Chapter 13: Weathering the Storm
It was a gray, rainy morning when Sam picked her up in his truck. He handed her a hot cup of coffee, just the way she liked it. It was only a light drizzle, but he turned on the windshield wipers anyway. Quinn watched them go back and forth. They didn't say a word to each other. Sam wanted to, but she must have looked like she didn't, because every time he seemed to work up the nerve, she would look at him and he would turn back to the road.
Quinn was tired. Just achingly tired.
She hadn't slept at all that night, but there were no sunglasses this morning. If this was going to work, she couldn't hide, she had to be at the forefront, for everyone to see. For everyone to believe her lie.
They pulled up at school much sooner than she expected. She almost asked him to turn back, take her somewhere else, anywhere else, away from here, a different town even, if only for a little while. But she didn't ask.
Sam turned off the ignition and sat back in his seat.
"How is this going to work?" he asked quietly.
"You hold my hand," she replied, her voice sounding dull and foreign in her ears, "you kiss me at my locker, you walk me to my first class, we sit together at lunch, Glee, and wherever else possible, then you take me home after practice."
"So like we used to be."
"Yes."
"Only it's not real this time."
She didn't answer.
"Was it ever real, Quinn?"
A sob worked its way into her throat, but she held it there, as painful as it was.
"Yeah," she whispered. The rain started coming down harder, they couldn't see out of the windshield. "With you it was."
Quinn clutched his larger hand in a near death grip as they navigated the halls. Sam didn't complain, just kept holding on. People were staring, some were laughing, others were whispering furiously to each other. She raised her head and defied them all.
It was killing her.
They had just reached her locker when Sam suddenly turned her around and pushed her up against the metal row. He put one hand over her shoulder to support his weight against the lockers and ducked his head towards her throat, his breath ghosting over her skin, but never making contact.
She wanted to push him away, but forced herself to be still.
"You have to relax," he murmured against her ear. "If you don't, they'll know something's wrong. This won't work if you keep looking like this."
It was then she realized that he had put them in this position precisely to shield her from everyone's view. No one could see her face, just them in a seemingly intimate embrace. Knowing that for that moment she was safe, Quinn took a deep breath and buried herself against his chest. Silent tears soaked his sweatshirt that was already a little damp from the rain.
"Hey…" he whispered sadly and curled one arm around her waist to pull her closer for an almost hug.
"I didn't tell her," she said through quiet sobs.
"Huh?"
"Rachel, I didn't tell Rachel about this."
"Jesus Christ, Quinn!" he exclaimed harshly. "What the hell?"
"I couldn't!" she cried, shaking her head. "I couldn't. She won't… I'll lose her. I can't lose her. I couldn't tell her. What am I going to do?"
He clutched her tighter, brushing his lips over her cheek and then back to her neck again, "You're going to find her and fix it. Today. I don't care how. You can't do this to her, Quinn. It's messed up."
"She won't understand."
"Then explain."
"No. I don't want her to know."
"She has to know sometime. You can't keep this from her forever."
"I can keep it long enough."
"Quinn…" he said firmly, "I know how much you care about her, so don't let this happen."
She wrapped her arms around him, holding on with all she had.
"I'll lose her anyway," she whispered brokenly. "Not telling people was one thing…this…she can't love me enough for this."
"You're wrong," he said so fiercely, it made her shiver. "I love you enough to do this. She loves you even more."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've never wanted to hit a girl before."
"Sam…" she said reprovingly.
"It's true. I see her look at you and I know…how much she loves you, and that she gets to have you, so yeah, Quinn, sometimes I feel like punching her in the face."
Despite herself, she chuckled. It was her first tiny relief in nearly 24 hours. It was so incredibly unlike him to say anything like that. She knew Sam never would do such a thing, but to hear that he was so jealous of a tiny five foot two diva like she was another hulking football dude did strike her as ludicrous.
"She's also kind of loud."
"Stop it," Quinn laughed softly and gave him a slight push.
"No more tears?"
"You tell me. How bad do I look?"
He glanced down, still shielding her protectively from the hungry eyes of the student body, and nodded.
"I think you're good. Now get your stuff. I kiss you and then take you to class, right?"
