A/N: Right, it's been a few months now, sorry about that. I haven't given up but it's just taking ages to find inspiration for this story and I'd be lying if I said I had a clear idea of what was going to happen next but I'll keep going. I enjoy writing this and getting the chapters out so I'll try and be a bit better next year… Anyway, Happy New Year! Have a good one and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Reviews are always lovely so click that little button below and give me your comments if you feel that way inclined…
Quinn entered the history room to find Finn sitting on her desk facing to Rachel, the couple sat talking with annoyingly soppy looks on their face, Finn beaming dopily at every word that tumbled from the brunette's mouth and Rachel gazed back with a hopeful kind of gratitude, as if she were thanking him for asking her out, as though that deserved some kind of recognition and reward, Quinn gritted her teeth at the thought. She reached the table and gave a violent and intrusive cough to signal her arrival before shooting a death glare at Finn.
"You're sat on my desk." She said icily. The boys face fell and he seemed to shrink back in fear. Quinn had to suppress a grin, being HBIC really did have its upsides and being able to intimidate a boy nearly twice her size was definitely one of them.
"Uh yeah, right, sorry." He slid off the desk before looking back at Rachel and smiling again. "See you after class." He said with a grin before kissing the diva's cheek and striding across to his desk. Quinn glared at him before sitting down in her seat and pulling out her notebook and pen with unneeded aggression. Rachel had blushed at Finn's kiss and had taken to staring at the blank page in front of her, not attempting to voice her usual greeting. Quinn took a deep calming breath and looked over at the now crimson faced diva.
"Morning" she said as brightly as possible. Rachel looked up at her nervously.
"Hey" Quinn gave her a reassuring smile which seemed to put the girl at ease.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine thanks, how about you?"
"Never better" Quinn said with a playful smirk, Rachel diverted her eyes once again.
"Did you finish the essay?" the brunette asked without looking at Quinn
"Yeah, it took ages though. You?"
"Of course I did, it did take a rather long time though; I nearly ran out of time to post my daily myspace video." Quinn dropped her eyes back onto her work at this point, she'd forgotten about the myspace videos, after all; who went on myspace anymore?
"Oh right," the conversation died along with Quinn's confidence.
"Hey Rach!" Finn called from his seat beside Puck. Quinn didn't look up to glare at the boy this time she just stayed staring down at her notebook. "Was that essay in for today?" Quinn would have rolled her eyes if she'd have been listening but instead she was too consumed in her own thoughts. She needed to make it up to Rachel, just hanging out outside of school and apologising wouldn't cut it, Finn started on a blank slate but she had to wipe hers off before she could get anywhere serious with the diva. The teacher entered and the lesson began and ended as usual, another essay set and most of the jocks in detention for not completing the last one.
"See you at lunch Rach?" Quinn said as the class began to file out the door. The brunette's face fell slightly as she turned to Quinn.
"I said I'd eat with Finn today, maybe we can meet after school or something?" Rachel said with a small smile hoping the compromise would be acceptable. Quinn didn't even attempt to cover her disappointment as her face fell.
"Oh, cool, yeah 'course. See you later then perhaps." And with that she grabbed her bag and left as Finn approached their table with a grin. She knew they wouldn't be meeting after school, she had Cheerios and Rachel would no doubt be busy with homework and singing practice or seeing Finn, she'd have to be content with just seeing her tomorrow in class and then Glee although even that thought wasn't too comforting; sure she'd see Rachel but with a side helping of Finn.
"Bye Quinn" Rachel said before focusing back on the oversized boy who obediently took her books and then her hand. Quinn left the room without turning back to see Rachel follow her out of the room with a regretful glance.
Lunch and Rachel met Finn on one of the picnic tables just outside the canteen; Quinn was gazing at the brunette, completely unnoticed, through one of the large windows that lined the crowded room's walls. She gritted her teeth as the seconds dragged on and Finn was nowhere to be seen, if he didn't turn up soon then she'd go out and sit with the diva and then hunt him down and berate him for standing the girl up.
"Where the hell is Finn? Rachel's all alone out there waiting for the idiot." Quinn spat without looking away from the window.
"Seriously Q, it's 3 minutes into lunch will you just calm the fuck down, if you're that bothered then go sit with her." Santana returned in annoyance, the blond didn't look at her to respond.
"I can't go sit with her, she's meeting Finn, it'd be weird."
"And staring at her isn't? You're acting like some kind of stalker." Quinn's head snapped round to shoot a death glare at Santana.
"I'm not a stalker," she snapped.
"Well stop staring."
"I'm no-"
"Don't deny it Fabray, if you were anymore obvious the astronauts'd be able to tell." Santana shot back with a smirk.
