- but instead of making Quinn feel welcomed she was starting to feel a little weirded out. She digresses though, for in the end she could see where his rapping and dancing was funny.
"What is he, like fifty?" Santana Lopez snickered lowly, her shoulder knocking into the blonde's as the Latina leaned over in her seat.
Quinn chuckled, "Well, he's singing songs that are at least that old."
The song eventually ended with Mr. Schue throwing his collared shirt, carelessly into the risers, while thankfully, he still had on a gray t-shirt clothing his body. Quinn watched with wide eyes as the light blue fabric flew in her direction, smacking her right in the face before her arms could react. Though right before the shirt hit her, the blonde, in a surprised manner, made a yelping sound as she jumped widely from her seat and landed with a loud thump on the floor. Her butt throbbed from the impact, while a large blush covered her face as she heard an obnoxious laugh from beside her.
"Q, if you didn't move Mr. Schue's shirt wouldn't have landed on your face!" Santana laughed, her hand smacking her knee mockingly, "That seriously made my life." Then, like that, the choir room was filled with laughter.
Quinn, still blushing, yanked the shirt from her face and glared at her friend angrily.
"Quinn, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" The teacher asked frantically as he rushes to her side at the back of the risers, his hands on both her shoulders helping her up.
The blonde huffs silently, her face still burning with embarrassment, as she got to her feet. Without looking at the concerned man before her Quinn quickly shoves the clothing into Mr. Schuester's chest and sits back down into her seat. "I'm fine," she mumbles.
The laughter still hadn't died down, though Santana's did after a look from Brittany, who was now rubbing Quinn's back comfortingly as she casts a disappointed look to her girlfriend. Eventually Quinn picked up her face when the laughing quieted down to chuckles. Her hazel eyes landed on a tall, brown-haired boy with a dopey grin. His chuckles were the hardest out of everyone still, but he stopped automatically when a small, tan hand smacked him swiftly in the chest.
Glancing to the right of him Quinn's breath caught again as her orbs landed on the beauty that happened to be Rachel, the siren of the blonde's heart. The tiny brunette had a scolding look on her face as she regarded the boy. Then, feeling like she should ask for an oxygen tank, Rachel turned around and softly presented Quinn with a warm smile, almost like she was apologizing for the actions of her fellow peers.
Am I supposed to smile back? Am I supposed to wave? Or maybe because this is glee club, I should burst out into a love song? Do I even know a good love song? Annd I will always love yoooooou! Quinn thinks to herself, her face turning bright red as she tries to avoid making eye contact with the other girl.
Fuck! That sounds really bad in my head…So, that's a definite no to Whitney. Oh. My. God. I don't have anything prepared for this situation?!
Stopping in her reverie suddenly, Quinn grabs her cell phone from her pocket. She went into the internet browser and typed in a question: What would Peter Parker do? Her results limited to nothing and the odd advice to jump off buildings, hoping to make it onto the other roof on a whim.
Quinn sighs dejectedly as she was forced to look up from her phone when she hears Mr. Schue say, "Okay, guys settle down now." His current position was in front of the class with his collared shirt currently back on his body, though Quinn was thinking it should always stay that way.
"We have Sectionals in a couple of months, but because this is the second week of school, I don't want to pile you with an assignment. Just be ready for next week and after that we'll begin thinking of a set list. This meeting is over, so I will see you on Friday!"
With that dismissal the room was once again filled with movement and conversation between the students. Quinn followed suit standing up with her friends as her mind and eyes were still transfixed with the brunette leaving the classroom with the tall boy trailing behind her, while Santana moved over to Brittany on the other side of the blonde, giving her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, blondie," a boy clad in dark skinny jeans, a white shirt, and a Mohawk was now standing in front of the studious girl, blocking her view of the door where Rachel had disappeared into. He had a devilish smirk on his face as his eyes ran slowly across her body in appreciation. Quinn had an urge to cross her arms around her body.
"You must be new because the Puckersaurus never forgets a pretty girl," he added with a wink.
"I'm not new though, Puckersaurus." Quinn says quietly, finally giving into her urge and crossing her arms against her chest.
"Oh, then maybe we can change the fact that I have no idea who you are by going back to my place and-"
"Puck! What do you think your doing?" Santana interrupts as she moves to stand beside her best friend.
"Nothing," he said, his arms raised in an act of surrender, "just trying to make a new friend."
"Well, don't. Quinn doesn't look good pregnant," she quipped.
"Alright," he said as he dropped his smirk. "Noah Puckerman, by the way, but everyone calls me Puck."
