Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Chapter 4

Classes had officially started and Rachel stuck to her plan for the first few weeks. She would get up, go to class, and stay out of the dorm all day only to return late at night after Quinn was already in bed. Rachel went to the library in between classes or spent her free time in an empty rehearsal studio singing and playing the piano. Quinn had tried to apologize twice for whatever she did to offend her that first day. She even attempted idle chit chat in their passing. Rachel had merely told her that the blonde didn't need to pretend to be her friend just because they were roommates. After that interaction, Quinn decided if Rachel didn't want to be friends than she was Quinn's enemy. Quinn had vowed that college would be the place to start over. She didn't need to be the HBIC anymore and tear other people down just to feel good about herself. However, something about Rachel's brush off left the blonde feeling strange. She had made up her mind to make Rachel's life hell just as Quinn Fabray, HBIC, would do.

The night before Quinn planned to put Operation Ruin Rachel Berry into motion the tiny brunette crept into their room. Quinn had the lights off and was lying in bed silently, pretending to be asleep. Rachel tiptoed across the room and began gathering her items for the shower. Blue light filled the room as Rachel's phone went off. Quinn quickly shut her eyes.

"Shit," Rachel hissed, grabbing the phone and silencing it before running to the bathroom.

With the door cracked, Quinn could make out Rachel's side of the conversation.

"Hey Daddy…everything's great…my classes are wonderful….yes, my teachers are impressed…no…yes…well, two of them had private conferences with me concerning Shelby…no, I told them the truth. I never knew her. She gave me up for adoption as soon as I was born and I've never had anything to do with her…I know…it's not fair," Rachel choked on the last word.

Quinn held her breath in the silence that followed as Rachel's father was apparently lecturing his daughter.

"No I know it's not my problem…I just wish they'd give me a chance. Isn't it bad enough I'm stuck at OSU instead of Julliard…no, Daddy. It's fine here….my roommate's great…yes, Daddy…she's a great friend…you shouldn't worry so much. It can't be healthy…well tell Dad not to worry either. I've made several wonderful friends…this isn't high school anymore, Daddy. I wouldn't pretend I made friends if I hadn't actually made friends….Mercedes, Tina, and Quinn…yes my roommate…and you remember Brittany and Artie…we all have a lunch group…well Noah is the ring leader but naturally my presence is heard and greatly appreciated…yes, Daddy you were right it's definitely better than high school…I should go. My roommate wants to watch a movie before bed…I love you too and tell Dad I love him as well…good night," Rachel sighed.

She knew about Quinn's lunch group? She never ate with them. She lied to her fathers about who her friends were. Did she even have any? Why would she lie to them? Did she really have it that bad in high school?

Quinn's thoughts were interrupted by a loud sniff from the bathroom. Rachel was crying softly with the occasional sniff breaking the silence of their dorm.

If this girl wanted friends that badly, why wouldn't she let Quinn just be her friend?

"Just ignore, Rach. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything. She's never really had any friends and she gets defensive. So for some reason she thinks it's best if you both don't really speak. I'd just give up if I were you. She doesn't think you guys should be friends," Puck explained, shrugging lamely.

She and Puck had been eating in the cafeteria again with their group of friends. Quinn had searched over her shoulder every few minutes to see if she could spot a lonely Rachel. She had to know about their lunch group somehow and Quinn wasn't going to let the other girl sulk any longer.

"But why? If I didn't do anything to make her hate me, then why is she like this? Why does she hate me?"

"She doesn't hate you…she's just really guarded."

"Not with you apparently," Quinn whined.

"We used to date so she has to like somebody," he replied casually.

"You and Rachel?" Quinn sputtered out, nearly choking on her water.

"Yeah."

"But you're a guy."

"Yeah," he replied. "But that wasn't always an issue for Rach. Back in high school, we were both two totally different people."

"So you used to be a girl?" Quinn teased, stealing a fry from Puck's plate.

Puck grinned and shook his head. They'd been spending a lot of time together since that first day. He'd become on of Quinn's closest friends at school. Plus through him, she'd meet her other friends like Artie, Mercedes, Tina, and of course Brittany. Brittany had quickly become Quinn's best friend. The girl was on the dance team and though she was a little spacey and strange at times, she was the sweetest girl Quinn had ever known.

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of being gay?" Quinn asked bluntly.

"Thus they're not together now," Artie laughed.

Artie had gone to high school with Puck and Brittany. Tina had gone to a rival high school but knew of the three previously. She and Artie had been dancing around their feelings for each other since school began. Mercedes and Tina actually knew each other and Rachel from show choir competitions. Tina was a drama major and had several classes with Rachel. Mercedes was studying music so she also had classes with the tiny diva.

