**NOTES**
This is part one of a section of this story that we were attempting to fit all in one chapter but it got way too long! This might seem like a bit of set up but hopefully you still enjoy it! Next section will be posted soon.
As always please comment and let us know what you think! Thanks again to Kimby ( kimbyinprogess)
Chapter 10
It had been a few weeks since that eventful Valentine's Day, and Juliet had created a comfortable routine staying with Brittany. Living there was better than Juliet ever could have imagined. Both of Brittany's parents were so nice, a little eccentric, but that was to be expected. They never pressured her to try and reconnect with her family, or really talk about what happened at all. Just like Brittany, they were willing to lend a helping hand without expecting much in return. As an added benefit, Brittany, Santana, and Juliet were hanging out more, the three of them, like actual friends. The more time Juliet spent around Brittany the more she understood her and Santana's friendship. Brittany's innocence seemed to bring out a softer side of Santana, one that Juliet usually only saw when they were alone.
It hadn't been that long ago when Juliet was sneaking out of her house, but over the last few weeks she instead had been sneaking back in. She had only taken a small duffle bag with her when she originally left so the ability to grab more of her clothes and sentimental items took a lot of stress off her. After awhile though she had to stop; the more she went the more depressed she got about the situation, and the more she longed for that quintessential family life she used to have.
But eventually Juliet hit a turning point, instead of dwelling on whether or not her parents were even thinking of her, she made the decision to throw herself into her relationship, her friendships, and glee club. Her relationship with Santana seemed to be in a really great place, despite the huge secret Juliet was keeping. Thankfully, Santana seemed to have stopped asking questions that Juliet didn't want to answer. Whether this came about because Juliet stopped looking homeless or if it was just because she stopped acting like a complete asshole, Juliet was not going to question it.
In fact, it seemed as if Santana was loosening up on the secrecy a bit, even inviting Juliet over to her place. She still had her sneak in through the back, but before Valentine's day Santana's was a no fly zone if parents were home, so it was a start. A week of being shut out and pushed away by Juliet had really scared her, enough for her to now be overcompensating a bit. Juliet could see the shift occurring in their relationship, Santana felt this need to prove herself. Juliet kept trying to tell her that it wasn't necessary, she was very happy with where they were, but that just seemed to push Santana to try even harder.
The more the two of them continued to date, the more Juliet really thought she maybe was falling in love. Underneath all her snark and sass, was a genuine human being who actually cared a lot about other people. Being around Santana was fun, she kept everyone on their toes, but she also made Juliet feel safe. Although Santana still was terrified of being outed, she found little ways at school or in public to let Juliet know she cared and that this wasn't just some fun secret or game. They seem to find a lot more time to sneak underneath the bleachers (Santana loved that place), and Juliet would find cute little notes or gifts in her locker at random times of the day. She thought about how this Santana was almost unrecognizable from the one she got to know near the beginning of the school year. Juliet started to feel a lot more secure in the idea that she wouldn't just run away when she told her what had happened. She knew she had to tell her soon, she wanted to for herself, but also to get Brittany off her back. That girl was starting to drive her bat shit crazy, but in like an adorable loving way that you just couldn't be mad at. She would pop up out of nowhere and ask, or even send some of the pups downstairs with little notes, "Check yes or no, will you be telling Santana tonight?"
It was Thursday and glee club practice had ended early, so as per the usual Juliet and Santana were hanging out with Brittany in her basement. Honestly this setup was suiting everyone well, Brittany got to see more of her best friend, Juliet had a roof over her head and Santana got to be her true self with her favorite people. They were supposed to be studying, but that rarely happened when they were all together and their textbooks hadn't even made it out of their backpacks this time. Instead, Brittany wanted to show them the new dance routine she was going to perform in glee club while Artie sang alongside. The girl could really dance, like jaw dropping, eyes popping amazing. Not to mention she had choreographed the whole thing herself, probably the only person in glee club that could, besides Mike.
