The Price of Friendship Chapter 10, a glee fanfic

Happy Easter everybody! I just got off work so I decided to post another chapter. I might post one later on tonight, I'm still not sure. I kind of want some feedback on this chapter. If you guys could tell me how you're feeling about the story so far that would be great. Hope you enjoy it!

disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

The moment Quinn realized Mr. Berry knew about what she had done, a tremendous wave of fear hit her. Her heart raced, her chest tightened, and she could hardly breathe. She felt like she was going to die. But even though her body was acting a complete mess on the inside, she looked completely indifferent on the outside.

From an early age, Quinn was taught to never show weakness. Whenever she would cry, her father would scold her for being weak. Whenever she was scared, her father would say "I'll give you something to be scared about." Emotions like sadness and fear were never expressed in the Fabray household. The only emotion she ever really saw was anger. It was all she knew. Her parents had no problem expressing that emotion. Even happiness was eclipsed by rage. That's why she had masked her fear. She didn't want Rachel or Mr. Berry to see her in such a vulnerable state, especially Rachel.

"Hello, Mr. Berry," Quinn approached the handsome man. Rachel stood by him with a bemused expression on her face.

Hiram caught onto Quinn's façade and gave her a small smile. "Hello, Miss Fabray," he greeted, extending out his hand to the young blonde. Quinn shook his hand while avoiding his gaze. She didn't want him to see the worry in her eyes. She hoped that if he was going to tell her something that he would tell her in private. She wanted to keep at least an ounce of dignity.

Rachel looked between her father and the blonde and was completely taken aback by the fact that the two already knew each other.

"Daddy, you know Quinn?" Rachel looked up at Hiram. The older man gave Rachel a tight smile.

"Yes honey, I know the Fabray's. Quinn's father used to work for me, isn't that right Quinn?" Hiram raised a brow.

Quinn nodded, finally making eye contact again. She regretted it almost instantly. He had a glint in his eye. He knew and he wasn't going to let it go.

Fuck, what the hell am I going to do? Surely he's going to call Figgins and have me expelled, or worse, he's going to call Coach Sylvester.

Quinn swallowed hard at the thought of Coach Sylvester finding out about the slushies. Mr. Berry was one of the Cheerios' sponsors. If he decided to pull out, then Sue was going to murder her and Santana and hide their bodies somewhere where nobody could find them.

"Is something wrong Quinn?" Rachel asked. She had noticed the hazy look in Quinn's eyes and was curious to know what was going on in the blonde's head.

Quinn was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Rachel's melodic voice. She turned to the brunette, whose head was tilted slightly to the left with a curious expression on her face.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking that I better leave. My mother will be upset if she gets home and I'm not there," Quinn lied. Her mother didn't give a rat's ass if she was home but she needed an excuse to leave. "Thanks for retrieving my backpack for me, B- Rachel," she stammered. "I better get going now."

Quinn quickly moved around Rachel but was stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It made her entire body quiver. When she looked over her shoulder she saw it was Rachel who had stopped her. The brunette's hand was still firmly placed on her shoulder and all Quinn wanted to do was shrug it off and run out of the place.

"Let me walk you out," Rachel said timidly.

Quinn thought about it for a second but eventually accepted. All she wanted to do was leave the house before Mr. Berry could say something.

"Actually, why don't I walk you out Miss Fabray?" Hiram spoke. Quinn's stomach dropped. "Rachel honey, why don't you order dinner while I walk out Miss Fabray? I have something to discuss with her."

Well at least he's going to do it in private, Quinn thought.

"What about?" Rachel asked. She was interested to know what it was her father wanted to discuss with Quinn.

"Oh nothing interesting, I just want to know how her dad's doing," Hiram shrugged, playing it off nicely.

Quinn hoped Mr. Berry was lying because she had absolutely no idea where her father was or how he was doing. I hope he's lying in a ditch somewhere with that tramp he left us for.

Rachel nodded and looked at Quinn. "I guess I'll see you Monday, Quinn. Have a good night," Rachel smiled, her brown eyes meeting Quinn's hazel ones.

"Yeah, I'll see you Monday," she replied. Rachel's stare had been so intense it made Quinn's insides twist again. When they broke eye contact, Rachel quickly moved around her and headed towards the staircase by the kitchen. When Rachel was out of sight, Quinn turned to the tall man standing behind her.

