A/N - So this chapter is all in one place. Sounds like a downer, but there's a lot going on here. A lot going on with EVERYBODY. It's really intense, but I know you guys can handle it, because I have the BEST readers in the world. This chapter will be spilling over into the next, just to warn you. I've never posted a face claim for 'Gina'...sorry about that, but she's got one. There's also a new character in this update, so there's yet another face claim. Just remember, this is an AU, and when you write one of those, YOU ARE GOD and can do what you please. And yes, I do just THAT. Outfits are important with this update, so as usual, with the links below...add the "h" before the "ttp" and take out the spaces after the periods.
Face Claims-
Gina - Scarlett Pomers
Lexie - Karen Gillan
Outfits-
Rachel & Quinn
ttp:/www. polyvore playground_gets_smashed/set?id=101750782
Santana & Brittany
ttp:/www. polyvore playground_gets_smashed/set?id=101750848
Kurt & Puck
ttp:/www. polyvore playground_gets_smashed/set?id=101750894
Jade, Lexie and the League
ttp:/www. polyvore playground_gets_smashed/set?id=101750961
Roughly forty five minutes after leaving the restaurant, the party bus pulled up in front of Smashed. The driver was lucky enough to get a parking spot directly in front of the building.
The two groups of friends took one more collective shot on the bus before the nine of them stepped off, and onto the sidewalk. Santana couldn't help but smile to herself. Pulling up in a party bus was giving her the kind of attention that she loved. The kind of a attention that made her feel important. The place was packed. There were at least fifteen or twenty people outside of the place, some smoking, drinks in hand, and hanging out. After getting passed the bouncer, they headed inside, where most of the people were crowded towards the stage and dance floor.
"Hey Santana, thanks again for letting us crash your bus. We're gonna' hit the bar."
"No problem, Jake", she smiled, as him and his friends walked away. She looked around at how many people were struggling just to get their arms up to walk around. "Holy shit...Jade wasn't joking...this is crazy!"
"It really is. The last time I was here it was pretty crowded but this is so much different", said Rachel, as she struggled to push through two random people." Right Kurt?"
"Oh yeah, this is a real crowd", he answered.
"No", said Brittany, with a smile on her face." This is a real party."
"Is that what I think it is", asked Quinn, as her eyes landed on the dance floor.
"Oh, no way", laughed Rachel.
They were looking at a very large, square, blow up kiddy pool. As if it wasn't awkward enough that it was in the middle of the dance floor, it was filled almost to the top with what looked like pink and purple jello.
"Okay, so I can't help but know that something epic is about to happen with that", smiled Santana. As if the universe had known that they all wanted to know what was going on. The music died down, and a red head that wasn't Gina, appeared on the stage with a microphone in her hand. The minute she started to speak, it was clear that she wasn't from around there. Her accent was obvious, only so was the fact that she had been in the states long enough to sound Americanized.
"Alright, alright...let's all get a grip for a minute! You know what time it is", she said into her mic.
"Whoa...she's not from New York", laughed Rachel.
"Yeah, ya' think", asked Santana.
"She sounds like Rory", said Brittany, happily." I like how she sounds."
"Alright...so it's about that time then, isn't it", the red head on stage continued." Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls...welcome to Summer Smashed Blast Part Two!"
Suddenly, most of the crowd was in an uproar. Cheering ,and clapping. Jumping up and down, high fiving, and fist bumping each other.
"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Lexie, I'll be your host for tonight's events. Real quick, I'd like to clear some things up. Nobody is after my Lucky Charms, and I have no idea where you could get your hands on a pot of gold." People laughed a little at her joke." Not only are those questions ridiculous, but I'm not Irish. I'm Scottish, and people can't seem to tell the damn difference."
"Well, I'm an ass hole", laughed Santana.
"Yeah, that makes two of us, because I would have assumed the same thing", said Rachel.
"No, there's a difference", said Quinn. "It can be subtle to some people, but I can hear it for sure."
Santana rolled her eyes, and laughed a little.
"Right now, we're about to witness round two of the epicness that is our SJW league!" Once again, people were cheering and yelling, as she went on. "For those of you who don't know, the SJW stands for Smashed Jello Wresting...last week some of our toughest party girls went head to head, battled it out in the jello pool for the kick off! Tonight, the four girls who came out on top will be going head to head for the rights to fight in the next match! In just a few minutes, this lovely pool of jello sitting before us will be occupied by four ass kicking beauties, fighting for this season's title...Queen Smash!"
The crowd went wild, and Santana and company couldn't help but be amused by what was going on.
"Is that the red headed nightmare that you were telling me about, San", asked Quinn.
"Oddly enough, no", laughed the Latina." This is a new red head. I've never seen her here before."
"Me either", said Brittany, before the woman in question went on.
"Let's get down to it then, yeah? I'd like to introduce, one of last weeks winners, and a regular here at Smashed...Lovely Lilly Alive!"
As the crowd cheered, a short, busty woman came walking out from backstage. She had black hair with neon purple highlights. She was wearing short pink shorts, and a black tank top that said Smashed in bold white print across the front. Her black tube socks pulled up to just above her knees, and she wasn't wearing any shoes. As she ran out, adoring the applause and cheers, the song I Come Alive by The Used was playing in the background.
"Next up, we have our second winner from last week, the girl who took her opponent down with a pile driver and a howl...Chop Suey Sammie!"
A taller brunette, with a bunch of random tattoos appeared from behind the stage, waving her arms in the air, and head banging as if her life depended on it, all while the song, Chop Suey by System of a Down played loudly over the cheering.
"Next up, we've got this feisty little blonde thing, who ate her way out of being pinned, and won by spitting the Jello out in her opponents face. Let's hear it for it for Raging Rock n' Roll Riley!"
An average size blond woman, with multi colored highlights came running out, while the song This is What rock n' roll looks like by Porcelain Black played over the speakers. Her, much like the woman before her, was covered in ink. She joined the other two wrestlers on the edge of the stage, as the crowd cheered for her. All three women were wearing the same outfit, so they appeared to be an organized bunch.
"Did you seriously spit in her face", asked Lexie, into the microphone." I wasn't here for it, so I don't know. You really won your match that way, yeah?"
