The girls, Will and Emma had been hiking for about half an hour when the first injury happened. As many of them guessed – it was Rachel.
Climbing up a large tree pretending to be a bridge, Rachel had slipped and fallen into the shallow water before anyone could catch her.
"Rachel!" Quinn yelled out in concern. "Are you okay?"
"No!" Rachel pouted. "I'm wet, and bleeding."
"Where?" Miss. Pillsbury asked as she quickly moved to Rachel. She was not about to actually touch the wet, bleeding, dirty girl, that was too many germs. This whole place had too many germs. It was a wonder she had made it through the week so far.
"My arm." Rachel held it up and sure enough, there was a large scrape on her forearm, and it was in fact bleeding – though not too badly. Emma had bent down to look, forcing herself as the teacher and guardian of the child for the time being, but backed away quickly as she saw the blood.
"Will!" She yelled. "Eww, eww, I need some hand sanitizer." Rachel pretended to look offended but then winced in pain as Mr. Schue cleaned the cut. Quinn quickly held Rachel's unharmed hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"You owe me ten bucks." Lauren said to Mercedes.
"Why?" Brittany asked.
"We had a bet, how long Berry would last before she got hurt. I said five minutes. Mercedes generously gave her two hours, I was way closer."
"That's mean." Brittany stated looking at them angrily.
"Yes it is. Girls, this is about bonding, helping each other...nature." Emma said as she squirted some sanitizer on the tree. Santana just watched her with something like an amused frown on her face.
"Rachel, do you feel like you can keep going?" Will asked after he had cleaned and bandaged her arm.
"Yes of course! I'm not a quitter Mr. Schue. I can't believe you would insinuate..."
"Thats not what I meant Rachel." Will said with a sigh.
"Oh." Rachel looked embarrassed at her outburst. "Sorry, well...yes I'm fine now."
"Okay." Will ran his fingers through his hair and stood up. Emma was still trying to sanitize the entire woods, and he just laughed. "Lets keep going. We're only about half an hour or so away from our next stop."
Everyone gathered their things again and began climbing the tree-bridge. Rachel, Santana, Quinn and Brittany were bringing up the rear – Quinn sticking close to Rachel. As Rachel climbed up Quinn instantly grabbed her.
"Quinn! I can do it myself."
"I think the fact that you just fell off not even four minutes ago proves otherwise." Rachel pouted, tried to cross her arms and stamp her foot – and almost fell. Luckily, Quinn had a tight grip and fantastic balance, thanks to Coach Sylvester. "See!" She yelled.
"Fine. But I don't need three people helping me! I'm not a baby." Santana grinned at Rachel and stuck her tongue out, but hopped up onto the bridge and ran across it, pulling Brittany with her. "That is just not fair." Rachel pouted again. Quinn just smiled and secured her arms tightly around Rachel's shoulders and moved her along.
"They were both cheerleaders. Coach Sylvester used to make us run across those tiny balance beams gymnasts use. If we fell, she hit us with swimming kick-boards. We got used to balancing really quickly."
"How that woman hasn't been fired is beyond me." Rachel said.
Quinn laughed and helped Rachel down as they made it to the end of the bridge. "I'm with you there. But, as insane and horrible as her tactics are, we did win."
"True."
"Hurry up you two!" Brittany yelled from up ahead of the trial. Rachel and Quinn ran ahead to catch up.
"Bout time." Santana grumbled.
"She was worried." Brittany explained.
"No I wasn't!"
"Come on Rach, lets catch up with Mercedes and Tina." Brittany grabbed Rachel's uninjured hand and the two girls half ran, half skipped up ahead.
"God." Santana muttered. "They can be embarrassing." Quinn only laughed. The two friends walked slowly in silence, neither really in a hurry to catch up with their group.
"San?" Quinn finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Huh?"
"Are you scared?"
"Of what?"
"Life after high school." Quinn barely whispered. Santana turned to look at her and saw how embarrassed and terrified the blonde looked.