"Get it Britt Britt!" Santana grinned and cheered as Brittany finished up her routine. Juliet gave a huge smile as she leaned over to nudge Santana with her shoulder. In this safe environment free from judgmental eyes it was almost like they couldn't go more than 30 seconds without some form physical contact.
"Crushed it." Brittany fist pumped when the music ended. Juliet and Santana hooted and hollered as they gave her a standing, well sitting more upright, ovation.
"That was amazing Britt! But please explain to me why you insist on dancing with that robot loser. You can sing, just do the whole thing yourself." Santana stood up during her tirade. Before she got too far out of reach Juliet grabbed at her ankle trying to get her attention. Brittany didn't need protecting, especially not from Santana, but it was almost like Juliet had to sometimes keep Santana from putting her own foot in her mouth.
Brittany just shrugged. "But doesn't Artie's voice just make your knees wobbly? I mean it made his own knees so wobbly they don't even work anymore!" Santana stopped dead in her tracks and looked like she might keel over from the laugh she was trying desperately to suppress. Instead she did the next best thing and grabbed the closest pillow off the couch, chucking it straight at Brittany.
Juliet was about to jump in when Santana's phone rang next to her on the floor. A photo of her Abuela popped up on the screen. Santana heard the ringtone and winced. "I forgot that she was coming over tonight for dinner." Juliet tossed her the phone and Santana quickly answered it as she walked over to the far side of the room.
Brittany glanced over at Juliet while Santana was preoccupied and subtly pushed Lord Tubbington in her direction. When the fat cat finally reached where Juliet was sitting she noticed a small piece of paper attached to his collar. Before reading it she looked up and saw Brittany grinning at her like a little kid waiting for their prize. All the note said was, "now?"
Juliet crumpled the paper, tossing it over her shoulder and shrugged. She looked away from Brittany and attempted to avoid the subject altogether. Things have just been so good lately, she really doesn't want the happy streak to end quite yet.
Santana finished her call and walked back over. "Sorry ladies, my Abuela has threatened to starve me if I don't come home in the next 10 minutes. Juliet do you want a ride?" Santana put her Cheerios jacket on and started grabbing her things as she waited for an answer.
Juliet just shook her head no, trying to avoid eye contact. "I told Britt we would have a tutoring session tonight, there's an algebra test tomorrow." She wondered when she got so good at lying to her girlfriend. Brittany just nodded enthusiastically and pulled a crayon out of her pocket "I sharpened my green one because last time they told me I couldn't do the test in red crayon."
Santana raised an eyebrow and then broke out into a grin. "It really makes me so happy to see you two becoming friends. My best friend and my girlfriend getting along, what more can a girl ask for!" She gave Britt a quick hug goodbye before crouching down to where Juliet was still leaning on the floor. Santana leaned in for an embrace and whispered into Juliet's ear. "Thank you for helping Britt out, I don't know what I'd do if she didn't graduate with us."
Brittany's basement was one of the few places they didn't have to hide their relationship so there was no way Juliet was going to let Santana get away with just a hug. As she started to pull away to stand up, Juliet hooked her hands into Santana's jacket pockets and pulled her back down for a passionate kiss. Santana lost her balance, either from the momentum of the tug or possibly the surprise of the kiss. She fell straight into Juliet's lap causing both of them to giggle as they pulled apart.
"Whoa." Santana sat in a daze as Juliet grinned at her. "I'll keep a slot open for a private tutoring session and we can work on your landing techniques." Juliet whispered in Santana's ear as she lightly squeezed her side and kissed her cheek.
Santana blushed, something she rarely did, and wondered when her girlfriend got this feisty. Usually it would be her dishing out the flirty one liners. Not about to question what was causing this fun switcheroo of roles, Santana quickly pulled her into one last hug. Over Juliet's shoulder she could see Brittany upside down in a handstand, clearly not bothered by any of what just happened. Santana laughed and hoisted herself up off the floor. "Alright, alright I really have to go." Santana begrudgingly grabbed her keys and waved at the two of them as she ran up the stairs.