"Right," she whispered, and after a moment's hesitation, touched his cheek gingerly. "You still love me, Sam? Even after what I did? What I'm doing to you now?"
He tilted his head and looked away before meeting her eyes again with a sad smile.
"I think I'm always going to love you."
So she collected her things, he kissed her in full view of everyone, causing the halls to chatter even more loudly, then hand in hand they walked to her first class of the day.
Rachel overslept. For the first time in her entire academic career, she overslept and was late for school, missing almost half of her first period class. It was unheard of. Her fathers thought she was deathly ill. No. She'd just been up most of the night and cried herself to sleep. That was all. They didn't even want her to go in today, but she had to go in today, and fought them tooth and nail to get out the door.
When she'd accidentally let Quinn's name slip, they reared back in horror. The blonde had run right past them last night without a word and Rachel knew they had heard her crying. Rather than get into another argument, she used their moment's hesitation to slip out the door and take off in her Dad's car.
She needed so badly to see Quinn. Last night would forever be burned into her memory. How pale and terrified the blonde looked. And sad. So…so…sad. It brought tears to her eyes to even think of it. When Quinn pushed her away…she swore it was as though she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking. But they could figure this out! Rumors were rumors and they kicked up a big dust storm in the beginning, but always settled down pretty quickly. They just had to continue on as usual, not pay any attention to it, and the dust would settle.
She really needed to see Quinn, but they didn't share a class until fourth period. She tried texting her several times, but received no reply. Was she ignoring her now? The wait was excruciating. Rachel had to know how the blonde would react. Would she treat her the way she did last night? Would it be the old Quinn Fabray snarling in her face and calling her names? Or would it be her Quinn?
After the first class ended, Rachel scoured the halls for some possible sign of her as she went to the next class. There was little chance she would run into her blonde, Quinn's class was on the opposite side of the building. Still she looked. And as she did she caught another blonde, not hers, grabbing Jacob in the blink of an eye and shoving him into the AV room. Forgetting about being late, she stealthily ran over to the door that was left cracked open and listened in.
"Here's the deal," Sam said roughly, "you're going to put a retraction on your blog about Quinn, and I'm not going to hang you by your shorts on the flagpole tomorrow."
"How so very 80's of you, but 'fraid I can't do that, Sam Evans. I've got it on a good authority that the illustrious Fabray is in fact Fabgay."
"Are you an idiot? Are you actually saying to my face that my girlfriend is gay and expect me not to punch your lights out?"
There was some scuffling and a squeak from Jacob.
"I thought you guys were over!"
"And on whose authority do you have that from? Better check your sources again. Quinn's my girl, you're messing with her, what do you think I'm going to do to you?"
"If you'd be so kind as to release my shirt now… Ow! Hey! Okay. Look, I didn't know you two were still hot and heavy, but let's get real here, you're not the kind of guy who's gonna beat up a poor defenseless loser like me so drop the charade."
"You're right…I'm not gonna kick the crap out of you, though you deserve it, but what I will do is tell Santana that you're the one who keeps stealing her underwear out of the Cheerios locker room."
"YOU WOULDN'T!"
"Try me, Jewfro."
"The retraction will be posted tonight."
"Good choice."
Rachel hurried off to class, thoroughly confused, and even more distressed than before.
The sniveling weasel had the gall to assault her as she came out of her third period class, shoving a microphone in her face as she tried to walk away.
"Miss Fabray! There have been several conflicting reports regarding the current status of your sexuality as now Sam Evans claims to be your one and only, yet sources claim you've been doing the naughty with the school diva, Rachel Berry. Care to weigh in on the fierce debate taking place at William McKinley? With explicit details perhaps?" he leered. "People have already started placing bets."
Quinn's blood boiled over and she physically recoiled from the boy, but all that she allowed to show was a dispassionate eye roll and said as politely as possibly, "I love my boyfriend very much, we're very happy together. You're an idiot. Get out of my way."
She had to remain calm and in control, if she reacted too much to the rumor, it would only lend it more truth.
Elbowing her way past him, she had just started to put some distance between them when he called out, "If you give me details about your dressing room escapades, possibly some unwashed clothing, and a security tape, I'll give you my entire bank account! I'm Jewish, I have money!"
She spun around, thoroughly revolted, with half a mind to… And then it occurred to her.