"Hi, Noa- Puck, my name is Quinn."
"Maybe we can be friends then, Quinn." He said as his eyebrows wiggled suggestively. Pushing him lightly, Santana scoffs while dragging both of the two blondes along side her towards the exit.
"Not good enough friends, Puckerman."
"You're no fun, Santana. What happened to the party-animal head Cheerio from last year?"
"She grew up," the Latina replies shortly, dropping Quinn's hand to link pinkies with Brittany. "Are you coming, Q?"
"Yeah," Quinn says in affirmation, letting both girls walk ahead of her.
"So about coming to my house-"
"No."
"Well, can't blame a badass for trying." He says with a shrug and a small chuckle. Quickly he walked in front of Quinn, grabbing the door handle and pulling it open as he gestured for the girl to leave first. "After you, m'lady"
She blushes as she thanks the boy, stepping out of the door and onto the hallway.
"You're welcome." His eyes never left her butt as the blonde walked toward the parking lot.
"What's the rest of the plan, Sannie?" Brittany asked the next day when the couple was walking through the hall towards the raven-haired girl's locker.
"I'm still thinking about it, BrittBritt." She sighs before adding, "It doesn't help that Quinn won't actually talk to her without a push."
"Does Quinn not want to be happy? Rachel would make her happy, right?' The tall blonde's face scrunched in a confused frown.
Santana chuckles lightly once they reached her locker, "She wants to be happy, and the midget can make her happy, but she's scared that she'll be rejected."
"She is like a turtle, always hiding in her shell."
"Exactly," Santana says with a bright smile. Giving Brittany a sweet kiss on the lips, the brunette turned back to her lock, making it the second spin when she heard a voice screaming her name from the distance.
"Hey, there's Quinn!" Brittany exclaims as they both watch their friend barrel through the student body. "San, why does she look like she saw a pump of ducks flying towards her?"
Santana levels her girlfriend with a confused- weirded out- stare, which Brittany just answers like she always does: "Quinn told me that."
"Of course she did." Santana says, a fond smile playing on her lips because of the proud look on Brittany's face. "You're so smart, baby."
"I know."
"San! Britt! Something terrible has happened," Quinn panted out as she made her way to the two girls, her face pink with exertion.
"You're mom bought you more Captain America boy shorts?" Santana guesses with a loud cackle.
"No. Maybe. Yes, but that's not the point because I actually like them. The reason why I'm freaking out is because I keep on running into Rachel everywhere now!"
"Isn't that a good thing?" Brittany asked as her expression was stuck on confused.
"No, it's not!" The other blonde huffs, "I ran into her in the bathroom, in the hallway, in the parking lot, and when I say run into, I literally mean it. I can't even apologize for knocking over her coffee because I sound like a Sim character!"
"Okay, at least she knows you're a klutz." The shortest of the three girls said, laughing.
"This isn't funny, S." Quinn exclaims, "She probably hates me now."
"Don't worry, Quinn. Rachel's nice, even if she is at the top of the pyramid." The blue-eyed Junior said in a comforting tone.
"I just don't know how to act around her."
"Wait, Quinn," Santana begins, her eyebrow arching in question as a smirk plays on her lips, "did you Google 'What would Peter Parker do,' yet?"
The blonde's face flushed again, though this time it wasn't because of running, "Yes."
Both girls laughed, but Brittany's didn't have the antagonizing tone that the brown-eyed girl had. "Wow, you are desperate."
"Fuck you, Santana." Quinn said angrily.
Days passed just like that. Santana and Brittany would talk about Quinn and the plan, Quinn would meet up with them and complain about either running into Rachel or just not talking to the girl, and Santana would end up laughing at her best friend. Though by the time Friday rolled around Santana was getting frustrated.
Then the next step of her plan came to her once more in the period she had Ms. Campbell's class. First, she was going to Mr. Schuester after Spanish, just like she did when she put this thing in action. Then, she will convince the man- not very hard- that the club would prefer doing a duet. She will tell him that Quinn should be paired up with Rachel, using the fact that Rachel is the captain, and probably the most confident.
"Hey, Mr. Schuester, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure, Santana," the sense of déjà vu washed over the teacher as he packs paper into his tan bag.
"I've been thinking about what kind of assignments that should be given to the glee club, and I'd like to suggest doing duets. I mean if you want, you can even make it into a competition. Ask Rachel if you want a second opinion."
Leaving his bag on his desk Will turned around fully to face his student, a deep concentrated look on his features.
