Ratings and disclaimers from Chapter One apply.
A/N: Thanks for your reading and for your reviews. Warning up for a lot of bad language and some vulgarity in this chapter. Actually, for full effect, the first song that Lauren sings, might be better listened to before if you're unfamilar with it. The link's at the end. And a quick note? I have ZERO idea why this site decided there were two chapters-only one (36) and I can tell that's enough-I don't like spamming readers. It gets boring.
At lunch the next day, after Quinn and Rachel's recounting of what had gone on the previous night, Santana responded dismissively, "You have got to be kidding me. Toni said that shit about being a virgin? Please." She lowered her voice and continued, "If you said hello anywhere near that girl's pussy, there'd be an echo like the Grand Canyon."
Puck barked out a laugh as Rachel sprayed her soy milk on the table.
"Damn, midge."
"Sorry Santana. I wasn't expecting that level of vulgarity."
"You will learn, young padawan," Puck said as he popped a very hefty piece of Rachel's vegan pizza into his mouth.
"That was sort of crude, San."
"Was I wrong, B?"
"Well, maybe not. Like at my sixth birthday party, Toni totally snuck into our room and said she needed a rubber or something and got one of my party balloons we hadn't blown up."
"A fucking balloon? See? At twelve? Already a whore and stupid to boot."
"I guess, kind of. Sorry, Q."
"No damage, believe me."
Finn was still smarting from his drubbing at nearly everyone's hands but the whole 'smart' thing was still elusive for him.
Puck was walking Rachel to class with his arm around her shoulder and as they approached each other, Finn said, "Wow. Didn't take you long, did it bro?"
Puck stared at him "For what? To walk my Jew to class?"
"To move in on her."
"I assure you, Finn, that Noah is walking me to class solely in order to assure that I'm not assailed by slushies, haters or simply people who can't buy a clue, like you."
"Right. That makes you, like, naïve, Rach."
"Really? What does that word mean, Finn?"
"What?"
"You used the word naïve. What does it mean?"
He obviously backpedaled in his mind but came up with, "Something you shouldn't be, Rach."
"Oh. I see. Let me translate. By allowing my friend Noah to walk me to class I'm displaying a lack of understanding, experience and judgement. Or to use another word, I'm credulous to the point that I need your protection?"
"Sort of."
"Your perspicacity never fails to astound me, Finn."
"What she said," Puck said as he gripped Rachel's shoulder and moved past Finn.
Glee!
"Okay, guys! Anyone else on the anger assignment? I gotta say, the breadth of emotion you guys showed really impressed me. I've gotta hand it to Santana for the idea. She knew what she was talking about!"
Will was earnest, which was Will, but Santana was actually pleased by the praise, which she didn't want to admit even facially as Rachel said, "I, too, thought the idea was an amazing one and I'd love to hear more from other members."
"I've got something, Mr. Schue."
"Great, Lauren! Let's hear it."
Lauren handed out the sheet music to the band and the Glee members then stepped firmly into Quinn's seated space, pulled her forward by her uniform and hissed in her ear. "This song is completely for you, bitch,and if you repeat that, I'll end you and you know I can. Understood?"
Quinn nodded vigorously.
Lauren stepped away and said in her usual bored tone, "This is an old school song by Romeo Void. Their singer was another bad-ass big girl so whatever, right?"
The band started and Lauren sang from what seemed to Quinn to reach into the bottom of her own heart.
She's got a face that shows that she knows
She's heard every line
Tenderly she talks on the phone
There's a way to walk that says
"Stay Away!" and a time
To go around the long way
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
There's a time when every girl learns, to use her head
Tears will be saved till they're better spent
There's no time for her to be afraid
So instead, she takes care of business
Keeps a cool head
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
As the saxophone solo took over, Lauren still kept her eyes off Quinn and moved in time to the music, then finished.
She's got a face that shows that she knows
She's heard every line
Tenderly she talks on the phone
There's a way to walk that says
"Stay Away!" and a time
To go around the long way
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
A girl in trouble is a temporary thing
As everyone clapped, Lauren gave the briefest of nods to Quinn, which the girl returned with a small smile.
"Wow. That was really just…powerful, Lauren. I'm—just—I'm blown away!"
"Thanks, Mr. Schue."
"Me too, Lauren," Quinn said quietly.
Rachel piped up, "Lauren, while it's obviously not the grandstand solo one looks for—for competition, let's say?" At this, everyone inwardly or not so inwardly groaned. "I'd truly personally rather hear you sing that again than anything we do in competition."