Dressing room? What dressing room? They'd never gone shopping together before. They were planning a visit to the mall next weekend, but hadn't been there yet. The realization smacked her across the face.
Jacob made the whole thing up.
He never saw them together.
It actually was just another one of his perverted fantasies.
Laughing from the sheer incredulousness of it all, she spun away and saw Sam coming towards her, his gaze darkly fixated on the other boy. Feeling like a hundred pounds had been lifted off her shoulders, Quinn ran and jumped into his arms happily, wrapping her legs round his waist and gave him a resounding, smacking kiss on the mouth.
"You look happy…" he said suspiciously, looking up at her. "Why do you look happy?"
She giggled and dropped down to her feet again. "That moron doesn't know a thing!" she whispered. "He just made it all up! He doesn't know it's real. This I can handle!"
His eyes widened slightly at the revelation and leaned in close to her, just so that no one would overhear. "So we don't have to pretend anymore?"
"Oh, no, we do," she said distractedly. "For a while anyway. But this is nothing!" Quinn grinned up at him, taking fistfuls of his shirt and tugged excitedly. "I have to find Rachel and tell her everything."
"I think you're going to have to do it soon…" he said and she followed his line of sight to the small brunette standing towards the end of the hall.
Her heart plummeted the moment their eyes met. Any trace of relief and happiness vanished in that moment as Rachel's large brown eyes bore into her. She just stood there, blankly, and Quinn wanted nothing more than to run into her arms and kiss away the hurt, to reassure her that it wasn't what she thought, she didn't want this, she didn't want anyone else, but she only took one step forward before remembering all the eyes on her. When she didn't move, Rachel turned away.
At that moment, Quinn cursed her life for being the way it was. Cursed God. Cursed herself. Cursed the school. Cursed her parents. Cursed everything. Everything except Rachel.
"Go after her!" he hissed in her ear.
"I can't," she said angrily. It was all she could do to keep herself there and he was going to push her? "It'll look suspicious."
"Quinn!"
"Just hold my hand," she said through gritted teeth and ignored the roaming eyes of the student body.
He squeezed so tightly, it boarded on painful. She didn't know if it was a reprimand or a reassurance. It was probably both.
It was quiet for a long time. The hustle and bustle of the student body echoed somewhere seemingly miles away. She wasn't crying. She couldn't find it in her to cry right now. It was numbness. This had always been coming. She'd prepared herself for something like this. But it hadn't helped. It still hit her with all the force it could possibly muster, such a crippling blow. Would she ever be right again after Quinn Fabray?
Someone settled in beside her on the bench without a word and Rachel wanted to scream in frustration. She didn't want her here. She wanted her gone. She wanted to be left alone. She wanted a world without this girl for at least a little while. Give her some reprieve? Why couldn't she have had just the slightest bit?
"How?" she groaned. "How on earth did you find me here?"
"Well, I knew you'd be hiding from me so I thought about the last place Rachel Berry would go."
"And you guessed the boys weight room?"
"Actually, I checked Coach Sylvester's office, the boiler room, and the AV Club first. This was fourth on the list."
"You found me then."
"Yes, I did. Ugh, did you have to choose here? Even the boiler room smelled better."
Why was she here? Was she truly so selfish that she couldn't even realize that her presence was the last thing in the world Rachel wanted?
Was she doomed to always feel this way? Offer her heart only to have it pulverized by a vicious heel as though that were all she ever deserved. Quinn was always going to do this to her, yet she went forward anyway. Naively. Stupidly. Adoringly.
How she hated herself for it.
"Quinn, it's not like I've asked a lot of you, God knows I haven't," there was no emotion in her voice, just a harrowing vacancy that Rachel Berry was not known for, "but I would have appreciated it if you could have at least given me a courtesy phone call to inform me of your decision before I had to see that. Do I really mean so little to you?"
"You mean too much."
"That makes no sense."
"It makes perfect sense. You're just not listening."
"Why should I listen to anything you have to say? Leave me alone."
"I was too afraid…to tell you," Quinn said lowly. "I could have called you last night, but I didn't. I didn't want it to end. I couldn't…" She shook her head mournfully. "You're going to break up with me."
"Because you've gone back to Sam?"
"No. I haven't gone back to him!" she said fiercely. "We're not together."