"Hell yeah, what kind of person would I be if I didn't share my snack", laughed Riley.
"Yeah, alright, I'll take it", laughed the host." Lastly...you know her...you love her...she's the best bartender in the city, and makes sure every single one of you has a great time, every time you're around..." Half the people in the bar were already cheering loudly."...she's adorable, even when she wins a match by faking an injury...people...I give you Baby Firework!"
Everybody went wild, including Santana and company. Jade came running out, arms in the air, huge smile on her face as the song Firework by Katy Perry played.
"Oh my God, how cute is she in those pink shorts and tube socks", squealed Brittany, as she clapped.
"Pretty damn cute", smiled Santana." She's got some fans I guess."
"Jade baby...faking an injury? Really", asked the host." For shame."
"I know...but blame these people", the darker woman smiled, as she gestured towards the crowd." They were the ones who wanted me to join the league!"
"Yeah yeah...blame it on the regulars...", joked the Scottish woman." Let's get things going, shall we?"
"Oh my God, is that who you guys have been trying to get for a new bartender", asked Rachel." She's adorable."
"She is. Very cute", said Kurt." I don't think she was here when we came with Puck, I'd remember her."
"Hmmmm", said Quinn, looking Jade up and down from where they were standing." She's very pretty, but...she doesn't seem like the sex playground type."
"Okay, shut up...", laughed Santana." You haven't even met her yet, there is no way you could know that...".
"Well...I mean, San...she doesn't even know about it yet, so Quinn might be right", said the dancer.
"Is she gay or straight", asked Kurt.
Santana opened her mouth to answer, but it was at that moment she realized that she had no idea. Her and Brittany looked at each other, both of them expecting to have the answer to Kurt's question.
"Oh my God...", said the Latina." I have no idea. Do you, babe?"
"I've never asked, I guess I just kinda' figured she was a lesbian...".
"Well shit...that may put a damper on things", laughed Rachel.
"Aside from that, it's clear that she's loved around here. I don't think there's anyway you'll be able to pull her away from this." said Quinn. Santana just rolled her eyes, knowing full well that her friend was right. It would be a challenge, but it was one that she accepted the minute she had laid eyes on the ebony skinned woman. Quinn, knowing that Santana was going to ignore her comment, just looked back towards the jello pool. She felt something inside of her that she hadn't felt in a while.
A sudden rush of adrenalin.
She was so drawn to the excitement, and the random nicknames of the women on stage. The matching outfits, and all." As weird as the whole jello violence is...I can't help but really love it", she said into Rachel's ear." It's crazy, but... it seems like fun."
"Baby...if you're wanting to roll around in jello, tell me", smiled the little brunette." It's kinky, but we can do it...". Quinn just smiled, and shook her head.
They all put there attention back towards the stage when Lexie started talking again."Alright wrestlers, time to fuel up!"
Each of the women moved towards four bar stools that were placed in a line at the edge of the stage. The crowd buzzed, as each of them picked up a small plastic cup from each of the stools.
"Jello shots to kick off a jello wrestling match...I don't even know what to say about that", laughed Lexie."But, whatever, let's do this. Wrestlers, on the count of three, take your shots. Ready?" All four of them held their shits to their mouths." One...two...three!"
They all took their shots. While Riley and Lilly got their shots down smooth, Jade and Sammie started coughing and gagging.
"Holy shit...", gagged Sammie.
Lexie laughed."Alright, Jade and Sammie got the jello shots that were made stronger than nessacery...which means, their match is happening first!"
"That was the effing worst", coughed Jade, though her laughter."Oh my God!"
"Yeah, that's probably what you'll be sayin' after I get done with you in that jello", said Sammie, with a smirk on her face. The statement had sent the crowd into a buzz. Jade just laughed and shook her head.
"What? Girl, you're not gonna' talk some smack back", asked Lilly in shock.
Jade smiled shyly." I could, but what would be the point? I'm gonna' beat her, there's no reason to hurt her feelings before that happens. Kicking people while they're down isn't really my style."
That being said, the crowd went nuts once again.
"Wow, I guess we better get the match started", said Lexie."Can we get Ref Joey on point please?"
That being said, a skinny guy with black hair, and gauged ears stepped into the pool of jello. He was barefoot, his black jeans rolled up below his knees, and he was wearing a black and white striped referee shirt. He shivered as he stepped into the pool." Jesus, that feels awkward!" He grabbed the whistle that hung around his neck, and looked towards the stage." What's up Smashed, I'm Ref Joey. Ladies, you know the rules. No biting, no scratching, no trying to actually kill each other! Remember, you have to have at least two limbs free in order to stay in it, so that means if you try sticking one leg up in the air at the last minute, you still loose. First girl pinned on six seconds looses! Why six you may ask? Because, those are the fucking rules! Now let's stop talking and get Smashed!" He blew his whistle and everybody cheered as Jade and Sammie jumped down from the stage, and into the pool. Joey took his position in the corner as the two woman took their places in the center of the pool, facing each other. The song Thunderstruck by AC/DC started playing."Alright...and five...four...three...two...fight!"
An hour and two wrestling matches later, Chop Suey Sammie and Lovely Lilly Alive found themselves in the losers circle. As they stood off to the side, Jade and Riley stood front in center, covered in jello with their arms around each other's backs.
"So...alright then, it's all settled. Expect to see these two beautiful ladies fight each other for the title at Summer Smashed Blast Part Three", said Lexie into the microphone." We're taking a break, and in just while, we'll have the Host and Most Throw Down!"
A few minutes later, Jade and the rest of the wrestlers disappeared, and a couple of the employees were cleaning up some of the excess jello that had spilled from the pool onto the dance floor. Most of the attention from the dance floor moved to the bar once things had died down. Santana and company decided to go out to the party bus for shots until things died down at the bar.
"That was the best thing I've seen in a while", laughed Rachel." I'm pretty sure I'll be coming back to see who wins the title."
"Come on, Jade is totally winning...she kicked ass", smiled Brittany." Sanny, we should start jello wrestling at-"
"No way", laughed Santana." As entertaining as that is, the Playground is too classy for it."
"I wonder how they came up with that", said Quinn.
