Chapter 4

Brave

X

It seemed like the jocks were getting the message of how serious Quinn was about them not being able to slushie people because there hadn't been any slushie incidents in the last month since that incident in the hall maybe two or three weeks ago. At first they didn't take it seriously with Quinn's threat about them not slushying Rachel and had tried again after a few days, thinking it would blow over. As soon as someone started walking in Rachel's direction with a slushie cup in hand they didn't make it within five feet of Rachel before they felt an icy sting on their face and in their eyes. They gasped in horror of the feeling of being bitch slapped by an iceberg as most of the school watched with bated breath to see what would happen next. It was Quinn, HBIC, yet again throwing the slushie up into these jock's faces as if it was nothing after all. It seemed to instill more fear into the student body as a whole to see it done firsthand by the Head Cheerleader.

"I thought you would have learned from other's mistakes Azimio Adams. I mean … honestly I thought you at least had a brain and that it functioned a little bit, enough to know not to do that considering last time it was your best friend Karofsky who made that mistake. I'm laying down the law here and if you get in my way you'll face Sue Sylvester's wrath not just my own. You think Sue is scary? Let's just say she probably wouldn't be nearly as harsh as I will. She doesn't give a shit. I, however, give enough shits to make sure that you will listen to me or face the consequences and whatever she says and does will pale in comparison." Quinn said as she observed her nails, as if bored by the entire situation and the jock standing before her looking on in shock at something his brain had yet to comprehend. He was still letting it sink in that he was covered in Cherry Slushie right now and that he wasn't imagining the stinging feeling in his eyes.

He moved into action and raised his fist, about to hit Quinn, when quicker than he thought possible she punched him in the face and it HURT like HELL. He reared back and held his face in pain. "OW!" He yelled, screamed.

"You think because I'm a girl much smaller than you I can't hit back if you decide to hit me?" Quinn asked, examining her hand to see the red on it and seemingly just trying to rub the slushie off of it. "I don't think so. I might be smaller than you but I'm not defenseless. Like I told you, I will make your life hell because I'm a third degree black belt in various martial arts training. I can do flips from where I stand and kick your teeth in if I really wanted to; make no mistake of that Azimio. So run along now before I let everyone see you getting beat up by a white girl like the pansy you are."

He just didn't get it though, he tried to swipe at her again with another fist that was promptly blocked with her fist and she kicked him in the side of his fat body. He cried out but tried to punch her with his other arm, something she merely ducked under, and kicked him back against his stomach, making him stumble back several feet away from her, to the hallways amazement.

"You BITCH! I'm going to fucking murder you," he screamed as everyone gasped in the hallway at hearing a death threat.

This time it wasn't Quinn who spoke but Rachel, the person who was supposed to be the recipient of his bullying originally. "I'm going to report you for that. You absolutely cannot threaten someone else's life like that no matter how angry you are Azimio Adams and I am going to report you to the police because this entire hallway is witness to you saying so. So you better calm yourself right now before you say anything else you regret."

His eyes widened in horror at the realization that he could and probably would get in trouble for saying something like that.

Santana was standing off to the side, silently, until she stepped in. "You want to murder my best friend? Don't make me laugh. My cousin's a cop and I recorded this whole thing on my phone here," she showed it to him. "I'm going to send this to him and see how lightly he takes to you threatening my best friend like that you puta!"

Azimio paled and he started crying though no one could see his tears through the slushie still covering his face. "I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean it, I swear I didn't! I was just, just mad!"

And after that incident no one else really dared to mess with the order that the HBIC put out on any and all slushying. There was a new order in McKinley and everyone was just trying to adjust.

X

Santana and Brittany were walking down the hallway, pinkies linked as per usual, but what surprised everyone was the affectionate display at one of their lockers. Santana stopped in front of her locker and deliberately gave Brittany a sound kiss that was slightly more than a simple press of the lips much to everyone's surprised shock. They kissed for just about a minute before pulling away and smiling at each other before Santana opened her locker and pulled a few books out as if nothing was amiss. When she turned around she just effortlessly walked down the hallway with Brittany by her side.

An idiot managed to stop them from their path, "hey, Lesbos! Why are you doing each other when you can have a real man show you a good time?" He asked, grabbing his junk obscenely, as if it was enticing in any way whatsoever, and leering at them before adding, "We can all show each other a good time if you want." Rick the 'stick' was as disgusting and vulgar as ever and he wondered why he was a virgin.