"That does sound like a good idea," he conceded after a few moments. "I guess I should run this by Rachel, though."
"I believe it can prepare us for Sectionals, but at the same time be fun."
"Of course it would!" He exclaims when he figured out that this would be the best way to start the year. "I'll talk to Rachel during the meeting, and then if she says yes, I will make the pairings when I get home."
"Actually, Mr. Schue, I wanted to suggest one more thing." Santana says as the man grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder.
He stops again and gives the Latina his full attention once more, "Okay."
"I was hoping that you could pair Quinn with Berry on this one? Q is shy and who better to break her out of her shell than the Queen Bee herself, right?"
"Another good point, Santana," he told her thoughtfully, "We'll see, alright?"
"Fair enough- thanks, Mr. Schue."
"Yo, babe, what are you staring at?"
Quinn looks away from Rachel who had just walked into the office with Mr. Schuester, "Nobody." She says shortly, avoiding making eye contact with Puck.
"I never said who, Blondie." Puck was smirking now as he caught Quinn blushing, while he scanned the room in the direction of where the girl had been looking in moments before. The only thing he saw was the closed door of William Schuester.
"I meant to say nothing," the hazel-eyed blonde quickly says, her body fidgeting in the plastic seat at the back of the risers, before she eventually jumps onto her feet. "I need to go to the bathroom."
Puck watches her leave the choir room with a chuckle, only to turn toward the office again when Rachel and Mr. Schuester walked out. "Why is he smiling like that?" He asks out loud to no one in particular, fully turning his body so that the back of the chair wasn't in between his legs.
"That smile means that he got the captain's approval." Santana says with a victorious smile of her own. The plan was unfolding perfectly in front of her.
"What did he ask Jew Babe?"
"Duets," Santana replied simply, bringing her attention back to her girlfriend who was talking about the visit to the pet store after school last Monday.
After a few minutes Quinn returned taking her seat beside the occupied Latina. "What did I miss?" The blonde asked Puck as the boy in question moves to his position from before.
"Satan said something about duets." He said with a shrug.
"Duets? You mean like a love song with another person?" Quinn says with obvious signs of fright.
"Yup," Puck confirmed with an eyebrow raise.
I can't do that, singing Whitney in my head proved it!
"Hey, don't worry about it." The boy told Quinn, noticing the heavy breathing and the really scared look on her face. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, we can be partners. That way you don't have to be paired with a stranger."
Glancing at the boy with the Mohawk across from her, she asks quietly, "You'd do that for me?" Her breathing slowed as Puck graced her with a charming grin.
"Yeah, I mean you'll be the luckiest girl to have me because I have a badass voice."
The Friday meeting was spent with Brittany and Santana being lost in their own world, while Quinn awkwardly tried to deflect Puck's attempts at flirting with her. The most productive the blonde thought she achieved that hour was exchanging numbers with the brash teenage boy.
Mr. Schue hadn't made any inclination about the assignment, but that didn't stop the nerves from building in her body. She didn't think she could sing in front of everybody, especially if it had to be a love song. Quinn was so sure that she would fall on her face or something that equally embarrassing during her performance.
And like the last meeting Puck opened the door for Quinn with a, "Ladies first."
"Okay, settle down now. I have an assignment for you guys." The teacher announced from the spot beside Brad on the piano. "Actually, it's a competition and the winner will play a big part on the assignment next week, which I'm sure all of you know has to do with Sectionals."
The room erupted in whispers as everyone tried to figure out what the prize really entailed, and by the time Mr. Schue managed to quiet the club again there were excited expressions on most of the faces. "I want all of you to be paired up and perform duets on Friday, and the winners will be revealed next Monday."
"Will we be picking our partners, Mr. Schuester?" The tall boy sitting beside Rachel asked.
"No-"
"Mr. Schue, can you make an exception? I already asked Quinn to be my partner for the first duet assignment?" Puck interrupted.
Will spared a glance at Quinn and watched as she squirmed in her seat. Her features confirmed how uncomfortable she was, but he also noticed the grateful smile she gave the boy sitting in front of her. He knew he told Santana that he would see if he can pair the captain with the blonde, but he didn't really think there was a problem with a little change in the arrangement.
"Sure," he told Puck with a smile. "Actually, I change my mind. You can pick your partners."
Santana cursed loudly in her head as she watched the Spanish teacher leave the room.
Quinn was smiling lightly at the boy in a white wife-beater, but it quickly turned upside down when she caught the frown Rachel threw in her direction as the brown orbs stayed locked on Puck's back. Automatically she felt a pang of jealousy run through her system.