"Yeah, a little." She turned away and stared straight ahead, knowing Quinn was not big on emotions or pity. "You?"
"Terrified."
"Of what exactly?"
"Everything. That I'll be stuck here my whole life. Turning into my mother, hating myself, hating my husband, drinking all the time, stuck in a job I hate. And sometimes, I'm scared that that won't happen."
"Now you lost me." Santana stopped Quinn. "You are afraid that you won't become a lima loser?"
Quinn nodded her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I hate the idea of getting stuck here, but I don't even know what else I would do. Where would I go? Lima's all I know. At least here is safe, I'm on top, I'd be lost anywhere else. And that pisses me off."
"Quinn." Santana grabbed her friend by the shoulders and forced her to look at her. "Listen to me very carefully, because I am only gonna say this once, we are gonna get this emotional crap over with and go make fun of Rachel and Brittany okay?" Quinn nodded. "You are Quinn fucking Fabray. You will be Quinn fucking Fabray no matter where you are. You are better than Lima. So you don't know what you want to do? So fucking what! Neither do I. I just know its not here."
"But aren't you scared of being alone?" Quinn said this so quietly that Santana could barely hear her. She took a moment, getting her thoughts together.
"No." Quinn raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "And yes." Santana sighed. "Of course Q. Everyone is scared of being alone, its a universal fear. But no because...because I just somehow know I won't be. I've got B, if nothing else, as a best friend. I know that will never go away. And you too." Quinn gave a tiny smile and Santana playfully shook her shoulders around. "For some ungodly reason I cannot figure out, you have been there my whole life Q, I don't see that changing." Quinn still looked upset and both girls just stood there in their awkward embrace thinking about the future. "Q?"
"What?"
"I've got an idea."
"I'm not going to make out with you to feel better Santana, I've told you that more than once."
Santana just laughed. "No, not like that, and not a haircut. Roommates."
"Huh?"
"Neither of us knows what we want right?" Quinn nodded. "And neither of us knows where we wanna go, just that we wants out of Lima right?" Another nod. "And neither of us wants to be alone right?" Quinn nodded for a third time. "So lets be terrified together. We'll pick a place and go, together, wether its college or whatever, lets just do it together."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm scarred too Q. But I'll cut you if you tell anyone that."
Quinn finally really laughed, and smiled. She wrapped her arms around Santana before the latina could protest. "That sounds like a plan."
"Okay, but the offer will be revoked if this hugging becomes a thing."
"Deal." Quinn released Santana and they shook on it.
"Come on Fabray. Enough crying and crap, lets go throw dirt at Miss Pillsbury and watch her freak out."
"Brittany?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah?"
"What do you want to do after high school? I just realized I never heard you talk about it before. Do you...do you want to go to college?"
"Naw, they'd never let me in." Brittany said completely deadpan. Rachel looked up at the tall blonde with concern.
"You don't know that!" She protested.
"Rach, who knows if they'll even let me graduate?"
"What are your grades?" Rachel asked. Brittany just shrugged.
"I dunno. Not good. But I don't really care about that stuff ya know?"
"But, lets say you pass everything, which you will! I will help you study this year if you want. What do you want to do?"
"Dance."
"Where?"
"Anywhere." Brittany looked down at Rachel in confusion. "Rachel, you can dance anywhere. You just stand up and do it. Watch!" Brittany broke into a little dance, that on anyone else would have looked ridiculous, but on Brittany - looked like perfection.
"I know I meant like was there a specific school or studio you wanted to go?" Rachel said with a laugh as Brittany twirled her around.
"Oh...not really. I haven't thought about it."
"There are some fantastic dance schools in New York. Juilliard for example, that's where I'd love to go. Of course Tish would be amazing, or Carnage Mellon, but that's for me, I don't really know about their dance programs."
"Aren't those far away?"
"Well, there in New York. Where we went for Nationals."
"Oh. I really liked it there."
"Me too."
"Is that where you're going?" Rachel nodded vigorously.
"I've never wanted to be anywhere else. Kurt is going too. You should come with us and dance!"
"That would be really fun."