"Come on...the whole jello wrestling thing has been done to death. It's nothing new", said Kurt." With this place, it's not the event itself, it's the crowd."
"Yeah, I think you're right, Porcelain", nodded Santana." Either way, it was epic."
"So, there's no way Temptation Playground is getting a Jello Lounge added", asked Rachel, with a smile.
"No way. Although...it would be pretty funny to see Sugar and Sage go head to head."
"Please...Sugar wouldn't last one minute. I'll take Sage on", said Kurt.
"She would stomp you", laughed Santana." I mean come on, forget the jello, I could make some serious cash putting you two against each other in an alley fight, and she would kick the shit out of you."
"Whatever", he scoffed, rolling his eyes." Listen I don't care how mobbed the bar is right now, I'm going inside. I'm gonna' go find Ref Joey... any of you ladies care to join me?"
"I'll go with you, I wanna' see Jade", said Brittany.
"I'll come too", said Quinn." I need to pee."
"Yeah, let's all head in. I want one of Jade's Firework drinks, those things are fucking fantastic", said the Latina, standing up.
Once they were all in side, they kind of went their separate ways. Kurt and Brittany went floating off to find who they wanted to find. Santana headed for the bar, and Quinn and Rachel went into the bathroom.
"Oh, wow", said Quinn, as they walked into the facilites."Is this a bar bathroom, or a backstage V.I.P lounge?"
"Both", said a voice coming out of a stall. It ended up being Rock n' Roll Riley herself, Jello free, and all done up." Jade...the manager...she has a random phobia of dirty bathrooms. Plus, she loves pleasing her customers, so this restroom was born. It's a lounge area, and then some. It's kickass, right?"
"This is amazing", said Rachel, as she looked around. The room was mostly black carpet, with the exception of the black tile that lined the floor beneath the ten stalls. There was a long neon pink and black counter, with ten sinks. Off to the left was a small nook, lined with full length mirrors, and a counter that was clearly meant for checking and fixing make up and hair. There was even a long, sectional, black leather couch pushed up against two of the walls.
"Best bathroom ever", laughed Quinn, as she headed for one of the empty stalls.
Riley had just finished washing her hands, and was drying them off. She eyed Rachel up and down, and smirked." You're pretty good lookin'...".
Rachel smiled, and laughed a little." Thank you, my girlfriend thinks so too."
Riley winked, as she passed Rachel by, and headed out the door. The tiny brunette just laughed to herself, as she made her way over to one of the mirrors. She fixed her hat, and made sure her hair and make up were holding up. In no time at all, Quinn made her way from a stall, and had washed her hands. She joined Rachel in front of the mirror, and checked herself out.
"Did I just hear that girl hit on you", she asked, with a smirk.
"Yes, you did, and if you were listening that closely, you obviously heard me mention you."
The blond giggled." I sure did, beautiful."
"I'm sure she's much more your type anyway. She was one of the wrestlers after all, and you seemed kinda' into that", laughed Rachel." Maybe when we get back later, I can grab some jello cups from the kitchen, and we can have a little wrestling match of our own in my bed."
"Oh, stop...we don't have to get freaky. I just think it looked like fun, that's all", defended Quinn.
"Maybe you should join the league. It does seem fun, and I bet you'd kick some ass...", said Rachel, as she tuned towards her girlfriend, and wrapped her arms around her waste." I wouldn't object. I think seeing you covered in a wiggly desert, fighting another woman would do things to me..."
"Is that so?"
"Yes...I think I would probably have to jump in there, and wrestle you myself", purred Rachel.
"That sounds sexy...", purred Quinn." Only, next time around is the final fight. So, I wouldn't be able to join."
"Good point. I guess that means you and I are gonna' have to have some quality wrestling time of our own."
Quinn smiled, and kissed Rachel passionately on the lips.
Out by the bar, Brittany stood idly by, watching Kurt flirt shamelessly with Joey. She was slightly frustrated that she wasn't able to find Jade. Luckily, her frustration was taken over by her amusement. Listening to Kurt talk to Joey was just so entertaining.
"You're such a fantastic referee...watching you in that pool...I couldn't help but wish you'd ref me", Kurt was saying.
Joey laughed, and took a sip of his drink." No, that wouldn't work. You are way too pretty to be rolling around in jello. I can tell that, getting messy…..isn't really your thing."
"I'm impressed...you know me so well already...but I wouldn't have a problem making an exception for you."
Brittany laughed to herself, and shook her head. She casually looked to her left, and noticed Lexie fixing herself a drink from behind the bar. The redhead was only a couple feet away, so she decided to get her attention."Hey...you're a super good host!"
Lexie looked up, and smiled."Oh wow, thank you. It's not something I'd add to my resume, but it's a fun thing to do while I'm around."
She couldn't help but smile. The woman's accent just made her so happy." I'm not really a regular, but I come here enough. How come I've never seen you before?"
"My job takes me away from the city a lot", Lexie answered, as she finished making her drink." What's your name?"
"Brittany. You're Lexie, right?"
"That's me", she answered, as she moved down, and shook the dancer's hand." So you're Brittany, alright. I've heard things about you, Lass. All good things, so don't worry now."
"Wait...you've heard things about me", asked the blond, in shock." From who?"
"Jade, of course. She's my Ex girlfriend."
And there it was. Brittany was sure that Jade was into females, but it was based on instinct alone. The fact that Lexie had just proved it out loud, made her very happy."Oh, okay. Are you guys still friends?"
"Oh yeah, best friends. If not for just a few minor bumps in our relationship, we would most likely still be together."
"Really...what kind of bumps?"
The red head couldn't help but laugh a little at Brittany's random questions." I'm going out back for some air. It gets a bit stuffy in here at times. Would you care to join me?"
Brittany looked to her right. Kurt was still busy flirting with Joey, and it was clear that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. She then looked to her right, where Santana was having a conversation with Jake, the guy that crashed their party bus. Rachel and Quinn weren't anywhere to be seen, so she smiled and nodded her head."Yeah, I'll join you."
Just a few minutes later, the two women were behind the building, in an alley. There was nobody else around, and all that could be heard were the sounds of the street, and the low mumble from the music inside." So tell me, Brittany...what do you do?"