Brittany came down from her handstand as the door to the basement closed. She grabbed her crayons and math textbook and sat down on the floor next to Juliet. Juliet looked over at her in disbelief. "Britt, I wasn't serious about the tutoring, I'm horrible at math. I just didn't know what else to say and didn't want Santana to start asking question again if I refused a ride home."
Brittany smiled and threw her textbook to the side. "Oh good, I already did the assignments for next week in purple crayon, and I didn't really want to re-do them. Besides green is more for biology homework then math anyway." Juliet raised an eyebrow and stared at her quizzically. Brittany just shrugged and pet Lord Tubbington who hadn't seemed to move since his long trek to deliver his note. "Everyone thinks I'm dumb you know, but I'm not." She paused. "I mean it's not like I'm lying to my girlfriend about where I'm living."
Juliet sighed and laid back down on the floor of the basement in a huff. She knew Brittany was right, about both things. She just needed to come up with a plan first on how to tell Santana.
It was Friday morning and Santana was loitering at the bike racks, if anyone asked she definitely was not waiting for Juliet. She had an iced tea in hand, was scrolling on her phone and pretty much oblivious to the outside world.
"Hey S." From seemingly out of nowhere Quinn slid up beside her with a smug grin on her face.
Santana flinched and her drink went flying. "Fuck Quinn! Why do you have to come slithering up to me like some soul sucking heathen." Santana flicked her wrists trying to get the last drops of liquid off her hands and did a quick once over making sure her uniform came out unscathed.
"Wow Santana, having blasphemy for breakfast I see. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that Coach Sue moved up our practice. Don't be late, we can't have a proper pyramid without a solid foundation." Quinn smirked at herself.
Santana rolled her eyes walking over to the trash on the other side of the bike rack. She looked longingly at her now empty cup before tossing it away, she really could have used that caffeine especially with Quinn already starting things this early. "What is up with you lately? You've turned into such a bitch and here I was thinking we were good friends. Don't get me wrong, I like a good cat and mouse fight, but what about the sanctity of the unholy trinity?"
Quinn was giving Santana a once over, she looked like she might say something profound, or potentially just another insult when they were interrupted by the sound of dogs barking to the tune of jingle bells, there's only one person who's horn makes that sound. Looking up they saw Brittany's car almost hit a skateboarder and then proceed to pull into a parking spot a few feet away. Juliet got out of the passenger seat laughing, clearly in mid conversation with Brittany as they both grabbed their backpacks and headed towards Santana and Quinn.
Quinn clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrow. "Ah...what light through yonder window breaks." She said flatly. Santana paused in confusion. Why was Brittany giving Juliet a ride to school? Trying to deduce what she was looking at, Santana hadn't even noticed Quinn's obvious Romeo and Juliet remark, or that she had walked away entirely. Santana snapped out of it quickly and made her way towards her girlfriend and her best friend.
"Hey you two…. Juliet you know I can give you a ride to school if you ever need one?" Santana fell in step with the two girls as they made their way towards the entrance. She knew Juliet supported her decision to keep their relationship under wraps but that didn't diminish her desire to want to act like a girlfriend.
Juliet glanced over at Brittany who was wearing her 'perfect timing say something' expression she usually got, but she had a plan now so wanted to stick to it. Unfortunately, that meant lying again "Brittany offered me one last night. You know I usually like riding my bike but this cold snap lately is just too much. I really could use a bonus blanket when night time comes around though." She winked at Santana who was trying real hard to stifle the blush that was creeping up. Somehow ending a lie with something flirty always helped to convince her, or possibly just made her too distracted to realize. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Did you hear about the party Rachel is throwing?"
Santana rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I think I fully laughed out loud when I got the text." She opened the door to the front of the school and let Brittany and Juliet walk in, chivalry is alive and well in Ohio.
