Ain't that a Kick in the Head
Chapter 13
Rachel managed two hours at the booth Friday morning before breaking into song. The surfers and spectators crowding the beach seemed to love the giveaways she and Tina would enthusiastically fling at them as they strolled by, and Rachel decided to step up her game. Give the people what they want. Her new goal was to draw the largest crowd on the beach. Jupiter Surf would destroy all of the other vendors.
Of course, Rachel was about four shades darker than usual, disguised by her curled hair and sunglasses, so she had to accomplish this goal without being recognized.
She connected her iPod to the speakers Sam had set up, danced around the small, tented space to limber up, and then blasted "Surfin' USA," just loud enough to overpower "California Love" coming from a rival shop set up about thirty yards away.
"Let's go, girl!" Rachel exclaimed, gesturing to Tina as she bounced out of the booth, because how could she be expected to properly let loose in such a tiny space?
Tina held up a hand, amused. Mildly embarrassed. "I'm good, thanks."
"Suit yourself!" Rachel tossed over her shoulder.
She smiled widely at the beachgoers passing by and joined the song right at "a bushy, bushy blonde hairdo," totally in her element. It was difficult to dance in the sand with lanyards and t-shirts draped over her arms, but she managed to shuffle around, bouncing with the tune and handing out goodies to the people who paused.
Some of them smiled, some danced, some approached Tina for information. Everybody knew the song.
"We're waxin' down our surfboards, we can't wait for June." Rachel was pleased with the slight SoCal accent she was pulling off. No trace of vibrato at all.
The crowd was clapping by the time the song reached its instrumental portion. Rachel spied several children dancing, flailing, around near their parents, and she grinned and hopped over to them.
"Good morning! Feel free to grab some donuts!" She greeted the adults before crouching in front of the children. The ends of the lanyards dropped into the sand. "Would you guys like some stickers?"
Rachel pulled the roll of turtle stickers out of her shorts pocket when she received several shy nods.
"These are sea turtles." She informed brightly, carefully peeling each sticker off.
One boy perked up. He held his hand out eagerly. "Like Crush!"
Rachel smiled at him and pressed the sticker to the back of his hand. "Yeah, just like Crush!" She stood back up and passed out a few lanyards to the children's parents, and then leaned over again to address the kids.
"If you guys ever want to learn to surf, that sticker will tell you where to go, okay?" Rachel pointed to the sea turtle logo. She started backing away when she registered that the song had changed. "I promise it's loads of fun!"
And then she turned on her heel and bounded around to the rest of the crowd, waiting for the lyrics of "Fun, fun, fun" to come back to her.
Quinn decided that having Rachel Berry run her booth on the beach was one of the greatest decisions she'd ever made. She'd just finished the surfboard giveaway on the pier when a growing group gathered around the blue Jupiter Surf tent fifty yards down the beach caught her eye.
She squinted from behind her sunglasses and laughed abruptly when she recognized the small brunette bounding about with familiar exuberance.
"She's good." Mike mused, materializing next to Quinn.
Quinn jumped at his sudden appearance. She shook her head and shoved his shoulder. "Make some noise, man."
Mike's eyes danced between Quinn's enthralled gaze and Rachel down on the beach. He chuckled to himself. "All the noise in the world, Quinn. I don't think that would've mattered."
…
Rachel collapsed back into her seat next to Tina. She was flushed and sweating and covered in sand, and honestly how did Floridians leave their houses during the summer? After only thirty minutes Rachel was breathing thickly and regretting her song session.
"You got through the whole album." Tina observed, impressed.
Rachel lolled her head sideways, unable to speak.
Tina laughed, pulled a water from their cooler, and fanned Rachel with a program. "I think you've made us the most popular booth."
Rachel held a fist in the air, victorious. She guzzled down her water and pressed it to her forehead.
Tina rested her chin on her hand and watched Rachel. "You know, the parents of those kids you were talking to asked me if you were the one who gave surf lessons."
Rachel snorted at the absurdity, the danger.
Tina smirked. "I told them no. They seemed disappointed."
"They won't be when they meet Quinn." Rachel assured.
"I think everybody you just sang to will be disappointed when you leave in three days."
Rachel turned to meet Tina's gaze, eyes narrowing.
