Chapter 9 – Sick and Tired
"Let me guess, you've already read the book," Jack remarked as he put his notebook in his bag.
Quinn laughed lightly and said, "Maybe."
Jack shook his head. "I should really find someone else to sit next to. You make me feel like I'm always behind."
"That's because you are," Quinn joked.
"No, you just have no life, so you're always way ahead," Jack replied. "Seriously, I think I'd die of a heart attack if you ever slacked off and didn't read the assignment."
"I guess it's a good thing that's never going to happen," Quinn said.
"Yeah, twenty-one is a bit early to die," Jack commented as they walked out of the classroom together..
"Quinn!"
Quinn stopped, looking over her shoulder. She wasn't really sure why Brandon was there, but she gave him a smile, hoping it didn't look too forced. She wasn't annoyed to see him there, but she wasn't exactly happy, either.
"Or maybe you do have a life," Jack said, raising his eyebrow at her.
"I'll see you Wednesday," Quinn replied, giving her friend a genuine smile.
"Hey," Brandon said, walking up to her.
His eyes flickered toward Jack, who gave Quinn one last look before walking down the hallway. When Brandon looked at her again, he leaned down to give her a kiss. Thankfully, it was nothing more than a peck since Quinn really didn't like public displays of affection, especially in a place like that. It always made her slightly uncomfortable, because she felt like people were watching her. Of course, during high school, people usually were watching her. She didn't really care at the time; she wanted to be seen with the most popular guy in school. But that no longer mattered to her.
"I just got out of class and thought I'd see if you were free," Brandon said.
"Oh, um." Quinn glanced away. She didn't really have anything planned other than going home, but she thought about making up a lie. He looked so hopeful, though, and Quinn instantly felt bad for thinking about lying to him. "What did you have in mind?"
"Coffee?" he asked.
"Sure," Quinn replied.
He gave her a smile and motioned for her to lead the way, so she began walking toward the stairs. She glanced over her shoulder when they began descending the stairs, wondering if he'd asked her to coffee for a reason. Part of her was hoping he was going to say he thought they'd be better off as friends.
Both of their dates had been just fine, but other than their majors, they really didn't have a lot in common. He was into sports and playing video games, which Quinn didn't care about at all. And while he was good looking, Quinn wasn't very attracted to him. She didn't dislike him or anything, but she was very indifferent to him, which wasn't a good sign. She definitely couldn't see them having a long term relationship unless something drastically changed.
"So, my roommate thinks he saw a UFO last night," Brandon announced, reaching out for the door, and opening it for Quinn.
"Was he drunk when he saw it?" Quinn asked.
Brandon laughed. "Not that I know of. Although, it'd explain a lot. No, he thinks it flew by our dorm. He said he saw it fly by my window."
"And where were you when this happened?" Quinn asked.
"Sitting at my desk, which is right by the window," Brandon said, shaking his head.
"Has he sought psychological help?" Quinn asked.
"I've talked to the RA about him," Brandon said, shrugging. "It isn't my problem anymore."
"Yeah," Quinn said, frowning slightly.
"Besides, I don't think he'd try to kill himself or anything," Brandon said. "He's just weird, and from the stories he's told me, he's always been like that." He glanced at her. "Was that your phone or mine?"
"I don't know; didn't hear anything," Quinn said, opening her bag, and pulling her phone out as he pulled his out of his pocket. "It's mine."
Quinn quickly opened the text from Brittany, asking when they were going to hang out that week. She sent a message back to say they could meet whenever and then put the phone back in her bag.
"You don't have to go, do you?" Brandon asked.
"No," Quinn replied. "My friend wanted to know when we could meet. She's the one I lived with before Rachel, and I promised her we'd get together at least once a week."
Brandon nodded. "So, why'd you move out?"
"Our other roommate was—let's just say I didn't really get along with her," Quinn said, not wanting to get into the details with him.
"That sounds like an interesting story," Brandon remarked.
"Not really," Quinn lied as she opened the door to the coffee shop and walked in.
