Chapter 7
Quinn laid on his bed going over his French homework and listening to a set of audio files on speech alteration with his headphones on. She had gone to church and taught an early Sunday school class before attending Mass with her parents and then headed home while her parents retreated to their Christian Couples brunch with the rest of the congregation. She'd quickly changed out of her dress and threw on a white tank top and a pair of basketball shorts he'd swiped from Sam. He spoke softly to himself, attempting to repeating the phrases murmured in his ears in a deeper, more masculine tone.
He didn't hear his parents come home or the soft sounds of his mother's footsteps outside his door. Or the way she stopped with a soft gasp as she heard his voice and opened his door. She looked anxiously down the hall towards the stairs to make sure her husband wasn't coming up yet before hurrying in to lightly grip Quinn's shoulder.
"You have to stop," she whispered urgently. "Please, Quinn, just stop..."
Quinn jumped. "M-mom!" He nearly fell off the bed when he noticed the look on her face, "What...why are you home?" He quickly shut off his iPod and looked at his mother with a frightened expression.
"Quinn, it's nearly three in the afternoon. Hurry and change before your father sees!" Judy looked scared, glancing back towards the door and straining to hear his footstep. "At least take off that shirt and put on a robe. We can tell him you were going to shower."
Quinn nodded quickly pulling off her tank top and down her shorts and sliding on her pink robe. She didn't care that she had shown her mother the boxer briefs under her shorts or the faint scars that littered her torso from years if self hate as a child. "I'm sorry, mom." she whispered ashamed.
Judy glanced at the door one more time before hugging her child. "Don't be sorry, just be careful. I don't want him to hurt you," she whispered softly in his ear before pulling away, and showing the familiar vapid smile at the sound of Russell's heavy tread coming up the stairs. "Now don't take too long in your shower, dear," she tittered. "I know you want to look beautiful, but Daddy's taking us out to meet some of his colleagues tonight and we'll need to be going soon."
"My daughter doesn't need to do anything to be beautiful, lovebug," Russell announced with a grin as he shoved the door open and walked in without any warning. "There's my favorite girls. Come give your daddy a hug, Lucy."
Nervously, Quinn moved over and hugged her father. "Let me just clean up okay, daddy? One of the kids got paint all over me and I want to look okay for tonight." She bit her lip and pulled away and looked at the ground.
"You'd look good anyways, sweetheart, but alright." He smiled proudly at his youngest, brushing fingers through her hair. "I know women like to make themselves pretty for us menfolk, so I'll leave my ladies to it." He kissed her forehead and brush his lips across Judy's before heading out of the room leaving them alone again.
Quinn closed the door and looked back to her mother and sighed, "I'm sorry, mommy." she looked down a the floor. "I'm so sorry I keep disappointing you."
"What are you talking about?" Judy asked with a vague smile, "Don't be silly. You don't disappoint me, Quinn. You never could." She reached out and twitched some of Quinn's hair back, "You're my child and I love you."
"I'm not what you want," she whispered and felt a tear fall down her cheek. "Please don't make me go tonight... I... I just... please don't make him flaunt me around to his friends."
Judy sighed softly, lifting Quinn's chin and wiping away the tear. "You know I can't make him do anything," she whispered, "not all at once at least. Give him this and...and I'll find a way to get you out of the one next week. We'll tell him you have a practice or an overnight with your cheerleader friend. What's her name? Oh yes, Brittany. He likes her."
She nodded and wiped her eyes frantically hating to cry. "Okay... let me get ready." She sighed and looked away and tried to not think about how horrible being with his friends would be.
"You're so much stronger than me," Judy whispered, smiling sadly at her child for a moment before letting the vapid smile reappear. "I'll be in my room getting ready if you need any help, dear."
"I love you mom, I'll always take care of you okay?" Quinn whispered before hugging her and heading off to the bathroom.
To: quinnfabray123 at Gmail
From: K Layton at OSU
Sent: Nov 23, 20XX
Subject: Could we try again?
Hi, Quinn. It's Kelly. Look, I know last time wasn't what you were expecting. I'm sorry about that.
I was wondering if maybe we could try again? I promise I'll make it special for you.
Kelly
To: K Layton at OSU
From: quinnfabray123 at Gmail
Sent: Nov 23, 20XX
Subject: Re: Could we try again?
Hey Kelly,
Of course. I didn't mean to be soï¾… I don't even know. I also wish I knew about you and Santanaï¾… but I liked hanging out with you so I'd like it if we could chill again.
-Q-
To: quinnfabray123 at Gmail
From: K Layton at OSU
Sent: Nov 23, 20XX
Subject: Re: Re: Could we try again?
You know Santana? I had no idea, I swear. I hope it's not a problem. :(
I'd really like that. If it's not too forward or soon, maybe we could try this weekend?
To: K Layton at OSU
From: quinnfabray123 at Gmail
Sent: Nov 23, 20XX
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Could we try again?
I can do this weekend. :)
To: quinnfabray123 at Gmail
From: K Layton at OSU
Sent: Nov 23, 20XX
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Could we try again?
That's great. Maybe you could pick me up from work? I'm off at five. We could go back to my place and I could make you dinner.
If you want, you could spend the night.
To: K Layton at OSU
From: quinnfabray123 at Gmail
Sent: Nov 23, 20XX
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Could we try again?
I'll see you Saturday at five.