Rachel wanted to slap her.
"So I just made it all up in my head, is that it?" she shot back bitingly. "I imagined you all over him? Kissing him?"
"It didn't mean anything! I don't feel that way about him. Sam's my friend Rachel, a very…very good friend. Look, he agreed to be my beard, alright? That's all it is. He's going to pretend to be my boyfriend for as long as I need him to."
"And just why would he agree to that?" she scoffed bitterly. "Lofty altruism? He just wants you back."
"True, he does, but he also knows it's not going to happen."
"You don't need him, Quinn!" she insisted. "It was just a stupid rumor! Why are you so afraid of everyone knowing who you are? Is it because you don't want to be a loser? You don't want to be treated differently? Is it that?"
"Yes," she said distantly. "There's that."
"There's more?"
"I can't be kicked out again, Rachel. I just can't."
"What are you talking about?"
"If my Mom ever finds out about… I'll be disowned." There was a very matter of fact tone to her voice, as though she were discussing business or schoolwork. "She'll be the one to kick me out this time. My Dad won't have to say a thing. She may have stood by last time, but this one…it'll be all her."
"Quinn, I don-"
She cut Rachel off, quickly explaining the rest. Quinn's grandparents left both her and her sister sizable college funds, which her father added to over the years. With a few student loans it would be enough to let her go wherever she wanted, even without a cheerleading scholarship. Russell tried to take it in the divorce, but Judy fought him and won, keeping the money safe from her father's greedy hands which he would have likely used to waste on his new, twenty-something, girlfriend. It was one thing her mother had managed to do right by her.
"If she finds out, I won't just be kicked out, she'll take the money too. My way out even if I don't get a cheerleading scholarship. My entire future depends on my parents support right now and if I lose that…I'll be forever a Lima loser." Her voice cracked and she looked away, stubbornly holding off the tears. "I can't let that happen," she stressed. "I got too close last time, I won't ever have it happen again. Do you understand? I moved back in with her because I had no other choice, but I haven't forgiven her and I don't know if I ever will."
"She's your mother, Quinn," Rachel ventured gently. "She's trying now."
"Yeah, when she thinks I just made a dumb mistake and got pregnant. Finding out her daughter is gay? She'll never accept that. I'd be dead to her."
"You don't know that."
"No, you don't know that. She's my mother, Rachel. You've no idea…" she trailed off and then started anew. "For my Mom: Getting pregnant? Embarrassing, but livable. Being a lesbian? Not a snowball's chance in hell."
"But how are you ever going to know what she'll do if you don't give her the chance?"
"I'll tell her someday." She nodded, as though convincing herself of it too. "When I'm older and on my own, supporting myself. She can hurt me right now, Rach." Quinn looked at her despairingly, tears clouding those beautiful hazel eyes. It tore her heart to see it. "I'm only 17. When I'm thrown out, what chance do I have of getting out of here? I need her support and she's going to help me whether she likes it or not because she's my mother and that's what she's supposed to do!"
"Okay. Okay. Shhh." Rachel slid over and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"Someday they'll find out their daughter is gay and won't that be fun to see? But not now. I learned my lesson well last year. My parents love for me is entirely conditional."
"Oh, Quinn, don't say that."
"It's true. You may be adopted, Rachel, but your fathers would do anything in the world for you. My Mom and Dad will never be like that and I'm their biological child. Just goes to show…"
"They're always going to be your parents, no matter what."
"Yeah. That's the worst part."
"Quinn…"
"Can you do this with me?" She turned to her abruptly. "Can you please do this?"
"Be with you while the rest of the world sees you with Sam?" Rachel shook her head angrily, moving away, letting the space fall between once more. "D-do you have any idea how much it hurt to see that just now? How bad you made me feel? Like I wanted to die. Like I never want to feel anything again. I can't do that. I can't stand by and watch you be with him-"
"But I'm not with him!" she cried stubbornly. "We wouldn't do anything considered more than just friends being slightly more affectionate than the norm."
"You're asking me to watch you with someone else and lie even more than we already were. You're asking me to-"
"I know what I'm asking."
"And still you ask?" she said heatedly. "What if it were you? If the situation were reversed, would you be able to do it? Would you be willing to watch me with another boy, girl, whatever, cuddling, kissing, holding hands? Would you be able to stand it?"
