A/N: All the wonderful reviews! I'll start by saying a huge thank you to those of you who have read and patiently reviewed my story thus far! I hadn't expected to update this so soon, but I was inspired, so here it goes!
Enjoy!
xXx
CeruleanBlues
Whisper in my Ear
Chapter 4
Tuesday, 5.45pm
/Sam Evans
Burger Bar is the only indulgent spot within walking distance from the campus. It's cheap and totally unhealthy, but it's where students go to chill.
I would bring her some place better than that scrappy diner, but honestly, I'm strapped for cash and between school and Project Paranormal, I barely even have time to eat, let alone look for a part-time job. Unlike Mike Chang, the super genius, I tend to struggle with my studies, what with being dyslexic and all. I'm just lucky that my mom's constantly sending allowances over, but when you're nineteen and still living on your parent's money, it's something sad, so I try not to depend on her too much. As far as possible, I avoid driving my beat-up car around, reserving the use of it for the more important trips, like a case, for example.
It's good, though, because the sun's just starting to set, and even though it's rather warm out, the cool breeze is picking up now.
"So, tell me about yourself, Quinn Fabray. What's your major?" I ask, trying to strike up a conversation as we make our way over.
"Arts and Mass Communication," she answers.
"Really? You don't seem like the type," I say, but quickly catch myself when she raises a perfectly sculpted brow at me. "I mean to say that I wouldn't—you're not—you don't—" Struggling to form a coherent sentence, I take a deep breath to calm myself. "I'm not sure if you realize this, but you're an incredibly smart person, and if you hadn't told me, I would think that you're studying to be a psychologist."
"I did want to, actually," she tells me as we resume with our walk, and I inwardly heave a sigh of relief now that we're on normal grounds again.
I shove my hands into the pockets of my jacket. "Then why didn't you?"
She shrugs, something I notice she does quite a lot. "Didn't think I could do it."
"How is that even possible?"
There's a junction up ahead, and I can see the familiar stores, as we get closer to our destination. Stopping at a junction, we wait for the traffic light to turn green. I'm checking her out, and I'm sure she knows it but she doesn't make a big deal.
"What do you mean?"
Her gorgeous hazel eyes are taking me in, wide and expressive, though clouded with slight confusion but beautiful nonetheless. The wind blows some strands of her blond hair across her face and before I can even comprehend anything, I reach out and tuck them behind her ear. My fingers brush against her skin and I marvel at how soft it feels. Involuntarily, I take a step forward; clasping my free hand in her tiny one like it's the most natural thing in the world.
"I've known you for less than twenty-four hours, Quinn, but in this short period of time, I'm convinced that there's nothing you're incapable of achieving," I tell her, rubbing the back of her hand with the pad of my thumb. "You've managed to steal my heart the second you stepped into the room yesterday, and do you know how hard it is for me to actually like a girl?"
The afternoon light casts a warm orange glow upon her face as she smiles shyly up at me through her long lashes. "Do you know how cheesy that sounds?"
"Not until I said it out loud," I admit sheepishly.
The stoplight changes and hand-in-hand, we cross the road in comfortable silence. It doesn't take long before we arrive at the diner. As usual, the place is buzzing with college students. I take a quick scan around and spy a booth at a semi-private corner near the kitchen. Almost immediately, a waitress approaches to get our orders.
"You kids ready to order?"
"Oh, erm," I clear my throat, plucking the menu from the napkin holder on the table and sliding it over to my girlfriend. I suppose, can I call her that now? Are we on a date? Either way, it's only a gentlemanly thing to do and ask the girl first, right? "What would you like, Quinn?"
"Just the normal medium barbecue beef burger with chips instead of fries, and a side of coleslaw instead of the salad," she says to the older lady without even glancing down at the menu. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since this joint is a regular to most people, but to know that Quinn doesn't bother about fat intake like the rest of the female species is actually a huge turn on. "Oh, and a chocolate milkshake."
