6. Good Vibrations
She sat down next to Puck on the light wooden bleachers which she always found uncomfortable but she felt an obligation to support the college basketball team. Plus, Puck never missed a game and it was her quality time with him since they didn't have any classes together. The team was in a huddle on the gym floor and the bobcat mascot was trying to stir up some support from the crowd. She handed Puck a can as he tapped his purple cap as part of his superstitious ritual. She laughed at him. 'Here, I got you a soda…'
He took it from her hand with a smile. 'Thanks Q.'
She took her seat back on his right side and he leaned back slightly, revealing another smaller dark featured girl sitting to his left. He cleared his throat as he noticed her eyes subtly moving over to the smaller girl also wearing a purple Violets cap at his side. 'Quinn, this is my girlfriend Rachel…' He said gesturing to her. He turned to the smaller girl. 'Rach, this is my old friend Quinn…'
They exchanged pleasantries, and she wondered how long this 'girlfriend' would last since he seemed to change 'girlfriends' every other week.
After the Violets managed to score a few more baskets, half time rolled around and Puck disappeared for a restroom break, leaving the two girls alone for the first time. They still kept a slight distance between themselves, saving Puck his space.
'I've been wanting to meet you.' The small dark girl attempted to smile. 'I've heard a lot about you…' She spoke with a soft Californian accent.
Quinn pulled her attention away from the cheerleaders bouncing around the court and cast her eyes over to the girl. The girl smiled warmly at her from underneath the cap shading her face, revealing some of the whitest teeth she'd ever seen. An odd sweeping sensation twinged in her lower abdomen. She smiled shyly back at the girl. 'Only the good stuff I hope…'
She chuckled. 'Most of it…' Something clicked in the girl's face. 'Hey, I think I've seen you around campus…what's your major…?'
'Drama.'
'Hey, me too!' She squeaked enthusiastically. 'Well, kinda…' She smiled. 'I do Performing Arts…Who's your professor?'
'Knowles…' Quinn sighed.
She nodded knowingly and rolled her eyes. 'Ah Knowles, I get him for some classes. He's kinda a douche…'
Quinn brightened. 'Yes, totally!' She laughed in agreement. 'I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought that…'
She laughed nodding, angling her jaw slightly upwards exposing her neck. 'No you're totally right, he's totally big headed…'
'Oh so big headed!' She agreed again.
The mysterious girl began to imitate him. 'I've been in 40 Shakespeare plays; I think I would know how to direct this character…'
Quinn laughed at the likeness as Puck emerged back into the gym. He smiled to himself, pleased that the two girls in his life seemed to be getting on so well.
'What you girls giggling about…?' He smiled.
She looked up at him. 'We just have more in common than you'd think…'
He sat back down between the two of them. 'Well, I'm glad.'
An hour later, the crowd was milling out of the double gym doors between the bleachers. The two girls found themselves walking side by side as Puck got slightly lost in the thick crowd. The back of their hands accidentally bumped together and she felt a second wave of that odd sensation settle, bubbling in her lower abdomen. A piece of the dark girl's hair brushed the side of her own shoulder.
'Would you like to maybe get a drink sometime…? It might be nice to have an ally against Knowles…' She asked, barely audible over the din of the crowd around them. She turned her head and the girl was looking up at her expectantly, and she saw the girl's deep chocolate button eyes shadowed by long black curled eyelashes for the first time properly. The girl gave her another toothy smile. Something shivered down Quinn's spine.
She cleared her throat. 'Uh yeah, I s'pose that would be good.' She nodded in agreement.
The girl smiled. 'Great, Noah will give you my number – I left my cell at home by accident.' She laughed. 'I'm too forgetful!'
Quinn smiled along with her. 'Don't worry; I'll get it from him.' She said as they both finally saw Puck standing against a wall through a clearing in the crowd.
She pulled her small case off the baggage claim with a little heave. She retrieved her iPhone from her pocket and switched it back on. She pulled her case behind her with a rattle out of the exit doors of the airport. She felt a vibration in her palm, looking down at her phone screen it read Sam.
'Hello…?'
'The peanut butter trick works after all.'