"Yes it would!"
"Can I think about it?"
"Of course! If you want any help, studying, or looking at schools, let me know okay?"
"Okay."
All of the girls were caught up to the group and they sat down to drink some water and do their next activity.
"Okay, so you guys all brought the items we asked you to right?" The girls nodded. "Great, take the first one out of your backpacks." The girls shuffled around and pulled out the items they had brought with them. Before the trip had started, they had all received letters explaining what they would need to bring. One of the parts had confused everyone, but they were met with promises that they would understand later. "Okay, you all were asked to bring one item from your childhood that you thought represented you as a young person. We're going to each go around and explain what we brought, why we picked it, how it represented us then, and what it makes us think now. Emma and I can go first to show you."
Emma pulled out a little doll with a faded light blue dress, yellow yarn hair, and a sewn on face. "This was my first doll, I got it when I was two. I named her Dolly. I wasn't a very creative child." Everyone laughed at that – Emma included. "She was given to me by my father. I was a quiet kid. I kept to myself mostly and played with her, rather than other kids. Since she is small, I used to hide her in my backpack and later my purse – out of comfort. I was lonely, and I'm not that girl anymore. But I keep her to remind myself of that."
Everyone was quiet as they realized this was going to probably get very personal, very fast. Quinn and Santana especially both looked ready to vomit.
"That was great Emma. Who's next?" Will asked the group. No one volunteered. "Okay, how about you Brittany?"
"This is my stuffed duck Tony. Santana gave him to me when we were five. On the first day of kindergarden I got scared and I peed myself, and everyone laughed. Santana punched a boy named Tony who was the one who made fun of me. The next day she brought me the duck and told me I should name him Tony, that way I would think of how she punched him and how we were best friends now. And it worked. We've been best friends ever since." Santana looked a little uncomfortable at Brittany picking this story, mostly because it involved her and she was not fond of people knowing her business. But she smiled at Brittany to let her know that she could continue. Santana didn't trust people much, but if she was going to trust anyone, then it would be the glee kids. "Everyone knows that I'm dumb."
"Brittany..." Santana started, but Brittany cut her off.
"No its true. I'm not smart. School stuff just doesn't click in my head and that's fine. I'm good at other stuff. When I was little though, it used to bother me a lot. It doesn't anymore. Cause I have dance, and Santana and Quinn and now Rachel. And Rachel and I are gonna go to college in New York."
This was news to everyone.
"Really? You want to?" Rachel asked excitedly.
"Yeah! I'm never gonna be super smart, but I don't have to look at Tony to remember that anymore. But I keep him cause Santana gave him to me and he's special. And she's special."
Santana was clearly uncomfortable at the revelation that Brittany decided to move to New York without even telling her – Quinn was also visibly upset. Rachel and Brittany looked excited, and everyone was proud of Brittany.
"That was fantastic Brittany. I'm really proud of you." Will smiled at the blonde and she beamed back at him. "Who's next? Mercedes?"
While Mercedes, Lauren and Tina all told their stories involving their items Rachel and Brittany listened intently sitting close to each other – Rachel practically in Brittany's lap. Santana and Quinn however continued giving each other looks and became annoyed with their two friends as time wore on. Finally, only Rachel, Quinn and Santana were left to go. Rachel volunteered.
"Well, I brought a trophy I received when I was little." Lauren and Mercedes groaned. Rachel shot them a look of annoyance and went on. "As I was saying, its a trophy I received when I was five. It was for a singing competition, the first one that was really taken seriously. I was the youngest kid, and I went up against children who were mostly between the ages of ten and seventeen. I won first place. And it was the first time – well, maybe not the first, but the first time I really realized that I was talented. I mean I knew before that, and I had other trophies, but this was the first time I was up against real competition, the first time people actually took my voice seriously rather than the cute factor. It was the first time I really got that adrenaline rush on stage and knew I never wanted to leave. Well, I still feel that way. I know most of you spoke how you weren't really like the little kids you used to be, but for me, its actually getting back to that girl. I lost my priorities a little, which in a way was good for me, to make sure I really wanted it, and I do. So that's what this reminds me of, why I loved it in the first place, and why I want to continue singing."