"And you?"
Quinn nudges me from across the table, snapping me out of my stupor. "Shoots, I'll have the beef burger as well, but I'll keep the fries and salad, and Coke for me."
Without even bothering to grace us with a smile whatsoever, the waitress stalks off.
"You eat here often?"
She gives me this secretive grin, and I feel something stir in my stomach. Or maybe I'm just hungry.
"I eat here often enough," she replies. "Now, what about you, Sam. What do you major in?"
"Astronomy."
"That's really interesting, isn't it?"
"I suppose so."
"What is it that you like about Astronomy?"
I think for a bit, not knowing where to start. There are probably an infinite number of reasons for my love of physics and the way the universe works, but I don't reckon she'd want to listen to me drone on and on about it.
"It's just, all the space and the stars, it's fascinating how the galaxy works," I say, attempting to explain something that I've always found difficulty putting to words. "I can't really describe it, though."
"How did you discover your love for it then?"
"My dad used to take me out camping a lot, and at night, we'd sleep under the stars and he'd tell me stories about the constellations," I recall, a nostalgic smile tugging on the corner of my lips. "Of course as I grew older, I found out most of his stories aren't true, but that only made me wonder even more how the stars are made, or how the solar system works."
A different waitress returns with our drinks, and as I take a sip, I watch as Quinn does the same with her milkshake. And a moment later, the same waitress comes back with our food, setting the plates carelessly down on the table. I grab for the bottle of ketchup while Quinn reaches out for the salt, our arms crossing paths, and we freeze for a split second, exchanging glances. She starts giggling first, the sound so angelic, I don't want it to stop, but she's so contagious that I find myself joining in the laughter.
"God, we're so lame," she comments as we untangle ourselves.
I squirt a generous amount of ketchup all over my fries, and then some more in between the bun and patty of my burger. She observes this and scrunches her nose in distaste.
"What?"
"That's disgusting," she points out, and I chuckle because she sounds exactly like my mom.
"I like it." I take a big bite and notice the amount of salt that's going in her chips. Swallowing my food, I gesture towards her sodium chloride-soaked potatoes. "You're going to get hypertension with that."
She just grins at me and shrugs again. "I like it," she echoes before digging into her burger with her bare hands.
We eat for a while, making idle chat now and then, and I realize that the nervousness from earlier on had totally disappeared. As we sit there minutes later, our bellies full and satisfied, I can't help but stare at her beauty. There's a smudge of barbecue sauce on her right cheek and instinctively I extend my arms to wipe it away.
"You had sauce on your face," I notify her, displaying the evidence on my thumb before wiping it off on the napkin.
Underneath the jarring fluorescent lights, I see her blush a shade of red. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Tell me about those stories, Sam," she requests.
"Which stories?"
"The ones your dad used to tell you."
I weave my fingers through my hair. "If I start now, I probably wouldn't be able to stop," I tell her jokingly. "There's just so many of them."
"Then tell me about your dad."
Picturing my old man in my head and those favourite flannel shirts of his, I'm transported back in time. "He's the best dad I can ever ask for," I say. "He's my own personal superhero, and all my years growing up, I've always looked up to him."
"What's he like?"
"He's the strictest disciplinarian I've ever known. He used to punish me for the silliest things, like when I'd leave my muddy shoes all over the carpet, or pee on the rose bush." Her jaw drops at my confession, but her eyes twinkle with amusement. She doesn't offer a remark, so I take that as a cue to continue. "Yeah, and he wouldn't hesitate to send me down to the basement for the night."
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"Not unless it's haunted."
"Your basement is haunted?" she gasps.
"Well, the basement in my old house was," I clarify. "He used to tell me that just to scare the crap out of me, and sometimes he'd plant tape recorders down there and just play some random sound effects. I'd be so freaked out and I'd start banging on the door. It wasn't till I turned six or seven, though that things started happening down there."
"Like what?"