Puck broke her out of her reverie. "Yours or mine?"
"What?" She asked, while she had a frown plastered on her lips as she regarded Puck.
"Where would you like to meet first mine or yours?" He reiterated.
"Um," Quinn began. She thought about how Rachel probably liked the bad boy before her. "Mine."
"Great," he replied with a glint in his eyes.
"You're not getting any, Puckerman." Santana warns as she and Brittany stand from their seats. She was angry.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Right," she says sarcastically. She moves closer to Puck, and Quinn internally giggles at the scared expression the boy had on his face. The blonde is left wondering why her best friend is so pissed when she hears the other girl talk in a loud whisper, "Watch yo' back cause if I ever catch you alone, I'm gonna kill you." Then with that said Santana linked her pinky naturally with Brittany and tugged her out of the room.
"What was that about?" The blonde questioned once the couple was completely out of sight.
"I have no fucking idea," Puck answers shakily.
"San and Britt left but the meeting isn't over." She said after a minute of watching the boy freak out.
"Yeah, well, they're not missing much. After Mr. Schue gives us an assignment everyone usually just fucks around and gossips."
The club was now split in pairs from what Quinn could see, though she couldn't really name the people by names because of the lack of introductions. She could say that Rachel was with an ogre, Marc Jacobs was with a dark-skinned girl at the corner, the two Asians in the opposite corner, and a boy in a wheelchair was talking with a blond boy, who happened to have huge lips.
This was a diverse set of kids that was for sure.
"I guess this means we will get more done then at my house, huh?" Quinn eventually supplied, getting up from her seat and dusting off her jeans before Puck could even reply.
She walked toward the exit, only managing to spare the brown-haired beauty in the front row a couple glances, worried she was going to get caught staring again.
"After you, blondie," Puck said as he opened the door for the studious girl.
"Who said that chivalry was dead?" She mumbled to herself, not feeling the eyes glued to her butt.
"Welcome, Noah Puckerman, to my humble abode." Quinn mumbles shyly as she swings open her front door. Her hazel orbs latch onto the boy's form as he steps into the house, a light pink develop on her cheeks when silence remained between the two even once they were fully in the blonde's living room.
Finally, Puck breaks through the awkward atmosphere by saying, "Nice place."
Quinn snorts when she replies with a, "Thanks." Again, as she stands by the old, worn out, blue loveseat the blonde watches as the boy with the Mohawk and baggy jeans scans the two faces of the pictures hanging on the peach-colored walls.
"Is this your mom?" He asked, pointing at the older blonde in the frame.
"Yeah, fortunately you aren't going to meet her today because she is working. You would know she was here because she likes playing obnoxious host." She moves around the furniture to stand beside Puck who had now walked over to the other pictures on the fireplace.
"Where's your dad?"
Quinn scoffed as her hands ran through her hair which was lying against her shoulders, "Gone. Left when I was born because all he cared about was drinking and sleeping around."
Puck turned his head and took a long glance at the girl next to him. He found himself admiring the other girl more than before. He wasn't thinking of her as a sex symbol but more as a friend.
"It doesn't matter to me, my mom and I have done fine on our own. He is my father, but he is not my dad." She explained in all seriousness.
"I guess, Ms. Quinn," Puck says as he twists on the balls of his feet to regard his partner, "we have things in common. My dad left, too."
"We don't need them."
"No, we don't."
They both ended the deep conversation with a clear of the throat and a small high five. Then, with that unexpected subject out of their system, the two were left with silence once more. This time around though, they moved to sit on the couch side-by-side as Quinn tapped her fingers on her leg anxiously.
"So what do we do now?" She asked, staring at the television in front of her.
"Don't know," he replied.
Again they both sat in silence until Quinn saw the videogames on the shelf.
"Do you, maybe, want to play some Mario Kart?"
Puck's brown eyes widen in child-like excitement, "Yes! I call Bowser." He exclaims as he dives onto the floor and grabs the nearest controller on the coffee table.
"Doesn't matter, I will annihilate you when I play Toad."
"In your dreams, not even the invincibility can help you when I ram you off Rainbow Road."
"Bowser can't do shit with my driving skills." Quinn beams with cockiness as she starts up the game.
"I'll show you, blondie." Puck tells her when the track is picked and the numbers started to count down, engines blaring through the speakers.
Playing Mario Kart was the game they used to pass time with in each other's company during the week, and because of that the glee club assignment was lost on a different type of competition. At the end of the school day both Puck and Quinn would travel to one or the other's home, the car racing game on their minds as they recalled the traded wins from the day before. It was only until Thursday did the blonde finally remember what had brought the two together in the first place.