Juliet was about to continue talking when Artie came rolling up to them, smiling at Brittany. "Hey, are you guys going to Rachel's party tomorrow?" Brittany grabbed the handles of his chair and started rolling him down the hallway. Very few people were allowed to push Artie, usually it would make him feel weak or even emasculated, but there were a couple close friends who could. When Brittany did, it just felt natural, like her pushing his wheelchair was the equivalent of holding hands. "Puck told me he could score us some alcohol, if he comes through I think it actually could be kind of fun." With a grin on his face, he twisted his head back to see what the three of them thought.
"I'm totally down!" Brittany grinned immediately. She always loves a good party, any excuse to dance. She glanced over at Juliet and Santana. "You guys have to go."
Santana scoffed. "You can't be serious. You want to give up your Saturday night and spend it in the hobbit's basement?"
Looking over at Santana with pleading eyes, Juliet was finally able to get a word in. "I think it could be fun, and if it's not fun we'll just leave and have our own party. Please Santana, last woman standing, say you'll go!"
Santana huffed and crossed her arms, she stopped at her locker but just leaned against it and faced the group. After a long pause she said, "Just promise me there will be booze…"
Juliet practically squealed while Brittany jumped up and down, clapping in excitement. Just in time to ruin all the fun, the first warning bell rang. Brittany and Artie split off to head to their classes, leaving Juliet and Santana by her locker.
"Are we seriously going to this?" Santana asked as she grabbed her English notebook.
Juliet just leaned against the row of lockers with a smug grin on her face. "We are, and you know why?" Santana, now very intrigued, gave Juliet her full attention. "I convinced Brittany to let us spend the night at her place after the party. So, we are most definitely going."
Santana's whole face lit up. "Wait are you serious?" She paused, thinking over what this new development could mean. "But how did you get permission to stay over? Your mom pretty much has you banned from all sleepovers." She leaned in closer, whispering into Juliet's ear. "Otherwise we would've had a lot more by now."
Juliet smiled with a quick shrug. "I'm not questioning it. Please tell me you can spend the night too. I've really been looking forward to having a bonus blanket all night." Juliet reached up to play with Santana's collar after a brief glance at the empty hallway.
Santana smirked. "Are you kidding? There's no way I'm going to miss this." She leaned against her locker and went to reach for Juliet's hand.
The two jumped apart quickly when they heard a classroom door slam shut. Santana glanced at the clock and quickly noted that they were the only ones still left in the hall. Knowing Juliet had history first thing, she gently grabbed her by the hips and spun her towards the right direction.
"Better get to class missy, if you get detention there's no way you'll be allowed to spend the night." With a wink and a smile, Santana lightly smacked Juliet on the ass to get her moving down the hall. Juliet gasped in shock which quickly fell away to laughter, Santana continued to get bolder in public the longer they were together. Juliet scurried towards her class, excited about the possibilities a full night of fun will bring, but hesitant knowing that tomorrow will be the day she tells Santana everything.
Santana drove herself over to Rachel's, having decided whatever happened later she would just come pick her car up in the morning. She couldn't believe she was actually looking forward to attending a Rachel Berry party. She realized it had been way too long since she was at a legit party, and even then she'd left early to have her own private party with Juliet. Thinking of Juliet, Santana quickly placed her car in park and adjusted the rearview mirror to see herself more clearly. She didn't know what tonight would bring for the two of them, but she'd be damned if her eye liner wasn't on point. At that same moment she noticed Brittany's car pull up and park behind her. There was someone in the passenger seat... Santana didn't think Brittany was giving Artie a ride but as she went to get out of her own car she noticed it wasn't Artie but Juliet. Brittany gave Juliet a ride again? It's sweet they were getting closer but Britt lived further away from Juliet's house than she did. So weird, why didn't her own girlfriend ask her for a ride again?
