It was almost too much to take, being seen in a Nissan Cube, restless with all the thoughts that were running through Santana's mind right now, and worse of all she had spent the last hour trying to understand how Quinn became so different within a year and a half of not seeing the petite blonde. And then she couldn't take it anymore. "Okay Q. This music…like seriously? And where the hell are you taking me? We've been in this dam car for over an hour! And speaking of the car-" Quinn cuts her off by laughing at the obviously irritated girl in her passenger seat. "Whoa calm down there killer" Quinn says with a breathy voice, completely comfortable and use to this kind of reaction from Santana. "First of all don't hate on my car. My father got me this when he decided to make amends for shunning me for three years" She arches her eyebrow, small grin tugging at the corner of her lips, "The music is something I picked up at my first job, and really if you would listen to the depths of the lyrics then you may understand why I'm so into it."
Santana still didn't understand and it didn't help that Quinn didn't answer the most important question she asked but she figured the girl was going to avoid answering it at all costs, rendering her attempts inevitably useless. "How can you even understand the lyrics? He sounds like someone just tied his foreskin to a ceiling fan and put it on high" Being completely serious Santana crossed her arms, slouching down in the chair and staring out into the snow covered roads. The beautiful blonde dramatically gasps offended by the statement, "Come Back Kid is one of the oldest most talented hardcore bands out there next to Bane! But you know what-" She pushes the button on her CD changer, "Since I'm such a good friend I'll change it just for you" Sarcasm placed in her tone. Santana stared at Quinn as the CD went from bad to awful. At this rate, Santana was almost debating risking her life in a tuck and roll situation, the snow would definitely soften the blow.
One hundred seventy four miles and three hours later they arrive at their destination, the Latina still extremely unhappy that she had even been dragged out of her apartment into this freezing cold weather anyways and seeing for what, made the Latina even more unimpressed and slightly gag to herself. "You dragged me to Cleveland for karaoke? Are you fucking kidding me…?" Santana lifts her left hand to rub her forehead and Quinn laughs at how distraught the girl is over karaoke. "Come on" The blonde quickly jumps out of the car making herself around it to drag the other girl out, "We have people waiting for us inside. Santana stop your pouting and get your sexy ass inside so we can have some fun!" The blonde demands, not even realizing at this point what exactly came out of her mouth during that sentence. The shock factor made Santana give into it, letting Quinn pull her out of the car with one last tug and drag her into Sing Sing. "What the fuck…" Was all she could think as she stared at the table full of people, everyone she didn't want to see including Rachel Berry. "Hey!" The table said in unison as they dispersed from all interactions, swarming themselves around the now very uncomfortable, but slightly happier Latina. She would have never thought so many people would go out of their ways just for a get together, one that was obviously planned for Santana. It was almost overwhelming but that girl quickly pushed it aside as she hugged everyone who came up to her, Puck giving her a squeeze and a spin, Tina flinching during it, Finn suffocating her, the only really normal hug she got was from monkey lips, which she really felt like calling him at the moment.
Thirty minutes later everyone was making their rounds on stage, and being out in public was starting to feel more normal for Santana as her and Rachel discussed what New York was like and how being on her leave from Broadway until spring was going. She hadn't really seen Rachel since she left but the girl must have been very lonely calling Santana almost everyday she was there just to talk about ridiculous stuff and the girl had to bare it knowing that it was partially her fault Berry even got one of the most sought after rolls at the time, Last Summer At Bluefish cove was a big success upon it's recasting, winning the play several awards and a Tony for Rachel herself yet the girl was still unhappy and Santana was the only person who actually knew why.
Quinn couldn't help but to watch the girls as they chatted, if Rachel made her this comfortable then why isn't she trying harder to pick up the pieces of Santana like Quinn herself had been trying so hard to do? And when the hell did these two become so close anyways? Did hell freeze over? Was Santana on legitimate drugs? "Hello? Earth to Quinn is you there? You have a very ugly scowl on your face" A tanned hand waved in front of the girls face snapping her out of her confusion, "It's your turn, you dragged me down here so you better get up there and sing good for my entertainment" Santana half threatened with a smile growing across her face. Shaking out of her head, Quinn stood and made her way towards the stage already having planned out the song she wanted to sing in advance. Being on stage again made the blonde some what nervous and even more self conscious as she tugged at the hem of her long sleeve thin black shirt, she hadn't realized how nerve racking it must actually be to sing about something you know and care about compared to all the bullshit they had her sing in glee.
As the music started up, the song was immediately recognized by Santana and probably everyone else in the room, and it was a relief considering the dark brunette was almost sure she was going to sing that crap she was playing in her clown mobile. Quinn's voice sounded beautiful as she began singing a completely stripped down version of Paramore'sMiracle, causing Santana's heart to almost stop and kill over. It didn't help that Quinn kept staring at her with deep hazel eye's that she already struggled to keep out of her mind since this morning, boy is this girl the queen of mixed signals.
"We learned to run from, anything uncomfortable, We've tied our pain below and no one ever has to know" Quinn sung gracefully, causing Santana to look away from her. God damn Quinn, you should've actually answered my question this morning and I wouldn't be feeling this way The girl thought silently to herself as she was mesmerized by the song and turned her head back up only to be met with hazel eyes.
"We'll get it right this time, Let's leave this all behind oh why-" Before the Latina knew it the song had ended and everyone was doing a standing ovation except for herself who was still to stuck on those lyrics and that stare the girl had been giving her throughout the entire performance. Quickly realizing how awkward she making herself actually come off, Santana stands and hugs Quinn, complimenting the performance as she did so.