"Me? Nothing special."
"Is it safe for me to assume that you're a dancer?"
"Oh my God, how did you know that?"
"It's the legs. And for some reason, I can just tell that you know how to move."
"Wow, you seem super smart. Yeah, I'm a dancer, but I do other things."
Lexie chugged down half her drink, before looking back at Brittany." Like what?"
"My girlfriend owns a...club. I help manage it."
"What kind of club?"
There was no way she was about to be forward about it. She didn't know how the other woman would take it, and she knew that Santana didn't want her talking to just anybody about it." Just a normal club, with dancing, and drinking."
"I see, well do you like it?"
"Yeah, I love it. Sanny works so hard to keep the place the way it needs to be. I love her, so it's hard not to love what I do there."
"Sanny?"
"Oh, yeah...sorry. Santana is my girlfriend's name. I call her Sanny sometimes."
"Ah, yes. Santana...she's the one that's been trying to get Jade to ditch this place, and work for her", laughed Lexie."It's all coming together now."
"Does she talk about us?"
"Oh yeah, a lot. She goes on and on about these two new amazing friends she's met, and how nice and sweet they are to her. I can't help but appreciate that, she deserves friends like you and your girlfriend."
Brittany was loving Lexie's company. Her being who she was, she couldn't help but feel that she had just made a new friend." You know...not that it's a bad thing, but...you said you're Jade's Ex...but you don't seem like it. Honestly it seems like you're still dating her. I mean...by the way you talk about her and everything."
"Our break up wasn't a bad thing. It was awful, but not for the reasons you'd think. My job takes me away for long periods of time, and she deserves much better than that. So, we're friends. I still care about her very much, I'm just not able to be with her."
"Oh okay, I get that", said Brittany." I can see why you'd care about her. I care about her so much, I did from the moment I met her. I feel like that about lots of people, but there's just something about her that makes me wanna'...like...I dunno'...".
"Take care of her", asked Lexie, as she finished the rest of her drink.
"Yeah! How did you know?"
"Simple. I felt like that from the moment I met her, and trust me...we aren't the only ones. There are a lot of people who feel that way towards her."
"I believe that", laughed Brittany."Hey, you should meet Santana, she'd really like you."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, for sure! Let's go find her!"
"Well, I'd love to meet her, and I will, but I've got to get back to the stage. How about I meet her in a little bit?"
"That sounds good", she smiled.
"I'm very glad I got to meet you, Brittany."
"I'm super happy I got to meet you too!"
"It's strange…..because you remind me of Jade. You two are a bit alike."
"Really", questioned the blond.
"Yeah…really."
Meanwhile, Rachel and Quinn had taken a break from the busy that was Smashed, and were on the bus again. The little diva was placed comfortably in the blonde's lap. They were making out like two teenagers, and Rachel was more in the mood than Quinn was." Baby...", she breathed in between the kisses." I like this place...and this night has been so much fun so far...but I feel like it could be much more fun...if we caught a cab...". She straddled herself across her girlfriend's lap, and canted her hips forward." You hear what I'm saying?"
Quinn smiled, and put her hands on Rachel's hips."Yeah...I hear what you're saying."
"So...is that a yes?"
Quinn moved her hands up Rachel's shirt. She was sure that once she felt the bare skin on her hands, she'd be ready and willing to do whatever it was Rachel wanted her to do. Only, she was wrong. Something wasn't right. She surprised herself with how she was feeling. It had been a while since the two of them had done anything sexual, and she missed it. "Rach...maybe we should stay here. I mean...Santana went to all this trouble to get the bus and wants us all to have fun together tonight"
"True", she smirked."...but...I think that she would understand our reason for bailing out." She grabbed a hold of one of Quinn's wrists, and took it upon herself to move it up onto her breast." Come baby...I want it bad...and I want it from you."
Quinn made the best effort she could. She leaned forward, and smashed her lips against Rachel's...squeezing and pinching at her breast and nipple. She thought she was getting into it, but once Rachel moaned, she stopped. She didn't want to stop, but she couldn't go through with it, and it wasn't until that moment, that she realized why.
"Mmm...why did you stop", pouted Rachel." That felt so good...come on...let's get a cab and-"
"I can't do this."
"What?"
"Rach...I've been missing this so much...I've missed making love to you, and making you feel good, but I...I...can't right now. I'm sorry."
A look of confusion came over Rachel's face as she relaxed her body." What do you mean?"
"What if I hurt you?"
"Quinn...you've never hurt me...".
"I know but...that could change. Baby, trust me...I've been waiting for this...and up until now, I honestly thought that when it happened-"
"Wait a minute", Rachel cut in, as she climbed from Quinn's lap, and stood up." Are you trying to tell me that you don't wanna' have sex with me because of what happened?"
"Rach, you were raped. I can't just ignore that."
"Yeah, I was raped. Before we met...long before we met. And you've had no problem having sex with me since we met."
"I know that, but now...since I do know...it's different." She didn't want to admit, but she didn't think she had a choice. The guilt was eating at her, and she felt bad enough. Lying about it only would have made it worse.
Rachel suddenly felt like throwing up. The anger she felt in that moment was almost dangerous." How dare you...", she growled, choking back the tears that threatened to fall." You...you looked me in the eye and told me that what happened wouldn't change things...that I wouldn't loose you!"
"You're not loosing me!"
"I might as well be! You promised!"
"Rachel, I'm sorry! I tried! You're acting like I never wanna' have sex with you again!"
"Well excuse me for being hurt by this after you told me nothing would change! I fucking believed you, Quinn!"
"I was being honest with you, I swear!"
"You just said it's different now! I didn't even wanna' tell you, but I did because you wanted to know, and now you're pulling this?"
Quinn felt horrible. She knew she had brought one of her girlfriend's biggest fears to life, but she knew that she had to be honest to her. She had to be honest and truthful to herself. Even if that meant admitting something that she wished she could just get over." I'm sorry, but you deserved the truth from me! I can't just slap on a fake smile, and pretend like everything was alright!"
"Everything was alight!"