"There will not be anything going on with you because from what I can see there's nothing there that can interest me because of how small it is. Even then I'm sure you wouldn't know what you were doing anyways. So you best be stepping out of my way before I go all Lima Heights Adjacent on your greasy ass." Santana said with a fierce glare aimed at him so hot he should be sweating buckets right now.

He laughed as he spoke, "Ooooh, was that supposed to be a threat?" He laughed again as he took a step closer which was the wrong move because a few seconds later he was curled up on the ground reaching notes guys could only reach if they had their junks kicked the way Santana kicked it just now.

"Anyone else want to 'man up' and 'show me' how it's done? Because if any one of you idiots think you can make me straight when I was born gay … well you have another thing coming because that's something you won't be doing again if you try." Her threats were heard loud and clear, almost as clear as Rick's impossible high note from the hard kick to the privates. She gave him one last look before saying, "pathetic," and walking away with her girlfriend in tow to their class.

"San, you're so brave," Brittany whispered into her ear before pressing a very firm kiss to Santana's lips before they entered their classroom, almost pressing her against the row of lockers next to it. Santana's only response was to smile brightly and give her a chaste but deep kiss back.

Almost everyone in the hallway was surprised and shocked because, yes, they all suspected a relationship between the two cheerleaders but no one thought they would ever confirm it. No one had ever thought that Santana, more so than Brittany, would be the one to reveal the true nature of their relationship and it just came as such a shock.

After the initial shock wore off though, everyone either continued to gossip or just went on with their day. So Quinn had called upon another new order at McKinley just like that. The first banned slushies from being thrown and the second that no one was to bother her two best friends, at all because of their relationship and it was sticking. It had been an entire month free of slushies now and the students of McKinley grateful for it in every way because there was no more fear of being the next target. There was also less drama since no one had to run and hide from being the next recipient of iceberg cold slushies. For the most part the students of WMHS were actually happy with the new order and the only naysayers were the ones who had dealt the drinks out. Of course they weren't happy but they wouldn't dare voice their complaints after having the drinks thrown at them for once instead and saw the Head Cheerio beat up one of their own. He was the biggest of them, too, on the football team which just made it all the more humiliating and worse for the football team members.

X

Quinn was sitting in the auditorium playing on the piano idly during lunch when Rachel finally made an appearance, a happy smile on her face as she walked to Quinn. Quinn looked up but continued to play the song she had been playing as Rachel approached her happily. They smiled at each other before Quinn asked Rachel, "what's got you in such a good mood and smiling so giddily?"

Rachel's smile somehow widened even further upon hearing the question. "I was just reading the note my secret admirer left me … again, and it is just so sweet I can't stop smiling." Rachel responded. "I just wish that they would tell me who they are because it's been almost two months since they started giving me flowers and I'm surprised they haven't run out of flowers yet actually."

Quinn laughed a little over hearing Rachel ask that. "Well … maybe they have an infinite knowledge of all of the flowers in the world and they haven't run out of flowers to give you yet." Quinn's smile was warm and genuine and made Rachel's heart race with feelings of … friendship. There was a pause in speech, though she was still playing a song on the piano as if by heart and muscle memory alone, before Quinn asked tentatively, "do you have any idea who your secret admirer might be Rachel? Have they left you anymore clues about who they are or anything else that would give them away?"

A look of contemplation came over Rachel's features as she thought about it, really thought about it and Quinn found it adorable. Rachel really was an endearing person when she wasn't in Glee Club competition mode … but even though Quinn found her cute despite being high strung. "Well," Rachel finally started with, "I haven't had anyone approach me about it really or watch me whenever I open my locker to read my new note and receive my next flower. I'm not sure they've ever really hinted at who they could possibly be except that they fear I'll reject them because they think I'll think their fake or insincere in some way. I'm not quite sure why but that's what it said in one of the notes they left me last month." She paused, "I have been thinking about it and wondering who they are, what they look like, what their interests are, and things like that. I keep wondering if we'll get along … or if they'll get tired of me because they haven't really spent all that much time with me, if any at all, despite their crush because they won't tell me who they are." Rachel looked a bit disappointed at that. Quinn couldn't stand how disappointed Rachel looked about it.

