Author's Notes: Yeah, I pretty much suck, I know that. I actually just got back into playing a video game that has a reputation for stealing lives, and that's exactly what it did, once again. Fortunately, I know what's going to happen next, so it should come easily to me. I hope you all like this chapter. I tried my best to capture how I think Quinn would feel/react. So, yeah. Fixed the Spanish error! I'm really sorry for that.
The tension in the air was thick and I was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. For nearly a full minute, no words were spoken. Quinn and Hadley were staring at each other like two predators fighting over a piece of meat. Brittany had retreated to where Santana was currently sitting, her eyes looking on worriedly. The Latina had her arms wrapped protectively around Brittany's waist, her eyes moving slowly between Hadley and Quinn, and finally resting on me. Our eyes met, and for once in my life I felt like the two of us were on the same page. Neither one of us knew what was going to happen next, and it was a very discomforting feeling.
Quinn had been perfectly at ease when I first entered the room, going so far as to greet me and apologize for being early. She had apologized, not because she didn't want to be here, but for wanting to see me sooner. Not once in our sordid past could I recall an instance in which Quinn Fabray had apologized to me, nor could I recall a point in which Quinn had seemed so nervous in my presence. As soon as Hadley had entered the room, that perfect image had faded completely. Quinn's defenses had gone up immediately, and she had acquired a look one might find on a rabid dog. It seemed the HBIC had emerged from her slumber, and was ready for whatever was thrown her way.
Hadley, when she had walked back into the room, was wearing a look completely different from the one that I had seen her leave with. Truth be told, I wasn't sure if I was fond of the look she was currently wearing. Her eyes had a hardness to them that I had yet to experience, and it almost frightened me. With two of the four cheer leaders currently glaring daggers at one another, it was as if I had never left McKinley, and it was starting to annoy me. Why couldn't things go smoothly for once? I looked to the floor, afraid to make any sudden movements, and began to think about why it was the two of them had reacted this way. Hadley had called Quinn 'Lucy.' The only Lucy I had ever heard her mention was the girl who...who beat her at cheer leading and singing, and forced her to transfer. Lucy...was Quinn? It seemed that I wasn't the only person to have their life turned completely upside down by Quinn Fabray.
I cleared my throat softly and instantly regretted it, feeling the way a goldfish might in a tank full of piranha.
"Hadley, hello. So...I gather that no introductions are required?" I let out a small laugh, trying to ease my nerves.
I looked up at Hadley who had yet to look away from Quinn. Quinn stood still, her shoulders squared and her chest puffed out. I couldn't know for sure, but I'd bet my Barbra collection that neither one of them had yet to blink.
"Oh, I know Lucy very well, and I'm sure she remembers me. Don't you, Lucy? Or is it Quinn now?" Hadley's clear voice broke through the silence, causing me to take in a large breath. Something was telling me that this encounter wasn't going to go well, and that I should be prepared to flee if opportunity arose. I looked to Quinn, who up until now had barely moved a muscle.
"Hadley, it's been a long time. Though you are in fact a person who is easy to forget, I still have the image of you ingrained in my head of always falling short."
Santana let out a bark of laughter which was immediately silenced by a stern glare from Brittany. I turned to Quinn, shock on my face.
"Quinn! That was completely uncalled for!"
For a brief moment Quinn looked almost ashamed, her head turned to the side, unable to meet my eyes. Hadley laughed softly and stepped forward.
"Rachel, it's fine. I've come to expect this from her. Changing your name doesn't change the person underneath. It seems that she's the same stuck up bitch that she was all those years ago."
For the second time, I turned to face her, my expression aghast.
"Hadley! I understand that you and Quinn have had a rocky past, but perhaps you could attempt to at least be civil?"
Hadley crossed her arms over her chest and turned to me, an argument on her lips. Before she was able to speak, Quinn stepped forward, smirking widely.
"Are you kidding me? You told her about all of that stuff? What's the matter, needed a pity party to keep you going?" Quinn kept on smirking, feeling ever the victor when Hadley failed to respond. I kept my eyes trained on Quinn to gauge her reactions, and if I was right, then she'd be reacting just about...
Now.
A look of concern came over Quinn's face, instantly shattering her bravado act. She did her best to hide it, but I could tell that inside she was panicking.