"Come with me," the older man commanded. His voice didn't sound angry but it was stern.

Quinn did as she was told and followed him. When they reached the foyer the cheerleader was almost certain Mr. Berry was going to let her go, but when he stopped in front of a pair of double doors, she knew she wasn't going to be so lucky.

She watched as Mr. Berry placed his index finger on a small screen next to the door to be scanned. It was just like what Rachel had done outside the garage, but this time it was only his index finger that had to be scanned. He didn't even have to put in a passcode.

Hiram opened the door to his office and motioned for Quinn to step inside. "Don't worry Miss Fabray, I don't bite. I'll leave the door open so you'll feel more comfortable," he told her as the young blonde stepped inside.

Quinn was relieved he was leaving the door open. She never believed Mr. Berry would ever hurt her, but it made her feel much better. She looked around his office with awe. It was large and spacious. There were paintings and pictures everywhere. Quinn never thought of herself as an art enthusiast but some of the paintings in there were just plain beautiful. There was even a painting of Rachel. She was a lot younger in it, maybe nine or ten, and she was sitting on Mr. Berry's lap. Both Berry's looked great. Mr. Berry was in a suit like always and Rachel was wearing a dress with tights and black shiny shoes. The more Quinn stared at it, the more she saw the resemblance between father and daughter. There was no doubt Rachel was Mr. Berry's daughter, but she had a lot of facial features that weren't his. Her lips for one were not Mr. Berry's. Rachel's lips were full and plump, and Mr. Berry's were slightly thin. Her face shape was also different from her father's and her cheek bones were higher. Quinn had absolutely no idea what Rachel's mother looked like but she imagined her being a very beautiful woman.

"She's a beautiful girl, isn't she?"

Quinn turned around and found the brunette's father looking at the exact same painting she had been staring at for the past two minutes. He smiled crookedly at the painting and then looked at Quinn.

"Yeah," Quinn answered. It wasn't like she could deny it. She didn't want to upset him.

"You're a beautiful girl, too, Quinn," Hiram spoke, "and also smart and talented."

Quinn blushed profusely. "Thanks," she murmured.

"It makes me wonder why you do the things you do. You have so much beauty and grace. Why taint it by being a bully."

Quinn was surprised by how straight forward Mr. Berry was being. What was she supposed to say in response to his backhanded compliment? Thanks, I'm sorry? No, there really wasn't anything she could say in her defense. All she had to do was take what he was going to give her and then suffer the consequences.

"I know why you do it," Hiram continued. He noticed how the girl had gone speechless. He understood she was nervous and afraid, but there was no beating around the bush. She was bullying Rachel and she deserved to know how he felt about it.

"Take a seat," Hiram told Quinn. He went to his desk and sat down in his designated chair. Quinn did as she was told and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"So why do you think I do it?" Quinn asked. She had built up the courage to ask the older man simply because she was curious. He said he knew why she did it and she wanted to hear what it was exactly that he thought.

Hiram saw the blank expression on the blonde's face. It made him wonder why the girl didn't seem to express any emotion. She did when they first saw each other earlier that evening, but now she was acting as if nothing was happening. It sort of bothered him how easy it was for her to put up a mask of indifference.

"I know you're having a hard time, Miss Fabray. I really don't want to have to bring up anything unpleasant for you but I am aware of your father's absence."

Quinn's chest tightened. She hated talking about her dad. It made her feel angry and bitter.

"My father abandoned my mother and me, of course it's unpleasant," Quinn said icily. She had broken her mask of indifference and was scowling at Mr. Berry. What the hell does he know?

Hiram realized just how angry Quinn really was. She was frustrated and bitter. It was no wonder why she was taking it out on his daughter. She needed a way to express her frustrations and having people slushied was a way of doing that.

"I know you're upset Miss Fabray, and I completely agree with why you're angry, but bullying others isn't going to solve anything. I'm not just saying this because my daughter is a target of your bullying; I'm saying this because it's not good for you."

Quinn glared at the man sitting in front of her. She knew he was right. Just hours before Kurt had told her the same thing. But what upset her the most was the fact that Mr. Berry seemed to know how vulnerable Quinn really was, even with her mask on.

"That being said," Hiram continued, "I encourage you to stop slushing my daughter and the rest of the students at McKinley." It was more of a demand then encouragement.

