Chapter 8
"Don't tell me you and Britt are still fighting?"
"Good morning to you too Fabray," Santana snaps, a frown on her face at the blonde's first words to her, watching her hop onto the picnic table next to her.
"Morning Lopez!" Quinn says, a huge grin on her face, making Santana roll her eyes and nudge her best friend with her elbow, "But seriously S, you're still arguing? It's been two days."
"What makes you think we're still fighting?"
"Well, she's not here with you. That never happens; you guys always come to school together. Besides, you look like someone just told you that you're off the Cheerios," Quinn shrugs, raising an eyebrow challengingly at the Latina, whose sigh concedes her defeat.
"You're right. She hasn't talked to me since Friday night. No reply to my texts, my calls. Nothing," Santana sighs, shaking her head, sadness clear in her eyes.
"You still don't want to talk about it?"
"No, Quinn."
"Okay. Whenever you're ready," Quinn says, an understanding smile on her face as she put one arm around Santana's shoulders, squeezing her comfortingly.
"Thank you..."
Santana and Quinn sit in amicable silence, watching the other students walk into the school, eyes narrowing if someone dared to look at them too long.
"Morning!"
Santana and Quinn jump in surprise at the voice behind them, not even getting a chance to turn around before Brittany's standing in front of them, her signature smile on her face.
"God, B, you scared me!" Quinn says, playfully smacking her arm.
"Sorry Quinnie," Brittany grins.
"It's okay," Quinn laughs, "And I sure hope one of those coffees are for me," The blonde says seriously, eyeing the four cups of hot beverages that Brittany was holding.
"Yes it is," Brittany says, handing one cup to Quinn, before turning to Santana, "Just the way you like it," Brittany smiles, handing a cup to Santana, who sends a weak smile in return.
"Who's the fourth cup for?" Quinn questions, carefully taking a sip out of hers.
"Phoenix. We're waiting for her right?" Brittany questions.
"Yep, she should be here any minute," Quinn answers.
"She seemed...nice, didn't she?" Brittany asks with a thoughtful smile, making Santana frown. The blonde continues to sip her coffee, oblivious to Santana's reaction or simply ignoring it.
"She is. Nice," Quinn smiles, nodding in agreement.
"Britt, can I talk t-"
Santana's words are cut off by the revving of an engine, as the three cheerleaders look up just in time to see a motorcycle drive into the parking lot, putting a smile on Quinn's face.
"Who's that?" Brittany asks curiously.
"That's Phoenix," Quinn answers, one side of her mouth turned up in a smile.
"Seriously?" Santana scoffs, one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Yep."
Santana and Brittany squint to confirm the identity of the person on the motorcycle and as it comes closer, it's pretty apparent that the person behind the large aviators and the helmet is indeed the girl in question.
Phoenix rides till the parking closest to the cheerleaders, ignoring the obnoxious glances she was attracting, cutting the engine off when she's parked. She unclips her helmet, pulling it off, before running a hand through her hair, shooting a quick smile in Santana, Brittany and Quinn's direction. The redhead quickly grabs backpack from the side of the motorcycle, pushing her aviators on top of her head, helmet tucked underneath her arms, backpack slung over one shoulder as she walked towards the cheerleaders.
"Good morning," Phoenix says when she's within hearing distance, a smile on her face.
"Morning Nix," Quinn smiles, causing Santana to look at her in confusion.
A nickname for someone who she had just met for the first time barely two days ago?
That was so unlike the Quinn Fabray she knew.
"This is for you," Brittany grins, handing Phoenix her coffee, "I don't know what you like, so it's just a cappuccino."
"Oh, thank you Brittany," Phoenix blushes, "This is really sweet of you. And my favorite is a latte with a shot of vanilla," Phoenix winks.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time," Brittany smirks.
"Already prepared for a next time, huh?"
"Hey, I owe you a correct coffee at least once!" Brittany laughs.
"Before that, I'm the one that owes you an ice-cream."
"A triple sundae with extra chocolate sauce?" Brittany asks excitedly.
"Whatever you want," Phoenix promises, an adoring smile on her lips.
"Okay bunnies, before we can't snap you two out of it," Quinn starts, causing the other three to look at her weirdly, "What's your locker number Phoenix?"
"Uhh, 127 I think?"
"Great, that's just across ours," Quinn says, "Let's go now."
"Okay," Phoenix agrees easily, "Thanks again for the coffee Brittany."
"No problem!"
Phoenix and Brittany walk a little ahead of Quinn and Santana, the blonde taking up all of Phoenix's attention with stories about all the teachers at McKinley.