"No," she admitted despondently. "I would be too selfish. But then again, we always knew you were the better person between us."
"That is not fair!"
"It isn't," she said, tears falling now. "That's why I know you're going to say no."
"Is that what you want me to do? You want me to end it so you don't have to take any of the responsibility? You get to run away, but it'll really be my fault."
"NO! I want you, Rachel! More than anything, I want to be with you."
"Then be with me!"
"This is the only way that I can!" she cried. "Until we're away from here."
Rachel watched her for a long time, a stunned look on her face.
Did she mean it? Is that what she meant? Did she really…
"A-are you saying you want us to leave Lima together?" she said in barely a whisper.
Quinn nodded heavily. "You're going places, Rachel Berry. You're meant for so much more than this town. You deserve to have your name in lights and I know you're gonna make it happen. Wherever you go, I'll follow. I-if you want me, that is."
"I do want you," she murmured, "so much."
"Can you do this?"
"Is this your ultimatum?" she asked. "Either accept Sam as your pseudo boyfriend or we're finished?"
"I don't have a choice."
"Yes, you do. We always do. I don't care what you say - this is of your choosing."
"Please don't leave me. Please."
Quinn couldn't believe it. Were these words really coming out of her mouth? Was she begging now? Quinn Fabray did not beg. She demanded. But here she was, fighting to urge to fall to her knees and cling to the diva, praying that she could understand enough, to want her enough, to love her enough.
Rachel was quiet for so long, she thought her heart would give out.
When had she gotten so weak? This was why people were always held at arm's length. Not just her secret…but this. Needing someone. Wholeheartedly. Desperately. Without a smattering of pride to be had. She didn't want to need, she didn't want to love, but she did, and she did so hopelessly. It wasn't right. It shouldn't be this frightening. It shouldn't feel so good and so bad. Was it always this way?
"I can't…" Rachel whispered hoarsely and Quinn felt as though a hot knife had been plunged into her heart.
Why was she surprised? She'd told Sam, didn't she? She knew she'd asked too much. She knew this was coming. And yet.
"…be without you," Rachel continued haltingly, but she could hardly hear, "s-so if this is what I have to do to keep you...provided it's temporary?"
Was she…was she…
Quinn could only nod dumbly.
Rachel looked up at her with bleary, red strained eyes that she would have given anything to make brighter again as they should be.
"I love you, Quinn," she said. "I'll do whatever it takes."
She tried to smile through the tears, but the relief, the happiness, the fear, it was all so much she just burst out sobbing and put her head in her hands.
She hadn't lost her. She loved her. Rachel really loved her.
The brunette rubbed her back soothingly as she cried and released her tightly pulled ponytail to give her some relief. She tangled her fingers in the newly freed locks and scraped her nails across Quinn's scalp as she ran her hand through again and again in such a tender way that soon had her calming down.
"And you're wrong," she whispered into her ear and pressed her nose to her cheek. "We are going places. Not just me, both of us. There's a whole different life out there for us, Quinn. A better one. A bigger one. You're going to find your dream too and we'll live them together."
Quinn didn't say it, but she was pretty sure she already found hers.
Sam and Quinn were sitting side by side in Glee when she walked in and though Rachel had expected it, the blow was staggering. She wanted to curl into a ball and weep at the sight. They weren't even touching each other or anything, just sitting there patiently, and it was almost too much to take. Why had she agreed to this? How had she let herself be roped in to this farce that grew with every waking day?
Because she loved her.
Because she'd do anything for her.
And Quinn knew that.
She should have had more pride, more sense. All she had to do was end it, say that the terms were too much. Say that Quinn wasn't worth this damage to herself.
But she was! She so…so was.
The fear in her eyes… The way she had wept when Rachel agreed… What was happening? What was she missing? Quinn had explained that it was to protect her future, much more so than reputation alone. That was something Rachel could reason with, that was enough to give her a sincere rationalization for her decision to agree. Now here she was. Belonging to Quinn in secret while the rest of the world watched what was hers parade around on a blonde boy's arm.
Was she a fool? Was she doing what she'd always done in her old relationships? Sacrifice the person she was for her significant other? Was history repeating itself?