"But we're inside..." Brittany commented with a puzzled look. Santana turned to her and gave her a reassuring look, placing her hand softly of her leg.
"I was just joking B" the closeted couple shared a warm glance before Santana turned back to Quinn. "But seriously Q, stop staring, desperate is not a good look."
Quinn's face fell in remorse "I just care about her and I don't want Finn messing her around." Santana sighed as Quinn's face fell further, she honestly didn't know what to suggest, Brittany and her had always been friend's and their relationship just progressed naturally, they didn't need to pursue each other or worry about losing each other because it just happened and they both wanted it. She didn't have a clue on how to go about winning a heart from the clutches of an ex-lover especially when the owner of that heart happened to be one Rachel Berry, the girl inhabiting the sub-basement of the school hierarchy. Before she could decide how to reply however Brittany had wrapped her arm around Quinn in comfort and squeezed her shoulder.
"You'll win her over" the tall blond said in a surprisingly self-assured tone. Quinn leant her head on Brittany's shoulder briefly in thanks before the embrace ended.
"Yeah, it's not like he's big competition anyway, I'm pretty sure I saw him copy off Puck in a math test." Santana added for good measure getting a small smile of Quinn. They held her attention for another minute or so before she looked back out the window and found Finn now sitting across the table from Rachel who was explaining something while she arranged her lunch on the table before her.
Quinn watched the exchange with disappointment, she sort of wished Finn had forgotten so she'd have an excuse to go and sit with Rachel. She stayed reasonably quiet for the rest of lunch, glancing out the window at Rachel every other minute or so before the bell rang and all the students, including Rachel and Finn, made their way towards their respective classrooms for the rest of the day's lessons.
After practice Quinn settled down to the homework that had been building up over the week as usual. She'd just finished a chapter of calculus and was halfway through writing up the lab they'd done in Biology last Thursday when her phone vibrated on the desk beside her. She picked it up and read Rachel's name on the screen, a smile over taking her face.
Up to much? Rach x
It was a pretty bog standard text, nothing too interesting but generic was better than nothing. Especially when generic texts imply boredom which implies that the brunette was not with Finn or better still was with Finn but was bored. Quinn smiled before realising that she was reading way too much into it and needed to reply.
Just doing some homework, nm, you? Q x
That was sort of a lie now since all thoughts of homework had disappeared with the text.
Sounds fun! =P I'm actually really bored, doing nm at all. I'd ask you to come over but I don't want to distract you from your homework and I think you're still grounded although that's debateable given that you were at a party last week. Rach x
Quinn smiled at the length of the text, it was so typically Rachel.
Thanks for the essay, and you're a good distraction =) Q x
It was hardly an essay and I doubt your teachers would agree that I am a good distraction Rach x
Quinn's grin increased.
Well I just won't tell them then Q x
As soon as the text was sent the sound of a car engine rumbling onto the drive could be heard. The blond got up from her desk chair and walked to the window to see her mother's car pull up onto the driveway. Quinn looked back at the clock hanging on the opposite side of the room, it was only 7 o'clock; her mother wasn't due back for at least another half hour. She quirked an eyebrow before her phone echoed against the hardwood of the desk and all thoughts of her mother disappeared, it's not like her mother's arrival made any difference to her.
I don't want to be responsible for a drop in your grades Rach x
Quinn's eyes rolled around in another perfect loop of disbelieving humour.
You're such a drama queen Rach, I'm sure my grades will survive one night's missed homework Q x
There was a knock at her door and Quinn nearly dropped her phone at the surprise.
"Quinnie?" Her mother's voice floated in through the pristinely white door, sounding almost unsure.
"Yes?" came the younger blonde's curt reply. The door opened with a sharp click and the sound of wood brushing against thick pile carpet revealing her mother dressed in a tailored skirt, pale blue shirt and blazer, straight from the office and her robotic job.
"How's the homework going?" She asked with an irritating sense of familiarity, as if she asked this sort of question of her daughter ever evening, as if she cared how it was going. Quinn didn't gratify her with an audible answer and just a raised eyebrow; her mother's face seemed to fall minutely before that fake mothering smile reappeared more perfect than before. "I just came to tell you that your father is having a client over for dinner this evening." Quinn's eyebrow rose further, why did she need to know this, it wasn't as though she'd be needed or that she'd make any trouble. Judy answered her daughter's wordless question "He'd like for you to be there." Of course, it would look bad to have a girl shut upstairs, imprisoned in her room while you were entertaining some important client.
"Sure he would." Quinn replied turning back to her laptop and the homework that now seemed like a great distraction.
