Night 2 Remember:
Quinn smiled in that moment and he wondered for a moment if the smile was directed toward him.
He didn't mean to be staring at her, really he didn't but it was too hard to resist.
He was still staring when she suddenly began to approach him.
Swearing his face was flushing as red and Santana's prom dress he tried to turn away.
He knew what was to come next didn't he? Quinn was going to snap at him, telling him to take a picture it would last longer… or something to that extent.
"Hey Artie," she spoke in a sweet tone that seemed friendly and not forced.
"Quinn," he simply spoke back to her not knowing how to respond to the way she suddenly approached him.
"Some Prom this turned out to be," she said faking a laugh.
"So Finn left you didn't he?"
Quinn nodded.
"I mean I should of read the signs that he was falling for Rachel… I mean the way he looks at her in glee, the natural chemistry that they share each time they sing together…I swear I was living in a delusional fantasy of us being McKinley High's Sweethearts you know…"
Artie just nodded understanding all to well about delusional fantasies. He had crushed on his present company since she let him borrow her blue crayon in Kindergarten after all.
"You don't say much do you Artie."
He flashed her a comforting smile.
"I'm just letting you vent, but if you want to talk I can talk too."
She flashed him a smile as she reached into her clutch to pull out her compact.
Checking her reflection she noticed she looked like complete and utter crap but at least she had the genius to wear waterproof mascara so she didn't look like a total raccoon.
Putting the compact back in her bag she shook her head.
"That's nice of you but I really don't want to talk right now…. I really don't know why I came over here to be honest."
His heart began to break a bit as he realized the ice princess was slowly coming back to full form…
"Oh," he said letting his rejected feeling reflect in his voice, "well then what do you want? I'll try to see what I can do."
A new song began to fill the air of the gym. She kind of liked this song but… no…that was a stupid idea and Quinn knew that Artie would never go for it.
"Well…I'd kind of like to dance."
"Dance?" he questioned looking down at his chair with a sad expression.
"I mean if you don't want to I understand, but I mean you dance in glee club so I figured."
He let out a laugh as he put out a hand.
"I'd be honored Quinn."
--
She was cold, she was wet, and she was sure that she had missed the Prom.
She shuddered to think about the dance.
Puck must be totally pissed off at her for dragging him to the formal only to stand him up albeit unintentional.
She'd be slushied on Monday that was for damn sure.
On the bright side the rain had since came to a stop.
On the not so bright she was still stranded on the side of the road and it didn't look like anyone was passing by anytime soon.
Her hair that had been all styled earlier that evening was now fallen flat and she decided to pull out all the pins and clips and simply shake out her wet curls.
As she shook her head a glimpse of light was noticed from the corner of her eye.
"Finally," she said to herself letting out a sigh, as the light got closer.
'Stop, Stop, Stop…" she willed as a car…an all too familiar car came into view.
"Finn?" she muttered, as the car seemed to stop.
She shook her head.
No, it couldn't be Finn Hudson riding to her rescue. She had to be hallucinating right?
Finn was at the Prom with Quinn. They were most likely up on the make shift stage being crown King and Queen as she sulked, and besides Finn went to the dance in a Limo didn't he?
She watched as the car door swung open and Finn stepped out all decked out in his tux.
Well if she was hallucinating then her subconscious definitely was going all out as she watched figment Finn make his way to her and place a gentle hand on her bare arm.
"Rachel," she heard him whisper, the warmth of his breath brushing her skin. Come to think of it she felt the pressure on her arm too…
"F-finn," she stammered, "are you real or am I just going crazy?"
"I'm here Rach," he said as his eyes caught her appearance, "what happened?"
She let out a laugh.
"Where to begin," she said telling him about her car stalling and trying to fix it and being locked out and the rain and her cell and everything in between.
"I knew you wouldn't of stood up Puck intentionally."
Rachel let out a laugh.
"Speaking of Puck was he pissed."
Finn nodded causing guilt to waver over her.
"But if it makes you feel better he was having fun regardless."
Rachel nodded.
"And Quinn, I'm sure she didn't approve of you going out on this little reconnaissance mission."
"We broke up."
"Cause of me?"
"Partly…but let's not talk about it," Finn said as he looked over to the message he received on his cell, "they said to leave your car here and they would tow it in the morning to the Hummel's."
Rachel smiled.
"Thanks…and I'm sorry I made you miss Prom."
Finn looked at his watch.
"Well there is still about an hour, hour and a half left."
"But I'm a mess…and…"
Finn smiled.
"And I have an idea."
--
For Puck and Tina one dance turned into two dances, which then turned into three.
He was definitely shocked at how much he and his fellow gleek had in common. They were both into the same bands, the same movies, the same cheesy nineties comedies on television that they didn't like to admit they liked in the first place.
To the naked eye they looked like a couple that had came to the dance together and were perhaps dating for a while now instead of two perfect strangers who barely knew each other out of glee club.
It was this image that had lead two particular on lookers to smile.
"A part of me really wants to cut in right now and scold that girl on her particular choice of dance partner," Kurt said eyeing the couple on the floor before turning back to Mercedes who stood by his side.
"Only a part of you Kurt…"
He nodded.
"The other part is kind of happy for them Mercedes. I mean Rachel brutally stomped on Puck's heart."
"Puck has a heart?"
Kurt rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Anyway what I'm getting at is despite the taste I get in my mouth thinking of Noah Puckerman and the constant tormenting that he caused well all of us before he joined glee he deserves to be happy just like the rest of us and being with Tina now he kind of looks happy."
Mercedes nodded.
"I don't think I've seen Tina smile like that in like ever."
Silence.
They looked to one another and flashed twin grins.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" They spoke together as they eyed Brittany guarding the box of ballets for Prom King and Queen.
"Let's do it," Mercedes said as Kurt linked his arm into his setting their plan into action.
--
The song ended as Quinn looked at Artie and flashed him a smile.
"Thanks," she replied, "I needed that."
He was tongue tied suddenly as Quinn took a step back.
"I'm going to go to the ladies room, I look like a total mess."
He shook his head wishing that he were at eye level to her so that he could reach out and gently brush her cheek with his hand or engage in some other sweet, romantic gesture.
"You look beautiful," he simply said with no gesture at the moment however his reaction was the same.
She gave him yet another smile (he sure seemed to be getting allot of them from her that night) and thanked him but insisted on taking her leave anyway.
Beginning to wheel away he watched as she suddenly turned around grabbing his wrist.
"Save another dance for me alright Artie…promise."
"I promise," he whispered as he watched her walk away for real before noticing Mercedes and Kurt chatting with Brittany at the ballot table wondering what was going on.
--
Finn's great idea was to sneak into the Drama Department's costume room and 'borrow' an old dress. Sure it wouldn't be couture like Rachel's gown was but at least it would be something clean and dry. Meanwhile Rachel waited in the ladies locker room where she was washing up.
"Are you decent," Finn asked, as Rachel soon appeared dressed in a gym uniform with a half smile on her lips.
"So did you get a dress."
She watched as he held out a pale blue gown that Rachel immediately recognized from the production of Cinderella that McKinley High had put on a few years back…she was in seventh or eighth grade at the time and she was amazed at how good a condition it was in.
"So," she said as she slipped into a bathroom stall to change, "did you get me glass slippers too?"
"Fresh Out," he replied before pausing, "well at least the dress is long enough to hide a pair of sneakers."
Rachel let out a small laugh in agreement.
"Ready," she asked a few seconds later.
"So I assume it fits?" was Finn's answer as she stepped out of the stall and spun around.
She didn't look like a girl that had just been to hell and back that was for sure.
--
TBC