"Oh…and you guys are still friends? Isn't that…" Mercedes trailed off.

"Awkward? Nah. She's a hot Jew. I'm a hot Jew. People like us are either lovers or best friends. With Rach being into chicks, it just makes sense that we're buds instead. She's like my bro. Besides, we broke up in the tenth grade."

"So she's been out since high school?' Quinn asked curiously.

"Senior year after she and Finn broke up," Puck confirmed.

"Now that would be the awkward ex-boyfriend to talk to," Artie added, with a slight chuckle.

"How so?"

"Let's just say Rachel's coming out was a little sudden and unexpected. Hudson didn't even see it coming and we can just leave it at that," Puck stated, sending a warning glance at everyone at their table.

"Okay. What am I missing?"

"It was just awkward...not just the break up of the 'super-couple' but also Rachel's whole coming out thing. I mean she went from a nobody to the quarterback's girlfriend to practically queen of the school to a nobody again…but now it's cool. No one worries about it anymore. This is college," Puck explained as he grimaced at the lumpy mashed potatoes he kept poking with his spoon.

Quinn watched him curiously as he shoveled food into his mouth. She'd never noticed how disgusting it was to actually watch a guy eat. Mercedes started rambling on about this cute guy in one of her classes while Tina responded in all of the right places. Arties exchanged glances with Tina whenever Mercedes started to ramble on too long about some 'nice dark chocolate'. Quinn started to study their little group. They all came together pretty easily without really stopping to think about how it happened. Unknowingly, Rachel was the key that connected all of them.

Puck obviously went to high school with Rachel, Brittany, and Artie, which is why he was in the girls' room that first day that Quinn met him. Rachel was right about Puck liking Quinn. He kept showing up at their dorm the first few days of classes and offering to show her around.

Brittany came into the picture because she and Puck are good friends through Rachel. Brittany had been a cheerleader and incredibly popular. She and Rachel were never close in school. When Puck started hanging out with Rachel after they had decided they worked better as friends, he started bringing the tiny diva to parties. She and Brittany became acquaintances but still were never really that close. It was his friendship with Rachel, however, that changed him from a crazy horndog to a decent guy, which is when he started being closer friends with Brittany senior year. Puck dated her best friend Santana for a while, but nobody really talks about Santana. All that was said was she and Brittany used to be best friends, the girl dated Puck, hated Rachel, and then dated Finn. Apparently she was on OSU's cheerleading squad but ignored all of them.

Artie was in the jazz band in high school. He knew Rachel from glee club, which his jazz band often worked with. Rachel had convinced Puck to join glee. The two boys hit it off in the club and eventually Puck got him a spot on the football team, despite the fact that the boy was in a wheelchair.

Tina was a drama major and was also taking a film studies class, which was how she met Artie. They happened to sit by each other and began talking. They quickly figured out they were from rival high schools. Tina knew of the "incredibly talented but obnoxious" Rachel Berry from her own stint in her school's glee club and so their conversation continued until the two realized how much they had in common. Artie had invited Tina to join them for lunch because he thought Rachel might be there and she would have a familiar face on a big campus.

Mercedes knew Tina from show choir competitions. When she ran into Tina and Artie on their way to the Towers cafeteria, Tina invited the girl to have lunch with them. She explained that Artie went to the same high school as Rachel Berry, that girl from McKinley who always won best soloist.

Despite Rachel being the connecting factor between all of them, she never showed for a single meal to eat with the group.

After dinner, Brittany and Quinn were walking back to their dorm. She lived only two floors above Rachel and Quinn.

"I can't believe Puck dated Rachel. They just seem like brother and sister or something."

"I know. She was completely different then, though. She used to wear these ugly sweaters and tiny little skirts. Oh, she wore these gross penny loafers all the time. She and Puck dated and her fashion sense got a little better but everyone made fun of her all the time," Brittany explained.

"Wow I had no idea. She must've hid all the sweaters in our room," Quinn chuckled.

"She was really weird. I think she just wanted college to be different. We were all really mean to her in high school. We used to throw slushies on her. Santana…well this girl we used to hang out with, made Rachel's life hell. She hasn't had it easy. She's been crapped on a lot by people who were supposed to really care about her, especially Finn…even Puck's crapped on her a lot," Brittany shrugged.

"Still…" Quinn trailed off.

"Yeah, she hasn't been very fair to you. I don't know what her deal is. She's just super guarded, ya know. She's only nice now when she has to be. It's easier for her, I guess. Like, Mercedes said she's really quiet in their theatre classes. The Rachel I went to high school with was loud. She knew the answer to everything. Tina said she's quiet in their music class too. Unless she's singing. Oh, have you heard Rachel sing?"