"Of course he does Quinn" Judy replied with the same familiarity.
"Don't lie mother, he doesn't want me there like he doesn't want me in the house anymore; I've only lasted this long because it would look bad to kick me out. Stop pretending you care, I'm over it." She took a deep breath to contain the tear threatening to escape from her eye as she gazed without seeing at the screen before her. She wanted so much for her mother to tell her it wasn't true, to say she loved her and that it was ok, she was ok being who she was, that her faults didn't matter to her. Judy lingered in the doorway as though silently debating with herself, deciding whether to give into that foreign emotion pulling in her chest or just stay out of it.
"Quinn," her mother breathed before pausing, unsure of how to continue. The debate was cut off by the ignorant buzz of her phone against the desk, closing off the subject. "You shouldn't be using that, you're grounded" Judy said without making any sort of move to confiscate the object. Quinn silently closed her eyes and resigned herself once again to give up on her mother. The older blond turned and walked from the room closing the door behind herself shutting Quinn back in with her disappointment, not wishing to face the guilt it carried.
I'll make it easier for you, Finn's just come over. Enjoy the homework =P Rach x
Quinn threw the phone at her bed; it rebounded of the cushion with a dull thud before skidding across the duvet and falling to the floor. Her night had suddenly taken a turn for the worse, dinner with her parents and as if that wasn't bad enough she'd now have to sit through the meal knowing that Finn was probably running his huge hands all over Rachel. What had she done to deserve this?
"Can I offer you a drink Mr Brownson? A Beer? some wine? a gin and Tonic? or maybe something a little stronger?" Judy offered as Quinn came down the stairs.
"Please, it's Richard and a gin and tonic would be lovely thank you." Came a deep and rather eloquent voice. Quinn took a deep breath before entering the room drawing the attention of the 3 current inhabitants of the room. She gave her mother a meek look, avoided her father's eyes and gave a shy smile to Mr Brownson.
"Richard, this is my daughter Quinn" Russell said with a faint sense of pride, standing up to direct Richard's attention. Quinn turned to her father with a slightly puzzled look; she hadn't expected to hear anything close to pride in her father's voice. She turned, recovering, in order to give their visitor a warm smile. He was about 45 with a quickly thinning head of brown hair, a large man although not fat, well-built rather like her father and equally as disguised.
"A pleasure to meet you Quinn," he said warmly taking her hand and giving it a delicate shake before turning to Russell "takes after her mother doesn't she?" Russell smiled before taking his seat again.
"She does indeed" he said taking his drink from Judy who had just walked in carrying a tray with 3 crystal cut glasses balanced upon it.
"Well you certainly have a fine family Russell" Richard said whilst taking his drink. "Thank you Judy, have her trained well don't you Russ" he said with a wink. Quinn had to supress the look of disgust that threatened to creep onto her face. Of course he'd have the same attitude as her father, she didn't know why she'd expected any different all of their friend's lived similar existences, why would clients be any different? The past few weeks of separation from her parents had actually been refreshing, it was strange how much the world view differed to that of her parents, or rather her father. Women were actually allowed to have their own views on things and live alone without a man to take care of. Not that Quinn thought it was bad to live with a man and do things for him, more that it was right to expect equality, a shared work load. Judy gave a clearly forced chuckle to Richard's poor joke. The amount of fakery in the room was quite astonishing to Quinn; surely they could all see that this wasn't real, that everyone was doing their best to appear perfect and falling miserably short.
"I do indeed" her father replied with a smile, taking a rather large gulp from his drink.
"Excuse me I have to go and check on the dinner" Judy said with a slight bow of the head. This evening would be almost comical if it wasn't for the fact that this was actually how the Fabray's live.
"Go and help your mother Quinn" Russell commanded, Quinn complied, eager for an excuse to escape the room. Upon entering the kitchen she found her mother taking another swig from a now half empty glass of what appeared to be brandy before bending back over the oven to check on the large piece of beef that was currently roasting in the oven.
"Do you need any help?" Quinn asked emotionlessly. Judy looked up at her daughter slightly startled and that's when Quinn caught sight of a sheen covering her eyes. She felt her heart tug slightly "Are you ok mum?" she said without thinking, cursing herself for caring. Her mother blinked and sucked in some air before turning back to the oven and replacing the door. She stood back up and took another drink without looking at her daughter, finishing off the amber liquid.
"Yes, go and see if the men would like anything else to drink." She said clearly looking for an excuse to get rid of her. Quinn paused, she didn't want to leave her mother, she'd never seen her showing any actual emotion before and now she was expected to return to her father acting as though nothing was happening.