Brittany turned to Santana and pumped both her fists in the air. "Let's get ready to rumble!" Juliet laughed, quickening her step around the car to catch up with them. It was a rare occurrence for Santana to not be in her cheerios uniform and Juliet was fully appreciating the skin tight, blue striped dress. The only way the outfit could get hotter is if Santana was wearing Juliet's leather jacket. Making a mental note of the idea, Juliet was sure she'd figure out a way to make that happen.
"We have to get you out of that uniform more often." Juliet placed her hand on the small of Santana's back and pulled her in tight against her. Santana knew no one was currently out on the street but her thoughts immediately switch to how difficult tonight was going to be having alcohol in her system. Trying to control her impulses and not touch or kiss Juliet in front of the others was going to be rough. As they approached the front walkway, Santana ran her fingers through Juliet's hair before breaking the contact. Pausing, she looked Juliet in the eyes and tried to be serious for a minute. "Hey, next time call me for a ride okay? I don't mind, in fact I want to."
Juliet pulled away with a half smile, shifting her gaze towards the ground. "I know, I know. I um, figured it would be easier to drop my stuff off at Brittany's for later." Trying to switch gears, Juliet looped one arm through her girlfriend's and the other one through Brittany's pulling them towards the door. "Time to get our drink on!"
Brittany nudged Juliet in the side. "Did you know that tequila holds magical powers? It can make people reveal hidden truths." Santana raised an eyebrow wondering what hidden truths Brittany could be referring to when practically the entire glee club chose that moment to show up and hurry them through the door. There was definitely a bottle of tequila in Puck's hand; that would be enough for Santana but she mused what everyone else was going to drink.
Santana hadn't planned on drinking so much so fast. She took a moment to scan the room, Puck was wandering around the basement handing out shots while Rachel and a few other gleeks drunkenly belted off-key show tunes numbers on her personal full-sized stage. Mr. Schue would be horrified, but Santana had to admit she was surprisingly enjoying herself.
Glancing over at Juliet who was clearly nursing her drink, Santana tried not to think about how all she wanted to push her up against a wall right now. Clad in almost all black, Juliet's v-neck sported a small square pocket with an embroidered elephant. God, she was so damn cute. And sweet. And strong. Santana wanted to hold her close and fuck her hard all at the same time. Damn, tequila made her a horny and emotional mess. She couldn't mingle with Juliet just yet, at least not until everyone else was a little more drunk. Santana meandered over to the dance floor and tried to throw all her energy into grooving to the music.
Juliet watched her from afar, she could tell her girlfriend was purposefully keeping her distance. The first time they drank tequila together they ended up having sex, so having some space between them was a smart move. Juliet was determined to stick to her plan and tell Santana everything once they were back at Britt's. That meant it was probably for the best for her to remain as sober as possible. She looked to her left and saw Kurt swaying to the music, he looked like he wasn't drinking either, a sober buddy might be nice to make it through the evening.
"What's with the empty cup?" Juliet slid over, giving him a quick side hug as she asked. He looked over his shoulder, "I don't want to get too sloppy, I'm trying to impress Blaine."
Juliet followed his gaze and saw Blaine attempting to breakdance, a skill he clearly doesn't have. "Good luck with that." She chuckled. Her gaze shifted across the dance floor to Brittany, half naked standing on top of a table, acting like a stripper. Artie was throwing dollar bills at her as she peeled her already unbuttoned shirt off. That seems on brand. Her eyes settled back onto Santana who was yelling in Spanish at Sam, for no clear reason. Another thing that seemed on brand. Juliet laughed at the images before her; going slow on the alcohol wasn't all that bad with all the entertainment her friends were providing. Kurt followed her eye line and raised his eyebrow. "Your girl seems to be on the same level as my Warbler over here."
Juliet just shrugged. She accepted there wasn't much she could do, this was just how Santana was when she drank. Sometimes hysterical, sometimes weepy, sometimes a big sap. "Alcohol makes her a bit...emotional." Juliet thought that word summed it up quite nicely. Kurt gave an understanding nod and the two of them settled in for a long, but hopefully eventful evening.