"Okay Santana! You're up girl!" Puck says dumbly as he gently pats the girl on the shoulder, encouraging her. Swallowing her inner doubt, she took stage ignoring all her self conscious thoughts as she did so. Showing vulnerability in front of a large group was deemed unacceptable by the girl, they all looked at her as the not afraid of anything type of girl and though it wasn't high school, she felt it appropriate to maintain her reputation of bad ass proportions. It was going to be hard following Quinn though, she'd never seen blondie put so much emotion and effort into a song before and they were in glee together everyday for three years. Except the exceptions when they weren't. But that happened to almost everyone.
Quinn had noticed the slight peak in confidence that spiked in Santana as she took the stage, she had also noticed how giddy Rachel Berry was once it was on Santana's turn to sing, causing her to arch a slightly annoyed and confused eyebrow at the girl but quickly paying her attention back to the stage where Sam was now standing behind Santana with a guitar, causing the same confusion she had wash over the table of people.
"Okay. Many of you don't know this because lady lips here and I are very good at keeping any bonding we may have from the public" She grins into the microphone, "But we had a side band for a while during senior year, he's really good at the guitar and what he lacks in vocal talent amongst wits and good looks, I make up for" Sam frowned at that holding his arms up, "Hey!" He defends and Santana winks at him causing him to smile wide and laughter to scatter throughout the table.
Quick fingers began pacing chords, signaling silence from the group and lyrics started immediately. "The drugs begin to peak, a smile of joy arrives in me but sedation changes to panic and nausea and breath starts to shorten and heart beats pound softer" A beautifully rough voice sings a steady pace into the microphone, getting louder at all the right parts. Santana was just full of surprises all her life, so for Quinn this was no different. Though the girl had made fun of her music in the car, this was another genre of music the girl had almost been certain she was the only one who enjoyed. Until now. Watching the performance nearly broke everyone at the table's heart, as they all got up to hug the girl who kept a surprisingly strong face for such an emotional song. Quinn kept her distance though replaying the events of yesterday and tonight in her mind, not only was Santana completely heartbroken, using, and very wishy washy towards the blonde, now other questions were there like why Rachel Berry and her got along so well and why Rachel kept acting so giddy around the girl she had never been friends with before as far as the blonde was concerned. And when the hell did Santana and Sam have a side band? Guilt and regret plagued the blonde who thought once more about the year of not talking to Santana, she had missed absolutely so much including the Latina girl herself.
Back in the car, Quinn had made sure to turn the radio on for Santana who was currently searching through her over sized bag for a bottle of water. "So that wasn't that bad right? I mean sure the drive is completely crazy but you needed to get out of the house" Quinn breaks the silence as the other girl accomplishes fishing out a water bottle along with another bottle, "Must you take those right now" The blonde says before she could even stop herself.
Santana looks at her, eyes looming with curiosity as she knew this was the perfect time to take advantage and play Quinn's emotions to her advantage. "I guess that depends…are you going to answer my question on why you didn't talk to me for nearly a year and a half?" She arches an eyebrow at the girl in a testing manner. Even if the girl didn't want to answer, that would be enough to get her from giving the tan girl the evil eye every time she pulls out a bottle of pills.
A tongue darts across the blonde's lower lip before gnawing on it, obviously caught off guard by the question. "Erm…" She clears her throat taking a quick decision and changing the top, "So you and Berry are pretty cozy, did I miss hell freezing over?" Though she tried to make it sound casual, a hint of jealousy spat out with the question, causing Santana to choke on the water and pill she had now been downing, "What the fuck S?" She exclaims, watching half of the liquid go from Santana's throat unto her passenger side floor as the girl coughs out the remainder of scattered air.
"Wow good job" Quinn rolls her eyes and the brunette darts a glare over at the girl, "Okay. Touché. So we both have something we'd prefer not to answer. You can consider it even." The rest of the ride back to Santana's apartment was quiet with the soft sounds of music playing throughout the car.
Once back at the apartment both girls were tired from the six hours spent in a car, and four spent in an over rated karaoke club, and to top it off, awkwardness surrounded them with questions left unanswered and curiosity's plaguing both girls with silently got ready for bed with the unspoken knowing that Quinn would be staying as long as Santana couldn't control her urge to self destruct. Silence and darkness filled the room once they laid there, only to be broken slightly as the covers made sounds once Santana rolled onto her side, slinking an arm she had been trying to will herself to do for fifteen minutes, over the petite blonde's side only to be met with fingers tangling into hers.
"I didn't want to stop talking to you…" a husky whisper came from the blonde who made no other movement as she stared at the wall in front of her to explain, "You were with Brittany…." Was the only way she knew to safely tread light upon the situation that occurred between everyone. Santana lets out a small sigh, "Yeah….you knew this and never had a problem being my friend before" She replies, pushing the subject. "Santana. You know exactly what we did" The blonde says, squeezing the girls hand as she became serious about this, "And you know I would be lying if I said I didn't like it, if I didn't-" Swallowing hard, Quinn wasn't ready to admit this to the girl, she knew she wouldn't get the reaction she wanted, especially with the girl beside her still in a state of longing for the other blonde that once laid in the spot Quinn herself was now laying in.
Though these thoughts depressed Quinn, she needed to push them aside because even if she couldn't have Santana in the way she truly desired, she wanted the girl to still be her friend and was willing to get over that in order to have this conversation that might quite possibly blow up in her face. "If I didn't have feelings for you I could never explore the way I wanted" She finally spit out and Santana immediately felt like a hand was wrapped around her heart, squeezing out the last ounce of love or compassion she ever felt for anything. This couldn't be happening now, after all the time Santana spent wondering why her best friend completely abandoned her, and this was the reason. Suddenly feeling resentment towards the confession she couldn't take it any more and needed Quinn to feel how she felt, "I slept with Rachel."