Author Note: So I've been really really bad and totally neglected updating this story, so this is a fairly short chapter that comes with the promise that a new chapter will be up sometime in the next two days. I have had so many awesome reviews for this story and I really appreciate every one of them, just like I appreciate every one who has put this story on their alerts or under their favourites. The response for just two chapters has been great and I hope people are still interested! I have the basic outline for the rest of this story planned out and things in my own life have calmed down so updates will be quicker I promise. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this little snippet.
Disclaimer: I still do not own Glee. It's sad really.
She stares across the hall at the girl whose being plaguing her mind ever since she stepped foot into William McKinley High.
Two weeks. Two weeks and she still knows nothing more about Quinn Fabray than the girl's name.
It seems like every time Rachel tries to talk to the blonde alone, the cheerleader stutters out some excuse and runs of before Rachel can get out more than a 'Hello Quinn'.
It's frustrating and confusing. She knows that Quinn feels something towards her, or is at the very least intrigued by her, because she frequently catches the girl's gorgeous hazel eyes fixed on her. She just has no idea why the other girl doesn't want to talk to her, why she fidgets and runs away every time Rachel gets too close. It's frustrating because she so desperately wants to get to know the blonde, find out what put the sadness in those piercing eyes and find out if she can somehow make it better.
She knows it's sad and totally pathetic that she has a crush on a girl she doesn't even know, but, she just wants to fix whatever's broken in the cheerleader and make sure she never gets broken again. Obviously she's not naive enough to think Quinn could actually like her back the way she likes the blonde (she doubts there are many open lesbians or bisexuals in Lima, Ohio and she doubts even more that the beautiful blonde that's caught her eye could be one of them), but she'd settle for just having the chance to be the girl's friend.
Sighing she shakes her head and looks away from Quinn just as the other girl shuts her locker and begins to turn around. It won't do her any good in her plans to befriend the girl if she were to turn around and see Rachel staring at her; she really doesn't want to seem like a stalker.
Down the other end of the hallway she spots Finn lumbering towards her with a grin. Minus the whole not being able to get Quinn to speak to her thing, so far Rachel's actually finding it fairly easy to fit in at McKinley. She's not super popular but she's made friends with Finn and a few other kids from the Glee club, and the standoff she had with Santana on the first day means that no one is brave enough to even attempt messing with her. She feels like she might actually fit in here.
"Hey Rach," Finn beams at her as he reaches her locker and she can't help but smile back.
"Hey Finn, what can I do for you?"
"I know we don't really know each other and all," the boy begins awkwardly, shuffling from side to side as a blush creeps up his neck "but, you're really cool, Rachel, and I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go out with me?"
She sees the hopeful look in his eyes and feels awful that she's about to shoot him down. She honestly can't believe she missed that he was developing feelings for her.
"You're really sweet, Finn and any girl would be lucky to date you," she looks down at her feet as she notes his big cheesy grin, "but, I can't date you."
His smile drops and his brow furrows in confusion.
"But, like, you like me right?"
'Yes, but-"
"Then why can't you date me?"
She sighs, placing a comforting hand on his arm "because I'm not interested in boys, Finn."
He stares at her for a moment, clearly trying to figure out what Rachel means by that, before realisation crosses his features.
"Oh," he breathes out, eyes going comically wide and she chuckles, giving him a moment of silence to fully process what she said.
He looks down at her with he a lopsided grin, "that's cool."
"Thanks for being so understanding, Finn," she smiles brightly at him, "I really hope me being gay won't affect our friendship."
"Don't worry about it," he says sincerely, "I mean I totally wanted to date you but at least now you'll let me watch you make out with hot girls, right?"
Rachel rolls her eyes before smacking him in the arm.
"Typical boy," she laughs as Finn just shrugs.
Two weeks into school and Quinn is starting to wonder if this year really will be better than last.
She's back on top of the cheerleading tower, Glee club is fun and she's doing well in all her classes, but, she doesn't really feel particularly happy. She's not sad, not really, she just thought she'd feel different...better now that she was back in the position she was at the start of last year.
But, her mother barely speaks to her unless she absolutely has to, Puck keeps hounding her wanting to talk about Be-the baby and Rachel Berry keeps making her feel things she really doesn't want to be feeling just by looking at her.
She's also lonely. More lonely than she'd really care to admit. Santana and Brittany don't hang out with her like they used to, Mercedes seems distant now that Quinn isn't living with her, Finn is polite but their relationship is strained at best, the Cheerios all fear her and the rest of the Glee kids seem indifferent to her presence.
Her phone beeps snapping her out of her reverie. She snaps it open and frowns. Puck.
We need to talk. Meet me in the auditorium at lunch.
Deep down Quinn knows that avoiding Puck isn't helping the situation. He's the only person who could come close to understanding how she feels, she's just not sure she's ready for the conversation she knows Puck wants to have. Maybe she never will be ready for that conversation. Maybe it's just easier to pretend it all never happened...
But, Puck is ready and even if she's not ready to talk about everything that happened last year she needs to at least give him the opportunity to talk to someone who will understand. Sighing she realises that just like Puck is the only person that will understand how she feels, she's the only person who will understand how he feels.
She sends out a quick text.
I'll be there.
"You wanted to talk, Puck?" Quinn asks, entering the auditorium and walking towards the boy.
"I'm glad you showed Q," he smiles, patting the spot next to where he is sitting on the edge of the stage.
She hesitates, not sure if she wants to sit. Standing will make it easier to run if things get too intense.
"I'd rather just stand," she responds rather coldly, "now you asked me here to talk so talk."
"Like you don't want to talk too? I mean I can't be the only one screwed up about all this," Puck snaps and Quinn takes a step backwards at the anger in his voice.
Clearly this wasn't a good idea.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you," Puck says softly, "I just...you have to need to talk too, right?"
"I'm not ready to talk," she whispers as she moves to sit next to him, "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to talk about everything that happened."
"Then why did you agree to meet me?" he asks, frowning at her.
"Because you wanted to talk," she shrugs, "I might not be ready to talk but if you are you need someone to listen."
"I don't just want to, like, ramble about my feelings or whatever. I want to talk with you," Puck pleads.
"I can't do that."
"We had a baby together, Q. We had Beth and you didn't want to keep her so we gave her up. You can't just pretend like that never happened," he yells, slamming his fist angrily on the floor.
She can feel tears starting to build up in the corners of her eyes. She won't cry. Not here. She just...she can't.
"What do you want me to say Puck?" she asks, trying desperately to ignore the slight quiver in her voice.
"I want to know how you're feeling," he turns to look directly at her and she gasps slightly as she takes in his red rimmed eyes.
"She was our little girl, Q," his voice cracks a little as he looks back down at the floor, "she had your eyes and my nose and now we're never going to see her grow up. You can't tell me that doesn't hurt you. It makes me feel like shit and I...I don't know how to make the feeling go away."
He looks so broken, so lost and a part of her wants to reach out and comfort him, tell him that things will be okay. But, another part of her wants to run away and not deal with any of this right now. This all hurts too much. She's barely holding back her tears and she refuses to cry in front of him.
The later part of her wins and she quickly bolts from the room, Puck's cries of 'Quinn wait' echoing off the auditorium walls as she exists.
As soon as the door closes she feels tears begin to flow freely down her cheeks.
Sprinting as fast as she can down the empty hallway to the nearest bathroom, Quinn doesn't notice Rachel Berry watching her.
Author Note: reviews are appreciated! Update coming in the next two days :)