"Wait...you told her everything?" Quinn bit her lip nervously and then hazarded a glance in my direction. From her tone, I could hear that she was trying to maintain her tough act, but with each second that passed, it was starting to fail her.
"Rachel, listen. That was...that was a long time ago. I was a different person then." Her words were sped up, her tone becoming nearly frantic. Her hazel eyes met mine, begging me to understand. The longer I kept her gaze, the more I felt my anger softening. I wanted to step forward to reassure her, to comfort her, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me from moving. I looked up at Hadley, who was currently wearing a confused expression.
"Rachel, is she the reason you had to leave your school? Oh wait. Let me guess. It was Santana and Quinn, once again double teaming. How unoriginal." When I lowered my head to the ground in response, Hadley let out an incredulous laugh. When she looked up at Quinn, all humor was gone from her eyes, and her tone was low and threatening.
"Please enlighten me Quinn. Why is it exactly that you're here? Tell me it isn't because you grew bored of the lack of people left to bully, so you decided to follow Rachel? If that's it, then you can leave right now, because I won't let that happen."
Quinn let her eyes drop to the jacket I was wearing, the fire in her eyes igniting once more. My breath caught in my throat at the sudden show of fury in her eyes, and my words stopped right along with it. Quinn's soft voice broke through the tension, knocking me out of my reverie.
"Rachel. Tell me you aren't...with her. Please tell me you haven't lowered yourself that far. You can do better than her, Rachel. Listen to me. She isn't worth your time." Quinn was staring at me hard, waiting for a response. When Hadley wrapped her arm around my shoulders, I released a deep breath, still unable to speak. Quinn glared heatedly at the arm around me, her jaw set and teeth clenched together. I had never seen Quinn act in such a way, and was slowly becoming more and more worried.
"Suddenly it all seems so clear. Did you ever get the chance to tell her? How you really feel?"
Quinn immediately looked down, her cheeks lightly flushed. When she looked back up, her eyes were steely, and completely devoid of emotion. I looked between the two of them, my confusion obvious. What was she talking about? Tell who how she felt about what?
Hadley smirked and then looked at me. She put her finger under my chin and tilted my head up. Before I could register what was happening, a soft pair of lips met with my own. Completely forgetting about the other people in the room, I moaned softly. When I remembered that we weren't alone, I pulled away immediately, blushing furiously.
I brought my fingers to my lips slowly, and then met Quinn's eyes. I regretted it instantly. Her eyes were once again in a state of flux, barely able to meet my own. The anger seemed to radiate off of her in waves, and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
"Just tell the truth, Quinn. You aren't here to bully Rachel; no, you're here because you want Rachel, in a way that I can assure you is not mutual. You sure are screwed up, Fabray. You bully her so badly that she has to leave her school, and now here you are, pining after her?"
My eyes shot up to Quinn's, my jaw dropped nearly to the floor. What Hadley was insinuating was absolutely ridiculous...wasn't it? Quinn Fabray wasn't gay, and was most definitely not attracted to me. Quinn Fabray was practically the poster child for straight, American teenage girls. If that was the case, then why was she looking away, her expression so pained?
"This has actually been fun. Definitely made my night. Go ahead Quinn. Do it. Tell her you don't want her. Tell her that you haven't fantasized about being with her."
At this point in the conversation, I expected Quinn to turn around and rush out of the room. Surely what Hadley was suggesting was making her uncomfortable. Quinn and I were in the process of building our tentative friendship, and at that precise moment I thought I saw the foundation crumble before my very eyes.
"Hadley, stop. You're...you're making her uncomfortable. Quinn and I have come to an understanding. Granted, I don't agree with many of the decisions she's made in the past, but she and I have made amends, and are working on becoming friends. It's more than I could have ever hoped for, actually."
Hadley looked down at me, studying my expression carefully.
"The fact that you would even want to become friends with someone like her is beyond me. After everything that she's done to you, done to me, even? I'm sure we'll have time to discuss it later. But right now, I see something far more important going on, and I know Quinn sees it too. I want her to admit it. Why she's here. Why she decided to obsessively follow you to your new school, and why she can't even look at you. Go ahead Quinn. Enlighten us."
Quinn growled loudly and turned to face Hadley. After glaring pointedly at her, she finally looked at me, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she turned around fully to look at the silent Latina. Santana stood up slowly and walked towards Quinn, shrugging off Brittany's hand on her arm, and ignoring her protests to sit back down.