"Maybe for you it was, but not for me! Rachel, I love you! You know I do, and I'm sorry...but-"
"No, fuck you", snapped Rachel." If you don't want me, fine! Maybe I'll go hang out with somebody that does!"
That did it. Quinn was suddenly more angry than she was remorsful."Really?"
"Yeah, really!"
"Wow...okay. Go ahead...go fuck somebody else if that's what you really want! After all, it's what you're good at, right?" It wasn't until she saw the look on her girlfriend's face, that she really regretted what had just come from her mouth. It was as if somebody had just punched her square in the stomach."Rach...".
"No." It was all she could say before turning around, and leaving the bus.
Inside, Santana was dealing with her own drama. Only, it wasn't drama just yet. She was seated at a table near the dance floor, randomly interjecting into the conversation that a group of people were having. Getting bored with the topic of conversation, she sipped her drink, and looked around for Brittany. That was when she saw the last person she expected to see that night.
Noah Puckerman.
She knew it was him, but at first she played it off as if it wasn't. She pretended like it was just somebody that looked like him. A few minutes later, she had no choice but to suck it up and accept that it was him. He came through the hallway towards the back, and made his way over to the bar. She watched as he exchanged words with one of the male bartenders, and removed his backpack. The bartender reached over the counter, took the backpack from Puck, and stashed it somewhere below the counter. Santana just shook her head, and kept on watching, as they slapped hands, and soon enough, Puck had a beer in his hands.
"Hey...", said Quinn, as she sat down next to the Latina." Why do you look like you're plotting somebody's murder?"
"Bitch...I might be", she answered, sharply." Look at him. Walking around like he doesn't have a fucking care in the world."
Quinn was confused, until she followed her friend's gaze, and saw who she was looking at."Oh my God, what is he doing here?"
"I dunno'...but clearly he's a regular. I mean, Rachel and Kurt did have their little meeting with him here. Plus, he just handed off his backpack to one of the bartenders. The dumbass obviously carries his business around with him now."
The blond could sense the anger in Santana's voice, and thought it might be best to take some sort of action. She stood up, and extended her hand." Come on...let's go have a smoke."
"No, screw that. I wanna' watch the mother fucker, and see what he does."
"San, the longer you sit here and look at him, the more pissed off you're gonna' get. Since this bar in run by a friend of yours, I think taking a time out would be for the best right now. Now, come on...before you do something stupid."
Santana looked up at Quinn as if she about to smack her." You need to shut the fuck up."
"I'm sorry. Me and Rachel just had this really weird fight, so I'm still coming down from that. I'm not trying to piss you off. However, I am trying to stop an already bad situation from getting any worse. Can we please just go smoke?"
"Fine", she breathed, as she stood up." Let's go."
A few minutes later, they were walking back onto the party bus.
"San, I want a cigarette, we can't sit in here", said Quinn.
"Have you not been paying attention? I've been smoking in here on and off all night. I told the driver I'd pay him some extra cash if he didn't bitch about it", laughed the Latina." Relax. Jesus, what the Hell did you and Rachel fight about anyways?"
The two of them sat down, and lit their cigarettes." I don't even think it's worth getting into right now."
"Barbie, cut the shit. Just tell me."
"Hey, why do you and Lauren both call me Barbie? Did you guys have a meeting about nicknames or something", asked the blond.
"She calls you that too", asked Santana, half laughing." No shit. Well, I promise you there was no meeting. I guess she's got you pegged the same way I do."
"Whatever", giggled Quinn, as she reached over, and opened up the cooler." God there is still so much alcohol left."
"Well, I can fix that", said Santana. She let out a big puff of smoke, and leaned forward." Hand me the Patron."
"God", said Quinn, as she grabbed the bottle." Are you sure?"
"I've never been more sure. Give it here."
Once she had it, the cap was off in no time. She took a shot straight from the bottle, causing Quinn to shutter slightly. She noticed the reaction, smiled a little, and took another one.
"God, how can you do that?"
"Easy. I love vodka, and it loves me back. Why are you even questioning it, you're constantly drinking it."
"Yeah, but I mix with it with either cranberry juice, or orange juice. You take it straight. I mean that is just unnatural….."
"You know what, I've been meaning to ask you about that. Since I've known you, you've had a serious hard on for Vodka and Cran. Lately, you've been mixing it up with the Screwdrivers. What's that about?"
Quinn smiled to herself, as she took a drag from her cigarette." Let's just say, I made a deal with somebody. That's all you need to know."
Santana rolled her eyes." Fine, don't tell me then.
At that moment, the bus door opened, and Rachel was pulling Puck on the bus." Stop being so stubborn, Noah! I just wanna' talk to you for a minute!"
"Rach, we can talk, just not on this damn bus!"
"Why not", asked the shorter woman, before turning, and seeing her boss and girlfriend sitting there.
"That's why", said Puck." God damn it, I knew you were gonna' do this to me!"
"No no, I didn't know she was in here, I swear, I didn't", defended Rachel.
"Bull shit, you just told me that she was the one who rented the damn thing for the night! Fuck this, I'm out!"
"Oh, no no no no no...", laughed Santana." You're in, mother fucker. Have a seat. Rachel and Quinn...out."
"Wait, San...I just need to talk to him-"
"Rachel, do not argue with me right now, just get out!"
"Oh my God, whatever", said Rachel, before pushing Puck out of her way, and leaving the bus.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay", asked Quinn, as she stood up.
"I'm sure. Go solve your issues with Tiny Terror...".
Quinn rolled her eyes, as she moved towards the bus door." You say that like it can be done. She wants nothing to do with me right now...just let me stay."
"Quinn…go...".
"Santana, I think really I should be here for this...".
"Oh my God, are you deaf? Get the fuck out of here, and let me deal with it", the Latina snapped.
"Wow...", breathed Quinn." So much for being able to keep up the respect towards me", she mumbled as she shuffled off the bus.
Once the blond was gone, Puck just stood in his spot, not sure what to do. He knew he could very easily just walk off the bus. However, if he did that, Santana was sure to make the rest of his night a living Hell."Soooo...".
"So...sit your ass down, and get comfortable", she said." Can I make you something to drink?" She pointed towards the cooler.
