Puck

"I asked her to marry me" he said.

Santana gasped and Puck could imagine how her face would look if she was with him. Big eyes, open mouth, furrowed brow.

"You didn't."

"I did."

"You're just a big softy, aren't you?"

"Oh, shut up."

Santana giggled.

"You sound happy" she remarked. "I presume she said yes."

"Well, no."

"She said no?"

"No, she didn't say anything. I told her she could think about in Florida."

"Oh."

Puck lay down on his bed again, rubbing his eyes with his palms. He was tired now. Adrenaline had pumped through his body all day, but now he was tired.

"What?" he asked.

"Quinn is good at over-thinking things."

"Maybe this is one of the things you should over-think" Puck retorted.

"You're probably right."

Puck nodded to himself. Yes, he had done the right thing. And Quinn would say yes. Of course she would.

"Do you need a ride to the airport on friday?" he asked.

"Nope, Quinn's mom driving us. You could pick us up though."

"Sure" he answered.

"I'm skipping school tomorrow" Santana said. "I feel like crap."

"Me too" he said.

"I guess it's contagious then."

Puck hung up. He didn't feel like crap. He was just scared to face Quinn in school. He was just scared that she would tell him no.


Quinn

Quinn finally packed her bags. She packed her cheerleading uniform, a bikini, a few tops, a pair of shorts and some dresses. She packed a comb, her toothpaste and her perfume. Then she hesitated in the bathroom. Where did her mother keep those sleeping pills? Quinn searched the medicine cabinet but just found aspirin in a blue container. Shit. Quinn had the feeling that she might have severe sleeping issues in Florida. She never slept well out of her own bed (except when she used to live with Puck, she slept like a baby there. But that might have been because she was pregnant). Secondly, she had terrible bad dreams. And thirdly, she had so much to think about. She needed those pills.

Finally, she found them in her mother's closet. She stole five pills and hid them in the pocket of her shorts. She felt guilty, like she was something bad. But all she wanted was to be able to sleep.


The flight left at six in the morning. Quinn leaned against the cold car window as her mother drove her, Santana and Brittany to the airport. The day was gray and dull but Brit informed that in Florida was it sunny. It cheered Quinn up. Maybe all she needed was some sun.

On the plane Becky, Coach Sylvester's helping hand, handed out the weeks planning sheet. All days would start with breakfast at 7:30, practice at nine, lunch at twelve and then dinner at seven. The rest of time was their own, as long as they stayed inside the hotel area. Considering the three pools Quinn thought she could manage to be trapped.

"We're sharing a room" Brittany exclaimed happily.

"All three of us?" Santana asked.

Quinn turned the page and found the list of the people who were sharing rooms. Brittany Pierce, Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray were sharing a room called "Pineapple" and it was a mini-suite. Being captain paid off at times.

"Poor Anna's all alone in her room" Brittany said.

"Why?"

"Well, Bonnie has measles and couldn't come."

"Oh."

Quinn craned her neck and saw the blonde freshmen looking out of the airplane window. Anna, the girl who had made out with Puck. The girl who now always was on the bottom of the pyramid. Quinn turned back to her two best friends. They were holding hands, apparently Santana was afraid of flying. Or she just wanted to hold Brittany's hand.

"I'll be right back" Quinn said.

Anna looked petrified as Quinn sat down next to her.

"Hi" Quinn said perkily.

Anna smiled weakly.

"Is this your seat?" she asked quickly.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you."

"I haven't seen Puck. I promise."

God, Quinn had really scared the crap out of this poor girl.

"I know you haven't. Look, I wanted to apologize."

Anna looked hesitantly at her.

"For what?"

"For punishing you for what you and Puck did. It wasn't my business and I'm really sorry about it."

"Sure" Anna said.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Quinn smiled broadly and Anna returned the smile.

"So, you're together now?" she asked.

"What?"

"I mean, if you're not jealous anymore, you're together right?"