"Well … well maybe they're just too scared to tell you who they really are and they're trying to build up their courage to be brave enough to tell you who they are." Quinn said, as if that wasn't obvious enough for Rachel.

"I know that Quinn … I just … I wish they'd give me a little bit of a hint, something to go on, something to give me hope that they aren't just … a figment of my imagination or something like that. I just want something to tell me that they aren't going to keep themselves a secret for the rest of the school year and leave me waiting for them to tell me who they are. I know that bravery is not something that people come by, it's sometimes something a person is born with or build up to but I'm just going out of my mind wondering. I keep wondering who they are and if all of this is just … all I'll ever get from them." Rachel ended sadly, a little dejectedly.

Before Rachel could continue she felt arms wrap around her warmly, gently. "Don't give up Rachel. You might just be surprised by who they are and that might be why they're so afraid to confess to you in person so you know them. They might be just as afraid of rejection as you are someone they have expressed a fear of you finding them fake before. Your admirer might be scared of you not liking who they end up being and that's why they're hiding their identity from you like this." Quinn spoke soothingly and it calmed Rachel down a bit. "I'm sure they aren't making you wait because they want to but because they aren't comfortable enough to tell you who they are yet perhaps. Maybe you should sing a song during Glee to get your feelings out a bit." Rachel hadn't expected Quinn to become her friend let alone her confidant like this. It made Rachel smile happily at the thought that Quinn was finally, truly her genuine friend now. After all they went through last year her attempts at friendship finally came to fruition and it made Rachel's heart throb happily.

"Thank you Quinn. You've been an amazing friend … my best friend even throughout all of this and I … I never thought we'd get to this point but here we are." Rachel smiled at Quinn, "I'm so glad that we're friends Quinn. I couldn't ask for more than to be your friend. I'm going to get my thoughts together and pick out a song to sing in Glee just like you suggested. I hope … I hope in the mean time they give me some kind of sign that they are willing to tell me who they are eventually even if it's not right now or tomorrow. I just need something."

X

It had been three days since Rachel's talk with Quinn and there had been three more flowers for each day and today's particular note had Rachel's heart racing, pounding, and beating. This flower was a red Tulip and the meaning was clear in both the note and flower meaning.

This red Tulip means a declaration of love and also asks for you to believe me. I know that it's been a little bit more than two months since I started giving you flowers to show you my admiration and you must be getting impatient with me. I'm not quite ready to reveal who I am yet but I will tell you something a bit of a hint. Please don't try to look for me yet. I do have a few clubs and after school activities I am a part of with you. We do have a few common interests with each other and we are both leaders of separate activities we don't participate in together. As you have several different activities you take part in I'm sure you will look closely at other people in those particular clubs in the hopes that you will see me and know who I am by how I react to you looking out for me amongst the other students participating in these activities with you. I know you want to know who I am, know who it is who is behind this secret admiration but I just can't tell you just yet and I'm sorry for that. I will tell you when I am completely ready, I promise you that Rachel. For now please allow me to remain your secret admirer, LF.

LF … this time her admirer added a second initial and it caused Rachel's heart to leap into her throat about who could possibly her secret admirer. This opened up a whole other path as well as closed several of them for Rachel. There were four people from Rachel's original list that had the initials of LF and of the four only three of them were actually in the order of LF while one had their initials as FL. Larissa Fretthold, Lloyd Flowers, and Lindsay Folder had their names match up with the initials correctly while Faridah Lawson would be the initials inversed. Rachel knew all of them from extracurricular activities that much she was sure of, but none of them struck her as secret admirer material. She saw most of these people on a nearly day to day basis from school alone and not any single one of them had ever shown any interest in her in particular and so Rachel just went along with her day deep in thought of who it could possibly be. This admirer was certainly testing her in ways she hadn't been tested before in terms of patience in finding out just who they were.

Rachel walked into Glee Club with determination set into her features and marking every step she took into the room. She was the first one to arrive and the next person sat down next to her, startling Rachel out of her thoughts with a gentle touch to her arm that had her looking up abruptly into steadfast hazel. Quinn's gaze was strong but warm. Rachel thought nothing of it because Quinn always seemed to have an intense kind of stare that Rachel was more than used to at this point. Rachel smiled warmly at Quinn before she spoke up. "I'm going to sing today like you suggested me to do the other day to get my feelings out. Of course, I'll leave the song as a surprise as per usual."