Quinn didn't like to be told what to do, but she knew it was for the best if she didn't argue with Mr. Berry. She had already come to the conclusion that she would stop, but hearing Mr. Berry demand it kind of pissed her off.

"You don't have to encourage me to do anything, Mr. Berry. I had already decided not to continue 'bullying' your daughter. But I can't guarantee you that the other Cheerios or jocks won't go after her," Quinn replied.

There were a few Cheerios Quinn remembered didn't like Rachel much. The blonde had made them run laps when she heard them talk badly about the girl. For some odd reason, Quinn felt like she was the only one who knew Rachel enough to talk about her. She didn't know everything about her, but she knew enough. Rachel talked so much in glee that it made it easy for others to pick up some info about the brunette.

"So what you're saying is that even though you won't request to have Rachel slushied, she still might get slushied by others?" Hiram asked.

Quinn nodded. The Cheerios and jocks did have minds of their own after all. They might not have big brains but they do have them.

The blonde watched as Hiram mulled things over. He wanted Rachel to feel safe at school, but the only way that was going to happen was if she was popular. Popular kids never had to worry about being bullied. Quinn was an example of that. She sure wasn't the happiest of kids at McKinley, but that had nothing to do with her popularity. She was lonely. Her mother was a drunk and her father was an asshole. Quinn felt uncared for.

Hiram smiled. He'd found his solution.

There was nobody more caring in the world than Rachel. She was so generous with her kindness and cared for everybody, even her enemies. It astounded Hiram how nice and forgiving Rachel could be. She was so compassionate it made his heart swell sometimes. It wasn't ideal to have Rachel and Quinn become friends, but something was telling him that it could work. Rachel could help Quinn and vice versa.

"Miss Fabray, what would happen if Mr. Figgins found out about your activities? Do you know the proper punishment?" Hiram asked.

Quinn's heart raced when Mr. Berry mentioned Figgins. She just knew he was going to report her. Why else would he ask her about the punishment? Obviously he wanted to make sure it was enough for what she put his daughter through.

"He'll probably have me suspended," she shrugged, trying to pass it off as indifference. She was completely freaking out. "And Coach Sylvester will probably put me at the bottom of the pyramid for getting in trouble. She did that to Santana last year when she found out about her boob job."

Hiram's eyes widened. Why would a girl so young get a boob job? What the hell was Maribel thinking letting her daughter get a boob job? I hope a stupid idea like that never pops into Rachel's head.

The older man noticed Quinn was looking at him funny and realized he had completely zoned out when she mentioned the boob job. He tried to remember what they were talking about. Punishment, that's what we were talking about. She said Figgins would suspend her and Sylvester would drop her down to the bottom of the pyramid, he recounted.

"Well you don't have to worry about me informing Mr. Figgins. I won't have you suspended or demoted to the bottom on the pyramid," Hiram told her.

Quinn's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when Mr. Berry told her he wasn't going to turn her in. It was a complete shock, but she felt relieved. Coach Sylvester wasn't going to kill her.

"I do have a favor to ask of you, though," Hiram smirked.

And just like that Quinn's relief was gone.

"What kind of favor?" Quinn asked tentatively. She was hoping it wasn't something too bad. She couldn't imagine Mr. Berry asking her to do something inappropriate. He seemed like a good guy.

"Well it's not really a favor. I guess you can say it's more of a proposition," he replied.

"A proposition?" the blond questioned. The thought of being propositioned made her feel even more nervous. Just the word itself sounded shady.

"I want you to be Rachel's friend... and I'm willing to pay you for it," Hiram grinned.

"What?" Quinn exclaimed, almost jumping out of her seat.

She couldn't believe Mr. Berry was offering to pay her to be Rachel's friend. Rachel didn't need the blonde as a friend. She had plenty of her own. Half of the damn glee club was in love with her. So why did Mr. Berry want her to be the midget's friend? She didn't get it. Was it because she had bullied her? Was that it? It didn't make sense. He wanted to pay her to be Rachel's friend. There had to be a lot more to it than that. It was completely insane.

"I'm sorry Mr. Berry but that sounds completely ridiculous. Why do you want me to be Rachel's friend? Don't you think it would be much better for her if I stay away?" Quinn argued.