"No, we're not."

"Oh. So you're over him?"

"Nope."

Quinn smiled again. Anna looked confused.

"You were supposed to share a room with Bonnie, right? But she's sick."

"Yeah."

"Do you mind if I share with you instead?"

"Why?"

"Well, it's not fair that I get to share with two people and you'll sleep all alone."

And Quinn hoped this would improve the Brittany/Santana-situation.

"I don't mind" Anna said.

"Great."

Quinn got up from the chair.

"And I'll tell Ms. Sylvester to bring you up from the bottom of the pyramid."

"Really?"

"I'm really sorry. Anna."


"Why did you do that?" Santana whispered.

Brittany had fallen asleep, her head on Santana's shoulder.

"It was an 'I'm sorry'-gift to you. For what Sam did to you."

Santana rubbed her scarred arms.

"Thanks" she whispered.

"Sure."

"We need to talk later" Santana hissed. "About you know what."

The ring that Quinn had hung a chain around her neck felt heavy. She nooded meekly.


Puck

Quinn was gone. Santana was gone. He had broken up with Hannah. He didn't feel like partying. He didn't feel like sitting alone. So he called Finn. Something he hadn't done in a long time. Even though they were friends now, they weren't friends. Their real friendship had died with the cheating and the baby. But now, Finn was at home and Puck needed a guy friend. So he called him.

And God bless Finn. Even though Puck had acted like a jerk towards him at school the other day. Even though they weren't close, Finn said yes to meeting up without hesitating. Puck was so grateful it hurt.

"Can you ask you something?" Puck asked.

Finn took a bite from his burger and nodded. He had dressing on his chin.

"Did you ever consider marrying her? Quinn, I mean. Because of the baby."

Finn licked his mouth and then dried if with his sleeve. Puck smiled to himself. It felt nice to hang out with a guy for once. Santana had winced if she had been here.

"I don't know" Finn said.

"Right."

Puck took a sip of his coke. It was raining outside the diner. In Florida, it was probably hot. Quinn probably walked around in her bikini.

"How about Rachel?" Puck asked.

"You mean if I ever considered marrying her?"

Puck nodded. Finn shrugged.

"No, not really. I mean, I love her, but I don't know if we'll last."

"Why not?"

"She's not staying in Lima, Puck. She's heading for Broadway. She's going to be a star and love it. And me, I'm going to stay here. Get a college degree, work at Burt's shop. And be happy about that."

Puck thought of his own life. Him, a guy a criminal record and poor grades. Quinn, the good girl with straight A's who could get into any school she wanted. Was he being naïve thinking they could last?

"I asked Quinn to marry me" he blurted out.

Finn dropped his burger onto the greasy table.

"What? Are you even a couple?"

"No."

Finn picked up the burger and without contemplating it, took a big bite.

"What did she say?"

"I gave her time to think."

Puck tried to analyze Finn's face.

"Are you mad?" he asked.

"God, no. I'm over her."

"Good."

"I just never thought you'd work it out. You've been through so much shit."

"You know Quinn, Finn. What do think she'll say?"

"I don't know, Puck."

"Me neither."

He finished his coke.

"I just love her" he said.

Finn smiled.

"Yeah, I can tell."

Puck coughed.

"How about we go to my place and play XBOX?" he asked.

"Hell yeah" Finn answered, spitting lettuce all over the already disgusting table.


Quinn

Her muscles ached as Quinn lay down in the sun chair near the pool. She hadn't bothered showering, the heat was intense and she sweated almost as much when training as when tanning. Santana lay next to her, sunglasses on, reading some magazine. Brittany was on her other side, listening to Hip Hop on her iPod, Quinn could hear the beat.

"I'm dead" Quinn moaned, closing her eyes.

"Drink" Santana said.

"No, I'm not getting kicked off the squad."

"I meant water."

"Oh."