"Mum are you sure you're-"
"I said go!" the older blond snapped turning to face her daughter with her still shinning eyes. Quinn's face passed from startled to hurt to indifferent.
"Right, ok" she left the room in complete confusion entering back into the living room and the obnoxious guffaws of the two men sitting inside it. "Would you like another drink sir?" she offered after they had calmed down.
Richard turned around with a proud smirk still plastered to his face "yes please" he replied simply. Quinn looked expectantly at her father who nodded his agreement.
"When will dinner be ready?" he somehow managed to sound proud through the mundane question.
"I don't know" Quinn answered with an air of defiance as though testing her father in front of their guest.
"Well find out then" he warned. Quinn turned and walked from the room without another look.
Her mother was already pouring out more drinks as she entered the room; it seemed that alcoholism was synonymous with being rich in the world her parents lived in. "Here you go" Judy said handing the tray to Quinn.
"They want to know when dinner will be ready" Quinn said with her now practiced air of indifference.
"I'm about to serve it now and lose that tone"
"What tone?"
"That tone, we're trying to impress Mr Brownson not expose him to your inadequate manners."
"I got them from you" Quinn shot back, Judy looked hurt for a miniscule, fleeting moment before her face turned cold once more.
"It's being served" she said as though erasing the last few seconds of conversation. Quinn exited the room with the drinks tray and a darker mood. She handed Richard the drink and then placed the tray in front of her father who was now engaged in a conversation about the state of the economy and how his company had managed to avoid the worse of it.
"So when will dinner be ready?" Russell asked taking his drink from the tray.
"It's being served now" Quinn replied from her seat on an elegant yet uncomfortable armchair across from the two men.
"Good" her father replied curtly before turning back to his guest and rising from his seat. "If you'd like to follow on into the dining room" he said gesturing to the dark wood double doors at the opposite end of the room. Quinn went back into the kitchen to help her mother take the food through as her father continued to schmooze his guest with scenes of a house lifted from the pages of an expensive interior design magazine.
Two bottles of wine, a bottle of gin and the better part of a cow later the adults seemed to be in a world of their own, one of blissful pride and arrogant scorn for anything below their own perceived station. Quinn was trying to decide how best to escape and disappear back into the haven that was her room, the guise of homework looking like her best bet.
"Sorry but I wonder if-" she started after detecting what seemed like a lull in the conversation.
"Quinn knows the Berry girl, she's in her year. Isn't she Quinn" Russell Fabray announced. Of course the Berry's would have to come up; it wouldn't be a true Fabray meal without a few condemning, ignorant words on the matter. "She's a bit funny isn't? Not like the other students, they've probably passed on their disease." He stated matter-of-factly to Richard who was now also in that sixth drink state of self-righteousness, hanging on Russell's every word on the subject. The whole conversation had become almost comical, words were being slurred and Quinn, who had remained totally sober throughout the meal, had given up on trying to follow their last topic of conversation that seemed to have been plucked from thin air and discussed to death.
Russell and Richard were both looking at her expectantly; she shot her mother a glance across the table, Judy had given her a slightly concerned look before diverting her eyes when she saw that her daughter was looking at her. Typical, no help found there.
"Um yes, she's in my year." Quinn answered turning back to Richard who was still looking at her expectantly, she dredged back through her memory to see what else needed to be said in reply to her dad's questions. 'She's a bit funny?' well that's true enough, Quinn thought, she is definitely different but that's what's good about her, she's not afraid to be different and stand out. "She does stand out from the crowd I suppose. But she has a boyfriend." Quinn offered, sticking up for Rachel in part. Richard's eyebrows raised slightly before he turned back to Russell.
"A boyfriend? They're getting better at disguising themselves." Quinn had to choke back her laughter at this point, it came out as a sort of spluttering cough, she tapped her chest with her fist twice before taking a drink of water to divert the attention away from herself before wiping her eyes discreetly. Oh the irony of the situation, her dad was as blind as anyone else when it came to these things, his own daughter had been crushing on a girl for over a year and her two best friends that had been coming over to regularly since preschool had been in some sort of relationship for as long as she could remember. This however was unknown by the other 3 people sat at the table and so the travesty continued. "Who is he?" Russell asked sounding slightly intrigued. This should be fun, Quinn thought.
She took another sip of water before simply replying "Finn". Her father's face contorted in a sort of embarrassed anger. Richard on the other hand was confused as he had no idea who any of the people being discussed were and by the look on Russell's face it didn't seem likely that he would be enlightened.
"Indeed" Russell replied with an air of finality. Quinn looked at the clock, it was 10.30 and she had to be up at 6 for Cheerio's practice.
