A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had to get this over with (this section, not the story), so you'll probably be getting several short updates. Then, I'll be leaving to go back home to England (eek!) for a wedding, which means you guys won't be getting another update for a month after Monday.
"Rachel?"
I recognized the sobs coming from the stage as I approached from behind the curtain.
At the sight of a crying Rachel, I immediately rushed to her side, putting one arm around her and pulling her close. God, it felt so good to have her close to me.
"What happened? Where's Sam?" I asked, trying to hide the bitterness in my voice.
Then something weird happened. She did that weird ironic laughter while crying thing that people always do in movies, where they kind of tightly smile and looked upwards. I never got why they did that.
"We broke up," she told me, tears continuing to stream down her face. Even with her face all blotchy and her nose sort of running, she still managed to be absolutely beautiful.
"Why would anyone do that?" I asked before I could stop myself. She gave me another weird totally-not-happy smile.
"You tell me."
Ouch.
"Rachel, if he hurt you…" I started, only to be cut off by Rachel.
"I broke up with him. Sort of. It was kind of…mutual, I guess."
I have no idea what that word meant. And all it did was remind me of how much I loved her.
"What happened?" I asked her softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and trying to ignore my racing heart.
"It…wasn't working," she told me after a few moment's hesitation.
"You seemed happy," was all I could say.
"I was," she whispered.
I hung my head, not sure what to say next. So I just sat there, with my arm around her, pulling her close, and letting her cry her eyes out on my shirt.
Quinn Fabray stood in the curtains of the auditorium, watching her boyfriend lovingly stroke his ex-girlfriend's hair. Unlike Finn, she knew that Rachel was not crying because she lost Sam. She was crying because she lost Sam.
And suddenly, she didn't want to stand in the way anymore.