'You did it?' She squeaked excitedly. 'What did she say?'
He laughed. 'She said yes.'
She squealed loudly, gaining odd looks from some of the passengers smoking outside the airport doors. 'So you're not fighting anymore?'
He chuckled again. 'Doesn't seem like it, no. We were making up and I just decided to do it.'
She lowered her voice raising an eyebrow. 'Like…making up, making up…?'
'Yes, if you must know…we were…making up…'
She sighed lightly. 'Good timing.'
She could almost hear his smile. 'I thought so!'
'Congratulations, Sam. I'm really happy you've got what you wanted.'
'Thanks Quinn. So what about you? Are you getting what you wanted…?'
'Well I've just landed in LAX. I saw her on the plane…'
'What?' He squeaked. 'What did you say to her?'
'I couldn't say anything to her; she was on the TV screen in front of me.'
'I didn't know they showed porn on planes now…? I should use air travel more…'
'Hey!'
He laughed. 'Sorry, I couldn't resist.' He cleared his throat with a cough. 'So what's your plan? What's your next step…?'
She deflated slightly. 'I…I don't know…' She stuttered.
'Do you have her address?'
She racked her brains, beginning to panic again. 'No…'
He sensed her beginning panic. 'Okay, Quinn relax.' He said calmly. 'Do you have a number to reach her…?'
'I have her cellphone number, but it's the one from college. She won't still be using it.'
'Try it. She might still be using it.'
She shook her head. 'That was four years ago. She won't still have the same number.'
'I still have the same number from years ago.'
His point stopped her in her tracks. She sighed. 'Fine, I'll try it.'
'Just give her a call. Meet her somewhere, tell her everything.'
She nodded. 'I will. I'll call.'
'Good. Do it now and call me back.'
'Now?' She squeaked.
He chuckled. 'No time but the present.'
'Ugh.' She sighed. 'I hate that saying.'
'Do it.'
'Fine! Fine. I'll do it. I'll call you back.'
'You better. I'll be waiting.'
'Creep.'
He laughed and she hung up on him.
She pulled her forefinger over her phonebook contacts screen debating whether to call the bubbly smaller girl. She'd got her number from Puck, much to his suspicion – she never normally took any interest, let alone notice, of any of his so-called 'girlfriends'.
'I'm going for a run babe…'
She looked up and saw those long lean legs bending from the waist in front of her. She looped the perfectly white laces on her white and purple Nike hi-tops together. 'I can think of something better to do…' She lowered her voice, watching the girl in front of her. The girl looked over her shoulder, her long black hair hanging below her shoulders. Quinn stood up off the couch and approached the girl from behind. She passed her left hand over the back of the girl's purple jersey shorts.
The girl laughed standing up straight. 'You're such a perv.'
She smiled into the girls shoulder. 'You're the one in painfully short shorts…'
'I'm the one going for a run…' The girl tried to walk to the door, but Quinn quickly put her hands over the girl's hipbones pulling her back into her front. She curled her chin into the left side of the girl's neck. She pressed her lips to the girls tanned skin and murmured. 'I can think of other ways you can work out…' She pulled her nails lightly across the girl's hipbones and the girl laughed, the vibrations from her throat tickling Quinn's lips. The girl put her fingers over Quinn's and pulled them away.
'Come on Q, I gotta go…'
She dropped Quinn's fingers back down by her sides and approached the door.
'Come on Lex…c'mere…' She sighed. 'You can go running when you're back in SF…'
She put her hand on the latch and half turned back to Quinn. 'You don't want me getting podgy now do you?'
Quinn stepped over to her and latched their lips together pulling on her bottom lip slightly, forcing the girl to lean back against the door. She slipped her right hand up over the girl's tanned navel underneath her grey USF Don's tee.
She groaned into her mouth. 'You feel fine to me…'
Lexie slipped out from between Quinn and the door, darted over to the couch and grabbed a pillow. Before she knew what was coming she felt a blow across the back of her head. She turned and Lexie was standing above her on the coffee table with that wide grin that first captivated her, a white pillow dangling from her right hand.