"Well, he had sent me down there one night, and believe me, I don't exactly remember any of this. Perhaps just small flashes here and there, but he told me that I hadn't started banging on the door, and he got worried, so when he came down, he saw me talking all alone in a corner." Pausing dramatically, I take a languid sip of my drink. "But there was no one there."
"What happened after that?"
"My dad thought that it was just my imaginary friend or something, but I kept insisting that there's a man down at the basement playing a game with me. He'd told my mom, but the both of them just assumed that I had an active mind or something and left it at that. Well, unfortunately for him, his punishment was deemed a failure because I wasn't scared of the basement anymore, and he'd stopped sending me down there."
"Did you see the man anymore after that?"
I shake my head. "No, not really."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard voices instead."
Suddenly, I'm interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing in my pocket. Pulling the device out of my pants, I read the name on the screen and figure I ought to answer it.
"It's Tina," I inform Quinn.
"Then answer it."
I hold the phone up to my ear. "Hello?"
"Sam! We've got an emergency," the Asian girl blurts out at the other end of the receiver. "It's about the South Oak Mansion case. I've just received a call from our client, and she's very upset. Her caretaker had been alone in the house when she was suddenly pushed down a flight of stairs."
"Pushed down?" I repeat incredulously. "You sure?"
"There's a red handprint at back of her body, and the doctors can't exactly explain it. Judy is demanding we go over there right now and carry out an investigation," Tina continues in a single breath.
"Did anything else happen aside from that?"
"Not that I know of, but she's going to chew our asses off if we don't get our butts there tonight."
I glance over a Quinn and her forehead is creased with worry, but I'm trying to gauge if she's ready to do this investigation tonight. Tina's still yapping away like she always does whenever she's stressed out over something and I'm still staring a Quinn. Well, so much for a first date.
"The headquarters. Now."
I hang up the phone and jump to my feet, fishing out my wallet form the back pocket of my jeans and tossing some bills on the table. Quinn just regards me with confusion as I thrust my hand out at her. "Come on, we've got to go," I tell her solemnly. She senses the urgency in the situation and silently cooperates, interlocking her fingers with mine.
We run all the way back to campus grounds, and given her small frame, I'm once again pleasantly surprised that Quinn's actually matching up to my pace. Right before we enter the building, though, I stop running and pull her body close to me. We're panting and trying to catch our breaths, and I'm not exactly sure why we were even running to begin with, but as I gingerly cradle her face in my palms, I'm thanking the heavens above that she's still right here.
"I'm sorry, Quinn," I mumble apologetically. "I know this isn't how a first date is supposed to go, and I'll make it up to you, I swear, but right now, we've got an emergency. It's the South Oak Mansion case, and before you go in there, I just want you to know that we'll be doing an impromptu investigation tonight."
She's gazing up at me with those hopeful eyes and says, "do I have to come along?"
"Only if you want to."
"I do."
I nod my head. "Alright, then. I promise, Quinn, I'll make it up to you."
She smirks at me just then. "So, that's our first date, huh?"
"Why do you think I paid?" I ask rhetorically, quirking an eyebrow.
"Does that mean this is the end of it?"
"It doesn't have to be," I say hopefully. "Depending on how you look at it, this investigation can be our part two of the evening."
"Part two?"
I tentatively place my hands on her hips, bringing our foreheads together. "Come on, how many girls can say that they'd gone on a paranormal investigation on their first date?"
"None, I suppose," she giggles. "Because those girls would be crazy."
"But you're going either way, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Taking advantage of the tender moment, I lean in—keeping my hands firmly in place—and kiss her lips for the second time that day. It's a lot nicer now, sweeter somehow, and perhaps we're at that safe place—okay, maybe it's a little too early for that—but I would like to think that we're making some sort of progress, albeit the fact that we kind of jumped the wagon with this.
"You ready?"
Once again, she shrugs her shoulders. "I guess so."
"Curious?"
"Sure."
"Nervous?"
