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The drive to the Fabray residence was quiet, with Quinn deliberately focused on the road and Rachel too lost in her own thoughts to ask more questions.
When the blonde parked her car in the driveway of a huge mansion, the brunette was so busy admiring the perfectly manicured lawn and sprawling grounds that she forgot to get out of the car. She was jolted back to the situation when Quinn cleared her throat, a smirk on her lips. Blushing, Rachel alighted from the car, the blonde holding open the door.
The mansion's interior was no less pristine than its exterior. Rare paintings hung on the walls in extravagant frames and impressive statues loomed in the corners. It looked perfect, but unreal—cold, somehow.
Even the sofa in the sitting room looks expensive and uncomfortable Rachel thought. Like no one lives here. She was again startled from her thoughts by Quinn.
"Do you need something to eat or drink? Or maybe you need to sit down?" The blonde looked a bit concerned. Rachel is a lot of things, but "spacey" and "quiet" she is not. The girl in question blushed again and shook her head. Quinn shrugged, and continued leading them through the house. They stopped at a door on the second floor, the cheerleader gesturing for Rachel to go first.
The brunette was surprised when she opened the door and saw only a flight of stairs. She had been expecting this to be Quinn's room.
Confused, she began, "Is this…?"
"Just keep going, Berry."
At the top of the stairs, Rachel gasped.
"So…this is my room," the blonde stated nonchalantly. Rachel's eyes were huge. This wasn't a simple bedroom—this was an apartment.
The main room was set up somewhat like a studio. In one corner was a little kitchen area, complete with a breakfast nook. A nearby alcove hosted a window seat and some exercise equipment. The other side of the room had a widescreen television, a gigantic stereo, a couch, beanbag chairs, and a coffee table. The center of the room held a pool table.
"This is all yours?" the brunette asked incredulously. Quinn shrugged.
"Want to see the rest?"
"There's more?"
Quinn rolled her eyes and walked down the short hallway to the second room. It was almost as large as the previous space, but had a very different feel. Whereas the other room was that of a spoiled rich kid with overindulgent parents, this room belonged to an artist. A large bed was pushed to one side of the room, along with some bookcases and a stereo, but that wasn't what grabbed the singer's attention. Like the first floor of the house, the walls were lined with art. Unlike the first floor, this art felt real, not merely expensive. There were lots of paintings and photographs everywhere. For some reason, an entire wall was made of frosted glass, with a glass door as well.
Spotting a few easels tucked away into a corner, Rachel gasped again.
"Quinn, did you…did you do these yourself?" The diva asked, awe in her voice, as she stared at the artwork.
Quinn fidgeted uncomfortably, nodding.
"They're incredible, Quinn! The photography too, or…?"
The cheerleader gestured to a door near the bed. Opening it partway, Rachel peered inside and saw that Quinn had turned a walk-in-closet into a darkroom. She closed the door and gaped at the blonde, who was studiously avoiding eye contact and rummaging through a second closet.
"Quinn, you're an amazing artist. Why don't you ever show anyone at school?"
Ignoring the question, Quinn held out a change of clothes to the brunette.
"You can change in the bathroom. You can shower in there too, if you want," the blonde offered, pointing to the glass door. "The glass is distorted enough that no one can really see through it. But there's a normal bathroom on the second floor if you're uncomfortable—"
Rachel shook her head and accepted the clothes.
"Thank you, Quinn. I will admit that I don't understand why you are doing this, but I am very grateful for your assistance." Rachel smiled warmly, albeit tentatively, at Quinn.
"You don't need to thank me, Berry—er, Rachel," the blonde artist replied brusquely. "I've treated you like crap. I've called you awful names and I've been the one to slushy you before. And I'm really, really sorry about that. It was wrong of me and I'm so sorry."
The diva was stunned by the cheerleader's apology. I never thought there would be a day when Quinn Fabray of all people would admit that she had been wrong. A day when the head cheerleader would apologize to me. Rachel's smile intensified, and Quinn resisted the sudden urge to hug the other girl.
Shaking her head, Quinn turned away and started fidgeting with the stereo as she heard Rachel run the water in the shower. The blonde deliberately refused to look at the glass wall. She hadn't lied when she had told Rachel that the distortions in the glass prevented her from seeing through, but she could still see the petite singer's silhouette and Quinn wanted to give Rachel the privacy and dignity she deserved. The taller girl chuckled to herself when she heard Rachel singing along with the radio, her voice ten times better than the original.
She was about to leave the room when the water stopped and Rachel called out.
"Excuse me? Quinn? Do you have a towel I may use?" brunette inquired.
Shit. I completely forgot.
Going to the linen closet, Quinn picked out the fluffiest towel and went to the glass door.
"I'm, ah, I'll just leave it here by the door," Quinn offered, hoping that the brunette would get it once Quinn was in the main room. I really, really don't want to have to go in the bathroom when Berry is in the shower.
"Quinn, the air is really cold. Could you please bring the towel into the bathroom and hand it to me?" The brunette reasoned, "Besides, we're both girls and I trust you." Content that Quinn would agree, the diva returned to belting out a pop song that would be annoying if it weren't Rachel's incredible singing.
Maybe you shouldn't trust me. Quinn ignored her internal voice. I'm being ridiculous. This is Rachel Berry, after all. I barely like her. I just feel bad about how I treated her and want to make amends. It's no big deal.
Taking a deep breath, Quinn grabbed the towel and opened the bathroom door.