Lauren looked like she'd been hit in the face with a cold codfish and she swallowed hard before saying, "Seriously?"
"Quite seriously. It was real. Amazingly poignant and brilliantly performed. I applaud you wholeheartedly."
Lauren wanted to murder Rachel daily but she truly respected her talent. The compliment only wanted to make her murder her slightly less but she felt very pleased. "Thanks, midget."
"De nada, as Santana would say, were she feeling civil, which is admittedly rare."
"Frodo, I swear to God, don't make me hurt you."
"As if, Santana."
"Short stack?"
"Santana?"
Rachel turned to her and Santana scowled at her but faced with those big brown eyes? Santana waved a hand, "Whatever. You'll see, hobby. Better watch out, ese."
"I'm not Mexican."
"Okay? Keep it up and you'll def feel some Spanglish after school—wait and see."
Rachel smiled with a complete lack of concern even as Finn frowned and said, "I have something, Mr. Schue."
Will didn't have any illusion that Finn's choice would go well but said, "Great!"
Finn handed out his music and the band began to play as he began to sing:
Under my thumb
The girl who once had me down
Under my thumb
The girl who once pushed me around
As soon as the girls realized what he was singing, every one of them except Quinn, who, couldn't, got up and danced and sang louder than he did.
It's down to me
The difference in the clothes she wears
Down to me, the change has come,
She's under my thumb
Ain't it the truth babe?
Under my thumb
The squirmin' dog who's just had her day
Under my thumb
A girl who has just changed her ways
It's down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what she's told
Down to me, the change has come
She's under my thumb
Ah, ah, say it's alright
Under my thumb
A siamese cat of a girl
Under my thumb
She's the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world
It's down to me
The way she talks when she's spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She's under my thumb
Ah, take it easy babe
Yeah
It's down to me, oh yeah
The way she talks when she's spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She's under my thumb
Yeah, it feels alright
Under my thumb
Her eyes are just kept to herself
Under my thumb, well I
I can still look at someone else
It's down to me, oh that's what I said
The way she talks when she's spoken to
Down to me, the change has come,
She's under my thumb
Say, it's alright.
Say it's all...
Say it's all...
Take it easy babe
Take it easy babe
Feels alright
Take it, take it easy babe.
When the song was over, Will clapped Finn so hard on the shoulder the boy winced. He said in a strained voice, "As you can see from the girls' hearty participation, they really appreciated the irony in your song choice comparing women to animals and second class beings. Thanks for sharing, Finn!"
"Great! I'm glad. Thanks for the help, you guys—or girls!"
Sam, whose mouth was still sort of sore from his root canal, said, "Please excuse my language, Mr. Schue, but you're a complete asshole, Finn. I can't believe you just sang that."
"What? They liked it."
"Ya think? You're calling girls dogs and cats and pets and you think girls think that's funny? Any of these girls? They don't deserve that from you. They drowned you out, dumbass, because they weren't putting up with it."
Finn's face fell, "Really?"
Rachel said, "While it's certainly catchy, the misogyny in the song's hard to miss, Finn."
Finn raised his voice, "You know what? I'm sick of this! Fuck you, Rachel, and your words you know I don't know."
Will stepped forward but Puck leapt in front of him and put a gentle restraining hand on his chest. "Mr. Schue? Please? No."
He turned to Finn, "Lower your voice and don't go there bro. Explain to Finn what you mean, Rachel."
"I'll tell him," Quinn said, "You can't help yourself with your vocabulary, Rach." She turned to Finn and her voice was surprisingly gentle. "Maybe that was a good angry song for you? I respect that. It's a great song, actually. But like Sam said, it's very disrespectful to sing it to any woman you're angry with, Finn, and one of the rules of the exercise was that you weren't supposed to sing angry at someone."
He glared at her.
"Come here, Finn."
He stepped forward with Puck accompanying him. "It's okay, Puck. He won't hurt me."
"Finn? Kneel down and let me tell you something?"
He knelt by her and she offered her arms to him and he hesitated, then hugged her as she wrapped her arms around his head and whispered in his ear. "Stop all this anger, honey. It doesn't help. We're never, ever going to be angry enough, are we?"
He immediately began to cry and Will stepped back and made a cut motion to everyone else and pointed to the door and they all left the room.
Puck and Rachel paused at the door and Quinn looked up at them and gave a slight smile and a jerk of her head that meant she was okay. Puck made a motion that meant they'd be just outside and she nodded.