Tina held up her hands defensively. "I mean, I know it's necessary. I'm just saying."
Rachel hummed. She looked away and reached up to re-tie her hair back, slicking the sweaty strands off her forehead. Tina waited for the competition announcer to fall quiet before speaking again.
"What will you and Quinn do when you leave?" she asked curiously, cautiously.
Rachel's chest tightened suddenly. She licked her lips, fanning herself with the program. She seemed to be descending into some kind of heat stroke.
"We'll keep in touch." She managed.
Tina nodded, eyeing her carefully. She picked up her own program to help fan Rachel. Rachel smiled at her gratefully.
"So you'll do the whole long distance thing?"
Rachel wondered how Kurt would handle a 3000 mile long, long distance relationship between his Broadway and film star and a surfer "nobody" in Florida. She wondered how Quinn would handle it. Quinn, who resented riding in anything with wheels and forgot to feed Mars Cat on a regular basis.
Rachel bit her lip. Maybe an amicable parting as friends would be the best they could do.
"We'll see." Rachel finally said, hoping to end the conversation.
Tina relented. She tipped back in her chair, still fanning Rachel, and propped her feet up on the table.
"California has gorgeous beaches." She mused, eyes closed. "And, I mean, the surf is hard to beat. Just twenty minutes from your house you have Hermosa, Manhattan, Santa Monica-"
"I know what you're doing." Rachel said wryly.
Tina smiled, eyes still closed. "Just thinking out loud, Rachel."
Rachel looked at her, unamused. She reached over and dragged her cold water bottle up Tina's bare arm. "I can't ask her to leave here."
Tina yanked the bottle out of Rachel's grasp and held her hand instead. She didn't say anything, just shrugged and squeezed Rachel's hand and leaned back to watch more of the contest. Rachel sighed. It was probably time to have a talk with Quinn Fabray.
…
By lunchtime, Rachel was dizzyingly warm and legitimately worried about the effects of short term heat stress on her body. Quinn showed up at the booth, shoved four or five donuts into her mouth one after the other, and then suggested they jump in the ocean between contest heats, and Rachel gladly agreed.
They didn't surf, just paddled out where no waves were breaking and no children shrieking. Rachel lay flat on her longboard-probably burning her exposed back- while Quinn drifted lazily, one eye on her booth and one on the pier.
She rested a hand on the nose of Rachel's board to prevent the tide from carrying it out to sea, and Rachel lolled her head to the side and scrunched up her nose at the sun. Quinn watched as Rachel's eyes fluttered open, squinting goofily at her.
Quinn had to smile. She bit her cheek and turned away when she felt her face warming.
"What?" Rachel asked, smiling.
Quinn looked back at her, eyebrow raised.
"You're blushing." Rachel pressed.
Quinn scoffed. She ran a hand through her hair, fluffing it out, and scanned the activity on the pier. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Rachel laughed. She propped her chin on her hands and observed Quinn. She'd foregone a rashguard, so her shoulders were turning a flaming red, nearly the same color as her bikini top. Rachel noticed that the scars on her abdomen became more pronounced in the sun.
"Have you ever done drugs?" Rachel asked impulsively.
Weeks ago she would've refrained from asking such a question, but now she knew to expect a non-answer from Quinn, and she'd be perfectly fine with that. Information couldn't be dragged out of Quinn. It had to unravel or erupt violently on its own.
Quinn narrowed her eyes, half-smiling. "Why?"
Rachel shrugged. "I was just remembering the first time I saw you on the beach." She ginned impishly. "In those Aviators, when you tripped me, remember? I assumed you were a pothead."
The scene came rushing back- Rachel trudging along the beach in her flip flops and Hollywood sunglasses- and Quinn almost smiled. She shook her head slowly instead, eyeing Rachel seriously.
"Nope. Memory problems, remember?"
Rachel hummed wisely. "So you don't remember."
Quinn tilted her head. She shook Rachel's board from side to side while she thought. "I remember…" she started slowly, watching a small smile grow on Rachel's face. "…a girl falling over me, calling me a bitch, playing with a man 'o war, and then crying to me when she got her leg all stung."
Rachel pursed her lips.
Quinn looked at her innocently, hazel eyes glinting in the sun. "Was that you?"