"You'll get a chance to talk to her later San. She got you coffee, she couldn't be that pissed off," Quinn whispers in Santana's ear, making the latter sigh.
"I don't know Q...I hope you're right," Santana says quietly, looking unsurely between her best friend and the redhead.
Brittany quickly manages to include Quinn and Santana in the conversation too and as the four girls walk towards their lockers, Phoenix falters when she suddenly realizes exactly what Quinn meant by her earlier comment.
My god, Fabray.
Bunnies.
"So, what do you have now?" Santana asks.
As apprehensive she wanted to be towards Phoenix for coming out of nowhere and obviously charming the pants off her two best friends, Santana couldn't help but be curious about the redhead. She seemed to have this mysterious energy to her that even Santana couldn't help but being attracted towards.
"AP English," Phoenix answers.
"Cool, that's just from across the gym," Santana answers.
"You guys have cheerleading practice first thing in the morning?" Phoenix questions, disbelief evident in her tone.
"Totally, Coach is extremely strict about these things," Brittany says.
"More like way too tightly wound up," Quinn mutters under her breath.
"I thought you guys like cheerleading?" Phoenix asks in confusion.
"No, we do like cheerleading," Quinn defends.
"We just don't always like it with Coach Sylvester," Santana finishes.
"Well, I guess that does make sense," Phoenix laughs.
As the four girls turn around the corner, all their unimportant things already stashed in their lockers, Phoenix comes to startling stop as she sees the scene in front of her.
One large football player, flanked by two others, walks towards Kurt Hummel, a large cup in his hand. Kurt shuts his locker and looks up just in time for a cold, hard slushie to hit him in the face, leaving his clothes and dignity soaked.
"A refreshing morning, isn't it, fag?" The football sneers.
Phoenix takes a step towards Kurt as the football players, her jaw clenched. Nothing set her off more than derogatory insults towards someone who didn't deserve it. However, before she could move any further, there was a hand on her arm holding her back. The redhead looked up to meet Quinn's eyes, who simply shook her head.
"Don't get into it," Quinn states.
"What the hell Quinn? He can't just do that," Phoenix says indignantly.
"Phoenix, it's been happening for as long as I can remember. No one stops them, not even the teachers. Please don't get into it," Quinn reasons.
"But Q-"
"Quinn's right," Santana pipes up, "Don't get involved. It's not your fight."
"Fine," Phoenix gives up, knowing that it was pointless to argue with them right now and besides, Kurt had already stormed off, "Slushies though? People come up with all kinds of creative ways of bullying," Phoenix says sheepishly.
"Welcome to McKinley."
A yawn escapes Phoenix's lips as the teacher drones on about their literature topic, something she knew already. The clock on the wall was moving painstakingly slow as she sat through the last five minutes of the lesson.
The redhead couldn't help but think of all the things that had happened in the mere four days she had been in Lima.
Quinn Fabray.
Phoenix had never even thought that she would have a chance to make friends with the walls she built around herself but the blonde had thrown those doubts out of the window. She felt like she had connected with her in a way she didn't think was possible.
As much as she disliked that about herself sometimes, Phoenix was fiercely protective of the people that were important to her and considering the blonde's situation, the redhead was just about ready to do anything for Quinn. It didn't matter that it was so much so soon.
Four minutes.
Brittany Pierce.
Phoenix could hands down, without a doubt, say that Brittany was the most beautiful person she had ever laid eyes on. In the few minutes of conversation she had had with her, Phoenix was infatuated by the blonde's personality, her innocence and her quirkiness. The way her laugh instantly made Phoenix's heart lighter, how she felt like was turning to mush when the blonde smiled at her.
Phoenix could feel herself free falling into the pit that was Brittany Pierce and she absolutely did not want it to stop.
Three minutes.
Santana Lopez.
Phoenix wasn't sure why, but she was willing to bet her motorcycle that Santana had something against her. She could feel the apprehension towards her rolling off like waves from the Latina, but she couldn't figure out why.
But there was something in her eyes, under that entire cheerleader, bitchy bravado. She seemed uncertain at times. Scared, even and it caused Phoenix's curiosity to spike, intrigued by what Santana's story could be.
Two minutes.
After the show that had happened earlier this morning with Kurt and those football players and how indifferent everyone was to it, Phoenix figured that it was more often than not when someone was bullied like that, especially someone out and proud like Kurt.
Or maybe it was just focused on the outcasts.
However, what she wasn't sure of was if she could quietly sit back and tolerate the blatant homophobia and bullying without doing something about it or at least retaliating in some way. She knew first hand how damaging something like that could be and how much it affected someone so it instantly made her uneasy to not stand up to it, whether it was for herself or someone else, regardless of the fact that she had gotten into a lot of trouble over it at her old school.