Quinn smiled, "of course. Surprises are usually better when they're unexpected in a good way for sure. There are such things as bad surprises but I'm sure yours will be a good one considering I don't think I've ever heard a bad performance from you before … well, other than the time you had laryngitis. That wasn't exactly your fault and it was … well, pretty funny actually," Quinn said, looking as if she was trying very hard not to crack up and hiding her amusement behind her hand.

"Quinn! I … I … please don't mention that again! I am mortified that you even brought that up! I wish that day could be erased from history because of the embarrassment! God, I couldn't have sounded worse if I tried right now!" Rachel smacked Quinn's arm when she heard a giggle escape from Quinn's hands. "It's not funny Quinn! It is very far from amusing and I want you to forget about it immediately!" Rachel's voice nearly rose to a pitch that Quinn was sure only dogs could hear at this point and it made the whole memory even funnier, causing her to outright laugh in her seat. Rachel's indignation just made it so much harder for Quinn to control her need to laugh.

"I'm sorry, I really am sorry but I can't stop laughing for the life of me right now Rachel. I-I, god, it was just too funny!" Quinn's laughter was at least slowing down but ever present.

Rachel scowled at Quinn as a few other Glee members came into the room. Some people were still eyeing them strangely because they still weren't quite used to their friendship. Sure, all of the Gleeks were more than a little grateful for the reform Quinn had put into effect over a month ago to ensure they were slushie free everyday now but it was still odd. They hadn't expected their friendship to come about in the way it had but here they were, giggling and laughing like old friends instead of newfound friends of barely two months. It was a surprise to most of the Gleeks but Finn Hudson especially didn't like it even if it seemed like no one else had caught on yet. Brittany and Santana were obviously already aware of Quinn's friendship with Rachel being real and Finn could see it in Quinn's eyes as she interacted with Rachel. He was smug in that he didn't think Rachel would reciprocate her feelings and come crawling back to him eventually.

"So … Quinn … I know I've said it before but … we need to hang out more and I was wondering if you were available to hang out at my house tonight or not and possibly have dinner with my parents? I just want to allay their fears about our friendship. They've not exactly heard great things about you from me before and so they're rather hesitant about our newfound friendship it seems. I just wanted to have you over tonight because it is a Friday and also to show them that they don't have anything to fear about our friendship at all! You've been such a great friend and I always knew that there was more to you than what you showed other people at school. I would love it if you could just come over to hang out for a bit and then have dinner with my fathers if it's not too much trouble." Rachel's expression was so earnest and Quinn had never been able to say no to Rachel no matter what it was she asked of her.

There was a pause before Quinn nodded her head in consent. "Excellent! I'll see you around … 5:30 then? I know your Cheerios practice runs a bit later on Fridays since I've sat in on one or two but she usually lets you out by 4:30 if not just a bit later."

"Yeah, that'd be fine since I would just shower here. I would just need to stop by my house for a few things before I come over and then I'm all yours until your dads decide whether they want to kill me or not." Quinn said jokingly to play off her nerves and reservations about dinner at Rachel's house with men who most likely hated her very guts.

Rachel scoffed but it came out weakly and not nearly as confident as it was meant to as she said, "They wouldn't kill you Quinn!" And then as a mutter under her breath she added, "at least I would hope not." Quinn heard her though and she had to roll her eyes at the fact that Rachel had thought that it was soft enough that she wouldn't be able to hear it considering their close proximity to each other. They were sitting right next to each other after.

"I heard that Rachel. That doesn't exactly help with calming my nerves all that much … or at all really."

"I'm sorry! Forget I said that. I'm sure that you will be more than charming enough to win them over considering I know the real you Quinn. I have confidence in the real you and not who you want people to think you are and you've proven as much to me these last two months of slushie free hallways and students. It … it still amazes me some days that you did so much and that it worked more so than that you tried. I'm … I'm very proud of you Quinn." Before Rachel could say anymore Mr. Schue came in about five minutes later than the rest of the club members, breezing in as if he hadn't been late at all. He immediately went to the whiteboard at the front of the room and wrote Self-Expression on the board before launching into how sometimes when life got too hard expressing feelings through song can help through rough patches. He told them that he wanted everyone to think about what they wanted to sing over the weekend and start practicing their song choices by Monday.