Hiram chuckled. He knew it would take some convincing to get the blonde to agree. Good thing he had a plan.

"Miss Fabray, I know how high school works. I was in high school once. Popular kids don't get bullied. You should know, you are the head Cheerio. When was the last time you had a slushie thrown in your face?"

Quinn stayed quiet. She had never been slushied.

"Do you see my point?" Hiram added. "Nobody would dare do anything to my daughter if she was your friend. They are all followers, Miss Fabray, and you're their leader. They will do anything you tell them to. It's why they started bullying her in the first place. You asked them to."

Quinn felt flattered yet ashamed at the same time. It was true―the students of McKinley were followers. Nobody ever dared defy her. If she ordered them to jump off the cliff, they would do it in a heartbeat, no questions asked. So it was starting to make sense why Mr. Berry wanted Quinn to become Rachel's friend. But could they really be friends? The thought of being friends with the tiny brunette made the blonde's stomach twist.

"You can't buy friends," the cheerleader blurted out. It was somewhat true. Being paid to be someone's friend wasn't friendship, it was business.

Hiram thought about it for a second. "Then don't look it as being a friend, look at it as being a bodyguard of some sort. I'm not asking you to become her best friend. Just talk to her, be around her, and keep her safe. Rachel is only going to be her for two months. I really want her to enjoy it and the only way I know that'll happen is if she's safe. I know you can keep my daughter safe, Miss Fabray. I need you to do this for me. She needs you."

Quinn's resolve was finally starting to crumble. Mr. Berry was practically begging her to accept his offer. But she still wasn't sure. Deals like these never worked out right. It was just too easy.

Hiram could see the conflict in Quinn's eyes. She was so close to accepting his offer, but she still needed more convincing. So he stood up from his desk and walked over to his small safe hidden in his bookshelf. He opened it and took out a stack of hundred dollar bills. When he turned around Quinn stared at him with intrigue.

"Tell me Miss Fabray, what's the one thing you've always wanted, money being no object."

Quinn remained quiet. There were a lot of things that she wanted.

"There has to be something that you want. A new car, a trip to Europe, college…"

The blonde's mask of indifference faltered at the mention of college. College was definitely something she wanted.

"College," Hiram smirked. He'd hit the bullseye. "I get it, today's economy is rough and with tuition rates going up its damn near impossible to get into a good school. What schools are you interested in attending?"

Quinn lifted her head up to look at Mr. Berry who was standing right in front of her, his bottom resting slightly on the top of his desk. He really seemed interested to know the answer and it wasn't in a mocking kind of way, he really seemed to care.

"There's only one school I really hope to get into. It's been my dream school since I was young," Quinn replied.

Hiram smiled at the blonde. Her fierce façade was slowly fading away.

"And what school is that? I'm hoping it's not Allen County Community College, because I know you're a lot more than that," he smiled.

A small smile tugged on her lips. Her heart warmed a little bit. She was flattered.

"No, it's Yale actually," Quinn said softly with a smile.

Hiram's eyes widened in surprise, but in a good way. The kids in Lima never really made it out of Ohio after graduation. Many of them made it to bigger cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati but never out of state. Yale was an incredible school and very prestigious. He was proud of Quinn for having such a big dream. Hopefully, she would let him help her get there.

"Ivy League, huh?" Hiram smirked. Quinn nodded. "I went to an Ivy League school too, Columbia University in New York. Ivy League schools are great schools but they're really expensive. I'm sure you know that."

Quinn nodded somberly. She had pretty much accepted the fact that Yale was not going to happen for her. Her mother was broke and financial aid was not going to be enough.

"I know that ever since your father left, you and your mother have been having a really hard time. Your father used to make a lot of money working for me and I imagine now that he's out of the picture money is a little tight." He paused. "Let me pay. I can make your dream of attending Yale come true."

The cheerleader was speechless. What exactly does that entail? She asked herself. He said he would pay, but pay for what? Her first year of school? Her first semester? What?

"I'm willing to pay for your undergraduate studies, Miss Fabray. That means four years of school at Yale, or however long it takes you to graduate with a degree," he answered unknowingly. "What field of study are you planning to major in?"

Quinn was too baffled to answer. She had just gotten the offer of a lifetime. Undergraduate school for free? How the hell was she supposed to say no?