The taller blonde instantly beamed when she asked. Quinn shook her head. She hadn't. Brittany looked shocked then a little sad.

"Oh Quinn, she's wonderful. You have to ask her to sing sometime. I've never heard anybody as good as her who wasn't on a CD or something," Brittany smiled.

"I'll ask," Quinn replied softly, knowing Rachel would never sing for her. Rachel seemed to hate her.

"She doesn't hate you," Brittany seemed to read Quinn's mind. For as dumb as people thought the dancer was, Brittany was very perceptive. "Rachel's nice to Puck because they have all of this history. He's really the only friend she's had who's stuck by her…and even he left her when she first came out. I think that's why she doesn't trust people anymore. I know he gets sad when he thinks about it. He's trying really hard to be her friend now."

"He really adores her."

"He does. She's like another sister to him so I know he feels bad about everything that happened before."

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Brittany spoke up again.

"Puck likes you."

Quinn merely blushed in response. He was really sweet. He was funny. He had been a great friend. Maybe that was the problem though. Quinn mainly saw Puck as a friend. She knew he was supposed to be a great catch for her. They would flirt but it was never anything serious. All of their conversations were always about their friends…or Rachel. Could Quinn even go a day without thinking about her? She hated how much Rachel confused her. She didn't know why the other girl hated her and it was driving her insane. She knew Puck was getting fed up with her Rachel obsession. He kept telling her to let it go. She couldn't. She didn't know why it bothered her so much…but it did.

"Plus, you've got Rachel's approval. That's a lot more than any of the other girls have gotten…well except Alicia. She got a lot more than that…but that's an entirely different thing, if you know what I mean."

Quinn had Rachel's approval. Wow. She needed to stop obsessing over this. Wait…Alicia? How does that- what did that mean…Rachel slept with his girlfriend?

"She slept with his girlfriend?" Quinn asked, almost outraged.

"No…she wasn't his girlfriend. They just went out…like once…nothing major…besides, he told Rachel that he didn't like her. So Rachel went for it," Brittany explained offhandedly.

"I can't believe that. I thought they were like best friends."

"They are. It sounds a lot worse than it really was. Rachel just made out with the girl. They didn't sleep together or anything," Brittany defended.

Quinn unlocked the door to her room. She and Brittany were going to go out and finally see what a Friday night college party was all about.

"I just didn't think she was that type or something. I still can't believe it."

"Believe what?" Rachel asked coming out of the bathroom.

Quinn jumped nearly ten feet in the air. She thought Rachel would be gone. The girl was never in their room unless she was sleeping. Yet there she was in nothing but a towel with her wet locks sending small water droplets cascading down her tan shoulders and collarbone. For some reason Quinn was staring and she couldn't stop tracing each droplet with her eyes. Brittany was staring too.

"See something you like, girls?" Rachel laughed, teasingly.

Quinn blushed instantly.

"Quinn is straight, Rachel," Brittany explained seriously, not catching the joke.

"Thank you for the heads up, Brittany. It's good to see you again. It's especially nice to see you without a cheerleading uniform or holding a slushie," Rachel replied softly.

"I'm on the dance team now not cheerleading anymore. Plus we don't have a slushie machine on campus and I wouldn't do that you now."

Brittany smiled at the brunette who flushed and lowered her head.

"We were just discussing how you made out with Alicia."

"Oh well…um…wow," Rachel turned even redder, looking completely adorable.

"Don't worry Rachel. You can't help it that you're better company than Puck. It's not your fault you're the girl other girls want to fool around with. It's not like you picked her up. I was at that party this summer. She totally came on to you. Not the other way around," Brittany assured.

"So you really do break them in?" Quinn asked, eyes widening as soon as she realized what she asked. "I mean, Puck, he said…I just thought he was joking."

Rachel looked taken back by that. Quinn would be too. She could 't believe she asked her roommate that. She couldn't believe she was still starting at Rachel in what could be interpreted as a totally pervy way. What was wrong with her lately? What was with this girl? It had to be that Quinn was so shocked to actually see her in their room. That had to be it. No other reason.

"That makes them sound like horses, Quinn. You can't break people in," Brittany rolled her eyes. "Rachel's just…helping out another person with female research…it's all in the name of science. That's what Santana used to say. She was lending a helping hand to researching females in the name of science," the blonde laughed it off, as if she didn't just out her former best friend and in a round about way accuse Rachel of being a whore.

"Funny. Who would've guessed the girl who tortured me for being gay was lending so many helping hands," Rachel muttered.

