Chapter 3

'Cause even the stars they burn, some even fall to the earth

Rachel hands me out a cup of paper full of hot cappuccino to the brim and she places hers on the counter in order to get to take her wallet.

She smiles at the clerk as she hands him out a bill. I watch every little gesture as if it was something extraordinary, as if it was the first time I see something like that. To be true, I feel like I started using my eyes only from the moment I placed them on the girl with the phenomenal voice in front of me.

The liquid is burning my hand, but it doesn't seem to matter that much. When Rachel smiles, on the sides of her mouth appear two adorable dimples. I find this much more interesting. The warm on my hand is irrelevant in comparison.

I take her cup too and we get out.

"Thanks Quinn" she says when I hand her out her cappuccino.

We walk away a lot from where we were, but I don't mind making all the way back with her.

I rapidly check my phone to see if there are calls or messages from my parents. Or from Finn. Rachel seems to read my mind.

"Do you think your parents will be worried?" she asks, pointing the phone with her hand.

"You didn't warn them and maybe they didn't want her little girl to go too far away at this time of the night" she says with a smirk.

Is she making fun of me? I stay astonished as I try to figure her tone out.

"Just kidding!" She bursts into laugh, lightly pushing my arm.

I drink a sip of my cappuccino that makes my tongue burn.

"They should be more worried about the company rather than the distance, in case" I provoke her, ignoring the acute pain in my mouth.

Rachel laughs loudly again.

"Seriously!? Well you can relieve, I am not a psycho. I'm not going to take you to my cellar to torture you and put salt on your bruises, if that's what you think."

I shiver at the idea. This girl watches too many horror movies.

"No, this is not what I was thinking, absolutely." I turn to face her. "But I don't even know your surname, for example."

"My full name is Rachel Barbra Berry" she says, fiercely.

"Barbra? As that Barbra?" I ask, emphasizing the name.

She rolls her eyes, pretending to be offended by my incredulity.

"Yes okay, go ahead, make fun of me! My dads decided my name already knowing perfectly how my future would have been. It's a sign of fate" she swells with pride.

I glance at her, a little amused.

"It's true!" Rachel screams within the laughter.

"And tell me, what does that future you're talking about involve then?"

"I will go to Broadway and I will become a star. It's everything I've ever wanted."

I get back to be serious for a moment. "I'm sure you will do it, Rachel."

She resumes staring at me with a strange light in her eyes, as if she knew I am telling the truth and that I'm not joking anymore.

"That's nice, Quinn."

That light doesn't leave her eyes. Follows a moment of awkwardness. I take another sip of cappuccino in order to keep me occupied.

Rachel clears her throat. Again that playful tone. "Yes, you are very kind, Quinn… Quinn?" She turns to me. "See? You didn't tell me your surname either!".

She fakes a pout that I cannot help but find adorable.

"Quinn Fabray" I burst out with a jeering tone. "And please, cut it out!" I add, glancing up to the sky.

We burst into laugh again. A spontaneous laugh that shows how much two perfect strangers, walking down an empty street with two cappuccinos in their hands, can be so comfortable with each other.

All of this is surprising. I lost the moment we got along so easily, putting aside our embarrassment and starting what I hope it to be a friendship.

Actually, Rachel's never been like that, shy I mean. She doesn't seem exactly that type of person. Very theatrical sometimes maybe, but it's a personality that attracts, a magnet that draws you to her without asking your permission. It's impossible not to be fascinated by her.

I look furtively at her again. She's taking another sip from her cup.

My eyes run from her mouth to her throat, observing the movement of the line of her esophagus while she swallows. She licks her lips to remove some drops of cappuccino left.

I wonder if I will bump into a pole tonight.

We arrive in the same open space we seated a moment ago. We go back to sit on the bench, our cups still in our hands.

I rapidly look at my watch: almost midnight. My parents must be looking for me. I almost forgot I told them to wait for me before going home. I find myself hoping that Rachel owns a car and that she offers me a ride, but a trace of delusion passes on my face as I remember that her house is few blocks away. Rachel must have come by foot at the party.

The night is coming to an end and I'm scared that it will remain only the memory of these hours spent with her. I fight off the thought.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Rachel takes me back to reality. A beautiful reality.

I quickly swallow and I take a deep breath. The topic requests it. "I took in consideration various colleges, but I want to apply for Yale and Columbia mostly. These are those I'm interested in the most. Actually, I hope with all my heart that they will accept me in the photography course in Columbia University. It would be wonderful for me."

"So it's not a hobby" she states.

"I would like it to be something more."

Rachel squeaks excited. "That's amazing, Quinn!"

She squeezes my thigh and I feel my cup slip from my hand.

"Until when can you apply?" she asks me then, unaware of the fight I'm engaging with my nerves.

"Uhm… Until mid-December for both. I'm defining the last details now. Then I only have to send them and wait." I shrug my shoulders, waiting for her to say something.

"If you will attend Columbia University, we will be both in NY next year" she tells me, excited.