"Uh… well… um… I want to go into pre-law, but I'm planning on majoring in accounting. I want to be a corporate lawyer," the blonde stammered. She was still a bit awestruck.

Hiram clapped in excitement. He'd also majored in accounting when he was at Columbia. It was great to know that he and Quinn shared an interest. He was more impressed by the fact that she wanted to become a corporate lawyer, though. Law school was no joke. But he knew what a determined girl Quinn was. If she used the power and drive that she used to bully kids towards her studies to become a lawyer, then he knew she could possibly become one of the greatest corporate lawyers of her time. I'd even hire her.

"Oh now you have to let me help you out, Miss Fabray. All you have to say is that you'll keep my Rachel from getting bullied. That's all you've got to do. It's only for two months and after that you won't have to do anything. Just make my daughter's time in Lima worthwhile."

Quinn bit her lip. It was oh so tempting. A free education was an opportunity she was never going to get again. She could just imagine how much the tuition at Yale was going to be. Not to mention everything else that came with being a college student. Books weren't exactly cheap.

"If I say yes Mr. Berry, what exactly would this deal consist of? I know you said I have to be Rachel's 'friend' and keep her safe, but I need you to be more specific because this is a really difficult choice to make," Quinn breathed. She felt like she was hyperventilating. It was all a little overwhelming.

"I have no problem going over the specifics, Miss Fabray. It's all fairly simple really. You become Rachel's bodyguard, guardian angel, fairy god-sister, whatever you want to call it. You look out for her as if she was your closest friend. You make sure no one hurts her. If somebody does, you let me know."

Quinn nodded. She could do that. For a free education she could be Rachel's bodyguard. Guardian angel was a bit too much and fairy god sister was a definite no. Kurt's her fairy god-sister, not me, she thought.

"And like I stated before, I'm not asking you to be her best friend, but if you happen to truly become her friend please do not betray her trust," Hiram added, "You're a good person, Miss Fabray. I can see it. I can see past your insecurities, and what I see is something beautiful and kind. And if I see it, then Rachel will too. She probably already has."

The thought of Rachel seeing through her was unnerving. The thought of anybody seeing through her was unnerving. It was weakness, that's what it was. How was it possible that two people had already broken through her façade? First it was Kurt, then Mr. Berry, and now possibly Rachel? Was she really that weak? Kurt had mentioned cracks. Was it the cracks that were giving them a glimpse to the poor sap that she really was? She wasn't sure, but she was going to work extra hard to fix those cracks.

"Thank you, Mr. Berry," Quinn said politely. "I'm glad you see me in a good light even after what I've done. I won't let you down." She completely ignored his last comment.

Hiram's lips twitched. "So is that a yes? Are you willing to help me and Rachel?"

Quinn took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Great!" Hiram exclaimed. He pushed off the desk he was leaning on and dropped the stack of money he had in his hand into Quinn's hand.

"Here, take it," he told her. The girl looked at it with bewilderment.

"You're holding five dollars in your hand. Think of it as a bonus for agreeing," Hiram explained.

Five thousand dollars! What the...

"I don't get it, Mr. Berry. Is this how you're going to pay for my tuition? By handing me a stack of money at random times?"

Hiram laughed. The idea was so unorganized. He knew exactly how he was going to reward Quinn.

"No, Miss Fabray. This money is just for you. You can spend it however you'd like. It's not a part of your tuition money. Like I said, it's a bonus. Your tuition money will be given to you in the form of a scholarship. This year I decided to start a scholarship fund. It will grant ten students from around the country a full ride scholarship to the college of their choice. You will be one of those students. All you have to do is apply. The other students' applications will be reviewed by the board of my company to see who makes the cut. I'll make sure yours does. I just need you to apply so it's legit. I already think you're an excellent student. You have a 4.0 GPA, you're in the Cheerios, you're in glee club, you've done volunteer work at your church, and your teachers have nothing but nice things to say about you."

Quinn raised a brow in question. "How do you know all of that?"

"I had my assistant look you up," he shrugged.

"Oh," she sighed.

"Anyway, the point is that at the end of the day I make the decision of who gets a scholarship and I've already decided that you're going to be one of them. You just have to turn in your application, okay?"

Quinn nodded. If all she had to do was apply for some scholarship then she was going to do it.