Quinn grabbed a tissue just before she sneezed, and laid back in her bed with a groan. She hated being sick and had been in denial all day about it. She had awoken with a sore throat and stuffy nose, and it had only gotten worse from there. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was definitely getting a cold.
Quinn picked her book up from the bed and tried to find her place when another sneeze hit her. She groaned in annoyance again as she threw her tissue into the garbage. Saying she hated being sick was almost an understatement. In high school, it meant missing Cheerios practice, which wasn't acceptable. So, she would always go no matter how miserable she was. Thankfully, she didn't get sick very often, but even once a year was too much for her.
Quinn put her book down and sat up. She couldn't half breath anymore and really needed to go to the store to get some medicine. So, reluctantly, she stood up from her bed and walked over to her closet to grab a pair of shoes. As she slipped them on, she thought about asking Rachel if she had anything, so she wouldn't have to go to the store. She knew it may lead to a lecture on the importance of taking vitamins to keep your immune system up, but she figured it would be worth it if she didn't have to walk to the store.
When she walked out of her bedroom, Rachel was fixing dinner in the kitchen, so she walked over and stood at the island as she asked, "Do you have any DayQuil or NyQuil or anything like that?"
"Are you ill?" Rachel asked, quickly turning around, and looking at her.
"Yeah," Quinn replied.
"Have you been in the living room for the past three or four days?" Rachel asked.
"I think so," Quinn said, frowning slightly.
Rachel nodded and put down the knife she'd been using to chop vegetables. Without another word, she opened up the cabinet under the sink and pulled out several bottles.
"What are you doing?" Quinn asked.
"Disinfecting," Rachel replied. "I believe I have a few things if you would like to get it. Although, I do ask that you put on gloves before you enter my room. I really can't afford to become sick right now."
Quinn stared at Rachel for a few moments wondering if she was joking, but then Rachel handed over a disposable glove. Quinn took it without saying anything, just happy that she wasn't going to have to walk anywhere.
"It should be in the bottom, left drawer," Rachel said.
Even though she thought it was a little extreme, she put the latex glove on and walked over to Rachel's door. She opened the door with her glove covered hand and entered Rachel's bedroom. She had never been in there before, only catching glimpses of it when Rachel's door was open. As with the rest of the apartment, it was nicely decorated. Most of the furniture was a white, giving the whole room an airy feel.
Rather than admire the room any longer, Quinn walked to the bathroom door, flicking on the light. She was surprised by how huge the bathroom was, though she supposed she shouldn't be given the size of the rest of the room. She looked around the room, wondering which drawer Rachel was talking about. She figured the most logical place would be near the sink, so she knelt down and pulled out the drawer.
"A few things?" Quinn said to herself as she looked down at the drawer, which was full of different kinds of medicine.
She grabbed a few things and then left Rachel's bedroom, walking back to the kitchen, where Rachel had begun disinfecting every surface. Quinn cocked her eyebrow as she watched her wiping down the cabinet handles, wondering if she was going to try to disinfect the whole apartment.
"Oh, good," Rachel said, looking over her shoulder at Quinn. "I see you found it."
"Yeah," Quinn replied. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Rachel said, smiling at her.
"I'm going to go lay down," Quinn said, pulling off her glove.
"That's probably a good idea," Rachel replied. "Rest is very important right now. Let me know if you need anything."
Quinn nodded and then said, "Thanks again."
As Quinn turned and began to walk away, Rachel called out, "Oh, Quinn, you really should think about taking a multivitamin or at least one with vitamin C in it. It'll help boost your immune system and you'll be less likely to catch the common cold again."
"I'll keep that in mind," Quinn said, shaking her head, but smiling to herself.
Quinn slowly opened her eyes when she heard the knock on the door. She wondered who it was since Rachel was in class, but when she rolled over to look at the clock, she saw that she'd been asleep for over three hours. Despite the long nap, she still felt tired, and could easily fall back asleep.
"Quinn," Rachel said, knocking on the door again as she slowly opened it.