"No thanks. I got a this beer, and hook up inside", he said, as he moved forward, and sat down." Look, what do you want, San? I didn't come here tonight to get chewed out by you. I didn't even know you'd be here." He took a huge sip from his beer.
"Yeah, that just makes the whole situation even better."
"What situation? There isn't one."
"Yeah, there is. I get it, you're so much fucking happier being away from me, and the Playground. You'd rather be out on your own, selling shit, and doing your own thing. That's always gonna' piss me off, and you know that."
"So, what's your point?" He wasn't about to sit there, and listen to somebody else tell him how stupid he was for dealing.
"My point is, you were a part of the Playground family! How you feel now is irrelevant! At one point, you loved it there, you loved all of us, and you were a real fixture!" She wasn't holding back on her anger, as much as she knew she should." Forget the fact that you just up and left, walking away from a lot of people that cared about you! People that still do care and worry about you! I can push that aside for a second, only to point out that you couldn't even show up at the memorial that we had for Sunshine! Puckerman, that girl adored you, she loved you, and she was always more than happy to help you behind the bar when you needed it! So, she dies, and you can't even show up to say goodbye? I know Rachel tried getting you to come after she told you what happened!"
"Yeah, she fucking told me! So what!"
"So, why couldn't you suck it up, and just be there?"
"Because, I was ashamed", he hollered.
"Ashamed of what?"
"It was my fault! It's my fault that she's dead! There! I fucking said it! Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear from me?"
"Jesus...", said the Latina. She was suddenly a little calmer. Sure, she was pushing the man's buttons, but she wasn't expecting the response." Why do you think it's your fault?"
"Please...like you aren't thinking the same thing! Rachel told me that Sunshine was going to see Tina, and that she was most likely the last person she had contact with. She told me that she had drugs in her system when she died, and that it was the cause of death. Don't you get it? I was the one who started Tina on her fucking habit, which means if Tina was the one to get Sunshine to blow coke...". He was still angry, but there were tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Puckerman...no", said Santana, softly." No way. It's not your fault."
"Hell yes, it's my damn fault!"
She could tell that trying to convince him otherwise was a lost cause."Alright fine, let's go by that logic then. Sunshine is dead because you started selling to Tina, so yeah, it's your fault. Rachel didn't see the texts that she got from Sunshine until after it was too late, so it's Rachel's fault too. Sugar let Sunshine know that Tina was having a drug issue, so it's her fault too. I was so wrapped up in other shit, that I didn't think to check on one of the quiet ones, so it's my fault too..."
"Santana, where are you going with this", asked Puck." Get to the fucking point...".
"It's all our faults. Our little community...yeah...we killed her. Now, I loved the Hell out of that girl, we all did. But I have to be realistic here, this is a dangerous game. One that all my babies choose to play once they decide to work for me. She knew what she was getting into, she did. It sucks, but sometimes, people are gonna' get fucked over. Again, I loved her, but she got fucked over, and it's not just on one person, Puckerman. It's on all of us. So now the only thing we can do, is thank God she was here, move on, and learn from this. All you had to do was come and say goodbye, but you didn't. That means that you're not moving on."
Puck wiped a few of the tears from his face, and shook his head."Fuck you", he mumbled, finishing what was left of his beer.
"Yeah...I know. It hurts."
"I wanted to be there...I wanted to say goodbye...but the guilt sucked, Santana. It fucking sucked, and I couldn't deal with it."
"I get that, Puckermen. Trust me, I really get it, but you have to deal with it, and you don't get a choice. None of us did."
"Yeah…alright", he breathed. "You got any Whiskey on this bus?"
Santana smiled sadly, and nodded. "Jack Daniels, baby…".
"Oh my God….hand it over….".
Back inside, Quinn was looking around for Rachel. It took her a few minutes to seek her out, but when she finally did, she wished that she hadn't. The tiny brunette was sitting at the bar with the very person that had hit on her in the bathroom earlier.
Riley.
She had a fresh drink in front of her, and was hanging on the Jello wrestler's every words. It was almost as if she knew Quinn was watching her.
"Damn it", she mumbled to herself, as she watched Riley smile and flirt with her girlfriend. She wasn't sure what to do. She knew she had pissed Rachel off, and that she was hurting because of her. It was her fault that Rachel was getting cute with another woman. She didn't know how to feel. She wanted to be angry, and she was. She felt like she deserved to feel bad, and she did. She was pulled from her thoughts when Lexie started talking from the stage.
"Alright people, it's time for the Host and Most Throw Down. For those of you who don't know how this works...the host gets to pick a random wrestler to go up against a random that Baby Firework herself picked. They will compete in the Jello, and whoever wins, gets to drink free for the rest of the night, and the next night they come here."
Most of the crowd cheered, and Jade appeared on the stage with a mic in her hand." I haven't picked mine yet...", she said.
"Oh, you haven't?"
"No, I have a plan" the darker woman giggled." You have to reveal your pick first though."
It was easy to see that the two of them had hosted events together before. They were so comfortable, and casual on stage with each other.
"Alright, well you better have a good plan...because my pick is somebody that I have a feeling everybody will enjoy watching get her ass kicked."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah! People, let's hear it for a girl that brings shame to redheads everywhere...a bartender that will gladly suck the life out of you and still expect a tip...Gina."
Gina came walking out from behind the stage, wearing the official league uniform. Some people cheered, but most of the regulars booed, and laughed at her.
"Whatever! You guys fucking love me", she sneered.
"Oh, Gina...I'm not sure what world you're living in darling, but I'm pretty sure most of the people in this place are counting on you drowning in that Jello in a few minutes", laughed Lexie into the microphone. That had earned a lot of cheers, and laughter from everybody.
"Fuck you", said Gina.
It was a wonder Gina even bothered showing up that night. Or any night for that matter. It was known bar wide that she was everybody's least favorite. Clearly, she thrived on the drama of it all, and loved the attention. Even as negative as it was.
Santana and Puck had just come in from outside, and Brittany hurried over to her girlfriend." Sanny, there you are...I've been trying to find you."
"Sorry, babe...but, look who I found?"
Brittany saw Puck, and smiled."Oh my God...hey you." She moved to him, and gave him a tight hug." I've been worried about you...where have you been hiding?"