"Great! Would you like to stay for dinner?" Hiram asked. They didn't have anything else to discuss so he figured why not invite her to stay for dinner. Quinn and Rachel were going to become 'friends' anyway.

That's it? We're not going to shake on it or anything? Quinn thought.

"Uh… no that's okay. I don't want to creep Rachel out by suddenly being nice to her and staying for dinner. I might need the weekend to work up to it."

Hiram laughed thinking Quinn was joking. She wasn't.

The blonde really didn't think she could be friendly to Rachel so suddenly. She had to work up to it or else it would seem too weird. If she wanted her 'friendship' to look believable, then she needed to slowly progress into it. It didn't mean she wasn't going to own up to her responsibility as her 'bodyguard', it just meant that she was going to do it from afar for a little bit.

"Okay then, I'll walk you out," Hiram smiled.

Quinn stood from her seat, but before she could walk out of Mr. Berry's office, she stuffed the stack of Benjamin's in her backpack. Nobody should ever have that much money exposed.

Quinn and Hiram filed out into the foyer and walked towards the front door, but before they could reach it Rachel came running down the stairs.

"Quinn, wait!"

The blonde turned around when she heard her name being called. Her eyes widened when she saw Rachel running towards her.

Oh. My. God

XxX

Rachel was anxious. She couldn't stop pacing around her room. She was just so damn curious to know what Quinn and her father were talking about. He told her it was nothing but she was still concerned. Quinn looked so uncomfortable. She knew her father would never hurt Quinn, but the look on the blonde's face had been stuck in her mind since she departed. The anxiety was starting to get to her.

"Stop it! All of this stress is bad for you," Rachel told herself. She let out a frustrated sigh and threw herself on her bed. She was so anxious her body was shaking. She needed a way to get it all out of her system.

She turned her head and looked at the brand new addition to her room, her elliptical. Before it was moved into her room it was in the home gym on the other side of the house. She had begged her father to move it to her room claiming she needed it there for her morning workouts. She didn't want to have to walk all the way to the other side of the house when all she could do was take a step out of bed. Besides, her shower and dressing room were close by. Hiram had relented.

Rachel decided to work out to get rid of all the pent up anxiety so she hopped out of bed and ran into her dressing room. She took off her t-shirt and bra and replaced it with a simple black sports bra. After putting on her Nike's, she stepped out of the small room only wearing her sports bra and volleyball spandex shorts. God they are so comfy.

The tiny brunette stepped onto her elliptical and began her rigorous workout. Music was loudly playing throughout the room. When one of her favorite Britney Spears songs began to play she decided sing along.

Baby, can't you see
I'm calling
A guy like you
Should wear a warning
It's dangerous
I'm fallin'

There's no escape
I can't wait
I need a hit
Baby, give me it
You're dangerous
I'm lovin' it

Too high
Can't come down
Losing my head
Spinning 'round and 'round
Do you feel me now

With a taste of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic I'm slipping under
With a taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic
And I love what you do
Don't you know that you're toxic

It's getting late
To give you up
I took a sip
From my devil's cup
Slowly
It's taking over me

Too high
Can't come down
It's in the air
And it's all around
Can you feel me now

Don't you know that you're toxic

With a taste of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic I'm slipping under
With a taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic

Intoxicate me now
With your lovin' now
I think I'm ready now
I think I'm ready now
Intoxicate me now
With your lovin' now
I think I'm ready now

By the end of the song Rachel felt a whole lot better. Britney always made her feel better. It wasn't because her music was carefree, but because she was such a strong woman and the thought of a strong woman singing such liberating songs made her happy. To her, the whole 'shaved head' thing never happened. Nope, that was a bald cap.

After working out for fifteen minutes on the elliptical Rachel decided to check in on Quinn and her dad. She didn't want Quinn to leave before she had a chance to say one last goodbye. She had already said it twice but one more couldn't hurt.

She grabbed a small towel from her bathroom and wiped the sweat from her face before stepping out of her bedroom. When she was halfway to the staircase she heard a pair of voices. Her father and Quinn were in the foyer. Almost instantly she broke out into a sprint so she could catch the blonde before she left.

When she made it to the staircase her father and Quinn were right by the front door. Rachel called out Quinn's name to keep her from leaving. For some weird reason she felt like asking the blonde to stay. They weren't friends or anything but Rachel felt like now that Quinn wasn't being a complete bitch maybe they could be.