I stare at her, aware of the fact that Columbia has gained more importance than Yale and all the other colleges in few seconds.

"Well, because I will be admitted into NYADA, of course" she adds in hurry, first lifting her chin, then furtively looking at me.

I burst into laugh hearing her snobbish tone and she laughs with me. Again those adorable dimples on her face.

"Have you already sent your application?" I ask.

Rachel shakes her head. "Not yet. I'm preparing it actually. I'll have to wait for the answer and then in the spring I'll have to do an audition in front of an examiner and it will be definitely crucial."

She tries to gloss over her worries, but I get a glimpse of fear in her sight and in the way she nervously runs her hand over her pants.

"When it will be the moment, you will leave everyone without words, trust me" I say before I can control myself.

Again she looks at me right in the eyes, a lot of unspoken thoughts and words that wish to be spoken, but they remain stuck. There is only that particular light she has already saved for me two times tonight.

"Thanks Quinn. You're so kind."

I do nothing but smile in return.

"I can understand why he took badly your break up" she calmly says after a brief pause.

I quickly turn around. Maybe too quickly.

"Who? Finn?" I ask with my voice almost altered.

Rachel nods. "Yes, Finn!" she shrugs as if it's obvious what she is about to say. "It's normal that he took it in that way when you broke up with him, I mean…"

She leaves the sentence pending and she doesn't add anything more.

To my part I don't ask her to give me a further explanation. Her cheeks are lightly red and her eyes shift to the tip of her shoes.

Is it possible that she is embarrassed?

I mutter an awkward and shy "thanks" and then I stay silent.

I can't think about anything more intelligent to say. It would be easier if she stopped staring at me like that. Or if she stopped staring at me at all.

I concentrate again on my cup that suddenly becomes interesting. It's almost empty. I take another sip, longer this time.

Rachel giggles. "You have a smudge of cappuccino. Right here."

I'm not sure if I grasped it. "Sorry, what?" I ask, dazed.

But before I become aware of it, her hand is on my face, her thumb pressing on the corner of my lips. I hold my breath at the contact and freeze as ice. Her gaze is focused on my mouth and her finger moves slowly, back and forth. Our eyes meet each other and I completely forget how to breath.

She is so close and so beautiful. I would like to get closer.

And then my phone vibrates in my pocket.

We both startle at the noise, but her hand doesn't leave my face.

"The phone… It's vibrating" Rachel tells me, almost in a whisper.

Mom, I read on the display. I snort annoyed and I take the call.

They are looking for me, it's time to go home. She asks me where I am and I wish I could answer "on the clouds" or "I have no idea", but I only tell her that I would be there in 5 minutes.

Rachel keeps looking down. She seems displeased. I wish she was as displeased as I am.

I hang up and sigh heavily.

"Do you have to go?" Rachel asks me even if she already knows the answer.

I try to gloss over my disappointment. "Yes, they are waiting for me". I can't say anything more.

"That's a pity, though. I was about to ask you to go for a ride on the Ferris wheel."

I swallow my entire heart at the news. "Really?"

"Really" she replies. "You can enjoy a good view of the city at that height."

I grunt. "Wow. A very breathtaking view, Lima by night, I have to say." I grin sarcastically.

Rachel laughs. "C'mon, don't be that mean."

"I'm being realist."

"No, you're mean. Lima is not the most beautiful city in the world, but I can recognize a breathtaking view when I see one" she says, staring intensely at me.

"I'm not putting a question mark over it" I stammer.

"You have to go anyway. There will be other occasions, I hope."

"Yeah, I hope too."

"I'll go back to my dads then" she says, glancing around awkwardly.

Silence. Too much silence.

I get up from the bench. I don't even know how to say goodbye to her. I'm going away and I don't know if I will see her again for real.

I'm about to turn around and I see her hesitating for a moment.

"Next Friday I'm doing a stage show. Not any show, it's Funny Girl actually" she says with a satisfied smile. "If you aren't busy, I would like you to come. We could see each other when it's over."

I remain open-mouthed. I will be able to see her again then? Her look is hopeful.

"I'm not busy. I will gladly come, Rachel" I answer, content.

She jumps like a baby, clapping her hands. "Amazing! So, we'll see on Friday, right?"

"Yes, sure!"

"Perfect!"

She gives me a quick hug, a little nervous and hurried. She smiles at me when she pulls back.

"Goodnight, Quinn."

"Goodnight, Rachel."

She turns around and walks away.

I keep staring at her cutout while she goes away, trying to process all the things that happened tonight. I think I ended up in serious troubles.

I go back to my parents and while we go to the car I'm silent.

"Where have you been, honey? We haven't seen you at the fair for a while!" my mom asks worried.

I get on the back seat, closing the port behind me. "I was wandering around, nothing important" I answer, flat.

I hear my dad asking if I had fun. I make a sound of approval. I stay in silence for all the way back and I watch the houses and the gardens flowing in front of me.

The problem now will be how to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow hoping it wasn't all a dream.