"You don't have to stoop to her level, Quinn. Ignore the bitch. She's just talking shit. It's all she's ever been good at, really." A part of me wanted to defend Hadley, but she seemed to be doing perfectly well on her own at the moment.
Quinn turned to Santana, murmuring softly. Santana nodded slowly before crossing her arms and looking at Hadley, eyes hard and face emotionless.
"I'm sorry, Quinn? What was that? Would you like to share with the rest of us?" Hadley put her chin on my shoulder, and smiled widely when Quinn clenched her fists together.
"I said...I'm not running away, and I won't lie to her anymore." As soon as those words left her mouth, I forgot how to breathe, and the world around me stopped moving entirely. She didn't deny it. She didn't throw an insult at me, and she hadn't stormed out angrily. If anything, she had just confirmed what Hadley had initially said. Which meant that Quinn...Quinn..she...
"Well. I think that you've said all that you wanted to say, Quinn. I think it's time for you to leave."
With Quinn's...declaration hanging in the air, Hadley's tone changed quickly. It seemed she was no longer enjoying her little game with Quinn. Apparently the answer she had received had caught her off guard, and she didn't like it.
Quinn's mouth dropped, and she stepped forward quickly.
"No, I'm not done here."
Hadley jumped forward, her voice coming out as a growl.
"Yes you are. Get your stuff and leave, and don't ever come back."
Quinn scoffed and smiled in a nasty way that I was used to seeing in the hallways. Her eyes narrowed as she stared Hadley down. Her next words were spoken in a menacingly low tone, so much so that I didn't catch what she said.
"You're still nothing. I want you to know that. You may speak like you've made something of yourself, but the truth is, you'll always be below me."
Hadley took another step towards Quinn.
"That might be all well and good, but there's one thing that I have that you will never take from me. You see that girl over there? It's me she wants, not you. I'm the real winner here. You get to leave with your tail between your legs, once again alone. She's mine. Not yours. Mine. How does that taste? Not much like winning, huh?"
Quinn took another step forward, and I was suddenly scared that I would have to intervene to stop a fight.
"I guess you don't know Rachel as well as you think you do. No one owns Rachel Berry; no one. She's completely her own person. And that jacket stunt? Trying to prove to all of your jock friends that she's yours? She'll figure it out. She's a smart girl. It won't take her long to see what you're doing." Before Hadley had a chance to speak, Quinn pushed past her and stepped in front of me, placing her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes were clear, all traces of previous anger were completely erased as our eyes met.
"Quinn...I...I don't know-"
Quinn put a finger softly to my lips to silence me, grinning slightly when a small blush appeared on my cheeks. She spoke in a low tone, reserved for only us.
"I know that you don't understand. I know that none of this makes sense. In time, I promise it will. I promise you that I'll explain things to you..now just isn't that time. Please. Please tell me that you haven't lost faith in me, and that you want to see me again. Please."
I nodded my head many times, trying my hardest to use my words. I cleared my throat and looked up at her.
"Yes...yes, I want to see you again."
Quinn let out a soft breath and took a step back, relief covering her face. Hadley continued to glare at her until Quinn made her way back to the window.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from her. Oh, and do me a favor, will you? Take Brittany's dog with you, and keep her leashed up next time. I don't like looking at her."
I couldn't hear what was being said, but from Santana's reaction, it wasn't something entirely nice. It seemed like it was taking all of Brittany's strength to keep Santana from rushing forward. Hadley turned away from them, staring hard at me.
"Rachel, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I'd like to talk to you more about this later if you'll let me."
With that said, Hadley turned and made her way out of the room, shutting the door loudly behind her. I rubbed my eyes hard and sat back on my bed, placing my head in my hands. The only sounds in the room were currently coming from Santana, who at the moment was kneeling in front of a very sad looking Brittany, murmuring softly.
"Te amo. Tú eres mi corazón. Te amo, lo siento. I didn't mean to push you away, Britts."
Brittany wiped at her eyes and placed her forehead to Santana's.
"I know, Sanny. I know. You were just worried for Quinn. Te amo, Santana."
Santana let out a half sob, half laugh, and placed her head in Brittany's lap. Such a blatant display of affection caused me to look away, feeling as though I were intruding on a very personal moment. Unfortunately for me, upon looking at anything that wasn't Brittany or Santana, my eyes met Quinn's, and I was unable to tear away. Her eyes gazed softly into mine, trying to convey...what, exactly?