Rachel sat up on her board and dislodged it from Quinn's grasp. "No, actually. Who's this other woman you're remembering?"
A fleeting expression of confusion crossed Quinn's face, and Rachel almost felt bad for teasing her. It was surprisingly easy to instill doubt into Quinn's recollection of her own memories. But then Rachel was laughing, and Quinn used an arm to splash a barrage of water in her direction.
"You kept telling me I was a lifeguard." Quinn reminded, ears tinged pink.
Rachel looked pointedly into the water. She could just make out Quinn's red shorts.
Quinn shook her head wordlessly. She chuckled to herself at nothing, maybe at Rachel, at the faces she made and the things she said. She picked quietly at her board wax for a moment.
"To answer your question, no." She glanced over to find Rachel watching her intently. "I never did that kind of stuff. Not really."
Rachel nodded easily, unwilling to pry further. "Thank you for answering me."
"Sure, babe." Quinn said, and it was stated so absently that Rachel wasn't positive Quinn even registered that she'd used a term of endearment.
She chose to let it go. And present her next question.
The large timer mounted onto the contest tent indicated that they had twenty more minutes before the start of the next heat, when the surf zone had to be cleared.
"Have you ever thought about leaving here?" Rachel asked casually.
Quinn must've been thinking about something else because she blinked blankly at Rachel for a few seconds before furrowing her brow, jaw clenched.
"I'll be leaving on Monday." Rachel continued softly, head bowed. "I just wondered…"
"Rachel…" Quinn sighed. She rubbed at her red shoulders and adjusted her bikini straps, eyes fixed on the side of Rachel's head.
"Yeah, I have thought about it." Quinn admitted, and the hopeful expression on Rachel's face when she looked up tugged on her heart. "My shop is here. My friends- Sam and Santana and Mike-this place, they saved my life, sort of. I can't just…leave them behind."
Rachel imagined that fear played a part as well. Of course Quinn couldn't leave the place and the people that put her back together.
"I understand." Rachel nodded. She smiled softly because Quinn couldn't seem to look at her. "I'm never going to beat this summer with you."
Quinn cut her gaze over, and Rachel's breath hitched at the ephemeral, stricken look she received. Quinn's face quickly set into a painfully even expression.
"You think we should break up when you leave."
"I-no." Rachel lied, because that's exactly what she'd been hinting at, but the look on Quinn's face stopped her.
Quinn's eyes flickered between Rachel's. They stood out brightly on her sun-reddened face.
"No?"
"I'm sure we'll make it work." Rachel assured, searching for confidence.
Quinn looked younger than usual- with her bright face and fluffed out hair- and more vulnerable, because of the exposed, inflamed scars and unblinking, honest gaze. Rachel was abruptly baffled as to how she'd gotten Quinn Fabray in this position, where she could probably cut her down with just a few words.
But that was absolutely the last thing she wanted to do.
"We can Skype daily." Rachel suggested, oddly relieved that she'd thrown away her own break-up idea.
Quinn nodded slowly.
"And I'm constantly flying. I'm sure I'll be able to come back soon. Maybe we'll even have a break in shooting. I don't know the schedule yet."
Quinn kept nodding. She swallowed thickly and stared hard down at her board.
Rachel paddled herself closer, until her thigh pressed against Quinn's and she could wrap an arm around Quinn's shoulders. She ducked her head to catch Quinn's gaze.
"Are you okay?" she wondered gently.
Quinn gave a short laugh. She was screaming internally at herself to pull it together.
"Hey." Rachel smiled carefully, rubbing circles on the small of Quinn's back. "Head on straight?"
"It's-I'm glad that I have longer than two days left with you." Quinn murmured, cheeks reddening even further.
Rachel's smile grew. She leaned her cheek against Quinn's shoulder. "You know, you called me babe earlier."
Quinn shook her head at herself. She was out of control today.
"I liked it, goofy feet." Rachel joked.
Quinn groaned loudly. She stopped supporting her own weight and tipped off her board into Rachel's side, dragging them both into the water. Rachel shrieked and Quinn caught sight of the contest timer.
Six minutes to the next heat.
"God babe, stop messing around." She admonished, wrapping an arm around Rachel's waist- just to make sure she wasn't actually drowning. She quickly kissed Rachel's indignant lips and propelled away to swim back to shore.
