My parents started fighting last year. My sister and her baby had just been killed in a car crash, and I think it was all too much for them… They began the fighting amongst each other, but I think they realized it wasn't helping anything. I thought it would just stop, but instead, they began taking out their anger and frustration by hitting me. I was surprised at first, but I let them do it. I thought that maybe I was helping by letting them feel better, and that it would end soon when they saw that this wasn't going to help either. But it didn't stop. After a few months, it became more of a routine than a coping thing, and it was about time for school to start. I had no idea how to hide the bruises, and I knew it needed to stop before Cheerio practice where people would be grabbing onto where the bruises were and a short skirt didn't hide my legs well.

At first, I just tried to stay out later with Santana and Brittany, hoping that if they saw that they didn't need to hit on me every night, eventually it would stop. But that night when I came home, they were gone and my room was trashed. I didn't even see them for the next few days… Thinking that they had simply left me, I stayed at home, hoping that they would come back for me. Bad parents or not, they were my parents, and I felt even worse thinking that they had simply left me…

But they came back the next week. I was beaten more than I had the entire time- them both ganging up on me at once. I couldn't even go to the summer Cheerio practice for a few days after that…

When school got closer, I knew that this had to end. I didn't want them to leave, but I didn't want the whole school knowing that the Fabrays weren't perfect anymore either. When I stood up to them…

My dad, he… He…

I didn't know if I was going to hear anymore after that. I was sitting on my bed, staring at Quinn Fabray as she told me her story. Tears were streaming down both of our faces, and I didn't have any idea of what to say. My heart was breaking already for this girl, and as she told me the whole story, it felt as if all of the air and happiness had been taken from the room. I waited patiently for her to finish, not sure if I should reach out and grab her hand comfortingly or not. I decided to do so, to let her know I was really still here. I laced my fingers with hers and gently rubbed my thumb over the top of her hand, silently begging for her to continue.

Quinn inhaled sharply and in a staggered intake before opening her mouth to speak again, this time more slowly. "My dad tried to… Rape me…" She finally admitted. "I screamed at him, rose my fists to him… I struck my dad, Rachel, and it hurt more than anything he had done to me. I tried to run after that, making it back to the den where mom was just sitting there, acting like she had no idea what was going on. Like she couldn't know…" She sighed. "My dad chased me to the fire place where Mom had lit a fire. He picked up a log from the pile and swung it at me. I'm not sure if he would have actually hit me with a burning log, but the sparks that flew off of it flew into my eyes. I was in the hospital for a week, and I haven't been able to see since." Lowering her head, I was just barely able to see a tear stream down her soft cheek.

"Quinn, I…" Before I could think of anything else to say, not to mention something to actually do, the poor blonde had moved closer to me, holding my hand tightly. She moved slowly as she felt with her free hand where exactly my legs were. I watched as she moved slowly down, resting her head on my lap and laid the rest of her body out on my bed.

"No one seems to notice that there's anything wrong. How… How could people not see that I can't see?" She scoffed.

I blushed with the blonde in my open lap. Her eyes would open, but I knew there was nothing behind the grayish film; she didn't see me staring, but I had no doubt that she felt it. "I don't mean to just… be blatant about it, but how do you make it through the school without anyone knowing?"

She blinked. "I don't. I don't hide it or anything, although I do keep my head low when I walk, but not because I'm hiding. I don't see any point in looking up and besides, I keep my balance more easily. Santana and Brittany have to lead me through the school, and I count my steps from the corner to my locker every time I walk to it. I don't see how people don't know about it… But no one seems to. You didn't even notice until today, and that was because I showed you." She laughed a little. "How can someone who is blind make it a whole day in that school without someone making fun or at least noticing? It's almost as if something happened, and everyone just stopped caring about the things around them." She closed her eyes. "Not that I care. It makes it easier for me through the days. As if I need to be reminded of this."

"Quinn… You've never liked me… Why are you so…? Or how can you just…?" I wasn't even sure of what I was asking. I shook my head, not sure as to what to say.

"I don't know, honestly." She admitted, reading what I was trying to ask. "You just… I'm not sure. I haven't liked you, and now here I am feeling like I can open up to you. What's your angle in tricking me, Berry?" She smiled.

I chuckled lightly. "Maybe, Quinn… You open up, because you know I know how it feels to be invisible…" I sighed softly. "I can relate to no one caring, though not to your exact situation? I have no other explanation than that."

She nodded. "Maybe. Thanks though… For letting me do all of this. I don't mean to just open up and lay all this on you. You're not even the first person I would open up to… No offense." She winced. "Yet, here I am in your house, on your lap…" She sat up. "What am I even doing?"

I shook my head. "Trying to be comfortable while talking about something that only hurts you?"

She shook her head this time. "I shouldn't be here. I have other friends for this, Santana and Brittany." She stood, making her way slowly to the door while pulling out her phone. As she held down a number for the speed dial, I stood, walking over to her.

I could hear the phone ringing as I took her arm, ready to lead her down the stairs. I wasn't going to make her do anything that she didn't want to, and it was obvious that this was hard enough for her. Before the Latina on the other end picked up with a, "Q? Is something wrong?" I said one thing quietly in passing, but it got the effect I was betting on.

"Do you want these friends of yours to know your secret?"