"Great Rachel. Quinn? Santana? You two left, which one is up?" Will asked. Neither girl looked all that enthused. "Come on guys!"
"Just go so we can hike our asses further up this trail and get something to eat." Lauren moaned.
"I'm with her." Tina added.
"Guys, don't rush them." Will said. He turned to the girls with a small smile. "Come on girls."
Quinn and Santana looked at each other and sighed. "Fine." Quinn said. "I'll go."
"Great! Go ahead Quinn, what did you bring?"
Quinn held up a photograph and passed it around as she spoke. "This is a picture of my family. Its the only picture – possibly ever – of us that is not posed." The picture was from when Quinn was about six, her older sister, Frannie, was twelve and standing with her arms crossed leaning against the car. Clearly waiting to go somewhere. Frannie looked annoyed and bored. Quinn was sitting on the ledge of the car below Frannie, excitedly telling her something and playing with her dress. Her father was yelling into a telephone and her mother was off to the side with a drink in her hand, glaring at him. "I have no idea who took it. Or how it got into our house, but I'm glad I found it. Its the only one that's not completely fake. The girl in that picture, she's too young to get what's going on – I still don't even remember that day – but..." Quinn paused seemingly lost for words.
"Go ahead Quinn." Rachel whispered giving her a smile. Quinn didn't return it, but nodded her head at Rachel in acknowledgment.
"That girl did everything she could think of to make sure that she was who her family wanted her to be. How everyone wanted her to be. But no matter what, it was never enough and she felt like shit all the time. She was miserable, and pissed off, and lonely. And she stayed that way for a really, really long time." Quinn's voice broke a little and she quickly choked back a sob, then composed herself, then gave a cruel laugh. "See, she's still there. Can't even cry in front of people."
Rachel was crying, not loudly, but tears were falling. So was Tina, and Brittany. Mercedes, Lauren, Will, and Emma mostly just looked sad and uncomfortable, but Santana's eyes were full of tears she was refusing to let fall.
"That family doesn't exist anymore. I'm not even sure it ever did. But I look at that picture sometimes - recently anyway - to show myself that its all bullshit. The poses, the fake smiles, doing what you think people expect of you, its fake. Behind it all are a bunch of lonely, miserable people who can't stand each other. And...and I'm not going to be one of them. Ever."
Quinn clenched her teeth and still refused to cry, but now everyone could see it was not out of fear that they would judge her – she was determined to not let it define her. Those people weren't worthy of her tears anymore. Rachel couldn't contain herself anymore, she moved away from Brittany and jumped into Quinn's arms, knocking the blonde over in the process.
"I'm proud of you."
"Thanks Rach."
"We all are Quinn. Thank you for sharing that with us." Will smiled as Quinn and Rachel sat back up. "Santana? Bring us home."
"Seriously? After that?"
"Yep."
Santana sighed. Truthfully, she hadn't really brought anything. She had forgotten and thought it was stupid. Not to mention, she couldn't think of what to bring. She stayed quiet for a minute, wondering if there was anything in her bag she could pull out and bullshit a story for – but nothing was coming to mind. Finally, she had a thought, it was crazy – but then again, this entire week had been nuts. She was friends with Rachel fucking Berry of all people. Santana pointed to Brittany.
"Brittany is my thing."
"What? Santana you had to have brought..." Tina started.
"Shut up. Brittany is my thing. I'm a lesbian. I'm in love with her. And I'm going to New York with her, Quinn is coming too, cause we made a pact. That's it. Lets hike."
With that Santana stood up, slung her backpack around her shoulders and helped Brittany to her feet. She linked pinkies and the two girls started walking up the trial not looking back at all of the shocked faces behind them.
"Well damn." Mercedes stated. Then she too, stood up and followed the other girls with Tina. Rachel and Quinn just behind them, and a shocked Will, Emma and Lauren bringing up the rear.