"In plain sight", he smiled." Good to see you, Britt.
"What's happening right now", asked Santana, as her eyes landed on Gina." I thought that bitch wasn't gonna' be here tonight."
The blond laughed." She's been picked for a match. She's gonna' go up against whoever Jade picks."
"No wonder everybody is so pumped", said Puck." That chick is a piece of work."
"You're telling me", breathed the Latina." I hope Jade picks somebody good."
"Maybe you should volunteer", laughed the dancer.
"No, babe. Maybe on a different night, when I feel like going to jail for murder."
Puck and Brittany both laughed, and looked back at the stage.
"So you've got my pick...what are you planning on", asked the Scottish woman, into her mic.
Jade giggled, and looked though the crowd." When I say go...whoever feels like taking Gina on, answer me with the best line from any movie that you can think of. When I hear one that I like...I'll pick that person."
"That's retarded", hollered Gina." Just fucking pick somebody, you don't have to make it complicated!"
"Gina, shut it...", warned Lexie."Stop pretending like you're not about to choke on a mouth full of Jello!"
Everybody started laughing, and Gina just rolled her eyes.
Jade chose not to respond to the girl's comment, and simply smiled." Ready guys? Go!"
A bunch of people started to yell out random movie lines and phrases.
"Who you gonna' call!"
"Are you...talkin' to me?"
"Bueller...Bueller...".
"Oh my God", laughed Jade." Somebody actually used Ferris Bueller...that's awesome sauce! What else you guys got for me?"
"I'm gonna' wreck it!"
"Goonies never say die!"
"Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"
"Cowabunga!"
"Boo, you whore!"
The entire time people were shouting random movie lines towards the stage, the wheels in Quinn's head were tuning. She glanced back towards the bar, where Rachel was sitting. She was still sitting next to Riley, and she knew she was being watched. That's when the blond made a decision. She threw her hand into the air, and shouted the very first movie line that popped into her head.
"I volunteer as tribute!"
With no hesitation, Jade's eyes landed on Quinn, and she pointed." Holy crap, yes! You need to come up here!"
The crowd went nuts, as Quinn made her way towards the stage, a bunch of people high fiving her, and patting her on the back as she worked her way through everybody. Once she got to the stage, Jade reached down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her up.
"What's your name?"
"Quinn."
"Okays...so Quinn...the reason I picked you, is because that's the exact movie line I was hoping for", laughed Jade." Do me a favor...head backstage, and somebody will give you something to change into. You can't get down and jiggly wearing a dress as nice as that."
"Sounds good", smiled Quinn, before she made her way backstage. Before she walked through the curtains, she glanced over towards the bar again. Sure enough, Rachel was staring at her, eyes wide. The blond just shook her head, and went to change.
A few minutes later, Quinn had emerged from the back, wearing the league uniform. She couldn't help but smile when people cheered, and clapped. The spotlight was on her, and she was loving it. She smiled even bigger when she saw that Rachel, Santana, Kurt, Brittany, and Puck had all moved towards the front of the crowd. She stood next to Jade, who turned to her, and looked directly into her eyes. The blond thought it was a little invasive, until she spoke.
"Yeah...", she whispered, lowering the mic to her side." You got things going on inside...don't you?"
She was suddenly comfortable, and trusted Jade. Her tone was full of honesty and concern. It was almost instant, but Quinn knew there was no harm in being straight forward. She smiled warmly, and nodded her head.
"You need to do this...you...need to let it all out...right? You've got so much to release….right?"
"Right."
"I'm happy I picked you", Jade smiled, as she brought the mic to her mouth again." I picked the perfect person."
A few minutes later, Thunderstack was playing once again, and Quinn was standing face to face with Gina.
"This is my domain, bitch...don't think I won't fight for it", Gina growled.
"This might be your domain, but everybody in here wants to see you get taken down. So, this is where me being a real people pleaser is bad news for you."
The only person who had heard the comments between the two women, was Joey, and as soon as Quinn said what she had, he looked at her like he was impressed. He put held the whistle to his mouth, and smirked."Alright ladies...on the count of...fuck it. Fight!"
The minute the whistle was blown, Quinn charged Gina, and took her down into the Jello. The redhead landed on her back, splashing pink and purple goo all over the place.
"Oh my God...", laughed Puck, as he joined the crowds cheering." That's what I'm talkin' about! Get her, Quinn!"
It took a minute, but Gina managed to squirm out of from under Quinn, and stand back up. She was about to tackle her, but she underestimated the blond, and ended up being tackled onto her back once again.
"What the Hell did you two fight about earlier", asked Santana, looking at Rachel. She never got an answer. Rachel was too busy staring wide eyed at what was going on.
At that point, Quinn almost had Gina pinned, when Gina got a sudden burst of strength, and pushed her off. She jumped down on top of her, and held both of her wrists." You're not winning this, bitch!"
Quinn struggled underneath her, and listened to the crowd cheer her on. She smirked slightly. She knew right then and there that Gina's shit talking could be used to her own advantage." Gina...you must have really low self esteem. It's not nice to talk to yourself like that."
"You think you're real clever, don't you", growled the red head.
"No, I don' think it...I know it", said Quinn, as lifted one of her legs, and used her foot to slap Gina on the back. It was a small distraction, but enough to make the girl think that somebody else has slapped her from behind. The minute she turned to look, Quinn pushed up, and into Gina's body, effectively pinning her to her back for the third time." Let me tell you something, Gina...I'm not the type of person you can push around. If you wanna' try, go ahead, but I will push back, and I will push hard." Gina was so concentrated on what Quinn was saying, that she didn't even notice Joey counting not a foot away." I'd tell you to remember these words, but I don't really think you'll have a problem with it because they will be echoing over and over again in your head when you're at home later, thinking about how...you just lost this match."
"...two...one...ding ding ding Gina...you loose bitch", yelled Joey, as he started blowing his whistle.
"No...no...fuck!", yelled Gina, as Quinn stood up, and looked down at her.
"Six seconds flies by when you're getting your ass kicked...and to think, you only needed to limbs free to avoid loosing. Too bad I had to pinned by all four."