No one deserved to be attacked and bullied simply over whom they were or what they liked or who they loved.
One minute.
She was now thankful to have decided to move to Lima though. The town had seemed quiet and uneventful, which was exactly what Phoenix needed, but after meeting the three cheerleaders, she was happier than she initially thought she would be.
She was definite that it would barely take time for Quinn and herself to become close friends. She knew that she was on the right track to get Brittany to agree to go on a date with her. As for Santana, she wasn't planning to push her luck, but she hoped that they could be friends too.
She had spent a lot of the past three years of her life wondering if she was going to have to spend it alone, without anyone who understood and accepted her. But after meeting Quinn, she knew that she had someone even better than she would've imagined.
The move to Lima had done her good.
For the first time in a very long while, Phoenix was actually looking forward to the rest of her day.
Phoenix walked out of the classroom last, a yawn escaping her lips as she pulled out the map that Quinn drawn for her earlier, complete with unicorns and rainbows, courtesy of one Miss Brittany Pierce.
She frowned at it with concentration, trying to figure out the way to the guidance counsellor's office. Walking around with her face buried into the map, Phoenix was bound to crash into someone and it only took a few seconds for it to happen.
Reflexively, she immediately catches her footing, looking up to see who she collided into.
"Watch where you're going, new girl," A deep voice snarled and recognition flickered in Phoenix's eyes.
He was one of the football players who slushied Kurt earlier that day.
"My bad," Phoenix says, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.
The football player pushes past her to continue walking, but Phoenix deftly sticks her foot out. He trips over, caught by surprise, falling face down on the floor. Hard.
Laughter and whispers instantly fill the hallway, a smirk playing on Phoenix's lips as she looks down at him, before chuckling.
"You fucking b-"
Phoenix was already walking away confidently before she could hear the rest of his insult, although she had a fair idea about what he was going to say. It really didn't matter though.
Putting people in their place always felt so good.
After finally figuring out the directions, it barely took her a couple of more seconds before she was standing in front of Miss Pillsbury's office. She knocked softly on the door, before sticking her head inside, a small smile on her face.
"Can I come in?"
"Yes, of course. Please come in Miss Elizabeth-Winters," Emma says, quickly shuffling around the pamphlets that were on her desk.
"It's just Winters, actually. Elizabeth is my middle name," Phoenix corrects politely.
"My mistake," Emma apologizes, a nervous smile on her face, "So, how was your first day? Are you okay with your teachers and classes?"
"No worries," Phoenix smiles, "And yes, my classes and teachers were all fine."
"That's very good!" Emma says, removing a few pamphlets from her drawer and keeping them aside, "Are you planning to join any clubs, besides Glee?"
"Not really. It isn't necessary, is it?"
"Extracurricular activities are a great help to students that are academically weaker. Your previous school records show that you don't have that problem, so it's up to you," Emma explains.
"Well, in that case, I think I'm fine with only Glee club at the moment."
"It's a really wonderful arts program. Mr. Schuester imparts something very unique and important in his lessons."
"I'm sure," Phoenix says politely.
"Okay then, I don't think there are going to be any problems. Take these, they might be of some help to you," Emma hands Phoenix the pamphlets she had removed, "Try and stay out of trouble."
"I'll do my best," Phoenix assures, internally frowning at the reference to her previous records. It wasn't like she was constantly getting into trouble. She leaves the office and starts walking to her locker, putting the pamphlets and her map safely inside.
She refused to look at what those pamphlets said.
The guidance counsellor would have definitely read her file and Phoenix was never one to revisit her past.
Phoenix slams her locked shut, after a last glance at her map. She was eager to see Quinn and Brittany and she was admittedly a little excited for Glee club itself as well.
She had just started walking in the right direction towards the choir room when someone tapped her shoulder. Phoenix turned around to see who it was and before she even had a chance to react, there was only one thing she felt.
A cold, hard slushie right in her face.
Phoenix squeezed her eyes shut, an involuntary gasp escaping her lips. She could feel her eyes and nose burning from the chill, the ice melting into her hair and shirt.
"Welcome to McKinley," The same football player from earlier smirked, repeating Quinn's exact words from that morning.
He stepped closer to Phoenix, who took a deep breath to steady herself, looking her straight in the eyes threateningly.
"Mess with me again, the consequences will be much worse," He whispers, his teeth clenched. He shoves Phoenix's shoulders, pushing her out of the way as he walks away, others looking uncertainty at the exchange between the football player and the new girl.
Phoenix simply stays quietly furious, her fists clenched at her sides before she stalks off to the closest bathroom, a purple slushie trailing behind her.