"Yeah?" Quinn replied, sitting up, and running her hand through her hair.
"I apologize if I woke you, but I thought I would see if you've eaten anything," Rachel said.
Quinn shook her head. "I've been asleep most of the time."
"I thought that may be the case," Rachel said, opening the door the rest of the way. "That's why I brought you some soup,"
"You brought me soup?" Quinn asked.
"It's from a deli near campus," Rachel said, holding the bag up for Quinn to see. "I can assure you it's delicious. There's also a grilled cheese sandwich in the bag. I know you may not feel like eating very much right now, but you should at least try to eat a little bit of it. It'll give you more energy and make you feel a little better. I also brought you a Sprite; I know you don't really drink a lot of soda, but the sugar may help you a little." Rachel shrugged. "It's what my fathers gave me when I was sick."
"I—" Quinn shook her head. She didn't know why Rachel was trying to take care of her. After all, she hadn't been the nicest to the brunette; she hadn't exactly been mean to her, but she definitely hadn't tried to be friends with her, either. Yet here Rachel was with soup, grilled cheese, and a drink, hoping it would make Quinn feel better.
"I hope you like tomato soup," Rachel said, walking toward her, and holding out the bad. "I wasn't really sure what kind to get you."
"That's fine," Quinn replied, taking the bag from here. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Rachel said, giving her a smile as she set the Sprite down on the nightstand.
Rachel turned on her heel to walk away, but stopped when Quinn said, "Rachel."
"Yes?" Rachel asked, turning back around. "Do you need anything else?"
"No, I—" She shook her head and looked down at the bag in her hands. "Thank you for this."
Rachel smiled again. "You're welcome, Quinn." Rachel began to walk away again, but then turned back around. "Oh, would you like me to pick you up anything from the store? I'm going to go in a little bit. Do you need any more medicine?"
Quinn did need a few things, but she hated the thought of Rachel having to get it for her. She'd already done more than enough bringing her the food, but at the same time, Quinn really didn't feel up to going anywhere. She'd missed both of her classes because she'd felt so bad, and she really didn't feel any better now.
"Quinn?" Rachel asked when she didn't answer.
"Um, yeah," Quinn replied. "If you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all," Rachel said, shaking her head. "You really shouldn't be out in the cold right now, and you're still contagious, so you don't want to risk giving it to others. So, let me know what you want and I will gladly get it for you."
"I need some more DayQuil and could you get me some bananas?" Quinn asked.
"Of course," Rachel replied. "Is there anything else?"
"Some cinnamon Teddy Grahams?" Quinn asked.
Rachel smiled. "I can do that."
"Is it okay if I pay you back?" Quinn asked. "I don't really keep cash on me."
"Don't worry about it," Rachel said, waving her off. "I don't think DayQuil, bananas, and Teddy Grahams are going to break the bank."
Quinn nodded, though she was definitely going to pay Rachel back at some point. She just didn't feel like arguing with Rachel about it at the moment. Getting a rent free apartment was enough; she definitely wasn't going to let Rachel start paying for other things even if the brunette insisted.
"If you think of anything else you need, my number is on the refrigerator," Rachel said.
Quinn nodded and said, "Thanks, Rachel."
"You're welcome," Rachel said, giving her a smile before turning and walking out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.
Quinn looked down at the bag and opened the top, pulling out a wad of napkins and a spoon before taking out the Styrofoam bowl and box. She hadn't eaten all day, so the aroma of it made her stomach instantly growl.
She still couldn't believe Rachel had gotten it for her. Quinn assumed she would eventually have to get up and order some takeout, but this was much better. Especially since Rachel had managed to get her favorite thing to eat when she was sick.
Quinn jumped when the door slammed shut and looked over to see if it was Rachel who had come in. She'd never heard the girl slam a door before, and she was hoping some stranger hadn't wandered into the apartment. A moment later, Rachel walked forward enough for Quinn to see her and she looked like she was alone. As she watched her try hanging up her coat only to drop it on the floor twice before finally getting it on the hook, she realized why Rachel had slammed the door.