"Okay, I want everyone to pick a name from the hat to decide partners. Whoever you pick will be your partner and make sure that if you accidentally pick your own name out you put it back in the hat and pick a different name!" He picked his hat up before starting from the end where Puck was sitting. "You're up Puck, go ahead and pick a name."

"I got Artie." He said simply and Mr. Schue moved on to the next person.

Mike drew Finn, who was obviously unhappy with his partner, Santana somehow picked Brittany's name out of the hat yet again, Kurt paired up with Mercedes, Rachel smiled at Quinn, pleased, Tina was slotted with Sam, Lauren with Joe, and that left Rory and Sugar to work together. Most of the Glee Club was more than satisfied with who they got paired up with but Finn sat in his unhappy corner, not exactly angry because it was Mike but more or else because it wasn't Rachel. He wanted to ask for a redraw but clamped his mouth shut when Rachel raised her hand after Mr. Schue gave instructions for everyone to begin strategizing and planning their performances.

"Yes, Rachel," Mr. Schue asked hesitantly, almost nervously.

"I just have a song I would like to perform that I planned on performing today if it would be amenable to you Mr. Schue." After Mr. Schue nodded his agreement Rachel took the stage and spoke to the room at large before performing, a preface to explain her current song choice. "I just want to express something that I think we can all relate to in this room because it's something that happens quite often in everyday life, holding back. Everyone holds back something for either fear of rejection or fear of judgment usually and this is a song that I find rather inspiring about just speaking freely and being brave in the face of holding back words that create silence instead of speaking up. So, without further ado, I will be singing Brave. Hit it Brad, please!"

You can be amazing

You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug

You can be the outcast

Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love

Or you can start speaking up

Everyone was nodding their head along to the beat of the song and listening to the words with a smile as they knew they really did relate to this song.

Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do

When they settle 'neath your skin

Kept on the inside and no sunlight

Sometimes the shadow wins

But I wonder what would happen if you

The song was picking up and Brittany and Mike were already standing up and dancing along as a few others joined, Quinn by choice while Santana was dragged up by Brittany's smile of encouragement.

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Kurt had been watching Quinn closely the entire time because he had been curious about Quinn's sudden turn around about many things since a few months ago and he wasn't disappointed. He could see the way she was looking at Rachel and wondered if Rachel had noticed it at all. He whispered to Mercedes about it and asked her if she saw the same thing he did or if it was just his imagination. She nodded her head in agreement with him before dancing and singing along again without missing a beat.

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

At this point almost everyone was out of their seat dancing with the exception of Artie, who was dancing in his seat, Finn because he was still brooding, and Lauren. Lauren nodded along to the beat of the song but didn't seem to be in the mood for dancing around the room with everyone else at the stage with Rachel. Finn also noticed that Quinn was actually dancing with Rachel as she sang happily and it made him furrow his eyebrows in deep thought.

I just want to see you

I just want to see you

I just want to see you

I wanna see you be brave

I just want to see you

I just want to see you

I just want to see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody's been there, everybody's been stared down

By the enemy

Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing

Bow down to the mighty
Don't run, stop holding your tongue

Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live

Maybe one of these days you can let the light in

Show me how big your brave is~!

This note was exceptionally powerful and well done and it blew Quinn away and Mr. Schue even showed surprise with his eyebrows reaching his hairline in amazed shock. A smile formed on his face as he watched his kids enjoying themselves and dancing around.

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I want to see you be brave

And since your history of silence

Won't do you any good

Did you think it would?

Let your words be anything but empty

Why don't you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

It was such a fun and catchy song that everyone joined in for this last part with Rachel, acting as her chorus.

I just want to see you

I just want to see you
I just want to see you

I want to see you be brave

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I want to see you be brave

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I want to see you be brave

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
See you be brave

As soon as everyone was seated and catching their breaths, while Kurt and Mercedes whispered to each other back and forth in gossip, Mr. Schue spoke up. "That was great Rachel! Well done! And that note you hit was so outstandingly powerful! This was a wonderful performance, Rachel; I have to give it to you!" Rachel beamed at the praise. "Does anyone else want to perform anything as a bit of a jam session before school is let out for the day? I know it's hard to follow up such an energized performance but everyone is welcome!" Mercedes whispered to Kurt that, yeah, she lived with Quinn but Quinn usually minded her own business and was usually busy working and almost never home until she had to sleep or had a day off of work.