"May I please be excused, it's quite late and I have school tomorrow" Quinn stated getting up from the table without waiting for a reply. That revelation would probably cost her tomorrow but it was worth it to shut her father's obnoxious and self-righteous rambling up. She turned to her mother with an obviously fake smile "Thank you for dinner" she said curtly before making her exit from the room.
Quinn flopped down onto her bed and released a long sign before kicking off her shoes and rolling over and reaching for her phone that was still lying on the floor after she had thrown it in frustrating earlier that evening. She had a message from Santana and one from Puck which she deleted without reading, no doubt some arrogant proposition for the evening, before opening the one from Rachel.
Finish your homework? Rach x
The message was from 8.52, Finn's visit must have been a short one, less than two hours, slightly pathetic compared to Quinn's visits that usually exceeded 4 hours. Rachel must have gotten bored of the slug quite quickly. She debated replying, the diva would probably be in bed by now as her daily routine began at some ridiculous hour however it would be ruse not to answer her question.
No I had to have dinner with my parents Q x
She allowed the phone to flop out of her hand and land a few inches away from her head before getting up with a long exhale of air and entering her bathroom to get ready for bed.
When Quinn returned to her bed, teeth freshly cleaned and dressed in an old T-shirt and shorts, to find her phone lit up with another message. She fell back down onto the bed, picking up the phone in one clean movement. She rolled onto her back and opened the message.
I thought they were ignoring you? Rach x
I wish. My dad had a client over so we had to play happy families for the night -_- Q x
There was a bang as the front door closed below Quinn, she looked over at the clock, 10.55, she needed to sleep. Quinn put her phone on the white bedside table in front of her before climbing under the covers and switching off her light. She listened carefully to the noises downstairs, cutlery and china could be heard tapping lightly together as the dishes were cleared. Her phone vibrated once more against the bedside table and she stretched out to grab it.
Did it go alright? Rach x
As well as dinner with your parents who ignored you for the past month can go Q x
As she sent the text Quinn heard the heavy footsteps of her father on the stairs. She turned off her phone and put it under her pillow in case her father decided to intrude. The footsteps grew closer until the floorboard just outside her room creaked and the door handle was pushed slowly down with an unwilling groan. The door opened with the familiar brush of carpet against unpainted wood and the looming, backlight figure of Russell Fabray appeared in the doorway.
"Are you awake?" he asked loudly, stepping further into the room. Quinn didn't reply so he turned on the main light causing the young blond to sit upright and rub her eyes in response to the intruding light.
"What are you doing?" she cried in annoyance, "I've got school tomorrow, I need to sleep!"
"You should have thought about that before you decided to embarrass me in front of Mr Brownson!" Russell's voice boomed.
"I didn't embarrass you!" Quinn shot back in earnest.
"Well then why is it I find that you have allowed your boyfriend to associate himself with the Berry girl? Are you purposefully trying to ruin the name of Fabray?" Quinn looked at her father with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Of course not, you're being ridiculous! I'm not in control of Finn or Rachel-"
"I told you not to use her name!" Russell interrupted. Quinn made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat.
"You can't tell me whose name I can and cannot use!" She yelled.
"I can and I will, I'm your father and you will do as I say!" Russell yelled back with his superior air.
"That's crap! I won't follow you blindly, especially not when I know that you're wrong!"
"How dare you say I'm wrong, I wouldn't lead you astray! I want what's best for you and it would be best for you to ignore the Berry girl."
"Best for who? Your or me?" Quinn spat back.
"You of course, her father's life is sinful and you shouldn't be associated with it." Russell paused slightly before answering which only angered Quinn more.
"Just what I thought, it would make you look bad if I was friends with someone with two gay dad's."
"It's sinful!" Russell returned.
"It's sinful to hate someone and judge them. Love your neighbour dad!" Quinn shot back. Russell seemed to deflate slightly much to the surprise of Quinn who had expected to be grounded for at least a year after this outburst.
"I don't want you seeing her. Obey your parents." He said with a lowered voice before turning around and leaving the room and a wide eyes Quinn behind him. That went much better than she had anticipated. She thought the screaming match would have continued for a lot longer, fuelled by alcohol and anger however that was relatively painless. She wasn't grounded, her phone was still under her pillow and more importantly she was still in her bed, in her house. Was her dad going soft? Did he actually care about her?
Quinn was still sat staring wide eyed and shaken at the outline of her door, warm, dim light filtering in around it, ten minutes later. She took a deep breath before laying back and resting her head on the pillow and rolling over to sleep. It was a strange day, not good but not really bad either, an indifferent day but a step up from the miserable days that had been washing over her for the past month or so.