…..
By mid-Saturday, Jupiter Surf was running the most popular booth on the beach. Spectators came by asking about Rachel and her giveaways, inquiring about the new, gigantic scuba boat garnering attention in the harbor, and wondering about Santana and Mike, the winners of the bikini and boardies contest Friday night.
Rachel was impressed. Quinn definitely knew how to get her name out there.
On Sunday morning, Quinn woke Judy at dawn and met Rachel at the pier for a special church service on the beach. Judy was hesitant, probably because she'd been a member of the same strict, midwest Baptist church her whole life- where surfside worship in bare feet and summer dresses would never fly.
"I fit in better here." Quinn had said simply, offering her mom a donut over the kitchen table
Judy's gaze had dropped to the worn, silver cross around Quinn's neck. "Okay." She'd nodded resolutely. "It can't hurt to try."
Rows of plastic chairs were set up on the beach, facing a small stage where the pastor stood, shielding his eyes against the rising sun.
"I think somebody failed to think this through properly." He joked, halfway through the sermon.
Judy had seemed surprised to see him wearing cuffed khakis and a colorful button-down. She observed the other guests wordlessly- children in shorts and polos, adults in linen and light dresses, lots of rolled-up pants and sleeves and bare feet. Quinn couldn't tell if her mom was uncomfortable with the informality, or if she was just silently taking it all in.
"You need some sunglasses, Pastor Mike?" A grinning teenager stood from the front row, holding his glasses in the air.
"Bring 'em on up, Joey, before I go blind." Pastor Mike held his hands up, deepening his voice. "And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch!"
Quinn laughed along with everybody else. She was pleased to hear her mother chuckle as well.
By the end of the sermon, Judy was nodding along with everything Pastor Mike said. She'd unbuckled her sandals and buried her feet in the sand, and followed along intently in Quinn's Bible. As the service dispersed, Quinn was dragged to the edge of the water by a few of her surf students and Judy turned to Rachel.
"Are you comfortable with this, Rachel?" she queried.
Rachel tipped her head, confused, and Judy gestured vaguely around. "Being Jewish, you're comfortable attending church with Quinn?"
"Oh!" Rachel's eyes widened in realization. She nodded immediately. "Yes, definitely."
Judy hummed curiously. She seemed conflicted.
"It's important to her." Rachel elaborated. "I think it-she hasn't talked about it much, but I think it was a large part of her recovery."
Judy's gaze drifted away to where Quinn was kicking water up into some six-year-olds' faces. "She's had the same cross since she was ten."
Rachel smiled, surprised that Quinn hadn't lost it.
"I'm thinking of moving down here." Judy informed quietly.
Rachel lifted her eyebrows. Judy bent forward to put her sandals back on and Rachel watched the side of her head.
"I haven't told Quinn yet, but there's nothing really for me in Ohio anymore. It's just me in that large house Quinn's father picked out, so I've put it on the market and I've got a buyer lined up already."
"Oh…wow." Rachel remarked, impressed.
Judy half-smiled. "I'm going to speak to Quinn about it this week."
Rachel looked to where Quinn was throwing gobs of wet sand at children. They shrieked happily and flung their own balls of mud back at her.
"I think she'll be pleased." Rachel predicted.
She swallowed thickly because the sun was up now and her last full day in Jupiter had officially started, and Quinn was covered in saltwater and sand and absolutely brilliant. Judy would be moving down here while Rachel would be leaving all these new people she loved.
"Judy, I'm just going to take a quick walk down the beach." Rachel excused herself quickly.
"Are you-"
"I'm fine, I just need to take it all in one last time."
She breathed deeply- the warm air was suffocating- and blinked rapidly until she was away from the church crowd. The rest of the beach was mostly empty and she trudged aimlessly through the dry, deeper sand.
Quinn spun Robbie around one last time, making sure to drop him in the shallow water, and then hurried back to the plastic chairs where her mom was seated.
"Mom, where's Rachel going?" she panted, watching Rachel's retreating figure.
Judy followed her gaze. "She said for a walk. She left fairly quickly."
"And you didn't try to stop her?"
Judy gave Quinn a look. "Honey, how do you stop a top from spinning around?"
