A/N: I know I promised an update on Friday, but I was out of town on a class trip and we didn't get back until very late last night. The upside was that WE WATCHED THE ENTIRE FIRST SEASON OF GLEE ON THE BUS ON THE WAY HOME. And my entire grade is now addicted to Glee. Everyone was singing along to the credit music by the end. The credit music. It was excellent.
Anyway, your update is finally here. I'd like to clarify that Finn is indeed an idiot, and he will continue to make bad decisions in this chapter. But don't worry, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That is all I will say. The next update will be on Tuesday.
Thanks once again for the overwhelming support and reviews!
---
Kurt adjusted his fedora, then opened the door to the choir room. He stopped in his tracks, blinking at the sight before him.
"Finn? What's going on?"
Finn stood on the balls of his feet, bouncing like a boxer ready to tear his opponent to shreds. His arms hung loose at his sides; he clenched and unclenched his fists. Behind him stood the entire football team. All of them looked thoroughly, thoroughly pissed.
"You're screwing my girlfriend!" Finn screamed.
Now, Kurt had expected something out of the ordinary was going on. But he sure as hell hadn't been expecting that.
"Excuse me?"
"You know, you have some nerve, buddy," Finn continued, stalking ever closer to Kurt. "Trying to fool me into thinking that you cared about me. Moseying up to me just so you can take what's mine."
"I'm confused. Help me out here."
"Where were you last night?"
Kurt hesitated. "I was at the mall, Finn."
"Who were you with?"
"Quinn." Kurt's voice dropped to a whisper. "But Finn, I told you…"
The football players erupted in jeering. Finn shoved Kurt backwards; he stumbled, trying to catch his footing so he could run away. But Finn was relentless. He seized Kurt by his elbow.
"After our rehearsal last week, who did you talk to?"
"I talked to Quinn. But that doesn't mean…"
"I saw you kiss her."
"What are you talking about? I never kissed your girlfriend!" Kurt shrieked. He was genuinely frightened now. Finn had him pressed right up against the wall, and the entire football team was close by, ready to devour him.
"Yes, you did. On the hand."
"On the hand! That doesn't mean anything."
"It means something to me!" Finn screamed, grabbing Kurt roughly by his collar. "Puck found her jacket in your football bag! Tell me how that happened, and don't you dare lie to me!"
"Puck threw me in the dumpster and Quinn was nice enough to lend me her jacket so I wouldn't have to walk around all day covered in trash!"
Finn shoved Kurt back against the wall. "You were out at the mall with her for hours last night. I saw you kiss her. Puck says he saw the two of you coming out of the girl's bathroom together after fourth period on Monday. We found her freaking clothing in your duffel bag."
"I didn't… I swear, I'm not…" Kurt was at a loss for words.
"Spit it out," Puck urged, stepping up to stand beside Finn.
"We're just friends, I promise you," Kurt finally gasped. He stared up into Finn's eyes, barely recognizing the boy he had once loved behind the blind rage that now clouded his face.
"Well, if I never had sex with her," Finn asked, "then who's the father?"
"I don't know! I never did anything with Quinn, I swear!" Kurt yelled. Puck's rough hands grabbed him and tossed him to the floor. He struggled to pull himself up. Puck's boot collided with his chest, and he collapsed once again.
"Liar!" Finn screamed. He lunged forward. Kurt shielded his face with his hands, but Finn blew past him, his fists flying. Kurt's cries for him to stop, stop, stop fell on deaf ears.
---
As soon as Quinn arrived at McKinley, she knew something was terribly wrong. Hundreds of students were gathered in the parking lot, babbling and pointing at the police cars and ambulances that were parked in front of the school. Quinn pushed her way through the chaos to the front of the crowd. She pushed up beside Tina, who was leaning on the wheelchair of a stunned Artie.
"Tina, what's going on?"
"Th-th-this morning they found Kurt p-passed out in the d-d-d-dumpster."
"What?" she screamed, trying to be heard above the crowd.
"He was b-b-b-"
"Bleeding." Artie interjected, "Really heavily. He was black and blue all over. It was just awful."