When Finn lifted his head, he was thankful that no one else but Quinn was in the room, who had tears in her own eyes. He said, "I don't understand so much. I mean, but I want to, you know?"
She looked into his sincere eyes she'd once found so sweet. "Finn. I hurt you and I'm sorry and I'll never be sorry enough but—"
"But Rachel won't even talk to me."
"Let me ask you something and believe me when I say I'm not jealous, Finn. Or not for the reason you'd think. Does this all come down to Rachel?"
He looked at her as if knew he shouldn't half believe her. "Are you playing with me Quinn? I know you're smarter than me. I mean, like Brittany said, I have to know when I'm dumb and I know that you're not."
"I know you know I've played games for most of my life but I promise I'm not playing with you now. I'll be honest with you."
"I just wish she'd give me another chance, Quinn."
She ran her fingers through his hair very tenderly, "That won't happen, sweetie."
"Why?"
"Because she's in love with someone else who's completely and deeply in love with her, too."
"PUCK?"
"Shhh. No, Finn. Not Puck."
He rocked in place "Who?"
She looked at him and said, "Me."
Santana said, "Me and Britts are going to get our crap out of the locker room—if you need us text or just holla and I'll be back here with my brass knuckles."
Rachel's eyes widened, "Do you really have brass knuckles?"
"It's like you're five. I don't need them, hobby. I got fists of steel."
"She sort of does," Puck agreed, "She ever hit you? She's tiny but she punches like a guy."
Brittany shook her head, "If she hit ever Rach, I'd totally cry."
"Not that she doesn't need it hourly but I'm never hitting the hobbit, Britts," Santana said as she held out a pinkie to Brittany, who took it, "We'll be back—keep an ear out."
"Will do."
After a few more minutes went by, Rachel said, "I'm going in there. Noah."
"No deal. Hold up. Let your woman do her mojo."
"She was touching his head."
"But not his little head."
"Eww?"
"Well, okay. Granted? Serious up, if my woman was holding the Frankenhead, I'd kick up a little too."
"She's not my woman."
"She's so your woman."
She glared at him and he met her gaze with nothing but affection. "Alright, Noah. It's true. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Are you kidding me! Think of the extra spank bank material I get out of that. I mean, I can do like fantasy football combos with girls but it's way better when I know it's really going on."
"I don't know why I associate with you."
"Because I'm your Jew and you love me and I love you and you've never had bros except for me and Britts."
She huffed. "While that may be true, Noah, seriously? You're objectifying—"
"Please. Get out of here, Berry. Tell me if you thought about Britts and Santana all hot and naked and lathered up in a shower, you wouldn't…"
"Just stop right there. Fine. Be that as it may, I keep my images of Brittany and Santana fully clothed, thank you."
"Seriously? Why? You're missing half the fun of being a semi-official dude, bro."
Rachel sighed and rested her head on Puck's arm. "I'm worried."
"She's okay and she knows we're out here."
"But I love her."
"I know you do. Me, too."
He knew he didn't even have to say why to her and that understanding was confirmed by her huffing and wrapping her arms around his waist.
Finn took a deep breath. And suddenly everything sort of made a weird kind of sense. "You're gay?"
She nodded.
"So you're not just pranking Rachel?"
"No. Not at all. I'm in love with her."
He thought about that for a few seconds, "So is that what—like—why—you've been so mean for so long—because you've been like mad or sad about it or something?"
She held up a hand. "Kind of? Sort of? I'm going to therapy to understand it, Finn. Only my family and S, B, and Rachel know that. And now you. I really don't mind telling you."
He nodded. And visibly settled, quieted down. "I'm glad, Quinn."
"What?"
"I'm glad. You've always been really mean but you've always seemed so sad."
She nodded at this. Evidently everyone could see through her, to one degree or another. "Are you going to tell everyone?"
"No. I won't tell anyone."
"Why?"
He looked at her and began to cry again but didn't make any movement to wipe his tears or his nose although she desperately wanted to.
"Because? Quinn?" He shook his head. "Hello? Like Brittany said it and she was RIGHT!"
He chuckled bitterly, "You just told me something I didn't fucking know! Something I can actually understand. I understand. It's just been not understanding again and again and again and again that's made me so—whatever the fuck I keep seeming to be with everybody. I mean—damn, I didn't understand why my dad died. I didn't understand Kurt at all for a long-ass time. Or my mom sometimes and now my mom and Kurt and Burt sometimes. I so way couldn't understand you or especially Rachel. I just didn't know, you know?"