Quinn opened her eyes and took the bottle Santana was holding out. The water was warm, but it tasted good anyway.

"We have a suite" Santana announced.

"Good for you."

Quinn and Annie's room wasn't a suite. It was a tiny room with two narrow beds, a leaky shower and TV that hummed loudly, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't be spending much time in there.

"Annie's a tumbler again" Santana remarked.

"Yep."

"I presume you had something to do with it."

"Maybe."

Quinn shut her eyes again. She loved the feeling of the hot sun on her body. She felt like she could relax – finally.

"Quinn, can we talk about Puck?"

"No" Quinn replied. "Not right now. I'm tired and hot and sweaty."

Santana sighed.

"Fine."

Quinn got up and stretched. She pulled of her cheerleading outfit, underneath she was wearing her blue bikini. She was pale, white even. She felt the weight of her necklaces. The cross could handle pool water, she never took it off and it was still perfect. But the ring, she probably should take it off. Quinn turned away from Santana and unlocked the necklace. She hid in the folds of her skirt. Then she went into the water.

It was heavenly. Cool and clear, and it made her head empty. She was to sore to swim much, but she took a few strokes and then lingered in the deep end. Jesus Christ, what was she going to do? She was seventeen, she had a baby last year, she had a father who sucked and a mother that was trying to make ends meet. Everything felt so complicated. Then it came to her. All those things, Puck went through them too. His mother was supporting two kids on a nurse's salary, his father had bailed. He had a kid too. He was seventeen too. She wasn't alone. It made her sigh so deep that she accidently swallowed some water.


Walking around the pool area with Brittany and Santana made Quinn feel attractive. Apart, they were all pretty. Santana had that dark hair, those edgy eyebrows and sharp cheekbones. She had skin the color of milk chocolate and a smile that made boys forget their names. Brittany was tall and had a killer body. She had boobs and ass and abs that made Quinn insanely jealous. And Quinn herself. She was ok too.

Apart they were pretty, but together they were force of something that attracted looks. It was like magnetism that made all males between 12 and 60 to take second glance at them. Quinn was used to the attention, but it felt weird all the same. Weird but good.

"Hi girls" a guy said.

He was muscular with dark eyes and a crooked smile. He was flanked by two other boys.

"Hi" Santana answered, taking her sunglasses off.

"Are you staying at the hotel?" the guy asked.

"Yeah. We're here with our cheerleading squad" Santana said.

Quinn knew that Santana loved saying that just to see the guys drool.

"We're here with our baseball-team."

"How fun" Brittany said, smiling widely.

Santana stiffened next to Quinn.

"How about we meet up tonight?" the guy asked.

Were the other two guys mute? Then she realized she hadn't said a word either.

"We eat dinner with our squad" she said.

Her voice sounded hoarse. The guy on the left stared at her. She felt self-conscious. God, she'd had a baby, no wonder she didn't look like Brittany.

"What about after?" the guy asked.

Persistent much?

"Sure" Brittany answered smiling.

Quinn could see Santana's face turn from flirty to upset.

"Great. Let's meet by the pool" the guy said. "I know a really good club."

"We're not allowed leave the hotel area" Quinn said.

"No one will notice" the guy said.

Quinn shrugged. Whatever.

"I'm Brian by the way" he said. "And this is Chase and Neil."

He pointed at his friends. Chase was staring at Quinn.

"I'm Brittany."

"Santana."

"Quinn."

"See you later then" Brian said.

"Sure."


Puck

He lay on his bed, listening to depressing music and felt like girl. She was going to reject him. Of course she was. She could have anyone she wanted. Why should she settle for the messed up guy? He had told her that he loved her several times, but she had never replied. Never. Not a single time. She didn't love him. It hurt.


"Hi" Santana voice barked out of his phone.

"You don't sound like you're in a good mood" Puck answered.

"I'm not."

"Hold on, you're paying for this call, right?"

"Oh shut up."

"Fine, why are you upset?"