Fortunately, the bathroom was mostly empty, except for a freshman who quickly left when the drenched redhead entered angrily.
Phoenix let out an exasperated sigh as she went to the sink, first splashing water on her face, clearing her vision. Once she got most of the slushie out of her eyes and off her face, she yanked her t-shirt off, holding it under the running water.
"Woah, this isn't a locker room," A voice says from the door, startling Phoenix, whose face whipped to the side to see who it was.
"Holy crap Quinn, don't sneak up on a girl like that," Phoenix frowns, shutting the tap off and wringing her shirt out before turning to face the blonde.
"Who was it?" Quinn asks, ignoring Phoenix's words, her eyes trailing under the redhead's face, who was confidently standing there with only her bra on.
Damn.
Phoenix put almost all the girls on the cheerleading team to shame.
But Quinn couldn't help but feel intrigued as well as concerned at the two scars she could see across her stomach and ribs, a third one half hidden under the top of her jeans.
"The same idiot who slushied Kurt in the morning. Fucking idiot, walking around like he can do whatever he wants. It's like he thinks he owns the place or something," Phoenix says bitterly, walking to the hand dryer and holding her clothes under that.
"Karofsky," Quinn sighs, "I'm surprised you didn't reciprocate."
"Oh, I wanted to so bad," Phoenix chuckles humorlessly, "I figured being tripped in the hallway in front of everyone was enough for a day."
"Seriously?" Quinn grins, her eyebrows shooting up, "You did that?"
"Of course. It wasn't enough though, obviously," Phoenix says sadly, "I should've just put him on his ass right then and there," Phoenix sighs, before putting her t-shirt back on and looking at herself in the mirror.
It was still slightly wet so it stuck to her body, but she had no choice. It would have to do.
"No getting into fights on your first day grumpy," Quinn laughs, before walking closer to Phoenix and tapping the counter next to the sink, "Sit."
"What? Why?" Phoenix whines, before Quinn raises one eyebrow at her, effectively shutting her up. The redhead quickly hops onto the counter, her legs swinging impatiently.
"Stop fidgeting," Quinn reprimands quietly, wetting a tissue under the tap before starting to wipe the slushie still covering strands of Phoenix's hair.
"Thank you," Phoenix says softly, smiling at the look of concentration on Quinn's face, "Will you stop me from slamming Karofsky into the lockers next time I see him?"
"No," Quinn laughs, "Do your thing woman."
"Is Santana generally not a people person, or did I do something wrong?" Phoenix asks softly after a few moments of comfortable silence.
"Santana's generally not a people person," Quinn starts, "But don't worry about it, she'll warm up to you soon. Besides, she had a bit of rough weekend, so she's upset about that," Quinn explains, getting the last of the slushie out of Phoenix's hair before throwing all the tissues away and washing her hands.
"What happened? Is everything okay?"
"That's not my place to tell," Quinn says, "Don't worry though, it's not a very big thing."
"Okay, that's good," Phoenix says, holding the door open for Quinn, winking at the blonde.
"Such a gentlewoman," Quinn teases, walking out of the bathroom, Phoenix close behind.
The hallways were pretty much empty, most of the people had already gone home or they were in their respective clubs or detention.
"Always," Phoenix says, a charming smile on her face, "Thank you again though, for helping in there and listening to my rant."
"Anytime. It's what friends are for," Quinn smiles.
"How did that lunch go on Saturday?"
"Exactly the way I told you it would. Except there were no future options for husbands involved."
"That's good right?" Phoenix chuckles.
"It is," Quinn laughs, shaking her head.
"And how are you feeling? And the baby?" Phoenix asks quietly.
"Good, we're both good," Quinn assures, "I thought about what you said and I think I want to tell Brittany and Santana this week."
"That's really great Quinn, you'll need your support system through all this."
"You're right," Quinn hums in agreement, "And I think I'm going to tell my parents after them. It's not going to stay hidden for much longer," Quinn sighs, putting her hands on her stomach.
If someone looked closely enough at it, the small bump was quite noticeable, her fitted cheerleader uniform stretching against it.
"I'm here for you Q," Phoenix says, taking the blonde's hand in her own and giving it a reassuring squeeze, "No matter what happens."
"I know that and I'm so thankful for it."
I was not entirely satisfied with this chapter, so let me know what you guys think about it!
Most of you seem to be rooting for Brittana and Quinnix! Interesting ;) What would you guys say if I introduced a little bit of Faberry?
Please reviews and favorite! I love to know what you guys think :)
PS: I need a beta. So if there are any volunteers, let me know.