"Are you drunk?" Quinn asked.
"No," Rachel said, but then she stumbled a bit. "Maybe a little."
Quinn shook her head at Rachel, who gave her a sheepish look. "I didn't mean to get drunk. Some of my fellow NYADA classmates asked if I'd like to join them, and I kind of lost track of how many drinks I'd had."
"Have you drunk any water?" Quinn asked, watching Rachel as she walked to the island and took a seat on one of the stools.
"Maybe," Rachel replied.
"Maybe?" Quinn asked.
"Maybe not," Rachel said.
Quinn sighed and turned around, opening the fridge, and pulling a bottle of water out, which she set in front of Rachel. "Drink all of that."
"But you're all germy," Rachel said, eyeing the bottle.
"Disinfect it if you want," Quinn replied.
Rachel looked reluctant, eyeing the bottle like it was going to give her the plague. After a few seconds, she finally reached out and unscrewed the cap, taking a long drink and then carefully putting the cap back on before setting it in front of her again. Quinn just shook her head, wondering exactly how much Rachel had to drink.
"Can I ask you a question?" Rachel asked, reaching out for the bottle again, but knocking it over, instead, causing it to roll across the top of the island.
"What?" Quinn asked, picking the rolling bottle up, and setting it back in front of Rachel.
"Have you always been this pretty?" Rachel asked, attempting to pick up the bottle a second time.
Quinn couldn't help but laugh. "Um, I guess not."
"You're the prettiest roommate I've had," Rachel remarked. "And I've had a lot of roommates. Two every year."
"I know," Quinn replied.
"You're better than most of them," Rachel said, looking up at her. "You don't smoke pot in your room and you don't leave dirty dishes all over the place. You hide in your room a lot, but most of my roommates have done that."
Quinn glanced away and sighed before looking back at Rachel. "How much did you have to drink tonight?"
"I don't know," Rachel replied. "Enough."
"Enough?" Quinn asked.
Rachel nodded. "Enough to make things better."
"Something tells me you're not going to feel like that in the morning," Quinn remarked.
"Maybe next time you could come with me and keep track of my drinks," Rachel said. "If you're not sick or on a date with your date guy."
"Maybe," Quinn replied, turning around, remembering that she had popcorn in the microwave.
"How long have you lived here?" Rachel asked.
"I don't know," Quinn said as she pulled the bag of popcorn out and set it on the island. "A month and a half?"
Rachel slowly nodded. "Do you know why I picked you?"
"Because you wanted to use my life experience?" Quinn asked.
"Kind of, but not really," Rachel replied.
Quinn cocked her eyebrow. "Then why?"
"Does your eyebrow always do that?" Rachel asked.
"Only when I'm dealing with drunk people," Quinn replied.
"What was I talking about?" Rachel asked.
"Why you picked me," Quinn answered.
"Oh, right," Rachel said. "I picked you because I thought you sounded lonely and I'm lonely, too. I don't have any friends and my dads are all the way across the ocean. Even before they moved, I went to the boarding school, but I didn't have any friends there, either. I don't understand it; I try to make people like me, but the opposite always seems to happen."
Rachel looked up at her and Quinn looked down, picking up the bag of popcorn, and pulling at the corners. When she looked back up, Rachel was still staring at her, so Quinn said, "Maybe you shouldn't try so hard."
"I can't help it," Rachel replied.
"Drink the rest of the water," Quinn said, pushing the bottle toward Rachel.
"Are you going to watch a movie?" Rachel asked, taking a sip of water, and nodding toward the bag of popcorn.
"I was thinking about it," Quinn replied.
"Can I watch it with you?" Rachel asked.
"Under one condition," Quinn said.
"What condition?" Rachel asked.
"You can't talk during the whole movie," Quinn replied.
"I won't," Rachel said, smiling. "I promise."
Considering Rachel's current state, Quinn very much doubted that Rachel was going to keep her promise. Nevertheless, she picked up the bag of popcorn, nodding toward the living room as she said, "I also get to pick the movie."