He was upset too. Had Santana spoken to Quinn? What had she said?

"Three guys asked us out and Brittany happily agreed."

Us. Santana, Quinn and Brittany. Quinn. Quinn. Quinn with guys. The thought made him queasy.

"Well, she doesn't know she's gay."

Gay. Have he ever said that word about Santana and Brittany before? It felt weird. Santana seemed to think so too because she went quiet.

"I mean, she doesn't know that you love her."

"I'm not gay, Puck."

"Fine…"

"I slept with a lot of boys. You, for example. Did you forget that?"¨

Her voice was aggressive now, but Puck knew that she wasn't mad at him,.

"No, I'm sorry."

He actually didn't know what he was sorry about.

"I don't want to triple date with some guys from Vermont."

Did Quinn?

"I know" he replied.

"I have a suite. I have the girl I love sharing the suite with me. I have privacy for once. And she wants to go to a club with a gang of hot dudes."

"Hot?" he asked.

She ignored him.

"I had it all planned. I hate life."

"Why isn't Quinn sharing a room with you?"

"She insisted on sharing with Annie."

"Who?"

"The girl you made out with once, blonde, tall."

Puck tried to imagine her, but couldn't.

"No idea."

"It doesn't matter" Santana exclaimed. "I have the opportunity of a life time and she wants to go out and dance."

Puck put on his soothing voice.

"Look, San. Brittany loves to dance, you know that. This may have nothing to do with the guys."

He heard her grunt.

"And you're staying for week. You have plenty of nights."

"I guess."

"So, weather's good?" he asked.

"I haven't spoken to Quinn about it yet."

"Oh."

"And even if I had, I wouldn't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's between you two."

"What do you think she should answer?" Puck asked.

Santana groaned loudly.

"Bye Puck."


Quinn

"You're going out?" Annie asked.

She lay flat out on her bed, drinking coke and watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy.

"Yeah, you wanna come?"

"No, it's okay."

"I'll be back soon."

Quinn stole a look at herself in the mirror. She had burned her shoulders slightly in the sun, but had covered it up with a cardigan. She looked nice, not great. Just nice.


Brian, Chase and Neil looked nervous. Quinn could see why. She herself hadn't dressed up that much, but the other two had. It seemed like they had triggered each other to go further and further. Santana wore a very low dress, a lot of dark make-up and red lipstick. Brittany wore tight leather shorts and an almost see-through blouse. Quinn felt like the little church girl. Apparently the guys had already chosen their girls. Quinn was Chase's. He was nice looking, she thought, with nice teeth and dark eyelashes.

"Why are we doing this?" Quinn hissed in Santana's ear.

She shrugged and grabbed Brian's hand.

Brittany could dance. No, that was an understatement. Brittany was an epic dancer. Quinn smiled at she saw all the guys gawking at her. She smiled even more as Santana joined her girl on the dance floor.

"I love cheerleaders" Brian sighed.

Quinn smiled. Chase stood so close to her that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Don't you dance?" he asked.

"I do" she replied.

"Will you dance for me?"

Euw.

"No" she said, turning her back on him.

Her fingers found the ring around her neck. It felt cool against her hot skin. The club was sweltering hot, Quinn could feel the sweat pouring down her back. Chase's face was all shiny and red. What was she doing here? The guy she loved had proposed to her. And she stood in a low class bar with a dude who she didn't know.

"What are they doing?" Neil exclaimed.

There was excitement in his voice. Quinn turned around again. She could see the forms of her best friends on the dance floor. They were entangled, kissing. Quinn laughed out loud. The guys looked accusingly at her.

"Are they lesbians?" Neil asked, disgust in his voice now.

"I would use the term bisexual," Quinn smiled.

"I guess I scored the prize, then" Chase said, pulling her close.

"Well, I'm sort of taken" she said.

She pointed at her ring necklace. His eyes grew big.

"You're engaged?"