Like a tiny tornado, Tina came running passed Juliet heading towards the stage. Juliet smiled at Kurt as they anxiously awaited what song would be coming next, hopefully NOT more showtunes. To everyone's delight, Tina started into "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett. The party cranked up a notch as guests began doing body shots off a practically-naked Brittany. Juliet watched as her girlfriend licked salt from her best friends stomach followed by a monster shot of tequila. Not so long ago seeing this would have made her insanely jealous and insecure, but they all seemed to be on the same page lately. It actually made Juliet jealous she wasn't joining in on the fun...not to mention a bit turned on.
As the song ended everyone scattered in different directions and Juliet took the opportunity to head towards the drink table. The plan was to be somewhat sober for tonight's big conversation but, that was later...much later from the look of things. Halfway there, a very intoxicated Santana stumbled straight into her and almost fell on her ass before Juliet caught her. "Whoa there, maybe you should slow down a little babe, the night is still young." Juliet tried her best to steady Santana against the nearest wall. There was a twinkle in Santana's eye and she flashed a coy little grin as she pulled Juliet by one of her belt loops closer to her, practically pressing their bodies up against each other. Juliet's breath hitched, almost forgetting where they were, when Santana leaned in to whisper "Or maybe… I should speed up instead." Wrapping her arm around Juliet's back, Santana snuck her hand up and under her shirt clearly heading towards her bra strap. Juliet's synapses were practically overloading and it took everything she had to resist the urge to just say "the hell with it" and go in and kiss her but instead she begrudgingly extricated herself from Santana's embrace.
"Hey, hey, as much as it pains me to say it, let's save this for later, ya?" She glanced around the room to see if anyone had noticed them, thankfully they were in the clear. Who would have guessed a bunch of drunk teenagers would be so oblivious to what's going on right in front of them. Santana began to pout and Juliet could tell she was about to get all weepy so she moved them over to the drinks table where she quickly got to mixing her special concoction saved for only her most favorite of people. Unbeknownst to Santana, her cup was being filled with pure water masked with some lime juice and a splash of tonic water, with an orange slice for garnish; she'll never notice.
"OMG! You're the best!" With a wink to her girl, Santana spun on her heels, new drink in hand, and went off to find where Sasquatch and Hobbit were hiding. Juliet just sighed and wondered if telling Santana tonight was a good plan after all as she clearly was working towards blacking out. Juliet had to admit, a heart to heart after a party was not one of her better plans. At this point, she wished she could just get on Santana's level, but wasn't sure she trusted both of them to be drunk and not accidentally out themselves to the rest of the club. This whole charade was getting to be very exhausting, so many different secrets to try and keep. Juliet threw back a shot of tequila and headed towards the bathroom. She needed a break to cool herself off since she could practically still feel Santana's hands roaming her body.
Juliet looked up at herself in the mirror as water droplets made tracks down to her chin. In hindsight, splashing cold water against her face was not the smartest idea considering she was not wearing waterproof eyeliner. She rarely made any effort at all to put on makeup, so she was a bit perturbed that she already fucked it up. How had every aspect of her life become so difficult and complicated?
Dabbing away the last of the smudges Juliet was pulled from her musings by the sound of dry heaving. Popping up out of the bathtub like she had been lit on fire, Quinn instantly keeled over the toilet seat. Had she been there this whole time? Juliet was definitely consumed with her own thoughts, but how she managed to completely miss her she will never know. This girl was Santana level drunk and the night was still young. Suddenly, the blonde cheerleader started to lose what little she had clearly eaten that day. Pulling Juliet out of her own head, she quickly went to Quinn's side and grabbed her hair out of the way.