Then she shook the thoughts away. It was different this time. There was no selfishness in this. No immaturity or pride. This was simple and concrete need.
Oh, how heartbroken she'd looked sitting there. How beaten. When did Quinn Fabray ever look beaten? She was a fighter to the end. She did what she had to do, no matter the cost. Yet…today she'd looked as though she lost and it would be the end of her. Rachel never wanted to see her look so defeated again. That was not her Quinn. She refused to allow her to be that way.
So, yes, she would do this. Even if it killed her
Quinn needed her and she would be there. There was still something she wasn't telling her, perhaps more than one something, but whenever Rachel pushed, she met a stone wall, so she'd learned fast that Quinn Fabray could not be moved into something before she was ready.
Please, tell me I'm doing the right thing, tell me I'm not…
The blonde saw her come in and instinctively sat up straighter, Sam only watched her blankly. Rachel quickly moved to go to the opposite end of the risers, as far away from the lovebirds as she could get. Her stomach churned at the thought. But before she even took two steps, Quinn was waving her over, pointing to the empty seat beside her.
Was she serious?
Rachel hesitated and Quinn's brow drew grim with determination. Almost glaring now, she folded her arms across her chest and practically screamed with her eyes for Rachel to take that damn seat next to her.
She wanted to refuse just to refuse. Show in some way she still had control over herself. Quinn hadn't taken everything yet.
When it looked as though she wasn't going to do it, the fierce, glaring hazel eyes softened and Quinn's shoulders fell with disappointment. Rachel felt a twinge of her heart.
Damn her.
The diva made her way up the risers to the back where the couple was and seated herself beside the two blondes with a huff.
She may have agreed to this fool's show, but she wasn't going to make it easy on Quinn in any sense of the word. The girl would know just how much Rachel disapproved of this plan as often as she could remind her.
"Thank you," was all Quinn said, unable to look her in the eye.
Rachel said nothing.
"Yo, Quinn!" Puck laughed boisterously as he sat down a few chairs away. "Finally decided to try out the other hot Jew? Wonder what took you so long?"
"Don't tell me you actually believe that absurd piece of gossip?" she replied loftily with a hint of snide deprecation in her tone.
"Why not? I totally got off on picturing-"
"Don't even go there!" Mercedes held up her hand with revulsion written all over her face.
"That's disgusting," Tina said reprovingly.
Mike was next to her, eyes wide as he now had the visual himself.
"While I understand the euphoria of shopping, girls, was it really necessary to be caught in the dressing rooms?" Kurt interjected. "Are there not more appropriate places for your passionate displays of lady affection?"
"Did the security guards really have to escort you out?" Mercedes asked.
"For goodness sake!" Rachel cried. "There isn't even a Nordstrom's in the mall! And somehow we were caught there? How can you possibly believe a word of what Jacob posted?"
"It really is crap, come on guys," Finn said with a roll of his eyes. "They're obviously not gay."
"You're just saying that cause they both dated you," Artie pointed out.
"It's a good reason!"
"So what if they want sweet lady kisses?" Brittany shrugged. "Everyone deserves to be kissed like that. And maybe Jacob meant H&M cause San I got caught there once-"
"Britts!" Santana cried from the front row.
"Caught doing what?" Tina asked suspiciously.
"Stealing!" the Latina said abruptly before Brittany could answer. "I was trying to shove a bunch of shirts in my bag and we got caught. No bigs. My cuz was the mall cop so he let us off."
"I got to hold his light stick," Brittany nodded.
Everyone stared at her.
"She means his flashlight, you pervs," Santana said exasperatedly. " Now I, for one, believe the rumor is entirely true. Why else would Q be hanging around the dwarf in the first place? Suddenly acting all besties? Ways I see it, it explains everything. Why Finn never got past that pathetic definition of second and Puckerman only got it in her once."
"Must you be so crude?" Kurt grimaced along with Mercedes and Tina.
"Just keeping it real. Those two are bumping fuzzies."
"OH, YOU B-" Quinn started to yell, but Sam's laughter took the wind out of her sails.
She looked at him warily. Everyone else was confused by his seemingly nonchalant behavior as well. Rachel was watching his every move.
Sam just slung his arm across the back of Quinn's chair and stretched his legs out leisurely. Like everything they were saying didn't bother him in the slightest.