Quinn exhaled sharply. It was true. Stopping an emotional Rachel Berry was like trying to spin the world the other way. She slicked the wet sand off of her arms and jogged lightly after Rachel. When she caught up, a few yards away, she could tell that Rachel was crying. Her shoulders shook and her steps wobbled unsteadily in the sand.
"Rachel." Quinn called, slowing to a walk.
Rachel stopped. Her shoulders hunched further like she was curling in on herself.
"Hey." Quinn grasped her upper arm and walked around to see her face. Rachel plowed right into her, headbutting Quinn's chest. Her arms wrapped around Quinn's waist and held on tightly.
"Are you okay?" Quinn asked quietly, cheek pressed against Rachel's hair. "Where are you going?"
Rachel pulled back, teary and sniffling and grimacing at her arms. "You're covered in wet sand." She complained meekly.
"Yeah, I- it's the kids' fault." Quinn took Rachel's forearms and brushed them off as best she could.
Rachel wiped at her eyes with her free hand. She took several shuddering breaths but couldn't stop crying.
"Rachel…"
"I miss you already." Rachel said shakily.
Quinn sighed sadly. She cupped Rachel's flushed face and used her thumbs to wipe away the tears.
"I have-I have questions, and there are so many things we haven't-" Rachel coughed. "We haven't gotten the chance to do yet."
"We'll have time, Rachel."
Rachel took a deep breath. "I didn't-I didn't get to go to the Keys. And we haven't even had-had sex yet."
Quinn's eyes widened. Rachel went quiet, ears burning. Quinn took a step closer and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Did you want to fix that?" she whispered against Rachel's ear, looking for a smile.
Rachel sniffled. "What?"
Quinn kissed her cheek. "Right here, right now, Rachel Berry."
Rachel pulled back to search Quinn's face. "I didn't want to push you."
Quinn laughed easily. She dragged her hair out of her eyes and leaned forward. "I have been ready for you since that first day in the shower, Rachel."
Rachel's lips twitched.
"Remember I said I can teach you things?"
"But not right here." Rachel said hurriedly, glancing around like Quinn had actually been planning on taking her in the middle of the beach.
Quinn shrugged casually. "Wherever. I'm flexible."
Rachel finally smiled. She stared bashfully down at Quinn's bare feet. Quinn took her hand and started leading her further up the beach.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to take you to the Keys, but I did say I'd show you some baby sea turtles."
Rachel gasped quietly as they passed by the dune and came upon the nest where they'd had their picnic. The earth looked like it had been disturbed, and it moved as Rachel watched.
"How did you know they would be hatching?" she asked quietly, in awe.
Quinn stood off to the side, smiling fondly. "I was here this morning."
Rachel shot her a confused gaze.
"It was about…three? I went for a walk on the beach."
Rachel stared, unsurprised. "You went for a walk on the beach at three in the morning?"
"Sure did."
It was another thing Rachel hadn't had time to fully figure out yet. Quinn's nighttime wanderings and odd sleep habits, why her girlfriend insisted on roaming about in the dark. She turned back to the turtle nest and sat cross-legged in the sand several feet away. Quinn settled next to her and Rachel held on to her arm, absently brushing away bits of wet sand.
"Will they be safe?" Rachel wondered softly, watching a small head push out of the dirt.
Quinn smiled. What a sweetheart. "I called Fish & Wildlife this morning because the beach will be packed. They'll be by soon."
Rachel scratched at the sand dried onto Quinn's elbow. "Do they make a path for the baby turtles?"
"Something like that."
Rachel nodded. She fell silent, fixed on the turtle emerging from the nest. Quinn decided that, with Tina running the booth, they could afford to stay there until the wildlife officers arrived. Rachel was awestruck.
"We have time, Rachel." Quinn said softly.
"I know."
"We have time tonight."
Rachel smiled at Quinn's suggestive tone, at the way she said it right against Rachel's ear.
"And we have time tomorrow, and we have loads of time after that." Quinn drawled. She slid her Wayfarers onto Rachel's face because the white sand was blinding.
Rachel tipped her head up when they slid down her nose.
"Thank you, baby."
Quinn pulled Rachel into her side, sure to knock as much sand onto Rachel as possible. "You're welcome, Rachel Berry."