By the time the brunette made it down the stairs Quinn was staring at her with wide eyes. Rachel was panting from the short sprint.

"Quinn, I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to ask you if you'd like to join us for dinner?" Rachel asked the blonde. "If that's ok with you, daddy" she turned to her father.

Hiram chuckled. He had asked the blonde the exact same question no more than five minutes ago. Great minds think alike.

"It's fine by me honey, but I already asked her to stay for dinner and she politely declined," Hiram told his daughter.

Rachel's face fell slightly. She looked at the blonde who was still staring at her. Her brows furrowed. Do I have something on my face?

The brunette then realized she had just finished a fifteen minute workout and she probably looked a mess. Not to mention she was all sweaty. She ran a hand down her abs and all she picked up was sweat. Oh great, now Quinn thinks I'm gross.

"I know I look a hot mess, I just finished working out," Rachel chuckled nervously.

Quinn finally snapped out of the stupor she was in and looked at Rachel who was turning a dark shade of red.

"Oh, uh… it's ok. You should see me after Cheerios practice," Quinn laughed shyly.

Hiram smiled as he watched the two girl interact. He found it amusing how awkward the two were being. He had forgotten how awkward it could be to make friends, especially when the other person is your bully. Former bully in this case, he thought.

Rachel's eyes sort of glazed over when she thought of Quinn after Cheerio practice. She probably looks just as gorgeous as always.

Both girls stood there awkwardly looking at each other. Then Quinn remembered it wasn't her house and she could actually leave.

"Well, I guess I should get going. It was very nice talking to you Mr. Berry," Quinn turned to the tall man beside her. He smiled down at her with a crooked grin. She still couldn't believe how handsome he was.

"It was a pleasure. And there's no need for formalities, you can go ahead and address me as Hiram," he told her.

Quinn nodded. "Then call me Quinn. Only my teachers call me Miss Fabray," she told him.

"No problem. I hope to see you around more, Quinn," Hiram winked.

Quinn didn't know whether to glare at Mr. Berry or not. He was making it totally obvious that they were sharing a secret. She didn't want Rachel to know that she was now her unofficial bodyguard and she was pretty sure Mr. Berry didn't want her to know he was paying someone off to look after her like she was a baby.

Instead Quinn just gave him a small nod and turned to Rachel.

"I'll walk you out," Rachel said quickly before Quinn could say goodbye.

Rachel walked past the blonde and opened the door for her. Quinn walked past her and through the doorway. When she heard the large door close behind her she looked back over her shoulder and found Rachel standing by the door. Quinn stopped and turned around. The brunette obviously had something to say.

"Just say what you have to say Berry, I don't have all day," Quinn told her. Like I said, I can't be nice to her right away.

Rachel bit her lip and walked towards the blonde. Quinn's heart was beating frantically as she got closer.

"I-I know I said you could talk to me if you needed to―and the offer still stands—but if you don't feel like talking you can always sing. I find it to be incredibly therapeutic. You don't even have to sing to an audience. Just pick a song and sing. Put all your feelings into the song and I guarantee you'll feel better."

Quinn watched Rachel as she rambled on about singing. It was actually quite amusing.

And cute… kind of

The blonde shook her head. "Ok, Berry. I get it. You want me to sing my feelings. I'll try. But I really have to go home now. So I guess I will see you Monday."

Rachel nodded. "Oh ok. I'll see you Monday."

Quinn gave her a nod and walked around to the driver's side of her car and hopped in. She strapped herself into the seat and turned on the engine. When she turned back to look at the house Rachel was still standing there. The small brunette gave her a smile and waved.

Quinn sighed and waved back.

She put her car in drive and finally drove away from the giant home. Quinn looked back one more time and saw that Rachel was still standing there with a smile on her face. Quinn smirked as she watched the brunette's figure become smaller and smaller until she disappeared.

Half way to her house she heard her phone go off. She dug into her backpack and grabbed her cell phone. When she looked at the screen she saw she had multiple missed calls. Most of them were from Sam. Oh geez.

She also had several messages. Most of them were, again, from Sam, but there was one message that made Quinn's gut clench.

Berry is going down on Monday. What side are you on? Choose carefully Q – S

"Fuck. My. Life"