"Just because you have sex with a girl, it doesn't mean you're gay," Brittany nodded innocently.

"Of course," Rachel deadpanned.

Quinn felt her ears heat up as she began blushing again. Whether it was from the topic or her friend's stupidity, she wasn't sure.

"You're blushing," Rachel called out as she went back to doing her makeup in the mirror.

"Well Quinn is very Christian, Rachel. She doesn't talk about sex very much."

"I'm very Jewish so I have no issues discussing it," Rachel chuckled.

Finally having Rachel not only talk to her, but joking around with her and being nice to her wasn't the experience Quinn had pictured it being. She was actually nervous to talk to her. If she messed this up, Rachel probably wouldn't speak to her for another month. Plus, Rachel's nose did this cute crinkling thing when she smiled. It made her seem almost human instead of the moody creature that Quinn usually ran into. And her laugh was light and it made Quinn want to laugh because she got giddy knowing Rachel was joking around with her.

Quinn didn't realize the lull in conversation during her internal musings.

"Relax, Quinn. I'm just messing with you. Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything of that nature. I completely understand. You're not comfortable with me talking about my lesbian…encounters. It's okay. I'm sure I don't want to hear about your sexual exploits with the jock down the street or the golden boy star athlete from the other side of town. I also understand that religion is not a joking matter and you take your Christianity very seriously which I not only respect but admire as well. Not everyone our age, thinks about the repercussions of their actions and how that will shape what's to come after their mortal expiration."

"He wasn't from the other side of town," Quinn muttered, thinking back on her one and only experience with sex. "And he didn't live right down the street but definitely close by."

"Puck would have sex with you," Brittany piped in.

"I don't know about that," Quinn blushed.

She knew that Puck would have sex with her. He would have sex with any attractive girl. She wanted it to mean something the next time she had sex. Losing her virginity to Sam had been a mistake. They were great friends who had started dating because it was expected from their families. They tried to make it work. She had sex with him even though she knew she didn't love him. She had wanted to wait until marriage but a few wine coolers and teenage hormones won out, on top of the fact that she felt fat that day and he told her she was pretty. They had sex. She cried. They broke up a few weeks later and remained good friends. Sex just wasn't for her. Maybe with the right person, maybe if she had waited until marriage…maybe sex would be good then. But as far as Quinn was concerned it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

"Noah?" Rachel asked. "You two would be good together. He's all sweet and mushy underneath the jock thing. I know he's somewhat of a whore but he's actually a really good guy. I think he would date you. That's saying something with Noah. As Puck, he has this reputation as a manwhore. With the right girl though, he'd be free to be Noah, the sweet guy that his friends actually know him as."

"You should see them together, Rachel. It's really cute," Brittany gushed.

"I don't doubt it," Rachel smiled, even though her eyes didn't look quite as happy.

Quinn noticed the first day that Rachel had really expressive, big brown eyes. She could act however she wanted and ignore Quinn as much as she pleased, but her eyes always gave her away. Rachel was just as lonely as the rest of the world.

"I bet he would date you Quinn. He's different with you. Almost like if Rachel were straight," Brittany bobbed her head happily.

"Oh, if only I were straight so I could date Noah Puckerman," Rachel laughed loudly, almost obnoxiously and yet it was cute.

"Yes well for some straight girls it might not be such a laughing matter," Quinn defended.

Rachel stopped laughing and turned to Quinn seriously, "I was joking Quinn. Sorry if I somehow managed to offend you again. You may need to lighten up a bit though. There's more to the world than black and white. There's all kinds of grays. You're in college now. It's a new place, new people, new world. I'm not trying to convert you but I won't hide who I am. Perhaps, it wouldn't hurt if you could see the grays in between and appreciate them."

That was the most Rachel had ever spoken to her. Rachel got quiet as if realizing the impact of her words of wisdom. Regardless of gay, straight, whatever, Rachel could change some of Quinn's narrow-minded views instilled by her parents…and that would probably be a good thing. Of course, that was if Rachel would actually give Quinn a chance to get to know her, which hadn't happened yet. Brittany had said that Rachel was guarded because a lot of important people let her down. Puck said that things were hard for Rachel both before and especially after she came out. Maybe she just needed to know that Quinn would be there, gay or not.

"Well this has been fun my peers, but some of us have plans. I have an audition" Rachel beamed.

AN: I know it's a little insane to update like 5 times in a day. My "sick day" from work gave me a lot of time to write. I can't guarantee this will be a regular thing. Maybe one or two updates every few days. In honor of Glee tonight I decided to post two more chapters. Enjoy!