The sound of the door opening caused Santana to jump up, and Quinn to step forward, breaking our eye contact immediately. The person that entered wasn't at all who I expected, though their entrance fsiled to inspire feelings of comfort.
Cameron stood there, her hands in her pockets, her eyes looking everywhere but at us. When Santana growled and moved forward, Cameron took a step back and put her hands in front of her in a show of surrender.
"I know you don't want to see me. I know that I've been horrible lately, and I'm probably one of the last people that you want to see right now. Given the appropriate chance, I'd like to apologize to both of you formally." She looked towards Santana and Brittany, an overlaying sadness in her eyes that she couldn't quite mask.
"I just wanted to warn you that some of the teachers are coming this way, so you might want to...uhm. Get going, before they get here. That's all."
With that said, she gave Brittany one last meaningful glance before heading back into the hallway.
Santana looked away, her eye brows knitted together.
"I still don't like that girl. But she's right. We need to get out of here, Quinn. Berry, I'm sure I'll see you around some time soon. Sorry for all of this, but I think in the end it'll be worth it." Santana turned to Brittany and pulled her in close. Placing her lips onto Brittany's in a chaste kiss, she pulled back and made her way to the window. I glanced at Santana briefly before looking at Quinn.
"I'll see you soon, Rachel. I'm sorry it turned out like this, but I swear to you, I'm not running away again." With that said, Quinn turned to where Santana was waiting, leaving me standing there with so many questions unanswered.
"Wait! Please. Wait. Just...explain to me. I don't understand. Please."
Before Quinn was able to speak, Santana spoke up, her tone firm, yet understanding.
"We have to go, Berry. Now isn't the time. If Quinn and I get caught here, we won't be able to come back easily, and then you'll never understand. You get me? I won't be able to see Brittany, and you...well, you'll miss out on something that could potentially be amazing."
I nodded at her, but I was still unhappy with the answer. Santana nodded once in my direction and gave Brittany a wink before heading outside. Brittany jumped up and rushed Quinn, pulling her in what appeared to be quite a bear hug. Quinn smiled and pulled back, ruffling the taller girl's hair affectionately. I looked on nervously, not entirely sure how I should be feeling. Quinn hazarded a quick glance in my direction before following Santana outside.
This felt all too familiar, and yet at the same time, completely unlike anything I had ever experienced before. A part of me wanted to follow Brittany to the window and stare after the two Cheerios just as we had done before, but another part, one who was very confused and slightly frightened, wanted nothing more than to sit down and gather her thoughts.
When Brittany saw me collapse back onto my bed, she bounded over to me quickly, instantly by my side.
"Brittany. Please excuse my language, but given the current situation, I believe that it is entirely warranted but...what the hell just happened?"
Brittany frowned deeply and laid down, cuddling into my side.
"Well...I think that Quinnie has a lot she needs to explain to you. I think when you guys are able to talk, you'll understand everything a lot better."
I looked up into her blue eyes, and saw nothing but honesty there. I moved my head to her shoulder and put my arm gently over her stomach, sighing in content when she moved her fingers softly through my hair. If only Santana could see us now. I could imagine the uproar that this position would cause, but I felt no guilt. This was solely for comfort, something which I was in dire need of at the moment.
"Brittany, what did she mean? Hadley said something about Quinn's feelings; feelings for who, exactly? And what did Quinn mean when she said she couldn't lie anymore? I feel like so much happened all at once, but it was all too fast for me to comprehend."
Brittany sighed softly, keeping silent for a moment.
"I think that Q has a lot of feelings, and she can't keep them inside anymore. She used to be really good at it, just like San. The both of them are really great at pretending that they're full of nothing, when really they both have so much inside of them that it's hard to keep it all in sometimes, you know?"
I nodded against her shoulder, her explanation making perfect sense.
"Q..the way she looks at you is different. She's different. Whether you meant to or not, I think you changed her, Rach. She seems lighter; happier."
I sat up slowly, thoughts racing through my head a mile a minute.
"Why, oh why, did she have to say those things? Just when I thought I knew what I wanted, and how things were going to play out, Quinn Fabray throws a wrench into it. I should be angry with her. I should be livid. She treated me terribly, and to find out that she did the same thing to Hadley? I shouldn't even want to see her."
Brittany nudged me softly. "But?"