Artie cradled his head in his hands. "They just took him to the hospital twenty minutes ago. They think his arm might be broken."
Whether it was morning sickness or general disgust, Quinn would never know. But for whatever reason, she fell to her knees and vomited all over the concrete.
"Quinn! Are you okay?"
Tina knelt over and lifted Quinn's hair out of her face. After a few minutes, Quinn was just dry-heaving and coughing.
"Where is Finn?" Quinn demanded, in a hoarse whisper.
"You should really go to the n-n-nurse's office, Quinn."
Quinn ignored her. "Where is he?"
"I don't know. Probably in g-g-g-gym class."
Quinn stood up, the world a dizzy blur. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. With single-minded fury, she turned on her heel and marched back through the crowd.
---
"Finn Hudson!"
He looked up from a pile of discarded athletic tape to see Quinn, who was shaking with rage. He quickly looked back down and continued taping Puck's ankle. It was part of some sort of first-aid exercise for gym class.
"What did Kurt ever do to you?"
Finn attempted to ignore her for a few more seconds, then grunted and threw down his tape. It bounced down the bleachers, and he watched it roll to a stop on the gym floor. Finally, he stood up, towering over Quinn.
"What did Kurt do to you, Quinn? Did he treat you better? Did he love you more? Was he good in bed?"
Where she had been furious before, she was now confused.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"Look, I know that you slept with him. You can stop pretending now."
She laughed, stunned. "You honestly think I had sex with Kurt?"
"I saw you two making out after our rehearsal."
"He hugged me, Finn."
"He kissed you."
"My hand!"
Finn sighed. "I know that I'm not the father, Quinn. If it's not Kurt, then who else could it be?"
Quinn looked past Finn and locked eyes with a terrified-looking Puck. Lying had gotten her this far, she realized, and she was tempted to do it again. But how many people had she hurt so far, and how many would she hurt if she kept this up? Without a second thought, she thrust out her hand and pointed to Puck.
"It's Puck," she said, in a shaky voice, "Puck's the father."
She dropped her hand, looking once again at Finn. "I'm sorry, Finn. But right now, Kurt is the only innocent one."
"I don't believe you!" Finn yelled, even though he looked fully ready to punch Puck in the face.
Quinn sidestepped him and looked down at Puck, who was rapidly tearing tape off his ankle.
"Noah Puckerman," she hissed, "You helped him attack Kurt, didn't you?"
He nodded slowly.
"Because you didn't want him to find out the truth?"
"Yes. And also because I hate Kurt. He's a total douche."
Finn looked like he had been slapped across the face. Quinn crossed her arms over her chest and slowly walked away from both of the boys. Just as she reached the bottom of the bleachers, she turned around to face them.
"You disgust me. Both of you."
"It's over, Quinn!" Finn screamed. "I'm done with you."
"Good," she said. "That's exactly what I was going to say."
Finn sank to the bleachers and cradled his head in his hands. Still shaking with rage, Quinn turned to the gym doors.
"Quinn, wait!" Puck yelled, barreling down the bleachers. She waited for him, but only because she was fighting a splitting headache that made walking away a very unpleasant prospect. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she jerked it off.
"Why do you even care so much? Kurt's never been anything but a little snot to us."
"You broke his arm, Puck. You broke his arm and you threw him in the dumpster. How can I not care?" she said, swallowing hard. "I care about Kurt because he's my friend. And right now, he's the only friend I've got."
"What are you saying? I have offered time and time again to help you, and to care for our baby..."
"My baby," she hissed. "And don't you ever forget that."
Puck looked like he'd been punched in the stomach.
"Did you even consider telling Finn the truth before you helped him attack Kurt?" Quinn asked. "You let a completely innocent person take the fall for you."
"And you didn't?" Puck growled.
Shockwaves of nausea tore through Quinn. She threw a single hand over her mouth, choked back a sob, and ran for the door. How could she criticize Puck and Finn?
She was the guilty one.
Would her apology even matter to him?