His eyes were streaming.
"I just knew it—I promise I felt it—I knew somewhere or somehow I wasn't getting something and it made me so fucking mad and it was too fucking embarrassing to ask. Because what do you ask if you don't know what you don't know or even what the fuck to ask? I just need someone to tell me stuff I need to know. So now I fucking know at least this one thing! And even though you might think it maybe should, it doesn't make me mad at all. I just feel—like happy—like totally relieved or something. Like, finally! FINALLY! Someone finally told me one thing that helps at least some things make sense to me, you know? Something I couldn't ask because I was too stupid to know how to ask."
"You weren't stupid about this, Finn. I didn't understand it either. It was a complete face-palm when I realized it, believe me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I was totally surprised—and then things made so much more sense. So we're sort of on the same page, okay?" She wiped his eyes and nose very tenderly with the white sleeve of her winter uniform, "You have to remember, Finn? And I try to remind myself every night now, before I go to bed? We're growing up but we're still kids. It's okay to be confused and we're not finished products yet."
He smiled and said, "Still on the assembly line, huh?"
"Totally."
"You do know, don't you, this doesn't mean I'm going to change into wonder-boy from clueless asshole overnight, right?" He stared at her hard. "But it won't be for lack of trying, Quinn. Really. I swear."
"We're both trying. And you can always ask me anything, Finn Hudson. Or ask me things you don't even know how to ask. If you're honest and sincere with me, I will always tell you what I think and I will never, ever, ever game you. You deserve to be happier than you are. And I'll never breathe a word of it to another person. I promise you that forever, okay? We owe that to each other, I think, after all we've been through together, don't you?"
He smiled, "Definitely. I'm sorry about the song today."
"It was how you were feeling."
"I don't think I really knew how I was feeling."
"Lots of times I don't either."
"Really?"
"Really. If you want, I'll get you a copy of the same workbook I'm using for my therapy—it's really easy to fill out and it helps you understand things better and I think it's really helping me already."
"Seriously?"
"Absolutely."
"That'd be awesome."
"Friends?"
"Always."
"But that means you ease up on Rachel and respect her, Finn. She's forgiving but it may take time."
"I will. I'm sorry. And thank you."
"Me too. And likewise. Now, Finn? We need to get out to my girlfriend and your bro before they storm in."
"That would suck in a way but it would still be sorta cool."
"Rachel's already too dramatic, Finn."
"Puck's a drama queen, too. I learned that, like, from Kurt."
Quinn smiled and bumped Finn's shoulder as she said stood, "That stays in the vault but I so agree."
As they left the room with swollen eyes, they found Rachel, Puck, Santana and Brittany waiting for them.
Santana was, naturally, the first to speak. "Capitan? Everything okay?"
"Yes."
Finn asked Santana with great hesitation, "Quinn and me are okay. Are we okay?"
Santana looked him over and said, "You should be talking to my hobby but you know what? I'll say this. You didn't hurt my baby. Good for you. Because otherwise you'd be in the E.R. And you didn't hurt Q? Good for you. Hobby? You okay?"
"If Quinn is, I am."
Finn immediately interjected, "I'm really sorry about the song, Rachel."
Rachel actually sort of wanted to claw him but something about Quinn's demeanor said to be gentle. "I accept your apology. No one knows better than I that sometimes emotions are better expressed in song."
"Still, it really sucked now that Sam explained it and you didn't deserve it."
"I didn't but life is like that. I've been on the receiving end of a lot I haven't deserved. It doesn't bother me as much as it might bother someone like, say, you."
That was a direct dig he understood but he accepted it. "You're right, Rachel. Sorry again."
Puck decided it was time to lighten up. He punched Finn in the shoulder gently, "Okay, cowboy. COD and some nachos up in my house, bro?"
Finn smiled and nodded.
Puck winked at the girls and said, "Let's not even ask these chicks. I know they don't wanna play."
"I know, right? The hottest girls in school are all playing for a better team."
Santana raised her fist, "Five for that, Hudson."
He knuckle bumped with her and said, "Thanks, Santana."
"Just keep it real and keep your ego between the ditches with Q and Frodo and we're golden. Britts, on the other hand?"
"You don't have to say anything about that because I'd like to keep both hands or my face or private parts or stuff. I understand the 11th commandment."
"Good to know. And this concludes a pretty sickening love-fest. Get going penis-positives. We penis-negatives gots places to go."