"You guys really have no idea what you're talking about," he said, still chuckling.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Santana frowned up at him from her seat.
"Just what I said," he retorted smugly.
No one knew quite what to make of it. Quinn and Rachel caught on fairly quickly to what he was insinuating though. The blonde flushed with embarrassment and Rachel ground her teeth.
"DUDE!" Puck gasped with his mouth open in shock, breaking the silence. "Tell me you're not! You didn't get under that skirt did you?"
"It's none of your business!" Quinn said sharply. "Nor is it anyone else's." She used that opportunity to glare at Sam while he only shrugged.
At that, Mr. Schuester walked in, and everyone had to leave the conversation off for another day.
Rachel was beside herself. She wanted nothing more to punch Sam square in the face.
It took all of two days for Quinn's mother to hear about the rumor, despite the retraction on Jacob's blog. It was still out. It was still in people's heads. The vigorous roundtabling in Glee was only a preview of what was happening in the rest of the school. Still, Quinn held her head high, with Sam on her arm, and Rachel beside her.
She'd been persistent in that aspect. Rachel kept trying to separate herself from them but Quinn wasn't having any of it. Not only would it make it suspicious if their behavior changed after the rumor, seeing a divide between her and Rachel would just lend it a hand, but also Quinn wanted her there as much as possible so the other girl could understand that there was nothing between her and Sam besides sincere friendship. She also just wanted Rachel.
Seeing the three together without discord did help to quell the storm some, but it was still going strong. On the second day, Quinn took Sam aside.
"Okay, since you already insinuated it, without my approval I might add, might as well take it all the way."
"Might help if you tell me just what we're talking about."
"Sex. Us having it. Go ahead, tell your buddies."
"Uh…" He looked around the semi-empty hallway as if some practical joke was being played on him and people were going to jump out with cameras at any moment.
"Just do it," she sighed exasperatedly. "It'll explain why you're not bothered by the rumor as you so well pointed out yesterday. Actually, if it hadn't been so effective in shutting everybody up, I would have kicked you for trying it."
"You sure know how to sound grateful."
"I'm grateful. So go ahead. You have my permission. I'll neither confirm nor deny anything, which should be the seal in and of itself."
"Okay. Fine. When did we first?"
"A few weeks ago."
"That won't fly, we weren't really around each other much. They'll never believe it."
"We had a fight, that's all."
"And what did we fight about?"
She thought about it for a moment. "You…told your Dad about us doing it which led to a very awkward and uncomfortable sit down with your parents to have 'the talk'. I was mad at you for it. They go to church with my family. It could have caused problems."
"Then we made up?"
"Yes, you bought me presents, groveled incessantly, and so on."
"I still don't think this is going to work."
"What?" She frowned. "Why?"
"It's too suspicious," he explained. "This gossip comes out about you and Rachel, then I'm suddenly bragging about us? The guys are gonna think it's total bull. I need proof."
"PROOF?" she all but screeched. "How on earth are am I supposed to prove it short of actually doing the deed in front of everyone? What? Wait till I show up pregnant again? Forget it! This was a stupid idea to begin with."
Sam chuckled at her fuming and slipped his thumbs into the straps of his backpack. "Uh…I was thinking more along the lines of a birthmark, a certain distinctive freckle, or something of the like that can't be seen in a bikini…? Got anything?"
"No!" she said quickly. "Of course not! And how would that help anyway?"
He shifted uncomfortably, obviously not wanting to say it, but Quinn's exasperation was reaching a breaking point. So he finally had to come out with it. "Puck would know. He'd confirm."
Quinn tried to quash down the wave of disgust that rolled through her at the mention of it. She shook her head. "I changed my mind. Don't say anything. I'm not having something…personal like that be fodder for the McKinley rumor mill!"
"I know a way to keep it low-key," he reassured her. "Besides, if Puck hasn't told anyone yet, then why would he start now?"
"Because he forgot to?" she replied dryly.
"Then I'll kick his ass if he does! Just like any boyfriend would. This can work, Quinn. Just tell me."
"Not going to happen."
He sighed. "Think about it this way…what would you rather them talk about? You and Rachel or a hidden birthmark?"
"I don't have a birthmark!" she cried in frustration, but then forced herself to calm down.