I relaxed my shoulders and sat up straight. "But I'm not, and I do. A part of me understands Quinn, and how she could do the terrible things that she's done. I should, by all right, be furious with her. But I'm not. And you know why? It's because she's human. We all make mistakes, even Quinn Fabray. I think that we all need someone there to forgive us, and tell us that things will be all right in the end. I think that Quinn has kept up her end of the bargain so far, which shows me that she's serious about wanting to make amends."
Brittany nodded and stood up, heading to her own bed.
"But..you know she wants more, right? You could see it in her eyes, couldn't you?"
I hummed softly in response. "I saw something there Brittany, something that wasn't there before. I'm not entirely sure what it means. It could be nothing, and I'm looking into more than I should be, but everything she said...I'm just so confused right now, and none of it makes sense."
I paused to gather my thoughts once more, and continued on.
"I never for one minute thought that Quinn could feel the same. I hoped and prayed everyday, but the rational side of me knew it could never happen, and that I should just move on. But now she's here, saying nothing and everything at once, and I don't know what to do. Brittany, please, lend me your infinite wisdom. What should I do?"
Brittany scrunched her face together, ever the perfect image of deep thought.
"You need to wait. I know it sucks, but you need to wait until you can talk to Q. You also need to talk to Hadley. I'm sure she's pretty upset right now, too. Seeing Q set her off, and I don't think she reacted in a way that she wanted you to see."
She was right. There was really nothing I could do until I was able to speak to Quinn. And then there was the issue of Hadley. What were my exact feelings towards her, and how did she feel towards me? I knew that we were in the process of developing into something more, but was that what I really wanted? I knew that after Quinn, I had to move on for the betterment of my sanity. But...was Hadley the right person? An even bigger question at the moment; did I want to move on?
"Oh. Rachel. One more really important thing."
I leaned closer, listening intently.
"Don't wear that jacket around Q. It made her really unhappy. She tried to hide it, but I could see that she was sad."
I looked to the article of clothing that I had discarded haphazardly after everyone had left. It made Quinn unhappy? It was just a jacket. Why did she have such an adverse reaction to a piece of clothing?"
"I don't think I understand, Brittany. Why would that bother Quinn? Hadley gave it to me to keep me warm. It was a very sweet gesture."
Brittany looked to the side, avoiding my questioning gaze.
"What aren't you telling me, Brittany?"
Brittany huffed and finally looked my way.
"It's just...usually you give your Letterman to someone that you're dating. It's pretty much a way of saying almost that you belong to that person, and that you're of limits. Quinn saw it, and she wasn't happy. I'm actually surprised that she didn't try to take it off of you herself." Brittany got up and headed to her closet. After a few minutes of rustling noises, she emerged with a smile on her face, and her arm raised out to me.
"See? This is Santana's. She gave it to me in secret, because we had to be really careful around other people. I have hers, and I gave her mine. Sometimes when I miss her really badly, I wear it to bed. It always gives me good dreams."
I took the article of clothing from her hand and inspected it closely. It was definitely the official jacket of the Cheerios, and had Santana's name and Cheer number on it.
My jaw dropped when I realized what it was exactly that she had said.
"Rachel Berry belongs to no one! We aren't even officially dating yet. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was the work of one of the football jocks."
Brittany placed the jacket back into her closet, a small smile on her face.
"Cheer leaders can get just as bad. They like people to know who they're dating, so they know that they're off limits."
I crossed my arms over my chest, not liking the direction that this conversation was headed in. Before I was able to speak, a small knock on our door silenced me. Less than a second later, Hadley walked in, her head lowered slightly.
"Rach...can we talk now? I need to explain some things to you. I know I reacted badly, and I was wondering if we could maybe talk about it?"
I turned to Brittany, not wanting to be alone right now. Brittany gave a barely noticeable nod before walking into the hallway, shutting the door softly behind her. As much as I wanted her to stay, I knew the appropriate thing to do was get this cleared up. Hadley wiped at her eyes before sitting across from me. I remained silent, unsure of what to say.
"I don't like that she came here. I don't like it, for very obvious reasons. That girl made my life hell, and seeing her...it brought back some very unpleasant memories for me. What I don't understand is why you even let her in. I know her, Rachel. I know the real Quinn. I'm sure that everything that she said to you was garbage, and she's spewing lies so she can use it against you later. That's the kind of person she is. Quinn Fabray has no feelings."