"No, I haven't made up my mind yet, hence the ring around my neck instead of on my finger."

He wrinkled his nose and turned to his friends. They were staring at the making out girls on the dance floor.

"Let's go" he said.


Quinn laughed as she, Brittany and Santana left the club a few minutes later. The cool air felt like heaven on her hot skin, just like the pool had earlier.

"That" she said "was hilarious."

Santana and Brittany were still holding hands. Quinn felt a pang of loneliness, but then Santana took her hand. They walked down the road; neither of them could stop laughing.

"I love you" Santana burst out, looking at Brittany.

Quinn wondered why she felt so drunk. She hadn't drunken a drop.

"I love you" Brittany echoed, kissing Santana's cheek.

"I love Puck" Quinn exclaimed to the stars.

All three of them shrieked. Quinn felt so happy she might die. It was one of the best moments of her life, holding a sweaty hand with Santana, laughing at sky, and feeling in love.


Puck

He woke up early the next day and hated that it was Monday. School without Santana or Quinn. It would be amazing… After getting out of bed he checked his phone. He had a voicemail from Santana. It contained of a lot of screaming and Santana whispering very close to the phone.

"She loves me" she whispered and then hung up.

Puck put his phone down. At least she was happy.


The school felt extremely empty without the cheerleaders. No short skirts were whipping around toned legs. No pretty girls were left. Okay, that might not be true, but that how Puck felt. He felt alone and grouchy. Finn was with his girlfriend, the always so annoying Rachel. Puck envied them. They were so open with their love. They held hands and she often sat on his lap. The idea of Quinn sitting on Puck's lap during class was unthinkable. It wasn't their thing. What was their thing?


Quinn

"I haven't slept enough to do this" Santana grounded, doing push-ups.

Quinn felt the sweat drip down her back. The heat was a pain today; it was nearly a hundred degrees. Her shoulders burned dully.

"We got back at eleven" Quinn sighed.

She was finished. Thank god. She lay down in the grass and panted.

"Well, I didn't sleep much" Santana smirked.

She was done too and lay down next to Quinn.

"You dirty slut" Quinn sighed.

"Ladies! Get up!" Ms. Sylvester called.

Quinn groaned and got up. Her body ached.

"Do you think I'm gay?" Santana asked.

"If you're done, do laps" Ms. Sylvester ordered.

Quinn grabbed Santana's arms and began to run. The sun blinded her.

"Quinn, do think I'm gay?"

"Do we have to do this now?" Quinn panted.

"Yes."

Quinn bent down and touched the white line, then turned and ran back across the field.

"You're probably bisexual."

"Do you hate me?"

Santana was so out of breathe that it was hard to hear what she was saying.

"Of course I don't. Why should I?"

"You're a Christian, you hate gays."

"Yeah, I hate you. That's why I gave you the room to yourselves."

She turned again and ran towards the sun again.

"Q! You're dragging your feet!" Ms. Sylvester screamed.

She wasn't, but she still ran faster.

"Can we talk about Puck later?" Santana panted.

"Sure."

"Are you going to become Mrs. Puckerman?"

"Shut up and run."


But she couldn't dodge the topic forever. Santana brought it up again as they lay by the pool. Quinn had just taken a swim, her skin was wet, but her body was still pulsating hot. Santana was tanning, as if she wasn't tanned enough already. Quinn got freckles, Santana looked like heaven. It wasn't fair.

"If you keep the ring on you, you're going to burn. It'll reflect the sun" she said.

Quinn looked down; she had forgotten to remove her chain with the beautiful ring on it.

"Right" she said, taking it off.

"Don't you want to talk about?"

"I don't know what to say."

Santana yawned.

"Yes or no would be a start" she said.

"I know."

"But you don't know which one?"

"I don't."

"Do you love him?"

Quinn looked at the ring in her hand.

"Yes."

"Have you ever told him that?"

Quinn hesitated.

"No."