So, here's the next chapter. If you're actually reading this drop me a review, just so I know that in these things I'm not speaking to myself!
I've decided this is going to be a story that really explores Quinn's relationships with everyone, and also everyone elses relationships in turn. Because so many relationships have no ending with Quinn at this moment.
Enough babbling!
"Quinn? You okay?" Mr Schuester asked, staring up at the blonde, who sat gazing dreamily into the back wall, her arms wrapped around her stomach tightly. She hadn't been the same since Sam broke up with her- that was normal. But this was getting a bit extreme.
"What?" she answered, letting her eyes meet his.
And he was shocked. He hadn't seen so much hurt in one person's eyes since the day he saw Puck's when he picked little Beth up out of her hospital crib and put her into Shelby's waiting arms. Even then Quinn just stood silent, her eyes following the baby, but she didn't look as bad as she did in that second.
She just looked dead. There was so much pain behind her eyes. She looked lost, and confused, and hurt and angry.
"I… I asked f you were okay," he said gently, walking over to kneel in front of her.
"I'm fine," she whispered gently, and for a split second he thought she was going to let a tear escape from her eye, but then she stopped, regained her posture, as Santana's laugh, more like a cackle, echoed into the room.
"Quinn…" he began, not believing for one moment what she was saying, something wasn't right, even he could see that and he was just her teacher.
"No really I'm fine, I love glee club," she said, her lips forming a sort of grin, but Will wasn't sure whether it was a grimace or a smile. With the look she gave the four walls, he was sure there was a hint of bitterness there, she was cold.
Yet, her couldn't question her further, because Sam and Santana walked in closely followed by every other member of Glee Club. He just looked her sadly in the eyes as she pushed her hair behind her ear and crossed her legs again, sitting up straight.
"If you want to talk…" he started, before she could sharply shake her head. The hurt from her eyes was gone and instead you couldn't see in. A barrier was up, one he suspected hadn't been down properly since the day Finn told her he was done with her. The choir room still had echoes from that day. The sound of Quinn's crying will stick with every person there that day, as she clutched hold of her bump. The sound of Finn's yell would haunt Quinn whenever she looked at him and then looked back at herself.
"No, I don't want to talk," she said firmly, pushing him away. "Now you better start."
He nodded reluctantly and walked to the front of the class to see where everyone had sat, and he noticed something he hadn't seen before.
She was alone.
Finn sat at the front, just simply staring at the board, occasionally casting an eye back to Quinn, but not for more than a second, before he shook his head and faced the front again. Something had gone on there, everyone could see. Finn was hurt and Quinn was distant.
Mercedes sat by Rachel, pretending to listen to the story about her headband. Will couldn't help but laugh as he saw Mercedes calmly tell her the song was as bad as Finn had said and that there was no way she was going to perform it at regionals with her.
Santana had wrapped herself around Sam so tightly he could barely believe he could breathe. She was whispering something about how they were going to breadstix that night and there was nothing he could do to stop her filling up his backpack with sticks. Sam would occasionally let his one eye wander over to the blonde in the corner, but then he'd remember why it wasn't her sat on his lap, and he'd kiss Santana to silence her.
Mike and Tina sat in a bubble of there own, Tina complaining jokily about Mike's mom and only getting to eat Asian food while Mike tried to work out a dance routine with Brittany, who sat on Artie lap. Artie was just laughing at everything happening in front of him, to happy to look around at anyone.
Puck sat by Lauren in silence, not knowing properly what to say that wouldn't lead to some form of put down. Neither were uncomfortable though, that was just how they went. Some times they'd be talking like there was no tomorrow, mainly arguing, others they'd just sit in silence. Puck would also look at Quinn occasionally, not in the Sam way as Finn or Sam though. When he looked at her, it didn't look like he was seeing her, but a memory instead. Pain and sorrow would show briefly, his arms would get heavy and he'd see a baby sleeping softly in a pink blanket. Then he'd grunt and go back to looking at Lauren, pushing past the memory and back to reality.
Then there was Quinn, sat all alone in the corner. Although people knew she was there, no one would go and talk to her. Finn didn't know where he stood, Sam was still angry, it hurt Puck too much and she'd lost any friendship she'd ever had with anyone else. Even Mercedes and Quinn rarely spoke.
In a crowded room Quinn Fabray was all alone, and Will Schuester knew that he could do nothing to help her.