"Whoa. That's sorta hot."
"Noah!"
As they walked to the parking lot, Brittany put an arm around Rachel and they were whispering as Quinn and Santana walked behind them.
Santana said quietly, "You know what this means don't you?"
"What?"
"Them?"
"They're ridiculously cute?"
"That, too, but we gotta stay on the up and up because those two? Please? We don't act right? We get kicked to the curb for a submarine mechanic."
Quinn snickered. "Think so?"
"Know so. And that'd leave just me and you and though I've already admitted I'd sort of love to tap you just once, I'm engaged now, so that possibility's gone forever. I know that's gotta hit you hard."
Two seconds went by. "Wait. Now what? The fuck? You're engaged?"
"Yeah, me and Britts decided. We're serious up going to Massachusetts and getting married when we're eighteen. For some reason she's always wanted to see Boston—I thinks it's mostly because she totes likes baked beans and shit —so two birds, one stone, right?"
"No way."
"Way."
Quinn, who'd had enough emotion for a month in the last hour, instantly broke into tears, threw her crutches on the ground and pulled Santana into a hug. "That's fantastic!"
Brittany and Rachel heard the sound, turned and rushed toward them.
"What's wrong? San?"
"I told her about us—us us."
Rachel looked perplexed and Brittany smiled as she said, "Oh Rach, I'm so sorry—we were so busy about that whole ballast problem with our sub I forgot to tell you. Me and San are getting married when we're eighteen."
Rachel did nothing by halves. She leapt into Brittany's arms and began to cry as well. "OH MY GOD!"
"Does that mean good, Rach?" Brittany said as she held a sobbing Rachel.
"Are you kidding? It's wonderful! We have to have food! We have to celebrate! Drink alcoholic beverages!" She thought about that for a second, "In moderation!"
Santana pried herself away from Quinn, "Short stack—it's two years away."
"Who cares? I'm calling my Dad right now. A party's best when impromptu."
"Are you serious?" Santana said. "We haven't even told our parents."
Rachel's face fell, "Oh. Will they not be supportive?"
"Of course they will. Our daddy and papi will say what took you so long."
"Fantastic! Should we invite them?" Quinn shook her head very gently no at Rachel. Rachel took the clue. "Or how about this! It'll be a secret just between us and let's just let it be us for right now. I understand your parents should have their own special commemoration when you inform them of this joyful event."
Quinn smiled as Rachel phoned her father and they all watched her in something like shock as she said, "Dad? Are you busy? No? Good. You will never believe the news I've just received! Brittany and Santana have become engaged to marry when they turn eighteen and as you know most parents would say that's too young to make such a commitment but you've met them and you know it's completely destined to be so I was thinking it might be nice to have a tiny little dinner tonight in their honor because no one knows except for us which makes it that much more exciting and I'm thinking finger foods and then they can have some meat entrée and I'll eat whatever and you can cut the celebratory glass of wine in third with water like you do during Shabbos."
Santana asked Quinn, "Did she even breathe during that?"
"I don't think she had to."
"Wow. Great breath control. Comes in handy."
"What do you mean? For singing?"
"No. You'll find out."
"If that was sexual—"
"When isn't it?"
"I'm killing you one day."
"No you're not. You'd miss me, mi hermosa."
"I would. Te amo."
Santana sang, "Then she put her hand around my waist."
"We're SO going to burn them with Rihanna."
"To the ground."
And suddenly it occurred to Rachel as she rang off with her father, "Oh my goodness. Sorry. But my dad is absolutely and completely beside himself. More than me if you can believe it. There may be party hats and kazoos involved. I never know with him. But I didn't ask? Can you come over for your engagement party tonight?"
Santana looked at Brittany and Rachel's wildly excited faces and had to laugh. "We wouldn't miss it for the world. Would you, Q?"
"Only if Mom can come."
Rachel clapped her hands. "This will be EPIC!"
A/N: I love both of these songs, especially Girl in Trouble. The video sucks but the song lives on for me.
Again, pretend there's something call You...tube...cut and paste
Romeo Void: A Girl In Trouble
.com/watch?v=R_3qHLsZUws
Rolling Stones: Under My Thumb
.com/watch?v=nYYTLJ8YHi4
A huge shout-out, with my dearest love and respect today to the fallen and still fighting men and women who keep me free to indulge in a hobby like fanfiction. Most of the people in the world aren't as lucky as I am because of them. Thank you.