Breathe. Just….breathe. It is a dance class after all, that is what you are supposed to do. Breathe. Through the pain, the discomfort, the feeling of staying on your toes defying gravity, reeling in an unnatural arabesque-BREATHE.
Brody was staring again. She knew this. She created this. She had blown him off weeks ago, and here he was again…staring.
Carolina was staring again. She had told her after their disastrous meeting in her room last Friday night that it just was not going to happen.
Kurt was right. She was too nice.
She needed firmer boundaries.
Brody had been totally avoidable. She wasn't the least bit interested, but like Finn and Noah before him, he hit upon her weakness-availability. The kiss had been a big mistake. She knew it the minute his lips touched hers. It just wasn't right. It was not what she wanted, needed or craved.
No, those lips were 80 plus miles away attached to one Ms. Quinn Fabray, but she did not want her to know that…..just….well…yet.
After the kiss misfire, Rachel explained to Brody that she was gay (though not for Ms. Fabray) and that little juicy tidbit spread through the department like wild fire.
Before she knew it, a sweet girl named Carolina was her newest friend. A lithe dancer, she was the epitome of beauty, if you were into girls that were not Quinn Fabray that is. In no time, Carolina had convinced Rachel to do their studio exhibition together. She had Rachel at "You need a really strong modern dancer to keep July off you right? I don't have a partner yet, and I guarantee no one has the piece of music I have."
Ego properly stroked, Rachel Berry was in.
It wasn't until Carolina started paying inordinate attention to her that she started to worry. Actually, what tipped her off was the way she was acting that mirrored exactly the way one Ms. Quinn Fabray had treated her senior year. Rachel expressed her suspicions to Kurt, and he agreed. Carolina wanted to be more than friends.
Rachel found herself working Quinn into a conversation with Carolina more and more, hoping that the blow as it were, would be softer. Finally, after talking to Quinn and wading through all their false starts one night via Skype Rachel confessed.
"There is a girl in my modern class that I am quite sure, umm….wants me."
Quinn's head ducked on the screen and she said haltingly and lowly "Oh. How….nice. Are you interested?"
Rachel's heart went into arrest. There was a bonafide flat line there as she stared into Quinn's eyes on the screen. "No Quinn. Never. I want to tell her that I will partner with her for the exhibition on Saturday, but I want to let her down gently, politely. "
Quinn shook her head and laughed. "Well Rach, you always were exceedingly polite. God forbid you break a heart."
Rachel looked at Quinn and whispered "The only heart I feel I broke was yours at graduation. Quinn, will you do me the honor of coming to New York and letting me show you the sights?"
"Rae, I would love to. But, um, are you asking me-"
"Yes Quinn. I would love the privilege of escorting you on a date. If you would like that is. If I am wrong, please tell me."
"You are so not wrong Ms. Berry. You are very, very right."
So Friday last Rachel tried in vain to shake Carolina, who insisted on walking her home.
"Carolina, I assure you that I have a rape whistle and pepper spray, a cellular telephone and judo lessons my fathers insisted on to keep me safe on my travels home. I really do not need you to escort me."
Carolina was grasping at straws and finally picked the right one. "But Rach- I have the music and lyrics for our modern exhibition piece next week. We only have a few days to work. I know it is supposed to be rough but, you DO want to impress Ms. July-right?"
Rachel nodded succinctly. "Of course! But I am expecting Quinn tonight, so maybe we can make this quick and you can play the music and explain the moves and paces lyrically –quickly? Then I will meet you Sunday evening in the rehearsal space to go over my thoughts as well?"
"That sounds perfect Rach. This Quinn, this is your friend from home right?"
"I am in hopes Carolina that later tonight we will be on our way to more. I have, um, carried a torch for her for a long, long time."
Rachel never saw the sour look on Carolina's face or heard her mutter under her breath "We will see…"