He had a point. He really did.
"Okay…fine."
She brought him down to her height and whispered in his ear. Sam's eyes widened slightly, but by the time Quinn saw him again, he was the picture of nonchalance.
"Alright," he nodded, "got it. So all the bases?"
"What?"
"It's important we're on the same page here," he said matter of factly. "Details are necessary. We can't get tripped up in this. Now, are we rounding all the bases or just skipping to home?"
Has he done this before? Cause honestly…
"Ew, God, whatever, Sam. Fine. All the bases. Just keep the crudeness to a minimum and I swear if I hear you're making me out to look like some slutbomb, I will personally see to it that you never have children. Understand?"
"Hey," he said, looking slightly hurt, "real girlfriend or not…I wouldn't do that to you, Quinn. If we were actually…" He shrugged. "I wouldn't have told anyone."
She rolled her eyes, scoffing, "That is such a load of-"
"I'm not kidding. It wouldn't have been anyone's business but ours."
Quinn was a little taken aback by his sincerity. "Well…thank you."
"No problem."
"I-I really mean that, Sam. Thank you."
"Hey, it's not like I'm not getting anything out of this. The whole school's gonna think I've gotten into the nearly untouchable Quinn Fabray's pants. I'm gonna be a GOD!"
She groaned disgustedly and shoved him. "Gross. I am not discussing this with you anymore. Go away."
That afternoon was when Judy Fabray confronted her about Jacob's blog post, having heard it from some members of her church group, and Quinn held her cool until she was out of the room before running for her phone. Sam was there two hours later to have a lovely dinner with his girlfriend and her mother.
As she looked at him across the table, dressed in a polo t-shirt and nicer slacks than usual, his hair combed neatly, Quinn couldn't help but want to hug the boy and never let go. She had no idea what she would have done without him. His calm, collected manner seemed effortless. He wasn't trying too hard, trying just enough as he chattered away politely with her mother.
Sam was wonderful. Why…why couldn't she have loved him? But she did in a way. Not the way he loved her, but she did love him. Never had she had such a friend like him before. Rachel was different. Rachel was her best friend (among many other things), but Sam was a friend in just that sense alone. Perhaps her first real one, one that would last -she could only hope. That is, if he didn't end up hating her for all of this.
"It's terrible what that boy gets away with, making such disgusting accusations. I've half a mind to call the school about this."
"It's fine, Mom," she said diffidently, pushing the food around on her plate halfheartedly with her fork. "No one pays any attention to what that freak says."
Judy looked to Sam, leaning towards him slightly, dripping with the false charm she always put it upon herself to have. "Not that I condone any form of aggressive behavior, sweetheart, but by any chance have you confronted the boy about these heinous lies?"
"I wouldn't exactly call it a confrontation, ma'am, but we did have a very firm discussion about it," he replied. "I'm sure he's seen the error of his ways."
Judy chuckled and went back to her dinner. "Very good."
Quinn looked up at him in surprise. He didn't tell her that. Was that why Jacob put up the retraction?
"Did you really?"
Sam nodded. "Course. He should have known better than to mess with you, Quinn. He just needed the reminder."
She smiled at him gratefully.
"He deserves worse, however," Judy sniffed.
"Mom, really, it's not a big deal. He's a loser, everyone knows it."
"Yes and I suppose it's not all his fault."
"Excuse me?" she replied stiffly, bracing herself for what was sure to come.
"Well, what do you expect, Quinnie? Hanging around that Rachel girl… You only bring trouble on yourself by being associated with her."
"We're just in Glee club together," she said wearily. "That's all."
Her expression soured ever so slightly. "I know how much you like that little singing group, sweetie, but if it's affecting your reputation to such a degree…perhaps you should reconsider. People like that girl, who knows what kind of values she's been taught? It's disgusting what those perverted men have been allowed to do. Adopt a child? It's deplorable what society has lowered itself to today. Now we allow people like that to raise children? No wonder why there are so many problems in the world. They've probably corrupted that girl beyond measure. Don't you agree, Sam?"
He shrugged and gave her a nondescript, tight lipped nod.
Judy shuddered. "Absolutely horrid."
Sam looked to Quinn sympathetically, but her face remained expressionless as ever.