Quinn squirmed in her seat, her eyes barely open, she was tired. After the night before, staying up and waiting for her mother to get home, she felt like shit. She had been very slow in Cheerio's practice and Coach Sue had hounded her about it, threatening to kick her off of the squad. Quinn had tried her best to keep up with the choreography that Brittany was teaching them, but in the end had made an excuse to leave the practice early, her thoughts elsewhere.

"Q, we need to partner up. Mr. Schue said my grade needs to raise and he won't let me be with Santana because he says we distract each other. Which we do because of our sweet lady kisses." Brittany's voice rang through the fog in her brain and she turned to see the other girl staring at her with those expressionless blue eyes.

"Alright Brittany, just sit down...what is the project?" Spanish class was not her best class but it was okay because she was doing alright.

The two girls discussed the project and then the bell rang.

At home that afternoon Quinn lay curled up on her couch, waiting for her mother to walk through the door. Her mom wasn't answering her phone and this was not the first time her mom had been out all night only to return the next afternoon when Quinn got out of school.

"HONEY I'M HOME!" Called Judy's voice. She waltzed into the living room and threw a bag down, "and mama brought pizza!"

"With what money?" Quinn croaked. She had thought her mother was broke. Her stomach did flips as her mom grew eerily silent.

"I borrowed some your dad sent you honey." She said quickly, Judy opened the bag and took out frozen pizza.

"Why? I need that to keep up with my cheerleading and my glee club and lunch!" Quinn cried as she jumped up.

"Listen here, I'll pay you back when I get paid this week, it's no big deal. Pack a lunch!" Judy snapped as she flinched away from her daughter's tears.

"Mom! I need that money! I need to go do laundry for clean uniforms, I need it!" Quinn shouted.

"Wear something else for a change. Get a job." Her mom sneered. Judy sat down on the couch, "If you want to eat you better make that pizza."

"I HAVE TO WEAR THE UNIFORM OR I GET KICKED OFF THE SQUAD!" Quinn cried out. Her hazel eyes swimming with tears.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, it costs me to much money right now anyway Quinn."

"Mom that's my ticket out of here!" Quinn felt her heart race as she stared at her mother.

"Grades can be a factor to Lucille." Her mother said coldly, she glanced over at her daughter and felt a pang of guilt, her daughter had tears streaming down her small face and she was shaking.

"Mom..." Quinn's voice was dead. She turned away and walked to her room. She turned her light on and walked straight to her bed...she collapsed on it, and stared at the light above her head. She knew this was it, she would be like her mom, stuck here forever.

Her phone rang. "Hello."

"Quinn?" Rachel said on the other line.

"Rachel?" Quinn sat up, feeling a pang of happiness despite herself.

"Yes, you seemed so off in school today and Santana found me and informed me that you left Cheerio's early, and you never made it to Glee...I am worried." Rachel sounded business like.

"Worried about us winning nationals Berry?" Quinn sneered into the phone, anger surging through her body as she gripped the phone.

"Quinn. I'm worried about you." Rachel whispered.

"Well gee thanks. Well I'll have more time for glee. I have to quit the squad." Her voice shook as she spit out the words.

"But that is your life, you made that squad!" Rachel said into the phone.

"Mom spent my money...and I can't afford it. If I don't wear my uniform I get kicked off." Quinn said, she would never say this to many people. But Rachel would understand in some weird way.

"Quinn...do you need to do laundry?" Rachel said softly...

"I, well, Rachel..." Quinn said slowly.

"Sam does his laundry here too." She said happily. "He brings over a baked good that is vegan friendly or lets me give him singing lessons so he can do his laundry here."

"You want me to do laundry with the new kid in glee?" Quinn asked disbelievingly, "I also do not need your help."

"Yes I am asking you to because he is nice and you need to stay in Cheerio's okay?" Rachel said in a firm voice.

"Why?"

"To keep glee club up there. I don't want to be teased. So come here now and bring laundry. Dinner is waiting." Rachel said into the phone, Quinn felt happier.

" Okay..." Quinn got up and ran around the room, grabbing her uniforms, some clothes, and stuffing them in a bag. She put her hair into a messy bun and walked out of the room. She walked down the hall to see her mom sitting on the couch crying.

"Quinnie are you leaving?" Her mom asked.

"I have somewhere to wash my uniforms." Quinn said shortly, "I'm staying for dinner." Before her mom could try to interrogate her, she rushed out of the apartment and ran to Rachel's.

With a clean uniform and her hair in a pony tail the next day at school Quinn walked down the hall looking happy. She smiled at Santana who was staring at her.

"Is it time to admit you're not naturally a blond?" Santana asked.

"What?" Quinn put her hand to her head and remembered, her roots...

"That is darker than me Q, what's up...?" Santana muttered, her eyes lit up with curiousity.

"I just haven't made it to the salon S." Quinn said nonchalantly.

"Busy with the church and things, not to mention mom needs help around the house. Being a good daughter." Quinn smiled a wholesome smile and Santana blinked at her...

"Oh yeah, the perfect little Christian." Santana smirked.

If only Santana knew what helping meant...why she couldn't go to the salon...Quinn shook her head, "No need to joke Santana."

"Quinn calm the fuck down." Santana looped an arm through Quinn's. "I understand your parents just divorced and your out of it, but you better snap back into it. Or else Coach Sue will boot you off, even if you are the driving force mijah, I'm just warning you."

"I can't talk now." Quinn broke away from her old friend and ran down the hall, feeling dizzy. She couldn't lose her place on the squad, it could cost her her future.

She walked down the hall, fearing the disasters that were ahead. She feared a lot these days, her mom would stay out all night and be out with a man who was irresponsible and had kids of his own. Sometimes her mother would even spend the whole weekend with this family, never bringing Quinn along, it made her feel like shit, being left out and everything. She walked into a bathroom and shut the door and locked it.

"You are such an idiot." She said to her reflection, the blond hair was indeed growing out, and was noticable. Her uniform wasn't ironed like it should be. Her eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles underneath from lack of sleep. "Lucy should never have left because only Quinn could fuck up like this." She sneered at herself. She felt her tears forming and choked back a sob, she turned away from the mirror and looked at the wall. "I just wanted to be perfect for them..."