A few days later, Quinn and Santiago decide to go to the mall to get some nice prints of some of the pictures Quinn took in California. Santiago insists she's talented and knows how to work a camera, but Quinn just blushes and plays it off as her best friend trying to make her feel better about her sloppy work.
"When are you going to be back, dear?" Judy Fabray asks distractedly when Quinn tells her about her plans. She's flipping through a magazine absent-mindedly.
"I don't know," Quinn answers. "We'll probably have lunch there and Britt asked me to go with her to her dance classes, she needs some advice on a guy there."
"Oh, that sounds like fun," Judy smiles - not genuinely. Then she frowns. "Don't get too involved with the boy, though. It's no good."
Quinn sighs and curses mentally - and she hardly ever does that. "I promise I won't, mom. Anyway, you don't have to take me into account for lunch. I don't know about dinner yet, is it okay if I text you later?"
"Yes, yes," Judy says impatiently. "Now off you go, dear. We've been seeing each other's faces for six weeks straight, it's time to catch up with your friends now. You don't want them to resent you and fall from the top, honey. You need to get prom queen this year."
Quinn doesn't even grace that with an answer. She's already on her way to the door when she turns around and says: "I might be sleeping over at Brittany's tonight. Her brother Jesse read her a scary story and now she's scared of monsters under her bed. She's home alone tonight, so she'll probably ask me to stay over anyway."
"That's fine, dear," Judy replies, obviously distracted. "You go have fun."
###
"My mom couldn't be less interested in my life if she tried!" Quinn groans as she falls into Tiago's chair. He's putting on a new shirt, having spilled his coffee all over his other one. Quinn's too busy complaining to enjoy the view.
"Wanna switch?" Tiago frowns. "Trust me, it's no fun when your mother's all up in your business all the damn time. You'd think she'd realise I didn't get a girlfriend between yesterday and today if I've been at home ever since she last asked."
"At least she cares about you," Quinn sighs. "She's interested in you and she wants the best for you. My parents are making me feel like they'd rather I just stay out of their way and that six weeks as a family together was too much. It's not like I don't want to spend my entire day with them either, but it just hurts that I'm so much of a bother to them."
Tiago shakes his head. "I'll never understand how two people with that personality and attitude created someone like your super awesome awesomesauce amazing self," he says as he walks over to her, enveloping her in a warm hug. "I wish you could get out of there, you know. I think you'd be happier."
"They're still my parents," Quinn shrugs. "They're my family. I feel like I can't just give up on them, and where am I going to go? I don't want to impose on anyone."
"You know there's always a place for you here," Tiago smiles. "I'm sure my parents would love to have you over. They think you're perfect."
"No," Quinn says decisively. "I don't want to impose, I can't pay rent or anything, and I'd be sharing a room with someone, which I don't feel comfortable with because it's been their room for years. Besides, you're a dude. You need your space to your dude stuff with Sam or whoever."
Tiago sighs and grabs his bag. She follows him to the door. "What about college, though?" he asks as they're going down the stairs. "I mean, didn't we always say we'd share a flat if we got into the same university?"
"Yeah... but that's different. It's a flat, not a room. And we'd both be paying. I don't want to live off of someone else just because my parents neglect me. I'll deal."
"If you say so," Tiago shrugs. "But you know the ladder's behind the shed and you know my window's always open for you," he smiles.
###
They're sitting in the food court, having a sandwich for lunch and looking over the prints when they recognise a very familiar voice.
"If it isn't the Siamese twins! Are you two even able to be apart?"
They turn around simultaneously, grinning like idiots. "Ms Holliday!" Quinn is the first to shriek out.
Holly Holliday chuckles. "Do you mind if I join you? I'm supposed to meet Will Schuester here but he just let me know he missed his bus."
"Sure, no problem!" Tiago pulls back a chair for her.
"So, fancy seeing you here. My two favourite kids out of my bunch of favourite kids!" she exclaims. "And, as always, together. I dread the day they'll have to surgically remove you!" she jokes.
"As a matter of fact, I just got back from six weeks of California with my family - Tiago here in Ohio, obviously. They still don't know we're best friends."
Holly gasps in exaggerated shock. "And you're still breathing?" she asks in a dramatic whisper. "The eighth world wonder!"
"Barely," Tiago admits. "What brings you back to Ohio? Please tell me Mr Compton's ill!"
Patrick Compton, the science teacher, is Tiago's least favourite one. Tiago's unbelievably bad at everything science and Compton is unbelievably impatient with him.
"You shouldn't talk about your teachers like that!" Holly mockingly berates him. "But between you and me - Patrick's not my favourite either."
"So who is it, then?" Quinn asks. "Must be pretty serious if they're missing the start of the school year."
"I'm not here to sub for anyone," Holly smiles. "Mrs. Faraday moved to Akron with her husband for his job. Will Schuester suggested me to replace her and voila, I'm the new English teacher - permanently," she grins.
"That's awesome!" Quinn squeals. "Are you going to be co-director of Glee?"
"I'll have to discuss it with Will, but I'd love to be in Glee club again with you guys."
Quinn is genuinely so happy to have Ms Holliday back. She subbed at McKinley for Spanish and then later for sex ed the year before. She's the first person she came out to, even before she talked to Tiago. She'd wanted to talk to a woman, someone older and wiser. Ms Holliday had been amazing. She made Quinn feel safe and valued. And okay, maybe she'd had a little tiny crush on her, but so did everyone.
They're still catching up with Holly when Mr Schue arrives. He joins them at their table and Tiago immediately asks him about the deal with Glee and Holly being back. He immediately agrees it's a great idea.
Quinn just knows next year is going to be better than any year they've ever had.