I stared at her for a minute, going over in my head exactly what I wanted to say.
"Are you quite finished? Listen, Hadley. I know that Quinn was downright cruel to you when you were younger. I understand, more than you'll ever know. What I need you to understand is that I believe in second chances. I believe that people can change, and that they can change for the better. When Quinn first came to me, I reacted much in the way that you just did. I was angry, and I wanted to lash out at her for hurting me. But you know what? That accomplishes absolutely nothing. I made the conscientious decision to forgive Quinn, because I knew that she was sincere, and that she wanted to change. I don't trust her completely, but I'm willing to work on that."
Hadley jumped up, her fists clenched tightly.
"You can't trust her, Rachel! She's bad news. She always has been, and she always will be! She's going to hurt you, and she's going to hurt you badly. I...I don't want you seeing her. I don't want her coming back here."
I lifted an eyebrow slightly, trying to calm down. Getting up, I moved to where her jacket was currently hanging. I put my hand out, waiting for her to take it back. I sighed softly, no traces of anger in my voice.
"I understand why you're acting this way, really I do. But this is my decision, not yours. I don't blame you for the feelings that you have towards her. There is one other thing, though, concerning you and I. I think that we may have moved too quickly. I think that in all of my excitement of meeting new people and getting away from all of the negativity, I lost sight of what was important to me. I really do want to be your friend, Hadley. Right now though...I think that's how we should remain. I'm not ready to rush into anything. I hope you understand."
Hadley took the jacket from my hand softly, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
"I won't give up on us, you know. As for Quinn...she's taken up far too much of my time today, and I'd really like to stop talking about her. I'll see you later, Rachel. I promise you, I'm going to make this work." Before I was able to respond, she had already left the room, jacket in hand.
Though it was true that Rachel Berry had a flair for the dramatic in life, this was the complete and utter definition of going overboard.
...GLEE!
Brittany walked through the hallways, looking for the one person that she usually tried to avoid. The girl's earlier actions had confused her, and she wanted answers. She didn't have to look much further than the bleachers. There on the top step was the frail looking girl who's actions had potentially saved Santana and Quinn.
"Cameron. Why are you out here all alone? It's getting cold."
Cameron's gray eyes looked up to meet Brittany's, a look of panic in the rolling fog. The last time they had been out here, it hadn't ended well.
"I just wanted to clear my head, that's all."
Brittany took a seat next to Cameron, unsure of what to say. She knew that she was thankful, and she knew that the appropriate thing to do was to voice her thanks. What she didn't want, however, was for her words to be misconstrued into being something that they weren't.
"Cameron, I..what you did earlier..."
Cameron cut Brittany off, her nerves getting the best of her.
"Brittany, don't thank me. Please. I have so much to apologize for. I know that I went too far. Believe me, I know that. I've been thinking a lot about that, and I really wanted the chance to apologize to you. I see now what she means to you. I see now that you belong together. I won't say that it doesn't hurt, because it does. But Brittany, if she makes you happy, then I'm happy too. She really does care for you."
Brittany smiled widely, surprised by the shorter girl's words.
"You mean it? You're like, okay with it and stuff?"
Cameron gave a small laugh, a sound that Brittany hadn't heard in a long time.
"I am okay with it, and I'll be okay. It'll take time, but Brittany, I really miss you. I miss being your friend. We had some fun times together."
Brittany openly laughed at this, remembering the fun times that they had shared.
"I miss being your friend too, Cameron. I want to hang out, I want to get back to that point where we laughed with each other and joked around about dumb things. But...you have to understand. Santana will want to be there when we hang out, at least in the beginning. I know her. She doesn't trust you, and you kinda have to see it from her perspective."
Cameron nodded thoughtfully, expecting no less.
"It's okay, Brittany. I do understand. Maybe...maybe she and I could even become friends too. Who knows."
Brittany laughed and stood up, and Cameron following suit.
"Can I hug you now? Is that okay?"
Brittany nodded, smiling softly at the girl's timidity.
What the two of them failed to notice, however, was that at just the right angle, that hug seemed far more intimate than it was. They failed to notice that if you happened to be walking by at just the right time, that hug looked more like a kiss. They failed to hear the shutter of the camera as it went off, just as easily as they failed to hear the retreating footsteps on the soft grass.
...GLEE!