They were in the middle of another race when Quinn brought it up by asking about the song, but like she Puck had no clue. So instead of turning off the game the two continued.
Then suddenly Quinn paused the game to ask, "Why do you call yourself Puck?" It was random but it was something that she thought constantly about ever since they were introduced. The real question that was nagging her was about Rachel. She really hated feeling jealous, especially when she was making a friend that had nothing to do with the help of Santana and Brittany.
Puck scrunched his face as he put the controller down beside him, "Because it's badass." He replied simply.
"I like Noah better," Quinn tells him, resuming the game quietly.
The boy looked thoughtful while he processed what the girl told him. Then, just like the snap decision Quinn made a few minutes before, Puck pauses the game and turns towards his partner.
"I think I know what song we can sing now." He says with a huge grin, the sounds from the paused screen echoing through the room.
"Who wants to start off the competition?" Mr. Schuester asked the choir room with a dimpled grin.
Right away Puck's hand shoots up, beating Rachel to the punch by a mere second. "We will!"
"Oh, okay, great!" The teacher said in surprise, looking at the beaming faces of his two students. Surprise because one was a slacker when it came to homework and the other being obviously too shy, though right now it seemed like performing to the class was what they were waiting for all day. "Take the floor Noah and Quinn."
Quinn grabbed the two wireless controllers from the floor and handed one to the boy. They both grabbed their chairs and lined it up at the front, the blonde signaling a green light to the band once both of them were seated next to each other.
Strumming of a guitar filled the choir room as both of them acted like they were playing the game together at their homes.
"You be my princess," Puck started.
"And I'll be your Toad," Quinn followed, both putting their controllers down onto the floor beside them.
"I'll follow behind you on Rainbow Road," the boy sang as he moved his chair behind the blonde.
"Protect you from red shells wherever we go."
"I promise," they both sang together, Quinn's eyes locking onto curious brown orbs at the bottom of the risers briefly.
The song ended with laughter filling the air. Quinn breathed heavily from her performance, automatically feeling her walls coming back up, though it was stilted just as fast when Puck brought her into a warm hug. Letting her go, the two partners beamed at each other with mirth.
"That was so good guys!" The teacher exclaimed with excitement as he brought both of them into a hug. There was appraisal from their peers, and even Santana gave Quinn a lazy quirk of a smile from the back of the risers. "Now let's see who can top that!"
The meeting went on with everybody performing their pieces, though Quinn really couldn't pay much attention to what exactly they were. She was too mesmerized by the fact that Rachel's singing could still put her in a trance.
"Wow, guys, I'm seriously impressed! I will give you the results next week." Mr. Schue ended as he started putting things in his bag.
"Good job, Quinn." Brittany said with enthusiasm as she wrapped her friend in an embrace.
"Thanks, Britt; it was all Puck's idea."
"Nah, bro, you came up with the choreography." He said as he grinned.
"Oh, yeah?" Santana commented, walking over to the unexpected boy.
"Yup," I just wanted to sit in the chairs.
The dark-haired girl smirked, and then laid a large smack on the back of Puck's head. "It makes sense because you're stupid, and I'm still pissed, Puckerman."
"What did I do?!" He asked in alarm as he rubbed the now sore spot.
"You don't deserve to know." She sneered.
Then in frustration Santana grabs the two blondes behind her. She pulled them all to the exit, but instead of letting go of Quinn she decides to link their arms together at the elbow.
"Wait!" Puck says a little confused, stopping them right outside the door. "Let me get the door."
Scowling, the feisty Latina says, "No, we can do it."
With a scowl of his own Puck watches as Brittany opens the door, hearing the three girls whisper before they stepped into the hallway.
"Quinn, piece of advice, when Puck or any guy says, 'ladies first,' usually they just like to look at your ass while you walk in front of them,"
"Okay," Quinn mumbles.
Then suddenly, halfway through the hallway, Brittany gasps. "Guys are so sneaky!"
TBC?
Mario Kart Love Song- Sam Hart
I don't own a thing.
Sorry for the delay and as a warning now I'm not going to be the best at updating. There will be actual Faberry action next chapter, and more of an incite on Rachel character. Don't worry XD haha. I hope you have liked it this far and continue to.
Read. Review. Update.
The reviews were outstanding last time, and I'm so grateful for the interest you guys have shown. This story is already mapped out, I just need to type it out fully. Thank you.