"Hey, it's okay." Juliet quietly soothed as she rubbed circles on her back. "Do you want me to go grab you water or anything?" Quinn shook her head in between waves, not trusting her ability to get words out. As the puking subsided, Juliet stood up to make a damp washcloth and place it on the back of the drunk girl's neck. Quinn slumped back onto the floor, leaning against the cool porcelain bathtub with her head resting on her knees.
Without lifting her head, or moving much at all, Quinn reached out to grab hold of one of Juliet's hands and pull it in close to her. "You're so nice, why are you so nice? I'm never nice to you." She was slurring quite a bit but was focusing on her words enough to get them across. "You're just like 'I'm Juliet, I'm joining glee club and I can rock the short hair. Look how hot I am in button ups and I don't care what anyone thinks of me.'" Quinn let out a deep sigh. "It's honestly vomit worthy." She winced at her last words, wanting to forget what had brought her to the bathroom mere moments ago.
So Quinn must be an honest, bare your soul, kind of drunk. Juliet wasn't sure what to make of this conversation but she thought it best to see it through and took a seat on the cold tile; very aware that Quinn had their fingers intertwined and was not letting go. "Uh...thanks? I wouldn't exactly say I don't care what people think of me though." Juliet thought about how half her stress this year was because of exactly that reason. Quinn just shrugged and laid her head on Juliet's shoulder. Juliet tensed, she was not expecting this behavior from Quinn of all people. "Um, Quinn are you okay? I've never partied with the cheerios before but do you guys usually go this hard so early in the night?"
Quinn scoffed, lifting her head off of Juliet's shoulder. "Why do you care?" Getting defensive, Quinn snapped at her. "Shouldn't you be in some corner making out with Santana..." Juliet's heart started beating a million times a minute. "Or Brittany, or heck do you think Rachel probably would now that she's got a whole wine cooler in her?" Quinn was just staring at her and Juliet's head started buzzing. Did Quinn know she was gay? Did she know about Santana or was that just the first name that popped in her mind? What had even prompted her to bring this up at all? How did she know? What if -
Juliet's thoughts were on a loop of questions when suddenly the image of Quinn leaning in very close jolted her back into the present. Was Quinn trying to kiss her? Juliet jumped back, pulling herself away from Quinn's grasp and putting space between them. "Whoa. Hold on." Juliet put her hand on Quinn's shoulder, creating a physical barrier of sorts. "Okay clearly you're pretty wasted right now. I'm not sure you are even aware of what you're doing." A flash of clear hurt ran through Quinn's eyes as she shook off Juliet's hand.
Juliet sank back down on the floor taking in a brief silence. She tried to process what just happened and decided to give Quinn the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was hurting just as much as Juliet was, but didn't know how to express it properly. "You know..." Juliet paused, trying to find the right words. "We may not be close but I'm here if you ever need to talk about anything. I'm a pretty good listener." Juliet's words seemed to spark a shift in Quinn's attitude. She spun her gaze back over to look Juliet straight in the eyes. "Listen here you failed Shakespearean romance. Don't flatter yourself. I'm nothing like you." Quinn leaned her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm not gay. I'm not."
Juliet flinched at the sound of Quinn saying those words aloud. So she did know. But how? Better yet, what should she do about it. She thought about how many other girls who were in fact gay, tell people that they aren't, and wondered if Quinn was really trying to tell her something or if she was playing some cruel game. As Juliet weighed her options on what to say next, Quinn rapidly shifted back on her knees and started puking again.
Juliet scrunched her nose up in disgust. Enough of this, she wasn't going to be a babysitter to crazy, confused, drunk cheerleaders tonight. Not unless it was her crazy, cute, drunk cheerleader girlfriend. This quick bathroom stop was meant to help Juliet regroup so she could enjoy the rest of the party, yet somehow she managed to enter into the maze of Quinn's inner workings. She had no more energy to put into this situation, Quinn was clearly going to be blacking out tonight so likely, hopefully, would remember none of it anyhow. Juliet lifted herself off the floor, washed her hands, and left the bathroom. She needed a drink… or three.