A few other people decided that they did want to perform some songs and all of the girls joined in as Santana sang I Kissed A Girl around the room and even went as far as going up and down the hallways. She even walked passed a few people gawking in the hallways with a smirk on her face as she sang, especially guys who obviously didn't get what she was singing about before making a loop back into the choir room. Santana and Brittany held on to each other while Mercedes and Tina paired up in this song Rachel pressed up against Quinn playfully, causing Finn to turn red in anger in his seat and narrow his eyes in thought again, and Sugar kind of danced on her own since Lauren once again didn't join in. Most of the guys whooped in their seats in celebration of Brittany and Santana coming out to the school the other day and being so out and proud.

When the song ended Santana had a few parting words, "someone else needs to write a coming out song a bit better than this because it's about experimentation but I'll be damned if I don't sing it! I'm proud to say I love Brittany S. Pierce and that I'm in love with her even if this song doesn't cover the whole thing." Brittany smiled and leaned down to kiss Santana chastely before pulling her into a hug that Santana actually blushed into. Everyone awed at that and cooed at the adorable couple. "This better not leave this room though! I don't want anybody thinking I'm a sap and that that makes me soft or something! I'll have to do a lot of ass kicking if anybody gets the wrong idea!" She made sure to say before she went to sit down with Brittany at their seats next to Quinn.

Everyone rolled their eyes good naturedly at that. "You just had to add that, didn't you? You can't help yourself San." Quinn was smiling as she said it.

"Yeah well … it's all thanks to you for keeping everyone in line and basically getting rid of the slushies' use as a torturing method. I know that if I hadn't waited for it to sink in I would have had more trouble with those idiot jocks than I did. I know I'm always a bitch but … thanks, Quinn. Don't ever say I never thanked you for anything now." Santana said with a smirk.

"You're such a smart ass Santana and you're welcome. You know I'd do anything for you guys … except for when you ask about a damn threesome. It's like … you're basically asking me to sleep with you even though I view you guys as my family more than I do my own family. And … it's been a year since they kicked me out so … I … I don't think I'll ever go back. They haven't even called me once to talk to me." Quinn sounded sadder than she had for a long time, not since the year before when she had hormones to contest with as well as depression after her parents kicked her out.

"Q, you should have let me beat their asses for that! I would have loved to sock your dad in the face because he was always putting his hands on you whenever he got drunk and acted like even more of an ass. I would have gladly handed his ass to him." Santana shook her head of the angry thoughts, "I would have let you stay with me but … you know how my parents are. They would have taken you in but they don't like children born out of wedlock and they would have looked down on you for it and I know you would've hated that more than anything else."

"I know S. I know and it's all right."

Rachel wasn't sure if this could be considered eavesdropping or not but she certainly wasn't going to pretend she didn't have ears or childishly block them out with a hand over each ear. She put her hand on top of Quinn's gently and squeezed it comfortingly, causing Quinn to look over at her in surprise. Based on Quinn's reaction she had forgotten where she was because her eyes widened in realization but then she relaxed and smiled at Rachel, a silent 'thank you' for her support.

Kurt and Mercedes had been watching the exchange, even if they couldn't hear it from where they sat. Even Finn had been watching with his still narrowed eyes. He felt like something was going on and Kurt and Mercedes were whispering to each other again as the scene unfolded before them. Finn didn't like what he was seeing but he hadn't figured out why he didn't like it yet. He was going to watch them more from now on, as were the less malicious intended but still watchful gossip queens of the school from their corner.

She wasn't sure how she realized it then but … Rachel was sure that Quinn had given her a smile that meant something, something that might have been more than just friendship. Then again, she might have been imagining it entirely. She just hoped that dinner would go a lot better than she was currently expecting it to be. She didn't want her dads to scare Quinn away because Quinn was the only genuine friend Rachel had ever had in her life thus far. Jesse had only been interesting in sabotaging the New Directions and both Finn and Noah had wanted to get into her pants, something that made her shudder. Kurt, Sam, and Tina only talked to her occasionally so they didn't really count.

Rachel was kind of dreading dinner at her house and so was Quinn but for very different reasons entirely.

X

So, another chapter for everyone here! Please R&R. I'm thinking of only writing a few more chapters of this story, making it a total of 8 chapters here. This is the halfway point everybody!^^

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