"Okay," Rachel replied, hopping down from the stool.
"Hey," Brandon said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Hey," Quinn replied. "Are you busy right now?"
"No, not really," he said.
"I was just calling to see if we could reschedule our date tonight," Quinn said, walking across her bedroom, and picking up a book only to set it down again. "I'm really behind after being sick all week, and I need to study."
"Oh, yeah, whatever you need to do," Brandon replied. "There's always next weekend. So, are you feeling better?"
"Yeah," Quinn replied. "I'm not completely over it, but I I feel better."
"Good," Brandon said. "I've missed you in class."
"Yeah, I've missed you, too," Quinn lied.
"I guess I should let you get to studying, right?" Brandon asked.
"I'll see you Monday," Quinn said.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'll see you Monday."
Quinn removed the phone from her ear and ended the call. She stared at her screen for a moment, happy that went as well as it had. She felt a little bad about cancelling on such short notice, but she really didn't feel like going out to dinner that night. She still wasn't feeling a hundred percent and she did need to catch up on a few things. Thankfully, she usually stayed ahead, so she wasn't really behind that much.
Quinn looked at her books for a moment, debating whether or not she wanted to wait or start then. She didn't particularly feel like being productive at the moment, though, so she set the phone on her desk and walked to the door, opening it, and walking out of her bedroom.
Rachel was sitting at the island when Quinn walked out of her room. The brunette looked over her shoulder for a moment and then turned back around. They hadn't spoken since the night before, and Quinn thought she saw Rachel blush a little. She figured Rachel was probably embarrassed about all the things she'd said, and she had said quite a bit. Over the course of the night, she'd told Quinn how pretty she was at least four times,, much to Quinn's embarrassment. She figured the fact that Rachel was now embarrassed was payback for how many times she'd made her blush the night before.
"So, do you have a hangover?" Quinn asked as she passed by Rachel on the way to the fridge.
"Thankfully, no," Rachel replied. "I'm sure I have you to thank for that. If you hadn't made me drink several bottles of water, I'm sure I would have been much worse off this morning."
Quinn shrugged, pulling some leftover Chinese food out of the fridge that they'd ordered the previous night.
Rachel cleared her throat and said, "I apologize for my behavior last night. I'm usually a very talkative person, and I'm afraid it only gets worse once I've consumed alcohol." Rachel paused for a moment, clearing her throat again. "I'm sure I was quite annoying."
"Did we put the rice up?" Quinn asked, opening up several containers, and looking in them.
"I believe I put it on the second shelf," Rachel replied.
Quinn nodded and turned, moved aside the bottle of soy sauce. "Thanks. I found it."
"I really am sorry about last night," Rachel said as Quinn grabbed a plate. "I am usually not much of a drinker, so my tolerance is quite low."
"Rachel, don't worry about it," Quinn replied.
"But—"
"It's fine," Quinn interrupted as she dumped the container of sesame chicken onto the plate. "Believe me, I've done much more embarrassing things."
"You have?" Rachel asked.
"Santana dragged me to a party a week after we moved here," Quinn said, turning around, and putting the other containers back in the fridge. "Brittany gave me a cup and I didn't ask what was in it. By the end of the night, I was making out with someone I'd never met, trying to get them up on a table to dance with me. As if that wasn't bad enough, someone put a video of it up on Facebook for everyone to see."
"Oh no," Rachel said, frowning. "So the video is still up?"
"Thankfully, no," Quinn replied. "I told them to take it down and they just laughed about it. A few days later, it was gone."
"So, they changed their mind?" Rachel asked.
Quinn shook her head. "I think Santana did something. Brittany wouldn't tell me what it was, but I think she persuaded them to delete it."
"I guess I'm lucky I only embarrassed myself in front of you," Rachel replied.
"Like I said, don't worry about it," Quinn said.
Rachel smiled at her. "Thank you for humoring me last night. I can imagine there were many things you would have rather done on a Friday night."
Quinn gave a slight shrug. "I've had worse Friday nights."