Joey laughed, grabbed Quinn's wrist, and raised it up."Hey Smashed, I think we have a new record for the shortest match ever! The winner of tonight's Host and Most Smack down is, Quinn!"
The crowd went nuts, while Gina stood up, and stormed out of the pool.
A few minutes later, Quinn was standing on stage in between Jade and Lexie. She felt good. She was buzzed, yet her head felt somewhat clearer than it had been in the passed few weeks. Sure, to everybody else, it was just a bitchy bartender getting what she deserved. To her, it was so much more. It was her showing Rachel that she was allowed to feel how she wanted to feel. It was her showing Santana that she wouldn't get away with treating her like garbage at any old time. It was liberating in a way that she didn't think anybody else would ever understand. Lexie was busy talking to the crowd through her microphone, so the blond looked to her right. Jade was looking at her. Smiling at her. It was as if she knew.
"You did it...", she said softly.
"I did what", asked Quinn.
"You let it out...".
"Yeah. I guess I did", Quinn smirked." Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"This league...c-can I join it?"
Jade's jaw dropped, but in seconds flat, her lips curled into a calming smile." That would be beautiful."
"Thank you", laughed Quinn nervously. She felt crazy, but she loved it. Adrenalin was running through her veins, almost as if it had replaced her blood.
Jade had decided to like Quinn. She hadn't even known that they had a few friends in common yet, but it didn't matter. She knew exactly what it was that the woman was feeling, and she decided to make her moment even better." Quinn, do you sing?"
"I can sing", she answered right away."
The darker woman smiled." I love that I asked you if you do sing, and you answered with I can."
"Because...I can." Her confidence was so much stronger in that moment, and it didn't even matter why. She just knew that she had to embrace it, and go wherever it took her." Do you want me to sing something?"
"I don't just wanna' hear you sing...I wanna' hear you roar."
Meanwhile, Rachel and company had started their own conversation amongst themselves.
"What the Hell is she thinking", snapped the tiny brunette.
"Oh my God, why are you mad", asked Puck." That was fucking awesome, she just beat the piss outta' the bar's worst nightmare!"
"Rach...it was pretty amazing...", said Brittany." I think she kinda' needed it, I mean...she's been really tense, and tonight was supposed to be about having fun."
"She just did it to piss me off!"
"Yeah, but why are you pissed off? You have no reason to be", laughed Santana." Unless there's something you aren't telling us. Maybe...something about the fight you guys had?"
Rachel just looked at the Latina, and shook her head." Can you mind your own business for once? I mean Jesus...".
"You are my business...accept, and embrace it", was the retort.
"You should be happy for her", said Kurt." She won, and she's covered in dessert food. If were you...and vagina didn't terrify me...I'd be all over her right now."
"Yeah, but then who would stalk Ref Joey", asked Puck, with a huge smile on his face.
"Oh, shut up...I am not stalking him", he defended." But...now that you mention him...I should probably go find him."
With that Kurt was hurrying off in one direction, while Brittany grabbed Santana's hand and pulled her towards the stage." Come on, Sanny...you gotta' meet Lexie, she wants to meet you!"
"Ugh...this is ridiculous, Puck, let's go...I need a drink", growled Rachel, as she grabbed his hand. Before they got very far, Quinn's voice was coming from the speakers.
"Hey guys...as you know by now, my name is Quinn." She got a loud, positive response after that, and laughed a little into the mic."I feel like I'm on top of the world right now, and it's been a really long time since I felt this way...so just to make sure I stay on top...I'm gonna' sing you guys a song."
As expected, everybody cheered, and clapped. The music started up.
Quinn-
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath.
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess.
So I sat quietly, agreed politely.
I guess that I forgot I had a choice.
I let you push me past the breaking point.
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything.
She felt invincible, and the way the Smashed crowd was responding only fueled it.
You held me down, but I got up,
Already brushing off the dust.
You hear my voice, you hear that sound,
Like thunder gonna shake the ground.
You held me down, but I got up,
Get ready cause I've had enough.
I see it all, I see it now.
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire.
Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar.
Louder, louder than a lion,
Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar!
As Rachel stood and watched her girlfriend perform, she couldn't help but smile a little bit. She was loving how happy Quinn looked up on the stage. She loved how she sounded. It looked brand new. It wasn't that she had never seen the woman happy, because she had. Only, the way she was behaving, the look on her face, the sound of her voice, it was a mood Rachel had never seen. A level of happiness that she didn't even know Quinn could reach.
Once Quinn's performance was over, and everybody had calmed down, Jade stepped forward with her microphone, and wrapped her arm around Quinn's shoulders.
"Okays, so I hope you guys are as excited as I am...when I tell you that this girl right here...is now an official member of the SJW league...and as the league manager, I have to use this moment as part of her league name."
"I get a name", laughed Quinn.
"Oh yeah, you get a name. You won your match, you sang the crap out of the song I picked for you...I'm a little drunk, so forgive me if this is like really random", laughed Jade."...but here it is. Welcome to the SJW league, Lion Quinn!"
Everybody started cheering, and Quinn couldn't help but laugh." Lion Quinn?"
"Yeah...that's you, and when we see you at Summer Smashed Blast Part Three...we're gonna' hear you roar!"
As Quinn stood on the stage, taking in the sounds of the drunken crowd, feeling happy, and on top, she looked around. When her eyes landed on Rachel, she wasn't sure what to think. The little brunette wasn't smiling, but she didn't seem upset. She was angry, but she didn't seem happy. She just looked back at her, confused. Puck was standing right next to her, going out of his way to avoid eye contact. It was at that moment, that Quinn's buzz began to fade. Her girlfriend was looking at her as if she didn't even know her. The last thing she wanted was to let go of how she felt, but looking at Rachel, seeing the expression on her face, was changing how she felt. It was in that moment, she knew, she had to find a way to fix it. In a way that she could hold onto how she felt, while at the same time, making the love of her life recognize her again.
Quinn, along with her relationship, was in trouble.
Thanks for reading! And please remember that reviews and HELPFUL, POSITIVE feedback is helpful for me. I love my readers always. You guys make my stories possible, and I love you all for that. HIGH FIVES.