'Oh…' She growled laughing and Lexie yelped as Quinn stepped up onto the table and pushed the girl down onto the couch below them. She pinned the girl below her into the couch and nipped at her jaw line. The girl giggled below her, her abs shaking against Quinn as she settled on top of the girl.
A ringing tone snapped her out of her daydream. Like a reflex she thought she'd forgotten, she had dialled Rachel's cell number.
A brisk sounding female voice answered. 'Go.'
She tried to disguise the slight tremble in her voice. 'Rachel…?'
'No. This is her assistant. Who's speaking?'
She found her spine. 'This Quinn Fabray speaking.' The line went quiet. 'Hello…?'
'What is your business with Ms Berry?' She asked almost rudely.
'Is she there?'
'Ms Berry is very busy.'
And then Quinn heard a noise that made her tummy churn again. That unmistakable throaty giggle that used to make her heart sigh. She swallowed down her doubts and used that strength that she once had, that strength that she knew Rachel once loved. 'Could you put Rachel on the phone please? It's important.'
'She is very busy at the moment, can I take a message?'
And then a crackle and muffled speech echoed down the phone before Quinn heard that voice.
'This is Rachel.'
She cleared her throat and paused before cautiously responding, that strength evaporating from just 3 words from that woman. 'I…It's me…' She croaked in response.
The line went quiet again for a second. 'Quinn…' She almost whispered.
'I need to see you. Can I…can I see you…?'
She looked around herself; everyone seemed absorbed in what they were doing. Her assistant had disappeared into the background somewhere, but she could still feel herself being watched.
'I'm working.'
'Just five minutes. Please, Rachel. Five minutes.'
'1011 N Fuller Avenue.'
'I'll be there soon.'
As soon as Rachel hung up the phone her assistant was back at her side. She passed her phone back to the girl.
'If she ever calls again, you come tell me straight away. You understand?' She said sternly.
The girl nodded quickly. 'Loud and clear.'
Quinn stepped outside of the LAX doors and hailed a bright yellow cab. The driver helped her put her case in the trunk and she sat in the back.
'Where to?'
She looked from the window to his eyes smiling at her from the rear-view. '1011 N Fuller Avenue, please.'
He smiled. 'Oh, you one of those model/actress types?'
She looked back to him but his eyes were now on the road. 'No…why…?'
'1011 N Fuller Avenue is Smashbox Studios. You sure you've got the right address…?'
She nodded. 'I'm visiting someone there.'
He nodded. 'Fair enough. Who you come to visit?'
She looked back out the window to her left. 'Rachel Berry.'
The cab swerved to the right, breaking her distraction a little.
'You know Rachel Berry?' He almost squeaked.
'I used to.' She responded with a heavy sigh.
'What's she like? She's hot!'
She smiled to herself. 'She's the best.'
Her phone began buzzing in her pocket.
'You said you'd call me back.' Said the now-familiar voice.
'I was gonna. I'm in a cab.'
'What did she say?'
'I'm on my way to see her now.'
He laughed. 'About time!'
They sped down street after street, a stream of trees lining her vision.
'Where you meeting her?'
'Smashbox Studios.'
'She's working?' He screeched. 'Is it a good idea to meet her while she's working…?'
'I have to see her. This is how I get to see her.'
The cab pulled to a stop. 'This is Smashbox.' The cab driver turned to look at her.
'Okay, I'm here, I gotta go.' She said down the phone.
'Go knock 'em dead Fabray.'
'Thanks Evans.'
She paid the driver and vacated the cab. She looked at the glass door and took a deep breath. Knock 'em dead Fabray she told herself.
She pulled the door back and stepped into the over air-conditioned reception where a young woman sat behind the white curved desk looking a little swamped by its size.
She approached the girl. 'Excuse me; I'm looking for Miss Rachel Berry…'
The girl responded trying to sound professional. 'I'm sorry the shoot is closed to press and fans.'
She smiled. 'Oh no, I'm not…I know her, she's expecting me…'
'I'm sorry the shoot is closed.' She repeated politely with one of the most fake smiles Quinn had ever seen.
Sighing, the blonde reached into her pocket and sent Rachel a text message.
I'm here.
Kiss? No kiss? She couldn't decide so she left it without.