"A little," she answers truthfully.
"Excited?"
"You bet."
A/N: I had about five different endings to this chapter in my head, but eventually, I've decided to take it easy and write something simple to go with how the date between our favourite couple went. I'm so blown away by the many wonderful reviews right now, and I appreciate every single one of them so much, and I'd like to thank everybody who has taken time and effort to read my story and offer helpful comments with words of wisdom!
Agustinag: Firstly, thank you so much for reading and leaving a review! I'm glad you enjoyed the Quinn/Sam scene in the last chapter :D They're both nineteen, by the way, and they're in college at the moment. I will be writing on an investigation, it's coming up next, actually. Your experience sounds really exciting, needless to say even though it's rather terrifying. Honestly, I've never had an experience, and I'm writing this blindly based on books and every other source that I can find. All I'm hoping now is that I'm able to do this story justice with my writing. Oh, and no worries on the English. I understand you perfectly!
Quam314159: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Hope you've enjoyed this update!
Alli2345: Aww…thank you so much! Well, I can safely say that there are some Sam/Quinn moments in this update. As for something scary…I guess you'll have to read on to find out :P
IShipFabrevans: I nearly peed myself when I got a notification that you've reviewed my story. I've read your work, and I absolutely fell in love with every piece you've done. That said, I'm super flattered that you've taken time to read this humble little fanfic of mine and leave impressive and helpful comments! Well, I figured, regarding the characters, I reckon that making them too OOC would end up nipping me in the butt one day, so I try to retain as much as possible even though I've added a bit of twists here and there. I think most of all, I'd like to thank you for your honest opinions on the storyline. I have to admit though, I was writing and re-writing that last scene in the previous chapter, wondering if I was ultimately making the right decision. So, instead, I consulted a friend of mine, and she's not exactly a fan of Glee (shocking, I know), but her point of argument is that—and I quote—"as long as they're not jumping into sex, I think I'm fine with it." No harm in asking her out on a date, right? However, I truly respect your opinion and I'm really grateful for the advice because you've made a valid reason.
Unfortunately, though, I hadn't had any paranormal experiences. I'm going into this blindly, and it would help immensely to have as much information as possible. I'll be sure to PM you should I need any clarification. And Puck, I think I didn't give him enough credit in my previous chapter. Don't get me wrong, I actually adore his character, but I had to keep in mind that I was writing him in Mike's point of view, so I had to skew Puck's image a little. Santana's going to make an appearance at a later stage (hint, hint) and I can already tell that I'm going to have so much fun writing her character! You don't have to apologize for anything, really, I mean it when I say that all forms of constructive criticism are welcome, and you've helped a lot in putting things into perspective for me!
CailinNollaig: Hi there! Oh gosh, I don't know where to begin, probably by saying a big thank you for reading a reviewing my story! You flatter me way too much with your wonderful comments, but I'm really appreciative of it! Here's a little secret, though, this writing style is totally new to me. I don't ever write anything in a first person's point of view, and so I'm sort of experimenting with this. I'm glad you like it, though! This is going to make me sound like a hypocrite (considering I'm actually Asian), but I really do think the ChangChang thing's a bit too clichéd and stereotypical for my liking. I've always had a soft spot for dorky guys. I think it's just years of watching The O.C and Pretty Little Liars or something, but yeah, the part where Sam is "in love with Quinn" part is an exaggeration on my part because I had to write it in Mike's point of view, so opinions tend to get skewed. And here's another secret for you: I actually get really nervous whenever I work on this story. I have this entire plot in my head that I think is going to work, but I'm always cautious of it whenever I translate my ideas into writing. I mean, you guys are giving me so much love for this story, I just hope I don't disappoint. Again, I can't thank you enough for the generous comments. Hope you've enjoyed this update!
Fabrevansgleek: Hi! Thank you so much! :D
Mandorac: Thank you so much for reading and leaving a review! I'm glad you're liking the story so far!